US modern deathcore heavyweights, Signs Of The Swarm, have released a video for "Hymns Ov Invocation", the opening track of their new album, Absolvere, out now via Unique Leader. Watch the clip below, and order / save Absolvere here.





Tracklisting:




"Hymns Ov Invocation"
"Boundless Manifestations"
"Dreaming Desecration"
"Totem"
"Nameless"
"Absolvere"
"Revelations Ov A Silent King"
"Hollow Prison" (Feat. Alex Erian of Despised Icon)
"Blood Seal"
"Death Whistle"


"Hymns Ov Invocation" video:





"Death Whistle" video:





"Hollow Prison" video:





"Totem" video:

Halestorm recently launched the new video series, Tales From The Dead. The third episode is now available. Watch all three segments below.


Says the band: "Who else loves the spooky season?!! Here are Tales From the Dead with Halestorm."













Halestorm recently revealed “Back From The Dead”, their first new song since 2018’s Vicious album, and the first single from their upcoming album expected in 2022.





The band have released behind the scenes footage from the video shoot for “Back From The Dead”, which can be seen below, along with the official video. Directed by Dustin Haney (Noah Cyrus, Luke Combs) and produced by Revolution Pictures, the clip features Lzzy and the band in a morgue and cemetery somewhere between life and death.


“’Back From The Dead’ is about survival, not in a physical sense, even though I know we all have been touched by death especially these last few years,” said Lzzy Hale. “This song is personal and written from a mental health perspective. I wanted to give myself and the world a hard rock song we could shout out loud as the gates opened again. I was on the edge of this world getting completely lost in oblivion, but even though it was the harder of two choices, I didn’t just let the darkness and depression in my mind dig me an early grave. I didn’t just sit and let it take me. I’ve erased my name from my headstone, so save your prayers, I’m back! I hope this song, as I pass it on to you, reminds YOU of your strength individually and that you are not alone.”








(Photo - Jimmy Fontaine)

Exodus return with their eleventh studio album, Persona Non Grata, out November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. In this new video trailer, guitarist Lee Altus talks about the making of the album:





Literally translating to “an unwelcome” or “unacceptable” person, Persona Non Grata touches on themes of modern societal disgust and degradation. The band gathered at Tom Hunting's house in the mountains where they produced and recorded Persona Non Grata from three home-built studios . Steve Lagudi was at the helm of engineering while the band enlisted Andy Sneap of Backstage Studios to mix the album. For the third time in the band’s history, they returned to Swedish artist Par Olofsson to create the album artwork.







Persona Non Grata will be available in the following formats:


- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt + CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt
- Cassette – Tinted Red
- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!) Long Box (Decibel Magazine Exclusive)
- Double LP
 * Black
 * Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter
 * Electric Blue W/ Black & Bone
 * Gold & Bone Swirl W. Black and Mint Green Splatter
 * Green in Mustard W/ Red Splatter
 * Mint Green & Brown W/ Cyan Splatter (EMP Exclusive)
 * Purple & Yellow Swirl W/ Mint Green & Bone Splatter (UK Indie Exclusive)
 * Bone & Beer Swirl W/ Red & Brown Splatter (Revolver Magazine Exclusive)
 * Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter (Rebellion Republic Exclusive)
 * Blue Swirl W/ Bone * Black Splatter (U.S. Indie Exclusive)
- Mail Order Boxset – Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide
 * Orange, Red Swirl W/ Black Splatter
 * 20 page booklet
 * Slipmat
 * CD + Blu-ray Bonus Disc
 * Patch
 * Flag


Pre-order here. Pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


"Persona Non Grata"
"R.E.M.F."
"Slipping Into Madness"
"Elitist"
"Prescribing Horror"
"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)"
"The Years of Death and Dying"
"Clickbait"
"Cosa Del Pantano"
"Lunatic-Liar-Lord"
"The Fires of Division"
"Antiseed"


"The Years Of Death And Dying" lyric video:





"Clickbait" lyric video:





"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)":





"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" video:





Trailers:

Symphonic metal outfit, Ad Infinitum, return with their bewitching second offering, Chapter II - Legacy, out this Friday, October 29, via Napalm Records. The band have released a video for the new single, "Animals".


"Animals" leaves a lasting impression right from the very first second with its remarkable, powerful opening. The song nourishes itself on an orchestral foundation of epic strings and poignant piano, steadily accompanied by thundering drums and passionate guitar riffs. In harmony with frontwoman Melissa Bonny's multi-faceted voice, which ranges from lovely, goosebump-inducing highs to vibrant growls, "Animals" becomes a brilliant symphony of energetic and melodic soundscapes with an added metalcore-like touch without losing Ad Infinitum’s signature roots.
 
Ad Infinitum on the new single: “The release of Chapter II - Legacy is just around the corner but before we unveil this second album, we have one more song to present. 'Animals' is a powerful cinematic track that will transport you from Heaven to Hell and back. Would you exchange your humanity for immortality?”







Ad Infinitum are no stranger to the scene. With their spellbinding debut album, Chapter I - Monarchy (2020), brought to life in the middle of a global pandemic, the foursome reached millions of plays on streaming platforms. Furthermore, frontwoman Melissa Bonny is consistently drawn to exciting musical collaborations, as she recently unveiled the brand new band The Dark Side Of The Moon and their bittersweet reinterpretation of Florence & The Machine's Game Of Thrones soundtrack song, "Jenny Of Oldstones". In addition, Bonny's exciting feature with Feuerschwanz on the song “Ding” (Seed-cover) has already gained over 2.6 million views on YouTube since its release. Now, she sets her focus back to her main musical force as Ad Infinitum - with Adrian Thessenvitz (guitars), Korbinian Benedict (bass) and Niklas Müller (drums) - will unveil its new opus, Chapter II - Legacy.


Chapter II - Legacy surprises with a melting pot of different influences and a contrast between super heavy riffs, sometimes even djent/metalcore-like touches and catchy hook lines and melodies, giving the band's sophomore album a modern and equally timeless touch. The lyrics have, just like on their debut album, been inspired by a historical figure: the paradoxical life and afterlife of Vlad The Impaler, also known as Dracula, inspired the themes and questions of this album.


Ad Infinitum add: “Chapter II - Legacy holds a very special place in our heart. It represents months and months of hard work of four bandmates, for a result that we are proud to call “self-produced”. For this record, we decided to work without the influence of an external producer during the songwriting process and to team up with Elias Holmlid for the beautiful and epic orchestrations and of course with Jacob Hansen who recorded [vocals], mixed, mastered and participated to the post production. A younger and heavier sound that defines Ad Infinitum like never before.”


Chapter II - Legacy once again showcases the indispensable creativity of Ad Infinitum - featuring twelve complex, marvelous tracks highlighting their sonic development and undeniable symphonic strength. Such talent can be witnessed with opener “Reinvented”, lurking with lovely piano tunes and erupting in intense riffage in the blink of an eye. Right away, the music reflects the extremely multifaceted voice of Melissa Bonny - ranging from crystal clear vocals to impressively powerful screams and menacing growls. Hailing from hell, hard-hitting “Afterlife” features the vocal power of Nils Molin (Amaranthe, Dynazty), merging in perfect harmony with Melissa’s incredibly haunting delivery. Songs like “Your Enemy” and cinematic grand finale “Lullaby” leave no scope for weakness and unveil the heaviest side of Ad Infinitum to date. This grasping hymn is far from lulling you to sleep, as the eclectically versatile sonic world of Ad Infinitum immediately induces you to listen to Chapter II - Legacy again, right from the beginning.





