Federal Prisoner commemorates the one-year anniversary of the release of Greg Puciato’s solo debut album, Child Soldier: Creator of God, and the soundtrack to his livestream performance, Fuck Content, with the free release of the livestream event.





Federal Prisoner, the label Puciato co-founded with artist Jesse Draxler, reissues both the studio album and the livestream’s soundtrack with new limited-edition vinyl variants. The pair of vinyl releases mark the first time the two albums have been available on the format since selling out of their initial pressing. Each album will be a 2LP release, with Child Soldier: Creator of God available on metallic swirl, and Fuck Content on clear vinyl with a new Draxler-designed gatefold layout. Pre-orders for the 500 hand-numbered online variants are available now via the Federal Prisoner webstore with an additional two unique 500-count variants going to both North American and European retail in the spring.




Puciato is currently in the studio wrapping up work on the follow-up to Child Soldier: Creator of God. Titled Mirrorcell, it is expected to see a late spring 2022 release via Federal Prisoner, with more details to come in January.


(Photo - Stephen Odom)

In a brand new interview with Metal Edge magazine's "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley", founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, who is promoting the debut album from his KK'S PRIEST project, spoke about the circumstances that led to his departure from PRIEST more than a decade ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In 2010, we were all going to retire, we were all going to finish the band. That was the plan. We had decided, and we were putting together the press statements and everything announcing [the final tour]. And they asked us to pick a title for the farewell tour, hence 'Epitaph', which was there. I decided I wasn't gonna do that farewell tour because I really didn't know if I was gonna enjoy it. And after a lifetime of success and my whole legacy, I didn't wanna do a tour that I really felt I wasn't gonna enjoy. And so I opted out of that last tour, And then, a few months later, I changed my mind. I was talking to Ian [Hill, PRIEST bassist] about doing [the tour] and [asked him] to send the setlist over, but they sent the press release out [to the media announcing my departure]. And that made me really angry then. So I sent a sharp letter in to Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] and Jayne [Andrews, PRIEST manager] — very sharp letter — because I felt that they had made their decision anyway. They'd found somebody new. And I thought that was the wrong thing to do because it's changing the course of history."

Downing also talked about the fact that PRIEST didn't approach him to rejoin the band when Tipton — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease seven years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of the band's latest album, "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

"I was shocked and stunned when they didn't give me a call, because I was sitting there waiting for an opportunity," K.K. said. "Okay, they got Richie [Faulkner] in [to replace me in 2011] — they wanted him — but at some point, I felt that there would be an opportunity, whenever that may be. So when Glenn handed the guitar over to Andy, I was in disbelief. I consider Andy a friend — I'd been to his studio and worked up there, and we talk. And he will admit himself — even in his own band HELL, he wasn't a lead guitar in that band 'cause Kevin [Bower] was the lead guitar player. So I thought that was extremely odd because it has changed the course of history for the band, really. But I kept asking them, 'Are you sure the door [is closed]?' Because Andy always said that he would step down any time for me to [go] back [to the band], and he said in the press that he would do it as long as they asked him to do it. And they've since said that Andy is just their touring guitarist, so they only have one guitarist, it seems to me. But anyway, [it was] not to be. They set their lawyers on me and didn't want any part of me, so I just [decided to] move on."

Downing left PRIEST amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

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

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

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

In his 2018 autobiography "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", Downing wrote that he told Tipton and Andrews that he had "hated" them both "since 1985." Earlier this year, he explained his outburst to Classic Rock magazine: "I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn't like that."

Former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked by The Rock Shop With Ralph if he would ever like to settle down and be in just one band again instead of being involved with so many different projects. He said: "Well, I can't be in one band. I couldn't just be in JUDAS PRIEST if they asked me to do it nowadays, unless they were gonna pay me more than they did before.

"I'm a musician," he continued. "This isn't the old days. Everybody's in other bands and other projects and things. I sit at home and make money recording and I make money touring with other people. If I did just one band, I would have to have a regular job, and you wouldn't see me tour; I wouldn't have time to tour.

"There's people out there saying, 'I wish you did one band [only].' … Listen, it'd be great if my band was like IRON MAIDEN and we were making that kind of money. Then I would be all right."

Owens previously told KNAC.COM in a 2019 interview that he approaches every project with the intention of it evolving into a full-fledged band.

"Listen, the goal is always to make something and stick with it," he said. "It's funny, because I will have people say to me, 'Well, I don't want to buy that record, because I don't know if it's going to be a band.' Well, maybe if you buy the record first, it might become a band. [Laughs] If people say 'I won't buy it' because of this reason or that reason, then the labels are going to say, 'Never mind.' [Laughs]"

Owens also repeated that the main reason he is involved with so many different groups is a financial one.

