German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN will release a new single, "Deliver Us From Evil", on December 3 via Nuclear Blast. The song is a taste of the band's new album, set to arrive in September 2022.

"Deliver Us From Evil" will be available digitally as well as on a seven-inch single (along with the previously released "Merry Xmas Everybody" as the B-side) and digipak CD (with the previously released "Violent Shadows" Wacken World Wide 2020 live performance as extra track).

BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch stated about the new single: "What can I say? We're very happy to be able to offer you a brand new song of our forthcoming album, out in September 2022. The physical single also contains the 2020 Christmas banger 'Merry Xmas Everybody' as well as the Wacken version of 'Violent Shadows' as extra on the CD, to shorten the waiting time until the new album.

"Whether vinyl or CD, I can assure you that this is the perfect accessory for your Christmas tree. The strictly limited vinyl can be played on all working vinyl players and has a perfect sound — in mono and stereo. Be brave and fast and get your copy as soon as possible. Vinyl is a rare resource these days...

"We know that the gap between now and the album release in late 2022 is painfully long. Neither we nor our label could defy the current worldwide economic crisis. A long story short: There is no one to blame for this situation. With 'Deliver Us From Evil', you will get another sweet appetizer of a very intense and vivid album that will hopefully raise your joyful anticipation until our next strike. At least, it would do it for me, but luckily I already know the whole album.

"Talking about anticipation, even though 'Violent Shadows' and 'Deliver Us From Evil' are indisputably fantastic tracks, rest assured: We won't let you wait another ten months with only two songs. I promise you that you will always be blown away. Cheers to the digital era and its endless possibilities. Oh, and the album title. There is one but I won't tell you yet. This would be giving away far too much right now."

This past July, Kürsch told Rock Hard Greece about the musical direction of BLIND GUARDIAN's new material: "It is by far the most intense album we did in a very, very long time. It is, in every measure, a roller-coaster ride. There is a lot of let-your-hair-down stuff — more than I expected. There are some typical surprising BLIND GUARDIAN elements.

"I'm just curious to see, really, or to hear what people will think about it. I think it's a very, very strong album. It will surprise a lot of people.

"It is straight-forward in the sense of BLIND GUARDIAN, so don't expect a straight-forward album if you compare it to anything else," he explained. "It's not a straight-forward album at all, but it's very straight-forward for BLIND GUARDIAN. It's very aggressive, it's very dark.

"The composing mostly has been accomplished before corona started to happen, but you can feel that there is a lot of anger in the album. It really delivers also very catchy and positive vibes, but there is a very raw energy you will feel."

BLIND GUARDIAN's latest release was the all-orchestral album "Twilight Orchestra: Legacy Of The Dark Lands", which came out in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. To create the concept, lead guitarist André Olbrich and Kürsch worked alongside German bestselling author Markus Heitz, whose latest novel, "Die Dunklen Lande", was released in March 2019. The book is set in 1629 and contains the prequel to "Legacy Of The Dark Lands".

BLIND GUARDIAN's last "regular" studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was issued in 2015. It was the band's first LP since 2010's "At The Edge Of Time", marking the longest gap between two studio albums in BLIND GUARDIAN's career. It was also the group's first album without bassist Oliver Holzwarth since 1995's "Imaginations From The Other Side". Holzwarth has since been replaced by Barend Courbois.

METALLICA played an"intimate" concert last night (Thursday, November 4) at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Tickets (priced $130-$380) for the 7,000-seat-theater show went on on July 30 and quickly sold out.

Support at the Hollywood gig came from Orlando metallers TRIVIUM.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. Whiplash

02. Ride The Lightning

03. Harvester Of Sorrow

04. Seek & Destroy

05. Through The Never

06. One

07. Sad But True

08. Moth Into Flame

09. No Leaf Clover

10. For Whom The Bell Tolls

11. Fuel

12. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

13. Master Of Puppets

Encore:

14. Blackened

15. Nothing Else Matters

16. Enter Sandman

This past September, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich said that it was "way too early" to talk about a new studio album from the band. The 57-year-old drummer touched upon a possible follow-up to 2016's "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" while speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked if there is a new METALLICA LP in the works, Lars said: "We're on that path. I don't know if it's cohesive enough to call a record, but we're dipping our toes. We've been trying to stay busy. We did the drive-in thing last summer. We did an All Within My Hands event in November. We did '[The Late Show With Stephen] Colbert'. We're doing '[Jimmy] Kimmel [Live!]' tomorrow. We're engaged. And we are creating at some level. It's way too early to talk about a record or a timeline or anything. But we're staying busy. And it's exciting to just think of the possibilities. Right now we're so rejuvenated and just ready to get back in."

Earlier this year, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told "The Fierce Life" podcast that he and his bandmates had written "quite a few songs" during the coronavirus quarantine. "We'll see how many we like first, and then we'll put 'em out," he said. "We're pretty selfish that way; we like what we write as well."

This past July, guitarist Kirk Hammett told Classic Rock magazine that he and his bandmates have been staying creative during the pandemic. "We've tried to make the most of the COVID year and a half, and we've been pretty successful," he said. "We've got together remotely and worked, and we've got together [properly] and worked. Things are moving really well. I would say that the music we're coming up with is very appropriate for the times."

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.




























Man what an incredible evening, thank you so much @Metallica! pic.twitter.com/9lVwvRffqA

— Paolo Gregoletto (@TriviumPaolo) November 5, 2021

Legendary German/American metallers ACCEPT have been forced to postpone their previously announced European "Too Mean To Die" tour, which was originally scheduled for January/February 2022, to January/February 2023 due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

"As much as we want to, the current COVID situation just doesn't allow us to go forward with this 2022 tour," explained ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. "It's a super-tough call, but we have no choice but to postpone once again. We wanted to play this tour badly. We had a killer setlist prepared with lots of new songs from the 'Too Mean to Die' album. I'm very sorry for the fans and of course everybody in the band is very disappointed. But hey, life goes on… Please stay safe, stay metal and stay 'too mean to die'! We'll see you soonest!"

Promoter Gerald Wilkes of Continental Concerts added: "The ACCEPT tour was planned through a total of 16 countries with very different regional infection situations, which are currently changing very quickly and therefore are incalculable for all involved. The legal requirements vary from country to country — even often from city to city. It all looked so promising a few months ago, but the situation right now simply doesn't allow it."

The good news is that ACCEPT has secured the venues for 2023 and will shortly announce the new dates. Wilkes adds: "The tour is confirmed for 2023 and tickets remain valid."

As a small consolation, ACCEPT is serving their fans the digital live single "The Undertaker" today (Friday, November 5) via Nuclear Blast. In addition, ACCEPT and Nuclear Blast have announced that another limited version (750 copies worldwide) of the hit album "Too Mean To Die" will be released on silver vinyl (2 LP) on February 18.

ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January via Nuclear Blast. The LP is the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH), who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

With Ozzy Osbourne's "Diary Of A Madman" celebrating its 40th anniversary this week, a variety of video clips have been released to commemorate the album. These include a new video for "Flying High Again" (created from exclusive images from Ross Halfin's newly released Randy Rhoads book), along with live versions of "Over The Mountain", "Flying High Again" and "Believer". In addition, an exclusive blue swirl "Diary Of A Madman" vinyl will be available November 12 via Walmart (in the U.S. only) as part of their annual Black Friday Vinyl.

The updated digital release of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Grammy-winning singer and songwriter's 1981 "Diary Of A Madman" album is available today (November 5) via all digital platforms and includes two live tracks previously unreleased digitally, including a live version of his Mainstream Rock Top Five hit "Flying High Again". Listen below.

"Diary Of A Madman" is Ozzy's second studio release and the last album to feature 2021 Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer guitarist Randy Rhoads. The multi-platinum release (with five million albums sold worldwide) included the No. 2 Mainstream Rock track "Flying High Again". The album was listed at No. 15 on Rolling Stone's 2017 list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time." Kory Grow noted, "A year after proving he was still a vital musical force on his first post–BLACK SABBATH solo LP, 1980's 'Blizzard Of Ozz', Ozzy Osbourne demonstrated it wasn't a one-time fluke with an album of poppy and gothic anthems like 'Flying High Again' and the almost classical closing title track. Guitarist Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash while touring for 'Diary' in 1982, had already proven himself a virtuoso on 'Blizzard'; here, he worked even harder to find the rare nexus between showboat chops and clever songwriting..."

