Bruce Dickinson has revealed what he believes is IRON MAIDEN's most underrated song. Taking to the stage at in Tampa, Florida on Thursday night (January 20) during his North American spoken-word tour, the polymath regaled the crowd with tales from his life in and away from fronting one of the biggest bands in metal.

As reported by Eonmusic's Eamon O'Neill, Dickinson was welcomed by a huge round of applause and wasted no time in delving straight into his life story, from his unconventional upbringing to his unlikely and oftentimes hilarious public school years.

Recalling his time with NWOBHM contenders SAMSON — whom he fronted from 1979 to 1981 — he quipped: "We made every mistake it's possible to make in the music industry — in a concentrated time."

Going on to talk about key events in his career with IRON MAIDEN, including the band's triumphant headline slot at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival in 1985, he also touched on his lack of contribution to the creation of the "Somewhere In Time" album. Recalling the writing sessions for the 1986 set, he admitted: "I was in a weird place. I was ready for the funny farm."

It was during the fan-submitted question and answer section that the Ed Force One pilot was asked what he thought was MAIDEN's most underrated track. "I'm a really big fan of 'Total Eclipse', he said, without hesitation, referring to the B-side to his debut single with the band, 1982's "Run To The Hills". Elaborating, he explained that the track "Gangland" was originally slated to appear on the flipside. However, the band had a change of heart. "That sounds great. This is so good that we can't do it as the B-side," he explained. Expanding on "Gangland", which is the penultimate track on the "The Number Of The Beast' album, Bruce divulged: "'Gangland' went on the album, and we actually forgot to mix the guitar solos. There's a bit in there, and there's no guitar solo. To this day, I think we forgot."

Read the entire report from Eonmusic.

Dickinson kicked off his two-month North American spoken-word tour last Mondsay night (January 17) at Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Dickinson is considered one of the world's most storied musicians. Aside from decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN, Bruce has lived an extraordinary off-stage existence too. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer… to name but a few.

IRON MAIDEN's 17th studio album, "Senjutsu", was released in September via BMG. The band's first LP in six years was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris.




A short clip from the end of An Evening with Bruce Dickinson in Tampa, FL

Posted by Jerry Cardenas on Friday, January 21, 2022







An Evening with Bruce Dickinson! ??

Posted by Wayne Shovlin on Thursday, January 20, 2022



What an AMAZING experience it was to see and hear Bruce Dickinson last night at the Tampa Theatre!

I’ve only know him...

Posted by Jason Stallworth Music on Friday, January 21, 2022



Last night I went and saw An Evening with Bruce Dickinson in Tampa, FL and was blown away. Such a funny and...

Posted by Bharat Dass on Friday, January 21, 2022

Acclaimed KING'S X guitarist, songwriter, and co-vocalist Ty Tabor will release a new solo album, "Shades", on March 4 via Rat Pak Records. The musician's 11th solo album features 10 brand new songs with three bonus tracks and follows the successful release of 2018's "Alien Beans". "Shades" is available for preorder in various configurations, including CD, vinyl and digital download.

"When it comes to what I write for solo material, I don't really think about bands or anything like that. These new songs explore different sides of life and death," Ty explains. "I was dealing with the recent loss of my dad when some of this was written. There are lighter moments mixed in to keep it from being too focused on loss or sadness. I also resurrected a couple of old ideas that weren't ready until now. I just write music that makes me happy, and I've ended up with an album I really love!"

From the opening chords of "Come Home", it is clear that Tabor's trademark guitar tone lays the bedrock for his latest solo release. Ty tackles a wide array of emotions and topics with layered harmonies, hooky pop sensibilities, and the total riffage that remains a crucial ingredient to the KING'S X sound. Songs like "What You're Thinking", "One Drop Of Water" and "Doesn't Linger" show Ty's penchant for crafting tunes with tremendous melodies, while songs like "Shallow" and "Your Fantasy" trend heavy and exemplify why Ty is one of the most influential guitarists of the last three decades.

"Shades" track listing:

01. Come Home

02. Shallow

03. Your Fantasy

04. What You're Thinking

05. Sister Genocide

06. Best Day In A While

07. Insane

08. One Drop Of Water

09. Doesn't Linger

10. Leaves Falling Down

11. Ashes (bonus track; CD and digital download only]

12. Political Nonsense (bonus track; CD and digital download only)

13. Ashes (Acoustic) (bonus track; CD and digital download only)

Photo credit: Reames Photography

Pensacola, Florida based rock band Gunshine has released their brand new debut single, "Wall Said To Call", to all major platforms.


"'Wall Said To Call' is a fun, adrenaline-filled, party rock song with all the elements of real rock 'n roll. Loud, edgy guitars, soaring vocals, and slamming drums," says the band. Hear for yourself now:







While spending all of 2020 and 2021 writing and recording their debut album, Gunshine honed in on what makes them stand apart, and what they do best. Due out in 2022, the album recalls the edge and bravado of rock's greats such as AC/DC, Boston, and Guns N' Roses, but with an original, modern twist. Add to that a heavy-duty production value that sonically gives the songs a punchy, powerful analog sound. The result? Blistering guitar solos, soaring vocals and a lethal rhythm section that all come together to create a well-crafted, organic collection of musical pieces straight from the heart of each member of the band.


In a world where it's commonplace to play it safe and not “rock the boat” musically, Gunshine offers a breath of fresh air and throws the rule book out the window. No tricks, no frills, no BS. This is the rock n roll you’ve missed.


Gunshine is:


Austin Ingerman - guitar
Jordan Benson - vocals
James Renshaw - drums
Pat Brown - bass





 

UK grindcore pioneers, Napalm Death, performed at the 2021 edition of Bloodstock Open Air, held last August at Catton Hall and Gardens, Walton-on-Trent, England. Watch pro-shot video of the band's entire set below.





Setlist:




"Silence Is Deafening"
"Fuck the Factoid" (live debut)
"Backlash Just Because" (live debut)
"Logic Ravaged By Brute Force"
"Taste the Poison"
"Hung"
"Contagion" (live debut)
"Lucid Fairytale"
"Everyday Pox"
"Scum"
"I Abstain"
"Continuing War on Stupidity"
"Suffer the Children"
"Breed to Breathe"
"Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism" (live debut)
"When All Is Said and Done"
"On the Brink of Extinction"
"Unchallenged Hate"
"You Suffer"
"Smash a Single Digit"
"Dead"
"Nazi Punks Fuck Off" (Dead Kennedys cover)


Continuing the fearless exploration of their legendary sound’s outer limits, Napalm Death recently announced the release of a new mini-album, entitled Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes, out February 11 via Century Media Records.


Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes is a partner recording to Napalm Death’s latest, much acclaimed Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism album from 2020, concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.


While currently on the road across North America, Napalm Death frontman Mark “Barney” Greenway checked in with the following comment about the upcoming release: “You can certainly consider “Resentment Is Always...” as an extension of - or partner recording to - the “Throes…” album. We had long since wanted to put a mini-album out – in the spirit of the old days – and found we had enough quality tracks even after all the “Throes...” bonus tracks to do that. Hopefully this mini holds some nice twists in its own right for people, and certainly covering “People Pie” by Slab! made us really stretch ourselves, which feels great artistically. In the end, resentment is certainly seismic – it can trigger the complete erosion of humanity in many situations. That was the point that I really wanted to hammer home overall.”


“Narcissus”, the furious opening track of the release, is being launched today as small foretaste of the mini-album. Check it out at full volume below.


““Narcissus” just seemed to fit the bill as one of those rampaging tracks that we always seem to gravitate towards as an album opener. The low-slung concrete mixer bassline at the start really ushers it in nicely. It was written at a time when the ‘alt-right’ was parading itself around, so lyrically I like to think it exposes the vanity and personality cult of that whole thing,” added Greenway.





The 8-track mini-album comes with a total playing time of 29 minutes and will be available as Ltd. CD Digipak, Vinyl as well as in the Digital Album format.


The vinyl edition will come as 12” (at 33 ⅓ RPM) on 180g vinyl, available in the following variants/limitations:


- Black LP - unlimited
- Transp. Red LP - 1500x copies via CM Distro & Webshop Europe & all US outlets
- Clear LP - 300x copies Nuclear Blast
- Silver LP - 300x copies via EMP
- Transp. Green LP - 500x copies via Napalm Death


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Narcissus"
"Resentment Always Simmers"
"By Proxy"
"People Pie" (Slab! Cover version)
"Man Bites Dogged"
"Slaver Through A Repeat Performance"
"Don't Need It" (Bad Brains cover version)
"Resentment Is Always Seismic (Dark Sky Burial Dirge)"


"Narcissus":

The clip below features Paradise Lost vocalist Nick Holmes making a guest appearance on the new single "The Fatalist" from electronic industrial project, Plythe.


Plythe: "New song release alert! This time it’s a real happy pill of a tune about the end of mankind, called 'The Fatalist'. 


It’s a bit darker and heavier and I think it really suits the state of crisis the world is in at the moment.




My love goes to:


Kloss: who always makes sure that everything sounds prefect, and he’s also is a wonderful guy in so many ways.


Ninja Jo: for the fantastic artwork.


The ever so lovely Nick Holmes for lending his voice to the track."

It was just six days after NIRVANA released its groundbreaking "Nevermind" album when the bandmembers took the stage on October 1, 1991 at the intimate J.C. Dobbs venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photographer Faith West was in the crowd that night and captured the raw, electric energy. A few weeks after the show, the band exploded to international stardom.

Now, over three decades later, 28 never-before-seen live NIRVANA images are set to be sold as NFTs via Pop Legendz on February 20, marking what would have been Kurt Cobain's 55th birthday. These one-of-a-kind NFTs are available on the Pop Legendz web site, a gateway site to the trusted Rarible platform where these NFTs are minted. Pop Legendz is selling these unforgettable moments directly to fans and collectors alike, with the ability to purchase items at auction with a cryptocurrency wallet, or with either cryptocurrency or a credit card for items in the sale

Steve Baltin of Forbes exclusively unveiled details of the project yesterday, commenting: "See the band as they were then — young, hungry, unaware of the stardom that was awaiting them."

For high-end music collectors, four unique one-of-a-kind NFTs made from 10 never-before-seen images have been selected to be sold, auction-style, with bids beginning at 67 Ethereum (currently valued at a quarter million U.S. dollars) for the GIF artworks. These buyers will also receive a framed 16" x 24" fine-art print of one image, signed by the photographer. Additionally, these 10 images that make up the artworks will be auctioned off individually as NFTs, both in black-and-white and in acid-washed color versions.

For fans of NIRVANA — the band that altered the course of rock history forever — there's the "Nirvana Fan Club," a sale of limited-edition NFTs for fans: 150 lucky NIRVANA fans have the ability to purchase 10 GIF artworks as NFTs, crafted from four images, at $499 (U.S.) each, plus 150 copies of each of 17 still images will be sold for $99 (U.S.) each, in both black and white and acid-washed color.

Half of all proceeds from both sales benefit The Trevor Project, a non-profit assisting at-risk LGBTQ+ youth to prevent suicides. Part of the remainder of the proceeds will benefit Grid Alternatives, bringing solar power to working poor families, tackling both climate change and income inequality.

"At the club that night, the air was thick with anticipation," recalls West. "There was a buzz of excitement that said something awesome was about to transpire. Also, there was a sense of joy emanating from Cobain in his raucous guitar licks and the transcendent longing of his vocals…I can still hear the echo of the fuzzy guitar, and feel the energy in the room, when I recall it now, three decades later."

Pop Legendz is among the first NFT gateways to exclusively feature pop culture icons, aiming to bring the reliable ownership ledger and fun of collecting NFTs to the traditional pop culture memorabilia market.

West, founder of Pop Legendz, is a professional photographer and a freelance music journalist. With her Philadelphia-based company TCI Photo-Video, she's created images for many well-known clients including Merck and Qatar Airways, plus photographed a wedding for actor Bill Murray when his son Luke got married. Her music reviews have been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post, and musicwire.com. Faith brings her broad knowledge of the intersection of pop culture and image-making to the NFT world with her groundbreaking collection of one-of-a-kind moments in musical and pop culture history from legendary icons.

Photo credit: Faith West

In a brand new interview with Meltdown of Detroit radio station WRIF, former SKID ROW and SAIGON KICK drummer Phil Varone recalled a disastrous audition he had in 2000 to play in Ozzy Osbourne's solo band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Rachel Bolan from SKID ROW, him and I had a band called PRUNELLA SCALES. So we did a record in '97. And then in '98, I decided that I'm just gonna call it a day and buy a restaurant, which was like… That was the worst damn decision ever. And [I] lost everything from that. I took every last penny I had and put it in this restaurant and that went under 'cause I didn't know what I was doing. It's like life lesson after life lesson.

