For over two decades Sweden's Cult Of Luna have forged a sound incomparable to others - ambitious, epic, visceral, and drenched in emotion. Their forthcoming album The Long Road North is one of their most beautiful and dynamic works to date and features guest appearances from composer Colin Stetson, Phoenix's Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz plus more. On The Long Road North's opening track, "Cold Burn", listeners are immediately immersed in familiar, yet refreshingly new Cult of Luna territory. Its pulsating rhythms pummel, and Persson's roar sears through layers of guitar.


"Cold Burn" is available today alongside an otherworldly video which previews the single's gaming experience that will be released on February 11 alongside the album. The video and game, created by Linus Johansson of North Kingdom Greenhouse masterfully combines and captures Cult of Luna's ethereal soundscapes with real-time technology and interactive storytelling. Within the video, fans are able to explore the visual world created for The Long Road North. Stay tuned for more info on the game on Instagram.


The Long Road North sees its release on February 11, 2022 via Metal Blade Records and marks as a follow-up to this year's The Raging River EP. As is the case with every album from the band in recent years, there is a lot of shifting of dynamics and sonic density, and perhaps more so than usual on The Long Road North. "It's a big and cinematic sounding album. I think one of the reasons why we have been able to be so productive the last couple of years is that we have been consistently writing from the heart. We have let our instincts guide us, and I think it's getting clearer where we are heading," reveals vocalist/guitarist Johannes Persson, who has been one of the primary driving forces behind the band since their inception.




Persson continues, "The long road north is a long road home. A direction dictated by a call that penetrates rock and echoes through the forest. It flows over every lake, accelerated by the wind. When it reaches you, you know it's time. Time to move forward. You don't know where it will lead but you put the trust in it. With eyes raised towards the midnight sun it pulls you closer. The road is long and the end is uncertain."





The Long Road North Formats – preorder on MetalBlade.com:


- Digital & Streaming
- CD Digibook
- Deluxe Boxset
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- Wine-red marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 700 copies)
- Silver vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- Clear light rust marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- Clear beige-grey marbled vinyl (UK Indie exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- Orange brown marbled vinyl (Season of Mist exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- Clear light green marbled vinyl (Sound Pollution exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- Tan orange marbled vinyl (Evil Greed exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- Ochre brown marbled vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- Ruby marbled vinyl (Kings Road/Metal Blade Europe exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- Opaque light blue marbled vinyl (Band exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- Transparent light blue marbled vinyl (Band exclusive - Tour Edition - limited to 500 copies)
- Opaque White (US exclusive)
- Light red marbled (US exclusive)





Tracklisting:


“Cold Burn”
“The Silver Arc”
“Beyond I”
“An Offering To The Wild”
“Into The Night”
“Full Moon”
“The Long Road North”
“Blood Upon Stone”
“Beyond II”


“Cold Burn” video:





Recognized for their apocalyptic live performances that unrestrainedly explore the audience's imagination, Cult of Luna will bring their stunning live show to fans just in time as The Long Road North hits shelves worldwide. Currently they are confirmed to tour UK and EU next spring with Alcest, Caspian and Holy Fawn - North American dates to follow.





Tour dates:


February (with Alcest and Svalbard)
24 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
25 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley's
26 - Krakow, Poland - Club Studio
27 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy


March (with Alcest and Svalbard)
1 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
2 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska
4 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
5 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wizemann
6 - München, Germany - Muffathalle
7 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
8 - Münster, Germany - Skaters Palace
9 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg Ronda
10 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Depart
11 - Paris, France - L'Olympia
12 - London, England - The Forum / Beyond The Readshift Festival


October (with Caspian and Holy Fawn)
2 - Esch, Luxembourg - Rockhal
3 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall
4 - Geneva, Switzerland - Alhambra
5 - Toulouse, France - Le Metronum
6 - Biarritz, France - Atabal
7 - Barcelona, Spain - AMFest
8 - Madrid, Spain - But
9 - Porto, Spain - Amplifest
11 - Nantes, France - Stereolux
12 - Lille, France - Aeronef
13 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
14 - Zwolle, Netherlands - Hedon
15 - Leipzig, Germany - Felsenkeller
16/ - Wroclaw, Poland - A2
17 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
19 - Athens, Greece - Fuzz Club


(Photo - Silvia Grav)

Legendary leaders of dark anthemic music, Within Temptation, have released "Forsaken" (taken from their online show, The Aftermath) today. "Forsaken" was originally released as a part of the band’s third studio album The Silent Force in 2004 and is a rare asset in Within Temptation's setlist.
 
However, the band played a brand new version of "Forsaken" during their audiovisual online spectacle The Aftermath which originally aired on July 15 & 16, 2021. You can now listen to "Forsaken" (taken from The Aftermath) across all streaming services ahead of a new broadcast of the highly praised online show.


"Forsaken" is available on all streaming platforms here.
 
The band received rave reviews for the spectacular original screening of The Aftermath, being praised for their unique take on a live stream show, featuring incredible stage sets, state-of-the-art digital effects and breathtaking musical performances with guest artists from all around the world.
 
"The Aftermath is a show fueled by bleeding-edge technology that takes place in different scenes of a post-apocalyptic world, in which we are witness of the aftermath of destruction of mankind," explained singer Sharon den Adel, ahead of its original broadcast. "A world in which it is unknown if anyone or anything of human race survived. It is a search for answers about both its becoming as well as its legacy."
 
As a gift for their fans during these extremely difficult times, The Aftermath will now be available for streaming from December 24 until December 31. The show will be free to watch again for fans that bought a ticket for the original dates aired in July, and new tickets are now available from €7,99. Get your ticket here.







On other news, in March 2022, the Dutch band will kick off their Worlds Collide Tour – a massive European co-headline tour together with Evanescence. The bands will tour Europe's most important venues, including The O2 in London, Accorhotels Arena in Paris, and Ziggo Dome in the Netherlands.
 
After a very busy summer festival season, the band will embark on an American stadium tour with the legendary Iron Maiden, appearing as their special guests during the second leg of the tour, taking them to the biggest stages across America in October 2022.
 
Den Adel comments: "After a few quiet years, we hope that our shows in 2022 will take place, with the icing on the cake: a tour with Iron Maiden! We have all been huge fans of the band for so long and there is no bigger compliment than being invited as a special guest for their tour. We can’t wait!”


Dates supporting Iron Maiden are as follows:


October
3 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford Premier Center 
5 - Chicago, IL - United Center 
7 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena 
9 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena 
11 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Centre 
12 - Hamilton, ON - Firstontario Centre 
15 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre 
17 - Worcester, MA - Dcu Center 
19 - Belmont Park, NY - Ubs Arena 
21 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center 
23 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena 
25 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum 
27 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena 

Black Lion Records has announced the signing of Swedish melodic death metallers Souldrainer. The band has issued the following statement:


"We are extremely excited to announce that we have signed a deal with Black Lion Records and they will release our fourth album, which we are working on at this very moment. Black Lion Records have proven to be very driven to promote their bands in this current climate of the music industry."


Never imitating, but building upon the bricks laid by bands like Hypocrisy, Pain, Amon Amarth, Rammstein and Samael, Souldrainer is the representation of the next breed of melodic death metal. Thick layered rhythm guitars, atmospheric angel choirs, string ensembles and ripping vocals, Souldrainer creates a distinguished harmonic aggression that hits you harder than a brick-wall-in-your-face.




Formed in 1999, by guitarist, Marcus Edvardsson, original members Johan Klitkou and Nils Fjellström, Souldrainer was at first a studio project. The foundation was Death Metal with an addition of strings and demonic angel choirs that adds to the atmosphere in a morbid mixture. It creates a feeling of “dying violently in a beautiful way.”


With three full length albums in their catalogue, followed by extensive European touring, the band is now recording their fourth album slated for release 2022.


For more information on Souldrainer go to this location.

Devin Townsend's new album, The Puzzle / Snuggles, is available as a very limited (1000 copies worldwide) high-end box set made of thick cardboard containing several exclusive items:


- a 7” full colour HD screen that automatically starts playing The Puzzle / Snuggles Movie upon opening. 