"There's people that know everything [about] music out there that are always offering me tips on how to run my career," Owens said. "They're, like, 'Tim, you need to be in one band.' Well, if I were in one band, I would be working a 9-to-5 job 50 hours a week to pay my bills. [Laughs] I'm a musician. This is my job. So if I was a fan of music or of George Lynch, Doug Pinnick, I'd want to get all of their stuff. If Rob Halford put out a solo record, a FIGHT record or a JUDAS PRIEST record, I'd be all over those records. Why? Well, because I'm a fan."

Tim's latest comments echo those he made in a separate interview with All That Shreds. Asked if he would like to stay in one band instead of having multiple projects, or if he likes the diversity of going from project to project, the singer replied: "I would love to stay in one band. Unfortunately, people wouldn't see me or hear me very often, because I can't afford to tour like that. I'm not 20 and I have a lot of bills, a lot of commitments. My kids, you know... There's just no way to do it. Yeah, it would be great to put out a record, but then it would cost me about $30,000 a year just to put [out] a record, so there's no chance in doing that. This is a really different era."

He continued: "Listen, I love it. Here's the thing, if people around the world wanted me to be in one band, then they would buy that record around the world and I wouldn't have to worry about it. But they don't buy enough records to support it anyways. So I can't afford it.

"I make my living as a lead singer, as a musician. Young bands start off and they try to be in one band, but they are young bands who start off not having bills and… You know what I mean? I couldn't make a living off of what I made in JUDAS PRIEST back then, so that's just how it is. That's the way the world is now. It's totally different. I have to make a pretty good amount of money to make a living."

Adding that he is "busier" now and he makes "a lot more money " than he did while he was in PRIEST, Owens reiterated that his lifestyle requires him to be on the road most of the time.

"I'm not saying bad things about JUDAS PRIEST," he said. "They treated me well and paid me well. It's just you get older and you have more commitments and you do more things. I do a lot of things and I made a life that I have to be busy. I didn't make a living on a minimum wage McDonald's salary. If I did that, I'd probably be better off. [Laughs] I should have probably not set the bar so high."

Owens is currently in a new band called KK'S PRIEST with ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

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

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke to BBC Radio Scotland's "The Afternoon Show" about his upcoming spoken-word gig at Edinburgh's Usher Hall on December 10. Asked if it takes a different type of courage to stand in a front of an audience without a backing band and a huge production, Dickinson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's terrifying. It's absolutely terrifying. I've got a little carpet that I stand on, which appears… I requested a carpet to stand on. And there's a little table and a glass of water and, more often than not, a bottle of beer. And that's it. I've got some slides and I just riff around the whole thing. There's a bit of physical comedy involved as well, which I won't go into, but if you are of a nervous disposition and don't like talking about drummers in anatomical detail, then you should stay away. And I hasten to add, there are some naughty bits and I'm not shy of using the odd naughty word from time to time that I couldn't possibly say on the radio."

As previously reported, Dickinson will embark on a two-month North American spoken-word tour in January.

Dickinson is considered one of the world's most storied musicians. Aside from decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN, Bruce has lived an extraordinary off-stage existence too. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer… to name but a few.

Split into two parts, the first section of the show sees Bruce taking a humorous and often satirical look at the world from his own very personal perspective, treating the audience to private insights into his drive and ambition, peppered with plenty of MAIDEN anecdotes, and a myriad of other experiences encompassing not just the giddy heights but also the extreme lows, as told first-hand in his inimitable anarchic style, punctuated with photographs, videos and sometimes even erupting into song a-capella, to illustrate a point.

The final section of the evening is devoted entirely to the aforementioned question-and-answer session, with the opportunity to pose questions on any subject whatsoever. As Bruce's answers will all be completely improvised — the more left-field and quirky the question, the more interesting and compelling the response is likely to be.

Dickinson recently told Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X about his current spoken-word tour, which kicked off in his native United Kingdom in August: "It's hopefully reasonably amusing. It's a look at how a spotty kid from the middle of nowhere ended up being the singer in IRON MAIDEN wearing crazy trousers, and all points in between. And it covers the cancer thing. It covers a lot of the early-days stuff, like how I learned to sing, all the weird stuff that happened to me at school and what formed your personality [and] character — all done with a very dark sense of humor, I hope. And then we take a break, and then the last 45 minutes, one hour-ish is basically improv. And so what I do is I take cue cards from the audience they write on the night, and I arrange them into kind of an improv script. Then I do that. That's the show."

Six years ago, Dickinson had surgery to remove a cancerous lump on his throat. The rocker, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

IRON MAIDEN's 17th studio album, "Senjutsu", was released in September via BMG. The band's first LP in six years was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris.

