Following their latest magnum opus, Oscillation (2019), Swedish post-rock masters, Oh Hiroshima, have returned with their fourth studio album, Myriad, slated for release on March 4 via Napalm Records. Due to pandemic lockdowns, the band channeled all of their time and creativity into delivering an epic successor, unquestionably raising the bar and excelling with grandeur.


It’s a mixture of emotions - from infinite sadness to moments of clarity and heart-rending melodies blending into a rumbling volcano of aesthetic noise and ferocious power, but also the unique use of trumpets, cello and trombones throughout - that sees Oh Hiroshima outclass and grow renowned not only in post-rock circles, but beyond. In comparison to previous works, the band incorporates more influences from various genres, causing each track to stand out from the next. This phenomenon is perfectly emphasized on the beautifully crafted first single “Humane”. Building into a mesmerizing aura, the track explodes into a sonic ascension of grace and breathtaking power.


Watch the new music video for “Humane” below.




Band mastermind Jakob Hemström says: "‘Humane’ might be the most direct and intense song we've created as a band. For us it marks a somewhat new direction that we wanted to explore and we're very proud of how it turned out. We felt right away that this was the first song of the new album we wanted our listeners to hear. The lyrics revolve around themes of human hubris and the video was filmed, directed and edited by our drummer, Oskar."


Upon becoming a duo due to former bassist Simon Forsberg departing the band in early 2021, Oh Hiroshima were provided a challenging chance to step up their songwriting game. There is still a hefty dose of post-rock to be heard on Myriad, but brothers Jakob Hemström and Oskar Nilsson managed to kick down the creative walls of the band, making use of a much broader musical palette.


Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult Of Luna), and once again mixed and mastered by Cult Of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg, with Myriad, Oh Hiroshima demonstrate outstanding ability - melding captivating melody with epic, fulminating fervency, and delivering a majestic masterpiece that will undoubtedly be an early album of the year contender.


Myriad will be available in the following formats:


- 6 Page CD Digipak
- Purple Gatefold Vinyl LP
- Digital Album


Pre-order here,





Myriad tracklisting:


"Nour"
"Veil Of Certainty"
"All Things Pass"
"Ascension"
"Humane"
"Tundra"
"Hidden Chamber"


"Humane" video:

MTV's seminal, Gen X-defining "Beavis And Butt-Head" about two cartoon teenagers famous for their nasally laughs and love of heavy metal will return "soon" with an all-new movie on Paramount+. The timeline for the new movie adaptation was announced by "Beavis And Butt-Head" creator Mike Judge, who tweeted on Tuesday (January 4): "Beavis and Butt-Head will be returning this year with a brand new movie and more on Paramount+. No exact date yet, but soon. They need some time to get back in shape."

Judge's tweet included mock-ups of the two lead characters in an advanced age bracket, leading to speculation that he will having a much older Beavis and Butt-Head return for an all-new movie two and half decades after "Beavis And Butt-Head Do America" first hit theaters.

In July 2020, Comedy Central announced an expansive deal with Emmy Award-winning Judge to reimagine "Beavis And Butt-Head". Comedy Central ordered two seasons of the new series with meta-themes relatable to both new and old fans — Gen X parents and their Gen Z kids.

Judge is set to write, produce and provide voice over for both iconic characters.

Launched in 1993, "Beavis And Butt-Head" quickly became a force in pop culture and started a television revolution with its pure, unadulterated, satirical commentary on youth and adolescence. Centered around two teenage couch potatoes, "Beavis" and "Butt-Head," the unprecedented concept immediately became part of the vernacular in a way no other adult animated series had before. Known for tackling social issues including teen obesity, workers' rights and media trends, the show connected with an entire generation, laying claim as one of the most innovative series in the modern-day zeitgeist.

The Comedy Central deal marked a homecoming for Judge after going on to create other landmark series including "Silicon Valley" and "King Of The Hill", and movies like "Office Space" and "Idiocracy" among others. "Beavis And Butt-Head" marks a return to animation as he looks to recreate a cultural dialogue for a new generation, giving familiar fans and new audiences alike the chance to experience and laugh with America's favorite animated duo.

'




Beavis and Butt-Head will be returning this year with a brand new movie and more on Paramount+. No exact date yet, but soon. They need some time to get back in shape. pic.twitter.com/tN5rePP9Kn

— Mike Judge (@MikeJudge) January 5, 2022

According to Variety, the lawsuit filed against the surviving members of NIRVANA as well as the estate of Kurt Cobain by the man who claims he was the baby featured on the cover of the band's "Nevermind" album, has been dismissed.

Last August, Spencer Elden filed the lawsuit, alleging the photo of the baby reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool violated federal child pornography statutes and arguing child sexual exploitation. He also claimed the image on the cover was taken and used without his consent.

On Monday (January 3), Judge Fernando M. Olguin, who was presiding over the case at the U.S. District Court in Central California, dismissed the case after Elden missed his December 30 deadline to file an opposition to the defendants' motion to dismiss. The dismissal was made "with leave to amend," meaning Elden will have one more chance to issue a second amended complaint with a new deadline of January 13. If he doesn't, the suit will be dismissed without prejudice (which means another suit could be filed in the future). If Elden does refile by January 13, the defendants' lawyers will have a further two weeks to file a reply to the new suit.

"Plaintiff is cautioned that failure to timely file a Second Amended Complaint shall result in this action being dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute and/or failure to comply with a court order," the ruling stated.

In last month's motion to dismiss, NIRVANA, as well as Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, had asked the court to throw out the lawsuit, saying Elden's claim that the photograph on the "Nevermind" cover is child pornography is "not serious" and insisting that his claim is "barred by the applicable statute of limitations." Federal child pornography law has a 10-year statute of limitations, beginning when a victim "reasonably discovers" the violation itself or the harm caused by it.

"Elden has spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed 'Nirvana Baby'," read the motion which was filed on December 22. "He has reenacted the photograph in exchange for a fee, many times; he has had the album title 'Nevermind' tattooed across his chest; he has appeared on a talk show wearing a self-parodying, nude-colored onesie; he has autographed copies of the album cover for sale on eBay; and he has used the connection to try to pick up women.

The motion added: "Elden's claim that the photograph on the 'Nevermind' album cover is 'child pornography' is, on its face, not serious. A brief examination of the photograph, or Elden's own conduct (not to mention the photograph's presence in the homes of millions of Americans who, on Elden's theory, are guilty of felony possession of child pornography) makes that clear.

"The 'Nevermind' cover photograph was taken in 1991. It was world-famous by no later than 1992. Long before 2011, as Elden has pled, Elden knew about the photograph, and knew that he (and not someone else) was the baby in the photograph. He has been fully aware of the facts of both the supposed 'violation' and 'injury' for decades.”

The motion went on to say: "In addition to his child pornography claim, Elden has alleged that the creation of the photograph for the album cover art entailed the sex trafficking of Elden when he was a baby. Setting aside that this premise is absurd, the statute Elden invokes to cover conduct in 1991, became effective on December 19, 2003 and has no retroactive application to conduct by a defendant that pre-dates its effective date."

Late last year, Elden amended his lawsuit against NIRVANA to include the allegation that the photographer hired to take the photo, Kirk Weddle, also shot images of Elden styled to look like Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The new filing also drops former NIRVANA drummer Chad Channing as a defendant in the case.