- the screen has a USB port for charging its internal battery or to swap its content manually. 




- a custom The Puzzle USB Stick that contains: An interactive menu for navigating content, The Puzzle / Snuggles movie in 5.1 DTS, The Puzzle Documentary, The Puzzle in stereo WAV files, Digital Booklet, E-Book (PDF) Interactive Subtype Paperback Novel, the writing debut of Devin’s sister Merridith Townsend. 


- a custom Snuggles USB Stick that contains: An interactive menu for navigating content, Snuggles in stereo WAV files, Digital Booklet, PDF of Making of the Artwork by Travis Smith and Devin Townsend. 


- The Puzzle 96 page glossy graphic novel by Mark Leary & Devin Townsend. 


- The Stick Men: 4 plastic figurines that play a leading part in the movie. 


- a beanbag puppet of the Puddles caracter. Its soft tushy can act as a screen wipe. (he’s a total asswipe, basically). 


- a Certificate of Authenticity signed and hand numbered by Devin





The tracklist is as follows:


The Puzzle
"Chromatic Ridge"
"Life Is But A Dream"
"Yucky Lung"
"Kittenhead"
"Shark In The Ice"
"Devil In The Details"
"Hammerhead Sugarplum"
"Me And The Moon"
"Anxiety in Pyjamas"
"The Yugas"
"Albert Hall"
"Star Chasm"
"Perfect Owl"
"Maybe Over The Void"
"Light Year Whale"
"Frog Flowers"
"Mother"
"Southern Sky Geometry"
"The Puzzle"
"Monuments Of Glitch"


Snuggles
"Beyond Measure"
"Blue Dot"
"Drifting And Dreaming"
"Sundance"
"Minds Are Changing"
"The Ocean"
"Distant, Elegant"
"Replikiss"
"I Agree"
"Tryst"
"Sunset Rump"
"The Option"


The Puzzle / Snuggles Movie (soundtrack differs from the audio)
"Chromatic Ridge"
"Yucky Lung"
"Shark In The Ice"
"Devil In The Details"
"Hammerhead Sugarplum"
"Albert Hall"
"Light Year Whale"
"The Puzzle"
"Mother"
"Anxiety In Pyjamas"
"Me And The Moon"
"Distant, Elegant"
"Life Is But A Dream"
"Monuments Of Glitch"
"Beyond Measure"
"Blue Dot"
"Drifting And Dreaming"
"Sundance"
"Minds Are Changing"
"The Ocean"
"Distant, Elegant"
"Replikiss"
"I Agree"
"Tryst"
"Sunset Rump"
"The Option"


The box set is available via Finland's Recordshop X here.





 

"Hola amigos! We've got some big news, and are excited to announce a new addition to the Faster Pussycat lineup," says vocalist Taime Downe.


"Please help us welcome Ronnie Simmons (Rose Tattoo, Richie Ramone) to the pussy posse! A longtime friend and a family member of ours already, he will be playing guitar alongside Mr. Sam Bam Koltun - it’s going to be so bad ass! We are all stoked to have him aboard!


Ronnie's first gig with us will be January 1, 2022 at the Whisky A Go Go. This will mark our first show in Hollywood since before the pandemic shutdown, and we'll be keepin' a lookout for some of you good ol’ mofos we haven’t seen in a spell!




We'd also like to send a heartfelt thanks to Critter for his time with us. You’ll be missed and always remain our brother. Good luck with your future endeavors, esè!


Lastly, the new shipment of 'Nola' vinyl has arrived, and should be posting this week! New merch is also popping up on the site as we speak, so take a gander will ya!? Hope everyone has a wonderful Season’s Beatins!"








(Photo courtesy of Faster Pussycat's Facebook page)


 

Blacktop Mojo has issued the official music video for "Rewind" from their self-titled fourth studio album, which was released earlier this year. Directed and edited by Dustin Dow, the live performance was shot at the world famous Machine Shop in Flint, MI.





Order your copy of Blacktop Mojo at this location. Cover art and tracklisting are as follows:







"Wicked Woman"
"Bed Tundy"
"Latex"
"Rewind"
"Jealousy"
"Make Believe"
"Darlin' I Won't Tell"
"Do It For The Money"
"Hold Me Down"
"Cough"
"Stratus Melancholia"
"Tail Lights"


Check out the previously released videos for "Tail Lights" and "Wicked Woman":








 

Ted Nugent has praised jurors who cleared Kyle Rittenhouse on the five charges against him — ranging from intentional homicide to reckless homicide to reckless endangerment — saying that "the most pure, righteous instinct and right to self-defense" was supported.

Rittenhouse fatally shot two people and wounded a third during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse was acquitted on all five counts less than two weeks ago after a jury deliberated for 27 hours over the course of four days.

Nugent addressed the Ritenhouse verdict during his first post-Thanksgiving YouTube livestream on Monday (November 29). He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Now is the time to optimize the thankfulness for this unique, wonderful, one-of-a-kind American dream, by taking advantage of examples of where good overcomes evil, where good overcomes bad and the ugly. And the ultimate example of that is that Kyle Rittenhouse implemented, executed perfect self-defense.

"If you're against Kyle Rittenhouse, you're on the side of evil," he continued. "If you're against Kyle Rittenhouse, you think that evil should win over good. That's exactly what that means. If you are saying, 'Thank you, God,' 'Thank you, the Kenosha jury,' 'Thank you, the Kenosha judge,' 'Thank you, Kyle Rittenhouse,' because good people believe in good over evil, if you really believe that, a family — hallelujah — isn't enough. You've gotta call your mayor, your senator, your congressman, your governor, your attorney general. Leave a message at their office that we believe in good over evil and we are thanking God and the Kenosha jury and the Kenosha court system for proving that the most pure, righteous instinct and right to self-defense is supported.

"This is a moment in time. This is a powerful moment for good people to stand up and be counted, because those against Kyle Rittenhouse are on the side of evil. They think that paroled child molestors and rapists and felons should be let out on the street to threaten our lives. And according to the left, according to CNN, according to the protestors against Kyle Rittenhouse, we should bend over and let evil kill us. That's what the other side stands for. That's sick. People against self-defense that are voicing against Kyle Rittenhouse, those people are sick. That is an evil sickness, to think that good people should surrender to life-threatening evil. That's what we're looking at here.

"Let everybody know that we support good over evil, Kyle Rittenhouse over evil, self-defense against evil, life-threatening forces," Ted added. "Now is the time to shout that loud and proud everywhere we go."

Earlier in the month, Nugent made headlines when he said during a podcast that he wanted to give a lifetime supply of ammunition to Rittenhouse. He told "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen": "I'm going to get a hold of Kyle Rittenhouse and I'm going to provide him a lifetime supply of ammunition." The 72-year-old rocker added he would also "like to begin the Kyle Rittenhouse tactical masterclass because as a young man, boy did he do good. He knew that weapon." Nugent went on to call Rittenhouse "a samurai" who "under those unbelievable, traumatic and physically assaultive conditions — he did his job."

After putting their stamp on the metal scene with their unique blend of metal and neckbreaking grooves, and relentlessly touring and sharing the stage with legendary acts like Metallica, Machine Head and In Flames, Dagoba’s undeniable talent was discovered by Napalm Records. Now, the French four-piece is gearing up to reach the next level with their most ambitious material yet - the punishing new full-length, By Night, out February 18 via Napalm Records.


Following up to their recent track and exclusive 7” “The Hunt”, Dagoba unleashes the new single “The Last Crossing” today. The song is an in-your-face banger offering melodic choruses and harsh vocals by singer Shawter and unstoppable blast beats. This is an impressive, hard-hitting first glimpse into what fans can expect from By Night.


Dagoba on their new single “The Last Crossing”: “While our last video for ‘The Hunt’ was more focused on cinematic storytelling, ‘The Last Crossing’ rather showcases the full band line-up and our strength as a performing band. We feel like Dagoba have never been as strong and tight as now, and the ‘The Last Crossing’ video transports that energy perfectly.”




Watch the music video for “The Last Crossing” below.


