On October 25, AVENGED SEVENFOLD played a special throwback show featuring a setlist composed of songs from the band's breakout 2003 album, "Waking The Fallen", and its 2005 follow-up, "City Of Evil". Headlining the concert at Santa Ana, California's Observatory venue was the long-running Southern California hardcore punk band DEATH BY STEREO.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's official video recap of the show can now be seen below.

In the spirit of Halloween, AVENGED SEVENFOLD vocalist M. Shadows appeared in a skeleton jumpsuit and skull makeup for the rarities-packed setlist, which saw the band perform some of the tracks for the first time in at least six years.

The setlist for the show was as follows:

01. To End The Rapture (first time since 2017)
02. Chapter Four (first time since 2018)
03. Burn It Down (first time since 2018)
04. Blinded In Chains
05. Remenissions (first time since 2016)
06. Seize The Day
07. Second Heartbeat (first time since 2018)
08. Desecrate Through Reverence (first time since 2004, first performance with Brooks Wackerman)
09. Unholy Confessions
10. Beast And The Harlot (first time since 2018; fans playing with band)
11. M.I.A. (first time since 2018)

Tickets to the show were made in August exclusively for members of the Deathbats Club, a next-generation fan club and community built around AVENGED SEVENFOLD, priced at $25 each (there was a two-ticket limit on orders).

AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DEATH BY STEREO have a long history together, having toured together two decades ago. In addition, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows contributed guest vocals to two songs — "Entombed We Collide" and "This Is Not The End" — on DEATH BY STEREO's 2005 album "Death For Life".

This past June, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance told NME that he and his bandmates were making plans to celebrate the anniversaries of their albums "City Of Evil" and "Nightmare", which are turning 20 and 15 in 2025, respectively. He said: "I think those albums are really monumental and fans have grown with them. They've meant a certain thing to people at a certain place in their life, so I think it's important that we do something."

Explaining that he didn't want AVENGED SEVENFOLD to be a "nostalgia act", Vengeance added: "I've always wanted to be as proud of whatever we put out today as I was when we put out those albums." But, he said, "I'm totally cool with celebrating those albums because it was such a great place and time. Plus, it's actually fun to relive and play those songs and get those reactions. To bank our entire career off past successes, we can't do it, but we'll definitely do something to celebrate those albums though. For us, the most exciting thing about looking back is recalling where our heads were at when we were young and writing them. Remembering that they're part of who we are."

"City Of Evil", AVENGED SEVENFOLD's third album, produced the singles "Bat Country" and "Beast And The Harlot", while "Nightmare", the band's fifth studio LP, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Both records have since been certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shipments in excess of a million copies in the U.S. alone.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has spent much of the past year and a half touring in support of its most recent album, 2023's "Life Is But A Dream…"

Setlist Waking The Fallen & City Of Evil Celebrating 25 years show Avenged Sevenfold at California in The Observatory Orange County 25th October 2024

Posted by A7x Videos on Saturday, October 26, 2024

Cabal have announced their second album, Everything Rots, with the new single, "End Times".


Everything Rots features 13 brand new tracks and shows once again what the hardest band in Denmark is built for - brutal deathcore. The album will be released on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.


Singer Andreas Bjulver comments: "'End Times' is our soundtrack to the end of the world, it's fast and aggressive and marks a new era of Cabal and the announcement of our next album, Everything Rots. We are back and we are angrier than ever."




Stream "End Times" here, and watch the video below.


Cabal has through the years proved themselves as one of the heaviest and most uncompromising metal acts hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark. The bands sound is visceral and destructive and aims to bring forth absolute chaos by drawing inspiration from everything from crushing death metal, contemporary metallic hardcore and metalcore to unnerving soundscapes and dark electronic music.


Since the release of  their first album in 2018 the band toured most of the planet, from Europe and North America to Japan and Australia, as well as renowned festivals like, Roskilde Festival, Copenhell, Summer Slaughter, Brutal Assault and many more, and they have no intention of slowing down. All of the above combined with features from some of the modern metal scenes most prominent names like; Matt Heafy from Trivium, Jamie Hails from Polaris and Joe Bad from Fit For An Autopsy, the band has shown the world that Denmark has something to offer when it comes to bone crushing heaviness.


The band are now gearing up for the release of their 4th studio album, Everything Rots. Everything Rots is the most focused and ferocious Cabal has ever sounded, while still expanding on the sound that fans expect from the band. Ear piercing electronic parts and unsettling soundscapes fuse together with bone-rattling riffs and uncompromising breakdowns to create a sonic attack on the senses that’s sure to please and surprise any fan of extreme heaviness. Just like instrumentals the lyrics are dark and direct as they detail the cyclical nature of depression, addiction and trauma, as they work through and detail deeply scarring life experiences and invite the listernes inside a dark world were everything everything rots and falls apart again and again and again.


Tracks like ’Still Cursed’ dives into the struggle of dealing with depression and feeling eternally cursed, while the title track is an anthem for the generations born into a world of crushing uncertainty, that feels like it could collapse around them at any time. "No Peace" describes the harrowing real life ordeal of finding a dying suicide victim in the streets of Copenhagen, and powerlessly watching the life drains from their eyes. "Unveiled" and "Forever Marked" deals with two sides of the same experience of having an abuser close to you. One describes the intense anger and feeling of betrayal, that comes from finding out that someone you considered family could commit such acts, while the other the feeling of guilt in knowing that this happened so close to you without you catching on to it.


The album will be released through Nuclear Blast in April and like a rabid hell hound on a chain, this album is foaming at the mouth to be released and unleash the rot upon the world.


Pre-order Everything Rots here.





Tracklisting:


"Become Nothing"
"Redemption Denied"
"Everything Rots"
"No Peace" (ft. Jamie of Viscera)
"Hell Hounds"
"Still Cursed" (ft. Aaron of Ten56)
"Unveiled" (ft. Matthi of Nasty)
"Forever Marked"

On December 13 internationally, Personal Records will issue August Moon's debut album, Something Eldritch And Macabre on CD format. Preorder at personal-records.com.


The origins of August Moon can be traced back to the year 1993, when a couple of Finnish pimple-faced heavy metal teenagers playing in a band called As Serenity Fades decided that there was more to explore in the metal universe and teamed up with likeminded good friends to form another band in parallel - basically, to get to play more and try out ideas not that suitable for the "main band" at the time. 


During this first short stint, lasting 1993-1994, August Moon recorded two demos, Rosegardens in 1993 followed by an untitled two-track demo in 1994, before splitting up with other life interests taking over. These demos were later released by The Crypt label in 2011 as part of the As Serenity Fades / August Moon - Earthborn / Lowering Sunset / Rosegardens split LP.




Come the year 2014 and August Moon started their second leg, now as manly men and in trio format, with bassist Mikko Sorja taking over the main vocal duties from drummer Tom Henriksson and guitarist Peter Viherkanto continuing with the songwriting. This time, it took 10 years to release anything. 


In 2024, August Moon finally started releasing the end results of their work with the self-produced four-song EP Something Eldritch Up In The Heavens Soon To Wreak Havoc Down On Earth, released in January and then followed up by the single "Summoning Of The Feathered Serpent" the following month. Unbeknownst to all but the band themselves, these five songs plus four more would soon comprise their debut album, Something EldritchAand Macabre.


Tellingly titled, Something Eldritch And Macabre is indeed a throwback to ancient times - again, this is authentically '90s-vintage Finnish melodic death metal before the term "melodic" became used & abused beyond belief - but one deceptively forward-thinking, if not "modern" in the non-pejorative sense. Right from the opening seconds of the album, August Moon literally explode with a flurry / fury of unorthodox yet totally metal ideas. 


From the righteously world-eating vocals to the strangely addicting organs working magick with the skewed-yet-still-linear riffing, from the complex-yet-catchy songwriting to the alternately raw / slicked-up production, nearly every element of Something Eldritch And Macabre walks its own weird path, but they all meet as a pentagram of powerful totality. 


