Top musicians and producers throughout the industry are joining forces with the Metal Hall Of Fame to launch the "Metal Hall Of Fame All-Stars", a charity CD to help bring free music programs to special needs children isolated by the COVID lockdown. The first single from the "Metal Hall Of Fame All Stars" charity CD will be released October 31, 2021 and is titled "Attack Of The Witch". It will be available as streaming digital download at Bandcamp for $1.00.

The celebrated musicians and producers featured on the first single include Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, DOKKEN, YES, QUEENSRŸCHE), bassist Bob Daisley (OZZY OSBOURNE, RAINBOW), guitarist Tony MacAlpine ("G3" tour, Steve Vai), vocalist Mike Tirelli (RIOT, HOLY MOTHER), drummer and Metal Hall Of Fame/D.A.D. founder Pat Gesualdo, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, SONS OF APOLLO).

Additional musicians to record on future released tracks for the project include Rudy Sarzo (WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT), Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE) and Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO DISCIPLES), among others. Chandler Mogel (Punky Meadows) and Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X), who recorded on Gesualdo's solo project, will be featured as well. The complete CD with several original and cover songs will be released early 2022. 100 percent of the proceeds goes to the CD project, which will feature a combination of original and cover songs.

"The Metal Hall Of Fame All-Stars charity CD unites great musicians for a great cause," says Metal Hall Of Fame spokesperson Owen Kennedy. " The initiative brings music programs for special needs children that were isolated by the lockdown. The programs will help children suffering from various disabilities to develop retention, coordination, and physical and cognitive ability. We always make sure to include our non-profit parent charity organization D.A.D. (Drums And Disabilities) in everything we do."

The Metal Hall Of Fame was founded by Gesualdo. The Metal Hall Of Fame holds the annual Metal Hall Of Fame celebrity charity gala. It is dedicated to forever enshrining the iconic musicians and music industry executives responsible for making hard rock and heavy metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they continue to inspire fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.

The Metal Hall Of Fame is part of the 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization D.A.D. (Drums And Disabilities). D.A.D. provides free therapy and advocacy services for special needs children and wounded veterans in health facilities, schools, and community centers in over 15 countries.

Doctors, psychologists, special needs therapists, and teachers in over 15 countries use Gesualdo's pioneering drum therapy techniques and D.A.D. program to help the special needs children and adults to develop physical and cognitive functioning. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State has brought Gesualdo and the D.A.D. program to various regions of the world to help disabled children, and the United States Department of Defense calls on him to train and certify U.S. Military health professionals. Alfred Music Publishing publishes Gesualdo's groundbreaking book "Drum Therapy, Healing With The Drumset" which helps drummers and special needs therapists on a global basis teach special needs drum students.

Gesualdo wrote the first law in the United States to help bring additional protection to the special needs population. He is an artist/clinician with Zildjian cymbals, Promark drumsticks, and Evans drumheads, and lectures and performs in drum clinics throughout the world. Gesualdo also appears in various Metal Hall Of Fame events and inductions.

Attack of The Witch by Metal Hall of Fame All Stars

EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting says that says that he is "thankful for the science" that helped him in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. The 56-year-old made the comment just three weeks after he rejoined his bandmates on stage at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California. The concert marked the musician's first appearance with EXODUS since undergoing a successful total gastrectomy in July.

Tom discussed his cancer battle during an October 27 interview with "The Classic Metal Show". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's just some stuff that some of us are gonna have to go through. I'm very thankful for the science and what they were able to do to turn a bad situation around for me. I think I got lucky — I'm a lot more lucky than brave, that's for sure.

"As far as perspective changes, I definitely don't think I sweat the small stuff anymore as much," he continued. "Things that used to stress me out or whatever, it just ain't worth it anymore. But I'm in a good place now. I was able to rejoin the band, and that felt great. I got to do one show with them back so far, and we're doing another one next month.

"I don't have any limitations — dietary, physical or whatever," Hunting explained. "I'm in a good place right now. I'm pretty lucky. They can't find cancer in me right now. And believe me — they're poking and prodding and doing screenshots of my guts and innards all the time. They use words like 'markers' and 'margins,' and all of my markers and margins are just good right now. They got it all; that's what they told me. I won't say [I'm] cancer free, because I don't wanna jinx it. But they're cautiously optimistic. They say I have a lot to celebrate right now, so I'm celebrating, bro."

EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums "Impact Is Imminent" (1990) and "Force Of Habit" (1992).

When Hunting announced his absence from Psycho Las Vegas and Full Terror Assault, he said in a statement: "I need to manage my own expectations, and then work my very core back into shape to be fully ready for action. I have no doubt I'll bounce back and get there."

A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.

EXODUS will release its new album, "Persona Non Grata", on November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen has opened up about the stroke she suffered in late 2018 following the completion of her U.S. tour.

The 44-year-old Finnish-born singer, who currently lives in Spain (after previously residing in both Finland and Argentina), told Chaoszine in a new interview that she decided to address her experience in order to raise awareness of the third leading cause of death for women.

"Luckily I was at home [when it happened]," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I just returned home from a U.S. tour. It was a quite difficult, demanding tour, and I felt like I was completely exhausted. Usually I am exhausted after tours — I need some days and really recovery time and all that. But I'm not 20 anymore — there is a change. Even though I've been always taking care of my body, physique and I feel like I'm in a good condition and all that, but still… I would have never thought that this kind of thing could happen to me, but it's absolutely possible for anybody — and very common, actually, today for women, even in their 40s.

"I decided to talk about it now — I didn't do it then — because I think it's something very important to talk [about]. The awareness of this thing is important. So it was a shock for me, certainly."

According to Tarja, it didn't take very long for her to get over the physical effects of the stroke. "I didn't suffer," she said. "I was super lucky. I didn't have any defects. Seriously, I was really lucky. And thank God I was at home; it happened at home. [My husband] saw what's going on and he brought me to the hospital immediately. And they helped me, and it was all good. They did all that was necessary. They didn't find out what was the cause of it; they didn't find out that.

"I left the hospital after three days," she continued. "I signed myself out and I said, 'Okay, I have 22 concerts to do in Europe.' And the doctor said, 'No, you're not going anywhere.' But I had to — I had to. And I wanted to. I felt good."

Tarja has just released her first book, "Singing In My Blood", via Rocket 88. Written and compiled over the past year of lockdown, Tarja has searched through scores of photos and memories to create a big, deluxe book about her life in music. There are contributions from friends and colleagues who've played a part in her music on stage, in the studio and at home, alongside lots of previously unseen intimate photos from childhood to the present day.

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she s

Former VIXEN frontwoman Janet Gardner has opened up about the surgery she underwent nearly four years ago to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma.

Subdural hematomas result from bleeding on the surface of the brain, and the condition is most often due to a serious fall or head injury. According to Healthline, the condition can be very serious, as blood filling up the space around the brain can put pressure on vital brain tissue. The severity of a subdural hematoma is related to how extreme and rapid the bleeding is.