MEGADETH's Brazilian-born guitarist Kiko Loureiro has uploaded a new 14-minute video in which he answers a number of fan-submitted questions. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

Asked if he has learned anything from playing with MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine for the past six years, Kiko said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, yes, man. Oh, yes. I don't know if you're asking about guitar stuff, but I think my answer would go more, like… I learned watching him strive to be unstoppable, to be strong, to search for excellence, to demand excellence from everyone, and everyone delivers excellence, delivers their best. Leadership… What else? I don't know… Fight for your case. Fight for your music. Fight for your band. Fight for your fans. Being an artist, being creative [and] combining all those things — being professional and at the same time creative and at the same time having fun while you're doing the stuff. Yeah, a lot of experience in the music business as well — in the music business in general, in the show biz.

"And regarding guitar as well, the thrash metal essence," he continued. "All the rhythms — mainly the rhythms and then the attitude and the force, the vibe, the drive, the intensity. So, all those things while you're playing. Mixing the technical things with a lot of energy — like metal with punk with attitude. I think I'm a way better rhythm player because of just hanging and playing with Dave for all those years — since 2015. Also composing — he composes in a very different way than I do. And I think watching and learning from the way he does as well.

"So, yeah, a lot of stuff," Kiko added. "I could do an entire video of things that I learned from Dave and from the whole MEGADETH experience."

In an October 2015 interview with The Irish Sun, Mustaine was full of praise for Loureiro, saying: "A lot of times guitarists won't know how to add to something — they'll put something in there that's kind of like tits on a bull, unnecessary. Kiko came in and immediately started making some really good suggestions that we applied [to MEGADETH's 2016 album, 'Dystopia']. When he first came in, I knew he had the ability but I didn't know if the songwriting technique and talent was going to show up this early on."

He continued: "What was great about the suggestions that Kiko made was that they weren't just guitar ones — he made a bass part in a song called 'Me Hate You' [that made it] really come along. In fact, that was one of the songs where he made a huge melodic contribution in the chorus and I said, 'Man, this sounds like something.'"

According to Dave, Kiko possesses all the elements that are required to become part of a legendary metal act like MEGADETH.

"For me — really simply stated — if you want to be a musician, that's one thing. If you want to be a rock star, that's another," Mustaine said. "But if you want to be legendary, you need to have three very important components: you need to have ability, you need to have appearance, and you need to have attitude. Without all three of those things, it's kind of like trying to have a three-legged milk stool without three legs — it's just not going to work."

He continued: "I found with Kiko, his ability was astronomical, with his attitude he was very confident in what he did — there's a difference between confidence and arrogance. In appearance, he was very classy and very subdued on the street, but up on stage he totally takes command of his performance. When he came up to Nashville to visit with me, I didn't even have him play for the majority of the day he was there. I just wanted to hang out with him and it's been a really long time since I hung out with a guitar player before I hired him. Usually I would listen to how he played and then I'd go, 'Okay, we'll work it out.' I didn't want to do that again. Hanging out with Kiko, and having lunch and kicking back and talking music was all I needed — I knew he was the right guy."

MEGADETH recently completed work on its new album, "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead", for a tentative early 2022 release.

Mustaine has yet to reveal who played bass on the new MEGADETH album after David Ellefson's tracks were removed from the LP following his dismissal from the band in late May.

MEGADETH recently completed "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and HATEBREED.

For "The Metal Tour Of The Year", MEGADETH was rejoined by bassist James LoMenzo for the first time in nearly 12 years.

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with a returning Ellefson.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest departure.

PAPA ROACH bassist Tobin Esperance spoke to Alicia Atout of Knotfest about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2019's "Who Do You Trust?" album, tentatively due in early 2022.

"Originally, we weren't even gonna put out a record; we were just gonna adopt this new thing of just putting out songs whenever we felt like it," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But we wrote so much within that — especially when COVID hit, we were cooped up, and the only thing we really could do was just write music and be creative and stuff. So we just kept getting in the studio and the songs started building up. We were, like, 'Let's not be too precious about everything. Let's put out pretty much everything that we've written. Let's just put it out on a record.' And that's what we're doing. But we narrowed it down to 14 songs. I think we probably kicked, like, maybe two or three to the curb… But still, 14 songs is a lot, especially for the attention span of people these days."

This past October, PAPA ROACH released a new single called "Dying To Believe". The track, produced by WZRD BLD a.k.a. Drew Fulk (ICE NINE KILLS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE), is a call for human unity and harmony, despite any differences people have.

"Dying To Believe" arrived weeks after the release of PAPA ROACH's previous two singles: "Swerve", which was a collaboration with FEVER 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler and Los Angeles rapper Sueco; and "Kill The Noise". All three tracks are expected to appear on PAPA ROACH's upcoming eleventh studio album, due via the band's own record company, New Noize Records, Inc., under exclusive license to ADA.

