Italian bass master and composer Alberto Rigoni (Natural Born Machine, Vivaldi Metal Project) will release his new album, Songs For Souls, on January 15th, 2022 in memory of his Father. 


Alberto has posted online a stunning performance video for "L'Origin du Monde", featuring Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Mark Zonder (ex-Fates Warning). Check it out below.


Alberto Rigoni on "L'Origin du Monde": "Composed by myself and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and featuring Fates Warning drummer Mark Zonder, 'L'Origin du Monde' is one of the songs of my upcoming album, Songs For Souls, out on January 15th in memory of my father. Happy Christmas!"




Jordan Rudess adds: "I co-wrote a song with Alberto Rigoni and I think it turned out beautifully. He originally sent me a lovely bass track and I let the inspiration flow and came up with the rest!"





Just recently, Rigoni announced Jordan Rudess, Mark Zonder, Fabrizio Leo, Marco Sfogli, Tommaso Ermolli, Enrico Taddei, Alessandro Bertoni and the legendary guitarist Jennifer Batten, joining the Songs for Souls album line-up.


In case you missed, also watch Jennifer Batten's promo for Songs for Souls below. Pre-order / fund Songs For Souls, available in digital and digipack CD at this location.

Cradle Of Filth drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka has shared drum cam footage of Iron Maiden's  "Hallowed Be Thy Name" performed live in New York City on October 11th. Check it out below.


Fan-filmed video of the band performing "Hallowed Be Thy Name" on October 1st in Dallas, Texas is also available.










Cradle Of Filth released their new album, Existence Is Futile, on October 22nd via Nuclear Blast. The album consists of 12 new tracks with a total playing time of 54 minutes.





Tracklisting:


"The Fate Of The World On Our Shoulders"
"Existential Terror"
"Necromantic Fantasies"
"Crawling King Chaos"
"Here Comes A Candle… (Infernal Lullaby)"
"Black Smoke Curling From The Lips Of War"
"Discourse Between A Man And His Soul"
"The Dying Of The Embers"
"Ashen Mortality"
"How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose?"
"Suffer Our Dominion"
"Us, Dark, Invincible"
"Sisters Of The Mist" (Bonus track)
"Unleash The Hellion" (Bonus track)


Check out Aaron Small's Bravewords feature here.


"Crawling King Chaos" video:

The New Black guitarist / Who Brought The Dog frontman Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz kept himself busy during lockdown with more musical experimentation. He recently released a full album of '80s-inspired synth wave tunes under the moniker SixMixSix, and is gearing up to release a new album, ROAR!, via RetroSynth Records. It will be released on January 7th, 2022.


The video for first single, "Hate Me In Return", featuring The New Black vocalist Fludid is streaming below.







SixMixSix released a live album recorded this past summer in Würzburg, Germany at the annual Umsonst & Draussen festival. It is available for free download here.


"This is just a document about our very first show EVER! So have fun with this historical grain of sand."


Live @U&D WÜRZBURG by SIXMIXSIX


Tracklist:


"The Howler"
"Plains Of Eidolon"
"Antarktos"
"Fortuna"
"Evening Star"
"Heart Of Deimos"
"Continuity"
"Cambion Drift"
"Star Winds"
"Azathoth"


The New Black is a hard rock band hailing from Würzburg, Germany, launched in 2007 by Schwarz and guitarist Christof Leim. They have released four albums to date via AFM Records: The New Black (2009), II: Better in Black (2011), III: Cut Loose (2013) and A Monster’s Life (2016).

Inspired by the Magic The Gathering card game, Planeswalker is the new power metal band founded by Helion Prime guitarist Jason Ashcraft and newly added Gloryhammer vocalist, Sozos Michael.


Today, the duo is unveiling the music video for their second single, "The Spark", from their forthcoming debut album, Tales Of Magic, due out on January 21. Watch below.


Tales Of Magic includes guest performances from Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), Heather Michele (ex-Helion Prime), Taylor Washington (Paladin), R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous), and more.







Tracklisting:


"Tales Of Magic"
"The Spark"
"Shadow Of Emeria"
"Blackblade"
"The Forever Serpent"
"Oath Of The Gatewatch"
"A Million To One" (KISS cover)


"The Spark" video:





"Tales Of Magic" lyric video:

Ladies and Gentlemen, lace up your platform boots as Space Panther has landed. Glamdemic! is the dazzling debut album from NJ supergroup trio Space Panther that may single-handedly trigger a global 1970s glam rock revival.


Take the excitement of The Sweet, the power of Slade, the swing of T-Rex, the boldness of Bowie, mix it all up and you have an idea of what Glamdemic! is all about. It is simply one of the most refreshing, mind-blowing debut records to come out in quite some time.


Space Panther consists of Bobby Kennedy (AciD/David Johansen) on guitar and vocals, Bob Pantella (Monster Magnet/Raging Slab/Atomic Bitchwax) on drums and Keith Roth (The Dictators. Frankenstein 3000, Sirius XM) on bass. Together, they have created a sound so astonishing that it rockets you back to a glitter-crazed London in the year 1971. So strap yourself in and prepare for blast off.







Glamdemic! presents you with 12 glam-infused pop classics that flow seamlessly together creating a phenomenal listening journey. An all killer no filler affair, clocking in at a mere 35 minutes total. This Space Panther inaugural launch leaves you wanting more. Much, much more.


With crystal clear production courtesy of Kennedy and Pantella, you can experience just the right blend of delicious retro and modern audio elements. This, coupled with this flawless batch of infectious anthems created by Bobby Kennedy, will surely have people talking about Glamdemic! for decades to come. Standout tracks include the anthemic "Gimme Some Drugs", the ass-shaking "Heatwave", the downright groovy "Hey Woman", and the rock n’ roll steamroller that is "Smooth Operator".


Pre-order here.