On January 12, 2018 — the day after playing a successful show with her solo band at the Whisky A Go Go in West Holywood, California — Janet was rushed to the hospital where she had to have a hole drilled into her skull to relieve the hematoma and put a titanium plate to cover the hole.

Gardner discussed her experience during an appearance this past Thursday (October 28) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk".

"I woke up and I had a crushing headache — absolutely," she recalled (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I'd never felt that before. My head was crushing. And then, all of a sudden, I couldn't feel my hands. Everything was just going wrong. My eyesight was going screwy. I knew something was seriously wrong. So I said to [my husband and bandmate] Justin, 'I think we need an ambulance.' And he was, like, 'Just lay down for a minute.' And I took some Advil or something, and I threw that up instantly. I was in the bathroom. And I knew something was wrong. So the ambulance came, and by then I couldn't even remember the ambulance trip to the hospital. And then they woke me up there and a bunch of different doctors were looking in my eyes and doing this and that — all different things. And finally the neurosurgeon that was on staff at Cedars-Sinai [Medical Center in Los Angeles] came in and said, 'Let's just take a CT scan,' and then immediately was, like, 'Well, we know what's wrong. You need surgery now.' And, of course, I said, 'What's the alternative, if I don't have surgery?' And he was, like, 'No. You will not survive. So you need to do this now.'"

Asked if the recovery was "rough," Janet said: "Yeah. It was not fun. It had squished my brain, so it took time for my brain to repopulate my head properly — and things like that. And, of course, I have plates and screws and things going on in there. But, all things considered, I was okay after about six weeks. [The first] two weeks were completely rough — I really couldn't do anything; I couldn't think right; I couldn't talk; I couldn't eat right; my muscles were not doing anything right. And then they did some therapies — different OT kind of physical therapy things with my hands and small motor things, and talking. And six weeks later, I was pretty much a hundred percent."

Janet left VIXEN in January 2019. At the time, she said in a statement that she wanted to step aside and let drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross "pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

While Gardner was recovering from her surgery, VIXEN played a show in Durant, Oklahoma in March 2018 with a fill-in singer, Lorraine Lewis of FEMME FATALE. In January 2019, Lewis was announced as Gardner's official replacement.

Last year, Janet's collaborative project with her husband, GARDNER/JAMES, released its latest album, "Synergy", via Pavement Entertainment.

"Synergy" is the first Gardner/James album to be released under the GARDNER/JAMES banner. The couple previously collaborated on Janet's first two solo albums, 2018's "Janet Gardner" and 2019's "Your Place In The Sun"

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy joined Sammy Hagar and THE CIRCLE on stage last night (Friday, October 29) during the opening night of the Red Rocker's Las Vegas residency at The STRAT to perform a cover of the LED ZEPPELIN classic "Rock And Roll". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Pearcy took to his Instagram after the concert to share a few onstage and backstage photos of him with Hagar and other members of THE CIRCLE, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Great hanging with @mad_anthony_bassman @sammyhagar and band tonight with my beautiful @misstruthadare great jamming, appreciate Sammy. The band sounded great first night of his residence in Vegas."

The STRAT Theater has a capacity of about 800 people. The theater was designed to capture the beach vibe Hagar's synonymous with, including elements of his famed Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, home to his epic annual birthday bash.

Additional shows are scheduled on October 30, November 5, November 6, November 12 and November 13, all at 9 p.m.

"Sammy & Friends" celebrates Hagar's career, spanning four decades, from his solo career, MONTROSE, VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT, THE CIRCLE, and surprise additions to the setlist depending on which of his musician friends take the stage with him. Produced by industry leader SPI Entertainment and Hagar's manager, Tom Consolo, of TC Management, the show transports the audience to Baja, where you never know who will join Hagar on stage.

Speaking to the Las Vegas Sun about what fans can expect from the residency concerts, Hagar said: "Nobody is going to hear the same thing twice. One night we're going to come out and play VAN HALEN for an hour, then start cherry picking. Another night, we might just play MONTROSE, which will be fun because that's only about 35 minutes of music. I want to do it with a different theme every night and really mix it up.

"The team at The STRAT has been awesome and they've really allowed us to come in and do what we want to do," he added. "That room is great and I looked at every room that was available in Las Vegas. My fans, the Redheads, they come from all over the world, and you want them to be in a place like Vegas where they can have a good time before and after the show. The experience in Vegas is like no other town. If you can't find something to do here, you're either broke or in a really bad mood."

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Hagar has invited such guest stars as Toby Keith, Rick Springfield, Kenny Chesney, Vince Neil (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS) to the party.




Sammy Hagar with special guest Stephen Pearcy from heavy metal band Ratt joining him on the Led Zeppelin classic “ Rock n Roll”followed up by “There’s only one way to rock”.

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Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and JOURNEY bandmember Jonathan Cain has released a new six-song EP, "Oh Lord Lead Us", via Identity Records with The Fuel Music distribution. The EP precedes Cain's upcoming and sixth solo album in as many years (release date to be announced) and continues this iconic artist's offerings of faith-inspired new music.

Following the release of his biggest solo hit to date with the title track "Oh Lord Lead Us", Cain's new EP is a beautifully crafted musical invitation to prayer, renewal and commitment.

"It's not just 'I go to church,' it's a love exchange, a love surrender," shares Cain, who leads worship weekly at City Of Destiny where his wife, Paula White-Cain, is the senior pastor. "We have a 24/7 God, and every year we need to reestablish a covenant with our faith and recommit with praise, worship and prayer. The more you can commit, the more blessed you will be."

Cain, who is earning his pilot's license, likens it to flying an airplane. "You can't just halfway be a pilot, you have to be all in."

Sharing his personal faith story along with new music in December on the debut episode of the Pure Flix show "Rockin On Heavens Door", Cain's "Oh Lord Lead Us" will also serve as the show's theme song, opening each episode that is set to feature other well-known musical guests.

In addition to the title song, "Oh Lord Lead Us" includes "Something Greater", named after and inspired by his wife's acclaimed book, and the American Songwriter-premiered "Beautiful Thunder".

"There's a conversation going on up there as sound waves roll across the land," thought Cain as he watched a recent storm near his home in Florida. "You can feel the earth shake, the ground beneath your feet rolling. It's one of the only places you can see power like that. This is a way that God can get to us, how He got to me. Next time people hear a thunderstorm, I hope they think of this song."

Produced by Cain, mixed by David Kalmusky (Justin Bieber, The Fray, Keith Urban), mastered by Grammy Award-winning Adam Ayan (Paul McCartney, Carrie Underwood, FOO FIGHTERS), "Oh Lord Lead Us" was recorded at Cain's state-of-the-art Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville with select parts done remotely.