Back in May, PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix told the FM99 WNOR radio station about the band's decision to release its next LP through its own label: "We're using our knowledge over the years that we've accumulated with our team and ourselves to take the reins and run with this one ourselves. And it's very exciting. It's kind of scary. 'Cause you don't know. But guess what? I just feel like we can't fail… I just go, we've been doing this; we know a lot; we know what our fans want; we know what we want; we know that we are inspired; we know that we are passionate; and we know we've got a fanbase that loves us. Let's do this. And I go, 'You know what? I think we can do this.' And so we made the jump."

In January 2021, a snippet of a brand new PAPA ROACH song called "Stand Up" was included in commercial for Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) partnership with ESPN.

PAPA ROACH's second greatest-hits collection, "Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years", was released in March on Better Noise Music. "Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - The Better Noise Years" includes 12 of the band's top 10 hits released between 2010 to 2019 as well as three previously unreleased remixes and two unreleased acoustic recordings recorded live at the YouTube Studios in New York City.

"Who Do You Trust?" was released in January 2019. The disc was produced by Nick "RAS" Furlong and Colin Cunningham except for the song "Top Of The World", which was helmed by Jason Evigan.

In December 2020, PAPA ROACH released a five-song EP, "20/20", featuring "new takes on old jams," including "Last Resort" and "Scars".

Photo credit: Darren Craig

You might know their names from the big rock stages but it all started in the end of the 1970’s, in a small Dalecarlian town of Sweden. The sleepy town was Mora and the band was Tryckvåg (Tryckvag). As it later turned out, this was the start of their international careers to come on the hard rock and heavy metal scenes.


- Mikael Höglund - bass (Great King Rat, Thunder)
- Thomas Brown - drums (Great King Rat, Electric Boys, Michael Schenker Group, John Norum, Glenn Hughes, Send No Flowers)
- Mats Attaque - vocals/guitars (Mogg, Baltimoore)


In 1985 they released their only official effort (7” single) and left for fame and glory in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Soon thereafter they were scattered by the wind and disbanded.




But despite their new individual international careers, the three childhood friends gathered for the occasional live gig every now and then.
In 2007 they even recorded one of these shows and released it on CD as Dalecarlian Riot.


Were they satisfied with this musical imprint of Tryckvag? Was it enough of a legacy for the afterworld? The obvious answer was NO. Therefore, Tryckvag has now entered the studio to showcase their contemporary sound and songwriting.


A full-length album, Legacy, with brand new compositions will be released during 2022. As a bonus you will also find one or two of their "classic" songs re-recorded and included on this release.


The first single, "Pull The Trigger", will be released on all digital platforms on January 14. Pre-save the single here.

Steve Vai, who joined David Lee Roth's post-VAN HALEN band more than 35 years ago as lead guitarist, spoke to "CMS Music" about the musical influence and impact of legendary VAN HALEN axeman Eddie Van Halen. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm not unlike the average Edward fan in that he really had an effect. For Edward fans that really were touched by him, it's inexplicable, obviously; you can try to use words, but it doesn't really work. It's like that with many things.

"I have a different position in that, yeah, one might say that I replaced the guitar behind the voice, but that's just academics to me," he continued. "When it comes to the way I felt about Edward and the mourning of his loss, I'm a fan, like everybody else, and I feel the way they do. But I know, also like many people, everything in this world is coming and going and coming and going and coming and going. And if it doesn't go, it only means you went before it. And we just don't know when. So that's something that helps me to get through loss, because it's gonna happen.

"But it was a beautiful, beautiful, amazing ride that he had, and he just delivered so much. And he had a great run. It's not like he died at 27. And we don't wanna see anybody like that [go]; we wanna squeeze every note out of 'em. [Laughs]

"For me, it was a complete honor to be able to play those parts," Steve added. "If you're a guitar player and you're a fan of that band, you know that those are some of the coolest guitar parts written in rock and roll, because they're like perfect little arrangements; they fall so well on your hands. They'll never sound like Edward, but they're great songs to play on the guitar 'cause they're complete. And you become a better player. Especially the position that I was in where I was playing his parts to his fans, so I had to pay deep respect to those parts, and in so doing, I discovered a really great ride there because you have to focus; it has to improve your playing. So I was really lucky in all that."

Vai previously spoke about his years as the guitarist in Roth's solo band, alongside former TALAS bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Gregg Bissonette, in a 2016 interview with The Press-Enterprise.

"When I heard Roth was looking for a guitarist, I just knew it was going to be me," Steve said. "Billy Sheehan had recommended him to me, and I coveted the position. In my early days, I would wonder if I could get a gig. I figured I would go for it and tried out with Alice Cooper, KISS and others. But for some reason, I just knew this would be my gig and I would just have to wait for it. Sure enough, I got the call."

Even though Steve knew his technique would be compared to that of Eddie Van Halen, he never let the pressure get to him.

"You don't compete with Eddie Van Halen," he said. "He was a monolith and brought so much inspiration for me. He's a genius."

