The Paiste YouTube channel has been updated with a video of SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande playing the song "To Not Belong" from CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ, his prog metal project with João Hanysz.

Paiste says in a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video: "Could he play even more energetic? We don't think so. Always a great pleasure to see and hear Eloy Casagrande banging on those drums. Here he plays the track 'To Not Belong' from CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ. Hell Yeah!"

CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ's debut EP, "Edge Of Chaos", was released in September. The effort was produced, recorded and mixed by Andre Kbelo and was mastered by Carlinhos Freitas.

This past summer, guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke to France's Loud TV about how Casagrande's addition to has affected SEPULTURA's sound.

"We're very lucky to have such great musicians here in Brazil, especially in drumming," he said. "We have great drummers and percussionists. You see [Carlos] Santana and all those great names, Paul Simon and stuff, always using some Brazilian here and there regarding the drum world. And Eloy started playing drums very early. He was made for SEPULTURA, man. I mean, he played in some other bands and stuff, but here with SEPULTURA, he's really exploding; he's really free to express himself the way he wants to, and SEPULTURA's music really provides that. And in exchange, he gave me especially to write many new possibilities. I think 'Machine Messiah' and 'Quadra' are the consequence of that interaction we have, which is great. It's so inspiring. It's fantastic.

"We are kind of always writing," he continued. "Sometimes he sends me some drum loops and I send him some riffs and stuff, and it's really cool that we build stuff from there. And he's a very professional guy — the best drummer in the world; at least for SEPULTURA he's the best. [Laughs]"

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande has had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined in 2011. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

In 2019, Eloy told Drumtalk that he didn't care about the long-simmering feud between founding SEPULTURA members Max and Igor Cavalera and his current bandmates. "I respect all the history," he said. "I have total respect for the past drummers, Igor and Jean [Dolabella]. They are amazing guys, incredible guys, but we just live in the present. I really don't care what happened, what didn't happen. I respect all the music. I respect their music nowadays. It's just that we have to follow our path and that's it."

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 10 years ago as the replacement for Dolabella.

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Quadra", was released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises Green, Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and Casagrande.

Brazil-based animator, Val Andrade, celebrates the holiday season, releasing a new Iron Maiden cartoon clip, entitled A Christmas Cheers 7 - Welcome Senjutsu. Watch below:





A selection of Andrade's previously released Iron Maiden-based cartoons can be seen below:

Swedish heavy metal masters, Wolf, announce their return with a new studio album, entitled Shadowland. The album is set to be released through Century Media on April 1. It is their ninth studio effort and the follow-up to the 2020 release, Feeding The Machine.


Niklas Stalvind (vocals / guitar) checks in on the new album: “So, we are finally at the point when the new Wolf album is recorded, mixed and mastered. It is done! For obvious reasons we haven’t toured since the release of Feeding The Machine, which meant we could put all our time and efforts on putting a new album together and so we have. And let me tell you that we are super stoked about it! Speaking for myself, the sound reminds me of an updated version of the Evil Star album with that in-your-face clarity and the songs reminds me of the melodic, yet sinister, The Black Flame album, and at the same time I hear something new as well. I’m sure fans of all eras of Wolf will find something they like in this album. We can’t wait to hear the audience reaction to it next time we play live again. Metal never dies!”


The artwork was once again handled by the one and only Thomas Holm (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond). Pre-0rder will start on January 28.







Wolf is:


Niklas Stalvind - Vocals & Guitar
Simon Johansson - Guitar
Pontus Egberg - Bass
Johan Koleberg - Drums

Polish black metal band Hegeroth presents the second single from their upcoming, fourth album titled Sacra Doctrina. The premiere of the album is scheduled for January 24, 2022 and will be released on digital format and CD by the band. Listen to “Out Of Habit” below. Preorder Sacra Doctrina on Bandcamp.


Cover artwork was created by Italian artist Le Nevralgie Costanti. Music was recorded and produced by the band in their HSoundLab Studio.


The music of the Silesian band fits in with black metal, which pays tribute to both the most important features of traditional metal and openness to new experiences. The energy, rhythm and clarity of the musical message are enriched by the variety, variability and layering of melodic forms. 







Tracklisting:


“In Torment 1”
“Out Of Habit”
“With Adoration”
“In Torment 2”
“From Nothingness”
“In Torment 3”
“With Devotion”
“In Torment 1” (PL)


“Out Of Habit”:

CANNIBAL CORPSE vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher has released "Acid Vat", the first single from his upcoming solo album, titled "Corpsegrinder". Due on February 4, the 10-song effort was co-produced by Nick Bellmore (DEE SNIDER, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and will be made available through Jasta's new label, Perseverance Music Group.

