earMUSIC has released the latest single from ANNIHILATOR's upcoming "Metal II" album, a cover of VAN HALEN's "Romeo Delight".

"Metal II", which arrives February 18, kicks off this long-term campaign, which will include special configurations, additional bonus material, exclusive and previously unheard new tunes from the band.

"There was something about 'Women And Children First'," muses ANNIHILATOR's Jeff Waters. "It was massively brutal attitude meeting aggression — meets a David Lee Roth-fronted party. You have to remember when this came out. 'Romeo Delight' is the most 'heavy' song from VAN HALEN, in my (and Kerry King's!) opinion. The photos on the cover/back cover of 'Women And Children First' were impactful. It was a green cover and it was a photo of the band posing for a record cover shot and instead of blowing that photo up to the full size of the LP, they cropped it so it was a third the size of the record and everything around it was green. I would stare at the front and back pics for hours! Eddie was like a second father in a way. Millions [of others] probably feel that way too and only fans of his from back then could understand this."

He continues: "His playing, writing, performance, and smile were second to none. EVER. He was a superb writer, lead guitar innovator, genius rhythm player, and was able to build a gear empire. He took chances. Did his own thing. It worked. Millions and more will mourn him as long as the future world likes music. But we also will be celebrating forever, as musicians will continue to hand down the 'EVH-influenced-musical-genes' to future generations!"

"Metal II" has been given an incredible overhaul with the one and only Dave Lombardo (SLAYER) killing the drums and lead vocals "re-invented" by the great Stu Block (INTO ETERNITY, ICED EARTH). The guest list on the album is huge: Willie Adler (LAMB OF GOD), Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Steve "Lips" Kudlow (ANVIL), Dan Beehler (EXCITER), Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES), Angela Gossow (ARCH ENEMY), Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE), Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED, AT THE GATES) and Corey Beaulieu (TRIVIUM).

Waters passed over mixing duties to legendary engineer Mike Fraser (AC/DC, VAN HALEN) and it was remastered by Maor Appelbaum.

When Waters was asked, "Which record would you re-do, if you could and why?," with no hesitation it was "Metal". So, what we have now is a 2021 record that is called "Metal II", appropriately, featuring all the original guest tracks from 2007 with Jeff Waters at the helm.

"One of greatest engineers/mixers on the planet, Mike Fraser, was my first choice to mix this one," Jeff says. "It was a challenge as Mike was not brought in to make a record; he was simply there to mix a big mess of tracks that were recorded in 2006 and 2021 and with over 14 players on it. After this difficult mix, I promised Mike that I would do another record with him, from the ground up."

"Dave was in my favorite band ever (SLAYER)," Waters says, "and continues to evolve and play in many diverse bands, like MISFITS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE and many other projects. It was an honor to be on the same record as Lombardo. And he uses the 'Reign In Blood' ride cymbal!! Yes! The ACTUAL ride cymbal we hear on that classic record."

Waters reveals that "Stu has been the vocalist that I have (publicly) wanted to be ANNIHILATOR's singer, ever since I heard him in the Canadian band INTO ETERNITY, but I never got the opportunity to get him! He is the next generation of amazing vocalists that is grabbing the microphone from such icons as [Bruce] Dickinson and [Rob] Halford. And our paths SHOULD have crossed a long time ago, but we are here now!

"So I got a hold of them both," Waters continues, "and they both loved the tunes and both said 'FUCK YES'! And I said to Stu, 'You've got three takes', so there's blemishes and warts and fuck-ups everywhere. And I said the same to Dave, 'get it done'. And watching pros do this is mind-blowing because you don't have the best sounds, but you have the best players."

Waters closes, "Although Alexi Laiho's shredding in 'Downright Dominate' and the VAN HALEN song 'Romeo Delight' were recorded a while back, adding Stu and Dave to these songs gave us all the feeling that 'Metal II' is also a fitting tribute to our two fallen guitar heroes. Ed and Alexi, R.I.P."

