Punishing noise levels are a natural force among metal’s various habitats. But after hearing the roar of chainsaws tear through Costa Rica’s rain forest, two angry metalheads are banging their heads together to protect our ecosystems.


Savage Lands is co-operated by Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren and musician-turned-activist Sylvain Demercastel. Since its founding in 2022, the U.S.-based 501 (c) (3) non-profit has preserved 100,000 square feet of Costa Rican forest using the money from their music. 100% of the royalties from the organization’s debut album, Army Of The Trees, support their ongoing preservation projects in Costa Rica and other countries.


Debut album, Army Of The Trees, comes out February 15 via Season of Mist. Watch the video for the album’s anthemic title track, which features stars from across the French metal scene, below. Pre-order/pre-save the album here.




Like the trees of the rain forest, Savage Lands are supported by many different branches.


On the ground, the organization partners with scientists, forest engineers, ecological parks, private businesses and other local non-profits. Their Green Alliance has led to more than 11,000 trees being planted in deforested areas along the Costa Rican coastline thanks to the help of 1,200 volunteers. They also partner with global conservation leaders like the Jane Goodall Institute.


“Nature is music. Trees are music”, said the world famous scientist, who is working together with the metal non-profit on preservation projects in Africa and France.


Collaboration also fuels Savage Lands’ creative drive. Army Of The Trees introduces several species of metalhead into the band’s natural environment. The album features Alissa White-Gluz, Lord Of The Lost and other movers and shakers from across the metal industry. While the title track boasts a wild ranging guest list, its anthemic energy comes from the organization’s earliest roots.


The foundation of Savage Lands was three decades in the making. Dirk and Sylvain first met in France during the late ’90s, when they both played in the socially conscious thrash metal band Artsonic. While Dirk went on to join Soilwork and Megadeth, the country has continued to support their joint conservation efforts. Hellfest pledged to donate 1 million Euro to Savage Lands after the band performed on the main stage at this year’s festival with familiar faces from Napalm Death, Biohazard, Body Count, The Gathering and their core members in French metalcore exploders Black Bomb A and Chicano crossover punks Loco Muerte.


“That’s one of the beautiful things about Savage Lands”, Sylvain says. “As a band, we’re not limited to just one genre. We can adapt to boost the strengths of whoever is joining us”.


"Army Of The Trees” packs more Francophone force. Eight pillars from the French metal scene join Savage Lands in the fight to protect the world’s ecosystems. Niko of Tagada Jones throws lyrical haymakers while Loco Muerte’s Steeven Corsini spins a blazing rap between drums that pound like the forces of the jungle. Auré Jäger (Akiavel), David Sidilarsen and the mighty Julien Truchan from Benighted flex their beastly growls. The ghostly video is a chilling reminder of what’s at stake, but the fiery guitar solos from Sylvain, Stéphane Buriez (Loudblast) and Viber (Sidilarsen) put more than enough bite behind Savage Lands’ fierce rallying cry. “Now is the time to take a stand“.


“Our goals are attainable,” Sylvain and Dirk say. “By converting the land that we purchase into nature sanctuaries, Savage Lands will help set a precedent for environmental activism. But we must work together and quickly. Ecosystems are still under attack. If we don’t, then there won’t be any wildlife left to save”.


Raise your horns and join the Army Of The Trees in support of the metal non-profit.


Just listening to “Army Of The Trees” helps support Savage Lands. 100% of the song’s royalties fund the musician-run non-profit’s preservation efforts in Costa Rica.


Learn more about Savage Lands here. Donate here.





Tracklisting:


"Black Rock Heart"
"Ruling Queen"
"The Last Howl"
"No Remedy"
"Out Of Breath"
"Better Man"
"Never Be Up"
"Army Of The Trees"
"Visions of Life"
"Addicted"


"Army Of The Trees" video:

Pirates never rest, nor do the raging seas! Immediately after touring all over Europe and the UK, Visions Of Atlantis surprises their devotees with another stunner and announces the upcoming digital live series, Armada Live Over Europe.


By releasing songs and respective live videos over the upcoming weeks, the international symphonic metal frontrunners keep the excitement at the highest level, starting the video series with “To Those Who Choose To Fight” and “The Land Of The Free”. The live video captures the explosive energy of a Visions Of Atlantis live show and allows listeners to relive the matchless spirit of the past tour at home.


Contemporarily on all digital platforms, the live album will take shape in five parts, starting today with the first two tracks. Follow the band’s socials to discover the release dates of all five chapters of this adventure.




Armada Live Over Europe contains a live version of each song cut from the tour’s setlist, with recordings from various shows and venues. “To Those Who Choose To Fight” and “The Land Of The Free” set the stage for this adventurous ride and were the first tracks the band performed at La Rayonne in Lyon, France on October 9. It’s also the opening track from Visions Of Atlantis’ latest full-length album, Pirates II – Armada, which marks the band’s most successful record to date, entering international charts at top positions, such as #5 on the German and Austrian Official Album Charts, #4 on the UK Rock & Metal Charts and #2 on the US Hard Music Album Charts, just to name a few.


Both live songs are now available on all streaming services worldwide and arrive alongside equally palpable live videos. Stay tuned, as there’s more to come already next week. Until then, enjoy the gripping live video below and make sure to get your tickets for the upcoming shows in Germany and the US.


Pirate Queen Clementine states: “This Armada tour has been the most exciting experience in Visions Of Atlantis’ history and we are delighted to keep it alive with this brand new live video series! Whether you’ve attended one of these shows or not, this will be a beautiful way to board the ship again and experience our Armada show from another perspective! Every video was recorded during the tour, in various cities, honoring our Sailors from all over Europe! Be a part of this digital adventure and mark the date down: every Tuesday, magic gates open and you can board our ship and gather with many other pirates! Together, we are the Armada!”


Armada Live Over Europe shows the gripping stage presence and artistic high-quality of Visions Of Atlantis. The pirate crew, fronted by vocalists Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli, have managed to create their very own inimitable universe with symphonic heaviness and stunning visuals, and encourages their listeners to join them into a world where spirits are free, hearts are true, and where light always rules over darkness, whatever the cost. Fans can expect a colorful range of songs, mostly taken from the band’s previous two records Pirates (2022) and Pirates II – Armada (2024).





Armada Live Over Europe tracklisting;


"To Those Who Choose To Fight"
"The Land Of The Free"
"Monsters"
"Heroes Of The Dawn"
"Where The Sky And Ocean Blend"
"Clocks"
"Legion Of The Seas"
"Tonight I’m Alive"
"Collide"
"Hellfire"
"The Dead Of The Sea"
"Clemi’s Speech"
"Underwater"
"Pirates Will Return"
"Melancholy Angel"
"Master The Hurricane"
"Armada"


"To Those Who Choose To Fight" / "The Land Of The Free" video:





Visions Of Atlantis have returned their sites to North America, announcing the "Armada Over North America" tour. The voyage begins April 2 in Mechanicsburg, PA and will plunder several major ports along the way including Baltimore, New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles before the closing celebration in Dallas, TX on April 29.


Clémentine Delauney proclaims: "We are delighted to finally announce that we’re bringing our wonderful Armada show over the Atlantic! Join this unique adventure, rich in colors and emotions, a massive pirate party! Come sing along your favorites tunes, jump, shout and row onboard our ship! We are so looking forward to many memorable moments with our North American Sailors and we can’t wait to sail over there

Crypta, the Brazilian death metal powerhouse, delivered a thunderous performance on the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2024 on August 10. Known for their ferocity and crushing sound, the band emerged as one of the festival’s standout acts. Led by the formidable bassist-vocalist Fernanda Lira and the relentless drummer Luana Dametto, Crypta has been rising rapidly in the metal scene since their formation in 2019.


Their music blends brutal death metal with old-school thrash, earning a loyal global following. At Bloodstock, they unleashed a crushing setlist featuring tracks from their debut album Echoes Of The Soul, alongside newer releases. A standout moment came with their performance of "Stronghold", a track embodying their intense and aggressive style. The crowd was captivated as Crypta delivered a flawless, high-energy show, further solidifying their status as a rising force in extreme metal.