Put another way, August Moon here reinvigorate all that the original melodic death metal scene of the '90s represented - and all that the modern iterations of the style are lacking today. Further, they carry on the unfinished business of their original formation by reestablishing the Finnish sound of that era, totally untouched, which is rare nowadays with newer releases. 


For those still pining for a logical through-point from Sentenced's North From Here to their all-time-classic Amok, look to Something Eldritch And Macabre. 





Tracklisting:


“In The Gallery Of All Things Macabre”
“Exitus”
“As Cataclysms Swept Across The Cities”
“Journey To Other-Worldly Realms And Beyond”
“Summoning Of The Feathered Serpent”
“Constellations Dislodged From The Night Sky”
“Oannes – He Who Emerged From The Sea�

Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of reissues of Brazen Abbot’s studio albums, Eye Of The Storm and Bad Religion, out on December 6.


"Wake Up Everybody" featuring Thomas Vikström and taken from the Eye Of The Storm album is available below. Pre-order Eye Of The Storm here, and Bad Religion here.


Talking about Eye Of The Storm, Nikolo Kotzev says: “Here’s the second Brazen Abbot album. As always - a labour of love with many memorable tracks. The great Joe Lynn Turner and the Europe guys gave it a special flavour. With this re-release Brazen Abbot comes to life once again! Enjoy!”




“Here’s the re-release of the third Brazen Abbot album. It saw the light of day in 1997, and now, almost 30 years later, it still shines bright as a sunny morning! As usual - brilliant singers and top notch musicians in this musical gem. Rock on!”, he adds in regards to Bad Religion.


Brazen Abbot was originally conceived as a studio project by Bulgarian guitarist, producer, and songwriter Nikolo Kotzev. The band has since performed live on several occasions, particularly in the early 2000’s.


A unique feature of Brazen Abbot is its use of multiple singers on each album. Göran Edman and Joe Lynn Turner have contributed with vocals on most of their records. Initially, Kotzev planned to work with a single vocalist, Göran Edman (ex-Malmsteen) but, due to contractual restrictions, he could only record two songs for the debut album. The “Voice of Rock” Glenn Hughes was then lined up to sing the remaining tracks, but similar issues limited him to three songs.


To complete the album, Thomas Vikström (Talk Of The Town and later on Therion) was brought in, and Kotzev was so satisfied with the outcome that he decided to continue the multi-singer approach for future albums. However, during live performances, Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Malmsteen, Rainbow, Deep Purple) usually handled all lead vocals.


Several Brazen Abbot members also participated in Kotzev’s rock opera Nostradamus (2001). During the rock opera’s development, Brazen Abbot was temporarily on hiatus. Former members of the band include Mic Michaeli, John Levén, and Ian Haugland, all of whom are also members of the legendary rock band Europe.


Eye Of The Storm is the second album from Brazen Abbot. Released originally in 1996 on the Japanese label Zero/JVC and shortly after by the German label USG Records, Eye Of The Storm sees the addition of the awesome singer Joe Lynn Turner to the line-up.


His influence is particularly evident on songs like “Twist Of Fate”, “Line Of Fire”, and “Road To Hell”, while the Europe influence can be found in “Wake Up Everybody”, with a great vocal performance from Thomas Vikström. Göran Edman also appears on lead vocals stamping his mark especially on the power-ballad “Everything's Gonna Be Allright”.


The album cemented the reputation that Brazen Abbot managed to achieve with their first album and offers a truly solid and brilliant melodic hard rock release for all the fans of the genre.


Bad Religion is Brazen Abbot’s third studio album, released in 1997 simultaneously by the Japanese label Zero/JVC and by the German label USG Records.


The record builds from where the previous album left off, offering a hard rock sound heavily influenced by Rainbow, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, Whitesnake and of course Europe, with a slight symphonic edge which came from the mastermind’s Nikolo Kotzev classical training.


Bad Religion sees again three members of Europe in the lineup of musicians, while singers Joe Lynn Turner, Göran Edman and Thomas Vikström put their own stamp on some truly amazing hard rock belters.





Eye Of The Storm tracklisting:


"Eye Of The Storm" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Twist Of Fate" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Fool In Love" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Line Of Fire" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Wake Up Everybody" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Everything's Gonna Be Allright" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Common People" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"The Road To Hell" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Restless In Seattle" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Highway Cindy" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Devil's Allegro" (instrumental)
"I'll Be There For You" (Göran Edman, vocals)


"Wake Up Everybody":





"Eye Of The Storm" feat. Joe Lynn Turner:








Bad Religion tracklisting:


"The Whole World's Crazyv (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Nightmares" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)    
"Two Of A Kind" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"I Will Rise Again" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Day Of The Eagle" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"We Don't Talk Anymore" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Wings Of A Dream" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Bad Religion" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Father To Child" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Love Is On Our Side" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"The Empire Of The Sun" (Göran Edman, vocals)


"Bad Religion":

InsideOutMusic is excited to announce the signing of the Italian progressive metal band, Benthos. Alongside the signing announcement, the band has unleashed their new single, “Fossil”, which marks the first song from their upcoming album with InsideOutMusic. It will be Benthos’ second full length record and will be released in spring 2025.    


Stream/download “Fossil” here, and watch the video below.


Benthos is an experimental progressive metal band from Milan, Italy. Formed in 2018, the quintet gained recognition in the Italian metal scene by opening for The Contortionist in 2019 in their home country. Their debut album, II, released in 2021, is defined by its technical edge, complex rhythms, and heavy, dynamic guitar work balanced with serene, melodic interludes. Benthos’ live performances, described as hypnotic and chaotic, have taken them across Italy and Europe, including a notable appearance at Milan's Dissonance Festival in 2023. While working on their sophomore record, Benthos signed with label InsideOutMusic, which marks a significant milestone for the Italian band.




The band shares about the signing: “Signing with InsideOutMusic marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the Benthos family. This announcement symbolizes a monumental change, where our courage to break free from conventions brings a powerful sense of hope for our future. Now is the time to share our music with the world, with all the passion that has united us since the first moment we played together.”


Thomas Waber, label-head of InsideOutMusic, adds: "We are delighted to welcome Benthos to the InsideOutMusic family. Their modern and daring approach to music caught our attention and we are looking forward to developing this young ambitious band!”


Daring might be the perfect description for their first single with InsideOutMusic, “Fossil”. The immersive song delves into themes of memory, identity, and time. Anchored in the themes of Benthos’ upcoming record, “Fossil” draws on the idea that our present selves are intricately shaped by fragments of the past — fossilized memories embedded deep within our souls. Musically, Fossil is a whirlwind of chaotic, fuzzy tones with atmospheric, space-driven sections, mirroring the disorientation and clarity within the lyrics. Frenetic drumming and unpredictable guitar tones add to the sense of cyclical chaos, while moments of calm draw listeners into a surreal space where time seems to suspend. Shifting from organic vintage sounds to futuristic synthetic tones, Fossil exemplifies Benthos' no-holds-barred approach to music, where boundless creativity reigns.





The band share about the single “Fossil”: “Fossil is the most extravagant track we’ve ever created. A persuasive, energetic, dynamic and primordial journey where the instruments know no boundaries, projecting the listener into an abstract dimension that blends various soundscapes. The song delves into the confrontation between the

Metalhead Zone is reporting that Sebastian Bach has issued an apology after a series of Instagram posts hinted at possible issues in his marriage to Suzanne Le. The posts have since been deleted.


“I sincerely apologize for my posts on social media last night,” Bach wrote alongside a photo of himself with his wife. “I came home to an empty house and had a very strong emotional reaction to that. I am very sorry for posting anything when I am in serious pain. I apologize. I am just so in love with my wife; a world without her in it is very difficult to envision.”


Reflecting on his ten-year marriage, Bach added, “To be honest, when I am not with my wife, I get extremely jealous of anyone who is actually with her. I know that is a flaw, and I am sorry I am not perfect; that is for sure. When I am away from my wife, I get insecure because I love being in the same room as her more than anything in this world.”




