German death metal band, Deserted Fear, have released their new cover track, “Artifacts Of The Black Rain”, originally performed by Swedish melodic death metal pioneers In Flames on The Jester Race (1996). The track is featured as a B-side on the band’s exclusive, limited (500x copies) 7", which was recorded, mixed and mastered by Deserted Fear’s very own Fabian Hildebrandt at Eisensound Studio. Purchase and stream “Artifacts Of The Black Rain”, here. Listen below.





"For the B-Side of the EP we wanted to cover a song from another band, something we did live all the time in our early days because we didn't have enough own songs to play a full set, haha. And in the studio we also didn’t cover a song in a long time!," states Hildebrandt about the release.




Mahne adds, "We chose an old In Flames song, because not only for us, but also for many other bands our age, the early In Flames albums were very influential and we learned a lot from them, especially on the guitar!"





The video for the band’s previously released single, “Funeral Of The Earth”, created by Vollvincent / vollvincent.com, can be viewed below. The limited edition 7" release of “Funeral Of The Earth” is also available to purchase, here, and can be purchased digitally, here.





Deserted Fear are:


Simon Mengs – Drums
Fabian Hildebrandt – Guitar
Manuel Glatter – Vocals/Guitar

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) — have launched a new project called THE HALO EFFECT. So far, only a promotional photo of the new outfit has been released, with the promise of more information to follow soon.

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 anymo

THE THREE TREMORS, the project featuring acclaimed heavy metal singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (JAG PANZER) and Sean "The Hell Destroyer" Peck (CAGE, DEATH DEALER, DENNER/SHERMANN), will release its second album, "Guardians Of The Void", on November 5 via Steel Cartel Records. The official music video for the LP's second single, "Crucifier", can be seen below. The haunting clip captures the essence of the song which tells the tale of an avenging angel exiled on earth and hellbent on revenge.

Owens said about "Crucifier": "This is one of my favorite tracks on the record." Peck added: "When the band wrote this song, I knew we had a special track on our hands. It has a super-haunting vibe and I love the chorus how it hits. I am sure my fellow metalheads will dig it like I do." Conklin chimed in: "This was one I insisted we add to the live set. I can't wait to sing this with the band."

Coming off the successful release of their self-titled debut album, several North American and European tours, release of the solo versions of the first album, and some festival performances, THE THREE TREMORS shot out of a cannon at a frantic pace. They were pursuing an aggressive pace of live performances when the shutdown forced them to cut short their North American tour in the middle of their run in early 2020. They wasted no time, however, and got to work on another new album. Now their sophomore effort "Guardians Of The Void" is ready for blast-off.

Twelve songs are found on this wicked rocker of an album and once again they cover all the bases of heavy metal. As with all Steel Cartel releases, only the songs that receive video releases will be on the streaming platforms, so the physical medium and the fans that support and collect them, are the bands priority and focus.

And speaking of great physical product, THE THREE TREMORS has once again hired Marc Sasso to do the cover artwork once again. Sasso is best known for his work with such companies as Marvel, the WWE and HALFORD, DIO, CAGE and many others. He has hit it out of the park once again with this haunting, otherworldly painting that captures the mysterious essence of the album title perfectly.

Owens describes how the recording process went down: "We had just started our second North American tour promoting the solo versions that we had just released, when everything started to shut down. It was a shame because we had some really good momentum and the shows were selling well, including a few that were sold out in advance. When we realized that we could be sitting home for a while, we all started putting these new songs together and recording them."

Harry said: "I had moved to Greece during this whole time and they guys started sending me song after song at a furious pace. The songs were kickass, and I found it easier and more natural to collaborate and add my ideas and nuances this second time around. We have toured and done so many shows together now the comfort level was there and they came together really quick. The end result is amazing, I think."

Sean added: "Everyone in the band has a lot of other projects going on, so it was good we could all pull together and make this follow up album. Now Sean [Elg], our drummer, is also in KK'S PRIEST with Ripper, so we are stoked that we could not only put out another record but also get a tour in before everyone gets busy. We have spent so much time together we are like a heavy metal street gang and have a blast performing these songs and going on the road. With these new songs available from the 'Guardians Of The Void' album, our setlist will be even more vicious than before, if that is even possible, ha!"

There will be three different versions of the double gatefold vinyl of "Guardians Of The Void": the original version, the 1-in-5 variant version and the virgin cover version. The 1-in-5 variant version has completely different cover art (again by Sasso) on the front and back and will be limited to one copy for every five standard versions that are produced. The virgin cover version has the original Sasso artwork without band logos or album titles.

Catch the THREE TREMORS on tour in the United States this November.

German thrash metal veterans KREATOR will re-release their 2001 masterpiece "Violent Revolution" for its 20th anniversary. Due on January 21, 2022 through Nuclear Blast Records, it will include a huge selection of assorted live bootleg recordings, grouped together under the name "Bootleg Revolution".

The 20th-anniversary edition of "Violent Revolution" will be available on various formats, including digital album, CD jewelcase, CD digipak, double LP, cassette and a limited-edition 4LP+2CD boxset, which will also include an exclusive KREATOR comic book called "Graphic Violence - Chapter 1".

To give you a taste of the "Bootleg Revolution" material, which has been recorded in countries like Brazil, Korea and Istanbul and at German Festivals like Wacken Open Air and Waldrock, check out a visualizer video for "Servant In Heaven - King In Hell (Live In Brazil)" below.

