SubLevel Records has announced the brand new EXODUS "Persona Non Grata" guitar book, featuring guitar tab and notation for all 12 killer songs from the new EXODUS album. All songs were transcribed note for note from the original recordings by HEATHEN guitarist — and occasional EXODUS touring member — Kragen Lum and Ernie Ball's Match The Master award winner Evan Bradley.

Learn how to play the songs exactly as the band plays them with these 100% accurate transcriptions. Presented in two-guitar format so you can learn to play every riff and solo just as Gary Holt and Lee Altus (plus guest solos by Rick Hunolt and Kragen Lum) played them on the album. The 262-page print edition will begin shipping on December 17.

This deluxe print edition of the book also includes an EXODUS "Persona Non Grata" guitar pick and two-sided bookmark set plus a digital copy of the guitar book in PDF format. The deluxe print edition is only available through SubLevel Records.

Songs included:

* Persona Non Grata

* R.E.M.F.

* Slipping Into Madness

* Elitist

* Prescribing Horror

* The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)

* The Years Of Death And Dying

* Clickbait

* The Fires Of Division

* Cosa Del Pantano

* Lunatic-Liar-Lord

* Antiseed

"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

In July, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage on October 7 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums "Impact Is Imminent" (1990) and "Force Of Habit" (1992).

A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.

Spencer Elden, the man who claims he was the baby featured on the cover of NIRVANA's "Nevermind" album, has amended his lawsuit against the band to include the allegation that the photographer hired to take the photo, Kirk Weddle, also shot images of Elden styled to look like Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The new filing also drops former NIRVANA drummer Chad Channing as a defendant in the case.

According to Rolling Stone, Elden's updated complaint cites personal journal entries from late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain, which were published by Riverhead Books in 2002, in an apparent attempt to prove the claim that the photographer intended the cover image to be sexual in nature.

"Undated journals written by Cobain sketch the album cover in a sexual manner, with semen all over it," the document states. "In several instances, the journals describe Cobain's twisted vision for the 'Nevermind' album cover, along with his emotional struggles: 'I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then fuck the incision until the child dies.'"

The documents also repeat the claim that Weddle intended to "trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer" by activating "Spencer's 'gag reflex' before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer's exposed genitals." The documents add: "Weddle soon after produced photographs of Spencer dressed up and depicted as Hugh Hefner."

When Elden first filed his lawsuit against the surviving members of NIRVANA as well as the estate of Kurt Cobain in August, he alleged the photo of the baby reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool violated federal child pornography statutes and argued child sexual exploitation.

A month after filing his lawsuit, Elden, who is now 30, requested his genitalia be removed from "all future album covers" on the 30th anniversary of the project.

"Today, like each year on this date, our client Spencer Elden has had to brace himself for renewed unwanted attention from the media and fans alike throughout the world," his attorneys told USA Today. "This is a choice that he has never had."

The attorneys said that they plan on continuing the legal proceedings in order to "bring long-awaited privacy and dignity back to our client."

"We implore the NIRVANA defendants to right the wrongs of their past, by acknowledging the harm they have perpetrated and redacting the image of Mr. Elden's genitalia from further reproductions of 'Nevermind' because behind every cover is a person pleading for their privacy back," they added.

A deluxe 30th-anniversary reissue of "Nevermind", featuring its original cover artwork, was made available on November 12.

In Elden's complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, he claimed that his "identity and legal name are forever tied to the commercial sexual exploitation he experienced as a minor which has been distributed and sold worldwide from the time he was a baby to the present day."

According to the suit, the defendants "knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so. … Despite this knowledge, defendants failed to take reasonable steps to protect Spencer and prevent his widespread sexual exploitation and image trafficking."

Elden claimed that his parents never signed a release authorizing the use of the photos, which were taken in a Pasadena aquatic center in 1990. He alleged that the band promised to cover his genitals with a sticker, which was never incorporated into the album art.

The suit further alleged the defendants "used child pornography depicting Spencer as an essential element of a record promotion scheme commonly utilized in the music industry to get attention, wherein album covers posed children in a sexually provocative manner to gain notoriety, drive sales, and garner media attention, and critical reviews."

Elden is seeking damages of either $150,000 from each of the defendants or unspecified damages to be determined at trial, attorney fees, an injunction to prohibit all parties "from continuing to engage in the unlawful acts and practices described herein," and a trial by jury.

"The permanent harm he has proximately suffered includes but is not limited to extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations, interference with his normal development and educational progress, lifelong loss of income earning capacity, loss of past and future wages, past and future expenses for medical and psychological treatment, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses to be described and proven at trial of this matter," the lawsuit stated.

Elden's parents were reportedly paid only $200 for the photos, and the shoot lasted around 15 seconds.

In a 2016 interview with Time magazine, Elden said: "It's a trip. Everyone involved in the album has tons and tons of money. I feel like I'm the last little bit of grunge rock. I'm living in my mom's house and driving a Honda Civic.

"It's hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved," Elden added. "I go to a baseball game and think about it: 'Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,' I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked."

"Nevermind" has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was certified diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million copies in the U.S. al

During an appearance on "Loose Ends" on BBC Radio 4 earlier this week, Robert Plant commented on the copyright dispute over whether LED ZEPPELIN's classic song "Stairway To Heaven" was a rip-off of SPIRIT's "Taurus".

Michael Skidmore, the trustee of "Taurus" songwriter Randy "California" Wolfe's estate, had brought the claims more than four decades after "Stairway To Heaven" appeared on LED ZEPPELIN's untitled album, better known as "Led Zeppelin IV".

In June 2016, a Los Angeles jury deliberated for about five hours before deciding unanimously in favor of LED ZEPPELIN. The case was revived in 2018 before a court of appeals upheld the original verdict last year. In October 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, definitively ending it.

Asked "what sort of experience" it was to have to testify at the 2016 trial, Plant told "Loose Ends": "What can you do? I just had to sit there. I was instructed to sit directly opposite the jury: 'Don't look at them, but just don't look at anybody. Just sit there for eight hours.'

"As much as I am musical, I cannot comment on anything musical. I just sing," the LED ZEPPELIN frontman continued.

"There are zillions and zillions of songs that are carrying the same chord progression, so it was very unfortunate, and it was unpleasant for everybody."

Plant testified in court that he had no recollection of ever hearing "Taurus" before. "I didn't remember it then, and I don't remember it now," he said. LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page also testified that he had not copied any part of "Taurus" even though he owned five discs by SPIRIT among his collection of 4,000 vinyl records.

Enrico Bonadio, a senior lecturer in law from City University London, told Newsweek in April 2016: "I don't think that it is appropriate to consider the act of devising a tune that simply has the same 'feel' and 'groove' as another as copyright infringement. This is how music creativity often works. Musicians frequently build upon earlier arrangements and styles, and so the increasing occurrence of cases such as these should give us pause."

After the 2016 trial, plaintiff's attorney Francis Malofiy claimed he lost his case on a technicality, insisting that it was unfair the jury was unable to listen to the sound recording of "Taurus" and instead was limited to hearing an expert performance of the registered sheet music.