Official video footage of German thrash metal gods, Kreator, performing "Phobia" at Bloodstock 2021 can be viewed below.


Says the band: "It is always a pleasure returning to the UK for Bloodstock Festival, and so as a treat to our hordes worldwide, 'Phobia' from our Bloodstock 2021 set is now streaming on Bloodstock's YouTube."







Kreator recently announce a very special re-release of their 2001 masterpiece, Violent Revolution, for its 20th anniversary. The reissue of Violent Revolution is scheduled for a January 21 release through Nuclear Blast Records and it will include a huge selection of assorted live bootleg recordings, grouped together under the name Bootleg Revolution.


Listen to "All Of The Same Blood" (Live at Wâldrock) from the upcoming release:





The 20th-anniversary edition of Violent Revolution will be available in various formats, including Digital Album, CD Jewelcase, CD Digipak, Double LP, Cassette, and a limited Edition 4LP+2CD Boxset, which will also include an exclusive Kreator comic book called Graphic Violence - Chapter 1.


To give you a taste of the Bootleg Revolution material, which has been recorded in countries like Brazil, Korea, and Istanbul & on German Festivals like Wacken and Waldrock - check out the visualizer video for "Reconquering The Throne" (Live In Istanbul), below.





This Violent Revolution re-issue will be available in the following formats:


- Digital Album "Bootleg Revolution"" (Live In Brazil, Korea, Wacken / Live In Istanbul / Live At Waldrock)
- 2 CD Digibook incl. Live Bonus CD (Brazil, Korea, Wacken)
- 1 CD Jewelcase
- 2 LP Gatefold
*  Gatefold Solid BlackGatefold Solid Red
*  Marbled Clear/Red (EMP Exclusive)
*  Splatter Red/Black


- Box Set
*  2 CD Digibook (Album & Live Bonus)
*  2 LP (Album)
*  2 LP" (Live Bonus; Brazil, Korea, Wacken)
*  1 CD Slipcase" (Live In Istanbul), 1CD Slipcase" (Live At Waldrock)
*  20-page Comic Book "Graphic Violence - Chapter 1"


Pre-order Violent Revolution in a format of your choice, here. Listen to Violent Revolution on a digital service of your choice, here. Pre-save Violent Revolution on a digital service of your choice, here.


Listen to the single "Servant In Heaven - King In Hell"" (Live In Brazil), here and watch a visualizer below.





Violent Revolution tracklisting:


"Reconquering The Throne
"The Patriarch
"Violent Revolution
"All Of The Same Blood
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell
"Second Awakening
"Ghetto War
"Replicas Of Life
"Slave Machinery
"Bitter Sweet Revenge
"Mind Of Fire
"System Decay


Live Bonus:


"Violent Revolution" (Live in Brazil)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live in Brazil)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live in Korea)
"People Of The Lie" (Live in Korea)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live in Korea)
"Phobia" (Live In Korea)
"Pleasure To Kill" (Live in Korea)
"Renewal" (Live in Korea)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live Brazil)
"Terrible Certainty" (Live in Korea)
"Riot Of Violence" (Live in Korea)
"Terrorzone" (Live in Brazil)
"Betrayer" (Live in Brazil)
"Lost" (Live in Brazil)
"Coma Of Souls" (Live in Brazil)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live at Wacken)
"Tormentor" (Live at Wacken)





Bootleg Revolution tracklisting:


"Violent Revolution" (Live in Brazil)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live in Brazil)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live in Korea)
"People Of The Lie" (Live in Korea)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live in Korea)
"Phobia" (Live In Korea)
"Pleasure To Kill" (Live in Korea)
"Renewal" (Live in Korea)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live Brazil)
"Terrible Certainty" (Live in Korea)
"Riot Of Violence" (Live in Korea)
"Terrorzone" (Live in Brazil)
"Betrayer" (Live in Brazil)
"Lost" (Live in Brazil)
"Coma Of Souls" (Live in Brazil)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live at Wacken)
"Tormentor" (Live at Wacken)
"Violent Revolution" (Live in Istanbul)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live in Istanbul)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live in Istanbul)
"People Of The Lie" (Live in Istanbul)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live in Istanbul)
"Phobia" (Live in Istanbul)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live in Istanbul)
"Terrible Certainty" (Live in Istanbul)
"Riot Of Violence" (Live in Istanbul)
"Betrayer" (Live in Istanbul)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live in Istanbul)
"Tormentor" (Live in Istanbul)
"The Patriarch" (Live at Waldrock)
"Violent Revolution" (Live at Waldrock)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live at Waldrock)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live at Waldrock)
"People Of The Lie" (Live at Waldrock)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live at Waldrock)
"Phobia" (Live at Waldrock)
"Pleasure To Kill" (Live at Waldrock)
"Renewal" (Live at Waldrock)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live at Waldrock)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live at Waldrock)
"Tormentor" (Live at Waldrock)


"Reconquering The Throne" (Live In Istanbul) visualizer:





"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live In Brazil) visualizer:





As the 21st century was born, so Kreator underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades. In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as Pleasure To Kill (1986), TerribleCertainty ('87), and Extreme Aggression ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like Coma Of Souls (1990), Renewal ('92), and Endorama ('99). Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains. “During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band was doing. But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album – our first of the new millennium – we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of Kreator. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place.”


There were some significant changes for this album, one being the fact that the band signed to SPV/Steamhammer. There was also a new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band Waltari) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the Oucast (1997) and Endorama albums.


As usual, it was Petrozza who did all the writing for the album.


The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world. Pre-production was done in Essen at KKS Studios, before the band went to Area 51 Studios in Celle, near Hamburg where they recorded the drum and bass (handled by Christian Giesler).


The album title came from something Petrozza had read. “In a book, I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: 'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.' I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact."


