Boston's Fathom Farewell will be unleashing their Kraken EP on Friday, October 22nd via Blood Blast Distribution. Before it officially drops, the New England metalcore powerhouse is sharing the latest music videom for the single “Save Your Breath”, a track about being misunderstood, which is a common theme that has followed band founder and vocalist Alex Cohen throughout his life.


Alex explains in further detail: “From as long ago as I can remember I have been very energetic and maybe to some even at times overbearing.  I’ve learned over time how to filter some of my actions based on who I’m around so I don’t interfere with their natural process of getting to know me. However, before I had a proper grasp on who I am, I definitely rubbed people the wrong way at times without intending to.  I feel pit bulls specifically experience this every day.  They are some of the most compassionate, empathetic and caring creatures we have on the planet and yet due to the misbehavior of a small few they are stigmatized as vicious and threatening. This was the main point I was considering when writing the song, I want it to be a voice for anything or anyone that’s persecuted for being misunderstood.”







Fathom Farewell's Kraken EP was produced, mixed and mastered by Chris Piquette of No Boundaries Studios and the album artwork was done by Dixon of Intuitive Design. It will be the fourth release from the band following Consume The Earth (2019), Decomposition (2017) and Drowning Limits (2015).


Pre-save the new EP here.





Tracklisting:


"Kraken"
"Eulogy"
"In Time"
"Nameless City"
"Save Your Breath"


"Kraken" video:





"Eulogy" lyric video:





"Namless City" lyric video:





(Photo - Alex Cohen)

Metallica has released pro-shot footage of their performance of "No Leaf Clover", at The Independent in San Francisco, CA on September 16. Check it out below:





Watch Metallica perform "Of Wolf And Man", "The God That Failed", "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Frantic" at Aftershock 2021 in Sacramento, CA (October 8, 10):
















Knucklebonz has launched the pre-order for the Lady Justice (Metallica) On Tour Series Collectible. This is a limited edition of only 1,988 created. Shipping is estimated for spring 2022. Stay tuned for updates.





Each piece is hand-crafted. All KnuckleBonz statues are officially licensed, limited edition collectibles. This is a fine-arts process where each statue is hand-cast, painted and numbered on the base.

Halestorm have launched a new video series, Tales From The Dead. The first two episodes are available 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)

After releasing their vibrant fifth studio album, Viridian, in 2020, Temperance delight their devotees with the persuasive new offering Diamanti, to be released on November 19 via Napalm Records. With Diamanti, the exceptionally skilled Italian outfit once again showcases their extraordinary ability to merge brilliant vocal melodies, hefty power metal guitar riffing, and symphonic soundscapes in perfect harmony - all dressed in modern surroundings. This is an offering that fans of bands like Amaranthe will fall in love with immediately.


The new single, “Breaking The Rules Of Heavy Metal”, breaks in with full force, telling an epic tale and creating a far-reaching sense of common bond. This absolute anthem showcases the powerful strength and energy of all three vocalists Alessia Scolletti, Michele Guaitoli and Marco Pastorino, providing a taste of the upcoming album.


Michele Guaitoli (vocals, piano) on the new single: “If there is one thing that makes Temperance unique on the scene, is that we just don’t care about any commercial rule. We write our music for how we like it. We don’t ask ourselves “will this work?” We don’t question our songwriting putting it in relation of the market. This attitude is the same that we have when it comes to accepting limits: we don’t accept the idea of having limits. We are here to break the rules. Why just one singer? Let’s have three. Why just a style? Let’s play many. If we want something, we fight for it even if we need to break the rules of a certain scheme. What about heavy metal? Does it have rules? Does it have a scheme? If yes, we’re here to break it.”




A new guitar & bass playthrough video for “Breaking The Rules Of Heavy Metal” can be seen below:





Check out the official music video for “Breaking The Rules Of Heavy Metal”:





Diamanti was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Amaranthe), with the cover artwork once again created by Yann Souetre (Ayreon).


Marco Pastorino (vocals, guitar) on the new album: "With Diamanti, we managed to combine our best qualities and selected the best Temperance songs so far.  It's not our heaviest album, it's not our fastest work, but surely it's our favourite one so far! We weren't necessarily supposed to record a new album only one year after Viridian, but luckily we made it! In this album you will find our trademarks: the vocal harmonies, the catchy melodies, but also epic stuff, strong arrangements, and long tracks - I am very proud of Diamanti and I am convinced we have written a bombastic album!"





