Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed New Jersey's experimental progressive metal act Fernwah. The new album Approaching Oblivion is up now for pre-order and will be released December 31 on CD and Digital formats along with merchandise and bundles. Approaching Oblivion includes the track “Leaking Out” which features wretched guest vocals by Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg (courtesy of Century Media Records). Preorder on Bandcamp.


Fernwah perform one of a kind experimental heavy metal and featuring Zakk Mild (Oxalate/Come Mierda) and Peter Martin (Black Kites/Bonjour/Holy Death). Approaching Oblivion is a progressive album that combines elements of black/death metal along with trippy, technical and psychedelic, stoner friendly fuzz. Fernwah are fueled by subconscious Jungian philosophies with a horror aesthetic, and these occult obsessed crushers are ready to take on the world with adventurous throttling riffs, staccato rhythms, swelling synths and crackling-yet-slippery guitar work. 







Tracklisting:


“Toska”
“Approaching Oblivion”
“Leaking Out”
“Conscious Dust”
“Amulet”
“Vertigo Of Freedom / Individuality Rendered”
“Corrosive Catharsis” 


“Approaching Oblivion”:

Belgium based progressive power metal band Max Pie have announced the release of their fourth opus, Passengers on December 3 via Rock City Music Label. Preorder at the Rock City Music Label webshop.


Max Pie invites us to embark on a powerful, epic power prog with grandiose orchestrations and sharp riffs. A journey through varied atmospheres where each title will take you to the confines of a rich and surprising universe.


The album was recorded and produced by MAX PIE. Mixed by Thibaut Basely. Mastering by Simone Mularoni (Sunstorm, DGM) at Domination Studio. Artwork by Thibaut Basely & Michael Callewaert.







Tracklisting:


“Ignition”
“A Thousand And One Lives”
“Lucy” feat. Simone Mularoni (Sunstorm, DGM)
“Only The Silence Remains”
“Grains Of Sand”
“Breath Of The World”
“Ariadne’s Thread”
“Last Goodbye”
“Drawing The Future”
“Love For Sale”
“Passengers”

American deathcore five-piece Abiotic are excited to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their debut studio record, 2011's self-released A Universal Plague. Fresh off the release of their third studio album, Ikigai, Abiotic is releasing A Universal Plague: Mutation, their second offering on their new label The Artisan Era. The updated re-release features a new single, "Mutation", as well as a re-recorded version of the band's seminal single, "Vermosapien".


Speaking on revisiting their debut record, the band says:


"We're so grateful to get to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our debut EP with the re-release of A Universal Plague: Mutation. Fans have been asking us to release the EP digitally and on vinyl for what feels like forever and we're so pumped to be working with The Artisan Era to get this out to everyone with some bonus tracks for the fans. We decided to re-record the song that started it all for us, Vermosapien, with our new lineup and make some creative tweaks, including using 8 strings, to give the song new life while keeping true to our original sound."




The members of Abiotic go on to share:


"The idea was to show the mutation we've made as a band, hence the name of the EP. We also added a brand new song (Mutation), featuring our former vocalists Dickie Allen (Infant Annihilator) and Ray Jimenez (Acaedia), which is easily the heaviest song we've ever written. I think fans are going to lose their minds to this song, hearing the blend of voices that have been part of the band's 10-year span of plaguing the extreme metal scene. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the band over the last decade. We are only able to do what we love to do because of you. Cheers!"


A Universal Plague: Mutation is out this Friday (December 3, 2021) via The Artisan Era. Find preorder options here.





Tracklisting:


“Metamophilia”
“Vermosapien”
“A Universal Plague”
“Conquest Of Gliese”
“The Singe”
“Exitus”
“The Graze Of Locusts”
“Mutation”
“Vermosapien (2021)”


“Mutation”:

Frontiers Music Srl will release Before The Sun Sets, the debut album from City Of Lights, on February 11.


City Of Lights is a new melodic hard rock collaboration between British newcomer songwriter/guitarist Neil Austin and Greek vocal sensation Manos Fatsis (Odyssey Desperado, Hideaway). They deliver hard-edged melodic anthems driven by crunchy riffs and lush keyboard textures combined with soaring, passion-filled vocal melodies.


The debut single and video, "Heart's On Fire", is out now. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Before The Sun Sets here.




City Of Lights was born when Austin, armed with a collection of songs inspired by the classic hard rock sounds of the '80s and the new wave of current AOR bands, began the search for a vocalist who possessed the tone, range and emotion to take the songs to the next level. After hearing Fatsis' work on Odyssey Desperado's Don't Miss The Sunset and Hideaway's self-titled debut, he knew he had found the right man. The two connected via Facebook and together began working on honing the songs to perfection. When the time came to find a rhythm section, Austin reached out to members of his favourite band, brothers Robin (bass) and Mats (drums) Eriksson from modern Swedish melodic rock monsters degreed and after hearing the demos, both agreed to contribute to the album.


Guest guitar soloists Nathan Doyle, Daniel Johansson (degreed), Christoffer Borg (Taste/ex-Art Nation), and Mike Kyriakou join in on the fun and the album also features appearances from Creye's Joel Selfors (piano) and degreed/Paralydium's Mikael Blanc (keyboards).


Mixed and mastered by AOR producer extraordinaire Erik Gavfelin Wiss (Creye, Cruzh, Cap Outrun).





Tracklisting:


"Racing On The Redline"
"Heart's On Fire"
"Emily"
"Heat Of The Night"
"Dying Light"
"Give Me Back My Heart"
"Put Your Heart On The Line"
"Snake Eyes"
"Joanna"
"Midnight Club"
"How To Love"
"Before The Sun Sets"


"Heart's On Fire" video:

By releasing two new tracks - “Funeral Of The Earth” and “Artifacts Of The Black Rain”, a cover of the classic In Flames song - German melodic death metal force Deserted Fear already gave a promising foretaste of what to expect from their next full-length album, which can now proudly be announced.


Entitled Doomsday, it marks the group’s fifth studio album, and it was recorded, mixed and mastered by Deserted Fear guitarist Fabian Hildebrandt at Eisensound Studio and will be released on March 4 via Century Media Records, with a pre-order campaign starting on December 17, when a first single and video for the album will also be debuted.







Deserted Fear checked in with the following comments about Doomsday:


Simon: "Seemingly driven by the frustration of the never-ending forced break, we have been working on new songs for the last 1,5 years and recorded them in the last weeks. It's hard to believe that we were completely disillusioned and empty-handed in the middle of last year and now we're holding our most varied and mature record to date in our hands."


Fabian: "We recorded again at my Eisensound Studio and this time I also did the mixing and mastering myself. The creative freedom on this album was greater than ever, because we could still implement small details and ideas we came up with during mixing. A good preview of what's to come is given by our recently released 7inch "Funeral Of The Earth", whose mix was also a perfect starting point for the album sound, on which I was able to add a few more percent."


Manuel: "The album artwork was done by Rio Krisma and he realized our concept perfectly. “Doomsday” is not about the monster created in Superman whose only goal is the destruction of other life forms, but humanity seems to be on its way there and also destroying itself. We have a fucking problem, there's a lot going wrong socially too and as artists we want to bring attention to it."


Starting with the release of Doomsday, Deserted Fear will play a run of exclusive album release shows throughout Germany. See below for the exact dates and make sure to secure your tickets.





Dates:


March
3 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo (with Nyktophobia)
4 - Cottbus, Germany - Gladhouse (with Nyktophobia)
5 - Jena, Germany - F-Haus (with Nyktophobia)
6 - Essen, Germany - Turock (with Nyktophobia)
10 - Nürnberg, Germany - Z-Bau (with Hailstone)
11 - Göttingen, Germany - Exil (with Hailstone)
12 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof (with Hailstone)
13 - Köln, Germany - Volta (with Hailstone)
18 - Lörrach, Germany - Altes Wasserwerk
19 - Aalen, Germany - Rock It


“So mark your calendars and get your tickets! We can't wait to play concerts again and are really looking forward to seeing you all again!”, added Deserted Fear.