For the cover, Kreator turned to Andreas Marschall, who had done such a striking job on the 1990's Coma Of Souls album sleeve.


Violent Revolution was released in September 2001, and became the band's highest-charting album to that point in Germany, as it reached number 38. “We knew we had a good album, so in that way, it wasn't a surprise to see this do so well in the chart. But however good you might think your album is, you can never be certain how people will react to what you've done, and whether you can pick up new fans, as well as satisfy the older ones. So, I suppose there was an element of us being pleasantly surprised when we got into the Top 40 for the first time. But I have to give a lot of credit to our label. They knew exactly how to market and promote the album, and showed we had made the right choice in signing to them.”


Violent Revolution is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, Kreator proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalization.


“I feel this is one of our strongest albums,” says Petrozza with conviction. “We took what we'd done on 'Coma Of Souls' and 'Extreme Aggression' but this wasn't a case of repeating it. No, we added in modern metal elements to the sound as well. It was a new era for Kreator. A rebirth if you want to put it that way. And the start of what I would call our second career.”


Kreator's Violent Revolution lineup, 2001 (pictured at top):


Mile Petrozza - Vocals, Guitars
Sami Yli-Sirniö - Guitars
Christian Giesler - Bass
Ventor - Drums

In a new interview with Metal Musikast, SOILWORK singer Björn "Speed" Strid spoke about the time more than a decade and a half ago when the Swedish metallers managed to secure an official endorsement from The Metal God himself, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford, who praised them as a band that is "taking metal forward with its cutting-edge [approach]."

"That's just simply amazing," Strid said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I remember when I read that. 'Cause somebody told me [about it]. They said, 'Oh, have you seen that Rob Halford is talking about you in this Belgian metal magazine?' I said, 'What? No. No. Are you crazy? No. C'mon.' Then he managed to… I don't know — he picked it up somewhere, and then I got to read it. And I just lost it. I [said to him], 'Can I take the magazine with me home?' And [he said], 'Yeah, yeah.' I just went straight home and I cried for two hours because it was so overwhelming and so amazing, because he was, and still is, one of my absolute vocal heroes. It was just surreal to read that. I was, like, 'He's talking about my band. He's talking about my voice. This is just nuts.' Yeah, [it was] absolutely amazing."

SOILWORK was formed in Helsingborg in 1995. Following two highly acclaimed albums, "Steel Bath Suicide" (1998) and "The Chainheart Machine" (1999) on Listenable Records, SOILWORK joined the Nuclear Blast roster in 2001. The band's unique blend of melodic metal developed at a staggering rate as they released a new bombshell each year, touring aggressively throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Some of the highlights included Ozzfest alongside headliners BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN and an arena tour with LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Their latest release was an EP, "A Whisp Of The Atlantic", featuring the 16-minute-title track.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has described the band's 40th-anniversary concerts as an "otherworldly experience."

METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary shows, which were held in at San Francisco's Chase Center on December 17 and December 19, featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.

On Wednesday (December 22), Ulrich took to his Instagram to share a few photos from the weekend, and he included the following message: "Overfuckinwhelmed!!

"It's taking me two days just to start coming down from this otherworldly experience…

"Over the course of the last week, you've heard me do a few speeches and say a lot of things, so since I don't wanna repeat myself (too much!), I'll keep this one on the short side.

"THANK YOU!

"METALLICA is not me or you. METALLICA is all of us. It's a state of mind that we all share, it's a destination we all seek out, it's an element that keeps us alive, it's our common purpose.

"You keep this real. You keep us inspired and alive. It is because of you this thing exists.

"40 years?! Who would've fucking thought that this, whatever this is, could live and breathe this long, could still connect people, could still be somewhat relevant and still exist forty years later??!!

"Thank you to each and everyone of you for making it happen. Thank you to each and everyone of you for believing in the possibility of music. Thank you to each and everyone of you for being METALLICA.

"#Metallica40 #wanna".

The 40th-anniversary shows marked METALLICA's return to Chase Center for the first time since the September 2019 "S&M²" concerts that also served as the venue's grand opening. Those two shows grossed more than $4.1 million over the course of its two nights, according to reports submitted to Pollstar's Boxoffice, and the band ranked at No. 4 on Pollstar's worldwide touring chart that same year with a global gross of $175 million.

Fans who missed METALLICA's pair of 40th-anniversary concerts this past weekend can enjoy rebroadcasts of both shows on-demand exclusively on The Coda Collection this Christmas weekend in the U.S. and on Amazon Prime internationally.

The shows will be available to stream from Friday, December 24 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT / 2 a.m. JST through Monday, December 27 at 8:59 p.m. PT / 11:59 p.m. ET / 4:59 a.m. GMT / 1:59 p.m. JST.

For information on how to stream both shows, click here.

Following the initial viewing period, both concerts will return to the The Coda Collection and Prime Video with enhanced bonus footage and additional exclusives as part of an extensive partnership between The Coda Collection and METALLICA, which will include a full slate of concert films, documentaries, and additional content spanning the band's career arriving on the channel exclusively throughout 2022.

Formed in 1981 by UlrichJames 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.

On December 16, San Francisco mayor London Breed presented Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo with a special declaration marking the day as "Metallica Day" in the city.

"When you talk about San Francisco," Breed said at the news conference, "you talk about cable cars and then you talk about METALLICA."
























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A post shared by Lars Ulrich (@larsulrich)

In their new video, for the song “Masquerade Du Macabre”, Vincent Crowley pays homage to the story "The Masque Of The Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, as well as the movie by the same name, featuring horror film legend Vincent Price. 





“Masquerade Du Macabre” appears on Beyond Acheron - a conceptional album climbing the rungs of the latter of death. From beginning to end it takes the listener on a ghastly journey with somber tales of doom, casting a Poe-esque shadow.