Dagoba deftly aces the balancing act between harsh breakdowns, dense walls of sound and grooving passages with ease. Even in its hardest passages, the album never gets too overwhelming - one smashing track is followed by the next, moving breathlessly with ease. By Night is a beast of an album showcasing how far Dagoba can take a multitude of influences and styles and combine them effortlessly. This is a must-have for true fans of searing modern metal.


Dagoba on the creation process of By Night: “We live in challenging times, and that’s not only because of the strength-sapping pandemic. Sometimes the world seems to be a dark place. We know it’s an ambitious project, but we really want our fans to feel good, and contribute to their happiness. Therefore, we deliver our blend of metal music. During the weeks and months in the lockdown period we had so much time to have a focus on the album production. We could look at every detail in each track, and after all By Night has become our most accomplished album so far. We are really happy with the new record and cannot wait to share it with our fans and the world.”





Varying in individual territories, By Night will be available digitally, as a CD (bundled with an exclusive t-shirt), as well as black and exclusive red transparent vinyl. Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Neons"
"The Hunt"
"Sunfall"
"Bellflower Drive"
"On The Run"
"Break"
"City Lights"
"Nightclub"
"Summer's Gone"
"The Last Crossing"
"Stellar"


"The Last Crossing" video:





"The Hunt" video:





Dagoba is:


Shawter - vocals/machines
Ritch DM - guitar
Kawa - bass
Theo - drums





(Photo - Morgane Khouni)

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen, who played extreme metal with his first band, DOMINUS, back in the early '90s, said that he wouldn't rule out a return to death metal in future. "It's gonna happen one day; I just don't know when," he said. "It's gonna be at a time when I feel it's the right time where I'm just inspired to do that. I have so many great friends in the death metal community, and I've been talking to a lot of them. I just know it's gonna happen. I just don't know when."

Back in 2011, Poulsen told Soundspike about his pre-VOLBEAT act: "[DOMINUS] was straight metal. On the third record, we were starting to flirt around with making a little bit with some rock 'n' roll stuff. What I wanted to do was keep the door wide open and see what happens. I didn't want to paint myself into a corner. If I wanted a song to start like a country song and let it burst into a metal song, that's what I did. Right now it comes very naturally. That's the most important thing — that you don't sit and try too hard to provoke it out of you. It has to come as a normal flow, and that's actually what happened."

Last month, Poulsen confirmed that VOLBEAT's new song "Becoming" is a "tribute" to the legendary Swedish death metal band ENTOMBED, whose lead singer Lars-Göran "LG" Petrov died nine months ago after a battle with bile duct cancer. He was 49 years old. "Becoming" is taken from VOLBEAT's eighth studio album, "Servant Of The Mind", which is due on December 3 via Republic Records.

Swedish/Canadian/American melodic death metallers ARCH ENEMY will release another new song, "House Of Mirrors", on Thursday, December 9. The cover artwork for the single is available below.

"House Of Mirrors" will mark the second new ARCH ENEMY track to be made available in four years, following the October 21 arrival of "Deceiver, Deceiver".

In the fall of 2018, ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott revealed that he had commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to the "Will To Power" album. Released in 2017, that disc marked the second ARCH ENEMY LP since the departure of longtime singer Angela Gossow and addition of ex-THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz. It was also the first ARCH ENEMY disc to feature former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis, who joined the band in late 2014.

Jeff, who was the main songwriter in his previous group, NEVERMORE, was not involved in the writing for "Will To Power".

In a 2018 interview with All That Shreds, Jeff said that he had "a lot of musical ideas" that he was hoping to contribute to ARCH ENEMY in the future. "I did write three or four songs for ['Will To Power'], but they didn't make it, only because it wasn't in the style that they were looking for," he said. "Fortunately enough, I was able to play guitar solos on the latest album, so that makes me happy."

Four years ago, Amott said that Loomis is "a strong songwriter" in his own right, "but not in the style of ARCH ENEMY, I feel. He's always writing and recording with his own stuff," he explained. "He has a project called CONQUERING DYSTOPIA, he has his solo stuff, [and] he obviously wrote most of the NEVERMORE stuff. I've always respected him, and continue to respect him, as a guitar player — he's amazing and an amazing human being; he fits in perfectly. [There's] a great chemistry [between us]. But, you know, I've always written most of the music, so it's difficult to… I don't really wanna change the sound of the band too much. The band sort of started around my songwriting and my ideas, and those continue to be the most dominant ones, I guess. But, you know, who knows [what can happen] in the future?"

In January 2019, ARCH ENEMY released a compilation, "Covered In Blood", of all cover songs the band has recorded throughout its career.
























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According to the Los Angeles Times, Henry Rollins has listed his home in the Hollywood Hills for $3.9 million. The 60-year-old former lead singer of the pioneering hardcore punk band BLACK FLAG bought the 4,348-square-foot, 5.5-bathroom house in 2009 for $2.2 million.

Victoria Silver of Compass and Jane Schore of Coldwell Banker Realty hold the listing, which describes the property thusly: "Incredible Hollywood Hills, private gated celebrity compound. Drive thru imposing steel gates up a private drive to the roomy concrete jungle motor court. Pull open the massive steel front doors and enter the fabulous 60 foot living room. The main living area features industrial touches such as concrete walls and steel beams, while the rest of the home has a zen, calming feel. Ideal space for entertaining with dramatic formal dining room, open living room, den, bar area and eat-in kitchen. Wonderful outdoor space in addition to a large rooftop patio. This amazing home on 3 levels is also the ideal live/work residence. There is a gym, a vocal recording booth, office/studio areas, den, sauna/steam room, possible screening room and lots more. The luxurious Main Bedroom suite has fireplace and doors that open to a large outdoor patio. So much style. If these walls could talk, they'd probably sing, play guitar or drums. The coolest house in the Hills is ready for its cool new owner."

In describing Rollins, the tendency is to try to squeeze as many labels as possible into a single sentence. "Rollins is many things," says The Washington Post, "diatribist, confessor, provocateur, humorist, even motivational speaker…his is an enthusiastic and engaging chatter." Entertainment Weekly's list includes "Punk Rock icon. Spoken word poet. Actor. Author. DJ. Is there anything this guy can't do?" TV Guide has more concisely called him a "Renaissance Man" but if Henry Rollins could be reduced to a single word, that word would undoubtedly be "workaholic." When he's not traveling, Rollins prefers a to keep a relentless schedule full of work, with gigs as an actor, author, DJ, voice-over artist and TV show host to name a few of the roles that keep his schedule full.

Rollins has toured the world as a spoken-word artist, as frontman for both ROLLINS BAND and BLACK FLAG and as a solitary traveler with insatiable curiosity, favoring road-less-traveled locales in places such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Siberia, North Korea, South Sudan and Iran.

As a spoken-word artist, Rollins regularly performs at colleges and theaters worldwide and has released a number of spoken-word recordings. His album "Get In The Van" won the Grammy for "Best Spoken Word Album" for 1995. As an actor, he has appeared in "The Chase", "Johnny Mnemonic", "Heat" and David Lynch's film "Lost Highway".

Rollins is the music, the attitude, and the voice that takes no prisoners. In his books, he has led us on a hallucinatory journey through the decades–and his mind — with poems, essays, short stories, diary entries, and rants that exist at "the frayed edges where reality ends and imagination begins" (Publishers Weekly).




Henry Rollins' Hollywood Hills home https://t.co/FqBtJzZNOg

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 24, 2021

Nikki Sixx says that MÖTLEY CRÜE is still on track to finally launch its long-awaited reunion next year. The bassist addressed the status of "The Stadium Tour", which was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus crisis, while answering a fan question on Twitter. Responding to a fan who wrote, "I'm hopefully going to see The Crue in Houston Tx Aug 2022!", Sixx said, "We 100% plan on touring in 2022. See ya at the show."

This past October, Sixx told Germany's Radio Bob! that he and his CRÜE bandmates will "start rehearsals in May" for "The Stadium Tour" — which also features DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. "I start training in December," he said. "Now it's down to hard work, getting ready, getting the band into rehearsal.

