Venom Prison have released a guitar playthrough video for "Judges Of The Underworld", featured on their upcoming album, Erebos, out worldwide on February 4. Watch below:





Venom Prison has carved an uncompromising space for themselves over the course of two full-length albums, Animus (2016) and Samsara (2019) with 2020’s Primeval reinvigorating the band’s earlier EPs with two newly written tracks added. What began as an explosive collaboration between Russian-born vocalist Larissa Stupar and guitarist Ash Gray (with the lineup rounded out by guitarist Ben Thomas, bassist Mike Jefferies and drummer Joe Bills) has exploded into a force to be reckoned with as vitriolic and outspoken lyrically as they are musically.




Order the new album here.





Tracklisting:


“Born From Chaos”
“Judges Of The Underworld”
“Nemesis”
“Comfort Of Complicity”
“Pain Of Oizys”
“Golden Apples Of The Hesperides”
“Castigated In Steel And Concrete”
“Gorgon Sisters”
“Veil Of Night”
“Technologies Of Death”


"Pain Of Oizys" video:





"Judges Of The Underworld":





Lineup:


Larissa Stupar - lead vocals
Ash Gray - guitar
Ben Thomas - guitar
Mike Jefferies - bass
Joe Bills - drums


(Photo - Andy Ford)

Choreomanic, the experimental prog / funk project created by Pestilence bassist Joost van der Graaf, has posted a quick short clip of him and drummer Koen Herfst (VandenBerg, I Chaos, Dew-Scented). Watch below:





Choreomanic saw the light when the world came to a halt in spring 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. With canceled tours and no local gigs, musician Joost van der Graaf (Pestilence, Dew-Scented, I Chaos) started writing music in which different influences from his past came together.




Says Graaf: "I had just joined Pestilence and was busy with the material, preparing for a beautiful US tour with Possessed. Then the pandemic struck. Tour canceled everything on hold. I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands with all the other work canceled as well (music school closed, no more local gigs) so I decided to record a punk album to get rid of some of the frustration and anger that had built up inside. What I started writing had little to do with punk though… It was pretty spontaneous from the start and all I knew was that I wanted to create heaviness without any guitars."


Somewhere halfway through the material, Graaf got the crazy idea to incorporate horns. He had never written music for horns ever before so he started experimenting with that.


"That’s probably the greatest joy when creating music: having no idea what you’re doing! Being pleasantly surprised by the total sound, I decided to stay on this path. It resulted in something I never thought I would ever do, but apparently, I just did…. Why not go all the way then? Honestly? I’m not even sure there ARE any fans for this, but I do know that listeners of Pestilence for instance, or of one of the other death metal bands I was part of, will probably be a bit surprised at least. I like to think that crazy people (like myself) will appreciate this."


As soon as the material was ready to record, Graaf reached out to some great musicians friends to help him complete the project. He recruited drummer Koen Herfst (VandenBerg, I Chaos, Dew-Scented), keyboardist Thijs Ronteltap (Disuse, Epistulum), saxophonist Tommie Freke (Gallow Street), trombonist Jeroen Verberne (Sjef’s Special) along with trumpeter and bugler Gidon Nunes Vaz. Once the full-length was mixed and mastered at Nutsville Noiselab, The Hague, the self-titled debut "Choreomanic" was a fact and ready to take on the world.


The album features twelve bass-orientated tracks experimenting in realms of prog, funk, and everything else on the planet that has musically inspired Graaf over his thirty-plus year career. The full length's lyrical concept explores Choreomania, an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially in a frenzied, convulsive manner also known as the Medieval Dancing plagues.


Graaf explains in further detail: "In 2019, I became pretty obsessed by the mysterious dancing plagues of the middle-ages. I started reading different studies, learning about the different theories about the cause. It’s still one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in history! One of the theories that made the most sense to me is that people had been suppressed by the ruling class (church, inquisition) for generations. There was collective fear of God and let’s not forget about the black plague! So there was this anxiety relief at a certain point that became infectious and caused convulsions and psychotic dancing, resulting in exhaustion, dehydration, and even death. It spread across Europe and there were large gatherings in towns and villages with frantically dancing people, accompanied by traveling musicians and all kinds of interested parties. These things sometimes became true festivals with people selling food, etc. With today’s reality, the phenomenon seems to have become relevant once again! This project is not only a musical statement, but also a call to action against (cultural) oppression. May everyone move and create in freedom!"


Recommended for fans of Mr. Bungle, Zappa, John Zorn, Infectious Grooves, and Brian Setzer Orchestra, Choreomanic is due out February 18. Digital pre-save is available here, and limited edition CD pre-order here.


Choreomanic's debut single, "Time To Let It Out", can be heard and viewed via Graaf's bass playthrough video, below.





Tracklisting:


"This Is Not A Drill"
"Spun Sugar"
"What You Get"
"Red Flags"
"Choreomanic"
"Walk With Urgency"
"Off With The Figurehead"
"Time To Let It Out"
"Calling God"
"Take The Money Give It To Me Now"
"Story About The Moon"
"Away From The Sun"


"Time To Let It Out" bass playthrough:





Album recording credits:


• All songs performed by: Choreomanic
• All songs written by: Joost van der Graaf
• Produced by: Michiel Eilbracht & Joost van der Graaf
• Mixed by: Michiel Eilbracht
• Mastered by: Michiel Eilbracht
• Album Artwork by: Yvo Sprey
 
Recording lineup:


Thijs Ronteltap - Keys
Jeroen Verberne - Trombone
Tommie Freke - Saxophone
Gidon Nunes Vaz - Trumpet & Bugle
Koen Herfst - Drums
Joost van der Graaf - Bass, Sampling, Voice & Percussion

New Jersey six-piece, Fit For An Autopsy, will release their new album, Oh What The Future Holds, on January 14 via Nuclear Blast Worldwide and Human Warfare Australia/NZ.


The band have released an official animated music video for the track "Two Towers", which can be viewed below.


A message states: "Conceptually, 'Two Towers' is an abstract story which follows the journey of your past self and future self, and the forces that pull them apart. Realizing the impossible concept of them meeting, one is faced with the reality of accepting the things you cannot change. A little out of the box for us, but challenging and fun to create a unique song for the record. Shout out to director Frankie Nasso and his team for the animated video that brought this story to life.  We love it, hope you do too."







Vinyl and apparel pre-orders for the new album can be found here.





Tracklisting:


"Oh What The Future Holds"
"Pandora"
"Far From Heaven"
"In Shadows"
"Two Towers"
"A Higher Level of Hate"
"Collateral Damage"
"Savages"
"Conditional Healing"
"The Man That I Was Not"


"In Shadows" video:





"Pandora" video:





"Far From Heaven" video:

Los Angeles death metal titans, Abysmal Dawn, will be releasing a new EP, Nightmare Frontier, on February 4 via Season of Mist.


During the height of the worldwide apocalyptic dystopia of 2020, the band persevered and released one of the greatest albums of their career, Phylogenesis. Now, they pick up where they left off, unleashing a solid four-song EP.  Watch a lyric video for the polished re-recording of the band's song, "Blacken The Sky":







Nightmare Frontier was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio. Drums were engineered by John Haddad at Trench Studios, while tracking for all instruments was handled by Elliott. The artwork for Nightmare Frontier was created by Par Olofson.





Pre-orders for Nightmare Frontier are now live here, as well as from their official Abysmal Dawn online store here. The single and EP can be pre-saved across all streaming services here.





Tracklisting:


"A Nightmare Slain"
"Blacken The Sky"
"Behind Space"
"Bewitched"


"A Nightmare Slain" video:





Abysmal Dawn will be embarking on an extensive North American tour as direct support for Obscura. The trek will kick off in San Diego, CA on February 3 and will conclude on March 23 in Fresno, CA.





