Swedish black/death metal pioneers, Necrophobic, announce that their highly acclaimed album, Hrimthursum, which was originally released in 2006, is digitally available again on all streaming and download platforms as of now. A Ltd. CD Jewelcase in slipcase and a Gatefold LP version with double-sided poster will be released through Century Media Records on February 11.





Here are the vinyl variants available for Hrimthursum:




- Gatefold Black LP & Poster – Unlimited
- Gatefold White LP & Poster – 1000x copies via CM Webshop / CM Distro Europe & all USA outlets
- Gatefold Blue LP & Poster – 300x copies via CM Webshop Europe
- Gatefold Silver LP & Poster – 300x via EMP & Nuclear Blast


Click here to listen to Hrimthursum or to pre-order your physical copy of the album.


The official video for “Blinded By Light, Enlightened By Darkness from 2006, directed by Magnus Göthlund, can be viewed below.


This new edition of Hrimthursum marks the start of a series of long overdue digital and physical re-releases of the band’s entire back-catalogue. Each of the nine releases will be available as Digital Album, of course on vinyl and as CD Jewelcase in slipcase, so watch out for more to come soon!


The band states: “We are pleased to announce the beginning of a comprehensive re-release campaign for the entire Necrophobic catalogue via our label Century Media Records. We will be re-issuing the best possible editions of all our previous releases throughout the next year, starting with the long awaited Hrimthursum and then Death To All. All reissues will come true to the original versions but optimized for the LP/CD/Digital formats and are fully endorsed by the band (unlike some of the previous versions…) as well as assembled by us. We can’t wait to get these records available again. Thank you for the support!”

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss recently released their first new album in fourteen years, Raise The Roof, via Rounder Records. In celebration, the've released the video below, featuring "Can't Let Go", performed live from Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios.





Watch "Trouble With My Lover" and "Searching For My Love" from the same performance:










Like its platinum-selling 2007 predecessor, Raising Sand - which won six Grammys, including Album and Record of the Year - Raise The Roof delivers new takes on songs from legends and unsung heroes of folk, blues, country and soul music.


Recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios, sessions for Raise The Roof began in late 2019 and wrapped just weeks before the world went into lockdown. “One of my favorite parts of this is the songs and songwriters that I had never heard of,” says Alison Krauss. “Working with Robert, and with T Bone, is always a great education in music history.”


Raise The Roof includes deep cuts by Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, The Everly Brothers, Anne Briggs, Geeshie Wiley, Bert Jansch, Calexico and more. “It’s such a far cry from everything I’ve done before,” says Robert Plant. “I love the whole kaleidoscope of music that I’ve explored, but this is a place where you can think within the song, you can decide how to bring home an emotion. It’s another blend that we’ve got, and long may we have more of them.”


Order Raise The Roof here.





Raise The Roof tracklisting:


"Quattro (World Drifts In)"
"The Price Of Love"
"Go Your Way"
"Trouble With My Lover"
"Searching For My Love"
"Can’t Let Go"
"It Don’t Bother Me"
"You Led Me To The Wrong"
"Last Kind Words Blues"
"High And Lonesome"
"Going Where The Lonely Go"
"Somebody Was Watching Over Me"


"Somebody Was Watching Over Me":





"It Don't Bother Me":





"Can't Let Go" lyric video:





"High And Lonesome":

Today (December 10), Swedish doom lords Sorcerer release their new cover single and music video, "Waiting for Darkness", to all major digital platforms via Metal Blade Records.


Before gearing back up to write on their new studio album for Metal Blade Records, and to have some fun during the pandemic vacuum, Sorcerer shows reverence to their musical heroes and influencers. On this list of respect there is of course no escaping rock 'n' roll rebel, Ozzy Osbourne. Sorcerer chose the final track of Ozzy's 1983 solo album Bark At The Moon, "Waiting for Darkness", to be the fourth single and powerful finale of their 4-track digital (only) EP, Reverence.


The full cover EP Reverence is available now on all digital platforms. Order here.







Tracklisting:


"Gates of Babylon" (Rainbow)
"When Death Calls" (Black Sabbath)
"Crusader" (Saxon)
"Waiting For Darkness" (Ozzy Osbourne)














Sorcerer lineup:


Anders Engberg: Vocals
Kristian Niemann: Guitar
Peter Hallgren: Guitar
Justin Biggs: Bass
Richard Evensand: Drums

Edge Of Paradise have released a cover of The Who classic, "Love, Reign O'er Me". Add the song to your music library here, and watch a music video below.





Says the band: "Thank you so much for being a part of our world! Thank you Howard and Neil for recreating the story of this song with us!"

After announcing the ascent of their earliest demons, the reissues The Last Supper (1995) and Blutsabbath (1997) on January 14, European death metal veterans, Belphegor, release a new digital single.





Today, the newly recorded and mixed track, "Blackest Sabbath 1997", sees the light of day - a medley of two songs from the Blutsabbath album. Turn the speakers to the max and check out the full track here.




Of course, Belphegor do not serve that fresh piece of extreme metal without any appealing visuals. Find your audiovisual Antichristmass below.


Belphegor mainman Helmuth comments: "We've rearranged and re-recorded a medley of two songs off the Blutsabbath album [1997] as a promotional single for the re-release of our first two full-length LPs due 14th January 2022 in double CD and single LP formats. Florian Klein, aka Torturer, tracked the drums, and the 'Blackest Sabbath 1997' was mixed & mastered at Jens Bogren's Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. It was a thrilling experiment to re-record this song I wrote in 1996 with a new sound wall, our current skills and recording capabilities 25 years later. We hail you demons, enjoy this special offering from us!"





Video:
Sukkubus: Kristy Von Kashyyyk
Death Monk: Barth
Film and edit: Thomas Keplinger/ Framepunk Guerilla


As mentioned above, Belphegor will release their first two albums, The Last Supper (1995) and Blutsabbath (1997), next year on vinyl and together as 2 CDs. The records will be out on January 14 and you can pre-order your little piece of extreme metal history right here.





Helmuth states: "While we are finishing up the last couple of dates of the The Black Rituals tour, we’re proud to announce that we will unleash our earliest offerings upon the masses again! Both albums have been remastered by Andy Classen and will be available in a variety of versions featuring uncensored artwork. Enjoy the first chapters of Belphegor’s diabolical death metal signature sound!“





Belphegor was founded in 1993 and spread like a virus within the underground. Meanwhile, their Bloodbath In Paradise demo has become legendary and paved the baleful path into the souls of thousands of listeners. Anti-religious with nihilistic tendencies as well as provocative topics, Belphegor moved on. The debut album The Last Supper (1995) let the community of followers and opponents grow. Inexorably, the band pushes their destructive ways forward in the following years. Belphegor become louder, more obsessed, and more dynamic, and their albums now have cult status. To think about the scene doesn't work without thinking of Belphegor. In 2008, the band sent their followers to the edge of hell with Bondage Goat Zombie and sparked an all-consuming death metal fire with blasting black metal influences. This masterpiece, inspired by the Marquis de Sade, is one of the most demanding works the genre has offered to this day. Belphegor showed themselves equally brutal and baleful on the successors Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn (2009) and Blood Magick Necromance (2011). The band received a lot of great feedback for their intense live performances as well and reached out to a big and loyal fan base.  Their obscure rituals full of diabolical magick have haunted the world several times – next to extensive tours through Asia and Europe, Belphegor has also completed eleven tours through North America and hundreds of open airs.