Lineup:


Manuel “Mahne” Glatter – Vocals/Guitar
Simon Mengs – Drums
Fabian Hildebrandt – Guitar


(Photo - Manuel Glatter)

Earlier this year, Season Of Mist announced the signing of Obsidious. The extreme metal outfit will be releasing their debut album via the label early 2022.


Obsidious' second single is called "Sense Of Lust". Pre-save it here. The track is accompanied by a new music video, which can be viewed below.


Vocalist Javi comments on the video: "The theme is about a dominant with his submissive in a BDSM relationship and the acts they perform during their intercourse. It reflects desire, lust and perversion, but also shows the aftercare, as each knows that the other is enjoying their role, which blurs the line as to who is the mastermind planning and initiating this encounter."







Obsidious previously released their first track and video, "Iconic". Watch a video for the track below:





In April 2020 guitarist Rafael Trujillo, bassist Linus Klausenitzer and drummer Sebastian Lanser decided to move on from their former band Obscura to continue their musical path with the completely new band Obsidious. Free from former boundaries, Obsidious merge extreme metal with other genres of music into a unique style that people will somehow find familiar, but haven‘t heard yet. Together with their singer Javi Perera they set out to create a musical evolution: With a fresh name, reaching for new fan groups utilizing modern marketing ideas. Obsidious’ band members have many facets and influences to build upon, using virtuosity & technique to write great songs.


Rafael Trujillo, Linus Klausenitzer and Sebastian Lanser built a strong bond after years of worldwide touring and recording together with Obscura. With their last record Diluvium, that was primarily composed by the trio, the band celebrated their biggest success to date. Formerly unseen chart positions alongside massive praise by prominent media outlets & magazines document the success of this team. Obsidious aims to expand the existing fan base that they’ve gained: All (ex-)formations of the Obsidious members were defined through their musical characters.


The four band members that are based in Europe are known for their high musicianship and virtuosity. Their advanced technical level is an essential and unique part of their compositions. Guitarist Rafael Trujillo has a multicultural background and studied music in different countries all around the globe. Linus Klausenitzer is one of the busiest session bassists in the scene and renowned for his 7-string fretless bass sound. Strong drum independence skills and stylistic diversity make Sebastian Lanser one of the most influential drummers of the new generation. The web community shares the Ex-Obscura members’ excitement about singer Javi Perera being celebrated for his diverse and charismatic vocal skills.


Obsidious' music consists of modern riffs, strong decisive energetic melodies, virtuosity and epic unison lines. They love music that’s heavy, catchy, fast, and wild.


Lineup:


Linus Klausenitzer - Bass
Rafael Tujillo - Guitar
Javi Perera - Vocals
Sebastian Lanser - Drums

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, German bashers Gamma Ray (led by Helloween co-founder Kai Hansen) decided to do a live streaming event in 2020 and set up a big stage in the ISS Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, on August 27.


On their new release, 30 Years Live Anniversary, the band would like to invite all of you to join their exclusive and only show in 2020, which has been streamed to all fans all over the globe. This extraordinary show is now released as a double live album on both audio and video via earMUSIC.







30 Years Live Anniversary is available as 2CD Digipak + DVD, as 3xLP on black vinyl (+ Blu-ray in some countries), and digital. Furthermore, there is a limited edition 3xLP on coloured vinyl (+ Blu-ray). Each of the three LPs is going to be pressed on a different vinyl colour.


Order here, and watch a new video for "Send Me A Sign" ft. Ralf Scheepers below.

Swedish saviors of heavy metal, HammerFall, let the hammer strike again with their twelfth studio album, Hammer Of Dawn, set to be released on February 25 via Napalm Records. The album’s release is preceded by the arrival of the first single and title track, "Hammer Of Dawn”, accompanied by a music video filmed at Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, and by famed director Patric Ullaeus.


Oscar Dronjak on the single: “The song itself was initially conceived in Germany during the World Dominion tour, with the rest of the work being done at home. I immediately knew this had the potential to be something important, and when Joacim added his vocal melodies we both felt it would be the perfect single. One with substance and power but also one you can’t stop singing when the music fades out."


Joacim Cans adds on the video: “We already had the idea to shoot a video at legendary amusement park Liseberg 20 years ago. But like any good bottle of Champagne this idea needed to rest and mature before taken into action. And FUCK I am happy we waited!
Together with director Patric Ullaeus we have created something unique and astonishing that totally blows me away every time I watch it. You can really tell that we haven’t played together for almost two long and never-ending years. We are as energetic as a pack of hungry wolves in the video ready to shred and deliver the heavy metal gospel!”




Watch the music video for “Hammer Of Dawn” below.


As one of the main forces in heavy metal, HammerFall have dominated not only the Swedish album charts, but album charts across Europe throughout their extensive career, while earning gold status thrice. Faced with the daunting task of following up the band’s last studio album, Dominion, an album that fans and critics hailed as one of the band's strongest releases, HammerFall collectively met the challenge head on and have delivered what many early listeners are predicting as the best metal album of 2022 and a high point of the band’s catalogue.


Joacim Cans on the new album: “It’s hard to describe in words how extremely happy and proud I am about the outcome of Hammer Of Dawn. It was a struggle, for sure, but in the end we pulled it off and delivered a solid, vital and positive new album. Everyone is on top of his game and together we have created yet another milestone in HammerFall history. Can’t wait to sing these songs live together with my sisters and brothers, The Templars of Steel!”


Oscar Dronjak adds: “We spent a long time creating the songs for this album, mainly due to the Coronavirus but also because we began working on the material very early. That’s definitely evident in the result, the attention to detail is very big. Another thing that is quite palpable is the energy level, and that can be contributed to the extreme and forced downtime we all had to endure during the pandemic. The atmosphere in the studio was relaxed and laid back and the lack of stress created the perfect working environment for turning up the heat when the red light came on. It was easy to peak when you had to since there was no outside distractions or immediate deadlines. This album is a product of the pandemic in some ways, but more importantly it’s a strong statement that we are experiencing the high point in our creativity at the moment. I’ve said it before: HammerFall has never sounded better than we do right now!”


Hammer Of Dawn starts off with remarkable opener “Brotherhood”, a hymn echoing the deep connection of bandleaders Joacim Cans and Oscar Dronjak with their loyal Templars of Steel worldwide. Other tracks on the album present one smasher after another, with songs like “Reveries”, “No Son Of Odin” and “Venerate Me” - the latter featuring an appearance by none other than King Diamond - making sure it will go down as another milestone in the career of the Swedes.


Hammer Of Dawn was produced by long time collaborator Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, Opeth etc), who handled mixing, mastering, drum recording, and shared the duty of recording guitars and bass with Pontus Norgren and Oscar Dronjak. Jacob Hansen (Volbeat etc), produced the lead vocals.


When HammerFall released their debut album, Glory To The Brave, in 1997, it signaled the second coming of heavy metal… Since that very day, HammerFall has proudly flown the heavy metal flag high and while doing so have influenced a generation of musicians. They have also left a twenty five year long trail of classic timeless music, sold out shows and an army of loyal fans, aka the Templars Of Steel, in their wake. Rest assured everyone, that legacy continues and in fact strengthens with the arrival of Hammer Of Dawn.





Hammer Of Dawn will be available in varying formats in various territories:


- Ltd Deluxe Box, incl CD Digisleeve, Hardcover Photobook, Plectrum Tin, Hammer Key Chain, Bottle Opener - strictly limited to 500 (Napalm Webstore exclusive)
- CD Digisleeve
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Orange Transparent/Black - strictly limited to 300 (Napalm Webstore exclusive)
- 1LP Gatefold Crystal Clear - strictly limited to 300 (EMP exclusive)
- 1LP Gatefold Curacao - strictly limited to 300 (Levy X & Ginza exclusive)
- Bundle CD + Shirt (outside North America only)
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Hammer Of Dawn tracklisting:


"Brotherhood"
"Hammer Of Dawn"
"No Son of Odin"
"Venerate Me"
"Reveries"
"Too Old To Die Young"
"Not Today"
"Live Free Or Die"
"State Of The W.I.L.D."
"No Mercy"


"Hammer Of Dawn" video:





Fans can already look forward to seeing Hammer Of Dawn live, as in 2022, HammerFall will go on an extensive co-headlining tour through Europe, together with German metal stars Helloween.





