UNDEROATH has unleashed "Cycle", the latest single from the band's upcoming album "Voyeurist", due out January 14 on Fearless Records. For the song, the band collaborated with Ghostemane after discovering they were mutual fans of each other's work. The result is a mix of pulsating aggression and infectious hooks that find vocalists Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillespie complemented by Ghostemane's delivery.

Speaking on working with Ghostemane and how the track came together, UNDEROATH guitarist Tim McTague explains: "When we were writing 'Cycle', I knew that I wanted to have a feature on the bridge. I wanted something abstract, and ideally in the hip-hop genre. I heard a cadence that wasn't natural to our band. Ghostemane came up in convo, and we all loved the idea. I had been listening to him for a minute, and the connection between UNDEROATH / Lil Peep put me on to the south Florida squad like Pouya, Ghostemane and Lil Peep (RIP). We tried to get a hold of him for weeks, And one day Aaron called me and said that Ghostemane randomly Instagramed him to tell him that he appreciated what we do, and Aaron replied back that we were trying to get a hold of him to be on a track on the new album. The floodgates opened, all the managers and artists started connecting and I sent his manager the song, and a week or so later we got what was stated as 'I did a ton and threw the sink at it, let me know your thoughts.' We listened to the first thing he sent, and just said 'that is it.' I don't think any of us knew what we were looking for in the feature, but when I heard the take, lyrics and energy we were like 'oh shit. This is perfect.'"

Chamberlain adds: "Every time I hear the track now, it time warps me right to how I was feeling when we wrote those lyrics and what we were going through at the time. The back and forth on the third chorus transports me back to when we wrote the lyrics. I hope that we'll have the chance to perform it together live one day."

"Voyeurist" marks the first time in UNDEROATH's storied career that they took the recording process completely into their own hands. The result is the most collaborative album of UNDEROATH's career and, anchored in a profound respect for each other, one that left no stone unturned creatively. The band refers to "Voyeurist" as "high-def violence" — technologically advanced, but undeniably visceral. Conceptually, "Voyeurist" has several interrelated meanings, each tying back to the concepts of how we curate ourselves through social media and how that facade masks a lot of what we actually experience in life. The album is a cohesive listening experience with enough layers to provide fans with a fresh take and new favorite track on every spin. Leading up to the album release, fans have been able to discover clips of new songs in exchange for granting camera access through the band's immersive web site, voyeurist.io.

"Voyeurist" track listing:

01. Damn Excuses

02. Hallelujah

03. I'm Pretty Sure I'm Out of Luck and Have No Friends

04. Cycle (feat. Ghostemane)

05. Thorn

06. (No Oasis)

07. Take A Breath

08. We're All Gonna Die

09. Numb

10. Pneumonia

"Voyeurist" is available for pre-order now, including a deluxe animated vinyl that features a plastic o-card sleeve that activates playback of the jacket's interlaced video imagery.

In 2022, UNDEROATH will embark on a North American headline tour with support from EVERY TIME I DIE and SPIRITBOX.

UNDEROATH is Aaron Gillespie (vocals/drums), Spencer Chamberlain (vocals), Tim McTague (guitar), Christopher Dudley (keyboard/synth), Grant Brandell (bass) and James Smith (guitar).

Photo credit: Dan Newman

A short video of KORN singer Jonathan Davis unboxing his figure from the popular vinyl collectible company Funko — best known for its big-headed Pop! figures — can be seen below.

In the clip, Davis says in part: "When they came to me, we came up with the packaging, the box and the look for this little guy, 'cause we wanted to start it off where it all began. This is around 1997, [the second KORN album] 'Life Is Peachy', and I [wore] the purple sequined jumpsuit. We had a problem — we couldn't get it shiny 'cause there was no kind of paint, so they kind of made little dots to represent the sequins. But I really, really dig this. This is cool."

Other artists who have gotten the Pop! Rocks treatment in the past include KISS, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, DEF LEPPARD, Rob Zombie, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, GHOST and MOTÖRHEAD.

A Funko vinyl Pop! figure, or popularly known as a "Pop!", is packaged carefully inside a box with a transparent front. The figurine is made out of vinyl and may come as a bobblehead.

Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, toys, plush, apparel, board games, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters.

Earlier this year, Funko said it took a majority stake in TokenWave, which develops an app and website for "showcasing and tracking" Non-Fungible Token holdings. In addition, Funko is trying to expand its e-commerce and international businesses. It said it also plans to grow its other main business Loungefly, which sells handbags, clothing and other accessories.


Jonathan Davis unboxing his Pop! Figure!

Check out Jonathan Davis unboxing his Pop! figure! #Funko #FunkoPop

Posted by Funko on Tuesday, October 26, 2021



Popapalooza 2021 Reveals: Pop! Rocks: Jonathan Davis!

Coming soon – will be available first at EMP in the U.K. & Europe.

Posted by Funko Europe on Thursday, July 1, 2021

RAMMSTEIN drummer Christoph Schneider says that European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet was one of the first people to hear a song from the band's upcoming album.

Earlier this month, Pesquet became commander of the International Space Station, taking over from Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and fellow Crew-2 member Akihiko Hoshide. Thomas will hold this role until shortly before Crew-2 return to Earth in November.

On Tuesday (October 6), Schneider revealed that he played Pesquet a song from the follow-up to 2019's untitled album.

"Space is calling!" Christoph posted on Instagram while sharing a photo of him apparently chatting with Pesquet from the comfort of his home studio. "I had the honor to speak with ISS astronaut @thom_astro on behalf of @rammsteinofficial. He is the current commander of the @iss and living in space since half a year. It felt like a child’s dream coming true for me – talking to a person living in the sky, sharing a glimpse of his view, realizing again how small we all are compared to the depth of the universe… He was the first to listen to one of our new songs from the upcoming album. It premiered in the sky, which is an honor for us. Thank you @nasa @europeanspaceagency and Thomas for this unique experience."

This past May, Pesquet premiered the COLDPLAY single "Higher Power" while he was on board the International Space Station. Prior to the premiere, COLDPLAY linked up with Pesquet for a conversation.

A year and a half ago, RAMMSTEIN postponed its 2020 North American stadium tour due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe. The trek was then moved to the summer of 2021 before being postponed once again, this time to the summer of 2022.

RAMMSTEIN's seventh, untitled album came out in May 2019 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S. The band's first studio disc since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" debuted at No. 1 on the album charts in 14 countries and was the band's tenth No. 1 in Germany. The LP was produced by Olsen Involtini with RAMMSTEIN and was mixed at a Santa Monica, California studio with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by Christoph Schneider (@christophschneider_official)










☀?Sonne by Rammstein @Rsprachrohr#SpaceVibes #Songs4Space #AlphaFipMusichttps://t.co/CjurpFxYTLhttps://t.co/eRNobduo9S

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) October 7, 2021

Frontiers Music Srl will release of the sophomore album from Groundbreaker, Soul To Soul, on November 12. Today, the melodic rock project centered around the vocal talents of Steve Overland (FM) have released a video for the song, "There's No Tomorrow". Watch below, and pre-order/save Soul To Soul here.


Groundbreaker's new album, Soul To Soul, is once again centered around the fantastic vocal talents of Steve Overland (FM) with stunning production by Alessandro Del Vecchio. While the self-titled debut was a collaboration with Robert Sall (Work of Art, W.E.T), on the songwriting side, joining Steve and Alessandro this time are Stefano Lionetti (Lionville), Pete Alpenborg (Arctic Rain), Jan Akesson (Infinite & Divine), and Kristian Fyhr (Seventh Crystal). The resulting album is simply everything that a melodic rock fan could hope and dream for. Expect nothing less than soaring hooklines, magnificent melodies, and amazing instrumental performances. Mixing the best of the European melodic rock traditions, Soul To Soul is easily one of the melodic rock highlights of the year.


