San Francisco mayor London Breed proclaimed Thursday (December 16) as "Metallica Day" in the city, ahead of the band’s citywide "takeover" this weekend for its 40th anniversary.

Earlier today, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo appeared with Breed and Another Planet Entertainment president Gregg Perloff for a press event where an official proclamation was made commemorating the first 40 years of the legendary heavy metal band.

Mayor Breed praised the band for its importance to San Francisco and the Bay Area, calling the members of METALLICA "extraordinary musicians and people"

"They're part of the fabric of the community," Breed said. "They have touched people's lives for generations.

"When you talk about San Francisco, you talk about cable cars and then you talk about METALLICA," she said. "And on behalf of the City and County of San Francisco, I want to officially declare today 'Metallica Day'."

To mark its 40th anniversary, METALLICA has put together a series of events throughout San Francisco, culminating with two previously announced concerts at the Chase Center. The celebration will feature performances by TAIPEI HOUSTON, which features Ulrich's sons, and THE WEDDING BAND, a side project of Trujillo and METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett.

"Part of this METALLICA experience and takeover includes supporting small businesses and a clean-up at the beach," said Mayor Breed.

Ulrich and Trujillo spoke about the acceptance and sense of home that San Francisco offered to METALLICA after the band first moved to the Bay Area from Los Angeles in 1982.

"We didn't start in San Francisco," Lars said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We started in Southern California. And we came up to San Francisco, the first time, in 1982, in September, and played at the Stone and subsequently played at the Old Waldorf a couple of times… And we had done six, nine months in Los Angeles, and we did not belong.

"The reason we all wanted to be in a band was to fit into something greater than ourselves, and we absolutely did not fit into anything in Los Angeles, Sunset Strip, Hollywood — any of that. We felt like complete outsiders," he explained. "When we came up here in September of 1982 and we started playing, we played four shows that fall — like I said, at the Stone, the Old Waldorf and at the Mabuhay Gardens — and we were embraced and we were taken in and we felt so welcomed and so loved up here. There was a sense of music community for people like ourselves who felt like outsiders, who liked things that were not in the mainstream, and that was has obviously been a significant part of San Francisco's history. So coming up here in 1982, standing on the shoulder of the history of the culture, the Beat poets and the hippie movement and the music and Bill Graham and everything that San Francisco represented, we were just embraced instantly. We felt so welcomed, so loved and we felt finally like we belonged someplace. And it's been 39 years of feeling that sense of belonging, to not just a geographical place — San Francisco, the Bay Area, Northern California, whatever you wanna call it — but it's also a state of mind. You belong to what San Francisco represents.

"We have been so proud to shout from every rooftop all over the world, at every press conference, in every mic that's been shoved in our faces for the better part of 40 years how much San Francisco gave us an identity and gave us, like I said, a sense of belonging," he added. "And we fly the flag proud for San Francisco and the Bay Area all over the world on our t-shirts. But we are so proud of our connection to everything that San Francisco represents and to all the wonderful people, to, obviously, the great physical and geographical elements here and the history and the cable cars and the Giants and the Warriors and the list goes on.

"Those of you who know our story know that we've been fortunate enough to travel all over the world — we've played all seven continents — and there are many, many wonderful places on this planet where music, compared to when we started — Latin America, Southeast Asia, places that you wouldn't expect 30, 40 years ago that you could bring rock and roll to — that have now also embraced us. But our hearts and our souls and our sense of belonging will always be San Francisco. And METALLICA and San Francisco will always be two words which are synonymous with each other."

METALLICA's massive 40th-birthday celebration will include two unique live shows featuring two different setlists December 17 and 19 at Chase Center. Tickets for these shows were made available only to registered members of METALLICA's Fifth Member fan club.

The 40th-anniversary shows see METALLICA return to Chase Center for the first time since the September 2019 "S&M²" concerts that also served as the venue's grand opening.

Formed in 1981 by Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 2.5 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album), "Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.

METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize.










Metallica Day at Chase Center.

Posted by 107.7 The Bone on Thursday, December 16, 2021



It’s official, Happy Metallica Day!! It was an honor to ask the first question at the Chase Center press conference...

Posted by Chasta Freeman Michaelis on Thursday, December 16, 2021

























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Ted Nugent says that vegans are "responsible" for "the most death possible" because millions of animals are killed every year to prepare land for growing crops, like corn, soybean, wheat and barley, the staples of a vegan diet.

The outpoken conservative rocker and avid hunter, who is the national spokesman for pro-hunting lobbying group Hunter Nation, addressed the topic while being interviewed by the 96.1 KLPX radio station. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If you wanna be responsible for the most death possible, become a vegan. Because behind that tractor and that plough and that disc, unless you hide and deny it, are crows and seagulls following that tractor growing your tofu because the plough and the disc dismember and mutilate everything in those gazillion acres — every squirrel, every ground-nesting gopher, every ground-nesting bird, every snake, every turtle, every animal in that field that's turned into tofu is slaughtered by the gazillion."

He continued: "I'll never forget, this guy said, "Well, we're going to a vineyard to protest hunting.' And I go, 'Wait a second. Do you know the vineyard operator? Because I do. And you know what the vineyard operator does to protect those grapes? He kills everything — everything that sneaks in, everything that walks in, everything that flies in. The vineyard operator, to grow your wine, to protest hunting, kills everything that threatens those grapes, you jerk.'

