Modern rock powerhouse POP EVIL follows its scorching single "What Remains" with new, dark track "Deathwalk", produced by Zach Jones and KJ Strock.

The band shared the cinematic music video, directed by Sam Shapiro. Fans will plunge into the dark, fragmented landscape of lead singer Leigh Kakaty's psyche, unraveling the thin line between self-identity and survival. Kakaty confronts existential questions of his own mortality and legacy.

"We are the accused, the guilty, the damned," the singer says about the harrowing track. "At the end of our 'deathwalk', judgment awaits. Are you at peace with what you will leave behind?"

POP EVIL returned in August by showcasing their new sound with single "What Remains". It was produced by WAGE WAR's Cody Quistad and serves as the dawn of a new era for POP EVIL, which the band promises will be its most sonically heavy. "What Remains" currently sits at No. 8 on the Mainstream Active Rock chart.

The six-time RIAA gold-certified band, plus newly platinum-certified track "Torn To Pieces", is gearing up for its forthcoming eighth studio album, set for release in spring 2025.

POP EVIL are currently finishing up the final dates of the "Animal Instinct" tour with BAD WOLVES. SIERRA PILOT and ONI are serving as support.

The latest addition to the POP EVIL lineup is Blake Allison, who replaced departed member Hayley Cramer on drums, joining Kakaty and fellow bandmates, guitarists Dave Grahs and Nick Fuelling, and bassist Joey "Chicago" Walser.

POP EVIL first rose to international prominence with debut album "Lipstick On The Mirror", featuring RIAA-certified-gold single "100 In A 55". After Kakaty famously tore up the band's major label contract onstage, POP EVIL signed with eOne Music (now MNRK Heavy). 2011's "War Of Angels" debuted in the Top 10 of the Rock Albums chart and produced three Top 10 singles.

The band's 2013 album, "Onyx", put them in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the first time and boasted three consecutive No. 1 rock songs, two RIAA gold singles, and one platinum single "Torn To Pieces". POP EVIL's next release, "Up", was the No. 1 Independent Album in America and made it to No. 25 on the Billboard 200. It featured several Top 5 rock songs and a chart-topper with "Footsteps", which also went gold.

POP EVIL's 2018 self-titled set included the No. 1 hit and newly certified gold single "Waking Lions" and two other Top 10 hits. 2020's "Versatile", meanwhile, scored two No. 1 rock songs: "Breathe Again" and "Survivor". In 2023, the band released its seventh studio album "Skeletons", which spawned their eighth and ninth No. 1 singles: "Eye Of The Storm" and "Skeletons".

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

In a new interview with The DJ Force X podcast, DROWNING POOL and SOIL vocalist Ryan McCombs spoke about the benefits and drawbacks of social media, including interacting with loved ones, business networking and the way it has made people less civil in how they talk to each other. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Social media sucks. Social media is cool because it has given us all a way to stay in contact. That's pretty much where the coolness of it stops. There's so much negativity. I mean, people criticizing TV shows and movies — all anybody's got to say about anything anymore is negative shit. It's just, like, man. You jump on social media nowadays and it's a bummer. And then you've got people with the politics. They think they're making a difference by posting some stupid meme on fricking social media instead of actually doing something about the issue. And then if you get over here in the [United] States, if they actually do choose to do something physical, [it's] some stupid rioting or some horseshit like that.

"Man, if I could go back in time and… There's that, 'What would you do if you could go back in time?' … my thing would be I would do whatever I could to make sure that social media never existed so that you would walk into a restaurant and you wouldn't see a family sitting at a table with everybody with their faces in their phones, and families would actually be communicating again and people would be communicating again and not so quick to be tough and talk shit on the social media."

Ryan added: "It's a very cool thing if used in a business sense, like to communicate, whether it's to spread the word about podcasts, whether it's to spread the word about tours, shows, to use it to advertise something that you're doing or not advertise, but to at least let people know that it exists. It's invaluable in that sense. The fact that you have a new record coming out, whatever the case may be, it is a way to allow people that wanna know to know. But at the same time, it's also such a disgusting, ugly fricking creation on a social level. I'd go back in time and take care of that. [Laughs]"

DROWNING POOL's latest single, "Revolution (The Final Amen)", was released on September 20 via SBG Records.

"Revolution (The Final Amen)" marks the first piece of music guitarist C.J. Pierce, bassist Stevie Benton and drummer Mike Luce have completed with McCombs in 13 years.

The "Revolution (The Final Amen)" video was filmed at El Paso, Texas's Speaking Rock Entertainment Center.

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and at the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

McCombs is continuing to front SOIL and will carry on recording and performing with both bands.

DROWNING POOL's debut album, "Sinner", was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in 2001, while the CD's first single, "Bodies", was one of the most frequently aired videos on MTV by a new band. DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, vocalist Dave "Stage" Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.