According to Rolling Stone, Elden's updated complaint cited personal journal entries from late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain, which were published by Riverhead Books in 2002, in an apparent attempt to prove the claim that the photographer intended the cover image to be sexual in nature.

"Undated journals written by Cobain sketch the album cover in a sexual manner, with semen all over it," the document stated. "In several instances, the journals describe Cobain's twisted vision for the 'Nevermind' album cover, along with his emotional struggles: 'I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then fuck the incision until the child dies.'"

The documents also repeated the claim that Weddle intended to "trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer" by activating "Spencer's 'gag reflex' before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer's exposed genitals." The documents add: "Weddle soon after produced photographs of Spencer dressed up and depicted as Hugh Hefner."

When Elden first filed his lawsuit against the surviving members of NIRVANA as well as the estate of Kurt Cobain in August, he alleged the photo of the baby reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool violated federal child pornography statutes and argued child sexual exploitation.

A month after filing his lawsuit, Elden, who is now 30, requested his genitalia be removed from "all future album covers" on the 30th anniversary of the project.

"Today, like each year on this date, our client Spencer Elden has had to brace himself for renewed unwanted attention from the media and fans alike throughout the world," his attorneys told USA Today. "This is a choice that he has never had."

The attorneys said that they planned on continuing the legal proceedings in order to "bring long-awaited privacy and dignity back to our client."

"We implore the NIRVANA defendants to right the wrongs of their past, by acknowledging the harm they have perpetrated and redacting the image of Mr. Elden's genitalia from further reproductions of 'Nevermind' because behind every cover is a person pleading for their privacy back," they added.

A deluxe 30th-anniversary reissue of "Nevermind", featuring its original cover artwork, was made available on November 12.

In Elden's complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, he claimed that his "identity and legal name are forever tied to the commercial sexual exploitation he experienced as a minor which has been distributed and sold worldwide from the time he was a baby to the present day."

According to the suit, the defendants "knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so. … Despite this knowledge, defendants failed to take reasonable steps to protect Spencer and prevent his widespread sexual exploitation and image trafficking."

Elden claimed that his parents never signed a release authorizing the use of the photos, which were taken in a Pasadena aquatic center in 1990. He alleged that the band promised to cover his genitals with a sticker, which was never incorporated into the album art.

The suit further alleged the defendants "used child pornography depicting Spencer as an essential element of a record promotion scheme commonly utilized in the music industry to get attention, wherein album covers posed children in a sexually provocative manner to gain notoriety, drive sales, and garner media attention, and critical reviews."

Elden sought damages of either $150,000 from each of the defendants or unspecified damages to be determined at trial, attorney fees, an injunction to prohibit all parties "from continuing to engage in the unlawful acts and practices described herein," and a trial by jury.

"The permanent harm he has proximately suffered includes but is not limited to extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations, interference with his normal development and educational progress, lifelong loss of income earning capacity, loss of past and future wages, past and future expenses for medical and psychological treatment, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses to be described and proven at trial of this matter," the lawsuit stated.

Elden's parents were reportedly paid only $200 for the photos, and the shoot lasted around 15 seconds.

In a 2016 interview with Time magazine, Elden said: "It's a trip. Everyone involved in the album has tons and tons of money. I feel like I'm the last little bit of grunge rock. I'm living in my mom's house and driving a Honda Civic.

"It's hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved," Elden added. "I go to a baseball game and think about it: 'Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,' I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked."

"Nevermind" has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was certified diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million copies in the U.S. al

Ykä Järvinen at scratchnbake has footage of Bodom After Midnight drummer Waltteri Väyrynen covering Bloodbath's "Warhead Ritual". Check out the clip below.


Järvinen: "Personally, I think that the drums are the coolest instrument if you know how to play them. I've been privileged to work with many amazing drummers during my years in the world of music. Here's one of them. Waltteri Väyrynen and his drum playthrough/cover of Bloodbath - 'Warhead Ritual'."







Meant to celebrate the manifestation of a brand new metal era for Bodom After Midnight, Paint The Sky With Blood now pays tribute to their incomparable frontman, guitarist and creative visionary; Alexi Laiho.


The EP, recorded in the band's native Finland, was intended to be followed by a full-length album later in the year, but now embodies a whole new meaning and remains the only work by Bodom After Midnight. Paint The Sky With Blood is undeniable evidence of the late Alexi Laiho's artistic spirit and his extraordinary musical skills, together with his talented bandmates Daniel Freyberg, Waltteri Väyrynen, Mitja Toivonen and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto.


Not only do the band's final recordings arrive in full today, but the matching visualizer for "Payback’s A Bitch" is also revealed. Watch below.


"Like ourselves, Alexi was beyond stoked about these songs and anxious to get these out, so we are happy that we can fulfill his wish. Needless to say, we are honored and proud to be a part of his very last creative work and to unleash it the way he wanted it. It’s time to let the beast out of the cage one more time as a celebration of Alexi’s music, legacy and the man himself." - Bodom After Midnight


The heavy title track “Paint The Sky With Blood” sets the stage for the 14-minute EP of the same name, and is strikingly reminiscent of early-Children Of Bodom elements while also adding exciting modern influences into the fold. Second stunner "Payback’s A Bitch" and its massive riffing are on a quest for retribution, delivering a hard-hitting, second to none offense. The interplay of Alexi Laiho, guitarist Daniel Freyberg, drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost), bassist Mitja Toivonen (ex-Santa Cruz) and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto is not only a testament to the band's extraordinary musical ability, but also showcases their skill in deftly incorporating a variety of genre influences.


Closing cover track, "Where Dead Angels Lie" is an absolute triumph – originally performed by Swedish extreme metal outfit, Dissection, the track shines as a timeless classic with a new edge. Eerie riffs and vocals alternating between menacing murmurs and characteristic guttural, distorted vocals stay faithful to the original while branding this version with an undeniable Bodom After Midnight punch.


Paint The Sky With Blood is available in the following formats:





- 10" Spined Sleeve Oxblood
- 10" Spined Sleeve Inkspot Ox/Black
- 10" Spined Sleeve Black
- Deluxe Box
- 1 Digipak Mini CD
- Digital Album





Paint The Sky With Blood tracklisting:


"Paint The Sky With Blood"
"Payback’s A Bitch"
"Where Dead Angels Lie" (Dissection Cover)


"Payback's A Bitch" visualizer:





“Paint The Sky With Blood” video:

The self-proclaimed "Best Goblin Metal on the Planet" known as Nekrogoblikon have announced their new album, The Fundamental Slimes And Humours. The album will arrive April 1st. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.


Nekrogoblikon has shared the video for their new song "This Is It", which can be seen below. "We're excited to finally release 'This Is It', the second single from our upcoming album, The Fundamental Slimes And Humours," the band says. "This was the first song that got completed during the writing/demoing process, meaning it's also the one we've been waiting the longest for you all to hear. Hope you enjoy it!"







The Fundamental Slimes And Humours artwork and tracklisting:





"Right Now"
"Golden Future"
"Yin"
"Supernovas (Exploding In Space)"
"Bones"
"Going To Die"
"A Lesson In Hate"
"This Is It"
"Fancy Wind"
"Carousels"
"No Such Thing As A Key"


"Right Now" video:





Los Angeles, California's Nekrogoblikon are melodic hard rock pranksters who deploy gnarly death metal earworms filled with crafty hooks, claw-pumping choruses, lightning-fast riffs, and over the top, EDM-style keyboard flourishes. With their ostentatious goblin hypeman John Goblikon, the band takes cues from hyperbolic horror-metal enthusiasts like Gwar, Finntroll, and Dethklok, while maintaining an affable, self-referential sense of humor. 


