Two-times-Grammy-nominated band CODE ORANGE has returned with a brand-new single, "Out For Blood". Available today on all streaming platforms, "Out For Blood" is joined by an official music video directed by Max Moore. Check it out below.

CODE ORANGE frontman Jami Morgan stated about the track: "When they go right, we go left. CODE ORANGE is out for blood and we are just gettin' started."

Produced by Rob Cavallo (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, GREEN DAY), "Out For Blood" follows CODE ORANGE's critically lauded 2020 album "Underneath" which earned the band their second Grammy nomination in the category of "Best Metal Performance" for the album's title track. Released in March 2020 via Roadrunner Records, the LP was produced by Morgan and Nick Raskulinecz with co-producer Will Yip. "Underneath" features the singles "Swallowing The Rabbit Whole", "Underneath" and "Sulfur Surrounding". In its wake, the band performed multiple livestream experiences, including "Back Inside The Glass" an all-immersive environmental experience placing CODE ORANGE's live show at the center of awe-inspiring virtual landscapes. It marked CODE ORANGE's third livestream of 2020, following their empty-venue record-release show "Last Ones Left: In Fear Of The End" and "Under The Skin", their first-ever stripped down performance, which is available now as a digital album on all streaming platforms. Additionally, CODE ORANGE has continued to reach fans across the globe through its "You And You Alone" livestream series, which features collaborative performances, playthroughs, and in-depth discussions and fan question-and-answer sessions broadcasting regularly on the band's official Twitch channel.

In 2019, CODE ORANGE made headlines in the professional wrestling world with the release of "Let Me In", their official entrance theme for WWE superstar "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. CODE ORANGE previously featured at WWE's NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III performing a rendition of wrestler Aleister Black's entrance theme alongside Incendiary's Brendan Garrone. "Let Me In" followed CODE ORANGE's 2018 release of "The Hurt Will Go On", a digital EP featuring "3 Knives" and "The Hunt" featuring Corey Taylor, as well as "The Hurt Will Go On" (Shade Remix), an official remix of CODE ORANGE's "Hurt Goes On" helmed by the band's guitarist and vocalist Shade.

In 2017, CODE ORANGE flipped the heavy music world on its head with their breakthrough album "Forever", a collection that masterfully mixed hardcore aggression with urgent industrial textures, earning the band a breakthrough Grammy nomination and top placement on several "Best of 2017" lists, including Rolling Stone's "20 Best Metal Albums of 2017", Revolver's "20 Best Albums of 2017" and The Independent's "Top 20 Rock & Metal Albums of 2017."

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

FEAR FACTORY will release the first song featuring the band's new lead singer prior to the group's North American tour with STATIC-X. The 37-date "Rise Of The Machine" run, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on February 21 in Portland, Oregon and run over five weeks, wrapping up on April 3 in San Francisco, California.

FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares, who has yet to publicly reveal the identity of the band's replacement for Burton C. Bell, discussed FF's new frontman in a brand new interview with This Day In Metal. Asked if FEAR FACTORY is planning on showcasing its latest addition before the launch of the STATIC-X tour, Dino said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes. We plan on showcasing him with a new song. I really want people to hear it and judge it by when they hear it. Because if I announce who it is right now, then it's gonna be, like, everybody is gonna give their opinion before they even hear anything. So I'd rather people give their opinion of when they hear it than before they hear it."

Cazares also confirmed that FEAR FACTORY's new singer will be stylistically similar to Bell's output on the band's earlier records. "Oh, yeah. It's not gonna change," he said.

This past August, Dino told Bucketlist TV that FEAR FACTORY's new frontman has experience and is "kind of known" within the metal scene.

Asked about his previous comment that he was open to hiring a female vocalist for FEAR FACTORY, Dino told Bucketlist TV: "That was true. I auditioned a few women, yes. But it didn't work out — not because they were female or anything like that. Because I wanted to pick whoever was best for the position, and it turned out to be a guy."

Dino also addressed his statement from earlier this year that he wanted to give an "unknown guy a shot" at fronting FEAR FACTORY. He said: "Well, it wasn't like I was only looking for somebody that nobody knew. I was looking for all different [types of singers]. Sure, if the guy turned out to be, or the girl turned out to be, someone that nobody knew and I gave 'em that shot, yeah, great. I was open to all of it, is what I'm saying. Male, female, whatever, known, unknown — I was open to all of that. And it turned out to be somebody who is kind of known, I guess. Kind of known. He does have experience."

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's new LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

In October 2020, Dino issued a statement in which he said that the door for Burton to come back to FEAR FACTORY wouldn't "stay open forever." The guitarist also revealed that Burton "lost his legal rights" to the FEAR FACTORY name "after a long court battle" with drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers. "I had the opportunity to do something right, and I felt that obtaining the name in full was the right thing to do for the both of us, so after nearly four years we can continue as FEAR FACTORY, to make more records and to tour," he said. "That is why it is sad to hear that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, for whatever issues he has it seems like it could've been worked out."

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller. It was produced and engineered by Damien Rainaud (DRAGONFORCE, ONCE HUMAN), with keyboards by Igor Khoroshev (ex-YES), and programming on two songs from longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY). "Aggression Continuum" was mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM), who also mixed FEAR FACTORY's previous album, 2015's "Genexus".

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Finnish melodic death metal act Re-Armed release their new single and visualizer video for "Monoeyes". The track follows the release of "As the Stars Align", which is taken from their upcoming 20th anniversary EP, XX, out on January 27th, 2022 worldwide via Inverse Records. Purchase the track on all digital platforms and watch the visualizer video, which was made by Joona Jaakkola.





The band comments on the new single: "The lyrics paint the landscape with black and white - just as polarization erodes the democracy of our society. Some people tend to filter 'answers to all questions' too much through their own social media bubble. In a nutshell, there's always a way out; instead of fighting each other, we should be finding solutions together. Soundwise, the tension builds up as the song proceeds, creating a feeling of urgency and frustration, but yet still the track is more colorful than monochromatic vision that the lyrics paint at the first sight, just like life is in a reality – different kind of layers upon layers, catchy hooks here and there, without forgetting strong emotions.




And what about the anniversary and upcoming EP release? Well, during the 20 years, the band has seen better and worse, but almighty Finnish 'sisu', aka willpower, has pushed us through these years and keeps us still on the move. We want to thank everyone who has been involved in this band somehow at some point of this adventure - meaning each and everyone who brought something to the table at that point of trip.


Anyhow, the best thing about the past is that it shows us what not to bring into the future - which is clearly visible and heard in the great outcome today. On the upcoming EP new winds are blowing and there will be some, let’s say 'adjusted' echoes from the past."





XX EP tracklist:


"As the Stars Align"
"Monoeyes"
"Beyond the Horizon" (acoustic version)
"Tomorrow"
"Ode to Life" (symphonic version)
"Evolve Cycle" (arcade version)


"As The Stars Align"





Photo by Allan Välimaa

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of the self-titled debut album from Land Of Gypsies, on December 10. Today, the band, featuring vocalist Terry Ilous, gives fans a look at the album with the release of the album opener, "Believe". Listen below, and pre-order/save Land Of Gypsies here.


Land Of Gypsies, formerly known as Gang Of Souls, is a new L.A. based band featuring an artistic union between vocalist Terry Ilous (XYZ, ex-Great White), together with producer and bassist Fabrizio Grossi (Glenn Hughes, Supersonic Blues Machine, Eric Gales, etc.). Rounding out the lineup are Serge Simic on guitar (The Slam, Supersonic Blues Machine) and Tony Morra on drums.


The band spent a wealth of time during the pandemic in 2020 working on and developing their sound. Their target was to write music leaning towards a classic hard rock sound with unforgettable melodies and a solid bluesy background to compliment Ilous' stellar vocals.




Terry Ilous says, "My entire career has been about creating the best music I possibly can for the fans. Land of Gypsies allows me to focus on the music and to grow as an artist, while also being able to expand my work both nationally and internationally. I am extremely honored to join such an amazing roster of talent. Expect to hear a lot more from me and Frontiers moving forward.”


Fabrizio Grossi adds, “I am really excited to work with my buddies Serge, Tony, and Terry on this new adventure called Land of Gypsies. Terry is the centerpiece and I am sure he’ll turn even more heads than what he’s been admirably doing since XYZ’s debut and when he was with Great White. He’s an amazing singer and a hell of a funny guy. I am glad the public will be able to get to know this other side of him. This record represents the type of straight ahead rock music that really makes us move. There won’t be any frills and sweetness, that I can promise, but lots of balls out groove, loud guitars, and soulful melodies.”


Musically, Land Of Gypsies music leans toward a classic hard rock sound with unforgettable melodies and a solid bluesy background. Think Bad Company meets early Foreigner, but with more current production.





Tracklisting:


"Believe"
"Shattered"
"Trouble"
"Give Me Love"
"Somewhere Down The Line"
"Rescue Me"
"Ordinary Man"
"Run Away"
"Long Summer Day"
"Rambling Man"
"Get It Right"


"Believe":





"Shattered" video:





Lineup:


Terry Ilous - Lead & backing vocals
Serge Simic - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Fabrizio “Fab” Grossi – Bass
AJ Morra - Drums & Percussions
Eric Ragno - Hammond, Wurly & Rhodes
Jeff Northrup - Additional guitars on “Somewhere Down The Line”

Following the release of "Can’t Hold Me Down" in November 2020, Collateral are back with a reissue of their first single, "Midnight  Queen", but this time with a twist. Danny Vaughn (Tyketto) features as the lead vocalist alongside the band’s frontman, Angelo Tristan.


Released Friday (November 12), you can pre-save the single here. Watch a lyric video below.







"Tyketto was one of my inspirations growing up," says Angelo. "To have Danny on one of our tracks is unbelievable. When one of your idols says how great your track is, it makes you feel like you're doing something right. I can't wait for all the Tyketto fans to hear it.”