American thrash metal legends and genre originators, Exodus, performed in Toronto, Ontario at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on November 19th. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"The Last Act of Defiance"
"Blood In, Blood Out"
"Fabulous Disaster"
"And Then There Were None"
"Body Harvest"
"Prescribing Horror"
"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)"
"Brain Dead"
"Deathamphetamine"
"Blacklist"
"Metal Command"
"War Is My Shepherd"
"The Toxic Waltz"
"Strike of the Beast"







Exodus kicked off their "The Battle Of '24" tour on Saturday, November 2, in Tampa, FL, and will thrash across North America, ultimately concluding on December 7 in Los Angeles, CA.


Exodus guitarist Gary Holt expressed the band's excitement: "Exodus are super stoked to announce 'The Battle Of '24', our tour with Havok, Candy, and Dead Heat. This tour will be raging, and this is our first headlining tour in many years, so we're excited to dig out some deep cuts as well as play some more songs off of Persona Non Grata. Let the battle begin!"


"The Battle Of '24" tour promises to be a must-see event for metal fans, showcasing Exodus' legendary status in the thrash metal sce

According to an update from Loudwire, the American Rejects 2025 tour that was originally due to feature Attila, Oceano, Dealer and Nathan James has seen Oceano drop off the bill. Tour plans began to fall apart when Alpha Wolf bassist Josh Arnold branded the tour as "the rapist abuser tour," referring to the  sexual misconduct allegations made against Dealer vocalist Aidan Ellaz in 2018 when he was fronting Alpha Wolf, leading to his dismissal.


The resulting backlash, which painted the other artists in the tour in a negative light, pushed Oceano vocalist Adam Warren to release a lengthy statement, informing the fans that he is quitting the band. Read his statement in full below.


Adam Warren: "Believe it or not some people don’t spend their life on the internet. My only goal has been to take opportunities to push Oceano forward since the fans said they wanted it. You will not make me out to be a bad person for things I am not connected to when it comes to what other bands members do. There was a time in my life when I was in a social media high horse, and I don’t agree with that nor plan to act like I am better than anyone, nor that I know the details to anyone else’s business. I wasn’t aware of the depth of accusations with Attila and associates. I remind you, Oceano was not active for a long time before now. I don’t even know anything about Dealer besides the band's name I’ve heard when they first came out years ago?. Didn’t they break up? I did not even know what any other bands on the tour would be beyond Atilla until long after we agreed, and no one in my circle cited any issues with our decision to take the tour. I think that before judging the innocent band just taking what seemed like a decent opportunity and has never been associated with these bands before, you should look towards the Agents, Managers, Venues, Websites, Festivals that all continue to support, book, and clearly downplay to their own clients the character of people their (good) bands work with. 




If you continue to read, keep asking yourself WHAT words have I said that are harmful? No one knew my circumstances nor my perspective until this moment. And I will stress, I don’t support any type of abuse or harm to anyone ever. But I’m not paying attention to what YOU all or anyone in the music scene personally does on the internet. I don’t have time for that. So it is clear I was not informed enough to make a proper decision to tour with this package. I’ve never experienced bands causing such a stir, and I was not made aware until announcing the  tour of people with such serious allegations surrounding them being on a tour I’m going to be on. I encourage anyone who is directly affected by those people/bands to contact the authorities/police and take legal action. 


I have been nothing but kind and positive within this music scene especially on that internet side and that can be hard sometimes. A year ago We almost ended Oceano for good. We had an Album to drop but we def were done. I had ZERO idea my name is being tossed around along side fucking people who have people accusing them of horrible things. And getting upset with ME, because I’m just hearing about it? In real time people swarmed me while I was still figuring out what was going on. Y’all are vicious and clearly seek chaos without care of who it effects. Thought I have been blessed with much opportunity, as we enter a more connected era I have felt very disrespected over the years from a scene that really is more a facade than a real concept in reality

Houston's premium occult heavy rock merchants Warlung are set to return with their new album The Poison Touch, to be released on February 14, 2025 through Heavy Psych Sounds. Their brand new single / video, "29th Scroll, 6th Verse", is available below.


"This song is an ode to classic sci-fi, this song warns against the destructiveness of human nature. It’s an interpretation of the Law Giver’s sacred scriptures from The Planet Of The Apes lore," explains the band.







Their upcoming fifth studio release, The Poison Touch, delves deeper into atmosphere, while maintaining the gritty undertone that defines these doom rock specialists. From start to finish, th

Earlier today (Thursday, November 21),SHINEDOWN took to social media to share the following message in response to the question, "What will the new SHINEDOWN album sound like?": "It's going to sound like everything... Everything that we have been through personally. Everything that we are excited about. Everything that we are ready to express to the world.

"We have said this many times because it is the absolute truth in this band. We only have one boss. It just happens to be everyone in the audience...