"We rehearse really hard because we will take a song like 'Dr. Feelgood' and while we're building the show — let's just say the show is… all the lights are moving, they're green and they're slowly moving — we'll build a whole intro in and design the lights and the lasers around that," he explained. "So it's a long process and tedious. So we go to rehearsal and we might need to build in those 32 bars. And then we've gotta work with the lighting and the laser company. And then we've gotta make sure everything is organized so we get our count-ins for where we need to be onstage. So there's so much going on.

"What I love is when people come to the show, they're, like, 'That lighting show was crazy,'" Sixx added. "And we like to make it so that you, as the fan, can come to the show and just the dig the show and not think about it."

When it happens, "The Stadium Tour" will mark the CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017, but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts — including JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS — have hit the road together for an extended tour.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", "Ride With The Devil", "Crash And Burn" and the band's own spin on Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

Photo courtesy of Jason Shaltz / SiriusXM


Posted by Motley Crue on Wednesday, December 1, 2021

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


An update from Arjen, introducing vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, states: "Jeff sings the track ‘Back From The Past’ on the new Star One album Revel In Time. Check out this video to hear part of his vocals and don’t miss his great message at the end. Like Jeff says in the video… I wonder what took me so long to finally work with this amazing singer!"







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


CD2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind The Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


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


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


"Fate Of Man" video:





"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

As the music and hairspray world was recently rocked by the shocking news of the departure of STEEL PANTHER's original bassist Lexxi Foxx, the California glam metal jokesters have been endlessly reviewing submissions from their global search for a replacement. Singer Michael Starr, guitarist Satchel and drummer Stix Zadinia have been watching over 1669 individuals submit their videos playing various songs from the band’s catalog as well as explaining why they would be the perfect replacement. The collective brain trust of metal's sexiest trio has narrowed the submissions down to the final 32. In a March Madness bracket-style competition, the band is reaching out to the public to help narrow them down to the final eight. Each day, two new finalists will be posted at this location and the public will have a chance to vote on who they think should be the band’s new bassist. Early entries by Rikki Dazzle and Rikki Thrash have made it to the finals and both musicians will perform live with the band during their December shows.

STEEL PANTHER states: "Two finalists are in, eight more to be selected. That's where you come in! Welcome to 'The Road To The Road' tournament! From over 1669 submissions, we've narrowed the field to the top 32 and we want YOU to help us determine the top 10! Every day between now and December 24th, we're featuring two bassists as we work our way through the bracket below. All you have to do is check out the videos and vote for your favorites! Let the games BEGIN!!"

STEEL PANTHER will be rounding out the rest of the year with a handful of select tour dates. The band has eight shows remaining that will make stops in Las Vegas, Nevada; Louisville, Kentucky; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Tempe, Arizona. The band will be ringing in the New Year in Suquamish, Washington.

Two months ago, Lexxi — whose real name is Travis Haley — told Rocking With Jam Man that he hadn't spoken with his former bandmates since his exit. "I still talk to the singer a little bit; I have in the past," he said. "But I think that those scars and I think that the departure, the way that it went down, I think there's some sore spots. But that's tough for me to talk about.

"That was something that I'm very proud of — to be that character for such a long period of time, and to play with those cats," he continued. "They're all amazing musicians. And I just think that it is different to not have that [in my life] — I'd been in character for so long — but I have to say it's a little refreshing as well."

When STEEL PANTHER first announced Lexxi's exit in July, the band jokingly said that Foxx "started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown." After realizing that "his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself," he chose "to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion: making ugly dogs pretty," the group wrote in a statement.

Back in December 2018, Lexxi sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "2020'd" podcast, STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel stated about Lexxi's departure: "We didn't want him to quit. Nobody wanted him to quit, including a lot of fans. I'm sure a lot of fans are very sad that he left. But he's the guy who left the band. I think he's got his own things he's dealing with, and he just wanted to go and do that. So, I don't know… I can't answer for Lexxi Foxx. But we will all miss Lexxi Foxx, and we all wish him the best in everything that he does. But we didn't fire him; he quit the band. So we're gonna have to move on and get somebody else who's younger and foxier and doesn't need as much Botox," referencing the drug doctors have been using for years to treat wrinkles and facial creases.

Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Thirteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

Haley, who was an original member of STEEL PANTHER, recently announced the formation of his new band HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS with longtime friend and television celebrity from MTV's "Pimp My Ride", Diggity Dave.

BIOHAZARD's Billy Graziadei will release a new album from his BILLYBIO project, "Leaders And Liars", in 2022 via AFM Records. The official music video for the LP's first single, "One Life To Live", can be seen below. The fast-paced clip, featuring a slew of up-and-coming talent, including Los Angeles tattoo artist Julia Azevedo, was directed by Antoine Combelles.

Combelles states: "We wanted to explore [Billy's] message of 'unapologetically being who you want to be' with a flowing sequence seamlessly linking people together in one place, one energy and suspended in moments no one can take from them." Co-director Vincent Jacob adds: "Billy's music is a reminder that all we have is now. We wanted to capture the urgency of that message but also the positive aspect of it. Yes, the future is uncertain, so why not try to enjoy the ride?"

"One Life To Live", which features Graziadei's longtime friend Toby Morse (H2O, HAZEN STREET), is a call to action. It is an adrenaline-drenched anthem inciting fans to stand up for what is right.

"I love how every generation has their version of YOLO," Graziadei says, "Life is too short to be worried about bullshit. Those, who let the crap out there consume them, get pushed to the grave quicker than everyone else."

BILLYBIO will host a benefit in Los Angeles on Friday, December 17 that is open to the public. Plans to livestream the fundraiser are in the works. Fans can text the word "nowhere" to 877-327-1645 to access event details.

BILLYBIO is raw and gritty in the spirit of classic New York hardcore bands such as AGNOSTIC FRONT, CRO-MAGS and CRUMBSUCKERS. "Leaders And Liars" borrows from the BIOHAZARD legacy in that it also defies being pigeonholed. The album represents Graziadei's love of punk, hardcore and classic metal (BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN), delivering a 15 song take-no-prisoners aural assault.

Graziadei explains the album title, saying: "We are born into this world as pure souls and then are poisoned by the nefarious darkness that surrounds us. Those who stay the path and navigate the blackness with success become real leaders, the rest rot away as liars and thieves." He adds: "I dedicated this record to a friend from the record label Bauke de Groot (RIP) who helped me a lot when I first joined the AFM family."

Graziadei wrote, performed, recorded and produced all 15 tracks on "Leaders and Liars" in 2020 and 2021 at Firewater Studios in Los Angeles. In addition to recording and producing BIOHAZARD there, he's also had POWERFLO, MADBALL, AGNOSTIC FRONT, DEVILDRIVER in the studio, which he runs full time when not on tour. The record was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen. Additional musicians performing on the album include Fred Aching Rios (POWERFLO) on drums; Roberto "Ra" Díaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, currently touring with KORN) on bass; Daniele Manca on bass; Dan Palmer (DEATH BY STEREO, ZEBRAHEAD) on guitar; Robbie Davidson (THE EXPLOITED) on guitar. Vocals on "Remission" and "Just In The Sun" by Jennifer Bair with Jay Roth. Toby Morse (H2O, HAZEN STREET) appears on "One Life To Live". Album artwork by Lecru Eyebrows and design by Filipe Horsch. Photos by Alan Vasquez.

"Leaders And Liars" track listing:

01. Black Out

02. Fallen Empires

03. Leaders and Liars

04. Lost Horizon

05. Turn the Wounds

06. Sheepdog

07. Deception

08. Generation Kill

09. Looking Up

10. One Life To Live

11. Our Scene

12. Just The Sun

13. Enough

14. Remission

15. Cyanide

Photo credit: Alan Vasquez

Since April 2020, VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth has spent much of his time creating COVID-themed drawings — he calls them comics — and then sharing the finished works on his social media channels. His latest 10 pieces of artwork can be found below.

According to a New York Times profile from the summer of 2020, Roth picked up the pen and ink during his coronavirus lockdown, but he had long been interested in art.

"My approach is the best of both worlds: vintage and hyper-atomic digital," he said. "Sort of like watching 'Dragnet' on your iPad.

"You know, I moved to Japan for two-plus years to study Sumi-e and calligraphy, and four nights a week I trained and then I did homework. Jesus, I've spent thousands of hours learning to operate a horsehair brush with a block of ink that I grind myself. Hasn't changed its recipe in 700 years.