"Violent Revolution" track listing:

01. Reconquering The Throne

02. The Patriarch

03. Violent Revolution

04. All Of The Same Blood

05. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell

06. Second Awakening

07. Ghetto War

08. Replicas Of Life

09. Slave Machinery

10. Bitter Sweet Revenge

11. Mind Of Fire

12. System Decay

"Live Bonus" track listing:

01. Violent Revolution (Live in Brazil)

02. Reconquering The Throne (Live in Brazil)

03. Extreme Aggression (Live in Korea)

04. People Of The Lie (Live in Korea)

05. All Of The Same Blood (Live in Korea)

06. Phobia (Live In Korea)

07. Pleasure To Kill (Live in Korea)

08. Renewal (Live in Korea)

09. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell (Live Brazil)

10. Terrible Certainty (Live in Korea)

11. Riot Of Violence (Live in Korea)

12. Terrorzone (Live in Brazil)

13. Betrayer (Live in Brazil)

14. Lost (Live in Brazil)

15. Coma Of Souls (Live in Brazil)

16. Flag Of Hate (Live at Wacken)

17. Tormentor (Live at Wacken)

"Bootleg Revolution" track listing:

01. Violent Revolution (Live in Brazil)

02. Reconquering The Throne (Live in Brazil)

03. Extreme Aggression (Live in Korea)

04. People Of The Lie (Live in Korea)

05. All Of The Same Blood (Live in Korea)

06. Phobia (Live In Korea)

07. Pleasure To Kill (Live in Korea)

08. Renewal (Live in Korea)

09. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell (Live Brazil)

10. Terrible Certainty (Live in Korea)

11. Riot Of Violence (Live in Korea)

12. Terrorzone (Live in Brazil)

13. Betrayer (Live in Brazil)

14. Lost (Live in Brazil)

15. Coma Of Souls (Live in Brazil)

16. Flag Of Hate (Live at Wacken)

17. Tormentor (Live at Wacken)

18. Violent Revolution (Live in Istanbul)

19. Reconquering The Throne (Live in Istanbul)

20. Extreme Aggression (Live in Istanbul)

21. People Of The Lie (Live in Istanbul)

22. All Of The Same Blood (Live in Istanbul)

23. Phobia (Live in Istanbul)

24. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell (Live in Istanbul)

25. Terrible Certainty (Live in Istanbul)

26. Riot Of Violence (Live in Istanbul)

27. Betrayer (Live in Istanbul)

28. Flag Of Hate (Live in Istanbul)

29. Tormentor (Live in Istanbul)

30. The Patriarch (Live at Waldrock)

31. Violent Revolution (Live at Waldrock)

32. Reconquering The Throne (Live at Waldrock)

33. Extreme Aggression (Live at Waldrock)

34. People Of The Lie (Live at Waldrock)

35. All Of The Same Blood (Live at Waldrock)

36. Phobia (Live at Waldrock)

37. Pleasure To Kill (Live at Waldrock)

38. Renewal (Live at Waldrock)

39. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell (Live at Waldrock)

40. Flag Of Hate (Live at Waldrock)

41. Tormentor (Live at Waldrock)

The "Violent Revolution" reissue will be available in the following formats:

- Digital album "Bootleg Revolution" (Live In Brazil, Korea, Wacken / Live In Istanbul / Live At Waldrock)

- 2CD digibook incl. Live Bonus CD (Brazil, Korea, Wacken)

- 1CD Jewelcase

- 2LP gatefold solid black

- 2LP gatefold solid red

- 2LP gatefold marbled clear/red (EMP exclusive)

- 2LP gatefold splatter red/black

- Box set including 2CD digibook (album & Live Bonus), 2LP (album), 2LP (Live Bonus; Brazil, Korea, Wacken), 1CD Slipcase (Live In Istanbul), 1CD Slipcase (Live At Waldrock), 20 page Comic Book "Graphic Violence - Chapter 1"

As the 21st century was born, so KREATOR underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades. In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as "Pleasure To Kill" (1986), "Terrible Certainty" ('87) and "Extreme Aggression" ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like "Coma Of Souls" (1990), "Renewal" ('92) and "Endorama" ('99). Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains.

"During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band were doing," he says. "But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album — our first of the new millennium — we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of KREATOR. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place."

There were some significant changes for this album, one being the fact that the band signed to SPV/Steamhammer. There was also new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band WALTARI) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the "Oucast" (1997) and "Endorama" albums.

As usual, it was Petrozza who did all the writing for the album.

The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world. Pre-production was done in Essen at KKS Studios, before the band went to Area 51 Studios in Celle, near Hamburg where they recorded the drum and bass (handled by Christian Giesler)

The album title came from something Petrozza had read. "In a book I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: 'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable'," he said. "I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact."

For the cover, KREATOR turned to Andreas Marschall, who had done such a striking job on 1990's "Coma Of Souls" album sleeve.

"Violent Revolution" was released in September 2001, and became the band's highest-charting album to that point in Germany, as it reached No. 38.

"We knew we had a good album, so in that way it wasn't a surprise to see this do so well in the chart," Mille said. "But however good you might think your album is, you can never be certain how people will react to what you've done, and whether you can pick up new fans, as well as satisfy the older ones. So, I suppose there was an element of us being pleasantly surprised when we got into the Top 40 for the first time. But I have to give a lot of credit to our label. They knew exactly how to market and promote the album, and showed we had made the right choice in signing to them."

"Violent Revolution" is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, KREATOR proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalization.

"I feel this is one of our strongest albums," says Petrozza with conviction. "We took what we'd done on 'Coma Of Souls' and 'Extreme Aggression' but this wasn't a case of repeating it. No, we added in modern metal elements to the sound as well. It was a new era for KREATOR. A rebirth if you want to put it that way. And the start of what I would call our second career."

A one-minute teaser video for W.A.S.P.'s upcoming 40th-anniversary tour, narrated by frontman Blackie Lawless, is available below.

June 6, 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most infamous, notorious, controversial heavy metal bands in the world… W.A.S.P. So join W.A.S.P. for this very special 40th-anniversary world tour that kicks off in Milan, Italy on March 18, 2022. This first leg of dates will see the band hit Italy, Spain, Ireland, North Ireland, United Kingdom, Scotland, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria. More dates and a U.S. tour will be announced.

Lawless states about the tour: "For the W.A.S.P. 40th-anniversary world tour, we're going back to the beginning. We're taking the show back to where it all started. Complete with all the fire and all the blood that shocked the world the first time. We only did this type of show on the first world tour and never did it again…until now! I'm gonna scream and I'm gonna bleed, 'cause I wanna be somebody! We're taking everybody back…back to the beginning!"