The full "Oh Lord Lead Us" EP track listing follows:

01. Oh Lord Lead Us

02. Pray To The Father

03. Worship Our Way

04. Beautiful Thunder

05. Something Greater

06. No One But You Jesus

With more solo music, a songwriting event and a Christmas concert to be announced in the near future, Cain, with his band JOURNEY, closed the second and final night of the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas September 18 in an iHeart-lauded "epic performance." Featured this week in The Wall Street Journal, Cain also led worship during the Unleashed Conference hosted by Paula White Ministries (Sept. 30 – Oct. 3).

Cain is further host of the "Anchored" podcast, sharing his heart on topics of faith, family, marriage, manhood and music, and is featured on his wife's television shows "Paula Today" and "Faithfully" seen on the Life Network For Women and Daystar Television.

Releasing five solo albums over the last several years, including his 2019, Billboard-featured "More Like Jesus" that Parade calls a "triumphant new album," the solo recordings follow a long line of hits that bear this iconic artist's signature. As a member of JOURNEY, Cain has written or co-written such massive radio hits as the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes' history, "Don't Stop Believin'", "Who's Crying Now", "Open Arms", "Faithfully" and many more.

SUPERJOINT guitarist Jimmy Bower says that the band is "done" for good.

SUPERJOINT's latest album, "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", came out in November 2016 via singer Philip Anselmo's Housecore record label. Since then, Anselmo and bassist Stephen Taylor have focused primarily on Anselmo's PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS solo project, which released its second album, "Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue", in 2019.

Asked in a new interview with Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks if there are any updates on SUPERJOINT's future activities, Bower said: "SUPERJOINT's done, man." When Gutiérrez pressed Bower about whether he means that the band is done "for good," Jimmy responded: "Uh huh. We don't wanna do it anymore. We got back together, did a new record and we toured for, like, two or three years. And that's it. [Philip and Stephen are] focusing on THE ILLEGALS and I'm doing EYEHATEGOD."

Bower'a comments come more than a year after Taylor said that he had "no idea" if SUPERJOINT would ever make more music or tour again.

"I think the response [to 'Caught Up In The Gears Of Application'] was a little less than expected, maybe," Stephen said during an August 2020 appearance on the "Not These Two Fucking Guys" podcast. "I don't know if the record did as well as they anticipated. I don't know what happened. I guess it got a mixed reception, and we just never expanded on another one. And Jimmy started doing EYEHATEGOD, and then we just kept on with the ILLEGALS, and then we started writing the EN MINOR stuff, which is basically all the same people — just revolving to different bands."

Asked if SUPERJOINT — which was formerly known as SUPERJOINT RITUAL — is "retired for right now," Stephen replied: "I'm not sure. Never say never, man. But we haven't wrote anything or discussed anything about any of that. I'm not sure if it's a dead issue or not, man. I really can't say. I have no idea."

Back in June 2019, Anselmo told Metal Underground that he didn't "really feel like doing SUPERJOINT anymore."

"Caught Up In The Gears Of Application" was recorded at Philip's New Orleans-area studio, Nodferatu's Lair and was produced by Anselmo and Stephen Berrigan. The effort was mastered by Scott Hull (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, PIG DESTROYER) at Visceral Sounds.

SUPERJOINT's most recent lineup included guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

Anselmo told Decibel magazine that SUPERJOINT was forced to drop the "RITUAL" from its name was "because there's a bloodsucking leech out there who took advantage of a situation. But we're all at fault as well for signing a document that basically has a zero sunset clause, meaning that this person is privy to a cut of any money a 'SUPERJOINT RITUAL' would make. Hence getting rid of the 'RITUAL,' coming back as SUPERJOINT, and cutting out that cancer."

BAD WOLVES have dropped a music video for the song "If Tomorrow Never Comes". The track is taken from the band's third album, "Dear Monsters", which is being released today (Friday, October 29) via Better Noise Music. It makes BAD WOLVES' first full-length release with new singer Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz.

The project was preceded by the release of first single "Lifeline" last month, which earned rave reviews for the frontman's powerful vocals. Loudwire wrote, "DL's vocals help to bring a soaring and uplifting quality to the track." The song was met with immediate support from radio and sits currently in the top 10 on U.S. active rock radio.

Laskiewicz has carved out an impressive career for himself over the last 15-plus years, most notably as a founding member and lead guitarist of metalcore band THE ACACIA STRAIN, of which he was a member from 2001 to 2013. A talented songwriter and producer, he's also worked on projects with ALL THAT REMAINS, LEGION, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS and collaborated with BAD WOLVES on their 2019 studio album "N.A.T.I.O.N.", where the creative relationship with the band started.

Boasting an impressive 1.5 billion streams globally, BAD WOLVES continues to grow, reaching over 5 million streams across platforms for the first single since its release last month.

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a reflective statement about whether or not someone needs to make a change in their life, showcasing the band's poignant lyricism. Other tracks that boast the creative and artistic songwriting and musical heights of the band in its current chapter include "Springfield Summer", which explores the need to transition from one part of your life to the next and grapples with the uncertainty that brings, and <"In The Middle", a personal piece of music about the mother and father of band guitarist Doc Coyle. Both of Coyle's parents passed away within the past year, and the song is about wanting another moment you can't have and expressing the endless love that will never be forgotten.

John Boecklin, co-founding member of BAD WOLVES and the band’s drummer, said the following of the new album: "'Dear Monsters' is an album conceived through a tumultuous two-year ride. A ride that now represents victory and perseverance as we celebrate its release. Get your hands on this record and dive into our new singer DL. There is a lot to take in and Can't wait for you to hear all of his performances on this one."

Excited to connect with fans, BAD WOLVES are preparing to bring the new album to life on the road next year. They will join PAPA ROACH and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD for a slate of North America dates. More information on those dates, venues and tickets will be announced soon. They are also set to join TREMONTI on their European tour starting in January, hitting major markets including London, Berlin, Milan Glasgow, and more.

BAD WOLVES broke the news of Laskiewicz's addition to the band via a statement on social media in June. The group wrote: "DL is a tremendous songwriter and singer, and we can confidently say that the album we are working on, titled 'Dear Monsters', is the best BAD WOLVES album to date.

"DL is one of the most talented and hard-working people we have ever had the pleasure to know. He is a team player, a creative force, and overall a great human being who fits perfectly with our BW family. It feels incredible to be surrounded with such positive energy and the music we've made is certainly reflective of this new-found optimism and collaborative spirit. This new album shows a more cohesive and unique reflection of the band. There is a lot to prove and expectations are high with a new singer coming in. And we nailed it. The songs speak for themselves, and if you're a B"AD WOLVES fan, we know you won't be disappointed.

"Dear Monsters" track listing:

01. Sacred Kiss

02. Never Be The Same

03. Lifeline

04. Wildfire

05. Comatose

06. Gone

07. On The Case

08. If Tomorrow Never Comes

09. Springfield Summer

10. House Of Cards

11. Classica

12. In The Middle

BAD WOLVES broke through in 2018 with a cover of THE CRANBERRIES hit "Zombie". CRANBERRIES vocalist Dolores O'Riordan was supposed to contribute to the track but died the day she was supposed to go into the studio.

A public funeral service for QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali will be on Monday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.