“I was overwhelmed when Danny said that he wanted to be part of this,” says Collateral’s lead guitarist Todd Winger. “One of the all-time legendary rock voices digging our tunes, let alone wanting to join us on one is inspiring beyond belief! He is one of the nicest guys in the business. Thank you, Danny.”





Collateral is busy in November 2021 with festival appearances at Planet Rockstock, Hard Rock Hell, and Winterstorm. Before heading off to tour Europe, Collateral  return to the UK in February and March 2022, as special guests on Dan Reed Network and Reckless Love's co-headline UK tour that includes London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Cardiff, and Southampton.


Collateral will release their album Re-Wired in spring 2022.


(Photo - Rob Nankivell)

Sweden's Amaranthe checked in with the following announcement earlier this week:


"Boot up your computers, grab your controllers and get ready for a brand-new Amaranthe song! This Friday, November 12th we will release 'PvP', the official hymn for the Swedish national e-sports team!"


Today is the day. Check out the single below and watch for it on all digital platforms.







The die is cast: 2021 won't be the year Amaranthe and Beyond The Black unleash their monster of a tour to take Europe by storm. The European co-headline tour of the Swedish modern metal heroes and Germany's melodic metallers has been pushed back to 2022.


Amaranthe issued the following statement: "We are absolutely crushed, but unfortunately not surprised that we will have to postpone our European tour with Beyond The Black once again. We were so very much looking forward to finally be on stage to play the new Manifest songs for you! However, we feel very hopeful about doing this tour in 2022 instead - let time fly by quickly, and see you again on stage again before you know it!"


Beyond The Black vocalist  Jennifer Haben adds: "By rescheduling this tour we believe to create the safe and high quality live experience our fans all over Europe deserve! And be sure: after this hard period of restriction Beyond The Black and Amaranthe will come back even more intense and louder than ever!"


Purchased tickets remain valid for the new dates. For refunds, please contact your ticket seller.


The new schedule is as follows:


January 2022
5 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
7 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
8 - Offenbach, Germany - Stadthalle
9 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
11 - Bordeaux, France - Rock School Barbey
12 - Madrid, Spain - Sala BUT
13 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz II
15 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
16 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre
18 - Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz
19 - London, UK O2 Forum Kentish Town
21 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle I
22 - Ludwigsburg, Germany  - MHP Arena
24 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Metropole
25 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex
26 - Milano, Italy - Live Club
28 - Budapest, Hungaery - Barba Negra
29 - Vienna, Austria - Arena  
31 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja


February 2022
1 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle  
2 - Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle  
4 - Zlin, Czech Republic - MOR Cafe
5 - Geiselwind, Germany - Event Hall 
6 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Ronda
8 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
10 - Göteborg, Sweden - Pustervik
11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben Fryshuset 
12 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene

Leslie West passed away on December 23, 2020. Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group has announced the release of "Legacy: A Tribute To Leslie West" on March 25 in celebration of the guitarist. Friends, and many whom were influenced by the loved West, have contributed to this special release. Amongst those who performed are Dee Snider and TWISTED SISTER bandmate Eddie Ojeda, Robby Krieger, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy and Tal Bachman, JETHRO TULL's Martin Barre, Joe Lynn Turner, BLACKBERRY SMOKE's Charlie Starr, THE CARS' Elliot Easton, George Lynch, Marty Friedman, Steve Morse, DIRTY HONEY's Mark Labelle, Mike Portnoy and West's band members Bobby Rondinelli and Rev Jones. The release will be available as a limited-edition box set, on LP and CD, digitally, and as a web shop exclusive limited LP variation manufactured with digital.

When Leslie West passed away in December of 2020, he left behind a towering legacy of epic recordings that few rock guitarists can match. But there was more to West than great songs (although, to be sure, he created a ton of them); there was his brilliant, idiosyncratic sound, a gargantuan earth-mover that razed arenas and stadiums across the globe. More than just paralyzing tone, though, he also had a touch nobody could beat. Stinging, swooning and sensual melodies leapt from his fingertips — with a deft flick of his wrist, he sounded like a Delta bluesman had picked up a violin. These elements and more helped to make West one of the most significant, influential and irreplaceable guitarists of the rock era.

"There was nobody on earth quite like Leslie," says the guitarist's widow, Jenni West. "The second you heard him play, you knew it was him. He loved playing the guitar and making music. He lived to make people feel good — it was his passion. He was famous to his fans throughout the world, but he was adored by other musicians. Everybody from country stars, rappers and heavy metal players — they all loved Leslie. He found it surprising, but I think he was also pleased to know how much he inspired other musicians."

West's longtime manager Bob Ringe agrees, saying: "I've worked with some of the greatest guitarists on the planet, and nobody could hold a candle to Leslie. He was so unique and special — his sound, his style, his power and warmth. Any guitarist I talk to has been influenced in some way by him. They broke the mold when they made him, and he took it with him when he passed away. He was a true one of a kind."

An astonishing array of West's admirers — who also happened to be friends and peers — came together to celebrate the trailblazing musician on "Legacy: A Tribute To Leslie West". Executive produced by Jenni West, Bob Ringe and John Lappen, the album was originally intended to be a retrospective celebration of West's music on which the guitarist himself would perform some of his best-loved cuts with notable guests, along with a collection of new tracks. Two weeks before recording was set to commence, however, the guitarist passed away. Once Jenni West, Ringe and Lappen changed gears and put a tribute album in motion, they discovered that the process was far easier than they could have imagined: "We really didn't have to reach out to many people," Jenni says. "They came to us. What's really amazing is, if Leslie himself had whispered into my ear and told me who he would want on this record, these would be the people he would have requested."

West's longtime rhythm section of bassist Rev Jones and Bobby Rondinelli laid down brilliant basic tracks for the guest artists to contribute their talents. One of the two exceptions is the dramatic retelling of "Theme For An Imaginary Western" (which West recorded with MOUNTAIN for the band's 1970 debut, "Climbing!"), which features the walloping drumming of Mike Portnoy and commanding bass work by legendary QUIET RIOT / OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Rudy Sarzo. Two TWISTED SISTER alums — singer Dee Snider and guitarist Eddie Ojeda — turn in poignant performances on this grand and sweeping track.

"Leslie was a hero, friend, amazing guy and a guitar god," says Snider. "I always wanted to sing this song. It's my favorite Leslie West guitar solo. It resonates with me and speaks to me on so many levels. I'm honored to have gotten a chance to do it on this record."

Unquestionably, West's most famous song remains "Mississippi Queen" and who better to tackle such a historic sonic behemoth than GUNS N' ROSES' guitar titan Slash? Joining the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer on an absolutely ripping, rifftastic rendition is singer Marc LeBelle, currently riding high as the front man for the band DIRTY HONEY.

Former DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW vocalist Joe Lynn Turner tips his hat not only to West, but also to the late MOUNTAIN co-vocalist Felix Pappalardi on not one, but two cuts: On a standout version of "Nantucket Sleighride", the bluesy, prog-flavored title track of MOUNTAIN's second album from 1971, he's joined by international guitar star Marty Friedman; and a haunting take of the psychedelic rocker "For Yasgur's Farm" (from "Climbing!"), he teams with guitarist Martin Barre, best known as the longtime lead axeman for JETHRO TULL.

"It was an honor to do this tribute to Leslie," says Turner, "especially to sing 'Yasgur's Farm'. I'll never forget seeing MOUNTAIN at the Fillmore East. Felix had done the verse and when it came to that B section, Leslie was hit with a white spotlight in his buckskin. It still chills me to the bone today."

In 1969, West had left his band THE VAGRANTS and began what was to be a solo career, but his album "Mountain" turned out to be the unofficial debut of the power trio of the same name. From that record, Zakk Wylde chose the tour de force stomper "Blood Of The Sun", and like West himself, he's a formidable, show-stopping double threat on guitar and vocals.

In later life, West befriended Charlie Starr, singer and guitarist for the band BLACKBERRY SMOKE. Starr was in in awe of West, and he selected the soulful gem "Silver Paper" (from "Climbing!") as his way of remembering his late pal. Responding to the muscular rhythm section of Rev Jones and Bobby Rondinelli, as well as the bravura keyboard playing of Mike DiMeo, Starr laser beams on the song's joyous spiritual center and doesn't let go.

"I love 'Silver Paper', and it's got one of the coolest guitar licks of all time," says Starr. "Leslie played exactly what the song needed; his timing was impeccable. He played way back in the pocket, and it was so nasty and so great — the kind of things that you aspire to. I'm very proud to be part of this project. God bless Leslie West."

THE DOORS legend Robby Krieger also knew West well — the two had shared numerous concert bills through the decades.

"The coolest thing about Leslie was the way he played blues – it was just very natural," Krieger says. "He and Clapton were the best at the time. They just had the feel for the blues. Maybe in their former lifetimes they were blues guys." Krieger picked a deep cut for his tribute — the ripping barn burner "The Doctor", from the 1972 album "Why Dontcha" by West's power trio supergroup WEST, BRUCE AND LAING (featuring CREAM's Jack Bruce and MOUNTAIN's Corky Laing) — and he burns spectacularly on the song's dizzying, slippery lead lines. Rising to the occasion, singer Ronnie Romero, a veteran of bands like LORDS OF BLACK, RAINBOW and the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, howls with grit and grace.

As the album unfolds, more treasures are revealed: The celebrated father/son duo BACHMAN AND BACHMAN seamlessly splice two tracks from 1976's "The Leslie West Band" — "Money" and "By The River" — and fold them into one feisty, good-time flame thrower. CARS' guitar star Elliot Easton is paired with singer Ronnie Romero on a sparky and frisky take on "Sittin' On A Rainbow" (from "Climbing!") — Easton's fluid style is a spot-on fit for West's country-flavored solo. "Climbing!" is revisited once more with "Never In My Life", which features a go-for-the-throat repeat performance by Dee Snider and the paint-peeling guitar work of former DOKKEN lead picker. And DIXIE DREGS/DEEP PURPLE guitar god Steve Morse (along with a return trip by Ronnie Romero) heads into the outer limits, firing off leads that are by both spacey and fiery, on the gnashing title cut of "Why Dontcha".