 

Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury has taken to social media with the following update:


"Besides all of the other music I have been deeply involved with - during these past couple of years - I have not lost sight of the next Napalm Death album! These last few albums, due to to our extensive touring, have taken time to put together… especially the last album (2020's Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism). As it was released, I already had thoughts on this next one, so have been recording riffs and thinking a lot about what’s next - more extreme experimentation is on the horizon! But of course there is going to be some heavy as f*ck riffing coming also."


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




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


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


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


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





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


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


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


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


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


"Narcissus":





Napalm Death recently announced a next edition of their Campaign For Musical Destruction tour across Europe for February/March 2022, this time featuring support by Doom, Siberian Meatgrinder and Show Me The Body. Dates below.





Tour dates:


February
3 - Magdeburg, Germany - Factory
4 - Wrocław, Poland - Concert Center A2
5 - Budapest, Hungary - A38
6 - Wien, Austria - Arena
7 - München, Germany - Backstage
9 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
10 - Glasgow, UK - Classic Grand
11 - Buckley, UK - The Tivoli
12 - Birmingham, UK - Hammerfest
13 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom
15 - Paris, France - La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
16 - Besançon, France - La Rodia
17 - Marseille, France - Le Jas Rod
18 - Biarritz, France - Atabal
19 - Mérignac, France - Krakato
22 - Paderno Dugnano, Italy - Slaughter Club
23 - Nürnberg, Gerrmany - Z-Bau
24 - Brno, Czech Republic - Sonor
25 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2
26 - Herford, Germany - X-Herford
27 - Utrecht, The Netherlands - Tivoli


March
1 - Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
2 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
3 - Lindau, Germany - Club Vaudeville
4 - Mannheim, Germany - Alte Feuerwache
5 - Berlin, Germany - Astra
6 - Eindhoven, The Netherlands – Dynamo


 

What if… is the brand new, seventh album in the band’s career and a follow-up to Stairs To Nowhere. This time around, Asgaard reinvents its formula and the album is the first ever of their releases to feature more rock-oriented sound, rather that straight-up metal one. 


What if… is the very first record in band’s discography with songs composed in more traditional way, full of beautiful melodies and grand, epic choruses. Band enters another novel territory – two out of eight songs on the album are sung in Polish, which language native to the members of the group. Additionally, Asgaard included stylistic features of the broad genre of electronic music in the intricately structured new songs. New album still retains characteristic sense of romance and nostalgia, present in the band’s outputs since the beginning. Such emotional load brings to mind bands like Katatonia, Amorphis, Moonspell, Opeth, Anathema. What if… is a triumphant return of Poland’s rock/metal avant-garde.


What if…will be released February 18 digitally through Wormholedeath/The Orchard Inc./Sony Music Entertainment and March 4 physically through Polish label Szataniec. 




Metamorphosis, constant evolution and stylistic unpredictability – amalgamation of these three phrases has become signature quality of Asgaard’s body of work. The band exists and has been present in the scene for 25 years. Due to bold and widely controversial records the band is often considered as one of the most visionary in Poland’s entire gothic / rock / metal genre.


A snippet of “Sny na jawie” is streaming below. The song features lyrics by Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński (1921-1944) and is the first in the band's career sung entirely in Polish.





Cover art by Bartłomiej Trzos:





Tracklisting:


“Sisyphus”
“Creeping Miss Lunacy”
“Sny na jawie”
“Horizon Upside Down”
“What If…”
“Blind Man’s Buff”
“W sercu nieświata”
“Not Ever Again!”
“Sny na jawie” (Radio Cut) (Bonus Track)
“W sercu nieświata” (Radio Cut) (Bonus Track)


“Sisyphus” teaser:





(Photo – Roman Baran)

Serbian black metal force Endarken is streaming new single “Antihristos”.





The single is available digitally as has the following credits:







Nekrst - strings & vocals
Beštija Anonima - drums 
Recording - Light bearer studio
Mix & master - Nekrst
Cover - Jelena Vuckowitch
Photography & Make up - Jelena Vučković Romac

Primalfrost, the one-man melodic death shredding unit created by Canadian guitarist Dean Paul Arnold (touring guitarist Belphegor, Operus, ex-Vital Remains), recently unleashed his first full-length in seven years, Lost Elegies. This third album follows 2014's Prosperous Visions and features eight tracks packing their own punch.


Today, in support of the record, Primalfrost is sharing a new visualizer for the epic 11-minute album closer, "Tenebrous Skies". Watch below:







As the sole composer/multi-instrumentalist, Arnold had songs composed solely on guitar pro, as well as written and arranged in an actual recorded pre-production setting. There are songs on Lost Elegies that are both years old and completely new, as well as material hashed together from both old/new ideas.


"I’m sure it will be received very well, it’s definitely a solid continuation of the band's sound, but definitely in a matured/refined way. I’ve had plenty of time to really hone and refine every aspect of the sound, and to make sure it has the production quality/performance on my end to meet those requirements. If you’ve heard Primalfrost before it’s quite obvious there’s the influence of bands like Wintersun, Ensiferum, Kalmah, etc. My goal is to take influence from those sounds but add elements of grit, intensity, speed, & heaviness found in the more extreme genre."


Lost Elegies can be ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Maelstrom"
"Bringer Of Immensity"
"Nomad"
"Stormbearer"
"Voyage Into Ruin"
"Solace Kingdom"
"As Embers Wane"
"Tenebrous Skies"


"Stormbearer" video:





"Nomad":





"Maelstrom":





Album credits:


Dean Arnold - All Instruments, Vocals, & Orchestration
Recorded by Dean Arnold in Toronto, Canada
Mixed & Mastered by Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc of Silverwings Studios in Montreal, Canada
Additional Orchestration by Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc


(Photo - Dark Moon Productions)

German metalcore powerhouse, Setyøursails, have released a bass playthrough video for their single, "Mirror". The track is featured on the band's upcoming sophomore album and Napalm Records label debut, Nightfall, available on January 21. Watch the new clip below:





Nightfall stands as an impressive return for Setyøursails, who once again prove their musical diversity. A mixture of catchy choruses and intense breakdowns are evident on brutally melodic "Why", the changing spectrum of "Deadline", and "Into the Storm", which starts with a crisp deathcore intro. Among others, "Nightfall" (featuring Andy Doerner of metalcore veterans Caliban) shows the full straightforward range of Jules Mitch’s vocals, which oscillate between concise and clear, intense screams and expressive growling. "Mirror"begins atmospherically before bubbling up to an impressive journey through personal conflicts without losing its undeniably catchy quality. With tracks like "Secrets" and "Forgive Me" the band also presents its softer side. Setyøursails are also full of surprises – together with Mike Perez from No Bragging Rights, they cover "Shallow” (from the film A Star Is Born) by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and give the ballad their personal touch, once again proving their musical diversity. Nightfall was produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by Annisokay vocalist/guitarist Christoph Wieczorek and songwriter/producer Julian Breucker at Sawdust Recordings. Both have already worked with greats like Beyond The Black, Eisbrecher and Emil Bulls – just to name a few.