The lineup on the new album includes Sven Larsson (ex-Street Talk) on guitars, Nalley Pahlsson (ex- Vindictiv, Therion) on bass, Herman Furin (Work of Art) on drums, and Alessandro Del Vecchio on keyboards. Steve Overland plays lead guitar on the track “Wild World” too.




Groundbreaker started with a conversation between Frontiers President Serafino Perugino and Overland. Perugino was eager to start a top notch collaboration with well-respected musicians from the European melodic rock scene and highlight Overland's absolutely stunning vocal talents. Robert Sall of Work of Art was brought into the picture to craft the songs and to be paired with Alessandro Del Vecchio’s production. Overland immediately loved the material that was submitted to him and consequently, they started to work on finishing the songs. The band's debut album was greeted warmly by the melodic rock community and now, those same fans can prepare themselves for another delightful entry into the melodic rock realm.





Tracklisting:


"Standing On The Edge Of A Broken Dream"
"Soul To Soul"
"Captain Of Our Love"
"Evermore"
"Wild World"
"Carrie"
"Fighting For Love"
"It Don't Get Better Than This"
"There's No Tomorrow"
"When Lightning Strikes"
"Til The End Of Time"
"Leap Of Faith"


"There's No Tomorrow" video:





"Soul To Soul":





"Standing On The Edge Of A Broken Dream" video:





Lineup:


Steve Overland - vocals, lead guitar on Wild World
Sven Larsson - guitars
Nalle Pahlsson - bass
Herman Furin - drums
Alessandro Del Vecchio - keyboards

Polish progressive rock masters, Riverside, have released their new single, "Story Of My Dream". Listen here, and watch an official music video below.





Says the band: "'Story Of My Dream' is a composition prepared especially for our 20th anniversary. We wanted it to contain all the characteristic elements of our style, and to combine Riverside from the first decade, when we sounded a bit "heavier", and Riverside from the second decade, the more melancholic-song-oriented one. The lyrics contain direct quotes and references to many of our previous song titles. To reflect that, the cover of the single, prepared by Travis Smith, also contains fragments of our past covers and graphic designs.




'Story Of My Dream' is the first song we recorded in the new lineup, with Maciej Meller (as an official member). It's also, in a way, a taste of the way we're going to sound on our new, eighth album (scheduled for 2022). Although the single itself is not going to be on it, it will be the opening track of THIS YEAR'S RELEASE - "RIVERSIDE 20", containing remastered versions of some of our past compositions."

Equilibrium is taking us on a journey back to the old school: After recently unveiling a make-over of their debut album hit "Met", the German epic metallers have decided to lead us further down the path, today presenting us with a track that’s been hidden in a bedside drawer for almost 15 years.


Buried in dust and old memories, band founder and guitarist René Berthiaume resurrected these fragments of an unfinished track from their early band years and completed the song, before recording it for the very first time with the current band lineup. As a perfect anniversary gift to their fans, the track is titled "XX" in order to celebrate the band's 20-year existence.







René Berthiaume comments: "This October turns out to be our Old School October. After our remake of 'Met', we are happy to release a theoretically brand-new track. Just theoretically, because parts of this song are based on pretty old fragments that were created during the era after our first albums. We had a lot of fun picking up those parts and finalizing that song into the version that it is now."


Watch the music video to "XX" below. Stream or download the song here.





Equilibrium's long sold-out sophomore album,, Sagas will finally be re-released on vinyl on November 12. Only a few copies are left to order, here.

Acclaimed rock vocalist, Jeff Scott Soto, recently released his new solo project, The Duets Collection, Vol. 1. For this album, Soto wanted to do a career retrospective and re-record some of his favourite songs from his storied career, but with the twist that he invited friends to join him on duets of said songs.


Watch a video for "Holding On" featuring BJ (Soto, Spektra) below, and order/save The Duets Collection, Vol. 1 on CD/Color Vinyl/Digital here.







Tracklisting:


"Livin’ The Life" (Rock Star) with Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse/W.E.T.)
"Don’t Let It End" (Yngwie Malmsteen) - with Dino Jelusick
"Mysterious" (Talisman) - with Eric Martin (Mr. Big)
"Believe In Me" (Jss) - with Nathan James (Inglorious)
"Coming Home" (Soul Sirkus) - with Deen Castronovo (Revolution Saints, Journey)
"I’ll Be Waiting" (Talisman) - with Alirio Netto (Shaman, Queen Extravaganza)
"Callin’ All Girls" (Eyes) - with Russell Allen (Symphony X, Allen/Lande)
"Colour My XTC" (Talisman) - with Renan Zonta (Electric Mob)
"Warrior" (Axel Rudi Pell) - with Johnny Gioeli (Hardline, Axel Rudi Pell)
"Holding On" (JSS) - with BJ (Soto, Spektra)
"Again 2 B Found" (Humanimal) - with Mats Leven (Candlemass, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)


"Holding On" video:





"I’ll Be Waiting" video:





"Don't Let It End" video:





"Coming Home" video:





"Mysterious":





Lineup:


Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals, Bass and Keys
Edu Cominato - Drums
Tony Dickinson - Bass
Jorge Salan - Guitars
Howie Simon - Guitars and Bass
Leo Mancini - Guitars

Toulouse-based symphonic melodic death metal force, Aephanemer, is currently gearing up for the release of their third and thunderous full-length studio album, A Dream Of Wilderness. The record will be out November 19 via Napalm Records.


Starting out as an unbelievably successful DIY ride that suddenly turned towards international acclaim, the indisputable Aephanemer is one of the most exciting melodic death metal sensations of the modern age. Fast-paced metal fronted by the guttural growls and fierce screams of extraordinary vocalist Marion Bascoul meet flickering twin leads, elements of Scandinavian death metal, Slavic traditional music and epic synths. If Prokopton was a noteworthy, impressive sophomore album from one of Europe’s best up and coming melodic death metal bands yet, A Dream Of Wilderness sees the French four-piece doubling down on its songwriting skills: Faster, tighter and heavier, Aephanemer’s upcoming album unleashes an anthemic adventure of brutally fast riffage and epic melodies.


After the French four-piece just recently shared a first appetizer and single, the rousing track "Panta Rhei", today they've unleashed another killer song alongside a video. “Antigone” represents a dark and gloomier yet no less powerful side of the band - adding to the diverse blend that is A Dream Of Wilderness. Watch the band perform in the breathtaking setting of "Les Lapidiales", an abandoned quarry in France transformed into a magical place by talented sculptors.




Guitarist Martin Hamiche comments: "We're happy to share with you our new song and video: 'Antigone'! It is extracted from our new album, A Dream Of Wilderness, to be released on November 19, 2021 through Napalm Records. With this album, we reinforced the classical influence and symphonic component of our sound and we feel this song embodies that very well. We hope you will enjoy it!"





Aephanemer doesn’t seem to fear boundaries. Their new album delivers a wide metal range that represents a dark and gloomier yet no less powerful side of the band, while otherworldly dimensions of blast beats, furious riffage and heavy, razor-sharp death metal anthems will have you headbanging as fast as you can. Especially in this day and age of staying "true" and limited within a sound and scene, A Dream Of Wilderness is a welcome diversion and a brave record artfully blending brutally fast symphonic death and raw melodic metal into a multi-faceted epic!


The record was mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound AB, and mastered by Mika Jussila at the Finnvox Studios.





A Dream Of Wilderness will be available in North America in the following formats:


- CD Digipak
- Digital Album
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1LP Gatefold Black Die Hard Edition with album cover slipmat and patch (Napalm mailorder only, limited to 300)


Pre-order here.