Their last album Totenritual, internationally lauded by fans and press, dropped on September 15th, 2017, and marks the eleventh hailing from Belphegor.

In a brand new interview with Liz Barnes of Planet Rock's "My Planet Rocks", legendary guitarist Tony Iommi was asked if "that's really it" for BLACK SABBATH. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You can never say never, can you? We've known in this band you can never say, 'That's never gonna happen again,' because every time we said that, it has. We never thought we'd get back with Ozzy [Osbourne after] the early years. We never thought we'd get back with [Ronnie James] Dio again; we did. We never thought we'd have Ian Gillan in the band, but we did. So you just can't say it's never gonna happen."

Iommi also talked about SABBATH's final tour, "The End", which concluded in February 2017 in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career. "The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

"It was emotional, the last year, because we'd done it so long together, and it just felt pretty weird, really," he said. It was basically my fault to end it because of the touring.

"The problem is in a band of this size, you can't just go and go a week of gigs; you've gotta do a world tour of 18 months," he explained. "And when you do that, you have to take that on. When you first mention it, about going out on tour, 'Yeah. Brilliant. 18-month tour. Fantastic.' But when you get into a year of it, you get tired. But you have to take it on that long 'cause you've got all the crew to keep alive. Everybody's got a job, so you can't do one week and then have a month off and do another week, 'cause you won't get the crew; they wanna have a job. So we've done it for that long — we've done a world tour and a world tour again. And then it was getting sort of tiring. Even though we had our own plane and we [stayed] in the best hotels — everything was perfect — but you still get tired. We'd have a base in New York when we play in that area, so we'd have the plane there fly in. So you get in at three o'clock in the morning and then try to get to bed and sleep. So it was a regular thing like this. We tried to make it as comfortable as possible. It couldn't get any easier or [more] comfortable, but it still was tiring. And the late nights and stuff. So, when I was talking to my doctors, they said, 'You shouldn't really be doing it to that extent, flying,' 'cause I've got blood cancer. It wasn't good for me to be doing that much flying. I talked to the guys and I said, 'It's probably the time to call it a day now, sort of thing, for now' of that extensive touring. So that's really what we did. But the stipulation was we had to end up in Birmingham 'cause that's where we started."

According to Iommi, SABBATH has never ruled out performing again. "We haven't stopped it," he said. "It's just the major touring that has come to a stop; I wouldn't wanna do 18-month tours again. But that doesn't say we wouldn't do any one-off stuff."

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

Iommi said in 2016 interview that "the lowest moment" for him was being diagnosed. He explained: "You automatically wind yourself up saying, 'That's it then,' but that is not always the case. When they tell you, you think, 'Oh God.' That was a low time. I have had a few low times in my life like everybody has, but that was one that stuck in the head."

Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio in 2014 that Iommi never let his condition slow him down. "My hat goes off to him 'cause he really is Iron Man," he said. "I mean, that chemotherapy knocks you sideways, you know. I mean, when my wife had cancer a few years back, she was having three chemo things a month and it would knock the life out of — literally every time she'd have a treatment, she'd have a seizure. It's scary stuff. But he came down, plugged in and carried on. He's my hero, I swear to God he is."

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Osbourne, Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all playing together.

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

Christian rockers SKILLET will release their new studio album, "Dominion", on January 14, 2022 via Atlantic. The official lyric video for the LP's third single, "Refuge", can be seen below.

"Dominion", produced by Kevin Churko (PAPA ROACH, DISTURBED, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) with songs written by John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Kevin Churko and Kane Churko, was created 100% remotely between the band's tour dates, home studio in Wisconsin, and the Churkos' studio in Las Vegas.

"'Dominion' is about the celebration of freedom, a liberation from fear — to be who we want to be, say what we want to say, believe what we want to believe," SKILLET frontma nJohn Cooper says. "In some ways, it's a reminder of the God-given rights that we were born with. It's time to regain some sort of control over our lives and not be a slave to fear. I hope this record is going to make people feel empowered, inspired, uplifted and want to rock their faces off."

"Dominion" track listing:

01. Surviving The Game

02. Standing In The Storm

03. Dominion

04. Valley Of Death

05. Beyond Incredible

06. Destiny

07. Refuge

08. Shout Your Freedom

09. Destroyer

10. Forever Or The End

11. Ignite

12. White Horse

SKILLET recently saw it RIAA certifications multiply yet again. Their latest milestones include the new triple-platinum status of their landmark album "Awake", with three of its hit tracks also accumulating more certs as "Awake & Alive" goes double-platinum, "Hero" triple-platinum, and "Monster", already one of the most-streamed rock songs in history with over four billion global audio streams, hits quadruple platinum status.

By 2019, SKILLET not only garnered a pair of Grammy nods and sold over 12 million albums worldwide, but they also took home a Billboard Music Award for the double-platinum "Awake". Its breakout single, "Monster", remains one of the most streamed rock songs of all time, with over three billion global audio streams.

2016's "Unleashed" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200. Hitting No. 1 on rock radio, the lead single, "Feel Invincible", cracked 643 million global audio streams and went platinum. Meanwhile, the gold-certified "Unleashed" became their fourth consecutive album to receive either a gold, platinum, or double-platinum status.

Their 2019 release, "Victorious", included the Top 10 rock radio hit "Legendary", which lived up to its name with over 108 million streams. To date, nine original tunes earned RIAA recognition in tandem with high-profile syncs by everyone from WWE and Marvel to ESPN and NFL.

Photo by Jimmy Fontaine

Guitarist Gus G. (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne) recently got together with his friends Strutter (bass) and Achilles (drums) to rehearse some of the tracks off his new album, Quantum Leap.


"We set up a few cameras and pushed the 'record' button," says Gus G. "We approached this as if it was a livestream. The video edit is done on the spot and the audio is raw with no overdubs. Engineered, recorded and mixed by Strutter at Valve Studio in Thessaloniki, Greece. Camera edit operation by Jimmy Tott."


Watch "Fierce" from the session below:







"Quantum Leap", "Force Majeure" and "Into The Unknown" from the same session can be seen below:











Quantum Leap artwork and tracklisting:





"Into The Unknown"
"Exosphere"
"Quantum Leap"
"Chronesthesia"
"Enigma Of Life"
"Judgement Day"
"Fierce"
"Demon Stomp"
"Night Driver"
"Not Forgotten"
"Force Majeure" (feat. Vinnie Moore)


"Chronesthesia" video:





"Into The Unknown" video:





"Enigma Of Life" video:





"Fierce" video:





"Exosphere" video:

ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello spoke to the "Battleline" podcast about the various lineup changes the band has undergone over the years, particularly the departure of John Bush, who fronted ANTHRAX between 1992 and 2005 but was sidelined when the group reunited with Joey Belladonna for a 20th-anniversary tour. When that collapsed, and relationships disintegrated with next frontman Dan Nelson, Bush returned for a time before Belladonna took the job back in 2010.

Speaking about personnel shuffles in general, Bello said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET), "Stuff like that needs to happen in a band when things aren't working anymore." He then added: "John, I don't think he wanted to do it a lot; he didn't wanna tour a lot anymore.