Nightfall will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Digipak
- 1 LP Gatefold Recycled Color Vinyl
- 1 Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Ghosts"
"Nightfall"
"Secrets"
"Why"
"Mirror"
"Into the Storm"
"Anchor"
"Forgive Me"
"Deadline"
"What's Wrong"
"Reason"
"Fckoff"
"Shallow"


"Mirror" video:





"Ghosts" video:





Setyøursails are:


Jules Mitch – vocals, songwriting
Andre Alves – guitar, songwriting
Dizzee Pascal – drums
Dominic Ludwig – bass


(Photo - Peter Leukhard)

Zakk Wylde says that "it's an honor" to be playing on the upcoming Ozzy Osbourne album alongside some of his guitar heros.

The guitarist, who has been a member of Ozzy's solo band on and off for 35 years, was excluded from the legendary heavy metal singer's 2020 LP "Ordinary Man", which was the first Osbourne effort to be produced by Andrew Watt.

After Ozzy recently confirmed that Zakk, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Tony Iommi all make an appearance on his "work-in-progress" follow-up to "Ordinary Man", which is tentatively due in early 2022, Wylde talked about his involvement with the LP during a chat with the "Australian Rock Show" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If you would have told me when I was 15 years old that I would be playing on a record with Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, I would have been, like, 'Yeah, okay. I guess we'll be going for pizza with them as well.' It's just, like, 'Yeah, okay. Whatever, man.' But, yeah, it's definitely pretty surreal. It's an honor. Obviously, they all my heroes — Ozzy [and] everybody, all the other guys. [It's] definitely a humbling, honoring moment for sure."

Last November, Zakk told "The Cassius Morris Show" that he didn't contribute to the songwriting process for Ozzy's upcoming album. "Basically, everything was already written," he said. "I would change a few things here and there, going into certain riffs or something like that — you know, do my own thing to 'em. But it was pretty much already done. But kind of how we did — [2001's] 'Down To Earth', I think, was more like that where everything was pretty much written before I got in there. So I just do my thing, put my solos and everything like that. But, yeah, I'm really happy with the way it came out."

Ozzy previously said that 15 songs have been recorded for his upcoming LP which is once again being produced by Watt.

Zakk told Music Radar that Beck "definitely sounds slamming" on the upcoming Ozzy album. "The same goes for all the guys — what Tony Iommi played, and then Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, it's all killer, for sure. On those tracks I'm playing rhythm guitar for my heroes… it's crazy! It sounds awesome and I'm beyond honored to be doing it."

Last fall, Ozzy told Metal Hammer magazine that his new album will be "similar in tone to 'Ordinary Man', but I can't describe it completely. I've not heard it for a while because it keeps going over to the next person to add their parts — we're fucking around with it all the time," he said.

Watt connected with Osbourne after meeting Ozzy's daughter Kelly at a friend's party and pitching her on the idea of Post Malone and Ozzy collaborating together.

In December 2020, Watt told Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend were "halfway through" the new LP. "There's some songs on there that are like eight or nine minutes long that are these really crazy journeys. I'm really excited about it," he said.

Like "Ordinary Man", which featured Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Ozzy's next album will feature guest appearances by a number of other notable musicians. "There's a bunch of people involved," Andrew told Guitar World. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo [METALLICA], who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."

Wylde previously told Classic Rock that he wasn't disappointed to be excluded from "Ordinary Man". "Not at all," he said. "I thought he and Andrew Watt did a great job. I understand why I'm not in the studio. Ozz once said to me that he didn't want to be the lead singer in BLACK LABEL SOCIETY: 'You have your own thing now, so go to it.'

"I don't have to be involved in everything Ozz does. I'll always be there for him and Sharon. If they call now and ask me to go over to feed their dogs for three days… I'm there."

In April 2021, Zakk told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he checked out some of the songs on "Ordinary Man" and liked what he heard. "It came out cool," he said. "I saw the videos and everything like that. It's cool, man. And Andrew and everything like that — yeah, it was rocking."

During an appearance on the latest episode of AXS TV's "At Home And Social With", IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked by Katie Daryl if he he likes to use bar soap or liquid soap when he is showering. He responded: "I just take whatever is available. I actually have a huge collection of soaps from hotels from all over the world, and I've never had to buy shower gel or soap for the last 10 years.

"My girlfriend, she's absolutely mad. She goes and buys all this stuff," he continued. "I'm, like, 'Okay, well, that's for you. We've got a year's supply there. But me, I'll take [whatever is available].' 'Hmm, I wonder what this one does.' … And then you get the funny-shaped ones as well. I'm always intrigued by horseshoe-shaped soap. It's, like, 'What's that for? And where does that go?' These are things that are given to you in hotels. You think, 'Who thought that one up?' Soap with little scratchy bits on it."

He then repeated: "So, I use whatever comes to hand."

Dickinson, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

Bruce's second wife, Paddy was found dead in May 2020 at the home they once shared in Chiswick, West London, following a "tragic accident." London Ambulance Service confirmed that the patient was pronounced dead on arrival.

Bruce and Paddy had married in 1990 after two years of dating and shared three children: Austin, Griffin and Kia. They tied the knot after dating for two years following Bruce's split from first wife Jane.

Dickinson is believed to have split from Bowden privately in 2018, although their breakup wasn't made public until November 2019.

Bruce, 63, now reportedly lives in Paris with fitness instructor Leana Dolci.

As previously reported, Dickinson will embark on a two-month North American spoken-word tour later this month.

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

Of Gods & Monsters have released their debut single and video, "Bring Out Your Dead", from their upcoming record, Brace For Impact. The single is released by Hellaphonic Music and is available on all digital platforms (iTunes, Spotify). A follow-up lyric video is scheduled to be released later this month.





Of Gods & Monsters features drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio, UFO), guitarist Ira Black (Dokken, Lizzy Borden, Metal Church), bassist Bjorn Englen (Dio Returns, Soul Sign, Yngwie Malmsteen, Quiet Riot) and founding member, singer Kevin Goocher (Omen, Phantom-X).




"Bring Out Your Dead" was produced by Ira Black and Sterling Winfield. Winfield's credits include Pantera, Damage Plan, HellYeah, King Diamond and more; Mastered by Howie Weinberg whose credits include Metallica, Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Nirvana and more; Video by Dave Stabley.





Goocher earlier this year said: “I’m beyond thrilled with the new lineup. These guys are truly Gods and Monsters at what each of them do. Writing with Ira in particular has been something I’ve never experienced before. Working with these musicians has pushed me to think outside the box. It’s been exciting and I hope listeners will feel that.”


Their debut album, Brace For Impact, is scheduled for release in the spring with follow-up tour dates.


(Photo - Glen La Ferman)

The 64th annual Grammy Awards, which was originally set to take place January 31 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, has been officially postponed to an as-yet-unspecified later date due to the omicron variant.

A joint statement from the Recording Academy and its television partner, CBS, issued on Wednesday (January 5), reads as follows: "After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th annual Grammy Awards show. The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon."

Last year, the 63rd annual Grammy Awards was also postponed due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The show eventually happened on March 14, 2021 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (moved from Staples Center, the former name of Crypto.com Arena).

This year's Grammy nominations were announced on November 23, 2021. The nominations were announced during a livestream from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, which featured Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and Board Of Trustees chair Tammy Hurt, as well as some special guests.