"Acid Vat" features a guest appearance by Fisher's CANNIBAL CORPSE bandmate Erik Rutan.

Corpsegrinder comments: "When Jamey approached me to do this record, I was fired up to get into the studio with Erik Rutan and record the vocals. It's a mix of death metal, thrash and hardcore, and it sounds heavy as hell!!! I'm really excited about it, and I can't wait for the world to hear it!!!"

Jasta adds: "Working with George has been a dream come true, he's one of the best dudes in metal and one of the most brutal voices EVER. He's outdone himself on this album!"

Throughout the years, Fisher has become a beloved figure in the metal scene and beyond, having one of heavy music's most brutal voices. In addition to having spent more than a quarter of a century fronting CANNIBAL CORPSE, he has been involved in several side projects, including PATHS OF POSSESSION and SERPENTINE DOMINION. He has also guested on various recordings from such acts as SUFFOCATION and SUICIDE SILENCE.

Earlier this year, Fisher told Kerrang! magazine about how he first became interested in extreme metal: "I went from BLACK SABBATH to [JUDAS] PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN, but when we discovered the heaviest shit, it was SLAYER and VENOM and CELTIC FROST and VOIVOD and POSSESSED — it all hit us at once. We were listening to heavy metal and then they dropped a fucking building on us. One of my earliest memories is my friend Steve playing the MERCYFUL FATE EP, and I'd never heard anything like it. King Diamond is my favorite singer of all time, and when we first heard that EP, it was, 'What the fuck was that?' I started getting demos and exploring more underground bands. When the CANNIBAL CORPSE demo came out, I believe I was already in my first band, which was called CORPSEGRINDER. We named the band after a DEATH song."


























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WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale has once again donned a Santa Claus outfit to as he shared a new "Merry Christmas" video message for his fans. Check it out below.

Coverdale, who turned 70 in September, recently opened up about his plans to retire from touring after the band's next batch of concerts around the world, telling the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast: "I planned to retire on the 2020 tour when I was 69. I thought that was the perfect age for the singer of WHITESNAKE to call it a day. But sadly, it was not to be, as we know; other events were in store. So now the t-shirt designs don't resonate as well for 70. But it's mind-blowing to me that I'm preparing my farewell tour. And it is — make no mistake, this is the farewell tour. I'm 70. It's a very physically challenging thing for me to do at the best of times. But it's very important for me to achieve completion and to express my appreciation and gratitude to all the people — the millions of people over the years — who've supported me for five decades, fifty years. It blows my mind — it really does."

"A lot of my peers and contemporaries are on their 20th retirement tour. I don't intend to plan that," he clarified. "I must explain, though — it's me, just David Coverdale, who's retiring from touring at that level. WHITESNAKE will still make projects. I've been writing music all through COVID. I wrote some beautiful new ideas. I have ideas in case Jimmy [Page] wants to do anything — write on FaceTime, which is an alien concept to him. But all songs that we can utilize for a WHITESNAKE project. But the music of WHITESNAKE will continue. That's most important that people know. I'm just stopping touring at this level — that's it."

According to Coverdale, there could very well be new music from WHITESNAKE in the years following his retirement from the road.

"I've got a bunch of ideas for WHITESNAKE, so we may have another project there — I don't know — without the pressure of having to go on tour," he said. "We have such a solid fanbase, I think fans are gonna buy the record with or without a tour. This is just emotionally for me to be able to go out there and do stuff. And also, you've gotta remember, we've started this legacy series of box sets, similar to the 25th anniversary. We have, I think, the 35th anniversary of 'Slide It In'; the 30th anniversary of the WHITESNAKE '87 album; we have a very special project planned to accompany the tour; we have another box set planned for this time next year. And then in 2023, we have the 30th anniversary of COVERDALE/PAGE, and the 50th anniversary of me joining DEEP PURPLE. Mind-blowing. So it's not like I'm retiring. [Laughs]

"Thankfully, physically and vocally, I still have the goods," he continued. "As my wife reminds me, I was actually touring up to spring in 2020, before lockdown. And I was 68 years old, and I'm still kicking ass. Of course, having an amazing band and an incredible and enthusiastic audience gives you that energizing aspect. It's just the traveling is challenging for me. But music is oxygen to me. I'm not gonna go fishing or take up crochet; I'm gonna definitely be doing projects. I'm lucky enough to have my own studio. It's the best of a bunch of worlds. And I have to thank people in person around the world for helping me to be in this position that I am in my life at this time. I don't wanna do it through a video [on] social media: 'Sorry we can't get out there, but thank you for 50 years.' That would be heartbreaking for me."