"My son's a vegan, my buddy Michael Lutz [of] BROWNSVILLE STATION, my co-producer, he's a vegan for health considerations, for digestive considerations," Nugent added. "That's perfectly legitimate. I'm not knocking veganism. But don't think for a minute that there's a reduction in animal deaths because you have a tofu salad. Just the opposite takes place. And denial is such a convenient lie. So all you vegans, just keep eating your vegan salad because I love when you dismember all those animals and the crows and the seagulls pick up on them as they're writhing in horror and being tortured so you can have a nice 'blood-free' salad."

According to Ted, his comments about veganism usually turn some heads because "nobody's ever taught anybody that. Why isn't that taught in school?" he said. "There's cause and effect. You can't just have the effect. You've gotta be honest about the cause. And you have to be honest about the effect."

Nearly two decades ago, animal science researcher Steven Davis claimed in a controversial article that the harm done to wild animals through raising vegetables was greater than the combined harm to wild and domestic animals through raising large herbivores on pasture. Writing in the Journal Of Agricultural And Environmental Ethics in 2003, he argued that the animals in this case are mice and moles and rabbits and other creatures that are run over by tractors, or lose their habitat to make way for farming, so they are not as visible as cattle. "Perhaps," Davis wrote, "we are obligated to consume a diet containing both plants and ruminant (particularly cattle) animal products."

Nugent, who recently resigned from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years, is promoting his new album, "Detroit Muscle", which is due on April 29, 2022 via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was produced by Lutz and Nugent and was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless.

Polish heavy metal act, Crystal Viper, have released 4-track "live in-studio" video, which was filmed as part of the #RockOutSessions series. Watch below.


Frontwoman Marta Gabriel explains: "2021 wasn’t an easy year. We released new studio album The Cult, but we managed to play literally three live shows only, as our other festival appearances and the European Tour on which we were supposed to promote new album were either postponed or cancelled. So instead, we did few new studio recordings, including full #RockOutSessions recording, where we played four songs from The Cult in the live, stripped down versions. We decided to release the video version for free - it’s our way of saying thank you to all the fans who are supporting us in those weird times, who bought the new album. The same material will be later released as Side-B of our special mini-album, which will be released in the next few months, and which will include few rather big surprises!"

In a new interview with Pete Bailey of Primordial Radio, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren was asked if his former LINDEMANN collaborator, vocalist Till Lindemann of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN, is as "larger than life" as appears to be. "Yeah, if you see it from the outside," Peter responded. "If you know him, he's not really any different than anybody else. He just has a vision of how he likes things to look like. And he's a very smart guy when it comes to the business stuff and to the show. Other than that, he's a normal guy."

Two months ago, Peter admitted to the "Scars And Guitars" podcast that he was "not really" friends with Till anymore. "But it doesn't matter," he said. "So, just to keep it short and [concise], we did something major and it left rings on the water, so to say. I'm proud of it. I was happy. We were really productive when we were working together. There is nothing like me and him when we start doing shit. We can just sit and talk about things like, 'Ah, it would be cool to do it like this,' and then 10 minutes later, we have it."

Tägtgren previously spoke about his exit from LINDEMANN in a chat with Landry.Audio. At the time, he said: "I can just tell you this: it was great when it was, and it wasn't great when it wasn't — put it that way."

He continued: "[Till and I] had a dynamite chemistry. We just had to look at each other and then we started writing music. It was that easy. The easiest part was the studio work. We could have spit out hundreds of songs every year because we had so many ideas, and we really clicked.

"So, yeah, it's sad," Peter added. "We could have been one of the biggest bands in the world if we kept on going, I tell you that. It was insane.

"I was taking care of the music, and he was taking care of the image. And in between there, we helped each other, kind of."

This past July, Peter told the "I Ask No One" video podcast that the final tour he played with LINDEMANN "was not really my cup of tea at all, to be honest. And that's why we're not playing anymore together. So [Till] can go on with his stuff; I go on with my stuff. To keep it very simple."

In November 2020, Tägtgren and Lindemann confirmed that they were ending their collaboration on the LINDEMANN project.

LINDEMANN's second album, "F & M", was released in November 2019. The follow-up to 2015's "Skills In Pills" was once again produced and mixed by Tägtgren.

"Skills In Pills" reached gold status in Germany and was entirely in English. On the second opus, Lindemann went back to singing exclusively in German.

LINDEMANN had received some criticism due to its use of pornography during its second album cycle, with the music video for "Platz Eins" described by one site as "full-on art porn — slick and stylish, weird and experimental, and definitely X-rated."

LINDEMANN released a concert film, "Live In Moscow", in May on Blu-ray. The set included professionally filmed video footage of LINDEMANN's March 15, 2020 performance at Moscow, Russia's VTB Arena.

John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, has once again railed against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying it is "absolutely insane" that the government is requiring vaccines as a way to contain the virus outbreak, which has killed nearly 800,000 people in the U.S.

The 46-year-old vocalist/bassist, who previously publicly revealed that he was unvaccinated, discussed his views on the COVID-19 vaccines during the final 2021 installment of his "Cooper Stuff" video podcast.