Chapter II - Legacy will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Digipak
- 1 LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1 CD Digipak + Patch (limited to 200 copies worldwide)
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Reinvented"
"Unstoppable"
"Inferno"
"Your Enemy"
"Afterlife" (feat. Nils Molin)
"Breathe"
"Animals"
"Into The Night"
"Son Of Wallachia"
"My Justice, Your Pain"
"Haunted"
"Lullaby"


“Afterlife” video:





"Unstoppable" video:





Ad Infinitum are:


Melissa Bonny - Vocals
Adrian Thessenvitz - Guitars
Korbinian Benedict - Bass
Niklas Müller – Drums


(Photo - Nat Enemede - Fine Art)

Orphaned Land celebrate their 30th anniversary. Three decades of creating music, performing live shows around the globe and spreading the message of peace.


For this very special occasion the band releases a Ltd. CD box set including eight CDs featuring six full-length albums and a bonus song collection from the past 30 years on two extra CDs. The box also contains an extended 112-page booklet with special liner notes for each album from Kobi Farhi.







Being proud of their career and happy about this special anniversary frontman Kobi Farhi states: “Wow... it's unbelievable 30 years have gone already! Looking back, we feel so proud we succeeded to extend the metal scene from the well-known American, South American, European & Scandinavian scenes, we made it wider when we started the 'Oriental Metal’ genre and introduced metal from the Middle East to the world, since 1991. Cheers for the next 30 years!“


World famous stars commented on the musical work of the band. These are only a few statements from the past:


Kirk Hammett (Metallica) - "Orphaned Land are singing about the troubles in the Middle East and I really like what they are doing!"


Ozzy Osbourne - "The Best Hardrock band came out of the Middle East"


Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) - "One of the best metal bands not just in Israel, but in the whole world"


Steve Hackett (Genesis) - "Orphaned Land combines an operatic quality and world music exotica with driving rock sensibility"


Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) - "What keeps me so thrilled about it is this perfect blend of different musical cultures and the constant wave of emotions these guys have woven together in a stroke of genius. All of their work is a strong statement for humanity"


Available in December, 30 Years Of Oriental Metal will be available as Ltd. 8CD Box Set including a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity and can be pre-ordered here.





Lineup:


Kobi Farhi - Vocals
Chen Balbus - Guitars
Idan Amsalem - Guitars
Uri Zelcha Bass -
Matan Shmuely - Drums


(Photo - Zohar Ron / Zoharon - Photograph)

WarCall is not done with 2021 just yet... they still have more fight in them and fury of metal to unleash upon the masses with part 2 from their Dead End EP series.


Standing up for all the fights we are fighting on a daily basis. WarCall represents the struggle in life and the challenges we have to rise to. We get called to war every day and it is up to us to step up and face our fears. The DIY Canadian quartet heeds this mantra, consistently pushing boundaries with their fast and dramatic metal music. 


Unleashed via their own label Plan B Music, the beginning of the "Dead End" series, Pt.1 was unveiled in April, which was in-your-face, old-school-inspired metal, whereas Pt. 2, slated for November 26 is more progressive and atmospheric. 




The band comments: 


“Overall, the two EPs together are a collection of 9 songs, 9 stories about struggle. We have let the events of 2020 influence the process and the mood of the two EPs, while still aiming for a timeless production that will age well in time. The title and artwork represent the doom and gloom of life in the year 2020 and how the human race reacts in the face of death and uncertainty. With the impossibility to meet to even take a band picture, WarCall presents themselves as fictional post-apocalyptic warriors, a subtle comment and nod to the current events that marked the year 2020. And while more atmospheric in their nature, the 5 songs from Dead End pt. 2 are delivered in a raw package. At first, we wanted to work on the songs a little more in order to achieve a different atmosphere than Dead End pt. 1. We experimented with sounds and textures to add in the places we thought needed it, but each time, we preferred the original version. In the end, we chose to go ahead with the songs as they are in their purest form."


In preview to Dead End Pt. 2, WarCall is sharing its lead single "Intoxicated" with a DIY music video. The band explains further:


"The first single from Dead End pt. 2, ‘Intoxicated’ is a good representation of the thrash metal side of the band with its fast-paced riffing for a no-nonsense mosher. The challenge we gave ourselves for this song was to be able to come up with something interesting, not too repetitive with only four riffs. Interesting approach. For the video clip, it is a not-too-serious, DIY film about the gig scene every underground band is going through these days."


BraveWords is premiering the new video for “Intoxicated” – grab a beer and watch below!





Totally authentic, with a wide range of influences ranging from old-school death and thrash metal, WarCall is recommended for fans of Testament, Exodus, Anthrax and Dissection.


Dead End Pt. 2 will only be released digitally on November 26, 2021 via Plan B Music.





Tracklisting:


“Intoxicated”
“Black Amber”
“Off Road”
“Control Denied”
“Venom”


(Photo credit / artwork: Timur Khabirov)

Musclebound metal superhero Thor may have finally met his match! In a fantastic new animated video, perfectly timed for the Halloween season, the metal deity is kidnapped by a dark, mysterious figure who turns out to be none other than the dreaded “Queen Of The Spiders,” as heard about on Thor’s newest album, this year’s Alliance! 


The evil seductress traps our hero in a hellish lair while her spidery minions creepily crawl over webs in an apparent attempt to feast on the legendary metal singer. With twists and turns aplenty, the video is a dazzlingly inventive showcase for both the superb design skills of Brazilian animator Steve Cavalcanti of Tivo Studios as well as the classic metal stylings of Thor that is sure to get your spine tingling this Halloween season!







Be sure to check out Alliance, which features stellar guest appearances from the likes of W.A.S.P.'s Chris Holmes, Raven vocalist John Gallagher, Danko Jones, Anthrax's Neil Turbin, Ross “The Boss” Friedman and many more.


Order the CD and vinyl here. Order/save the digital edition here.





Tracklisting:


“We Need Musclerock” feat. John Gallagher (Raven)
“Niflhel (Realm Of The Dead)” feat. Björn Strid (Soilwork)
“The Ultimate Alliance” feat. Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Ross “The Boss” Friedman (Manowar), Nina Osegueda (A Sound Of Thunder) & Fang VonWrathenstein (Lords Of The Trident)
“Ode To Odin” feat. Dan Cleary (Striker)
“We Will Fight Forever” feat. Neil Turbin (Anthrax)
“Because We Are Strong”
“Rock Around The World” feat. Danko Jones
“Queen Of The Spiders” feat. Frank Soda (The Imps)
“Power Hungry”
“Bounty Hunter” feat. Frank Meyer (The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs) & Dennis Post (Warrior Soul)
“Battlements” feat. Trevor William Church (Haunt)
“Thor vs. The Juggernaut (War Of The Gods)” feat. Sean Peck (Death Dealer)
“Generation Now” feat. Joey Killingsworth (Joecephus & The George Jonestown Massacre)
“After The Laughter” feat. Martin Gummesson (Thundermaker)
“Good Stuff” feat. Al Harlow (Prism)
“Congregate” feat. Joey Roads & Sheldon Byer (Roadrash)
“We Will Fight Forever” (Reprise)


“Because We Are Strong” video:





Niflhel (Realm Of The Dead)":





“The Ultimate Alliance” video:

In a new interview with Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast, David Ellefson was asked if he was nervous to see what people were going to say following his dismissal from MEGADETH five months ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist and a woman that is not his wife were posted on Twitter. "A hundred percent," the bassist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Back in May, I was nervous to go to Starbucks. I went way off the radar and I just shut everything down. And I sought some counseling and therapy. I'm in the recovery community, and thank God they were very supportive, of course, 'cause that's what we do.

"[When] these big challenges come along in life, as we all have, whatever they are, you're forced to go, 'All right, This is bigger than me. This is more than I can deal with,'" he continued. "So, to go seek outside help — just go, 'What the fuck, man? I don't know. A bomb just went off and I'm fucking bleeding and my house burned down and there's shrapnel everywhere' — I'm glad that I had that.