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

This past July, WHITESNAKE announced that it had enlisted Croatian singer/multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusick for its upcoming tour. Jelusick is a member of multi-platinum selling band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and was previously part of DIRTY SHIRLEY (with George Lynch), ANIMAL DRIVE and recorded with many others.

In a recent interview with Spain's Mariskal Rock, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked which fellow British band was more important to him personally while he was coming up in the music scene in Birmingham, England in the late 1960s and early 1970s, DEEP PURPLE or BLACK SABBATH. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They're all important to me for all of the styles and variety of music that they presented. I was naturally drawn to SABBATH because of the heaviness. If you put PURPLE on and then you put SABBATH on, or SABBATH on then PURPLE, they're both really strong, powerful bands, depending on which album you're listening to.

"PURPLE are hard rock; to me, they're not metal," he continued. "I'll probably be killed for saying that, but that's just the way I feel. SABBATH are exclusively metal, although Tony [Iommi, SABBATH guitarist] has always said SABBATH isn't metal. I don't know what's going on, but that's the world we live in, when musicians talk about each other.

"There's a certain speed, there's a certain intensity in PURPLE that is also in SABBATH, but it's in a different texture. When you listen to what [DEEP PURPLE drummer] Ian Paice was doing, for example, pushing those songs, I was as excited by that as I was by 'Fairies Wear Boots' or 'Iron Man' or any of these super-heavy tracks from SABBATH.

"So they were all important to me, as bands are to all musicians," Rob added. "All musicians are inspired and influenced by other musicians, so they all are very valuable to me. I wouldn't put one above the rest in terms of a list. The whole representation of the work that they make is important."

JUDAS PRIEST recently announced the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates for March-April 2022. Support on the trek will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

JUDAS PRIEST was forced to postpone around two dozen North American shows on its rescheduled 50th-anniversary tour in late September after the band's guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival. He ended up undergoing a 10-hour life-saving surgery a short distance away at Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

During an appearance on the latest episode of "Waste Some Time With Jason Green", Stephen Pearcy was once again asked if there is any chance of the four surviving members of the classic RATT lineup — Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier, guitarist Warren DeMartini and drummer Bobby Blotzer — reuniting to play some shows and possibly record new music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now, for the next who knows how long, I doubt [it]. But hey, I've opened the door. I will not the band RATT record a record [unless it's with the original guys]. I would love everybody to be involved.

"But you know what? Let's take a step back here, kids," he continued. "First of all, I said it a long time ago, and I don't know if people get this or not, unfortunately, when Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] was not in the scene and he was going through his trip and then he wasn't even in the band, that was, to me — I hate to say it — the end of that era. To have us hang around that long — 'Oh, another platinum record'; 'Oh, another platinum record' — it's just mind-blowing. 'Oh, you've gotta do another reunion tour.' 'You've gotta do a record.' I mean, we self-imploded a long time ago, man.

"My point is we can go through the motions," Pearcy added. We can have great guitar players. No disrespect to any of these players — we've had great guys, and that's all great — but, to me, RATT is not RATT without Robbin. And not even money is gonna make me believe any different. I'd rather go out and do my [solo] thing and get off on that. But is there any chance [of the original guys getting back together]? Well, who knows? I mean, look, I would love it. It would be great — one last rodeo — but, look, man, I don't sit around waiting for anybody, number one. And number two, do you really wanna present what you did in '84 37, [3]8 years later? We're lucky to be alive. But the fact that we are, it would be great. And you guys out there, no disrespect, man — I fucking love playing our songs any chance I can get, but I've got other fish to fry. If I can't get off, you're sure as hell not gonna get off. But we'll see, man… It's not up to me. All I can do is say the door is open."

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

This past February, it was reported by Metal Sludge that Pearcy would be joined by Blotzer for the filming of the virtual concert with his solo band over February 26 and February 27.

The rumors of Blotzer playing with Pearcy again came a month after Stephen confirmed to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was back on speaking terms with the drummer, who led his own version of RATT for a couple of years beginning in late 2015 before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the singer, DeMartini and Croucier over the rights to the band's name.

Pearcy and Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Fans from around the world attended METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts, which were held in at San Francisco's Chase Center on December 17 and December 19.

Chase Center has uploaded a new four-minute video featuring interviews from METALLICA fans who had traveled from such faraway places as Kuwait, Chile and Colombia to see the shows. Check it out below.

METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary shows 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.

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.

"I keep thinking and forcing myself to think all our best years are still ahead of us," METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said in a 2019 interview with Pollstar. "We may even turn professional and do this full time one day. That's the MO. It's always 'What's your favorite record?' It's the next one, the one we haven't recorded yet. It's always about the possibilities, always about what can be, what's coming. That, to me, is what this is all about and I think that attitude is a big part of why METALLICA still connects to so many people around the world."

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 guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, 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.

Last Thursday, San Francisco mayor London Breed presented Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo with a special declaration marking December 16 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."

In a recent interview with RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire", SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green spoke about crossing paths with the members of METALLICA over the years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We did a tour of South America with them, which was phenomenal. And I think they were going through a lot of stuff at that time with a lot of issues and stuff, so we didn't really get to chat with them that much. But then we did some other shows with them in Brazil and I think they were in a healthier place, and it was fantastic. They were hanging out. James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist] would come by the dressing room or Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] — all those guys — Robert [Trujillo, METALLICA bassist]… They were just always so friendly and great. And we got to play with them a few other times, like at Rock In Rio in Portugal. And that's when we had our, I guess you can say new drummer at the time, Eloy Casagrande, who's with us now, and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] was just flipping on him, watching him play. [He was saying], 'Man, this kid is incredible.' That was an amazing time hanging out with them. They invited us for dinner after the show. And it's been growing. Since then, every time seeing them, it's better and better. They're great to tour with, [they have a] great crew. The professionalism is formidable. It's this incredible machine that works together. And I love it. Those guys are amazing. I love to see them do well."

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA in 2011 as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

Last year, Ulrich said that he is no longer bothered by people's criticism of his drumming abilities. Speaking to METALLICA's So What! fan-club magazine, the Danish-born musician said: "I've got to tell you, 20 years later, 30 years later, it just doesn't register anymore. I am so comfortable with who I am, I'm so comfortable with who METALLICA is, I'm so comfortable with our place in all of it. I've got an incredible wife, three great kids, my dad and [his partner] Molly, incredible friends, and lots of cool acquaintances. It's all good. I've got nothing left to prove, so it just doesn't register anymore."

Back in 2016, Ulrich, who has gotten a lot of flak over the years from people who accused him of being a poor drummer, told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that he went through a period in the mid-1980s "that probably culminated in the '…[And] Justice [For All]' album where I felt sort of compelled to try to show ability."

According to Lars, part of the reason for him feeling insecure about his abilities was the increased competition from some of his peers.

"Listen, when you've got Dave Lombardo and Charlie Benante breathing down your back, it was, like, 'Okay, I've gotta…' I tried to step it up a little bit and tried to do my own thing and do all this crazy shit," he said. "I was trying really hard to push the drums kind of into the foreground. And then, after like a year or two of that, I was, like, 'Okay. Seriously? Just do your thing. Chill out. Support the riffs. Do what's best for the song.' So since around I guess the late '80s — so I guess it's been, like, 25 years now — the only thing that's really interested me is just doing the best thing for the song."

Asked in a 2008 interview with U.K.'s Rhythm magazine if he was troubled by the fact that he's gotten a lot of flak over the years from people who accused him of being a poor drummer, Lars said: "It used to, back in the day — and I spent a lot of time overcompensating for that on the early records. But then you wake up one day and you're like, whatever. It hasn't bothered me for [many] years. I'm no Joey Jordison, I'm no Mike Portnoy, and I have nothing but love and respect and admiration for all those guys. When I hear some of the young dudes, they blow my mind with what they can do with their feet and stuff — but it's not something that makes me go, 'I need to feel better about myself so I'm gonna learn how to do what they do with my feet.' I'm not a particularly accomplished drummer but I am very, very, very good at understanding the role of the drums next to James Hetfield's rhythm guitar. I guarantee you I'm the best guy in the world for that, and that's enough for me!"

Ulrich stated about his playing ability in a 2012 interview with DRUM! magazine: "I usually feel like I've regressed. [Laughs] I'm like, 'Why can't I do that anymore?'" He continued: "I can't say that I necessarily sit down to practice, like, 'I'm going to play and practice so I can get better.' What happens is that I just sit down and kind of play to just more stay in shape."

Ulrich added: "You know, METALLICA was up to two or three months off [in 2011], and I would sit down, I have an iPod next to my drums so I can play along to all kind of crazy stuff, and try to see if I can land in the same zip code of some of that stuff occasionally. But I can't say that I sit down to necessarily practice to sort of get better. For most of my stuff, it's about listening and about interpreting stuff that I'm listening to. So all the kind of sitting down and, you know, 'Now I'm going to do thirty-second-note paradiddles standing on my head — you know what I mean? I don't do that kind of stuff so much. For me it's more about the regimen of staying in shape, running every day, eating healthy, you know, being on top of that side of it."