W.A.S.P. "40 Years Live" world tour 2022:

Mar. 18 - Milan, Live Club

Mar. 19 - Padova, Padova Hall

Mar. 23 - Bilbao, Santana 27

Mar. 24 - Murcia, Sala Gamma 3

Mar. 25 - Barcelona, Razzmatazz 1

Mar. 26 - Madrid, La Riviera

Mar. 30 - Dublin, Vicar St.

Mar. 31 - Belfast, Ulster Hall

Apr. 01 - Wolverhampton, KK's Steel Mill

Apr. 02 - Manchester, Academy

Apr. 03 - Nottingham, Rock City

Apr. 05 - Glasgow, O2 Academy

Apr. 06 - Newcastlee, O2 City Hall

Apr. 07 - Bristol, O2 Academy

Apr. 08 - London, Rou-House

Apr. 09 - Eindhoven, Effenaar

Apr. 10 - Copenhagen, Amager Bio

Apr. 12 - Malmö, Moriskan

Apr. 13 - Huskvarna, Folkets Park

Apr. 14 - Sundsvall, Sporthallen

Apr. 15 - Umeå, Idun

Apr. 16 - Oulu, Teatria

Apr. 17 - Tampere, Pakkahuone

Apr. 18 - Helsinki, Kulttuuritalo

Apr. 20 - Gävle, Gasklockan

Apr. 21 - Eskilstuna, Lokomotivet

Apr. 22 - Örebro, Conventum

Apr. 23 - Karlstad, Nöjesfabriken

Apr. 25 - Oslo, Rockefeller

Apr. 28 - Stockholm, Stora Fållan

Apr. 29 - Norrköping, Arbis

Apr. 30 - Gothenburg, Trädgårn

May 01 - Bremen, Aladin

May 02 - Mannheim, Capitol

May 04 - Saarbrücken, Garage

May 05 - Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle

May 07 - Geiselwind, Music Halle

May 08 - Munich, Backstage Werk

May 17 - Bucharest, Arenele Romane

May 18 - Sofia, Universidada Sports Hall

Few bands in the history of rock 'n' roll have ever incited the love, the hate, the raw emotional effect this band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles, California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these winged assassins from performing live, the band's unique style of shock and rock caused religious organizations, local city councils, parlaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.

The band's founding member, Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold out shows across the globe for four decades.

Joined by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band span 26 and 18 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester, Lawless will take the band and the fans back to where it all started. Complete with the stage show extravaganza that many fans never saw live.

Ozzy Osbourne and his longtime friend and colleague Lemmy Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD are reunited one last time in the new animated clip for their mash-up duet of "Hellraiser". The clip is an homage to their decades-long friendship. Produced by Hey Beautiful Jerk and directed by Mark Szumski and Gina Niespodziani, the video opens with Ozzy and Lemmy hanging out at the infamous Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Boulevard (Lemmy's unofficial second home) surrounded by friends. The two are transported from a calm day playing video games in the bar to a post-apocalyptic world where they battle evil forces before ultimately returning to the bar, where they pick up their video game as if nothing had occurred. Watch the clip below.

"I'm so glad we were able to honor my dear friend Lemmy with this duet and now the video," Ozzy says. "We immortalized him with a clip of the two of us being together, hanging out and getting into some trouble as we so often did."

The song — which was co-written by the two and Ozzy's longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde — originally appeared on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Grammy-winning singer and songwriter's 1991 "No More Tears" album; MOTÖRHEAD then recorded their own version and released it as a single from their 1992 "March Ör Die" album.

The never-before-released "Hellraiser" mash-up with Ozzy and Lemmy was recently included on the digital 30th-anniversary release of Ozzy's classic album "No More Tears", released September 17 via Sony. In addition, "Hellraiser" will be issued as a stand-alone release on Ozzy's birthday, December 3. The special 10-inch black vinyl single features three versions of the song: the classic original Ozzy track with MOTÖRHEAD's version of the same song as the B-side. It is available for pre-order here.

LIMP BIZKIT will release its long-awaited new album, "Limp Bizkit Still Sucks", this Sunday, October 31. Check out the cover art below. Also available is a special album "review" from Jake Bacon, a.k.a. LIMP BIZKIT guitarist Wes Borland.

Borland commented on social media: "Our first album in over a decade comes out this Sunday! Happy Halloween! Limp Bizkit – Still Sucks #limpbizkitstillsucks #limpbizkit @limpbizkit".

LIMP BIZKIT has not released a new studio album since 2011's "Gold Cobra", although the band has spent a lot of time writing and recording music over the past decade.

Last month, LIMP BIZKIT released a new single called "Dad Vibes". The track, which was originally premiered during the band's concert at Lollapalooza in July, was made available via Suretone Records and ADA.

"Check out your dad with the swag on the floor/ Momma gonna brag when I walk in the door/ Y'all ain't ever seen a guerrilla in the mist/ Walk the line so fine with a blindfold," frontman Fred Durst raps in the song. "Hot dad ridin' in on a rhino/ Got the roll-under-wrap with the dad vibes/ Now everybody bounce with the franchise," he continues before the bass drops and the chorus comes around." He continues: "Can't live with 'em/ Can't live without 'em/ New kid back on the block with a R.I.P./ Dad got the sag in the back with the drip/ Come and get a sip/ La-Di-Da."

"Dad Vibes" arrived weeks after LIMP BIZKIT canceled all of its previously announced live appearances for 2021, explaining in a statement that it was doing so "out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the band, crew and most of all the fans."

LIMP BIZKIT was scheduled to appear at several festivals this summer and fall, including Aftershock, Blue Ridge, Rebel Rock and Rocklahoma.

A few days after the summer 2021 shows were called off, Durst told Billboard about the decision: "In short, the system is still very flawed. Even if the performers, crews, staff, and promoters do their best to ensure safety on and behind the stage, that doesn't ensure the safety of the audience as a whole. We are all in this together, and we all — individually and as a whole — have to make our best efforts to be as responsible and proactive as possible moving forward to combat and stop spreading COVID."