Eddie died on October 6, 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was 65 years old.

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 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.

BraveWords caught up with legendary Exodus guitarist Gary Holt recently to discuss the band’s new album, Persona Non Grata, out now via Nuclear Blast Records. At the end of our conversation he talked about his near ten-year run with Slayer, which initially was intended to be a short-term fill-in gig for the ailing Jeff Hanneman who tragically ended up passing on May 2nd, 2013. Here’s an excerpt from the forthcoming major BraveWords feature:


BraveWords: A few weeks back it was the 30th anniversary of Slayer’s classic live album, A Decade Of Aggression and in the booklet there were two photos of Jeff Hanneman wearing a white Exodus t-shirt. Ever seen the photos? What kind of relationship did you have with Jeff? What did he mean to you?



Gary Holt: "Yeah, I've seen the photos. We hung out a lot, Jeff and I, back in the day. In those early days, those early tours. He's a really special guy. It meant the world to me, me filling in for him, and it was supposed to be a super short-term thing, a couple of months maybe, or a tour or two. I had his seal of approval on it because according to Catherine, his wife, he was bummed at first when he found out the band was going to use a fill-in, and then he asked her who it was and she told him it was me, and she said his answer was, 'Fuck yeah!', so that means everything to me. It's one of the fondest memories of Jeff I'll have and I wasn't there for it. Just knowing that he was excited about it. We hung out a lot back in those days and drank a lot, obviously. We had a good time."




BraveWords: How long did it take you to learn all that material to tour with Slayer? 


Holt: "The first rehearsal I did, I played 17 songs. I just worked at home. They gave me a good amount of time, they gave me more time than Phil Demmel had when he had to fill in for me, that poor guy. But I went into Slayer not knowing any of the songs. I mean I knew some of the songs, but a lot of the material I wasn't familiar with. I'd heard them but I didn't have it buried in my head like a fan would, and not that I wasn't a fan, because I was. But your average fan off the street can hum all the guitar parts in the middle of ‘At Dawn They Sleep’. I could not, so I had to learn a lot of this stuff from scratch. I mainly really had to learn how they wrote, because I had to learn the scales they chose that work, rather than my own. Once I got around to that it became a lot easier."



BraveWords: What did you learn working with and touring with Slayer? What was the biggest takeaway from being with Slayer? 


Holt: "I learned a lot about how a major tour production is run. Other than that, I was playing guitar, and I already played guitar so I didn't learn anything from that. I learned that I had a lot of solos in Slayer. I didn't realize it going in, but some songs have three solos in that shit. It's kind of fun, I got to play almost a guitar hero role, my whole job was to go out and shred. But you see how it's done on that kind of level, and the professionalism in it was staggering. I tried to take that into my Exodus dealings."


BraveWords: I will never forget Tom (Araya) at the end of the Heavy Montréal show, just like every show. I'm like literally standing there in tears because it was the last time I was going to see you guys. You probably saw a lot of eyes that weren't dry with all those final shows. It must have been really heart-wrenching. 


Holt: "Yeah. Every show on the final tour, Tom would really soak it all in. I'd go out and soak it in for a minute, but then I'd let him have the stage. The final show, I'm not going to lie, I was playing my final solo in ‘Angel Of Death’ with the guitar held by the whammy bar up above my head and I was fighting tears. It was an emotional time. And it's easy for me to forget I had just short of ten years in Slayer. What is that, a quarter of the band's history that I spent playing with them?  I tend to forget about that, how long it was and how much time I spent there. I've got mad love for that band and the organization. They treated me like family from day one, and we always will be, but now I'm back with family number one and that's where I belong." 


Stay tuned for BraveWords' feature interview with Exodus riff-master Gary Holt in the coming days.

(Photo credits: top live by Steve Rose, bottom live by Mats Andersson)

Los Angeles death metal titans, Abysmal Dawn, will be releasing a new EP, Nightmare Frontier, on February 4 via Season of Mist. In conjunction with the release, the band is now sharing their brand new single, "A Nightmare Slain", along with a music video that was created by Guilherme Henriques. Find the video below.


Abysmal Dawn frontman/founding member Charles Elliott comments, "The music for this track was recorded for Phylogenesis, but we left it off the record. We thought it was a great song but we felt it didn't quite fit into the flow of that album. The music shows a bit more of a slightly progressive and melodic side of the band, which we may explore more in the future. The lyrics were written during the pandemic and are inspired by the lore of the video game Bloodborne.


"Now, we have a lot of songs filled with social commentary and introspective lyrics. When it came time to write the words for this one, I don't think I could bring myself to focus any more on the misery or subjugation that we live in our day to day lives. Who needs another song of 'COVID' drivel or divisive politics at this point? Hopefully we can all agree on what I discovered while I was trapped at home for over a year; 'Bloodborne' is one of the greatest video games ever made. Animal Crossing and Mario Party fans should definitely check it out, along with the rest of the 'soulsborne' genre for a stress free good time... We hope you enjoy our song inspired by one of the most metal games ever made. Enjoy and see you on tour!"