"Leslie could take a simple two- and three- note phrase and just sell it with that gritty determination," says Morse, who shared many a stage with West. "What was not to like about him? He knew everything to do. Just the phrasing of the solos and the commitment and the tone — it was really awesome to stand next to him and experience that."

"Long Red" is one of the most fascinating songs of West's career. First featured on the guitarist's 1969 solo album, it was also a highlight of the 1972 MOUNTAIN album "Live: The Road Goes Ever On". Over the years, the psychedelic-funk groover has grown in stature thanks to the mind-boggling number of hip-hop artists — everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Kanye West to Ice-T — who have sampled it on mega-selling hits (even Mariah Carey used it on her 2014 cut "Money"). Here, international guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen (backed by the ace rhythm section of drummer Bobby Rondinelli and bassist Rev Jones) locks into the bluesier aspects of the song and injects his own inimitable shred madness — and the results are wicked. With singer Teddy Rondinelli flooring it full-throttle, it's a stone-cold slam dunk.

Jenni West sums the album up thusly: "Nobody in this world has ever made me feel loved as much as Leslie, and I feel so honored and grateful that I could give him this gift." She laughs. "He would often say, 'If it doesn't make my balls rumble, it's not right.' And I think there's some balls-rumbling tones on this record! When you're listening to it, you might even think it's Leslie playing — and that's a good thing. He really believed that adage of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Even when some of the players do their own twists on the music, they're still doing it in a way that's authentic and respectful, and Leslie would have appreciated that."

The first single, "Blood Of The Sun", featuring a guest appearance by Wylde, can be streamed below.

Track listing:

01. Blood Of The Sun (feat. Zakk Wylde)

02. Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin) (feat. Joe Lynn Turner & Marty Friedman)

03. Theme For An Imaginary Western (feat. Dee Snider, Eddie Ojeda, Rudy Sarzo, Mike Portnoy)

04. For Yasgur's Farm (feat. Joe Lynn Turner & Martin Barre)

05. Why Dontcha (feat. Steve Morse & Ronnie Romero)

06. Sittin' On A Rainbow (feat. Elliot Easton & Ronnie Romero)

07. Never In My Life (feat. Dee Snider & George Lynch)

08. The Doctor (feat. Robby Krieger & Ronnie Romero)

09. Silver Paper (feat. Charlie Starr)

10. Money (Whatcha Gonna Do)/By The River medley (feat. Bachman & Bachman)

11. Long Red (feat. Yngwie Malmsteen & Teddy Rondinelli)

12. Mississippi Queen (feat. Slash & Marc LaBelle)

Danish/American rock and rollers VOLBEAT have released a music video for the song "Shotgun Blues". The clip, which was directed by Adam Rothlein and produced by by Ghost Atomic Pictures, can be seen below.

"Shotgun Blues" is an anthemic track in which frontman Michael Poulsen explores the ghostly events he recently experienced upon moving into a new home.

"Every time you move into a house, you bring dead people with you," he explains. "Weird stuff happens when I move into a [new] house… it's very otherworldly."

"Shotgun Blues" is taken from VOLBEAT's eighth studio album, "Servant Of The Mind", which will arrive on December 3 via Republic Records. The effort will be available in standard CD, deluxe 2LP vinyl (in various limited-edition variants) and a deluxe digital edition.

For "Servant Of The Mind", the band, which consists of Poulsen (guitars/vocals), Jon Larsen (drums), Rob Caggiano (guitars) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) took their signature heavy metal, psychobilly and punk 'n' roll sound up a notch while showcasing Poulsen's keen ability for songwriting and storytelling.

"I wrote the whole album in three months," recalls Poulsen, "I was in a good place and mood while at home, and had a captive audience of myself… There are a lot of VOLBEAT signatures in it. If you go back to the first record and compare it to where we are now, you can hear how the band has developed its style, while keeping the signature sound."

The album also includes the "double barrel" of summer songs the band released this past June: "Wait A Minute My Girl" and "Dagen Før" (featuring Stine Bramsen), the former of which became the band's ninth number one single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Other songs on the album weave intricate and fascinating tales. "The Sacred Stones" tells the story of "an earthly being who has committed himself to the dark side. He is on a mission, speaking to darker forces and fallen angels." Meanwhile, "The Devil Rages On" looks at the idea of the devil taking human form. Album opener "Temple Of Ekur" returns to the ancient themes explored in past songs such as "The Gates Of Babylon", while the epic album closer "Lasse's Birgita" explores the story of the first witch burnings to occur in Sweden in 1471.

"Servant Of The Mind" standard edition track listing:

01. Temple Of Ekur

02. Wait A Minute My Girl

03. The Sacred Stones

04. Shotgun Blues

05. The Devil Rages On

06. Say No More

07. Heaven's Descent

08. Dagen Før (feat. Stine Bramsen)

09. The Passenger

10. Step Into Light

11. Becoming

12. Mindlock

13. Lasse's Birgitta

Deluxe 2 CD/2 LP and digital deluxe bonus tracks:

14. Return To None (WOLFBRIGADE cover)

15. Domino (THE CRAMPS/ROY ORBISON cover)

16. Shotgun Blues (feat. Dave Matrise from JUNGLE ROT)

17. Dagen Før (Michael Vox Version)

Vinyl variants (North America)

* Standard 180g black vinyl 2LP

* Translucent Rust 2 LP – Volbeat.dk exclusive, limited to 550

* Transparent Yellow 2 LP – Revolver magazine exclusive, limited to 400

* Mystery Color LP2 – indie retail exclusive, limited to 100

Vinyl variants (Europe)

* Standard 180g black vinyl 2 LP

* Crystal Clear 2 LP, volbeat.dk exclusive, limited to 2,000

* Glow In The Dark 2 LP, EMP exclusive, limited to 2,000

* Orange and Blue 2 LP, UMG exclusive, limited to 3,100

* Danish Red and White 2 LP – only available in Denmark, limited to 2,000

VOLBEAT is two decades deep into a career that has found them sharing stages with genre legends like BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD, SLIPKNOT, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and more. They have racked up nearly three billion cumulative streams over the course of their career, notched a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy nomination for "Room 24" (featuring King Diamond) from 2014's acclaimed (and gold-selling) "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", and have grabbed multiple Danish Music Awards. Not ones to rest on their laurels, their forthcoming album "Servant Of The Mind", which was written and recorded during the shutdown and quarantine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is introspective but pulls no punches and is no less raucous or driving than their previous efforts.

Since forming in 2001, VOLBEAT has gone from the clubs of Copenhagen to headlining stages around the world, including the famed Telia Parken stadium in Denmark (becoming the only domestic artist to ever sell out the venue). Over the course of seven record-breaking albums the band has picked up number one songs (including nine No. 1s on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and counting, the most of any band based outside of North America), multi-platinum certifications, awards and accolades all over the planet. Their latest album, "Rewind, Replay, Rebound", was released in August 2019 and has spawned the hit singles "Last Day Under The Sun", "Die To Live" (featuring Neil Fallon) and "Leviathan". A live album featuring songs recorded during the subsequent world tour, "Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live In Deutschland", was released digitally in November 2020. Most recently, they contributed a cover of "Don't Tread On Me" to "The Metallica Blacklist", with all proceeds from the track benefiting METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation and the Børne Cancer Fonden of Denmark.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, the ensemble led by TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick, has shared a music video for its new single, "Florida Man Blues".

Skolnick, who emerged in the late 1980s as the teenage lead guitar virtuoso of San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band TESTAMENT, has also made a name for himself in multiple genres, including jazz guitar with his trio, featuring drummer Matt Zebroski on and Nathan Peck on bass. This is the band's first full-fledged blues song, and their debut of Alex in the role of both lead vocalist and guitarist.

Directed by Adam Dubin, who helmed BEASTIE BOYS' legendary videos "Fight For Your Right To Party" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", "Florida Man Blues" could only be brought to life by Dave Hill as an alligator-carrying booze enthusiast, with cameos by Brian Posehn and Dean Delray (of the podcast "Dark Fonzie With Marc Maron"). In an homage to Adam Yauch, Alex smashes a TV.

"It gives me great pleasure to finally release this video," says Skolnick, who wrote "Florida Man Blues" in 2019, based on real news stories from the Sunshine State. "In the two years since we tracked this tune, so much has happened." Although he made news himself in 2020 for commenting on current events in written essays and even political rap tunes, here he casts politics aside with a song and video that is non-partisanly entertaining. "We can all use a good dose of solid blues and good humor during these times," Alex continues. "I'm grateful to everyone involved, from tracking to filming, especially Adam Dubin, who believed in this song and felt it deserved a video as big as, well… Florida."

"Florida Man Blues" features a swampy riff reminiscent of John Lee Hooker with over-the-top soloing, inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Skolnick says: "The blues has always been a big component of my playing, across genres. In high school, BB King was on my turntable as much as VAN HALEN. And I've always loved the lyrical humor of folks like Junior Brown, Frank Zappa and early Tom Waits. 'Florida Man Blues' presented an opportunity to fully display these influences for the first time on a recording."

Recently, Dubin's music video for METALLICA's "Nothing Else Matters" topped one billion views on YouTube. Dubin quips: "I expect Alex's video to do half that number."

