DEEP PURPLE's Ian Paice has paid tribute to PROCOL HARUM frontman Gary Brooker who died a week ago at the age of 76. He passed away at his home on Saturday, February 19 after a battle with cancer.

Earlier today, Paice uploaded a five-minute video message to his official YouTube channel in which he reflected on his friendship with Brooker and praised the late musician as "one of the giants of English rock music."

Ian said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A couple of days ago, we lost one of the giants of English rock music, a good pal of mine, Gary Brooker. A totally unique voice, totally recognizable as soon as you heard it. A wonderful, different style of music that he helped create with his band PROCOL HARUM a long time ago. But when you hear those records today, they are so wonderfully perfect and so different.

"I had the great pleasure of being onstage with Gary just before the pandemic hit in 2020. He'd arranged an amazingly big benefit show at the O2 Arena — sold out, sixteen thousand-something people. Well, why wouldn't it be? He got some of his best friends to come and do it: Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Van Morrison, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young… It just went on and on and on. And I had the privilege of playing in the house band behind all these great artists. And in that one night, he raised over a million pounds for The [Royal] Marsden Hospital. That's something.

"And now he's gone. And apart from the recordings, I'll never get to say hi to him again; I'll never hear that wonderful voice live again. And that really is something to be missed.

"Gary — what an artist and what a nice man."

Brooker's death was announced in a statement on PROCOL HARUM's official web site. The statement read: "With the deepest regret we must announce the death on February 19 2022 of Gary Brooker MBE, singer, pianist and composer of PROCOL HARUM, and a brightly-shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry."

In addition to his work with PROCOL HARUM, Brooker released four solo albums and wrote and sang for Eric Clapton's band and with BILL WYMAN’S RHYTHM KINGS. He also toured with Ringo Starr's band RINGO'S ALL-STARRS.

Nearly two decades ago, Brooker was made an MBE — member of the Order of the British Empire — by Queen Elizabeth II for services to charity.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS drummer Eric Kretz spoke to Australia's "Everblack" podcast about "Perdida", the group's first-ever acoustic album, which came out in February 2020. Asked if the follow-up effort will see him and his bandmates returning to the heavier sounds of STP's earlier releases, the 55-year-old musician said: "On every STP record, we've always had one or maybe two songs that had that kind of vibe to it — where it was just softer and kind of acoustic based. And I think it was, like, 'Let's just do a whole album like that — have some fun and do something different.' And it was an amazing and it was a cathartic process to record it because it was a whole different thing… It was really trying to do more with less and trying to make the space be just as important as the notes that you're hearing. And yeah, we were just about to tour it when COVID hit. It was, like, 'Oh-oh. Here we go.'

"The next record, who knows?" he continued. "It could be the hardest or the loudest record we've ever done, or it could be a mix of the two. I don't know. I'm sure after we get back from [touring] Australia [at the end of March], everyone's gonna be itching and saying, 'All right, let's go. Let's go make another record again' in between the shows we have lining up this year here in the States. But no, that was kind of just a one-time thing to see where we're going, but at the same time, we all really enjoyed a lot of the aspects of it. So maybe you'll hear more of a blend of it. I always how LED ZEPPELIN could mix in — kind of the mixtures of stuff like that and have mandolins in songs right next to 'Black Dog' and other fantastically, amazingly good rock songs. It's all possible, and it's all coming from us, and it's all music. So we just try to make it all work."

In November, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS scrapped the remaining shows on their tour — including an appearance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida — after a "member" of the band's "organization" tested positive for COVID-19.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo and Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 45-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

"Perdida" was Gutt's second LP with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

Burley Auction recently annunced The Ted Nugent Guns, Guitars & Hot Rod Cars Auction, which is taking place this Saturday, March 27th at 10 AM at Tucker Hall in Waco, Texas. BraveWords caught up with Uncle Ted last week for a major feature you'll see in its entirety and hear on Streaming For Vengeance tommorow (March 26th) at 3:33PM EST. We were able to sneak in a few musical questions including where the supergroup the Damn Yankees stands. The band released two successful albums; 1990's Damn Yankees and 1992's Don't Tread.

“What a great band," Nugent exclaims! "What a great bunch of guys, what a bunch of soulful bastards. I just love original American rhythm and blues rock n’ roll, and we incorporate it in every song, every song-writing, every performance. I have nothing but incredible respect for Tommy (Shaw) and Jack (Blades) and Michael (Cartellone). Of course, Tommy’s been so busy since the Damn Yankees last tour in ‘93. In those five years we sold five million records, created some incredible songs, performed unbelievable concerts. Those guys are so soulful. Right after Damn Yankees Tommy was horny to get out there and play those masterpiece songs, Jack Blades couldn’t wait to do the Night Ranger thing, I couldn’t wait to go out and play my masterpieces, and Michael Cartellone shortly thereafter became the drummer that really kicked Lynyrd Skynyrd up the ass, and he was on tour with them for the last 30 years. So everybody is busy as hell. But I’ve always said, I’ve got a lot of piss and vinegar and I keep in touch with Jack and Mike and Tommy, and it’s unlikely that we’ll get together and do another Damn Yankees delivery, but it’s not impossible. We all want to, it’s just a matter of logistics. It’s hard to get in the same room together with all their pursuits and my pursuits, and prioritization - our expanding families, our love of quality family time - but it’s not off the table. I guarantee you this, if we got in the same room together you couldn’t inhale and exhale before we came up with a killer piece of soulful music. These guys, they literally live, eat, breathe, and shit fiery music. It happens instantly, spontaneously, and it’s like a primal scream every time we plug in. Within seconds a groove starts and Tommy and Jack unleash their unbelievable soulful vocals and I just unleash the beast, and Michael grinds it like he’s auditioning for James Brown. It has a life of its own but it’s a matter of the very difficult logistics of getting in the same place at the same time. I can pray for it, and I would like you to join me in praying for it.”

Watch for the entire conversation to be unleashed tommorrow (March 26th) at BraveWords and 3:33 PM EST on Streaming For Vengeance. You can watch/listen Streaming For Vengeance on our Facebook page or our YouTube channel. For more information about Streaming For Vengeance, visit this location. 

Featuring over 400 items from the personal collection of Ted Nugent. A fine collection of custom Ted Nugent guns, & personal carry guns, a fine collection of rare, prototype, & one of a kind guitars from Ted Nugent’s personal collection: 1958 Gibson Les Paul, 1959 Gibson Les Paul, 1956 Fender Strat, Black Gibson Byrdland, Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul, early Paul Reed Smith prototype & one of a kind Ted Nugent guitars, rare custom guitars, Ted’s vintage touring equipment including his entire back line, pyrotechnic stage guns, tour used speaker cabinets, concert equipment & stage decor, fully restored 1968 Ford Bronco, custom 2015 Dodge Hellcat Challenger, over 200 of Ted’s personal firearms featuring custom Ted Nugent guns, presentation guns, Ted Nugent ammo, vast selection of Ted’s personal archery equipment, memorabilia & more. All personally owned by Ted & covered with Nugent mojo.