This performance of "Poisonous Apathy" is a must-watch, showcasing the band's unmatched stage presence and precision. 

Italian symphonic metal band, Rossometile, are excited to share their new single and video "Geminus". The song is the third single from their last album, Gehenna, released back in May.


The band commented: "This track dives into the concept of "entanglement", the invisible connection between souls, echoing a harmony that unites us beyond the physical realm. Stripping away our fears and limitations, we can recognize the deep ties that shape our evolution and remind us we’re all connected in this vast universe. Through the other, we rediscover ourselves as a connected whole, where 1+1 is not simply 2, but an 11."


The song is available for streaming here, and you can find the video below. Order the album here, and/or here.







Gehenna tracklisting:


"Gehenna"
"Voci Dal Deserto"
"Magdalena"
"Pasionaria (Frida)"
"Sangue e Seduzione"
"La Rosa d’Inverno"
"Dat Melti Min Modir"
"Valhalla"
"Stella del Mattino"
"Geminus"
"Duet With Satan"
"The Dying Mermaid"


"Geminus" video:

In a recent interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, DELAIN keyboardist, founder and main songwriter Martijn Westerholt was asked about the circumstances that led to the 2021 breakup of the band's previous lineup, including the departure of longtime DELAIN frontwoman Charlotte Wessels. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, actually, in February '21 was only the result. And it kind of already started in the end of 2019. I got a burnout because in DELAIN, I basically took care of most what was going on, together with Charlotte, and the rest of the musicians, yeah, were kind of hired guns and didn't do much in those processes, and nor were they expected to. So, no blame there at all, but that was just how DELAIN functioned. At a certain point, when I got the burnout, I really had to take a step back and take some time, tour less. And then the three guys basically said, 'Well, but we want to change things, and things need to be different. And we kind of want to continue touring, and we don't even want you on tour anymore. And we'll do it like that.' But that's impossible, because DELAIN is also a normal company — it's my job and it was Charlotte's job as well. And it's also my responsibility. If they would go on tour without me and things go wrong, then then people are at my doorstep, not at theirs. And Charlotte said, 'Okay, you guys have to figure this out. Otherwise I'd rater quit because I don't want to continue with such a big change. Then I'd rather do my own thing.' And in the end, I offered them to take over: 'Okay. Then buy over DELAIN from me.' That might be a problem because they didn't write the vast majority of the music. That was me, together with my co-writer Guus [Eikens], and at a certain point also Charlotte, though Charlotte was in a majority only focusing on the lyrics at first. So I had some question marks there, but I thought, 'Okay, if they wanna take it over, it really pains me, but then they can, and then they simply have to buy it over and then I'll just do my own thing.' And so we started negotiating for that, but that didn't work out at all. And in hindsight, I'm relieved. I'm grateful it didn't work out because a lot of people told me, 'Hey, man, you shouldn't give that away like that. It's something you built up, and the sound of DELAIN will change so much. And that will be a problem.' And so eventually it didn't. And then I picked up the pieces and then I had to think of how to move next. And then we were at the point that I had to think, 'Okay, project, band, and we need to announce it.' And that's a bit how it went. And the funny thing is it all happened in COVID times. And that was kind of my salvation in a weirdly sad [way], but that really gave space and time to pick up the pieces and to figure out what to do."

Asked if he would ever be open to working with Charlotte again at some point in the future, if that opportunity arose, Martijn said: "Well, there's still some heartache, so to say, so right now, not really. And also if you listen to Charlotte's [post-DELAIN] music and you compare it to my music, it's completely different. She does a really good job in developing her own sound and her own music, but as you can hear, it's different. And I think that's a compliment towards her. But it also shows the difference in what we do. So I'm rather skeptical at it. But at the same time, like with everything in life, you never know how life goes and you should never say never, but right now I don't see it happening."

Last month, Wessels talked to Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio about the circumstances that led to her 2021 departure from the band. She said: "There was a conflict and we couldn't overcome it. That's a very short version of it. I've never really gone into detail about it, and I still don't really feel about going into detail about it. The thing that I will say is we spent a lot of time trying to work things out. We were already putting much energy in that before we kind of got to the conflict where it was hard to come back from. But, yeah, especially since the pandemic happened, we had no gigs. We had all the time in the world to think, like, 'Okay, what are we going to do? Will we be able to solve this?' And we took a very long time. And in the end, the answer was no. There was no solution that we could find where we would continue in that way. And a part of me — it's such a big part of my life, and I'm very happy, I'm very proud with what we did in that time. So it's frustrating to me that we couldn't work it out. The thing that kind of comforts me is the fact that we did take so much time to explore all the different possibilities, like, could we make this work? Yeah, I don't feel like there was really another option. So that's why."

Asked if she still keeps in touch with Martijn, Charlotte said: "I ran into him at one point, but there's been no contact otherwise. And I think right after it, there's been some contact here and there, but that was about it."

Back in September 2022, Wessels was asked by Spain's The Metal Circus TV how she feels about the fact that DELAIN made a comeback with a new lineup. A month earlier, DELAIN released a single, "The Quest And The Curse", featuring Westerholt alongside new singer Diana Leah, original guitarist Ronald Landa and original drummer Sander Zoer, plus bassist Ludovico Cioffi. Charlotte said: "I'm trying not to engage with it too much, honestly. I've seen positive responses about it, which I think is good. But I do try to keep some distance and just focus on what I'm doing rather than checking that out, because I still don't feel like that will make me happier per se."

In February 2021, Westerholt announced the dissolution of DELAIN's previous lineup. At the time, he explained: "For the last year or so, the collaboration within the band ceased to work as well as it once had. Some of us were no longer happy with the current roles in the band. We all tried very hard to find a solution for over a year, but sadly we were unable to find one. As a result, we will all be going our own ways and pursuing our own endeavors.

"I am very sad our cooperation has come to end, but at the same time I am very grateful for all the years we were able to work together. Together we toured the world, shared highs and lows, and met with many successes as well as times that pushed us to learn and grow. We all enjoyed meeting our fans and making new friends all over the globe."

At the time, Wessels said about her departure: "I know that you might have questions about the 'why' in all of this. I fully understand and respect that. Simply put, it is the sad conclusion of more than a year of trying to find solutions to built-up grievances. Part of me feels like I'm letting all of you down, I'd like you to know that this decision was not taken lightly and I apologize to those of you who had high hopes of seeing all of us together live on stage again after lockdown. Until recently, I thought this might still be in the cards for us as well."

The new DELAIN lineup made its official live debut in August 2022 at the Riverside festival in Aarburg, Switzerland.

Wessels's new solo album, "The Obsession", came out in September via Napalm Records.

American thrash metal legends and genre originators, Exodus, performed in Dallas, Texas at The Granada Theater on November 8. Fan-filmed 4K video of the entire show can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"The Last Act of Defiance"
"Blood In, Blood Out"
"Fabulous Disaster"
"And Then There Were None"
"Body Harvest"
"Prescribing Horror"
"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)"
"Brain Dead"
"Deathamphetamine"
"Blacklist"
"Metal Command"
"War Is My Shepherd"
"The Toxic Waltz"
"Strike of the Beast"







Exodus kicked off their "The Battle Of '24" tour on Saturday, November 2, in Tampa, FL, and will thrash across North America, ultimately concluding on December 7 in Los Angeles, CA.


Exodus guitarist Gary Holt expressed the band's excitement: "Exodus are super stoked to announce 'The Battle Of '24', our tour with Havok, Candy, and Dead Heat. This tour will be raging, and this is our first headlining tour in many years, so we're excited to dig out some deep cuts as well as play some more songs off of Persona Non Grata. Let the battle begin!"


"The Battle Of '24" tour promises to be a must-see event for metal fans, showcasing Exodus' legendary status in the thrash metal scene alongside some of the genre's most exciting current acts.