"Florida Man Blues" credits

Directed by Adam Dubin

Edited by Sean Fullen ("Murder In The Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story")

Cinematographer Robert Kassabian

Band Shot at Complete Music Studios, Brooklyn, NY

Cast (in alphabetical order):

Alex Skolnick

Alyx and Nella Dubin

Brian Posehn

Dave Hill

Dean DelRay

Maddy Sámaddar

Matt Zebroski

Nathan Peck

Riley "Kirwan" Thompson

Trevor Thompson

The Thompsons' Parents (as Florida Police)

Recorded at Spin Studios, Long Island City, NY

Producer: Alex Skolnick

Engineer: Nik Chinboukas

Mixer: Nik Chinboukas & AST

Mastering: Andy VanDette for Evolve Mastering

Additional Background Vox: Viv Petillo & Ava Peklinsky

Scream: Ava Peklinsky

ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO is:

Alex Skolnick - Guitar & Lead Vocals

Nathan Peck - Bass Guitar & Background Vocals

Matt Zebroski - Drums & Background Vocals

Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) and The Players Club / Mascot Label Group recently announced the release of a new seasonal offering titled 'TWAS. Gilbert’s 17th solo album features a dozen recordings, two of which are new, original compositions. The global release date for digital and CD is November 26. The LP will follow on December 10. Pre-order here.


Today, Gilbert and the label share the third instant gratification track, “I Saw Three Ships”. A video can be viewed below.


Gilbert states: “It was 104°F in Portland, Oregon, on August 12th, when the band and I recorded 'I Saw Three Ships'. I was trying to get extra sounds from my A/DA Flanger by attaching a foot-operated, mechanical knob-turning device. But the device kept coming loose, and I kept getting angrier and angrier at it. I finally decided to give up on the knob-turning, and convert my frustration into pure guitar playing energy. The result was a slightly worried band, subtle flanging, and a good take! Thanks to Nat King Cole and George Thorogood for the arrangement inspiration. And thanks to England for the song.”







Gilbert adds: "Many will agree that in recent times, challenging events have been pouring down upon our heads like an Exploding Waterfall of Molasses. At least it sometimes feels like that to me.  But while I was jamming Christmas songs with my friends, playing an assortment of red, green, and white Ibanez electric guitars, I felt like life was THE BEST.  I hope that this music can put a smile on your face as well.  


"Ten of the songs are classics. I was inspired by the Christmas recordings of Nat King Cole, Loretta Lynn, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Ventures. And of course, inspiration came from my guitar heroes, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Lifeson, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, Pat Travers, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page, to name a few. I also wrote some of my own new Christmas songs. As I have been doing recently, I begin with lyrics and a melody. Then I let my guitar take over, as it sings better than I do."


He continues. "'Three Strings For Christmas' refers to the 3-string guitar that I used on my double-neck. I tune the strings in octaves, which allows me to play ridiculously fast arpeggios, and very little else (which is why I have a normally strung guitar for the other neck.) 'Every Christmas Has Love' was written quickly, inspired by my panic-driven mental state of album making. When I know that the recording sessions are coming, my brain shifts into survival mode, and melodies start popping out. Then I take all the chords I learned by listening to 70s AM radio, and build a song. The lyrics are nice too. I'll be printing those in the liner notes of the album. Merry Christmas to all. And to all, a good night."


Gilbert formed a band of Portland, Oregon's finest jazz and blues musicians for these sessions. The players are Dan Balmer (guitar), Clay Giberson (keyboards), Timmer Blakely (bass), and Jimi Bott (drums). He reflects, “All brought supreme musical goodness to these arrangements and performances. They certainly steered me to make wiser musical choices than I would have made on my own. And as you will hear, my metal guitar instincts still breathe fire when they get the chance.” The album was recorded in Jimi Bott's studio, who also engineered and mixed the recordings. The approach was to record two songs every day, for six days, delivering the collected body of work.  


Gilbert: "All songs were recorded live, although I think Jimi snuck some cowbell overdubs in. If anything should be added to a live track, I believe cowbell is the right choice."





Tracklist:


"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
"Frosty the Snowman"
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
"The Christmas Song"
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
"I Saw Three Ships"
"Every Christmas Has Love"
"Three Strings for Christmas"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
"Silver Bells"
"Winter Wonderland"


"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" video:





(Photo - Jason Quigley)

Mastodon released their new album, Hushed And Grim, on October 29. In this new video, the band discuss the creative process behind the album:





Order Hushed And Grim here.







Tracklisting:


"Pain With An Anchor"
"The Crux"
"Sickle And Peace"
"More Than I Could Chew"
"The Beast"
"Skeleton Of Splendor"
"Teardrinker"
"Pushing The Tides"
"Peace And Tranquility"
"Dagger"
"Had It All"
"Savage Lands"
"Gobblers Of Dregs"
"Eyes Of Serpents"
"Gigantium"


"Sickle And Peace":





"Teardrinker" video:





"Pushing The Tides" video:

Canadian powerhouse vocalist, Lee Aaron, has revealed the new video, "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas". The song will also be released tomorrow as a digital single and is the first one from her upcoming Christmas album, Almost Christmas, set for international release on November 26 via Metalville Records. Watch the video below.





Lee Aaron, has had a lengthy and musically adventurous career that spans many kinds of different styles, like rock, jazz, blues, opera, and more.But there’s one project this multi-Juno nominee had considered often, but the timing was never right... a Christmas album.




Lee and her band (Sean Kelly - guitar, Dave Reimer - bass, and John Cody - drums) had tossed around the idea of a Christmas album over the years, but there was always something - tours/recording/life etc. - that kept the project on the backburner. 2020 and COVID-19 brought a new reality.


With their shows around the globe cancelled, there was suddenly an abundance of time. Over the summer, the band began releasing a series of Rockin' From Home videos for fans, which escalated, so when the Christmas idea came up again in mid-September, it was a definite go.


"Each of us had upgraded our home studios, so we thought, Heck yeah!," says Aaron. "We'd always wanted to do this; the only issue was that we should have started sooner! Realistically, we only had about a month to get all the tracks done, but it became a fun mission - and it kept us all from going stir crazy during this downtime! …and the last thing we wanted to create was a rehash of the same old songs so many other folks have already recorded. One or two classics maybe, but if we were going to do this, we wanted to make it really unique and different. It was such a blast putting it all together!"


Almost Christmas contains lovingly curated tunes - from the foot-stomping rock 'n' roll ride of the feature track "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas" (Pet Shop Boys) to the classic "Baby Please Come Home" to a sassy version of Louis Armstrong’s "Zat You Santa Claus?" - winding down with the introspective "All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue" (Over The Rhine) and an a capella rendition of Joni Mitchell’s timeless "The Fiddle And The Drum". You've never heard Christmas done quite like this.


She also presents a brand new version of her 1991 hit "Peace On Earth", which likewise is as relevant now as it was when it was first released.


Aaron explains: "There's a ton of passion and joy that went into these recordings. The album represented something really positive and hopeful that we could all focus on during this unprecedented downtime. It was a gift that lifted our spirits, and we hope it has the same effect on others."


The album will be available on November 26 via Metalville. Last year, the album could only be ordered via Lee Aaron's own shop and will now be available in stores for the first time with the addition of two new songs.





Almost Christmas tracklisting:


"Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas"
"Baby Please Come Home"
"Run, Run, Rudolph"
"It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas"
"Zat You Santa Claus?"
"I Don't Believe In Christmas"
"Merry Christmas Everybody"
"All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue"
"Peace On Earth"
"The Fiddle And The Drum"
"Almost Christmas" - new song
"More Fun On The Naughty List" - new song


"Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas" video:

Sabaton recently announced the limited-edition, live-in-concert, double-DVD/Blu-Ray, The Great Show, and The 20th Anniversary Show, both set for release on November 19 (Nuclear Blast). Both titles were filmed during the band’s 2019-2020 The Great Tour world trek, and both feature special guest performers. Tracklistings are below; pre-orders can be placed here.





The 20th Anniversary Show (see trailer below) is comprised of Sabaton’s jaw-dropping, two-hour headline concert filmed in front of 75,000 fans at Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival - coincidentally, celebrating its 30th anniversary - on August 1, 2019. The Great Show, with a running time of about 90-minutes, was recorded at Sabaton’s sold-out performance at the O2 Arena in Prague on January 26, 2020. With two varied setlists chosen from the band’s extensive catalog, The Great Show and the 20th Anniversary Show, limited to 9,000 copies each, will be available as individual purchases or bundled together as The Great Show Stage Collector's Edition box set (limited to 5,000 copies), that includes a building bricks version of the Sabaton stage so fans can build their own stages.




The Great Show Stage Collector's Edition is detailed in the video below. Get it here.





For the greater part of the Wacken concert, Sabaton commandeered the festival’s two main stages, the side-by-side-and-connected Faster and Harder Stages, becoming the first artist in Wacken's 30-year history to utilize both stages simultaneously in this way. Vocalist Joakim Brodén, guitarists Chris Rörland and Tommy Johansson, drummer Hannes Van Dahl, and the 20-voice Great War Choir, fitted out in a variety of military uniforms, performed on the Faster Stage. At the same time on the Harder Stage, bassist Pär Sundström welcomed back previous Sabaton members Thobbe Englund and Rikard Sundén/guitars, Daniel Mÿhr/keyboards and Daniel Mulback/drums - all nine musicians, plus the choir, giving an intense and impassioned en masse performance. Sabaton was also joined by the internationally acclaimed Grammy-nominated virtuoso cellist Tina Guo for the encore. Prague’s The Great Show reunited Sabaton with Finland’s multi-Platinum cello-rockers, Apocalyptica, who provided a fiery orchestral backing to several of Sabaton’s songs.