A Dream Of Wilderness tracklisting:


"Land Of Hope"                    
"Antigone"    
"Of Volition"
"Le Radeau de La Méduse"    
"Roots And Leaves"    
"Vague à l'âme"         
"Strider"       
"Panta Rhei"
"A Dream Of Wilderness"  
"Old French Song" (Bonus Track)
"Le Radeau de La Méduse" (French Version - Bonus Track)


"Panta Rhei” video:





Aephanemer is:


Martin Hamiche - Guitars
Marion Bascoul - Vocals, Guitars
Lucie Woaye Hune - Bass
Mickaël Bonnevialle - Drums


(Photo - Miss Buffet Froid)

Death/black metal veterans, Thulcandra, have released their new single, “Scarred Grandeur”, a versatile tour de force that kicks off the final lap towards the release of A Dying Wish.


“Scarred Grandeur” worships the glory of putrefying death as it promises clashing guitar play, epic mid-tempo moments, rapid outbursts and discreet acoustics in honour of traditional death metal defined by Unanimated, Dissection or Dismember. With this track, Thulcandra head directly into the eye of the storm, clearing the path for their upcoming, bone-chilling full-length, A Dying Wish.


Steffen Kummerer on “Scarred Grandeur”: “'Scarred Grandeur' shows a rather pure and unpolished side of the band. You hear a real band performing relentless from front to end without any compromises. Filthy guitars, scruffy bass and nasty drums – listen to our new single and catch Thulcandra at a show near you!”







A Dying Wish will be released on Friday, October 29, via Napalm Records - once again carrying the burning torch of the glorious death metal era.


Since their foundation by Obscura mastermind Steffen Kummerer in 2003, Thulcandra has become an indispensable protagonist in the European extreme metal-sphere that reaches way back to the magnificent origins of their genre. Thulcandra are musically and visually shaped by bands like Entombed, Sacramentum and Unanimated, but mainly influenced by genre carving act Dissection.


A Dying Wish was produced at Unisound Studio by Dan Swanö, keeping the black flame of Jon Nödtveidt alive and worthy. A Dying Wish transports the listener right into an icy soundscape of a never ending, severe winter. With 10 blood-freezing tracks delivering clashing guitar riffs, epic slow moments driven by atmospheric acoustic guitars and rapid outbursts of dark and raspy screams, Thulcandra creates another record that continues the great legacy of true death metal.


A Dying Wish guarantees instant frostbites just as the first glance at the thrilling icy-blue cover artwork promises. After the listener is buried under the opener’s avalanche, Thulcandra spans a dark arc between acoustic interludes and harsh blackened death metal parts. The quiet interlude “In Bleak Misery” marches into “A Shining Abyss”, that guides its listeners like a torch through the night. Dramatic riffing and the screeching growls of Steffen Kummerer create dark and dense walls of sound as up-tempo tracks like “The Slivering Silver” and “Devouring Darkness” offer strong leads, driving riffs and engaging drums that let the storm rage on without mercy. The final, title track “A Dying Wish” provides a great finale that covers everyone and everything under a massive layer of cold, leaving the world behind in nothing but ice and snow.


Thulcandra on the album: “We return with an album full of eerie cold melodies, ice-cold vibes and an over the top production by Swedish legend Dan Swanö at Unisound Studios! Within the first album in 5 years we celebrate the essence of pure black & death metal, adorned with more twin guitars, blast beats and filthy arrangements than ever. We celebrate the release of A Dying Wish with excessive shows and embark on a European tour to perform for all our loyal fans and supporters in the upcoming months.”





A Dying Wish will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Jewelcase (RePress)
- 1 CD Digipak + Bonustrack
- 1 LP Gatefold Black
- 1 LP Gatefold Blue + 7 inch + Slipmat
- 1 CD Digipak + Bonustracks + Plecs
- 1 LP Gatefold Gold
- Digital Full Length Album
- Digital Full Length Deluxe Album


Pre-order here.





A Dying Wish tracklisting:


"Funeral Pyre"
"Scarred Grandeur"
"Orchard of Grievance"
"In Vain"
"Nocturnal Heresy"
"The Slivering Silver"
"In Bleak Misery"
"A Shining Abyss"
"Devouring Darkness"
"A Dying Wish"


"Nocturnal Heresy” video:





"Funeral Pyre" video:





Lineup:


Steffen Kummerer – guitar, vocals
Mariano Delastik – guitar
Christian Kratzer – bass
Alessandro Delastik – drums


(Photo - Christian Martin Weiss)

In a new interview with the "Everblack", ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell was asked if he still likes cranking it up and churning out some heavy riffs in between delivering a softer side of the rock spectrum. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. It depends on the mood. We had a metal night at my poker game last week. We haven't been able to have too many of 'em over the last 18 years when we started having the fellows over for some home poker games. Usually somebody will DJ and we'll take different turns. Well, last week was all metal. It's great. It's a big piece of the pie for me."

Back in 1996, Cantrell told Guitar World magazine that ALICE IN CHAINS was "part of the metal thing. We're a lot of different things, too. I don't quite know what the mixture is, but there's definitely metal, blues, rock and roll, maybe a touch of punk... The metal part will never leave us. And I never want it to."

Asked about the fact that many metal bands at the time were obsessed with making things heavy, at the expense of creativity or originality, Jerry said: "I've always been interested in bands that make heavy shit without sounding so obvious. There's something about having strength and not flaunting it. It's not about coming out and mauling your ass, but easing in. Before you know it, you're in a death lock, which you didn't see coming because it was so smooth and seductive you didn't know it until it had your face down on the canvas. To me, being heavy has nothing to do with how many speakers you blow or how many decibels you play at."

Cantrell's new solo album, "Brighten", will be made available on October 29. The LP was co-produced by Jerry over the past year with film composer Tyler Bates and Cantrell's longtime engineer Paul Figueroa. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. Other rock legends added to the fun of this LP, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) handling all of the background vocals and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) overseeing the mixing of "Brighten". Together, they recorded eight originals and the LP closes with an approved-by-Elton John cover of his classic "Goodbye" as the finale.

A nearly three-hour virtual album-release party for DREAM THEATER's 15th studio LP, "A View From The Top Of The World", is available below. The video includes a live question-and-answer session with the band, the premiere of the "Digging For A Spark" making-of documentary, a conversation with engineer James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixer Andy Sneap, as well as fan and band trivia.

"A View From The Top Of The World" is a seven-song LP which marks DREAM THEATER's second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR).

DREAM THEATER — comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini — was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of their last release "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of "Scenes From A Memory" when a global pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they'd just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) — a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face to face with Petrucci.

Petrucci recently stated about the "A View From The Top Of The World" title: "Honestly, titling records is a funny thing because sometimes it comes really quickly — sometimes it even comes before — and sometimes it's really hard trying to come up with, 'What is the title that's gonna reflect what this album is all about?' This one, it was difficult. There was nothing that was really coming to mind. The things that were were… I don't know. It's hard to be original. Things you used or it just didn't quite do it.

"I remember the discussions we were having [were] that the music was really powerful; it was dark, but it was also positive; there's a lot of energy; there's a lot of spirit," he continued. "So, what would kind of encapsulate that? Eventually, one of the songs on the album is the epic 'A View From The Top Of The World', the title track. I had a list of dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens [of titles]… And then one day I just kind of saw that, and I was, like, 'You know what? That's pretty damn DREAM THEATER-y as a title.'

"Like anything that we do, I just pose it to everybody and say, 'What do you guys think of it?'" John added. "I think the time when you know that it is the title, or it is the decision, whatever it may be, it's when everybody kind of comes back, like, 'Yes. That's so cool.' I remember everyone was, like, 'That's such a positive title. That's cool. Love it. Thumbs up.' Blah blah blah. And you know. Then you're, like, 'Okay, cool.'"

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has returned to the stage for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band's double-platinum, acclaimed album "Slave To The Grind". The trek kicked off on September 25 in Waterloo, New York and will wrap in San Diego, California on December 17.