"A lot of people, they would text and send me stuff. [And I was, like], 'Would you please stop sending me this shit? You're not helping me. You think you're my friend. If you wanna be my friend… Leave me alone or be supportive.' So that, I think, didn't help — the news frenzy that happens around this stuff. I think it's more for their fun than mine. Look, I'm glad I was able to provide such entertainment for everybody — a couple of weeks of some top news stories. You're welcome. And that gets shitty — the stuff that that gets pulled, and pulling my family into it.

"But, you know, look, it's rock and roll, man," Ellefson added. "You wanted to be a rock star, you wanted to be a musician, you wanted to be out there doing it… When you're in our line of work, if you're at all in the spotlight, be ready for the dark shades of the spotlight to swoop over you at times too — 'cause it does, and that's the reality of it.

"That's the thing, is I think all of us, we all look at someone else's life and go, 'Wouldn't it be great to be them?' And it's, like, man, if you only knew what was going on in their life, you'd probably gladly take all your problems back. You'd go, 'Yeah, that doesn't look as good as I thought, when it's behind the scenes.'

"We're all human. We've all got stuff. And I think that's what happens with these things — there are these moments when your humanness comes out. We all have our idols, we all have our heroes, but lo and behold, they bleed too. They're human, and that's kind of the way it goes."

Shortly after explicit video of him emerged online, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram.

Two days after MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine announced Ellefson's latest departure from the band, the bassist released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a "defamation lawsuit" against the person who "illegally posted a very private video" of the bassist and made "false allegations" against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale "in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ellefson wrote.

David and his wife have been married for 27 years. They have two children.

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski was recently interviewed by the band's former guitarist Mateusz Śmierzchalski for the latter's "h23" podcast. During the lengthy conversation, which can be seen in two parts below, Nergal touched upon his policy for how he deals with fans when they approach him during dinner at restaurants to ask for a photo. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My good friend, he was telling me some stories with some iconic people in L.A. And one of my absolutely favorite stories from his is… He was just a kiddo waiting outside some shows, and he would just come across Ozzy Osbourne. And he's telling me, 'Man, Ozzy Osbourne was cool. He [let me] take a photo. And they were super friendly and cool. And then I ended up at this party and I see there's fucking Anthony Kiedis [RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS] standing in front of me, so I just approached him in the most polite way, and I just asked him' — that is amazing; I love it — I just patted him on the back and he just turned towards me, and I just asked him in a super-polite way, 'Anthony, would you mind if I take a photo with you?' And he goes, like, [in an assertive way] 'Absolutely not.'"

Nergal went on to say that he appreciated Anthony's direct approach in turning down his friend's photo request. "I can't love it more than I do," he said. "I think it's amazing. You know why? Because you actually… I mean, it's cool if people do that [take pictures with fans]. I usually do that, but on many occasions, fans, they're just all over you. They don't know where the boundaries are; they don't feel that. You're in a restaurant having a date with a lady, and [they approach you excitedly], 'Can we take a photo?' 'No.' And somehow [the Kiedis story] inspired me to say 'no' in a very assertive but polite way. So I have no problems with saying, 'I'm sorry. This is a private meeting. I'm having a date. Hopefully next time.' And I'm happy to see their reactions, which, nine out of 10 [times], are, like, 'I respect that. Sorry for disturbing. See you next time. Can I just shake your hand?' 'Of course you can.' And that is cool. And I developed that skill to say 'no' in a polite way because sometimes you must say no."

Darski's dark folk/blues/Americana-influenced solo project ME AND THAT MAN will release its third full-length studio album, "New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 2", on November 19 via Napalm Records.

BEHEMOTH will celebrate its 30-year career with a massive livestream event called "XXX Years Ov Blasphemy" this Halloween, October 31. The event will feature three separate sets in three spectacular locations, commemorating the band's three decades making music and art.

During an interview with TWISTED SISTER bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza's Internet show "22 Now", former DREAM THEATER and current THE WINERY DOGS drummer Mike Portnoy once again spoke about a hypothetical scenario in which he would be chosen to tour with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson as the replacement for late RUSH drummer Neil Peart. Asked if he would be interested in taking that gig, Portnoy said: "Of course. That would be a dream to play with those guys. But I don't wanna see the Blabbermouth headline right now, me thinking that I deserve the gig. I'm not saying that. You're asking me a question. Hypothetically, of course, it would be a dream come true. Neil was my hero, and always will be, and Geddy and Alex are as well.

"I don't think in a million years they'll play without him; I really don't," he continued. "But in a hypothetical dream scenario, I mean, come on — of course. But I don't think in a zillion years it will happen. But it's a nice dream to hypothetically wonder about. But I honestly don't think it would ever happen. But who knows? You never know.

"As much as hypothetically it would be fun, it would be amazing, it would also be an impossible role to fill," Portnoy added. "It's a no-win situation. Really, it would be impossible, 'cause his fans are as obsessive as they get — and count me amongst them. So, yeah, that would be a tough one."

Mike also talked about RUSH's final tour which concluded at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

"They went out on such a high," Portnoy said. "Their last tour was a farewell tour. I don't think anybody expected Neil to pass, but they wanted to stop touring, so they really went out with such an amazing tour. That tour was just so well done, so perfectly executed, and they went out with all three of them still at the top of their game. So I give them all the credit in the world for that. It's just sad that Neil didn't get many years to enjoy the retirement before he got sick. That saddens me."

A year and a half ago, Portnoy spoke to World Prog-Nation about how Peart influenced him on a musical and personal level. He said: "I spent 20, 30 years idolizing him and being his biggest fan. And all those years, it was mainly the drum kit — the drum kit was such a fascination for me. He always built such amazing kits and put so much thought into it. I'd always get the tour programs where he'd write about the kit and what the new things were on it, and I would just look at those photos. Most other kids were looking at Playboy centerfolds; I was looking at Neil Peart drum kits. And then, obviously, his playing — it goes without saying. I learned how to really develop parts and orchestrate drum parts to build and change and develop within the song. So that was the biggest stuff for me as a fan. And then later on, once I got to know him, I was so inspired by what a gracious person he was."

Mike added: "He had this reputation that he was sort of quiet and isolated and private, and he was, and it was very important for him to guard that. But once you were somehow allowed into that inner cicle, he was always so sweet and kind and generous. He'd always send me holiday e-mails and he would always send me his new books and stuff like that. It was a relationship that I'll always cherish and I was honored to have."

RUSH announced Peart's passing on January 10, 2020, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.


22 NOW | Ep. 80: Mike Portnoy

Mark sits down with special guest Mike Portnoy for a brand new episode of 22 NOW!

Posted by Area 22 Productions on Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens spoke to the "Rock Down South" podcast about the worst show he has ever played in his career. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The ICED EARTH show that I did at the Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan. It was the last show of the tour — probably 'The Glorious Burden' tour, maybe, I think. And I lost my voice. When I got there, I had no voice at all. It was just horrible. I'll never forget it. And then I had a JUDAS PRIEST show like that too. We did an American run when I made the band for the 'Jugulator' tour. And then we went to Europe. And the second show, I think it was, I'd lost my voice. And at that time, I'd never really lost my voice on something like that. And I was so embarrassed and upset. I thought, 'These guys are gonna yell at me.' We were on stage and I remember [telling] Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist], 'I don't think I can do 'Victim Of Changes'.' I'd never taken a song out of our setlist in my life. I could sing 'Breaking The Law' or 'Grinder' — there's plenty of songs I can do without… The problem is 'Victim Of Changes' has that high note at the end, and if nothing comes out of my mouth, it's gonna be pretty embarrassing. But that was really bad. So those two shows still stick out… Not that I've not had crappy shows since then — shows that I've probably lost my voice — but that show, I really think about that all the time."