Ex-STYX vocalist and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung has once again said that he wants to reunite with his former bandmates for one final tour.

DeYoung, the voice behind such STYX classics as "Come Sail Away", "Best Of Times", "Pieces Of Eight" and "Babe", spoke about his previous group while chatting with U-Man and Favazz of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The vast majority of fans, and I know this, they wanna see the band back together one last time. But [the STYX guys] chose a different path.

"The people say, 'Stop whining, Dennis.' I say, 'I'll whine as long as I like. I'm gonna be 75.' But the truth is [for them] to go out [on tour] with REO [SPEEDWAGON in 2022] — and REO is terrific — and LOVERBOY, that's lovely, except we should be going out by ourselves and giving the fanbase what they richly deserve, which is to see Moe, Larry and Curly [referring to 'The Three Stooges'] one more time.

"The thing is, for me, if we went and did it… I don't wanna be back in the band," he explained. "I'm not there to annoy people. I just want it one last time, really, for the legacy of the band and for the fanbase, because we still are pretty good — all three of us [DeYoung, guitarist/vocalist James 'J.Y.' Young and guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw — and Chuck [Panozzo, bass], when he has the strength to do it. It would be just a joyous thing for the people 'cause I know how I would feel if I got to see THE BEATLES one more time back when everyone was alive; it would have been ridiculous."

This past July, DeYoung refuted Shaw's claim that the members of STYX's classic lineup "weren't even happy working with each other in our heyday."

"Let me tell you, all this stuff they said about me was the biggest exaggerated bunch of lies I've ever seen in my life," Dennis told Classic Rock magazine. "We liked each other. We never had a punch-up. We never screamed at each other. We weren't those guys. We made music together. So when you cast aspersions — not only on my musical contributions, but also on my character — it's been the greatest heartbreak in my career.

"Not to give the fans one last glimpse of us together on stage, it makes no sense to me," he added. "And I know that all STYX fans would want to see that one more time.

"This is not about me, it's not about money. It's to relive, and reinforce, what lucky sonofabitches we were to find each other. And show the people that we appreciate what you've done for us. I'm sick over the fact that we can't do it one more time, but what am I going to do? I just can't for the life of me understand it."

DeYoung co-founded STYX as a teenager alongside his neighbors Chuck and John Panozzo in the early 1970s. James Young joined shortly after that, with Shaw coming on board in 1975.

Three years ago, Shaw likened STYX's relationship with DeYoung to a divorce. "You get married when you're young and everything's rosy," he told "The Big Interview". "Then, as you start to get a little older, you realize you didn't have that much in common and then you go through a tough divorce… We still have songs that we co-wrote together, and those are our children, and we've managed to find a way to keep those things in play."

Shaw went on to say that he is content to let the past remain in the past, choosing instead to surround himself with positivity as he enters the next part of his career. He continued: "Personality-wise, at this stage in my life, I want to be happy. I want to be around people who love me and that have my best interest at heart, and I don't have to fight with. There's just not enough years left that I would want to risk not having that again."

DeYoung released his final studio album, "26 East, Vol 2", in June via Frontiers Music Srl.

Steve Vai and Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group have presented an official music video for "Little Pretty". The composition is featured on Vai's upcoming studio album titled "Inviolate" which will be released digitally and on CD January 28, 2022. The LP will follow on March 18. The clip, which captures Vai performing in his inner sanctum also known as "Harmony Hut", can be seen below.

The recording is a dark-toned fusion-funk workout. Vai states: "In writing the chord changes for the solo section, and the solo itself, I dug deep into my academic music theory mind to create a set of chord changes where the harmonic atmosphere shifted on every change. The dense chord structures required a series of synthetic modes to navigate. This approach is along the lines of jazz and fusion players, but I knew I did not want it to sound anything like that and the solo had to be totally melodic. The results were pretty powerful in that the entire solo section evokes melodic atmospheric changes that shift dramatically but work together well."

Looking towards the holidays and a new year, he shares: "I am also wishing all a very happy and restful holiday season. You will need it because I predict in 2022, we will all be out there working together again and blowing up that bridge!"

Over the course of a more than 40-year career, Vai has routinely transformed what would appear to be outrageously impossible into something very, very possible… and still also pretty outrageous. From his days as Frank Zappa's "stunt guitar" player to his more recent expansive and exploratory solo work, Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing and composition — and on more than one occasion even reimagined the very instrument itself.