Tour dates:


February
3 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
4 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
5 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720 (Hometown Show)
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Backstage Bar
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
8 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
10 - Oklahoma City. OK - Whisky Nights
11 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
12 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
13 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
14 - New Orleans, LA - Santos
16 - Orlando. FL - The Haven
17 - West Palm Beach. FL - Respectable
18 - Tampa, OR - The Orpheum
19 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
20 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
21 - Knoxville, TN - Batley's Knoxville
22 - Virginia Beach, VA - Elevation 27
23 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
24 - Harrisburg. PA - HMAC
25 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory
26 - Boston, MA - Sonia
27 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
28 - Quebec City, Canada - Imperial Bell


March
1 - Montreal, Canada - Foufounes
2 - Ottawa, Canada - Maverick's
3 - Toronto, Canada - Lee's Palace
4 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
5 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
6 - Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theatre
7 - Louisville.KY - Diamon Concert Hall
8 - Detroit, MI - The Sanctuary
9 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
10 - Milwaukee, MN - X-Ray
11 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
12 - Winnipeg, Canada - Park Theater
14 - Calgary, Canada - Dickens
15 - Edmonton, Canada - Starlite Room
17 - Vancouver, Canada - Rickshaw Theater
18 - Seattle,WA - El Corazon
19 - Portland, OR - Dante's
21 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
22 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theater
23 - Fresno, CA - Full Circle


Lineup:


Charles Elliott - guitars, vocals
Eliseo Garcia - bass, additional vocals
James Coppolino - drums
Vito Petroni - guitars


(Photo - Rodrigo Fredes)

In a recent interview with IndiePower.com, legendary drummer Carmine Appice, best known for his work with VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS and Rod Stewart, spoke about his friendship with the members of VAN HALEN. "I was friends with all of 'em — [including] Michael Anthony and David [Lee Roth]," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). I insulted [David], not knowing it. When he came to the rehearsal wearing this outfit, it looked like a pajama set. It looked like it was made out of the Holiday Inn bedspread and curtain set. So I said that. I said, 'Is that the Holiday Inn? Did you take the Holiday Inn curtain and bedspread and make an outfit?' And he got insulted. That was the end of the band. [Laughs] It's funny.

"But, yeah, I knew all those guys," he continued. "As a matter of fact, when we did a VANILLA FUDGE reunion in 2005, Eddie [Van Halen] was on the phone with me, and he said, 'What are you doing that for? Screw that. Get CACTUS together.' He loved [CACTUS guitarist Jim] McCarty, and he loved CACTUS. And Alex [Van Halen] told me [VAN HALEN's] 'Hot For Teacher' really came from the idea we did with 'Parchman Farm'; that was like the template. And 'Eruption' was the beginning of our song 'Let Me Swim' extended — same kind of thing."

In a separate interview with "The Jeremy White Podcast" from this past September, Carmine took the VAN HALEN comparison further, saying: "If you put 'Hot For Teacher' on and put our song 'Parchman Farm', you'll hear the same kind of groove. And if you put our song called 'Let Me Swim', the beginning of that, and you put 'Eruption', it's the same."

CACTUS has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of VANILLA FUDGE by Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty and vocalist Rusty Day. (Appice and Bogert had originally planned a new band with Jeff Beck which was put off until 1973, because of Beck's near-fatal car crash in 1969.) Jim McCarty had come from MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS and was playing with THE BUDDY MILES EXPRESS. Tim and Carmine also found vocalist Day in THE AMBOY DUKES with Ted Nugent. Together, the four musicians formed CACTUS, named after the peyote cactus, which provided a key ingredient in mind-altering drugs.

While CACTUS saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973, the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label, and the fact that Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim. It would not be until 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day, that the group reformed with Pratt and Kunes. When Tim Bogert was forced into retirement after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy jumped in both in CACTUS and VANILLA FUDGE.

Carmine's autobiography, "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", was released in May 2016 by Chicago Review Press.

Gene Simmons has implied that he and KISS co-founder Paul Stanley are open to selling the band's entire back catalog and the associated trademarks for "the right price."

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Neil Young are some of the iconic musicians who have recently sold off substantial rights to their music, whether it's just for publishing or the original recordings, known as masters. Investors, major music companies and private equity firms have poured billions of dollars into buying song catalogs, believing that the rise of streaming and growing music revenues will make song rights acquisitions highly lucrative in the long term as they can be exploited for up to 70 years after a musician's death.

Asked in a new interview with A Journal Of Musical Things if KISS will ever sell its catalog to anyone, Simmons replied: "How much have you got? Bob Dylan sold his stuff for $300-400 million. The problem — and I love the guy and worship the ground he walks on — but [his music] isn't going to mean a lot to a 20-year-old. They don't care about 'The Times They Are A-Changin'', 'Maggie's Farm' — they just don't. Very few pieces of music stand the test of time. What KISS has that no other musical entity has is trademarks. Our faces are bigger than the music, bigger than anything.'

The KISS bassist/vocalist continued: "Springsteen just sold for $500 million and what you get is the music, not the imagery. I've never seen a Springsteen cartoon, comic book, or action figures. KISS is the only one. So what you're buying into — if anyone does the right price — you're into buying the imagery that has stood the test of time. Our analogy is Santa Claus/Superman: imagery that is trademarked so that no one can reproduce. And no other musical act has that."

A year ago, KISS frontman Paul Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock that the idea of older musicians selling their publishing rights in multimillion bundle deals makes perfect sense to him. "As far as I know, we only get one trip on this earth, and you can't take it with you, so I totally get it," he said. "If there's money to be had and it's going to make your life better, then why not? It's a different business model, but it makes total sense... At some point in your career, you look at what you've created and what it's worth. Artists do that; it's what painting's about. You don't stash your artwork — you sell it."

KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry, with KISS-branded merchandise available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly's, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl's, among many more.

Recent KISS deals in North America include Dead Sled Coffee, for pre-packaged coffee in the U.S.; a fashion and accessories collaboration with Robert Graham in the U.S.; high-end apparel with Lauren Moshi in the U.S.; a line of seasonal apparel with Ugly Christmas Sweater for Holiday 2021 in the U.S. In the international marketplace, recent strategic partnerships include Brands For Fans for gin and dark rum in Europe, Japan, and Australia; Metal Departments for real money gambling worldwide; Fexpro for apparel and accessories in Mexico, Central America, and South America; Konnekt for apparel and accessories in Japan; and EastPak for bags, backpacks and accessories in U.S. Europe, Middle East, Asia and Canada; among many oth

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) and the estate of David Bowie today announced that WCM has acquired the global music publishing rights to Bowie's revolutionary song catalog. The landmark deal, worth upwards of $250 million, according to Variety, includes Bowie's entire body of work, encompassing hundreds of songs spanning the iconic artist and songwriter's six-decade career, including trailblazers such as "Space Oddity", "Changes", "Life on Mars?", "Ziggy Stardust", "Starman", "Rebel Rebel", "Fame", "Young Americans", "Golden Years", "Heroes", "Ashes To Ashes", "Modern Love", "Let's Dance", "Where Are We Now?", "Lazarus" and many more. The agreement comprises songs from the 26 David Bowie studio albums released during his lifetime, as well as the posthumous studio album release, "Toy". It also includes the two studio albums from TIN MACHINE, along with tracks released as singles from soundtracks and other projects.

In making the announcement, WCM co-chair and CEO Guy Moot said: "All of us at Warner Chappell are immensely proud that the David Bowie estate has chosen us to be the caretakers of one of the most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring catalogs in music history. These are not only extraordinary songs, but milestones that have changed the course of modern music forever. Bowie's vision and creative genius drove him to push the envelope, lyrically and musically — writing songs that challenged convention, changed the conversation, and have become part of the canon of global culture. His work spanned massive pop hits and experimental adventures that have inspired millions of fans and countless innovators, not only in music, but across all the arts, fashion, and media. We are looking forward to tending his unparalleled body of songs with passion and care as we strive to build on the legacy of this most extraordinary human being."

"I'd like to thank everyone involved with making this wonderful deal happen," Moot continued, "including Bill Zysblat, Tom Cyrana, and the entire Bowie team at RZO, attorney Allen Grubman and firm, as well as our very own 'Team Bowie' made up of Warner Chappell colleagues Alice Aleksandrovich, Steve Butler, Michael LoBiondo and David Woirhaye."

This agreement with WCM follows the announcement last year of a global, career-spanning agreement between Warner Music Group (WMG) and the Bowie estate through which Warner Music has licensed worldwide rights to Bowie's recorded music catalog from 1968. With this new deal with Warner Chappell, WMG is now home to Bowie's body of work as both a songwriter and recording artist.

WCM co-chair and COO Carianne Marshall noted: "This fantastic pact with the David Bowie estate opens up a universe of opportunities to take his extraordinary music into dynamic new places. This isn't merely a catalog, but a living, breathing collection of timeless songs that are as powerful and resonant today as they were when they were first written. We were pleased that the estate felt that Warner Chappell has the knowledge, experience, and resources to take the reins and continue to promote a collection of this stature. All of our global leaders and departments are incredibly excited and primed to get to work with these brilliant songs across multiple avenues and platforms. And with both sides of WMG now representing Bowie's career, we couldn't be better set up to represent this illustrious body of work."