Tour dates:


November
13 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
14 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
15 - Columbus, OH - King of Clubs
16 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
17 - Bethlehem, PA - Wind Creek Event Center
18 - Montreal, QC - Beanfield Theatre
19 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
21 - Worcester, MA - Palladium Upstairs
22 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving
24 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
26 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
27

A song called "It's The Right Time" composed by Eddie Van Halen and vocalist Mitch Malloy has been uploaded to Malloy's official YouTube channel here.


Following is an introduction to the track:


Van Halen’s third singer was actually Mitch Malloy in 1996. Mitch asked the band to not disclose this. It was later discovered and incorrectly documented, and after more than a decade of silence forced Mitch into setting the record straight. This song was written by Mitch Malloy and Eddie Van Halen. It’s Mitch Malloy in Van Halen. It’s not an official release and it’s not for sale. It’s a gift, from Mitch.




Mitch Malloy commented on the track with the following:


"I should be able to benefit from the art I worked my entire life to perfect. What person doesn’t get promoted for their accomplishments? In America thats how it’s supposed to work. Instead of being celebrated as Van Halen’s first choice to replace Sam, I’m left with sticking up for myself. It’s not right and it’s not fair to me. And I’m kinda pissed. Anyone else would not have had handled this as well as I have. Ed told me that last time I saw him. I just wish in the end he’d told the pres

During an appearance on the latest episode of Knotfest's "She's With The Band", the show hosted by Tori Kravitz aiming to amplify the voices of women on stage, backstage and in the business, COAL CHAMBER bassist Nadja Peulen spoke about how she felt about being dubbed one of the "hottest women in metal" in the late 1990s and early 2000s after she initially joined the Dez Fafara-fronted outfit as the replacement for Rayna Foss. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I didn't mind. [Laughs] Yeah, I mean, it's a compliment. I think as a woman, you kind of — how do I say this? — as women, most of the time we get a lot of attention anyway, and then being on stage, whether it's with music, acting, comedy, modeling, whatever, it just amplifies the whole thing. And sometimes it'd be a little embarrassing too. I remember I had to announce SLIPKNOT at the Kerrang! Awards, [in], I don't know, 2002 or something, and when they announced me to come on stage to introduce them, they did the whole 'hot woman' thing and it really — at that moment, I was, like, 'Oh, no. This is so embarrassing.' It's, like, 'Is this all I'm known for?' And so I had to go on stage and introduce them, and I lost my voice. I got really nervous and uncomfortable about it. But at the end of the day, it's a compliment. So I don't mind it at all."

Asked if she felt at the time that she was "a bit of a novelty, seen differently that way" because there weren't many female musicians playing in well-known metal bands, Nadja said: "Yeah, I don't know really what I was thinking at the time, to be honest. It's interesting, 'cause now people look differently at all that kind of stuff, and the whole sexist thing comes out. It's never really been — I don't know — it never really fazed me that much, to be honest. I never really had that many issues with any of that. People left me alone most of the time. I had really no issues. But it's also, like, I know how to stand up for myself. I think I also give off a certain energy of 'don't fuck with me.' … So, I guess, honestly, I never really had any problems. And, yeah, I took it as a compliment. It's nice. Sometimes it was a bit uncomfortable. It was, like, 'Okay.' But, nah, in general, I'm okay with it."

Nadja originally joined COAL CHAMBER in 2002 as the replacement for Foss, who left the band to focus on motherhood. In addition to her work with COAL CHAMBER, Peulen has recorded on additional projects such as "Roadrunner United - The All-Star Sessions". CYPRESS HILL featured Peulen on bass in their hit video "Rock Superstar" and "What's Your Number?" alongside Tim Armstrong (RANCID).

Born of German and Polish decent, Peulen grew up in the Netherlands. She came to America at the age of 18, landing in Los Angeles.

"I didn't come to L.A. to be anything like an actress or musician, but to party," she previously explained. "I fell in love with the city and decided to stay. The next thing I knew, I took drum lessons… then someone gave me a bass and the rest is history."

Peulen designed her signature bass with Schechter Guitars, which went public in 2023. Peulen also created CruelTees, a gothic apparel company that was carried exclusively by Hot Topic from 2002 to 2007.

Image credit: Arin Sarris

Yamaha Guitars has shared a mini-documentary on current MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo.

In this episode of Yamaha Guitars' "Artist Breakthrough Stories" series, we hear about James's passions, how he got to where he is today, and his defining "breakthrough" story.

From his earliest memories of discovering bass guitar to his experiences as the bassist of legendary bands WHITE LION and MEGADETH, LoMenzo explores how his lifelong passion for music turned into a surreal career.

LoMenzo, who joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame", said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At first I felt a bit like a fish out of water. I understood the music, I could play it, but I was, like, 'How do you deliver this? What do you do with it?'

"The challenge of this music is to be able to perform it in such a way that it looks to the audience the same way that they feel when they listen to it.

"In MEGADETH, I have spaces to make grander gestures. I can pump that fist to the guy who's pumping his fist to me at the right time and look him in the eye and let him know that I see you and I know you love this and I love it too. There's something that is so transformative about that in the moment, which makes metal really work. And I think that's metal's best thing. It's like building that community, building that church instantaneously with the audience, and vice versa.

"The community of metal is unwavering. The audience has broadened since the last time I was here."

LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s but was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. After Ellefson was kicked out of MEGADETH in May 2021, LoMenzo stepped back in as a touring member for the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". In May 2022, it was announced that Lomenzo was officially rejoining the MEGADETH family.

In November 2022, LoMenzo reflected on his initial departure from MEGADETH in an interview with Ashdown Engineering. He said at the time: "After three or four years in MEGADETH, David Ellefson returned. And I, like you, was pretty excited about that, because I had always been a fan of MEGADETH anyway. I'm one of those crazy guys that's, like, I want it to be the original band. I always want it to be the original band; it's kind of the way I grew up. But in lieu of that, I had to take the charge of the bass spot when he couldn't be there. So when he came back, I was fine with it. I've done two great albums — 'United Abominations' and 'Endgame'; we've done two world tours, been all over the place. And so at that point, I was kind of excited to maybe try something new. And so I went back home. I started a video production company. I started doing these local jams where all my famous friends would come by and jam with me. It was great. And eventually I ended up in [rock legend] John Fogerty's band."

On the topic of how he rejoined MEGADETH, James said: "How do I end up back in MEGADETH? It's like that 'Godfather' movie — 'Just when I thought I got out, they pull me back in again.' No… But anyway… When they needed a bass player — it became apparent — I thought to myself, 'They'll probably call me up.' But I also thought to myself, 'It's been a while since I played that kind of music, so maybe it'll be great. It'll be all right. Maybe not.' Sure enough, the phone rings, and Dave [Mustaine] is, like, 'We've gotta do this 'Metal Tour Of The Year'. James, I know you're the guy who can do it. I would love to have you here. If you would just commit to just doing this tour, that would be great.' And I thought, 'Well, that's kind of weird. He doesn't want me to rejoin the band.' But then I thought about it. He knew I had another band, and he was telling me, 'I don't want you to screw up whatever you've got going.' I was being loyal to John. So we went out on the tour, and gosh, it was just the best time. I was so enamored with the band that he put together that I was blown away. And Dave, gosh, he's just delivering the goods every day. The great thing about Dave is he's been through a lot. He recovered from cancer. He's had problems with his back. Over the years, he's had more things than most professional wrestlers would have, and he shows no sign of it — he just gets up there and plays and just gives it his all. So after that tour, I was sitting there going, 'Man, I think I might like to stay here for a while.' And so, luckily, as luck would have it, not too long after that, Dave calls me up at home and he goes, 'You know, we would love to have you be part of the band officially if you wanna stay.' And I thought, 'That's exactly what I was thinking, man. Let's do it.'

In addition to MEGADETH and Fogerty, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION.

LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years in August 2021 in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.