More information at BurleyAuction.com.

(Photo credit above: Brown Photography)

 




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JOURNEY played the second show of its U.S. "Freedom" tour with TOTO last night (Wednesday, February 23) at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

JOURNEY's current touring lineup features bassist Todd Jensen, a veteran musician who has played for various artists, including the bands SEQUEL, HARDLINE and HARLOW, as well as David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry, Alice Cooper and Paul Rodgers. Also part of JOURNEY's current incarnation is returning drummer Deen Castronovo, who shared the drum duties in the band last year with Narada Michael Walden. Walden, bassist Randy Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY in 2020 following the band's acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory. Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss all the recent gigs because he is reportedly recovering from back surgery. Prior to JOURNEY's recent Las Vegas residency, Jackson had been replaced at the band's 2021 shows by Marco Mendoza, who had played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner.

JOURNEY has set "Freedom" as the title of its long-awaited new album, to be released later in the year. The LP will include the single "The Way We Used To Be", which came out last June. The song was the multi-platinum band's first new music since 2011's album "Eclipse", and the first track released by the band's revamped lineup. "The Way We Used To Be" marked Walden and Derlatka's first studio recordings with the band, and Jackson's first since 1986's "Raised On Radio". The song was produced by Walden at his Tarpan Studios, with co-production by Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Arnel Pineda as lead singer after founding member Neal Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

In a new interview with Rob Rush, Maynard James Keenan was asked why he thinks his various bands and projects — a list that includes TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER — have all managed to draw audiences worthy of arenas and theaters. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, they're not gonna support it if they show up and it's boring; they're not gonna come back. You have to have follow-through. You have to have a thoughtful presentation.

"People wanna be entertained; they wanna be moved in some way," he explained. "And I think in order to do that, depending on your agenda, people like me, I just need to do a thing and I need to do it well. And I'm never satisfied with how I did it; I think I can do it better. So if you get in that mindset — you're always trying to improve on the thing you did, even if it was the night before and you've done this thing ten thousand times, there's always room for improvement and adjustment. So I think that's what people have come to expect, is that they know that we are thoughtful and we're always thinking about fixing, correcting and making better."

Actor, performer, musician, entrepreneur, winemaker, athlete, writer and curious adventurer, Maynard is the embodiment of the archetypal artist. Best known as the vocalist in TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER, he has trusted the path he's followed and heeded his inner voice, ever open to synchronicities and unexpected turnings along the way.

In addition to his musical output, Keenan was able to launch a second career as a winemaker with Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards from his home in the hillside town of Jerome, Arizona, where he has lived since the mid-1990s.

PUSCIFER's "Existential Reckoning" tour will kick off June 9 at The Smith Center in Las Vegas. Joining Keenan at the shows will be longtime PUSCIFER members Mat Mitchell and Carina Round. The trek will include the group's largest scale performances to date, with shows slated for Los Angeles's venerable Greek Theatre (site of Keenan's one-time-only Cinquanta mini festival), Brooklyn's movie palace-turned-concert-hall Kings Theater and the state-of-the-art Mission Ballroom in Denver.

The tour in support of PUSCIFER's highly regarded 2020 album "Existential Reckoning" will mark the band's first U.S. dates since 2016.

PUSCIFER was unable to play live shows to promote "Existential Reckoning" at the time of its release due to the ongoing global pandemic. But the band did manage to livestream performance of the album in October 2020, a show which was made available as on-demand/VOD version and an accompanying soundtrack in November 2021, with physical versions of the soundtrack and film (vinyl and VHS) available via retailers on February 25.

On July 23, Mikkey Dee will take part in a special "tribute to MOTÖRHEAD" concert at Mellby Horsepower in Laholm, Sweden. This "unique" gig will feature the former MOTÖRHEAD and current SCORPIONS drummer and as-yet-undisclosed "friends" performing MOTÖRHEAD classics.

For more information, click here.

In a 2021 interview with the "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" video podcast, Mikkey said that MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister refused to quit touring in the weeks leading up to his death, even when his health was clearly deteriorating.

"We played the last show the 11th of December [of 2015] in Berlin, and he passed just [two] weeks later," Mikkey recalled (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And that tells you, the guy died with his boots on. And both me and Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] were trying to talk him out of starting the second part of the European tour after Christmas. But there was no way in hell we could do that. And I said to Phil, 'Look, instead of arguing with Lemmy or pushing him not to do this,' because we said maybe we should break for a couple of months for him to catch his wind, basically. I said, 'Let's not push him anyway. Let him decide what he wants to do. He knows best what he wants to do.' And he wanted to be on stage. So we said, 'Let's just support him instead,' and that's what we did. But we never made it to the second leg of that European tour, unfortunately. It was the U.K. that was on the next part of it, I remember that."

Asked if he knew when he came home to Sweden that it would probably be the end for Lemmy, Mikkey said: "No. Not at all. Because I talked to Lemmy after that show in Berlin. We were all gonna go separate ways, obviously. I was gonna just fly out to Sweden, and Phil went back home to Wales. Lemmy was flying back to L.A., but I believe he was gonna fly to London and stay one night or two or so and say hi to friends and then fly back home. And I spoke to him right after the show. I went down to Lemmy's dressing room, and I said, 'All right. Go back to L.A. and figure out, maybe, another two songs from [MOTÖRHEAD's final album] 'Bad Magic' that you think that we should do. And we take out the two songs that we already played on this leg, and we put in two new songs from the record.' And he said, 'Yeah. All right. I'll check that out.' And I said, 'Let's hook up after Christmas.' Because it was the 11th of December at that time, and I figured we'd talk between Christmas and New Year's Eve and decide which two songs that we agreed on on playing on that next leg. And he said, 'Yeah, I'll go back and work on that.' And that was it. He had no intention of not coming back to Europe and touring. So we did a little finger hook, as we always did, and that was the last time I saw him, actually. Very sad."

Dee went on to say that Lemmy had made some changes in his life to improve his health after dealing with several issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble. "But my personal belief is that it was maybe a little too late," he said. "He should have maybe changed a little earlier. But knowing Lemmy, he was not for that. He was doing it his way or the highway, basically. And that made him to what he was. He never compromised with his music, he never compromised with friendship, he never compromised with what way he was gonna go for anyone else in that way, which is why MOTÖRHEAD was MOTÖRHEAD, and still is MOTÖRHEAD. But with that said, of course, the three of us were talking a lot about stuff, and it was not like he was some kind of a boss here. But we all worked so good together, and that's what created the magic, I would say."

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete the aforementioned European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", is being directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

The "Lemmy" biopic will follow Kilmister's life growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, becoming a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and a member of seminal psychedelic rock band HAWKWIND before forming MOTÖRHEAD.

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, Califor

Dream Theater have checked in with the following update:


"DT collectors! There have been some very exciting releases recently as part of our ongoing Lost Not Forgotten Archives reissue campaign. We are pleased to announce the latest entry, ...And Beyond Live in Japan 2017, recorded at the historic Budokan in Tokyo on our Images, Words & Beyond tour. 