On behalf of the David Bowie Estate and RZO, Allen Grubman added: "We are truly gratified that David Bowie's body of music will now be in the capable hands of Warner Chappell Music Publishing. We are sure they will cherish it and take care of it with the greatest level of digni

Progressive death metal heavy-hitters, Arkaik, have released the music video for their new single, "Wayward Opulence". The track is the first offering from the band's upcoming studio album, Labyrinth Of Hungry Ghosts, out on March 11 release via The Artisan Era. Find the clip below.


Speaking about their new single and music video, the band comments: "We’re excited to bring you our first single offering, 'Wayward Opulence'. As part of the album’s concept, this song addresses the self-destructive nature of overindulging in vanity and ego. Serving as a reminder that our greatest enemy might not be external, but internal.”


Pre-order the new album here.







Tracklisting:


"The Orphion Descent"
"Labyrinth Of Hungry Ghosts"
"Abode Of The Deceiver"
"Broken Glass Apotheum"
"Wayward Opulence"
"To Summon Amoria"
"The Vertical Road"
"Eminence Emergence"


"Wayward Opulence" video:





Lineup:


Jared Christianson
Alex Haddad (Dessiderium)
Nathan Bigelow (Singularity, Ex-Alterbeast)

Traditional power-thrashers, Sacred Oath, have announced that they are continuing in 2022 without bassist Brendan Kelleher and guitarist Bill Smith.


Brendan Kelleher, who has played with the band since 2009, made his exit last month after informing management that the demands of his new career as a stuntman for AMP Action Films/SAG-AFTRA made it impossible for him to continue performing with Sacred Oath. He has been replaced by Scott Waite, who was previously the band’s bassist from 2007-2009. Scott toured in both Europe and America with Sacred Oath, appeared on the studio album Sacred Oath, and the live album Till Death Do Us Part recorded at Keep It True Festival IX.


Bill Smith, who has been struggling with personal issues the last several years, sat down with management last month and came to a mutual decision that he would step down indefinitely. He will not be replaced at this time and the band will continue in 2022 as a four-piece.




An official statement from the band: “Though Brendan and Bill will be missed, we parted as good friends. The last two years have been difficult for everyone involved. We thrived as a four-piece for most of the last 35 years, and our focus now is clearer than it has been, thankfully. It’s an exciting time to be in Sacred Oath.”


The current lineup is Rob Thorne, Kenny “Thundarr” Evans, Damiano Christian, and Scott Waite.

Vocalist Erik Grönwall and songwriter/producer/multi-multi-instrumentalist Jona Tee, former bandmates in H.E.A.T., are continuing their musical partnership by unleashing New Horizon, their new power metal brainchild. The duo's debut album, Gate Of The Gods, will be released on March 11 via Frontiers Music Srl on CD/LP/Digital.


Today, the band has premiered their first music video, "Stronger Than Steel". Watch it below, and pre-order Gate Of The Gods on CD/LP/Digital here.


After a few months of secretive work in the studio, the reunion of Grönwall and Tee brings us a true metal record which will leave an unexpected imprint on the power metal scene. The epic and powerful music keeps a solid heavy metal foundation while delivering truly infectious melodies. Fans of Grönwall will delight in hearing his vocals in arguably the finest form of his career, wailing like a metal warrior delivering these anthems from the highest mountain top. And Tee, as usual, delivers an incredible production befitting of these power metal hymns.




Robban Bäck (Mustasch), Sam Totman (DragonForce), Love Magnusson (Dynazty), Dave Dalone (H.E.A.T), Niko Vuorela (Temple Balls), and Laucha Figueroa are all guest musicians/contributors to Gate Of The Gods.


The seeds of New Horizon were planted in Jona’s youth given that he grew up listening to (and still loves) Iron Maiden, Helloween, Hammerfall, Manowar, Edguy, and the like. Heavy metal is in his blood and New Horizon is something that is flowing through his veins and extremely close to his heart. He always dreamed of releasing his own power metal anthems one day. When asked about the sound of New Horizon, Jona Tee describes it as "a mix between classic power and heavy metal, with a touch of 2021.”


The initial idea for New Horizon, at first, was to have several lead vocalists perform on the album; however, that changed when Erik Gronwall came to the studio to record two songs for the album. Despite Erik having recently departed H.E.A.T, both guys felt the need to continue working together. The songs Jona had written for the debut New Horizon album were 'a match made in hell' for Erik’s voice. Since he is an insanely versatile singer who could give the project a more band-like feel, Jona knew he was the man for the job. Sharing Jona's passions for the genre, Erik gladly joined New Horizon and delivered the vocal beast that lay inside him to bring Jona's power metal vision to life. With the recording of those two initial songs, they started brainstorming and visualizing a future together under the banner of New Horizon...and they liked what they heard and saw.


“It felt so natural to continue working together. We have toured together pretty much all over the world and released music together for a decade. Jona is truly like my brother, by blood, and New Horizon will be the catalyst for us to release great metal together and just have fun,” says Grönwall.





Tracklisting:


"A New Horizon" (Intro)
"We Unite"
"Stronger Than Steel"
"Cry For Freedom"
"Call Of The Underground"
"Stardust"
"Event Horizon"
"The End Of All"
"Fearless"
"Gate Of The Gods"


"Stronger Than Steel" video:





"We Unite":





(Photo - Gustaf Sandholm Andersson)

German heavy metal outfit, Kissin' Dynamite, have released their newest single, “Coming Home”. This banger truly proves their origins in stadium rock without being pigeonholed. It’s accompanied by a jaw-dropping video in which the five-piece once again demonstrates their relentless energy.


“Coming Home” is the last taste of the band’s upcoming studio album, Not The End Of The Road, to be unleashed before it’s released on January 21 via Napalm Records. It will build upon the success story of their previous album with their very own bursting high-voltage sound - watch out!


Kissin' Dynamite on the new song: "'Coming Home' doesn't mean to return to a specific location. It is more the probably coziest emotion of feeling alive, being yourself & having love in your heart, no matter where you are. It's a priceless gift. “Tell everyone I'm coming home!”







Founded in 2007, German heavy metal formation Kissin' Dynamite have made more than just a name for themselves in the scene: With six studio albums and various chart entries, the band established their trademark style - characterized by modern sound, massive anthems and catchy hooks paired with an 80s stadium rock attitude and eccentric look. Now, the five piece is ready to release their Napalm Records debut, Not The End Of The Road, and usher in heavy metal in 2022.


The new studio album was produced, recorded and mixed by vocalist Hannes Braun (Südland Music) himself, who has also worked with bands like Santiano, The Kelly Family and Beyond The Black. Mastering was completed by Grammy Award winning producer Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, known for his work with bands like Volbeat and many more.


Ande Braun on the new album: "Not The End Of The Road is an album, which accurately describes our experiences as a band since Ecstasy 2018. First and foremost, we highlight with songs like “Not The End Of The Road”, “What Goes Up”, “Yoko Ono” and “Only The Dead”: We're up for it, we're pulling together and we want to reach the rock Olympus! Titles like “Coming Home”, “Gone For Good” and “Scars”, on the other hand, deal with real feelings like loneliness, homesickness and sadness, which are also part of life."


Hannes Braun adds: "With Ecstasy we already didn't make any compromises and just wanted to compose music that speaks from us. Not The End Of The Road seamlessly picks up exactly here."


With Not The End Of The Road, Kissin' Dynamite set another milestone in their successful discography: In guitar-driven power metal fashion, the tune of the intro and title track “Not The End Of The Road” prepares the listener for a thrilling road trip and new anthems straight from the heart of the Kissin' Dynamite universe. Crusher “What Goes Up” takes its listener into the truly spectacular soundscapes that make stadiums shake and convinces with Aerosmith-like guitar attacks and an anthemic hook. But Kissin' Dynamite are also not afraid to show their mellower side, as heard on delightfully tranquil tracks like “Good Life” and “Gone For Good” - not only showcasing the almost calm touches pervading the melodies, but also presenting the softer side of Braun’s vocal repertoire. While tracks like “No One Dies A Virgin” and “Yoko Ono” symbolize catchy party hymns, standouts “Coming Home” and “Defeat It” underline their origins of stadium rock without being pigeonholed. “Voodoo Spell” manifests the variety of the band and their different influences - starting with strong dark rock elements, the song becomes an opus that easily competes with the biggest stadium giants. The album’s closer, “Scars”, proves once again that Kissin' Dynamite can reach the depths and showcase lyrical vulnerability - an impressive ending that screams to be played live.