He continued, “I would be very upset if anyone thought anything negative about my wife. That is not my intention in any way. It is my jealousy that caused these emotions. My love for Suzanne makes me very jealous, but that is my fault and my fault only.”


The post concluded with, “I love you, Suzanne & I hope you are well. I hope you allow me to love again.”


Read more at Metalhead Zone, and see Bach's post below:




 

 
 

 


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Earlier this month, Bach released a new video - his fifth from his current album Child Within The Man - for “Future of Youth” with special guest performer, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Orianthi. Watch the video for the musically explosive and lyrically unflinching single below.


"I am so excited to share this song and video with the world!,” says the singer, songwriter, author, Broadway star, and actor. “This collaboration with my friend Orianthi began many years ago. The song 'Future Of Youth' has always been very listenable to my ears due to the musicians involved and also the unbeatable combination of Elvis Baskette and Robert Ludwig. The chorus is something I could hear on the radio.”


In tribute to the song’s title, “Future Of Youth” features the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts Choir from BACH’s recently adopted hometown of Las Vegas.


“To have the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts Choir perform and sing in the video makes my heart pound with emotion,” Bach says, “because I fell in love with singing in my own church choir many, many years ago. It has always been a dream of mine to have an actual choir in one of my rock videos—to have one of the top choirs in the country rock out in 'Future of Youth' is exactly what the message of the song is about. The Future of Youth belongs to the Youth and no one else!”





Child Within The Man was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Elvis Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate; and mastered by Robert Ludwig/Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album’s 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals. Child Within The Man features guest appearances from John 5, Steve Stevens, and Orianthi - who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach - and two tracks co-written with Myles Kennedy (“What Do I Got To Lose?” and “To Live Again’); Devin Bronson on guitars, Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Coulson (drums) round out the players on the album.


The album is available on CD (Jewelcase), cassette and double LP in a variety of color options. The album artwork holds special meaning since it was designed by Bach's father, noted visual artist David Bierk. “This album artwork was started in 1978 and finished in 2024!” Sebastian says.


Order/save the album here.





Child Within The Man tracklisting:


"Everybody Bleeds"
"Freedom" (featuring John 5)
"(Hold On) To The Dream"
"What Do I Got to Lose?"
"Hard Darkness"
"Future of Youth" (featuring Orianthi)
"Vendetta"
"F.U." (featuring Steve Stevens)
"Crucify Me"
"About To Break"
"To Live Again"


“Freedom”:





“(Hold On) To The Dream” video:





"Everybody Bleeds" video:





"What Do I Got To Lose?" video:

Following on from their #1 lockdown single “Get Up", Talia Dean and Brian May have collaborated again for "You Made Your Bed". 10% of proceeds, this year, will be donated to Crisis homelessness charity.


The track is a powerful post-break-up song with a new twist that will resonate with millions. The lyrics turn heartbreak into a powerful vision of the future, all overlaid on an irresistibly up-beat music track with unforgettable hooks.  


Talia's vocals are rich, empowering and fuelled with raw emotion as she belts out the lyrics, “You made your bed – now lie in it!”, with May’s period-style tremolo guitar licks providing responses to every chorus line.  He also takes a landmark 16 bar solo in the same style.




The tune is lively and irresistibly catchy - an uplifting pop song that instantly inspires us all to run faster, dance harder and sing out.


Talia Dean says: "I see this song as a firm reminder that the world is a huge place with a population of 8.2 billion. Nobody should never stay in a relationship with a person who treats you badly. Know your worth. It’s better to stay single than with a person who doesn’t respect you. No matter what age you are, where you are in the world, or what your situation is - it's NEVER too late to break free and strive for happiness. In recent times I’ve come to realise that I deserve love, attention and respect. I put up with toxic behaviour longer that I should have. I deserve to be with someone who cherishes me and so do you. Live your life and strive for true love. It’s defiantly out there.”


Bri

Although the echoes of the release of their acclaimed comeback album, Skinwalker, have not died down yet, The Eternal today unveils a new standalone single, “Everlasting – MMXXIV”.





The track is a reimagining and re-recording of their classic song “Everlasting,” originally featured on their Sleep Of Reason album. Years later, the upgraded version ‘‘Everlasting - MMXXIV’’ stands strong with its dark, brooding, gothic overtones and signature epic chorus lead by Mark Kelson’s unique and melodic vocal style. The track features strong rhythmic contributions from drummer Jan Rechberger (Amorphis) and bassist Niclas Etelävuori (ex-Amorphis, Flat Earth), and the energetic lead guitars of longtime guitarist, Richie Poate.




In a haunting exploration of change and impermanence, “Everlasting - MMXXIV’” reflects on personal transformation and the ephemeral nature of life. The song grapples with the shifting sands of existence, pondering who has evolved and who has been left behind. As they confront their own evolving self, they are haunted by the ghosts of past connections and memories that fade with time.


The Eternal will also be presenting a unique Dolby Atmos version of the song on Apple Music - an advanced audio technology which creates a three-dimensional sound experience.


Kelson elaborates, “It has been a great opportunity to re-record and reimagine this song with the current lineup of the band. I feel we have really taken this song much further than I could have nineteen years ago and it is fantastic to present this new version of ‘Everlasting’ in the Dolby Atmos format and give our fans the chance to have an immersive experience with The Eternal.”


Rechberger adds, “This song caught my ear already back in 2013 when The Eternal was supporting Amorphis on an Australian tour. I was super excited to re-record this epic song with the current lineup of The Eternal and could not be happier about the result. It's groovy, melancholic, catchy, heavy, massive, and Mark's vocals are packed with so much emotion on this one. It’s definitely a must listen for fans of The Eternal.”


Stream/download the single here, and watch the official lyric video below:

Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke to Impellitteri guitarist Chris Impellitteri and singer Rob Rock about the band's new album, War Machine. Watch the video below.


In the chat Chris Impellitteri explained their decision to name one of their new songs "Wrathchild".


Says Chris: "This is not Rob's fault, this is actually my fault because I gave him that lyric. So actually, where you say 'Wrathchild' and it's funny the way you pronounce it, is almost actually originally what it was going to be. Originally it was about Rothchild. What I thought of in a capitalistic society we're really driven unfortunately by greed, we want more more more more more. And I think we have this misconception, if you have a ton of money then you have power and with power you have influence, and to a lesser degree that's true. So I had this vision when I was writing it, believe it or not, about this child obsessed as he evolved in life with acquiring wealth, fortune and power, so he could rule the world. But then inevitably finding out that it's a shallow grave you're digging. There's going to be no self-fulfillment at the end, it ends badly for you. And at that point something magical happens and all of a sudden this child is able to put the wrath upon those forces. Greed, power, manipulation whatever... And I thought, 'oh that's cool it's the wrath of this child back on those forces of capitalism.' So I said, 'oh that'd be great', but I was like, 'you can't call it 'Wrathchild' it's a Maiden song right?' So I knew that but I remember telling Rob, maybe we should change to Rothchild right, because like you know the Vanderbilts, Carnegies, Rothchild whatever... I thought that'd be cool but then I thought, you know screw that, let's call it 'Wrathchild' because also I'm a huge fan of Maiden and I think in a some way, in a weird way, it's an ultimate kind of like homage or tribute cause we love Maiden."







Impellitteri's War Machine is out now via Frontiers Music Srl.


With legions of fans worldwide, Impellitteri is known for exciting music, addictive riffs, and mesmerizing melodies. New album War Machine features guitar hero Chris Impellitteri’s guitar virtuosity and lead singer Rob Rock’s vocal range powered by the incredible rhythmic foundation of bassist James Pulli, and former Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph.


With War Machine, the Impellitteri band presents a mind-blowing, highly energetic, and thrilling new musical adventure.


Order War Machine here.