Tour dates:


March
25 - Oslo , Norway - Sentrum Scene
26 - Göteborg, Sweden - Partille Arena
28 - Helsinki, Finland - Black Box
29 - Talinn, Estonia - Noblessneri Valukoda


April
1 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose Arena
2 - Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle
3 - Berlin, Germany - Verti Music Hall
4 - Regensburg, Germany - Donau Arena
8 - Madrid, Spain - Wizink Center
9 - Barcelona, Spain - St. Jordi Club
11 - Milan, Italy - Lorenzini District
12 - Kempten, Germany - Black Box
13 - Zürich, Switzerland - Samsung Hall
15 - Luxemburg, Luxemburg - Rockhal
16 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
18 - Katovice, Poland - MCK
20 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Arena Armeec
22 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
23 - Prague, Czech Republic - O2
24 - Zvolen, Slovakia - Ice Stadium
26 - Budapest, Hungary - Papp Laszlo Sportarena
29 - Bochum, Germany - Ruhrcongress
30 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle


May
1 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
4 - Manchester, England - Manchester Academy
5 - London, England Brixton Academy
 
HammerFall lineup:


Joacim Cans - Vocals
Oscar Dronjak - Guitar
Pontus Norgren - Guitar
Fredrik Larsson - Bass
David Wallin - Drums


(Photo - Tallee Savage)

Following on from the April release of their sophomore full length, Lake Drinker, Sweden’s Horndal have announced plans to release a new two-track single - titled "Be Evil". The self-proclaimed rust metal band from the eponymous town of Horndal expand upon their true-to-life horror story, with "Be Evil" and B-side track "Deceiver", taking aim at the evils of their hometown’s deforestation and big tech hypocrisy.


"Be Evil" is due for release via Prosthetic Records on January 14, 2022 and will be released on yellow 7” vinyl, limited to 300 copies worldwide. Pre-order your copy now at this location.


Speaking on the surprise announcement, Horndal comments: "Not ok, Google. What good-hearted company has a motto like 'Don’t Be Evil'? Only a demon needs that type of everyday reminder. Perfect inspiration for a heavy tune." 




"The artwork features the remains of an eurasian eagle-owl, the Horndal region’s official spirit animal, pierced by invasive knot-weed. The B-side, 'The Deceiver', is taken from the recording sessions of our debut album, Remains."





(Photo credit: Daniel Liljas)


 

Enslaved's new EP, Caravans To The Outer Worlds, was released unto the universe last month. It is a tale of departure, about leaving behind a barren and desolate world, traveling boldly into the future. It signalled the end of an era for the psychedelic Norwegians, hinting at new pastures.


In celebration of the EP's release, tied in with the upcoming Winter Solstice (a Pagan holy day marking the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun), Enslaved are proud to announce an extraordinary streaming event. The Otherworldly Big Band Experience will take place on Tuesday December 21. Fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant will be joining Enslaved onstage.


Watch the stream trailer below for more information.







The Otherworldly Big Band Experience


- Tuesday December 21 at 12 PM, PT / 3 PM, ET
- Tickets are now on sale now via enslavedstore.com
- The stream will be available to watch until the end of December 24
- Stream FAQ + support info is here


Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson gave some insight, "Soon, the sun will turn - once again marking the transition from one year to another and the onset of brighter days ahead. We are many who wish to see this coming Winter Solstice mark a lasting turning away from dark days behind us. We have kept it up all along; virtual tours, rehearsing, writing, and releasing an album and an EP. You heard us when we said, “this will not stop us!” - the Enslaved Community has grown stronger through the crisis. Now we will close this cycle with a grandiose virtual concert, and hope for you to join us from all over the world.


The Otherworldly Big Band Experience is about wanting to show even more of what Enslaved is: Enslaved is also an idea. It is a live band that is teeth-grittingly metal, has rock’n’roll in its DNA, while maintaining and expanding on its position as a groundbreaking progressive metal act. All while exploring the boundaries of Norse Mythology and Rune-lore, Psychology and History.


We have recruited both an extension to the line-up with the young and talented Bergen prog rock band, Shaman Elephant. We have worked together with some of the most talented moviemakers and visual wizards around - also young and from Bergen: Kolibri Media. Add the Enslaved live crew to the mix and you have got magic, no less.


We have aspired to create a concert film that reflects this expanded representation of Enslaved and cannot wait to show you all. It is bigger than any project we have done before, and it is unlike anything else you have seen in this kind of music. You will see and hear songs that have never been performed before. Songs you might have heard will sound and look like you haven’t seen and heard before. There is new material, and material as old as the band. One constant binds it all together: it is Enslaved."

Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess has shared a new Korg synth livetream via his official Patreon page here. A portion of the stream can be viewed below.





Dream Theater's new album, A View From The Top Of The World, is available in a limited Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook, Special Edition CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD+LP-booklet. The Blu-ray contains a 5.1 surround sound mix with full album animations, plus ‘Digging For A Spark - A View From Inside DTHQ’, a specially filmed documentary that gives a glimpse behind the scenes of the band’s new home-base and the making of the new album.




A View From The Top Of The World was produced by John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James “Jimmy T” Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap and is available for pre-order here.


Dream Theater - comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini - was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of their last release Distance Over Time and the 20th anniversary of Scenes From A Memory when a Global Pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they’d just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) - a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via ZOOM on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face-to-face with Petrucci. The album ultimately threaded together lean and uncompromising hooks with tried-and-true technical proficiency.


“We just love to play our instruments,” observes Petrucci. “That never goes away. I love to be creative, write, and exercise that part of my mind. We’ve been able to do this for a long time, and we don’t take it for granted. Whenever we get together, we know we can’t disappoint ourselves or our fans, so we manage to try even harder.”


“We approach every album like it’s our first,” adds LaBrie. “It’s been such a great ride, but we’re not going to stop.”





A View From The Top Of The World tracklisting:


"The Alien" (9:32)
"Answering The Call" (7:35)
"Invisible Monster" (6:31)
"Sleeping Giant" (10:05)
"Transcending Time" (6:25)
"Awaken The Master" (9:47)
"A View From The Top Of The World" (20:24)


"Invisible Monster" video:





“The Alien” video:





Deluxe Box Set trailer:

Just hours after announcing a 16-city tour for next spring and summer, FOO FIGHTERS have canceled one of the shows due to the fact that the Minneapolis, Minnesota venue in question refused to agree to the band's COVID-19 safety measures.

"Due to Huntington Bank Stadium's refusal to agree to the band's Covid safety measures, FOO FIGHTERS are unable to perform at that venue," the group wrote in a tweet. "We apologize for any inconvenience and are working on finding a suitable replacement — one that will prioritize the health and safety of everyone working and attending the show."

The FOO FIGHTERS concert at Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus was slated to take place August 3, 2022 and was part of the band's "Live In North America 2022" tour, which is scheduled to kick off May 14, 2022 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

Although Huntington Bank Stadium requires face masks at indoor settings — such as elevators, restrooms, first aid rooms, enclosed premium areas — there is no mask mandate or requirement of proof of vaccine or negative test results when outdoors.

"The university declined to change its existing protocols for large events, which have been effective," public relations director Jake Ricker told Star Tribune via e-mail. "We continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated, wear a mask when in large crowds, and take appropriate steps to protect public and personal health."

The University of Minnesota released the following statement regarding the matter: "The University of Minnesota has prioritized the health and wellness of our community and beyond since the beginning of the pandemic and to state otherwise is misleading. In fact, University medical and public health experts, as well as the University's own research, have consistently informed local, state, national and even worldwide approaches to COVID-19 response.

"Our on-campus policies related to vaccines, mask wearing, personal hygiene and other precautions are aligned with state and federal guidance. As a result, our University community is highly vaccinated (exceeding 95 percent) and has consistently experienced low infection rates compared to our campus’ surrounding communities.