Fan-filmed video footage of Bach's October 23 performance at the Theatre Of The Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Earlier this month, Sebastian was asked in a new interview with Rockin' Metal Revival if he ever regrets writing such high vocal parts that he now has to reproduce live on stage three decades later. He responded: "All I can tell you is that I've been singing so much in the last four or months. I can't tell you exactly what I was doing yet, but I will be able to. My voice is the same it's always been.

"I've gotta say just a couple of things answering your question — a couple of things come to mind," he continued. "For a guy like me or a guy like Bono [U2] or a guy like — I don't know, Geddy Lee [RUSH] or somebody like that, making a record is not the same as doing a show; it's not the same thing; it's a different thing. Making a record is you standing in an air-conditioned room with water next to you and coffee and you've got the lights perfect. And you're standing as still as you can, and you get to sing it as many times as you want until it's perfect. [Laughs] Nothing can be more different than a show — unless you're using [backing] tapes. But I'm proud to tell your audience that we will not be using any tapes anytime soon, so it's a real rock show. But doing a show is more like communicating the spirit of the song and the music to the audience, and everybody gets into it. And I'm not just gonna stand there and try to be perfect. I'm gonna run all over the place and I'm gonna put on a show.

"As singers get older, I don't like changing the key of the song because, to me, that makes it sound like a different tune, and I'm not interested in that," Sebastian explained. "If I'm gonna change a little vocal part in the same key, to me that's a cooler way of doing it instead of making it into the key of KORN. That works great for KORN.

"I have to sing every day properly and do it for many weeks in order to get my voice to the top of its abilities, and that's what I've been doing. I just played and I had no problems doing all those tunes. I've got no problems — knock on wood."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

According to TMZ, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield sold the 20 acres of vacant land he owned in Pima County, Arizona for $1.2 million.

James bought the plot of land, which is near the United States border with Mexico, in 1998.

Last month, Pima Community College was selected from a competitive field of community colleges across the country to receive $100,000 from METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation as part of its Metallica Scholars initiative.

James said in a 2016 interview that he moved his family from the San Francisco area, where he and METALLICA had been based for 35 years, to Vail, Colorado because he didn't feel as if he belonged in the Bay Area anymore.

"I kind of got sick of the Bay Area, the attitudes of the people there, a little bit," he said. "They talk about how diverse they are, and things like that, and it's fine if you're diverse like them. But showing up with a deer on the bumper doesn't fly in Marin County. My form of eating organic doesn't vibe with theirs.

"I love the Bay Area. I love what it's got to offer, but there's just an attitude that… it wasn't healthy for me," he said. "[It was] starting to feel like, uh, I was just fighting all the time."

In February 2018, Hetfield turned over 1,000 acres of land overlooking California's Lucas Valley as open space so that it could end up with the Marin Agricultural Land Trust.

Seven years earlier, Hetfield wanted to develop some of his land along Lucas Valley Road in Marin County into home sites, but the neighbors objected. It led to a prolonged legal battle that the METALLICA co-founder eventually abando

Roy Khan has once again said that leaving KAMELOT was "the best decision" he ever made.

The singer announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout."

After his departure from KAMELOT, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway.

In a brand new interview with the "Breaking Absolutes With Peter Orullian" podcast, Roy (full name: Roy Sætre Khantatat) reflected on the circumstances that led to him ending his long working relationship with KAMELOT was. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That whole thing was a cocktail of several things that just happened to climax at that point. As you all, KAMELOT was getting more and more popular, so I was away months every year — like half the year at least I was gone. I was having a family, and that right there was starting to tear me apart. And then I was living my life not very healthy — let's put it that way — and I did a lot of stupid stuff back then that… I knew in my heart that it was going down the drain."

He continued: "I remember every night when I sang [the KAMELOT song] 'Karma', I would feel that this shit is gonna knock me on the back of the head at some point. If it's gonna tomorrow, [if] it's gonna be two years from now, I don't know, but the way I live my life, that's not gonna work — it's not sustainable. And then it happened. I knew for so many years, actually, that this was gonna not work out, and then, all of a sudden, it happened. I broke down. I had a full summer where I barely slept — like six to eight weeks where I didn't sleep a whole lot of hours during those six to eight weeks, and I was going really completely crazy. And in connection with that, a lot of stuff happened."

According to Khan, leaving KAMELOT after a 13-year run weighed heavily on him at the time.

"Quitting KAMELOT was the best decision that I've ever made, and by that I don't mean that… KAMELOT was a fantastic thing in my life, and Thomas [Youngblood, KAMELOT founder] and the other guys — it had nothing to do with them; it was all me and the way I lived my life, and I just couldn't take it any longer," he explained. "And I was also overworked — I worked all the time. Even when I was home. The first thing I'd do when I got back home is I would kick my shoes off in the hallway and I'd just sit right down at the computer and start working. I was really not a good husband and I was not a good father. Lots of things weren't good about me at that point.

"Quitting KAMELOT at that point, it was easy but it was hard," he elaborated. "It was easy because I didn't really have a choice. I was really wrecked. And at the same time, it was hard because I'd been working to get to that point my whole life, basically — 20 years, at least — and finally I was there. And then I threw the towel in and said, 'Hey, guys, I'm not coming in for the next tour.' 'Okay. Well, what's wrong?' 'Well, actually, I'm not coming back at all.' And obviously, everybody… My mom was, like, 'Are you kidding me? Are you serious?' Then the guys in the band, they thought that it was gonna pass. But I knew in my heart that summer [of 2010], already in August, I knew that that's it."

KAMELOT officially announced Tommy Karevik as its new lead singer in June 2012. The Florida-based band has recorded three albums so far with the Swedish vocalist: 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven" and 2018's "The Shadow Theory".

Asked if he has listened to any of KAMELOT's recent material with Karevik, Roy told Italy's SpazioRock back in 2018: "Yes I have. I really like some of their new stuff. Sounds classical KAMELOT in my ears, and Tommy is a great singer."

Youngblood had previously discussed the role of religion in Khan's decision to leave KAMELOT, saying in a 2011 interview: "I know that there is a religious aspect to it that I can't really 100 percent explain. The religious aspect is something that I wanna let him to kind of talk about, but I know that he had been going to religion classes for whatever reason. Obviously, over the years of working together, being at times best friends and things like that, we have discussed all kind of topics about religion, so it's actually very surprising to me that this is where we are at now with him. But really, I don't really want to talk too much more about it because that's really something I think that he should come out about, in terms of what he believes or doesn't believe or whatever."

Three years ago, Khan officially reformed his pre-KAMELOT band CONCEPTION and released an EP, 2018's "My Dark Symphony", and a full-length album, 2020's "State Of Deception".

Two months ago, Joey Jordison's SINSAENUM bandmate Frédéric Leclercq spoke to the Impact metal channel about the passing of the founding SLIPKNOT drummer. In the chat, which has just now been uploaded to YouTube, he was asked if he knew what caused Joey's death, Leclercq said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's not my place to discuss. Of course I know. I'm just saying it's not my position. The family asked for privacy at that time, and I respect that. It's just very sad."

Asked how he would summarize Jordison's legacy, Frédéric, a former member of DRAGONFORCE who now plays bass in KREATOR, said: "To me, he was more than a musician. To me, he was first and foremost a friend. So I lost a friend that was only 46 years old, and it hurts. He was an amazing musician, not only on drums but also he wrote amazing songs. And we were lucky enough to play together. It was great.

"I created SINSAENUM," he continued. "He contacted me. We were looking for a drummer. Everything just fell into place. He came up with the name [a combination of the words 'sin' and 'insane'). The last shows he played were with us; that's the last thing that he played.

"I have a column in a Japanese magazine called Young Guitar, and I was doing yesterday, typing, and I just remembered the last song that he played ever was [SINSAENUM's] 'My Swan Song', and I guess the title is… And that's a song that he really loved. I remember he was just, like, 'Yeah.' He felt something about it. So it's a little strange to think about it now. So I've been listening to the song again and again.