The "Diary Of A Madman" 40th-anniversary expanded digital edition track listing:

01. Over The Mountain

02. Flying High Again

03. You Can't Kill Rock And Roll

04. Believer

05. Little Dolls

06. Tonight

07. S.A.T.O.

08. Diary Of A Madman

09. Believer (live)*

10. Flying High Again (live)*

* previously unavailable digitally

British progressive rock luminaries JETHRO TULL have announced details for the group's first studio album of new material in over 18 years. Originally making headlines in March of this year, the band's newest offering, titled "The Zealot Gene", will see a January 28, 2022 release on InsideOut Music. To give TULL fans their first taste of the new record, the group has released the first single from the album, titled "Shoshana Sleeping", accompanied by a stunning visual created by Thomas Hicks. Watch it below.

A record that began to take shape as early as 2017, "The Zealot Gene", in many ways, seeks to defy convention during a time when the business of being a touring and recording artist has never faced more uncertainties.

TULL bandleader Ian Anderson holds no reservations about the role for which the mythos and themes of Biblical storytelling played in the lyrical content of the new album, saying: "While I have a spot of genuine fondness for the pomp and fairytale story-telling of the Holy Book, I still feel the need to question and draw sometimes unholy parallels from the text. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly rear their heads throughout, but are punctuated with elements of love, respect, and tenderness."

Looking back on the earth-shaking disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, which ultimately ended the band's touring plans and hopes of a 2020 release for "The Zealot Gene", Anderson shares, "It was so sudden. Amidst the concerns and warnings of the scientific community and a few more enlightened politicians, we all retreated in disbelief to our homes to wait out the storm."

"The Zealot Gene" will be offered in the following formats:

* Special-edition digipak CD

* Gatefold 2LP+CD+LP-booklet

* Limited 2CD+Blu-ray artbook

* Limited deluxe 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray artbook

Both artbook editions feature a second CD of demos and initial ideas, plus extended liner notes and an interview with Ian Anderson undertaken by Tim Bowness.

The deluxe 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray artbook comes on white vinyl and includes a third LP with the rough demos. It also includes a slipmat and a numbered art print.

"The Zealot Gene" track listing:

01. Mrs. Tibbets (5:54)

02. Jacob's Tales (2:13)

03. Mine Is The Mountain (5:40)

04. The Zealot Gene (3:54)

05. Shoshana Sleeping (3:41)

06. Sad City Sisters (3:40)

07. Barren Beth, Wild Desert John (3:37)

08. The Betrayal Of Joshua Kynde (4:06)

09. Where Did Saturday Go? (3:53)

10. Three Loves, Three (3:30)

11. In Brief Visitation (3:00)

12. The Fisherman Of Ephesus (3:41)

With more than 30 albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 50 million, JETHRO TULL is one of the most successful rock bands of all time with a catalog that contains classics that still resonate today. Led by Ian Anderson, TULL still continues to tour throughout the world, entertaining audiences of all ages.

The band currently consists of:

Ian Anderson - Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals

Joe Parrish-James - Guitar

Florian Opahle - Guitar (album only)

Scott Hammond - Drums.

John O'Hara - Piano, Keyboards, Accordion

David Goodier - Bass

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

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

The second single, "Oh Well", can be streamed below. A song originally written and recorded by FLEETWOOD MAC, it is accompanied by a music video (set to premiere later today) that shows DEEP PURPLE on a very special mission. Label and management would like to state that nobody from the band or crew, nor members of the media, were hurt during the shooting of the video in Germany in early October.

"Everyone knows 'Oh Well' is a great song," DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover says. "Steve [Morse, guitar] did the demo for that one. You never quite know where it's gonna go with Steve because he is very inventive. Right up until the point, with a couple of verses in, it was pretty much the same as the original. And then, all of a sudden, it took off like a rocket… in some other space."

"Turning To Crime" track listing:

01. 7 And 7 Is (LOVE)

02. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey "Piano" Smith)

03. Oh Well (FLEETWOOD MAC)

04. Jenny Take A Ride! (MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS)

05. Watching The River Flow (Bob Dylan)

06. Let The Good Times Roll (Ray Charles & Quincy Jones)

07. Dixie Chicken (LITTLE FEAT)

08. Shapes Of Things (THE YARDBIRDS)

09. The Battle Of New Orleans (Lonnie Donegan/Johnny Horton)

10. Lucifer (BOB SEGER SYSTEM)

11. White Room (CREAM)

12. Caught In The Act [Medley: Going Down / Green Onions / Hot 'Lanta / Dazed And Confused / Gimme Some Lovin']

Last December, Glover revealed during a virtual meet-and-greet with Finnish fan Anssi Herkkola that DEEP PURPLE was planning to enter the studio in 2021 to begin work on another album. Speaking about how he and the other members of PURPLE have been spending their coronavirus downtime, Roger said: "All this COVID situation has meant that we can't tour. We're twiddling our thumbs, really, for over a year, and the idea was to possibly go back in and do another album. And so we're just working towards that. It's so quick after we'd done the last album, [and] maybe that will spoil things, but we're gonna try and do another album at some point next year. We're experimenting with stuff."

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Whoosh!", was released in August 2020 via earMUSIC. The LP was once again helmed by Canadian producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, ALICE COOPER), who also worked on the band's previous two studio albums, 2017's "Infinite" and 2013's "Now What?!"

Glover told Den Of Geek about the PURPLE songwriting process: "All our songs come from jamming. We don't actually write songs, they just evolve as we play. The first writing session is usually a lot of fun. We just explore different rhythms and riffs and whatever, and then take a break to listen to them, and figure out which ones we really want to work on, and that's the second writing session. And then we go to the studio and record them, but at this point, we rarely have finished vocals or lyrics. It's usually when the album has been all recorded instrumentally that [singer] Ian Gillan and I go off on our own somewhere for a couple of weeks and we write the words. Sometimes he writes on his own, sometimes I write my own. Sometimes we write together. And that's how it comes out.

He added: "You don't go to a PURPLE session with anything like a finished song. You go with an idea, and we all work on it together. It's got to be a collective. That's the point of the band — it's a collective. So, one person couldn't write a DEEP PURPLE song. It takes five of us.

"We've always done it that way. It's a strange way to write songs, I know. Most people write the songs before they go in the studio, we write them after we've been in the studio. But it was like that in '69 when I joined the band. It's been the same ever since."

In the Den Of Geek interview, Glover also said that DEEP PURPLE has "always" been a democratic group. "It was right from when I first joined the band," he explained. "We decided that whoever writes any particular idea, we all share, because we all contribute. The way we play is almost as much a part of the writing process as what the riff or the lyrics are. So we all shared everything. It didn't last that way. When I left the band, and Gillan left the band, it changed. It changed up until when Steve Morse joined. When Steve Morse joined, we said, 'Right, let's share everything.' It takes away stress, it takes away ego, it takes away jealousy, it takes away bad vibes. And I think we all share and we all write for it. We all work our bits. So that's the way we do it, and it is a democratic band."

Yo ho ho… ho! Notorious fabled folk rockers Ye Banished Privateers have gathered under the Christmas tree to gift their devoted crew something swashbucklingly special this holiday season. The band is thrilled to reveal a brand new full-length album of pirate-packed Christmas favorites - A Pirate Stole My Christmas, out December 3 - interpreted in a way only your favorite Swedish scallywags could.


Get a hearty first heaping of A Pirate Stole My Christmas with first shanty “Sulphur Ahoy” - setting a cozy yet spooky mood for the yuletide season. You landlubbers better not miss this one - yarrrrr!


Ye Banished Privateers on “Sulphur Ahoy”: “In our song 'Sulphur Ahoy', we were running out of space on the album, and managed to slay two traditional carols with one stone. By stealing from the original works of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and 'Pat-a-pan' we tell the story of a fatigued group of freedom fighters trying to get a good night’s rest before a deadly battle. The only problem is that, armed with drums and bagpipes, two assholes of the army musicians try to wake everyone up to have the whole crew join them in a last night of drunken debauchery.“




Watch the music video for “Sulphur Ahoy“ below.