Pre-orders for Nightmare Frontier are now live here, as well as from their official Abysmal Dawn online store here. The single and EP can be pre-saved across all streaming services here.


Nightmare Frontier was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio. Drums were engineered by John Haddad at Trench Studios, while tracking for all instruments was handled by Elliott. The artwork for Nightmare Frontier was created by Par Olofson.





Tracklisting:


"A Nightmare Slain"
"Blacken The Sky"
"Behind Space"
"Bewitched"


"A Nightmare Slain" video:





Moreover, Abysmal Dawn will be embarking on an extensive North American tour as direct support for Obscura at the start of next year. The trek will kick off in San Diego, CA on February 3 and will conclude on March 23 in Fresno, CA.





Tour dates:


February
3 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
4 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
5 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720 (Hometown Show)
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Backstage Bar
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
8 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
10 - Oklahoma City. OK - Whisky Nights
11 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
12 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
13 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
14 - New Orleans, LA - Santos
16 - Orlando. FL - The Haven
17 - West Palm Beach. FL - Respectable
18 - Tampa, OR - The Orpheum
19 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
20 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
21 - Knoxville, TN - Batley's Knoxville
22 - Virginia Beach, VA - Elevation 27
23 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
24 - Harrisburg. PA - HMAC
25 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory
26 - Boston, MA - Sonia
27 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
28 - Quebec City, Canada - Imperial Bell


March
1 - Montreal, Canada - Foufounes
2 - Ottawa, Canada - Maverick's
3 - Toronto, Canada - Lee's Palace
4 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
5 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
6 - Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theatre
7 - Louisville.KY - Diamon Concert Hall
8 - Detroit, MI - The Sanctuary
9 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
10 - Milwaukee, MN - X-Ray
11 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
12 - Winnipeg, Canada - Park Theater
14 - Calgary, Canada - Dickens
15 - Edmonton, Canada - Starlite Room
17 - Vancouver, Canada - Rickshaw Theater
18 - Seattle,WA - El Corazon
19 - Portland, OR - Dante's
21 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
22 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theater
23 - Fresno, CA - Full Circle


Lineup:


Charles Elliott - guitars, vocals
Eliseo Garcia - bass, additional vocals
James Coppolino - drums
Vito Petroni - guitars


(Photo - Rodrigo Fredes)

The first ever Diamond Head tribute album entitled "Are We Evil?", will be released in the first months of 2022. The compilation includes 9 heavy metal classics originally recorded by one of the most important and influential bands of the genre, Diamond Head, performed by young acts from Europe and North and South Americas: Ambush (Sweden), Black Mask (Mexico), Crystal Viper (Poland), Konquest (Italy), Midnight Spell (United States), Pounder (United States), Riot City (Canada), Traveler (Canada) And Twisted Tower Dire (United States).


The album has been produced and mastered by Bart Gabriel, who except working with acts such as Satan, Cirith Ungol and Sortilege, previously produced Riot, Exciter and Anvil tribute albums. Cover artwork of the album has been painted by Mario Lopez, Guatemalan artist who previously worked with acts such as Crystal Viper, Evil Invaders and Toxik.


"Well done to all the bands that have put time and effort into making this happen. It's the first time a bunch of Diamond Head songs have been covered for an album apart from Metallica obvs. My favourite is Ambush's version of 'Canterbury'. It's an awesome modern version and a great new arrangement. The singer does it proud. It's so good it makes we want to revive the song for the current Diamond Head shows as we have not played this live since 1984! I also really like the new versions of 'The Prince', 'It's Electric', 'Streets Of Gold' and 'Sweet & Innocent'. It's a real success for me, I am very surprised and flattered, for some reason I wasn't expecting this kind of quality," comments Diamond Head guitarist and founder, Brian Tatler.







"It was truly an interesting project, and it was super exciting to put this album together. Sure, many Metal fans immediately think of Metallica when you mention Diamond Head, but there's so much more there! They have an amazing back catalog, and they're without a doubt one of the most important bands when it comes to classic heavy metal, and metal in general," says Bart Gabriel. "I'm also very happy that the album was officially "blessed" by Brian Tatler and his crew - he's one of my favourite heavy metal guitarists, his riffs are absolutely stellar. That's why the witch from Am I Evil? which you can see on the cover of the album (and who was inspired by the Hammer Films icon, Ingrid Pitt!), is holding Brian's iconic Flying V guitar!," he adds.


CD & Digital version of the album will be released on Iron Oxide Records, while Lost Realm Records will take care of a limited deluxe vinyl LP edition.