SiriusXM personality Eddie Trunk shared the invite on his Instagram and wrote in an accompanying message: "Honored to have been asked to host this. If you are in the LA area 11/15 you are welcome to attend this service for our dear departed friend @fbanali @quietriotband".

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", died in August 2020 after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer. One day after his passing, Frankie's wife Regina spoke about plans for his memorial service during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". She stated at the time: "Funnily enough, he had already bought and paid for and planned his entire services at Forest Lawn [cemetery in Los Angeles] before his [cancer] diagnosis. He was gonna get the same kind of funeral that Ronnie [James Dio] got and Jimmy Bain and all those funerals that we've been to many times. He was saying we're gonna rent the [legendary West Hollywood restaurant and bar] Rainbow and have laminated passes and [have a] send-off in the rock and roll way that he arrived in L.A.," she continued. "He had a lot of history with the Rainbow."

Regina went on to say that there would likely be a large-scale memorial event in Frankie's honor once the coronavirus pandemic had subsided.

"I think it's better to go big, even if it's later," she explained to "Trunk Nation". "'Cause I think people will still care. And I think he deserves the honor and recognition that he's earned."

Frankie was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer on April 17, 2019 and given six months to live. He put up an inspiringly brave and courageous battle to the end and continued playing live as long as he could. Standard chemotherapy stopped working and a series of strokes made the continuation on a clinical trial impossible. He ultimately lost the fight at 7:18 p.m. on August 20, 2020 in Los Angeles surrounded by his wife and daughter.

Banali was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after going to the emergency room for shortness of breath, leg pain and loss of energy. A scan of his lungs caught an image of his liver, which is where the first spots were seen. Then came the discovery of a tumor on his pancreas. He had been in treatment since the spring of 2019 and completed his 21st round of chemotherapy not long before his death with the hopes of shrinking or controlling the cancer.

Banali's history with QUIET RIOT spanned over 37 years and he had the distinction of being the only member of the band to have recorded on every single QUIET RIOT release from 1983's "Metal Health", which was the first heavy metal album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart, through 2019's "Hollywood Cowboys". He also recorded seven albums with W.A.S.P. between 1989 and 2004.

Banali resurrected QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after the death of singer and founding member Kevin DuBrow.

QUIET RIOT's latest studio album, "Hollywood Cowboys" was released in November 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

A month after Banali's death, QUIET RIOT announced that it would carry on. The group, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE) and returning bassist Rudy Sarzo, has a number of dates scheduled in late 2021 and early 2022.

QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded "Metal Health".

Prior to Sarzo's return, bassist Chuck Wright had been a part of QUIET RIOT, on and off, since 1982, having initially been involved in the "Metal Health" recordings (he played bass on the tracks "Metal Health" and "Don't Wanna Let You Go"). Guitarist Alex Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before Kevin passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.
























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Ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick rejoined his bandmates on stage yesterday (Friday, October 29) aboard the "Kiss Kruise X" to perform two of the group's classic songs: "Tears Are Falling" and "Heaven's On Fire". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

KISS's annual "Kiss Kruise" event — in which the group performs aboard a cruise ship’s pool deck — kicked off on Friday. Fans need to be vaccinated to attend, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told The New York Post a few days ago.

Bruce joined KISS in 1984, and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology - Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic four-decade-plus career.

Earlier this year, Kulick spoke to Rockin' Metal Revival about how the band's reunion with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley for an episode of MTV's "Unplugged" in 1995 paved the way for a KISS tour that would exclude him and drummer Eric Singer.

"[KISS's official] convention tour [in 1995, where Criss rejoined KISS for two songs in a surprise appearance] was what triggered the opportunity for 'Unplugged', but, quite honestly, it also was the catalyst for the reunion tour, which meant the end of my [time with the band]," Kulick said. "That's the bittersweet [part about it]. Now, you've gotta remember, those guys [Ace and Peter] were always, like, 'Hey, I'd love to be back in the band,' this kind of thing. Or, 'What do you think about a reunion?' And I don't think Gene and Paul [Stanley] really cared to entertain that until the 'Unplugged' thing came around and MTV really wanted those guys involved. And then, all of a sudden, people were interested; promoters were throwing big offers to the guys. So it was kind of weird. Eric Singer and I, in January of '96 is when we were told that they were gonna make the announcement at the Grammys, or something, the next month, and we were finishing 'Carnival Of Souls'. So it really was a weird time of my life and everything."

Bruce remains philosophical about his exit from KISS, saying it had nothing to do with his ability or the chemistry he had with the rest of the band.

"I wasn't not going to be in KISS because I didn't play well enough or I didn't get along with the guys; it was purely a business thing," he said. "I always like to say sometimes that it seems like 'Star Wars' went away for a long time, and then, 20 years later, all of a sudden, the franchise retools and there's more 'Star Wars' movies. So the makeup KISS, it was time for that to come back, and, as you know, the numbers don't lie — they did tremendous business. That might have been the end of me actually being in the band, but my connection to the band's been very strong all these years."

"Carnival Of Souls" was recorded in 1995 but wasn't released until 1997, under the title "Carnival Of Souls: The Final Sessions". There was no accompanying tour to support the album, and none of the songs on "Carnival Of Souls" have ever been performed live by KISS.

Back in 1996, Gene called "Carnival Of Souls" "the heaviest disc we've done," and Paul called it "arguably our best studio album in the last 10 years."




Kiss "Tears are falling" featuring Bruce Kulick

Posted by Carlos Aguilera on Friday, October 29, 2021





Kiss -Heavens on Fire! With Bruce Kulick.

Posted by Joel Steele on Friday, October 29, 2021





I got the stage set list from tonight’s show! #KissNavy #KISSarmy #KISSKruise #KISSKruiseX pic.twitter.com/Z7NxCLI4aW

— Anthony Gizinski (@BlackBeltAnton) October 30, 2021




























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by Bruce Kulick (@bruce.kulick)

During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist reflected on the one and only time that he consumed an alcoholic beverage while on the road. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The only time I ever had a drink — the only time — is we were on tour, it was [Marilyn Manson's] 'Mechanical Animals' tour, and PANTERA would always come. As you know, here they come. And it was really late, so I was in bed; I was curled up [in my bunk] sleeping. And we had to get to the next city. And they were, like, 'Okay, we've gotta go.' And Dime's [PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott], like, 'I'm not leaving until we do one more shot.' And so they were, like, 'Okay, let's do another shot.' He goes, 'Go get 5. He's gotta do a shot.' [They were, like], 'He doesn't drink.' [And Dime said], 'I'm not leaving until he gets out here and takes a shot.' And so I had to get up — 'cause I wanted to go too. And it was that 'Black Tooth [Grin]'," John 5 said, referencing Dimebag's signature drink, named after a lyric from MEGADETH's "Sweating Bullets", which was essentially a double shot of Seagram's 7 and a double shot of Crown Royal tossed over ice (or not) and splashed with just enough Coca-Cola to give it a darkened hue. "So I drank that and I thought I got stabbed in the stomach… But that was the only time I ever had a drink."