"Huntington Bank Stadium has successfully hosted Gopher Football since August while fully complying with state and federal COVID guidance. All who attend events at our public institution, whether football fans, concert goers, or others, are treated equally and encouraged to take steps to protect themselves and others."

The 2022 dates will mark FOO FIGHTERS' most extensive North American run since the February release of the band's 10th album, "Medicine At Midnight" (Roswell/RCA) — hailed as "brighter and more optimistic than anything they've ever done" (Rolling Stone)" and "one of FOO FIGHTERS' best albums of this century" (The Wall Street Journal).

"Medicine At Midnight" landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 64,000 copies in the U.S.




Updates: Minneapolis, please see below - we hope to see you soon! Maryland/D.C., info on your show is coming shortly! pic.twitter.com/DhlPDG5QZD

— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) November 30, 2021

Knoxville, Tennessee rockers 10 YEARS will miss the "next handful of shows" on their tour as the support act for THEORY OF A DEADMAN (a.k.a. THEORY) after Jesse Hasek tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

10 YEARS announced Hasek's diagnosis in a social media post earlier today. The band wrote: "Unfortunately, even after adhering to strict safety protocols, our singer Jesse Hasek, along with other members of the 10 YEARS touring party, have tested positive for COVID-19 and we will need to sit out the next handful of shows.

"We do not know exactly when we will be able to rejoin the tour at this point but we will keep you informed and updated as things progress!

"Jesse says he is feeling a little rough at the moment and is very sorry but hopes to be back in action soon. Stay tuned."

10 YEARS' latest album, "Violent Allies", was released in September 2020 via Mascot Records. The disc was recorded at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, who previously worked on 10 YEARS' 2010 effort, "Feeding The Wolves".

10 YEARS' major label debut, 2005's "The Autumn Effect", featured the single "Wasteland", which topped Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The follow-up effort, "Division", was also a success, with the single "Beautiful" cracking the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

10 YEARS' 2017 album, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", earned the band a Top 5 mainstream rock hit in the song "Novacaine", while the LP itself also went Top 5 on the Hard Rock album chart.


We will keep you in the loop. Much love and please send good mojo to Jesse and our crew members who are currently under the weather! Be back soon!

Posted by 10 Years on Tuesday, November 30, 2021

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has postponed his previously announced East Coast solo shows after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Metal Sludge was the first to report on the postponement, which affects shows in Warrandale, Pennsylvania, Buffalo and Jordan, New York as well as in New Bedford, Massachussetts.

Pearcy's representatives issued a statement earlier today confirming the vocalist's diagnosis and announcing the rescheduled dates, which will now take place in early 2022.

"As many of you may have already heard, Stephen Pearcy has unfortunately been forced to postpone this week's dates on the East Coast," the statement reads." Out of an abundance of caution, Stephen tested for COVID after learning that others he'd been in contact with had tested positive. To this point, he's only experienced the mildest of symptoms, and based on his condition and the timeline of his exposure he already appears to be close to a full recovery.

"Stephen and his band regret not being able to play this week's shows, but this is life in 2021, and we all need to be safe, sound and responsible. Tomorrow's Dec 1 Warrandale PA show has been rescheduled to Feb 16, and the December 3-5 shows in Buffalo, Jordan NY and New Bedford MA are now moving to April 29 - May 1.

"Thank you to everyone who has reached out since news broke last night, and to everyone for your understanding in the matter. Just to be clear, the dates listed above are the only impacted shows, and all other dates will play as scheduled. Stephen and his band are looking forward to getting back out as soon as safely possible!"

Four months ago, Pearcy opened up about his private three-year battle with liver cancer, telling Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic: "Everything's kind of copacetic now. I'm on a ritual and monitoring things. And do I really wanna put myself through all this stuff, with taking care of your health and the broken bones and knees, staph infection.

"I don't know why I'm still here," he continued. "But, look, I'm appreciating every day and minute above ground here, because all of our peers are seemingly disappearing. And it's such a drag. But it's under control. And I never wanted to bring it up until I really started feeling guilty about it."

Pearcy revealed that he found out about his cancer "through a blood test. I had hepatitis," he said. "Well, then, getting another checkup, I found out, 'By the way, you've got a bit of cancer thing going there. We've gotta get in there.' Then your whole world changes. Still, I didn't feel like it needed to be out there until I started feeling guilty. Like, 'Wow, man, I can help some people.' Get blood tests. Take care of yourself. Find out if you have hepatitis. If you have hepatitis, hopefully it doesn't turn into a cancerous thing, because it easily can. And now I'm the advocate of, hey, take care of yourself. It's a little personal to me, but I felt it was time to share it."

According to Stephen, he "went on the road nine days after surgery, not even knowing the outcome of my surgery, removing the cancer and stuff. So that was pretty interesting," he said. "So if I'm devoted and into something, I'm into it. But then again, I have to start thinking about how long I want to be out here doing this. And you start thinking about other things — life things."

Pearcy admitted that he "should have monitored" himself better and "took it easy. The knees are one thing. I mean, yeah, that was enough," he said, referencing his January 2019 knee replacement surgery. "But then the double whammy with finding out about the C. But now I feel like I need to say something just because, hey, take care of yourselves. I wanna see our fans and friends, I wanna see them around. I mean, we've gotten to know a lot of these people 36, 37 years later. And if it can help one or two or however many people, then great. I know some really good friends of mine that are in worse shape, and it's just a terrible thing. I've lost family through it, and it was time to step up and say, 'Well, unfortunately, you got smacked, Stephen, so do something positive about it.' You know, without being poster child, which I really don't wanna be."

Stephen added: "I've lost a lot of friends — I mean, a lot of friends — from this. And look, we're getting older. It's okay. I still feel like I'm 20-something, but I just don't act it. And you've just gotta really take care of yourselves. 'Cause I talk to some of my friends out there, and, they let me in and I talk to 'em. And it doesn't need to be public. I'll talk to somebody if they're having a life trip. And why not? I mean, hey, if you can help somebody, you can help somebody."

Pearcy's knee surgery came three months after two disastrous RATT shows that saw the now-65-year-old singer incapacitated to the point where he had trouble remembering the words to some of the band's biggest hits. "My one knee was totally blown out and I couldn't deal with it," he later told The Morning Call. "That got all better, and then my left knee blew out, which happens. And I was in so much pain out there, and I just got a little too tweaked one night or two nights. And then I went, 'I’m going in to get this done. I can't be out here beating myself up and having shitty shows.' And what all I had to do, I'm gonna need knee surgery. But it's so difficult. People don't understand."

Pearcy's fifth solo LP, "View To A Thrill", came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Pearcy and bassist Juan 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.

In January, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

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


Press Release Management 11-30-2021

**********

As many of you may have already heard, Stephen Pearcy has...

Posted by Stephen Pearcy on Tuesday, November 30, 2021

QUEEN guitarist Brian May has blasted "predatory press hacks" for "subtly twisting" his words with regard to his comments involving the trans community.

Earlier this week, the organizers of the Brit Awards, British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards, announced that they were scrapping four awards — male solo artist, female solo artist, international male solo artist and international female solo artist — in favor of two gender-neutral categories — artist of the year and international artist of the year. They said the change was to reward artists "solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them" and was part of the event's "commitment to evolving the show to be as inclusive and as relevant as possible."

Speaking to The Mirror newspaper at ITV's Palooza event in London on November 23, May was quoted as saying he believed QUEEN "wouldn't be considered diverse enough" if he and his bandmates started out today. He reportedly added he was "very uncomfortable about some of the decisions that are being made out of fear."

However, the 74-year-old rocker has since taken to social media to claim he was "ambushed" and he insisted he didn't mean to cause offense. In an Instagram post, he wrote: "I was ambushed and completely stitched up by a journalist at the recent ITV event. And it's led to a whole mess of press stories making it look like I'm unfriendly to trans people. Nothing could be further from the truth. My words were subtly twisted. I should have known better than to talk to those predatory Press hacks.