"I'm still processing the fact that he's gone."

Joey's family confirmed that he died "peacefully in his sleep" on July 26 of an unspecified cause.

A few days after Jordison's passing, Leclercq blasted TMZ for sharing the audio of the 911 call placed by the former SLIPKNOT drummer's ex-girlfriend after she found him dead. On July 29, the tabloid site posted the two-and-a-half-minute phone call in which the ex-girlfriend — who continued taking care of Joey's bills and maintaining his house in Iowa even after their split — could be heard getting very emotional when she went to his home to check on him after he hadn't returned her messages. During the call, she indicated that Joey was "a really bad alcoholic" with "health issues," and she revealed that the motion sensors on the house hadn't detected any activity in days.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Last month, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor called Jordison's death "a damn tragedy. "He was way too young, and he was way too talented to lose him like this," Corey added in an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I know a lot of people wonder about the circumstances that led to him not being in the band anymore, and it's, like, we're not gonna talk about that, because I'd rather talk about his legacy, which is that he helped create this band that we all have fought to keep out there and keep going. Just the fact that he's not here now, it's still — I still can't believe it," Corey said.

The same year that he exited SLIPKNOT, Jordison launched the band SCAR THE MARTYR and later, VIMIC.

In a brand new interview with Britian's ITV, QUEEN guitarist Brian May reflected on the numerous challenges he and his wife have faced during the pandemic, including dealing with several health issues and watching as sewage flooded his London home and destroyed many of his treasured possessions.

"Yeah, we've been through a lot of stuff," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And I have to be thankful that we're here at all. The final blow, after all the physical stuff, we got the house flooded, so that was a sort of final blow, 'cause that takes away a lot of your feelings of security [standing by helplessly as] your treasured possessions went up, or went down, I should say, into filthy water. And I think we're still recovering from that. It's funny — it does something to your psyche."

May went on to say that he has been staying busy with QUEEN-related activities, including preparing for the band's upcoming tour.

"A lot's still happening behind the scenes," he said. "QUEEN never dies, really. And I have to be very thankful for that. And it never sleeps either — we're always doing stuff, remixing stuff. I'm sitting here in the studio in which I did a lot of my solo material but also we did a lot of work on the last QUEEN album, the 'Made In Heaven' album. And things are always going on. We remix, we re-polish, we repackage because there's a constant demand — thank you — from people out there who wanna see some of the old material brought up to scratch in the modern media. So, yeah, we keep busy, and we will be out. I'm working on my fitness, which is the best thing I can do right now, very, very avidly, because next May we'll be out back on the road, hopefully, continuing the tour of the world which we paused when COVID struck."

This past July, Brian became distraught after water wrecked part of his home, ruining treasured possessions and memorabilia. He later told his 2.9 million followers on Instagram that the flood was the fault of the council, approving poorly designed basements to be built in the the affluent West London suburb of Kensington with "ineffective" drainage.

A year and a half ago, May had to be hospitalized after he tore his buttocks "to shreds" while gardening. As a result, he developed severe sciatica and suffered what he later described as a "small heart attack" from the medication. May then had a bad reaction to his heart attack medication and nearly died. More recently, Brian underwent cataract eye surgery.

Last month, progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER announced that they were postponing their previously announced North American tour to early 2022 due to COVID-19 concerns. The trek was scheduled to kick off on October 28 in Mesa, Arizona and conclude on December 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In a new interview with The Metal Voice, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie spoke about the band's decision to push back the tour, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It just came down to how comfortable we were with going out. We were getting kind of mixed messages from promoters and our agencies. Our management was looking into it across the board with people that were out there, tours that were going on, tours that had come down.

"When you put together a tour, the amount of money that's put into a tour, it's astronomical," he continued. "And the kind of production that we go out with is pretty big; it's pretty substantial. We were just getting a lot of indication that the bands that had been going out were out for a week or two and somebody within the band or the crew came down with COVID and then the whole camp had to be shut down up to 10 days. Well, that's financially disabling for any tour of any magnitude, that you can just pull down a whole camp of, let's say, 30-something people and the amount of money that's generated while you're out there. You're talking 10 days where you're just dead in the water.

"So it didn't make sense to us. One, we were still concerned with our health, going out. And even though we're all fully inoculated, so to speak, we were still concerned with one of us coming down, getting sick and not being able to proceed. And then the business side of things.

"I mean, if I wanna be completely honest with you, it wasn't a unanimous decision," LaBrie admitted. "There were three guys in the band that said, 'No. We don't wanna tour. We're not going out.' And there were two other guys in the band that said, 'C'mon, let's do it. Let's go for it. We're all for it.' And that's what it came down to — is that it was a majority vote that said, 'No. We're not about to go out.'"

James also addressed DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci's recent comment that the the tour postponement was "unfortunate" and not a unanimous decision, with Petrucci and bassist John Myung being willing to return to the road as soon as possible and the other three guys opting to stay home.

"It comes down to sometimes you're gonna have to agree to disagree, and granted, as he put it — I saw it; fans forwarded it to my site — as he said, he was frustrated," James said. "Well, truth be known, we're all frustrated that we're not out there touring. That's what we love to do — we love to be out. But some of us felt that we weren't willing to take that risk and come down with this unfortunate virus. It just didn't seem to me, and to the other two guys that were on the side of the fence that I was on, it didn't make sense to risk it at this point. But everything is being rescheduled. It's been postponed, and everything is coming back online in February. And I think we're gonna be closer to not only more people being vaccinated but also herd immunity. So let's see what happens."

DREAM THEATER shared the news of the postponement in a statement posted on social media on September 27. The group wrote: "DREAM THEATER have made the difficult decision to move their October-December 2021 North American tour dates to early 2022. In light of current instabilities to touring that remain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel confident that this is the right decision.

"Know that we are as disappointed as you are that we will have to wait a little longer to bring DREAM THEATER music to you live. We miss performing for you all and can't wait until we can be on stage bringing our new album and fan-favorites to you.

"This was an extraordinarily challenging decision to make but needed to be done after taking into consideration the varying local mandates across North America. In an effort to present the absolute most complete and engaging DREAM THEATER experience that our fans around the globe have come to expect, we feel we are all best served to postpone all touring activities to early 2022.

"At this time, we ask that everyone hold on to their tickets as we are working frantically to finalize the reschedule of all of these dates. All shows are currently being re-booked to begin in February 2022. Please keep an eye on our website, and we'll have a complete, updated itinerary shortly. All previously purchased tickets will be honored. Please consult your local point of purchase for any inquiries regarding refunds.

"We know that we all have eagerly awaited a return to normalcy, and the opportunity to enjoy live DREAM THEATER music together again. We apologize profusely but hope that everyone can understand the logic behind this decision.

"Playing music for our fans is all we ever want to do. We look forward to seeing each and every one of our fans as soon as possible. We wish it could have been sooner, but we are counting the days until we can see you all again."

Earlier this month, Petrucci told Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives about the DREAM THEATER tour postponement: "Well, it's an unfortunate decision. John [Myung] and I really wanted to tour, and are dying to tour — dying to get out there and support the [new DREAM THEATER] record. And unfortunately, we couldn't convince the other guys that it was safe. So, it wasn't a unanimous decision, unfortunately.

"It's frustrating for me, because everything has opened up and concerts are going on, and theaters and arenas and clubs and everything is open," he continued. "Bands are out there, and a lot of my friends are touring successfully. And there are ways to do it safely, which we were very prepared to do. But, like I said, we couldn't convince the other guys it'd be safe, and so we had to push it off.

"I'm the type of person where I hate disappointing people, I hate disappointing our fans. So, it was definitely an unfortunate decision."

DREAM THEATER's 15th studio album, "A View From The Top Of The World", is being released today (Friday, October 22). The seven-song LP marks the band's second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap.