He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a new year. I don't know where we're at. I don't know if it's gonna get worse or if, all of a sudden, people are gonna wake up and realize how insane this is, how absolutely insane it is that we are pushing mandates — all over the whole world, by the way — at a time when countries are getting… I think America is, like, 70 percent vaccinated now. Are we close to 70 percent vaccinated? I can't remember. Some of these countries in Europe are 80, 90 percent vaccinated. Some of them have, in terms of adults, 98 percent vaccination rates for people over 15 or 16. At a time when a lot of these countries, basically, for all intents and purposes, should have, quote, herd immunity, which is a whole other discussion, because they have those populations vaccinated but the rates of COVID are still going up, it is absolute insanity to say, 'Well, the answer then has to be mandated vaccines. You're not allowed to come out of your house.'"

He continued: "I'm not telling you not to get a vaccine. I'm not even an anti-vaxxer. Except that the dictionary changed the [definition] of anti-vaxxer and now part of what anti-vaxx means is that if you don't support mandates, you're an anti-vaxxer. So I a guess I am an anti-vaxxer. I'm not against vaccines. I'm not against this vaccine. I'm just against the mandate.

"But the question just remains: when you have 70, 80, 90, 96 percent vaccinated people and your rates of COVID are still going up, why are people asking that question?" he added. "Are people gonna wake up to this finally? I really just don't know. I honestly don't know.

"Last year, I felt like certainly it was gonna get worse before it gets better. I don't think we're out of it yet. I think we're still going to watch a little bit of this getting worse, to be honest with you. But I like to think that we're at least on the backside."

Last month, the Memphis, Tennessee-born Cooper, who lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said that COVID-19 vaccine mandates are "much more about tyranny than they are actually keeping people safe."

During the summer, Cooper opened up about his reluctance to wear masks, saying: "The issue of the mask wearing, to me, is nothing more than theater. It is making me jump into an unreality, something that I do not believe, just to acquiesce to either the overlords — overlords meaning government, Big Tech [Editor's note: A name given to the five largest and most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the United States — namely Google (Alphabet), Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft], big business, big media, whatever — to acquiesce to what they want me to do. Even though I know that it's not true, but I'm gonna play the game. And every time I put my mask on, I know that I'm doing something that I do not believe in. In other words, I'm being forced to lie… I'm being forced to jump into something I don't believe, and I'm living by a lie — I'm living by a lie that this mask is actually gonna keep me safe from all harm. To acquiesce to the government, which says that I'm believing something that I know that I don't believe. So now I'm basically living in a fantasy world. That frightens me. And every time I put that mask on, that's basically what I think. I know I'm doing this, I know it's show, I know it's theater, I know my overlords don't even believe in it, because if they did, they wouldn't be breaking all of their own rules."

In the U.S., more than 61% of the population are currently fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, while more than 72% have received at least one shot, according to data from the CDC.

More than 797,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S.

According to the nonpartisan, nonprofit web site Fact Check, while vaccines reduce the probability of getting infected, they are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person — particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals. And, despite vaccination providing excellent protection against severe disease, a small proportion of vaccinated people still require ICU care.

In various interviews over the years, Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

Jackson Guitars has released the new video below, in which Marty Friedman takes you "Behind The Riff" of the intro to his song "Whiteworm", off his album Wall Of Sound.


"It’s not as tricky as it seems, it is just a couple of patterns connected together."


Check out Marty's signature models here.

Vocalist Biff Byford of British metal veterans SAXON spoke to Liselotte "Lilo" Hegt of HeadBangers LifeStyle about the band's plans to return to the road in 2022. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[We're doing] 40th-anniversary shows [in the U.K.] with a big production. And we've got three of those to do [in January]. And we've also got some of those to do in Europe as well in the summer, at the festivals. So I don't know what's happening with them. They're still on. They've been postponed and put back to next year, like Bang Your Head!!! in Germany and Graspop [Metal Meeting in Belgium]. We're doing festivals in the summer — they're still there; we're still doing them. And I think we're gonna be touring in autumn in Europe and the U.K. I think the first tour we might do next year will be America."

He continued: "You can't book things too far in front — too soon, I mean — because it all gets changed; the governments are changing things all the time [due to COVID-19 restrictions]. But you can make it a little bit later on, to see whether we can get over the new variant — omicron or whatever the fuck it is. Just fingers crossed, really, that we can do that. But meanwhile, just in case, we're planning albums to do. If we're not gonna be touring, then we're gonna be making more music. That's the plan."

Asked what the situation is like with live events in the U.K. at the moment, Biff said: "We're wearing masks again in shops. They haven't said anything about big events yet. I just think they're waiting to see if this variant makes people more sick than the last one [did]. I think that's what it's about. Everybody has to have a booster. They're vaccinating people like crazy in the U.K.; that's what they're doing."

SAXON will release its 23rd studio album, "Carpe Diem", on February 4, 2022 via Silver Lining Music. The LP was produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) at Backstage Recording Studios in Derbyshire with Byford and Sneap mixing and mastering.

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 Damian Wilson states: "Damian sings the track ‘Bridge Of Life’ on the new Star One album Revel In Time. For me, Damian is one of the most recognizable singers on the planet, such a unique and emotional voice! Check out this video to hear part of his vocals and don’t miss his wonderful and funny message at the end. Thanks once again, my valiant Knight, till next time."







The album will be available for pre-order on December 17, and it 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.





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.


"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

On September 25 in New York, Metal Allegiance - featuring Alex Skolnick, Phil Demmel, Mike Portnoy, John Bush, Mark Menghi and Mark Osegueda - performed their only concert in 2021. This is that night!