Previously released as a Japan-exclusive television broadcast, and subsequently as a live streaming event, this recording from our modern era will be available for the first time on various formats, including vinyl, CD and digital / streaming on April 8th."




Check out all of the Lost Not Forgotten Archives releases at this location.





Tracklist:


Side A
"The Dark Eternal Night"
"The Bigger Picture"


Side B
"Hell’s Kitchen"
"The Gift of Music"


Side C
"Our New World"
"Portrait of Tracy"
"As I Am"


Side D
"Breaking All Illusions"

Shadow Of Intent have dropped a claymation music video for their track, "Blood In The Sands Of Time". The song is taken from the band's new album, Elegy, that was released last month.


Speaking on the band's new release, guitarist Chris Wiseman shares, “We are beyond excited to share this new claymation video for 'Blood In The Sands Of Time'. This is the band’s collective favorite song of the album and we can’t thank Shayne Minott enough for bringing this vision to life with his unique style.” 







Elegy artwork and tracklisting:





"Farewell"
"Saurian King"
"The Coming Fire"
"Of Fury" 
"Intensified Genocide" 
"Life Of Exile"
"Where Millions Have Come To Die" 
"From Ruin... We Rise" 
"Blood In The Sands Of Time"
"Reconquest"
"Elegy I: Adapt"
"Elegy II: Devise"
"Elegy III: Overcome"


"Of Fury" video:





"Where Millions Have Come To Die":





"From Ruin... We Rise" video:





"Intensified Genocide" video:





Shadow Of Intent kicked off a US tour last week with Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel and Revocation. Remaining dates are as listed:


February
24 - Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY
25 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
26 - Anthology - Rochester, NY
28 - The Majestic - Detroit, MI


March
1 - The Vic - Chicago, IL
2 - Skyway Theater - Minneapolis, MN
4 - The Gothic - Denver, CO
5 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
7 - Showbox - Seattle, WA
8 - Hawthorne - Portland, OR
10 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA
11 - The UC Theatre - Berkeley, CA
12 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
13 - The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA
14 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
15 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
17 - Vibes Event Center - San Antonio, TX
18 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX
19 - Amplified Live - Dallas, TX
21 - Red Flag - St. Louis, MO
22 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
23 - Iron City - Birmingham, AL
25 - Jannus Live - St. Petersburg, FL
26 - Revolution - Ft. Lauderdale, FL





 

New York's Sanhedrin has released an unboxing video for their upcoming Metal Blade Records album, Lights On, set for worldwide release on March 4. Watch below:





The Brooklyn power trio do metal the old school way, channeling the greats that preceded them to create something that is instantly familiar, yet with a new, modern energy to it. On this particular track, vocalist / bassist Erica Stoltz explains, "The pandemic put the unbridled excess of humanity on hold. The reference was a play on the term 'correction' as used in economics. The comparison is between the slow roll of global death by virus and other man-made instantaneous destructors like atomic bombs."




Rounded out by Jeremy Sosville on guitars, and drummer Nathan Honor, the band states, "In a time where the world around you feels like it's aflame, when our heavy metal heroes are beginning to disappear to failing health or changing social norms, we, Sanhedrin, stand here as a shining light through the dark. We are prepared to fly the flag of heavy metal in these trying and uncertain times and have only begun to show the world what we are capable of."





Lights On can be pre-ordered in the following formats at this location.


- jewelcase-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- pale blue grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- clear ochre brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- orange red brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- deep violet marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear gray brown marbled vinyl (US exclusive)





Tracklisting:


"Correction"
"Lights On"
"Lost At Sea"
"Change Takes Forever"
"Code Blue"
"Scythian Women"
"Hero's End"
"Death Is A Door"


"Correction":





Sanhedrin is slated for festival appearances across Europe and the US this year, with full-fledged tours in the works on both sides of the Atlantic. Details of confirmed concerts can be found here.


(Photo - Suzanne Abramson)

Chicago-based thrash trio, Misfire, have unleashed their latest video and single, "Red Flag". The track comes off the band’s pulverizing Sympathy For The Ignorant debut full-length, set for release on April 1 on their new label home of MNRK Heavy.


Conjuring old-school flavoured thrash metal devastation with the kind of bombastic firepower that could wake the dead, Misfire creates more of a racket than bands twice their size, unleashing song after song of unrelenting fury. It’s music that could have arrived in the thrash golden age of 1986, when bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Dark Angel, and Sodom delivered vital records. And yet Misfire is forward-thinking, injecting modern metal mastery into their brew for a powerful, timeless sound.  


Comments the band of "Red Flag", “This song is the result of a series of incredibly challenging situations we have been in throughout our lives. This was one of the first songs written for Misfire and we are stoked to share it with you all! Raise your red flag!"







Created in a small studio and engineered by vocalist/bassist, Sean Coogan, M Misfire’s Sympathy For The Ignorant is free from click-tracks and other unnecessary frills, projecting the purity of what three musicians raised on Pantera and the Big 4 sound like in a room together. The record is heavy, brawny, and confident, filled with the kind of earworm thrash metal riffs that sends aspiring players to the guitar store.  


“The album is a sonically badass version of what you’ll hear live. It’s real, no fake shit,” notes drummer James Nicademus. “It’s very much a throwback to the way things used to be recorded. Like, just turn the shit on, press record, layer some stuff in after that, put some words on top of it, mix it, and it’s done.”   


Armed with the attitude and songs to follow in the footsteps of Slayer, Metallica, and Lamb Of God, the three men of Misfire are heavy metal lifers. “I started playing drums when I was eleven, and ever since, it’s all I talk about,” says Nicademus. “[Vocalist/guitarist] Jay [Johnson] and I started jamming together at ages twelve and thirteen.”  


In just a short couple of years, Misfire quickly shared the stage with thrash legends Sacred Reich and modern throwback bands like Iron Reagan and Warbringer. As long-running tastemakers Metal Crypt wrote in a review of Sympathy For The Ignorant, “these fellows are ready for the big leagues.”


“Whatever happens, we’re going to be here for a long time because we can’t live without doing this shit,” Nicademus declares. “All we want is to make records, tour, and have a good time doing it.” Misfire is poised to give the world a much-needed dose of Windy City whiplash. Get ready.


Sympathy For The Ignorant will be available on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find pre-orders here.





Sympathy For The Ignorant tracklisting:


"Fractured"
"Red Flag"
"War Of Mine"
"Skin Of Mirrors"
"Death Trap"
"No Offense "
"R.I.P."
"He Said, She Said"
"L.Y.S. "
"Sympathy For The Ignorant"


"Fractured" video:





Misfire lineup:


Jay Johnson – vocals/guitar  
Sean Coogan – vocals/bass  
James Nicademus – drums

In a new interview with the "Metal Mayhem" podcast, CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer and founding member Paul Mazurkiewicz was asked if he takes it as a compliment when his band is referred to as the "MOTÖRHEAD of death metal," as was the case in a recent review in the U.K. magazine Kerrang! He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I totally take it as a compliment. Because you get what you get; when you're gonna listen to CANNIBAL CORPSE, you're gonna buy a new record, you know what you're getting. There's gonna be no second guessing; there's gonna be no, 'Oh, I wonder what they're gonna… Is it gonna sound like this?' Because so many bands have done that in the past.