Dimebag was shot to death along with three others during a DAMAGEPLAN performance at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio in December 2004.

The guitarist's death was a devastating blow to the close-knit hard rock and metal community. He was known to his fellow musicians for his hospitality, friendship and partying spirit, and was a legend among fans and peers for his powerful, innovative and unmistakable playing style.

Dimebag's brother, PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, died in June 2018 at the age of 54 in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease.

John 5 has just released his new solo album, "Sinner", via Big Machine Records. The first single from the LP, "Qué Pasa", features a guest appearance by MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine.

"Sinner" was produced and mixed by Barry Pointer at Riott House Studio in North Hollywood. Drums were engineered by ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke at Redrum Recording in Los Angeles. The LP also features a guest appearance by original KISS drummer Peter Criss on a cover of "Georgia On My Mind", a 1930s classic by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell that's become famous thanks to Ray Charles decades later.

Nikki Sixx spoke to Germany's Radio Bob! about MÖTLEY CRÜE's "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. "We start rehearsals in May," he said. "I start training in December. 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

Cradle Of Filth performed at the 2021 edition of Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Park in Derbyshire, UK back in August Check out pro-shot video of "Nymphetamine" from the show below.





Cradle Of Filth released their new album, Existence Is Futile, on October 22nd via Nuclear Blast. The album consists of 12 new tracks with a total playing time of 54 minutes.







Tracklisting:


"The Fate Of The World On Our Shoulders"
"Existential Terror"
"Necromantic Fantasies"
"Crawling King Chaos"
"Here Comes A Candle… (Infernal Lullaby)"
"Black Smoke Curling From The Lips Of War"
"Discourse Between A Man And His Soul"
"The Dying Of The Embers"
"Ashen Mortality"
"How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose?"
"Suffer Our Dominion"
"Us, Dark, Invincible"
"Sisters Of The Mist" (Bonus track)
"Unleash The Hellion" (Bonus track)


"Crawling King Chaos" video:





"Necromantic Fantasies" video:

The masters of fantastical, otherworldly, sludgy doom metal, Conan, are back to celebrate Halloween with a gruesome animated music video for their charging track, “Paincantation”, proudly presenting a cinematic monster resulting from 18 months of the finest-tuned animation.


Their newest visual was created by award winning animation director Nicos Livesey who has directed music videos for bands like Iron Maiden and Gorillaz and worked with brands like Adidas. The video manages to perfectly capture the brutal spirit of Conan’s heavily distorted and down-tuned sound, providing a carnage as bloody visually as it is musically in just 76 seconds. The video arrives only mere days before the start of their upcoming UK Tour, beginning in November.


“Paincantation” was originally featured on Conan’s latest effort of gargantuan heaviness, Existential Void Guardian (2018). Within seconds, “Paincantation” unfolds a blustering frenzy of uncontrollable blasts and piercing screams. Nobody can escape this brutal sonic amalgamation of intensity.




Conan on the new video: “‘Paincantion’ is a tale of inter dimensional travel, where immortal warriors travel undetected to carry out acts of aggression. This video captures the mood perfectly.”





Tour dates:


November
6 - Leeds, UK - Damnation Festival
7 - Birmingham, UK - Asylum
8 - Swansea, UK - Hangar 18
10 - Huddersfield, UK - The Parish
11 - Preston, UK - The Continental
12 - Nottingham, UK - Rough Trade
13 - Sheffield, UK - The Corporation
14 - Glasgow, UK - Audio
15 - Bristol, UK - The Exchange


Lineup:


Jon Davis - vocals, guitar (2006-present)
Chris Fielding - bass (2013–present)
Johnny King - drums (2017–present)

Breed Of Aggression was born out of Scott McClellan and Susie Hoffman Beahm's shared goal to create extreme metal that is organic, free, and without defining limits to their sound. Their first album, This Is My War, exemplifies that approach, delivering eight intense tracks produced by Destrophy frontman and guitarist, Ari Mihalopoulos, that boldly announce the arrival of this dynamic duo.


This Is My War will be released worldwide on Dark Star Records on November 5. Pre-order here, and watch the BraveWords premiered video for "Unmasked" below!







“The lyrics to ‘Unmasked’ basically wrote themselves on day when I was watching the movie They Live! That movie has always resonated with me and even more so over the past few years.”


“The vocals at the end of Unmasked were something we decided in the studio spur of the moment. My voice was nice and primed because it was recorded pre-pandemic when I was gigging more. I just went for the notes and they happened.


“Recording during the pandemic wasn’t too difficult. I was fortunate to have been given flexibility in the schedule at the studio.” – Susie Hoffman Beahm - vocals


Tony Martin, former Black Sabbath lead singer on Breed Of Aggression: "Susie sings really well and the talent is surely there, the tracks that stand out for me are 'Unmasked' and 'I Am The Enemy'."


Susie Hoffman Beham discusses making the album: "This album has been two years in the making and I couldn’t ask for a better partner in its creation. The landscape Scott painted allowed me to open my mind and create something that came organically and without boundaries."


Scott McClellan talking about meeting Susie: "I had been writing a metal album & was in search of a singer for it for a while, Through mutual friends I was introduced to Susie, I asked her to audition, the 1st song I was completely blown away by her power! I was not looking for a female vocalist for this album, when I had heard her voice, my opinion was changed right away, her skill stands out like no other in both male and female metal singers, that being said Breed Of Aggression was born."


Hailing from the Midwest, Breed Of Aggression is a new heavy metal project founded by Scott McClellan and Susie Hoffman Beahm.


An accomplished guitarist and songwriter, Scott McClellan's solo album Brutal Intentions was released on Dark Star Records in 2019. He is the featured guitarist on ex-Black Sabbath frontman Tony Martin’s forthcoming solo album Thorns, set for 2022 release on Dark Star Records. In addition to Pantera tribute bands Domination and Cemeterygatez: America’s Number One Pantera Tribute Band, Scott has played in The Brain Chiggers and Brotherhood of Spine. McClellan is also an in-demand session guitarist and songwriter.


Susie Hoffman Beahm has been a staple in the music industry for over twenty years, teaming with top manufacturers on instruments that support children's discovery in the classroom and beyond. An advocate of school music programs and women's growth in the music industry, Susie frequently volunteers her time toward related causes. She has done session work on a variety of musical projects and is a member of the indie band Natural Oil and Heathen Soul.





This is My War tracklisting:


"Dance With The Devil"
"Unmasked"
"This Is My War"
"I Am The Enemy"
"Cicada"
"Driver Of The Nail"
"We Are The Strong"
"Aftershock"


Breed Of Aggression is:


Scott McClellan - Guitar, Bass, Drums
Susie Hoffman Beahm - Vocals


Songwriters:
All tracks by Scott McClellan and Susie Hoffman Beahm
ASCAP


Produced by Scott McClellan and Susie Hoffman Beahm
Mixed and Engineered by Aristotle @ Inner Light Recording Studio
Recorded at Dreamography Studio and Inner Light Recording Studio

Former SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell has announced his latest musical collaboration, THE SEEING TREE, a rock art collective committed to using music as a force for connection, awakening and positive change in an uncertain world.