Up for the the "Best Metal Performance" award at the 64th annual Grammy Awards are DEFTONES, DREAM THEATER, GOJIRA, MASTODON and ROB ZOMBIE.

The eligibility period for the 64th annual Grammy Awards was September 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021.

The 2022 ceremony will be the first since The Recording Academy announced that it has made significant changes to its awards process to ensure that the Grammy Awards rules and guidelines are transparent and equitable. The show no longer uses anonymous review committees to determine its nominees. Now, all nominees are based solely on thousands of votes from the Academy's voting members. They also changed the number of categories in which Academy members can vote and added two new awards.

In January 2020, former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan filed a discrimination charge against the Recording Academy of Arts & Sciences, alleging she was being retaliated against for reporting misconduct within the Academy. In the 46-page complaint, Dugan further alleged that "the Grammy voting process is ripe with corruption," detailing secret committees the group used to "push forward artists with whom it has relationships." She said that as many as 30 artists who were not selected by the 12,000 voting members were added to the possible nomination l

For the first time ever on vinyl, TWISTED SISTER and Friday Music have teamed up to create the ultimate heavy metal hits collection with TWISTED SISTER's "Greatest Hits - Tear It Loose (Studio & Live)". Compiled from the original Atlantic Records tape vaults by TWISTED SISTER's co-founder Jay Jay French and Joe Reagoso (TWISTED SISTER, ALICE COOPER, THIN LIZZY), this long-overdue release contains a stellar overview of the band's remarkable gold-and-platinum career.

Due on January 14, the five-star deluxe two-LP set includes classic Atlantic Records studio tracks like "We're Not Gonna Take It", "Under The Blade", "I Wanna Rock", "Leader Of The Pack", "Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant", "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Shoot 'Em Down". The second half of this amazing album contains a 20-year historical compilation of the bands favorite U.K. concert performances from the Marquee club, Hammersmith Odeon and the Astoria. Hard-hitting smashes like "Stay Hungry", "Like A Knife In The Back", "S.M.F.", "Destroyer" and "Tear It Loose" truly are some of the finest heavy metal live tracks ever caught on tape.

Mastered impeccably by Joe Reagoso with Jay Jay French from the original Atlantic Records tapes, this super-limited-edition two-LP set will be manufactured for a very limited time on translucent gold vinyl.

To further enhance your TWISTED SISTER experience, the band has included new 2021 commentary from Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Mark Mendoza and Eddie Ojeda in the liner notes, updated discography information per track, as well as artist-approved gatefold cover art featuring stunning live concert photos from the lens of Håkon Grav.

Track listing:

LP1

01. Under The Blade

02. Shoot 'Em Down

03. The Kids Are Back

04. I Am (I'm Me)

05. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll

06. We're Not Gonna Take It

07. I Wanna Rock

08. The Price

09. Leader of The Pack

10. Fire Still Burns

11. Hot Love

12. Wake Up The Sleeping Giant

LP2

01. What You Don't Know Sure Can Hurt You (Live from the Marquee)

02. Sin After Sin (Live from the Marquee)

03. Tear It Loose (Live from the Marquee)

04. Stay Hungry (Live from Hammersmith)

05. Knife In The Back (Live from Hammersmith)

06. We're Gonna Make It (Live from Hammersmith)

07. Destroyer (Live from Astoria)

08. Ride to Live (Live from Astoria)

09. Come Out & Play (Live from Astoria)

10. S.M.F. (Live from Astoria)

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

The surviving members of the classic lineup of TWISTED SISTER — Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza — reunited virtually on March 20, 2021 for a special episode of Mendoza's Internet TV show "22 Now". The hour-and-a-half-long program was a tribute to Pero, who died exactly six years earlier at the age of 55 while on tour with the band ADRENALINE MOB.

Prior to last March's virtual reunion, the four surviving members of TWISTED SISTER reunited for two days and nights in November 2019 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic album "Stay Hungry".

MUDVAYNE has uploaded drum-cam footage of the "Dig" performance from the band's third reunion show, which took place on November 14 at the Welcome To Rockville festival at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

MUDVAYNE canceled its appearance at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky in September after the band's singer Chad Gray and "a few staff members" tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

MUDVAYNE played its first show in 12 years on September 11, 2021 at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms. MUDVAYNE is Chad Gray (vocals), Greg Tribbett (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew McDonough (drums, synthesizer) and Ryan Martinie (bass).

It's been more than a decade since MUDVAYNE released its self-titled fifth album and little had been heard about the group during that time.

Gray has spent the past 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away more than three years ago.

In 2018, Tribbett said that fans who are calling for a MUDVAYNE reunion "just need a little more patience." He explained: "We're all flattered that everybody still wants MUDVAYNE to tour and do a new record and come out and do all that stuff. The thing is is that everybody is in three different bands and kind of doing their own projects, and there's no time for that right now."

Tribbett's most recent focus was AUDIOTOPSY, which released its second full-length album, "The Real Now", in November 2018 via Megaforce Records. He is joined in that band by MUDVAYNE drummer Matt McDonough, SKRAPE vocalist Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Gray previously expressed skepticism about the possibility of a MUDVAYNE reunion, noting in a 2015 interview that "the only way I personally would want to do MUDVAYNE is if everybody licked their wounds and got over it."

Tribbett was also part of HELLYEAH with Gray but was fired from that band in 2013.

Asked in Revolver magazine if Greg's exit from HELLYEAH hit him especially hard, seeing as the two of them started off playing together in MUDVAYNE, Chad said: "Yeah, man. He has always been my right-hand man. He's been the back I look at when I'm writing songs and the sounding board for my ideas. When everything went sideways, it was like losing a great friend. I was filled with fear and I had mixed emotions. At first, I was, like, 'Goddamn, I don't know if I'm ever gonna be able to do this without him.'"

Photo credit: Steve Thrasher

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo says that he is "feeling better," less than two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Earlier today, Robert shared an Instagram video of him playing acoustic guitar, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Well, 2022 did not really start the way I was planning with getting the Covid bomb dropped on me. I am ten days in and feeling more like myself each day. I have to say it was rather mild, like flu mild.

"I do feel for the people that were really affected by this and my heart goes out to the ones who lost their lives.

"Now that I am feeling better I am officially starting my new year today. I wanted to send some beautiful vibes to everyone and wish you all a very happy 2022!

"Much Love and Happy New Year!

"#sonice #samba #quarantinelife #happynewyear #2022".

The 55-year-old musician revealed his diagnosis in an Instagram post on December 29. He shared a photo of a positive COVID-19 test and he wrote: "Well, like so many others this virus has come to pay me a visit. Yes, double lines… Jackpot! Except this time you don't win anything but a nice chunk of time by yourself doing the 'q' word. Omicron, Robotron, Lexicon, whatever they wanna call it, it's the CRUD! A new year is upon us and I hope and pray everyone stays healthy and safe. Let's all make this new year a positive and forward moving experience filled with everything we all love!"

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

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

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

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

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

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.
























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Ricky Warwick has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The BLACK STAR RIDERS and THIN LIZZY frontman revealed his diagnosis in an Instagram post earlier today (Thursday, January 6). He wrote: "I have covid.. it sucks !! It would suck a whole lot more if I wasn't vaccinated and boosted !! #covidsucks? #ɢᴇᴛᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ".

Two years ago, Ricky was diagnosed with pleurisy, a condition in which the linings of the lungs become inflamed.