In a 2015 interview with CantonRep.com, Owens said that he discovered he could sing in such a high register when he was still in high school. "I just started singing along to those PRIEST records," he said. "It kind of came natural for me to sing that way. The good thing now is I can sing all kinds of styles. Sometimes I look at it now and wish I didn't sing those high notes. [Laughs] But if I had done that or done a different style, I probably wouldn't be here today."

Asked if it was hard to keep his voice in shape singing the way he does, Owens said: "It's easier when I'm touring, strangely enough. When you're on tour, you live that. I sleep a lot. I drink a lot of water. I really live to sing. That's my job, so I better do it good. When I'm home, it's a lot harder to sing for the occassional show. It's harder to maintain."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Owens is currently in a new band called KK'S PRIEST with ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", was released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records

ANTHRAX's Frank Bello has commented on the band's 1992 split with singer Joey Belladonna, saying "it was tough, but at that time that needed to happen." The bassist reflected on Belladonna's exit while chatting to Eonmusic about his just-published autobiography "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons - Surviving Anguish, Abandonment And Anthrax". Frank also spoke about how much his loves both eras of the band: the Belladonna years, and the John Bush period, which ran from 1992 until 2005.

Said Bello: "I see ANTHRAX as two different bands — as a fan, not only as a bandmember. I just think they're two different bands that I'm a big fan of. I really love all the songs from each band. With John, you have a different voice — you have more of a raspy voice — and Joey's got the cleaner [tone]."

Going on to talk about the Bush-fronted catalog, Bello said: "I really enjoy — now I can listen to it — seeing John. I love John. This is all a family thing, you know what I mean? Sometimes families separate and come back. With John Bush, that was a good time in our life."

He continued: "We came back with Joey, this is the ANTHRAX that we know and love, and I love the John Bush ANTHRAX, so for me, it's a win-win. People have their favorites — I get it — but for me, both are my favorites because I think there's such a great catalog of music, and I really enjoyed both terms."

When asked how it was for him, personally, when Belladonna departed, he admitted: "It was tough. Nobody wants to make that move. It was a very tough time in the band. But you know what, at that time, that needed to happen."

Finally, when asked what his favorite Bush-era tracks are, Frank offered: "'Room For One More', 'Only'. There's the big ones. There's just so many. The thing is, I'm proud to say in my band, ANTHRAX, there's a plethora of songs that I would love to play. 'Inside Out', I love that song. It's just a fun song, it's heavy as hell, it punches you in the face. There's so many like that. I can go back and look at these records, and for me, when I think of these songs it brings be back to the studio time and then the writing of it. We've had nothing but great times in the history, writing this stuff and recording them."

Read the entire in-depth chat at Eonmusic.

Back in March 2010 — just a couple of months before Belladonna rejoined ANTHRAX — ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian and his wife Pearl Aday appeared on an episode of VH1's "That Metal Show" and took part in the program's "The Throwdown" feature, where the guests and the hosts debated who was the best singer for ANTHRAX: Bush or Belladonna. Countering co-host Eddie Trunk's point that ANTHRAX was in a unique position with Belladonna in the band of being able to "play incredible speed metal" while having "someone who could sing like a bird," Ian said: "We didn't need a bird; we needed a lion." After Pearl offered that she was a "huge fan" of "The Greater Of Two Evils", a collection of re-recorded older ANTHRAX tunes with Bush on vocals instead of Belladonna, Ian said: "And that's the way we, as ANTHRAX, wanted to hear those songs."

Belladonna, whose most recent return to ANTHRAX was officially announced in May 2010, was originally the lead singer of ANTHRAX from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the band's classic lineup (alongside Dan Spitz, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante), which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. His voice was featured on over 10 albums, which reportedly sold eight million copies worldwide.

Speaking to Radio Metal in August 2011, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante was asked about Ian's "That Metal Show" comments. He said: "I think Scott had to eat some of the words he said about that. But he only said that because I think he left things off with Joey kind of bad, and their relationship wasn't very well back then when he said that. And I think Scott just harbored some ill feelings towards Joey and I think that's kind of why he made that statement, you kn

Yngwie Malmsteen has once again praised Eddie Van Halen, saying the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist "changed everything."

The 58-year-old Swedish axeman, who is promoting his latest album, "Parabellum", discussed Eddie's impact on guitar playing during a live YouTube chat with fans on Thursday (October 21).

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What can you say about Eddie? I mean, he changed everything. I had already been playing for a while when I heard him. And it was a complete, like, it was, like, 'Wow!' The whole band, when it came out — the first [VAN HALEN] album. Everybody I knew would hack up their Strats and put humbuckers and start tapping and stuff like this. I didn't wanna do that, because that's Eddie and let Eddie be Eddie. But he influenced me in other ways — just to be spontaneous, which I've always been anyway.

"The way they made those first two albums, I loved everything about it. It was so live-in-the-studio kind of thing. And I really love that. It was great — the whole thing.

"Eddie was amazing. God bless him. Amazing. There aren't enough words, really."

Back in May, Yngwie spoke to Aftershocks TV about how he was compared to Eddie early in his career. Asked if he felt the comparisons were justified, Yngwie: "I don't believe in comparing anybody with anybody, because it's supposed to be an artform. However, in art, in any art, there will be trendsetters, basically — there will be people who come around and kind of, like, turn everything upside down, and Edward was definitely one of them. And I brought something different to the table also.

"I personally loved Eddie Van Halen — I thought he was amazing," Yngwie continued. "I loved everything he did since the first time I heard him. But I don't think it's a logical thing to compare artists. It's like [comparing Pablo] Picasso and [Leonardo] Da Vinci, which are completely different styles, but they're very well-regarded artists in their own right. It's a crazy thing to do."

Back in 2019, Malmsteen named Van Halen as one of the 10 guitarists who impressed him the most.

"I was 13 years old when that first fuckin' [VAN HALEN] album came out and it definitely caught my attention," Yngwie told Music Radar. "I wasn't into guitar players back then; it was all about classical. But what I loved about them was the rawness of it all — no overdubs; they just went in and fucking did it.

"He didn't have a Floyd Rose for those early records; it was just a vintage Fender bridge. I found those kind of locking vibrato arms kills the sound of the guitar. I use vintage trems and float my bridges quite a bit — usually about 5mm up so you can pull up, but not the whole way. Eddie's tone was great: just a 1959 Marshall all the way up and nothing turned down."

"Parabellum" was released in July via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that Vince Neil is "on the mend" after breaking his ribs during a concert earlier in the month.

Fan-filmed video showed the 60-year-old CRÜE singer walking to the front of the stage while performing with his solo band on October 15 at the Monsters On The Mountain festival at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. With his guitar strapped around him, Neil was encouraging the crowd to clap along while playing the 1989 MÖTLEY CRÜE hit "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" when he suddenly fell and dropped out of the camera's view almost instantly.

TMZ later reported that there was a small gap between the speaker and the stage that Neil didn't notice. His roadie and a security guy helped him get to his feet, and Vince "limped away."

Now, in a new interview with Billboard, Sixx said the festival crew didn't put down reflective tape to mark the edge of the stage, which led to the fall.

"Without that, it's all completely black, so you can walk forward thinking there's still stage there and fall off," Sixx explained. "I've done that myself. Vince and I were laughing about one time we both fell off the stage at the same show. But he was really lucky. He said if it wasn't a song that he was playing rhythm guitar on it could've been his head, which would've been a worse injury. The guitar broke his fall. But he'll heal up and we'll be ready to go on tour [with MÖTLEY CRÜE] in June."