Durst also denied that there was a specific incident that prompted him and his bandmates to pull the plug on the trek, saying it was "just perception."

Durst made headlines in late July when he debuted his new look at the band's concert at Metro in Chicago, with the frontman now sporting wavy salt-and-pepper locks accompanied by a horseshoe-style mustache.

Eight LIMP BIZKIT titles have landed on the Billboard 200, including two which topped the chart — 1999's "Significant Other" and 2000's "Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water".


























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AC/DC's music video for the song "Thunderstruck" has surpassed one billion views on YouTube. The David Mallet-directed clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in November of 2012, was filmed at London's Brixton Academy on August 17, 1990. The audience members were given free t-shirts with the words "AC/DC - I was Thunderstruck" on the front and the date on the back, and these t-shirts were worn by the entire audience throughout the filming of the video.

"Thunderstruck" was the lead single from AC/DC's 1990 album "The Razors Edge". The song reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

In the 2003 re-release of "The Razors Edge", AC/DC guitarist Angus Young explained in the liner notes how the song came about: "It started off from a little trick that I had on guitar. I played it to Mal [AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young] and he said, 'Oh, I've got a good rhythm idea that will sit well in the back.' We built the song up from that. We fiddled about with it for a few months before everything fell into place. Lyrically, it was really just a case of finding a good title, something along the lines of 'Powerage' or 'Highway To Hell'. We came up with this thunder thing and it seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC = Power. That's the basic idea."

"Thunderstruck" joins other hard rock and heavy metal artists who have made it to the Billion Views Club: METALLICA ("Nothing Else Matters"), GUNS N' ROSES ("Sweet Child O' Mine" and "November Rain"), LINKIN PARK ("Numb") and QUEEN ("Bohemian Rhapsody").

AC/DC's latest album "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. 1.

Swedish heavy metal 'n' roll dark madcap visionaries collectively known as AVATAR — vocalist Johannes Eckerström (vocals), guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson — are ambitious rock sorcerers of the highest order. They are known to smash the boundaries between band, theater troupe, and cinematic masterminds with a series of celebrated albums and videos, and the immersive world of Avatar Country, a fantastical land where metal rules supreme. Today, they have shared the new song "So Sang the Hollow". Listen here and stream here.

"I think the song fits the season," Eckerström shares. "'So Sang The Hollow' lives between a dream and our waking nightmares. It's like a seance with ghosts of your own creation. It's one of those songs that was a very long time in the making, with the main guitar part having been kicked around since I entered the workforce."

He finishes with an important point, saying, "It also answers the question what SIMON AND GARFUNKEL would've sounded like if they grew up listening to BLACK SABBATH."

Earlier this fall, AVATAR went big and dropped two new tracks. They shared the official video for "Going Hunting", directed once again by Johan Carlén, alongside the fan track "Barren Cloth Mother". AVATAR also previously announced that it signed to Thirty Tigers and launched its own Black Waltz Records imprint.

Two weeks ago, AVATAR postponed the last five shows on its "Going Hunting" U.S. tour after Eckerström tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Those concerts will now take place in late January and early February.

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current SIXX:A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba has just released a new single, "Bella Ciao". Produced by Ashba, the reimagined track gives a modern day EDM-driven makeover to the Italian folk classic, complemented by DJ's signature guitar work, creating a dance/rock hybrid called GDM (Guitar Dance Music). The new single marks Ashba's first release of 2021 and follows a series of tracks that released in late 2020 through Edgeout Records/UMG/UMe, including "Hypnotic", "Let's Dance" and "A Christmas Storm".

"After becoming completely obsessed with 'Money Heist', I became so inspired by 'Bella Ciao' and the history of the song," stated Ashba. "I couldn't wait to get into the studio and make my own GDM version. I wanted it to be epic and dramatic, with big bass, bone-crushing guitar, and an infectious beat that I know the fans will go crazy for. After it was complete, I was telling my friend, famous Disney artist Craig Fraser, about my new version of this classic song, and him being a fan of the show as well, got inspired, and created me this one-of-a-kind painting of the iconic mask from 'Money Heist'. I was so blown away; I thought it would make the perfect cover for this single."

Ashba will support the single with his first headlining show scheduled for November 12 at the Epic Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. All ticket and meet-and-greet packages are available on www.ashba.us.

Last December, Ashba told "The Mark And HooGie Show" that he isn't concerned about getting any pushback from his rock fans over the musical direction of his new venture: "Honestly, I'm at a point in my career where I could give two fucks," he said. "I could care less. If people don't like it, kiss my ass. Go listen to SIXX:A.M. If what I'm doing right now isn't rock enough, I've got a rock band. They can go listen to that then.

"My fanbase, thank God, has been, throughout my whole career, just very, very accepting," he continued. "They know me — they know I'm always trying to really push myself as an artist outside the box.

"If I had to live within this box, I'd rather honestly not play music. Playing music is a form of art, and if I can't truly be an artist and be true to what it is inside — whatever that is that keeps me going… I have to stay inspired. You can only write so many three-chord rock songs. So, to me, this is something that I'm kind of more doing for myself, and I feel like I kind of have earned that at this point in my career. And I'm just having fun.

"Surprisingly… It was weird. I was totally expecting for all my fanbase just to hate it — not get it," Ashba added. "'Cause I really, really go deep down in EDM — I stayed very, very true to the EDM sound — and I really thought they were gonna hate it, and I was okay with that. 'Cause in my mind, I'm writing this for the EDM, the young kids that go to those festivals. This is full-on festival music. And surprisingly, I got no pushback. My rock fans really, really were freaking out on it, which kind of freaked me out. I was expecting them to really not get it or maybe push it aside. But they've been nothing but supportive. I'm very thankful that they gave it a chance."

ASHBA's "Let's Dance" single featured a guest appearance by James Michael, co-founder and lead singer of SIXX:A.M., which he and DJ formed with Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE).

Ashba told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the musical approach of his new effort: "I would go to a lot of EDM concerts, and their shows are so over the top and, you know, all these young kids just losing their minds, right? And the one thing that I've noticed is … it lacks guitar, you know, and I saw an opportunity, like five years ago, going, 'If I could take what I do and somehow inject it into this world.' A lot of kids are not being exposed to a lot of guitar in that world."