"Look, I love John Bush; you have to understand that," he explained. "And we're all good friends. Sometimes in bands, this is what happens. This is what I've learned as a fan in a band. This shit happens, and you've gotta roll with the punches and see where it goes. And that's what we did. So when Joey came back, it was great. It made sense — it made sense what we were doing. And the good thing about it is nobody's hurt — nobody hurts from this stuff. John's good. The last ARMORED SAINT record rocks — it's great; great stuff. Joey's singing great with us. So it's good all around.

"I know people and the trolls are gonna try and dig into the negative stuff," Frank said. "I'm not into it. I don't care. I don't care. At the end of the day, what makes me happy is this band rocking and really putting out a great record and playing great shows. It's been a great ride, and I just don't look back — I honestly don't."

Asked if he and his ANTHRAX bandmates still get along after four decades of recording and touring together, Frank said: "Yeah. Look, we're no angels — we do argue; songwriting [and] stuff like that, that happens. But you've gotta realize that 40 years together, we've been together longer than with our families. I grew up in the same house as Charlie [Benante, ANTHRAX drummer]. But we grew up together on the road. There were times we weren't home for months at a time — months. We were on tour. So I spent a lot more time with Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] and Charlie and Joey than with a lot of people in my life. So, yeah, we're tight.

"Again, peaks and valleys, right?" he continued. "You have disagreements like every family member would. The truth of the matter is you're not gonna get through that. That's why bands break up — 'cause you don't talk about it. If you don't talk about it and get shit out, it doesn't work. But we found a way to do it. We know this works, and that's the most important part. This band works, and we know when we get together onstage, there's a magic there that can't be touched for us. So, it's that important."

Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

The arrival of ANTHRAX's latest album, 2016's "For All Kings", followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Bello is currently promoting his memoir, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax", which was released on November 2 via Rare Bird. The foreword was written by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.

Tom Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior) says that he is open to the idea of resurrecting CELTIC FROST for "one of two shows" in memory of bassist Martin Eric Ain who died in October 2017 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 50.

The former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST and current TRIPTYKON singer, guitarist, and main songwriter discussed the prospect of a CELTIC FROST comeback in a new interview with Heavy Culture. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have talked to the original drummer of CELTIC FROST, Reed St. Mark, who lives in America. He's still one of my best friends. And we've talked about maybe doing one or two CELTIC FROST tribute shows in memory [of] Martin Ain. We haven't really finalized these plans, but maybe we'll do that one day, that we'll play with just ex-CELTIC FROST members who were in CELTIC FROST at the time and maybe play a full CELTIC FROST set that incudes all the eras of CELTIC FROST and maybe play one or two festivals and also record it as a memorial to Martin Eric Ain."

Fischer, who played with Ain in both HELLHAMMER and CELTIC FROST, added: "We all think you cannot reform CELTIC FROST ever without Martin but we could maybe do one or two memorial shows for him."

CELTIC FROST reformed in 2001 and released its comeback album "Monotheist" via Century Media/Prowling Death in 2006. The band broke up in 2008, with Fischer going on to form TRIPTYKON.

In a 2015 interview with DCHeavyMetal.com, Fischer stated about CELTIC FROST: "If I had my way, CELTIC FROST would have existed for many more albums. Unfortunately, certain people's grand designs on their own fame and certain egotistical stunts interfered with that. And, eventually, the band became so unworkable that I personally said the only option that was left was leaving it." At the time, Tom said that a CELTIC FROST reunion was "impossible." He explained: "I mean, there's no more animosity between me and Martin — we just met, actually, a few weeks ago, as we do from time to time — but I think that window has closed. Even though Martin once said, 'Yeah, we'll play music together again,' but after that gargantuan disappointment, I don't think I wanna set myself up for yet another one. CELTIC FROST was my life, and losing that twice wasn't very easy. And I don't trust these people anymore. I invested so much time and so much of my personal money and effort and my songs and my production and everything into the 'Monotheist' album, and I did this because I believed the band could exist for many years. Then I felt betrayed and stabbed in the back. And I really… If I would ever get involved with that again, it would probably end the same, and I don't wanna do that."

In a 2011 interview with BigMusicGeek.com, Tom was asked at what point he realized that his tenure with CELTIC FROST was once again coming to an end. "To be quite honest, I had sensed it for some time," he replied. "I just didn't want to admit it.

"CELTIC FROST was much more than just a band to me," he continued. "It was my life, my ideology and pretty much represented my entire being. Of course, I didn't want to see it destroyed again, so despite having all the inside information, I tried to disrupt its destruction and probably stayed too long even though it was fairly obvious that I couldn't face the band. Actually, I blame the final drummer of CELTIC FROST for the destruction of the band. If Martin has any part of this, it's his inactivity that opened the door to this. He simply did not want to involve himself in anything negative, which, on one hand, is commendable, but on the other hand, it's simply not realistic in this world or within a band that works under pressure 24 hours a day. You simply have to be a man and be involved, especially if certain personal conflicts threaten the whole band. Martin was initially reluctant to become involved and that basically opened the door for one person to let his ego run freely until there was really nothing left of the band."

Drummer Joel Maitoza (24-7 Spyz, Seventrain, Shockhead) has officially announced the release date of the debut album from his new project, The Frequency Conspiracy. The nine song album titled Quarantine Covers will be released worldwide on January 1, 2022 through Alliance Entertainment. It will be available on CD as well as all digital platforms.


Maitoza states in a recent interview, “The album features a handful of amazing musicians that I’ve wanted to work with over the years. I feel blessed that everyone I reached out to made my dream become a reality and I’m excited for everyone to finally check out these tunes.”







Artist appearances include:


John Gallagher (Raven) – Bass, Vocals
David Pastorius (Pat Travers, Tech N9ne) - Bass
Jaimie Scott (Tyketto) – Bass
Joshua Jones (Poster Child) – Guitars
Christophe Godin (Morgibl, Metal Kartoon, The Prize) - Guitars
Andrew Freeman (Last in Line, Lynch Mob, Offspring) - Vocals
Craig Soderberg (-itis, Shockhead) – Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards
Jason (JMR) Richardson (Year of the Dragon, Patrick Gibson) – Guitars, Vocals
Miguelon Rodriguez (Paul Di'anno, The Worshyp) – Bass
Joey McCaw (Brick Bath, Shockhead) - Vocals
Rick Skatore (24-7 Spyz) – Bass
Joel Maitoza (24-7 Spyz, Shockhead, Elysian, Gangland, Seventrain) - Drums


The album was recorded at Exum Studios by Scott Exum (Stabbing Westward, Unwritten Law), Room 9 Studios by Jerry Whiting, DML Studios by Don Lithgow (RIP) and AJP Studios by Alex Pappas (Finch).

Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for her follow-up to 2018's "Controlled Chaos" solo debut. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The album is almost finished being recorded. We are just waiting on a couple of singers. Guitars are done, drums, bass — everything is finished.

"This is my first time collaborating with vocalists on anything, so it's a bit of a waiting game — it's testing my patience a little bit — but it's all worth it in the end," she continued.

"We're gonna do half and half — so six instrumental tracks and six tracks with guest vocalists."

Earlier this month, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP "half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far. And there are still a couple of things T.B.D. [to be determined]. And then we should be ready to release next spring."

In October, Nita shared "Dead Inside", her first new music since the release of her critically acclaimed debut solo album "Controlled Chaos" in 2018. The track is her first-ever solo collaboration with a vocalist, David Draiman, frontman of Grammy-nominated rock icons DISTURBED.