Guitarist / songwriter has announced the reversal of his September 2024 decision to cease all musical operations. He has issued the followingstatement:


"After a few months away from the guitar and the pressure to create, I feel completely re-energized and inspired. My friend had sent me some footage of my 'final' live performance and I realized this is what I want to do, for as long as I can. The scene may be crowded and ridiculous, but I've decided other bands and musicians should pack it up, not me


When I told my wife I was done she told me to at least leave a guitar accessible and something to record ideas in case inspiration strikes. It opened the floodgates and I recorded a new Waxen album, and I am currently in the middle of making a traditional heavy metal album, and an instrumental EP. I'm not recording under the Onward name anymore, though. These three projects will be released in the spring / summer of 2025 and I'll resume playing live once they're out.




 


I don't look at music as a career anymore but rather, the ultimate hobby".


Knapp's new music will be released by Moribund Records, Shredguy Records and a soon to be announced third label.


 


In September 2024, Knapp announced his retirement from the metal scene with the following message:


"It is with a not so heavy heart that I announce the disbanding of Onward, Waxen and my self titled solo project. I have noticed more and more in recent years that these things feel more like a task than a joyous pursuit." 


"The music business model has changed and decades ago, at my peak, fans bought magazines, read

The original lineup behind the G3 touring concept returns with "Reunion Live", released January 31, 2025 worldwide on earMUSIC. The album captures the guitar magic of Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai on their sold-out 2024 U.S. tour. This electrifying reunion features three guitar icons who first joined forces in 1996 and showcases boundary-pushing performances that define G3.

Fans will enjoy full sets from each guitarist, including hits like Satriani's "Sahara", Johnson's "Cliffs Of Dover" and Vai's "For The Love Of God", along with a thrilling encore jam of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and STEPPENWOLF covers.

See the official visualizer for Vai's "Zeus In Chains" below.

"Reunion Live" is much more than "just" a live album. It's a full album-length se from each artist, plus a collaborative supergroup LP and the first G3 release in 20 years.

The deluxe edition features a different coloured vinyl for each artist, a special splatter LP for the encore jam, and a 64-page photo book, divided into artist and jam chapters, with the full program also on 2 CDs. It is also available in a 2CD digipack with a 16-page photo booklet and, 4 LP gatefold and digital download.

Satriani says: "This live album recorded at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles captures all the energy of the live performances while shining a spotlight on the ever-evolving art of playing the electric guitar."

Since its inception in 1996, the G3 tour has consistently brought together guitar legends for unforgettable performances. Each edition of the tour has featured guitar virtuosos performing solo sets that showcased their individual mastery, followed by electrifying jam sessions that highlighted their collaborative brilliance.

Over the years, G3 has seen iconic guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert, among others, joining the ranks. Expanding beyond the U.S., the tour has evolved into a global celebration of guitar excellence, uniting fans and artists from different generations and genres, making it a must-see event for guitar aficionados worldwide. The G3 experience represents more than just a series of performances — it has become a platform for creative collaboration and a testament to the enduring power of guitar music.

Vai says: "A G3 tour is always an electrifying experience, and this particular G3 tour with Eric and Joe was a career highlight for me. To be able to hit the road with old friends and be in that lit-up environment of the stage and communicate on the deepest musical levels with friends is a privilege and honour, especially with such incredible players as Eric and Joe, who delivered magnificently at these shows."

Johnson states: "Playing with Joe and Steve was an affirmation that while we all want to push the envelope of musical boundaries; we also want to share our heart experience and a soulful communication of the music that we have been allowed to partake of in our own lives."

Satriani says: "Reuniting with Eric and Steve this year, commemorating the very first G3 tour of '96, was nothing short of glorious. They were the first two guitarists I called when planning G3's maiden voyage, so, this reunion was a confirmation of our special connection. Storming the stage with two of my favorite musical giants, celebrating our shared roots as well as our unique differences, once again proved to be a winning formula."

Track listing (all formats):

01. Gravitas (Vai)
02. Avalancha (Vai)
03. Little Pretty Intro (Vai)
04. Little Pretty (Vai)
05. Tender Surrender (Vai)
06. Zeus In Chains (Vai)
07. Teeth Of The Hydra (Vai)
08. For The Love Of God (Vai)
09. Land Of 1000 Dances (Johnson)
10. Righteous (Johnson)
11. Trail Of Tears (Johnson)
12. On-Ramp Improv (Johnson)
13. Freeway Jam (Johnson)
14. Desert Rose (Johnson)
15. Venus Reprise (Johnson)
16. Raspberry Jam Delta-V (Satriani)
17. Surfing With The Alien (Satriani)
18. Satch Boogie (Satriani)
19. Sahara (Satriani)
20. Nineteen Eighty (Satriani)
21. Big Bad Moon (Satriani)
22. Always With Me, Always With You (Satriani)
23. Sumer Song (Satriani)
24. Introductions
25. Crossroads (Encore Jam)
26. Spanish Castle Magic (Encore Jam)
27. Born To Be Wild (Encore Jam)

Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein

Swedish melodic black metal band, Mörk Gryning, have shared the new song, "Black Angel", featured on the band's new album, Fasornas Tid, out on December 13 via Season Of Mist. Listen to the track below:





Mörk Gryning was founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1993 by Goth Gorgon and Draakh Kimera. Two years later they released their debut album Tusen År Har Gått (1995), recorded and mixed at Unisound Studios, by legendary producer Dan Swanö and released by No Fashion. The album is one of the milestones of the ‘90s Swedish black metal scene.




The group returned to action in November 1996, working at Sunlight Studios together with Tomas Skogsberg and Dismember’s Fred Estby to craft the Return Fire album. Over the following years, three more albums were released, for example Maelstrom Chaos with new guitarist Avathar, a scene veteran, recorded at the legendary Grieghallen Studios Bergen, Norway.


Ever since the debut album, Tusen år har gått…, Mörk Gryning has refused to follow in the footsteps of others and walked their own paths – something which is made very clear on the 2003 release Pieces of Primal Expressionism, an experimental and heavy progressive release recorded at Dug Out, produced by Daniel Bergstrand. After a couple of years of touring and festival performances, the band was put on hold.


Returning to the scene again in 2017, the band performed an exclusive live show in Stockholm playing all the songs from the debut album and some other songs from the back catalogue. This ended in releasing the 4-song live record called Live at Kraken. During the pandemic the comeback album Hinsides Vrede was released to much critical acclaim with many of the songs today being the backbone of their live shows.


Now that they've returned,  Mörk Gryning are more active than ever. This year, the band announced their seventh album. Fasnornas Tid pays a brutal homage to the scene's raw ferocity and ageless spirit with a dystopian symphony that's driven by an insatiable hunger for self-destruction.


Available formats:


- Digital Download
- CD Digipak
- 1x12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
- 1x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Transparent Red
- 1x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Crystal Clear & Silver Marbled


Pre-order/pre-save the album here.





Tracklisting:


Intro
"The Seer"
"Tornet"
"Fasornas Tid"
"Before The Crow

Italian experimental black metal act, Incantvm, have revealed details for Maleficia, the vicious new album to be released in February 2025 via My Kingdom Music. Pre-order the album here.


Says the band: "We reveal today the cover artwork of the album, a great photo by Riccardo Ziosi with Carlotta Vignocchi as evil model, and the tracklist."







Tracklisting:


"Rinascita"
"Donna Prudentia"
"Gli Esorcismi di Canidia e Sàgana"
"Incantvm / Kyrie" (from Mozart’s Requiem K626)
"Diana"


If with their previous album Strigae, Incantvm shaped their black metal with classical music and parts narrated in a very theatrical way, with Maleficia the music becomes the absolute protagonist thanks to atmospheres full of pathos and terrifying perceptions, esoteric ritual sounds, dark sceneries, Doom elements and old school extreme metal, everything their avantgarde black metal feeds on, making of this an absolutely unique creature in the international musical scene.