Diamanti will be available in the following formats:


- 1CD Digipak
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- 2LP Gatefold Curaçao Sea
- 2LP Gatefold Diamond Clear
- Digital Album





Tracklisting:


"Pure Life Unfolds"
"Breaking The Rules Of Heavy Metal"
"Diamanti"
"Black Is My Heart"
"Litany Of The Northern Lights"
"You Only Live Once"
"I The Loneliness"
"Codebreaker"
"The Night Before The End"
"Fairy Tales For The Stars"
"Let's Get Started"
"Follow Me"  


"Pure Life Unfolds" video:





Temperance are:


Alessia Scolletti - vocals
Michele Guaitoli - vocals, piano
Marco Pastorino - vocals, guitar
Luca Negro - bass guitar
Alfonso Mocerino – drums


(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has weighed in on the controversy that erupted after a district leader in Texas asked teachers to offer students books with an "opposing perspective" of the Holocaust.

During a meeting last week between teachers and Gina Peddy, the executive director of curriculum, they discussed which books teachers should have in their libraries. NBC News, which obtained audio of the meeting from an unnamed employee, said that the subject of recent statewide legislation, as well as the Holocaust, came up.

"Just try to remember the concepts of [House Bill] 3979," Peddy could be heard saying on tape, according to NBC News. "And make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives."

A teacher at the meeting asked, "How do you oppose the Holocaust?" Peddy responded, "Believe me. That's come up," according to NBC News.

According to NPR, House Bill 3979, which went into effect last month, mandates, among other things, that if public school teachers choose to discuss current events or widely debated or controversial public policy or social issues, they should present numerous points of view "without giving deference to any one perspective."

On Thursday, Stanley, who is Jewish, took to his Twitter to share the NBC News article, and included the following message: "This is so FUCKED. There will ALWAYS be 'opposing views' but there are NEVER opposing FACTS."

TWISTED SISTER's Jay Jay French agreed, chiming in in a tweet: "completely insane. and you can thank Trump for unleashing the stupids".

Superintendent Lane Ledbetter has since issued a statement via Facebook apologizing for the incident.

"As the Superintendent of Schools, I express my sincere apology regarding the online article and news story released today," he wrote. "During the conversations with teachers during last week's meeting, the comments made were in no way to convey that the Holocaust was anything less than a terrible event in history."

"Additionally, we recognize there are not two sides of the Holocaust," he continued. "As we continue to work through implementation of HB3979, we also understand this bill does not require an opposing viewpoint on historical facts. As a district we will work to add clarity to our expectations for teachers and once again apologize for any hurt or confusion this has caused."




This is so FUCKED. There will ALWAYS be “opposing views” but there are NEVER opposing FACTS. https://t.co/p9ys5zDWEs

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) October 14, 2021








completely insane. and you can thank Trump for unleashing the stupids

— Jay Jay French (@jayjayfrench) October 14, 2021

Passend zum zwanzigjährigen Jubiläum des Albums wird am 07.10.2011 Sol Invictus' "The Killing Tide" in gewohnt aufgearbeiteter, erweiterter Edition neu veröffentlicht. Die Neuauflage enthält zudem sieben Bonuslieder: Neben einer alten DAT-Aufnahme von "The World Turns" und der ursprünglich auf der Shock-7" veröffentlichten Version von "Somewhere In Europe" finden sich fünf Liveaufnahmen des Sol-Invictus-Auftritts im Frankfurter Sound Depot von 1991 als Ergänzung.
Das 1997 veröffentlichte und seit langer Zeit vergriffene "The Blade" stellt die zweite Sol-Invictus-Neuauflage aus dem Hause Auerbach Tonträger im Oktober dar. Auf der nun erscheinenden Version dieses von vielen Fans als Top-Album der Sol-Invictus-Diskographie gehandelten Werks befinden sich neben dem Originalalbum vier Bonuslieder: Das ursprünglich auf "In Europa" veröffentlichte "Time To Meet The King", dessen Entstehung aber in die Zeit von "The Blade" fiel, ein früher Mix von "Nothing Here & Remember And Forget", eine ursprünglich verworfene Version von "Only I Know" und eine unveröffentlichte Version von "In God We Trust".
Wie bereits die vorangegangenen Neuauflagen erscheinen auch "The Killing Tide" und "The Blade" im Portrait-Digipak-Format, enthalten neue Artworks sowie Liner-Notes von Tony Wakeford und sind auf jeweils 700 Stück limitiert.