Tracklisting:


"Intro" 
"Where No Light Shines" 
"My Eternal Vow" 
"La Muerte" 
"Bring Forth The Dead" 
"Masquerade Du Macabre" 
"Farewell (At Death's Door)" 
"Outro" 


After 30 years of fronting black / death metal underground legends Acheron, lead vocalist
Vincent Crowley put the group to the rest to pursue a solo career with the new band - Vincent Crowley. Back from the blacked Abyss, this new musical entity veers to a different dark path from his past work. Instead, the material is influenced by all kinds of metal music and is hard to be automatically lumped into any certain genre. Along with their macabre music, a visual stage - show of horror is planned for live performances.


 

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing spoke to Front Row Report about his songwriting approach while composing the material for the debut album from his new band KK'S PRIEST. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The minute I sat down to do this, I just wanted to pretty much go on autopilot. Because the whole album — there is kind of a message in there, but there's lots of emotions and sentiments and rejoicement about everything in my life, really, and the evolution of metal as we know it today, when it came out of the blues and progressive blues to rock, hard rock, heavy rock, heavy metal. And I've been on that journey. And this album really is a rejoicement and a tribute to all of that. And hopefully we're gonna try and sustain everything that we've loved and enjoyed about this type of music to take us into the future and try to continue to encourage fans old and young and musicians to wanna be able to be a part of this as well."

He continued: "We're not the only band [playing classic rock and metal] — we've got great bands out there who are releasing product and [going] on tour, obviously. [IRON] MAIDEN and SCORPIONS and SAXON and ACCEPT and, obviously, JUDAS PRIEST — just about everybody, really. So many bands are out there doing it. And so we'll keep on going. But, obviously, we can't hold back time forever, and at some point there will be a change where people that were a big part of this — myself included — and that came from the '60s and '70s, at some point things will move on. So we have to make sure that when we hand over the baton that it's gonna be good and healthy and thriving, and true and classic metal is gonna be hopefully as big as it ever was."

Downing is joined in KK'S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", was released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the '80s.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Photo by George Chin

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


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


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




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


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


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


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


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


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





Tracklisting:


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


"Time To Let It Out" bass playthrough:





Album recording credits:


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


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

Spanish death metallers Barbarian Prophecies have released a new music video for their song "Alpha", from the album Horizon.


In this video, which can be seen below, Barbarian Prophecies try to metaphorically represent the cycle of life and death with water (rain and ocean) as an element that connects everything.


Filmed by 60 Ráfagas Studio, "Alpha" features guest actresses Nora Xiana and María Lara.







Horizon artwork and tracklisting:





"Alpha" 
"Among Us" 
"Phi" 
"Supreme Vampire" 
"Morte Negra" 
"Horizon" 
"The Sign" 
"Psi" 
"Übermensch"
"Omega"


"Among Us" lyric video:





 

Acclaimed metal guitarist, Terry Syrek, released Story - his fourth full-length album - on December 21. Story is a progressive rock/metal concept album that outlines the journey of two fictional creatures through in a parallel world - told via adventurous compositions and virtuoso musicianship.





The cast of characters includes Marco Minnemann (drums), Bryan Beller and Mohini Dey (bass), Lalle Larsson (keyboards) and Florian Cristea (violin). Narration is provided by Keith Szarabajka and Terry’s son, Luke.




The official video for the track "Balloon Ride Over A Jigsaw Map" is a juxtaposition of live performance footage interspersed with animation styled after the CD artwork.


“I think that 'Balloon Ride Over a Jigsaw Map' is a good representation of the overall musical direction of Story. It features some great performance footage of the incredible musicians who were gracious enough to help me realize my vision,” said composer and videographer Terry Syrek. “This track was also a good vehicle to incorporate some animation to introduce people to the characters and larger concept of Story… and who doesn’t want to take a balloon ride?”


Story is available in physical digital formats. Visit terrysyrek.com for more information.

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 Crobot's Brandon Yeagley, states: "Brandon sings the track ‘Revel In Time’ on the new Star One album. Check out this video to hear his amazing vocals and don’t miss his bodacious message at the end. Thanks for being part of this most excellent adventure, my non-heinous friend!"







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


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


Pre-order here.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


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


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


"Prescient" video:





"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

Epic instrumental metal band, Angels On The Battlefield, in celebration of their partnership with The You Rock Foundation, is recording a new single to raise funds for the organization. The band is currently working with composer and producer Lars Deutsch on the track.


Angels On The Battlefield is an epic instrumental metal band that encourages self reflection with the intention of finding inner confidence in order to remind people that, no matter what, they have the ability to conquer their literal and metaphorical battlefields. Through the power of music and the community of live performance, Angels On The Battlefield encourages audiences to share their experiences and feelings without fear of being ostracized.


The band was formed by ex-Nekrogoblikon mascot JD McGibney, who plays guitar for the project, as an artistic outlet to battle his own anxiety. Ex-Butcher Babies bassist Jason Klein, current Voodoo Kungfu drummer William Lierman, and film/tv composer and no:carrier keyboardist Chris Wirsig have recently joined the project. Having built friendships with each individual throughout his career in the music industry, JD invited these highly talented and equally compassionate individuals to join Angels on the Battlefield in an effort to actively give back to the world through a medium that has come to mean so much to all four musicians.




Angels On The Battlefield is currently partnered with The You Rock Foundation to help the organization as they continue to pull those suffering out of the dark and show them the possibilities of moving forward with life. Angels On The Battlefield firmly believes that, no matter what, we all have the strength to conquer our battlefields.


Stay tuned for updates.

In a recent interview with AndrewHaug.com, Australia's first-ever dedicated 24/7 rock and metal online radio station launched by Andrew Haug, the former host of Triple J Australia's "The Racket" radio show, CARCASS frontman Jeff Walker discussed how he has been spending the coronavirus downtime in his native United Kingdom. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're kind of lucky that we had some reserves in the bank, so we could survive that way. I'm a bit of a squirrel; I always make sure there's money in the bank to see us through hard times. And luckily, it was enough to tide us over for this period.