"We're being ourselves," he continued. "We're not being anybody else. We're playing CANNIBAL CORPSE music for ourselves and we're staying true to ourselves. And I know the fans, of course, over the years, have come to understand that and to rely on us, to know what they're gonna get. They don't have to worry that, 'Oh my gosh. What are the gonna do? Are they gonna start having clean vocals?' or whatever. It's, like, no. It's gonna be CANNIBAL CORPSE. That's what you're gonna get. So I totally take that as a compliment.

"The other one we always hear, and that's a major compliment… If you're gonna be put in the same sentence with bands like MOTÖRHEAD… I mean, those are legendary bands, of course," Paul added. "Or we always hear we're the AC/DC of death metal — kind of the same thing. There you go — AC/DC was AC/DC; they weren't anybody else. They weren't trying to be anybody else. They were AC/DC; you know what you're getting.

"To hear those phrases and comparisons like that, it's a complete compliment," he repeated. "And that's what we're going for, man — we've gotta be CANNIBAL CORPSE until the end. That's just the way it is."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", was released in April 2021 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

Mark "Weissguy" Weiss, legendary photographer and author of The Decade That Rocked, has posted rare video footage of Quiet Riot (with Randy Rhoads) performing at The Starwood in Hollywood, California on October 26, 1979.


Watch the video below, and get a copy of The Decade That Rocked here.


Setlist:




"Gonna Have A Riot"
"Lie Back And Let Me In"
"One In A Million"
"Breaking Up Is A Heartache"
"Picking Up The Pieces"
"Teenage Anthem"
"Good Times"
Drum Solo
"Killer Girls"
"Laughing Gas"
Guitar Solo
"Back To The Coast"
"Slick Black Cadillac"

In the year 1993, three former members of German metal band, Running Wild, decided to form a new band called X-Wild.


After searching for a fitting singer they found Frank Knight from Manchester / England. They were meeting several times for songwriting in Rendsburg in the North of Germany, before they entered the studio to record their first album, entitled So What!


The recordings took place in the famous Studio M in Machtsum near Hildesheim in Germany in November/December 1993. In this studio were also recorded the two most successful Running Wild albums, Death Or Glory and Blazon Stone. It was even engineered and mixed by the same man: Jan Nemec. Never change a winning team!




The reissue of X-Wild’s debut full-length album, originally released in 1994 will be reissued on April 1 as CD, limited Purple/Black Splatter 180g Vinyl (300 copies worldwide) and digital streaming and download formats.


Pre-order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Can't Tame The Wild"
"Dealing With The Devil"
"Scarred To The Bone"
"Wild Frontier"
"Skybolter"
"Beastmaster"
"Kid Racer"
"Into The Light"
"Freeway Devils"
"Mystica Deamonica"
"Thousand Guns"
"Different, (So What)"





Lineup:


Jens Becker (ex-Running Wild, currently in Grave Digger) - Bass
Axel Morgan (ex-Running Wild) - Guitars
Stefan Schwarzmann (ex-Running Wild, ex-U.D.O., ex-Accept) - Drums
Frank Knight - Vocals

Savage Existence have released their new live music video for the song "A Thousand Pounds Of Trainwreck." A faithful reflection of the energy of a live performance (which is what this band is about), the clip was shot during their recent tour in Mexico - where they shared stage with legends of death metal Monstrosity – and can be viewed via its premiere on BraveWords below:





“‘A Thousand Pounds of Trainwreck’ is one of our heaviest songs and one of our favorites to play live,” says the band. “As a show opener in this video, you can see how quickly this song gets people moving.” 




The group’s debut album, ‘Animals,’ was released on November 19, 2021, and in April they will be opening shows in Mexico for Sepultura (including April 13th at Pistoleros House of Show in Chihuahua and April 17th at Circo Volador in Ciudad de Mexico). This new band has released already several blasting videos during past months on their channels attracting fans and followers all over the world.


“True and honest expression of pure energy, old school meeting modern metal, groove and death metal style with southern rock influence, strong head banging riffs and insane vocals,” is how the band describes their sound. “In the vein of such bands as Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Soulfly, Machine Head and Sepultura. Creating our very own sound by adding almost progressive rhythms and also very smooth and melodic parts in an original amalgama of sounds.”


Savage Existence is the extreme groove/death metal band created in Costa Rica by Daniel Cleland (guitars) and Jesse Radford (drums), both entrepreneurs from Canada, and experienced vocalist, producer and songwriter Anton Darusso (Wings of Destiny, Oxidize from Sweden, Magic Opera) from Italy. They are joined by Emil Minott (bass) and Andres Castro (guitars). ‘Animals’ was produced and recorded by Logan Mader (Once Human, ex-Machine Head, ex-Soulfly). Savage Existence is inspired by old school metal, taking it to another level with blasting riffs, unconventional song writing, insane vocals, and an overall wall of heavy sound.





Animals is now available for streaming on digital platforms worldwide thanks to Blood Blast Distribution. The album has themes of animalistic savagery one might find in the jungle, influenced by the band's time spent in Costa Rica. "Be the predator, not the prey," and "I am just an animal hunting in the jungle" are some of the band's taglines, challenging societal norms, media biases, and other challenges we face as society and individuals.





And soon, the band will be playing with Sepultura. “Sepultura is one of this main influences and is a true cult band that is important to share the stage with, so we can show what we are able to deliver as live performers. We are very much looking forward to thrashing alongside such a legendary band and sharing our music with their fans. It’s all about gaining more and more credibility and captivating attention. It’s a perfect opportunity for us to show what we are made of. We will explode and present the Animals album almost entirely, creating an experience for the fans more than just a gig but a life experience.”


And the band already has plans for the future. “We expect to release an EP with two covers (Lamb of God “Resurrection Man” & Machine Head “Old,” with participation of Logan Mader on guitars) and then the second album Matricide, that is already recorded with special guest Gary Holt on guitars and some other stellar appearances (also produced by Logan Mader). As for the rest of the 2022-2023, we plan to play live, of course if pandemic allows. For now - the sky is the limit.”

Guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION), who recently joined Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE, was asked in a new interview with the "Brews N Tunes" podcast if he and his new bandmates have commenced work on the follow-up to 2018's "Overtures Of Blasphemy" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They had started most of the new album before I joined, but since announcing [that we are going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of DEICIDE's sophomore album] 'Legion' [by performing the LP in its entirety], we've kind of shifted gears and we're trying to lock that in and get a set prepped just in the event that a show pops up. But they have most of the new album prepped, and then we're hammering out, ironing out some details with the last couple songs. So hopefully that will be out this year. I don't know any concrete plans on when we're gonna start pre-production or recording or any of that. But hopefully this year. That would be awesome. But the material is sounding killer. It sounds like DEICIDE."