(Top photo - Nic Gaunt)

Reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE recently completed work on a new EP, "Let The World Burn", for an early 2022 release via Metal Blade Records. The effort was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producer Juan Urteaga, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD and EXODUS, among many others. Mixing duties were handled by Tue Madsen.

"Let The World Burn" will mark the first collection of original material from VIO-LENCE's current lineup, consisting of guitarist Phil Demmel, singer Sean Killian and drummer Perry Strickland, along with the band's latest additions, guitarist Bobby Gustafson (ex-OVERKILL) and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY).

In a recent interview with Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock, Demmel stated about "Let The World Burn": "We had decided to write [some new material]. I didn't wanna do a full-length record. Ten tunes is just… I've got a baby at home. I've got a five-year-old who's just the highest of energies and exhausting. So my time is very valuable and I just don't have the time to write a full-length record. I just felt, let's take little baby steps with the band and see if we can write a couple of tunes — maybe do three or four. It ended up being a five-song EP that we're gonna put out on Metal Blade Records in the beginning of March next year."

Regarding the songwriting process for "Let The World Burn", Demmel said: "Man, in the 16 years that I was in [MACHINE HEAD], it had thrash moments, but towards the end, there wasn't. And I had written thrash songs. I always have riffs, but it was exciting to… Fuck, [I'm writing an] all-out thrash song. I wanted to capture some moments of 'Eternal Nightmare' [VIO-LENCE's 1988 debut album], and there are some signature VIO-LENCE sounds that I wanted to perpetuate and continue. But also, since I've been playing thrash for a bit too, my right hand has gotten a lot stronger. I'm playing the best that I've ever played. And so I'm pushing the riffs. These aren't songs that you're picking up at Guitar Center and just playing in Guitar Center; they're pretty hard to play. I wanted to push everybody in that sense."

He continued: "I needed [Perry] to be able to accept this material in a language that I could speak with him. And I had to teach him how to understand my language. And it was hard. And it was grueling. It was me and him in a room… Mostly, this record musically was written… I wrote the music but with Perry for… 99 percent of it was just me and him in a room fucking hammering it out. So I'm super proud of him for what he played on the record. It's some of his best playing. It's definitely my best playing that's ever been recorded. Towards the end of my time in [MACHINE HEAD], I wasn't tracking rhythms, so it'd been a long time since I really tracked a metal record. I did a BPMD record and tracked those, but fuck, this is a thrash record, so tracking the rhythms was something refreshing and super cool to me. We did it with Juan Urteaga in his spot, and he's awesome to work with. I had a great time. It was just a great experience recording with Perry. And I kind of let Sean do his own thing 'cause he had his vocals down. Sean is just destroying it on these songs, man; his voice is so unique. And nobody sounds like him. It's sinister, man. 'Cause he had a real high register that he was singing in back in '88, and there's moments of that, really, now. But it's dark, man — he's singing dark. And I fucking love it. I love his lyrics. He's the favorite lyricist that I've ever worked with. He's smart and he's witty and he's colorful with what he does. I thoroughly enjoy his lyrics."

In August 2020, VIO-LENCE released a new digital single, "California Über Alles", a cover version of the DEAD KENNEDYS classic. The band also filmed a music video for the song with director Scott Kirkeeng.

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

The band performed its first comeback concert in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California and spent most of the ensuing months playing select shows in the U.S. and Europe.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in any of the comeback shows.

Killian underwent a successful liver transplant surgery in March 2018. The year before, Killian was diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis, which was caused in part by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis.

VIO-LENCE's last album, "Nothing To Gain", was recorded in August 1990, but wasn't released until 1993.

Photo credit: James Willard

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Nothing Else Matters" on the second night of ATLive on November 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Whiplash

02. Ride The Lightning

03. The Memory Remains

04. Seek & Destroy

05. Holier Than Thou

06. One

07. Sad But True

08. Moth Into Flame

09. No Leaf Clover

10. For Whom The Bell Tolls

11. Fuel

12. Fade To Black

13. Master Of Puppets

Encore:

14. Blackened

15. Nothing Else Matters

16. Enter Sandman

When the event was first announced in July, METALLICA said in a statement: "We're honored to be part of the second annual ATLive two-day festival — featuring two unique, separately ticketed events — this fall when we'll be hitting the stage with our friends CAGE THE ELEPHANT and GRETA VAN FLEET. Night one features country music's finest with George Strait, Eric Church and Caitlyn Smith kicking off the weekend.

"Presented by AMB Sports and Entertainment, the organization will generously be donating a portion of the proceeds from ATLive to All Within My Hands to help our foundation further its work in the fight against hunger."

The second annual ATLive feature iconic artists from both country and rock on back-to-back nights.