Tracklisting:


"War Machine"
"Out Of My Mind (Heavy Metal)"
"Superkingdom"
"Wrathchild"
"What Lies Beneath"
"Hell On Earth"
"Power Grab"
"Beware The Hunter"
"Light It Up"
"Gone Insane"
"Just Another Day"


"Wrathchild" video:

According to Billboard, MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine has agreed to pay his former manager $1.4 million to end the litigation over accusations the band still owed commissions after the manager was "unceremoniously" fired.

In his June 2023 lawsuit, which has been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Cory Brennan and his Five B Artist Management claimed that they were approached by Mustaine in late 2014 to manage the MEGADETH leader's career "and get it back on track. Mustaine and Brennan had a preexisting friendship from when Brennan was the General Manager of Sanctuary Records, which had released three successful records for Mustaine and MEGADETH. Over a few phone calls and an in-person meeting, Mustaine and Brennan agreed that Brennan and 5B would manage Mustaine's career in exchange for a 15 percent commission on all gross proceeds earned by Mustaine and his entities from products released during Plaintiffs' management term (songs, albums, merchandise, etc.),and all contracts executed or substantially negotiated during the management term, regardless of when those proceeds were received," the lawsuit stated. "Mustaine also agreed to reimburse Brennan and 5B for all customary costs they incurred to render their management services, including travel and other management-related expenses.

"Under the Agreement, Plaintiffs began managing Mustaine's career in early 2015," the lawsuit continued. "Plaintiffs successfully managed Mustaine's career for the next nine years, and helped re-establish his band, MEGADETH, as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Plaintiffs worked tirelessly as Mustaine's manager during that time, helping him with his personal struggles, looking out for his health and well-being at home and on the road, protecting him from bad influences, managing his personal and professional conflicts, and guiding him creatively to produce some of his best music. Plaintiffs were available to Mustaine 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During Plaintiffs' management, the band won its first Grammy, released two of its highest charting records, and saw its demand rise from playing small clubs to arenas and amphitheaters all over the world. Plaintiffs' role in this success cannot be disputed. As recently as December 2022, after Brennan helped advise Mustaine and his booking agents in building a lucrative summer and fall tour schedule, Mustaine wrote to Brennan: 'Excellent work Cory! No one can manage as successfully and professionally as you.'

"Despite this success and their long-term relationship, on April 28, 2023, Mustaine, through his lawyer, unexpectedly and unceremoniously terminated Plaintiffs, stating no reason for the termination," the lawsuit added. "On information and belief, the decision was made to help send business to Mustaine's son, who has been trying to build a career in artist management. The letter also wrongly asserted that, from its date forward, Plaintiffs would have no right to collect any commissions in connection with the products released and contracts entered into or substantially negotiated before the termination."

In a statement to Billboard on Wednesday, Brennan's attorney, Howard King, said that while his client was "displeased at having to sue an artist," he was “gratified" by the settlement payment.

"Dave Mustaine, who has a known history of firing advisors, terminated Five B Artist Management after 9 years of their having resurrected his failing career," King said. "Ignoring the success Five B had helped Dave achieve, including a campaign to help him win his first Grammy, the release of two hit albums, and the elevation of his touring from small clubs back to arenas and amphitheaters, Dave simply refused to pay commissions owing and forced 5B to file a lawsuit."

Still unresolved is the countersuit Mustaine filed against Brennan last year, in which the MEGADETH frontman accused his former manager of "continuous and repeated management failures throughout their professional relationship with Mustaine and MEGADETH. These failures — the result of [Brennan and Five B's] conflicts of interest, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty — have, in addition to their monetary injuries, dealt serious blows to MEGADETH's reputation and even David Mustaine's physical health," the cross-complaint, which has also been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, reads. "Far from an alleged 'successful nine-year relationship' that helped guide MEGADETH back to prominence and success, as [Brennan and Five B] assert, [Brennan and Five B's] management was inattentive and careless, plagued with missteps and mistakes that were at best amateurish and unprofessional, and at worst dangerous and harmful. This mismanagement pervaded all aspects of [Brennan and Five B's] representation; months after firing Brennan for his managerial failures, [Mustaine and MEGADETH] are still discovering and attempting to resolve problems created by Brennan and 5B."

Citing one example of how "the health of Mustaine and the MEGADETH crew was jeopardized and indeed harmed by Brennan and 5B's mismanagement," Mustaine's attorney wrote in the cross-complaint: "In 2023, MEGADETH was scheduled to perform in Australia at Knotfest, a music festival created by the heavy metal band SLIPKNOT, whose manager was Brennan. Before MEGADETH performed, Brennan was notified that the stage lacked the 21 feet of stage space between the front edge of the drum riser and Mustaine's microphone — the distance required for Mustaine to perform safely without damaging his hearing. Instead, the stage at Knotfest Australia only had approximately twelve feet between the drum riser front edge and the microphone — over nine feet less than was safely required. Brennan was already aware of the necessity of this stage space, as it was specified in the band's rider.

"In an attempt to resolve this problem and perform safely, [Mustaine and MEGADETH] asked Brennan to move SLIPKNOT's production back to allow for more space on the stage. Brennan refused.

"After performing two nights with this limited and unsafe stage space, Mustaine's hearing sustained damage, requiring medical attention from Australian paramedics. This injury has caused significant harm to Mustaine's hearing; he continues to suffer hearing loss, and is in the process of seeking further treatment."

According to Mustaine's complaint, Brennan and Five B "also failed to pursue revenues that were owed to Mustaine. In 2017, Mustaine informed [Brennan and Five B] that he intended to pursue his interest in songwriting credit and royalties for songs that he wrote or co-wrote as a member of METALLICA, and for which he was owed royalties. [Five B] participated in discussions with Mustaine regarding these credits and royalties, and were aware that they were responsible for pursuing this matter to ensure that Mustaine was appropriately credited and compensated for his work, they failed to do so. After broaching the topic in 2017, they never received any updates on the matter. Instead, upon information and belief, [Five B] simply failed to act. Through their inaction, [Five B] failed to appropriately pursue or protect [Mustaine's] interests."

MEGADETH recently completed the "Destroy All Enemies" U.S. tour with MUDVAYNE and ALL THAT REMAINS.

Launched on August 2 at Walmart AMP, Rogers, Arkansas, the trek, produced by Live Nation, hit 33 cities, including Las Vegas, Boston and St. Louis, before wrapping up on September 28 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Since its inception in 1983, MEGADETH has ascended from its raw thrash metal roots to become one of the biggest bands in the heavy metal world. Their groundbreaking album "Rust In Peace", released in 1990, is frequently cited as a seminal work in the thrash metal genre. Along with the critically acclaimed "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", it cemented MEGADETH's place in the annals of metal history.

Over four decades, the band's discography has earned numerous certifications, including platinum and multi-platinum awards, with albums like "Countdown To Extinction" and "Youthanasia" achieving widespread critical acclaim. 2016's "Dystopia" not only marked a high point with their first Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" after twelve nominations but also set the stage for their latest LP, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" in 2022.

DIRKSCHNEIDER, the band featuring former ACCEPT members Udo Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass),along with drummer Sven Dirkschneider (Udo's son) and the talented guitar duo of Andrey Smirnov and Fabian "Dee" Dammers, celebrated the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall", which was originally released in late 1983 and is the most commercially successful and best-known album by ACCEPT, by performing the LP in its entirety at the Rock Al Parque festival on November 9 at Parque Simón Bolívar in Bogota, Colombia. Professionally filmed video of the concert is available below.