"Metal II" track listing:

01. Chasing The High (ft. Willie Adler)

02. Downright Dominate (ft. Alexi Laiho)

03. Army Of One (ft. Steve "Lips" Kudlow)

04. Couple Suicide (ft. Danko Jones and Angela Gossow)

05. Heavy Metal Maniac (ft. Dan Beehler and Allan Johnson)

06. Haunted (ft. Jesper Strömblad)

07. Romeo Delight

08. Detonation (ft. Jacob Lynam)

09. Clown Parade (ft. Jeff Loomis)

10. Smothered (ft. Anders Björler)

11. Kicked (ft. Corey Beaulieu)

Canada's ANNIHILATOR is the lifework of Waters. Founded in 1984, the band took the metal scene by storm with its debut 1989 release "Alice In Hell", upped the ante with 1990's "Never, Neverland" and has continued a non-stop career-pattern of releasing records and touring with many of the biggest bands in the metal genre (mostly all outside North America), ever since; cementing ANNIHILATOR as the biggest-selling metal act in Canada's history.

ANNIHILATOR has given the metal world a sound that is one of the clearest, most tasteful mixtures of huge, metal riffs with the idea of the perfect song and some legendary solo shredding as the icing on the cake. Waters and ANNIHILATOR have been a major influence on countless well-known metal acts and musicians around the world. In fact, countless, successful non-metal acts and musicians cite Waters and Co. as an influence in their careers.

Waters is the guitarist, vocalist and writer for ANNIHILATOR as well as a studio owner, producer, engineer and mix and mastering engineer. Waters formed the band with singer John Bates.

Lawrence, KS based heavy outfit Horned Wolf have released their new music video for "Become Like They Are".





Producing a dynamic and diverse sound, Horned Wolf draws inspiration from the likes of In Flames, Kate Bush, Alice In Chains, Lorna Shore, and Black Sabbath.




The quintet share a positive message of inclusivity through their music, Horned Wolf is made up of gay, straight, and non binary members. The new single lands ahead of their upcoming full length album due for release later in 2022. "Become Like They Are" packs a punch with driving rhythms, powerful harsh vocals and soaring cleans. Playing with dynamics, Horned Wolf combines high energy sections, with slower dramatic instrumentation and more intimate, emotional parts . Accompanied by dark, haunting imagery, the new video offers thrilling visual accompaniment to the music. The band's progressive experimentation and style fusion brings an enthralling sound. 





Horned Wolf lineup:


Sav MangelsDorf - vocals
Don Bailey - guitar
Justin Mullin - guitar
Dan Hocklander - bass
David Zey - drums


 

Firewind guitarist Gus G. has shared another playthrough video from his home studio. Check it out below.


Gus: "Firewind's debut album, Between Heaven & Hell, turns 20 years old in 2022. Here's a live playthrough of the track 'Warrior' where I'm trying to remember the licks I played in my early 20s!"







The clip below was shot at UrRock Festival in Sarnen, Switzerland on November 12th, 2021. This was Firewind's first show in two years, as well as the first show with new frontman Herbie Langhans.


Video footage by Dani Gonzalez, Jimmy Tott and Stephanie Roux. Video edit by Gus G.








"New Found Power", the title of Firewind's new single and music video, perfectly describes the current spirit of the Greek power metal masters.


The band’s latest incarnation, since 2019, of course led by former Ozzy Osbourne axeman Gus G. is fronted by singer Herbie Langhans (Avantasia), a powerhouse vocalist par excellence. Langhans‘ addition to the group’s ranks gave a new kind of energy to Firewind and after the release of the band’s latest (self-titled) album in May 2020, now the new single, "New Found Power", continues the Firewind legacy with a heavy, uplifting power metal track of highest quality.


"New Found Power" is also part of the AFM Records label compilation, 25 Years Metal Addiction, which includes 30 rare or previously unreleased tracks and comes as 2CD digipak (out now).


"We recently met in our rehearsal room in Thessaloniki, Greece, to film what we all missed so much: playing together. That’s why the 'New Found Power' music video comes without fancy effects or anything: it’s just the four of us playing this cool new song and embracing it", Gus G. comments. "We really hope to see all our fans on the upcoming 20th anniversary tour. It’s been way too long and we can’t wait to celebrate 20 years of Firewind with a wild ride through our history."

Original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has told Metal Hammer in a new interview that he no longer holds a grudge against his bandmates over the circumstances that led to him bowing out of the group's reunion a decade ago. "I love the you-know-what out of those guys," he said. "I've come through the angry bits that happened in 2012 and arrived in a place of being at peace with myself and with them. I'm glad we did what we did and often go down memory lane with the early work we did in Copenhagen and the Reeperbahn in Hamburg. I love those guys and all the imperfections that go with that. It's a great feeling, having come as far as we have, and I'm happy just being able to write or talk to them if I want to."

Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced more than 10 years ago but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

Last March, Bill admitted to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he no longer had the "chops" and the "ability" to perform with BLACK SABBATH. "I have to be back to 60 years old to be able to do that," he said.

"I would love to do a studio album with SABBATH, with all the original members," he continued. "I'm just saying that — I'm just floating that out there. But I'm not done. So, the other three might be done, and I respect that, but no, I'm not done. I think as long as we all exist [laughs] and we're still breathing in air, I think we have every possibility of making some great music together."

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio during SABBATH's last tour that Ward was not in shape to participate. "Bill Ward has got the most physically demanding job of the lot of us, 'cause he's the timekeeper," he said. "I don't think personally he had the chops to pull it off, you know. The saddest thing is that he needed to own up to that, and we could have worked around it, whether we had a drummer on the side with him or something."

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH's "Ten Year War" box set.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

In 2015, Ward released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

In November 2017, Ward's band DAY OF ERRORS released its first two songs, "Day Of Errors" and "Blaspheming At Creation", via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and Google Play. Two more tracks, "Dark" and "Ghost Train", followed in 2

ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell has shared a performance video of the title track of his recently released solo album "Brighten". The clip was directed by Sebastien Paquet and Kevin Garcia and was recorded in November 2021 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles as part of the "Brighten" record-release event. It is now available to stream and download everywhere you listen to music. Many of the musicians featured on the record performed with Jerry, including Tyler Bates ("300", "John Wick"), Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), Gil Sharone (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), George Adrian, Vincent Jones and Michael Rozon.

"Brighten" has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant."

"Brighten" is Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer), the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of "Brighten".

Jerry has also announced a U.S. tour that will bring him to cities such as New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, Nashville and Vegas, among many other cities.

A couple of years ago, Cantrell played a pair of sold-out solo shows in Los Angeles joined by an eclectic group of musicians and friends, several of whom appear on "Brighten".

"It was fun to play tunes I hadn't performed in years from 'Boggy Depot' and 'Degradation Trip'," Jerry said. "Tyler Bates not only introduced me to a lot of cool players, he also helped me put the band together for the shows, and performed with me."

"Brighten" spawned from those gigs.

"It was like an old-school '70s record where a multitude of musicians played," smiled Cantrell. "So it's not a set band. I got to make music with a bunch of people I never had before, along with friends like Duff, Tyler and Gil who I've worked with previously."

Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

The ‘90s really were the Golden Age; Turin was the heart of Italian hardcore and Milan was bursting with a vibrant metal scene. Thanks to a constant influx of international bands and a huge small venue scene, young fans began flooding in from all over Italy ensuring that Milan became a natural focus point for this ever-growing scene. It was in this natural habitat that Extrema, already present on the Italian music scene, released, in 1993, their debut album Tension At The Seams. It was an instant success, launching Tommy Massara’s band into the now established live scene with sold-out shows in small clubs and large Arenas.


Tension At The Seams allowed Extrema to throw away the rule book, elevating the Italian scene from underground to something more established with sold-out shows all across the peninsula, to being present in almost every national band survey as ‘best band’ and ‘best live act’. In 1995 the band reconfirmed their ever growing status, with both fans and critics, with the release of their second album Positive Pressure (Of Injustice).


Today, 27 years later, this milestone of an album will be re-released for the first time on vinyl,  remastered and limited to only 300 copies. The albums will be hand-numbered and released by La Scena Dischi, on January 13.




Tommy Massara commented:


“We’ve been thinking of doing this for years and even after many discussions with various labels were unable to secure the project. About a year ago we met with Chris from Le Scena Dischi who put forward the proposal to release an album that had never been printed on vinyl. To me, the only one title that sprung straight to mind, and one of our most successful albums was of course “The Positive Pressure of Injustice”. As soon as the deal was sealed we got to work to ensure our fans would get the best possible version. The album was remastered, by Mauro Andreolli, with Gatefold packaging and full of unseen photos rescanned from the original film from our archive. We will only release 300 coloured copied all numbered by hand. I truly believe that the fans, who purchase this, will be extremely happy to add this fantastic limited edition to their collection.”


Preorder at semplicementedischi.com.