Malofiy received over a hundred sustained objections and "multiple admonishments" during the ZEPPELIN trial, with the band's publishing company Warner/Chappell Music filing documents asking the judge to order the plaintiffs to pay over $613,000 in costs for defending against the laws

SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan has blasted Los Angeles's vaccine mandate, saying it's akin to "self-imposed tyranny and mental slavery."

Angelenos visiting restaurants, movie theaters, malls, salons and several other venues in Los Angeles have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative virus test to enter.

SafePassLA ordinance is one of the strictest mandates of its kind in the nation, and includes all individuals eligible for a COVID vaccine. It means that vaccine verification is needed at many more locations within the city's limits than in surrounding areas.

Under the ordinance, which was approved by the L.A. City Council in early October, patrons age 12 and older have to show either:

* A physical vaccination card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* A photocopy of a vaccination card or a photograph stored on their phone,

* A digital vaccination record issued by the state of California or a state, local or foreign jurisdiction, or an approved private company.

* Documentation of a COVID-19 vaccine from a healthcare provider.

Anyone age 18 and over also has to provide identification.

The ordinance also requires people to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend outdoor events with 5,000 or more people.

On Monday night (November 22), Dolmayan, who splits his time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, took to his Instagram to write: "Why does history repeat itself in the most tragic ways? People forget to capitalize on the lessons of the past and ignore the signs of a disastrous future.

"Today I went to a restaurant in Los Angeles that had a security guard that demanded paperwork for entry and watched as dozens of patrons capitulated and showed their 'papers'.

"Things really don't change do they? As long as you have a strong propaganda machine in place and find a way to take away basic rights even temporarily most people will do anything they are asked to gain back a sense of normalcy. The funny thing is three miles East in Glendale life is far more free and normal.

"Self imposed tyranny and mental slavery is rampant and infesting far too many places world wide. Hopefully this madness will pass".

82% of Los Angeles County residents aged 12 and over have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, and 73% are fully vaccinated. Of the county's overall population of 10.3 million people, 71% have received at least one dose, and 63% are fully vaccinated.

Current figures show unvaccinated people are nine times more likely than vaccinated people to get infected, and 67 times more likely to be hospitalized.

There are exemptions to Los Angeles's mandate: Those who self-attest to having a medical or religious reason for not getting vaccinated can instead provide a negative coronavirus test taken during the 72 hours before entering an indoor space.

Patrons who aren't vaccinated and don't qualify for an exemption can still opt to use outdoor areas of the venues. And they can be allowed to briefly go inside the location to use the restroom, place an order or pick up an item if they're masked.

Beginning November 29, venues can be issued a citation for not implementing the requirement, and may be fined $1,000 for a second violation, and thousands more for subsequent violations, according to the ordinance.

In the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Dolmayan repeatedly defended Donald Trump, saying that the opponents of America's 45th president "perpetuated and instigated a total shutdown of the economy" in the hopes that it would crash and that he would be blamed. Dolmayan also praised Trump and accused Democrats of "demonizing" the former president and "blaming him for everything under the sun." In addition, John called Democrats "the true bigots" who "fought to maintain slavery" and were "directly responsible for 70 plus million abortions, a large majority of whom were black." Dolmayan also supported Trump's claim that his administration had done more for the African-American community "than any president since Abraham Lincoln."
























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John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, has once again railed against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying they are "much more about tyranny than they are actually keeping people safe."

The 46-year-old vocalist/bassist, who previously publicly revealed that he was unvaccinated, discussed his views on the COVID-19 vaccines during an appearance on the "Faith Vs. Culture With Dan Andros" show on CBN, which features 24-hour TV news from a Christian perspective.

"I've never told someone not to get a vaccine," Cooper said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). I've never told someone to get a vaccine. That's not my decision; that's your decision. But they're changing the definitions of what anti-vax means. I am not anti-vax. They've added a definition that says if you're against vaccine mandates, then you're now anti-vax.

"Us Christians, we need to get our brains ready for leftist authoritarianists do," he continued. "They come in [and] they change language. And by changing language, you can end up changing people's minds about stuff. Because you say it, and people might think you mean one thing, but what you're actually saying is another thing, and the more you repeat the propaganda, your brain gets used to it."

Cooper then once again floated the conspiracy theory — one that is regularly promoted by the anti-vaccine community — that vaccines are a tool of government control.

"The reason that I'm so passionate about this is because us Christians need to wake up to this incredible threat of tyranny that is happening from the government," he said. "Think about the way propaganda has worked here. Nine months ago, eight months ago maybe, the president himself was saying, 'No, we would not institute vaccine mandates. That's not what we do in America.' Doctor Fauci said the same thing. Jen Psaki [current White House press secretary] had repeated that thing. This is all within the last seven or eight months. Look at what has happened in such a short period of time that we went from, 'No, we wouldn't do that because that's not what America does' all the way to Christians saying, 'If you really love somebody, you'll mandate a vaccine.' That is the power of propaganda… The way that the government and the media has used propaganda to become idolatrous and to leave its sovereignty under God and invade other sovereigns' spheres. That would be namely my sphere over my body and my family to teach my kids what I wanna teach, to do what I wanna do. That's why I think these vaccine mandates are much more about tyranny than they are actually keeping people safe."

Cooper went on to say that getting a COVID-19 shot should be a personal choice and that he and other people like him shouldn't be subjected to potential vaccine side effects.

"I think that we need to have a spirit of generosity and [be] gracious towards one another on this issue," he said. "I've never told somebody not to get vaxxed. I've never said you should get vaxxed; that's your decision. The reason I say we need some generosity is because there's a lot… I look at it and I go, okay, we went into lockdown. And I look at that and I say I think there's been about five million COVID deaths in the world — I think — so far. But we also know that they say maybe near a hundred, a hundred and twenty million have been pushed to the brink of starvation because of COVID — because of lockdowns, is really what I should say, because of lockdowns, there wasn't enough agriculture, there wasn't enough shipping to send materials they needed [to send], medical supplies. That's a direct result of lockdown policy. We also know the U.K., they think ten thousand — at least — ten thousand cancer deaths will occur because people didn't go to get checked up during lockdown. Now they're ignoring what European countries are not ignoring, which is the harmful effects of the vaccine — mainly on boys [ages] twelve to fifteen with myocarditis. The U.K. has said, 'We recommend not getting the vaccine for boys twelve to fifteen' because they're four to times more likely to go to the hospital for myocarditis than if they had just gotten COVID in the first place. So I look at all of this stuff and I say, then why are we doing it when Europe is saying, 'We're putting a halt on this?' It makes people really, really nervous.

"Lastly, I'm not being a conspiracy theorist — it is impossible to know what may happen in the future. We don't know what happens in five years, ten years, because it's brand new — we've never done it before. So for the government to come in and demand to put something in my body that we don't know what it's going to do, when I know at my age group and the fact that I'm super ripped and in shape, I know I've got a 99.7 percent chance of being fine if I get it. My family already had it; we have natural immunity anyway; so it just makes it seem like there's something else going on."