Although Ashba initially started work on the project as a collaboration with Michael — under the band name PYROMANTIC — it has since evolved into an Ashba solo venture, with Michael announcing in 2018 that he was stepping away from the group.

Late on Christmas Eve, British Expeditionary Force heard German troops in the trenches opposite them singing Christmas carols and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches. The following day, British and German soldiers met in no man's land and exchanged gifts, took pictures and some even played football. It was a rare but magic moment of peace and harmony in the midst of one of the most atrocious events of the 20th century.

Today, Swedish metal heroes SABATON release a song about this extraordinary event that is known today as "Christmas Truce". You can check out the video for "Christmas Truce" below.

"'Christmas Truce' was our highest priority when we decided to write songs about World War One," said SABATON bass player Pär Sundström. "Not only was it the most requested topic from our fans, but it was, for us, the most emotional story from the war. This song took us years to create since we wanted the music to reflect the mood honesty, and it was a big challenge; but we feel we managed to write a song that captures the spirit of that day, over a century ago."

"Christmas Truce" foreshadows SABATON's tenth studio album, "The War To End All Wars", that will be released on March 4, 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Written and recorded during the COVID-19 global pandemic, the concept album of 11 brand-new songs once again dives deep into the atrocities, miracles, and events tied to the early 20th century’s World War I. The tenth album of the Falun-based five-piece will be available in an impressive variety of exclusive formats, including CD, vinyl, and cassette, with most available in limited editions.

"The War To End All Wars" track listing:

01. Sarajevo

02. Stormtroopers

03. Dreadnought

04. The Unkillable Soldier

05. Soldier Of Heaven

06. Hellfighters

07. Race To The Sea

08. Lady Of The Dark

09. The Valley Of Death

10. Christmas Truce

11. Versailles

In a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, SABATON frontman Joakim Brodén said about the musical direction of the band's new material: "It's very much a SABATON album in that way. We've been an evolutionary band always and not a revolutionary band. There's always surprises on a SABATON album but we're never gonna flip the coin and do something totally different on every song on a new album. There's gonna be surprises on every album. I'm actually listening to and approving the master of the new album right now.

"It's always subjective," he continued. "I think it's pathetic when an artist goes, 'It's the best album we've ever made,' and they keep promoting the same tired line. I say it's up to the listener to decide that, but I know for a fact that everybody in the band, without even sitting in the same room together, because I sort of shipped out the pre-mixes to everyone, and everybody — this is the only time in our history this has happened — everybody came back with, 'Fuck. That sounds great.' Everybody is super happy with the production. We were always happy before, but it was, like, 'Maybe this, maybe that.' Now it was more like, 'Okay, yeah, I have some suggestions and ideas, but wow.' We're really happy with the sound."

SABATON is considered to be one the most important bands to emerge from the Swedish modern metal scene, having been honored with five Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards (including "Best Live Band" three different years) and nominated several times for the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards, the Grammis. In 2016, SABATON's "The Last Stand" album debuted at No. 1 in three different European countries and cracked the Top 3 in four others. Joakim Brodén (vocals), Pär Sundström (bass), Chris Rörland (guitar), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Tommy Johansson (guitar) curate a festival of their own, Sabaton Open Air, that started back in 2008, as well as their own forward-thinking Sabaton Cruise which has been held since 2009.

OUTLANDERS, the new project created by Finnish soprano legend Tarja Turunen (NIGHTWISH) and EDM pioneer Torsten Stenzel, will release its first song, "Closer To The Sky", on November 26 via earMUSIC. The track marks the start of a release series of eight tracks preceding a full-length album; each song presents an exceptional guitarist as a guess. Some participants include Al Di Meola, Joe Satriani, Jennifer Batten, Steve Rothery, Mike Oldfield, Walter Giardino, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Vernon Reid and Marty Friedman.

Recorded and mixed mainly on the Caribbean island of Antigua during the last 10 years, the sounds of OUTLANDERS are mystic. They are soft and powerful; catchy and dreamy; modern but vintage — at the same time. Their music is about opposites that magically attract each other and the three aesthetic pillar elements unite to create a singular unique sound.

"Closer To The Sky", composed by Tarja and Erik Nyholm, features guitarist Trevor Rabin, best known as guitarist of prog rock icons YES, as well as a top Hollywood blockbuster movies score composer.

So, what genre is OUTLANDERS? The answer is simple: It is a music genre on its own, since classifying OUTLANDERS as any pre-existing genre would be a fruitless endeavor.

Tarja's vision for OUTLANDERS is to create something fresh and new. OUTLANDERS combine chill, exciting electronic beats with Tarja's emotional, classically trained vocals, along with unique guitar performances. These three elements are a constant in all the songs.

A-Side: "Closer To The Sky"

B-Side: "Closer To The Sky" (Dub Mix)


Posted by Tarja & Torsten - Outlanders on Wednesday, October 27, 2021

"Psycho Schizo Espresso", a brand new podcast from IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson and Oxford University psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Dutton, will launch across all podcast platforms on October 31, 2021. New episodes will be made available every other Tuesday.

Episode One features New Testament scholar Professor Steven J. Friesen from the University of Texas, author of "Imperial Cults And The Apocalypse Of John - Reading Revelation In The Ruins", and expert on the Book Of Revelation. That episode will be the first of a two-parter exploring the devil's role in heavy metal and decoding one of the Bible's most impenetrable secrets — the hidden meaning behind 666, "The Number Of The Beast" — a number that's certainly featured prominently in Bruce's career.

In a preview clip below, Bruce talks about why bands like IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH have explored Satanic imagery in their songs and seemingly reveled in the controversy that they generated. "'Cause it's really dramatic," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And at a certain point in time, certainly for people of a certain age, like me, from what you might call a society which was — 'cause I'm 62, so going back to, like, the late '50s, Europe was broadly Christian; a lot more people went to church back then than do now. Probably four or five times, or even more, people would just turn up at church; they weren't deserted, as they are now. And they would generally believe in things like absolute evil and there being an absolute good, but nobody knew anybody who was absolutely good. But for sure, absolute evil existed somewhere, 'cause otherwise how could anybody be absolutely good. So you had to have something to measure yourself against.