The full setlist was as follows:

01. Balls To The Wall (ACCEPT song)
02. London Leatherboys (ACCEPT song)
03. Fight It Back (ACCEPT song)
04. Head Over Heels (ACCEPT song)
05. Losing More Than You've Ever Had (ACCEPT song)
06. Love Child (ACCEPT song)
07. Turn Me On (ACCEPT song)
08. Losers And Winners (ACCEPT song)
09. Guardian Of The Night (ACCEPT song)
10. Winter Dreams (ACCEPT song)
11. Fast As A Shark (ACCEPT song)

In a recent interview with Eric Blair of The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, Udo spoke about his plan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall". He said: "I think next year we make a break with U.D.O., and now we start in November in South America, the 40-years anniversary of the 'Balls To The Wall' album. And that means I think we continue until the end of next year. I mean, there's already booking stuff. and it goes very well. So that means, of course, I play the whole 'Balls To The Wall' album. And I'm really looking forward to this. Also now I have Peter [Baltes, former ACCEPT bassist, playing] with me."

Asked what he loves about playing with Peter again, Udo said: "[It's] fantastic. We have a really good relationship. So when he left ACCEPT in 2018, we were working together on an album with the German army, a classic album. We were writing songs together, and that was the first time we were working together again. And then the problem came for [U.D.O.] when we had this 'Game Over' tour in Europe. The other bass player that we had at this time felt very sick. And then for me it was, like, 'Hmm, hmm. What am I doing? I need a bass player who can do everything very quick.' I was calling Peter. I asked him, 'Can you help us on this tour?' And then, I think in South America, the bass player that we had before, he said, 'Yeah, I don't wanna do it anymore. I'm out of U.D.O.' And then we were sitting there in a restaurant, and I said, 'Oh, no. We have to look for a new bass player.' And Peter said, 'Maybe I would love to join U.D.O.' So here we go. And it's good. I mean, I'm really looking forward also to work with him on the next U.D.O. album."

Nine years ago — in 2015 — Udo announced that he would embark on a special tour during which he would perform ACCEPT songs one last time under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner before closing that chapter for good. Since then, the former ACCEPT frontman has continued to play ACCEPT material at select shows, including at the September 18, 2020 U.D.O. concert in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which was released on DVD and Blu-ray.

When he first announced the original DIRKSCHNEIDER tour in 2015, Udo said that had "to make a clear break for myself — close the book and this is it. And I have the problem that people come to me and ask me to play more ACCEPT songs," he explained. "Other people ask me why I play ACCEPT songs at all, because there are [more than] fifteen U.D.O. records. I want to avoid such things and avoid the repeating questions concerning ACCEPT. I just can't stand that anymore. There is nothing more to be said. U.D.O. exists longer than ACCEPT. We have more records than ACCEPT."

While acknowledging that some ACCEPT fans want to hear the band's classic songs performed by the group's original singer, Dirkschneider explained that "you always have these comparisons [between how these songs are played by ACCEPT and U.D.O.]. I don't want this anymore either. [The current lineup of ACCEPT] also play 'Metal Heart', they play 'Balls To The Wall' and 'Princess Of The Dawn'. And then some people tell me, 'Oh, [current ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo] is doing it better than you.' And I go, 'That's fine. Enjoy yourself.' But I don't want this anymore. And to avoid all of this in the future, I said, 'We are doing this one more time.'"

Dirkschneider said that his vow to never play ACCEPT material again came with one caveat. "If the band ACCEPT dissolves one day in the near future and I am still around with U.D.O., then there is a chance that I put ACCEPT songs back in the setlist," he said. "But currently there is ACCEPT, so go see them [if you want to see those songs performed live]. They are playing these songs."

Udo previously said the original plan was for DIRKSCHNEIDER to only "a few shows," and "then [the tour] got bigger and bigger [due to demand]." But, he added, "I don't want to complain about that."

Back in 2018, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann declined to comment on Dirkschneider's decision to embark on one final tour during which the singer would perform nothing but ACCEPT songs. "I have lots of thoughts about that, but I'm not gonna share 'em with you," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'd rather not comment on that, because that seems so much 'back and forth,' and I think I should stay away from it… You can draw your own conclusions all day long, but I'm not gonna get into it; it's just not worth it.

"I get asked [about Udo] so many times, and, man, it's been so many years — it's such an old story by now," Wolf continued. "We've moved on way past that, and we've had [15] brilliant years [with Mark Tornillo], we're making cool albums; I think we're doing fine. So I don't spend any time thinking about it.

"I'm very proud of the history we have together and all that, but I'm just not gonna get into the current 'he said, she said' whatever — it's not worth it," Hoffmann concluded.

San Francisco Bay Area metal titans MACHINE HEAD have released a new single, "These Scars Won't Define Us". The official lyric video for the track, which features guest appearances by the other three bands which will accompany MACHINE HEAD on the Robb Flynn-fronted outfit's spring 2025 North American tour — Swedish metal icons IN FLAMES, Italian alt-metallers LACUNA COIL and American metalcore maestros UNEARTH — can be seen below.

The five-week jaunt will begin on April 5, 2025 in Oakland, California at the legendary Fox Theater, then heads south for a stop at Sick New World festival, then east, and back across Canada, before concluding on May 10 in Kelowna, British Columbia.

"These Scars Won't Define Us" is taken from MACHINE HEAD's upcoming album, which is slated for an April 2025 release.

MACHINE HEAD's current lineup includes former HAVOK guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs. Scruggs stepped in for MACHINE HEAD's previous guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, who had been unable to make some of the group's dates due to his touring commitments with his longtime band DECAPITATED.

Reece made his live debut with MACHINE HEAD in November 2022 at Strummer's in Fresno, California at the opening show of the "Electric Happy Hour (Live)" tour.

Vogg joined MACHINE HEAD's touring lineup prior to the launch of the band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019.

The rest of MACHINE HEAD's lineup consists of guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT).

Earlier this year, MACHINE HEAD completed the "Slaughter The Martour" North American tour with support from L.A.'s FEAR FACTORY, Sweden's ORBIT CULTURE and Louisville, Kentucky's GATES TO HELL.

MACHINE HEAD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Of Kingdom And Crown", which came out in August 2022. The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis" includes the three songs that were featured on the 2021 "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the latest MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/producer Zack Ohren.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between frontman Robb Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

Rolling Stone is reporting that a new lawsuit alleges members of the legendary progressive rock band, YES, used a composition stolen from fellow prog-rock musician, Riz Story, as the basis for "Dare To Know", the second single off the band's 2021 album, The Quest.


The copyright infringement complaint, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles and obtained by Rolling Stone, alleges Jon Davison, the lead singer of YES since 2012, conspired with guitarist Steve Howe to pilfer protected portions from a song titled “Reunion”. While “Reunion” hasn’t been released as a standalone song, it was featured in A Winter Rose, Story’s 2014 indie movie starring Paul Sorvino, Billy Zane, Taryn Manning, and Edward Furlong.


Story, whose legal name is Rudolph Zahler, alleges Davison was familiar with his music because they met in 1990 through late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and have worked together on-and-off for decades. According to Zahler, he, Davison, and Hawkins played together in the first version of his prog-rock band Anyone when they were in their early twenties.




Zahler alleges he helped Davison audition for his role in YES and that Davison asked him to co-write songs for YES in 2013. He claims Davison even agreed to pitch Zahler for a prod

Norwegian black metal outfit Old Man's Child, led by former Dimmu Borgir guitarist Galder, have shared a lyric video for "Enslaved And Condemned", taken fromn their 2005 album, Vermin. Check it out below.





Old Man's Child recently announced their first live performance since 2000. The band have confirmed their appearance at the 2025 edition of Oslo, Norway's Tons Of Rock festival, taking place June 25 - 28. Other acts on the bill include Emperor, Powerwolf, Alestorm, Jinjer, and more. Tickets here.







A day after Dimmu Borgir headlined the main stage at Dynamo Metal Fest in Eindhoven, Netherlands on August 17,

Norwegian avant-garde metal legends In The Woods... have penned their signatures under a multi-album deal with Prophecy Productions. 


In The Woods...  will release their upcoming new studio album via the label in 2025.


In The Woods... comment: "We are honored to announce our signing with Prophecy Productions, a label that we have felt connected to for many years already", drummer Anders Kobro states on behalf of the band. "Our paths have crossed before in the past, and it feels natural that our journey has ultimately led us to join forces again. 