"As far as me getting by personally, I've just been looking for small joys in life — small things locally or whatever," he continued. "Living a jetsetting life and having exciting times traveling the world and playing gigs, it's one extreme to another. I'm just looking for small things to keep me happy and finding solace in the smallest things. I've been walking and cycling a lot more. There's a lot of local history that I never noticed before — railway tracks and lines and really boring stuff, middle-age stuff like that that I've kind of got interested in.

"I've enjoyed the hiatus, to be honest… We'd been touring for seven years without a break, and it's been healthy to step back and have a break. I'd also say it's been a bit detrimental because we haven't played together for 18 months now. So we're gonna be incredibly rusty if we ever get to play again.

"It's been positive, but now it's starting to drag a bit," Walker added. "The novelty's wearing off because we just had a to cancel a European tour which would have been great timing for promotion of the [new CARCASS] album ['Torn Arteries'].

"There's no real end in sight for me. I wanna see things happen before I commit CARCASS to anything. We have confirmed a gig that we're gonna play in November in the U.K. But as far as touring is concerned, I still see people booking tours and they still get canceled. I think it's a bit kind of crappy to give false hope to people."

CARCASS played its first pandemic-era concert on November 6 at the Damnation Festival in Leeds, U.K.

"Torn Arteries" was released in September via Nuclear Blast Records. Drummer Daniel Wilding did session work in Sweden at Studio Gröndahl with David Castillo while guitars were recorded at The Stationhouse with James Atkinson in Leeds, England. Eventually needing some form of residential location to finalize vocals, bass, and other guitarwork, the band headed back to Studio Gröndahl in Sweden to continue work in a very relaxed atmosphere with Castillo.

This unreleased demo of "Izabella / Machine Gun" was recorded during Band Of Gypsys rehearsals at Baggy Studios in New York City in late December 1969. As the new trio featuring Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles (drums) and Billy Cox (bass) prepared for their four historic shows at the Fillmore East on New Years Eve/Day, the group retreated to Baggy's to prepare.





In 2002, Dagger Records debuted the collection, Jimi Hendrix: The Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions, that presents 12 songs from those rehearsals. Not included in that collection is this bonus track "Who Knows" which documents the trio working their way through this classic track.  







Jimi Hendrix: The Baggy’s Rehearsal Sessions represents the fifth release by Dagger Records, the official bootleg label created by Experience Hendrix. This edition offers the fruits of the guitarist’s spirited rehearsals fronting the Band Of Gypsys as they prepared for their four unforgettable Fillmore East concerts.


These unpolished, direct to two-track recordings were made over the course of two long December 1969 evenings.  Hendrix had just returned from Toronto, Canada where he had been acquitted in a jury trial for narcotic possession. The verdict had lifted an enormous burden from the guitarist’s shoulders.  With the court case and all of its possible ramifications now behind him, Hendrix redirected his energy toward preparations for the recording of a live album at the Fillmore East with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles.


“We rehearsed at a place called Baggy’s in New York,” explains Cox.  “It was located down by Chinatown.  We were there prior to Christmas and then a little after, practicing and rehearsing.  We were working up a set with the songs we were going to perform for the [Fillmore East] concert.  Then we realized that we had to do four shows and we used quite a few of those numbers in each of the shows.”


To learn more and preview the album, head here.

When New Jersey metal icon Dan Lorenzo (Hades, Non Fiction) and Type O Negative and Danzig drummer Johnny Kelly join forces to launch a joint project, you can already guess that something great is about to happen.


In addition, when you can get different singers like Karl Agell (ex-Corrosion Of Conformity), Dewey Bragg (Kill Devil Hill), Rob Dukes (ex-Exodus), Mark Morales (Sons Of Texas) and John Kosco (Dropbox) to lend their voices to this project for at least one song each, you inevitably ask yourself: "Shut up, where do I sign?" In this case, the answer is: at MDD Records!


Patriarchs In Black have done just that and will release their upcoming album next year via MDD. The band's first single will be released in January and a short teaser, which at least gives an idea of the stylistic direction of the journey, can be enjoyed below. Be prepared, more info soon.







 

Neo-classical power metal, Sartori, will be releasing their debut album, Dragon's Fire on January 28 via Rockshots Records. Today, the band is sharing their second single, "Devil In Disguise", in preview to the forthcoming full-length. Watch the lyric video below.


The epic record is nine tracks that are melodic, technical, and progressive. Led by main composer and guitarist Andy Sartori, with vocalist Scott Board, drummer Dino Castano and bassist Rod Viquez, the band sets the mood for something more than just singing over music.


With grandiose instrumentals and heroic vocals, Sartori creates complex, melodic tunes that command attention. They are heavily influenced by classical baroque music, so the band stands as the symphony behind Andy Sartori as the ‘maestro’. What sets these guys apart from other bands is their music composition.




Andy Sartori explains further: “We use a lot of arrangements that you won’t find any other bands doing. Lots of vocals, lots of guitar quartets, duets, and harmony arrangements. My writing is based on positive vibes, positive lyric content, no criticism, no anger, and I write sometimes about spiritual content in the matter of being a better human and about life experiences, personal and in general along with influence from movies and stories I enjoy... sometimes."





Tracklisting:


"Evil Hearts"
"One Distant Heart"
"From Hell To Heaven"
"Little Aria In G Major" (Instrumental)
"Devil In Disguise"
"Through The Eyes Of My Soul"
"Castles Of Lost Souls" (Instrumental)
"Battles In The Distant Lands"
"Dragon's Fire"


"Devil In Disguise" lyric video:





"Dragon's Fire" visualizer:





Lineup:


- Andy A Sartori: Guitars
- Scott Board: Vocals
- Rod Viquez: Bass
- Dino Castano: Drums

Terry Ilous says that GREAT WHITE did him a favor by firing him from the band.