Not The End Of The Road will be available in North America in the following formats:


- CD Digipack
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- LP Gatefold Vinyl White
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Glow In The Dark
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Red/Black + Slipmat
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Crystal Clear
- Box
- MC
- Digital album


Pre-order here.





Not The End Of The Road tracklisting:


"Not The End Of The Road"
"What Goes Up"
"Only The Dead"
"Good Life"
"Yoko Ono"
"Coming Home"
"All For A Halleluja"
"No One Dies A Virgin"
"Gone For Good"
"Defeat It"
"Voodoo Spell"
"Scars"


“Yoko Ono” video:





"Good Life" video:





“What Goes Up” video:





"Not The End Of The Road" video:





Lineup:


Hannes Braun - vocals
Ande Braun - guitar
Jim Müller - guitar
Steffen Haile - bass
Sebastian Berg - drums


(Photo - Holger Fichtner & Patrick Schneiderwind)

Brooklyn native Johnny Kelly and New Jersey-based guitarist Dan Lorenzo have both played in more than a handful of bands. Lorenzo was the founding member of both Hades and Non-Fiction and most recently Vessel Of Light and Cassius King. He even wrote the music with Bobby Blitz' first foray outside of Overkill in 2007 with The Cursed.


Kelly first came into prominence with Type O Negative and has also sat behind the kit for Danzig for nearly two decades. Kelly has also performed with Black Label Society, A Pale Horse Name Death, and currently Quiet Riot and Silvertomb. Before now the two have never recorded anything together.


"I honestly don't remember how I first got in contact with Johnny," Lorenzo stated. "I know we've had some email contact together for a while, and I remember originally being flattered that Johnny even know who I was."




Kelly stated, "I liked the riffs that Dan sent me and it's a great opportunity to get to play with different people." When Kelly was asked what he brings to the table for Patriarch In Black he came back with, "I'm not really sure. I consider myself to be an average drummer at best. It must be my charming personality!"


The duo have named this project Patriarchs In Black. Lorenzo wrote the music and plays guitar, Kelly is behind the kit.


Patriarchs In Black will have multiple vocalists. Karl Agell (ex-COC), Dewey Bragg (Kill Devil Hill), Rob Dukes (ex-Exodus), Rob Traynor (Black Water Rising), and John Kosco (Dropbox) have each already agreed to sing at least one song.


When pressed for a description of how the music sounds, Kelly said, "All roads lead to Black Sabbath!"





The first single, "Demon Of Regret", features Kelly, Lorenzo, Karl Agell on vocals and Dave Neabore (Dog Eat Dog) on bass.


"Demon Of Regret" is the very first song Lorenzo and Agell ever wrote together. Lorenzo wrote the music. Lyrically, Agell said the track is, "About choices made and paths not taken, and our inability to go back no matter how much we wish we could. Consequences. Guilt. Anguish."


Get the single here, and listen below.


Patriarchs In Black will release a full album on Germany's MDD Records. Stay tuned.


Demon of Regret by Patriarchs In Black

Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon) is back with a new Star One album, titled Revel In Time. The new album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on February 18 via InsideOutMusic.


An update from Arjen, introducing Russell Allen, states: "Russell sings the track ‘28 (Days Till The End Of Time)’ on the new Star One album, Revel In Time. Check out this video to hear part of his amazing vocals and please don’t miss his hilarious video message at the end, it totally cracked me up!"







The album will come as Ltd. 2CD Digipak, Ltd. Deluxe 3CD+Blu-Ray Artbook (incl. a poster of the cover artwork), and as 180g Gatefold 2LP (incl. the album on CD & an LP-Booklet).


CD2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind The Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.


Pre-order here.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


"Fate Of Man"
"28 Days (Till The End Of Time)"
"Prescient"
"Back From The Past"
"Revel In Time"
"The Year Of ’41"
"Bridge Of Life"
"Today Is Yesterday"
"A Hand On The Clock"
"Beyond The Edge Of It All"
"Lost Children Of The Universe"


CD 2 features the same songs as CD 1, but with different vocalists.


"Prescient" video:





"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

In a new interview with Dean Cramer, Steve Thompson, a prominent music producer who has worked with a vast array of rock icons, including GUNS N' ROSES (on "Appetite For Destruction"), KORN (on "Follow The Leader") and SOUNDGARDEN (on "A-Sides") spoke about the mixing sessions for METALLICA's classic 1988 album, "…And Justice For All", and the criticism that record has received for the bass parts being nearly inaudible.

While "...And Justice For All" is considered one of METALLICA's classics, it has been panned almost since the day it was released for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Jason Newsted's playing is virtually buried in the mix — and many fans feel that drummer Lars Ulrich, who had very specific ideas for how he wanted his drums to sound, is to blame.

Thompson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We did the project up at Bearsville, New York — we worked on an SSL [console] up at Bearsville studios. And Lars originally came in with a whole EQ setup chart of how he wanted his drums to sound. So Michael Barbiero, my partner, says, 'Why don't you work with Lars and get the drums [sounding the way he wants them to sound], and then once you do that, I'll take care of the rest.' So he does that. And I listened to the sounds, and I said, 'Are you kidding me? I think this sounds like ass.' So anyway, I kind of re-EQed all the drums a little bit just to make 'em a little more palpable — it's in the ear of the beholder. Then I brought the bass up, which I thought the bass was a great part because… You know what was great about [Newsted's] bass? It was a great marriage with [James] Hetfield's guitars; it was, like, they needed to work together. It was perfectly played.

"So I got the whole rhythm section together, vocals and everything like that, and then I felt, 'Okay, now's the time,'" he continued. "Hetfield was in there, [giving] thumbs up and everything like that. Then I brought Lars in. First of all, Lars hears it for about five to ten seconds, and he goes, 'All right, stop right there.' He goes, 'What happened to my drum sound?' I basically probably said something like, 'You were serious?' [Laughs] So I had to rearrange the drum sound to get it to where he wanted it again. He goes, 'Okay, see the bass?' I go, 'Yeah.' 'Drop it down in the mix.' I said, 'Why? It's great.' 'Drop it down in the mix.' 'Okay.' So I did it as a joke. [I] dropped it all the way down. He goes, 'Drop it down another five or six dB' from there, which could hardly hear it — you couldn't hear it. I said, 'Seriously?' And I think I turned around to Hetfield, and he just went like this [raises both hands]. And then I remember having a conversation with Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch who were managing them. And I basically had a conversation, I said, 'Listen, I love these guys. I think this band is fucking amazing. I don't agree with what they want me to do with this. And I understand, it's their record. They should get whatever they want. We were hired to get them what they want. But I just can't see doing this.' And we wound up giving 'em what they want. Again, it's not my record — it's their record — and you have to respect their opinion. I hated it personally, because I'm a bass guy. I love bass. When we're recording, we record the fattest basses in the world."

Last year, Newsted told Metal Hammer that he was "fucking livid" when he heard "...And Justice For All" for the first time. "Are you kidding me?" he said. "I was ready [to go] for throats, man! No, I was out of my head, because I really thought I did well. And I thought I played how I was supposed to play."

Newsted went on to say that METALLICA's sound always revolved around Ulrich and Hetfield. "Lars and James were the original garage band duo, as far as that goes," he explained. "They always made the records that way, from [1982 demo cassette] 'No Life 'Til Leather', it was Lars and James, guitar and drums. On the original 'No Life 'Til Leather' cassette — if you happen to ever see a real copy or a photo of a real copy — in Lars's handwriting, in ink pen, on the label of the cassette, [it reads] 'Turn bass down on stereo.' On 'No Life 'Til Leather'! They mixed it how it was supposed to be mixed: there's the bass and there's the guitar from all the way back. But Lars didn't want [that] because it messed with his drums somehow, so when he sends the demo out to fucking Combat Records and wherever, [his instruction is] 'Turn the bass down before you even listen to this.' Before you even get it going, just turn the bass down. Right from the get-go. Before you even start. That's where he's been his whole goddamn life, so why would it be any different when it came to ['…And Justice For All']? They made 'Kill 'Em All' that way, they made 'Ride [The Lightning]' that way, they made 'Master [Of Puppets]' that way, all of them. Those two guys in a room [mimics drum beats and playing], that's the way it always happened. [For] the most successful metal band of all time. So you argue with this shit? I'm not really sure. Now it's become the best garage band album ever [for artists such as] BLACK KEYS, WHITE STRIPES, DUO JETS, the different ‘power duos' of garage stuff."