“Prophecy Productions' dedication to supporting visionary artists resonates deeply with our own commitment to crafting immersive, atmospheric music that reflects the landscapes and spirit of our homeland around Kristiansand. We are looking forward to bring our new release and future creations to listeners worldwide together with the label, and to share the profound connection between nature, art, and the human spirit. This partnership feels like a homecoming, and we are excited about what lies ahead."


In The Woods... are preparing for the launch of their forthcoming new album, which promises to reflect the strength and artistic maturity of the band’s third incarnation. This re

11-year-old guitarist Maya Neelakantan from Chennai, India, who has gone viral for her "America's Got Talent" audition, joined EXODUS on stage on Monday, November 4 at the House Of Blues in Orlando, Florida to perform the EXODUS song "Brain Dead". Fan-filmed video of her appearance can be seen below.

This past August, Neelakantan went viral again for her rendition of METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" at the "America's Got Talent" quarterfinals. The young guitarist had previously covered PAPA ROACH's "Last Resort" in front of a packed live audience at the "America's Got Talent" auditions.

Maya recently hung out with SLAYER and EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt. In addition, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones gifted her one of his own signature Gibson Les Pauls after coming across her rendition of TOOL's 16-minute masterpiece "7empest". In 2023 she went viral after playing a mashup of 22 TOOL songs all in one take.

"I have been listening to SLAYER, METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, EXODUS and LAMB OF GOD ever since I was two years old," she said. "I loved thrash metal because of how energetic it sounded. Every time it was playing, I always jumped up and down."

As for how she envisions her own music, Maya said: "My dream is to create a genre of my own. Something that merges all of my musical interests together. It'll be a combination of extreme thrash metal and intricate Carnatic music in its traditional form. And it will be something as crafted as TOOL music."

In September, Maya joined TESTAMENT on stage at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform the TESTAMENT song "Curse Of The Legions Of Death (C.O.T.L.O.D.)".

In a new interview with Brocarde, former MOTÖRHEAD and current PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS guitarist Phil Campbell spoke about concertgoers using cell phones to take photos and videos of performances and sometimes filming entire shows instead of enjoying the moment. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "As soon as we get on stage, you see all the phones coming up. And I don't mind somebody filming a little bit — you know, half a song. You get people, and I see them and they've been there, they're expressionless and they've been there the entire show. They haven't moved a limb. And stuff like that really pisses me off. You should live in the moment. And it's off-putting as well. I much preferred it when people couldn't be just filming. And the quality's crap anyway. I'd rather see them tapping their feet or anything… You walk on stage and automatically everyone — the cameras come up, phones. You gotta be in the moment. You gotta be there. It's important."

Back in May 2018, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna spoke out against cell-phone use at concerts, saying that there's "something really magical that happens when" you are not experiencing live performances through a "little four-inch screen."

A number of other musicians have come out in recent years to say that mobile technology is ruining the concert experience, including SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor. He told "Loudwire Nights" that "it's fine" if people want to take pictures of his bands' shows, but not so much if they are videotaping entire performances. "It's one thing to film it, it's another thing to just be staring at your screen while you're filming it," he said. "It's right there. Are you so terrified of real life that you can't do anything unless it's on that little four-by-four screen? Ugggh. It's very weird."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach in 2015 urged fans to keep their cell phones at the bottom of their pockets and just watch his performances. "Be in the moment," he said. "You're distracted and it's distracting to the performer as well. Like, put your fuckin' cell phone away, dammit! You're never even going to watch that footage."

The overuse of cellphones to capture grainy, blurry photos and videos at concerts has for years vexed and enraged artists like Bach, who lamented the fact that every one of his performances could be recorded and shared on YouTube almost immediately.

"If I go to a wedding and sing a song, it's on Blabbermouth the next day and everybody analyzes it," said Bach. "It's a really backwards way to watch a band. It's a drag sometimes when I go up there and the first thing I see is everybody getting their phones out and holding them toward my face. It makes you feel intimidated."

Back in 2012, Bruce Dickinson chastised a fan for texting during an IRON MAIDEN concert, calling him a "wanker."

When Axl Rose reunited with his former GUNS N' ROSES bandmates, Duff McKagan and Slash, for the first time in 23 years at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in April 2016, the concert was phone-free.

During a November 8 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford spoke about her long-awaited new studio album. Ford's upcoming follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" was once again helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We actually just have to master it, which takes a day. And that's it. I mean, it's pretty much done. But I've been working on this record with Hoey for a long time now. And I feel like a lot of the songs were in such a personal place, and I would never wanna go back and record those again. So what you're gonna hear from this record is the real deal. It came from the heart, it came from the soul. I feel like I had to live it before we could write it."

Regarding her working relationship with Gary, Lita said: "And Hoey is the greatest. He just captures stuff. And you start a sentence, and he finishes it. And we work very well together."

This past July, Ford told Joe Rock of Long Island's rock station 102.3 WBAB about her upcoming LP: "The studio, for me, has always been trying to teach everybody what I wanna hear. And a lot of that is because they basically don't know themselves as a producer or an engineer. I've had some of the greatest engineers and I've had some of the greatest producers, and this album — we're finished with it now — [was produced by] Gary Hoey. Gary Hoey is a great musician, great guitar player. And Gary and I — I can throw any idea at Gary, and he would try and make it happen. And the thing about being in the studio is you try and make things happen, and if they don't happen, then they don't happen. You can only try. And so we got real creative with guitars and we played — there's a lot of great guitars on this new record. I'm really excited about it."

Lita went on to say that the creation of her new album was completely in her control. "There were no songwriters that I had to work with because somebody else wanted me to work with them," she explained. "This is strictly Lita and what Lita wanted to do. And it's a concept record. There's a big story behind it. And so it's gonna open a lot of doors for a lot of things. And a lot of people are gonna be able to relate to this record. And it has some great musicians. Bobby Rock played drums on it. Jean Beauvoir wrote one of the songs with me. And it's just a great record. And Gary Hoey, of course, produced it. Max Norman, who mixed it — Max Norman did a lot of stuff for Ozzy [Osbourne] and MEGADETH, and he's just a metal guy. So it's all in the right hands. I've got all the badass people behind me. Got a new manager, and it's all good."

In May 2022, bassist Marten Andersson (STEELHEART, LIZZY BORDEN, LYNCH MOB) officially joined Lita's touring band. Andersson replaced Marty O'Brien who became the touring bassist for DAUGHTRY.

In a 2023 interview with "THAT Rocks!", the YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Lita stated about her next LP: "The problem is we've had so many things happen over the last few years. Our manager died; George Marshall died [in] '22. And then my songwriting partner died. And it's just been devastation. But we take all that pain and everything and we just put it right back into the album. And then we recorded the drum tracks in Minneapolis during Black Lives Matter and COVID. Everything was locked down and the place was boarded up and the guys had shotguns and Rottweilers. And then we went in and did drum tracks. And it was awesome. Just memories of just pure badassery."

Regarding what her plans are for live shows in support of her upcoming LP, Lita said: "Well, what I would like to do is put together a theatrical show, sort of like a rock guitar opera kind of thing. It's been done before and different bands have done it before, but I think in this case, it might be a little different and just to bring the whole show not to life just for audio, but for visual reasons also."

In January 2021, Lita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that her new album contains "some of the best guitar playing" she has heard "in decades." She added: "And I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass, but Gary and I just nailed it with the guitar playing on this record.

"I'm a huge fan of people like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from Alice Cooper's 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. I mean, there's some really great duo guitar players — [JUDAS PRIEST's] Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing… Those guitar players don't exist anymore — they just don't exist. If you wanna hear them, you have to go back in time a little bit and dig them up into your favorite library, favorite music catalog. But I think Gary and I really nailed it on this next record. It's, like, oh my God. I'm crying — I'm just, like, crying listening to this stuff. It's so badass."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Eight years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books),an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, guitarist Oscar Dronjak of Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. Oscar said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What worries me is two things, actually. The first one is with A.I. more general, what can you believe after a while? Right now it's kind of easy to see the line, but it's getting blurrier and blurrier every day. And that is already a problem that is extremely big in today's society with news and shit. People just repost stuff without thinking, or they don't check what the source is. Just because it aligns in their little sphere of beliefs or whatever, they just push it out there and nobody bothers to check if it's true or not. And A.I. makes that a million times harder to spot, if it's true or not."