In support of Sabaton’s most recent chart-topping album, The Great War, The Great Tour saw the band setting the barre sky-high for live rock’n’roll stage production. Both sets of discs effectively capture the visually electrifying in-concert experience that is a Sabaton show. Sabaton’s cinematic songs transport fans onto the battlefield, encountering the horrors of war as well as acts of heroism and bravery, based on historical fact and told as if through the eyes and minds of soldiers in the line of fire. For “The Great Tour,” and as seen on both of these DVD/Blu-Ray sets, Sabaton’s live stage production was forged as a battlefield, with barbed-wire stretched across the front of the stage, stacks of sandbag barricades, mic stands fashioned after the period’s rifles and trench guns, a two-ton military tank complete with a battery of rocket launchers and flame jets that doubles as a drum riser, a keyboard built into the body of The Red Baron’s iconic blood-red tri-plane, and Brodén armed with a giant bazooka. Live rock’n’roll at its finest.





The 20th Anniversary Show (Wacken) tracklisting:


"Ghost Division"
"Winged Hussars"
"Resist And Bite"
"Fields Of Verdun" (with Thobbe Englund)
"Shiroyama" (with Thobbe Englund)
"The Red Baron"
"The Price Of A Mile"
"Bismarck"
"The Lion From The North"
"Carolus Rex"
"40:1"
"The Last Stand"
"The Lost Battalion"
Drum Battle (Hannes Van Dahl vs. Daniel Mullback)
"Far From The Flame"
"Panzerkampf"
"Night Witches"
"The Art Of War"
"82nd All The Way"
"Great War"
"Attero Dominatus"


Encore:
"Primo Victoria"
"Swedish Pagans" (with Tina Guo)
"To Hell And Back" (with Tina Guo)





The Great Show (Prague) tracklisting:


"Ghost Division"
"Great War"
"The Attack Of The Dead Men"
"Seven Pillars Of Wisdom"
"The Los Battalion"
"The Red Baron"
"The Last Stand"
"Far From The Flame"
"Night Witches"
"Angels Calling" (with Apocalyptica)
"The Price Of A Mile" (with Apocalyptica)
"The Lion From The North" (with Apocalyptica)
"Carolus Rex" (with Apocalyptica)


Encore:
"Primo Victoria"
"Bismarck"
"Swedish Pagans"
"To Hell And Back"


"Great War" video:





20th Anniversary Show trailer:

Swedish-American ambient duo, Silent Skies, drifts off into Scandinavian melancholy and cinematic soundscapes with the release of their luminescent label debut, Nectar, out February 4 via Napalm Records. In 2017, the paths of the Swedish progressive band Evergrey’s vocalist Tom S. Englund and multi-instrumentalist Vikram Shankar crossed fatefully. Both artists set themselves free from limitations to captivate their listener with a soulful ten-track offering, produced by Englund and Shankar themselves and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios.


Infinite, heartfelt Nectar enchants with sounds like pure poetry lifting off the page and wrapping around its listener with a gentle glow as it combines the reminiscence of the likes of producers and composers such as Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm and Ludovico Einaudi, and bands ranging from Sigur Rós to Anathema. The balance between haunting instrumentals and vocal intensity that complement each other in perfect harmony walks a delicate line where listeners are treated to the best of both worlds.


With the release of their first single, "Taper", Silent Skies present an intense composition that blends a unique, charismatic voice and strong melodic sensibility into a profound musical soundscape resembling film music, alongside a captivating music video. “Taper” evokes both a tender embrace and isolation, with the duo's intertwined melodies standing strong against the setting sun of a human’s broken heart.




Silent Skies on “Taper”: “Come take a step into the universe of Nectar with 'Taper' - a universal statement on the journey of the human experience through time. This is one of our favorites on the album, so allow yourself to get lost in our world as you have a first taste of Nectar.


Watch the music video for “Taper” below.


With Gothenburg’s Evergrey known as one of the most prolific bands in progressive metal, Englund is by far no stranger to the scene. After partnering with North Carolina, USA-based piano player Vikram Shankar – who had already worked with greats like Anneke van Giersbergen – this fateful encounter, now known as Silent Skies, set its first milestone with the release of their spine-tingling debut Satellites back in 2020. Two years later, this fruitful collaboration returns with Nectar, marking the sequel of something that’s far more than just a side project of Englund’s. Rather, it’s the brainchild of two highly talented individual artists with deep knowledge and many years of experience, whose creativity and spirit culminates in an exceptional form of musical expression. Shankar’s sensitive yet intense piano tunes merge with the poignant vocal interpretation of Tom S. Englund to take the listener on a touching, melancholic ride that wanders through the darkest facets of life, while always leaving a spark of hope to hold on to. This otherworldly sonic collaboration is graced by the outstanding contributions of Leprous' cello player Raphael Weinroth-Browne, who appears on nearly every track of the album to spice up the stirring sound even more.


Silent Skies’ sophomore full-length sets off with the soulful, ethereal “Fallen From Heart”, immediately creating a tapestry of sound to get lost in. Tracks like delicate “Taper” and shimmering “Neverending” are dominated by the yearning vocals of Englund, but never fail to give Shankar’s instrumental virtuosity the well-deserved space to shine bright like the first sunray welcoming the day. Beautifully honest “Let It Hurt” addicts with its remarkable chorus hitting on point, blending cinematic strings and piano with hooky modern vocals. Darker realms lure with heart-breaking “Leaving”, combining gloomy ambient and infectious pop influences, and dramatically accented, heart-beating “Cold”, with its lingering electronic elements that build a tangible, gripping maelstrom of emotions. Instrumental title track “Nectar” closes this new chapter of Silent Skies but leaves its audience with a long-lasting impact and the key to a door that’s worth entering over and over again.


Silent Skies on the new album: “We are tremendously proud to announce our second record, Nectar, will be released on February 4th, 2022. Nectar represents an expansion and an elevation of all things that make us who we are; simultaneously grander and more intimate, more futuristic yet more organic and thoughtful. This record represents who we are, and it means so much to both of us, that we cannot wait for you to experience it.”





Nectar will be available in the following formats:


- 6p Digisleeve
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Fallen From Heart"
"Taper"
"Neverending"
"Let It Hurt"
"The One"
"Leaving"
"Cold"
"Better Days"
"Closer"
"Nectar"


"Taper" video:





(Photo - Patric Ullaeus)

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have scrapped the remaining shows on their current tour after a "member" of the band's "organization" tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS announced the cancelation in a social media post on Wednesday (November 10). The band wrote: "During routine Covid-19 testing of our band and crew, we have discovered that a member of our organization has tested positive for the virus. Out of an abundance of caution, we must regretfully cancel our remaining shows on this current tour; our appearances in Daytona, FL at the Welcome to Rockville Festival and Tulsa, OK at the Skyline Event Center. Refunds for the Tulsa show can be made at your point of purchase.

"Thank you to everyone that came out to see us this fall, it was wonderful to see all of your beautiful faces in person again. We hope to be able to do this again with you all very soon."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 45-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.
























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Carmine Appice and Deko Entertainment have released a video for "Mystified", from the upcoming Guitar Zeus 25th Anniversary box set. Watch the clip below.


As drummer for Vanilla Fudge, Carmine Appice set the grooves for the groundbreaking band's 1967 psychedelic debut. Post-Fudge, Bogert and Appice formed Cactus (seen as an influence on King's X and Van Halen). Post-Cactus, the rhythm section found Grammy-winning Guitar Hero Jeff Beck to form the first supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice (BBA). One of the premier showmen in rock, Appice became known worldwide for his astonishing live performances, in addition to becoming a highly sought-after session drummer, recording with countless artists throughout his career.


In '76, he joined the Rod Stewart Band, touring, recording and writing two of Stewart's biggest hits, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and "Young Turks". He would go on to form King Kobra, tour with Ozzy Osbourne and Blue Murder with John Sykes (Whitesnake) and Tony Franklin (The Firm).




Guitar Zeus 25th Anniversary Box Set is a massive collection of 4 LPs, 3 CDs and a full-color booklet with never-before-seen photos and interviews conducted by Martin Popoff. 35 tracks in all featuring Slash, Brian May, Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteem, Neal Schon, Richie Sambora, Zakk Wylde and many, many more. With never-released tracks featuring Tommy Thayer of KISS and Derek Sherinian (ex Dream Theater). This is the ultimate collection for any guitar enthusiast; there is nowhere else you can find this many guitar greats on one release!





Features:


- Box Set
- 4LP
- 3CD
- Full-Color Booklet
- Never-Before-Seen Photos
- Interviews
- Previously Unreleased Tracks


Due for release on January 7, the set is now available for pre-order, here, or here.





Tracklisting:


"Mothers Space" (feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal)
"Gonna Rain" (feat. Richie Sambora)
"Mystify" (feat. Derek Sherinian) *
"Nobody Knew" (feat. Brian May)
"Where You Belong" (feat. Slash)
"Out of Mind" (feat. Neal Schon)
"This Time Around" (feat. Yngwie Malmsteen & Dug Pinnick)
"Nothing" (feat. John Norum)
"Doin' Fine" (feat Vivian Campbell)
"Under The Moon and Sun" (feat. Mick Mars / Edgar Winter)
"Code 19" (feat. Zakk Wylde)
"Angels" (feat. Char)
"Guitar Zeus, Pt. 1" (feat Jennifer Batten)
"Days Are Nights" (feat. Ted Nugent)
"Do Ya think I'm Sexy" (Sung by Carmine, feat. Pat Travers)
"Safe" (feat. Neal Schon)
"Dead Wrong" (feat. Dweezil Zappa)
"Trippin' Again" (feat. Ty Tabor)
"Even Up The Score" (feat. Ted Nugent)
"Dislocated" (feat. Paul Gilbert)
"Stash" (feat. Stevie Salas / John McEnroe)
"Perfect Day" (feat. Warren DeMartini)
"Killing Time" (feat. Ty Tabor)
"So Long" (feat. Doug Aldrich)
"My Own Advice" (feat Kenji Kitajima)
"Guitar Zeus", Pt. 2" (feat. Leslie West / Jennifer Batten)
"Mystify" (feat. Tommy Thayer) *
"Time To Set Alarms" (feat Elliot Easton / Bob Daisley)
"Where You Belong" (feat Paul Gilbert)
"Cruzin" (feat. Denny Laine)
"Couldn't Be Better" (Feat. RaiZi)
"Snake" (feat. Bruce Kulick)
"4 Miles High" (feat. Steve Morse)
"Surrender" (feat. Chris Biggiani) *
"GZ Blues" (feat. Seymour Duncan / Steven Seagal)
"This Time Around" (music rough track - guitar play along) **
"Days Are Nights" (music rough track - guitar play along) **
"Where You Belong" (music rough track l - guitar play along) **
"Guitar Zeus" (music rough track - guitar play along) **


* Previously unreleased
** CD only


"Mystify" (feat. Tommy Thayer) video:

MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine has named "Holy Wars" and "Wake Up Dead" as the songs that contain two of his favorite guitar solos that he has ever written.