Ilous, who previously played with '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after replacing touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was shown the door in July 2018 and replaced with Mitch Malloy.

Ilous discussed his exit from GREAT WHITE during a new appearance on "The Classic Metal Show" with host Chris Akin. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "To be honest with you, it was a good thing because I was able to move on. At first, when somebody dumps you like that, like an old girlfriend, you feel like an old pair of shows. You're, like, 'Really? What did I do? I didn't do anything wrong.' Which, honestly, I didn't do anything wrong. I never fucked anybody's wife. I never stole money or anything like it. I'm a songwriter, and I'm a strong personality. And I know what I don't want in life. So, I guess, obviously, it bothered someone in that band and they decided to do what they did. But I had great years with them; I thank 'em so much for the opportunity. I thank the fans. And they did me a huge favor because I was able to move on. I was able to dig inside myself. I was kind of sad at first 'cause I lost money and I didn't know what I did wrong. I said, 'What did I do wrong?' Which I never knew, because I never talked to anybody. I just received an e-mail; it's what I received. They just sent me an e-mail [saying], 'Have a nice day. You're fired.' Long story short.

"I've gotta be honest with you, they did me a huge favor, because I was able to dig inside of me and said, 'Okay, Terry, you can do it. You've been through hell. You can do it again.' So I did it," he continued. "And I released this [LAND OF GYPSIES] album. I have lots of things coming up with XYZ, with JK [Northrup] and I'm doing a voiceover for a new film. I'm doing that, so that's big money.

"You move on. It's like having a girlfriend that dumps you. What are you gonna do? Just think about her every day? No. You're gonna find another girlfriend that's pretty, that's nice and that treats you right.

"The important thing in life is to be treated right and to treat other people right," Terry added. "If you feel like you're lesser, if you feel like you're never the number one, then why would you wanna stay with that person anyway?"

Last month, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall confirmed that Ilous was fired from the band via e-mail. Kendall went on to say that Ilous initially found out online that he no longer had a job with GREAT WHITE. "It got released on the Internet before we could tell him," Mark said. "It wasn't our publicist's fault. She released this information. So we hadn't told him yet, and she didn't know that. So he heard the information, and he's going, 'This is a hell of a way to tell [somebody he is out of the band].' And we were just [made out to look like] the bad guys all the way around. And so what do we do now? Go, 'Meet us somewhere, and we'll talk about it.' It was, like, 'He already knows.' So that was a tough situation. We're not bad people. We don't wanna hurt anyone."

Mark also defended GREAT WHITE's decision to part ways with Terry and hire Mitch, saying: "We had to look out for our music and make sure it's delivered the best it can be. We felt like with Mitch we could do it a little bit better. It's not that Terry is not awesome; nothing against him."

This past April, Ilous told Waste Some Time With Jason Green that he always made it a point to tell people that his primary focus was GREAT WHITE and not his solo career. "I was doing a lot of interviews, and I always said one thing, I said, 'I am the lead singer of GREAT WHITE. My priority is GREAT WHITE,'" he said. "I always made sure to say that, 'cause sometimes people can misinterpret what you wanna say. So I said, 'No. I am the lead singer of the band GREAT WHITE. My priority is GREAT WHITE. I'll be touring with GREAT WHITE. And if the band is not touring, then I will be doing that on my own. And that's it.' And that is the truth. But apparently someone got upset. I was touring, and eventually one day, I received an e-mail saying, 'Thank for for a great service. You're a great singer. Have a good life.' And that was it."

Terry said that he "had no idea at all" that he was going to be replaced. "Last time [I played with GREAT WHITE], we did a string of sold-out shows," he recalled. "In fact, one of the last shows we did was actually on a Thursday in Wisconsin. We did a summer fest, and there were 10 thousand people [there]. The crowd went crazy — 10 thousand people going nuts. And that day I sang so well. You know, sometimes you sing better than other days — that's the way it is as a singer — but that day I was really good. Not to be pretentious, but I was happy. I was, like, 'Ah, man. Great performance.' Friday and Saturday, we did two other shows — one in Las Vegas. We did a show with SLAUGHTER, and everybody gave me a big hug. 'Hey, brother, see you next week.' That's the last time I talked to anyone in the band. On Monday morning, I get an e-mail… The leader of the band, Mark, sent me the e-mail, but it [was] on behalf of everybody in the band. 'We think that you should be replaced by somebody else. And we wish you the best.' The e-mail was polite. 'Good luck to you. You will have no problem finding another band. Please don't say bad things about us. We will never say bad things about you.' And that was it."

Regarding his initial reaction to the e-mail, Ilous said: "I was surprised — I was a little surprised — because I said, wait a minute, I did three albums. I helped rebuild the brand. I gave my best for nine years. When I joined the band, I was not getting paid very well, and I said, 'I'm gonna do it anyway, because I wanna prove to myself, and I wanna prove to those guys I can do it.' So I did what I could do. I would have loved to get a phone call, at least, or maybe a meeting with the band, and said, 'Hey, it's not working out. Can you work on this? And maybe we'll give you another chance.' 'Okay.' I think it's fair — when you're a dedicated worker, and you do all that stuff, I think it's fair. You need a second chance. But second chance for what? I didn't do anything wrong. It's not like I had sex with any one of their wives. I'm not that type of person."

Terry went on to say that there were some personal differences within GREAT WHITE, but not enough to create a major issue when he and his then-bandmates were living in close proximity to one another on the road.