In addition to fronting THIN LIZZY and BLACK STAR RIDERS, Warwick was the guitarist and vocalist for THE ALMIGHTY, and performs regularly as a solo acoustic act.

Born in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, Ricky now calls Los Angeles home — he's lived there for nearly two decades. Ricky has four kids — his youngest is 13 and his oldest is 24.

In 2019, Warwick signed a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast for his solo album releases. His latest solo offering, "When Life Was Hard And Fast", came out in February 2021.

BLACK STAR RIDERS' fourth studio album "Another State Of Grace", was released in September 2019 via Nuclear Blast.

Last October, BLACK STAR RIDERS entered the studio in Los Angeles with longtime producer Jay Ruston (STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER, URIAH HEEP, ANTHRAX) to begin recording their new LP.

The new album will feature a different lineup from the band's previous releases, due to founder and lead guitarist Scott Gorham's decision to step down from all recording and touring commitments with the group.
























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Henry Rollins has canceled his previously announced European leg of the "Good To See You" spoken-word tour due to coronavirus-related concerns.

The punk rock icon was scheduled to kick off the trek, which promised to "faithfully recount the events of his life in the brief pre-COVID period since the last tour and when things got even stranger over the last several months," in Berlin, Germany on Sunday (January 9).

Rollins announced the cancelation in a brief statement on social media. The statement read: "Due to the surge in COVID-19 and the challenges it presents, Henry Rollins' upcoming European / UK tour dates have been cancelled. Refunds will be available at the original point of purchase. We apologize for any inconvenience."

The statement added: "There are no plans to cancel US/Canadian dates at this time."

The North American leg of the "Good To See You" 2022 tour is scheduled to kick off on March 12 in Royal Oak, Michigan and conclude on June 4 in Montreal, Quebec.

Rollins has toured the world as a spoken-word artist, as frontman for both ROLLINS BAND and BLACK FLAG and as a solitary traveler with insatiable curiosity, favoring road-less-traveled locales in places such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Siberia, North Korea, South Sudan and Iran.

As a spoken-word artist, Rollins regularly performs at colleges and theaters worldwide and has released a number of spoken-word recordings. His album "Get In The Van" won the Grammy for "Best Spoken Word Album" for 1995. As an actor, he has appeared in "The Chase", "Johnny Mnemonic", "Heat" and David Lynch's film "Lost Highway".

In describing Rollins, the tendency is to try to squeeze as many labels as possible into a single sentence. "Rollins is many things," says The Washington Post, "diatribist, confessor, provocateur, humorist, even motivational speaker…his is an enthusiastic and engaging chatter." Entertainment Weekly's list includes "Punk Rock icon. Spoken word poet. Actor. Author. DJ. Is there anything this guy can't do?" TV Guide has more concisely called him a "Renaissance Man" but if Henry Rollins could be reduced to a single word, that word would undoubtedly be "workaholic." When he's not traveling, Rollins prefers a to keep a relentless schedule full of work, with gigs as an actor, author, DJ, voice-over artist and TV show host to name a few of the roles that keep his schedule full.

Rollins is the music, the attitude, and the voice that takes no prisoners. In his books, he has led us on a hallucinatory journey through the decades–and his mind — with poems, essays, short stories, diary entries, and rants that exist at "the frayed edges where reality ends and imagination begins" (Publishers Weekly).




There are no plans to cancel US/Canadian dates at this time.

— henryrollins (@henryrollins) January 5, 2022

BULLETBOYS have parted ways with original members Jimmy D'Anda (drums) and Mick Sweda (guitar).

The duo's exit — which was first reported by Metal Sludge — was officially announced by Sweda in a Facebook Live stream on Monday (January 3).

Mick said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We as BULLETBOYS were scheduled to play the Whisky [A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on December 16], and, unfortunately, at the last minute, realized that Lonnie [Vencent] wasn't gonna be able to make it. So that gig kind of went down the tubes. And if the truth were to be known, that gig was to be Jimmy's last. He decided that he wasn't gonna continue on.

"Anybody that knows anything about this band knows that volatility was a huge component in both its success and everything else," he continued. "So that was something that we expected to deal with at the Whisky gig. What I wasn't sure about at that point was how it was all gonna turn out. I suppose there was a hope that everything would be resolved and we would play the gig and everybody would be happy and we could come to some resolution; at least that was my fervent hope. But it was not to be. And so, as a result of all that, I have also decided that I'm not gonna be continuing on with BULLETBOYS.

"So, unfortunately, even though there are gigs booked, and I am sure they will be played, you won't be seeing Jimmy and you won't be seeing me at these gigs. So in spite of whatever pictures you see, in spite of whatever press you see, BULLETBOYS is not going to, unfortunately, be the all-original members anymore. And I am very sure it won't be ever again."

Sweda went on to reiterate that "BULLETBOYS, in whatever form it's going to take, is not going to be all original. It won't include myself; it won't include Jimmy. So these shows that you'll see advertised, just know that going in. And feel free to spread the word too, because, obviously, my main concern is that people are expecting one thing and getting another, and we definitely can't have that."

As for the reason he and D'Anda have opted to leave BULLETBOYS two years after the reunion of the band's original lineup was first announced, Sweda said: "In the past, I know it's been brought up that anybody who isn't in BULLETBOYS has quit on the fans. And that may or may not be something you'll hear in interviews or whatever. And trust me, it has nothing to do with quitting on fans and everything to do with just not wanting to travel down a path that is fraught with strife and distrust and bitterness and everything else.

"It's really, at this point in our lives, imperative — at least for me; I'll speak for myself here — that I just remove all forms of toxicity," he explained. "And I'm sure all of you understand it just can't be a part of my life anymore. And the fact that we were all original and having some good shows and having a great time playing the shows — there's no doubt about that; I had a wonderful time and I was looking forward to doing it all of 2022 — but once it gets to a point where it's poisonous, you can't have it in your life…

"I'm grateful that everybody understands, and I apologize to you. I was really looking forward to this being a nice run, being a nice year and finding a way to make our way through it. But that is not to be."

The original BULLETBOYS lineup made its live return in December 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Whisky A Go Go.

Aside from one show in 2011, original BULLETBOYS members D'Anda, Sweda, Vencent and singer Marq Torien had not performed together since 1993.

BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. As a collection of talented musicians, BULLETBOYS were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world. Unlike other rockers of the day, the BULLETBOYS possessed more hard rock-blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract.

BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut was released in 1988 via Warner Bros. and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned two hit singles, a cover of the O'JAYS classic "For The Love Of Money" and "Smooth Up in Ya", both of which charted on the Mainstream Rock chart and saw regular airplay on MTV. BULLETBOYS went on to release two more albums, 1991's "Freakshow" and 1993's "Za-Za", before splitting up.

In a new interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover weighed in on some governments' decision to use lockdown measures as an integral part of combating COVID. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that that's what government is for, whether we trust them or don't. We have to have some kind of guideline, and that's the only one. If everyone had their own guidelines, it would be chaos. So we don't have a lot of choice about it. Actually, it's money versus life, isn't it? That's what it boils down to. And I have to go for life. But I understand both sides."

Last month, U.S. president Joe Biden said his plan to fight COVID-19 during the winter months would not include new lockdowns. "It doesn't include shutdowns or lockdowns, but widespread vaccinations and boosters and testing a lot more," Biden told reporters.