Maleficia is the darkest and most eclectic manifestation of the creative genius of Vittorio Sabelli and those who walked this way with him into the darkest folds of extreme music, starting from Tenebra (Dreariness) on voice, to continue with Samael Von Martin and Nequam with their vocal interpretations, Lorenzo Mastrogiuseppe, Luca Tiraterra, and Marco Molino with their rhythmic elements.


It is a pure and simple piece of art, an incredibl

Tzadok, the alternative rock/metal band founded in 2018 in Mexico, have released their new single, "Feel The Blood". Stream/download the single here, and watch a video below.





"Feel the Blood" is a single taken from the band's upcoming album, We Are Tzadok, due for release on December 6, via Wormholedeath.




The album, We Are Tzadok, continues to reflect the diverse musical style that has long defined Tzadok. It blends various metal genres, including metalcore, death metal, power metal, heavy metal, and folk metal. The band refuses to be confined to a single categ

It was the banger of the year 2021: With their sixteenth record, the self-titled album "Helloween", the legendary metal band returned with a seven-member lineup and caused a global metal earthquake. The album easily cracked the No. 1 chart position in several countries and was celebrated frenetically by fans and journalists alike. The triumphal procession continued live throughout 2022/2023 with 60 emotional concerts in 30 countries, leaving nothing to be desired. Among others at shows in Los Angeles, New York, the Monsters Of Rock festivals in South America, headlining Wacken Open Air as well as the first sold-out gig at the legendary Budokan in Tokyo, tears of joy flowed from over 800,000 fans and the reunited band members — which can be experienced on the live CD/Blu-ray/DVD "Live At Budokan", to be released on December 13, 2024.

With these highlights, HELLOWEEN are heading into their anniversary year, celebrating 40 years of band and metal history. While Andi Deris, Michael Kiske, Michael Weikath, Kai Hansen, Markus Grosskopf, Sascha Gerstner and Dani Löble are working intensively on the follow-up to their sensational reunion album, they are now announcing an anniversary tour of superlatives at the same time, as bassist and founding member Markus Grosskopf explains: "We came up with some great surprises for the fans. Besides the brand new songs to be performed live for the first time, we will also play tracks from the band's history that you haven't heard live for a very long time or even never before. The shows will be a fantastic experience for all of us!"

Frontman Andi Deris adds: "We're having a lot of fun working creatively in the studio and the album promises to become an absolute highlight — but nothing compares to a HELLOWEEN live concert: The energy of our audience is simply indescribable and we can't wait to finally go full throttle with our fans again. The upcoming tour will be bigger, better and more impressive than ever!"

The live dates will start on October 17, 2025 in Luxembourg and take HELLOWEEN all over Europe for six weeks. Besides the brand new songs of their still untitled new longplayer, they will bring along BEAST IN BLACK from Finland as their "very special guests" — and this guarantees a metal party to be out of this world.

2026 will be starting with dates in Asia, South and North America, before Germany's No. 1 metal ambassadors will make it to Europe's biggest festivals in the summer of '26.

"40 Years Anniversary Tour" Europe 2025 with very special guests BEAST IN BLACK:

Oct. 17 - LU Luxembourg - Rockhal
Oct. 18 - NL Tilburg - 013
Oct. 20 - UK London - Eventim Apollo
Oct. 22 - FR Paris - Zénith (Le Villette)
Oct. 24 - CZ Prague - O2 Arena
Oct. 25 - SK Zvolen - Tiposbet Arena
Oct. 26 - HU Budapest - Papp László Sportaréna
Oct. 28 - PL Katowice - Spodek
Oct. 31 - DE Bochum - RuhrCongress
Nov. 01 - DE Hamburg - Barclays Arena
Nov. 03 - NO Oslo - Sentrum Scene
Nov. 04 - NO Oslo - Sentrum Scene
Nov. 06 - FI Helsinki - Helsingin Jäähalli
Nov. 08 - SE Gothenburg - Partille Arena
Nov. 13 - PT Lisbon - Campo Pequeno
Nov. 15 - ES Madrid - La Cubierta de Leganés
Nov. 19 - IT Milan - Forum
Nov. 20 - CH Zurich - The Hall
Nov. 22 - DE Stuttgart - Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle

The reunited expanded classic lineup of German power metallers HELLOWEEN will release a new live album, "Live At Budokan", on December 13, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The colossal effort immortalizes HELLOWEEN's September 16, 2023 performance at Tokyo's legendary Nippon Budokan.

"Live At Budokan" will be available in a plethora of formats: 2CD-digipak and 3LP vinyl in trifold with the first print run of both coming as "deluxe edition" including embossed cover artwork, as well as Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Each version is meticulously crafted to suit the metal community's diverse tastes, ensuring every fan can relive the raw, unfiltered energy of HELLOWEEN in their preferred medium.

Earlier this year, HELLOWEEN signed with Reigning Phoenix Music for the release of its next studio album.

In March 2023, Kiske told Canada's The Metal Voice that Kai had already sent him a demo of a song that he was working on that "I was very happy about, because it's not what you would expect; the song was a bit outside of the box, which I am always grateful for," Michael said. "I always thought that was exciting about HELLOWEEN. When you check out the 'Keeper [Of The Seven Keys: Part] I' and 'Keeper [Of The Seven Keys: Part] II' records, now they're classics, but when they came out, it was very different to what the 'Walls Of Jericho' record sounded like. But we had the balls to do it. And I think that's why I'm still here, because those records had an impact because of being pretty fearless. And it is always the benefit of the youth; most of the time, the younger people are very fearless.

"What I like about WeikiandKai, they can't fool themselves. They just write songs. They don't function in any other way but just making the song, and whatever it is, that's what it is. And that song was a bit QUEEN-like. It had a lot of piano parts in it — very operatic, with big choirs. And then it gets rocking again and stuff like that. It's another Kai Hansen sort of symphony. But I really liked it. And I'm glad that he does something like that. I just hope the rest of the band has the balls to do it. I would do it."

Asked if he will be contributing any musical ideas to HELLOWEEN's next effort, since he didn't write anything on "Helloween", Kiske said: "I don't know. I'm not so much of a metal songwriter. I was when I was a teenager. But these days I just don't write metal songs; I just write songs on acoustic guitar somehow. And if I have something where I feel like the band could make a HELLOWEEN song out of it, of course I will present it to them, and then if they get a kick out of it, something's gonna happen. But we have so many songwriters in this band now. And they're all really capable of writing that sort of material that everybody loves, and that's mainly Andi, Sascha, Weiki and Hansen. And I think that's more than enough. If I have an idea, I sneak it in. But I don't really push myself."

As for whether the rest of HELLOWEEN has also begun composing music for the band's next LP, Kiske said: "I know that Andi has songs, and I know that Kai has a whole bunch of songs. He was a bit lazy last time; he only had that one great song, [the 12-minute] 'Skyfall', which was maybe good for three songs, and that's why it's justified, but I would have wished for even more from him. And I think this time he will be presenting a whole bunch of songs more. At least that's my impression, the feeling that I have — there might be more coming from him this time. Andi is always in the game. Andi has this gift; he can just sit down and write 10 songs. He can just do it. I don't know how he does it."

In August 2022, Kiske told Chile's Radio Futuro that the overwhelmingly positive response to "Helloween" "was pretty unexpected. I was expected it to do good, but it was, like, perfect.

"It is very difficult for you, when you're involved in an album, to have an objective view at what you're doing," he explained. "You just do what you do. You always try to make the best out of every song. And obviously the spirit within the band is very good, which helps, but you never know how people hear it. So the best thing you can do is fade it all out, not think about it, and just try to make every song exciting for yourself; that's the best thing you can do. The less you think about success or how critics might see it, the better for the album. It's not easy, but you've gotta have that discipline to kind of fade it out and not let it get to you.

"I was surprised how well it was received, but, of course, it was a very welcome motivation, especially [in 2021]," Kiske added. "We released it right in the middle of the whole pandemic crap, and that was a positive lift, doing the interviews and seeing how people reacted to it."