Mustaine discussed his lead guitar playing while filming a new video message on Cameo, which lets users hire celebrities to record brief, personalized video messages about virtually any topic.

Addressing a fan named Nick who had a question about Mustaine's favorite solos, Dave said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's kind of hard to say [which one is my favorite], because there's certain solos that have a great payoff, but we haven't played 'em live for so long, I've forgotten so many of them — two hundred songs and all of the solos and stuff. Out of the songs that we play live that I'm really familiar with, the solos that we play that we like, I like 'The Threat Is Real'. I love 'Holy Wars'. 'Wake Up Dead' is a great solo for me to play too; I really like that. That was one of my first really big solos that got everybody interested in MEGADETH. That and '[In My] Darkest Hour' too.

"I will be showing people here at Cameo how to do those solos — piece by piece, little bit at a time, so that it's not too much for anybody to handle," he added. "I don't really give guitar lessons, so this isn't a structured kind of format for lessons or anything like that. So I hope if I do this, and I hope if you do it with me that we'll have fun together. If not, just say it's somebody from another band."

Ranked No. 1 by Joel McIver in "The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists" book, Mustaine is credited by some with godfathering fast-heavy-metal guitar generations, first as the original lead guitarist for METALLICA, and then as the founder of MEGADETH.

Asked in a 2009 interview with Classic Rock how it felt to be No. 1 in McIver's book, Mustaine said: "It was especially sweet when I found out that Joel has written books on METALLICA. I looked at my copy of the book – I wasn't on the cover or the back. I figured I'd be somewhere like No. 69. So I thumbed through it; it's a really comprehensive, good book. I got to No. 50 and I thought, 'Am I in here?' I'd been told that I was, but not which position. So I got No. 16 and I saw [James] Hetfield. I thought, 'Wow', because I respect James. I'm a better lead player than he is, but he's one of the three best rhythm players in the world, [the other two being] Malcolm Young [of AC/DC] and myself. Malcolm kept it basic but brought a whole new style of rhythm playing to the world. So I got to the Top 10… I still wasn't in there. Every page I turned, I became more excited. I get to No. 5 and it's Kirk [Hammett], and I thought, 'Thank you, God'. At that point, it didn't matter [which position I was]. To be better than both of them [Hetfield and Hammett] meant so much — it's been one of the pet peeves of my career and I've never known how to deal with it. I didn't realize that it has had so much bearing upon my life. Then I got to No. 2 and it was John Petrucci [of DREAM THEATER] and I froze. I was No.1. What made it better still is that the guy wrote: 'This isn't about Dave as a person because he's been a cock These four pages are about his guitar playing, which is the best. There are people who are better at one thing that Mustaine does, and others that are better than another, but no one who's as good at everything.' All I thought was… I win."

In the past, Mustaine has repeatedly taken credit for coming up with the guitar solos that were played by the various lead guitarists in MEGADETH. In the March 2008 issue of Revolver magazine, he said: "I sang almost every single note of Marty Friedman's guitar solos." He doubled down on those claims in a 2009 interview with Guitar World, where he said: "You know, people have heard me say that I 'sang' solos to Marty in the studio, and I did. I did it to [former guitarists] Jeff [Young], Chris [Poland] and Al [Pitrelli], too. But [then-MEGADETH guitarist] Chris Broderick? I only did it two times [on MEGADETH's 2009 album 'Endgame'], and there are literally hundreds of thousands of notes on 'Endgame'. Now that is a testimony to a guy who has studied his partner."

David Ellefson, who was fired from MEGADETH earlier this year following a sex video scandal, has returned to Cameo, the online platform that allows fans to buy personalized video messages from celebrities. The 56-year-old bassist is charging purchasers $30 per video and he is offering a "24-hour delivery."

Ellefson stepped away from Cameo for several months beginning in May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.

David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis nearly a decade ago.

Last month, Ellefson told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that there is a perception that people of faith must set a higher standard of how they live with and treat others. "It's almost like you're this entity that's floating up toward the heavens: 'Oh, he's such a wonderful man. He's a man of faith. He's got his family. And then this happens.' It's, like, 'What the hell is this?'" he said.

"I mean, look, admittedly I've sort of trained the public to think that I'm one of the more well-behaved rock stars out there, and for the most part I have been," he continued. "But at the same time, and this isn't to claim anything other than just, oops, shit happens. That is what it is."

Two days after MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine announced Ellefson's latest departure from the band, the bassist released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a "defamation lawsuit" against the person who "illegally posted a very private video" of the bassist and made "false allegations" against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale "in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was "taking this time to be with my family" and wished his "bandmates" the best with their tour.

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

In July, Mustaine addressed the possibility of Ellefson returning to MEGADETH while filming a video message on Cameo. Asked by Rock Feed if Ellefson could once again play with MEGADETH at some point down the line, Mustaine said: "Any chance on Ellefson coming back later on? The answer to that is no."

The brainchild of founder Steven Galanis, Chicago-based Cameo has been around since 2017. It reportedly features more than 40,000 celebrities — from musicians and actors to drag queens and from YouTubers to Olympic gold medallists — who, for fees from $1 to $2,500, will offer video messages that mention another person by name. Happy birthday messages are common, as are baby announcements, but some celebrities have also recorded messages for Cameo users looking to quit their jobs or ask a potential date to a prom. The price for a video is determined by the celebrity. In 2020 alone, the company fulfilled more Cameos than throughout its four-year history, with Cameos delivered on every continent in the world and it raised over $1 million for worthy nonprofits and causes through its Cameo Cares program.

Exodus guitarist Gary Holt recently spoke with Greg Prato for Guitar World, discussing the band's new album, Persona Non Grata. They also talked gear, tape trading, and a potential "Big Five". Following is an excerpt from the interview.


Guitar World: Who are your favorite modern day metal guitarists?


Gary Holt: "Michael Amott. He’s the modern day Michael Schenker. But he’s his own man – his vibrato, his tone, everything. Zakk Wylde is one of my heroes. But he’s been around a long time – he’s an old guy like me. There are a ton of guys out there that are all so good now. It’s crazy.” 




Guitar World: You just mentioned Michael Schenker. It seems like all the thrash guitarists of the ‘80s list him as a major influence. 


Gary Holt: "It’s our age. In our heyday, UFO were huge – and still are one of my all-time favorite bands. And Schenker is number two on my guitar list…sometimes number 1 – it depends on how I’m feeling between him and (Ritchie) Blackmore on any given day. But I think all of us thrash guys grew up on the same music. And Michael is a phenomenal guitar player and just as good of a songwriter. His catalog of hits is phenomenal – it’s crazy what it is."


Read the complete interview here.





Exodus return with their eleventh studio album, Persona Non Grata, out November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band recently released the lyric video for the second single, "Clickbait", and today they release a new trailer, in which guitarist Gary Holt discusses the track. Watch the trailer, as well as the lyric video, below:








Literally translating to “an unwelcome” or “unacceptable” person, Persona Non Grata touches on themes of modern societal disgust and degradation. The band gathered at Tom Hunting's house in the mountains where they produced and recorded Persona Non Grata from three home-built studios . Steve Lagudi was at the helm of engineering while the band enlisted Andy Sneap of Backstage Studios to mix the album. For the third time in the band’s history, they returned to Swedish artist Par Olofsson to create the album artwork.





Persona Non Grata will be available in the following formats:


- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt + CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt
- Cassette – Tinted Red
- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!) Long Box (Decibel Magazine Exclusive)
- Double LP
 * Black
 * Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter
 * Electric Blue W/ Black & Bone
 * Gold & Bone Swirl W. Black and Mint Green Splatter
 * Green in Mustard W/ Red Splatter
 * Mint Green & Brown W/ Cyan Splatter (EMP Exclusive)
 * Purple & Yellow Swirl W/ Mint Green & Bone Splatter (UK Indie Exclusive)
 * Bone & Beer Swirl W/ Red & Brown Splatter (Revolver Magazine Exclusive)
 * Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter (Rebellion Republic Exclusive)
 * Blue Swirl W/ Bone * Black Splatter (U.S. Indie Exclusive)
- Mail Order Boxset – Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide
 * Orange, Red Swirl W/ Black Splatter
 * 20 page booklet
 * Slipmat
 * CD + Blu-ray Bonus Disc
 * Patch
 * Flag


Pre-order here. Pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


"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"
"Cosa Del Pantano"
"Lunatic-Liar-Lord"
"The Fires of Division"
"Antiseed"


"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)":





"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" video:

During an appearance on a recent episode of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, BUCKCHERRY frontman Josh Todd reflected on his first and only face-to-face encounter with Axl Rose. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have always really loved Axl — as a singer, as a frontman. I just really think he's a really talented guy. And I never got to meet him. I'd been around places where he was close by and I didn't know about it and I never got to meet him. So, cut to [BUCKCHERRY] did a handful of shows with [GUNS N' ROSES in 2011]. And still, he's kind of a mysterious guy — he would always go on never on scheduled time. And at that point, we would always be in a bus, maybe traveling to the next location. Because we'd already left, so we never got an opportunity to link up. So cut to we do a show — I think it was one of the last shows we did with GN'R. And we're all on the bus after the show. And our tour manager goes, 'Hey, Axl wants to say hello to you guys. He's got something for you. You guys can come in the venue.' And I was, like, 'What? Yes!' So we got all our shit together, we go in the venue, and [it was] just the most bizarre experience. We're in the hallway of some arena. He comes out. He walks towards us. He's got a bag. It's plastic bag from Best Buy. He goes, 'How are you guys doing? I just wanna say it was nice having you guys out.' And he takes his bag out and he hands all of us an iPad — each of us an iPad — from Best Buy. 'I just wanna give you guys a gift and tell you how much we appreciate having you out [on tour with us].' And I was just, like, 'Are you kidding me? This is amazing.' I was speechless."