´Tis the jolliest of seasons! Swedish sea dogs Ye Banished Privateers have come a’rowing through rough seas and salty winds to steal Christmas in the most swashbuckling of ways. Wrapped in the swag of pirate folk rock, the newly interpreted, grim covers of beloved Christmas classics on A Pirate Stole My Christmas draw the listener into a dark underworld of blood and bones! Ye Banished Privateers put their shanty and pirate folk-infused spin on Christmas tunes like "Twelve Days Of Christmas” and the captivating album opener “Ring The Bells”. The well-known classic “Oh Christmas Tree” gets a new coat of paint when Ye Banished Privateers re-word it to “O Cannonball” - most definitely making Christmas Eve a special occasion for the most beautiful time of the year.


Ye Banished Privateers add: “If given enough time, every artist will eventually lose their last ounce of self-respect, and release a Christmas album. Ye Banished Privateers are no strangers to self-loathing commercial stunts, and with our new album - A Pirate Stole my Christmas, we aim to officially join the ranks of Christmas legends such as Maria Carey and Bing Crosby. Our album is compiled of 11 classic carols defiled into an unrecognizable pulp of rum-drenched atonal pirate madness. If you didn't hate Christmas before, this is certain to change your mind!”


A Pirate Stole My Christmas will be available in the following formats:


- CD Sleevepack
- 1LP Gatefold Brick Red
- 1LP Gatefold Brick Red + Signed Postcard
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





A Pirate Stole My Christmas tracklisting:


"Ring The Bells"
"It Came To Bloody Pass"
"Deck And Hull"
"12 Days Of Christmas"
"Sulphur Ahoy"
"Little Rummer Boy"
"O Cannonball"
"Festival Days"
"Drawn And Quartered"
"Carol Of Bellows"
"Away In The Gutter"
 
"Sulphur Ahoy" video:





Lineup:


Nobility - cembalo, pump organ, miniature piano and almond presents
Quinton Taljenblock - viola pomposa, fiddle, mandoline, hurdy gurdy and main chopper of the sloppy bells
Mr Bellows - squeezebox, crankbox and boxed presents
Eva the Navigator - violin, vocals and salt cured leg of lamb
Freebird af Wærmaland - violin, viola, vocals and wassailing
Monkey Boy - glühwein keg drum, naughty vocals and mixed floggables
Ina "Battery" Molin - glockenspiel, eggnog and pompous percussion
Wan Chou Zhong - obnoxious string drum, huge oriental fruit thing with strings and spices for the season
Silent Jim - mandolino, mandolino basso, cinnamon mead-drenched rambling and forced half merry singing
Magda Malvina Märlprim - blood-stained lute guitar, cherry vocals and prettifying with poisonous plants
Scurvy Ben - cajón, spicy percussions and lingering aimlessly whilst vocalizing various throat sounds
Meat Stick Nick - small bass, big bass, long tube bass and pickled herring
Quartermaster Blackpowder Pyte - peculiar proclamations, choir boy caroling and unorderly drunken revelry
Old Red - them thick, them thin and them tinsel strings
Landmark - percussion, marching drum and figgy pudding
Filthylocks - fipple pipes and mince pie
Shameless Will - vocals, vanity, profanity, coin snatching, coat turning and Abbot of Unreason
Bojtikken - heaven sent vocals, timbrell, loud cymbals and snow angels


(Photo - Samuel Pettersson)

Cult Of Luna have announced their new full-length album, The Long Road North, set for release on February 11 via Metal Blade Records. The album marks as a follow-up to this years The Raging River EP, and prove that for over two decades, Cult Of Luna have forged a sound that has grown incomparable to others - ambitious, epic, visceral, and drenched in emotion.


Pre-orders will begin on December 1, here.







"The long road north is a long road home. A direction dictated by a call that penetrates rock and echoes through the forest," states vocalist/guitarist Johannes Persson. "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."





With 2019's A Dawn To Fear, Cult Of Luna delivered a career highpoint, and on 2021's The Raging River EP, they continued on that journey, one that concludes with The Long Road North, which stands as one of their most dynamic and beautiful works to-date.


As soon as listeners hit play, they are in familiar yet refreshingly new Cult Of Luna territory, the pulsating rhythms pummelling, and Persson's savage roar tearing through the layers of guitar. 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 sounding album, almost cinematic," the band states.


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.





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)

Norwegian extreme metal formation, Gaahls WYRD - fronted by renowned vocalist Gaahl (Gorgoroth, Wardruna, God Seed) - will release their new EP, The Humming Mountain, tomorrow, Friday, November 5, via Season Of Mist. Find an advanced stream below, and pre-order the EP here.


Gaahls WYRD, the eponymous brainchild of one of black metal’s most iconic and enigmatic figures, has returned with a hypnotic new EP. The Humming Mountain follows the band’s debut album, GastiR - Ghosts Invited, and sees the latest evolution of the esoteric dark metal project’s sound.


The five song offering creeps in like a whispering demon, slowly entrancing the listener with its deep, dark gaze before it sinks its teeth in and drags you into the all-consuming abyss.







Tracklisting:


"The Seed"
"The Humming Mountain"
"The Dwell"
"Awakening Remains – Before Leaving"
"The Sleep"


EP stream:





"The Seed" streaming video:





"The Humming Mountain" visualizer:





(Photo - Kati Ran)

Swedish blackened death metal force, Unanimated, have released another single from their upcoming album, Victory In Blood. The new track, “As The Night Takes Us”, comes off the band’s first studio effort in more than a decade, which will be released on December 3 via Century Media.


“As The Night Takes Us” is available now on digital and streaming platforms, and a lyric video for the single can be found below. Pre-order Victory In Blood here.







The vinyl version of Victory in Blood comes in a Ltd. Gatefold 180g. 2LP, with an Etching on Side D, Art Print and 12-page LP-Booklet. This exclusive vinyl edition also includes a cover version of Brazilian metal legends Sarcofargo, which will be only available on this format. The CD version comes as a 6-panel Pocket Pac (eco-friendly enclosure) with 12-page CD-Booklet. Also available as digital album.





“The wait is over, once again the funeral trumpets sing the pestilence of lucifer! We are very excited to release our 4th full length album and open the gates to a new chapter and march further into the abyss. We really went deep within ourself to release the pure essence of the band. The unity of band is stronger than ever and I think this shows on this album. I feel this is the strongest, most honest, genuine and direct album we done. It's written in blood, carved in stone, our victory in blood,” states Unanimated bassist Richard Cabeza.





Victory in Blood tracklisting:


LP1:


Side A
"Victory In Blood"
"Seven Mouths Of Madness"
"As The Night Takes Us"
"The Devil Rides Out"
"With A Cold Embrace"


Side B
"Demon Pact (Mysterium Tremendum)"
"XIII"
"Scepter Of Vengeance"
"Chaos Ascends"


LP2:


Side C
"The Golden Dawn Of Murder"
"Divine Hunger"
"The Poetry Of The Scared Earth"
"Satanic Lust" (cover) (only on Vinyl)


Side D
Etching


"As The Night Takes Us" lyric video:





"Victory In Blood" visualizer:





Unanimated is:


Richard Cabeza (bass)
Jojje Bohlin (guitar)
Jonas Derouche (guitar)
Anders Schultz (drums)
Mikael Broberg (vocals)

SLIPKNOT has just released a new single, "The Chapeltown Rag". The track, which can be streamed below, was produced by Joe Baressi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor described the song to Knotfest.com as "a punisher," saying it documents what happens when the distortions of mass media circulate within the echo chambers of social media.

"It's classic SLIPKNOT," said Corey about the track, which is inspired by a Netflix documentary he watched about the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer who murdered multiple women in the West Yorkshire, United Kingdom suburb Chapeltown in the late 1970s. "And it's frenetic. But lyrically, it's coming from a point of talking about the various manipulations that can happen when social media meets media itself. And the different ways that these manipulations can try to pull us in different directions, in the fact that we're all becoming addicts to it, which is very, very dangerous."