It began as a celebration of heavy metal, powered by the almost tribal bond shared between the extreme music community’s most revered trailblazers, armed with a list of contributors onstage (and off) that read like a Wikipedia entry on the genre itself.


"Getting the core of Metal Allegiance together once is nothing short of a minor miracle, considering the complex crisscross of schedules and outside obligations," says Mark Menghi.  




Metal Allegiance have written and performed together multiple times and produced not one but two studio albums is nothing short of astounding. It’s evidence of their total commitment to the spirit that Metal Allegiance embodies, to the force of their unique creative chemistry, and to the fans.


On September 25, Metal Allegiance reassembled and hit the stage for the first time in nearly two years on their home turf of Long Island, NY - where the band began back in 2014 - at Stereo Garden LI in Patchogue, New York (their first live-show since before Covid-19).


The show was recorded in all its glory for this exclusive on-demand livestream, which can be ordered in the "Store", here.


A promotional clip for the show can be viewed below:





Metal Allegiance is:


John Bush (Armored Saint, ex-Anthrax)
Mike Portnoy (Winery Dogs, Sons Of Apollo, ex-Dream Theater)
Alex Skolnick (Testament)
Mark Osegueda (Death Angel)
Mark Menghi (Testament)
Phil Demmel (Vio-lence, ex-Machine Head)

Warner Music for Europe and Sony Music for outside Europe today announced that Pink Floyd's P•U•L•S•E• Restored & Re-Edited, will be released for the first time on Blu-ray on February 18.


The P•U•L•S•E• concert film (helmed by esteemed director David Mallet) will be available as 2x Blu-ray and 2x DVD deluxe box sets, with the video footage having been expertly re-edited by Aubrey Powell/Hipgnosis from the original tape masters especially for The Later Years release in 2019. The cover design, originally created by Storm Thorgerson and Peter Curzon for the 2006 DVD release, has also been updated with photography by Aubrey Powell/Hipgnosis and Rupert Truman/StormStudios. The packaging artwork is designed by Peter Curzon from StormStudios, under the direction of Aubrey Powell/Hignosis.







This release also sees the reintroduction of the iconic pulsating light as per the original 1995 CD release, this time operated by two replaceable AA batteries. The deluxe packages include music videos, concert screen films, documentaries, Pulse Tour rehearsal footage and more, alongside a 60-page booklet.


P•U•L•S•E•, originally released as an album in 1995, was recorded on the European leg of the Division Bell tour and the DVD and Blu-ray packages include the whole live performance of The Dark Side Of The Moon – the only full live filmed recording of this seminal album. The concert, filmed on 20 October 1994 at Earls Court in London, saw Pink Floyd play some of their classic tracks as well as highlights from the recently released album The Division Bell. Standout tracks include "High Hopes", "Keep Talking", "Sorrow", "Wish You Were Here", "Comfortably Numb" and "The Great Gig In The Sky".





Nick Mason reflects on the original CD release and the pulsing LED light: "Essentially, it's a device which we thought was entertaining. It's an idea of Storm Thorgerson's which related to The Dark Side Of The Moon and the pulse, and it's a live album so the box is 'alive'. After that, in terms of seriously deep meanings, one might be struggling a bit".


You can pre-order P•U•L•S•E• Restored & Re-Edited here.

Rare, live, never before seen drum cam footage of late Megadeth drummer, Nick Menza, performing the bands controversial speed metal version of Nancy Sinatra's 1966 hit song, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", can be seen below.


The clip was taken from one of Menza's many private VHS tapes and was filmed by an unknown Megadeth road crew member with Nick's personal video camera on February 25, 1991 during the bands live concert in Tokyo, Japan at Nakano Sunplaza.


"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" with lyrics altered by Mustaine was originally released June 12, 1985 on Megadeth's debut studio album, Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!, via Combat Records.




The song sparked controversy in later years when the song's original author, Lee Hazlewood, deemed Mustaine's changes to be "vile and offensive" and demanded that the song be removed from the album. Under threat of legal action, the song was removed from all pressings released after 1995. In 2002, the album was re-released with a modified version of the song; the altered lyrics were censored because Hazlewood has not given permission to the band to release the cover in its original version. In the liner notes of the album's reissue, Mustaine was strongly critical of Hazlewood, noting that he received royalties for almost 10 years before objecting to the altered version.





Menza's personal and private VHS tape collection will see the light of day for the first time in the upcoming official uncensored Nick Menza documentary film This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza. The film is being produced and directed by the Holly Mollohan of Screaming Butterfly Entertainment and expected to be released in 2022.


Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late Megadeth drummer's life.





This Was My Life will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic Rust In Peace lineup."


This Was My Life will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with. A screenshot from the film was recently released that featured an interview with former Lamb Of God/Megadeth drummer, Chris Adler.


Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

HELLOWEEN singer Andi Deris, who lives in Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish Canary Islands, spoke to Mayra Dias Gomes of Brazil's "Lokaos Rock Show" about how he has dealt with not being able to play shows for nearly two years during the coronavirus pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we've been in the lucky situation of actually being in the middle of a production [of our new self-titled album] when the pandemic hit. So all my fellow musicians here in the band, we did not even realize that there's something bad going on in the world because we've been, as always, in lockdown in the studio. [Laughs] We were in our own lockdown. As with every production, you're kind of in your rabbit hole for [a few] months…

"After [each] production day, we sat there at two o'clock in the morning, listening to the news and watching German television, Spanish television — you go through BBC, you're watching CNN and you try to get a picture what's going on in the world and read between the lines, 'cause each and every news [report] was different," he continued. "But there was one common thing: there's a bloody pandemic going on. People were scared to death, and everybody thought, 'Okay, we'll all be dead by tomorrow.' [Laughs] Over here in Spain, because the Canary Islands are part of Spain, everybody had this [feeling of], 'The new Spanish Flu again.' … Everybody thought, 'Half of Spain will be eradicated by tomorrow.' So everybody had this big stomach thing going on, 'Oh, shit. Don't go out.'

"But for us, actually, that whole pandemic thing, the feeling that I just described, it hit long after the pandemic was actually being announced," Andi added. "So, for us, it was, like, 'Okay, you're here anyway. So, whatever goes on in the world doesn't affect us.' As always, in production we're in our own bubble. And even if there would be World War III and the Germans again invade the moon — whatever — we don't care. We're here in the studio. Okay, [we do care] because I am a German. Okay. That was a bad example. [Laughs] Forget it. [Laughs] "

This past June, the new LP from the reunited expanded classic lineup of HELLOWEEN entered the official album chart in the band's home country of Germany at position No. 1.

The "Pumpkins United" lineup of HELLOWEEN features returning singer Michael Kiske and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen alongside Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

HELLOWEEN's new album saw the legendary German power metallers going "back to the roots," with the band recording fully analog and Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN's original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" recordings.

The "Pumpkins United" tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including "Kids Of The Century", "Rise And Fall" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime". Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including "Ride The Sky", "Judas", "Starlight" and "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)".

HELLOWEEN's European "United Alive World Tour Part II", which was originally scheduled to take place in September and October will now take place next year.

Despite having vastly different political views from Ted Nugent, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello says that they are good friends.

Morello, who is a member one of the most militant left-wing rap/rock/metal bands of all time, discussed his relationship with Nugent during a recent appearance on "The Howard Stern Show".

Speaking about how he struck up a friendship with the otspoken conservative rocker, Tom said (see video below): "For his 60th birthday, someone reached out to me and said, 'We're making a video, and we're asking guitar players [to say a few kind words]. At the time, the Ted Nugent which was sort of known in the world in general was this kind of more right-wing caricature — people were not thinking of him, first and foremost, as the guy who shredded on 'Stranglehold'. But then I had to think, 'What is the video that I'm going to make for Ted's birthday?' And I put some thought into it, and I said, 'It's gonna be about two things. One, it's gonna be things that Tom Morello and Ted Nugent have in common,' and I went down this long list of [things like] free-speech advocates, our love of rock and roll, our respect for black artists who created rock and roll. And then the second was things that Ted Nugent taught an adolescent Tom Morello about sex. And then I went through 'Cat Scratch Fever' — these strange words, like the lyrics to the song 'Cat Scratch Fever', the lyrics to the song 'Wang Dang Sweet Poontang', which were utterly foreign to me, and I had to ask about on the playground. Anyway, so Ted called me up after that. And while we certainly have differences, I consider him a friend."

Morello previously spoke about his relationship with Nugent during a 2017 interview with The Guardian. He said at the time: "We have very similar views on freedom of speech. His libertarian edge and my anarchist edge overlap considerably.

"Sometimes, if he says something outrageous that will fire up his racist base, I'll text him to say, 'Dude. What are you on about?' We're able to talk about it as friends as opposed to people on the opposite sides of the barricade."

Nugent, an avid supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, has repeatedly said that last year's presidential election was a fraud, insisting that "hundreds of thousands of dead people" voted and claiming that machines were "rigged" to give a Donald Trump vote to Joe Biden.

Leading up to the election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.

Ted has called Trump "the greatest president in our lifetime," and believes the billionaire real estate mogul represents "the heart and soul of the best American families out there."

Less than two years ago, Morello referred to Trump as an "orange-faced demagogue."

On Saturday, December 4, IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain performed a set of MAIDEN classics — including the song "The Writing On The Wall" from this year's "Senjutsu" album — with TITANIUM TART at the 12th-anniversary celebration for Rock N Roll Ribs, the barbecue restaurant owned by McBrain and close friend Mitch Tanne, in Coral Springs, Florida. Fan-filmed video footage of the entire show is available below. Also appearing at the event were MADE OF METAL, KINLIN, ANGELS OF WAR, CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE and SCHOOL OF ROCK.

A barbecue joint with a musical bent, Rock N Roll Ribs showcases its love for smokey Southern cooking with food like barbecued pork and chicken and clever takes on MAIDEN songs, like "Final Frontier" dog, "Moonchild Mahi" sandwich and "Aces High" fries.

"It's not just MAIDEN fans that come in," McBrain said about the restaurant in a 2010 interview. "We do get a lot of pilgrimages, people come in and look at all the stuff on the walls, but most people that come in always come out satisfied. And it's not major expensive. A rack of ribs is [$20], and you get a pound and a quarter to a pound and a half of ribs."