Experts have repeatedly said that mRNA vaccines are not new. In fact, they have been in development for decades — since the 1970s— and many mRNA vaccines were in phase 1, 2, and 3 trials before the COVID-19 vaccines were created. According to News Center Maine, messenger RNA vaccines teach our cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response inside our bodies. Our cells break down mRNA and get rid of it within a few days after vaccination. As for the vaccines being "experimental," the U.S. FDA and CDC both said Pfizer and Moderna's data were highly scrutinized and that the shots were required to undergo the same testing, trials, and analysis before getting emergency use authorization.

In a new interview with the "Highway 81 Revisited" podcast, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello, who is currently promoting his memoir, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax", spoke about his plans to release a solo album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Doing the book thing now, I've written some music, I've actually recorded some music that I didn't know what I was gonna do with — if I was gonna put it out with the book or after the book. 'Cause after this, going through this cathartic thing with the book, it opened up a lot of things in my mind. So I started writing during it, and it was really helpful with the book. So I've recorded these songs in a studio and all that — I have some great musicians on it. And yeah, eventually I'm gonna release some solo stuff. And if people like the ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE thing that I did with [former MEGADETH bassist] David Ellefson, it's probably like a continuation of that; it could be on those records. So it's kind of like a continuation of that. And I look forward to putting it out at the right time. I don't know when. And I'm still writing right now."

Bello's solo LP is expected to be issued via Megaforce, which released ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE's debut album, "Get It Out", in January 2019.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Bello started playing when he was 12, learning bass parts on guitar; idolizing bass heroes such as Geddy Lee, Steve Harris and Geezer Butler; and frequently jamming with his uncle, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. Bello joined ANTHRAX in time for 1985's "Spreading The Disease" album, and fans loved his high-energy stage presence and deftly inventive bass style. Since that time, ANTHRAX quickly reached the upper echelons of metal stardom with a series of classic punk/speed metal albums fueled by Bello's ferociously riffing bass work. On stage and off, Bello is a veritable bass ambassador who doesn't pull any musical punches.

ANTHRAX is working on material for its next studio album, tentatively due in 2022. The follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" will be ANTHRAX's third full-length release since the 2010 return of singer Joey Belladonna, who came back into the fold for the "Big Four" shows with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, in the process helping inspire a new wave of creativity.

According to Pollstar, this past summer's "The Metal Tour Of The Year" — featuring MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and HATEBREED — sold 171,365 tickets over 24 concerts between August 20 and September 28, an average of more than 7,000 tickets per night. The tour, which racked up a gross of just shy of $8 million, played at mostly amphitheaters, including FivePoint Amphitheater in Irvine, California, where more than 10,000 tickets were sold, and Soaring Eagle Amphitheater in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where the four bands played to more than 11,000 fans.

Originally scheduled to open the tour was IN FLAMES, but the band ultimately pulled out of the trek because of the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

The Canadian leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year" — consisting of shows in Toronto, Laval and Quebec City — was postponed to spring 2022 due to restrictions in the Quebec province and international logistical issues.

"The Metal Tour Of The Year" marked MEGADETH's first run of shows in North America since 2017. It was also MEGADETH's first tour with bassist James LoMenzo in nearly 12 years.

Each song in MEGADETH's hourlong set — featuring a wall of Marshall amps and LED screens across the stage and the drums perched high above on an elevated drum riser — was accompanied by scrolling videos featuring images that have become familiar to the band's fans — aliens, war, the apocalypse and Vic Rattlehead, the band's iconic mascot.

This past September, LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe told Asbury Park Press about "The Metal Tour Of The Year": "The reality of it is that it has been very complex, very involved, getting this thing on the road. And there has been constant communication between management and venues and booking agents and road crews from not just our band, not just the bands that are on this tour, but from all the other bands that are all trying to go on tour at the same time.

"So there are a lot of moving pieces. And people are, like, 'Why didn't you play any of these dates?' and it's, like, 'Well, guess what: Everybody's going on tour all at once. Everybody's trying to secure dates. Everything is a juggling act and it's constantly a moving targe

Former WHITESNAKE bassist Michael Devin has described his decade-long tenure with the band as "pure magic."

Devin's departure from WHITESNAKE was announced on Sunday, November 21. His replacement has since been revealed to be Tanya O'Callaghan, an Irish-born bassist who has previously performed with an array of musicians, including Steven Adler, Dee Snider, Maynard James Keenan, Nuno Bettencourt, Michael Angelo Batio and Orianthi.

Earlier today, Michael released the following statement regarding his exit from WHITESNAKE: "The past ten years of making music with my brothers in WHITESNAKE have been pure magic. I will sincerely miss the guys. They are my family.

"I wish David Coverdale a most rewarding Farewell tour, he deserves all the love and support on his Farewell that I know the fans will bring to the concert halls.

"I will miss all you fans, you're truly awesome and you've been so much fun to entertain over the years. Thank you for making my journeys over the world so rewarding. All the love in my heart goes out to you guys.

"Best wishes to Tanya O'Callaghan, a badass bassist and friend. She will lay down the low end in a most righteous way.

"'Til we meet again... lots of love. Onward."

In a 2015 interview with Heavy Metal Hill, Michael spoke about how he landed the gig with WHITESNAKE. "I became a member of WHITESNAKE in 2010 while I was on tour with LYNCH MOB," he said. "Brian Tichy was the drummer and my good friend. He had already secured his position with WHITESNAKE and they were already talking to another bass player — a friend of ours. And it looked very promising for this bass player and I just assumed that he was going to be the guy. I was also working toward going out with Jason Bonham in the LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE. I had two jobs going on. I was pretty happy with that. I never even imagined my name would be put in the hat with WHITESNAKE. Long story short, David Coverdale decided to keep looking for bass players and Brian had mentioned he was out and about with LYNCH MOB and David asked him who was on bass. Brian mentioned me, so I sent some video of me playing live and then one thing led to another and I found myself up in Tahoe auditioning for David live. Then he called me while I was in Seattle and asked if I wanted to join the band. That was a great day… I had three jobs, WHITESNAKE, LYNCH MOB and the LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE with Jason [Bonham]."

Coverdale, who turned 70 in September, recently confirmed that he plans to retire from touring after WHITESNAKE's next batch of concerts around the world.

Although Coverdale will no longer perform with WHITESNAKE, he is still planning on writing and recording fresh material once he has retired from the road.

Early last year, WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel its U.S. tour with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER so that Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia. Eventually, all of the shows were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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.
























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Legendary producer Michael Wagener recently sat down with the Decibel Geek podcast to give his final public interview. Retired since April 2021, Wagener had plenty of stories to tell in part one of this two-part final interview.