Recorded during recent sessions for a yet-to-be-announced new album, "The Chapeltown Rag" barrels forward with the speed of a freight train derailing and incisively eviscerates Internet culture from the inside out with the scream, "When everything is god online…nothing is."

M. Shawn Crahan, better known as Clown from SLIPKNOT, added: "'The Chapeltown Rag' facilitates a sort of mindset that you're going to like: it's along the barnburner side of things."

"The Chapeltown Rag" will be performed live for the first time ever tonight at SLIPKNOT's Knotfest Los Angeles. The event will be livestreamed as it happens, giving fans access to both the studio version and SLIPKNOT's live performance of "The Chapeltown Rag" within only hours of its premiere.

SLIPKNOT heralded "The Chapeltown Rag" with a unique and innovative rollout throughout this week. Unbeknownst to visitors, key lyrics from "The Chapeltown Rag" adorned Knotfest.com — the band's online hub for news, community, and their official fan club, OT9. When users clicked on the lyrics, they landed at www.thechapeltownrag.com. Beckoning fans further down the rabbit hole, www.thechapeltownrag.com featured a series of nine eco-friendly NFTs minted under the user account "desmoines515" and hosted on the carbon neutral WAX Blockchain. New digital assets were revealed each day this week. When assembled, those assets granted the first look at the single artwork, as well as a part of "The Chapeltown Rag". Fans who collected all nine of the free-to-redeem tokens should stay tuned for various special redemption options and offerings throughout the next album cycle.

"SLIPKNOT has been at the cutting edge, utilizing technology in new and creative ways to engage with their fans," said Lee Jenkins, product manager for WAX, "and we are very excited that they chose WAX for this initiative that showcases a new way to utilize blockchain technology."

According to Knotfest.com writer Dan Franklin, "The Chapeltown Rag" chorus sees Corey experimenting with vocal approaches he had never taken before.

"I wasn't even sure if that part was going to be the chorus, to be honest," Corey said. "But I just love the way that the chord progression lent itself this weird, chromatic, minor vibe to it, which I had never really done before. I played with it on 'Vermilion' years ago, but I had never really given it a little more aggression. The harmony that I created for it was just so fucking weird as well that it just gives it that slight dissonant vibe, but it's also very, very melodic and hummable. Writing and pulling yourself out of trying to keep it in some sort of structure allows you to just fucking rip the scab off and let the wound be what it is. Then obviously, the big breakdown at the end where it just fucking goes off the rails is is so heavy, dude."

SLIPKNOT's last album, "We Are Not Your Kind", was released in August 2019. The LP sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

SLIPKNOT is currently headlining the "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, featuring support from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE. The 29-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicked off following the band's Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25, and will wrap up at the aforementioned Knotfest Los Angeles.

"Let's set our piano on fire!" might be a sentence we haven't heard since the good old rock'n'roll days of the 70s. However, more than any other song from Epica's upcoming audiovisual release, "Kingdom Of Heaven Pt 3 - The Antediluvian Universe" proves that the Dutch symphonic legends have been truly on fire since the release of their latest studio album in February.


Despite not being able to play many shows this year, the band used their time at home to set up an extraordinary streaming event that premiered in June and will now be available in various audiovisual formats on December 3. You can even go and witness it live on a huge screen with popcorn and all your friends at the exclusive Kinepolis cinema premiere taking place in Antwerp on December 2, where the whole band will be present to celebrate the release - tickets are now available at epica.nl.


Today,Epica reveal a new video from the show, the over 13 minutes long "Kingdom Of Heaven Pt 3 - The Antediluvian Universe".




"The whole 3rd act was built around the 'Kingdom Of Heaven' songs", keyboardist and concept developer Coen Janssen explains. "The 3rd part (from the Omega album) just had to be played, so we came up with 'Elysia',  the kingdom somewhere in the sky… A new decor resembling a throne room and a massive chandelier with acrobats in it set the tone for this song. For the 'piano solo,' we had an extra surprise up our sleeve… playing it while it was on fire! A stunt we could not rehearse since the piano would be destroyed afterward! Under great guidance from our pyro-crew, we managed to pull it off, luckily the part only lasts about 30 seconds since it was extremely hot as you can imagine! Since this looked so cool on stage, we also lit up the gong at the end of the act, with Ariën hitting it with a flaming torch… These images turned out way cooler than we expected… too bad we can’t do this live."





Directed by Jens de Vos (Panda Productions) and graced by a magical artwork by Heilemania, the DVD, BluRay, CD, and vinyl contain 15 Epica classics, fan-favorites, as well as first-ever live performances from tracks off the band's latest chef-d'oeuvre Ωmega, such as "The Skeleton Key" or the insanely monumental "Kingdom of Heaven Part 3".





Ωmega Alive formats:


-BluRay+DVD
-2 CD digipak
-Boxset
-CD-version of the Earbook
-5x 10'' Picture vinyl (Zoetrope vinyl)
-Earbook
-DVD+BluRay
-3LP (Light Green Vinyl)
-Earbook
-DVD+BluRay
-2CD
-Vinyl
-3LP in trifold incl 2 lyric sheets:
-Black in trifold
-Sun yellow in trifold (NB mailorder and wholesale exclusive)
-Clear + Green and Black Splatter (NB Mailorder exclusive)
-Glow in the Dark (Band store exclusive)
-Clear + White marbled in trifold (EMP exclusive)
-White with sun yellow + black in trifold (Netherlands + Belgium exclusive)
-2 CD/BluRay  - USA exclusive
-2 CD/DVD - Mexico and Brazil exclusive


Pre-order at Nuclear Blast.


"The Skeleton Key" video:





“Unchain Utopia" video:

Sahil Makhija, better known as Demonstealer, has long been one of the pillars of the heavy metal scene in India. From being at the vanguard of a fledgling metal scene to becoming one of its most visible and respected proponents today, Demonstealer is integral to the growth of the Indian metal community.


He now returns with his new EP, The Holocene Termination, out December 3 via Demonstealer Records. The release, featuring a stellar cast of guest musicians, is another entry in an astonishingly vital and storied carrier.


Demonstealer has released the second single from the EP. The track, "An Epoch Of Degradation", features Krzysztof Blingbeing from Deathspawn on drums and Anton Zhikharev from Gorgasm on bass.




"This song talks about how humans have pretty much wrecked the planet and how our entire existence has slowly corroded and degraded the earth. Over the last few years I feel like the true colours of people are more boldly displayed and it's not a pretty colour at all," says Demonstealer about the track.





Pre-order the EP here (International), or here (India).





Tracklisting:


"The Holocene Termination" feat. Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse), Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under) and Nick Padovani (Equipoise)
"An Epoch Of Degradation" feat. Krzysztof Klingbein (Deathspawn) & Anton Zhikharev (Gorgasm)
"From Extinction Begins Evolution" feat Simon Schilling (Marduk), Anton Zhikharev (Gorgasm) and Fabio Bartoletti (Fleshgod Apocalypse)
"What She Creates She Will Destroy" feat. Robin Stone (The Amenta), Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under) and Veronica Bordacchini (Fleshgod Apocalypse)


"The Holocene Termination" video:

The great 2017 Lionheart album, Second Nature, will be released worldwide for the first time on January 21 via Metalville Records. To mark this special event, the album has been remastered to sound punchier than ever, and now also includes two bonus tracks.


In 2017, the album Second Nature hailed Lionheart’s triumphant return to the melodic rock music scene with a collection of powerful and memorable songs featuring the distinctive harmony vocals and harmony lead guitars for which Lionheart were so renowned.


The first Lionheart album to feature the extraordinary talent of Lee Small on lead vocals, Second Nature was released in Japan (on King Records) and Europe. Unfortunately, in 2020, the European deal lapsed and the album disappeared from the market outside of Japan.




Now Metalville Records have stepped up to the plate and are releasing a repackaged version of the Second Nature album and, for the first time, globally. The release will also include the remarkable "Circle Of Bands" chart by Tristan Greatrex, which has been brought up to date and which was up to now only available in the Japanese release. Cover and tracklisting below.