"We have never walked into a studio to write songs for trophies," SHINEDOWN continued. "We are writing these songs because we believe in what we're doing, and we believe in the message we are presenting to the public...

"What we can tell you is that we hope you listen with an open mind, a full heart, and a bold imagination... We are doubling down on every style that has ever inspired us so that we may be fearless, and be the band that we set out to be from day one and that includes bending genres, flirting with soundscape's and personality, and above all pushing the envelope when it comes to creativity... And also, yes, doing our best to take our love of ROCK N' ROLL to the next level.

"We hope you are as excited as we are for the next chapter," the band added. "Let us know in the comments.

"Love you!!! Brent, Eric, Barry, Zach".

Earlier this month, SHINEDOWN bassist and producer Eric Bass told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to 2022's "Planet Zero" album: "We've already recorded and produced a couple of songs — well, a handful of songs — already for it. [We're] half to two thirds [done writing and recording], maybe. We still have some writing left to do."

He continued: "We're doing this one a little bit differently where we are kind of tracking as we go somewhat. So we'll get some stuff written and then we'll track a few songs, and then we'll get some more stuff written and track a few songs. Usually we wait until everything's compiled and then we start tracking, but we decided to try it a little differently this time. I don't know if I'd do it again. It's a little difficult on the brain to switch gears from writing to producing back to writing. For me, I'm very process driven, so the process of writing, for me and my brain, is way different than the process of engineering and producing and that sort of thing. So, I think that just for my own sanity, I would go back to the way we've done it in the past the next time. But that being said, it's gonna make a very interesting record. And we're super, super excited about the next SHINEDOWN record."

When Meltdown noted that everything SHINEDOWN writes and records falls under the "rock" umbrella but that "there's been some crossover a little bit here and there," Eric said: "I just kind of lump what we do into rock. I can't remember a time when our band ever had a conversation about 'this is this style' and 'that's that style' and 'this is this' and 'that's that'. For me, it's, like, if you think about — 'Second Chance' is a rock song and 'Planet Zero' is a rock song and 'No Sleep Tonight' is a rock song. And I know some of them maybe will skew a little more midtempo or a little more metal or whatever, but I've never, and neither have any of the other guys in the band, we've never thought about it as anything other than just making rock music."

This past September, SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch told the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station about the band's next LP: "We're hoping to release some new music by the end of this year and then an album spring of next year. We're about, I'd say, halfway through the record, give or take. I know I've recorded, like, seven songs for it so far."

He continued: "Every record's different, and this one's gonna be different as well, but you're never gonna change [SHINEDOWN singer] Brent's [Smith] voice. So I'm excited. With the success of ['A'] Symptom [Of Being Human]' [single] and how well that did, we don't wanna really take too much time off 'cause we have a whole new audience with that song that deserve to see us live. 'Cause I think, yes, our records I'm very proud of, and I think they're great, and people latch on to 'em, but they really don't become a SHINEDOWN superfan until they see the live show. So it's time to get out there and let people see the show."

Earlier in September, Kerch was asked by WRIF if he usually works out his drum parts to demo versions of the SHINEDOWN songs. Barry said: "For me, a lot of times, Eric will send the demos over to me with just basic drum machine tracks, just placeholder tracks, and I'll listen to it. Sometimes, depending on the song, I'll make a small cliff-notes chart of, 'Okay, verse, chorus, how many beats per fill here,' that kind of thing, and write out my little Nashville chart. Sometimes I just wing it, and sometimes when we go in, we have the song, but we might wanna make a change or we accidentally stumble across something. So then we'll take it piece by piece. 'Okay, let's get some really good verses. Let's get the choruses, and then let's work on this new section that we're thinking about and just vibe back and forth on it till we make that transition,' maybe a pre-chorus or something like that. So, it varies, but I'm usually sent some sort of a demo form of the song to listen to 'cause I like to come in prepared. Can I play it right then? Yeah. But I wanna be prepared so I've thought about the vibe of the song and drum tones and, 'Hey, maybe this snare would sound good. Maybe these symbols would be the symbols I'd wanna bring and use. And this fill might be cool. This fill might be better.' And then Eric and I fight over it for hours. And then we come up with what we come up with."

Barry went on to say that Brent is "pretty early on the game" in terms of working out the lyrics and the melodies for the SHINEDOWN songs. "The lyrics are usually 98 percent done, if not fully done," he said. "And sometimes in the demo, they're completely done. Those vocals you hear on the final products were the demo vocals. He's just kind of prolific that way. And he really wants to get the vibe out."