"So everything in the comics is hand-drawn — all the typeface, all the colors, the line work, the lighting," he explained. "And once I'm done, I work with Colin Smith, the Led Zeppelin of Adobe Photoshop. Together we scan everything, and then I'm able to move into areas that otherwise weren't graphically available without decades of effort."

This is not the first time Roth has shared some of his visual art with the public. Back in 2009, Roth released dozens of his own drawings and artwork, which he called at the time "authentic originals and incompetent imitations." He offered them up as "an official answer to the question 'what do you do in your spare time?'"

According to the Van Halen News Desk, the VAN HALEN frontman always been into art. Throughout his whole life, while touring the world, you could find him doodling on just about anything — setlists, tour riders, female body parts, etc. He was always a major part of the visual side of VAN HALEN, and always tried to make the stage show "look like the music sounds." He designed stage clothes, orchestrated photo shoots, came up with the stage choreography, etc. He also had a hand in designing VAN HALEN's early tourbooks and a few of their t-shirts.

Two months ago, Roth announced that he was ending his career with his Vegas shows during the first weeks of January. "I am throwing in the shoes. I'm retiring," Roth told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "These are my last five shows." He added: "I'm not going to explain the statement. The explanation is in a safe."

Roth will return to at Mandalay Bay's House Of Blues in Las Vegas for a new series of shows that will kick off with a New Year's Eve performance, followed by four concerts in January 2022.

In March 2020, Roth postponed the final six shows of his Las Vegas residency due to the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading across the globe.

Roth explained that he chose Vegas as the place to debut his new band because "this is where you come to celebrate and do the victory dance, whatever that means to you."

In February/March 2020, Roth performed as the opening act for the North American leg of KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

Roth's 2020 Vegas residency wasn't the first time he had set up shop in Sin City. Back in 1995, Roth completed a Las Vegas engagement at Bally's Hotel and Casino and another short run at MGM Grand.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen died of cancer in October at age 65.

Roth, who performed with VAN HALEN for the last time in 2015, tweeted shortly after Eddie's death: "What a long great trip it's been."




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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) September 24, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) October 20, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) October 29, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) November 5, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) November 12, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) November 18, 2021








?: @iheartmaarten pic.twitter.com/0624mAtbvi

— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) November 23, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) November 30, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) November 30, 2021








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— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) December 1, 2021

Frontiers Music Srl announces the release of King Of The Badlands, the upcoming debut album from Romania's Manic Sinners, on February 18. A melodic hard rock band formed by three of the country’s most accomplished musicians, Ovidiu Anton, Adrian "Baciu" Igrisan, and Toni Dijmarescu, Manic Sinners are a welcome addition to Frontiers' roster of talent.


The new single and video, "Drifters Union", is out now. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save King Of The Badlands here.


King Of The Badlands will showcase all the elements every memorable heavy rock album should have: soaring vocals, crushing riffs, ear candy hooks, blistering guitar solos, and a splendid power ballad. Produced by the band, they also brought in Alessandro Del Vecchio (Revolution Saints, Hardline, Jorn, etc.), the man with the magic melodic rock touch, to mix the album.




Vocal powerhouse Ovidiu Anton, indisputably one of the best new Romanian rock singers, gained major exposure in 2016 by winning the Eurovision Song Contest National Selection. He is also the lead singer and founder of the band Anton, and a successful solo artist.


Adrian “Baciu” Igrisan, who is in charge of drums, keyboards, and backing vocals, is best known for being the singer and guitarist of Cargo, Romania's most beloved rock band. With multiple gold records and countless sold-out concerts, Adrian has been knighted by the Romanian President for his cultural merits, and is one of Eastern Europe’s most iconic musicians.


Guitar slinger Toni Dijmarescu resides in the German region of Saarland. He is a busy and well-respected live and studio musician, with numerous productions and collaborations under his belt.


Manic Sinners have all the ingredients to quickly become one of the premiere melodic rock bands in the genre like labelmates One Desire, Perfect Plan, Chez Kane, Creye and other relative newcomers who have been quickly embraced by fans of the genre. Stay tuned.





Tracklistinig:


"Drifters Union"
"King Of The Badlands"
"Anastasia"
"Ball And Chain"
"Under The Gun"
"Out For Blood" (Instrumental)
"Carousel"
"Nobody Moves"
"Play To Lose"
"Crimson Queen" (Instrumental)
"A Million Miles"
"Down In Flames"


"Drifters Union" video:





"Down In Flames":





Lineup:


Ovidiu Anton - Lead vocals
Toni Dijmarescu - Electric & acoustic guitars, bass
Adrian “Baciu“ Igrisan - Drums, keyboards, backing vocals, bass (on "Play To Lose", "Nobody Moves", "A Million Miles"), and electric guitars (on "Nobody Moves", "A Million Miles")

Swiss extremists, Zeal & Ardor, continue apace towards the release of their self-titled, third album, with the release of epic, evocative new song, "Golden Liar".


Frontman Manuel Gagneux asserts, "’Golden Liar' is one of the tracks on this record I’m most proud of. Unlike singles released previously from the new album, it’s a slow burn. Rather than using harsh tones to convey heaviness, it uses lyrics and atmosphere to convey weight. It’s both smoke and fire."


Listen to "Golden Liar" here, and below:







Hissing and seeping justifiable rage from every pore - yet not an unrelenting musical battering - their forthcoming new album will be released February 11 via MVKA. The 14-track record was recorded by Marc Obrist and Manuel Gagneux at Hutch Sounds and mixed & mastered by Will Putney at Graphic Nature Audio. All songs were written and performed (except drums) by the softly spoken, multi-lingual Gagneux.


The avant-garde alchemists have been gradually sharing the highly anticipated album with fans, steadily unveiling new tracks in recent months. These include "Run", "Erase", "Bow", and most recently, the ferocious "Götterdämmerung". Pre-order here  to receive these songs immediately, plus any further advance tracks to come, as they're made available.





Zeal & Ardor will be available in the following formats:


- Digital
- CD digipack
- 140g black vinyl
- 140g white vinyl (indie store exclusive)
- 180g 45rpm, double black vinyl, gatefold sleeve (deluxe)





Tracklisting:


"Zeal & Ardor"
"Run"
"Death To The Holy"
"Emersion"
"Golden Liar"
"Erase"
"Bow"
"Feed The Machine"
"I Caught You"
"Church Burns"
"Götterdämmerung"
"Hold Your Head Low"
"J-M-B"
"A-H-I-L"


"Bow":





"Run" video:





"Erase":





"Götterdämmerung":





(Photo - Georg Gatsas)

Following the release of two incredible new singles from his forthcoming solo album American Vampire - one that featured the legendary guitar player for hard rock icon Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, and another featuring industrial metal renegade and ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist Tim Skold - what’s left for a goth metal idol like Helsinki’s Jyrki 69 to do? Naturally, he releases a third single, a collaboration with the quintessentially American pop superstar, Tiffany. It’s an odd coupling to be sure, but when you hear Jyrki’s beastly baritone blend with Tiffany’s beautiful and seductive voice, it will make you a believer.


“Don’t You Want Me” is the third single to be released from Jyrki’s sophomore solo album, and it’s the only track on the album where he shares vocal duties, trading verses with the supremely talented, All-American pop princess. The song, of course, was originally written as a male/female duet and became a megahit for ‘80s new wave band The Human League, but the new version transforms the bubbly keyboards of the original for some hard-hitting, industrial sounds and distorted guitars courtesy of producer DK-Zero. Amping the dark and brooding vibe even higher is British guitarist/producer Mark Gemini Thwaite (Lords Of Acid/The Mission), who mixed the track and provided additional production. The combined efforts of all involved make this one of the most compelling collaborations on an album stacked with contributions from indie experimentalists Xiu Xiu, UK electro duo The KVB, industrial veterans Leæther Strip, and more.


Jyrki had this to say about the song: “Whenever they open up Goth clubs again I hope this tune will bring people together to dance on very smoky dance floors in the deepest crypts where the sun never shines!”