Numerous points from throughout his life are covered including his early years, influences, meeting UDO Dirkschneider in elementary school and the formation of Accept, his connection to Don Dokken and arrival in America, celebrities dropping by the studios in Hollywood, his methods in working with bands as a producer; both technical and mental and much more. A few notable quotes follow:


On firing a studio assistant during the recording of Stryper’s Soldiers Under Command album:




“It’s funny, I remember we were still doing one song; a few vocals. And I was in the other studio doing the mix for another band. I think it might have been Alice Cooper, I’m not sure. Then, all of a sudden, Michael (Sweet) comes into that studio and says ‘Can you come over there? I can’t work with the assistant.’ I go ‘Okay, I’m just gonna sit in the back and just watch a little bit.’ And Michael is just trying to hit that high note, which was impossible to hit, y’know? And, he sings and the (assistant) goes ‘Oh, that sucked.’ I go ‘Out, you’re fired. You’re fired right now, I don’t ever want to see you again.’ And, of course, Michael was, like, tense, you know? I sat down and we did it in the next ten minutes.”


On the only artist he’d unretire for; Vito Bratta:


“I wish the world would hear from him again and I would come out of retirement in a second to work with Vito. He is, pretty much, the only guy. We’ve talked and I’ve heard his side and I’ve heard his side about it and I do understand his side about it. It’s just sad that such a talent is, all of a sudden, gone but I do understand. But, he was, like, one of the very, very top guys.”


On projects that he was approached to do but had to decline going onto big success:


“For different reasons, yes. One of them was (Guns N’ Roses) Appetite For Destruction. I was approached to mix it. Back then, Alan Niven was their manager and Alan, Don Dokken, and I were staying at the same house. So, Alan Niven asked me if I could do it and, for some reasons, I turned it down. That was quite an expensive mistake.”


On how he’d get A&R people on board with his choice for an album single:


“My job was to circumvent the A&R people and what you would do at the time is ‘Okay, we want this song to be the first single.’ So, you invite the A&R people down to sing background vocals on that song. So now, that was their song and they were involved and it’s the first single. And it was always like, you would record it and by the time they left the studio, you’d erased it. And then later on, ‘Oh, I can hear myself!.’ ‘Oh yeah, we can hear you, clearly.’”


On the influence of  Roy Thomas Baker and Mutt Lange on his career.


“Roy Thomas Baker did the first four Queen albums. Everything I liked, after that, from Journey to The Cars, and everything; he was always my idol. And then, when Def Leppard came out and AC/DC, it was Mutt Lange. So, between the two, they were very excessive in different directions. I asked Roy one day, ‘We need a big room to do the drum in for the Dokken album’ and he goes ‘Rent the Forum’ and he meant it.”


Listen to part one of Michael Wagener's final interview via the audio player below:


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METALLICA has partnered up with one of the most iconic American mystery games, Clue.

Picture this: The band and crew are back at HQ to record METALLICA's next album, but with all the excitement, a key piece of equipment has gone missing. As the hours tick by, the group grows more and more eager to begin. They decide to split up and scour the building for any trace of their missing equipment. Find out what piece has gone missing, where it’s hiding, and who finds it so the recording session can get back on track!

Players: Papa Het, Duder, Mr. Ripper, Dr. Groove, The Engineer, Col. William

Equipment: Guitar, Bass, Snare Drum, Wah Pedal, Microphone, Computer

The artist behind Metallica Clue, Maxx242, stated about his involvement with the project: "We were mostly given the specs for the production of the game, as well as the storyline, which is very similar to the classic game. Oh, I did receive images of their headquarters. That was awesome to see.

"Even with such an elaborate project, the METALLICA team always allows us artists to add to their story and just create and be artists. It was an amazing experience to help create this game with them."

Developed during WWII by a British solicitor, the popular murder-mystery board game was patented under the name Cluedo (a blend of clue and Ludo, the name of a 19th century board game that's Latin for "I play") in 1947, and then sold in North America under the name Clue starting in 1949. Several games, books, and a film have been released as part of the Clue franchise.

For more information, visit Metallica.com

During a conversation with Ultimate Guitar's David Slavković, Cradle Of Filth guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek "Ashok" Šmerda discussed their gear, the band's latest record Existence Is Futile, and more. Following is an excerpt from the interview.


UG: The new album, Existence Is Futile, has been out since October 22. Can you single out a song that you're the proudest of from this record?


Ashok: "We are very proud of the whole record we just released. There is a lot of improvement and new elements in this one. Hard to choose just one favorite but the special track for me is 'Discourse Between Man and His Soul,' which I wrote together with our new keyboardist / female vocalist Anabelle. Ideas were floating back and forth between us and it was just magical time."




Richard: "I think we're proud of all of the songs. They're like our children. But the ones I'm most proud of are the ones that bring back great memories of writing them. 'Suffer Our Dominion' was the first song I brought to the band for this album, and to hear it with Doug Bradley's narration was a dream come true. 'Necromantic Fantasises' was written in the back of a van and backstage in a couple of venues when I was on tour with a tribute band; so when we were filming the music video, it brought back great memories of its creation."


Read the complete interview here.





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





Tracklisting:


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


Check out Aaron Small's Bravewords feature here.


"Crawling King Chaos" video:

The Recording Academy CEO has defended the organization's Grammy nomination of Marilyn Manson, the shock rocker who has been accused of sexual abuse or misconduct by multiple women.

Manson is up for "Album Of The Year" at the 2022 Grammy Awards for his role as both a featured artist and songwriter on Kanye West's latest album, "Donda".

In a new interview with The Wrap, Harvey Mason Jr. said The Recording Academy "won't restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration. We won't look back at people's history, we won't look at their criminal record, we won't look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration."

He continued: "What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets. We'll take a look at anyone who is asking to be a part of that, asking to be in attendance, and we'll make our decisions at that point. But we're not going to be in the business of restricting people from submitting their work for our voters to decide on."

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

Funko is celebrating hard rock music and the 45th anniversary of the release of KISS's "Destroyer" with an exclusive Deluxe Pop! Album.

Never forget the iconic album by collecting this Deluxe Pop! Album "Destroyer", which features each of the KISS bandmembers as Pop! figures and the album cover art packaged together in a protective hardcase that can be hung on a wall.

Pop! The Demon, Pop! The Starchild, Pop! The Spaceman, and Pop! The Catman are ready to rock in your music collection. Vinyl figures are approximately four inches tall. Approximate dimensions of the protective case: 23.5"W x 12.25"H x 3.75"D.

Please note: Pop! Deluxe Album does not include a playable vinyl record.

Pre-order at this location.

Celebrating its 45 anniversary, "Destroyer" was originally released in 1976 and is considered to be one of the quintessential KISS albums. It is the band's first album to sell one million copies in its first year and holds the title of being their all-time best-selling studio album. Packed with concert staples and KISS Army favorites, including "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud", "God Of Thunder" and "Beth", on November 19, 2021 UMe released "KISS – Destroyer 45th" in the form of a Super Deluxe 4-CD + Blu-ray audio box set as well as on standard double black vinyl and limited edition yellow and red double colored vinyl, 2-CD set and digital.