Earlier in the month, Nordberg spoke about how he landed the DEICIDE gig in an interview with "The Zach Moonshine Show". He said: "In 2019, my band THE ABSENCE toured with DEICIDE in the U.S. And we got to know the guys and got along really well. And I actually found out that Glen [Benton, DEICIDE frontman] lives, like, two streets over from Jeramie [Kling, THE ABSENCE drummer] and I, where we live. So Jeramie and Glen became good buddies and they ride bikes all the times. It's a funny little thing, thinking about that. But long story short, [previous DEICIDE guitarist] Chris [Cannella], I believe he's the head of A&R at Dean Guitars so he's focusing on that for right now. I heard that they needed a guitar player, so I learned a couple of songs, made a couple of videos, and Glen saw 'em and liked what he saw. So we had a couple of practices, and bing bang boom, here we are."

Cannella amicably left DEICIDE last month after a three-year run.

When Benton first announced Nordberg's addition to DEICIDE, he said in a statement: "We are pleased to announce and welcome Taylor Nordberg to the DEICIDE family! An amazing and accomplished guitarist who takes our sound to the next level and brings a profound level of professionalism that completes and compliments the DEICIDE machine!"

Cannella said in a separate statement: "Yes, it is true. I am no longer in DEICIDE. There is no drama and we all kept it quiet as to not lead into drama or speculation.

"I have all the love and respect for Glen, Steve and Kevin. I had so many great times over the last three years I cherish for a lifetime, especially the friendship.

"Cheers to all and thanks for all the love and support. I'm excited for what's to come."

Cannella joined DEICIDE in 2019 following the departure of guitarist Mark English.

English became a member of DEICIDE in 2016 after the exit of longtime guitarist Jack Owen.

"Overtures Of Blasphemy" was released in September 2018 via Century Media.


























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Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND on stage last night (Thursday, February 24) at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform a cover of THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND classic "Midnight Rider". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below (courtesy of Facebook user Jamie Adams).

Earlier in the week, Bach spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" how his collaboration with THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND came about. "Another thing that's cool about these cruise ships you get to go on is you get to meet different musicians all the time," he said. "And one guy that I've been friends with for a while now is Devon Allman, Gregg Allman's son. And now he has his own band called THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND. And we did on a cruise ship. He wants me to do it again [Thursday] night. He's invited me to sing with THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND. [Thursday] night in Vegas, I will be doing the song 'Midnight Rider' by THE ALLMAN BROTHERS [BAND] — in Vegas. Live. No tapes. No fakes.

"I'm an ALLMAN BROTHERS fanatic, and to be able to put a harmony on that song with Devon Allman and Duane Betts on guitar, I love that," Sebastian added.

About a year ago, Bach said that he had finished demoing 14 new tracks for his next studio album.

Among the musicians who have assisted Bach during the writing and recording process for his new music are Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, Michael Jackson), John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Devin Bronson, Brent Woods, Eli Santana and Jeremy Colson.

In January 2021, Sebastian told The Aquarian Weekly that he was working on a new album but he declined to name the record company that will be putting it out. "Yes, I have a new American label and I have been working somewhat on the album during this damned quarantine," he said. "But there is only so much I can do in my house. I have been sending files back and forth [to my bandmates], but it is not as exciting as being together in the same room. Maybe Taylor Swift lives with her whole band. I don’t know how that works."

He added: "My new album is going to be heavy. In many ways it is my follow-up to [2007's] 'Angel Down'. I am trying to make the best record I have ever made. There will be a lot of heavy [music] coming your way."

Back in 2018, Bach told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station that he was going to ink a deal with a U.S.-based heavy metal record label that would help him make a "career-defining" new solo album.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.




Allman Family Revival with MARC F'N FORD and Sebastian Bach…!!!…at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

Posted by Jamie Adams on Thursday, February 24, 2022

Los Angeles quintet HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD has released a new single, "Chaos", produced by WZRD BLD a.k.a. Drew Fulk (Lil Wayne, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, Lil Peep). The track is among the heaviest to ever be released by the group, yet still combines dynamic elements of rap, hard rock and alternative in a way that is authentically UNDEAD. The track offers the first glimpse of the band's yet-to-be-announced new album.

"'Chaos' is about getting to the end of the road, thinking you can finally rest, and realizing it's not only more chaos, but that's all there is ever gonna be. No rest for the wicked," says HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's Johnny 3 Tears.

A visualizer for "Chaos" can be viewed below. The song's official haunting and artistically choreographed video, directed by Jensen Noen (ICE NINE KILLS, FALLING IN REVERSE, ASKING ALEXANDRIA), will make its online debut on March 3 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET via YouTube.

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD will begin the "Kill The Noise" North American tour with PAPA ROACH and BAD WOLVES on March 1 with a sold-out show in Anaheim, California.

Formed in 2005, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD has inched towards mainstream dominance under the radar. Preceding the current playlist-hopping genre-less boom, they defied stylistic boundaries from day one. Integrating rap, rock, and electronic, the seminal 2008 debut "Swan Songs" went platinum. 2011's gold-selling "American Tragedy" bowed at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 with "Notes From The Underground" soaring to No. 2 in 2013. "Day Of The Dead" (2015) and "Five" (2017) brought the group's total streams past 1 billion and "New Empire Vol 1" and "Vol 2" saw their combined streams across Spotify and YouTube hit a staggering two billion. Along the way, they've sold out tours on four continents and garnered acclaim courtesy of Rolling Stone, Billboard, Consequence, Alternative Press, Revolver and more.

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD is comprised of MCs Charlie Scene, J-Dog, Johnny 3 Tears, Funny Man and Danny.

RUSH has just released the official audio for "Vital Signs (Live in YYZ 1981)" from the upcoming "Moving Pictures - 40th Anniversary" set. Check it out below.

On April 15, UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records label groups continue the extensive RUSH 40th-anniversary album series with new, expanded editions of the band's groundbreaking 1981 release "Moving Pictures", embodying its well-deserved classic album status. "Moving Pictures - 40th Anniversary" will be available to fans in six distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) three-CD Deluxe Edition, (3) five-LP Deluxe Edition, (4) one-LP Edition, (5), Digital Deluxe Edition, and (6) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition and can be pre-ordered here.

"Moving Pictures", RUSH's eighth studio album, was originally released on February 12, 1981, and its adventurous-yet-accessible music catapulted the forward-thinking Canadian band to even newer heights as it began navigating the demands of a new decade. The album's seven songs expertly blended RUSH's intrinsic prowess for channeling its progressive roots into radio-friendly arrangements, a template the band had mastered to a T all throughout its previous album, 1980's deservedly lauded "Permanent Waves". "Moving Pictures" was also the second of many RUSH recording sessions at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec, which was ultimately nicknamed the trio's own personal Abbey Road recording studio.