According to Nikki, he and his CRÜE bandmates are looking foreard to "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, which was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This tour's been (postponed) twice," he said. "We just didn't have enough information at the time, with protocols and all, to go and do a stadium tour. We're all feeling good about it now, and we can't wait, man."

This past May, Neil apologized to fans at his first pandemic-era performance when he began losing his voice several songs into his set.

Last month, Vince revealed that he was trying out a new toning machine in an apparent effort to get in shape for "The Stadium Tour". The singer said he was using Emsculpt Neo, a revolutionary new treatment which supposedly builds muscle and reduces fat using both radio frequency and high-intensity electromagnetic energies.

It's not clear how long Neil will need to recover from his injuries, but Mayo Clinic claims broken ribs usually heal on their own in one or two months.






That explains why I lost track of him in this video. I apparently captured the fall at the end of this clip. Totally agree that he looked great and was singing great. Hope the X-rays are clear and you bounce back quickly @thevinceneil pic.twitter.com/jfWT6c3rVb

— Darrell Jenkins (@bigdoftn) October 16, 2021








So, Vince Neil took the stage tonight and into the third song he fell off the stage and broke his ribs.

Check it out

Posted by Joe Wintrow on Friday, October 15, 2021





Breaking News from Metal Sludge!

Vince Neil has fallen at tonight’s Monsters on the Mountain festival and is being taken to a local area hospital now. pic.twitter.com/ahERWH34jr

— metalsludge (@MetalSludge) October 16, 2021

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's October 23 performance at Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, Washington can be seen below.

For the past four and a half years, Casey Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE's original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

As previously reported, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against the band's fellow original members Michael Wilton (guitar) and Eddie Jackson (bass) two weeks ago, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.

In the complaint, which has been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Rockenfield claims that he took paternal leave of absence from QUEENSRŸCHE in February 2017 after his fiancée experienced complications during the birth of their son and had to have an emergency Cesarean delivery. According to the drummer, his leave of absence was approved by the members of QUEENSRŸCHE and he was to retain an equal one-third interest in all QUEENSRŸCHE companies (QR Companies), including Tri-Ryche Corporation, Melodisc LTD., Queensryche Merchandising, Inc., EMS Music, LLC and Queensryche Holdings, LLC.

Scott alleges that or about October 11, 2018, Wilton and Jackson purportedly "voted to dismiss Rockenfield from the QR Companies due in whole or in part to his taking of approved family leave. Rockenfield was informed of his purported dismissal from the QR Companies in a letter dated November 3, 2018."

Rockfenfield also claims that Wilton and Jackson did not include him in the recording QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "The Verdict", "despite his availability and willingness to participate."

The drum tracks on "The Verdict" were laid down by QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre.

Last week, QUEENSRŸCHE's Michael Wilton confirmed that guitarist Mike Stone will likely contribute guitar solos to the band's next studio album.

Since late May, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.
















Preshow with Queensrÿche! Shoutout to 102.5 KZOK: The Classic Rock Station’s Waldo for hanging with the guys before they hit the stage tonight!

Posted by Snoqualmie Casino on Saturday, October 23, 2021

Slash says that GUNS N' ROSES has yet to begin writing new material after recently releasing two reworked songs from the "Chinese Democracy"-era sessions.

Last month, the guitarist and his bandmates dropped "Hard Skool", which came more than a month after their performance and subsequent official release of "Absurd", a reworking of GUNS N' ROSES previously unreleased "Silkworms".

Slash, who is promoting the upcoming "4" album from his solo band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, discussed the status of new GUNS N' ROSES music while speaking to Audacy Check In host Remy Maxwell.

"As far as new GUNS is concerned, we haven't even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down and writing," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We've been doing a lot of material that's been sort of sitting around for a while. So that will be a whole focused endeavor unto itself."

As for how "Hard Skool" and "Absurd" came about, Slash said: "They both have a lot of history. What happened was Axl [Rose, GUNS singer] has all these songs that he recorded at some point along the way. And so Duff [McKagan, GUNS bassist] and I went in and re-did them, basically… Like, I wrote my own kind of parts to what else is going on, and [we] just sort of took the drums and re-did everything else."

Written by Rose and co-produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo, "Hard Skool", which had the working title "Jackie Chan", was originally recorded during GN'R's "Chinese Democracy" era but was eventually omitted from that album. Short clips of the song were later posted online and a full version was leaked in August 2019.

On "Hard Skool", Axl sings: "But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way/Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away/Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay/ If that were true, it wouldn't matter anyway."

"Hard Skool" is the title track of a new GUNS N' ROSES four-song EP which will be released on February 25, 2022. The effort, which is exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES official store, contains the two new songs the band released in the last two months — "Hard Skool" and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

"Hard Skool" EP track listing:

01. Hard Skool

02. ABSUЯD

03. Don't Cry (Live)

04. You're Crazy (Live)

"Absurd" came out on August 6, three days after GUNS N' ROSES performed the tune live for the first time during its concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

GUNS N' ROSES last performed "Silkworms", which was also reportedly written during the "Chinese Democracy" sessions, in 2001.

If and when it happens, the new GUNS N' ROSES studio album will be the first under the GUNS banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.

In a new interview with Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X, FOO FIGHTERS mainman Dave Grohl was asked how he knows when a song he is working on is "done" and ready for release. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you get sick of it. Well, in a way. I don't like spending too much time on anything in the studio. It's, like, usually the first few takes, that's got the thing that you want — even if it's imperfect. It's, like, you get in there and the energy of it, and it's fresh and it's new and you hit 'record' and you go blast through something. I like working on things until it's powerful and it's worth other people hearing. But, dude, I'll get to the point sometimes with songs where I'm, like, 'All right. I'm out of love. That's it. I'm out of love with this song. We're done. That's it.'"

Grohl's memoir "The Storyteller: Tales Of Life And Music", was released on October 5 via Dey Street Books and Simon & Schuster. In the book, Grohl shares what it was like growing up as a kid with big dreams in Springfield, Virginia, and how he lived out those dreams making music on the world stage. The book features anecdotes about David Bowie, Joan Jett, Iggy Pop and Paul McCartney, as well as stories about the time he played drums for Tom Petty, went swing dancing with AC/DC, and performed at the White House.

Regarding how he chose what to include in "The Storyteller", Grohl said in a recent trailer for the book: "I could write an entire book about the band SCREAM. I could write an entire book about my time in NIRVANA. The idea was to choose the stories that best described what it's like to be behind the curtain and on the inside of the music, from the drum stool looking out. To play music, have this beautiful family, travel the world, meet people from all walks of life, I never take any of this for granted, believe me."

In a recent interview with Austin American-Statesman, Grohl said that "The Storyteller" might just be the first of many volumes. "It was so much fun, and I can't wait to do more," he said. "When I hit send on that last story in the book, I was sad. I thought, oh no, it's over? I guess that is the tip of the iceberg. I want to keep going."

In a brand new interview with the "Breaking Absolutes With Peter Orullian" podcast, KING'S X frontman Doug "dUg" Pinnick spoke about the tension and polarization in the news and in social media and how people consume what they want to hear and reject what they don't like.

"A lot that goes on in my mind all the time when it comes to my relationships with people is always to understand where they're coming from so I can understsand what they're doing instead of getting mad or upset and we can articulate how we feel so that we can learn to live with each other in a way that doesn't have conflict," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And I'm always searching for new ways to make peace — find out a friendship, I call it; I wrote a song about it a long time ago. And my whole life has been that, is how do you become good friends with people? You get to know 'em, you get to understand 'em, you get to love 'em."