For the recording of "Destroyer", Bob Ezrin was brought in as KISS's new producer, helping the band reach new levels, both sonically and creatively. The album also showed the band's growth as musicians and songwriters, experimenting with new sounds which came in the form of the softer side of songs like "Do You Love Me?" , and songs heavy with orchestral arrangements including "Great Expectations" and "Beth". Following the breakthrough success of 1975's No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!", "Destroyer" was the KISS album that brought them to the forefront of the mainstream and transformed them into global rock icons. For its anniversary, UMe celebrates this seminal album's legacy with a staggering amount of bonus material.

Legendary vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva (Torn Between Two Worlds, ex-Cradle Of Filth) recently released "A Sign Of Sublime Redux". The track is a re-working of her classic song from her debut solo album and features guest appearances from Lindsay Schoolcraft (ex-Cradle Of Filth) and Ghul (Mayhem).


Ghul (aka Charles Hedger) has shared a playthrough video for his solo on the track, which was not part of the original 2010 version.










Sarah commented on the reworking of the song:


"I’ve made it no secret that most of us involved with the out come of the album A Sign Of Sublime was a total disappointment. I’m not talking the orchestral tracks, as two of them were off of the demo that Chris Rehn and I did before we formed Angtoria. I’m talking about the metal tracks. I never wanted to be just a backing singer, it was never the plan, so when you get a record deal under your own name it’s a huge thing. To spare you the details, it ruined what dreams I had before the solo career started. I remember Dan, the guy mixing it saying to me outside the studio how over edited everything was and he literally couldn’t do a thing to save the album. Basically, you can’t roll a dog turd in icing sugar in the hope it will taste good.


I’ve never seen a penny from the album, never seen a sales or streaming statement and the whole experience leaves a bitter taste in ya mouth. The guitarist who also had a dream, well I couldn’t explain what had happened as I knew he wouldn’t believe me and we stopped talking, but years later, trying to close the door on the album and company that destroyed it, we decided to re-record the title track and show people how it should have been, how it should have sounded. Since meeting Dan, we have become really good friends, he has been by my side since he attempted to mix that album, so without him, this track wouldn’t haven’t happened.


I’ve had so many good people, friends, get involved or give their blessing for this re-recording, I am honoured and extremely lucky. We may re-record 'Lady Tyranny' early next year also, but once that’s done, the door is closed. I hope people love it, but I do ask not to stream or buy the original album, go to YouTube and check it if you must. Hope this all makes sense and thank you."

The second Loudness album to feature vocalist Micahel Vescera, 1991's On The Prowl, is now available as a 30th Anniversary Limited Edition through Warner Music Japan. Details are available below.


On the Prowl is mainly a compilation of self-covers of songs from early Loudness albums, containing only three new songs written by the band. Vescera translated and adapted the lyrics of the old songs written by former vocalist Minoru Niihara, to be sung in English.







CD1
"Down 'n' Dirty" 
"Playin' Games" 
"Love Toys" 
"Never Again" (cover of "Silent Sword", B-side of the single "Risky Woman")
"Deadly Player" (cover of "Lonely Player" - Devil Soldier)
"Take It or Leave It" (cover of "Milky Way" - Disillusion)
"Girl" (cover of "Girl" - Devil Soldier)
"Long Distance" (cover of "Long Distance Love" - Jealousy EP)
"In the Mirror" (cover of "In the Mirror" - The Law of Devil's Land)
"Sleepless Nights" (cover of "Sleepless Night" - The Law of Devil's Land)
"Find a Way" (cover of "To Be Demon" - The Birthday Eve)


CD 2 - Unreleased TV Mix＋Bonus Track
"Down 'n' Dirty" 
"Playin' Games" 
"Love Toys" 
"Never Again" 
"Deadly Player" 
"Take It or Leave It" 
"Girl" 
"Long Distance" 
"In the Mirror" 
"Sleepless Nights" 
"Find a Way" 
"Slap In The Face (2021 remaster - edit)
"Slap In The Face (2021 remaster)
"Long Distance" (2021 remaster - alternate guitar version)
"Crazy Doctor" (2021 remaster - On The Prowl outtake 1990)


CD 3 - drum oriented demo
"Down 'n' Dirty" 
"Playin' Games" 
"Love Toys" 
"Never Again" 
"Deadly Player" 
"Take It or Leave It" 
"Girl" 
"Long Distance" 
"In The Mirror" 
"Sleepless Nights" 
"Find A Way" 


DVD - Live Loudest At The Budokan '91 - 2021 Lacquer Master Sound Version〉
"Love Toys"
"Take It Or Leave It"
"Never Again"
"Sleepless Night"
"Down N' Dirty"
"In The Mirror"
"You Shook Me"


Release date is December 24th. Order here.

The Haunted guitarist Ola Englund has shared a new video to his YouTube channel, this time featuring himself learning how to play the Pantera classic "I'm Broken" on drums.





Englund released his second solo album, Starzinger, earlier this year. Mixed and mastered by Clawfinger’s Jocke Skog, Starzinger follows-up Englund’s debut solo album, Master Of The Universe, released in early 2018 and features Delta Empire on drums along with a number of guest appearances, including guitar virtuoso Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore).




Check out a playthrough video of "Balegmah" from the album featuring Loomis in action.





Portraying the artwork of Costin Chioreanu (Paradise Lost, At The Gates, Emperor), Starzinger sees Englund merging influences of prog with '80s rock and metal.





Tracklist:


"Stars & Ponies"
"Cringy AF"
"Space Invaders"
"Demon(etized)"
"Bane of Skeletor"
"Bluesy McBluesface"
"Balegmah"
"Sun & The Moon"
"A Bid Farewell"


Stream Starzinger in full below:





"I’m extremely excited to see the release of my second solo album Starzinger, this album being a little bit more metal oriented than my first Master Of The Universe album. It’s a weird feeling because it’s basically just showing the current state of me and where I am in life. Hoping that the people that follow what I do can see the parallels. This one is for you," says Englund about this new effort.


With over 300K subscribers on his tech/music Youtube channel, over the last few years, Ola Englund has also built a strong reputation in the music scene by playing in several bands, most prominently in Feared and The Haunted. Just recently Englund also founded his own guitar company called Solar Guitars, which was meet with great success and currently sponsors artists like Exhorder, The Haunted and At The Gates.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan was asked if he and his bandmates will take part in any meet-and-greets with fans on their upcoming world tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've got a different view on that. The rest of the guys do these VIP meet-and-greets. I'm not really in favor of them myself. I like meeting the ordinary fans, not the wealthy ones. It's a commercial procedure, that element.

"We've got to learn to live with this thing," he continued, referring to the pandemic. "I think everyone's heard that said a hundred times. If we didn't meet people because we think they might have a cold or might have the flu or might have some political views that we don't agree with that might infect us, we have to stop living, if we end up like that.

"I have to, yeah, sure, meet people, embrace them, shake hands, give them a hug. That's living, as far as I'm concerned.

"I think this pandemic is finished now, in small patches," Gillan added. "And I think it will just fade away this winter. I think it's run its course. Like anything else, it's mutated enough times to weaken it. And I think we've just gotta learn to live with it, as so many people have said.

"So, yeah, let's get on with it, shake hands and rock and roll."