Tracklisting:


Side A
“This Toy”
“The Positive Pressure Of Injustice”
“Fear”
“Money Talks”
“New Confusion”


Side B
“Grey”
“Like Brothers”
“To Hell”
“On Your Feet, On Your Knees”
“Tell Me”

Today sees the release of "Wishing Well", the brand new single with lyric video from Milwaukee, WI based metal act Dark Shift. Inspired by Scandinavian melodic metal, Dark Shift brings an intense mix of energy and melody. “Wishing Well” is available now on all major platforms.





Producer Joel Wanasek (Machine Head, Monuments) states:




“Dark Shift released two albums back in the early 2000s, but we were never able to find the right vocalist to do the music justice so we went on hiatus in 2007. At the end of 2021, I decided to revive this project. When we heard Travis’s audition we knew he was the voice we’d been searching for. I’m so excited to take the massive guitar energy of Dark Shift and put it behind the incredible voice of Travis.”


Vocalist Travis Neal (Divine Heresy, The Bloodline, Fraxures) states:


“When Joel approached me about his new project I was very pumped. We always had great synergy in the studio when I recorded with him in The Bloodline. I’m very excited about the new music we are working on together.”


Founded in 2002 by guitarists Joel Wanasek and Lewie Snyder,  and with two albums under their belts (The Assault, 2003 Gaining Ground, 2006), Dark Shift became known for their technical yet dynamic sound, packed with groove and intensity. Having performed numerous shows with high-profile acts such as Children Of Bodom, Damage Plan, Testament, Trivium, and others, Dark Shift returns to the heavy scene with a new lineup and music, which is sure to obliterate fans of melodic metal everywhere.

Sebastian Bach says that he has lost 35 pounds in the last five months.

The former SKID ROW singer shared the news of his weight loss in an Instagram post earlier day. He posted a shirtless mirror selfie and included the following message: "In the spirit of Ms @britneyspears , here is a picture of me just waking up today looking in the mirror.

"Why am I posting this? For one simple reason: I have lost around 35 pounds since August 2021. Am I exactly where I want to be? Not yet. Am I heading in the right direction? You better believe it.

"Rock n' roll does a body good! So does completely changing your diet and exercising as much as possible. #Yoga running and always remember that abs are made in the kitchen!

"I will be 54 years old in April. If I can do it, so can you! I am not letting up for anything."

In a 2011 interview with Guitar World, Bach stated about the amount of work that he puts into getting ready for a vocal performance: "I spend hours doing it. It's pretty much every day, and that's not even counting the hours I spend running to stay in shape. Doing sit-ups and push-ups and fucking all this crap. [Laughs] But I signed up to be the lead singer, so I know the rules. Nobody wants a fat lead singer. [Laughs]"

Bach recently completed a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's double-platinum, acclaimed album "Slave To The Grind". The trek kicked off on September 25 in Waterloo, New York and wrapped in San Diego, California on December 17.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.
























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According to the New York Post, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King and his wife, Ayesha, recently purchased a condo in Tribeca, a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, for $3.65 million.

The renovated 3,522-square-foot home was on the market for 45 days. It comes with $4,572 monthly common charges.

Check out pictures of the property at this location.

Ayesha King broke the news of the couple's move in an Instagram post last November. She wrote: "I suppose it's time to tell you all that the King and I have moved to NYC ( back home for me, excited to be near my family again ). I figured I'd beat some acquaintance's friend buddy who it heard it from a guy to announce it and think he's cool. I served my time on the west coast for 18 years. Time to be back in the best city on earth."

Kerry's SLAYER bandmate Gary Holt was one of the musicians who congratulated the couple on their new residence, writing in the comments section: " No fucking way!!! Congrats on the return home!" TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, wrote: "Heck yes. C u guys around!"

It was reported back in April 2020 that Kerry and his wife paid $3.81 million for a home in a section of the Las Vegas Valley known as Enterprise. That 6,085-square-foot house has just been listed for $4.8 million.

In October, Kerry made headlines in the metal world when he said that SLAYER retired "too early." While recording a short video message to congratulate MACHINE HEAD on the San Francisco Bay Area act's 30th anniversary, SLAYER's founding guitarist said: "So, I hear congratulations are in order for my friends in MACHINE HEAD. Apparently, it's 30 years, which is quite an achievement. Not a lot of bands get there. We did, and then we quit too early. Fuck us. Fuck me. I hate fucking not playing."