THE SEEING TREE recognizes that the medium is the message, and in a post-truth and divisive world, positive messages and calls for change need to be heard and, most importantly, released by music artists. It's not enough to watch from the sidelines; it's important to state the case for unity and empowering change.

In addition to Rarebell, THE SEEING TREE features producer and composer Lee Pepper and performance artist, singer and lyricist Eugenie Arrowsmith — three creatives drawn together with the intention to release music that expresses passion and awareness. Music that confronts the need for global peace, ecological change and calls all good people to stand together globally. Each member of this musical collective brings a different set of skills to the table but they all recognise that we are at a very specific point in human evolution looking headlong at a tipping point.

The official music video for THE SEEING TREE's debut single, "I Can See The Signs", can be seen below. The clip was shot during lockdown in Herman's garden in Germany and in the Sussex Garden of Pepper and Eugenie.

Rarebell met Pepper at the "Drum Legends" show that he curated at The Brighton Dome in 2019 when Pepper was drafted in to record the show. The pair immediately hit it off and started talking about music and exchanging ideas. In the process, Pepper introduced Herman to Arrowsmith (who had previously been signed to Virgin 10) and they began exchanging backing tracks and ideas. THE SEEING TREE was born out of these creative exchanges.

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Rarebell stated about the huge commercial success of SCORPIONS' 1982 album "Blackout": "Mercury Records was totally behind us and they believed in us. They wanted us to keep making albums. They wanted us to grow and do better each time out. 'Lovedrive' went gold. 'Animal Magnetism' went gold and then 'Blackout' was the first one to go platinum. [Rudolf] Schenker / [Klaus] Meine / Rarebell was a great songwriting team. You can see that from how many successful albums we had. After I left the band, they didn't have any more hits."

Guesting on Thunder Underground, Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio opened up about the band supporting Iron Maiden on the Legacy Of The Beast tour in 2018. Check out the interview below.

D'Antonio: "That will be the summer I will judge all other summers by, as being the top-notch summer and then everyone else will fall by the wayside. But boy oh boy, that was a dream come true. And it was the first of the Beast tours where they were going back and playing a lot of the older stuff, stuff that they hadn't played in a while, playing 'Flight of Icarus'. It was awesome. The setlist was amazing. Those guys were super-duper nice. Bruce (Dickinson) would stop by our dressing room occasionally. He was all excited about his flamethrowers. He had two gun flamethrowers. He ran into our dressing room and said, 'I've got flamethrowers,' and then ran away. And we were, like, 'What the hell just happened? That was Bruce Dickinson that just did that.'"

Killswitch Engage have just shared the new song, "I Am Broken Too". A lyric video, which features singer Jesse Leach’s handwritten lyrics, can be seen below. The song appears on the band’s eighth album, Atonement, out August 16 via Metal Blade Records (North America) and Music For Nations (Europe). Find worldwide pre-order options here.

The band is donating a portion of the proceeds from the song to Hope For The Day, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that focuses on suicide prevention by providing outreach and mental health education through the use of music and art.

"This song is very near and dear to my heart," Leach explains. "I wanted the listener to feel the urgency, the heaviness of the topic as well as a possible connection. Many people suffer from mental illness in one form or another. I want nothing more than for people to feel like they are not alone in this struggle. There is always someone there to help, to listen, and to be there for you. Don't lose hope and don't let your brokenness consume you. Broken can be fixed, or at the very least, maintained. No one is alone in this fight."

Regarding the decision to work with Hope for the Day, Leach says, "I personally chose Hope for the Day to be the organization we partner with for this song. I admire their tireless efforts to spread mental awareness and suicide prevention. The phrase and the hashtag #ItsOkNotToBeOk is a simple yet powerful statement. I think it coincides with #IamBrokenToo perfectly! Johnny Boucher and his organization are out spreading the powerful message of connectivity and solidarity in this fight for understanding mental health issues. I'm honored to have them on our team for this song and this movement to continue to raise awareness and keep the conversation going for mental health issues."

"'I Am Broken Too' is a song that truly encompasses what we need to be doing in society, talking about what we have been through," Boucher says. "We know that by talking about our experiences, we are able to relate and be encouraged to ask for help. Hope for the Day has been working with KsE on breaking the silence around mental health since 2014, and we couldn't be more excited to continue working with them on raising the visibility of resources in our communities."

KsE have also announced an exclusive in-store performance on August 14 at 5 PM, PT at Amoeba Music Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. Fans can purchase the album to get guaranteed admission and a limited-edition "Live at Amoeba" poster. The band will also perform a special intimate show at The Space in Las Vegas the day before, on August 13. Tickets for both events go on sale today.

Killswitch Engage are currently traversing the US on a co-headline tour with Clutch. Fans attending the dates with Clutch will be able to purchase a limited edition laminate containing a unique code to receive a CD copy of the new album Atonement delivered to their front door on or just prior to the August 16 release date (may not apply for some of the festival dates).

The band return to Europe for a headline run in the fall, kicking off in Norwich, England on October 14 and wrapping up November 10 in Nuremberg, Germany. Support bands will be announced soon.

Find the band's complete tour itinerary here.

Atonement tracklisting:

"Unleashed"
"The Signal Fire" (feat. Howard Jones)
"Us Against the World"
"The Crownless King" (feat. Chuck Billy)
"I Am Broken Too"
"As Sure as the Sun Will Rise"
"Know Your Enemy"
"Take Control"
"Ravenous"
"I Can't Be the Only One"
"Bite the Hand That Feeds"

"Unleashed":

(Photo - Travis Shinn)




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Athens-based metal collective W.E.B. has released their latest video for "Dark Web," the harrowing opening track from their forthcoming full-length, Colosseum, set for release on November 19 via Metal Blade Records.


Comments guitarist/vocalist Sakis Prekas, "'Dark Web' is both a play on the band's name and music style, and the concept of the so-called hidden layer of the world wide web, and all the rumors about it: that you can purchase drugs, weapons, hitmen, or even kill people yourself there. This horrifying concept of such a reality combined with our understanding that the ones who rule this world look down on us as if we are slaves, or even ants, is what this song is about."


Forged in 2002 out of a "necessity to scream, blast, and create emotions and get on stage to exchange them with an audience," Greece's W.E.B. have steadily forged a path to becoming one of the premier European symphonic extreme metal bands expressing darkness and death through adrenaline and poetry. An output that's both candid and theatrical, W.E.B. is here to move you, provoke you, and invite you on a journey through ravendark and starless nights. With four albums already under their collective belt, 2021's fifth full-length, Colosseum, is inarguably the band's greatest and most direct work to date.