Todd continued: "It was one of the coolest gestures from one of your heroes that's ever happened. It wasn't that we got an iPad; it was that fucking Axl Rose gave us a fucking iPad. And we took a picture with him. And that was it. He left and walked onstage. And I was just, like, 'Man, that was, like, fucking amazing.'

"There's been a handful of experiences for me in my rock and roll career where I met some of my heroes and it was really a wonderful experience, and that was one of 'em," Josh added.

"[That was] so cool. He's such a class act, man. That was amazing."

Back in 2002, Todd briefly fronted an unnamed group with then-former GUNS N' ROSES members Slash and Duff McKagan, who would later go on to form VELVET REVOLVER.

BUCKCHERRY's latest album, "Hellbound", came out in June via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded last fall in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Axl Rose photo by Katarina Benzova

In a new interview with Souled Out Media, SMILE EMPTY SOUL guitarist and lead singer Sean Danielsen was asked about the lyrical themes covered on the band's recently released "Black Pilled" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I always try and write about what I see. The old writing over and over and over again about relationships, to me, is just a little bit boring. I'd rather write about pertinent issues that are occurring around us and what I see in the world.

"The whole 'black-pilled' thing is just… I've been doing my own studies and research, I guess you could call it, for a long time — at least a decade. Trying to figure out how the world really operates, truly operates, who's really in control and what those people really want, which is, to me, a question everyone should be asking and everyone should be trying to get to the bottom of. Because what's presented to you on the news by our leaders, by pop culture, that's not the truth.

"I've done my own digging and gone down millions of rabbit holes over the last decade-plus, and I've been quote-unquote red-pilled for quite a while," he continued, referencing a common Internet term for those shifting their political views rightward. "And lately, it just seems to me like everything is spiraling so out of control that I feel like at one point I had a lot of hope, and that that hope has turned into just kind of letting go, just accepting that we just might be completely fucked. So the 'Black Pilled' title comes from that. The 'black pill' is kind of the doom take on our current situation. And I just thought it was kind of funny and fitting, so I went with that. I like to entertain myself with my own art at this point."

Sean added: "We live in times that don't look so good. Things look pretty bleak. I'd love for there to be something to come along and change the course that we're on, but I feel like that would take a lot of people digging and educating themselves to the things I'm talking about, and that takes a lot of initiative and hard work and time. And I just don't see people doing it at this point. I see the reactions I get online when I just say, 'Hey, medical freedom is important. You shouldn't let the government forcefully inject something that you don't understand into your body.' And then people hate me for it. At that point, I feel like some people are just too lost to even reason with.

"Are these people not realizing that if you allow the government to mandate an injection, they will not stop with just this situation. The coronavirus era that we're living in, it would not be the end of that; you're setting a precedent for the future. And Big Pharma has been wanting to mandate a vaccine regimen for adults for a long, long time. And Big Pharma and all the politicians and the people that are in control behind the scenes are all in bed together. You have to question the motives here. And these people that are all about — they are so full of fear, demanding that everybody gets the vaccine to protect them when, I mean, really, the vaccine should protect them if they believe in it. They aren't realizing that the pendulum swings when it comes to power. And what happens in a few years down the road when somebody's in power that you don't like, and they're trying to, or they are forcing you to get an injection that now you are questioning. These are the freedoms that we all need to come together to fight for; it's something that's really important no matter what side of the political aisle you're on or no matter who you are, what your background is — it doesn't matter. We should come together on the fact that we should be in control of what is put into our own bodies. And the fact that so many people have hate for me for saying that…

"I'm not trying to shove any politics down anybody's throat," Danielsen insisted. "I'm just saying freedom's important; we should stand for it. And people hate me for it. So that just, to me, is a bad sign for the future. It's pretty bleak. And so my lyrics — wrapping back around to your original question — the lyrics on this new 'Black Pilled' record do address these topics quite a bit. It's kind of a theme on the record."

This past August, Danielsen released a statement via social media in which he explained that he was canceling a few of SMILE EMPTY SOUL's previously booked shows because the concert venues in question were requiring a COVID-19 vaccine for fans. A number of bars and clubs have adopted the new protocol because the owners say the music industry and the artists demand a safe environment to perform. At the time, Sean said he was scrapping the dates because "I stand 100% for freedom, and medical freedom is especially important to me. I believe that you should get the vaccine if you want it, but should not have to if you don't want it."

More than 222 million Americans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 193 million are fully vaccinated. More than half of the world population has also received a shot.

A vaccine passport is a physical or digital document that displays whether someone is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Critics say that such passports are a violation of privacy and an example of government overreach. Meanwhile, supporters point out that federal immigration law already requires that immigrants provide proof of vaccination status for several diseases.

There's plenty of precedent for having to show proof of vaccination whether for work or travel. For a century, nearly every school in the U.S. has been requiring proof of vaccinations for students to enroll. Dozens of countries across the globe require a "Yellow Fever Card" to enter their borders.

Proponents of vaccine passports, including several high-profile heavy metal musicians, have touted them as one of the most effective ways to reopen the nation's economy in a safe manner.

A number of hard rock and heavy metal artists have canceled shows or whole tours as the concert industry is rethinking its approach to live shows while the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading nationwide.

While vaccines are exceptionally effective in preventing death and severe illness from the coronavirus and its known variants, some are far from foolproof in preventing infection altogether.

Most of the people with so-called "breakthrough" infections are asymptomatic.

According to Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), large-scale clinical studies found that COVID-19 vaccination prevented most people from getting COVID-19. Research also provides growing evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) offer similar protection in real-world conditions. While these vaccines are effective, no vaccine prevents illness 100% of the time. For any vaccine, there are breakthrough cases.

In a new interview with Heavy Culture, ex-EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt spoke about why he thinks his former band failed to achieve the same commercial heights as the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal, namely METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "First of all, we were just kids. We couldn't even buy alcohol. We were super young and just crazy, full of crazy energy. We recorded the album, 'Bonded By Blood', and it took forever and ever and ever and ever for it to come out — it took forever. So that really messed us up in the world. SLAYER, METALLICA and EXODUS — we were all there at the same time, we all had albums ready to be released, and, of course, ours was last one [to come out] because of record company craziness. So, the follow-up [1987's 'Pleasures Of The Flesh'], losing Paul [Baloff, vocals] was super tough.

"I think that when anybody… A good example if 'Van Halen I' — to this day, everybody compares everything that they've done after 'Van Halen I' to 'Van Halen I'. Same thing that we've been dealing with for 30 years — everything that we do after 'Bonded By Blood' is gonna be compared to 'Bonded By Blood'. So there's always gonna be people that say that, 'No, no, no. Nothing will ever be as good as 'Bonded By Blood'.' And then there's gonna be people that say, 'Yeah, their stuff after that is good too.' It's always gonna be that way. We have no control over it.

"Hiring a new singer [Steve 'Zetro' Souza] and putting out 'Pleasures'… And then we had to wait another year for 'Pleasures' to come out; it was, like, another year for 'Pleasures' to come out. So that was like a double… '84, and then we waited till… 'Pleasures' came out, what, '86 or something? Late '85? So, people were just waiting and waiting and waiting. And we're sitting there going, 'Goddamn it.' It was a lot of pressure. Meanwhile, we got METALLICA and SLAYER and ANTHRAX now on board releasing albums every year. And we're just slowly but surely losing traction. It was tough. But shit happens. We were just kids. We didn't know anything.

"I think losing Paul was a big deal back then," Hunolt added. "I think that maybe we made a mistake by firing Paul. And this is just looking back on everything for me; this is just my personal thought. This is the stuff that I think about sometimes. What would have happened if we didn't fire Paul? I just think that maybe we would have gotten a little bit more traction if we didn't have that lag in between.

"People love Paul. And Paul was… he's a legend. He was going through a bad time in his life, and I guess, at the time, we felt that maybe he was holding us back; I think probably that's what we were thinking. I think that probably we might have thought about getting him better instead of firing him.

"But as far as the 'Big Four' goes… Well, I don't know… Maybe it should just be the 'Big Five.' I will say this: I think that everybody has their place in the old-school thrash. If you wanna give 'em a number or whatever, go ahead. I think it doesn't mean anything. I think that the people that were there and the people that love our genre know where everybody stands. And I know where we stand, for sure. Without EXODUS, I think that thrash metal would be very, very different."

Hunolt makes a guest appearance on EXODUS's new studio album, "Persona Non Grata", which will be released on November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' next disc will be the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was their first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Longtime EXODUS fans will recall that Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS "H-Team" who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs such as "A Lesson In Violence" and "Deliver Us To Evil" — left EXODUS after the band's highly acclaimed 2004 reunion album, "Tempo Of The Damned". Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.

Back in April 2019, Hunolt rejoined guitarist Gary Holt and other EXODUS members Tom Hunting (drums) and Steve "Zetro" Souza (vocals) to perform several of the group's classic songs during a METAL ALLEGIANCE concert in San Francisco, California. More recently, Hunolt joined EXODUS on stage in August at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The original lineup of EXODUS consisted of guitarists Hammett and Tim Agnello, Hunting and vocalist Keith Stewart. Holt joined the band in 1981, while Kirk left two years before EXODUS's debut album, "Bonded By Blood", saw the light of day.