"In 2000, I moved out to L.A. 'cause I figured, 'I've gotta be out in something. I'm gonna give it a shot.' And I was living over at John Corabi's [ex-MÖTLEY CRÜE] house. I heard that Ozzy was auditioning drummers. So I called Vinnie Paul — the late, great Vinnie Paul from PANTERA — and I go, 'Vin, can you get me into this audition?' They were only auditioning a handful of guys. And Vinnie calls Sharon Osbourne and gets me an audition. Incredible, right? I go down there. Crabby [Corabi] comes with me for support. And boy, I don't know what happened, but it was like I never played drums before in my life. It was incredible. I got Popeye arms, which means I just tensed up so bad, I couldn't hold the drum sticks. So I was probably like a monkey back there — I could not play. And it was all the great songs — 'Crazy Train' and all the stuff that we played as kids. And it was brutal.

"Do you know, till the day Vinnie died, and I saw him two weeks before, he'd bust my balls about that damn audition," Phil continued. "Every time I saw him, he'd go, 'Dude, what the hell happened with that?' 'Cause Sharon Osbourne called him and went, 'Vinnie, what is this? A joke? This guy can't play for anything.' She got mad at him 'cause she thought that he was doing a joke on her, like playing a joke. That's how I bad I was. And Crabby — God love him — he was, like, 'Ahhh…' I figured he can help me 'cause he auditioned for MÖTLEY. He was giving me pointers. Yeah, it was bad. I knew when I walked out of there and Crabby was, like, 'Ahhh…' But soon after I joined SKID ROW. So it all ended up okay."

Varone joined SKID ROW in 2000 — about four years after singer Sebastian Bach parted ways with the group. Four years later, Phil exited SKID ROW and the music business to pursue acting and stand-up comedy. During this time, he produced and starred in the feature-length documentary "Waking Up Dead", released in 2007. In recent years, Varone garnered worldwide attention on VH1's hit show "Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew" and "Strange Sex" on the Discovery channel. In April 2013, Riverdale Publishing released Phil's first book called "Un-Philtered : Real Life On and Off the Rock 'N' Roll Tour Bus".

Indian heavy metallers Bloodywood have revealed another explosive track, "Aaj" from their upcoming debut full-length, Rakshak, out February 18th. Check it out below.





Bloodywood is a folk metal band from India known for pioneering a sound that seamlessly fuses Indian Folk instruments with Metal to devastating effect. Expect to hear the percussive power of the mighty Dhol, the melancholic Flute, the single stringed Tumbi and several other uncommon yet distinctively characteristic sounds from India. A combination of thunderous Hindi/Punjabi Choruses and meaningful yet unforgiving Rap verses along with the ethnic instrumentation, makes Bloodywood a truly unique experience.




“The decision to be bilingual, vocally speaking, was a natural one that we didn’t really think about,” the band told The Pit back in November. “It just felt like the way to go, and it definitely adds a different dimension to our sound. We’re happy to share that people feel the emotion and understand the sentiment even if they don’t speak the language (though we did get requests for translations and subtitles, which you’ll find in all our songs now). The moment we knew that beyond a doubt was when we played a sold out show in Paris and had an amazing audience of French people sing the chorus back at us in perfect Hindi. They were so loud and clear that we couldn’t hear Jayant!


And on the album: Rakshak means 'protector' or 'guardian' in Hindi. We've always been as passionate about the message of our music as much as the music itself, and our goal has and always will be to make a positive impact in people's lives and on the planet.  


You'll hear songs that talk about combating mental illness, overcoming divisive politics, battling the poverty crisis, crushing corruption, eliminating sexual assault, hope, belief and undying determination. Musically we've taken more than a few risks and pushed the limits of our sound both vocally and instrumentally. Besides having a few songs with our signature sound, we have also experimented heavily by writing our fastest, heaviest and angriest music yet while also incorporating elements and instruments from genres that lie on the other end of the musical spectrum.


We were lucky enough to be in a position to do something positive with our time at home during the pandemic, now we're ready to explode outwards. Rakshak being our debut album, we've strived to deliver one with no fillers."





Tracklist:


"Gaddaar"
"Aaj"
"Zanjeero Se"
"Machi Bhasad" (Album Version)
"Dana-Dan"
"Jee Veerey" (Album Version)
"Endurant" (Album Version)
"Yaad" (Album Version)
"BSDK.exe"
"Chakh Le"


"Gaddaar"





- US
Europe / International

Unique Leader has announced the signing of American modern deathcore juggernaut Crown Magnetar. Their forthcoming EP Alone In Death will be released on March 25th.  


Crown Magnetar commented: "While as a band we’ve always been about incredibly fast, incredibly jarring deathcore with a lot of death metal influence, Alone In Death was written with speed and captivation in mind the whole time, on top of our go-to writing styles. At the same time, we’ve added an emphasis on emotional depth, making sure the riffs and beats were as memorable as they were extreme. Everyone goes through varying degrees of hardship, pain and isolation. Alone In Death reflects that both lyrically and emotionally."


With a compelling combination of tech, core and death elements, Crown Magnetar emerged in 2017 showcasing technical riffs, relentless blast beats and crushing yet dynamic vocals. Releasing The Prophet Of Disgust EP in 2018, the band followed up with their debut full-length entitled The Codex Of Flesh in 2021 which they supported with a US tour alongside Lorna Shore. 




Alone In Death artwork and tracklisting:





"Alone In Death"
"Hellsphere"
"Realistic Flesh Mask"
"The Pain Of Existence"
"Graverot"
"God Is My Enemy"


Crown Magnetar are: 


Nick Burnett - guitar
Dan Tucker - vocals
Byron London - drums
Grant Robinson - bass


 

Alice Cooper has paid tribute to iconic rock singer Meat Loaf, who died on Thursday (January 20) at the age of 74.

Earlier today, Cooper took to his social media to write: "Meat Loaf was one of the greatest voices in Rock N Roll, and he was certainly one of my closest friends in the business. He was really so much fun, truly fun to be around. He just felt like a best friend to everyone no matter how long it had been since you last saw him.

"We worked together many times over the years and he was always a force," he continued. "He was a real theatrical character like I was so our shows went really well together. I remember when you would see his show, he would treat the audience almost like a Pentecostal Preacher and he was so powerful on stage.

"Working with Meat Loaf was one of the main reasons I wanted to do the movie Roadie in the first place - I wanted to watch him show off his acting chops. He plays the ultimate roadie on this quest to be the best in the world. But that's what he did in life too - he always wanted to be the best at what he was doing… And I think he succeeded.

"There was nobody, and I mean nobody like Meat Loaf," Alice added. "His shoes can never be filled."