Which, he'll admit, is not necessarily his intention. "I don't sit around and say, 'Okay, what can I do now that pushes the boundaries?" Vai explains about his approach to the guitar. "What I do say to myself is, 'Okay, Vai — what are you going to do now that's going to interest you, that's going to fascinate you, and that's different than anything you've done before?" The answer to that question comes in the form of Vai's newest and 10th solo album, "Inviolate", a nine-song opus that (sorry Steve) does indeed push the boundaries of instrumental guitar music — this time out, Vai quite literally invented not just a new guitar, but also a new guitar-playing technique.

At the same time, "Inviolate" presents his most focused, streamlined and perhaps invigorating music in years. "It's very 'Vai,' whatever that means," he says, and then laughs. "Someone else might be better than me at explaining what that is. But it's just very honest music. Because a lot of my records, they're long and there's a lot of concepts and playing around with stories. This one has none of that. This is nine pretty dense all-instrumental compositions that I wanted to capture and record so I could get out there and play them live for people."

The album's mesmeric opener, "Teeth Of The Hydra", a sinuous, Latin-fusion-tinged composition that Vai wrote and recorded with a one-of-a-kind custom guitar he coined the Hydra. But calling the Hydra a mere guitar is selling it way, way, way short. Built in conjunction with the designers at Hoshino and based on a "steampunk motif" idea of Vai's, the Hydra is a beast of an instrument — a one-bodied, two-headstock-ed, three-neck-ed creature that encompasses, among other things: seven- and 12-string guitars; a four-string bass; sympathetic harp strings; half-fretless necks; single-coil, humbucking, piezo and sustainer pickups; floating and hardtail tremolo bridges; phase splitters; and much, much more. "It's an incredibly-built machine," Vai says. "I told the guys at Hoshino, 'Anything that you think is conventional, don't do that.' This was an opportunity to exercise brutal creativity. And they went beyond."

As did Vai in his performance. Throughout the track he employs the Hydra's full range of tone and timbres to craft a guitar part that sounds, in its expansiveness and expressiveness, positively alive. "The interesting thing about the song and the guitar is that it all came at the same time," Vai says. "It was one of those 'inviolate' inspirations — boom!"

That said, he continues, "I knew that I needed to create something with the Hydra that sounded like a real piece of music. It couldn't be just a novelty. Because if you knew what my hands were doing, and how I'm using my left hand to create phrasings that work when I can't pick a note because my right hand is off somewhere else…my god. But the finished piece had to stand on its own. It couldn't sound like I was just trying to juggle stuff."

Over the course of 2021, several of these compositions were shared publicly. Vai composed and recorded the song "Knappsack", following his shoulder surgery, at a time when his right arm was in a sling (or, as his surgeon, Dr. Knapp, called it, a "knappsack"), and thus was able to use only his left hand when playing the piece. He released a one-handed performance video. He says with a laugh, "pretty soon after I started to see some clips of young kids pulling it off, too. It's really fascinating."

Those kids will likely face a greater challenge attempting to take on another "Inviolate" track, "Candle Power". For this one, Vai not only set up parameters outside of his comfort zone (Strat-style guitar; clean tone; no whammy bar; no pick), but also — why not? — developed an entirely new guitar technique that he calls "joint shifting." The core concept there, he explains, is to enact simultaneous multiple string bends in opposite directions, which "requires bending only the top joint of the finger independently from any other finger." And while he acknowledges that bending multiple strings is not a new concept in and of itself, "I had not seen any of it done in the way I envisioned it," he says.

Like "Knappsack", Vai released "Candle Power" an accompanying performance video earlier in 2021. But he added a little something extra to the version that appears on "Inviolate", with a newly recorded drum track from fellow Zappa alumnus Terry Bozzio (to that end, additional crack players who lent a hand to the record include bassists Bryan Beller, Philip Bynoe and Henrik Linder, keyboardist David Rosenthal and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta).

On "Apollo In Color", Vai's soaring runs on his Ibanez PIA signature guitar (the newly-designed model's first appearance on a Vai studio album are surrounded by filigrees of sound played on all manner of exotic stringed instruments. "I thought, 'Okay, what can I do to color this thing up?'" Vai says. "So, I pulled out all these little acoustic instruments I've collected through the years and I said, 'I'm going to use every one of them somehow.'" These included a cavaquinho, a saz, a sitar, an oud and more. "Some of the instruments, I don't even know their names," Vai admits with a laugh.