He continued: "As far as an artist, it does worry me in the sense that — 'cause if people say, 'I'm going to use it as a tool,' I think you lost the right to create songs, because then you're not coming up with anything. Even if somebody comes up with the idea, like in A.I., you put whatever in and they get, 'Oh, this was kind of a cool thing. I'm gonna steal that and say I wrote it.' I think that's gonna be very detrimental. And it also means that things are gonna sound more similar. They already are similar, but it's gonna be more and more similar because it's not infinite. So I'm actually very worried about that. I think as far as live shows go, okay, you can do a lot of shit now as well, but HAMMERFALL has always prided ourselves on being a rock and roll band, meaning that we play our instruments, we perform live and it's the energy that is the important part of the music and of the concerts. We always said, if you wanna have a flawlessly played concert or song, listen to the CD. Because the interaction between the audience and the band or the artists on stage, that is, for me, the whole concept on a heavy metal show. The live experience is the one thing you can't download."

When Botas noted that he is not interested in seeing ABBA's "Voyage" show in London, which was created using the same technology that is being used to produce the KISS avatars, Oscar said: "I see what you mean, and I agree with you with a band that I am not a super fan of, but a band that [I feel like] 'I don't care if it's a real thing or not, I can go see it,' then it would make sense. But for KISS, absolutely no way. I've seen 'em a million times. That's one of my favorite bands of all time, [it's] been [one of my favorite bands] since I was a kid. I'm not interested in seeing a A.I. KISS or whatever the thing they're planning — that doesn't have any allure for me at all."

The KISS avatars were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and were financed and produced by the Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, which is behind "ABBA Voyage".

KISS will reportedly become the first American band to go fully virtual and stage its own avatar show.

The avatars will be available for live shows around the world and in digital online settings, which some people collectively refer to as the metaverse.

HAMMERFALL's latest album, "Avenge The Fallen", was released in August via Nuclear Blast Records.

In December 2022, HAMMERFALL, which started its career in 1997 on Nuclear Blast with its debut album "Glory To The Brave", announced that it was returning to the long-running German label.

HAMMERFALL's entire Nuclear Blast catalog, from "Glory To The Brave" to the 2014 album "(r)Evolution" was certified with a diamond award for over 1.5 million worldwide sales.

Following on from "Renegade" (2000),"Crimson Thunder" (2002) and "No Sacrifice, No Victory" (2009),HAMMERFALL's fifth studio album, "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken" from 2005, became the band's fourth album to go gold in Sweden, while "Crimson Thunder" even went platinum, surpassing 60,000 sales in the group's home country.

In April 2023, HAMMERFALL released a special platinum edition of "Crimson Thunder" with tons of bonus material.

Photo credit: Tallee Savage (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

In a new interview with That Metal Interview, CROWBAR frontman Kirk Windstein spoke about the status of DOWN, the long-running heavy metal supergroup in which he is joined by vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I've been in DOWN world [for the last few months] kinda, writing with DOWN and finishing up the writing for the album that's [gonna come] out next year at some point… We've got 10 new songs, man. It's awesome."

DOWN played its rescheduled concert at Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico on September 27. The band was originally supposed to perform at at Inn Of The Mountain Gods on June 20, but the show was called off due to a pair of rapidly growing wildfires which were converging on a village inside a tribal reservation in the state. As a result of the postponement, DOWN played two pop-up shows in Louisiana — on June 20 at Southport Hall in New Orleans and on June 21 at Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge.

When DOWN's concert at Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino was first announced in April, the band said that Windstein would sit out the show due to his commitments with CROWBAR. Filling in for him at the June gigs was former DOWN guitarist Bobby Landgraf. Windstein was able to rejoin his DOWN bandmates for the rescheduled Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino show.

Prior to Southport Hall, DOWN's last concert took place in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia.

DOWN made a handful of rare live appearances in the spring and summer of 2022. The band launched a three-date U.S. run of shows in May 2022 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. After playing in Atlanta and Dallas immediately after Rockville, DOWN took a three-week break before regrouping for three European festival appearances in June. The aforementioned appearance at that year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival followed in September 2022.

In August 2021, DOWN took part in a very special in-person live and virtual experience. "NOLA Town Throwdown" was held at the Fillmore in New Orleans, Louisiana and featured fans attending the show in person as well as watching it in real time from the comfort of their living room.

In August 2020, DOWN celebrated the 25th anniversary of "NOLA" with a special livestreamed event. Dubbed "The Quarter Century Throwdown", the high-production, multi-camera event took place using cutting-edge streaming technology to create a one-of-a-kind virtual concert experience.

A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER),and HONKY.

Windstein announced his return to DOWN in 2019, with the band confirming a number of festival appearances for 2020 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "NOLA", all of which were later canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which swept the globe.

Prior to the August 2020 livestream, DOWN's last live appearance took place in August 2016 at the Psycho Las Vegas festival in Las Vegas.

The supergroup hasn't issued anything since the arrival of the "Down IV – Part Two" EP in May 2014.

"Down IV – Part Two" sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in May 2014 to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous EP, "Down IV Part I – The Purple EP", opened with around 12,000 units in September 2012 to land at No. 35.

"Down IV – Part Two" was recorded at Nodferatu's Lair — Anselmo's home studio — and produced by Michael Thompson. It was released via Down Records/ADA Music.

Photo by Tomoko Inoue (courtesy of Earsplit PR)

In a new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast, Max Cavalera (SEPULTURA, SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, KILLER BE KILLED) was asked about the possibility of a follow-up to his 2014 autobiography "My Bloody Roots: From Sepultura To Soulfly And Beyond". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I need to collect a couple of more stories first. But yeah, I think it'd be great to do a second part of that eventually, a little bit further down the road. I think also there's a lot of really cool tour stories and I've been always thinking about this idea of a book of only tour stories. It'd be really cool too, because there's so many great tour stories. The other day I was reading an article that I think Revolver did about the SEPULTURA-MINISTRY tour. And they interviewed everybody on it. And to me, that was cool to read all Al Jourgensen's [MINISTRY] point of view and HELMET's point of view of that tour that I didn't know about it. And Al being a huge SEPULTURA fan, I didn't even know that he was that massive of a SEPULTURA fan, that he kind of fought for us to be on that tour. Yeah, so maybe like a book of tour stories and then eventually sometime later another chapter, another book of the other stuff that I did. But you need to collect stories more first. [Laughs] And that's what we're doing right now."

The "fully revised and updated" edition of "My Bloody Roots: From Sepultura To Soulfly And Beyond" was made available in July 2022 via Jawbone Press. The book includes a foreword by Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA) and a brand new afterword by Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD).

Max has an extraordinary story to tell, and "My Bloody Roots" is an autobiography like no other. Much more than just another tale of rock 'n' roll debauchery, it's a story of heartbreak and loss — and, ultimately, triumph. In it, Cavalera offers an unflinching account of life growing up in hardship in Brazil — a country not previously known for heavy metal — and the multimillion-selling success, against all odds, of the band he founded with his brother, Igor: SEPULTURA.

Then, for the first time, he reveals the full story behind his split with the band — after which he did not speak to his brother for years — and the formation of his SOULFLY, one of the most critically and commercially successful metal bands of recent decades. He also goes into unflinching detail on the devastating impact of the deaths of his father, stepson, and grandson; his struggles with drugs and alcohol; his eventual reunion with Igor in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY; and more.

This revised and updated edition continues to trace Max's career to the present day, covering the formation of his new band GO AHEAD AND DIE as well as the supergroup KILLER BE KILLED.