According to TMZ, Meat Loaf was "seriously ill" with COVID-19 just days before his death. The singer was due to attend a business dinner earlier this week for a show he was working on based on his classic hit "I'd Do Anything For Love" but canceled after becoming sick.

Meat Loaf had reportedly been outspoken about vaccine mandates. In May, he posted a clip of Eric Clapton and Van Morrison's anti-lockdown song "Stand & Deliver", writing, "Listen and Learn."

The news of his passing was confirmed on the musician's Facebook page by his family.

"Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight surrounded by his wife Deborah, daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends," the post said.

Meat Loaf is survived by his daughters, his son-in-law Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and grandson Revel Young Ian.

Meat Loaf's amazing career spanned six decades and saw him sell over 100 million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including "Fight Club", "Focus", "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Wayne's World".

His "Bat Out Of Hell" remains one of the 10 top-selling albums of all time.

"We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man," the family's post added.

No cause of death has yet been revealed.

The Dallas-born singer's real name was Marvin Lee Aday.

His 1993 hit "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" earned him a Grammy Award.

"Bat Out Of Hell" was also adapted as a stage musical, written by longtime collaborator Jim Steinman.
























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A post shared by Alice Cooper (@alicecooper)

Progressive rock and roll legend Ian Anderson, founding member of JETHRO TULL, spoke to "The Five Count" radio show about the prospect of returning to the road while the pandemic is still raging in most parts of the world. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think you're looking at what I'm looking at in terms of the infection rates throughout many countries I'm [supposed to be] performing in, including [the U.S.], where you've actually had record infection rates of all time since the beginning of the pandemic, and the same thing applies, as of today, in Italy [and] in Germany. In the U.K., we're down to, actually, 50 percent of the daily infection rates compared to a couple of weeks ago. And that's kind of good news, cautiously, because it looks like [the] omicron [variant] has spread so far and so wide throughout the U.K. population that natural immunity from being infected plus the considerable level of vaccination that we've achieved here looks like it's… Obviously, you must never, ever think, 'Oh, it's over. We've beaten coronavirus.' It's not going away. It's gonna be with us as an endemic disease, whatever happens, for the rest of probably my children's and my grandchildren's lifetimes. But hopefully it's not going to account for too many lives. And we can only hope that in Europe — they're about, I would guess, three and four weeks behind us in most of Western Europe; same thing with the USA. But there are parts of Eastern Europe where they haven't even smelt omicron yet, and their vaccination rates are maybe 28, 30 percent. Boy, are they in big trouble. And so am I because I'm supposed to be playing in some of those countries in the weeks to come. It's gonna be pretty damn serious in a lot of places."

Anderson continued: "We're back where we were. Right now, it's an echo of 2021 and 2020. Already we've had to postpone again, for the third and fourth times, two tours in January. I'm hoping that some of the things in February will go ahead. Fingers crossed. And March may be the same. I think by later in April and into May, things will be looking better. But, boy, they're not looking better at the moment. And the degree to which hospitals can cope with the rising levels of infections from those who are not vaccinated and are becoming seriously ill, then there is trouble ahead."

Over 90% of those aged 12 and over in the U.K. have had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and over 82% have had their second.

Among 15 major nations surveyed in a poll by Morning Consult, the United States and Russia have the lowest rates of vaccinated people and the highest rates of vaccine skepticism, according to The Hill.

In the U.S., more than 63% of the population are currently fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, while more than 75% have received at least one shot, according to data from the CDC.

More than 862,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S.

JETHRO TULL's first studio album of new material in over 18 years, "The Zealot Gene", will see a January 28 release on InsideOut Music.

Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen's project SMITH/KOTZEN kicked off its U.S. West Coast tour last night (Thursday, January 20) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Joining Smith and Kotzen as part of their touring band is Richie's wife, internationally acclaimed bass player Julia Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock band BARRA DE SAIA. With a strong pedigree in rock, Lage has played alongside the likes of Pat Travers, Elliot Easton (THE CARS), Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME) and Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY). In addition, SMITH/KOTZEN has enlisted drummer Bruno Valverde of ANGRA for the U.S. West Coast dates.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Whisky concert, including SMITH/KOTZEN's rendition of the IRON MAIDEN classic "Wasted Years", with Smith on lead vocals, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Edge magazine's "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley", Richie stated about how the short tour came together (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What happened was it was all just by timing. Nathalie [Dufresne-Smith, Adrian's wife] and Adrian came into town, and Adrian said, 'Hey, we're gonna be there for a couple of months. You wanna write some more songs?' And we did get together and we did about seven things that are in the works; we have some demo stuff that are in the works. And then we started thinking, 'Man, we're here. Why don't we play?' Julia was in the house and we were talking about it. And it just kind of — boom. It just made sense. 'Let's go. Call Bruno.' And we put it together. It was real easy."

Adrian added that fans can definitely expect to hear more music from SMITH/KOTZEN, which released a full-length album and an EP during 2021.

"We started writing with a view to doing another album, and then we got sidetracked on dates," Smith said. "Like Richie said, we've got six or seven things. It's just taking where we left off with the EP — just writing as we do.

"I don't wanna change the world," he added. "I just wanna make good rock music. It's n there, and you've just gotta do it. You just have to do it, really. It's one of those things."

SMITH/KOTZEN remaining West Coast tour dates:

Jan. 22 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas, NV

Jan. 23 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA

Jan. 26 - Goldfield Trading Post - Roseville, CA

Jan. 27 - The Siren - Morro Bay, CA

Jan. 28 - Ventura Theatre - Ventura, CA (postponed from Jan. 15)

SMITH/KOTZEN's eponymous debut album was released globally through BMG in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting No. 10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart in the U.S., Top 20 in the U.K. as well as in other major markets such as Germany, Japan and Canada. A follow-up EP, "Better Days", featuring four new tracks was released on November 26 in conjunction with international Record Store Day's Black Friday event.

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.








Richie Kotzen and Adrian smith in the house tonight. Great show. ????????

Posted by Tisa Mylar on Friday, January 21, 2022





Smith/Kotzen at the Whisky! Heavy Metal Meets Blues?

Posted by Gisele Ward on Thursday, January 20, 2022



Posted by Joaquin Sahagun on Thursday, January 20, 2022



Posted by Ashi Minhas on Friday, January 21, 2022

On April 15th, Black City Records is reissuing the highly-influential Bathory catalog on cassette. 19 cassettes detailing one of the most important bands in extreme metal history.