"Sincere apologies to anyone who has been hurt by the stories," he continued. "My heart is open as always to humans of all colours, all creeds, all sexes and sexualities, all shapes and sizes - and all creatures. We all deserve respect and an equal place in this world. And my grateful thanks to all of you who stepped up to defend me in the last couple of days. It means so much that you have faith in me."

In his red-carpet interview at the ITV event, Brian reportedly said: "I feel very uncomfortable about some of the decisions that are being made, often out of fear. Because people are so afraid of being called out. It is a horrible atmosphere.

"I am sure if QUEEN started now we would be forced to have people of different colors and different sexes and a trans [person], but life doesn’t have to be like that. We can be separate and different."

In a separate interview with the Sun about whether abolishing the single-sex categories would disadvantage female artists, May reportedly told the newspaper: "I honestly don't know if it disadvantages one group but it's a decision that has been made without a lot of thought. I don't know what the long-term consequences are. A lot of things work quite well and can be left alone. I think some things need to go back.

"What matters is justice and equality of opportunity, no matter who you are, and that is actually not happening at the moment as everyone is jumping to conclusions and everyone is scared of doing the wrong thing," May added. "I do find it very uncomfortable. I don't think things are going very well, I have to say."

After May's original comments were published, a number of Twitter users slammed the guitarist, with many pointing out that QUEEN was originally fronted by Freddie Mercury, a queer person of color living with HIV.
























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Edged Circle Productions has announced January 7th, 2022 as the international release date for a brand new EP from pan-international death metal elite Darkened, titled Mourn The Dying Light, on 7" vinyl format.


While Darkened made a none-more-auspicious start with the Into The Blackness EP during the summer of 2019, it was the band's debut album, Kingdom Of Decay, where they literally exploded onto the scene. Proud and pure death metal, no more but definitely no less, it was not at all surprising that Darkened made an immediate impact given their lineup on that debut full-length: drummer Andy Whale (Memoriam, Bolt Thrower), vocalist Gord Olson (Ye Goat-Herd Gods, Demisery), guitarists Linus Nirbrant (A Canorous Quintet, This Ending) and Hempa Brynolfsson (Excruciate, Ordo Inferus), and new bassist Tobias Cristiansson (Grave, Dismember). Patient and punishing, they proved that true songwriting stuns and crushes when practiced by masters of the death metal craft.


Now, as a precursor to a new full-length in 2022, Darkened arrive with the short & very sweet Mourn The Dying Light EP. More spacious but somehow heavier, the two songs comprising this record show that this lineup is truly finding their groove - and by "groove," we most definitely mean that of a tank! Produced, mixed, and mastered by Linus Nibrant, Mourn The Dying Light maintains a most powerful aspect - clear and crushing, as expected, but with a surprising amount of atmosphere which will likely be expanded upon on that forthcoming second album. Says the band, "This EP continues on from where Kingdom Of Decay ended, and clearly sets the tone for the upcoming album. Pushing even further into lyrical darkness, foreboding heaviness, wistful melody, and murderous aggression, Darkened are forging old-school death metal in a melancholic landscape."




In the meantime, check out the brand new track "Black Winter" below. Mourn The Dying Light artwork, courtesy of Juanjo Castellano Rosado (Unleashed, The Black Dalhia Murder, Gates Of Ishtar), and tracklisting are as follows:





"Black Winter"
"The Slime Runs Down Your Throat"





 

Greek black metallers Diablery have premiered their new video "Sanguine Emissions Of Aeonic Ecstasy". The track is from the band's second album, Candles, set for international release on December 17th via Saturnal Records. 





Hailing from Athens, Greece, Diablery was formed in 2008, with guitarist Nimerius and vocalist/guitarist Setesh being the core members of the band. After almost a decade of restlessness and member changes, the lineup was solidified with the additions of bassist XII and drummer Merenhor.




Two years after their birth, Diablery recorded the demo/EP The Catharsis, which was later re-recorded in 2011 as The Eye EP. In 2014, Diablery released their debut album, Architect, which was mixed & mastered by Borge Finstad at Toproom Studio (Norway). In 2017, they honored their alliance with fellow Greeks Shadowcraft with the release of the split EP Entropy, which was mixed & mastered by Setesh at Void of Cosmos studio.


Now, Diablery return with their grandest statement yet: Candles. Simply and elegantly titled, Candles marks both a refinement and rebirth of the Diablery sound. Here, the band eschew some of the more familiar sympho-BM tropes that marked their earlier work for something that, while being still distinctly (and proudly) black metal, aims for a parallel cosmos that's just as awe-inspiring... if not more so! Their physicality bleeds through everything here, sounding very much like a real band, performing together as one entity.


It's an epic album, to be sure, clocking in at 66 minutes, but its forever-surging/winding corridors of nightsky sound and literally breathtaking melody ensure that listening is swift and satisfying. More simply, Candles is a great black metal record that betrays a wealth of imagination within.


Candles artwork and tracklisting:





"Three Torches Lit" 
"Sanguine Emissions Of Aeonic Ecstasy" 
"Spiral Ascension Of Becoming" 
"The Star-Veiled Face" 
"The Coming Fog" 
"The Piercing Ice"
"Moonlit Dome Revealed" 
"The Earth Covered My Face" 
"The Core That Burns Forever" 


"The Star-Veiled Face":





 

American Tears is an American keyboard trio that released its first record, Branded Bad, on Columbia Records in 1974, it's second, Tear Gas, in 1975, and its final for Columbia, Powerhouse in 1977 before keyboard player Mark Mangold reformed them in 2018. The latest album, Free Angel Express, features Alex Landenburg (Stratovarius, Kamelot, Rhapsody, Cyhra) on drums, with guest appearances by Barry Sparks (UFO, Dokken), Doug Howard (Touch, Utopia, Edgar Winter Band) and Charlie Calv (Angel, Shotgun Symphony).


Check out the official lyric video for new single "Shadows Aching Karma" below.







Mark Mangold is also an accomplished songwriter working with Michael Bolton, Cher and Paul Rodgers, penning the hits “Fools Game”, “I Found Someone”, and "For A Little Ride", and many others. Deko Entertainment president Bruce Pucciarello states, “All of us at Deko are thrilled to be working with Mark, one of our industry's transcendent creataholics.  The true skill here is Mark’s ability to individualize his creations in a way that they always feel contemporary. Timeless, catchy and inventive.  


There are limited edition bundles (while supplies last), which can be ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Sledgehammered"
"Set It On Fire"
"Free Angel Express/Resist/Outta Here"
"Not For Nothing"
"Glass"
"Everything You Take"
"Roll The Stone"
"Blue Rondo"
"Can’t Get Satisfied"
"Woke"
"Shadows Aching Karma"
"So Glow"
"Rise To The Light"
"Tusk (Blood On The Ivory)" (Download only)


"Sledgehammered" lyric video:





"Woke" lyric video:





 

The third episode of "Psycho Schizo Espresso", a brand new podcast from IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson and Oxford University psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Dutton, has just been launched across all podcast platforms. Check it out below.

In this episode, Dutton analyzes where Bruce sits on the psychopathic spectrum. Is he higher or lower than Freddie Mercury? Kevin and Bruce also look at the Top 10 most psychopathic professions and discuss why some of the world's top surgeons, CEOs and special forces soldiers might have more in common with Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman than you might think. Plus…a little quiz to see how psychopathic you are! Are you fearless enough to go up in a plane with Bruce?

You can listen to "Psycho Schizo Espresso" wherever you get your podcasts, and the show is also available in Vodcast form on YouTube. Head to this location to find the podcast on your favorite platform.

Official podcast description: "If psychology was a country, then it would be the world's top tourist destination bar none. It's an enchanted territory with something for everyone: from aliens to drug lords, from serial killers to conspiracy theories. Join intellectual explorers Bruce Dickinson and Dr. Kevin Dutton for an Indiana Jones style adventure through some of its most far-flung corners as they delve into the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers and get the latest tips and insights from some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet. If you've ever wondered whether psychopaths like Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman really exist outside the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters and film directors, why ghosts only seem to appear at night, and about the true meaning of the Book of Revelation's most enduring and enigmatic mystery — 666, the number of the beast — then welcome aboard Flight Psycho Schizo Espresso and observe the 'fasten seatbelt' sign!"