He continued: "The way I've always played drums with SHINEDOWN is to the vocals more than anything. So I'm trying to really support what the vocals are and give lead-ins and lead-outs to whatever — I don't wanna step on those vocals. And you can hear it when singers put their lyrics on after the music's been written, that sometimes there can be this battle between drum fills and lyrics and maybe where it should have gone. And I think it steps on it sometimes. Sometimes it makes it cool. Like you listen to a band like TOOL. Most of the music is written, then it's handed to Maynard [James Keenan], and then he writes his vocals over that. So that's how they get that cool… It's just different. And it's, like, only Maynard would have thought to sing that because the music's already there. We're the polar opposite. I wanna support what vocals are already there."

In August, SHINEDOWN's single "A Symptom Of Being Human" became the first song by a band or solo artist to chart in the top 10 on three major Mediabase charts: Active Rock, Alternative, and Adult Contemporary (AC).

In addition to holding Mediabase chart history with the most No. 1s, Top 5s and Top 10s in the Active Rock category, SHINEDOWN has achieved a record-breaking 23 chart-topping songs.

It's rare for a rock band to break into pop music, but SHINEDOWN has always believed that music is universal and doesn't have to be put in a genre box. "A Symptom Of Being Human" is resonating with listeners worldwide because of its uplifting and important message about how we are all a work in progress. Collectively, "A Symptom Of Being Human" has amassed tens of millions of streams across all versions including a live version, pop remix, acoustic version and piano version.

"A Symptom Of Being Human" is the fourth No. 1 Active Rock single from SHINEDOWN's acclaimed seventh studio album, "Planet Zero". The set debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in July 2022.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

… @thebrentsmith @zmyersofficial @bkerchofficial @ebassprod @shinedown

UPDATE…

#shinedown8

Posted by Shinedown on Thursday, November 21, 2024

In a new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast, OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson spoke about the band's upcoming album, "The Last Will And Testament", which will be made available on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. After McKaysmith suggested that the LP finds OPETH going back to some of the sounds that made the band initially so endearing, Fredrik said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, the element that a lot of people talk about is apparently the growls are back after four albums without the growls. And there was a reason for that because it's a concept album and we wanted to make a heavier album this time around. They're all different, in my opinion, the last four albums, but this time around we had a new drummer coming in and we played more of the old-school heavy stuff. But I wouldn't call it going back. I think this is a step forward — bringing in some old elements, but also bringing in new elements. It also displays the prog era as well, I think, but it's a more compact — the most compact OPETH album, most restless and most intense in a way, I think. The songs aren't as long, but there are not less ingredients in them. They're more — not like TikTok, but they're more action-packed in a way."

Åkesson also addressed the September 2022 addition of drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (PARADISE LOST, BLOODBATH, BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT) to the OPETH ranks. He said: "[Waltteri has] been amazing, and luckily we got to do three tours with Waltteri before we started working on the album. And he's been so good all the way and easy to get along with, which is also important, of course. But as a player, he's so accurate. I mean, he's an extreme metal drummer — he can play kick drums super fast and he's super tight, he keeps a steady tempo — but he's also very tasteful. The way we found out about him was when he played the track 'The Devil's Orchard', which demands a lot of taste and it's a different type of groove than a typical death metal track or something like that. It's more prog, and he had that element as well, which I would say is probably a bit rare. And he kind of click all the boxes. I think [OPETH] guitarist/vocalist] Mikael [Åkerfeldt] really wanted the drums to be more challenging, more intense than ever on this album. I would say this is the trickiest drums OPETH has written or done before. And he had to practice for like half a year for nailing it. So we asked Waltteri — well, he said on his own that if he only had one month to learn this album, he wouldn't have been able to do it. But, yeah, he's a bit of a vitamin injection for the band because he's a bit younger — or quite a lot younger, actually — and he's good for us. We suck a bit of his blood because he's younger, so we feel more rejuvenated now. Oh, just kidding. But no, it's been all good. New fuel."

"The Last Will And Testament" was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

"The Last Will And Testament" is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

"The Last Will And Testament" is the darkest and heaviest record OPETH has made in decades, and it is also the band's most fearlessly progressive. A concept album recounting the reading of one recently deceased man's will to an audience of his surviving family members, it brims with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that Åkerfeldt has ever written.

The follow-up to 2019's widely acclaimed "In Cauda Venenum", "The Last Will And Testament" is set in the shadowy, sepia-stained 1920s. It slowly reveals its secrets like some classic thriller from the distant, cobwebbed past, with each successive song shining more light on the stated machinations of our dead (but definitely not harmless) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the story is perfectly matched by OPETH's vivid but claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its way towards a crestfallen but sumptuous finale. Masters of their own idiosyncratic musical domain, OPETH have never sounded more unique.

Multi-platinum rock band HINDER has shared the official Reagan Elkins-directed music video for its powerful and heavy new single "Everything Is A Cult". The track, available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide, comes in the wake of the U.S. election at a time of unprecedented division and showcases HINDER's patented explosive songwriting and vocalist Marshal Dutton's dynamic range. It will undoubtedly have fans banging their heads and opening up the pit as the song crescendos into a massive bridge breakdown.