Souza is now on his third stint with EXODUS, having previously fronted the band from 1986 to 1993 and 2002 to 2004. A decade following his second departure, Souza returned to the fold in 2014, just in time to appear on "Blood In Blood Out".

POP EVIL singer Leigh Kakaty has commented on the recent departure of the band's longtime bassist Matt DiRito.

DiRito announced his exit from POP EVIL in July, saying in a statement that "the details surrounding my departure are only known by a few people, and respectfully it will remain that way." He added: "Walking away from something I've helped build is not easy — but it is the best thing for the band, myself and our respective futures. POP EVIL will continue on and so will I, just not together."

Kakaty addressed POP EVIL's split with DiRito in a new interview with the Grand Rapids rock station 97.9 WGRD. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When COVID hit, things changed. We tried to get Matt back, and Matt decided to not come back on his own terms. So whatever it was to him, we didn't talk; we never really discussed specifics after that. But I just know that bands changed and logistics and how we get things done. There was a sense of urgency now [more] than ever before. And there was a lot of guys that found different jobs and found more consistent work. And whether that was Matt or not, I'm not sure — again, we haven't talked. But the reality of it is people's goals have changed. We were among a lot of bands that bandmembers decided not to come back. And the band's gotta keep playing, we've gotta keep pushing on, and we did. In some ways, we've been stronger since."

He continued: "I think the four of us that remain, we really made a commitment to each other to really step toward each other rather than stepping away because of that loss with Matt. We realized just how fragile this was, and to lose a brother like that and someone who'd been with us for so long, it's tough. I remember having the meetings when Matt left. We [were, like], 'Look, we've got a choice. How's everyone feeling emotionally?' Before we even talked about the music, is this something we all wanna do? And the four us were, like, 'Absolutely. We wanna go no matter what.' And let's all get closer and be appreciative of the things that we didn't have for the past two years when we were dealing with this pandemic and really give that much more love to our fanbase."

POP EVIL's current touring lineup includes session bassist Joey "Chicago" Walser of EGYPT CENTRAL and DEVOUR THE DAY.

The band's latest album, "Versatile", features the No. 1 mainstream rock hit single "Survivor" — the band's seventh No. 1 single to date — alongside heavyweight tracks "Set Me Free", "Let The Chaos Reign", the Top 10 single "Work" and the No. 1 single "Breathe Again".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows spoke to the "Tuna On Toast With Stryker" podcast about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "The Stage" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The songs are done. I still have some vocals to do and we have some strings to record. And the thing with the strings is that in L.A., they're simply not allowing people to be within six feet [of each other]. And we have experience — I'm not gonna name bands, but our producer worked on some records, and he's, like, 'Listen, you put somebody six feet apart and you mic them all, and it does not sound like a group playing together.' He's, like, 'They are hearing the notes off a little bit. There's no unified sound. And we have a bunch of out-of-tune violin players and out-of-tune singers.' And he's, like, 'I'm sitting there fixing it all.' And he's, like, 'I suggest either going to Prague and doing it or just waiting.' And so we're still waiting, 'cause we don't wanna go to Prague and record these things. I mean, there's so many little things, and we're just not willing to compromise on it."

According to M. Shadows, he and his bandmates are in no rush to release their new LP and hit the road to promote it.

"We're really just trying to make sure that everybody mentally wants to go on tour and support a record, that it's gonna make sense to support the record — it's not a stop-and-go situation," he explained.

"We're gonna release it when we wanna release it. That's just the bottom line. People seem to think we work for them.

"At the end of the day, everyone needs to decide, 'I'm ready to go support a record.' … You just have to make sure you're mentally there for it.

"I don't wanna maybe come off like we have all these problems in the band — we don't — but people are also very cognizant of their life and how it is right now and they wanna be happy doing things, and I think the fans want us to be happy doing things.

"We are very much happy into this digital realm we're going into and the NFTs, and we're gonna be happy when the record comes out. And when we do shows, we'll be happy doing them. But just know that if we're on stage, then we're in a good place."

This past February, M. Shadows told the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X that "70 percent" of the follow-up to "The Stage" was "done." He said: "We're working on stuff. We have some things we can't finish right now 'cause of COVID — string players, et cetera. We know Andy [Wallace, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's longtime mixer] doesn't wanna travel, or his management doesn't want him to travel because of COVID. So there's just a lot of things going on."

As for when fans can expect to see the new AVENGED SEVENFOLD LP released, M. Shadows said: "It doesn't make sense for us right now to put out a record and not be able to tour it. The world has changed. Putting out a record on Spotify without touring for a rock band, it just doesn't make sense to us. So we're gonna wait till everything is back, then we'll come out with the record, finish it up, and all will be good."

Also in February, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance told Detroit's WRIF radio station that he and his bandmates have done "lots and lots of writing — at a lot slower pacer than usual" — during the coronavirus pandemic. "Now that we are a little bit older, we move around a little bit slower, but [we've done] tons of writing," he said. "We've gone to the studio. It was kind of a weird time to do anything in 2020, but that's when we felt like it was a good time to go out there and start tracking all the stuff that we had in us.

"But, like I said, we're doing it at a slow pace, so we're still in the process of recording," he explained. "We're taking it really, really slow, making sure everything is the way we like it. We're not in a big rush to get anything out, mainly 'cause we wanna get on the road, and we wanna be able to bring it to life. We wanna tour, we wanna travel, we wanna play songs that people wanna hear; we wanna expose them to some new stuff. 'Cause I just feel like rushing to put something out right now and letting it dissipate because of the void, while people are worried about where their next meal is coming from or the paycheck, the last thing in the world on people's minds is, 'AVENGED SEVENFOLD's gonna put out a new album, and that's gonna be the saving grace for us all.' And I feel like we'll take it slow, let the world get a little bit back to normal, and when people are ready, we'll know — we have a good sense of that. We'll slowly finish it up, and then unleash it when the world's ready."

Last December, M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine about the musical direction of the new AVENGED material: "The [new] record sounds nothing like 'The Stage' — it's a completely new direction, and it sounds nothing like anything we've done. That's all I'll say about it: it's over the top, and it's very eclectic and wild."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD kept a low profile during 2019 and will likely not return to the road until early 2022. A blood blister on M. Shadows's vocal cords forced the band to cancel a summer 2018 tour with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE.

Asked if he is fully healed up now, M. Shadows told 93X: "I feel good, man. I'm just working on a new technique so that I can make sure I don't have any problems anymore. For the last year, that's what I've been doing — is switching up a lot of things, singing from a different place, and just making sure that when I hit the stage again, I don't resort back to old bad habits."

"The Stage" was surprise-released in October 2016. The release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in 11 years. It sold 76 thousand copies in its first week, 73 thousand of which were physical.

"The Stage", AVENGED's debut for Capitol, sold less than half as many copies in its first week as the group's two previous efforts, 2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD recently announced the Deathbats Club, a new level of connecting with fans based around non-fungible tokens, or NFTs — digital assets (free tickets for life, free meet-amd-greets for life, airdrops over the course of each year, drum lessons, guitar lessons, golf lessons, giveaways, skip the lines at shows, poker nights, movie nights, etc.) that can't be replicated. After an initial drop of 101 free NFTs to whet fans' appetites, they will release 10,000 at the end of November via avengedsevenfold.io, with everyone who buys one becoming part of the community.

Tech death outfit Replacire is currently in the studio tracking their new studio album, which will follow up 2017's full-length, Do Not Deviate. The band has shared a studio update, as well as an official music video for the song "Do Not Deviate", which can be seen below.


Replacire comments, “While we grind on the new album, we thought it would be cool to create something with another artist for people to enjoy in the meantime. We have tracked drums for 11 new songs and are beginning work on recording guitars. Stay tuned!”







Do Not Deviate can be streamed, ordered, and downloaded here.





 

Frontiers Music Srl recently welcomed Zelbo to the label's roster. Zelbo is a new melodic rock band/project masterminded by Norwegian keyboard player Dag Selboskar. Their debut album, In My Dreams will be released on December 10.


Listen to the song "Phoenix Rising" below, and pre-order/save In My Dreams here.


Dag is an experienced musician who debuted with the band Da Vinci, with whom he recorded and released two acclaimed albums, Da Vinci (1987) and Back In Business (1989) for Polygram Records. In 1992, the band stopped touring and went on a prolonged hiatus, which ended in 2017 with the release of their comeback album Ambition Rocks. Over the years, Dag kept busy working with Trine Rein, Street Legal, and Eidsivating before deciding to take up a solo project, Zelbo.




Dag enlisted the services of his longtime friend Ken Ingwersen, a guitar player who started his career in the mid 80’s working for Evenrude and later on played with Rags and Street Legal, before joining on a more permanent basis Ken Hensley's (Uriah Heep) band. Vocalist Frode Vassel on vocals and drummer Sturla Nostvik, who are both extremely gifted and experienced musicians, round out the line-up.


Zelbo's debut album is Scandinavian AOR of the highest order, which will certainly make all Da Vinci, Work Of Art, classic Europe, and the like fans extremely happy.





Tracklisting:


"In My Dreams"
"Fortune & Fame"
"Phoenix Rising"
"Head’s Down"
"Wild Young And Free"
"Get Up Get Over It"
"Beautiful Flyaway"
"Next Flight To Venus"
"Small Town Girl"
"Waiting For The End"
"Every Little Thing"


"Phoenix Rising":





"Fortune And Fame" video:





Lineup:


Dag Selboskar - Keys
Ken Ingwersen - Guitars
Frode Vassel - Vocals
Sturla Nøstvik - Drums


Special guest:
Aslak Johan Johnsen - Bass