Strauss has been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths". To date the album has clocked up 6.7 million streams worldwide, with music videos for singles "Our Most Desperate Hour", "Pandemonium", "Alegria" and "Mariana Trench" generating over 3 million YouTube views.

As well as performing with Cooper, Nita has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings FEMME FATALE, video game supergroup CRITICAL HIT and popular tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS.

In April 2020, Nita launched "Rock Guitar Fundamentals" — a three-module online guitar teaching program suitable for learners of all levels. The course is available at www.iwanttoplayguitar.com.

Nita's live show is mostly instrumental in nature, combining originals with covers.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has dropped $1.5 million from the asking price of his Southern Nevada estate.

Simmons put the home on the market in October for $14.95 million, but that price came down on November 17 to $13.5 million. Gene paid a combined $10.8 million for the home and a lot adjacent to it back in May. Among the improvements Simmons made to the Las Vegas house is installing all new floors and ripping up wall-to-wall carpeting in some of the rooms.

Speaking to TMZ about his decision to sell the home only five months after buying it, Gene said: "First I bought it because Mr. Biden [U.S. president Joe Biden] and Mr. Newsom [California governor Gavin Newsom] are looking to raise taxes to the point where if I work really hard to earn a legal dollar, I may get to keep 35 cents. So, California has become untenable. So I'd rather leave the money to my family and to charity and so on, so I wanted to move to Las Vegas. No income tax, no state tax, no local tax, no inheritance tax, beautiful place, great. Except for one thing — my family doesn't wanna go there. They're not gonna put up with the heat, and down the street, there's strippers and stuff like that. They don't wanna deal with any of that."

He continued: "I bought [the house] for 8.6 [million], then I bought the property next door for 2.4 [million] and planted 137 trees. So, guys, I can this for 25 or 30 million, but I'm blessed. I'd like to meet the person that's gonna wind up buying the place because I don't wanna just hand it over to some knucklehead. I want you to enjoy it and have a good life."

According to Gene, his wife and their two adult children prefer to stay at the family's other homes, an extensive portfolio which includes a modern lake house in Whistler, British Columbia, a home in Malibu and two houses in L.A. that Gene bought for the Simmons kids, Nick and Sophie.

"They're not fans of 115-degree weather," Simmons told The Wall Street Journal.

Because of KISS's touring schedule and his business travel, Gene said he never spent more than a few weeks total in Las Vegas. He went on to say that he had no regrets about selling the property so soon after the purchase, adding: "How many houses do you need anyway?"

According to TMZ, Simmons purchased a mansion in Beverly Hills, California in October for $10.5 million. The home occupies more than 7,000 square feet of living apace and an additional 1800 square feet of "sleek deck space." The sophisticated design allows for scenic views from the expansive kitchen, dining, living room, four bedrooms and five bathrooms, upstairs library/gallery space and a sliver of glass in the home theater. The home is one half solar powered, using roof panels to heat the pool and radiant heated floors.

In September, Simmons sold his Los Angeles mansion for $16 million, almost a year after he first put it on the market for $22 million. He later relisted it for $25 million after it never sold and he reportedly invested a lot of money in making improvements.

Gene bought the Los Angeles property back in October 1986 for $1,337,500.

Simmons has been very vocal about his desire to leave California for some time due to wanting a quieter lifestyle and to get away from being listed on celebrity maps or having to deal with Beverly Hills tour buses. He also said that part of the reason he and his wife listed the two-acre property in Benedict Canyon because the home had become too big for the both of them since their children had grown up.

"It's a big property, and the kids were literally raised here," he said about the Beverly Hills house. "Now they've moved on, and they both have their own homes next to each other in the Hollywood Hills. They borrow a cup of sugar and all that. They love each other and support each other like the best kids you could imagine."

"They've got their own lives, and now we've got this big house. And if I want to talk to [my wife] Shannon, I've got to hit an intercom because she's at the other end of the house," he continued. "It's happy and it's also sad. When you're a kid and you live at home, you love your mom and dad, but at some point you've got to move out. It's sad because you're moving from home, but you're also looking forward to the future, and we really hope the next family that lives here is going to get as much joy as we have from this place."

Gene and Shannon were married in 2011 after dating since 1975.

Gene, Shannon and their kids all appeared on the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 until 2012.

Photo credit: courtesy of Stetson Ybarra Photography

In anticipation of things to come in 2022, Conjurer are drawing the curtain over yet another frustrating year for live music by releasing a video for the monumental and devastating track "Thankless", from their full-length, Mire.


The clip features a collage of frenetic live footage recorded at different festival and club shows, as well as some backstage impressions, and gives you a hint of what you can expect from Conjurer's eagerly-awaited return to European stages in 2022, which will include a couple of bigger festivals as well as a tour with France's Celeste.


"‘We are so thankful to have 'Thankless' back online - this video catalogs a band starting to come into their own, our first time playing festivals without being the ‘unknown up and comers’. Captured as always by our main man Joe Guppy." - Conjurer







Lineup:


Brady Deeprose - Guitars, Vocals
Dan Nightingale - Guitars, Vocals
Conor Marshall - Bass
Jan Krause - Drums

Swiss extremists, Zeal & Ardor, continue apace towards the release of their self-titled, third album, with the recent release of epic, evocative new song, "Golden Liar". A music video for the song can now be viewed below.


Frontman Manuel Gagneux asserts, "’Golden Liar' is one of the tracks on this record I’m most proud of. Unlike singles released previously from the new album, it’s a slow burn. Rather than using harsh tones to convey heaviness, it uses lyrics and atmosphere to convey weight. It’s both smoke and fire."


Video director Max Carlo Kohal comments, "While listening to this blast of a song, I was always happy that it put images in my head. It inspired the whole process of creating this music video. From the story to locations, from camera work to the editing room. And after hearing the song roughly 300 times, I still can't wait to listen to it again!"




Listen to "Golden Liar" here.





Hissing and seeping justifiable rage from every pore - yet not an unrelenting musical battering - the forthcoming new album will be released February 11 via MVKA. The 14-track record was recorded by Marc Obrist and Manuel Gagneux at Hutch Sounds and mixed & mastered by Will Putney at Graphic Nature Audio. All songs were written and performed (except drums) by the softly spoken, multi-lingual Gagneux.


The avant-garde alchemists have been gradually sharing the highly anticipated album with fans, steadily unveiling new tracks in recent months. These include "Run", "Erase", "Bow", and most recently, the ferocious "Götterdämmerung". Pre-order here  to receive these songs immediately, plus any further advance tracks to come, as they're made available.





Zeal & Ardor will be available in the following formats:


- Digital
- CD digipack
- 140g black vinyl
- 140g white vinyl (indie store exclusive)
- 180g 45rpm, double black vinyl, gatefold sleeve (deluxe)





Tracklisting:


"Zeal & Ardor"
"Run"
"Death To The Holy"
"Emersion"
"Golden Liar"
"Erase"
"Bow"
"Feed The Machine"
"I Caught You"
"Church Burns"
"Götterdämmerung"
"Hold Your Head Low"
"J-M-B"
"A-H-I-L"


"Bow":





"Run" video:





"Erase":





"Götterdämmerung":





(Photo - Georg Gatsas)

Australian heavy rockers, Wicked Smile, have released a video for "Don't Want For Me", featured on their debut album, Wait For The Night, available now. Order the album here, and watch the video below.