A number of European countries have been introducing more curbs to fight a surge in COVID-19 infections, including new lockdowns in the Netherlands and Austria. Meanwhile, Germany has called for stricter rules for entering from variant-hit countries to slow the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, while France has imposed strict travel restrictions on those entering from the United Kingdom — the hardest-hit country in the region.

U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson said this week that new restrictions, including a lockdown, are off the table.

"We have a chance to ride out this omicron wave without shutting down our country once again," Johnson said. "We can keep our schools and businesses open and we can find a way to live with this virus."

Italy, France, Greece and Spain all reported record numbers of new infections in recent days.

Recent research has found that lockdown measures, like those widely used in the spring of 2020, are effective at keeping people home, but for limited periods of time.

DEEP PURPLE's latest studio effort, an album of covers titled "Turning To Crime", came out on November 26 via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

SCORPIONS' new single, "Rock Believer", will be released on Thursday, January 13 at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET. The first snippet of the song will go live on Friday, January 7 via TikTok. The single's cover art was designed by Klaus Voormann and can be found below.

"Rock Believer" is the title track of SCORPIONS' 19th studio album, which will be released on February 25.

Two months ago, SCORPIONS released the official music video for "Rock Believer"'s first single, "Peacemaker". The track features music courtesy of guitarist Rudolf Schenker and bassist Pawel Maciwoda and lyrics by singer Klaus Meine.

Asked in a recent interview with Chile's Radio Futuro what fans can expect to hear on "Rock Believer", Meine said: "Well, you can expect an album that is dedicated to all the rock believers in the world. And we're very excited after all these years. We thought, when you think about all the touring we did the last 10 years, after the release of 'Return To Forever' in 2015, the time was right to go back into the studio, to write new material, to write new songs and check out if the creativity is still working. The big aim was, the goal was to make a rock album — to make an album with lots of attitude, power and focus on the good old times and really enjoy the music and have some fun with the music. And that feels really good."

Speaking about the "Rock Believer" album title, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker said: "Look, we are around the world since 50 years or more. And when somebody can say he's a rock believer, then this is us. And of course, we meet our rock believers in front of us, our audience.

"So many people said rock is dead. It's not dead," he continued. "It's always coming back — sometimes, okay, more stronger [or] less strong — but in the end, it's great to play around the world in over 80 countries we've played so far, and all rock believers. It was always great to share the music with them together and be in connection with them. I mean, that's so amazing and so fantastic, that we are very happy to come out with a new album. And yeah, let's see what's happening."

Asked if "Peacemaker" is representative of "Rock Believer" as a whole, Klaus said: "It is an uptempo rock song, and this album really rocks. There are some heavy songs on the album, like when you think about 'China White' and 'Animal Magnetism', there's a track on the record that is really in the best way of those songs. There are many uptempo songs and, believe it or not, there are even faster songs than 'Peacemaker'. [Laughs] There's also a very beautiful ballad on the album, and I'm sure there are fans out there especially love the SCORPIONS ballads, and they will enjoy this record as well very much. 'Peacemaker' is the appetizer for what the album is all about. It rocks."

"Rock Believer" was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

"The album was written and recorded in the SCORPIONS DNA with core Schenker/Meine compositions," said Klaus. "We recorded the album as a band live in one room, like we did in the '80s."

SCORPIONS' new album will mark their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

Meine previously told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce "Rock Believer" was to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."

According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP features "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

SCORPIONS will kick off their "Rock Believer" world tour in March in Las Vegas where the band will play nine shows as part of their residency at Planet Hollywood Hotel. Afterwards they will cross the Atlantic to Europe where they will play six concerts in France and six shows In Germany supported by Wolfgang Van Halen's new band MAMMOTH WVH.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

Rockers Tygers Of Pan Tang are gearing up to release a new four track EP, A New Heartbeat, on February 25th via Mighty Music.


 


The EP features two re-recorded tracks from their first album, Wild Cat, plus two new tracks. "Fireclown" and "Killers" from Wild Cat now firmly bear guitarist Francesco Marras' musical stamp and new tracks "A New Heartbeat" and "Red Mist" demonstrate what might be expected from the next Tygers album - the Tygers signature sound of heavy as hell riffs, finger knotting solos and Jack Meille’s vocals extraordinaire. The mix was executed by Marco Angioni at Angioni Studios and, as with all recent Tygers releases, the mastering was completed by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem). 




 


The release comes initially as a digipak CD and will only be available in physical form from the Tygers website and directly from their record company Mighty Music/Target Group. A vinyl version will follow. 


 


Guitarist Robb Weir commented: "'Fireclown' and 'Killers' are much neglected Tygers gems. They are rarely played live but often requested so we thought it would be interesting to hear a modern take on them. Visiting the past brings back so many memories for us and, I’m guessing, for Tygers followers." 


 


Vocalist Jack Meille added: "Lockdown may have prevented us from playing live but it couldn’t curtail the creative spirt that has resulted in the creation of 'A New Heartbeat' and 'Red Mist' for this single." 


 


A New Heartbeat EP will be released on digital, and digipack CD (with the vinyl version coming out later in the year) on February 25th, 2022 via Mighty Music. It’s on sale exclusively now in Targetshop.dk and in the band’s webshop.


 





 


Tracklist:


"A New Heartbeat"
"Red Mist"
"Fireclown"
"Killers"


 

A new trailer has been released for "Pam & Tommy", Hulu's upcoming limited series about MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's and "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson's infamous leaked sex tape.

Sebastian Stan and Lily James star in the series as Lee and Anderson, while Seth Rogen also appears as the man who stole the tape, and produced with his partner Evan Goldberg. The series also stars Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, Andrew Dice Clay, Pepi Sonuga, Spencer Granese and Mozhan Marnò.

Three of the series' eight episodes were directed by Craig Gillespie, who helmed 2017's "I, Tonya" — which also starred Stan.

"Pam & Tommy" premieres February 2 on Hulu.

Four months ago, Tommy said that he had no problem with "Pam & Tommy". Speaking with ET's Rachel Smith at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, Tommy admitted that he hadn't seen the photos of 39-year-old Stan portraying him, but he said: "I know Sebastian; he's playing me. And from what he's told me, it's a really beautiful story. I think a lot of people would think that it's one thing, but it's really about privacy and how things got crazy then. And there's different laws now. The story's actually cool. What actually happened wasn't, but he told me it's pretty wild."

Asked if he is surprised the story is being told now, Tommy said: "Yeah. It's such a… God, I feel like it was forever ago. But it's a cool story, and people need to know. I mean, it's cool. I'm stoked. That's cool."

The series focuses on the duo's salacious relationship in the 1990s, including the leak of the private honeymoon video and the legal battle that ensued.

Lee and Anderson are not involved with the series, which was written by Robert Siegel and DV DeVincentis and produced by Annapurna.

Anderson and Lee got married on a beach in Mexico in 1995 after dating for just four days. The couple, who divorced in 1998, share two sons, Brandon, 24, and Dylan, 22.

The sex tape Lee made with Anderson during their 1998 honeymoon ended up finding its way online after being stolen from their home by an electrician. Pamela later sued the distribution company, but ended up settling, and the tape continued to be available online as a result. The tape reportedly made $77 million in less than 12 months.