DEEP PURPLE's next studio effort will be an album of covers titled "Turning To Crime". Due on November 26 via earMUSIC, the LP will contain DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

Produced by Bob Ezrin, "Turning To Crime" arrives only 15 months after "Whoosh!", DEEP PURPLE's 21st studio album, which received acclaim by critics who praised the creative strength of a band that continues evolving with every release, and prestigious chart achievements (third consecutive No. 1 in Germany, No. 4 in the U.K., and topped the U.S. Independent Album and Hard Music Albums charts).

Some bright mind within the Structural camp decided to use the lock-down phase of the pandemic to ponder the question: What would Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" sound like, desecrated, broken down and restructured into progressive, technical death metal?





Shani Friedman (guitars) on the video: “We wanted to take the time to remind you what a wonderful world we truly have, even if sometimes it looks chaotic, so we present to you today the happiest song we've ever played!”




Structural is right now working on the follow-up to their 2018 amazing album release Metacognition, and are set for European touring, as support act for SEMBLANT on the postponed tour, in February 2022.


Structural Line-up: 
Nadav Zaidman - Vocals
Shani Friedman - Guitars
Tomer Dembinsky - Guitars
Koren Esco - Bass
Vadim Sergyenko - Drums

Symphonic metal band Her Alone have released their second single “The Last Rays Of The Sun”. The band builds their sound on ear-catching melodies with heavy guitars accompanied by colourful orchestrations and powerful singing. Her Alone was formed in 2017 by their lead songwriter and guitarist Iiro Inkilä, and lead singer Annika Eronen. Other band members are Jesse Parviainen (Bass) and Jyri Mäkinen (Drums).


The Last Rays of the Sun by Her Alone


“‘The Last Rays Of The Sun’ is a natural continuation to our ‘Into The Night’ ballad, and serves as an introduction to our heavier songwriting without forgetting our key strength, which is in melodies. Lyrical themes and inspiration remain in nature and empathy, so you could say these songs are like siblings. Sound-wise the keyboards have a less dominant role this time around, as I started composing mainly on the guitar, and if you have a sharp ear, you could hear my personal little hats off to Tuomas Holopainen in the main riff”, songwriter Iiro Inkilä explains.




“The Last Rays Of The Sun” was recorded at Finnvox Studios Helsinki, Finland in July 2021 and was engineered by guitarist Iiro Inkilä and the bands live sound engineer Matti Rundelin. The single is mixed and mastered by Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila. As of today The Last Rays of the Sun is available on all major streaming platforms, and the single also includes an orchestral version of the song.

New York metal stalwarts Damn Your Eyes are slowing down the tempo and diving face first into bone-crushing heaviness on their latest track, “Weaponized.”


As with most songs from the Damn Your Eyes repertoire, “Weaponized” was inspired by real-life experiences. “It’s based on a traumatic event involving betrayal, infidelity and emotional abuse,” says guitarist Artie Alexander. “After experiencing abuse, it’s so common to fall into anger, depression and negative self-talk. Taking power back through a fantasy of revenge, ‘Weaponized’ is about listening to that negative talk and following through with what the conversation in your head is telling you.”







Formed in 2015 by Artie Alexander and former drummer James Baldassano, Damn Your Eyes immediately hit the ground running. As respected musicians in their local scene with extensive recording experience, the band quickly recorded an EP, released it to local acclaim, and rapidly returned to the studio to record their international full-length debut, Kill The Outside, in 2019. But as the band was building a following, it seemed to its members that there were some missing pieces to the Damn Your Eyes puzzle. Enter former guitarist Gabriel “Gabby” Abularach, drummer Darren Markoff, 24-year veteran of Long Island metal band Korotory, to complete the puzzle. 


Over the past 14 months, Damn Your Eyes has released a series of new tracks featuring the revamped lineup, each with its own flavor but the commonality of straight up heaviness. Just take a listen to “Lock and Load,” an old-school thrasher that takes a non-partisan look at America’s divided political climate, and the pulverizing “Heavy is the Head” for proof. 


Keep your eyes peeled for more music from Damn Your Eyes in the coming months.

Symphonic metal act Vivaldi Metal Project has announced their new album EpiClassica will be released on February 22 via Sifare Music Publishing.


Preorders will be available shortly, more info in the next announcements.







EpiClassica is a double-album (18 tracks ~ 95 minutes) that collects the immense talent of about two-hundred musicians involved including soloists, orchestras, and choirs.





At this point in production, many renowned artists are already slotted to record. This list includes such sensations as Mike Portnoy, Rob Rock, Jeff Scott Soto, Mike Terrana, Mark Boals, Roy Z (B. Dickinson), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), Anders Johansson (Manowar), Michele Guaitoli (Visions of Atlantis/Temperance), Rolf Pilve (Stratovarius), Gerit Lamm / Aeva Maurelle (Xandria), Steve Di Giorgio (Testament), Zaher Zorgati (Myrath), Emma Zoldan / Nils Courbaron (Sirenia), Coen Janssen (Epica), Jennifer Batten, Joe Stump (Alcatrazz), Nick Z Marino (Y. Malmsteen), Allan Sorensen (Pretty Maids), Chris Caffery (Savatage), Mark Cross (ex-Firewind), Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Elina Siirala (Leaves' Eyes), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Jorn, Revolution Saints), Fabio D’Amore (Serenity), Melissa Ferlaak (Plague of Stars), Philip Bynoe (S. Vai), Kelly Simonz, Matt Bissonette (E. John/J. Satriani), Giacomo Voli / Roberto De Micheli (Rhapsody of Fire), Felipe Andreoli (Angra), David Folchitto (Fleshgod Apocalypse), Roger Staffelbach (Artension), Marco Sfogli (J. Labrie), Andreas Passmark (Royal Hunt), Marcelo Moreira (Z. Stevens), Bob Katsionis (Firewind), Henrik Klingenberg (Sonata Arctica), Milan Polak, Andrea Martongelli (D. Ellefson), and many more.


The Vivaldi Metal Project is an international symphonic-metal group conceived and produced by Italian keyboard player, composer and producer Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Roy Z, Rob Rock, Mark Boals, Artlantica, Joe Stump’s Tower of Babel).

Hails to "The Alder Queen" as she takes her throne in the latest epic video from Canadian power metal warriors Ravenous. The track features guest vocals from Nina Osegueda of A Sound Of Thunder and is off the band's recently unleashed album Hubris (Feast Beast/ Spiritual Beast).





"This song is an alternate take on Der Erlkonig - a poem written by Goethe and later adapted into Opera by Franz Schubert - in which a father rides to get his son medical attention, while the child cries out about supernatural forces trying to claim his life (Der Erklonig - loosely translated to the Elf King or The Alder King). The father continues to console the child, telling them it is simply the child’s imagination seeing these things, but as the child finally cries that he has been captured, the father looks down to find his son has died. The Ravenous rendition features Die Erlkonigin - the Elf/Alder Queen, played by Nina Osegueda of A Sound of Thunder - and follows the trajectory of the original tale with lyrics extracted directly from the original poem from 1782."