"While most people in America have much more in common than they might want to admit, we all have the tendency to fall into the willingness of being spoon-fed propaganda as long as it conveniently coincides with our own beliefs," says drummer Cody Hanson. "We all have the tendency to run to our political corners with complete disregard for the truth as long as it suits the narrative of our 'leaders.' No matter what side you're on, everything is a cult now."

Lately, HINDER are feeling the intensity of a new energy. Nearly two decades into their career, the band hasn't just endured as a fixture of modern rock — it's evolved. The versatile Oklahoma City-based quartet creates emotionally compelling rock, from hard-hitting anthems to subdued, contemplative ballads. Now the band is looking to the future.

HINDER's story begins in 2001, when Cody Hanson (drums),Joe "Blower" Garvey (lead guitar) and Mike Rodden (bass) met and activated their musical chemistry. The 2005 hit "Lips Of An Angel" from the band's debut album, "Extreme Behavior", since certified three times platinum, topped the charts and remains a radio mainstay. Powerful lead vocalist Marshal Dutton joined them in 2015. Throughout their discography, HINDER has embodied an ethos of defiance and tenacity through gutsy lyrics, rousing melodies, and soaring choruses. Each album in their musical journey has reflected a progression, from the grittier early days of "Take It To The Limit" to the more introspective and exploratory energy of their most recent album, 2017's "The Reign".

In 2013, original HINDER singer Austin Winkler parted ways with the band following a long battle with substance abuse.

HINDER started 2024 strong, with a series of sold-out shows and live performances with CREED, 3 DOORS DOWN and DAUGHTRY. The band's vigorous live shows and blend of catchy hooks with raw, emotive lyrics have earned them crossover appeal and a loyal global fanbase.

HINDER's most recent album, 2017's "The Reign", was the band's second with Dutton.

Photo credit: Doug Schwarz

W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless has defended his decision to praise Donald Trump during the band's concert in New York City, saying the U.S. president-elect is "a patriot" who is "willing to die" for what he believes in.

Prior to launching into the closing song, "Blind In Texas", of W.A.S.P.'s November 16 show at Hammerstein Ballroom At Manhattan Center, the 68-year-old Lawless, whose real name is Steven Duren, addressed the crowd, saying: "We'll do something a little different tonight. We are in the appropriate city to do this. You know, it was Shakespeare that said, 'Some are born to greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them.' It was the Greek historian Herodotus who said that when it comes to tragedy and things like that, that we do not rule circumstances, circumstances rule us."

Reflecting on his experience with the PMRC (Parents' Music Resource Center) more than three and a half decades ago, Lawless continued: "Now when I was a little kid, growing up across the bay over here in Staten Island, I never, I never ever imagined that my time would come where I would be thrust into a situation where I had no control over. Now, it will be 40 years next year, there was a situation that happened, and it was called the PMRC. And there were hearings, there were hearings done in Washington, D.C. And two days later, Frank Zappa and myself stood on a stage just around the corner here and we talked about the evils that would come about them. Because censorship is an ugly, ugly thing. And it ain't just in music. It happens in all forms of life.

"Now, down the street here in lower Manhattan, there's a chapel down there. It's called the St. Paul's Chapel. We now know it as the chapel from 9-11. But before that, when George Washington was elected the first president of the United States, after he was sworn in the federal building, he walked into that street and he walked down to that chapel and he consecrated the United States of America to God Almighty right there on that spot.

"The very first amendment of our constitution guarantees freedom of speech," Blackie added. "Our founding fathers were genius enough to know that if you can control speech, you can control thought. And these men knew this. These were great men. Fast forward a couple hundred years, 250 almost, now we have a situation in the last six, eight years, we find censorship again rearing its ugly, ugly head. Now, this time it's on the Internet, and it's affecting every single one of us."

Referencing the fact that Trump was making his return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, visiting the New York City landmark arena for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, Blackie said: "Tonight, you may not be aware, but right next door to us over here in the Garden, there is a man who has undergone attempt after attempt, assassinations on his life, and this man has stood up for this country. He's right next door right now at the Garden.

"Now, I got two things that I'm passionate about the most. One of them is that freedom of speech," he added. "And the other one is about being a patriot. Because I'm here to tell you, I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, Independent, you need to be a patriot of this country. I am willing to die for this country. I believe in it that much. And that man next door, he believes in it too.

"I only got one more thing to say before we go. 'Cause I'm blind in Texas."

W.A.S.P.'s performance of "Blind In Texas" in New York City featured Trump banners flanking the stage while the image of the president-elect with his fist raised after July's assassination attempt near Butler, Pennsylvania was displayed behind the band.

Video of Blackie's speech and "Blind In Texas" performance can be seen below (courtesy of the Denmark Street Pedal YouTube channel).