The album's lead-off track, "Tom Sawyer", became one of RUSH's most cherished FM favorites in addition to taking its rightful place as a perpetual concert staple for decades to come. Next, the band shifts into the multi-generational dreamscape of "Red Barchetta", which chronicles the thrills and chills of a high-stakes backroads car race. The instrumental barnburner "YYZ", lovingly named after the airport identification code for Toronto's Pearson International Airport, runs the gamut of the band's forever impressive progressive chops in under four minutes flat. Side A closes out with the observational luminescence of "Limelight", a timeless, if not prescient look at how introverted artists grapple with public demands while trying to maintain a personal level of earned privacy.

Side B commences with the expansive palette of "The Camera Eye", a multi-layered, ten-minute-long travelogue that takes a bird's eye view of the inherent hustle and bustle of New York City counterbalanced with the intense energy and deep-rooted history of London. "Witch Hunt" (subtitled as being "Part III of Fear") offers a grim view of prejudice and mob mentality, while the album wraps up with the angular, cutting-edge "Vital Signs", a propulsive track that clearly foreshadows a number of the more adventurous musical directions RUSH would undertake as the ever-shifting 1980s continued to unfold.

The Super Deluxe Edition includes three CDs, one Blu-ray Audio disc, and five high-quality 180-gram black vinyl LPs. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD, along with two discs of previously unreleased and newly restored bonus live content newly mixed from the original analog live multi-tracks by RUSH's original producer, Terry Brown, featuring the band's complete, unreleased Toronto concert from Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, on March 25, 1981 (designated here as "Live In YYZ 1981"). The fourth bonus disc is a Blu-ray Audio disc with the core album newly mixed from the original multi-tracks in Dolby Atmos (a RUSH catalog first!), Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound as done by noted producer/engineer Richard Chycki, alongside the previously available PCM Stereo mix. Also included on the Blu-ray are four bonus videos: a brand-new video for "YYZ" plus three remastered vintage promo videos for "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight" and "Vital Signs". Additionally, all of the vinyl in the Super Deluxe Edition has been cut via half-speed Direct to Metal Mastering (DMM) (another RUSH catalog first!) on five 180-gram audiophile LPs.

The Super Deluxe Edition of "Moving Pictures - 40th Anniversary" will also include several exclusive items, including a 44-page hardcover book with unreleased photos and new artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme, along with new illustrations for each song; extensive liner notes by Kim Thayil (guitarist, SOUNDGARDEN), Les Claypool (bassist/vocalist, PRIMUS), Taylor Hawkins (drummer, FOO FIGHTERS), Bill Kelliher (guitarist, MASTODON), and Neil Sanderson (drummer, THREE DAYS GRACE); a Red Barchetta model car mounted on a black perch with an MP40 nameplate; two Neil Peart signature MP40 branded drumsticks; two metal-embossed guitar picks, one each with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson's respective signatures engraved on them; a replica of the "Moving Pictures" 1981 official tour program; an MP40 logo enamel pin; a 3D lenticular "Moving Pictures in motion" lithograph; an 18×24-inch Toronto 1981 concert poster; a replica concert ticket from the 1981 Maple Leaf Gardens show; a 12×36-inch Rush Through The Years 1973-1981 poster; a YYZ luggage tag; and a All Access World Tour '81 insert. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box, which features movingly reimagined cover artwork by Hugh Syme.

The second configuration of "Moving Pictures - 40th Anniversary" will be released in a three-CD Deluxe Edition digipak that includes the newly remastered original album on CD 1 and the entire, unreleased 1981 Toronto concert on CDs 2 and 3. Extras include a 24-page booklet with unreleased photos and reimagined artwork by Syme, along with the aforementioned liner notes by Thayil, Claypool, Hawkins, Kelliher and Sanderson.

The third "Moving Pictures" configuration will be offered as a five-LP Deluxe Edition, all of it housed in a slipcase including a single-pocket jacket for the remastered original "Moving Pictures" on LP 1, and two gatefold jackets for LPs 2-5 that comprise all 19 tracks from the complete, unreleased "Live In YYZ" 1981 concert. As noted above, all vinyl has been cut for the first time ever via half-speed Direct to Metal Mastering (DMM) on 180-gram black audiophile vinyl. Extras include a 24-page booklet with unreleased photos, Syme's reimagined artwork and new illustrations, and the complete liner notes.

The fourth configuration is a one-LP eCommerce exclusive edition, featuring the first-ever half-speed DMM vinyl pressing. It comes newly wrapped in a limited-edition premium tip-on style gatefold jacket with printed sleeve, and each pressing comes with one of six randomly inserted Neil Peart hand-drawn lyrics sheets.

The fifth configuration, the Deluxe Digital Edition, features the original album and all 19 bonus live performances from Toronto, and is the digital equivalent to the three-CD Deluxe Edition.

Finally, the sixth configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki's masterful Atmos mix of all seven tracks from the original album.

RUSH — bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist/vocalist Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart — maintains a large and uniquely passionate worldwide fanbase that acknowledges and respects the band's singular, bold, and perpetually exploratory songcraft that combines sterling musicianship, complex compositions, and distinctive lyrical flair. RUSH has sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. alone, with worldwide sales estimated at 45 million (and counting), and has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum, and three multi-platinum album distinctions. RUSH has received seven Grammy nominations, and the band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 1994 and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has shared his stripped back take on "Lunatic Fringe", the 1981 classic originally performed by RED RIDER. The track is taken from his solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", which is being released today (Friday, February 25) via Roadrunner Records.

"CMFB…Sides" comprises nine unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions. Corey preserves the windows-down and arena-ready spirit of "On The Dark Side" made famous by JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND in the 1983 film "Eddie And The Cruisers", and strips "Lunatic Fringe" down to a striking acoustic number. Furthermore, he and his cohorts hypercharge "Got To Choose" by KISS and lock into a punchy punk gallop during "All This And More" from DEAD BOYS. The EP also features Taylor's snarling cover of "Holier Than Thou" from METALLICA, a song he initially recorded for "The Metallica Blacklist". Perhaps most surprisingly, Corey and his bandmates transform Eddie Money's "Shakin'" into a roaring banger with all of the original's swagger intact. Plus, the EP boasts acoustic takes on "Kansas" and "Halfway Down" from Taylor's 2020 full-length debut, "CMFT", and a powerhouse live medley of "Home" and STONE SOUR's famous "Come What(ever) May" finale "Zzyxz Rd".

"CMFB…Sides" track listing:

01. Holier Than Thou (METALLICA cover)

02. All This And More (DEAD BOYS cover)

03. Kansas (acoustic)

04. Shakin' (Eddie Money cover)

05. Home/Zzyzx (STONE SOUR) (medley) (live)

06. Lunatic Fringe (RED RIDER cover)

07. Got To Choose (KISS cover)

08. Halfway Down (acoustic)

09. On The Dark Side (JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND cover)

Corey broke the news of the "CMFB…Sides" release in an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" earlier in the month. At the time, he said: "CMFT is putting out a B-sides album which has all the covers that we've done and some acoustic versions of some of the songs that are on 'CMFT'," he said, referencing an acronym for "Corey Mother Fucking Taylor". "The first single will actually be February 11th, and people will be able to download that. It's our cover of 'On The Dark Side' by JOHN CAFFERY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND, which is one of the best rock tunes ever. It's one of our favorites to play live… The 'CMFT' B-sides will come out February 25th. It'll be available everywhere. We're really stoked on that too."