Tracklisting:




"Date With The Devil"
"Wait For The Night"
"We Fall"
"Sign 0f Times"
"Daze of Delirium"
"Killer At Large"
"Last Goodbye"
"Love’s Got A Hold On You"
"Don’t Wait For Me"
"Stronger"


"Don’t Wait For Me" video:





"Date With The Devil" video:





"Last Goodbye" video:

Frontiers Music Srl announces the release of Lionville's fifth studio album, So Close To Heaven on February 11. Over the course of their previous four albums, Lionville have come to be held in extremely high regard by fans of melodic rock/AOR and So Close To Heaven' further cements the band's standing as one of the premiere acts of the genre.


The first single and video, "Cross My Heart", is out today. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save So Close To Heaven on CD/LP/Digital here.


Two special highlights, among many, on So Close To Heaven include a duet between vocalist Lars Safsund and revered melodic rock singer Robbie LaBlanc on the track "This Time" and the band's cover of Richard Marx's "Arrow Through My Heart". The latter track was written by Richard Marx, Bruce Gaitsch, and Fee Waybill during the sessions of Marx’s hit album Repeat Offender.







Lionville was started in 2010 by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in Genova, Italy and his brother Alessandro. Thanks to the incredible songs Stefano had managed to write, he got none other than Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art, Enbound) involved as the lead vocalist, which was a true coup for the band. After two indie releases, in 2017 Lionville signed with Frontiers, who gave the band’s releases larger support, distribution, and thus brought them to a new audience of melodic rock fans. Since signing with Frontiers, Lionville has released two highly praised albums, A World Of Fools and Magic Is Alive, and in the process, has become one of the most well-respected acts dedicated to pure AOR on the label's roster.


So Close To Heaven showcases the band's ongoing winning combination of strong songwriting, stellar musicianship, and of course magnificent lead vocals. A must hear for all AOR/melodic rock fans.





Tracklisting:


"This Time"
"Cross My Heart"
"The World Is On Fire"
"Can't Live Without Your Love"
"True Believer"
"We Are One"
"Only The Brave"
"Angel Without Wings"
"I'll Be Waiting Tonight"
"Arrow Through My Heart"
"So Close To Heaven"


"Cross My Heart" video:





Lineup:


Stefano Lionetti - Guitars, Backing vocals, Keyboards
Lars Säfsund - Lead & Backing vocals
Michele Cusato - Guitars
Fabrizio Caria - Piano & Keyboards
Giulio Dagnino - Bass
Martino Malacrida - Drums

Technical death metal behemoths, Enterprise Earth, will release their anticipated new full-length, The Chosen, on January 14 via MNRK Heavy, today unleashing their crushing third single, "Legends Never Die".


With "Legends Never Die", the band’s sprawling, forward-thinking approach to deathcore continues to progress in new directions. Dark and ravenous, the track will immediately resonate with listeners as it pays homage to the band’s older sound and boasts what made their previous record, Luciferous, so brutal.


Notes guitarist Gabe Mangold, “For the third single, we wanted to showcase another facet of The Chosen, something that people who really enjoyed the death metal vibes of Luciferous would like. ‘Legends Never Die’ is fierce musically, yet poetic lyrically. Together, we felt we created an 'epic' vibe with this one. Enjoy!”







The Chosen will be released on CD, LP, and digitally. Find pre-ordering options here.





Tracklisting:


“Where Dreams Are Broken”
“Reanimate // Disintegrate”
“Unleash Hell”
“I Have To Escape”
“The Tower”
“They Have No Honor”
“Overpass”
“You Couldn’t Save Me”
“Unhallowed Path”
“Legends Never Die”
“My Blood, Their Sanitation”
“Skeleton Key”
“The Chosen”
“Atlas”


"Reanimate // Disintegrate" video:





“Where Dreams Are Broken” video:





(Photo - Chris Klumpp)

CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho's ashes have finally been buried — nearly a year after his tragic passing at the age of 41. He was laid to rest at the Malmi Cemetery, a large cemetery located in the Malmi district in Helsinki, Finland.

Australian-born music publicist Kelli Wright, who says she married the musician three years before his death, announced Alexi's burial in a social media post on Friday (December 10). She wrote: "Finally, with extremely mixed emotions, I can announce MY late, unconditionally and forever loved husband's ashes were buried yesterday on our 4 th Wedding Anniversary. The family Laiho plot is where he was buried. Alexi and Kelli 2005 – eternity".

A large gravestone has been ordered for Alexi's final resting place, but it has not yet been installed. Social media posts of Alexi's grave show a candle sitting on top of his burial spot.

At the time of his death, Alexi was still legally married to his former SINERGY bandmate Kimberly Goss. In January 2021, Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reported that Laiho tied the knot with Goss in February 2002, and the couple never officially divorced. Although Laiho filed for divorce in November 2002, he quickly withdrew the petition and never filed another.

According to Finnish law, Laiho and Wright would not have been able to legally wed, as Laiho and Goss had never terminated their marriage.

This past March, Alexi's sister Anna accused Kimberly of holding up the burial process, writing in a social media post that Goss was using "her legal rights as a widow, preventing grie[v]ing mother and father [from] bury[ing] their own son. Her selfish and narcissistic explanation is that she wanted to take part in the funeral and still wants to be present when the ashes are buried," she wrote. "But our family does not want this monster anywhere near us."

For her part, Goss, who lives in Chicago, Illinois, denied allegations that was "a 'gold-digger' who Alexi 'hated'," explaining that "this can be easily disproven through the beautiful text and video messages he sent me daily, right until the last day of his life. Messages so sweet, yet so heartbreaking at the same time. Heartbreaking because you can see how ill he was. I tried everything I could to help him. I often messaged people in Helsinki to check in on him because I was so worried."

This week, Anna told Ilta-Sanomat that "the protracted dispute" over her brother's ashes was "over" and that she and the rest of her family welcomed the opportunity to focus on grieving her brother "in a new way."

Alexi died on December 29, 2020 in his home in Helsinki, Finland. He died of alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.


Finally, with extremely mixed emotions, I can announce MY late, unconditionally and forever loved husband’s ashes were...

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SLIPKNOT will headline the inaugural Knotfest Germany, set to take place July 30, 2022 at Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen. Also scheduled to appear at the event are IN FLAMES and GHOSTEMANE, with more acts to be announced. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, December 14.

The Knotfest brand has expanded around the globe, with landmark events held in the U.S., Japan, Mexico and Colombia, as well as 2019's debut collaboration with French destination festival Hellfest for Knotfest Meets Hellfest.

Knotfest has evolved into one of the biggest hard rock and metal festivals in the world, expanding to four continents. Hundreds of thousands of fans have attended these massive festivals, which are as cultural as they are music-based, mixing heavy rock with hip hop, world music, visual art, experiential installations, and much more.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, SLIPKNOT's creative visionary Shawn "Clown" Crahan described Knotfest as "a dark carnival experience. It's not just the shows, but the environment created around it. It's all about having fun. A day dedicated to our mentality, our ideas, to the people we want to be with. I'm talking about smells, sights, hearing, your body, everything will be overloaded with stimulation."

SLIPKNOT performed its new single, "The Chapeltown Rag", live for the first time ever at Knotfest Los Angeles on November 5. The event was livestreamed as it happened, giving fans access to both the studio version and SLIPKNOT's live performance of "The Chapeltown Rag" within only hours of its premiere.