In essence, it all comes down to finding your own voice, and then having the courage and conviction to follow your musical and creative instincts wherever they may take you — something Vai has never been shy about in his playing. "One of the great things about the guitar is you don't need to be a virtuoso to express your creative vision," he says. "I mean, Bob Dylan plays the guitar perfectly well for his expression. So does John McLaughlin. You just need to decide how much technique you want or need to get there. For myself, I came out of the chute wanting and needing it all. When it comes to my music, I don't feel like I have to prove anything or conform to anything. I just love to think up creative ideas, and then use whatever skill I have to manifest them."

"An inviolate inspiration is one that comes to you completely pure," Vai explains. "It appears almost in its completeness, and there's a recognition of it as being right for you — perfectly right for you. There's no excuses in it. There's no fantasy in it. There's just a recognition of 'yes.' And then you capture that in a way that's authentic to your unique creativity. Hopefully, that's what I've done with this record."

"Inviolate" track listing:

01. Teeth Of The Hydra

02. Zeus In Chains

03. Little Pretty

04. Candle Power

05. Apollo In Color

06. Avalancha

07. Greenish Blues

08. Knappsack

09. Sandman Cloud Mist

Vai will begin an extensive tour of the U.S., with 54 scheduled appearances on January 27, 2022 at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas. Vai will be joined by his long-tenured ensemble members Dave Weiner (guitar / keys), Philip Bynoe (bass), and Jeremy Colson (drums). Vai shares: "A performer thrives on performing. It's been my life for the past 49 years, with the exception of the last two years, so we are chomping at the bit to get out there and play for people. A music concert has the ability to dissolve the many challenges we face, and celebrate one of the good things in life, live music."

According to USA Today, an image on social media purporting to show a skull face formed by clouds during the recent storms in Arkansas is actually a doctored image combining an IRON MAIDEN album cover with a photo of a 2019 storm in Pennsylvania.

A December 10 Facebook post containing the altered photo was accompanied by a caption claiming: "my sister took a picture of this today in lake village Arkansas while I was fixing her roof. look at the detail of this picture. if u turn the picture upside down and zoom in on it you'll see Jesus in the middle with his arms wide open.. people if this is not a good enough sign then y'all better get right with the lord... it's so crazy how he gives us signs but we're to blind to see..."

The post was shared nearly 6,000 times within a week.

The same photo was previously posted on Facebook in June 2019 by someone claiming it was "a real picture taken in California" with "no edit". That time, the post was shared more than 164,000 times.

As USA Today points out, grinning, skull-like face in the manipulated image comes from the cover design for MAIDEN's "Brave New World" while the image of the clouds during a storm was taken from the web site of Pennsylvania's The Patriot-News a newspaper, capturing a May 2019 storm over Kutztown University.

As it has become easier than ever to edit photos and videos, fake or manipulated images shared on social media have the capacity to deceive, emotionally distress, and influence public opinions and actions.

Some online sleuths have launched dedicated communities for spotting manipulated images, particularly in advertising materials, magazine photo spreads and celebrity social media posts.

Generally speaking, who are more familiar with photo editing techniques are better equipped to identify fakery.

If an image has been recirculated from another web site, or repurposed for whatever disaster has most recently struck, they can be discovered with a reverse image search using Google Images.


my sister Sam Lumley took a picture of this today in lake village Arkansas while I was fixing her roof. look at the...

Posted by Jimmy Lumley on Friday, December 10, 2021



This is a real picture taken in California ?‍♀️ wow, is all I can say!! No edit ?

Posted by Lorna Adams Kraemer on Thursday, June 6, 2019

Gathering Of Kings will release a new song, "Vagabond Rise", on Sunday, January 2. The track is the first single from the band's upcoming, yet untitled third studio album, set for release in May.


"Vagabond Rise" was produced by Thomas "Plec" Johansson at The Panic Room in Skövde with Ron Dahlgren, Nina Dahlgren & Victor Olsson as executive producers. The track was written by Victor Olsson and the lyrics were written by Victor and Alexander Frisborg. Drums were recorded at Nordic Sound Lab by Mikko Viitala and Victor Olsson.


The cover artwork for the single was created by Markus Vesper Art.







Guitarist and songwriter Victor Olsson commented on the new single: "The song itself is a story of empowerment, domestic abuse and taking matters into your own hands, despite leaving yourself vulnerable and homeless. A story that came to me after watching the Netflix show "Maid", I felt very strongly about the subject and wanted to put it in an empowering 80s rock costume! Hopefully you'll all sense the vibe and feel what we feel."