Regarding how HELLOWEEN had managed to pull off the seemingly impossible by splitting vocals on the album between returning singer Kiske and longtime frontman Deris, with added contributions from Hansen, Michael said: "It was actually great. It was very easy. I was kind of expecting it to be difficult, but it wasn't, because there was no ego fights going on between me and Andi. We were just there on Tenerife meeting up almost every day.

"Before we started recording, we had Dennis Ward making a rough draft of what he thinks could work in terms of splitting: 'This sounds like Andi. This sounds a bit like Michael.' And that was how we approached it. It was some kind of pre-draft of how we could do it, but was nothing written in stone.

"One day I came to the studio and the evening before Andi was recording something, or had recorded something, and he wasn't feeling so happy with it. He came and said, 'I was trying this and that. And maybe you should give it a try too.' And then we figured out what sounds the best for the song.

"There are a whole bunch of songs where you can hear right away, 'That's an Andi Deris song. He should sing that.' Or, 'That's a typical Kiske song. That sounds great [with Kiske vocals].' It's like 'Angels', for instance, it was very clear that that was mostly a Kiske song, and Sascha [Gerstner, guitar] had written it with my voice in his head. But there are other songs, especially when Andi writes his own songs, usually it sounds best when he does it unless he wrote it with my voice in his head, like he did with 'Fear Of The Fallen'. 'Fear Of The Fallen', he was writing it with both singers in his mind, and that works out.

"But it was very easy," Kiske repeated. "Because you just try it out, and you very quickly hear what works best. And I would say, like, 70 percent of the time we knew before that that would be sounding better with him or that would be sounding better with me. Or even with Kai — there were even spots where we thought he should do it."

Upon its release in June 2021, "Helloween" landed in the Top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria. The cover artwork for the LP was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the latest HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

"Helloween" saw the legendary German power metallers going "back to the roots," with the band recording fully analog and Daniel Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN's original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" recordings.

The "Pumpkins United" tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including "Kids Of The Century", "Rise And Fall" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime". Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including "Ride The Sky", "Judas", "Starlight" and "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)".

In 2022, Deris told the "Metal Command" podcast that he "strongly" hoped the reunited expanded classic lineup of HELLOWEEN would eventually make another album to follow up "Helloween". "I mean, as long as the vibe is great, chemistry is great and everybody's having fun with each other, it would be a crime not to do so and not to plan for a future together," he said.

"'Pumpkins United' is not only the name for the last tour, I think that's something like a brand," he continued. "HELLOWEEN 'Pumpkins United', that's something like a band — a new or something like [that] growing from the old band."

On the topic of how HELLOWEEN has managed to maintain internal harmony with so many members involved, Andi said: "I just can tell you getting along with each other, I think it's rooted in the matter of fact that we're finally too old for the other shit. [Laughs] From a certain age on, you let other people live and you don't take everything personal. Talking for [myself], whenever somebody told me something that could be looked at in a negative way, I took it the negative way. Even though when you look at it from the positive side of you, you could say, 'Well, man, maybe it was even a compliment, because have you seen it from that side?' 'No.' That's what happens when you're getting older — you don't take everything on the negative side: 'Oh, he's attacking me' or 'he's meaning bad' or 'he's meaning to annihilate you or intimidate you' or whatever. Everybody in the band, even together now with seven people, I have to say everybody is old enough to not always look at it from the negative [point of view] but also try to realize who's talking. So I cannot imagine that the boys are meaning bad if they speak about me in a sense that I could take negatively, but because I like everybody, I personally think, 'Well, I don't think they're talking negatively.' So I try to find the sense in a positive way, and most of the time — 99.9 percent [of the time] — it's exactly that. It's nothing negative; it's positive. But back in the day, everything I took was negative — when I was in my 20s and 30s. Then when you get [to] 40, it's getting better. [Laughs] Or maybe it's just you don't give a shit anymore."

German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION will release their new album, "Birth Of Malice", in March 2025 via Napalm Records. The cover art for the LP was created by Gyula Havancsák and can be seen below.

Earlier today, DESTRUCTION shared the "Birth Of Malice" cover art on social media and included the following message: "NEW ALBUM – NEW SINGLE – NEW VIDEO!!! Today marks the kick-off to our WEEK OF DESTRUCTION! Yes, you saw it coming, our brand-new album 'Birth Of Malice' will finally drop in March 2025 via Napalm Records! The vicious cover-art was created by master-artist & friend Gyula Havancsák.

"Tomorrow we will have a sneak-peak trailer of our next single for you and Thursday the new video, that we have filmed in Sao Paulo/Brazil , will be released. Pre-order also starts this Thursday November 14th at 4 PM CET!!!

"'Birth Of Malice' sounds like next level DESTRUCTION, it marks a new era of heaviness, virtuosity and feels like an oldschool punch in the gut!

"Stay tuned and be a part of this wild ride!"

This past July, DESTRUCTION released a cover version of ACCEPT's classic song "Fast As A Shark", alongside a new visualizer video. The song was featured on the two-track 12-inch vinyl in the very limited fan edition "No Kings - No Masters".

DESTRUCTION's massive career has seen many successes, with the band hitting stages at the world's biggest festivals around the world like Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting and México Metal Fest.

DESTRUCTION, known as one of the "Teutonic Four", alongside KREATOR, SODOM and TANKARD, were reunited with the other three acts at the "Klash Of The Ruhrpott" concert on July 20 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

In a January 2023 interview with Felipe Canales of Chile's iRock, DESTRUCTION bassist/vocalist Schmier was asked if he and his DESTRUCTION bandmates have ever considered changing their sound in order to reach a wider audience. He responded: "In Germany, we say, 'Don't change your winning recipe. Stick to the guns. Stick to what you can do best.' And for me, what I can do best is playing thrash metal. Every album we do sounds a little bit different, but it always will sound like DESTRUCTION.

"When you get older, it's very easy to slow down," Schmier explained. "A lot of musicians, when they [get] older, they wanna slow down; they wanna play blues; they wanna play more mellow music. For me, that's never been the case. I think the older you [get], the more you go crazy about it. You wanna still show the young kids how it's done. When we go out there to the festivals, we compete… To all those young bands, I could be [their] father, so I have to be the role model. So that's how I see it. Slowing down and changing something is not what we do."

As for whether it's harder for him to play physically challenging music as he gets older, Schmier said: "It's like in football — the old, experienced player, he has the feel for it. The young player runs more and runs faster. The old player has the eye and the brain. And it's the same in music. Of course I have to train harder to go on stage, but my experience of my age is great because I have better voice control. I know more what I want. I know what I don't want and where the band belongs. So this experience of a certain 40 years in the music business is, of course, a great one."

DESTRUCTION's latest studio album, "Diabolical", came out in April 2022 via Napalm Records.

In August 2021, DESTRUCTION officially parted ways with founding guitarist Michael "Mike" Sifringer and replaced him with Martin Furia. The Argentinian-born, Belgian-based Furia is best known for his work as sound engineer and producer for such bands as NERVOSA and EVIL INVADERS.

Sifringer was the only member of DESTRUCTION to have remained constant throughout the band's career. Schmier appeared on DESTRUCTION's first three albums before exiting the band and being replaced by POLTERGEIST vocalist André Grieder. André's sole recorded appearance with DESTRUCTION was on the "Cracked Brain" album, which came out in 1990. Schmier rejoined DESTRUCTION in 1999.

DESTRUCTION 2024 is:

Schmier - Bass, Vocals
Martin Furia - Guitars
Randy Black - Drums
Damir Eskić - Guitars

Photo credit: Jennifer Gruber

NEW ALBUM – NEW SINGLE – NEW VIDEO!!!

Today marks the kick-off to our WEEK OF DESTRUCTION!
Yes, you saw it coming, our...