Meanwhile, Tiffany declares: “It was great to work with Jyrki 69 on this. ‘Don't You Want Me’ is one of my favorite Human League songs. I enjoyed recording this track. So much fun!”


Stream/download the single here. Listen below:





American Vampire will be released December 17 on all formats including CD in a deluxe gatefold wallet, vinyl in your choice of blue or silver, and digital.


Pre-order the CD/vinyl here. Pre-order/pre-save the digital edition here.





Tracklisting:


"SexDrugsRockn'Roll" feat. Shotgun Messiah
"White Rabbit" feat. Steve Stevens
"Dreamtime" feat. Rosetta Stone
"Bite It You Scum" feat. Leæther Strip
"American Vampire" feat. Skold
"Don't You Want Me" feat. Tiffany
"Decision" feat. The KVB
"Deviant Carousal" feat. Xiu Xiu
"Clover" feat. Youlooktired
"Last Dance Not My God"


"American Vampire" video:





"White Rabbit" visualizer:





(Photo - Pasi Rytkönen)

Richmond, Indiana’s Wolftooth will release their colossal new Napalm Records debut, Blood & Iron, this Friday, December 3. Offering an immense slab of proto-metal influenced heaviness with a deep dose of doom essence and addictive stoner riffage, the album travels through a treasure trove of fantasy-themed lyrical influences - exploring mystical and often treacherous themes of mythology, lore and legend with a focus on sorcery, battle and non-stop adventure.


Following the release of charging previous singles “The Voyage” and "Broken Sword", Wolftooth have just revealed yet another gritty single, this time in the form of anthemic stoner metal-infused burner "Ahab". Accompanied by a naturally nautical lyric video, the track impresses from start to finish with an almost psychedelic intertwining of haunting guitar melodies, glorious vocals and winding riffage.


Wolftooth says about “Ahab”: “'Ahab' is a song about revenge and the consequences of achieving it. A classic story of a man's obsession that leads to his own demise. Sonically, the song stays true to our roots. It's a Sabbathian tribute to the music we grew up on."







Wolftooth launched onto the scene in 2017, swiftly grabbing the attention of fans, tastemakers and industry alike. Now, building upon the subterranean success of their lauded previous albums (2018’s Wolftooth and 2020’s Valhalla), the band unveils Blood & Iron, a true nod to classic, feel-good American heavy metal with modernized flair. If you enjoy your metal homegrown, larger-than-life and with a weighty dose of mystical storytelling.


Recorded, mixed and mastered by producer Jeremy Lovins, Blood & Iron begins ominously with “Ahab” - beckoning the listener to join Wolftooth’s fabled trek with an isolated guitar introduction before bursting into a sticky, metallic blues jam, instantly echoing the likes of Black Sabbath to Pallbearer while maintaining fresh delivery. The track effectively poises the album for greatness before leading into two tales of historic prevalence backed by trudging riffage - Xerces epic “Hellespont”, and mythical ode to triumphant Irish warrior Cú Chulainn, “Blood & Iron”. The tracks ebb and flow amid melodic solos, sludgy rhythms and charging drums, evident on songs like galloping, thrash-injected assault “Broken Sword” and headbang-inducing, lead-laden “A King’s Land”. Wolftooth continue their immense sonic storytelling with soaring saga “The Voyage” and frigid ballad “Winter White” before closing out the nine enormous tunes on Blood & Iron with two of its most standout offerings – cohesive and rhythmically-enticing “Garden Of Hesperides” and driving final epic “The Mare” - depicting stories of 100-headed dragons, witches, dark horses and mind control. What more could a true metalhead ask for?


Wolftooth adds about the album: "Blood & Iron is the culmination of all the work that we as a band have put into forging our sound over the last four years. Musically, we feel that we've honed what works well for us while expanding on what was already there. This album represents a more mature direction, relying on classic heavy metal influence with a strong nod to our proto-metal roots. Lyrically, the album focuses on kings, battle, conquest and myth. These elements together coalesce into a riff-laden slab of heavy metal that we are all proud of."





Blood & Iron will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digipack
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1LP Gatefold Gold Die Hard Edition w/ album cover slipmat and logo patch (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 100)
- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Gold & Black (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 200)
- CD Digipack & Shirt Bundle (Napalm EU/RoW Mailorder only)


Pre-order here.





Blood & Iron tracklisting:


"Ahab"
"Hellespont"
"Blood & Iron"
"A King's Land"
"Broken Sword"
"The Voyage"
"Winter White"
"Garden Of Hesperides"
"The Mare"


“Broken Sword” video:





"The Voyage" video:





Indiana-local fans, take note! Wolftooth will perform a hometown show on November 6 at E Street Pub in Richmond, Indiana with Rattlesnake Venom Trip and Steel Aggressor. Check local venue listings for more information.


Lineup:


Jeff Cole - Guitars
Johnny Harrod - Vocals, Drums
Terry McDaniel - Bass
Chris Sullivan - Vocals, Guitars


(Photo - Stephanie Harrison)

Steve Perry's new holiday album, The Season, recently landed at #1 on Billboard’s Seasonal Chart. The former Journey’s singer’s album also hit at #3 on Billboard’s Current Pop Album Chart, # 6 on Billboard’s Current Album Sales Chart, and #80 on the Billboard Top 200.


Today, Perry releases a visualizer for the album track, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". Watch below:







Co-produced by Perry and engineer Thom Flowers, The Season embodies an immaculately arranged and richly nuanced sound inspired by such time-honored holiday albums as Nat King Cole’s The Magic of Christmas. “All the songs on this record were my favorites growing up,” says Perry, who hails from Central California. “I used to hear them on the Philco radio that my grandmother always had on in the kitchen when she was cooking the most amazing holiday food, and because of that they hold a very emotional place in my heart. I wanted to make sure to record them all in a simple way that honors how I first heard and fell in love with them as a child.”


For both artist and audience alike, The Season ultimately serves as a form of emotional time travel, a direct conduit for the kind of memories that sustain the spirit and restore a sense of joyous serenity. “Music has always been something that rescues me in difficult times,” says Perry. “I hope when people hear this record, they’re teleported in the same way I was when I recorded all these songs—I hope it brings them back to those golden moments with their loved ones, and gives them that feeling of joy and connection and comfort that we all need so much.”


Order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Christmas Song"
"I’ll Be Home For Christmas"
"Auld Lang Syne"
"Winter Wonderland"
"What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve"
"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
"Silver Bells"
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"


"The Christmas Song" visualizer:





"Winter Wonderland" visualizer:





"I'll Be Home For Christmas":

Bruck Kulick recently announced: "Each week I will be sharing a video of the second set at the Stardust Theater, filmed by my wife Lisa from the balcony. It's a great way to 'be there.' Enjoy!"


Today he releases "Unholy" from the show, which can be viewed below:







Kulick and his band have performed on the last three KISS Kruises: KKXIII, KKIX, and KKX. His band plays songs from the '80s and '90s that aren't usually performed by KISS. Joining guitarist Bruce Kulick in his band are: Todd Kerns - lead vocals / guitar, Zach Throne - vocals / bass, and Brent Fitz - drums / vocals.





"December 30th, I will be live at Vamp'd in Las Vegas with my amazing KKX band," states a recent message from Bruce. "Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz and Zach Throne will join me for an exciting set of music. Tickets are on sale, and VIP packages are limited, so visit the links on my site. It will be a special Bruce Kulick set of great music!"

Capital Chaos TV has released multi-cam video footage of Death Angel performing "Ultra Violence/Evil Priest" at The Fox Theater in Oakland, CA on November 27. Watch below.


The concert, also featuring Testament and Exodus, was the only 2021 date on The Bay Strikes Back tour, which was pushed from October 2021 to April / May 2022.







The North American leg of The Bay Strikes Back tour featuring Testament, Exodus and Death Angel will now run through April and May 2022.


“We were really on the fence with this decision,” says Testament guitarist Eric Peterson. “But seeing other bands make it through with a few mild cases and other bigger bands just cancelling their entire tours, we felt it is in our best interest to postpone these shows to '22.”