Asked if there are plans for him to do more solo shows in the coming months, Corey said: "We're doing little stuff here and there. We just did ShipRocked, which was a lot of fun… It's looking like we're gonna do a handful of shows in the U.K. in October, kind of threaded around the SLIPKNOT schedule. So we're just gonna do it here and there while we kind of gear up [for the next album].

"'CMFT 2' is written, it's demoed, it's ready to go," he added. "Plus we're constantly writing new stuff. So we're gonna be in a great position, next year probably, to go in and record 'CMFT 2' and just be ready to kind of do that. But that's obviously after SLIPKNOT has kind of done its thing."

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

"CMFT" was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and Christian Martucci (guitar), Zach Throne (guitar), Jason Christopher (bass), and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums).

"CMFT" had been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. The album was highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie), and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped". Furthermore, Taylor debuted the pummeling "Culture Head" during WWE's NXT broadcast on the USA network, illuminating yet another facet of "CMFT" and showcasing the broad spectrum of this fiery and fearless rock 'n' roll opus, as Taylor touched on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. 14-time world champion and EVP of global talent strategy and development at WWE, Triple H, also shared a WWE exclusive performance of Taylor and his band tearing through the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades".

Last year, Taylor made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" has been garnering widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers MESHUGGAH have released the official music video for "The Abysmal Eye", the first single from their upcoming ninth studio album, "Immutable". You can now watch the Scott Hansen-directed clip below.

Due on April 1 via Atomic Fire, the follow-up to 2016's "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was recorded at Sweetspot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden; mixed by Rickard Bengtsson and Staffan Karlsson; and mastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN). Visionary artist Luminokaya once again created the stunning cover artwork.

Full of surprises and yet instantly recognizable as the work of metal's most idiosyncratic force, "Immutable" redefines and redesigns the MESHUGGAH sound across more than an hour of the most stimulating and absorbing music the band has ever made. Despite the challenges of the last couple of years, the progressive principles that have always informed their artistic efforts remain as cherished as ever. As we spiral towards a dystopian future, MESHUGGAH still stand alone.

For guitarist Mårten Hagström, the task of embarking on another unprecedented tech-metal odyssey was impossible to resist. "For us, it wasn't all that clear that we were making a new album," he said. "We knew we could do it, but did we want to do it? We had to decide, are we doing this or what else are we doing? After a long, long discussion, we agreed on certain things. We would make an album with as few restraints as possible. We would go in and try to make as cool an album as possible, have no anxiety about it and see it as an opportunity. How do we make this a challenge that we feel like accepting and rising up to? Pretty quickly we had a starting point. Everybody started to write, the ball started rolling and suddenly we were sitting there, discussing how many songs we were going to have to cut."

Regarding the "Immutable" title, Hagström said: "The title fits perfectly for where we are as a band. We're older now. Most of us are in our fifties now, and we've settled into who we are. Even though we've been experimenting all along, I also think we've been the same since day one. The way we approach things and why we still make new albums, and why we still sound the way we do, it's immutable. Humanity is immutable, too. We commit the same mistakes over and over. And we are immutable. We do what we do, and we don't change."

The most inventive and creative metal band of the last 30 years and one of the most widely revered, MESHUGGAH has been standard bearers for forward-thinking creativity in heavy music throughout their illustrious careers. Over the course of more than 30 years and eight studio albums, Sweden's widely worshipped progressive mavens have consistently redefined what it means to be heavy, while exhibiting a ferocious intelligence that belies the crushing weight of their riffs. From the ground-breaking savagery of 1995's "Destroy Erase Improve" to the psychedelic tech-splorations of "CatchyThirtyThree", and on to the streamlined grotesquery of "ObZen" and "Koloss", MESHUGGAH has always been way ahead of the game and plainly without peer.

In October 2020, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake confirmed to Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez" that the band had spent much of the downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic working on fresh material.

Regarding the musical direction of the new MESHUGGAH songs, Tomas said: "Of course, we have a certain framework that we still wanna sound like MESHUGGAH, we wanna have that signature sound, we want people to be able to — even if they haven't heard the song [before] — in the best-case scenario, it's, like, 'Oh, that's gotta be MESHUGGAH,' even if it's a brand new thing. So hopefully that's something we're aiming at. But with that said, as far as the music goes, we try to [do] kind of the opposite of what AC/DC has been doing for 40 years. So we're not trying to write the same album over and over. And whether we succeed with that or not, that's more up to our fans and other people, but that's definitely the aim. We try our best to kind of find new grips within the framework of what we're supposed to be, I guess. 'Cause we don't wanna really step out of that either. We're not looking to be another band all of a sudden or something that we haven't been or that is not true to kind of what we're doing."

"Immutable" track listing:

01. Broken Cog

02. The Abysmal Eye

03. Light The Shortening Fuse

04. Phantoms

05. Ligature Marks

06. God He Sees In Mirrors

07. They Move Below

08. Kaleidoscope

09. Black Cathedral

10. I Am That Thirst

11. The Faultless

12. Armies Of The Preposterous

13. Past Tense

MESHUGGAH is:

Jens Kidman - Vocals

Mårten Hagström - Guitars

Dick Lövgren - Bass

Fredrik Thordendal - Guitars

Tomas Haake - Drums

Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ex-Accept) will release his new album, My Way, on April 22 via Atomic Fire Records. Today, he has released a cover of the Queen classic "We Will Rock You", putting his own melaized spin on the anthem.


Udo: "Queen have shown how musically versatile you can be as a band. I've always been fascinated by that. Queen were one of my very first favorite bands. They have always inspired me musically and I still like to listen to the records privately at my home. I liked the live version of the song much better than the original, so I used it for my cover version."







He is THE constant among the German metal scene - Udo Dirkschneider. Originally becoming world-famous as a founding member of Accept, he continues to steadily expand upon his international successes with his U.D.O. and Dirkschneider outfits. Remaining true to himself over the years in a way few musicians could, Dirkschneider consistently bucks music industry trends in favor of following his heart. Yet his most personal and extraordinary album to date will be released on April 22: My Way.


This new release contains 17 cover versions of the very songs that have influenced the musician and singer the most. All kinds of classics from music history are among them - including those that you might not expect from Udo. Not only does a very personal story lie behind each of the tracks, but also a sometimes surprising arrangement that, despite the very individual implementation, lives and breathes Udo’s manuscript throughout. “Now when I hear the song, I remember the time when, as a very young Udo, I’d go out to light up the town and lived all the stories that can only be experienced late at night in the clubs."