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy spoke to Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio about the strict COVID-19 protocols he and his bandmates adhered to on their recently completed U.S. tour with MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED. "The Metal Tour Of The Year" marked the four groups' first run of concerts since the start of the pandemic.

"My entire band and entire crew were vaccinated," Matt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I had breakthrough COVID as well, so I was about as immune as you can possibly get and I was still adhering to every single rule. And I know that maybe some people, unfortunately, are rolling their eyes when they hear about this stuff, but the way I think about it, I don't think anything other than this is a virus; it's a sickness. I've had tons of freakin' shots. Every time you go to South America, you have to get boosters and immunity, if you're gonna be near the jungle. My kids are almost three. When they were little, they got polio and smallpox and measles vaccinations, hepatitis vaccinations. That's the only way I thought of this: 'You know what? I wanna play shows, and I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure not one person misses our set for one freakin' show.' So, we had the vaccine, still wore masks everywhere except for dressing room, stage and bus. You know how much I love food. We made sure every single meal we had on every single day off was outdoors — outdoors, no friends. 'Cause we wanted the shows to happen.

"With how strict we ran it, if anyone is ever curious, like, 'Man, that's a little bit too much,' the proof is in the pudding," Matt continued. "We came out of this thing without one show missed. Canada, obviously, is getting postponed, it's getting moved — it's not canceled. That's a different border, country-to-country thing, so that has nothing to do with us. And we're freakin' stoked. It was amazing. Five to ten thousand people a night. For metal, that's insane — that's an insane amount of people to show up for HATEBREED, TRIVIUM, LAMB OF GOD and MEGADETH. So it was amazing. We had some of the best shows we've ever had in our career on this run."

Earlier in the month, TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto told Mankato, Minnesota's "Midwest Beatdown" radio show that the band's tour manager was diagnosed with COVID-19 after the third show of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". "We had a bunch of [COVID-19] tests with us," he said. "We got a couple of extras. Everyone tested. No one else was positive. We caught up our manager. We caught up the tour. We pretty much said, 'Look, we're not gonna cancel a show. Everyone's good. We're all isolated from our tour manager. We'll test tomorrow and as many days in a row as you want.' And no one ever got sick on our bus except for our tour manager. And we kept going. That was basically it.

"There was really no rule kind of set up how that was gonna work," Paolo continued. "But what we've been seeing people do is, okay, someone on a [tour] package will get sick, and they'll be, like, 'well, everyone's gonna take 10 days' or something to quarantine — whatever people are doing. And we were, like, it's not possible. There's too much at stake for a tour this size, or any tour, really. 'Cause if you start canceling shows, the margin is very, very thin with that kind of stuff; it's not sustainable. So we were just, like, 'Look, if no one is sick, the show must go on.' So that's what we did. HATEBREED's sound guy helped us out big time by filling in on monitors. Our assistant tour manager picked up the slack for the shows, and then our tour manager was just e-mailing — Zooming in; [sending] e-mails, doing all the stuff he had to do. And he came back when he was fine, and that was it. And we kept rolling."

Gregoletto added: "It was scary, obviously, but I was also kind of relieved to have that happen right away, 'cause it's, like, once you kind of know what it could be once it happens… It's kind of like Matt when he got sick [with COVID-19] way before the tour, it's scary 'cause you've been trying to avoid it the whole time, but then, when you get through it, you're, like, 'All right. I felt bad for a few days and now I'm good.' It felt good to just have that happen, and we dealt with it, and the show went on. And we didn't publicize it 'cause we didn't wanna [create] any sort of doubt that the tour was gonna get canceled, that shows would get canceled. 'Cause it's crazy times right now. I'm sure a lot of people have seen bands are dropping from tours and stuff, and we just didn't wanna do that. So we chose this way instead."

The last three shows of "The Metal Tour Of The Year" — in Toronto, Laval and Quebec City — were postponed to spring 2022 due to restrictions in the Quebec province and international logistical issues.

TRIVIUM's tenth album, "In The Court Of The Dragon", was released on October 8 via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in the fall of 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando. The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres.

Dave Grohl says that he hasn't spent a lot of time thinking about the recent lawsuit filed over the cover of the iconic NIRVANA album "Nevermind".

This past August, Spencer Elden, the man who claims he was the baby featured in the image, sued the surviving members of NIRVANA as well as the estate of Kurt Cobain. Elden alleges the photo of the baby reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool violated federal child pornography statutes and argues child sexual exploitation.

Asked in a new interview with Vulture what his stance is on Elden's claims, Grohl said: "I don't know that I can speak on it because I haven't spent too much time thinking about it. I feel the same way most people do in that I have to disagree. That's all I'll say."

When Vulture writer Craig Jenkins pointed out that Elden has recreated the photo several times as an adult, Grohl added: "Listen, he's got a 'Nevermind' tattoo. I don't."

Earlier this month, Grohl said that he was open to the idea of changing the cover of "Nevermind" for any subsequent reissues of the LP. "I have many ideas of how we should alter that cover, but we'll see what happens," he told The Sunday Times. "We'll let you know. I'm sure we'll come up with something good."

As for how the lawsuit might pan out, Grohl said that he wasn't overly concerned. "I think that there's much more to look forward to and much more to life than getting bogged down in those kinds of things," he explained. "And, fortunately, I don't have to do the paperwork."

A month after filing his lawsuit, Elden, who is now 30, requested his genitalia be removed from "all future album covers" on the 30th anniversary of the project.

"Today, like each year on this date, our client Spencer Elden has had to brace himself for renewed unwanted attention from the media and fans alike throughout the world," his attorneys told USA Today. "This is a choice that he has never had."

The attorneys said that they plan on continuing the legal proceedings in order to "bring long-awaited privacy and dignity back to our client."

"We implore the NIRVANA defendants to right the wrongs of their past, by acknowledging the harm they have perpetrated and redacting the image of Mr. Elden's genitalia from further reproductions of 'Nevermind' because behind every cover is a person pleading for their privacy back," they added.

A deluxe 30th-anniversary reissue of "Nevermind" is due on November 12. Pre-orders for the set still show the album with its original cover artwork.

In Elden's complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, which also named photographer Kirk Weddle and the various record companies behind the album's release, Elden claimed that his "identity and legal name are forever tied to the commercial sexual exploitation he experienced as a minor which has been distributed and sold worldwide from the time he was a baby to the present day."

According to the suit, the defendants "knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so. … Despite this knowledge, defendants failed to take reasonable steps to protect Spencer and prevent his widespread sexual exploitation and image trafficking."

Elden claimed that his parents never signed a release authorizing the use of the photos, which were taken in a Pasadena aquatic center in 1990. He alleges that the band promised to cover his genitals with a sticker, which was never incorporated into the album art.

"To ensure the album cover would trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer, Weddle activated Spencer's 'gag reflex' before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer's exposed genitals," the complaint stated.

The suit further alleged the defendants "used child pornography depicting Spencer as an essential element of a record promotion scheme commonly utilized in the music industry to get attention, wherein album covers posed children in a sexually provocative manner to gain notoriety, drive sales, and garner media attention, and critical reviews."

Elden is seeking damages of either $150,000 from each of the 17 defendants or unspecified damages to be determined at trial, attorney fees, an injunction to prohibit all parties "from continuing to engage in the unlawful acts and practices described herein," and a trial by jury.

"The permanent harm he has proximately suffered includes but is not limited to extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations, interference with his normal development and educational progress, lifelong loss of income earning capacity, loss of past and future wages, past and future expenses for medical and psychological treatment, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses to be described and proven at trial of this matter," the lawsuit stated.

Elden's parents were reportedly paid only $200 for the photos, and the shoot lasted around 15 seconds.