"For me, I was always in GREAT WHITE," he said. "I would say to myself, 'GREAT WHITE is GREAT WHITE. I love the band. I love the music, and I'm happy to be in the band.' I didn't expect anything. I knew I had an issue with one guy in the band, like a lot of people have issues with the same guy in that band. But I knew that. And I didn't think the guys would decide to say, 'Screw Terry, and let's get somebody else.' I didn't expect that at all. I was completely taken by surprise, to say the least. I was beside myself. But I didn't post anything negative. I didn't make stupid comments online; I didn't do anything like it. I said, 'Well, it is what it is. They have somebody else. I don't wish him anything bad,' which I would never do anyway."

Ironically, the first time Malloy performed with GREAT WHITE was on the Monsters Of Rock cruise in 2018, just a few short months before Terry was fired from the band. At Terry's invitation, Mitch got up on stage and joined GREAT WHITE for a rendition of their cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy".

"I'm the one who introduced Mitch to the band," Ilous recalled. "And I will never forget that day. I introduced Mitch to the band, and Mitch tried to upstage me on stage. I'm a stage performer, but I don't need to overdo things. It's like sex. Music is sex — the same thing. You don't need to try all different positions to please your partner. You do what you do, and that's it. But I realized that Mitch was trying to go crazy on stage, one side to the other, to prove that he was a great performer. And I have nothing against Mitch, by the way; I wish him the very best. But I said, 'Okay. Good for him.' I didn't expect that… It's okay. They did what they had to do. And honestly, to this day, I don't wish them anything bad at all. Even Mitch — I'm happy he's got the gig. It's not his fault. He just got hired."

Ilous relocated to Hollywood, California from Lyon, France in 1986, forming the metal band XYZ along with friend and bassist Pat Fontaine. Ilous quickly became a favorite on Sunset Strip scene in the late '80s before getting signed to Enigma/Capitol. After selling over 1.5 million records worldwide and touring with artists such as FOREIGNER and ALICE COOPER, Ilous continued to release albums well into the 2000s, along with film, songwriting and television work.

In 2009, Terry was contacted to play a handful of dates with GREAT WHITE, and within a couple of years, the lineup was made official. GREAT WHITE immediately headed out on an extensive year-long tour, followed by a new album, "Elation", in 2012 that was highly praised by the media and fans alike. "Full Circle" arrived five years later.

Canadian hard rock legends, Triumph, have shared the new video below, in which Canadian bashers Sven Gali perform the classic "Spellbound", originally featured on Triumph's 1984 album, Thunder Seven.


The footage was filmed at Metalworks Studios, the legendary recording studio in Mississauga, Ontario, established in 1978 by Triumph's Gil Moore. And yes, that is him watching!







Fans of Triumph were recently given a special treat - the launch of the Triumph Vault website. By accessing triumphvault.com, fans will be able to discover artifacts from the band’s career beginning with a celebration of Triumph’s classic 1981 album, Allied Forces.


This inaugural collection will feature a selection of newly discovered artifacts personally curated by Mike, Gil and Rik in collaboration with Definitive Authentic. Several pieces are partnered with new audio commentary directly from the band.





New collections will be added to the Vault regularly for fans which will unlock over 45 years of Triumph’s illustrious rock & roll history through rare photos, audiograms, video, behind the scenes content, and exclusive collectables.


Commemorating the launch, the Triumph Vault will offer signed and numbered limited-edition memorabilia that have never been made available until now. And as part of the celebration and in keeping with the iconic Allied Forces cover, fans who sign up for updates via the site are automatically entered to win a Dean Flying V guitar with a personal note from the band!





“We’re super excited to have our loyal fans experience the launch of the Triumph vault. Finally, after years of touring and recording, we’re able to unearth and display rare elements and artifacts from Triumph's history. We can now share with our fans what we’ve  been stowing away for years at Metalworks Studios.” –Gil Moore


The Triumph lineup - Rik Emmett, Gil Moore, and Mike Levine - rocked the world, and in the process, gave us countless classic hard rock anthems (“Fight the Good Fight,” “Hold On,” “Magic Power,” “I Live For The Weekend,” “Lay It On The Line,” and of course, “Rock & Roll Machine,” and albums (Just A Game, Progressions Of Power, Allied Forces, Never Surrender, Thunder Seven, etc.).


Originally formed in 1975 and hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the trio was always proud of their Great White North roots. And seemingly ever since their inception, Triumph was on the cutting edge of technology when it came to their live show - particularly lighting, sound, and effects. Sophisticated lasers, pyrotechnics and moving lighting rigs, all computer-controlled - Triumph was one of the first arena rock bands to incorporate all of these elements into their shows.


Triumph’s headlining tours were legendary, and the band was featured on many memorable stadium/outdoor shows - including the US Festival, the World Series of Rock, the American Rock Festival and Texxas Jam, Day on the Green, to name but a few. And earlier this year, the band was the focus of a documentary, Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine, directed by Banger Films’ Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli.


And now, Triumph fans will be able to celebrate the history of the band - with the launch of triumphvault.com.

Former ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens says that Jon Schaffer will "pay for a long time" for his role in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Owens, who joined ICED EARTH in 2003 and stayed in the group for four years before being fired in December 2007, addressed his time with the band in a new interview with "The Loaded Radio Podcast".

Asked if he was surprised to see Schaffer involved in the Capitol riot, Owens said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I really lost contact [with him]. I didn't leave on good terms. We weren't friends when I left. I never burn bridges, but the way he fired me, the way he let me go, we never were on good terms.

"We never talked politics when I was in the band," he continued. "I know when I was in ICED EARTH, I was a Democrat and he was a Republican at that time. And we never talked politics. He never talked politics — ever, ever — did he. But I just noticed when I did leave and seeing things that people talked about, I could see that something had changed with him from when I was in the band. But we never talked about things.

"I didn't know what was going on with him and his personal life and his political stuff, so I didn't follow him too much because we didn't run in the same circles.