Blackie was asked about his pro-Trump comments during a November 19 "VIP Experience" question-and-answer session before W.A.S.P.'s concert in Cleveland, Ohio. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we did what we did Saturday night, it wasn't just about him. It was about America. And we knew before we did it, 'cause we weighed the idea back and forth for a week before we did it, what would we do if there was gonna be fallout? And I said, well, it doesn't matter if there's fallout, because when you see Big Tech censorship, it's the same thing we were going through 40 years ago; it's just that it's got a different name on it now — that's all. So, the first thing any government does when they seize power is they seize the airwaves, because we know that if you can censor speech, you can control thought eventually. We see it time after time. Or even if you don't control the thought to the degree you like, you cower people so they're like little rabbits hiding in the corner. They're afraid to speak out."

He continued: "So, that was the big reason behind it. But looking at someone who's willing to go through what the guy did, well, I mean… I heard somebody say yesterday, he said he's got big brass wings. And I thought, yep, that's very true, because Thomas Jefferson said, the tree of liberty must be replaced from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. And I see him as a patriot. And when I was saying what I was saying the other night — there's two things I was interested in, which was censorship and patriotism. So, if somebody's willing to die for what they believe in, I gotta stand there with them."

Back in the mid-'80s, the PMRC published a list called "The Filthy Fifteen" which consisted of the top fifteen songs they wanted banned due to objectionable lyrics suggesting violence, sex, drugs, alcohol or the occult. They petitioned for lyrics to be printed on the album jackets and no one was safe — heavy metal acts were right there alongside the pop stars. AC/DC, Madonna, MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, Prince, W.A.S.P., MERCYFUL FATE, Vanity, DEF LEPPARD, Cyndi Lauper and TWISTED SISTER all made "The Filthy Fifteen" list. In November 1985, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) agreed to put "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" labels on selected releases at their own discretion.

Lawless previously discussed the importance of free speech in an October 2023 interview with "Metalshop". Speaking about how he was affected by his experience with the PMRC, he said: "We were too young to really understand what it was all about, but they quickly put us in the eye of the hurricane, and then all kinds of bad things started happening — death threats and getting shot at and all of that. We became educated very, very quickly.

"I think I was in Indiana — I think it was Indianapolis — this girl came in to interview me," he continued. "And this was, like, '87. And she had worked for the PMRC at one point. And she, at this time I was talking to her, was a journalist. And she goes, she brought in a cassette tape and she goes, 'I've got something I need you to hear.' And she played this cassette tape for me. And on it were Susan Baker [co-founder of the PMRC] and a few of the others talking about what their real motivation was. And their motivation was not to get stickers on records. Their motivation was to get Al Gore a platform to then run for president of the United States. So they were trying to create a political profile for him — because what better way to get attention, if you're a political candidate, a southern caricature, which is what he was, what better way to get attention than to go after an attention getter? I mean, this is McCarthyism [political repression and persecution] — you know, it's no different. Richard Nixon did it. All these witch hunts that went on in D.C. for years. But they come to a generation who's not heard it. So this thing comes around once every 15 years. The generation hasn't heard it. They haven't heard the same old lies that come out of it. So it sounds pretty good to them because it sounds sincere and genuine."

Lawless, who has repeatedly stated in interviews that he has returned to the Christian faith and considers himself a born-again Christian, added: "Let me tell you something about free speech. I'm part Jewish, I'm part Native American Indian. You can stand on a soapbox and you can talk about how wonderful Nazism is and how you'd like to kill all the Indians out there. I don't care. Well, let me rephrase that. I do care, but I don't want to limit your ability to speak, because if I do that, then we start going down a dark road because you start playing umpire, and then who plays umpire tomorrow?

"This country was built as a republic and a republic, contrary to what a lot of people don't understand, is not a democracy. But what you have to do to create a republic, you have to have a certain amount of faith in the people. So, in other words, if you have a guy that's spewing a bunch of hatred on a street corner or in a soapbox, you have to have faith in your fellow Americans that this guy is a lunatic and the vast majority of people are gonna find him out and not follow him. But what happens is when you start limiting that speech, then, like I said, you take away the ability of the people to decide for themselves, number one, who's crazy and who isn't. But even more dangerous than that, you start appointing these umpires that tell you what you can and cannot say. And it's extremely dangerous. And you've heard it a million times but it bears repeating, our system is not set up for popular speech. It's set up for unpopular speech."

Lawless also discussed his experience with the PMRC during a "VIP Experience" question-and-answer session in November 2022 before W.A.S.P.'s concert at The Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York. At the time, he said: "It changed my life, if that's what you mean. It made me more of a recluse. Yeah, a couple of thousand death threats and bomb scares and getting shot at a couple of times usually has a tendency to alter your outlook on life a little. But also, we were exposed to extreme fame very early, and fame is kind of like this — if this table is a smorgasbord, it's like an evil genie stands down at the end of the smorgasbord and [says], 'You can take anything you want, but if you take one thing, you take it all. You do not get to pick and choose. So all the good stuff that you like in the smorgasbord, that's wonderful, but you've gotta take the bad stuff too.' So it ends up being a life-altering experience, one I don't think you can ever really go back from — at least I haven't been able to."