In a 2016 interview with Time magazine, Elden said: "It's a trip. Everyone involved in the album has tons and tons of money. I feel like I'm the last little bit of grunge rock. I'm living in my mom's house and driving a Honda Civic.

"It's hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved," Elden added. "I go to a baseball game and think about it: 'Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,' I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked."

"Nevermind" has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was certified diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million copies in the U.S. al

In a new interview with Jon Marchewka of Rock In The FastLane, former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider was asked what he would like his legacy to be. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I always try to be normal. I'm not a typical rock and roll star, [sporting] sunsglasses and [telling people], 'Hey, man…' I try to be a normal, normal person. But what I [know] is that I inspired a lot of bands — with ACCEPT and also now with U.D.O. That makes you proud that you did something in this business — inspired other musicians, and also really well-known musicians. And that was really, like, 'Woah! Okay.' That makes you proud. And then you know that you did something in this business. So, that's it for me. It's, like, okay, thank you very much."

U.D.O.'s latest album, "Game Over", was released on October 22 via AFM Records.

Last year, U.D.O. collaborated with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, the military band of the German federal armed forces, on an album called "We Are One", which was released in July 2020 via AFM Records/Soulfood Music.

U.D.O.'s current lineup includes Udo's son and drummer Sven Dirkschneider, bassist Tilen Hudrap and guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Dee Dammers.

Udo's DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG project, in which he is joined be fellow former ACCEPT members Peter Baltes (bass) and Stefan Kaufmann (guitar), recently released a new single and video, "Every Heart Is Burning".

DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG, which is rounded out by Udo's son Sven Dirkschneider (drums), Manuela Bibert (vocals) and Mathias Dieth (guitar), issued its debut single, "Where The Angels Fly", in September 2020. A second single, "Face Of A Stranger", followed in April. On August 27, all three songs were released as the "Arising" CD, a 12-inch vinyl and a download.

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


Today, Arjen is pleased to share the first single and video, for the album’s closing track, “Lost Children Of The Universe", which you can see below.


Arjen has this to say about the track: “This 10-minute epic is the first video clip/single of the new Star One album Revel in Time. The lyrics are inspired by the movie Interstellar. This is a slightly different version than on the CD. On CD1, Roy Khan sings the lead vocals and on CD2, Tony Martin sings the lead vocals. For this YouTube version I combined their voices. Both such great singers, I just couldn’t choose! Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for your attention!”




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


CD 2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD 1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind the Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.





Revel In Time tracklisting:


CD1:


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


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


"Lost Children Of The Universe" lyric video:

The Design Abstract melds together narrative sci-fi with Gothenburg-esque melodic death metal, resulting in ambiguous concept albums that sound completely different from other artists in the genre. Their latest album Metemtechnosis continues the Technotheism (2021) storyline after an indeterminate amount of time in the universe. The band compares this new album to the last, and lets us know what’s coming next:


“Many people had many positive things to say about Technotheism upon its release, and we feel that Metemtechnosis is a worthy successor to it. Compositionally, we have refined many elements and parts of the processes, and from a technical standpoint, we have really stepped up a lot. Those who wanted to hear more of the killer guitar work will assuredly not be disappointed. Metemtechnosis also carries on the story of Technotheism in part two of what will be a trilogy. Everything that was present in Technotheism has been brought back in more compelling ways, and the performances are more on-point than ever before.”


Similar to Technotheism, the tracks were written as necessary to touch on the major story beats of the album; an overarching science-fiction story about a far future where technological advancement puts into question a lot of things taken for granted, like the definition of humanity, individuality, progress, and the line between all of these things. After the third album in the trilogy is released, The Design Abstract will move to a different fictional setting, but the music will continue to experiment with the elements they use in new and innovative ways.




All songs on Metemtechnosis were written and performed by Voiicide (vocals/bass/programming), Logan Mayhem (guitars/modular synthesis), and Matt Ngo (guitars). It was produced, mixed, and mastered by Voiicide at Abstrakted Records and the album artwork was done by Yuta Shimpo.


The Design Abstract has a sound that is distinctively theirs and is recommended for fans of Soilwork, Septicflesh, and Divine Disorder.


BraveWords is premiering the album stream of Metemtechnosis; listen below:


Metemtechnosis by The Design Abstract


Metemtechnosis drops on October 29, 2021 via Abstrakted Records. Preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Digital Dawn”
“Born Of Machines”
“The Hybrid Awakening”
“Organic Data Fusion”
“Metropolis II”
“Aberration Omega”
“Upheaval (Instrumental)”
“Sentinels”
“Decryptor” 


“Decryptor”:





(Photo: Tami Martin)

Swedish avant-garde metallers Diablo Swing Orchestra will release their fifth album, Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole, on November 2 via Candlelight / Spinefarm. They have checked in with the following message: 


"Our new single 'Speed Dating An Arsonist' is live on Youtube. We'd like to thank our dear friend Etienne Visora for working day and night with this awesome, wonderful video. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Now it's time for us all to dance!"







The spirited, progressive eight-piece Swedish ensemble are known for pairing elements of jazz, swing, classical, and progressive rock with just about everything in between. Since their foundation in 2003 the band have released four studio albums which push musical boundaries to the extreme with humour, creativity, and a healthy dose of positive aggression. Their debut, The Butcher's Ballroom, was a breath of fresh air when it came out in 2006 to worldwide critical acclaim. Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole is the band's fifth effort and is by far their most ambitious undertaking, which pays tribute to all four previous releases and adds some new colors to their already broad pallet of sounds.


DSO have once again teamed up with producer Roberto Laghi (In Flames, Hardcore Superstars), who has become almost the ninth member of the orchestra. Together, they've dug deeply into each of the genres explored in the 13 album tracks and worked hard to find the appealing genre characteristics to forge their own sound. This approach has resulted in an impressive list of guest musicians and some very interesting clashes between sounds which, at least on paper, shouldn't work. Listeners with an open mind will be rewarded by numerous goodies littered throughout the album, ranging from the tribal assault that is "War Painted Valentine" to the Zeppelin-gospel-infused "Snake Oil Baptism."





Tracklist:


"Sightseeing In The Apocalypse"
"War Painted Valentine"
"Celebremos Lo Inevitable"
"Speed Dating An Arsonist"
"Jig Of The Century"
"The Sound Of An Unconditional Surrender"
"Malign Monologues"
"Out Came The Hummingbirds"
"Snake Oil Baptism"
"Les Invulnéables"
"Saluting The Reckoning"
"The Prima Donna Gauntlet"
"Overture To A Ceasefire"


"War Painted Valentine"





"Celebremos Lo Inevitable"





Photo by Jens Rydén Photography

Metal on Metal Records have signed technical thrashers from Finland Home Style Surgery. The band's new album Brain Drill Poetry is slated for the release on November 19.


The band put a teaser for the album on their YouTube channel and the label featured a fragment of an exclusive song ("Subconscious Atrocity") from the same recording sessions that will be out on the Compendium of Metal Vol. 14 CD.







Commented Jowita Kaminska-Peruzzi of Metal on Metal Records:


"We are happy to announce the signing of an exceptionally talented band which also happens to be the first Finnish band we're working with. Home Style Surgery have been honing their craft for 13 years now, so for as long as Metal on Metal Records exists, starting out playing raw speed/thrash metal and becoming one of the most impressive technical thrash acts we've heard. However, Brain Drill Poetry is only their second full-length, following multiple demos and EPs and 2018's Trauma Gallery CD released by Punishment 18 Records. Anybody who's into bands like Toxik, Stone, Forbidden, Coroner, classic Voivod, Annihilator or Despair should definitely check them out."


The band added:


"Home Style Surgery is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Metal on Metal Records to release our new album Brain Drill Poetry. It has been a long process for us, but we are beyond satisfied with the result: songwriting is tighter, riffs are crazier and there is no slowing down in tempo either. Brain Drill Poetry goes to another level with new singer Kami (Brainthrash) who definitely brings a breeze of fresh air to our sound. There's no other album that sounds like it, yet you can still hear the various influences we had when crafting these songs."