Dutton explained how the idea for the podcast came about: "Not long after meeting Bruce, it became instantly clear to me that we shared a number of wide-reaching interests and that we should channel that into a podcast. 'Psycho Schizo Espresso' is certainly a journey of exploration for the both of us, and we are sure our listeners are going to learn a lot from our guests. Whether from the music industry, academia or elsewhere — you may, for instance, share our interest in psychopaths, both good and bad — this is certainly a podcast that we feel everyone will enjoy and should go and subscribe to straight away."

Atmospheric black metallers, Ghost Bath, recently released their fourth full-length album, Self Loather, via Nuclear Blast Records. With the album, the band closes out the trilogy - tragedy, ecstasy, and dread/hatred - and hosts their most devastating and dark music to date.


Today, the band releases a drum playthrough for "For It Is A Veil". Watch below:







Order your copy of Self Loather here. Save the album here.





Self Loather tracklisting:


"Convince Me To Bleed"
"Hide From The Sun"  (Feat. CJ McMahon Of Thy Art Is Murder)
"Shrines Of Bone"
"Sanguine Mask"
"Crystal Lattice"
"Sinew And Vein" (Feat. Graf Of Psychonaut 4)
"I Hope Death Finds Me Well"
"For It Is A Veil"
"Unbearable"
"Flickering Wicks Of Black"


"A Crystal Lattice" visualizer:





"Hide From The Sun" visualizer:





"Convince Me To Bleed" video:





Ghost Bath is:


Dennis Mikula - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Synths, Lyrics
Tim Church - Guitar
John Olivier - Guitar
Josh Jaye - Bass
Jason Hirt - Drums

Slash recently joined Dave Cobb on the latest episode of the producer's "Southern Accents Radio With Dave Cobb" podcast on Apple Music Country to discuss the GUNS N' ROSES guitarist's forthcoming album "4" featuring Myles Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS, due out next February and recorded and produced by Cobb in Nashville. Slash talks about following in the footsteps of VAN HALEN and LED ZEPPELIN in titling the album, recording live in the room in RCA Studio A, how CREAM's "Disraeli Guitars" made him want to pick up the guitar, and more.

Speaking about his love for iconic VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen, Slash said: "By and large, I really don't come from this sort of eighties shredding school of guitar playing at all. But when I first heard, along with everybody else, in 1978 and first heard the VAN HALEN debut record, it really fucked me. That was a heavy fucking record. I mean, that was the moment that the Seventies just changed, that particular record. And as a guitar player, I was just a kid, I was just picking up the guitar at that time. I hadn't even started at that moment. I started like the following year, but when I started getting into guitar playing, everybody was trying to emulate Eddie and they were all sort of focusing on the obvious techniques and the fucking finger tapping and the harmonics and the tremolo bar stuff and all these really fucking great techniques that Eddie had. But the way that he did it was such a part of his personality and it was such a part of his melodic sensibility that it had this really sort of musical fluidity that nobody after that really ever came close to playing that style of guitar playing. And so I always loved Eddie. And in between any of his very specific techniques, he also just had great fucking rock and roll lyrics, just really cool, bluesy, fucking rock lyrics. So, yeah, [I] loved Eddie."

Slash previously called Eddie a guitar "innovator," "a gifted musician" and "an amazing artist." He told Consquence Of Sound last December: "The thing about Eddie is that he was such a gifted musician. Any instrument he had chosen to play would have been phenomenal, because he just had that pure musical talent. And he chose guitar, because that's what turned him on. And for somebody with that kind of musical talent to get turned on to rock 'n' roll guitar was sort of unique unto itself, because most of us guitar players are a ragged bunch of rock 'n' rollers who don't have too much technical ability or schooling. We just sort of go for this raw thing. And he had that, but he also had this musical, sort of classical gift. Then, on top of that, just being somebody sort of like Les Paul, who hears something in his head or has an idea and creates it. So it made him a triple threat. He was a great guitar player, but he was also this amazing musician, so it just made his guitar playing that much greater. And then he was an innovator on top of it, creating new things with whatever his imagination came up with. So he was just an amazing artist, period."

On the day that Eddie died, Slash told WGN News that he was "a little shocked" by the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's passing. "It's hard for me to verbally say anything, other than I'm just devastated," he said. "Eddie was really cool. And I've been talking to him — we've been texting. And I knew he was sick, but I didn't wanna ask him how sick he was. But he was in a hospital in L.A. for a while. And I knew [expletive] was up, but I didn't expect that today at all. So I'm floored."

Asked what he thinks Eddie's legacy will be, Slash told WGN News: "Eddie changed guitar playing. I picked up the guitar, I guess it was 1979, 1980. The first VAN HALEN record came out, and Steven Adler, who was GUNS N' ROSES' original drummer, when we were kids, we used to just hang out and ditch school and go to the pizza place and whatnot. And we used to listen to that first VAN HALEN record, and it was just insane. It was, like, 'What the [expletive]?'

"He changed guitar playing," Slash continued. "He was such an amazing musician, amazing guitar player, amazing innovator and just a hell of a guy. And we really lost a major contributor to rock and roll today."

Eddie died on October 6, 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Eddie and Alex formed VAN HALEN in 1972 in Pasadena, California, with David Lee Roth on lead vocals and Michael Anthony on bass.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

In an exclusive 10-page cover feature with Jon Hotten for issue 29 of Rock Candy magazine, BOSTON guitarist and songwriter Tom Scholz explains the making of the first "Boston" album in forensic detail and reveals that its incredible success came with a heavy price.

"I was always an outsider," Scholz tells Hotten. "I wasn't part of a scene, not part of the crowd that recorded or played in L.A. or New York. I wasn't part of the drug culture; I didn't know anything about it. I wasn't at the parties. I didn't do any of those things. I was like this enigma that came out of no place and it really p*ssed people off. There were a lot of people, and there still are today, who just totally resent me and BOSTON music. They will never understand what went into that music or what was behind it, or, once it became successful, what I intended to do with it. That part was not pleasant."

Released in August of 1976, "Boston" quickly became the best-selling debut album in the U.S. at the time and has now shifted over 20 million copies. And lead track "More Than A Feeing" has come to define the AOR rock sound. But Scholz, who was the undoubted creative force behind the music, had no idea that his album would be such a success. He'd struggled with those BOSTON songs for years, building his own home recording studio in the basement of his house, trying to get them to sound exactly as he wanted them to.

"I was going to send demos out," he says. "And assuming I got nothing but rejections, which is what I thought would happen, I was going to dismantle all of the equipment, sell everything off, and recover what little I could from the money I'd spent."

Even when BOSTON finally landed a major deal with Epic, the label wanted Scholz to re-record his precious demos in Los Angeles for the album proper.

"I said, 'It can't be done. I cannot do it without the equipment I used to record everything we've done so far,'" he said. "It would have taken another 10 years rather than another six months. All of the equipment would have had to be modified."

Fortunately for everyone concerned, it was decided that the original demos would be mixed in L.A. for commercial release… and the rest is rock history!

Read this and many other fascinating stories in issue 29 of Rock Candy magazine.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock magazne, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s. Put together by respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era — Rock Candy is available in print format with a free digital download version for anyone who buys the mag online at www.rockcandymag.com.

Acclaimed guitar virtuosos RODRIGO Y GABRIELA have received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella" for their version of METALLICA's "The Struggle Within", featured on the recently released tribute album "The Metallica Blacklist". The nod marks the duo's second-ever Grammy nomination, following their previous "Best Contemporary Instrumental Album" win for 2019's "Mettavolution".