Max has been a professional musician since 1984 and has toured the world many times. He was a founder member of the metal band SEPULTURA, before forming SOULFLY, who released its latest studio album, "Totem", in 2022, and whose drummer is his son Zyon. He also plays in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY with his brother Igor, GO AHEAD AND DIE with his son Igor, and in the supergroup KILLER BE KILLED.

In an interview with Phoenix New Times, Max stated about his decision to write his memoir: "It felt like it was a good time. I'm reaching about 30 years of my career. 30 years of music. It's a story that I think is really cool. Coming from Brazil . . . and you know, achieving what you wanted, your dream.

"There is a lot really funny shit in it. Pissing off Lemmy [Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD]. Throwing wine on Lemmy's head. Lemmy chewing Gloria's [Cavalera, Max's wife and manager] ass, saying he wants to kick my ass. Puking on Eddie Vedder [PEARL JAM] on a MINISTRY tour. Those are fucking amazing stories and you can't fabricate this shit. The time made it. So it was a long process.

"I worked with a guy, Joel McIver, who is an English writer. He wrote a Randy Rhoads book, a MOTÖRHEAD book, a DEEP PURPLE book, and a METALLICA unofficial biography, which they really loved. We did about 1,000 interviews trying to remember everything. It wasn't chronological. One day, we'd talk about my childhood or the split from SEPULTURA or the death of [Max Cavalera's stepson] Dana. That was a really hard time to talk to about. It tough to talk about that stuff. That was hard . . . Dark, really dark."

Asked if it was therapeutic for him to go through all of this, Max said: "We treated it more like conversation, like we're doing right now. It was more like us just having a talk.

"I wanted to be easy for people to read. I didn't want it to be complicated. I wanted it to be as easy as possible.

"The book starts in Brixton [London], which was the last show with SEPULTURA. Then we go back to my childhood in Brazil.

"I didn't know it was the final show at the time, but it was a really explosive way to begin. I thought it was a really cool to open it like that. It was his idea, instead of going chronologically. I was on top, conquering the world, and then right after that, getting kicked in the head and everything was gone. My band was gone, my brother was gone, Dana had just died.

"Dave Grohl did an awesome intro. He tells a story about how he bought a $50,000 speaker for his studio sound system, and he pops in [SEPULTURA album] 'Roots' and it blew up the whole fucking thing. [mimicking Grohl] ''Roots' blew up my whole system.' I love that story. If your album can blow up a $50,000 system, you're doing something right. Mike Patton [FAITH NO MORE, MR. BUNGLE, TOMAHAWK] says really cool shit about us in Brazil. He was hanging out with us in Brazil, going to voodoo places. I took him to voodoo rituals in Brazil. He was staying at Igor's house. It was really cool. Sharon Osbourne talks about the Dana thing [in the book]. We were playing Donington [Monsters Of Rock festival] with [Ozzy Osbourne] and they flew us home in their private jet when Dana died. It was a horrible thing. We were flying home because Gloria's son died, in Ozzy's plane. It was horrible. The whole time. It was so dark. I wanted to say something to Gloria and words couldn't even come out of my mouth. Sharon talks about feeling like we needed a friend at that time and she was able to help us. They didn't have to do anything. They were just playing a show with us, and yet they showed their true colors. Somebody else could have said, 'I'm sorry for your loss,' but they didn't do that. They put us on their plane, gave us money and gave Gloria a crucifix. It was amazing. Then when I got kicked out of SEPULTURA, it was around January, we were invited to their [Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne] house for a dinner because Ozzy wanted to encourage me to go on. That's how felt, like he should do something. I went to their house and sat down. Ozzy sat me down and said, 'Fuck them. Fuck those guys. You need to get up off your ass and do something.' It was awesome to hear that from him and I needed to hear that. He played me some BLACK SABBATH demos and it blew my mind. It was fucking awesome to hear that from him. I was tripping the whole time. I never even imagined I would do that. You know, like when I was a kid in Brazil, if you would have told me I would sit down with Ozzy, fucking BLACK SABBATH, I wouldn't have believed it."

Mantar will release a brand new full-length, Post Apocalyptic Depression, on February 14 via Metal Blade Records.


2022's Pain Is Forever And This Is The End saw the German duo bring a sonic richness to their madly heavy blackened death-punk grooves, assisting the record to its position at #2 on Germany's Official Top 10 album chart. The record added smoother, calmer, more harmonic textures to Mantar's expanding palette, but on 2024's Post Apocalyptic Depression, the band smashes the palette and punches a hole in the canvas.


"We wanted to do everything different from the last album," affirms guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klänhardt. "The last album was very produced. A huge sounding record with clean production. Display of power. That was what we wanted and felt at that time. Now we are trying to destroy what we've built up with the last album. There is a certain beauty in disappointing people's expectations."




One earful of monster-grooving punk 'n' roll opener "Absolute Ghost" confirms that disappointment is an implausible reaction to the wildly energized righteous blood-shakers assembled here. Mantar has already eaten up the road all over Europe, the US, Japan, Latin America, and South Africa, as well as all the major European festivals and American festivals over their ten-year existence, but these tunes are destined for especially visceral live connection.


The ethos is clear from the first two words Hanno uses to describe the recording process: "Quick and dirty. We didn't even bring our own gear to the studio, and just used the equipment that we would find there. There was zero planning involved in the making of this album. We wanted to keep it as primitive as possible. We were bolder this time and literally cut any shit off the songs that we didn't think was necessary. I think you can hear that and playing these new songs is more fun. I feel very connected with my punk roots on this album. Very punk rock production and next to our first album definitely the most raw sounding one."


Further reconnecting Mantar with the spirit of their 2014 debut Death By Burning, the new front cover is again painted by renowned artist Aron Wiesenfeld, whose haunting aesthetic lends the band such distinctive and striking visual impact. It feels like a band coming full circle, drawing to a close the first ten years of Mantar.


As for that intensely full-on title, Hanno defines Post Apocalyptic Depression as "the feeling you get after a mass hysteria. The feeling you get once you've invested all your power in a mass hypnosis and suddenly realize there won't be no salvation. Also, it refers to a very one-dimensional and basic human feeling we all know. Being just burned out after a very tedious and exhausting period of life. Post Apocalyptic Depression also can be taken as the insight that people just refuse to learn. Besides that, it's a damn catchy and cool name for an album that sounds exactly the way these words sound."


As a precursor to the record's release, today Mantar unleashes first single, "Halsgericht". Comments Hanno, "The title means something like 'the right to impose extra heavy punishment.' Mantar style. Old fashioned darkness. It's fun to not only finally work with a German song title but also introduce some German lines to the song. It makes it weird and sinister. Just what we like. Especially in the US, people seem to love these kinda vibes. Fine by us. Celebrating it with the most epic hook of the whole album."


Watch Mantar's video for "Halsgericht" below.





Post Apocalyptic Depression is available on CD, and digitally as well as vinyl in the color variants below and a limited-edition box set:


- Rose/White Splatter (US - Ltd. 300)
- 180g Black (EU)
- Pink (EU)
- Grass Green Marbled (EU - Ltd. 500)
- Neon Splatter (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Rose/White Splatter (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Birthday Cake Splatter (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Pale Skin Marbled (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Box Set (EU - Ltd. 1000) - includes standard album on CD and vinyl, bonus 7" w/ two exclusive cover tracks, back patch, signed 12" art print on thick cardboard, + 12" booklet incl. lyrics


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Absolute Ghost"
"Rex Perverso"
"Principle Of Command"
"Dogma Down"
"Morbid Vocation"
"Halsgericht"
"Pit Of Guilt"
"Church Of Suck"
"Two Choices Of Eternity"
"Face Of Torture"
"Axe Death Scenario"
"Cosmic Abortion"


"Halsgericht" video:





Mantar will join Kvelertak for a short run of live shows this February with more dates to be announced in the weeks to come.