Taking their performance, writing, and musicianship seriously, but allowing tongue-in-cheek humour and pop culture references to resonate through the songs, Ravenous is bringing fans anthemic tunes from a time when metal was hungry.


Ravenous released Hubris on October 22 via Feast Beast Records for North America plus Europe and for Asia via Spiritual Beast with exclusive bonus tracks “Cakaw Te Partiro” and “一瞬千撃” for the Japanese version.


Hubris orders are available at Indiegogo.





Tracklisting:


"Carnage In Carthage"
"Astral Elixir"
"Son Of Storms"
"Die 1000 Deaths"
"Bridgeburner"
"The Alder Queen"


"March Of Hunger"
"Claw Is The Law"
"Onwards & Upwards"
"…Of Beasts And Faust"


Japanese Version Exclusives


"Cakaw Te Partiro"
"一瞬千撃"











(Photo - Monika Deviat)

Frontiers Music Srl will release Scars, the upcoming debut solo album from Nasson (Sinner's Blood, Chaos Magic) on January 28. Nasson is a skilled guitarist, producer and songwriter, whom fans may recognize from his work with Sinner's Blood and Chaos Magic, and Scars sees him taking on the frontman role for the first time.


The new single and video, "Not Today" is out now. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Scars here.


Nasson, a Chilean guitarist, songwriter, and now in-demand producer, has recently come to the attention of hard rock and metal fans through his work on the latest Chaos Magic album, Furyborn, and the outstanding debut record from Sinner's Blood, The Mirror Star. Based in Santiago, Chile, Nasson is a stellar writer, arranger, and musician and with this new solo project, he also reveals his abilities as lead vocalist.




On Scars, Nasson offers fine examples of contemporary melodic metal with influences ranging from Evergrey to Pretty Maids to Eclipse. Handling all the songwriting and arrangements, he also plays the bulk of the instrumentation on Scars, with the help of Rodrigo Leiva on drums and Caterina Nix (Chaos Magic) on background vocals. Caterina also appears together with her fellow talented Frontiers artists based in South America on the song “We Are The Army”,  where she is joined by fellow lead vocalists Gui Oliver (Landfall, Mayank), Mizuho Lin (Semblant, The Erinyes), and James Robledo (Sinner’s Blood). Other special guests on the album include Alessandro Del Vecchio for a vocal duet on “When it Rains”, Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Rob Rock) handling additional synth on “Mother Moon”, and Ignacio Torres handling lead guitars on “Not Today”, “Bringer Of Sorrow” and “We Are The Army”.


Scars is an outstanding, and quite personal album, showcasing the amazing abilities of this new star in metal music, Nasson.





Tracklisting:


"Not Today"
"Room 108"
"Mother Moon"
"Runaway"
"On The Other Side"
"Bringer Of Sorrow"
"King Of Lies"
"A New Beginning"
"When It Rains"
"We Are The Army"
"Rising"


"Not Today" video:





Lineup:


Nasson - Vocals, guitars, bass, piano, programming
Rodrigo Leiva - Drums
Caterina Nix - Backing vocals


Guests Musicians:


Caterina Nix, Giu Oliver, Mizuho Lin & James Robledo - Vocals on “We Are The Army”
Mistheria - Additional Synths on “Mother Moon”
Alessandro del Vecchio - Guest vocals on “When It Rains”
Ignacio Torres - Guitar (Solos on “Not Today”, “Bringer Of Sorrow” and “We Are The Army”)


(Photo - Sebastian Dominguez)

Red Fang has released their sizzling, ultra-heavy cover of AC/DC's iconic track "Hells Bells" as the fourth single from the forthcoming MER Redux Series installment Back in Black [Redux], out on December 3. Find preorder options here.





Bryan Giles comments: "I saw AC/DC in 1988 at the TCC in Tucson, Arizona," writes the guitarist and singer. "It was the second arena rock show of my young life.  What struck me then and still sticks with me today is how perfectly they harnessed the power of the blues for a rock style.  Even though they brought out cannons for 'For Those about to Rock' and had the requisite lights and pyros, it was a 100% no-bullshit, go for the throat show. They are the best band in the world at stripping all artifice and bringing pure beauty.  They are a constant reminder that in songwriting, less can be way more. Covering 'Hells Bells was pretty intimidating to me initially. How do you improve on a benchmark song like that?  It's expertly constructed and has so much personality that falling short of the original is guaranteed. When David played the intro guitar part at practice with a darker turn to it, I immediately felt more confident since it leaned more into our sensibility. If you can't play it better, make it your own animal. I hope people can enjoy our version in its own light.  Let there be rock!"




Back in Black [Redux] presents new takes on all ten cuts from AC/DC's seminal seventh album. This was the first record to feature "new" singer Brian Johnson following the death of original larger-than-life frontman Bon Scott, and music historians agree that there was massive pressure on both the new singer and the band to deliver. Even so, nobody could have anticipated that they'd create one of the most important rock albums ever, and Magnetic Eye cannot wait to present what many favorites from the stoner, doom, and riff-rock scene have done with some of the most iconic rock songs of all time.


Alongside Back in Black [Redux], Magnetic Eye Records publishes a by now traditional companion album containing even more amazing cover versions under the title Best of AC/DC. This 2-LP extravaganza features 13 bands offering their exciting renditions of all-time classics and deep cuts from across the AC/DC catalog.  Fielding an array of heavyweights and hungry up-and-comers from the heavy rock underground, there should be no doubt that fans of the riff-heavy will be stoked to experience these massive AC/DC interpretations unlike any that they've heard before.





Tracklisting:


“Hells Bell” (Red Fang)
“Shoot To Thrill” (Howling Giant fat. Udo Dirkschneider and Peter Baltes)
“What Do You Do For Money Honey” (Supersuckers)
“Givin The Dog A Bone” (Smoking Lightning)
“Let Me Put My Love Into You” (Heavy Temple feat. Valient Himself)
“Back In Black” (Besvärjelsen)
“You Shook Me All Night Long” (Jakethehawk feat. Patrick Waters)
“Shake A Leg” (Early Man)
“Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” (Earthride)

About 3 years after their first digital single "The Call", French metal/melo-death/thrash crossover trio Haundead have premiered the debut full-length album, Freedom Won’t Save Our Souls, for exclusive full-streaming on BraveWords! 





After having postponed several times the release of their first album on social media due to the pandemic, Haundead will release Freedom Won’t Save our Souls supported by Domino Media on November 26, 2021. Preorder on Bandcamp.







In their first album, Haundead wishes to pose a violent universe tinted with melancholy. In this fictional universe where the "Haundeads" brutally take control of the world in a psychological way, the lyrics address the flight of those who have not yet been reached…

Raised during the 80’s debauchery on the Sunset Strip and still going strong in 2021 - Jizzy Pearl's Love/Hate present the third single for Golden Robot Records, titled "Gonna Take You Higher", which is out now on all digital platforms. Listen below.





"Gonna Take You Higher" comes off the upcoming album HELL, CA which will be released on February 11 on both CD and digitally and is available for pre-order here.