Tracklisting:


"Prelude"
"Give Me The Light"
"Don’t Pay The Ferryman"
"Angels With Dirty Faces"
"30 Years"
"On Our Way"
"Second Nature"
"Prisoner"
"Every Boy In Town"
"Time Is Watching"
"Heartbeat Radio"
"Lionheart"
"Mary Did You Know" (bonus track)
"Paperback Writer" (bonus track)
"Reprise"


Lineup:


Dennis Stratton - formerly guitarist with Iron Maiden
Steve Mann - currently guitarist and keyboardist with Michael Schenker
Rocky Newton - formerly bass player and backing vocalist with McAuley Schenker Group
Clive Edwards - formerly drummer with UFO, Wild Horses, and Uli Roth
Lee Small - formerly lead vocalist with Shy and Phenomena

KISS frontman Paul Stanley once again demonstrated his cooking chops in the kitchen overseeing "cruisers" aboard this year's Kiss Kruise. The ship departed from New Orleans on October 29 for a five-day journey that took participants from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize and Roatan, Honduras aboard Norwegian Jewel. Check out video footage below (courtesy of Mike Brunn).

This past June, Stanley, who frequently uses social media to share photos of his culinary creations, was asked in an interview with Germany's Radio Bob! if he has any plans to eventually release a cookbook. He responded: "Maybe at some point, but right now that cookbook would be very thin. If I were to collaborate with some of my friends who are chefs and whatever, I'd love to do a cookbook at some point."

He continued: "It's a lot of fun and very gratifying to sit and eat something that you made that's actually good. I think at some point most of us have cooked something and gone, 'Woah. That's awful.' But when you cook something and you go, 'Wow. If I got this in a restaurant, I'd go back to that restaurant,' that's good.

"So, would I love to do a cookbook? Yeah," Paul added. "Right now it wouldn't have many pages. So I'm gonna wait a little while."

Back in 2014, Stanley demonstrated his home-cooking skills during an appearance on an episode of "Home & Family" on the Hallmark channel. Stanley showed off his culinary expertise in the kitchen with co-host Cristina Ferrare when they made his recipe for chicken marinade and Brussels sprouts.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has released the official music video for the song "End Of Days". The track is taken from the band's upcoming 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", which is due on November 26 via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music).

In a recent interview with the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY leader Zakk Wylde stated about the writing process for "Doom Crew Inc.": "The way it always goes, it's always the music first and then a melody. And then I've gotta find out something I wanna sing about. So then I'll write the lyrics. That's usually always the way it goes. And then, when it's all done, then the solos go on it. The painting's all done, and the solo is the frame that goes on the thing. So you can sit back and look at the whole thing. That's the way we pretty much always do it.

"We did the box set, and then we did videos for that, and then, after that, [my wife Barbaranne] was just, like, 'Maybe you guys can do a record,'" he recalled. "I said, 'All right. No problem.' So I said, 'How long till the guys come out?' [She said], 'You've got a month till the fellows come out.' So I was just, like, 'All right. Let me get started.' So I would just have a cup of coffee and just start writing riffs. You always get inspired by — for me, it's always Mount Riffmore, which is CREAM, MOUNTAIN, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE… If you're not getting inspired by the riffs those guys have created, it's just like… So I'll just go fishing and just start writing till you get to something you like.

"What we ended up doing [was] tracking about 30 songs and then whittled it down to the 12 that we have [on the album]," Zakk explained. "It's funny, 'cause the 'Farewell Ballad' thing has been sitting around on YouTube for probably about 11 years or something like that — just that instrumental strip of music. And so I was just, like, 'You know what? Let me just get around to finishing this thing.' 'Cause we had that bit of music, the chord progression that I wrote. So then I just finished it — I just wrote a melody, I wrote a song with that intro. So we finished that thing. And then 'Love Reign Down', the piano ballad, that was sitting around. I wrote that about my mother who passed away. That was during [the making of Ozzy Osbourne's] 'No More Tears', actually. I remember noodling on the piano at A&M and I wrote that song. So it was good to actually finally put that on an album. But the rest of it is all brand new. 'Set You Free' was pretty much right at the end, when we were tracking everything else. So that definitely popped in there late at the end of the whole thing. But the album's probably almost about a year old now, since we recorded it and finished it and mastered it and everything like that. But it's just been sitting in the can until right now."

"Doom Crew Inc." will be available digitally on CD and vinyl plus a deluxe edition that includes vinyl, CD longbox, cassette and more. The 12-track album is both a tribute to the band's "first to bleed, last to leave" road crew and a salute to the legion whose support, stretching back to 1998, rivals that of the KISS Army.

The songs are odes to celebration and mourning, the soundtracks to jubilant evenings and bewildering days recorded in Wylde's home studio, the Black Vatican. On this album, Zakk trades solos and twin-guitar parts with Dario Lorina, backed by the rumble of longtime bassist John "J.D." DeServio and powerhouse drummer Jeff Fabb.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY kicked off the "Doom Trooping Over North America" tour on October 1 in Sacramento at Ace Of Spades. The trek, with openers OBITUARY and PRONG, will run through November 28, ending in Albuquerque at the Sunshine Theater. The band will then finish up the tour from December 27-31 with PRONG and ARMORED SAINT.

"Doom Crew Inc." track listing:

01. Set You Free

02. Destroy & Conquer

03. You Made Me Want To Live

04. Forever And A Day

05. End Of Days

06. Ruins

07. Forsaken

08. Love Reign Down

09. Gospel Of Lies

10. Shelter Me

11. Gather All My Sins

12. Farewell Ballad

Photo credit: Justin Reich

Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, featuring an acoustic cover of Iron Maiden's "Infinite Dreams". The song originally appeared on Maiden's 1988 album, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.





Thomas previously released acoustic covers of the tracks "Hell On Earth", "Stratego", and "The Writing On The Wall", from Iron Maiden's new album, Senjutsu. Watch below:

Selfmadegod Records presents Agonia, the destructive new album from Krakow, Poland-based death metal outfit Redemptor - uniting current and former members of Decapitated, Vader, Hate, Sceptic, Sothoth, Banisher, Deivos, and more - now confirmed for early December release.


Redemptor is back with their first new full-length in four years, the successor to their well-received Arthaneum album. Agonia delivers nine new tracks of technical, heavy, and atmospheric death metal heavily influenced by Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Immolation, and Death. With the drums recorded at dMb Studio, the album was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Zed Studios by Tomasz Zalewski (Decapitated, Kat, Deivos), and completed with artwork by the band's vocalist Michał Xaay Loranc, known from his work for Behemoth, Necrophagist, Nile, Abysmal Tortment, and many more. Additionally, Agonia features guest contributions of viola from Monika Boroni and orchestral arrangement by Dominik Wawak on the song “Debris.”


Alongside the album’s details, Agonia’s lead single, “Potion Of The Skies,” has also been issued through an official video created by Chariot Of Black Moth. Writes guitarist Daniel Kesler with its premiere, “'Potion Of The Skies' is an intense piece, at the same time showing the more structured face of Redemptor's music, a showcase of the sound of Agonia, which is why it is the first one we want to share it. Working on Agonia, we've been entirely focused on creating an overwhelming, dark atmosphere. It expresses fear, anguish, and despair. In the flood of strange and bleak arrangements the peculiarity floats inertly towards the abyss.” Watch the video below.




Selfmadegod Records will release Agonia December 3 on CD, LP, and digital platforms. Watch for pre-orders to post at selfmadegod.com this week. Stand by for additional new singles and more to post over the days ahead preceding the release of Agonia.





Tracklisting:


"Tectonic Plates"
"Potion Of The Skies"
"TAR"
"Further From Ordeal"
"Excursus Ignis"
"Aurora"
"Debris"
"Wounds Unhealed"
"Les Ruines De Pompei"


"Potion Of The Skies" video:





Redemptor was formed in 2001 by Daniel Kesler (Only Sons, Sothoth ex-Sceptic), recording two demos in its first lineup. The debut album, None Pointless Balance, was recorded in 2005, while the band played many concerts, paving the way for a new chapter of their activity.