Asked if he has always been a BBQ fan, McBrain told Broward Palm Beach New Times back in 2013: "Yeah! You know, I'm a Brit, and we don't have a very long summer, so it's very few and far between people get out and do a barbie in the backyard. Touring around America, I always used to love buying a rack of baby backs and some cole slaw and French Fries, and that was my main BBQ experience, the baby backs. Then a friend of mine taught me how to make the ribs we make in the restaurant, and I started to make some sauce, and it was very successful and people liked it, and that's where Rock N Roll Ribs was born, really. It was a dream we had and it finally came into fruition. I've got to be honest, it's not a business that's making a lot of money for us, but we make a lot of people smile and a lot of people happy. I'm very happy, it's great! I love it when I meet people and they say things like, 'these are the ribs I've ever had,' or, 'Your pulled pork is to die for,' and it warms the cockles of me heart!"

Rock N Roll Ribs

4651 State Rd. 7 (US441)

Coral Springs, FL 33073

954-345-RIBZ (7429)

Black Lion Records have announced the reissue of Kvaen's critically acclaimed debut album, The Funeral Pyre. Slated for a re-release in mid 2022, The Funeral Pyre delivers well-executed black metal from the north and takes the listener back to the times when evil reigned from '80s classic speed metal riffs to ringing dive bombs, right up to the church-burning pagan worshiping 90's black metal. The Funeral Pyre truly takes the listener on a wild and relentless ride deep through Norwegian forests, mountains and deep valleys!


 Black Lion Records comments: "We are proud to announce the third pressing of the critically acclaimed debut album, The Funeral Pyre. The album proved to be a huge hit in the underground scene and was very well received by fans and critics. With the album outselling two pressings within a year, it was clear it was not enough to satisfy the demand. This time we present two colors; standard black and a very limited edition in Oxblood Red. Both vinyls are 180g and comes with a printed lyric sheet."


The album is available for pre-sale here.







Furthermore, Kvaen is gearing up for the release of his sophomore studio album, The Great Below, to be released on March 25th via Black Lion Records. Go to this location to per-order.

Montreal's Thrash La Reine released their latest Notre-Dame-de-l’Enfer this past October via Bam&Co. Heavy. The full-length is the third release from the band following La Foi, La Loi, La Croix (2019) and Le Métal Est Notre Langue (2018). The concept album, produced by producer Francis Perron (Voivod - The Wake), is Thrash La Reine's metal opera about French Canadian folklores presented over thirteen heavy metal bangers, nine full songs, and four instrumental interludes. Overall, the album will connect with many Francophone fans, but the band's goal is to also expose French Canadian culture to more metalheads around the globe no matter their language.


"Metal is universal, no matter what language it is vocally and lyrically presented in. On ‘Notre-Dame-de-l’Enfer’, these French Canadian folk tales are all about ghosts, witches, sins, and the devil himself! It fits really well with the metal imagery! The album touches on a lot of different styles: fast, slow, sad, happy songs with either coarse or clean vocals.We also incorporated some traditional instruments on this album with the use of mandolin, acoustic guitar, strings, accordion, and cowbell along with singing and harmonies that are reminiscent of traditional chants." adds the band.


Today, the trio shares their latest lyric video for their interpretation of the popular French Canadian folktale “La Chasse Galerie”, also known as "The Bewitched Canoe" or "The Flying Canoe", which is the story of the Coureurs des Bois who make a deal with the devil, a variant of the European fable Wild Hunt.







"La Chasse-Galerie is probably the most well-known French Canadian folktale. This legend tells the story of woodcutters who make a pact with the devil on New Year’s Eve, so they can fly on a mystical canoe to go visit their girlfriend and party with their friends! Musically speaking, this track starts in a darker energetic mood. But in the middle, when the crew arrives at the party, the mood of the song changes to something more joyful!"


Notre-Dame-de-l'Enfer by Thrash La Reine

The three iconic Phenomena albums have been collected together into a mini-box set for fans who want to buy all three studio albums together. The set also includes the Anthology (which features five exclusive tracks) and all four booklets, including liner notes on the history of Phenomena.


Phenomena 1 sold over a million copies in 1985 and 1987’s Phenomena 2: Dream Runner featured the #1 hit single “Did It All For Love” with Phenomena 3: Innervision following in 1993.







Guests on the project include Glenn Hughes, John Wetton, Brian May, Cozy Powell, Mel Galley, Neil Murray, Max Bacon, Ric Sanders, Scott Gorham, John Thomas, Ted McKenna and Keith Murrell.


Phenomena has partnered with Townsend Music to launch a merchandise store with the CDs, Downloads and Merchandise (including t-shirts) available here.


The first Phenomena album’s quarter inch master tapes have also been given a fresh transfer to enable a 192/24 high-res audio release on platforms such as HDtracks.





There are future plans for the Phenomena project, to be announced on its Facebook page, as its horizons are expanded to reach new audiences. The Phenomena Trilogy has earned classic album status, so the mini-box set gives fans a one-stop-shop opportunity to buy the key releases.

Giant, the powerhouse rock quartet, are set to unleash their fifth studio album, Shifting Time, on January 21. Now, anchored by founding members David Huff and Mike Brignardello, the two are joined by guitarist John Roth (Winger, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, Jimi Jamison) and vocalist Kent Hilli (Perfect Plan).


After more than a decade since their last album, the band is back with new music that showcases their perfect blend of the melodic rock sound. Founding member Dann Huff has given his seal of approval and appears on lead guitar on the song "Never Die Young".


Fans can get their first taste of Shifting Time with the release of the single and video for "Never Die Young". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Shifting Time on CD/LP/Cassette/Digital here.