He continued: "I was comfortable being able to get with people and agree and disagree and everybody's fine, and I felt like I was happy about it; I was having lots less drama and stuff. And all of a sudden, algorithm comes in, and all of a sudden all of us are watching our YouTube or our phones or whatever, and Big Brother, he's watching everything that we do and then he feeds us everything that we keep looking at. And this is how many years — 10 years or so since all this started happening. So we got people to a point where there is not one person who is on the phone that has the same reality as you — not one person. And anything that you think of, you can find a community that will embrace you and ask you to come live with them and embrace their belief until you're consumed with it. And then, all of a sudden, you don't trust anyone and we've gone back to tribes. That's what the Internet has done — it's created tribes like when we were cavemen."

Pinnick went on to say that the problem with social media — which amp up moral and emotional messages while organizing people into digital communities based on tribal conflicts — is unlikely to improve any time soon.

"I don't know any way out," he said. "At this point, I don't see any way out. Even if they shut all our computers off, we've already got our tribes. And none of them are ever gonna be open to an outside influence. Let's start with religion all the way down. It's over. The only thing I believe that can change is a flood or an alien invasion, where we all drop our guard and go fight for humanity — some unifying crisis."

Pinnick released his fifth solo album, "Joy Bomb", on October 15 via Rat Pak Records.

Doug is known first and foremost as the soulful singer and bassist for hard rockers KING'S X. Throughout the band's lengthy and legendary career, KING'S X released twelve albums and influenced the likes of PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN, DREAM THEATER, PANTERA, and many more. Throughout the early 21st century, Pinnick remained the "go-to singer" of rock — as evidenced by his appearance on recordings by first-rate rockers including Jeff Ament, Eric Gales, George Lynch, Ray Luzier, and many more. Doug has issued other solo albums under his own name, including 2005's "Emotional Animal", 2006's "Songs From The Closet", 2007's "Strum Sum Up", and 2013's "Naked".

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, ALICE IN CHAINS co-founder Jerry Cantrell, who is promoting the upcoming release of his solo album "Brighten", was asked if songwriting gets easier or harder over time. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's always hard. Some things [come relatively easy] — it's really rare, actually, and it happens. There's a couple of records on this record that are like that, and you'll have a few of those per project that happen pretty quickly and really spontaneously. Most of the time, it's a grind, and it's a grind with looking at an abyss, like, 'What the hell am I gonna come up with now?' [Laughs] And that's kind of the challenge. I think that's what I like about it — because you're not sure if you can pull it off again. It's just a very human look at it.

"I've always operated, and the guys in ALICE have always kind of come at it in a way, and I think it's a really healthy way, and we've heard this expressed by other artists, and we've taken that leap: you cannot rely on previous success; you cannot re-write a song or re-write a record," he continued. "So it is done. So every time you start, it's gotta be from an absolute zero. You have to trust in the fact that you're gonna be you and you're gonna come through, and if you're lucky enough to have some sort of identifiable sound that people have enjoyed in the past, you can trust in the fact that that's gonna be there. So what it really comes down to is what it's always been about for us, which is pleasing ourselves — like, is this something we're excited about? Are we making something that if we weren't in this band we would listen to and go, 'That's fucking good.' That's who we're trying to please. Obviously, we want people to listen to it and want it to connect to a larger audience than just ourselves. But it's gotta start there first; it's gotta cross that bridge before it gets to anybody else."

"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.

Jerry recently told Kerrang! magazine that "Brighten" contains "a lot of influence from the stuff I grew up listening to, like classic rock and singer-songwriter stuff of the '60s, '70s and even some of the '80s. I also used a lot of voices and instruments that I don't traditionally use in a heavy way and it's really fucking cool," he said.

Airforce guitarist Chop Pitman and drummer Doug Sampson, who sat behind the kit for Iron Maiden from 1977-1979, were recently interviewed by Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice. 


The two spoke about their upcoming U.K. tour supporting Steve Harris' British Lion, their new live album Live Locked N' Loaded, and re-recording the Iron Maiden classic "Strange World" for their upcoming new album, also as a charity single to assist former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno. An excerpt has been transcribed as follows:


"We are working on a version of 'Strange World' that is something in the pipeline. It's all in the early stages, we got demo ideas for it. So probably after we come back from Steve's British Lion tour we will start thinking about getting some work done on it and start laying down some tracks on it," revealed Doug Sampson.




"The re-recording of 'Strange World' will be on the upcoming new Airforce album. We are also trying to  re-release it (as a single) to help Paul (Di'Anno) with the operation, as a download. It would be nice if we could get Stave Harris to sanction it, to say I endorse it.  Whatever we could do, we will do. We will play for free for Paul just to get him up and about. We are going to take out time and make sure we do it right. First thing I have done was to phone up Steve and I tell him I am doing a version of 'Strange World', it's a track that Iron Maiden does not do any more and it's a track people associate with Paul Di'Anno. And he went, yeah yeah great. I said I will do a version and send it to you. listen to it and let me know what you think  and Steve liked it, which is good. Dave Sullivan (Iron Maiden guitarist 1975-76) got involved, he phoned me up, quite excited about it and then Terry Rance (Iron Maiden guitarist 1975-76) phoned me up and he got quite excited about it. So we are planning to have Doug Sampson, Dave Sullivan, Terry Rance and Paul (Di'Anno) on it, that is a big thing. It's a different version of the track, nothing like the original and more up to date," said Chop Pitman.





 

Originally released in March 1992, Slik Toxik's Juno Award winning debut album, Doin' The Nasty, will see an official digital release through Universal Music on November 5th. Details will be made available in the coming week. Stay tuned.





Doin' The Nasty reached #61 in Canada and was certified gold by the CRIA. "Helluvatime", "By The Fireside", "White Lies, Black Truth", and "Sweet Asylum" were released as singles and they all had accompanying music videos. The album won the 1993 Juno Award for Best Rock Album Of The Year. At the 1992 MuchMusic Video Awards, the "Helluvatime" video won the People's Choice Award for Best Video of the Year and Best Metal Video Award.

Toronto's Scarlet Sins, who called it quits in 2009 after several years together and only one album (released in 2008), reunited in 2019 for two shows. They also hinted at the possibility of new music in the future. Now, they have checked in with the following update:


"After many of you reached out to us to make our songs available for streaming, we are super excited to let you know that our first album is finally available on Spotify, Apple, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora and more! We now have a place to distribute new music!


You can also now add our music to your Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook stories! Please remember to tag us if you do!" 




Scarlet Sins performed two reunion shows in late 2019, on October 19th and November 2nd in Ottawa and Toronto respectively. Video of the band performing "Let Go", "Own Truth", "Reborn" and Scarlet Sins' cover of Depeche Mode's "Strangelove" at the Toronto show is available below.

















Photo by: Laura Collins Photography

METALLICA has given away a rare autographed copy of "The Black Album" remastered deluxe box set. This rare band-autographed copy of the black album remastered deluxe box set is raising funds for the METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation as it works to create sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

Fandiem is a digital fundraising platform that harnesses the power of the fan community to do good in the world. With their donation to a selected nonprofit, fans are entered to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences with their favorite artists, festivals, athletes, and creators. These are the opportunities that were previously available only to a select few but through fandiem are awarded to the everyday fan at the heart of the community.

The Fandiem foundation is a project of the giving back fund, a national 501c3 organization that encourages and facilitates charitable giving. the giving back fund grants donation proceeds to each campaign's partner nonprofit.

Says Fandiem: "Where were you when you first heard one of rock's greatest albums of all time? probably headbanging to songs like 'Enter Sandman' and 'Sad But True'. Now you can do it again with an extremely rare METALLICA autographed copy of the limited-edition Black Album remastered deluxe box set. the set is signed by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo. This epic collector's item includes previously unreleased content, behind-the-scenes photos in a hardcover book, cool merch, and more! One superfan will get a chance to keep this signed memento forever. We know. It's awesome.