Adds fellow guitarist Alex Skolnick, “It gives none of us any pleasure to be the bearers of bad news yet again, but here we are. Although Bay Strikes Back is a top tour package for theaters, the reality is this: It can’t afford to take the risks that top grossing larger venue tours have been taking. The type of disruptions KISS and other large outdoor venue tours have experienced could cause our shows to be permanently cancelled - a lose/lose for everyone. The fact that a lower budget tour such as ours is limited to indoor venues with tight backstage space only adds to the risk. It should go without saying that calling off these dates was a ‘last resort’ decision, and everyone involved would much rather this weren’t the case. However, this is the new reality we’re all in. All we can do is hope for everyone’s understanding, which we ask for sincerely.”


“We are saddened to announce that the Bay Strikes Back tour is being postponed, but the risk of cancelled shows due to positive tests leading to tour personnel being quarantined and isolated is just too great at this time,” says Exodus guitarist Gary Holt. “We want to feel safe, enjoy the tour and be able to hang out with our close friends. The silver lining in this is that Tom Hunting no longer needs chemo and will have more time to work his way back to doing a full tour. He will make his return behind the drums at Aftershock but a full tour requires more preparation, so that is the good part.”


Bay Strikes Back dates have been rebooked beginning in April and will include additional cities not originally scheduled for the tour.


“Usually when I’m asked to contribute a quote to an announcement it pertains to something I’m extremely excited about,” says Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda. “In this case I’m gutted… It pains me to announce that The Bay Strikes Back U.S. Tour is being postponed. No one was looking forward to this more than me. But, on the brighter side of things, the tour is in fact going to happen - just at a later time. And I can assure you that the already ravenous to play live members of Death Angel promise to provide a crushing set during a crushing tour. The Bay WILL Strike Back!”





Rescheduled dates:


April
9 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater
10 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
12 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
13 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
15 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
16 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
20 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
21 - Austin, TX - Emo's
22 - Dallas, TX -Amplified Live
23 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
26 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
27 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
30 - Sayreville, NJ -Starland Ballroom


May
1 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
2 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
3 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts
5 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
6 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
7 - Cincinnati, OH - Madison Theater
9 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
10 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora
11 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
12 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
14 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
15 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
17 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre
19 - Denver, CO - Summit
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot


* More dates will be added


Death Angel recently released their new live record, The Bastard Tracks, via Nuclear Blast.


Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, The Bastard Tracks is a deep cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's celebrated catalog that's available now digitally and on CD, Vinyl and Blu-Ray, and will be released on vinyl on April 29. Order here.

Grammy-nominated band TRIVIUM has announced two livestream shows set to unfold over two weekends in December. Both events will take place from the band's brand new headquarters, known as "The Hangar," in Orlando, Florida. This is the official streaming follow-up to 2020's massively successful "A Light Or A Distant Mirror" streamed event. While the band did conduct several free streaming events after the fact, this is the official follow-up.

These events are incredibly special and here's why. The weekend shows serve as the official debut of The Hangar. They coincide with the release of a new Hangar website portal, which is where the events will be broadcast from. This will be the online home of The Hangar and be the nerve center of future TRIVIUM events, merch drops, or other public activities from the space. It's also the 10-year celebration of the release of the band's critically acclaimed album "In Waves".

Ultimately, the streaming events are a summary of everything TRIVIUM is and everything the band has become over the last few years. They have reached a creative summit with their last three albums (2017's "The Sin And The Sentence", 2020's "What The Dead Men Say" and this year's "In The Court Of The Dragon") and remain ahead of the curve, as they were early adopters of the Twitch platform and have built The Hangar as their own house for content creation.

"The Hangar - In Waves" takes place on Saturday, December 11, with FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY as the pre-show.

"The Hangar - Deadmen & Dragons" is set for Saturday, December 18, also with FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY as the pre-show.

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy commented: "'In Waves' is hailed as one of the greatest TRIVIUM albums of all time. While TRIVIUM has the greatest supporters on earth, The Shogunate is also incredibly passionate on their decision of the best classic record. The fanbase always seems to be resoundingly split on three albums when it comes to speaking of 'the best': 'Ascendancy', 'Shogun' and 'In Waves'."

He continued: "'In Waves' is an album where TRIVIUM embarked on a journey to a new world of sounds, textures, feelings, and visuals. 'In Waves' was the moment where TRIVIUM finally, truly realized everything of its visuals. The 'In Waves' album changed the course of history for TRIVIUM, and its influence and impact is vastly apparent in the current modern metal scene."

"'Deadmen & Dragons' is the celebration of the last two years — two albums, The Hangar, 'The Metal Tour Of The Year', and, of course, 'A Light Or A Distant Mirror'," said bassist Paolo Gregoletto. "The moment we knew that touring was off the table in 2020, we shifted focus back to the creative process. This stream is the closing of this unexpected chapter of TRIVIUM and the beginning of a new one full of many exciting possibilities with The Hangar."

From Cyber Monday, November 29 through Wednesday, December 1, tickets for both shows will be on sale for $20. From Thursday, December 2 through Tuesday, December 14, tickets for both shows will be $25. Fans can enter to win a guitar from The Hangar Vault when they purchase a ticket to the livestreams. Virtual GA tickets for one show will be $15. Both shows will feature an in-stream chat and a 72-hour, video-on-demand replay function. Meet-and-greets are also available.

Tickets are available here.

Schedule:

Saturday, December 11:

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY pre-show

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET

"The Hangar - In Waves"

4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BT / 10 p.m. EU

Saturday, 12/18:

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY pre-show

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET

"The Hangar - Deadmen & Dragons"

4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BT / 10 p.m. EU

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has blasted people who are hesitant to roll up their sleeves and receive the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that their refusal to get the shot is putting all of our health at risk. "If everyone would get vaccinated, [the pandemic] wouldn't have to go on," the 57-year-old musician told The Aquarian Weekly in a new interview. "People say that even when vaccinated, you could still get it. Well, if you could get a vaccine that reduces [a deadly disease] to a nasty cold, you don't have to overflow the hospitals and you wouldn't have to have the snowballing amount of problems it is causing. We could get back to normal. Unfortunately, some people are more willing to take a deworming agent than the vaccine. It is crazy. I wish people would realize that chemists, scientists, and the pharmaceutical companies are responsible for both the vaccines and the dewormer. There is no logic in the world anymore."

Holt also pointed out the fact that EXODUS has to be extra careful with exposing its members to the virus after drummer Tom Hunting underwent a total gastrectomy in July in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach.

"Tom is immune compromised," Gary said. "He is done with his chemo. After his surgery, they waited enough time for his immune system to build back up and they were going to resume chemo, but after testing they told him that he did not need it. That was the best news we could have received, but right now, we want him at full strength before we immerse him in a petri dish of people."

Earlier this month, EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza railed against the federal and local vaccine mandates that have been implemented across the U.S. over the past few weeks, telling Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They're forcing you to get a vaccine. Do we live in a socialist society? What happened to 'my body, my choice'? I don't understand it. And it's not about the vaccine not being effective or whatever; it's about the choice that you're telling me to. We're playing a concert with TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL in Oakland, California [at the end of November]. You have to show proof of vaccination to even come in. I think that's socialist right there. That's bullshit. What about people that have AIDS? What if people have Hep C? How come they don't have to show [any kind of proof]…? To me, it's like anything else — why is this all of a sudden [something that] the government can mandate you?"

Souza, who was a vocal supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, clarified that he is not denying that COVID-19 exists and he is not denying that it's transmissible. "Yes, it's real. Yes, it kills people," he said. "It's no worse than the flu, though. You can't shut the world down. You can't ruin people's businesses that they built. Little mom-and-pop donut shops, how are they supposed to survive? I'm just using that as an example. My take is you cannot run from something. You need to hit it head-on. And once you hit it head-on, you're gonna beat it. You're gonna beat it. [But instead they are, like], 'Let's keep locking it down. Let's not do it anymore. Let's [postpone] the festivals till next year, and then the next year, and then the next year.' Just do it. What are you gonna do? Hide from this thing your whole life? It's been two years now — two years. It's fucking November. The shit hit in fucking December '19. I know 'cause I was in Europe when it went down. I had to fly home in the beginning of March [2020].