Here, Alex Harvey’s "Faith Healer" allows the artist to feel those days of an era long past. The fact that "Nutbush City Limits: is also on the album reveals a secret rarely told until now: “What hardly anyone knows so far: I was a huge fan of Ike and Tina Turner, and especially Tina’s voice, once. We always covered this song during Accept rehearsals in the early days. It was one of the mainstays of our Accept rehearsal repertoire for years. Regrettably, there is no recording of it.”


With Wolfsheim's "Kein Zurück", Udo sang in German for the first time in his career: “I immediately felt like the words understood me. It seemed to me that the lyrics were telling the story of my career, of my highs and lows and all the good and bad experiences that life has. There simply is ‘no going back’ for those who choose to live as a musician.”


The cover album also makes one thing clear: Just how many in the music industry have come and gone over the years. Yet, Udo Dirkschneider is still here.





Tracklisting:


"Faith Healer" (Alex Harvey)
"Fire" (Crazy World Of Arthur Brown)
"Sympathy" (Uriah Heep)
"They Call It Nutbush" (Tina Turner)
"Man On The Silver Mountain" (Rainbow)
"Hell Raiser" (The Sweet)
"No Class" (Motörhead)
"Rock And Roll" (Led Zeppelin)
"The Stroke" (Billy Squier)
"Paint It Black" (Rolling Stones)
"He's A Woman, She's A Man" (Scorpions)
"T.N.T." (AC/DC)
"Jealousy" (Frankie Miller)
"Hell Bent For Leather" (Judas Priest)
"We Will Rock You" (Queen)
"Kein Zurück" (Wolfsheim)
"My Way" (Frank Sinatra)

Greek/Swedish melodic death metal stars, Nightrage, have released a lyric video for "False Gods", featured on their new album, Abyss Rising, available via Despotz Records. Order the album here, and watch the new clip below.


An album that is the band's vision of mankind living in its own hell - a hell it has created through the destruction of the planet. Inspired in part by Dante's Inferno, the album explores man’s continual destruction of the world we live in until the abyss opens up to consume all before it.


The abyss has risen from the depths, and hell has now turned outside in to be able to rise to earth to claim us. The album captures Nightrage in a spectacular form; incisive, brutal, uncompromising, and unforgettable. Musically the band have embraced a harder, faster, and brutal approach, still rich in melodic intent but characteristically heavy and aggressive. Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordstrom at Studio Fredman (Architects, In Flames, Opeth, etc.), Abyss Rising is a formidable sonic masterpiece.







Tracklisting:


"Abyss Rising"
"Swallow Me"
"Nauseating Oblivion"
"Dance Of Cerberus"
"Falsifying Life"
"Portal Of Dismay" (Interlude)
"Shadows Embrace Me"
"9th Circle Of Hell"
"The Divergent" (Instrumental)
"Cursed By The Gift Of Sight"
"False Gods"
"Pest Ridden Tide"
"Silence Of The Darkened Soul"


"False Gods" lyric video:





"Dance Of Cerberus" lyric video:





"Falsifying Life" video:





"Nauseating Oblivion" video:





"Abyss Rising" video:





"Swallow Me" lyric video:





(Photo Credits: Fotis Benardo, Photo Edit: Dimitris Tzortzis)

The Teutonic blackgaze/shoegaze/ambient/atmospheric BM project Galvornhathol has shared the video for the track “Eudaimonia” - included in the latest album II available on all online stores.


 


Galvornhathol is a melodic metal project, combining elements of shoegaze, ambient, and slight musical hints of melodic death and black metal. While musically and lyrically lay on the simple side, the songs are based on poems and aphorisms about the intertwining connections of spiritualism (without religious interpretations) and nature. The name is derived from Tolkien's Sindarin script and can probably mean “(dark/black) metal axe”.




More focused on personal growth than its mainly nature-focused predecessor, II is a rather rough, but optimistic ode to life and your inherent potential to (co-)exist with the everlasting source. Gaia, gods. Whatever one may call it. II is the continuation of a three-part journey from below the earth to anything above the Exosphere and will hopefully inspire the listeners' way across the universe. 





The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by C., who also took care of all music, instruments, and the artwork.


Purchase II on Bandcamp.

Denver, Colorado-based melodic death metal collective Nightwraith will release their latest full-length, Offering, on March 25 through Reaping Scythe Records, and have unveiled the record’s artwork, tracklisting, and first video/single.


Nightwraith explores the death metal genre with an eclectic and intuitive approach. Their music encompasses poignant themes: seeking the sublime in nature, being genuine in a deceptive world, and living with the idea of death — concepts that unite us all as people. Using haunting melodies and triumphant anthems, Nightwraith offers listeners a sonic pilgrimage into the heart of being human. 


A sonic experience that is both aggressive and textural, the songwriting on Offering is deliberate, concise, and thoughtful, while remaining heavy enough to please the death metal audience for which it was intended. Pulling inspiration from a wide array of bands and genres, Nightwraith has been refined into something truly unique. "It's like we took all the heavy parts from bands like Carcass and Enslaved and combined it with the warmth of classic bands like Thin Lizzy and Blue Oyster Cult," explains founding member Benjamin Pitts. "It's been really fun inserting rock guitar and organ tones into a genre that typically avoids these types of sounds."




“This is probably the most ambitious album I have ever worked on and we had full control of the production,” he continues. “We took a very DIY approach and tried a lot of things that we wouldn’t have considered in the past. For example, we turned the gain way down on all of the rhythm guitars and added additional gain on the organ to compensate. Our mastering engineer Pete deBoer also made the final product sound great by mastering it to 1/2” tape, something I’ve always wanted to do. This is the album that we’ve always wanted to make. From start to finish it was about 3 years of work, I am so excited for people to finally hear these songs!”


“This album was a keyboard and sound design dream,” adds keyboardist Caleb José Tardio. “I’ve always wanted to combine a heavy project with Vangelis synths and Lonnie Smith organs, and Offering was an opportunity to do just that.” 


In advance of the record’s release, today the band is pleased to unveil a video for "Hedonic Adaptation.”


Notes Pitts, “We are obviously inspired by a bunch of ‘80s heavy metal and I love when songs kick off with a hot lead, so the goal was to do this in our own way as a nod to the genre. At the time, we didn’t intend for it to be the first proper song on the album, but we all agreed that this was a great way to set the tone and start things off on the right foot. As we were writing ‘Hedonic Adaptation,’ we realized it was borderline ‘dad rock,’ but in a good way. As a joke we coined the term ‘blackened dad rock’ to describe the track, which is what inspired the storyline for the music video. It’s important to have fun and not take yourself seriously all the time!”


Offering was tracked at The Shadow Temple, engineered, mixed, and produced by Jacob St. Amand and mastered by Pete deBoer at World Famous Studios. The record comes cloaked in the cover art of Jerianne Fulton and includes guest vocals by Grant Netzorg of In The Company Of Serpents on the track, "The Snake And The Rope."


Offering will be released on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats. Preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Offering”
“Hedonic Adapation”
“Beguiler”
“Genesthai”
“The Great Acceleration”
“Shavano”
“Maranasati”
“The Snape And The Rope”


“Hedonic Adaptation” video:





(Photo by Holden Kudla)