Featured cassettes include:


Bathory (1984)
The Return…… (1985)
Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)
Blood Fire Death (1988)
Hammerheart (1990)
Twilight of the Gods (1991)
Requiem (1994)
Octagon (1995)
Blood On Ice (1996)
Destroyer Of Worlds (2001)
Nordland I (2002)
Nordland II (2003)
Jubileum Volume I (1992)
Jubileum Volume II (1993)
Jubileum Volume III (1998)
Katalog (2001)
In Memory of Quorthon Vol. I-III (three music cassettes with remastered material from Bathory, Quorthon's solo efforts, and the Jennie Tebler project)

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing says that he was "totally bemused" to hear about the band's plan to embark on the next leg of its 50th-anniversary tour as a quartet.

On January 10, JUDAS PRIEST announced that it would perform as a four-piece when it returns to the road in early March. A few hours later, the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who co-produced the group's 2018 album "Firepower", released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he said that he was "incredibly disappointed" by PRIEST's decision to carry on as a quartet and thanked the Rob Halford-fronted outfit for the "mind-blowing" opportunity to share the stage with one of his favorite bands. Meanwhile, PRIEST fans were understandably upset about the band's decision to forgo its classic twin-guitar attack sound and made their feelings known on social media. Some even called for the return of Downing, who joined PRIEST in 1970 and remained in the group until 2011.

On January 15, JUDAS PRIEST released a statement announcing that it was reversing its decision to tour as a four-piece, explaining that the bandmembers "decided unanimously" to continue their live shows "unchanged" with Rob, Ian Hill (bass), Richie Faulkner (guitar), Scott Travis (drums) and Andy.

Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT, began touring with PRIEST four years ago after longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower".

Downing weighed in on PRIEST's change of heart in a brand new interview with the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm like everybody else. I'm totally bemused. It was just so extreme and insulting in a way, I guess, and insulting to Glenn as well. It was kind of a slap in the face, saying, 'Okay, you two guys did it, but we think just one guy could do what…' It kind of made us and everything that we've done and created, saying it was all superfluous, really, and didn't really have the value that… I'm sure Glenn will agree with me that it does have a value."

K.K. went on to say that it is "very, very strange" for PRIEST "to even think about" the possibility of going out as a quartet. "There must be, obviously, something behind the scenes that we don't know," he reasoned.

"It's kind of awkward for me, guys, because with myself and Glenn, that's JUDAS PRIEST to me," he added. "I think I've got a license to say that, after spending a lifetime in the band. And the image and everything and all the shows and all the work and all the albums and everything, everything revolves around that. I mean, if you don't see Glenn's red pants on stage, it's not JUDAS PRIEST, right?

"Okay, I created an image with the flying V [guitar], long blond hair, leather and studs — I created that.

"It's easy to use the wheel, but inventing it is a different story," he said.

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Downing parted ways with the band more than a decade ago and was replaced by Faulkner.

Last November, JUDAS PRIEST announced the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates for March-April 2022. Support on the trek will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

K.K. departed the iconic band 11 years ago but looked back on his time with the British metal titans in his autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", which came out in September 2018. The book, which was written with collaborator Mark Eglinton, covers all of the behind-the-scenes turbulence that led to Downing's exit from PRIEST, including his strained relationship with Tipton and his gripes with certain managerial decisions.

KISS has premiered a live version of "Lick It Up" from "Off The Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach", which is being released on March 11. The original album version of "Lick It Up" came out in 1983 and is the title track from the band's platinum-selling release. The song quickly became a fan favorite, with the promotional video featuring the band without makeup for the first time.

"Off The Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach" was recorded live at the Virginia Beach Amphitheatre on July 25, 2004. This is the second in a series of live releases by the band and will be available to stream and download, with a three-LP standard black vinyl set, a two-CD set, and a limited edition three-LP set pressed on 180-gram opaque green vinyl, all available exclusively through the official KISS online store.

"Off The Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach" finds the legendary band in the midst of their "Rock The Nation" tour, which is notable for being the first full U.S. tour of the longstanding Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer lineup. The career-spanning 20-song set includes classic KISS tracks such as "Lick It Up", "I Love It Loud" and the worldwide smash and No. 11 1979 U.S. Billboard-charting "I Was Made For Lovin' You", as well as perennial KISS fan favorites "Makin' Love", "King Of The Night Time World" and "100,000 Years" that dig deep into the band's astonishing 40-plus-year back catalog.

KISS is globally recognized as one of the greatest live bands of all time and are the creators of what is universally considered the best live album ever, 1975's gold-certified and No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!" The "Off The Soundboard" series continues KISS's storied legacy of groundbreaking live albums with a document of the spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza that is a KISS concert.

Known for their trademark performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and are America's No. 1 gold record award-winning group of all time in every category. Peerless as a live act, the band's illustrious legacy has been marked by record-breaking global tours during a remarkable 48-year career.

"Off The Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach" track listing:

2CD

Disc 1

01. Love Gun

02. Deuce

03. Makin' Love

04. Lick It Up

05. Christine Sixteen

06. Tears Are Falling

07. She

08. Got To Choose

09. I Love It Loud

10. I Want You

Disc 2

01. Psycho Circus

02. King Of The Night Time World

03. War Machine

04. 100,000 Years

05. Unholy

06. Shout It Out Loud

07. I Was Made For Lovin' You

08. Detroit Rock City

09. God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II

10. Rock and Roll All Nite

3LP

Disc 1

01. Love Gun (Side A)

02. Deuce (Side A)

03. Makin' Love (Side A)

04. Lick It Up (Side A)

05. Christine Sixteen (Side B)

06. Tears Are Falling (Side B)

07. She (Side B)

08. Got To Choose (Side B)

Disc 2

01. I Love It Loud (Side A)

02. I Want You (Side A)

03. Psycho Circus (Side A)

04. King Of The Night Time World (Side B)

05. War Machine (Side B)

06. 100, 000 Years (Side B)

Disc 3

01. Unholy (Side A)

02. Shout It Out Loud (Side A)

03. I Was Made For Lovin' You (Side A)

04. Detroit Rock City (Side A)

05. God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II (Side B)

06. Rock And Roll All Nite (Side B)

SAXON frontman Biff Byford says that it was "strange" for JUDAS PRIEST to announce its plan to embark on the next leg of its 50th-anniversary tour as a quartet.

On January 10, JUDAS PRIEST revealed that it would perform as a four-piece when it returns to the road in early March. A few hours later, the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who co-produced the group's 2018 album "Firepower" and has helmed several SAXON LPs in the past, released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he said that he was "incredibly disappointed" by PRIEST's decision to carry on as a quartet and thanked the Rob Halford-fronted outfit for the "mind-blowing" opportunity to share the stage with one of his favorite bands. Meanwhile, PRIEST fans were understandably upset about the band's decision to forgo its classic twin-guitar attack sound and made their feelings known on social media. Some even called for the return of guitarist K.K. Downing, who joined PRIEST in 1970 and remained in the group until 2011.