Learn how to play Tesla’s new song “Cold Blue Steel”. Here’s a fun video of guitarists Frank Hannon and Dave Rude going over the parts.





“'Cold Blue Steel' is influenced by current events of the world, just like our debut single 'Modern Day Cowboy' (1986) and touches on the subject fairly and open-minded by asking 'what’s to blame?' when it comes to violence in the world,” states founding member Frank Hannon. “More importantly, the recording and production of the song and video are kept raw and real, just the way Tesla fans want to see and hear us. We are survivors and have been rocking for 35+ years!”




Stream and/or download “Cold Blue Steel” at this location.





Catch Tesla on tour across The United States next month. Confirmed shows are as listed:


November
5 - Knoxville , TN - Thompson Bowling Center
6 - Charleston , WV - Charleston Coliseum
9 - Charlotte , NC - The Fillmore
11 - Columbus , OH - Express Live
13 - Greensboro , NC - Greensboro Coliseum
14 - Atlanta , GA - Coca Cola Roxy
16 - Huntsville , AL - Mars Music Hall
17 - Mobile , AL - Soul Kitchen
19 - Bossier City , LA - CenturyLink Center
20 - Tupelo , MS - BancorpSouth Arena





 

John 5 has pulled out of his previously announced U.S. tour as the support act for legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen.

The trek, also featuring IMAGES OF EDEN and SUNLORD, was slated to kick off on November 16 in Atlanta, Georgia and conclude on December 18 in Houston, Texas.

John 5 announced his withdrawal from the tour in a statement posted on social media on Friday (October 20). The former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist wrote: "Due to unforeseen circumstances and out of an abundance of caution I am sad to announce that i will no longer be joining Yngwie on the upcoming US tour.

"The health concerns for artists and their crew that come with travelling extensively from city to city during this time have meant that myself and my team feel this is the best course of action to keep everybody on my tour team safe and well.

"I am certain that these Yngwie shows will be amazing, as they always are. I'm sorry i won't be there to share my new music with you all. I'll be back out on the road as soon as is safe and possible."

John 5 will release his new solo album, "Sinner", on October 29 via Big Machine Records. The first single from the album, the epic "Qué Pasa", revolves around a distinctive vocal refrain. Originally built with a sample, John opted to have it reworked by Grammy-winning 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.

John 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, LYNYRD SKYNYRD and more. Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around," and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder." John 5 has released nine solo albums to date, as well as a remix album, and has written music for the likes of Avril Lavigne, GARBAGE, Ricky Martin and others.
























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The Los Angeles melodic heavy band, Ninth Circle, have returned to the studio to record their fifth full-length album. They spent the majority of the pandemic shutdown writing material for the follow up of their successful Echo Black record which was released in June of 2020.  


Bassist, Frank Forray, describes what the band went through during that time, “Being in lockdown was fucking miserable. At first you figured, two fucking weeks… fine. Then it just never seemed to end. I had done some fun online videos of “guess that bassline” from songs way outside of heavy metal such as, Burning Love from Elvis, Just a Gigolo from David Lee Roth and Nite Klub from The Specials. Playing these songs inspired me to start writing new songs for the next record.”  


Frank goes on to explain, “After figuring out that we had a brand new record out in the middle for this miserable period and no way to promote it by playing live, I decide it was best to put my time and efforts into writing new material. A lot of the material just flowed out of me. In a matter of months, I probably had about 25 songs.  I started talking to the guys about getting together in the rehearsal studio and knocking out the new stuff. Luckily, the boys were up for it and we spent the better half of 2020 and 2021 jamming out new material.”  




“One of the signature sounds of Ninth Circle comes from the brain and fingers of Mr.Dennis Brown”, says Frank while describing the writing process for the band. “Jeff Prentice, our producer, pointed out on Echo Black that we didn’t have a signature song like a Frontman or All or Nothing. Those songs come directly from the hands and brain of Dennis. Our songwriting styles are different. I’m a bit all over the place with thrash, power metal, and little bit of glam and straight ahead rock n roll. Whereas, when Dennis writes a song it’s very unique. You can tell it’s Dennis in the same way you can tell Eddie’s (Van Halen) styles. Once you hear it, you know exactly who it is.”  


Drummer, Richie Brooks adds, "I feel like Dennis is like what Steve Clark was to Def Leppard. He has a signature feel and vibe to his songs."


Frank goes on, “So after hearing that from Jeff, I made a conscious effort to leave more space for Dennis to throw in some ideas and encourage him to really push himself this time. Dennis has crafted about five great Ninth Circle songs this time around. All of which I anticipate will make the record, they always do!”  


Dennis adds" We are definitely looking forward to bringing these songs to life! With Richie now involved in the process, we've been able to focus our efforts on new ideas and songs that we all feel have great potential. We didn't force ideas where we may have in the past.” 
 
“One of the things I’m really looking forward to this time is working with Richie [Brooks] in the studio,” explains Frank. “He’s a musician’s musician. He plays multiple instruments proficiently. He can sing like nobody’s business. He’s a super enthusiastic and positive guy too! It’s going to be a really nice adventure this time.”  


Richie describes his thoughts on recording, "This will be my first go around with these guys and I really want to put out a great album!! I'm working hard on a lot of stuff in my drumming and trying to bring a little of each of my influences into the recordings. We are doing the recording a different way than usual for Ninth Circle. I will be last to record, so I will have a virtual blank canvas to work from. Should be a really fun time!

David Shankle, the mastermind behind the David Shankle Group, confirmed the passing of their former drummer Michael McCarron. He was 56 years old.

David Shankle's statement as follows: Absolutely devastated one of my best friends, Michael R McCarran, I am in shock before I can even speak my words - yet to gain my composure - of my best friend, musical friend, that I've known for over 40 years of my life is gone. My heart is completely shattered. He also played drums on the track the Hitman from the last DSG CD Still a Warrior and has done pre- production with me on every DSG record I've ever done alongside Jay Walsh. You will truly be missed and love you my brother."

Genocide Pact return with their eponymous new, Self-Titled album out December 3. Listen to Genocide Pact’s new song “Purged Flesh” below.


Vocalist/Guitarist Tim Mullaney comments on the new song:


"This was the first song to materialize for this record. It was kind of a mashup of two ideas- one being a heavy, standard verse chorus rock and roll ass beater and the other being psychedelic but in a negative way. I guess my idea was to have it sound like Jimi Hendrix if he hated everything and had a horrible attitude. Lyrically, this song deals with getting dealt a shitty hand in life and trying to self-medicate and eventually realizing that you are running away from your problems on a treadmill and getting nowhere."




The fury behind Genocide Pact captures the band's collective frustrations and personal journeys through these turbulent times.


"You turn on the news and see mass shootings, a global pandemic, endless war, and corporations and politicians trying to sell you bullshit. You pick up your phone and another friend or family member has died. On top of that, you’re broke as fuck and work endlessly for a boss that doesn’t even know your name. You find yourself paranoid, pissed off, and embracing nihilism," Tim Mullaney says.


Genocide Pact have learned to embrace the negativity, churning out one of 2021's ugliest and unforgiving records.


Genocide Pact is out December 3 on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical pre-orders are available here. Digital downloads / streaming here.





Tracklisting:


"Led To Extinction"
"Perverse Dominion"
"Fossilized Future"
"Mutilated Vision"
"Deprive / Degrade"
"Purged Flesh"
"Barbaric Regression"
"Industrial Obedience"


"Purged Flesh":





"Perverse Dominion" video:





Genocide Pact is:


Mike Nolan - Bass
Connor Donegan - Drums
Tim Mullaney - Guitars/Vocals
Demir Soyer - Guitars


(Photo - Brian Boeckman)