Gathering Of Kings was created and is supervised by Ron Dahlgren and Nina Dahlgren, bringing together top musicians from the current hard rock scene in Sweden. The idea was to create an AOR/melodic hard rock project/band like Tom Galley's Phenomena or even Tobias Sammet's Avantasia, with multiple vocalists and instrumentalists. Victor Olsson is the main songwriter, with Alexander Frisborg co-writing the lyrics.


Lineup on "Vagabond Rise":


Jonny Lindkvist - Lead Vocals
Victor Olsson - Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals
Magnus Mild - Rhythm Guitar
Mikael Planefeldt - Bass
Joel Selsfors - Keyboards
Jonas Källsbäck - Drums
Rick Altzi - Backing Vocals
Alexander Frisborg - Backing Vocals


Special Appearance:


Theresia Svensson - Backing Vocals


Gathering Of Kings began work on the third album a couple of months ago and continues their creative relationship with producer Thomas "Plec" Johansson, who has previously worked with Soilwork, Nocturnal Rites, Dynazty, Hank von Hell, The Night Flight Orchestra, Thundermother, Saffire and Eleine among many others.


Gathering Of Kings are now booking shows for 2022 and 2023 to support the band's third studio album. Interested parties should contact Ron Dahlgren & Nina Dahlgren via gatheringofkingssweden@gmail.com.


Gathering Of Kings are:


Jonny Lindkvist (Nocturnal Rites) - Lead Vocals
Rick Altzi (Masterplan, Herman Frank) - Lead Vocals
Apollo Papathanasio (Spiritual Beggars, ex-Firewind) - Lead Vocals
Tobias Jansson (Saffire) - Lead Vocals
Alexander Frisborg (Karess, Helldog) - Lead Vocals
Victor Olsson (Saffire) - Guitar
Magnus Mild (Perpetual Etude, Air Raid) - Guitar
Mikael Planefeldt (NorthTale, Perpetual Etude) - Bass
Joel Selsfors (Creye) - Keyboards
Jonas Källsbäck (The Night Flight Orchestra) - Drums
Efraim Larsson (Saffire) - Drums

Symphonic metal outfit, Ad Infinitum, recently released their bewitching second offering, Chapter II - Legacy, via Napalm Records. Today, the band deliver a singthrough video for the song, "Animals".


Says vocalist Melissa Bonny: "'Animals' is one of my favorite tracks from Ad Infinitum’s new record Chapter II - Legacy and it is currently in my top three to sing on stage! Here is a one take singthrough for you, recorded at home. I hope you enjoy!"







Chapter II - Legacy once again showcases the indispensable creativity of Ad Infinitum - featuring twelve complex, tracks highlighting their sonic development and undeniable symphonic strength. Such talent can be witnessed with opener “Reinvented”, lurking with lovely piano tunes and erupting in intense riffage in the blink of an eye. Right away, the music reflects the extremely multifaceted voice of Melissa Bonny - ranging from crystal clear vocals to impressively powerful screams and menacing growls. Hailing from hell, hard-hitting “Afterlife” features the vocal power of Nils Molin (Amaranthe, Dynazty), merging in perfect harmony with Melissa’s incredibly haunting delivery. Songs like “Your Enemy” and cinematic grand finale “Lullaby” leave no scope for weakness and unveil the heaviest side of Ad Infinitum to date. This grasping hymn is far from lulling you to sleep, as the eclectically versatile sonic world of Ad Infinitum immediately induces you to listen to Chapter II - Legacy again, right from the beginning.





Chapter II - Legacy is available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Digipak
- 1 LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1 CD Digipak + Patch (limited to 200 copies worldwide)
- Digital Album


Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Reinvented"
"Unstoppable"
"Inferno"
"Your Enemy"
"Afterlife" (feat. Nils Molin)
"Breathe"
"Animals"
"Into The Night"
"Son Of Wallachia"
"My Justice, Your Pain"
"Haunted"
"Lullaby"


"Inferno" video:





"Animals" video:





“Afterlife” video:





"Unstoppable" video:





Ad Infinitum are:


Melissa Bonny - Vocals
Adrian Thessenvitz - Guitars
Korbinian Benedict - Bass
Niklas Müller – Drums


(Photo - Nat Enemede - Fine Art)

Thomas Zwijsen has released a new video, featuring an orchestral rendition of "Hallowed Be Thy Name", featured on Iron Maiden's 1982 classic, The Number Of The Beast.





Zwijsen previously released covers of Iron Maiden's Senjutsu album tracks, "The Writing On The Wall" and "Darkest Hour". Watch below