2007 brought with it revolutionary changes in the lineup, with well-known Polish artists such as vocalist Michał Xaay Loranc (responsible for the graphics of Nile, Pestilence, and many others), drummer Jakub Chmura (Sceptic, Thy Disease), guitarist Konrad Rossa (Decrepit Birth, Decapitated, Sothoth), and bassist Andrzej Pichlinski (Privateer) joining the band, recording the new demo, Nanosynthesis, performing together through 2010.


In 2011, Hubert Więcek (Banisher, ex-Decapitated, ex-Acid Drinkers) replaced Konrad Rossa on guitar and Piotr Tokarz joined on bass. In this lineup, Redemptor played many concerts and recorded the 4th Density EP. In 2014, longtime drummer Jakub Chmura left the band, his place was taken by Kerim Lechner (ex-Decapitated, Septicflesh) as session drummer, and recording on the band’s self-released second full-length, The Jugglernaut, which was very positively received by fans and critics alike.


The next few years of the band's activity marked a new era and a significant change of musical direction. In 2017 the band signed with Polish label Selfmadegod Records, releasing their third album, Arthaneum. At this time, Paweł Pavulon Jaroszewicz - then performing with Vader, Decapitated, Hate, and Antigama - became the new drummer, and Arthaneum was realized as the band's greatest success, the album receiving enthusiastic reviews and greatly expanding their fanbase.


In 2018, Selfmadegod released The Becoming [2005-2011], a collection of Redemptor recordings which compiles a reissue of None Pointless Balance, the Nanosynthesis demo, and the 4th Density EP. Now, as 2021 draws to a close, the band delivers their massive Agonia LP via Selfmadegod, with drums recorded by Daniel Rutkowski (Hate) bass from Kamil Stadnicki (Deivos, Ulcer, Only Sons).


Redemptor:
Michał Xaay Loranc - vocals
Daniel Kesler - vocals/guitar
Hubert Więcek - guitar
Kamil Stadnicki - bass
Daniel Rutkowski - drums
Paweł Pavulon Jaroszewicz - drums (live)


(Photo - Michał Xaay Loranc)

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale talked to Los Angeles Daily News about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" album. She said: "I don't think I am the same person I was when I started writing the songs for this record. We wrote a lot [pre-pandemic] and threw a lot away; we recorded a lot and threw a lot away. New stuff just rose to the surface and the album began shaping itself into what it needed to be. It was truly life-saving to have that outlet and that direction during that time and we put everything we had into it so it's going to be a barn burner because of that."

In a separate interview with Portland Mercury, Lzzy spoke about being able to work on new music helped her deal with the pandemic and get through the year and a half of not being able to play live shows.

"We began writing this album before the pandemic hit and then I feel like I lived about three different lifetimes through that," she explained. "And then we just recorded our last song for the album yesterday.

"In a lot of ways, writing kind of saved me. First and foremost, I love live music and touring and being in the bus and the whole thing. And since I was 13 when we started the band, we had never gone this long without a live show. Because even when I was 13, we had two bowling alley shows a month, which I totally would have taken during the pandemic. So in a lot of ways, writing music was just the outlet. It's where I could put all of my fears and my doubts, trying to reconnect with the person I am offstage because I hadn't seen her in a while. It's just the power of music, man. You reconnect with why you really love music. And what I discovered is it's not about the whole 'I wanna be a rock star' thing, it's not about the live show, it's not even about the fans and the radio and whatever it is. It's my thing. It's a part of me."

In August, HALESTORM released a new single called "Back From The Dead". The video for the track, directed by Dustin Haney (Noah Cyrus, Luke Combs) and produced by Revolution Pictures, features Lzzy and the rest of the band in a morgue and cemetery somewhere between life and death.

HALESTORM's new music is once again being produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who first helmed the band's 2017 effort "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" and was previously described by Hale as the group's "fifth member."

Two months ago, HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale told Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio about the band's musical approach on the upcoming album. "At this point, we're just, well, we could either try to create as much open, breathable space so when we play these songs in arenas, they can sound really big, or we can try to do almost the opposite, but tastefully. Like, let's try to bring out more personality, let's try to be even more ourselves in the sense of bringing more energy to the songs. 'Cause like it or not, we play without a click track live, so the songs are gonna be a little bit faster, we're gonna throw more notes in here and there, we're gonna get excited and do something crazy.

"I feel like with every record we do, we have that much more experience and we get even closer and closer to matching our live energy, which has been consistently our M.O. when it comes to going in the studio," he continued. "So that's where we're at once again. We're, like, 'Let's try and amp it up even more.' And not playing a show for a year and a half definitely brought out a lot more aggression, I think, in us.

"We said, 'Working on this record throughout the entire pandemic, it's either gonna be the best record we put our or it's gonna be the most insane record we put out, and everyone's either gonna love it or hate it,'" Arejay added. "I hope that they love it. I love it. It gets me excited. I feel like with these new songs, there's an energy and excitement there that has been lacking in the last couple of records."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)"

At this year's Ohana Festival, PEARL JAM's Eddie Vedder performed his solo single "Long Way" for the first time during his headlining set. Fans can now see the amazing performance which was shot and edited by PEARL JAM video director Blue Leach.

Vedder was joined by an all-star backing band including Chad Smith, Pino Palladino, Josh Klinghoffer, Andrew Watt and Glen Hansard who performed with Vedder two nights in a row during the festival's first weekend.

"Long Way" was released in September via Seattle Surf/Republic Records. The song is the first track off Vedder's upcoming solo album, "Earthling".

In creating the song, Vedder worked with producer Andrew Watt in their first collaboration together. Vedder's iconic vocals shine through as Watt's production drives home the emotions of the track.

Vedder has been busy, recently collaborating with Glen Hansard on eight new compositions for the "Flag Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", available via Seattle Surf/Republic Records. The soundtrack features noted singer-songwriter Cat Power who contributes three new original songs, along with one cove, and the debut of Olivia Vedder on two tracks. The 13-song soundtrack serves as the musical companion to the Cannes Film Festival-selected film "Flag Day" starring and directed by Academy Award winner Sean Penn and also starring his daughter Dylan Penn.

More than a year and a half ago, PEARL JAM unveiled its latest album, "Gigaton", to widespread critical and fan praise and a Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200. It graced year-end lists by Mojo, Consequence Of Sound, Insider, and more.

First Gear has teamed up with AC/DC to offer a rockin' new limited-edition replica featuring the band's seventeenth studio album, "Power Up". The 1/64 Peterbilt Model 389 truck is covered in a black finish with AC/DC bolts adorning the rear of cab, cab doors, and fifth wheel plate. The Kentucky moving trailer is matte black and features art and photography from the album. Each limited-edition model will come packed in a custom AC/DC PWR/UP designed carton.

This authentic Peterbilt Model 389 63" Mid-Roof Sleeper Cab diecast metal replica model comes paired with a Kentucky Moving Trailer and features an opening hood with authentic engine detail, poseable front wheels, accurately detailed cab interior, pivoting fifth-wheel for trailer attachment, functioning trailer landing gear/jack stands, and detailed chassis and undercarriage. This quality replica is decorated with a black paint scheme. You can see the band's iconic logo and thunderbolt throughout the truck. It also features art and photography from the album on both sides of the trailer. This replica will come in custom AC/DC packaging.

This 1/64 scale replica measures approximately 14.25" long, 1.75" wide, and 2.75" high.

For more information, visit AC/DC's official webstore.

"Power Up" was released in November 2020. The LP features AC/DC's current lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). It was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

"Power Up" landed at the No. 1 spot in 18 countries, including in the U.S., where it sold over 117,000 copies in the first week. "Power Up" marked AC/DC's sixth No. 1 album in Australia where the band is the only Australian group in history to have had a No. 1 album across five decades: "Back In Black" (1980s), "Ballbreaker Live" (1990s), "Black Ice" (2000s), "Rock Or Bust" (2010s) and "Power Up" (2020s).

"Power Up" was the fastest-selling album of 2020 in at least three of its biggest markets — U.S., Australia and the U.K. — where it debuted at No

Ozzy Osbourne's follow-up to 2020's "Ordinary Man" is expected to be released early next year.