In a 2004 interview with the Las Vegas Mercury, Lawless spoke about having his music slammed by the PMRC, saying: "As the story goes, [PMRC founding member] Tipper [Gore] was walking down the hall in her house and her 12-year-old son had [W.A.S.P.'s] 'Fuck Like A Beast' playing on his stereo, and she lost her mind," Lawless said. "I don't know if that's true, but that's the story I've been told.

"You wanna talk about sensationalism?" Blackie continued. "This was an organization that was seeking a platform that would help serve its own political interests. They didn't give a damn about censorship. I've spent the better part of my career trying to get people to understand that. This really is not what you think it is. They come to you like the wolf in sheep's clothing and then use you to create a frenzy — not unlike what McCarthy did with the communists and Bob Dole did with rap. This is nothing new.

"You don't have to be Nostradamus to see what's going on with young people these days," Lawless continued. "Parents just don't get involved with their kids as much as they used to. Are you going to tell me that these parents at Columbine didn't know that anything was going on with their kids? Hey, my mother knew what I was doing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But parents now, they don't want to take any responsibility for their children. They bring something into this world, and then when something goes wrong, they want to blame everybody else for it."

It is not clear what Lawless thinks about Trump's supposed commitment to free expression, seeing as Trump champions freedom of speech for himself and his allies while attacking it when it protects his critics and political opponents. Trump has regularly attacked individual journalists and the press in general for unfavorable news coverage. He called journalists the "enemy of the people" and removed ones he did not like from press events and rallies.

Video and image credit: Denmark Street Pedal YouTube channel

Blackie lawless received a set of middle fingers after trump endorsement closer in nyc tonight.
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Crossbone Skully have today (November 22) unleashed their debut album Evil World Machine, which brought the legendary Mutt Lange (AC/DC, Def Leppard) out of retirement to executive produce the project.


Released by Better Noise Music, the rock concept album echoes similar dystopian visions such as David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and Diamond Dogs, and its story will be expanded in a forthcoming graphic novel and animated film, Thing #1, due in 2025.


Watch the newly released music video for the album’s power-seizing track, “Let’s Bust The Trust”, streaming below.




“‘Let’s Bust The Trust’ spits in the face of a broken currency, torching the lies of the elite, and screaming for a world where people over profit hold the power to turn it all around! Lives Over Loot!” says frontman Tommy Henriksen.


“I’ve based this album on my heroes - AC/DC, Queen, The Who, but also The Cars and Kraftwerk,” Henriksen continues “Mutt called and told me he thought there was something there. I started crying like a baby, it was like Jesus coming back and anointing you!,” he says. “Mutt has taken these songs to a whole other level. Now I don’t mind what else happens with this record.”





Led and conceptualized by Henriksen (guitarist and musical director for Alice Cooper’s band and member of Hollywood Vampires), Crossbone Skully enlisted a sterling group of supporting musicians for Evil World Machine including guitarist Tommy Denander, keyboardist Jamie Muhoberac (My Chemical Romance, John Mayer, Seal), bassist Chris Wyse (Hollywood Vampires, Ace Frehley, The Cult, Ozzy Osbourne), drummer Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires), the late UFO bassist Pete Way, mixer Olle Romo (Muse, Bryan Adams) and producer/mixer Mike Plotnikoff (AC/DC, Aerosmith). Also lighting up the album are guest features and spoken word appearances by A-list actor/musician and fellow Hollywood Vampires bandmate Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Kane Roberts, and more.


Crossbone Skully made their debut live performance last night, November 21, with a packed-out show at the Viper Room in West Hollywood, CA and will appear again tonight for a second performance. Henriksen’s live band is rounded out by Wyse on bass, guitarists Sam Bam Koltun (Dorothy, Faster Pussycat) and Anna Cara, and drummer Alex Boch.


Evil World Machine is available now on CD, vinyl and various merch bundle options, here.





Tracklisting:


"Evil World Machine"
"The Boom Went The Boom" (feat. Phil Collen of Def Leppard)
"Money Sex Or God"
"Flip The Bird"
"Everyone’s On Dope"
"The Sin Eater"
"Ima Bone Machine"
"Let’s Bust The Trust"
"High On You" (feat. Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe)
"I Am The Wolf"
"I’m Unbreakable"
"The Last Night On Earth"
"Misfits Of The Universe"


“The Boom Went The Boom” feat. Phil Collen:





"Money, Sex, Or God":





“Everyone’s On Dope”:

For Bury Tomorrow, the last two years have been about trying to fill the space where they knew something was missing.