"Get it together, people," he concluded. "I just don't think our governments or our officials or the heads of the world really know what they're doing or know what to do with this. I wish they would just say they don't instead of trying to act like they do."

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis recently said that he beat COVID-19 by taking ivermectin, a drug with no evidence of being a safe or effective treatment for the novel coronavirus. Back in May, fellow conservative rocker Ted Nugent revealed that he also used ivermectin, along with hydroxychloroquine and various vitamins, in his battle with COVID-19. A few weeks ago, podcaster Joe Rogan sparked backlash when he said that he had taken Z-Pak, prednisolone and ivermectin following his own coronavirus diagnosis.

Vaccines against COVID-19 have proven to be a safe and effective tool in fighting the virus that's killed more than 775,000 Americans.

In recent months, ivermectin has become a popular medication to treat COVID-19 among people who oppose vaccinations.

While ivermectin is used to treat horses for parasites and worms, it has been approved for human use to treat infections such as head lice and skin conditions like rosacea.

The Food and Drug Administration has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans and has warned against taking the veterinary form of the drug. The FDA said clinical trials are ongoing but currently available data does not show ivermectin is safe or effective against the virus.

There are only three vaccines approved by the FDA to prevent COVID-19: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

EXODUS's new album, "Persona Non Grata", was released on November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records

METALLICA played the song "Damage, Inc." live for the first time in years during the band's second headlining set at the Welcome To Rockville festival on November 14 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Professionally filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Prior to the Rockville gig, METALLICA had not played "Damage, Inc." for at least four years.

"Damage, Inc." is the last song on METALLICA's third album, "Master Of Puppets", which was the first LP METALLICA recorded after signing a major label deal with Elektra Records.

The set only reached No. 29 on the Billboard album chart but has sold over six million copies in the U.S. since.

It is the last record to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who was killed later that year in a tour bus crash.

Several songs from the album are still staples of METALLICA's live set, including "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the title track.

Welcome To Rockville, a four-day rock festival, kicked off its 10th edition on November 11 at a new home in Daytona Beach.

METALLICA played another show at Welcome To Rockville with a different setlist on November 12.

Along with two nights of METALLICA, this year's Welcome To Rockville featured DISTURBED, SLIPKNOT, A DAY TO REMEMBER, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, LAMB OF GOD, SOCIAL DISTORTION, MASTODON and many others. The event was also livestreamed on Danny Wimmer Presents's Twitch channel, featuring select performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes content at twitch.tv/DWPresents.

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi says that he was "insulted" by the way he was portrayed in the band's released biopic "The Dirt".

Corabi joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for the group's original singer, Vince Neil, who was dismissed due to personal differences. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart. When Neil returned to the fold in 1997, Corabi was left on his own and formed the band UNION with ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

Corabi discussed the way he was name-checked in "The Dirt" in a recent interview with The Metal Summit. He said: "The portrayal in the movie, it was pathetic. It really made it look like I was really pissed when [the guys in the band are seen] basically walking into a high school gymnasium to, like, eight people. And I'm sorry — regardless of what the ticket sales were like [while I was in MÖTLEY CRÜE], it was never that bad. So I just kind of took it as a little bit of back-handed compliment — not even a compliment; it was like an insult. I was insulted. And I'm, like, you know, dude? If you're gonna be a fucking asshole about it, whoever's choice it was to put that in there… At the end of the day, I didn't appreciate it."

John, who is played by Anthony Vincent Valbiro in the adaptation of CRÜE's 2001 memoir "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band", went on to say that he would have preferred it if he had been left out of the film altogether. "I think I'm in the movie 20 seconds," he said. "So, take that 20 seconds out and skim over it completely."

Released in March 2019, "The Dirt" currently has a 36% critic score from 74 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the online review aggregation service that allows both critics and the public to rate movies. The same site has an 94% audience score for "The Dirt" from more than 6,000 reviews.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx addressed the fact that fan turnout was poor while the band toured to support 1994's "Mötley Crüe" album. "Maybe we needed to make that record that we did without Vince but not call it MOTLEY CRUE," Nikki said. "We were burnt the fuck out. But we made a great record and we went out on that tour and there was fucking no one there, dude."

Corabi in 2016 said that he would avoid talking about MÖTLEY CRÜE in the future because he didn't want his comments about Sixx to descend into a feud.

In an interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, Nikki said that writing the "Mötley Crüe" LP with Corabi was a prolonged and difficult experience. He went to call it "a very unfocused record" that was "painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work."

Corabi initially responded to Sixx's comments by saying that he didn't "give a shit" about what his ex-bandmate had to say, but later told an interviewer, when asked about it again, "I have no idea why Nikki feels that I'm the biggest piece of shit to roam the Earth." He then proceeded to take to his Facebook page to claim that he would "officially have nothing to say about any member of MÖTLEY CRÜE ever again," adding that he was "not backing this bullshit stirring that is happening to start a feud."

In February 2018, Corabi released a live album of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 self-titled album, recorded on October 27, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. "Live '94: One Night In Nashville" documents the album in its entirety along with the bonus track "10,000 Miles", which was originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the "Quaternary" EP.

Sabaton recently released the limited-edition, live-in-concert, double-DVD/Blu-Ray, The Great Show, and The 20th Anniversary Show, via Nuclear Blast. Both titles were filmed during the band’s 2019-2020 The Great Tour world trek, and both feature special guest performers. Orders can be placed here.


Sabaton have released this official live video for "Swedish Pagans", filmed at The Great Tour show in Prague, Czech Republic in 2020:







Sabaton's upcoming new album, The War To End All Wars, is out on March 4 via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order the album here.


Number One positions in 11 countries with their last record, Swedish Grammis nominations, sold-out arena shows: Sabaton indisputably wrote their very own fairytale during the last years, making it to the top of modern metal and beyond.


Written and recorded during the COVID global pandemic, Sabaton has crafted a concept album of 11 brand-new songs that once again dive deep into the atrocities, miracles, and events tied to the early 20th century’s World War I. The tenth album of the Falun-based five-piece will be available in an impressive variety of exclusive formats, including CD, vinyl, and cassette, with most available in limited editions. See below for all formats.





The War To End All Wars will be available in the following formats:


- Jewelcase CD
- Limited Gold CD [Supporter Edition - various versions with translated booklets]
- History Edition
- NB Mailorder Exclusive Edition [ltd. to 1500 copies]
- Earbook [limited to 6000 copies]
- Black Vinyl
- Azure Blue Vinyl [bandshop exclusive, ltd. to 300 copies]
- Inca Gold Vinyl [bandshop exclusive, ltd. to 500 copies]
- Copper Vinyl [ltd. to 500 copies]
- Fluorescent Orange Vinyl [ltd. to 500 copies]
- Leaf Green Vinyl [Sweden exclusive]
- Fluorescent Yellow Vinyl [Ginza exclusive]
- Dusk Vinyl [Levik exclusive]
- Soft Grey Vinyl [Nordics exclusive]
- Lavender Vinyl [FNAC exclusive]
- Rosewood Vinyl [Mystic exclusive]
- Fluorescent Green Vinyl [UK exclusive]
- Pacific Blue Vinyl
- Polar White Vinyl [limited to 300 copies]
- Dewdrop Vinyl [limited to 500 copies, EMP exclusive]
- Blue cassette [limited to 100 copies, bandshop exclusive]
- Green cassette [limited to 100 copies]
- Grey cassette [limited to 300 copies]
- Red cassette [limited to 500 copies]
- Black cassette [limited to 250 copies]
- Smokey cassette [limited to 200 copies]
- White cassette [limited 100 copies]





The War To End All Wars tracklisting:


"Sarajevo"
"Stormtroopers"
"Dreadnought"
"The Unkillable Soldier"
"Soldier Of Heaven"
"Hellfighters"
"Race To The Sea"
"Lady Of The Dark"
"The Valley Of Death"
"Christmas Truce"
"Versailles"


"Christmas Truce" lyric video:





"Christmas Truce" music video:





Following a 29-date headline tour of Sweden, Sabaton will launch the March 4, 2022 release of the new album with The Tour To End All Tours, a massive five-week European trek supported by The Hu and Lordi. Complete dates and ticket information are available here.


(Photo - Christian Ripkens)