In a new financial statement released by Sony, the BLACK SABBATH singer's name is listed under a section titled "Selected upcoming releases anticipated over the next six months" alongside projects by Adele, Alicia Keys, BLACK EYED PEAS and Travis Scott, among others.

While no specific release date is mentioned on the report, Ozzy, who is signed to Sony Music, recently confirmed that 15 songs have been recorded for his next LP. He is once again working with producer Andrew Watt on the "work-in-progress" effort, which will include guest appearances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde.

Last month, Ozzy told Metal Hammer magazine that his new album will be "similar in tone to 'Ordinary Man', but I can't describe it completely. I've not heard it for a while because it keeps going over to the next person to add their parts — we're fucking around with it all the time," he said.

Watt connected with Osbourne after meeting Ozzy's daughter Kelly at a friend's party and pitching her on the idea of Post Malone and Ozzy collaborating together.

Seven months ago, Ozzy told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that he and Andrew had completed more than a dozen for his next studio LP. "My only concern right now is finishing the bloody thing," he said. "We've got the same production time as the last time, so there's definitely going to be some similarities. But you'll just have to wait and see what you think."

In December 2020, Watt told Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend were "halfway through" the new LP. "There's some songs on there that are like eight or nine minutes long that are these really crazy journeys. I'm really excited about it," he said.

Like "Ordinary Man", which featured Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Ozzy's next album will feature guest appearances by a number of other notable musicians. "There's a bunch of people involved," Andrew told Guitar World. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo [METALLICA], who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."

BMG will release a limited-edition 1inch black vinyl of four previously unreleased tracks by Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen's project SMITH/KOTZEN on November 26 in conjunction with international Record Store Day's Black Friday event. The "Better Days" EP reflects the ongoing strength of the dynamic writing and recording partnership between these two world-class musicians, following their eponymous debut album released in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting in the Top 20 in markets such as U.K., Germany, U.S. and Canada, a tremendous accomplishment for an inaugural collaboration project.

"Better Days" continues this trajectory with its huge hooks and driving riffs, coupled with the pair's now-traditional vocal trade-offs building to crescendo with its soaring, unforgettable chorus.

The full track listing is:

01. Better Days

02. Got A Hold On Me

03. Hate And Love

04. Rise Again

The final two songs on the EP were recorded at Windermere on Turks & Caicos Islands in March 2020. "Better Days" and "Got A Hold On Me" followed at The House recording studio in Los Angeles in April 2021 when SMITH/KOTZEN were finally able to reconvene after lockdown and to shoot an accompanying video for the title track. As with the "Smith/Kotzen" album, the EP was produced by Richie and Adrian, and mixed by Kevin Shirley.

Richie comments: "When Adrian came over to L.A. earlier this year, we got together and started throwing ideas around and we very quickly came up with the new songs. 'Better Days' almost seemed to write itself. It's got a nice groove to it. Adrian came in with the riff and we came up with a melody for the chorus together, pretty much working to the same formula we used when writing the 'Smith/Kotzen' album, bouncing ideas off each other."

Adrian adds: "'Better Days' is a song I'm really excited about. I think its slightly different to the songs on the 'Smith/Kotzen' album — it's kind of heavy but melodic. I'd played Richie the riff and I was looking for a reaction, and I got one. Kind of like the old grey whistle test scenario — there was a spark and we started building the song from there. I'd have an idea, then Richie would have an idea and we'd go back and forth, like building blocks."

"Better Days" will be available from all good independent record stores and available as a download.

The "Better Days" video was filmed at Mates studio in Los Angeles and was directed by Jeff Wolfe, who successfully combined an action career onscreen with an award-winning director's role behind camera.

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.

On November 19, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will return with new album "Raise The Roof", delivering a fresh, cosmic collision of early blues, country deep cuts, revolutionary folk-rock and lost soul music written by a dozen legends and unsung heroes of the past century. The long-awaited reunion marks the duo's first record in 14 years, produced by T Bone Burnett, and the track listing reflects both deep-rooted influences and recent revelations. On "It Don't Bother Me", the final preview of the album shared today, the two artists transform Bert Jansch's solo acoustic composition into an empowering arrangement led by Alison Krauss, simmering with spectral flourishes of dolceola, marxophone and pedal steel, handclaps and percussion, and interplaying guitars of Marc Ribot and LOS LOBOS' David Hidalgo.

On the inclusion of "It Don't Bother Me" on "Raise The Roof", Plant says: "I've been a big follower of Bert Jansch's work since I was a teenager, and of that whole Irish, Scottish, English folk style that has a different lilt and different lyrical perspective. I was very keen to bring some of that into the picture."

"One of my favorite parts of this is the songs and songwriters that I had never heard of," adds Krauss. "Working with Robert, and with T Bone, is always a great education in music history."

"It Don't Bother Me" arrives on the heels of "Raise The Roof"'s lead single, "Can't Let Go", which just spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Americana radio charts, as well as the album's sole original song, "High And Lonesome", penned by Plant and T Bone Burnett.

Following the monumental debut of 2007's platinum-certified "Raising Sand", which won all six Grammy Awards for which it was nominated (including "Album" and "Record Of The Year"), Plant and Krauss "are still proof that sometimes the best things come from unlikely collaborators" (Entertainment Weekly). Across "Raise The Roof", the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and 27-time Grammy-winning Bluegrass Hall Of Famer step further outside their comfort zone, expanding their unexpected, unparalleled partnership in remarkable new directions.

While sessions for the album began in Nashville in November 2019, wrapping just weeks before the world went into lockdown, Krauss remembers sending Plant the Randy Weeks/Lucinda Williams classic "Can't Let Go" at least 10 years ago — and "it seems like time hasn't passed at all" (NPR Music). Elsewhere on "Raise The Roof", Plant and Krauss reimagine songs from Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, Anne Briggs, Geeshie Wiley, Ola Belle Reed, Brenda Burns and more, with arrangements even more evocative and hypnotic than those on "Raising Sand".

"It's such a far cry from everything I've done before," says Plant. "I love the whole kaleidoscope of music that I've explored, but this is a place where you can think within the song, you can decide how to bring home an emotion. It's another blend that we've got, and long may we have more of them."

"Raise The Roof" track listing:

01. Quattro (World Drifts In)

02. The Price Of Love

03. Go Your Way

04. Trouble With My Lover

05. Searching for My Love

06. Can't Let Go

07. It Don't Bother Me

08. You Led Me To The Wrong

09. Last Kind Words Blues

10. High And Lonesome

11. Going Where the Lonely Go

12. Somebody Was Watching Over Me

Photo by David McClister

Sepultura have released a new HD version of their "Bullet The Blue Sky" video. Watch below.


Says the band: "To celebrate Revolusongs being available on digital globally for the first time, we have a new HD version of the video of 'Bullet The Blue Sky'. Check out the difference!"







Sepultura recently announced the postponement of the European leg of their Quadra tour.


Says the band: "Even though the world is slowly opening up and shows are starting to take place, there is still too much uncertainty with the ever-changing rules between the different European countries. As a result of this, We are forced to postpone our European QUADRA tour with Sacred Reich and Crowbar to 2022. Purchased tickets will remain valid."

Sepultura's North American Quarda Tour 2022 will kick off on March 4 in Sacramento, California and will make stops in Toronto, Cleveland, and New York before concluding on April 8 in Berkeley, CA. The band will be joined by Sacred Reich and Crowbar with openers Art Of Shock.


General admission tickets and VIP packages are now available for purchase here.





Tour dates:


March
4 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA
5 - The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT *
6 - Oriental Theater - Denver, CO*
8 - Wildwood - Iowa City, IA
9 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
10 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
11 -  Harpo's - Detroit, MI
12 - The Forge - Joliet, IL *
13 - Thunderbird Music Hall - Pittsburgh, PA *
15 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
16 - Opera House - Toronto, ON
17 - Corona Theater - Montreal, QC
18 - Big Night Live - Boston, MA
19 - Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
20 - Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
21 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
23 - Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC *
24 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
25 - Culture Room - Ft Lauderdale, FL
26 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL *
28 - Southport Music Hall - New Orleans, LA *
29 - Come and Take It Live - Austin, TX *
31 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK


April
1 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
2 - GMBG - Dallas, TX *
3 - Rockhouse - El Paso, TX
5 - The Nile Theater - Phoenix, AZ *
6 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
8 - Belasco Theater - Los Angeles, CA
9 - The UC Theatre - Berkeley, CA


* New shows and not rescheduled

Gearing up to release their fifth studio album, Apotheosis, this Friday, November 5, Hungarian black/pagan metal outfit, Bornholm, showcase a powerful asset in the void between pagan and black metal with new single, “Black Shining Cloaks", featuring a virtuosic solo from King Diamond/Mercyful Fate guitarist Mike Wead. Dark, almost doomy influences merge with background vocals in their trademark vocal spectrum of somber growls and ear-splitting screams and heavy, irascible guitar lines.