Three years ago, Hetfield defended the sound of "...And Justice For All", saying that he and his bandmates simply "wanted the best-sounding record" they could make. "It was not all about, 'Fuck [Jason]. Let's turn him down.' That's for sure," he said. "We wanted the best-sounding record we could make. That was our goal. We were burnt. We were frigging fried. Going back and forth [between touring and mixing the album]. Playing a gig. No earplugs, no nothing. You go back into the studio, your hearing is shot. If your ears can't hear any high end anymore, you're gonna turn it up. So we're turning the high end up more and more and more and all of a sudden, low end's gone. So I know that played a bigger part than any hazing or any ill feelings towards Jason, for sure. We were fried. We were burnt."

Hetfield also addressed some of the criticism leveled at METALLICA by Thompson. In a 2015 interview with Ultimate Guitar, Thompson suggested that Ulrich was the culprit for the lack of any bass guitar on the record, claiming that Lars wanted his drums to sound a certain way — even if it meant cutting out the bass.

"We wanted it tight," James explained. "We wanted it fucking tight. That's what we wanted. We wanted the snare, we wanted the guitar, we wanted everything up front and in your face and really tight. And we thought we got it. And, you know, we kinda know what we want to sound like. Can we sit behind a desk and make it happen? No. We ask people to do it, and they do it. So [Thompson] did his job. He's got nothing to apologize for or point fingers at. No one's to blame for 'something.' It is a piece of art. It happened and it ended up the way it is for a reason. And for reasons we were just talking about. We were burnt. We're traveling, we're playing a gig, our ears were fried. We were not sleeping. He doesn't need to defend himself. He was a part of an awesome album in history, so I think he should be maybe be a little easier on himself."

James also once again dismissed calls for METALLICA to remix "…And Justice For All" so that Newsted's contributions are more audible.

"All this [bass discussion] is after the fact, and it's, like, who gives a shit, man, really?" Hetfield said. "And why would you change that? Why would you change history? Why would you all of a sudden put bass on it? There is bass on it, but why would you remix an album? You can remaster it, yes, but why would you remix something and make it different? It'd be like… I don't know. Not that I'm comparing us to the Mona Lisa, but it's, like, 'Uh, can we make her smile a little better?!' You know?! Why?"

In a 2008 interview with Decibel magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett attempted to explain the lack of bass on "…And Justice For All", saying that "the reason you can't hear the bass so well is because the bass frequencies in Jason's tone kinda interfered with the tone that James was trying to shoot for with his rhythm guitar sound, and every time the two blended together, it just wasn't happening. So the only thing left to do was turn the bass down in the mix. It was unfortunate, but for some reason or another, that album is known for the low end being there without the bass being very high up in the mix. It was an experiment, too — we were totally going for a dry, in-your-face sound, and some people really like that sound. A lot of the newer-generation bands, especially, think that album sounds great. But at the end of the day, it was an experiment. I'm not really sure it was 100 percent successful, but it is a unique sound that that album has."

In the Ultimate Guitar interview, Thompson said that he spoke out because he was tired of being blamed for the lack of bass. He remarked: "They flew us out [to METALLICA's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2009] and I'm sitting with Lars. He goes, 'Hey, what happened to the bass in 'Justice'?' He actually asked me that. I wanted to cold cock him right there. It was a shame because I'm the one getting the shit for the lack of bass."

Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that fans were extremely vocal about the sound of the album at the time of its release. "I mean, it was unbelievable, you know, '...And Justice For All', " he said. "People were saying, 'That's the worst-sounding record, where's the bass, and it sounds like it was recorded in a garage, and...' But, you know, listen, you do the best you can in the moment and then you move on."

Ted Nugent has blasted Rolling Stone magazine for including Joan Jett on its list of "100 Greatest Guitarists".

The 73-year-old rocker, whose recent time in the spotlight has been more for his political views than his music, railed against Jett's inclusion on the list while praising such great musicians as Angus Young (AC/DC), Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN), Billy Gibbons (ZZ TOP), Neal Schon (JOURNEY), Joe Bonamassa, Derek St. Holmes, Tommy Shaw (STYX) and Rickey Medlocke (LYNYRD SKYNYRD) during his December 30 YouTube livestream.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So I just mentioned some killer, monster guitar players, huh? Some of the best that ever lived. But when you see the Rolling Stone magazine list of greatest guitar players, they list Joan Jett but not Tommy Shaw.

"How do you list the top 100 guitar players and not list Derek St. Holmes?" he continued. "How do you do that? You do that by lying. The same way you get Grandmaster Flash in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. You do that by lying. You have to be a liar. You have to have shit for brains and you have to be a soulless, soulless prick to put Joan Jett… [I] love Joan. Some of my greatest memories include lesbians. I love the lesbians; it's a cocktail of wonderment. [I] love Joan Jett — 'put another diamond in the jukebox, baby'; great rock and roller — but as a top 100 guitar player, but you don't list Rickey Medlocke or Dave Amato [REO SPEEDWAGON]. Really? Or Dick Wagner? Dick Wagner and THE FROST from Detroit. Or Mark Farner? Mark Farner from GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. Joan Jett is on the list but not Mark Farner? Grandmaster Flash is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame but not GRAND FUNK RAILROAD? [Laughs]

"By the way, if Grandmaster Flash is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Joan Jett is on the list of top 100 guitar players, then I'm Caitlyn Jenner's boy toy."

This is not the first time Nugent has been critical of Rolling Stone editor David Fricke's choices for "100 Greatest Guitarists". Three years ago, he said that he hasn't gotten the recognition that he deserves as a guitar player, explaining: "This isn't ego. I have an ego, because I have self-esteem, because I put my heart and soul into being the best that I can be. If you run a race and your chest breaks the ribbon and you've won the race, I think you can look in the camera and go, 'Man, I'm fast. Man, I ran good.' I think that should be celebrated. Excellence should always be celebrated. But remember, those people in the musical [sic] industry who make those decisions about who's best and who is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, they hate me because I'm against dope. And I am against dope. I don't think it's good. I don't want my sons and daughters, I don't want my grandkids, I don't want my pilots, I don't want my band, I don't want my crew stoned. I don't want them comfortably numb. I don't wanna have to wake 'em up three times to get to the gig. I don't wanna have to remind 'em how the song goes. I've had this all my life. And these people in charge of deciding this, they don't like me because I'm on the board of directors with the highest votes for 25 years on the National Rifle Association. They somehow blame inanimate tools on crime."

He continued: "I know that Jimi Hendrix was a god, and Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Joe Perry and Joe Bonamassa and Rickey Medlocke and Billy Gibbons and Eddie Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Of course they're the best. Steve Vai. Joe Satriani. Hell, Vic [Johnson] in Sammy Hagar's band is an unbelievable guitar player. Derek St. Holmes is an unbelievable guitar player. Brad Whitford… I could go on and on and on — unlimited. But to think that I don't qualify in the top one hundred of guitar players in America is just a stupid lie. Case closed."

Nugent's new studio album, "Detroit Muscle", is due on April 29 via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless.

During a recent appearance on the "Who's Your Band?" podcast, former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked how long it took him, after he joined the legendary British heavy metal legends, to feel comfortable enough to voice his opinion when he disagreed with how they went about doing certain things. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I mean, I don't know if I'd ever really do that, just because it was JUDAS PRIEST. These guys have done it for so long. I always gave them the respect of who they were. Who am I to tell them [what to do] at times?

"It was a really funny thing. When we first started rehearsing… We would rehearse… This is hilarious. I remember Glenn [Tipton, guitar] and Ken [K.K. Downing, guitar], they'd go, 'Hey, Tim, is this right?' Because they hadn't played songs in so long that they knew that I probably knew 'em. They would be, like, 'Is that part right? Are we doing that right?' It was really funny.