"Gonna Take You Higher" was preceded by two singles, "Wanna Be Somebody" and "Soul Mama" which both show Jizzy in fine form and gives a strong indication as to what to expect from HELL, CA. Hear both singles below.


The new single's surreal vocals and heavy guitars summon up visions of old Led Zeppelin and Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow. The song is about Jack Parsons, one of the pioneers of rocketry aviation who also happened to be a devotee of Aleister Crowley. It’s “gonna take you higher than you’ve ever been”!





HELL, CA tracklisting:


"One Hot Minute"
"Acid Babe"
"Gonna Take You Higher"
"Soul Mama"
"Hard to Say Goodbye"
"When You Gonna Come Home"
"Last Chance"
"Bruised and Battered"
"Wanna Be Somebody"
"Lonely Days Are Gone"


"Gonna Take You Higher":





"Wanna Be Somebody":


 


"Soul Mama":

Thunderor is a relatively new band, just having started up in the midst of the pandemic when JJ Tartaglia (Skull Fist) felt a calling to develop his singing and front his own band. He was joined by Skull Fist bandmate Jonny Nesta and Oscar Rangel (Operus, ex-Annihilator) creating a heavy ‘80s influenced power trio that knows how to rock fans. They are releasing their debut album Fire It Up early next year with the first single being “How We Roll”, which Tartaglia explains:


“How We Roll just felt like the right choice as the first single to come out with. It's a catchy tune, with a big emphasis on the song-writing, and that’s the main thing with


Thunderor. It’s got that anthem-like singalong chorus, feels like freedom and good times. It’s a song about friends, road trips, and not wanting to go home when it’s time to go home haha.”




The album is a fresh take on NWOTHM, with ‘80s synths, piano, and gong hits. Lyrically it’s an adventure, complete with motorcycles, romance, and danger. It inspires you to go after your life and to never give up. The video for the groovy, catchy single features shots of the band cruising on bikes; JJ Tartaglia is indeed an avid motorcycle rider and has been featured a couple of times in Adventure Bike Rider.


Tartaglia expects that the album will be a hit with Skull Fist fans who will find some familiarity in the music, and also will intrigue new listeners who will be drawn in by the originality and catchy hooks. He cites that being a singing drummer definitely adds a unique twist and will allow for a creative setup when they hit the stage. He sums up the album:


“I think we’ve created a truly original album with Fire It Up. It was a blast writing these songs and putting my personality into the lyrics for the first time. The songs on the album are meant to inspire a life journey – an adventure with friends, motorcycles, romance, danger, and victory. I hope it will be a soundtrack for your adventures.”


BraveWords is premiering the “How We Roll” video – watch below!





Fire It Up comes out on February 25th, 2022 via Boonsdale Records. Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Fire It Up”
“How We Roll”
“All Or Nothing”
“Dangerous Times”
“Thunderor”
“On The Run”
“Into The Storm”
“We Can Make It”
“Cold Tears”


Thunderor will hit Europe in March 2022 with Traveler and Toledo Steel:


March
11 – Selb, Germany – Rockclub Nordbayern
12 – Pisek, Czech Republic – Divaldo Pod Carou
13 – Hamburg, Germany – Bambi Galore
14 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Stengade
15 – Berlin, Germany – TBA
16 – Weimar, Germany – Kasseturm
17 – Essen, Germany – Don’t Panic
18 – Kassel, Germany – Goldgrube 


(Photo by: Rae Chatten)

Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon) is back with a new Star One album, titled Revel In Time. The new album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on February 18 via InsideOutMusic.


An update from Arjen, introducing a guest spot by former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, states: "Adrian plays all the solos on the track ‘Revel In Time’ of the new Star One album. Check out this video to hear part of his solo and please don’t miss Adrian’s heartwarming message at the end. It’s so great for me to finally work with Adrian, I’ve looked up to him ever since the early 80’s. Even though I’m even taller than he is!"







Revel In Time will be available for pre-order on December 17 and it will come as Ltd. 2CD Digipak, Ltd. Deluxe 3CD+Blu-Ray Artbook (incl. a poster of the cover artwork), and as 180g Gatefold 2LP (incl. the album on CD & an LP-Booklet).


CD 2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD 1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind the Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


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


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


"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

Unchain the wolves! Napalm Records announces the signing of forceful Austrian unit, Roadwolf. The all-powerful four-piece stands for authentic heavy metal in the style of the legendary 80s and bands like Iron Maiden or UFO.


Hailing out of Austria, Roadwolf have already been around for a while, gifting their devotees with thrilling live sets and ensuring a loyal fanbase. The energetic outfit played at the world’s most famous metal festival in Wacken as well as support shows with Enforcer, Skull Fist, Bullet, Lizzy Borden, Vicious Rumors and Night Demon - just to name a few. Their uncompromising debut album Unchain the Wolf (2020) awakens the spirit of early Judas Priest  spliced with influences of bands like Saxon, UFO, Dio and Ozzy, that are flashing through the typical Roadwolf-sound creeping directly into the listeners head. The band easily handles the balancing act between celebrating their roots and still creating their very own fresh sound. The result are songs that Halford & Co would be proud of in this new decade.
 
Roadwolf comment: "We are really looking forward to this cooperation and we are extremely pleased to join forces with mighty Napalm Records! This totally feels like the right move at the right time to take the story of Roadwolf to the next level. Be assured the new material will shake you up and hit the world with the full strength of an Austrian double punch!"


Roadwolf are:




Franz 'Franky' Bauer - vocals
Valentin 'Vali' Strasser - guitars
Christoph 'Aigy' Aigner - bass
Emanoel 'Mano' Bruckmüller - drums


(Photo - Thomas Gobauer)

Powerwolf stand for epic metal moments of superlatives and that's why their masses, as they dignifiedly call their shows, always go one step further. When the wolves call their pack in front of the screen, gigantic things can be expected. The Monumental Mass: A Cinematic Metal Event will set new standards as the first streaming event in the band's history on Friday, December 17 at 7 PM, CET / 1 PM, EST.





The band states: “Wolves, we are stoked to finally announce something very special that we have been working on the concept of for the past few months: The Monumental Mass - A Cinematic Metal Event!




Be prepared for a world unseen, a setlist unheard and a story untold! This event is not just a live stream, but a journey beyond reality. You will experience breathtaking visualizations, pyrotechnics in a class of its own and a multitude of fascinating and exclusive show interludes you have never seen before from Powerwolf!


We sincerely invite you to celebrate the monumental mass with us on the 17th of December!”


If you already want to get an idea of what to expect, you should definitely watch the trailer below, which allows the first spectacular glimpses.


With this extraordinary event Powerwolf close a year that is all about the wolf. On July 16, 2021, Call Of The Wild, their 8th studio album, was released, which stirred up the German charts for 16 weeks. The co-single “Dancing With The Dead” was also awarded platinum.


The Monumental Mass: A Cinematic Metal Event will be a worthy continuation of this success story and will captivate all fans of the Wolves worldwide. Visit powerwolfstream.com for tickets and merchandise.





(Photo - Matteo Vdiva Fabbiani for VD Pictures)