On January 15, JUDAS PRIEST released a statement announcing that it was reversing its decision to tour as a four-piece, explaining that the bandmembers "decided unanimously" to continue their live shows "unchanged" with Rob, Ian Hill (bass), Richie Faulkner (guitar), Scott Travis (drums) and Andy.

Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT, began touring with PRIEST four years ago after longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower".

Byford weighed in on PRIEST's four-piece plans in interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station conducted before the band announced its change of heart. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's a bit strange," he said. "I do know about it. I've talked to Andy about this. But, yeah, it's a bit strange that they decided to go out as a four-piece. It's a bit of a wacky decision. I don't really understand it; I don't really understand the motives behind it. Obviously, if you play loud enough, it can sound like a five-piece band. Richie is a great guitarist. Looking at the stage and not seeing two guitarists is a bit strange for me. I mean, we have done it. Back in the day, Paul [Quinn] has done gigs — not recently, but back in the '80s — without Graham [Oliver], the other guy. We have done it, but it's not really the same."

He continued: "Yeah, it's a bit of a wacky one, that. It's obviously their decision — it's their band — so you can't really question their motives behind it. But I think it's a bit odd. I didn't expect it — put it that way. It's a bit of a curveball. I mean, the time to have done it was when K.K. left; that would have been the best time to do it. And then Andy's been in the band now for four years, hasn't he? It's a bit wacky, I think."

When Meltdown suggested that PRIEST's decision could be down to some kind of a scheduling conflict, Byford said: "I don't think it's anything with Andy; I think Andy is [producing] the next [PRIEST] album. So I can't see that. I don't think it's a problem with Andy or anything like that. I just think it's a decision they've made. I don't know… Honestly, I don't have any inside track on it, really."

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Downing parted ways with the band more than a decade ago and was replaced by Faulkner.

Last week, Downing said in an interview that it was "very, very strange" for PRIEST "to even think about" the possibility of going out as a quartet. "I'm like everybody else. I'm totally bemused," he told the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show. It was just so extreme and insulting in a way, I guess, and insulting to Glenn as well. It was kind of a slap in the face, saying, 'Okay, you two guys did it, but we think just one guy could do what…' It kind of made us and everything that we've done and created, saying it was all superfluous, really, and didn't really have the value that… I'm sure Glenn will agree with me that it does have a value."

Last November, JUDAS PRIEST announced the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates for March-April 2022. Support on the trek will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

Speaking with Vinyl Writer Music, former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell sat down for a career-spanning interview that includes a look back on his early years, working with TNT, and projects including Morning Wood, Westworld, Starbreaker, and The Mercury Train. Following is an excerpt from the chat.


Q: With the '90s largely representing a transitional period for music, how did you navigate the gap of time between (TNT's) Realized Fantasies and the Firefly album?


Tony: "After the Realized Fantasies period, after that Japanese tour, I came back to New York, and I got married. I started playing a lot of acoustic shows around New York; I picked up surfing again; I was cooking, getting into just being married, and absorbing the 90s music that was coming out. 




Some interesting things happened in the early '90s after the Realized Fantasies thing, as well. Not a lot of people know this, but I was offered — I can’t remember if it was an audition, offered, or just that they were interested in talking to me about it — but Dream Theater approached me before they got James (LaBrie). I remember going to see them and being blown away, but thinking to myself, 'I don’t know where to sing.' And I did get a phone call from Yngwie (Malmsteen) during that period as well. I also made it to the final three that Judas Priest was considering to replace Rob Halford. They really liked me, apparently, the thing that I heard, was that my hair was too long. I thought, 'That’s stupid. I’ll fuckin’ cut it, man!' And I did end up cutting it not long after that."


Read the complete interview here.

Exploring the rich and deep lore of Magic: The Gathering, Planeswalker, the new power metal band founded by Helion Prime guitarist Jason Ashcraft and newly added Gloryhammer vocalist Sozos Michael, celebrate the release of their debut album Tales Of Magic, out now as of January 21 with the unveiling of their most ambitious music video to date for the track "Oath Of The Gatewatch".


The video features album guests Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous E.H.) and Heather Michele (ex-Helion Prime). The track itself is inspired from the lore of Magic: The Gathering where it follows the storyline of the same name - Oath of the Gatewatch. Each guest vocalist plays a character from the story and each had this to say.







"There it is! I am incredibly proud of everyone that put their heart and soul to make this song. ‘Oath Of The Gatewatch’ is one of the most intricate and complex pieces I have written, and it could well have collapsed under its own weight were it not for the stellar performances of our amazing guest singers. So thank you, Brittney, Heather, Rav, we couldn't have done this without you." - Sozos Michael.


“It’s amazing what can be accomplished when five Magic: the Gathering nerds join forces across the globe - creating one of the best Power Metal epics (with costumes, to boot!)” - R.A. Voltaire.


"Oath of the Gatewatch is one of the most fun endeavors I've had the opportunity to work on. The concept, the costumes, the amazing music from Planeswalker, and the incredible talent from all musicians involved makes this a truly special project. I hope you all love it as much as I do!" - Heather Michele.


"It’s such an honour to be a part of this project! Not only is it created by one of my oldest friends from the North American metal scene, but it includes some of my favourite voices in metal today and I couldn’t be more proud. This is the coolest, nerdiest side project of all time and I just count myself lucky to be a part of it. Hopefully, you all enjoy the video that I climbed a tree to perform, and braved many a wild pup charging into the forest off the walking path to see just exactly what it was I was up to dancing around in the bushes lol I had the greatest time with this song and I really hope you all will as well!" - Brittney Slayes


Tales Of Magic includes guest performances from Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), Heather Michele (ex-Helion Prime), Taylor Washington (Paladin), R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous), and more.





Tracklisting:


"Tales Of Magic"
"The Spark"
"Shadow Of Emeria"
"Blackblade"
"The Forever Serpent"
"Oath Of The Gatewatch"
"A Million To One" (KISS cover)


"The Spark" video:





"Tales Of Magic" lyric video:

One year after the release of their fifth studio album Kvitravn, Legendary Norwegian world folk music outfit, Wardruna, are set to release Kvitravn – First Flight Of The White Raven, a fully immersive audio experience, on April 22 via By Norse Music/Sony Music/Columbia Germany on multiple formats.