Posted by Destruction on Tuesday, November 12, 2024

In a new interview with France's Loud TV, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser, whose wife Patricia Perissinoto Kisser passed away in July 2022 after a battle with colon cancer, was asked if the experience of losing his longtime partner accelerated the decision for SEPULTURA to embark on a farewell tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, for sure. Definitely. The death of Patricia, my late wife, was two years and a half ago, [due to] cancer. The process was very painful, very difficult, of course, as we can imagine, but it's been an open experience, to know myself, my family, new opportunities to talk about life because of dying.

"In Brazil is one of the worst places to die," he continued. "A lot of people are forgotten from society, going through the same problems with cancer and very difficult illness and stuff. And I created this movement to inspire and stimulate people in Brazil to talk about dying in many respects, about euthanasia, about suicide, assisted suicide, about palliative care, especially, because in Brazil, we're still growing up on that manner, because my wife, she had the palliative care and stuff. We were privileged to give that, because of health insurance and all that stuff. But most of the people in Brazil, they don't have that. So we started this movement, this campaign, a festival [Patfest], a music festival as well that we did for two years now. I just did the third edition now to raise funds for the people who take and give palliative care to the favelas [impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil] in Rio, for the very poor people that are forgotten for society and stuff, and at the same time stimulate people to talk about dying. I learned that death is my biggest professor. I'm learning so much about life because I respect finitude. We cannot control that. We're all gonna die. You're gonna die. The camera's gonna die. [Laughs] Any electronic [device will eventually stop working]. So it is what it is. We cannot choose. What we can choose is to live the moment. The intensity of the present is much more intense if you respect finitude.

"If you go to a movie and it doesn't have any end, there's no meaning, there's no message," Andreas explained. "A book, anything you do in your life, a job, this interview, we have to finish. The way we think [in] phases — beginning, cause and effect; beginning, middle and conclusion. And that's life. Let's respect that. Let's not try to live forever, AI, robots, and all that stuff. Let's be human and respect finitude, respect dying."

Andreas went on to say that grief is a long and complex process that has its own timetable and that we must keep living while we grieve.

"It's been very amazing for me, the experience I had with my family, my wife, and SEPULTURA now," he said. "It's something very respectful that we give to ourselves, the respect for the present and the life we have. Of course, it's a very difficult situation, very painful, a lot of sadness and sorrow, the grief, but at the same time, there's a beauty around everything. We should talk about dying with our family, the last wishes, how are we gonna do the dividing the money for the people who stay, the documents you need to sign.

"People have this idea if you talk about dying, bad things are gonna happen and stuff. It's totally the opposite. Peace," he continued. "And Patricia, my wife, she used to talk about dying every time. Like very normal. She would say, 'When I die, please don't forget my pillow. Don't forget my blanket. And put my pajamas and socks on my feet because I don't wanna get cold. And we all laughed about that. But when she died, we did that.

"I cannot explain in words the feeling of fulfilling a wish of your loved one. Simple stuff, simple things. And it brings peace to you. It brings understanding. It brings a thankful feeling for life for her to be a part of our life for so many years. I have three kids [with her], and a lot of the Andreas I used to be died with her. But I'm discovering another one that are coming up out of it. It's a very — I don't know how I can describe it — an amazing experience. It is what it is. That's life. Let's live while we are alive. [Living] is taking care of ourselves to the last minute. That's why the palliative care comes into [play]."

Kisser stressed the importance of palliative care in order to ensure the seriously ill receive the right level of care at the right time so they can make the most of each day they have.

"I was shocked to hear from the doctors in Brazil, when everything was happening with my wife, that only a small percentage of the hospitals in Brazil have a palliative crew," he said. "I said, 'What the fuck, man? How do you do it? You improvise or you just let [your patients] die or just [give them] morphine?'

"The palliative care, it's everything," Andreas continued. "Medicine in general should be palliative, taking care of ourselves. We all live with illness in our life, and we have to deal with that. COVID, for instance. We're dealing with it. We're learning how to deal. It's not cured, but we learn how to deal with it. And that's the type of thinking that we need to change, especially in Brazil, and to talk about dying, like I said, euthanasia, assisted suicide and so many different things that most of the Brazilians, they don't even know that it exists, the possibility, while our neighbors in Ecuador, in Chile or Argentina are much more advanced on those matters. Same in the U.S., same in Europe, like Switzerland or Belgium, on different places. I don't know about France, but I believe there's a discussion that went through or is still going… In Portugal recently as well.

"So we need to stimulate people in Brazil to talk about it, at least to have a discussion, so we can advance as a country and improve our dying process," Kisser added. "We can really improve a lot. We can work and improve a lot this process. But it's growing. The last three years after the festival, I went public with my experience talking about my wife and everything that happened, on interviews and everything, during the festival and et cetera, and we feel it's improving. So we're very happy that we could turn our grief as a family and friends into something alive like that, so positive and so inspired, at least for our family and myself. And it's growing, so let's see."

Asked if he thinks he will spend more time in the future talking about the importance of palliative care and organizing events to raise awareness and funds to support the development of hospice and palliative care, Andreas said: "I hope so. I will have more time, definitely, to put on that, without SEPULTURA, without all the touring. Of course, I'm gonna keep working with music, different bands or whatever, different situations, soundtracks or who knows. I'm still studying music a lot, especially acoustic guitar. I have so many different ideas. But I don't wanna make any decisions now. I wanna enjoy what I'm doing today, hence live in the present. [Laughs] But just [be] aware of the possibilities, [so] when it's time to decide I'll be a little more ready to know what to do. But it's great that we're on this [farewell] tour now and enjoying the moment. It's fantastic."

Patricia had just turned 52 years old one day before her death.

Andreas and the couple's three children, Giulia, Yohan and Enzo, announced Patricia's death in a social media post. They wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we have to share that Patricia Perissinoto Kisser passed away this morning. She will remain in our memories forever."

Andreas and Patricia had been together for 32 years after first getting together in 1990. They married in 1994.

In June 2022, Andreas left SEPULTURA's European tour due to what was described at the time as a "family emergency." He was temporarily replaced on the road by Jean Patton of fellow São Paulo, Brazil-based heavy metal act PROJECT46.

SEPULTURA's current lineup comprises Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Greyson Nekrutman.

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd made his return to the live stage on November 2, performing the band's classic song "T.N.T." with a local party act in New Zealand. Video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Marco's HIGH VOLTAGE Music Channel).

In a November 2023 interview with New Zealand's Stuff, Rudd said that he was unable to join his AC/DC bandmates at the Power Trip festival in California last year, but that he was "look[ing] forward to playing with them again in the future."

Sitting behind the drum kit for AC/DC's appearance at Power Trip in October 2023 and on the spring/summer 2024 European tour was Matt Laug. The 56-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer. In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

When AC/DC announced in September 2023 that Laug would play drums for the band at Power Trip, it offered no explanation for the absence of Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

During an appearance on a November 2020 episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Rudd confirmed that the seed for his return to AC/DC was planted at the funeral of AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017. Rudd, singer Brian Johnson and bassist Cliff Williams all attended the ceremony. At the time, the three musicians were considered former members of AC/DC, with Johnson and Williams both having left in 2016 for health reasons, while Rudd was sidelined in 2015 with various legal issues.

"Angus and I had a good chat at Mal's funeral and caught up," Rudd recalled. "[After I played on the 'Rock Or Bust' record] there was crazy shit going on, but since then, I'd got my shit together and put a little band together, I went to Europe and was doing a bit of playing and stuff and did [a solo] album. The guys knew I was still playing, so when I caught up with Angus at the funeral, we were sort of chatting away and somehow, he just sort of [asked me] if I was up for [doing a new AC/DC] album. And he started writing the next day. He went in the studio and started writing straight away."

Angus told Rolling Stone that it was indeed Malcolm's funeral that helped heal old wounds.

"[Phil] was there and in good shape," the guitarist said. "He was keeping himself well together. He was getting therapy and sorting himself out. It was really good."

Johnson added that he and the rest of AC/DC welcomed Rudd with open arms. "I speak for all the boys with Phil," he said. "We defend Phil to the hilt. What happened up there, that's not the Phil we know. That was just something else. He's really looking brilliant now and doing everything great."