The studio version of "The Chapeltown Rag", which was released that same day, was produced by Joe Baressi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

SLIPKNOT has just completed the "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, featuring support from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE. The 29-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicked off following the band's Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25.

Twenty-two years ago, nine inspired musicians from Des Moines, Iowa, shattered the scope of what was possible in rock music. From the moment SLIPKNOT emerged in 1999 with their self-titled debut, it was clear they were like nothing the world had seen before. Where a similarly creative act may have burned out or lost their relevance chasing mainstream acceptance, SLIPKNOT has only proven that an enduring commitment to constant evolution, their craft, and their fans can allow a rock band to not only continue — but flourish and push the envelope on what defines heavy metal and rock music in general.

SMASHING PUMPKINS leader Billy Corgan has launched a charity fundraiser on fan engagement platform Cameo to benefit a hometown organization close to his heart: PAWS Chicago.

The limited-quantity fundraiser will allow 100 fans to book and receive personalized video messages — priced at $250 per person, or $4,500 for business use — from Corgan and his partner Chloe Mendel for themselves or loved ones. Each of the lucky fans will also receive a surprise holiday gift from the frontman, who will donate 100% of his Cameo earnings to PAWS Chicago, Chicago's largest no-kill animal shelter.

"With supply chains in disarray, Santa needed a little help this year getting special gifts to you… So he reached out to Billy + Chloe, and they came up with an idea for 100 special fans," the Cameo page states.

"For every Cameo purchased, you will also get a mystery prize! One of the gifts may be something special courtesy of Reverend Guitars," the Cameo page adds.

Fans can request Cameos from Corgan here.

When he appeared on the cover of PAWS Chicago magazine in 2014, he was quoted as saying: "In my home, the animals run the show. At best we're equals. But that's the way it should be. They have every right to live and be happy as much as I do."

Corgan credited a prior relationship with a woman who was a big animal rights advocate for opening his eyes to animal welfare. "She gave me a perspective about animal rights issues that made it personal to me," he said. "I started getting involved with Sea Shepherd and started to see I could make a direct impact on those issues. There was something holistic about it for me to the extent that we pay lip service to things like ecology and culture, but you start to realize how you view your animals or how you view your garden or how you view your neighbors is all about what becomes symptomatic about what is wrong or right with your lives."

Former FLYLEAF singer Lacey Sturm has released an offering of mystery and romance with "Awaken Love". The song is now available on all major streaming platforms.

Both atmospheric and intimate, "Awaken Love" is a string-driven ballad that Lacey co-wrote with SKILLET's Korey Cooper. The song explores what it feels like to be immersed in the transcendent experience of perfect love.

"With lyrics, I go into a place where I try to hear what the song is about. I have to learn. The music tells you," Lacey recalls about the writing process. "Sometimes there are lyrics that stir that up, and Korey already had some of that written."

The song developed into a sweeping chorus and vivid verses, with Lacey's fervent vocals declaring, "My racing heart so safe with you, they can't take me away from you."

While the instrumentation marries rock riffs with cinematic musical scope, "Awaken Love" invites the listener into wonder over the ways they've experienced unexplainable love.

"Romance is a shadow of the divine," the singer concludes. "The shadow boxing of romance is really coming from the divine dance of God and humanity."

"Awaken Love" follows the previously released "The Decree" and "State Of Me". Together, the three songs showcase Sturm's consistently expanding sound. Working closely with her husband and guitarist Josh Sturm to break new musical ground, Lacey continues to solidify her role as one of the most iconic voices in hard rock.

Performing live with SKILLET before the pandemic shut down arena tours, Lacey has since been writing new music and finding creative ways to connect with fans. Singing on BREAKING BENJAMIN's 2020 single "Dear Agony (Aurora Version)", which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 after 20 weeks on the chart while racking up well over 16 million views on YouTube alone, Lacey has also performed with SHINEDOWN and others on drive-in theater stages and has hit virtual stages along with METALLICA, THREE DAYS GRACE, SEETHER and others during the Recording Academy-sponsored Octane Home Invasion festival.

Sturm left FLYLEAF in October 2012. She was replaced by Kristen May, who recorded one album with the group, 2014's "Between The Stars", before exiting.

FOZZY was forced to cancel its concert Friday night (December 10) in Swansea, United Kingom after singer Chris Jericho was hospitalized for a "treatable health issue."

FOZZY was scheduled to perform in the Welsh city as part of a 12-date "Save The World" tour of the U.K. However, the show appears to have been called off after the following statement was posted on the Instagram page of the Sin City club: "We were devastated to learn that FOZZY will have to cancel their planned date with us in Swansea [Friday].

"We have received this message from the band as of 9pm [Thursday] evening…

"'Chris was checked into Hospital by doctors, with a non Covid related, treatable health issue. Regrettably the show on Friday in Swansea is cancelled and all tickets will be refunded. Will have updates on Saturdays show in Nottingham and Sunday's show in London as soon as possible'.

"We can only apologise with the unavoidable shortness of the notice we can bring you. We assure you that in a year of closure and rearranged shows, we are devastated to have to remain closed once again.

"We wish Chris an incredibly speedy recovery. We very much hope he and the band are able to complete their UK tour and return safely to their families for Christmas."

Jericho, a former WWE world wrestling champion who currently competes for All Elite Wrestling, has yet to comment on his illness via social media.

A statement on the FOZZY social media read simply: "We are very sorry, but due to circumstances beyond our control, FOZZY will not be able to perform in Swansea tonight. We promise to return soon in the future!"

FOZZY has already played a number of shows in the U.K. on the current tour and was scheduled to finish the run in London on Sunday after playing in Nottingham on Saturday.

FOZZY will release its new album, "Boombox", on April 15, 2022. The LP, which includes the top 10 singles "Nowhere To Run" and "Sane", was once again produced by Johnny Andrews.

FOZZY recently announced the "Save The World" 2022 U.S. tour. The trek, featuring special guests GFM, KRASHKARMA and THE NOCTURNAL AFFAIR, will kick off on March 31 in Detroit, Michigan and wrap on May 16 in Sauget, Illinois.
























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Yngwie Malmsteen has postponed "the next few" concerts on his current U.S. tour.

The postponement was announced via a statement shared earlier today on the legendary Swedish guitarist's social media.

"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances (not COVID - don't worry!) and doctor's orders, Yngwie has been instructed to take a few days rest, so the next few show dates will be postponed for the foreseeable," the statement read. "All purchased tickets and Meet & Greets will be honored for the rescheduled dates. Yngwie's looking forward to resting up and seeing all of you when the time comes".