The 64th annual Grammy Awards will be presented on January 31, 2022, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA's dexterous rendition of "The Struggle Within" is available now at all DSPs and is joined by an official visualizer, streaming via YouTube. In addition, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of "The Struggle Within" is streaming now. All profits from the song benefit METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation and the community-driven conservation non-profit Whales Of Guerrero.

Hailed by Variety as "a fleet-fingered, clattering tango," "The Struggle Within" was met by rave reviews from media outlets everywhere, with Guitar World declaring it "awe-inspiring… RODRIGO Y GABRIELA stay remarkably true to the original, trading its military-style intro snare rolls for expertly delivered percussive slaps and James Hetfield's vocals for smooth, oft-slide-driven unplugged leads. (Rodrigo) even replicates Kirk Hammett's guitar solo note-for-note on acoustic guitar."



RODRIGO Y GABRIELA have long celebrated the inspiration of METALLICA on their own distinctive music, including classic reimaginings of "Orion" and "Battery", the latter featured on 2019's "Mettal" EP. The duo recently discussed their shared passion for METALLICA, their approach to translating "The Struggle Within" to an acoustic, instrumental track, and much more in an exclusive two-part Metallica.com So What! interview streaming now.

This fall saw the release of "The Jazz Mettal" EP, a special CD release pairing the three thrash metal covers of the "Mettal" EP with this year's three-track "Jazz" EP, collecting distinctive renditions of songs by Snarky Puppy, Kamasi Washington and Argentinian tango master Astor Piazzolla.

Photo credit: Joby Sessions

VANILLA FUDGE has shared another reworked LED ZEPPELIN classic, "Ramble On". The track, along with the recently issued "Immigrant Song" and "Rock And Roll", will be included on the soon-to-be-released album "Vanilla Zeppelin".

This is LED ZEPPELIN done "FUDGE" style — a great ode to one of the most respected and best bands of all time by one of the most respected and best bands of all time. VANILLA FUDGE adds its own slant to "Ramble On", including some amazing organ interludes. This version definitely has a life and identity of its own.

This remastered version of "Ramble On" is available now on all digital platforms via Golden Robot Records.

VANILLA FUDGE was one of the first American groups to infuse psychedelia into heavy rock sound to create "psychedelic symphonic rock," an eclectic genre which would, among its many offshoots, eventually morph into heavy metal.

Although, at first, the band did not record original material, they were best known for their dramatic heavy, slowed-down arrangements of contemporary pop songs which they developed into works of epic proportion.

Originally, VANILLA FUDGE was a blue-eyed soul cover band called THE PIGEONS, formed in New Jersey in 1965 with organist Mark Stein, bassist Tim Bogert, drummer Joey Brennan and guitarist, vocalist and U.S. Navy veteran Vince Martell. They built a following by gigging extensively up and down the East Coast and earned extra money by providing freelance in-concert backing for hit-record girl groups. In early 1966, the group recorded a set of eight demos that were released several years later as "While the World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge".

The East Coast, in particular New York and New Jersey, created a sound all its own. Inspired by groups such as THE RASCALS and THE VAGRANTS (fronted by guitarist Leslie West of MOUNTAIN fame), THE PIGEONS reworked many of their own existing arrangements of covers to reflect their unique interpretation of this "East Coast Sound."

In late 1966, drummer Joey Brennan moved out to the West Coast. THE PIGEONS immediately drafted drummer and vocalist Carmine Appice, a disciple of the renowned Joe Morello (DAVE BRUBECK BAND) and a seasoned veteran of the club scene. In early 1967, THE PIGEONS manager Phil Basile convinced producer George "Shadow" Morton (producer for THE SHANGRI-LAS and Janis Ian), to catch their live act. Impressed by their heavy-rocking, trippy and psychedelic version of THE SUPREMES' "You Keep Me Hangin' On", Morton offered to record the song as a single. This resulted in a deal with the Atlantic subsidiary Atco, which requested a name change. The band settled on VANILLA FUDGE.

VANILLA FUDGE celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and is still rocking the world as hard as ever.

British heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN and entertainment powerhouse Marvel have collaborated to create a unique collection of merchandise. Fans of both will be dealt a wide assortment of apparel and accessories that highlight iconic Marvel characters and the notorious other worldly character Eddie.

This collaboration interweaves the universes of both brands, with designs that pay tribute to Wolverine, Venom, Thanos and Deadpool in unique variations of iconic album and single artwork such as "Fear Of The Dark", "The Trooper" and "Killers".

IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood comments: "Eddie has long stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest super heroes and we're also pretty proud of the worlds we created for his many incarnations — from battlefields to Egyptian tombs to frozen icescapes or futuristic cities. Juxtaposing some of the most recognizable characters in pop art and comic book culture into planet MAIDEN has been an ambition of ours for years, and working with Marvel and their unparalleled character-based IP is the perfect fit in this day and age. To see such iconic characters alongside Eddie is something our fans have discussed for years and we think that the twist of placing Venom, Thanos, Thor or Deadpool in our MAIDEN worlds will excite fans of both cultures."

IRON MAIDEN is recognized as having one of the most iconic figures in music, in the shape of Eddie whose image appeared on the band's debut single, "Running Free", and has evolved to adorn every piece of artwork, including albums, tour posters, beer labels, graphic novels and merchandise, even featuring in computer games and award-winning mobile RPG game "Legacy Of The Beast".

"Marvel is cool and aspirational, and has inspired the greatest artists, musicians and creators for more than 80 years," said Paul Gitter, SVP, Marvel Licensing. "This collaboration offers another exciting example of how the Marvel brand continues to push into lifestyle areas, with music being a top priority, and the collection allows fans to pay tribute to our iconic characters, while celebrating the legendary IRON MAIDEN."

The collaboration will launch in time for the holidays, with exclusive collections through IRON MAIDEN's online store, speciality retailer Hot Topic and German e-tailer EMP.

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

Photo by: John McMurtrie

According to Rolling Stone, Marilyn Manson's West Hollywood home was raided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Monday.

Special Victims Unit investigators searched the shock rocker's home for belongings in connection to the sexual assault allegations against him.

"What I can confirm is there was a search warrant that was served this morning," an L.A. County Sheriff's source told the magazine. "It's confirmed it was [Manson's] address, his location. It was a search warrant for his belongings."

Among the possessions reportedly seized were hard drives and other media storage units.

Last February, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed it was "investigating allegation(s) of domestic violence involving Mr. Brian Warner, also known as 'Marilyn Manson'" and would be looking into incidents that "occurred between 2009 and 2011 when Mr. Warner lived in the city of West Hollywood."

At least 15 women — including "Westworld" actress Evan Rachel Wood — have publicly accused Manson of sexual assault. He is currently facing three lawsuits from women who claim to have been sexually abused by him in the past, including his ex-girlfriend Ashley Morgan Smithline and "Game Of Thrones" actress Esme Bianco.

After Wood shared her accusations, several other women posted their own allegations against the singer. The women claimed to have endured "sexual assault, psychological abuse, and/or various forms of coercion, violence, and intimidation" at the hands of Manson.

The 52-year-old rocker, whose real name is Brian Warner, later released a statement denying the abuse allegations leveled against him, writing on Instagram: "Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."

In the months since Wood came forward with her allegations, Manson has also been dropped by his label, Loma Vista Recordings, longtime manager Tony Ciulla, as well as the talent agency CAA, which provides representation for individuals across various mediums.

Manson's attorney Howard King said in a statement: "Mr. Warner vehemently denies any and all claims of sexual assault or abuse of anyone. These lurid claims against my client have three things in common — they are all false, alleged to have taken place more than a decade ago and part of a coordinated attack by former partners and associates of Mr. Warner who have weaponized the otherwise mundane details of his personal life and their consensual relationships into fabricated horror stori

During a recent appearance on "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell spoke about what it's like to sometimes spend several months on the road performing his music to fans all over the world. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Touring is getting on a pirate ship and not coming back for a year and a half. It's all an adventure. It's a group of people bonding together and taking off to go all around the globe and play shows for people. It's a very physical process, touring and playing and being a musican. There's a lot of challenges to it. My favorite thing is just the fact that I get to see the world. I'm an army brat — my dad was in the army — and we moved around quite a bit when I was really young. And it feels kind of comfortable for me. I kind of got that traveling bug early 'cause I was kind of forced to get used to it. But that's one of the coolest things — is getting to go to countries that you've never been. On this last particular run that [ALICE IN CHAINS] did, with 'Rainier Fog', we like to check off a few boxes of a few countries we've never been to. We played Auckland, New Zealand for the first time. We played Tel Aviv [Israel], Saint Petersburg, Moscow [Russia] and Athens, Greece. were places that ALICE had never played before. So we try to fit that into the schedule — when we're thinking about doing a tour, [we make an effort to take] the band to some places we've never been."