It has been over a decade since Giant has released new music and drummer David Huff says, "We are very excited for people to hear "Shifting Time"! It has been way too long in between Giant albums and we hope you find it worth the wait. Thanks to everyone at Frontiers and especially the fans for their undying support of Giant!! We would love to follow up with some live dates in 2022, if that is something the fans would like to see, so hopefully we'll see you out there!"


"We have worked so hard and we are very happy and proud of this record", continues Huff. "I was so impressed with Kent’s vocals when I first heard him! He was a natural fit with our sound and we are thrilled to have him on board," he adds about new vocalist Kent Hilli.


”Wow, man, what can I say? To be asked to be the new singer for my all-time favorite band Giant was, and still is, mind-blowing! I still have a hard time grasping it all. I am tempted to use a certain film quote ("You know, I'm just a regular guy who grew up with the posters of these guys on my wall...and now I'm one of them! That's right, I'm standing here, living proof that if you work hard enough, and you want it bad enough…dreams do come true, so follow your dreams.”), but I won’t, haha. But seriously, that is exactly how I feel. I still remember hearing Giant's first album, ”Last Of The Runaways”, in 1989 which totally blew me off the chair I was sitting on. Since then, I have probably listened to their music every week. And now working with David, Mike, John, and also Alessandro has been a blessing and I am very proud of the album and the music we have created together. These guys are true professionals and I am blessed beyond words to be a part of this and David, Mike, and John have been so supportive and welcoming. I am also very grateful to Frontiers for making this happen and giving me and us this opportunity and I can’t wait to release the songs for everyone to hear,” says Kent Hilli of joining Giant.


Originally formed in the late '80s by brothers Dann and David Huff, together with the experienced jazz and rock keyboardist Alan Pasqua and Nashville session bass player Mike Brignardello, Giant would become, with the release of their debut album "Last of The Runaways" (A&M Records, 1989), one of the most respected bands of the melodic hard rock scene. Following countless live performances in support of their debut, the band released the follow-up "Time to Burn" (Epic, 1991), an album still regarded as a main source of influence for many melodic and hard rock bands who came after. With the sudden change of musical climate in the early '90s, Giant disbanded with their members becoming involved in different projects, with both Dann and David Huff becoming well respected producers.


In 2001, Frontiers prompted Giant to release "III", an album that would prove to be a landmark in the growth of the new era Melodic Rock scene, particularly in Europe. Unfortunately, Dann's busy schedule along with the other members' commitments, made the reunion impossible to carry on as had originally been planned; however, the vision of bringing Giant back as a band with a recording and touring line-up was something that the band was still open to exploring, even if Dann had to step away. Thus, original members, drummer David Huff and bassist Mike Brignardello, with the blessing of Dann started an endless research for the right musicians that could be part of a renewed Giant line-up. In the end, the choice fell on vocalist Terry Brock (Strangeways, Seventh Key) and guitarist John Roth (Winger, Starship). The resulting album, “Promise Land” soon became a fan favorite, showcasing top quality songwriting and performances. Giant, however, went into hibernation again, with the exception of a one-off show in 2017, where the original band members reunited on a Nashville club stage for a charity event.


Even prior to that one-off live appearance, Serafino Perugino, President and Head of A&R for Frontiers Records, had been persistently contacting David Huff to do another Giant album. (Literally, years and years spent convincing David that fans wanted another Giant album.) With the one-off live event piquing fan interest again, Serafino and David Huff resumed talks to see if they could manage to find the right formula for a new album from Giant. When the Swedish band Perfect Plan released a cover version of the Giant’s original hit “Stay” in 2019, then all pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Serafino knew Giant was Kent's favorite band of all-time and vocally, Hilli certainly had the chops to fill the very big shoes of Dann Huff, so he presented him to David Huff and Mike Brignardello. They were impressed with Hilli and were keen on the idea of him handling lead vocals for the next Giant release. Kent also brought his songwriting talents to the fold and together with other songwriters such as Alessandro Del Vecchio, Kristian Fyhr, and Pete Alpenborg (and contributions from Jonas Eriksson and Mike Palace), the resulting album will be an absolute joy and delight for melodic rock lovers.


Truly, the production, songwriting, and performances shine throughout Shifting Time.


Shifting Time was produced by David Huff, Mike Brignardello and Alessandro Del Vecchio. Mixing and mastering was done by Del Vecchio for Frontiers Productions. Serafino Perugino serves as executive producer.





Tracklisting:


"Shifting Time"
"Let Our Love Win"
"Never Die Young"
"Don’t Say A Word"
"My Breath Away"
"Highway Of Love"
"It’s Not Over"
"The Price Of Love"
"Standing Tall"
"Anna Lee"
"Don’t Wanna Lose You"
"I Walk Alone"


"Never Die Young" video:





"Let Our Love Win" video:





Lineup:


Kent Hilli - Lead Vocals
John Roth - Guitar
Mike Brignardello - Bass
David Huff - Drums


Special Guest:


Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards, Background Vocals

German quintet There's A Light recently released its second album, f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶ ̶I ̶h̶o̶pe̶? for what must we hope?, via Napalm Records. The band filmed and recorded their first ever live session video with Vestra Visuals at the Stiftsschaffneikeller in Lahr. Watch below:





Thematically, on f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶ ̶I ̶h̶o̶pe̶? for what must we hope? There's A Light take a deeper look at the question of the true meaning of hope as well as at the different facets of it: On the one hand, hope can be something positive - a flourishing force that always gives a new impulse to grow beyond oneself. On the other hand, it can also do harm, for example, if one holds on to something that will never become reality.