"Listen, he messed up," Owens added. "In my opinion, you mess up… He'll be paying for it for a long time. But I'm certain for Jon, I'm certain there's still a lot of people out there buying his records, so he's probably still paying the bills."

Owens previously discussed Schaffer's involvement in the Capitol riot a couple of days after the insurrection. Asked by a fan on Instagram what it was like "working with a terrorist," Owens said: "crazy what he did wasn't if. All I can say is wow. See we never talked politics while I was in ICED EARTH because at that time we where on totally opposite sides. LOL. But I gotta say could of been way worse for me I could of been in a Band with Sebastian Bach".

When the fan expressed his incredulity over the fact that Owens and Schaffer never talked politics, especially considering the fact that Tim's first album with ICED EARTH, "The Glorious Burden", was a concept album exploring various moments in military history, the ex-JUDAS PRIEST frontman replied: "yea that was more of history and I actually learned a lot More then I did in school. Taking about politics at the time wasn't something I would get into. Opposite sides of the fence and I was working! I got fired anyways so it didn't matter. Haha".

In a 2012 interview with Australia's Loud, Owens said that his departure from ICED EARTH wasn't executed properly. 'It was handled poorly, I think, the situation," he said. "It could've been handled good and everybody could've looked good in the situation. But it was handled poorly, I think… I started getting all the blame when things weren't the same. Or things weren't what Jon thought they could be. And then, of course, it all came down on me. None of the blame ever came down on Jon. I'm fine with that, but the funny thing is that nothing really changed when I left anyway. I read numbers and I talk to agents, and the crowds are the same or smaller now. I think it was also me wandering a bit, knowing that ICED EARTH was kind of like a solo project. It's really Schaffer's band, and I knew that. And I started having my own: I started doing BEYOND FEAR, and pushing BEYOND FEAR when probably I should have been talking about ICED EARTH. I think Jon read a lot of that and he read into it that my heart and soul wasn't into ICED EARTH."

Schaffer discussed Owens's exit from ICED EARTH in a 2008 interview with Metal Exiles. At the time, he said: "Tim was great to work with in the studio, and from a standpoint of performing live, he was great as far as being an incredible vocalist, but he was not a true believer in this band. It was a job for him, and ICED EARTH is not about that… He was more interested in doing his solo thing — that was where his head was at — and it was becoming more and more obvious. This band was a means to an end for him."

In April, Schaffer pleaded guilty to his role in the Capitol riot. As part of the plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

According to CNN, prosecutors and Schaffer's attorneys agreed to recommend that he get between three and a half and four and a half years in prison, based on how fruitful his cooperation is with the government.

The government agreed not to oppose Schaffer's release during the sentencing phase.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

As part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

Eric Clapton's management has released a "clarification" regarding the musician's lawsuit against a German widow after she posted a listing for a pirated version of his "Eric Clapton - Live USA" album for $11 on eBay.

Last week, Clapton won the lawsuit against the woman, who claimed she was unaware that her dead husband's CD was pirated and removed the listing a day after posting it. The judge in the case said that the fact that she didn't acquire the CD herself was irrelevant and ordered her to pay for both parties' legal fees (about $3,900).

Now Clapton's management has issued a statement to the guitarist's fan club clarifying the 76-year-old's role in the situation, as well as why they pursued legal action in the first place.

The statement reads as follows: "Given the widespread and often misleading press reports about a recent bootleg case involving a woman in Germany, the following provides clarification to set the record straight.

"Germany is one of several countries where sales of unauthorized and usually poor-quality illegal bootleg CDs are rife, which harms both the industry and purchasers of inferior product. Over a period of more than 10 years the German lawyers appointed by Eric Clapton, and a significant number of other well-known artists and record companies, have successfully pursued thousands of bootleg cases under routine copyright procedures.

"It is not the intention to target individuals selling isolated CDs from their own collection, but rather the active bootleggers manufacturing unauthorised copies for sale. In the case of an individual selling unauthorised items from a personal collection, if following receipt of a 'cease and desist' letter the offending items are withdrawn, any costs would be minimal, or might be waived.

"Eric Clapton's lawyers and management team (rather than Eric personally) identifies if an item offered for sale is illegal, and a declaration confirming that is signed, but thereafter Eric Clapton is not involved in any individual cases, and 95% of the cases are resolved before going to Court.

"This case could have been disposed of quickly at minimal cost, but unfortunately in response to the German lawyers' first standard letter, the individual's reply included the line (translation): 'feel free to file a lawsuit if you insist on the demands'. This triggered the next step in the standard legal procedures, and the Court then made the initial injunction order.

"If the individual had complied with the initial letter the costs would have been minimal. Had she explained at the outset the full facts in a simple phone call or letter to the lawyers, any claim might, have been waived, and costs avoided. However, the individual appointed a lawyer who appealed the injunction decision. The Judge encouraged the individual to withdraw the appeal to save costs, but she proceeded. The appeal failed and she was ordered to pay the costs of the Court and all of the parties.

"However, when the full facts of this particular case came to light and it was clear the individual is not the type of person Eric Clapton, or his record company, wish to target, Eric Clapton decided not to take any further action and does not intend to collect the costs awarded to him by the Court. Also, he hopes the individual will not herself incur any further costs."

If the woman tries to sell the CD again, she could face a fine of $282,000 or six months in prison.

This past summer, Clapton made headlines when he announced he will no longer perform at any venues that require attendees to show proof of vaccination. The announcement came after U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson's mandate that "vaccine passports" be required for entrance into nightclubs and venues.

Clapton previously criticized the lockdowns instituted around the world in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and stoked fear and conspiracy theories after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Clapton recounted his negative experience with the AstraZeneca shot, suggesting the side effects had been so "severe" that he was afraid that he would "never play again." He also said he was inspired by another musician-turned-anti-vaccine activist, Van Morrison