"We wanted this album to be as straightforward as we could make it. We wanted it to be aggressive and to the point, and at the same time we have pushed literally everything, higher, faster, louder, harder. It is our most metal album," states guitarist/vocalist Sakis Prekas. Combining the brutal with the catchy and drenching it in orchestrations that only serve to expand its epic scale, Colosseum is a thrilling, gripping listen with each of its nine tracks playing an important part in the album as a whole, making it clear that W.E.B. stands toe-to-toe with anyone in their genre.


With Colosseum, the band welcomes two new members: drummer Nikitas Mandolas, who joined following the recording of 2017's Tartarus and whose playing is perfectly suited to the music W.E.B. make, and bassist/vocalist Hel Pyre. "Apart from the great lyrics and the perfect bass performance, she offered her brutal and clean vocals on many parts of the album, leaving her own mark of fire. This is a completely new element for W.E.B. that really gave a unique character to the material."


With the lineup solidified, writing commenced in early 2019, sending ideas back and forth to one another, subsequently honing each song over many pre-production sessions. "With no references, when we make music, our only thoughts are that we want to make it sound as awesome as we can," states Sakis. The dramatic orchestrations are of course a large part of that, with Christos Antoniou of Septicflesh handling this aspect of the sound as he has on previous W.E.B. releases. "Metal is the most revolutionary music genre ever to exist; adding to it symphonic orchestra makes the experience even more epic and emotional in a massive way. We want our music to inspire the senses, thus we aspire to make it intense from our perspective."





Colosseum will be available on CD, Fruit Punch-colored LP, and digital formats. Pre-order here.





Colosseum tracklisting:


"Dark Web"
"Murder of Crows"
"Pentalpha"
"Colosseum"
"Dominus Maleficarum"
"Necrology"
"Ensanguined"
"Exaudi Luciferi"
"December 13th"


"Dark Web" video:





"Dominus Maleficarum" visualizer:





In titling the record Colosseum, W.E.B. draw comparisons with the past and present, in typically brutal style. "The Colosseum was the famous gigantic arena in Rome to give the people 'food and spectacle,' whereas what it truly did was to quench the mob's thirst for blood and violence and keep their minds away from thinking; kind of an ancient TV-brainwash machine," notes Sakis. "People nowadays seem to be thirsty for blood more than ever. They seek violence in almost everything. You can see it in social media, in the streets - even a simple fight between kids in a schoolyard attracts the other kids, not to separate but to watch. Humans miss the Colosseum and what it gave to their violent nature, even though they will never admit it. The title Colosseum is the irony of giving them what they secretly desire. Maybe then they will start to understand what they see in their mirror and hopefully it will bother them."


Colosseum was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Sound Abuse Production Studio in Athens by Psychon and produced by Sakis Prekas. While Sakis admits it was the most difficult record they've ever made, it was also the smoothest of all recording sessions, largely due to being so prepared. "It also had to do a lot with the chemistry between us and the way Psychon works with us: keeping the recordings on a strict schedule, and at the same time making us always feel comfortable to express ourselves."


Still, there were obstacles to overcome when it came to orchestrations and arrangements. "When you enter the rabbit-hole of symphonic orchestra and synths, you are in a chaos of sounds, and new ideas are always born through this. We had to spend hours on sound design and decisions like never before, yet the outcome speaks for itself."


W.E.B. lineup:


Sakis Prekas - guitars, vocals
Hel Pyre - bass, vocals
Sextus A. Maximus - lead guitars
Nikitas Mandolas - drums

SuperNova Records presents Driving You Straight To Hell Bootleg 1995/1996, featuring mid-1990s live recordings from infamous New Jersey-based noise-fueled hardcore icons Deadguy.


A limited fan-aimed cassette release, Driving You Straight To Hell Bootleg 1995/1996 includes two live sets from Deadguy in their peak/most infamous form while signed to Victory Records. Side A features a set recorded live in New York City in 1995, as performed by the seminal Fixation On A Coworker lineup not long before its dissipation and the band’s reformation. Following the band’s separation, as several members moved to Seattle to form Kiss It Goodbye, the Side B set was recorded in New York City in 1996 with the Screamin’ With The Deadguy Quintet lineup.







Side A’s set is previously unreleased, and although the B Side set was initially released by Hawthorne Street Records, both original recordings on Driving You Straight To Hell Bootleg 1995/1996 have been put through a full audio restoration and mastering process by Today Is The Day/SuperNova Records’ Steve Austin and the arsenal at his Austin Enterprise studio. Noisy, abrasive, and raw, the chaotic live attack of Deadguy is here delivered to fans like a time capsule from the band’s short-lived lifespan which has left an undeniably diehard cult following ever since.


The Driving You Straight To Hell Bootleg 1995/1996 tape is provided through a liaison of labels and collectives, including SuperNova Records, Popgun, Suspects Audio Documents, Hawthorne Street Records, and Fourth Media. The SuperNova edition is produced in a limited run of 100 Baby Blue cassettes, signed by Steve Austin.


Order at the SuperNova Records webshop.


Watch for SuperNova to release a digital variation of the record to see release in the months ahead.

THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — will release its debut single, "Shadowminds", on November 9. A teaser for the song's official music video is available below.

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Five years ago, Jesper slammed his former bandmates, calling the group a "sinking ship" and saying IN FLAMES singer Anders Fridén has "never been a songwriter."

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past two and a half years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows for most of 2019 and early 2020 has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

When Engelin was asked in an August 2020 interview with the "MetalBreak" podcast what his "future" with IN FLAMES was, he responded, "I choose to pass on that [question]," before quickly adding, "I'm still in the band."

As of last year, Engelin was not listed as a member of IN FLAMES on the band's Facebook page (Broderick was), and he is not featured in any of IN FLAMES' current promotional photos from the group's record label, Nuclear Blast.

IN FLAMES recruited American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS, to sit behind the kit for the band for its 2018, 2019 and 2020 live appearances. Wayne stepped into IN FLAMES following the departure of Joe Rickard, who played on the band's "I, The Mask" and "Battles" albums.

Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.

IN FLAMES' current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul Newman, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since Iwers's exit.

During a January 2021 appearance on the "Vox&Hops" podcast, Iwers was asked if he ever misses being on the road. The bassist replied: "Yeah, absolutely. Well, 'miss' is kind of the wrong word. I loved being on the road for most of the years that I was with [IN FLAMES], and I miss the good times. I have no regrets as far as leaving, but, of course, sometimes I really miss just being free and out and playing shows and traveling to new places every day. But I have plans. Maybe this will happen again in the future — not with IN FLAMES, though, but, yeah, we'll see."

He continued: "I'm kind of not missing spending time thinking about stuff like that. I'm kind of more living where I am now, where I'm actually free to do whatever I can with my own time. I own my own time, as I like to say; I can plan it however I like it. And I'm kind of focusing on enjoying that rather than missing the past.

"It's fun to reminisce, but at the same time, it can take you down a dangerous road as well," Peter added.