Remaining shows on Yngwie's current U.S. tour:

Dec. 10 - Tower Theater - Fresno, CA

Dec. 11 - The Canyon Club - Montclair, CA

Dec. 12 - The Canyon Club - Santa Clarita, CA

Dec. 14 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM

Dec. 16 - Gas Monkey Live! - Dallas, TX

Dec. 17 - Tulsa Theater - Tulsa, OK

Dec. 18 - Rise Rooftop - Houston, TX

Malmsteen's latest album, "Parabellum", was released in July via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Brian Wilson.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Yngwie stated about his decision to take on more and more of the workload himself: "It's a very bizarre thing to try to explain, because in rock 'n' roll it's embedded in people's minds that it has to be a band playing everything, right? And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that — I love THE ROLLING STONES and DEEP PURPLE and so many bands. And 99.9 percent of the songs in those bands usually come about when the guitar player comes up with a riff, the drummer starts playing along with it and finally the singer comes in and starts singing over that. Which is great. But for some reason I tend to approach things more like a writer or a painter would. Like, the painter paints the foreground, he paints the background… he doesn't go, 'Oh, can you do this part for me?' It's the same with a classical composer, for that matter. And that's just the way I approach it. Even when I was a little kid, if the drummer wasn't in the rehearsal room, I'd just put the record button on. Like, the demo tape version of 'Black Star' that I did in 1982, that's me playing drums, bass, keyboards and guitar. So this is nothing new for me."


Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances (not COVID - don't worry!) and doctor's orders, Yngwie has been...

Posted by Official Yngwie Malmsteen on Friday, December 10, 2021

Cruz Del Sur Music will release legendary former TROUBLE singer Eric Wagner's posthumous solo album, "In The Lonely Light Of Mourning", on March 22, 2022. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Maybe Tomorrow", is available below.

Recorded at Alpha Sound Services and Aardvark Recording, "In The Lonely Light Of Mourning" was completed and delivered to Cruz Del Sur Music a month before Eric's untimely passing. Initially scheduled for a November 2021 release, Cruz Del Sur Music — in cooperation with Eric's manager, Mike Smith — agreed to move the release date to March 2022 to give it the attention it deserves.

The solo endeavor — a longtime goal of Eric's — serves as a fitting testament to one of doom metal's most respected voices. Eric tapped former TROUBLE/current BLACKFINGER drummer David Snyder to help him assemble the album's eight cuts. Along the way, Eric brought in some of his favorite musicians as guests — including past and present members of TROUBLE, BLACKFINGER, THE SKULL, LID, PENTAGRAM, DEATH ROW and PLACE OF SKULLS.

According to Snyder, the origins for "Maybe Tomorrow" had been kicking around for quite some time. "The pre-chorus part was definitely influenced by Chuck Robinson's old band THIS TORTURED SOUL which, at that time, I had the pleasure of playing second guitar for a few shows," he says. "That influenced things for sure. The verses and descending single note parts were Eric's suggestions and the main riff was originally just single notes. And, just before recording, Eric wanted it heavier, so I added the low droning open note and asked what he thought and in true Eric form, he calmly said, 'That's it. It's a jam.' On the first rough mixes you can hear him say it when the song started while he did the vocals, which definitely brought a smile every time I heard it. The song's style ended up being a cool full-circle thing with Chuck and I and being fans of Eric's music, who greatly influenced our own styles. Add in Lothar Keller's stunning solo and Ron Holzner's badass bass and it rounded the whole track out rather well, I have to say."

Adds Keller: "It's very interesting hearing this tune now that Eric has gone to the other side. Call it premonition or whatever someone's take on it is — you can hear it in his voice and it will definitely hit you.

"I am honored to have been a part of Eric's last album and his legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of many."

The aforementioned Robinson played a vital role on "The Lonely Light Of Mourning". Robinson wrote "Isolation" and "Wish You Well" and co-wrote "Rest In Peace" with Snyder. He also played rhythm guitars on every song except "If He Lost It All" and played bass on "Wish You Well".

"The groove and vibe on 'Maybe Tomorrow' is insane," says Robinson. "It's just a killer riff with great drive. I remember Eric was very adamant how he wanted the feel to be. Eric's lyrics were so personal to him. He was a master with words, hidden meanings and messages. Only he knew for sure…"

"In The Lonely Light Of Mourning" travels down Eric's hallowed, familiar doom roads, flanked by melancholic acoustic guitar arrangements. It makes for an album of color, depth and heaviness that will please fans of Eric's work. "I'd say this album is an amalgamation of TROUBLE, BLACKFINGER, LID and THE SKULL," says Phillips. "There's a little bit of each all swirled together. Basically, there's a little something for everyone!"

"He was excited about the songs," adds Snyder. "He and I worked on this project for a little over four years. It took that long, mostly because we did it over the phone. Either he would be in Chicago or New Mexico, and I'm in West Virginia, so I'd send him demo riffs, and if he liked something, he'd give me arrangement ideas, and I'd re-demo to fit his vision to place the lyrics. I already miss the process of working with him! Before Eric left for the last THE SKULL tour this summer, he told me about the record and said, 'It jams. I'm turning it into Cruz.'"

Smith says that if Eric was ever going to do a solo record, it would need to involve the people he's worked with — and some he hasn't. The wealth of guest musicians explains why he was particularly excited about having a "family reunion" that tapped into nearly every era of his storied career.

"We have guests representing every band Eric has worked with over the years, and even extended family member Victor Griffin, which really brings things full circle," says Smith. "This was not the original plan by any means, but as the process started to unfold, it became apparent that this was exactly how it should be. How it was meant to be."

Eric's THE SKULL and former TROUBLE bandmate Ron Holzner, guests on the album. Ron says "In The Lonely Light Of Mourning" was "more personal" to him than his BLACKFINGER and LID output, two albums that enabled the frontman to work outside of the boundaries of TROUBLE.

"The LID record [1997's 'In The Mushroom'] was a break from TROUBLE and his first tastes of freedom. The BLACKFINGER records were more of a sideband to express himself differently than THE SKULL. It's been a long journey lyrically for Eric and his story was coming towards the end. He sensed his time was short. The new record was his career coming full circle, in a sense. He included musicians from all his records and never intended this record to be a band. It was more a solo record than anything he ever did before. He needed to share his journey since this record was to be the end — he was contemplating retirement. The new THE SKULL record would be the epitaph to his story."

Eric's untimely passing this past August left behind a musical legacy that has influenced countless bands while providing comfort and solace for those impacted by his lyrics. Alongside CANDLEMASS, TROUBLE is arguably the most impactful post-BLACK SABBATH doom band. Their first four albums are undisputed classics, making Eric the solitary voice for the downtrodden and disaffected.

"There's no doubt that he will be rightly remembered as one of the most iconic voices of metal — not just doom metal considering he had the power to traverse anything he sang over from psychedelic to somber, from acoustic tenderness to bone-crushing metal," says Phillips. "Of course, he'll always be tied to the legacy of TROUBLE and thus, considered by nearly everyone — including myself — as one of the founding fathers of the doom metal genre. But for those who knew him, we'll also never forget his laid-back personality, sense of humor and 'Eric-isms.' It's a staggering and totally unnecessary loss, but he lived by his own rules and spent 2021 doing all of the things he loved doing the most, so there's some solace in that."

"He did what he wanted, said what he wanted, lived like he wanted and wrote what he wanted…his way," says Holzner. "He touched a lot of souls with his life and death."

"He was a friend to everyone he met," adds Snyder. "He always would hang out with fans and, through his music, helped a lot of people through tough times, including myself. His lyrics were always thought-provoking and his voice was one of a kind. When you heard it, you knew it was Eric Wagner! Ultimately, his legacy to me is his work with TROUBLE. I am eternally grateful to have been close to him at times, to have finished this record and to have worked with what many call the 'Godfather of Doom.'"

"Eric was a dear friend, and I miss him immensely," closes Smith. "This solo album became so much more than we initially expected, and I hope fans will be able to listen with open hearts and realize how lucky we all were to have Eric in our lives.