"What's just as awesome? Supporting causes that make lives better around the world. that's why each entry to win is also a donation toward METALLICA's own All Within My Hands foundation. The organization was started by members of the band and is dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical services.

"Enter here to win a piece of METALLICA history and support lives nationwide.

This exclusive fundraiser ends on Monday, November 1, 2021.

CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin had the audience at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, Arizona on its feet Thursday night (October 21) when he welcomed 12-year-old TikTok star Vedder Gabriel on stage to perform the band's hit song "Far Behind".

Martin and Gabriel had met previously on Instagram, which later led to a rockin' TikTok duet that caught the attention of thousands of fans. Martin quickly invited Gabriel on stage to perform the song, which led to a standing ovation.

Gabriel, who was named for Eddie Vedder, was only seven years old when he was plucked from the audience by Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto to join him on "Night Of The Hunter" at 30 SECONDS TO MARS's inaugural Camp Mars music festival in Malibu, California. He has since sung "Tennessee Whiskey" with Chris Stapleton, "Know Your Enemy" with GREEN DAY, "Dead And Bloated" with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and "Last Time For Everything" with Brad Paisley, among others.

Asked in a 2018 interview with the Arizona Republic how Vedder manages to find himself on stage as often as he does, his father said: "He's fortunate. He's crawling up me higher to see and every cell in his body is screaming every word to every song."

His mother concurred, saying: "Even when he was that little, if he knew he was going to a concert, he would find the set list somehow and master the songs. He would listen to them and try to remember them."

Vedder himself explained it: "I learn all their music and all their songs and if they need me, I'm ready."

Gabriel is actually Vedder's middle name but it's become his stage name.

CANDLEBOX is currently wrapping up its fall tour in support of its latest album, "Wolves".


























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Halloween couldn't kick-off properly this year without a Halloween Sock Puppet Parody video; This year, Alice Cooper gets the sock puppet treatment with a spin-off of the track "Feed My Frankenstein" from the 1991 album "Hey Stoopid". The video features a "Frankensock" rocking the lead guitar, fashioned from what we assume is the body parts of other clothing garments. The video stylizes Cooper from wardrobe down to signature stage stunts, such as a guillotine cutting the sock puppet's head off.

Director Brady Tulk and producer Johnny Zero-Forever teamed up with musical talent RIVETHEAD to knock it out and this video certainly does not sock.

Sock Puppet Parody has created many tributes to bands such as METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, and more. The outfit is currently in pre-production for a long-awaited season three which will begin filming early 2021 and includes a dozen new parody acts.

Back in 2019, Tulk told VoyageDallas about Sock Puppet Parody: "It's a YouTube series that takes iconic bands and turns them into sock puppets. Our team does not cut corners. We not only create the music from the ground up, but we strive to stay true to the last detail. We research the band thoroughly to pay a tribute to the artists and we film it with the best production value we can. We take the concept of the song and apply sock related lyrics.

"We have caught the attention of the bands theirselves, from SLAYER posting our video, to PANTERA's Vinnie Paul making a cameo, to getting a seal of approval from SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor."

Regarding how Sock Puppet Parody was conceived, Tulk said: "I met a producer named Johnny Zero on the RIVETHEAD set. We eventually went to a concert together and saw the iconic band STATIC-X and the frontman, Wayne Static, had his hair in foot-long spikes and his long beard braided. Johnny and I knew STATIC-X would make for a fantastic sock puppet re-creation. We teamed up and decided to not just do one video, but do six episodes to see if they catch on. We knew there was something special about the concept, and we wanted to see how people would react.

"The pivotal moment for Sock Puppet Parody was when we uploaded a SLAYER parody to our YouTube channel. That day we were posted by numerous metal magazines with thousands of fans leading up to the band posting our video to their Facebook. In one day, over one hundred thousand people saw our video. It was an unbelievable experience.

"Since then, Johnny and I have been cultivating our audience and growing the brand."

TikTok announced today that the music of LED ZEPPELIN is now available to its community. The band has also launched their own official TikTok account (@ledzeppelin) that will feature LED ZEPPELIN artwork and graphics, classic live performances, and other video content.

TikTok users can now create videos soundtracked to any song from LED ZEPPELIN's full discography, encompassing over 100 total songs across their landmark studio and live albums, including some of their most legendary tracks such as "Whole Lotta Love", "Stairway To Heaven", "Immigrant Song", "Rock And Roll", "Black Dog", "Ramble On" and "Kashmir".

LED ZEPPELIN remains one of the most groundbreaking and popular groups in modern music, having sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. The band was founded in 1968 by Jimmy Page. Along with Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, they began a 12-year reign during which the group was widely considered to be the biggest and most innovative rock band in the world. November 8 marks the 50th anniversary of their milestone fourth album "Led Zeppelin IV", produced by Page, which continues to be one of the most artistically influential and commercially successful albums in the history of music and the sixth best-selling album of all time in the U.S. LED ZEPPELIN continues to be honored for its pivotal role in music history, counting a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Polar Music Prize among its many accolades.

LED ZEPPELIN released only eight studio albums and no singles over the course of its 12-year career, but to date there are more than 1,000 singles and 2,000 LPs in the market.

LED ZEPPELIN's December 10, 2007 performance during the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert was chronicled on the band's 2012 "Celebration Day" CD and DVD. The set, which featured Jason Bonham subbing for his late father John Bonham on drums, marked Plant, Page and Jones's first full-scale show together since John Bonham's 1980 death.

Check out LED ZEPPELIN on TikTok here

SCORPIONS have unveiled the cover artwork for their new single, "Peacemaker". The track, which was originally scheduled for release on October 21, will now arrive on November 4.

The band said: "Here it is: the Peacemaker Cover Artwork! This photo captures perfectly how we feel as a band. So excited for you all to hear the new single. Pre-save it now to hear an exclusive snippet of the song!"

"Peacemaker" is the first single from SCORPIONS' 19th studio album, "Rock Believer", which will be issued on February 11, 2022.

During the pandemic the band retreated to the studio in their German hometown in Hanover and started working on new songs.

"The album was written and recorded in the SCORPIONS DNA with core [Rudolf] Schenker/[Klaus] Meine compositions," said singer Klaus Meine. "We recorded the album as a band live in one room, like we did in the '80s."

"Rock Believer" was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS' new album will mark their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

Meine previously told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce "Rock Believer" was to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."

According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP features "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

SCORPIONS will kick off their "Rock Believer" world tour in March 2022 in Las Vegas where the band will play nine shows as part of their residency at Planet Hollywood Hotel. Afterwards they will cross the Atlantic to Europe where they will play six concerts in France and six shows In Germany supported by Wolfgang Van Halen's new band MAMMOTH WVH.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.
























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New supergroup CORRODED SPIRAL — comprised of SEPULTURA co-founder Igor "Iggor" Cavalera, Venezuelan electronic producer Cardopusher, and Dwid Hellion, founder of hardcore punk trailblazers INTEGRITY — will release its debut EP, "Ancient Nocturnal Summoning", digitally on December 3 through Phantom Limb.

The trio's debut release crosses the boundaries of new wave, black metal, hardcore, industrial and EBM, a sum of decades of experience and powerful musicality from bona fide giants of their respective fields. Its three members contribute not just stylistic influence but three unique voices and a boundless ocean of abilities.

"CORRODED SPIRAL is a collaborative creation of different ideas, pushing the limits of our outputs, puzzled together during this doomed time of isolation,” explains Cavalera. "An aural assault."

Listen to "Forgotten Ether", the first taster from the EP, below. The uncompromising track evolves from air raid wails and inhuman screaming to tribal percussion and piercing squeals, its merciless pressure always threatening to detonate deep within the brain...