An immersive audio arrangement that underscores the experiential paradigm shift and masterful musicianship of their superlative and boundary-pushing virtual live experience First Flight of the White Raven of March 26, 2021. This new release captures their special set list consisting of songs from Kvitravn and a selection of favourites from the discography, and will be released on a 2LP, as well as 2CD that also features the original studio album track listing. To mark the event’s exceptional impact, it will also be available as a limited Boxset Edition including 2LP (black), 2CD, DVD with livestream performance and bonus documentary material and three videos (only available in the boxed set), flag of the CD album cover, certificate of authenticity for the box and an exclusive autographed card signed by Einar Selvik. Preorder at WardrunaShop.com.


"Kvitravn – First Flight of the White Raven is an audio-visual ‘live-in-studio’ recording that was broadcasted online, as the release show of the Kvitravn album. It was recorded in a time when it was not allowed to perform in front of an audience, which made it very important for me that the recording itself truly captured the energy of a live performance. What you hear is what we performed in that moment in that room. No re-recordings or autotune was done in the afterwork. Just like for a regular concert, the set list was carefully put together with a selection of songs from all our albums, including a handful of songs from the new album, which we performed for the very first time. On the day of recording, we all stood together in the same room for the first time in over a year. Everyone came focused and well prepared and the energy felt like no time had passed. I hope you will agree!” - Einar Selvik




To celebrate the announcement, Wardruna are also sharing the track and virtual live performance video for "Solringen" about which Einar Selvik says;"Solringen is a song originally released on the album Runaljod - Yggdrasil (2013). Even though it quickly became a popular track amongst our listeners, it wasn’t until late 2019 we first got around to performing it live. When taking the song from the studio to the stage, I really felt it needed a slightly different approach, more specifically adapted for the concert format"


Selvik continues; "In earlier tradition the women of the household on a farm had the task of going out into the fields around midsummer and wake up the elves dwelling there with rhymes and songs to encourage them to ensure growth and good crops. These songs and traditions have now mostly passed into oblivion. The initial idea behind "Solringen" is that new songs might wake them once again.”





Tracklisting:


Audio (with translations):
"Synkverv" (Turn-sight)
"Kvitravn" (White Raven)
"Skugge" (Shadow)
"Grá" (Grey)
"Fylgjutal" (Speech of the Fetch)
"Munin" (Memory)
"Kvit hjort" (White Stag)
"Viseveiding" (Song-hunting)
"Ni" (Nine)
"Vindavlarljod" (Song of the wind-bred)
"Andvevarljod" (Song of the Spirit-weavers)


Audio from virtual live performance:
“Kvitravn”
“Skugge”
“Solringen”
“Bjarkan”
“Raido”
“Voluspá”
“Isa”
“UruR”
“Grá”
“Vindavlarljod”
“Rotlaust Tre Fell”
“Fehu”
“Helvegen”


DVD:
“Kvitravn”
“Skugge”
“Solringen”
“Bjarkan”
“Raido”
“Voluspá”
“Isa”
“UruR”
“Grá”
“Vindavlarljod”
“Rotlaust Tre Fell” 
“Fehu”
“Helvegen”


Interview 
Behind the Scenes Videos: 
“Grá”
“Kvitravn”
“Lyfjaberg”


Documentary


"Solringen":

Portugal's Kandia have released a lyric video for "Deathwish", featured on their new studio album, Quaternary, out now via Frontiers. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.





Tracklisting:




"Anthropocene"
"Obliterate"
"The Flood"
"Fight Or Flight"
"Until The End"
"Turn Of The Tide"
"Pbp"
"Deathwish"
"Murderers" Feat Jorgen Munkeby
"A New Dawn"
"Holocene"


"Deathwish" lyric video:





"Turn Of The Tide" visualizer:





"Fight Or Flight" video:





"The Flood" lyric video:

On December 11-12, 2021, former DEATH members played two shows commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of the band's mastermind Chuck Schuldiner at Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida. James Murphy (guitar) and Terry Butler (bass) performed DEATH's classic third album, "Spiritual Healing" (1990), in its entirety under the LIVING MONSTROSITY banner, while Steve DiGiorgio (bass), Bobby Koelble (guitar) and Kelly Conlon (bass) joined forces as SYMBOLIC to play songs from "Human" (1991), "Individual Thought Patterns" (1993), "Symbolic" (1995) and "The Sound Of Perseverance" (1998).

In a new interview with Heavy Culture, Murphy stated about playing the two concerts: "On the nights, I didn't feel all that incredibly good. I actually felt a little bit better the first night than I did the second. I was suffering a little bit dehydration and a little bit lack of preparation. [Laughs] Honestly, I don't think that I performed very well at all, but I think people were happy just to see me on stage.

"I had 16 years of rust to clean off — the gears were caked with rust," he explained. "I had not played live in front of people since, I think, 2005 at the 'Roadrunner United' [Roadrunner Records] 25th-aniversary concert in New York City. That's well documented — it's on DVD and also just on the Internet. So, if anyone watches that, well, that's the last time before these shows that I played live at all. So it was fun but I didn't play very well. Also, I was a bit dehydrated, which, on the second night, caused me to get really shaky on stage and a little bit… It doesn't feel good. But I think people enjoyed it — despite all my awful mistakes that I made.

"I apologized to the other guys [in LIVING MONSTROSITY] afterward, but they were the same — they were just, like, 'Oh, man. Don't worry about it. People were just happy to see you play live,'" Murphy added. "It seems like that's true because that's largely what people say. But I think people are very generous and forgiving of my mistakes and my clams [missed notes] considering how long it's been since I played live."

LIVING MONSTROSITY lineup:

* James Murphy (DEATH; guitars on "Spiritual Healing")

* Terry Butler (DEATH; bass on "Spiritual Healing")

* Gus Rios (GRUESOME; drums)

* Matt Harvey (GRUESOME, EXHUMED; guitar, vocals)

SYMBOLIC lineup:

* Steve DiGiorgio (DEATH; bass on "Human", "Individual Thought Patterns"; CONTROL DENIED - bass on "The Fragile Art Of Existence")

* Bobby Koelble (DEATH; guitars on "Symbolic")

* Kelly Conlon (DEATH; bass on "Symbolic")

* Dirk Verbeuren (MEGADETH, SOILWORK - drums)

* Max Phelps (EXIST; guitars and vocals)

* Leo Lozano (SYMBOLIC; guitars and vocals)

Originally released in 1990, "Spiritual Healing" marked a new turn in the DEATH discography, one which ushered in cleaner production, a new level of boundary pushing musicianship and songwriting skills that were previously unimaginable from a metal band. "Spiritual Healing" sets the standard for riffs, insane time changes and, of course, Schuldiner's masterful guitar solos. Reissued in 2012 as a double CD housed in super deluxe packaging featuring brand new liner notes from Murphy and Butler, Chuck's sister Beth Schuldiner and VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen, Disc 1 featured a completely new remaster of the original album and Disc 2 contained 16 previously unreleased rehearsal, outtakes and studio instrumentals.