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Ayesha said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances. In August 2020, she once again shot down the possibility of her husband and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya sharing the stage ever again under the SLAYER banner.

After Ayesha shared three photos of Kerry holding their cat in slideshow-type Instagram post, a fan wrote: "No Tom, No SLAYER Kerry. Stop thinking SLAYER without @tomarayaofficial". Ayesha then replied: "don't worry, they'll never be SLAYER again! You can rest easy".

That same month, SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph confirmed that he is involved in a brand new project headed up by Kerry King. The duo spent much of the last year and a half working on music with the hopes of recording it properly once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.




Slayer guitarist Kerry King rocks into $3.6M Tribeca crib https://t.co/rDGyfCxFko pic.twitter.com/eC9YmJumZX

— New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2022

The sixth episode of "Psycho Schizo Espresso", a brand new podcast from IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson and Oxford University psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Dutton, has just been launched across all podcast platforms. Check it out below.

In this episode, Dutton and Dickinson chat to Andy McNab, the pen name of Steven Billy Mitchell, a former British Army soldier who has authored a plethora of fiction and non-fiction books and is a diagnosed "good" psychopath, about the unique mindset of special forces operatives, discuss what it takes to work undercover in highly volatile and suicidally dangerous war zones and how being a psychopath can definitely help. Kev and Bruce also delve deeper into Andy's psychopathic tendencies and hear how a trip to the pub one afternoon almost resulted in "a level of physical violence you never knew existed"; how Andy once met himself chatting up a couple of girls at a literary festival (and was delighted to observe himself doing rather well!); and how, in recent years, his ability to empathize with others has received a boost from a rather unusual source... emojis!

You can listen to "Psycho Schizo Espresso" wherever you get your podcasts, and the show is also available in Vodcast form on YouTube. Head to this location to find the podcast on your favorite platform.

Official podcast description: "If psychology was a country, then it would be the world's top tourist destination bar none. It's an enchanted territory with something for everyone: from aliens to drug lords, from serial killers to conspiracy theories. Join intellectual explorers Bruce Dickinson and Dr. Kevin Dutton for an Indiana Jones style adventure through some of its most far-flung corners as they delve into the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers and get the latest tips and insights from some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet. If you've ever wondered whether psychopaths like Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman really exist outside the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters and film directors, why ghosts only seem to appear at night, and about the true meaning of the Book of Revelation's most enduring and enigmatic mystery — 666, the number of the beast — then welcome aboard Flight Psycho Schizo Espresso and observe the 'fasten seatbelt' sign!"

Dutton explained how the idea for the podcast came about: "Not long after meeting Bruce, it became instantly clear to me that we shared a number of wide-reaching interests and that we should channel that into a podcast. 'Psycho Schizo Espresso' is certainly a journey of exploration for the both of us, and we are sure our listeners are going to learn a lot from our guests. Whether from the music industry, academia or elsewhere — you may, for instance, share our interest in psychopaths, both good and bad — this is certainly a podcast that we feel everyone will enjoy and should go and subscribe to straight away."

The Haunted guitarist Ola Englund has shared a new video to his YouTube channel, this time featuring himself learning how to play the Pantera classic "Becoming".


Englund: "One of those Pantera songs I never bothered learning. It's time! Brinf out the whammy! Guitar is tuned to standard D but with a tuner set to 425hz. Guitar tone is Archetype Plini and my DIMED Impulse Response."










Englund released his second solo album, Starzinger, earlier this year. Mixed and mastered by Clawfinger’s Jocke Skog, Starzinger follows-up Englund’s debut solo album, Master Of The Universe, released in early 2018 and features Delta Empire on drums along with a number of guest appearances, including guitar virtuoso Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore).


Check out a playthrough video of "Balegmah" from the album featuring Loomis in action.





Portraying the artwork of Costin Chioreanu (Paradise Lost, At The Gates, Emperor), Starzinger sees Englund merging influences of prog with '80s rock and metal.