"What heavy metal bands did by adopting imagery was they shocked people," he explained. "Because in the same way that the early Hammer movies reintroduced Dracula but with sex. So they actually had Dracula, blood, fangs, sex, the devil — all this stuff was, like, 'Oh my God. That is so shocking,' but it really kind of turns us on in secret. And, of course, as kids, you'd be forbidden to watch it, and, of course, it would be interesting, and you'd watch it. And then you'd just use your imagination to create stories. And then a whole raft of films came out — 'The Omen' and 'The Exorcist' and things like that — that all had this idea of an actual physical force of evil. And it was quite exciting, really — not because you wanted to be it, but to know that you could imagine your way into the drama and put that into music and dramatize it."

You can listen to "Psycho Schizo Espresso" wherever you get your podcasts, and the show will also be available in Vodcast form on YouTube. You can listen to, or watch, the podcast trailer below.

Head to this location to find the podcast on your favorite platform.

Official podcast description: "If psychology was a country, then it would be the world's top tourist destination bar none. It's an enchanted territory with something for everyone: from aliens to drug lords, from serial killers to conspiracy theories. Join intellectual explorers Bruce Dickinson and Dr. Kevin Dutton for an Indiana Jones style adventure through some of its most far-flung corners as they delve into the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers and get the latest tips and insights from some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet. If you've ever wondered whether psychopaths like Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman really exist outside the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters and film directors, why ghosts only seem to appear at night, and about the true meaning of the Book of Revelation's most enduring and enigmatic mystery — 666, the number of the beast — then welcome aboard Flight Psycho Schizo Espresso and observe the 'fasten seatbelt' sign!"

Dutton explained how the idea for the podcast came about: "Not long after meeting Bruce, it became instantly clear to me that we shared a number of wide-reaching interests and that we should channel that into a podcast. 'Psycho Schizo Espresso' is certainly a journey of exploration for the both of us, and we are sure our listeners are going to learn a lot from our guests. Whether from the music industry, academia or elsewhere — you may, for instance, share our interest in psychopaths, both good and bad — this is certainly a podcast that we feel everyone will enjoy and should go and subscribe to straight away."

In a new interview with Metal Hammer magazine, Gary Holt once again reflected on EXODUS's legendary New Year's Eve gig in San Francisco with METALLICA, as the two bands rang in the year 1986 along with MEGADETH and METAL CHURCH.

"We stomped them into the dirt," Holt said. "We were getting wasted after the show, and James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] was laughing and saying, 'Haha, that's the last time you guys'll ever support us.' And it was the last time we ever supported METALLICA."

When Metal Hammer writer Dave Everley asked "The $64,000 question: no EXODUS, no thrash scene. True?" Holt replied, "Absolutely. I'll own that. We created the violent scene."

"The scene was rad," Holt added. "You could go to a different club five nights a week and never see the same band twice. There wasn't thrash metal competition, 'cause in the beginning there was only us and METALLICA. The first time I ever heard with them was when we played with them, and it felt like looking in a mirror. Later on, there was some competition. The bands were all friends, and we hung out together, but EXODUS owned [legendary San Francisco Bay Area club] Ruthie's. Everybody was gunning for us, but nobody could take us."

Holt's latest comments echo those he made back in February when he told the "Alive & Streaming" YouTube series about EXODUS's 1985 concert with METALLICA: "We crushed METALLICA. And look, I'm not gloating — we crushed 'em, and they knew it. It was their big homecoming. They just finished recording 'Master Of Puppets', and we came out, and we had more amps, we had a bigger riser. We came out looking like the headliners. And we were partying hard after, and James comes up, and we were just getting wasted. [And he said,] 'That'll be the last time you guys open for us.' And it was. [Laughs] We never played with METALLICA again until in the recent decade, and that was, like, festivals somewhere."

According to Holt, he still gets along great with all the members of METALLICA. "I love 'em to death, and I'll always support 'em and always give them all credit where credit's due," he said. "I consider 'Master Of Puppets' the greatest metal album ever made. Nobody's ever come up with anything close to it. Maybe close would be JUDAS PRIEST 'Stained Class'. But I give 'em all respect. Even with 'St. Anger', I always said, yeah, if they made it sound right, it wouldn't be so bad. [I saw a thing] on YouTube, some guy re-recorded the whole album, but did it with a proper drum sound and guitar sound, and the songs are killer… I never listened to 'Lulu', because I don't want it to sully my opinion of the band I admire so much. [Laughs]"

"Lulu", METALLICA's controversial collaborative disc with Lou Reed, polarized fans around the world and earned the band some of the most scathing reviews of its career. The effort featured the late THE VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman's spoken-word poetry and lyrics combined with METALLICA's musical assault for a jarring experience that didn't sound like anything METALLICA had ever attempted before.

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 2

Mötley Crüe / Sixx:A.M. bassist, Nikki Sixx, has released his new memoir, The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx, via Hachette Books. Order here.


Guesting on Lipps Service to discuss the book, Sixx reflected on getting started in the LA music scene. Check out the clip below.


Sixx: "I just started forming my own bands and started playing, and I was putting together people, and I became a band leader by accident. I became the spokesman, the person who was the manager, I was the agent, I was the guy that arranged the photoshoots, I was the guy that came up with the logo... All these little different weird bands and hanging on the Strip, and I met Blackie (Lawless / W.A.S.P.).




Blackie took a liking to me like a younger brother, and I had met Lizzie Gray (guitars)and Dane Rage (drums), and we became like the three amigos, and the three of us were putting music together and writing music. We hadn't done anything yet and Blackie needed a bass player, another guitar player, and a drummer, and we auditioned for Blackie. And now, remember, it's Blackie's band, not Nikki's band. Blackie's the songwriter, Blackie's the boss, totally fine; you've gotta give it to the guy, he's super talented and he's done amazing stuff. So we got the gig, we rehearsed, and I remember being like, 'This is it! Look at our singer, he's a demon, he's a monster, he's a rock star! Look at my guitar player Lizzie, he's a freak! Look at Dane, he's a monster god drummer! I'm a little ratty mess myself. I think we're going to be the biggest band in the world!'