In addition to the two-disc edition, a limited-edition (2000 machine-numbered copies) triple-CD digipak was made available exclusively from Relapse.com. The third CD featured a never-before-released live set recorded in 1990 featuring the "Spiritual Healing" DEATH lineup. An iTunes deluxe edition was also released containing five additional previously unreleased pre-"Human" rehearsal tracks not available on either of the CD versions.

Schuldiner died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

In recent years, DEATH's storied catalog has undergone a meticulous reissue campaign via Relapse Records.

Relapse released the first-ever fully authorized DEATH tab book, featuring 21 classic songs tabbed out for guitar from the band's entire discography. The book, which includes traditional notation as well as tablature, also comes with a digital download of all tracks.




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Posted by Kristen Belletto on Tuesday, December 14, 2021

OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, has canceled its previously announced "Sermons Of Fire" U.S. tour which was scheduled to kick off next month.

Earlier today, Shamaya issued the following statement: "My Real Ones, it is with a heavy heart that I write this to you. As you know, it's been 3 years since I've toured the U.S. and performed for all of you and I have been anxiously awaiting for the moment where we could all be together again, to make new memories and give you the best show possible. However, many of you know that I have l lung issues due to chronic bronchitis as a child and with the surge of the Omicron variant, how rapid it's spreading and the inconsistencies with state guidelines and mandates, it is impossible for us to enforce the proper covid protocols that my team & I are comfortable with to keep everyone safe.

"To make this heavy decision, my team and I have had many, many (sometimes heated) discussions regarding what could be done and ultimately we decided it is best to unfortunately cancel the upcoming tour for fear of putting the health of the bands, our crew, the venue staff, myself & most importantly, YOU, at risk.

"Also, most of you know that I've been struggling with the recent death of my brother & I cannot thank you enough for all your kind words & love. It means so much to my family & I as we still process this unimaginable grief. In that respect, I simply can't put my family in a position that might result in another tragedy.

"Again, I am so, so sorry. We tried everything. We really did. In the meantime, I will be taking the proper time to grieve and heal & working to finish my 9th album to give you everything you deserve.

"Stay safe, stay healthy. Get vaxx'd so we can breathe freely again.

"Love & stitches, xx Otep xx".

Throughout the span of her career, Shamaya has been an undeniable force in bringing awareness via various acclaimed mediums to social and political injustices felt by various communities and subcultures. For years, publications such as Revolver magazine have lauded Shamaya for "following in the footsteps of outspoken musicians from folk singer Woody Guthrie to RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Zach de la Rocha, dubbing her "one of music's catalysts for social change".

OTEP's latest album, "Kult 45", was released in 2018. The LP was recorded at The Lair in Los Angeles, completely utilizing the same equipment used for OTEP's first album, "Sevas Tra" (down to Shamaya's vocal microphone, a SHURE Beta 58), in order to create a sound reminiscent of their roots. "Kult 45" was produced by the band, with assistant engineering from Larry Goetz, Nicolas Schilke and Lizzy Ostro.


My Real Ones,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this to you. As you know, it's been 3 years since I've toured the...

Posted by O T E P on Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Black City Records, in collaboration with Norwegian black metal legends Emperor and Candlelight Records, are the very first store worldwide to offer the latest 140g Abbey Road half-speed masters on coloured vinyl of the following titles:


• Emperor EP
• In The Nightside Eclipse
• Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
• IX Equilibrium
• Prometheus - Discipline Of Fire & Demise


All versions are in limited quantity and available both instore and online. Buy them here now.

Fan-filmed video of JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's January 17 performance at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida can be seen below.

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by guitarist Mark Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

Russell's pyrotechnics ignited the deadly blaze on February 20, 2003 at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing a hundred people and injuring hundreds more.

Russell's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the eighth deadliest nightclub and assembly fire in the nation's history.

Last month, Russell told Tulsa Music Stream that a documentary about the fire will have a premiere at the legendary club Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood in February.

During the same chat, Russell spoke about the status of his long-awaited autobiography, "Dancing On The Edge". He said: "We're almost done with it. I found a writer. Her name is Kate Catalina. She's Chip Z'Nuff's wife. She's a fantastic writer. We get along like peas and carrots. So it's gonna be a really great book. What I've read is really great. We've got a lot of people that have done interviews for it. Even [A&R guru] John Kalodner came out of the closet [to be interviewed for it]."

The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick began in an overcrowded club when pyrotechnics from Russell's GREAT WHITE ignited illegal soundproofing foam lining the club's walls.

In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1 million to survivors and families of the victims of the fire.

Kendall founded GREAT WHITE with Russell in 1982. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Kendall later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance.

After a 25-year absence from touring in North America, Ugly Kid Joe made their long awaited live return to American soil on September 9, 2021.


As special guests to Judas Priest, Ugly Kid Joe appeared at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach.


Prior to the show, UKJ frontman Whitfield Crane commented, “In 1992 Rob Halford came into the studio when we were recording America’s Least Wanted and sang on ‘Goddamn Devil’ and blew our fucking minds. As lifelong Priest fans we are stoked to share a stage with the Metal Gods!”




Speaking from the stage on September 9, 2021 in Virginia Beach, Whitfield said, “It's been crazy times. This band has not played in nearly two years. I was just living in Central America for ten months, trying to stay out of it all. Just so you know, this moment for us, it's a one time thing. We're not on tour with our f*cking heroes, Judas Priest. We're not on tour with them. But I will tell you this, and this is a factual thing, we're f*cking fans. Full-on Judas Priest fans. I got a call, I was in Latin America... so we came to play with f*cking Priest, and Judas Priest f*cking rules!"


Fan-filmed footage of Ugly Kid Joe's complete 11-song set, opening for Judas Priest last year, can be seen below:





Setlist:


"Intro / Neighbor"
"Panhandlin' Prince"
"C.U.S.T."
"No One Survives"
"Devil's Paradise"
"Cat's In The Cradle"
"I'm Alright"
"Milkman's Son"
"Goddamn Devil"
"Funky Fresh Country Club"
"Everything About You"





Ugly Kid Joe will resume touring in 2022. Their first concert is May 21 in Glasgow, Scotland. A complete live itinerary can be found here.