ATLive, a multi-genre concert series developed and promoted by AMB Sports and Entertainment, is the premier destination concert series for the city of Atlanta. The event also provides the opportunity to give back through purpose-driven philanthropic initiatives, aligning with the organization's core values. This year, AMBSE is partnering with George Strait and his longstanding partners at the Military Warriors Support Foundation as well as METALLICA's All Within My Hands nonprofit to donate a portion of the proceeds from ATLive to providing housing for wounded veterans and feeding the hungry.

Tim Zulawski, chief revenue officer for AMB Sports and Entertainment, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the idea for ATLive began percolating about five years ago.

"You have 365 days in a calendar year and yes, we want to make the stadium full every day to make money, but also because it means you're putting on great content," Zulawski said. "There are only so many pieces of content that puts 50,000 people in a building and [live music] is one of them."

During a new appearance on "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, spoke about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for her follow-up to 2018's "Controlled Chaos" solo debut. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've got half and half — so it's gonna be half vocal songs and half instrumental. I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far. And there are still a couple of things T.B.D. [to be determined]. And then we should be ready to release next spring."

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEVENDUST will release a digital expanded edition of its latest album, "Blood & Stone", on December 10. "Blood & Stone Deluxe" contains five new tracks, including three never-before-released remixes and two newly recorded songs. Jake Bowen of PERIPHERY, Richard Wicander of FIRE FROM THE GODS and Justin deBlieck, formerly of ICE NINE KILLS, provide remixes and the band finished recording "All I Really Know" and "What You Are" specifically for this release. "Blood & Stone Deluxe" is being released via all digital partners via Rise Records and was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

To coincide with the announcement of "Blood & Stone Deluxe", SEVENDUST has released a visualizer for "What You've Become (Justin deBlieck Remix)". The Justin deBlieck remix contains the emotion of the original while building upon thematical musical elements adding a massive string arrangement to it. The band will also release snippets of the other remixes: "Dying To Live (Jake Bowen Remix)" will be available on the evening of Wednesday, December 8 and "Kill Me (Richard Wicander Remix)" on the morning of December 9. The visualizer for "What You've Become (Justin deBlieck Remix)" can be seen below.

"Blood & Stone Deluxe" track listing:

01. Dying To Live

02. Love

03. Blood From A Stone

04. Feel Like Going On

05. What You've Become

06. Kill Me

07. Nothing Left To See Here Anymore

08. Desperation

09. Criminal

10. Against The World

11. Alone

12. Wish You Well

13. The Day I Tried To Live

14. Dying To Live (Jake Bowen Remix)

15. Kill Me (Richard Wicander Remix)

16. What You've Become (Justin deBlieck Remix)

17. All I Really Know

18. What You Are

SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon told Audio Ink Radio about the recording process for "Blood & Stone": "I feel like we've grown as not just artists but men, personally. I feel like we're seasoned, if that makes sense. Maybe we're just like an old wine. We've had time to really know each other. We're brothers. It's easy for us when we're in the studio. It's like a well-oiled machine, once we get back in there. That's where the magic happens, is when we're looking at each other. It always reminds me of when we first got together, whenever we get together, as long as we've been together. It's just because there's a certain light that comes on. It's always been great to have that."

Witherspoon also talked about SEVENDUST's longevity, saying: "You can't just call yourself a band just because you've got a group of people together. I think it's a group. I feel like you have to have a band when you've gone through a lot of things together, not only the good times, but the bad times. You've seen life together. You've seen death together with each other. You've helped each other. You've done all those types of things over the last 25 years, and that's the reason why I can say I'm very proud to be in SEVENDUST the band, not SEVENDUST the group."

He continued: "There are some bands out there — there's a lot of bands out there — and there are a lot of groups. I think it takes heart. I think it takes compassion. I think it takes some respect. To treat each other equally, like what we're trying to do in the world today, I feel like that's something that's kept us together. It's not one guy with a Ferrari and another guy with a Hyundai, which those are nice cars, too. I'm just saying in the scheme of things. So, I think that's something that's kept us together, too, is that not one guy's better or feeling better. When we get in a room sometimes, it feels like even though we're older men, I still feel like we're those kids that were in the recording room, wondering, how are we going to pay rent for the month? What show are we going to play? And it's a good feeling to feel happy after all these years."

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and producer Greg Kurstin have shared the final epsiode of their ongoing tribute series, The Hanukkah Sessions, where they pay tribute to Jewish musicians by covering songs in their own unique style.


As both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS are both of Jewish heritage, Grohl and Kurstin have released their cover of the KISS classic, "Rock And Roll All Nite". Check it out below.


Grohl: "Ladies and gentlemen…. we made it. Night 8! And what better way to celebrate another year of Hanukkah Sessions than Chaim Witz and Stanley Eisen…. two young lads from Queens that set the world (and thousands of stages) on fire as Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley."







For the complete run of The Hanukkah Sessions 2021 go to the official Foo Fighters Youtube channel here.