"Ancient Nocturnal Summoning" captures the intensity, horror and supernatural dread of its title. Its darkness is more creative and more demanding than distorted riffs or blast beats; instead, it is raw, spiritual, apocalyptic, and occasionally illuminated with sparks of melody that shimmer within a suffocating blackness. A seething tension that excavates deep, dark fissures of the soul. Title track "Ancient Nocturnal Summoning" haunts such recesses, its ghostly vocal lines drowning beneath howling sirens of broken synthesis and a relentless industrial beat. "Through The Eyes of Madness" invokes insanity with billowing ash clouds of noise and static, a crushing, doom-laden descent into terror destined to annihilate speaker systems. While "Resulting Fragments Splinter Existence" runs like a destroyed new wave piece, a departure from the sonic obliteration of the previous track but an intense experience in a very different way. Hellish growls underline mutated synth arps, over a beat that could be danceable if it were not so claustrophobic.

"Ancient Nocturnal Summoning" track listing:

01. Ancient Nocturnal Summoning

02. Through The Eyes Of Madness

03. Resulting Fragments Splinter Existence

04. Forgotten Ether

Listen to track "Forgotten Ether" below.

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their son (who was born in January 2006).

In 1996, Igor's brother, frontman Max Cavalera, exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band split with Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

For a decade and a half, Igor has been part of the MIXHELL DJ/hip-hop/electro project with his wife Laima Leyton.

Two years ago, Igor teamed up with Wayne Adams (BIG LAD, DEATH PEDALS, JOHNNY BROKE) to form the PETBRICK project. The band's debut album, "I", was released in October 2019 via Closed Casket Activities in the U.S.

Igor's other current musical projects include CAVALERA CONSPIRACY (alongside Max) and SOULWAX.

Venezuela's Cardopusher (producer Luis Garban) is a collaborator of Arca, Boys Noize and Rosalía, among others. His pursuit of uncompromising production and pounding rhythms stems from a background in rave culture and an early immersion in Caracas's underground electronic scene.

Belgium-based U.S. musician Dwid Hellion is known for his work with peerless early hardcore / metal sonic explorers INTEGRITY, paving a path for generations of bands to follow in entwining their battery with elements of noise, industrial and experimental music. Dwid also produces "apocalyptic harsh noise" under his Psywarfare solo alias since the 1990s.

Ancient Nocturnal Summoning by Corroded Spiral

Till Lindemann, industrial metal genius, frontman and voice of RAMMSTEIN, and three-time ECHO Award winner, will embark on a solo European tour, dubbed "Ich Hasse Kinder" (English translation: "I Hate Kids"), in January.

So far, the following shows have been announced:

Jan. 18 - Kiev, Ukraine @ Stereo Plaza

Jan. 20 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ EXPO-Aréna

Jan. 22 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Tipsport Arena

Jan. 23 - Tallinn, Estonia @ Tondiraba Ice Hall

Jan. 26 - Novossibirsk, Russia @ Mvk "Novosibirsk Ekspotsentr"

Jan. 28 - Moscow, Russia @ Adrenaline Stadium

This past June, Lindemann released a short movie titled "Ich Hasse Kinder". The film, which was directed by Serghey Grey and produced by Lindemann and Anar Reiband, can be seen below.

The "Ich Hasse Kinder" short movie arrived a month after the release of Till's single of the same name. In May, Lindemann also issued a music video for the orchestral version of his "Lubimiy Gorod" solo single, sung entirely in Russian, for the original motion picture "Devyatayev", which came out in late April. Translated as "Beloved Town", the piano-led ballad was composed by Yevgeniy Dolmatovsky (lyrics) and Nikita Bogoslovsky. It was originally performed by Mark Bernes in 1939.

"Devyatayev", directed by Timur Bekmambetov, is about the Soviet pilot Mikhail Devyatayev, who was captured by Germany during World War II. He leads an escape from a concentration camp on the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea by hijacking an aircraft.

LINDEMANN, the project featuring vocalist Till and Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN), released a concert film, "Live In Moscow", on May 21 on Blu-ray. The set includes professionally filmed video footage of LINDEMANN's March 15, 2020 performance at Moscow, Russia's VTB Arena.

Last November, Lindemann and Tägtgren confirmed that they were ending their collaboration on the LINDEMANN project.

LINDEMANN's second album, "F & M", was released in November 2019. The follow-up to 2015's "Skills In Pills" was once again produced and mixed by Tägtgren.

"Skills In Pills" reached gold status in Germany and was entirely in English. On the second opus, Lindemann went back to singing exclusively in German.

LINDEMANN had received some criticism due to its use of pornography during its second album cycle, with the music video for "Platz Eins" described by one site as "full-on art porn — slick and stylish, weird and experimental, and definitely X-rated."

This past February, RAMMSTEIN keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz confirmed that the band recorded a new studio album during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last October, RAMMSTEIN revealed that it had returned to La Fabrique studios in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, in the south of France. At the time, the band wrote in a social media post: "Sadly no tour this year - but it's great to be back in the studio!"

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.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has announced its first European tour since early 2020. Kicking off at Nova Rock festival in Austria in June, the Las Vegas-based metallers will perform throughout the continent, bringing their incendiary shows to festivals and arenas in 19 cities in 16 countries.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH European tour dates 2022:

Jun. 12 - Nova Rock, Nickelsdorf, Austria

Jun. 14 - Sparkassenpark, Moenchengladbach, Germany

Jun. 15 - Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany

Jun. 17 - Hellfest, Clisson, France

Jun. 18 - Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, Belgium

Jun. 20 - Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland

Jun. 22 - Prague Rocks, Prague, Czech Republic

Jun. 24 - Download, Hockenheim Ring, Germany

Jun. 25 - Tons Of Rock, Halden, Norway

Jun. 27 - Goransson Arena, Sandviken, Sweden

Jun. 28 - Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark

Jun. 29 - Frauenfeld Rocks, Frauenfeld, Switzerland

Jul. 02 - Tasmajdan, Belgrade, Serbia

Jul. 05 - Budapest Arena, Budapest, Hungary

Jul. 11 - Saku Arena, Tallinn, Estonia

Jul. 12 - A2, St. Petersburg, Russia

Jul. 08 - 26th - Parklive Festival, Moscow, Russia

Jul. 16 - U Park Festival, Kiev, Ukraine

MEGADETH, which previously joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH as special guest on the latter band's headlining tour across Europe in early 2020, will again provide support in Berlin, Moenchengladbach and Rotterdam.

VIP packages are available now and general onsale will take place at 10 a.m. local time on Friday, October 29.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH performed for the first time in a year and a half on August 20 at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.

The band recently entered the Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada to begin recording its new album for a 2022 release. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has commenced re-recording its debut LP, 2007's "The Way Of The Fist", for its 15th anniversary.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's upcoming album will be the group's first with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook last year. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction - Volume 2", which came out last fall.

Each of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first six albums — "The Way of the Fist", 2009's "War Is The Answer", 2011's "American Capitalist", 2013's "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1" and "Volume 2", and 2015's "Got Your Six" — has gone either gold or platinum in the U.S.

The band has had two dozen songs hit the Top 10 on the Mainstream Rock or Hard Rock Digital charts, starting with "The Bleeding". FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 2010 cover of BAD COMPANY's "Bad Company" was certified platinum for accumulating a million certified units.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's No. 1 hits include "Coming Down", "Lift Me Up", "Battle Born", "Wash It All Away", "Sham Pain", "When The Seasons Change" and "Blue On Black".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's most recent album, 2020's "F8", debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the U.S., Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. "F8" features No. 1 hit singles "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off", "Living The Dream" and "Darkness Settles In".