"But I went with the flow on… I know I got in some talks with them about what I should wear and stuff towards the very end," he recalled. "Of course, then I was fired right after that. But I would talk to them about, 'I don't know if I wanna wear that jacket. That's not my thing. I've gotta be me.' But they treated me so good, everything felt natural. So if I really had to say something, I could say it without feeling like I was stepping on toes. But on purpose I would sit back and just be, like, 'I'll let these guys call the shots.' I mean, they got here for a reason. I sat back and learned from 'em — let's put it that way. I sat back, and what they did, whether I thought it was right or wrong… If they did something I thought was wrong, I would learn… I don't know if that was the right move. Turning down Ozzfest. Turning down touring with [IRON] MAIDEN. Just little things at the time I thought might have been some bad moves. But 99.9 percent of the things I learned off of them was good and positive and helped me out in my career."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Two and a half years ago, Halford said that he would love to see PRIEST join forces with MAIDEN for a tour. "I think both bands would look to do that," he told Consequence Of Sound. "It's all about the timing of doing such a thing. We're good friends."

He added: "When we talk about rivalry, healthy rivalry, it's like the Arizona Cardinals and the Raiders or the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. It's that kind of rivalry, a good rivalry. It's a fun rivalry. But I think both bands have admired each other throughout the metal years, and it would be a spectacular event — PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN together."

In 2018, Downing told SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk that the contentious rivalry between PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN developed when the two bands toured together in the early 1980s. "We'd just finished the 'British Steel' record in England, and we were going out on tour [in early 1980 with IRON MAIDEN]," he recalled. "And then the next thing I know, I read in a music paper that [IRON MAIDEN said] something like, 'Yeah, we're gonna blow the bollocks off PRIEST,' or something like that. And I went, 'What the hell is this shit?' We were still in the recording studio, tidying up the last mixes or something. And I said, 'Well, who are these guys?' Why should we have [them] on tour if they're gonna create this type of vibe before we've even met them, let alone done a show together?' I said, 'Let's get rid of them and get somebody that really appreciates the gig,' of which there would have been an awful lot of bands. But anyway, everybody talked me into going with it, and I said, 'Well, fine,' obviously being democratic. And the next thing I know, we were at the rehearsals at some theater in London somewhere, and this bunch of guys walked in and just sat down in front of me. And I said to my guitar tech, 'Who are those dudes there?' [Laughs] And he went, 'Oh, that's the support band.' And I said, 'Well, who the hell invited them into our rehearsal?' I was thinking about what I read in the papers. And I said, 'Well, just go and tell them that they weren't invited and they need to leave.' I didn't see an invite; nobody told me they were coming in — when you're trying to work out songs and this and that and the other. So that's what happened."

Downing continued: "Anyway, we went on tour [together], and can I just say they didn't blow the bollocks off JUDAS PRIEST — we were pretty well established at the time, and those guys were coming up through the ranks. So that happened. But it wasn't a good atmosphere on the tour, and it's not something I like to have happen — it shouldn't be that way. And next thing I know, somebody [said], 'Oh, IRON MAIDEN is opening up for you on their first U.S. tour [in 1981].' And I went, 'Oh, no! Not again. Can we just not have those guys on [the tour]?' But they came on the tour [anyway], and they created upsets, is what they did, for different reasons and it led to a confrontation and it got a bit ugly. I don't know how it all happened, but I did meet [former IRON MAIDEN singer] Paul Di'Anno so many years later, in about 1995, and he said, 'Hey, K.K., we're sorry about that quote in the paper.' And that's all you need.

"But, anyway, like I said, it's all water under the bridge," K.K. added. "Those guys were young, coming up through the ranks, a bit delinquent, but at least they had balls, they got on with it, they knew what they wanted to do."

In his autobiography, Di'Anno claimed that he was the main reason old feelings of rivalry existed between MAIDEN and PRIEST during the early 1980s — something that Downing later denied. "Paul apologized personally to me — what a great gesture," K.K. told Rock Hard magazine in a 2003 interview. "But he wasn't the main reason for the rivalry. At the time of 'British Steel', PRIEST was the bigger band and MAIDEN was the supporting act. They were saying that they [would] blow us off the stage without any problem — well, I thought their behavior wasn't very nice. I'd have loved to send them home to take another band with us, [one] who would have appreciated the chance. But we were told not to do it as it would have looked like we were frightened by them. So we kept on going... but they were very arrogant. And I remember the main rehearsal before the tour when there were a few guys hanging around in the room who didn't say a word and watched everything we did — every step we made and every move of the stage lights. I wasn't very pleased and asked the guitar tech to tell the guys to leave the place. Don't get me wrong: I'm not too good not to play in front of the supporting band — but they could have asked, at least, if it was okay to attend the rehearsal. We went on tour and they didn't blow us off the stage, of course. I watched quite a lot of the MAIDEN shows, but the reaction of the audience wasn't very explosive — because the fans were waiting for us. Okay, MAIDEN became one of the biggest bands of the metal scene — and I'm proud of them. We made a big mistake by focusing more on the U.S. than on Europe after releasing 'British Steel'. [I mean], we lost a lot of attention at home. In the U.S., we were quite big — and MAIDEN asked us for a support slot on our U.S. tour. We said yes — and the same old story happened again. It had a lot to do with rivalry and jealousy."

When asked what he would say to Harris if they bumped into each other, K.K. told Rock Hard: "I'd buy him a beer — because it's an old story. Like I already said, I'm proud of what MAIDEN achieved and of what they did for the British metal. It might sound stupid — but it's true."

Owens is currently in a new band called KK'S PRIEST with Downing, along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", was released on in October via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

TRIUMPH guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett spoke to Dr. Music about his upcoming memoir and how it will compare to the band's documentary, "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine", which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rik said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "People are gonna get the memoir. Is it gonna be warm and happy and fuzzy? Ehhh… I think they're gonna get real Rik Emmett, so they're gonna get some truth that might hurt, or that they might go, 'Ooooh, shit. I didn't realize that he was like that. I didn't realize Rik was that kind of guy.' But I'm not afraid anymore to speak truth. What am I saving it for? [Laughs]"

He continued: "I was doing an interview the other day talking about the documentary. And the guy was saying, 'Oh, so we're gonna get a true insight.' And I go, well, let me make sure that you understand this. You're gonna get a documentary made by Banger Films, and that's essentially Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli. And those two guys, they know what they're doing — they've done plenty of these: RUSH and IRON MAIDEN and ZZ TOP and Alice Cooper, and you name 'em. But they're gonna tell a story. They know that, as a filmmaker, that's what they need to do — you need to sort of tie everything to a story. So the story of TRIUMPH is gonna be the story that they decide to tell. And it's gonna be based on whatever footage they have available and whatever they decide [the angle should be]: 'Ooh, Rik quit the band at its height,' and, 'The band disappeared overnight.' And I go, 'Well, that's not what it felt like to me. That's not my story.' And when my memoir comes out, there'll be an opportunity for me to tell more of my story as opposed to the one that's the TRIUMPH story that Banger Films is telling you in a rockumentary. Which is not to say that [the documentary is] not great — it is great — but it's their story. And my story isn't [drummer] Gil Moore's story, and my story isn't [bassist] Mike Levine's story, although there was a story that was the three of us."

Produced by the aforementioned Banger Films, "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine" is a Crave original documentary that was previously described as "a celebratory, exhilarating thrill ride through the history of one of rock's most unsung acts." The film covers TRIUMPH's humble beginnings as staples of the GTA circuit in the mid-'70s to their heyday as touring juggernauts, selling out arenas and stadiums all across North America with their legendary spectacular live shows — and way beyond.

Last year, Emmett told The Metal Voice about the making of "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine": "There's a surreal nature to it — you're going back in your life, and they're reminding you of things that you'd completely forgotten," he continued. "And you're going, 'Oh, yeah.' And then they're digging deeper, and they're going, 'So, when the band broke up…' And you're going, 'Okay, this hurts, actually.' I don't wanna have to go back to that, because the rise and the fall and the rise again, it's the fall that hurts. I don't wanna go there. I thought I'd put all this behind me. It was ugly, heavy baggage."

Emmett also talked about a "really extraordinary thing" Banger Films did while working on "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine". "They flew in fans from all over the world," he said. "They created an event. And the fans didn't know that we were gonna actually play three songs. So, they brought 'em all to the warehouse, and they're wandering, and they're looking at this TRIUMPH museum-y kind of thing. They've got dummies with my old spandex jumpsuits on. And then they send them down and they were gonna show them a few little clips on a scrim. The scrim drops and there we are and we play. And these are the people that love us the most. And there was only a couple of hundred of 'em. But it was so intense; it was so amazing. And, of course, they've got, like, 15 cameras around the room capturing every angle of this. And then you go, 'Oh my God. This is heavy duty.'