Bornholm on “Black Shining Cloaks”:"'Black Shining Cloaks' is one of the earliest songs from this album. It is from the time when our previous album was released. We felt from the very beginning that this song is perfect for a music video. We decided that as the song was born, but this is quite different from the other songs on the album. The tempo, the structure is simpler, but the atmosphere is very strong.


The solo at the end of the song was originally written and played by Mike Wead from King Diamond/Mercyful Fate. I felt that this song needed something unique at the end part, and I asked him what he thinks about it, and he recorded this really outstanding solo part that is the highlight of the song. We are so thankful for it because he is one of my most honoured guitarists. This is a huge honour for us. We worked with Johan Baath again at the beautiful Van der Nootska Palace in Stockholm. The milieu of the building was perfectly suited to our imaginations.
 
The lyrics of the song take us behind the thick curtains of the world of secret societies. A small group of enlightened people, who since the birth of mankind, have controlled and formed the human world; creating ages, cultures, and history from the beginning. They drive humanity through the ages to the very end, the deification of man. As the light splits into colours by the prism, they split knowledge into a thousand pieces, creating ideologies, cults and religions all around the world. You cannot find the original divine light among those colours, nor the truth among the religions or philosophies… you have to unify them to see it. There is only one light and the infinite darkness, the origin of everything, which allows for this light to shine.”







Apotheosis not only showcases Bornholm's tonal development, but also goes back to the origins of the band’s history and the heavy, often almost doomy influences mixed with indispensable atmospherically dark and raw flavor. Accompanied by sinister sacral sounds of historic proportions and a hypnotizing, incantatory chant, intro track "I Divine" heralds the dark ride to nowhere. It is precisely in the void between pagan and black metal that the sound finds its home, with tracks like “Spiritual Warfare” and “Black Shining Cloaks” - the latter of which featuring a magnificent guitar solo by Mike Wead (Mercyful Fate/King Diamond) - including its diabolic, atmospheric intro, “The Key to the Shaft of the Abyss”, representing the mellowness and extremes of the band. Along with the almost melodic borrowings and acoustic guitar inserts in combination with the pure rawness of “To the Fallen”, the record highlights the band’s variety and sonic progression. The title track “Apotheosis” is a slow, howling homage mixing aggressive, shrieking vocals and melodiously grim anecdotes. Album closer “Enthronement” closes the metaphorical and musical bracket and provides the 52-minute piece with a venerable, instrumental conclusion.


Bornholm add: “So the day has come, the new album is coming! Its title is Apotheosis, which is a Greek originated word meaning deification, divinization and the glorification of a human to a divine level. It contains 11 tracks and drives deeper into our musical world and soul than ever before. We had to deal with a lot of difficulties both in the studio and in our private life during the making, but somehow something was always guarding the birth of the record. Nothing stopped, not even for a single moment, no matter what happened. It was a great experience to go through this uprising while the world is going into another direction. We didn't lack anything; fate was with us - so the birth of the record was a sort of magical experience. Step by step, everything was in place in time and, without tolerating the outside world, we built another one for ourselves.”


On Apotheosis, the band has built a flowing, epochal sound concept that combines explosive guitar/bass lines with thunder-fast drums, spiced with choral elements and leading into a heavy blend, which Bornholm present successfully in all kinds of variations from track 1 to 11.


Recording and mixing took place at SuperSize Recording Studio in Hungary with the contribution of Viktor Scheer, with mastering completed by Maor Appelbaum, who has worked with bands like Dream Theater, Annihilator, Mayhem, Abbath and many more.





Apotheosis will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digipak
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Apotheosis tracklisting:


"I Divine"
"My Evangelium"
"Sky Serpents"
"The Key To The Shaft Of The Abyss"
"Black Shining Cloaks"
"Spiritual Warfare"
"Darkened Grove"
"To The Fallen"
"I Am War God"
"Apotheosis"
"Enthronement"


“Spiritual Warfare” video:





"I Am War God" video:





Lineup:


Sahsnot – Guitar/Vocals
Charun – Bass
D – Drums


(Photo - Krisztina Máté)

Dream Theater have revealed the worldwide chart positions for their new album, A View From The Top Of The World, released on October 22nd.


"Thank you DT fans around the world for your amazing support of our latest album A View From The Top Of The World! It means a great deal to us." 







With the recent release of the band’s 15th studio album, Dream Theater have released another music video from A View From The Top Of The World. The video for “Awaken The Master” is a frenetic, high-definition CGI marvel from long-time collaborator Wayne Joyner.


Continuing to challenge themselves as musicians, “Awaken The Master” marks the first recorded use of an eight-string guitar by John Petrucci. The track was the last one recorded for the album and clocks in at an impressive 9:47 - making it the third longest song on A View From The Top Of The World. The video for “Awaken The Master” can be seen below.


“It’s the last song we wrote. It’s also the first time I’ve used my eight-string guitar, which was fun for me. Back in the day when we were writing Awake, I’d always wanted to play a seven-string. So, I ordered myself one. I wanted to be inspired again by the instrument without any pre-conception. I used it, and I wrote in my style on the eight-string. It was actually a prototype! ‘Awaken The Master’ purposefully starts with guitar only. John Myung wrote the lyrics. Recently, I heard him say, ‘The master was your heart’. He was referring to awakening your heart. It’s one of the heavier songs on the record due to the range of the instrument,” explains John Petrucci. 





A View From The Top Of The World is now available everywhere music is sold and streamed and is also available for order here.





A View From The Top Of The World tracklisting:


"The Alien" (9:32)
"Answering The Call" (7:35)
"Invisible Monster" (6:31)
"Sleeping Giant" (10:05)
"Transcending Time" (6:25)
"Awaken The Master" (9:47)
"A View From The Top Of The World" (20:24)


"Invisible Monster" video:





“The Alien” video:





Deluxe Box Set trailer:





(Photo - Rayon Richards)

Wymer Publishing has set a February 25, 2022 release date for "Judas Priest: A Visual Biography".

This A4 224-page hardback coffee table book by esteemed author Martin Popoff is crammed full of memorabilia including backstage passes, gig posters, media adverts and much more. It is a grinding celebration of the metal gods JUDAS PRIEST in all their sumptuous glory and written by Popoff with his usual style.

"Judas Priest: A Visual Biography" is stuffed with the entire fifty-plus-year history in meticulous timeline order — a rock‐hard reference book, with the facts presented mostly soberly and efficiently. This book contains all manner of facts that also rtakes a detailed look at offshoot bands and side projects throughout the visually stunning pages. It is a glorious pictorial celebration of the band's full career in one mighty tome, crammed full of stunning visuals including many previously unpublished photos.

Pre-order your copy at this location.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Singer Rob Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of Hill, Halford, guitarists Andy Sneap and Faulkner, and drummer Scott Travis.

PRIEST and Rufus Publications recently published the first-ever official book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews. This huge, 648-page coffee table book chronicles the history of the world’s foremost heavy metal band using hundreds of previously unseen, unpublished photographs from rock's greatest photographers including Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Mark Weiss, Fin Costello, Oliver Halfin and many more. With a linking text by renowned journalist Mark Blake, the book explores the bands exciting history on stage and off in a unique photo documentary designed to excite fans and devotees of true heavy metal the world over. Current bandmembers have all contributed to the book, with written pieces detailing their love and passion for the band, making this an extraordinary artefact for their legions of followers. The book features an exclusive cover by Mark Wilkinson, who has worked with the band for many years now.