Order here.





f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶ ̶I ̶h̶o̶pe̶? for what must we hope? tracklisting:


"...The Storm Will Set The Sails"
"Within The Tides"
"Magnolia"
"Like The Earth Orbits Sun"
"Dark Clouds Behind, Bright Skies Ahead"
"Refugium"
"Elpis"
"Fear Keeps Pace With Hope"
"Be Brave, Fragile Heart"
"Appearance Of Earth"
"Even In The Darkest Place..."


"Dark Clouds Behind, Bright Skies Ahead" video:





"Elpis" video:





There's A Light is:


David Christmann - guitar
Jonas Obermüller - piano, synth percussion
Markus Dold - guitar
Andreas Richau – vocals, bass
Jan Lüftner - drums


(Photo - Nicolas Kuri)

Eric Carr tribute act, Carr Jam - 21, have released the second single from their self-titled debut EP (out January 7). The track is a cover of the KISS classic, ”Love Her All I Can” and features singer Jesper Binzer (D-A-D) on lead vocals, and Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper) on guitar, together with members of Bonafide, Velvet Insane and Electric Boys.


Save the single here, and watch a lyric video below:







Eric Carr was a member of KISS from from 1980 to 1991, stepping into the drummer position following the departure of the band's original drummer, Peter Criss.


Carr's first album with KISS was 1981's Music From "The Elder", while his final recording with the band was for the song "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II". The last time he worked with KISS was in July 1991 when they filmed a video for the above mentioned song. Carr's final appearance with KISS was at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1991.


Eric Carr passed away on November 24, 1991 at 41.

During a recent appearance on Mitch Joel's "Groove - The No Treble Podcast", ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello was asked if he and his bandmates knew they had something special when they were working on the music for their classic 1987 album "Among The Living". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At that time, this music was on the rise. We just had come out with 'Spreading The Disease'. [Singer] Joey Belladonna is in the band. We had a great singer, we had great music — things were working. We knew while writing those songs and knowing the singer we had and knowing what we can do, the next step, I think it all came to play. So as we were writing those songs, we knew it was special. I do think we knew it. But you know what? You can never tell the outside world — you don't know the atmosphere of the outside world, how that's gonna be taken. You know there is a movement going on, but you don't know if this record that you have is gonna match what they're looking for. That is up to chance — for everybody, to be honest. And we had momentum going in for sure, but you don't know actually how it's gonna work. And to be honest, all you can do is do your best — put out your best music — you go out there and you tour your fucking ass off. And that's the program."

"Among The Living", originally produced by Eddie Kramer and ANTHRAX, was the band's third full-length album and featured the lineup of Bello, Belladonna, lead guitarist Dan Spitz, rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante. Building on an underground following with signature tracks such as "I Am The Law", "Caught In A Mosh" and "Indians", the album catapulted ANTHRAX to widespread recognition and earned the group's first gold award. "Among The Living" also marked the height of the band's use of horror and comic book inspirations, with the title track and album cover image based on the Stephen King novel "The Stand", "A Skeleton In The Closet" on King's novella "Apt Pupil", and "I Am The Law" on the comic book character Judge Dredd.

Despite the fact that "Among The Living" was ANTHRAX's third album (following 1984's "Fistful Of Metal" and 1985's "Spreading The Disease"), Ian told Metal Hammer in a 2017 interview that the band wasn't being forced by the record company at the time to make any big commercial breakthrough. "We were under no pressure at all," he said. "We had no time limit for writing or recording. The way we worked back then, when there were enough songs for an album, then we'd go in and do it. We never wrote more than was necessary. In a way, I now regret that situation. We were on such a roll that perhaps someone should have persuaded us to carry on writing. Who knows what else may have come out? When you're in that zone, there's a lot to be said for staying in. I'm not criticizing what's on 'Among The Living', but we may have benefited from being a little less hasty in finishing up the writing side."

Regarding the recording process for "Among The Living", Scott said: "We had just come off the METALLICA tour in the fall of '86 when [METALLICA bassist] Cliff Burton was killed, and we had come off that tour obviously early because of the tragedy. And that's when we started recording that record, pretty much right after that. I feel like the energy just really jumps off that record; you fucking hear how pissed off we are playing our instruments on that record. There's a brutality on that album that you don't hear on the two records before 'Among The Living'. It was just the record of its time; it really was."

When ANTHRAX's "Among The Living" full-album performance at the 2014 edition of the Sonisphere festival was first announced, Ian said: "A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (1986, New York City) we wrote a record that at the time, we had no idea would become our 'signature' record. We had a song about the plight of the American Indian, we had songs about Stephen King characters (Randall Flagg from 'The Stand' and Todd Bowden from 'Apt Pupil'), we had a song dedicated to Cliff Burton and another about John Belushi's clichéd death. We had a song about Judge fucking Dredd and we had a song called 'Caught In A Mosh'. We had songs.'

He continued: "When 'Among The Living' punched the world in the face in 1987, it launched ANTHRAX into a high-speed trajectory that we could barely keep up with. Like going from 0-200 kph in 5 seconds flat. Our heads were spinning as fast as they were banging, and [nearly 35] years later, nothing has changed."

Groove – Episode #83: Frank Bello by No Treble