"So it's really good," Rik added. "It really gets to the heart of, you're a band, you create some music, you make a connection to people, and then here's these people, you're the soundtrack to their lives, and it matters to them. So they love you. I could get up there and fart, and they would go, 'Yeah! Great!'"

The aforementioned invite-only event was held in November 2019 in front of 300 "superfans" at MetalWorks studio in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto), Ontario, Canada. Emmett, Levine and Moore played a three-song set that marked TRIUMPH's first performance in 11 years, as well as its first as a pure three-piece power trio in 31 years. The tracks played were "When The Lights Go Down", "Lay It On The Line" and "Magic Power".

Moore, Levine, and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

In a recent interview with Chicago's WXAV 88.3 FM radio station, EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza was asked how the introduction of social media has affected the music industry. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It made it more accessible for people to get to their favorite bands, definitely. There's a plus and minus to it. But then again, it took the mystique away from it, I think. But that's with everything. Before, you were at a concert and you saw, like — I don't know — Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] walking off of a bus or one of the guys in AEROSMITH and he looked over and waved at you, you'd be so pleased because it's such a rare thing. Now they'll film themselves and put it on their own Instagram of them doing shit like that. There's no validity to it anymore. It's not special. It's not, like, 'Wow. How cool was that? I got to check this out. And this is so cool. And, man, this is an exclusive picture,' or whatever. Now there's a camera on everybody's telephone… So what's the memory to get with anyone? It's a photo or a video. So there you go. And it puts it in your hands. So the mystique is gone… [Fans attending concerts will] take a picture of themselves with the band behind them, like, 'Look where I'm at. I'm at this gig.' It's, like, 'Oh my God. Watch the show. Put the phone down.' But we don't get a lot of that, because when we go to play, there's a moshpit, there's people going crazy. And there's a good chance [the phone will] get knocked out of your hand. I mena, it happens. In our genre of metal, there's not 40 people in the front holding the camera because they won't be able to. It kind of works in our favor."

EXODUS's latest album, "Persona Non Grata", came out in November via Nuclear Blast Records. It is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of Rob Dukes and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

In July 2021, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage on October 7, 2021 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

Video of former SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo performing the SEPULTURA classic "Territory" this past Friday (December 31) at Not Whole Studios in Harmony, Maine can be seen below.

Although Rizzo's departure from SOULFLY wasn't officially announced until August 7,2021, it was widely speculated that he was out of the group two days earlier when it was revealed that FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares would play guitar for SOULFLY on the band's last U.S. tour, which kicked off on August 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Rizzo addressed his split with SOULFLY in an interview with "The Ex-Man" podcast hosted by Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES). Speaking about the circumstances that led to his exit from SOULFLY, Rizzo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a lot of confusion that goes on there, obviously. Everybody knows the history of the band — a lot of confusion. Which is all right — there's confusion everywhere in this world. But I definitely was putting in more than what I [was] getting out, obviously, and I think the fans have recognized that. They see the live show turned into that, the records turned into that. It's pretty obvious what was going on. I've got hundreds of fans writing me every day understanding online here. It is what it is. It's the politics of the band. It's Max's [Cavalera, SOULFLY frontman] band — that's definitely his thing. Was I doing more as the years went on? Absolutely. And, obviously, you can see that in live shows. The live show's right there in front of you — in black and white — what was going on. So, when this whole [pandemic] hit, it was just, like, 18 years in, and I'm working a day job now, and I wasn't really getting great advice, per se, as far as what to do, as far as certain things and how to get loans [from the government] or whatever it was. I tried filing for those things. I took the information that was given to me, and none of it made sense. I couldn't figure out anything. I tried applying for some of these things, and I couldn't figure it out. So, however the other two guys in the band — Max and Zyon [Cavalera, SOULFLY drummer] — got whatever loan [to help them financially during the pandemic] is beyond me. If I can't figure it out, then I'm sure they couldn't figure it out. So there must have been some sort of band accountant or somebody that did stuff [for them]."

Marc went on to say that his working relationship with SOULFLY simply "ran its course. Honestly, I think I stayed too long," he said. "I probably should have quit — I wanted to quit about five [or] six years ago. That's when things, in my opinion, just started to go downhill. There's a lot of things that are just obvious, again, if you watch the live show that I'm not even nitpicking about — the fans are talking about. If you go to any message board, the fans always talk about the same things about the live show. I think five or six years ago, I really probably should have split. But I felt bad, and I felt I had some loyalty to everybody and I didn't wanna leave everybody hanging. Obviously, I had a major part in the riffing in the live show and on the records. But, thankfully, everything went down the way it did. COVID opened my eyes to a lot of things, and I'm in a way better place now."

In August, Max told Metal Kaoz that Marc has been spewing out "lies and bullshit" in some of his recent interviews regarding his departure from SOULFLY. "All these accusations — it hurts," he said. "It hurts to hear. After everything that we did for him, which was a lot — we put him on all the records and always took really good care of him, always really, really gave good treatment to him. To hear him backstabbing us like that, it's just not nice. He's obviously trying to get fans to be against me and make him the victim… It just sucks to hear all that. It definitely hurts me when I hear all these accusations that I know are lies and bullshit; it's all fabricated by his crazy mind. I don't know. It's a strange situation."

He added: "I don't want to turn this into an ugly thing. I don't wanna talk bad about him; I really don't. Of course I don't like those accusations, and it's bullshit, but he has the right to say whatever. But I think we treated him really good through all those years. We put him on the map pretty much. When he joined the band, not many people knew him. Just a little bit of gratitude would have been nice. Because even on 'Max Trax' [Cavalera's twice-weekly Internet video series in which he discusses the inspiration for many of the songs spanning his nearly 40-year music career], when I mentioned that I fired him, I thanked him for the 18 years of SOULFLY, and I said good luck on his projects. I'm not bitter. I don't wanna be a bitter guy."

Rizzo joined SOULFLY in 2004, and has since appeared on all of the band's subsequent records, including "Prophecy" (2004), "Dark Ages" (2005), "Conquer" (2008), "Omen" (2010), "Enslaved" (2012), "Savages" (2013), "Archangel" (2015) and "Ritual" (2018). In 2007, Rizzo became a member of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, the side project of SEPULTURA co-founders, brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, and has performed on all CAVALERA CONSPIRACY releases including "Inflikted", "Blunt Force Trauma", "Pandemonium" and the critically acclaimed 2017 LP "Psychosis".

Rizzo was originally a member of New Jersey Latin metal favorites ILL NIÑO, appearing on their classic 2001 Roadrunner release "Revolution Revolucion" and the 2003 follow-up "Confession".

In a recent interview with "I Ask No One With Kevin Re LoVullo", former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal spoke about how he was influenced by the playing and songwriting style of late NIRVANA icon Kurt Cobain. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "His guitar was the way to dig in and dirty it up and just deliver it. And his voice. But what I loved about Cobain was really the writing — the songwriting. I'm assuming it was intuitive. But he did the same kind of shit that [famed composer Johann Sebastian] Bach would do, as far as mathematically correct and accurate and phrasing things to land on the changing foundation beneath it so that it is always in perfect harmony. Whether it was studied or he just knew, he just heard it, but he did that — absolutely. I could spend the next hour just breaking it down and all the music theory [behind it]… If you were gonna take the math behind the music of why things work, his stuff all added up."

Cobain died in 1994 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound not long after he took a massive dose of heroin — which could have proven fatal on its own.

Kurt began using heroin to ease chronic stomach pain he had suffered from his entire life.

NIRVANA was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 10, 2014 — just five days after the 20th anniversary of Cobain's death.

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal is currently a member of SONS OF APOLLO, which also features drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20), in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford, who will celebrate the 36th anniversary of his getting sober this Thursday (January 6), spoke to Spain's Mariskal Rock about how he has managed and avoided the urge to relapse since 1986. "I think about it all the time," he said about drinking alcohol. "It's an addiction. When I'm watching the Phoenix Cardinals play on TV the other day, there's constantly adverts for beer and for alcohol and stuff. And I know it's there. And it's a temptation. So you have to have all of the mental tools ready to get you through that instance. 'Cause it's all about instances. And I live one day at a time. I've lived one day at a time for 35 years now. And that's all that matters. It's the moment. You live in the moment — not yesterday, not tomorrow; it's now. And you have to be ready for when that little beer devil comes on your shoulder and goes, 'Come on, Rob. Have a little drink of beer.' 'Fuck off.' [Laughs] Because I don't wanna feel that way again, man. I don't want to be that person. I was miserable. I wasn't happy. I was bad to people. I don't wanna go through that again. So that's also part of my finding a balance in my day-to-day life."