In a 2017 interview with Ireland's Overdrive, IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte said that he wasn't surprised by Peter's departure from the band. "It wasn't a 'shock,' so to speak, as we kind of knew that it was coming," he said. "I think he was just done with it all and not happy. No, 'happy' is the wrong word. He just wanted to pursue other things. Peter is a very, very busy guy. He has his own brewery with Daniel called Odd Island Brewing and he's also got four or five different musical projects happening, so he's really got his hands full at the moment."

A year ago, DARK TRANQUILITY vocalist Mikael Stanne, who sang on IN FLAMES' debut album, 1994's "Lunar Strain", dismissed comparisons between the two bands, telling the "BREWtally Speaking Podcast": "We are kind of forever linked, just because of our connection early on. I sang on the first IN FLAMES album, and Anders sang on the first DARK TRANQUILLITY album, and this is still a cause of great confusion for some reason. But, yeah, we toured together, we are friends and we grew up together in the same area outside of town [in Gothenburg, Sweden]. So, of course, it's obvious. And I'm okay with that — that's fine. It just becomes a little bit old, because there's not much to say about it anymore, because we've gone in very different directions. So it's not relevant, but, of course, you do make comparisons — that's how people work, how you go, 'I like this band better than that band.' And if there is a link somehow, and there are many between the two of us, then you use that as some kind of reference or, 'This is better than that,' or, 'The guitar player is better in that band' — that kind of stuff. So I'm okay with it. It doesn't change anything. And sometimes questions about it tend to be uninspired. It's just like, 'Oh, what do you think of the other band's albums?' It's, like, 'It doesn't matter, but I'm a huge fan. I love it.' And it's the same with, of course, AT THE GATES as well, even though we haven't shared any members together, but we still kind of grew up together, so, obviously, there's a huge connection there as well. And I don't mind talking about my friends and the awesome bands that are from this town — it's fine — but sometimes the direct comparisons seem… Maybe they meant something in the '90s, but they really don't anymore."




Soon.. #TheHaloEffect pic.twitter.com/apkwgge3lW

— Mikael Stanne (@MiklStne) October 31, 2021

Athemon, a duo featuring Tom MacLean (bassist/producer, To-Mera, ex-Haken) and Adriano Ribeiro (vocalist and guitarist) are offering up to progressive metal fans a free download of their debut self-titled album, released on October 11.


"Full of dark and enigmatic atmospheres, this is a concept record that is meant to be heard as one long 50-minute track divided into nine parts, which tells a story about self-awareness. This is a creative release that seeks to forge the perfect alloy of darkness and beauty," adds the band.


The full length can be downloaded for free, here.




The story of Athemon comes together while many musicians were in lockdown during the Covid pandemic and unable to congregate for simple jams or have outlets to perform their music. Using this global pause, two musicians Tom MacLean based in the UK, and Adriano Ribeiro based in Brazil crossed paths online and used the digital world to their advantage to give rise to their new band Athemon.


"Adriano sent me his demo and it gave me goosebumps, so I was keen to get involved," says MacLean.


From a significant evolution between demos to their final introductory recordings, MacLean and Ribeiro created a bonding friendship over musical interests that created the perfect environment to allow them to evolve and conceive their debut album.


Formed as a gateway to express their art using progressive metal music, the duo invited a special guest drummer from Brazil; Gledson Gonçalves who added his percussionist touch to compliment each one of the nine tracks.


"As nobody goes alone in this world (even being totally alone inside one’s own mind), the songwriting process had a lonely beginning, but a very collaborative end. The beginning of this project was driven by Adriano, but nothing would fit so well if it wasn’t for the amazing connection the three of us have (Adriano, Tom, and our special guest on drums, Gledson)," says MacLean.


The lyrics for the album were written by vocalist/guitarist Adriano Ribeiro and were inspired by thoughts of how confusing reality can be if you are not taking care of your emotional side. "The thin line between what’s real and what’s not is an endless world," adds Ribeiro.


New fans of Athemon, can expect much more to come from the pair as they already have plans to launch their second album by the end of 2022, which they are currently composing with promising results.


As for the live spectacle of Athemon, for now, the band will let the music flow until the duo can connect from across the Atlantic for their first in-person jam session.


Recommended for fans of Nevermore, Pain of Salvation, Opeth, Gojira, and Mastodon, Athemon's self-titled debut is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other major digital music platforms.





Tracklisting:


"Perception"
"Whispers"
"The Glass Hindered Us"
"Different From What Was Missing"
"Seed of Change"
"I Voice of Mine"
"Reaching Deepness"
"Greatest Understanding"
"Birth"


Athemon by Athemon


Album Credits:


• All songs performed by Athemon
• All songs written by Athemon
• Produced by Tom MacLean
• Mixed by Tom MacLean @ Twelve Tone Studio
• Mastered by Tony Lindgren @ Fascination Street Studios
• Album Artwork by Luigi Quarta


Album lineup:


Adriano Ribeiro (Guitars, Vocals)
Tom MacLean (Bass)
Gledson Gonçalves (session Drums)





L-R above: Adriano Ribeiro (Guitar, Vocals), Tom MacLean (Bass, Production)


(Photo Credits: Adriano’s picture: José Simonetti, Tom’s picture: Sunny Dhaliwal)

Revealing the latest addition to the ever expanding range from UK independent publisher Rock N’ Roll Colouring - the first official colouring book from Iron Maiden, heavy metal’s most iconic, influential and enduring band.


Featuring iconic artwork and instantly recognizable images all printed on high quality paper in a square format fully endorsed and officially licensed, these amazing designs have the potential for hours of satisfying colouring in. The book encourages you to celebrate every detail of Iron Maiden’s iconic imagery, letting your imagination run riot as you create your own personalized versions of your favourite Maiden designs.







The book contains painstakingly created renderings of each image with detailed outlines ready for you to unleash your artistic skills using pens, pencils or paint. Including artwork from legendary albums such as Piece Of Mind, Powerslave and The Number Of The Beast, plus Iron Maiden’s glorious recent albums The Book Of Souls and their hugely successful new album, Senjutsu.


Channel your inner creativity and add your own interpretations of these classic images or simply recreate them as closely as you can to the originals. Whatever you decide, the satisfaction of adding your personal touch to these classic designs is extremely rewarding.





Devised and created by two lifelong rock and heavy metal devotees and colouring book fans, Rock N’ Roll Colouring was formed by fans for fans. Every effort has gone into making sure this book does justice to the legacy of Iron Maiden and their iconic figure, Eddie, painstakingly re-creating some of the most famous heavy metal images of all time to ensure that Maiden fans everywhere get the best creative experience possible.


Colouring has proven significant mental health benefits including mindfulness, relaxation and increased focus and can be enjoyed by any age group. These books provide hours of creative and restful activity that combines the love of the music with the love of the art.





The Iron Maiden book follows on from the previous Rock N’ Roll Colouring releases from Alice Cooper, Motörhead, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Megadeth.


The book is published on December 8, available for worldwide shipping, and can be exclusively pre ordered via Eyesore Merch, here.