When Eric and I signed off on the album back in July and delivered it to Cruz Del Sur Music, Eric said something I will never forget: 'If this were to be my last one, it's a perfect final chapter to the story.'"

"In The Lonely Light Of Mourning" track listing:

01. Rest In Place

02. Maybe Tomorrow

03. Isolation

04. If You Lost It All

05. Strain Theory

06. Walk With Me To The Sun

07. In The Lonely Light Of Mourning

08. Wish You Well

"It has been a great honor to have the chance to work with Eric," says Cruz Del Sur Music owner Enrico Leccese. "He has been a reference in my life since, as a fan, I bought his TROUBLE albums back in the 1980s. I must give WHILE HEAVEN WEPT's Tom Phillips 100 percent credit for Cruz Del Sur Music being able to release Eric's solo album. Eric really put all himself, his passion, his deepest emotions and his skills into this release. I must also thank Mike and Ron Holzner for the extremely mature talk we had after Eric's passing. His loss has been a tragic event and we hope that this album gives justice to his career."

Eric, who was TROUBLE's original singer, died in August after a battle with COVID pneumonia. He was 62 years old.

According to Holzner, Eric was generally opposed to institutionalized medicine but he wouldn't make an exception for the COVID vaccine.

"We argued about it, and he stood his ground on the matter," Holzner told the Chicago Reader. "I always joked, 'The World According To Eric Wagner — you should write a book.' He lived his life his way."

Wagner, who smoked cigarettes and occasionally drank and vaped, had health issues, but had begun taking better care of himself and switching to a plant-based diet, Holzner said.

Less than a week before Wagner's death, his bandmates in THE SKULL went public with the fact that he was infected by the novel coronavirus.

Unvaccinated people, like Wagner was, are far more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated.

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Wagner left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.

Eric was one of the guest singers on Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) heavy metal side project PROBOT, whose 2004 album featured heavy metal vocalists from the '80s and '90s.

Last year, TROUBLE partnered with Hammerheart Records to re-release the legendary doom legends' entire musical catalog, in addition to their upcoming album. This partnership that will see the distribution of the band's entire library of music that spans over three decades.

FAITH NO MORE has canceled all of its previously announced shows for 2022, including tours of Australia, New Zealand and the U.K., as well as a number of European festival appearances.

The band announced the cancelations in a statement posted on social media. The group wrote: "Unfortunately due to our current challenges, we aren't going to be ready to perform for the upcoming Australian, New Zealand and UK/European tours.

"To play at anything less than 100% after so long is not an option for us.

"We apologize to all of you ticket holders, and are forever grateful to our fans for your support and understanding."

This past September, FAITH NO MORE scrapped all of its previously announced fall 2021 performances, saying frontman Mike Patton was unable to perform as hoped due to mental health issues, partially exacerbated by the pandemic. The other members of FAITH NO MORE issued a statement expressing their disappointment about the tour cancelation while also throwing their support behind their bandmate. They wrote: "To say that we feel shattered by these cancellations would be a complete understatement.

"It has been a real challenge to return to this music after a five-year absence, but we have been working hard for a few months now, and these last few rehearsals left no doubt that we were back to top form, which makes this statement very difficult to write.

"Coming on almost two years of pandemic and lack of work, it has been heartbreaking to give our crew the news," they continued. "We consider our crew like family. And then, equally importantly, we are aware of what this means to our fans, who have been patiently supporting us — hoping, as we have, for a break in this frustrating situation. Many folks have taken isolation quite hard, and patiently waited as shows have been postponed time and time again. This will be tough for them.

"And yet in spite of all this, we have a family member who needs help. We believe that forging ahead with these dates would have had a profoundly destructive effect on Mike, whose value to us as a brother means more to us than his job as singer. He can count on our 100% support to do what he needs to do to get things right. Just as we also ask for your support right now.

"Thank you for continuing to believe in us."

Back in April 2020, Patton told Rolling Stone about his life in quarantine: "Although I am lucky enough to hopefully survive this, I have had an entire year of tours canceled, between different bands, and that certainly does weigh on me, the bands I'm working with, and obviously the fans who may or may not have purchased tickets! So … basically, it sucks. But personally, this lockdown lifestyle is not terribly different from my normal routine, as I'm quite hermetic and private. But sometimes it does resonate deeper — like, when you want to hit a restaurant with family or friends. No. What do we do? We adapt or die."

FAITH NO MORE initially reunited for touring purposes in 2009, 12 years after issuing its previous studio set, "Album Of The Year", and followed that up with 2015's "Sol Invictus".

In May, FAITH NO MORE moved its scheduled summer 2021 European back to the summer of 2022.


An update from our camp at FNM:

Unfortunately due to our current challenges, we aren’t going to be ready to perform for...

Posted by Faith No More on Thursday, December 9, 2021

PRIEST, the synthwave act featuring former members of the Grammy Award-winning Swedish rock act GHOST, has released the official music video for its new single "A Signal In The Noise". The track is the first single from PRIEST's new full-length album, due in 2022 via Cleopatra Records. The LP was produced by another GHOST alumni, Simon Söderberg (GHOST guitarist and producer/engineer of debut album "Opus Eponymous")

Hailing from the same icy darkness of the Scandinavian inland that birthed GHOST, PRIEST consists of a trio of musicians — vocalist Mercury, who was known as Water when he played bass for GHOST, keyboardist Salt, formerly known as GHOST keyboardist Air, and programmer/ keyboardist Sulfur — who came together in 2017 and started releasing their own unique brew of electronic music that bears little sonic resemblance to their former band yet still shares the same creative DNA. But whereas GHOST borrowed their theatrics from old school horror and '80s rock, PRIEST comes steeped in cyberpunk and industrial music.

Cleopatra owner Brian Perera stated: "We've been living in this genre since the '90s so we have a pretty good feel for when bands do it right, and as soon as we heard PRIEST, we knew they were something special. We see an extremely bright future ahead for the band and are thrilled to be partnering with them to make that happen."

PRIEST concurred, saying: "Signing with such a legendary label like Cleopatra will probably be the biggest step in our career. With great knowledge of the genre we're in, we can't think of a better match for PRIEST. Our next album is by far the best yet and we can't wait to unleash it to a wider and more diverse audience."

Last year, PRIEST released a new album called "Cyberhead", the follow-up to its debut, "New Flesh". "Cyberhead" was the first album since original singer Tom Åsberg (also known as Ginger Khan) left the band to pursue other projects. PRIEST mastermind Linton Rubino has taken over on vocals, which are performed by a masked character they call Mercury.

Back in 2017, GHOST leader Tobias Forge was sued by four former members of the band after being dismissed by the group's founder the previous December. They accused the singer of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the band's album releases and world tours. The lawsuit was filed in the district court of Linköping, Sweden, where GHOST was originally based. It claimed that a partnership agreement existed between Forge and the four former members, all of whom performed anonymously in the band as Nameless Ghouls. As a result of the lawsuit, Forge was forced to reveal his identity after years of performing in a mask as Papa Emeritus. He has maintained that "no legal partnership" ever existed between him and the other members.

In May 2018, Linton, who played bass live in GHOST from 2013 to 2014 in the role of the Nameless Ghoul Water, blasted the band's latest album, "Prequelle", saying he was "ashamed to have been part of that" and calling the music "a joke" and "mainstream shit."