Rob previously spoke about how he manages to stay clean on the road in a 2020 interview with the "Across The Board" podcast. "It's not easy," he said at the time. "It's very much a day at a time. You're given all the tools and resources from your rehab experience. I use 'em every day. A lot of it is just like mental notes — talking things through. Sometimes I speak 'em out; a lot of it is internal. So that's really vital on a day-to-day level of sobriety.

"When I was in rehab [in 1986], there's anonymity in rehab, but at the same time, you have to tell everybody your life story, so everybody knew what I did. And I remember we talked about the fact that I'm gonna go back to this world of sex and drugs and rock and roll and booze. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to cope, because it won't be a gradual reimmersion into society, so to speak. I won't be able to go tiny steps; I'm just gonna go straight into the deep end. I cannot go to work and say to my bandmates, 'You can't drink. You can't do this. You can't do that,' because it's control. Accept your powerlessness.

"I don't think we ever in the band had a sit-down conversation about this, but I think that there was caring and understanding — as there still is," Halford continued. "But I'd be the last person to say that I have to set a set of rules, because then this whole business of living my life on my terms [turns into something] you push on to other people: 'Well, now, you can't do this,' 'You can't do that.' That's just hypocrisy on the highest level.

"Even now, when we're flying after a show, and the guys are having a beer or a cocktail or whatever, man, I would love that cold beer. I would love a slug of Jack and Coke. I can smell it, 'cause we're in a plane together. It's like this little angel on one side and the devil on the other side. My instant thought is I never wanna be sick again. I never, ever wanna feel that bad ever again. I never want to be in that terrible, dark, lonely place ever again. So it's fleeting. But, again, it's always there.

"When I'm home, especially [during] this COVID thing, [my longtime partner] Thomas doesn't drink. When I first met Thomas, he quit drinking. So that's a support to me. I'm never really around alcohol that much, or drugs, when I'm not working. But, yeah, when my fans, or when PRIEST fans come to see us, yeah, they're gonna have some drinks; they might have a couple of spliffs [and] do whatever else recreationally. They're entitled to. And they are living their lives and they are partying and they are having the time of their lives, as they should. They don't have an alcohol problem; they don't have a drug addiction. There are people that can enjoy these things in life and it [has] no effect on them, in a physical sense and in a mental sense.

"So, it's an absolute miracle," Halford added. "I can only say it's a miracle that I've got that far from January the 6th, 1986 to December the 1st, 2020 without slipping once. And I'm not boasting, because it's all the past — that's the past; it's gone. I live in the moment. I don't think about yesterday or tomorrow; I'm living now. But I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far without failing. Not failing — that's the wrong word. Without a slip off the wagon — whatever the term is. I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far and stay clean and sober. Because if I didn't, who knows where I would have gone and where I would have ended up?"

Halford previously credited his belief in a higher power for helping him in his recovery. "When I got clean and sober, that was a major change in my life," he said during an appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show". "And part of my recovery is just having this higher-power belief. And it works. It works, man. It really, really is important."

Halford added: "There probably will be people listening to [this] podcast who don't have anything like that in their life, and that's great; it's all about acceptance. But I always say to people, if you're thinking about it, the simplest thing I do is I pray. I pray quite a bit, actually. And even if you don't believe in prayer, just have a go. Pray for a good day, or just pray for your friend, or whatever it might be. And it's amazing, man, 'cause it absolutely works. I guarantee, it genuinely does work. And now I'm sounding like [American evangelical Christian evangelist] Billy Graham, but I'm just trying to express some of the things that are important to me on a day-to-day basis that make me able to walk out on that stage each night and do my work."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Halford said that he quit using substances because he "was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I will always remember the first show I did clean and sober… It was in New Mexico, in Albuquerque," he recalled. "I literally felt elevated, as everything was coming with such clarity. I was able to really… enjoy the performance of JUDAS PRIEST without having all of the other things in front of it. Since that day, it has been a miracle."

Halford added, "Everybody has to face things in their lives at some point. It [doesn't have to] be booze and drugs. You can eat too much, or you can not exercise, or whatever… It is not easy staying clean and sober in rock and roll. There are temptations galore from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, especially when you're on the road. [But] I think we're some of the strongest people, my friends and my sober brothers in metal."

Rob has spent much of the last year and a half promoting his autobiography, "Confess", which arrived in September 2020 via Hachette Books. It was written with Ian Gittins, co-writer of "The Heroin Diaries" by Nikki Sixx.

Video of DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie belting out an a cappella version of the band's song "The Spirit Carries On" can be seen below.

LaBrie sang a couple of lines from the track while filming a new video message on Cameo, which lets users hire celebrities to record brief, personalized video messages about virtually any topic.

Cameo reportedly features more than 20,000 celebrities — from musicians and actors to drag queens and from YouTubers to Olympic gold medallists — who, for fees from $1 to $2,500, will offer video messages that mention another person by name. Happy birthday messages are common, as are baby announcements, but some celebrities have also recorded messages for Cameo users looking to quit their jobs or ask a potential date to a prom. The price for a video is determined by the celebrity.

LaBrie charges $75 for each of his Cameo videos for personal use $300 for a video for business use.

LaBrie's new solo album "Beautiful Shade Of Gray", is due on May 20 via InsideOut Music. Unlike previous LPs "Elements Of Persuasion" (2005), "Static Impulse" (2010) and "Impermanent Resonance" (2013), which were written and recorded as a collaboration with LaBrie's songwriting partner for over a dozen years, Matt Guillory, the new effort was tracked with Scottish musician Paul Logue, bassist and founding member of the multinational melodic metal band EDEN'S CURSE.

DREAM THEATER's latest LP, "A View From The Top Of The World", was released in October. It was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, with engineering and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap. The artwork for "A View From The Top Of The World" was created by longtime DREAM THEATER collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR).

DREAM THEATER — comprised of Petrucci, LaBrie, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini — was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of its 2019 last release "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of "Scenes From A Memory" when a global pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they'd just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) — a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face to face with Petrucci.

Wendy Dio, widow and longtime manager of Ronnie James Dio, spoke to Argentinian journalist Lucas Gordon about the upcoming career-spanning documentary on the life and times of the legendary rock icon. It is the first documentary about Dio to be fully authorized by the artist's estate. BMG is both financier and executive producer of the film.

"It's coming out [later this] year," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I [recently] saw the first cut of it. It was very emotional. It's very different from [Dio's autobiography]. 'Cause the book finishes in 1986, with Ronnie playing Madison Square Garden. But the documentary goes all the way through his life till the end. And it was very emotional. I was watching it with my publicist and a person from BMG, who are funding the documentary. And we all cried. It was very emotional. But it's really interesting and really good. Rob Halford is great in it, talking about stories. Lita Ford [and] Jack Black [are also in it]. Eddie Trunk [SiriusXM radio personality] and Mick Wall [author of Dio's autobiography] both kind of narrated it and everything. I'm very pleased with it. I don't know exactly when it's gonna come out [this] year, but it'll be out [this] year."

Last August, Wendy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about what fans can expect to see in the documentary: "There's a bunch of stuff from [old] Super 8 [tapes] and some other stuff. There's fantastic interviews with all kinds of different people about when they were working with Ronnie or what they were doing at the time, maybe supporting Ronnie. It's totally different to the [recently released Dio] book. And I'm very interested to see this cut. I'm excited, actually, to see it. And I think it's gonna be great."

In October 2019, Wendy told the WSOU radio station that the documentary "will go from Ronnie's childhood all the way through [to the end of his life]. I think they interviewed Jack Black, and I think they interviewed all of Ronnie's bandmembers and Doug Aldrich and, I think, Jeff Pilson. They were getting ready to go to Arizona to interview Rob Halford and Lita Ford. And then they were going into England to interview Tony Iommi. They already did Geezer [Butler]. So there will be very interesting stories from different people. I think it'll be a great thing, and it'll show people a lot of things that people have never seen before."

Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with BLACK SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Dio's autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", was released last July via Permuted Press.