"I've never seen it," Anderson said on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2015. "I made not one dollar. It was stolen property. We made a deal to stop all the shenanigans. I was seven months pregnant with Dylan and thinking it was affecting the pregnancy with the stress and said, 'I'm not going to court anymore. I'm not being deposed anymore by these horny, weird lawyer men. I don't want to talk about my vagina anymore or my public sex — anything."

Cyhra / Red Wolf guitarist Euge Valovirta has shared another instructional video, this time taking  his viewers through Ozzy Osbourne's "Desire", taken from the No More Tears album. Valovirta breaks down the gear, tuning, verses, pre-chorus, chorus and leads. 










Valovirta has shared some new original music along with the following message:


"Happy 2022 everyone! Let's start the year with a brand new song called 'The Boogie Boy' by yours truly. Available now on all major digital platforms.


I’ve been publishing videos on my YouTube channel quite often for the past two years since we haven’t been able to tour with Cyhra for the obvious reasons. Most of my videos starts with an intro song written specifically for that video about a certain amp, effect pedal etc. and 'The Boogie Boy' started as one of those.


The title comes from the amps I used on the song; my Mesa/Boogie Mark V and my old Marshall JCM800 2203 (The Bad Boy). It’s also a reference to John Sykes, one of my all time favourite guitarists, since he was/is also known to use Boogie & Marshall amps and blend them (in the studio), like I did with this one, to get that pretty huge tone.


I’ve been asked quite many times that are those intro songs available anywhere and ten of them are on my second solo album ‘Shooting From The Hip’ (2020). But I’ve written so many songs after the release of that album so I just thought that I’ll start to put them out every once in a while which someday will lead to the release of my third solo album. And some of the songs will appear on the next Cyhra album which we’ll start to record in early 2022."


"The Boogie Boy" is available here.

As part of his ongoing Quarantine Project, Devin Townsend will perform his '98 Infinity album front to back for his next livestream.


"We're going live on Saturday, February 5th, 12noon PST / 3pm EST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET / 7am AEDT (next day). If you can't make it at that time, no fear: we'll record the show and keep it available for another 48hrs.


Tickets go live on Friday, Jan 7th at 15:00 CET and are exclusively available on DevinTownsendShop.com. We've also added a show-exclusive t-shirt and the option to bundle with the ticket for a discounted price.




Note: the t-shirts are pre-orders and ship from the United Kingdom the week prior to the livestream."


Townsend has said he will perform Infinity in the original album sequence, with songs included from the Christeen EP.

Helsinki-based metal band Affection has released a new song “Since Blood”, which presents the heavier side of their upcoming debut album, titled Remnants. The music video, which can be seen below, was created by Riivata Visuals (Fear Factory, Atlas).


Affection vocalist and songwriter Andy H.C. reveals the background of the song: “'Since Blood' was the last song written for the album, and there’s a tragic, true story from my family history behind the lyrics. With this song, I wanted to remember this person whose sad and ferocious fate has been tried, I think, for generations to forget, without reason. Although I’ve never been able to meet this person, there’s a part of him in me and in his other descendants, and that’s why I wanted to write this song.”







Remnants will be released on January 21st through Omnicult Records, and can be pre-ordered now at this location. Artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





"Man In The Shadow"
"Escape"
"Since Blood"
"Thousand Mirrors"
"Ben Moore"
"Highway Of Denial"
"Inherit Silence"
"Animal Kingdom"
"Absorbia"


"Highway Of Denial" video:





(Photo: Patrik Nuorteva)


 


 

Møtivatiøn, a collaboration of top tier creatives from across the heavy music spectrum, will release The Infinite 8 Steps To Power / Money / More full-length on February 22 via Seeing Red Records.


A mammoth project uniting an eclectic array of musicians, the ambitious effort boasts twelve stirring psalms brought to fruition by members of Agnostic Front, L7, Black Anvil, Toxic Holocaust, High Reaper, Obituary, and so many more. The premise of Møtivatiøn is simple: If you want to motivate yourself by motivating others and/or motivate others by motivating yourself, then your positive collaboration will be most welcome. Møtivatiøn’s immersive listening experience and teachings continually challenge and engage candidates searching for the best possible version of themselves.  


Comments chief motivator/instigator/orchestrator Ø, “The goal is to cultivate a culture of positive collaboration in which individuals actively contribute to each other's evolution, and to achieve these through a unique process designed for a unique audience. In short, this is all about personal development. Are you familiar with the field of ‘life coaches’ and 'motivational speakers?’ Have you ever been frustrated with how artificial, and…well, ‘normal’ they tend to be? Have you ever felt like you would like a role model like that, but none of them feel relatable to you? We have.




“Our vision is about crafting a subculture approach to personal development,” he continues. “The ‘dark’ imagery and mysterious language are tools to create a distinct frequency and culture which will appeal to the outcasts and misfits and repel those who are unwilling to face their own darkness. Our processes and strategies are intentionally novel, mysterious, and even sometimes apparently apocalyptic. Psychologically, this allows individuals to experience them with a sho-shin-beginner mind. A sense of curiosity and apprehension which activates the nervous system in a different way.”


In advance of the release of The Infinite 8 Steps To Power / Money / More, today the cooperative unveils its first single, “Prisøn Løgic”. The track seamlessly exhumes psychic survival techniques designed to enlighten the listener, introducing the realm of both mental and physical self-liberation. “Prisøn Løgic” was birthed as a singular acoustic video offering via legendary guitar innovator Parris Mayhew (Cro-Mags) as the vom messaging materializes from Mike IX Williams (EyeHateGod). Williams has an intimate understanding of confinement and the institutionalization of one’s mind. Theo Kogan’s (Lunachicks) blessed vocals are fractals of aural Blondie resonance intertwined with the dueling guitar leads of Gina Volpe (Lunachicks) and Shane Trimble (High Reeper) cultivating in a comforting frequency that coats the closing message in an easily ingested amalgamation of the positive.


Watch the video below, as well as a brief discussion about the track among its collaborators.


The Infinite 8 Steps To Power / Money / More will be released on LP and digital formats. Find pre-orders here.





The Infinite 8 Steps To Power / Money / More tracklisting:


"Step Øne (In 5 Easy Steps)" (Feat. Theo Kogan, Joel Grind, Lucy Pierce, Shane Trimble)
"Swalløw" (Feat. Theo Kogan, Roger Miret, Shane Trimble)
"Prisøn Løgic" (Feat. Mike IX Williams, Parris Mayhew, Gina Volpe, Shane Trimble)
"Cøntrol" (Feat. Paul Delaney, Theo Kogan)
"Initium Fire/Gøld" (Feat. Donita Sparks, Gina Volpe, Theo Kogan)
"Medi (C+T) Atiøn" (Feat. Paul Delaney, Theo Kogan, Victoria Starr)
"Helder Fan Eagen, Ferljøchte Fan Geast" (Feat. John Bart Van Der Wal, Thomas Haywood)
"Pay Tø Play" (Feat. Roger Miret, Roddy Bottum, Theo Kogan , Richie Long)
"Øpen" (Feat. Eddley Odowd, Theo Kogan)
"Revelation Denied" (Feat. Erik Payne, Gregg Roberts, Mike Radford, John Sutton, Kenny Andrews)
"Løgistics" (Feat. Norman Reedus, Matt Katz-Bohen, Theo Kogan, Shane Trimble)
"Spøils; Zenith" (Feat. Roddy Bottum, Victoria Starr, Genesis P Orridge, Norman Reedus, Eddley Odowd, Joe Letz, Andy Duval)