Cantrell's new solo album, "Brighten", was released on October 29. The LP was co-produced by Jerry over the past year with film composer Tyler Bates and Cantrell's longtime engineer Paul Figueroa. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. Other rock legends added to the fun of this LP, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) handling all of the background vocals and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) overseeing the mixing of "Brighten". Together, they recorded eight originals and the LP closes with an approved-by-Elton John cover of his classic "Goodbye" as the finale.

Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

"Brighten" has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant."

Jerry recently announced a U.S. tour that will bring him to cities such as New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, Nashville and Vegas, among many other cities.

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre says that he doesn't care if people know that he is a longtime cigarette smoker.

The 47-year-old musician, who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, discussed his smoking habit in a live video interview this past weekend with Canada's The Metal Voice. Addressing criticism from viewers of the livestream who objected to the fact that he was puffing away during the chat, saying that singers should abstain from cigarette smoking, Todd said: "I don't care. Whatever. I bet you there's a lot of really good singers that smoke. And some people hide it, and some people don't."

He continued: "For years, I never wanted anyone to see me smoking 'cause I knew if you have a bad show — never mind that you'd flown 25 thousand miles that month — they would be, like, 'Oh, that's why. He's gonna ruin his voice.' And then you sing killer. And you could say, 'Yeah, I don't smoke anymore.' [And then they'd say] 'That's why you sounded so good.' Everyone's an expert. I don't care."

Philip Anselmo (PANTERA), Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT) and Udo Dirkschneider (ACCEPT) are among the other hard rock and heavy metal singers who have admitted to smoking cigarettes in the past.

In a 2009 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford said that he "quit smoking" a long time ago in order to better take care of his voice.

Back in 2014, former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno insisted his voice was in better condition than Halford's even though he was still drinking and smoking. "I'm hitting notes Rob Halford can't hit anymore," Paul said at the time. "And the reason is I don't fuss over it. Some people go, 'I've got a slight cough; let's cancel the whole show. If you look at my touring schedule, it's brutal. Normally I do this five, six, seven days a week. I still smoke, I still drink — I still have it, mate."

In a 2013 interview with Myglobalmind, PRETTY MAIDS singer Ronnie Atkins, who is now battling stage four cancer, joked that the secret to keeping his voice in shape was "20 cigarettes a day and little drink now and then."

Pop superstar Lady Gaga admitted in a 2020 interview that she used to smoke "40 cigarettes all day long" before finally quitting.

According to Tobacco Free Life, "the effects of smoking on your vocal folds are almost entirely negative. You might be able to get a raspy quality in your singing you wouldn't be able to achieve otherwise, but you'll [experience an] impact on your range, the control you have over your voice and your stamina as a performer."

QUEENSRŸCHE recently pulled out of SCORPIONS' rescheduled "Sin City Nights" Las Vegas residency in order to support JUDAS PRIEST on the "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates in March-April 2022. The tour will kick off on March 4 in Peoria, Illinois and conclude on April 13 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Global music company BMG has announced that it has acquired the entire recorded catalog of MÖTLEY CRÜE. Sources tell Variety the deal is valued at approximately $150 million, although other sources cited a significantly lower number.

The deal is BMG's largest single catalog acquisition since the company was founded in 2008.

The agreement includes the iconic band's entire recorded output spanning their 40-year career totaling nine studio albums from their 1981 debut "Too Fast For Love" through the latest release in 2008 "Saints Of Los Angeles", as well as several platinum-selling live albums and compilation sets.

It comes as the band are on a new high after Netflix biopic "The Dirt" converted a new generation of fans with an astonishing 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes for the "warts 'n' all" movie.

In a statement from the group, MÖTLEY CRÜE said: "It feels amazing to be collaborating with our new partners at BMG. Their extensive track record of success in rock made them the perfect home to continue preserving and growing our musical legacy, ensuring we always stay at the top."

Allen Kovac, manager of MÖTLEY CRÜE, said: "After working side by side with BMG for well over a decade, the relationship we have developed and success we've accomplished over the years made this a very easy transition to entrust with this treasured rock catalog. Working with BMG in any capacity, whether that's publishing or records, has always been a great experience."

BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said: "This is more than just a significant transaction. It's a new chapter for an extraordinary catalog. Few bands understand the myth and the magic of rock like MÖTLEY CRÜE do. In an increasingly competitive rights acquisition market, artists need to be convinced that a buyer will do the right thing with their work. I am delighted that MÖTLEY CRÜE have decided BMG will be the best custodians of their musical career."

In June 2022, MÖTLEY CRÜE will kick off their previously postponed (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) 30-plus-date headlining U.S. stadium tour, marking the group's return to the stage for their first major concert run since 2015.

Working closely with the band and its management, BMG's award-winning global catalog team will embark on its plan to re-promote the band's work beginning in 2022.

Michael Kachko, BMG's L.A.-based SVP, catalog recordings, said: "MÖTLEY CRÜE stand among the pantheon of rock legends, the band's legacy is tremendous and their fans avid. You can be sure that we will lavish all the respect and love for the music that BMG is recognized for to deliver current and future fans the best experience we can."

Thomas Scherer, BMG president, repertoire and marketing, New York and Los Angeles, said: "With expert management at the helm, MÖTLEY CRÜE have long owned their own recordings. It is an honor and a privilege for BMG to be entrusted with this catalog. They are the perfect fit for our global digital and physical expertise in rock."

Formed in January 1981 and hailing from the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California, the quartet of Vince Neil (lead vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass) and Tommy Lee (drums) has commandeered the rock pantheon for four decades.

Together, MÖTLEY CRÜE have sold over 100 million albums worldwide with seven platinum and multi-platinum albums, nine Top 10 albums, 22 Top 40 Mainstream Rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles, three Grammy nominations, a New York Times best-seller, and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

The catalog includes the six-times-platinum-certified "Dr. Feelgood", four-times-platinum-certified "Shout At The Devil", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Theatre Of Pain", the platinum-certified "Too Fast For Love", as well as the two-times-platinum-certified "Decade Of Decadence '81-'91" and platinum-certified "Greatest Hits" collections.

Behind the massive success from their 2001 best-selling book and 2019 Netflix biopic "The Dirt" and its soundtrack, the band landed another No. 1 album and Top 10 worldwide with 22 chart-topping singles and seven albums back on the charts. Its massive global success saw MÖTLEY CRÜE's popularity soar to new highs, catapulting the band's music back to the top of the worldwide charts and introducing them to yet another generation of music fans.

Known for their explosive and elaborate live performances, MÖTLEY CRÜE have sold out countless tours across the globe in front of millions of fans with groundbreaking production and pyrotechnics culminating in highlights such as Tommy Lee's Crüecifly-drum rollercoaster and Nikki Sixx's flame-throwing bass.

MÖTLEY CRÜE and manager Allen Kovac and Chris Nilsson of 10th Street Entertainment were advised in the transaction by Tim Mandelbaum, Cynthia Katz, and the law firm of Fox Rothschild.

The transaction forms part of BMG's long-term strategy to create a 21st century home for the most iconic music rights in popular music history. BMG currently represents or owns rights in many of hard rock's most elite and ground-breaking artists, including BLACK SABBATH, DIO, IRON MAIDEN, Kurt Cobain, MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS, URIAH HEEP and many of the artists who reflect their legacy including GODSMACK, Slash, and BRING ME THE HORIZON