Ex-W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes kicked off his current U.K. tour on Thursday, November 7 at the legendary Cart & Horses pub in London. He played a mix of W.A.S.P. classics and standout tracks from his recent solo albums, and at the end of the night he was joined on stage by Drew Carter of New Zealand metallers DEATHNIR for a run-through of the AC/DC classic "Highway To Hell". A full video of the performance has been shared by the Decibel Shower Facebook page and can be seen below.

In a September 2024 interview with Cassius Morris, W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless was asked if he has seen Holmes's documentary film "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes", written and directed by French filmmakers Antoine De Montremy and Laurent Hart. The project, which was made available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD in January 2021, was born in 2014 after De Montremy and Hart had an opportunity to meet and direct Holmes in a music video for the Holmes-penned song "Let It Roar" in Cannes. At that time, the now-66-year-old rocker had more or less disappeared from the music scene, leaving his home in the U.S. to seek a new beginning with his wife Sarah in France.

Blackie said about "Mean Man": "I have no desire to see anything that has to do with that. First of all, you wanna base anything you're gonna do in life on truth. And you know what? It may be his truth, but your truth doesn't necessarily make it fact. Anybody can have their own truth, but that doesn't make it real. And when somebody's spewing a bunch of hate because they can't create on their own… Listen, if the guy had genuine creativity, he wouldn't give two hoots about what I do. So, that's the yardstick on how you judge those things. And if somebody's coming from a perspective where they're not telling the truth, I'm not gonna waste my time on that."

Asked if that was the reason that he didn't participate in the documentary, Blackie said: "Well, I don't recall being invited, but if I would have, I wouldn't have done it. Like I said, I've got no desire to do something… I mean, if it's based on truth, then I might have taken a look at it. But for a guy to do a tutorial for an hour, or however long it was, to sit and give just their side of the story that's not based on truth, why do I wanna be part of that?"

Blackie also once again dismissed the possibility of a reunion of W.A.S.P.'s original lineup — Lawless, Holmes, guitarist Randy Piper and drummer Tony Richards — for the tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of W.A.S.P.'s first album. He said: "Allow me to be unapologetic for just a moment. The band that I have now… Mike Duda is one of the best bass players in the world. Doug Blair is one of the best lead guitar players in the world. Aquiles Priester, his drumming speaks for itself. I'm fortunate enough to be in a band with world-class musicians, the guys that are way better than me. And I look around sometimes during the show at I think to myself, 'Wow, I get to play with these guys.' And I'm being honest here — they're far better than me. So why would I wanna go back to something that would be taking a step backwards?"

Lawless continued: "I understand that the hardcore fanbase likes to romance ideas in their heads. I totally get that. But when we started doing [W.A.S.P.'s fourth studio album, 1989's] '[The] Headless [Children]', I was moving in directions that required musicianship that the original band could not do. I don't mean to be overly hard. It's just, again, these are just facts. If you want to do stuff where the degree of difficulty is up there, then you're gonna have guys that can play it and play it consistently. And then by the time 'Headless' was done and I moved into [1992's] 'The Crimson Idol', forget it. I mean, look at who played on that record. Your average run-of-the-mill musician is not gonna be able to do that. And again, I was privileged to work with guys that were world-class musicians. So if you're gonna get that level of creativity, professionalism, it's almost impossible to duplicate in an original situation. If that band grows together, then yes, you could. But if the band does not grow together, then it's never gonna happen. And it doesn't matter whether it's us or what band it is, that's gonna be the same every time."

Lawless also addressed the perception that W.A.S.P. is essentially his solo project, with hired guns helping him achieve his vision. He said: "No man's an island — no man. And I have gone to great lengths to speak out about the guys that are in this band to make sure that the world knows who they are. At no point have I ever wanted this to be just my situation.

"I grew up playing sports," he explained. "To me, team is everything. And I'm much more happy and comfortable, relaxed, it's a much more enjoyable situation in a team surrounding. So that's always been the thing that I focused on the most. What the world sees is when they look at the records, they see me as the primary songwriter. So I think that that's a lot of where they get that from. But when it comes to making those records, you see that I don't play all those instruments. I do what I do, but those other guys, they're doing their fair share of contributing to making those records what they are."

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Back in January 2021, Holmes was asked by Cassius Morris if he had approached Lawless about participating in the making of "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes". Chris said: "I didn't, but Antoine did, and he said [Blackie] didn't have the time to do it."

Explaining that his relationship with Blackie is "over" and calling Lawless a "narcissist," Chris said: "When I left [W.A.S.P. for the final time] — or I really never left. [Blackie] just got another guitar player. They never even told me [I was out]. I found out that they were doing shows [without me]. So, I was, like, 'Wow. I must be out.' He never called me. Since then, I've dug in and found out some shitty stuff, what happened to me, and he knows that I know that, and he probably will never wanna talk to me ever again."

In October 2020, Chris said that he would never consider returning to W.A.S.P. unless Lawless agreed to pay him the publishing royalties that he allegedly owes him. He told Canada's The Metal Voice: "A lot of people think I made money from W.A.S.P. I've never gotten my royalties, or even my songwriting. All the stuff that I wrote, I've never gotten paid one penny. And you know whose fault it is? It's my my fault for not knowing the business, how it is. I trusted somebody.

"After every album, when the album is done, how they split up the publishing with the publishing contracts, the publishing companies — that's where the money comes from," he continued. "I was never told about when that meeting was. Because the other guys in the band never wrote — I was the only one [other than Blackie]. So I'm the only one that they have to screw over to get all the publishing. So I was never told. Then when I dug into it in about 2006 or [2007], I went into Sanctuary Music, had a lawyer go in to find out where all my publishing is, and I was written in as a session player into all the records. And if you don't know about it, and you're not told, and you don't see, you don't know. So I trusted Blackie Lawless about that. And when I found out, it really kind of yanked me wrong. It yanks me wrong — it makes me see he was sticking a knife in my back from the first day, from the first album, and not telling me, and being my best friend."

As far as Holmes is concerned, Lawless is solely to blame for him not getting his due from the W.A.S.P. records that he was involved with.

"If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be where he's at — I guarantee you that," Chris said. "And then he screws me like that. It's all right. It's been a long time. It's something that I will never, never get over. I'll take that to the grave with me. I'm pissed thinking about it.

"Anyway, that's the kind of person he is. Everybody thinks, 'Wow! He's got the greatest…' Yeah, he's got an outrageous voice, Blackie, yeah, but he turns his back on his bandmembers real bad — he screws 'em. I'm the only guy in the band that ever came back to get screwed twice, which I did. I came back for 'Kill.Fuck.Die', and I was promised half publishing on that album. Didn't get crap. Knowing that I couldn't get in to see what was written in the contracts, of course. That's why I wrote the song 'Two Faced Mother Fucker'. It's about him. It's on 'Shitting Bricks'. And I've got one on the new album. It's called 'The Truth'. It says, 'You can't handle the truth.' It's on my new [album]. I'm gonna write a song about him on every album."

Addressing the possibility of his return to W.A.S.P., Holmes said: "Everybody asks me about a W.A.S.P. reunion. Sure, I'd love to play a W.A.S.P. reunion — if he pays me my publishing. If it doesn't, then he can have a reunion with Randy Piper, Johnny Rod and [Steve] Riley and everybody else. I'm not gonna play it. It's not worth it.

"I came back to W.A.S.P. in '95. I got screwed again," he added. "Screw me once, screw me twice — you're not gonna screw me a third time."

During a November 2017 press conference in Moscow, Russia, Lawless was asked what he would say to those W.A.S.P. fans who continue to call for the band to reunite with Holmes. He responded: "People get divorced for certain reasons, and there's times when the kids want the parents to get back together, but sometimes it never happens. And this is one of those [times]. Sorry."

We are starting the promotion for UK by the first one and what a venue
Cart& Horses in London

Chris Holmes...

Posted by Catherine Holmes on Sunday, September 22, 2024