That's it, call my grandparents: 'Hey, just F.Y.I., gonna be playing stadiums next week!' Went to the studio, Blackie had some great songs, they had this song called 'Mr. Cool'.... there have been times in my life I was like, 'Maybe we should cover that song. So good .' So we went to a recording studio and none of us had ever been in a recording studio except for Blackie - he was probably five years older than us - and man, we sucked! I mean, we sucked, not Blackie. And he fired us! And then he went on to form his own stuff. So that was the beginning of (Sixx's pre-Mötley Crüe band) London."











About The First 21:


Nikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe, who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll, and as a person of the world. Born Franklin Carlton Feranna on December 11, 1958, young Frankie was abandoned by his father and partly raised by his mother, a woman who was ahead of her time but deeply troubled. Frankie ended up living with his grandparents, bouncing from farm to farm and state to state. He was an all-American kid—hunting, fishing, chasing girls, and playing football—but underneath it all, there was a burning desire for more, and that more was music. He eventually took a Greyhound bound for Hollywood.


In Los Angeles, Frank lived with his aunt and his uncle—the president of Capitol Records—for a short time. But there was no easy path to the top. He was soon on his own. There were dead-end jobs: dipping circuit boards, clerking at liquor and record stores, selling used light bulbs, and hustling to survive. But at night, Frank honed his craft, joining Sister, a band formed by fellow hard-rock veteran Blackie Lawless, and formed a group of his own: London, the precursor of Mötley Crüe. Turning down an offer to join Randy Rhoads’ band, Frank changed his name to Nikki London, Nikki Nine, and, finally, Nikki Sixx. Like Huck Finn with a stolen guitar, he had a vision: a group that combined punk, glam, and hard rock into the biggest, most theatrical and irresistible package the world had ever seen. With hard work, passion, and some luck, the vision manifested in reality—and this is a profound true story finding identity, of how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. It's also a road map to the ways you can overcome anything, and achieve all of your goals, if only you put your mind to it.

MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that METALLICA will teach a class on being a band. In celebration of the group's 40th anniversary and as the first rock band to teach on MasterClass, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo will reflect on four decades of transcendence, giving members a window into their journey to teach strategies for growing and staying together as a band, collaborating creatively and maintaining a unique and intimate relationship with a loyal legion of fans. METALLICA's class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 100+ instructors with an annual membership.

"With 40 years of sustained success, METALLICA is arguably one of the greatest bands of all time," said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. "For the first time, METALLICA will bring MasterClass members along their dynamic creative process, teaching strategies for what it takes to be a band and demonstrating how individuals with big ideas can start, maintain and work together as a collective."

In their class, METALLICA will unpack the principles that ensure longevity as a group by being effective communicators, managing criticism and navigating collaboration. Breaking down some of their greatest hits, including "Enter Sandman" and "Master Of Puppets", they will provide techniques for songwriting, taking members through the process of a song from its conception as a riff to its finished arrangement, complete with lyrics, solos and moments of dynamic tension.

Drawing on a devoted international fan base, METALLICA will dive deep into the audience-performer relationship, sharing advice on how to connect with fans on stage and off, and how to cultivate and maintain these lifelong relationships. Their philosophies on writing lyrics, creating albums and sustaining a band's interpersonal relationships over time will help aspiring musicians come together as a unified creative team. Members in creative fields will appreciate the band's insights on how to offer constructive feedback, communicate effectively when strong personalities are involved, and take a pragmatic approach to the necessities of business. After sharing stories of the band's transcendence and keys to creative collaboration, METALLICA will leave members inspired to think of their own creative collaborations in a new light with an exclusive six-song performance.

"We have sustained our bond for more than 40 years because we've learned a lot about each other and ourselves over time," said Hetfield, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and cofounder of METALLICA. "In our class we not only teach MasterClass members how we write songs and find inspiration for our music, but how the experiences we've had together have contributed to successful creative collaboration."

Formed in 1981 by Hetfield and Ulrich, METALLICA ranks as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, having sold more than 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams. METALLICA has released 10 studio albums, four live albums, a cover album, five extended plays, 37 singles and 39 music videos. Its last six studio albums have consecutively debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The band's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards and a 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize. In 2017, METALLICA established the All Within My Hands foundation to give back to communities that have supported the band. To date, All Within My Hands has donated more than $4 million to critical local services and the fight against food insecurity, working with partners around the world to feed more than 10 million people. In addition, the Metallica Scholars Initiative has pledged a total of $4.1 million in grants benefiting 23 community colleges across the U.S. For 40 years and counting, METALLICA has forged an unwavering bond of mutual loyalty with its legions of fans, as represented by the more than one-million-strong Fifth Member fan club.

Launched in 2015, MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to 100+ instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects, including arts & entertainment, business, design and style, sports and gaming, writing and more. Each class features about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. You can learn on your own terms — in bite-size pieces or in a single binge. Cinematic visuals and close-up, hands-on demonstrations make you feel like you're one-on-one with the instructors, while the downloadable instructor guides help reinforce your learning. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku players and devices.

Photo credit: courtesy of MasterClass

According to TMZ, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has purchased a mansion in Beverly Hills, California for $10.5 million. The home occupies more than 7,000 square feet of living apace and an additional 1800 square feet of "sleek deck space." The sophisticated design allows for scenic views from the expansive kitchen, dining, living room, four bedrooms and five bathrooms, upstairs library/gallery space and a sliver of glass in the home theater. The home is one half solar powered, using roof panels to heat the pool and radiant heated floors.

Check out photos of the property at TMZ.

Last week, Gene spoke to The Wall Street Journal about his decision to sell his Southern Nevada estate, only five months after buying it.