Tracklist:


"Stars & Ponies"
"Cringy AF"
"Space Invaders"
"Demon(etized)"
"Bane of Skeletor"
"Bluesy McBluesface"
"Balegmah"
"Sun & The Moon"
"A Bid Farewell"


Stream Starzinger in full below:





"I’m extremely excited to see the release of my second solo album Starzinger, this album being a little bit more metal oriented than my first Master Of The Universe album. It’s a weird feeling because it’s basically just showing the current state of me and where I am in life. Hoping that the people that follow what I do can see the parallels. This one is for you," says Englund about this new effort.


With over 300K subscribers on his tech/music Youtube channel, over the last few years, Ola Englund has also built a strong reputation in the music scene by playing in several bands, most prominently in Feared and The Haunted. Just recently Englund also founded his own guitar company called Solar Guitars, which was meet with great success and currently sponsors artists like Exhorder, The Haunted and At The Gates.

BMG continues presenting a new series of limited edition vinyl pictures from Uriah Heep, with the release of Demons And Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday on February 25. The artwork for each picture disc has been meticulously worked on, retouching the original art and creating a true visual feast. Both albums feature the original and reimagined artwork of Roger Dean, who is widely seen as one of the masters of 12" album cover art from this time.


Originally released in May 1972 Uriah Heep’s fourth album, Demons And Wizards, includes the singles "The Wizard" and "Easy Livin’" and led Rolling Stone magazine at the time to write “..one hell of a first rate modern rock-band”. A mere six months later in November 1972 Uriah Heep released their fifth album, The Magician’s Birthday, which contains the hits "Sweet Lorraine" and "Spider Woman". Demons And Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday both went gold in the States, entering the Billboard Top 40, ensuring years of concert dominance for the band throughout the ‘70s.


Both albums contain the original audio recorded in Landsdowne studios.




Pre-order Demons And Wizards here. Pre-order The Magician’s Birthday here.





Demons And Wizards tracklisting:


A-Side:
"The Wizard" (2017 – Remaster)
"Traveller In Time" (2017 – Remaster)
"Easy Livin’" (2017 – Remaster)
"Poet’s Justice" (2017 – Remaster)
"Circle Of Hands" (2017 – Remaster)


B-Side:
"Rainbow Demon" (2017 – Remaster)
"All My Life" (2017 – Remaster)
"Paradise" (2017 – Remaster)
"The Spell" (2017 – Remaster)





The Magicians Birthday tracklisting:


A-Side:
"Sunrise"
"Spider Women"
"Blind Eye"
"Echo’s In The Dark"
"Rain"


B-Side:
"Sweet Lorraine"
"Tales"
"The Magician’s Birthday"


Uriah Heep are one of the “big four” rock bands, along with Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, and certainly one of the most intriguing bands both musically and lyrically, to emerge from heavy rock. Evoking an era when prog, hard rock and heavy metal co-existed in an era of glorious, boundary-breaking music, Uriah Heep rose from inexperienced studio musicians with everything to prove to bona fide limo inhabiting rock stars.


After selling over 40 million albums worldwide, over the years Uriah Heep have influenced many different metal bands around the globe, among the most popular being Dio. Bands including A-ha, King Diamond, Krokus, Demons & Wizards, Fifth Angel and Axel Rudi Pell have all cited Uriah Heep as a band of personal influence, while W.A.S.P, Tesla and Blackmore’s Night have all covered the band’s songs.


Uriah Heep continue to tour until this day with founding member Mick Box and their extensive European tour for 2022 features 61 dates across 28 countries, tickets available here.


(Photo - Richard Stow)

Canadian bashers, Sven Gali, will release their new album, Bombs And Battlescars, in late May via RFL Records. The band's cover of the Triumph classic, "Spellbound", will be available digitally on February 4.


Back in December, Triumph shared the video below, featuring Sven Gali's performance of "Spellbound", originally featured on Triumph's 1984 album, Thunder Seven. The footage was filmed at Metalworks Studios, the legendary recording studio in Mississauga, Ontario, established in 1978 by Triumph's Gil Moore.







"Spellbound" will be included on Bombs And Battlescars.


In regard to the new album, Sven Gali drummer Dan Fila recently revealed: "We are very pleased to announce that Andy Curran (Coney Hatch / bass) will be producing two tracks on the upcoming SG record. Working with Andy throughout the pre-production process has been a great experience."





Updates to follow.


Sven Gali lineup:


Dave Wanless – Vocals
Andy Frank – Guitars
Shawn Minden – Bass
Sean Williamson – Guitars
Dan Fila – Drums