From the depths of uncertainty, through line-up changes, and COVID-inspired road blocks, the arrival of guitarist Ed Hartwell and keyboardist/vocalist Tom Prendergast and the creation of 2023's The Seventh Sun has allowed them to lay out a whole new path of possibilities that felt unavailable before.


Now, with an invigorated belief and fresh outlook on what the band can encompass, they present Will You Haunt Me, With That Same Patience, their most fantastically visceral offering to date. Out May 16, you can pre-save/pre-order the album here.







Crafted more intimately and intricately than ever before by internalizing every aspect of the writing process, with Carl Bown [Sleep Token, Bullet For My Valentine, While She Sleeps] manning production duties for the first time, the result is a profoundly personal, extraordinarily expansive and punishingly grand display of cathartic craftsmanship.


Born from a shared sense of frustration in feeling an ever-shifting disconnect from the state of modern society, the band have created an earnest, heart-wrenching and definitive look at the overlapping effects of brutal self-sabotage, crippling anxiety, fierce despondency and the never-ending search for peace and clarity in a world so full of noise. It is a record about division as much as togetherness, an outpouring of personal devastation but a hopeful reminder that we are all navigating it together.


Atmospherically stirring new single, "What If I Burn", centers on the tricks that our mind plays on our perception of existence, interactions and connections. Watch the music video below:





"To haunt is to revisit or recur persistently to the consciousness of someone or something," explains guitarist Kristan Dawson. "There's beauty in t

American guitarist Mike Pinera, who performed with Iron Butterfly, Alice Cooper and Blues Image, has passed away at 76 years of age. St Pete Catalyst reports that Tampa native Pinera, who wrote and sang the Top Ten single “Ride Captain Ride” as a member of Blues Image, died on November 20 after a long illness.


“Ride Captain Ride,” which is still in rotation on Classic Rock radio, reached #4 on the Billboard chart in 1970. It was the only hit for Blues Image, a popular Tampa band that re-located first to Miami, then to California upon signing to Atco Records in 1969.


Band founders Pinera, Mike Betematti (drums), Malcolm Jones (bass) and Joe Lala (percussion) met as students at Tampa’s Jefferson High School. Pinera had been part of the Impalas, the Motions and the El Dorados, teen garage bands.




Blues Image, thanks to the Cuba-born Lala, added Latin rhythms to its rock ‘n’ r

Status Quo are looking forward to the release of the forthcoming collection, Driving To Glory, launching the video trailer below.


The set will be available on CD and 12" Picture Disc on November 29. Pre-order here.


Status Quo has endured for over 50 years and is known for worldwide hits and tours to millions of fans across the globe.




This compilation collects together, for the first time, many of the band’s rare tracks from the late 1990s and early 2000s, some of which have been unavailable for over 20 years. Until now, many of these tracks have only been available on CD singles or editions of albums only available in one country.


This remastered compilation is supported by the band and has been overseen by the recordings’ original producer, Mike Paxman, who has also written liner notes for the release.


Mike Paxman said of the release: “Known for their hard driving style, it’s fitting that this Status Quo collection is called Driving To Glory. Many of the songs included were recorded for soundtracks or to go with non-album single releases - this collection brings them together for the first time, and deserves to be thought of as an album.”


All of these songs were recorded as lead tracks and released in various different places. This collection brings

sic and Waxen's seventh album, High Plaines Bloodlust.


The guitarist explains: "High Plaines Bloodlust is kind of a concept album. Usually the lyrical topics deal with the occult or World War II and nuclear war. This time it was suggested to me to break free of the same old subjects and personalize it a bit more."


Knapp continues: "This is Wyoming black metal. My home state has a pretty dark history with the Johnson County War, The Fetterman Masacre and more. Some of my lyrics and music reflect those things and this is Waxen's most violent music. I think with this album and the predecessor, Die Macht Von Hassen, Waxen has established its own sound and a unique place in black metal history. I think we're looking at a release in spring 2025 definitely through our longtime home, Moribund R

80s USPM pioneers, Sacred Oath, have released their first new music in more than three years with “Is It Time?” (SRGILS, Virgin, UMG).


The band is currently in the studio working on a full-length follow-up to Return Of The Dragon (2021) and anticipate a 2025 release.







“We felt the need to get this song out there now, rather than wait for the completed album,” said the band’s drummer Kenny “Thundarr” Evans. “There’s so much anxiety and rage out there in the wake of the (US) election and current world affairs. It’s like we’re all sitting on a powder keg. This song is the fuse.”


“Is It Time?” can be streamed worldwide on all platforms currently serviced by Virgin/UMG. Watch the visualizer below:

US metal legends, Warlord, today release a video for the song "Battle Of The Living Dead" (2024). The song comes off their recent release, From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues, available via High Roller Records.





Watch the video below, and get From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues here.