Simmons paid a combined $10.8 million for the home and a lot adjacent to it back in May and is now asking $14.95 million for it. Among the improvements Simmons made to the Vegas house is installing all new floors and ripping up wall-to-wall carpeting in some of the rooms.

According to Gene, his wife and their two adult children never wanted to spend time in Las Vegas, preferring to stay at the family's other homes, an extensive portfolio which includes a modern lake house in Whistler, British Columbia, a home in Malibu and two houses in L.A. that Gene bought for the Simmons kids, Nick and Sophie.

"They're not fans of 115-degree weather," Simmons told The Wall Street Journal.

Because of KISS's touring schedule and his business travel, Gene said he never spent more than a few weeks total in Las Vegas. He went on to say that he had no regrets about selling the property so soon after the purchase, adding: "How many houses do you need anyway?"

Last month, Simmons sold his Los Angeles mansion for $16 million, almost a year after he first put it on the market for $22 million. He later relisted it for $25 million after it never sold and he reportedly invested a lot of money in making improvements.

Simmons has been very vocal about his desire to leave California for some time due to wanting a quieter lifestyle and to get away from being listed on celebrity maps or having to deal with Beverly Hills tour buses. He also said that part of the reason he and his wife listed the two-acre property in Benedict Canyon because the home had become too big for the both of them since their children had grown up.

Gene and Shannon were married in 2011 after dating since 1975.

Gene, Shannon and their kids all appeared on the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 until 2

French progressive metallers GOJIRA have released a music video for the song "Sphinx". The clip was directed and animated by Zev Deans, who has previously helmed videos for BEHEMOTH, GHOST and more.

"Sphinx" is taken from GOJIRA's latest album, "Fortitude", which entered Billboard's Top Albums chart at No. 1 last May, while also claiming the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top Current Albums, Current Rock Albums and Current Hard Music Albums tallies. The release also marked a career high debut on the Billboard 200 for GOJIRA, arriving at No. 12, with several career high chart positions and Top 10 debuts in countries around the globe including: France (No. 2), United Kingdom (No. 6), Australia (No. 3), Germany (No. 8), Belgium (No. 2), Netherlands (No. 4), Denmark (No. 3), Portugal (No. 4), Finland (No. 2) and Norway (No. 10).

"Fortitude" is highlighted by the singles "Another World", "Born For One Thing", "Into The Storm", "Amazonia" and "The Chant", a slow-burning track featuring some of GOJIRA's most melodic material to date.

Furthermore, GOJIRA recently concluded a month-long fundraising initiative in support of the indigenous-owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, the charitable campaign raised over $300,000 through an auction and raffle of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends in METALLICA, TOOL, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, Slash and more. All proceeds will be donated to APIB to support their work aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.

Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), "Fortitude" is GOJIRA's first album in five years and the follow-up to 2016's Grammy-nominated LP "Magma". A collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world and then make it happen, "Fortitude" has been earning widespread critical praise with Rolling Stone naming it one of their best albums of April 2021 and remarking "It's all the rage of death metal mixed with the conscience of punk rock and the musicality of progressive rock." NPR hailed "Another World" as "an apocalyptic banger," and Paste called "Into The Storm" a "much-needed revolutionary anthem." Stereogum declared, "hearing this band operating at their peak is a life-affirming thing," while Revolver attested "Fortitude" "could spark a revolution."

In a new interview with Mexico's WARP Magazine, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello was asked for his opinion on the state of the world at the moment. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The thing that gives me hope — and there are a lot of challenges before; in the face of the environmental challenges and the political challenges and the racist challenges — but the one message that I will just say over and over again that's been a theme of all of my bands and all of my interviews is that the world is not going to change itself; that is up to you. And that history is not something that happens; history is something that you make. And whenever the world has changed for the better — in progressive ways, in radical ways — it's been people no different than anyone listening to this right now who have been the people who changed it. You may think that your life is just Instagram or video games or working… You're the one who changes it. It's never been different than that. It's people who have had no more power, courage, money, influence, creativity than anyone listening to this. It's a matter of standing up in your place in time and unpologetically aiming for the world you really want."

Morello — co-founder of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE and PROPHETS OF RAGE — released his new album, "The Atlas Underground Fire", on October 15 via Mom + Pop Music. The LP's first single was the classic AC/DC rock anthem "Highway To Hell" featuring Morello, Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder.

Morello is widely known as a barrier-breaking guitarist who continues to push the limits and prove the transformative power of music. Throughout his acclaimed career he has collaborated with everyone from WU-TANG CLAN to Johnny Cash. On "The Atlas Underground Fire", as he did on 2018's "The Atlas Underground", Morello took a path into new sonic territory with the project's breadth of talented collaborators, transforming his sound.

Finland's Tolkien-inspired metallers Battlelore, who announced they were taking an an indefinite break in 2011 and made a one-off appearance at the Metal Female Voices Fest XIII in October 2016, confirmed back in July 2020 they were gearing up for a return. 


A photo of vocalists Tomi Mykkänen and Kaisa Jouhki was uploaded via the band's official Facebook page back in February 2020. When asked by a fan if a new album was in the works, they responded with a cryptic "Might be. Who knows?".


On July 8th, 2020 the band posted the photo below online, and when asked by a fan if a new album was on the way Battlelore responded "At least some new music." 




The band entered the Sound Supreme Studio last week and have shared snippets from the guitar recording sessions. Check them out below.

Colorado metal force Allegaeon return with their sixth studio album, Damnum, set for release on February 25th, 2022 via Metal Blade Records. Today, the five-piece also deliver a blistering look into their new album with the first streaming single/video "Into Embers".

"As an introduction to our new album, Damnum, we are thrilled to present "Into Embers," Allegaeon vocalist Riley McShane proudly states. "This song embodies the dark and fitful nature of this album by bringing to the table elements of ourselves as a band and as individual musicians that we have been waiting to share with you all for a long, long time. As always, we are excited for our listeners to join us as we step forward into new landscapes - continuing to push the boundaries of our music further and further - and we are eager to experience the unveiling of Damnum together over these next few months."