Tracklist The Killing Tide:
01. Like A Sword
02. In A Silent Place
03. Let Us Prey
04. The Killing Tide
05. Figures On A Beach
06. The Man Next Door Is Very Strange
07. Our Lady Of The Missing Presumed Dead
08. The Wild Hunt - Something Grim This Way Comes
09. A Figure On A Beach

Bonus
10. The World Turns
11. English Murder (live at Frankfurt Sound Depot 1991)
12. Fields (live at Frankfurt Sound Depot 1991)
13. Raven Chorus (live at Frankfurt Sound Depot 1991)
14. Black Easter (live at Frankfurt Sound Depot 1991)
15. Death of the West (live at Frankfurt Sound Depot 1991)
16. Somewhere in Europe (originally released on Shock 7" EP)

Tracklist The Blade:
1. The Blade
2. In Heaven
3. Time Flies
4. The House Above The World
5. Laws And Crowns
6. Once Upon A Time
7. See How We Fall
8. Gealdor
9. From The Wreckage
10. Nothing Here
11. Remember And Forget
12. The Blade

Bonus
13. Time To Meet The King (originally released on "In Europa")
14. Nothing Here & Remember And Forget (early mix)
15. Only I know (outtake)
16. In God We trust

QUEENSRŸCHE's Michael Wilton has 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.

In an interview with Straus Project conducted before QUEENSRŸCHE's October 16 concert at the Arcada Theatre in St Charles, Illinois, Wilton stated about Stone (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He's such a gracious guy to stop his life and come out on the road with QUEENSRŸCHE. He loves it. He was with us in the early 2000s, and so he knew the songs. So it just made sense, the transition into what we're doing. And he's learning more songs in the repertoire, so we can eventually start playing different songs in the setlist."

Asked if Stone is someone who might be involved in the recording process for the next QUEENSRŸCHE album as a full-fledged member of the band, Wilton said: "He's pretty much a touring guy. It's up to him, basically. But I think we'd like to have him come into some of the recording and do, like, double solos, 'cause he'll be playing 'em [live] anyway. And just to have a little diversity in the guitar area. So we'll utilize him as much as we can, as much as he allows us."

As for the progress of the songwriting sessions for QUEENSRŸCHE's "The Verdict" LP, Wilton said: "We've been writing lots of songs, lots of demos, and we've been putting songs together for this next QUEENSRŸCHE album. We've been doing these think-tank sessions where we all meet in a room and improvise and just come up with ideas. And you get instant yays and nays — if it's something we can work on. 'Cause sometimes I'll play something and I won't recognize it as something that I thought was really cool or something. And then [singer] Todd [La Torre will go], 'Oh, that's really cool. If you put that in this part right here…' You get a lot of this spontaneous creativity that happens, which is different than the way we did 'The Verdict'. 'The Verdict', we all had completed songs, and we were e-mailing, waiting for responses, waiting for this and that.

"It's kind of like the old days, but now you have technology. And it's faster, actually. For me, I'll come up with an idea — a riff and a couple of parts right here — and [producer] Zeuss [Chris Harris] will tell [drummer] Casey [Grillo], 'Casey, come play a drum beat to this. Let's see how this works.' And then we just build from something that simple into a song. And it's fun.

"We've got, like, 23, 24… I don't know. There's so many of these demos."

Lundgren, a former member of original QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's solo group who was also briefly married to Geoff's stepdaughter Miranda, announced his departure from QUEENSRŸCHE in a social media post on July 2.

The 34-year-old musician wrote: "For several years, I have been deeply immersed in collecting and selling guitars, as well as rare and fascinating musical instruments. This passion led to the opening of my guitar store Diablo Guitars in 2019. Since then, my business has grown and I recently acquired a storefront with a full-service repair shop. In 2020, my wife and I opened Lucky Devil Latte, which has quickly expanded to multiple locations. With these new endeavors and ensuing responsibilities, my time to devote to QUEENSRŸCHE has become increasingly strained, and I no longer am able to commit the time and focus it deserves. For these reasons, I have made the difficult decision to step down from my role as guitarist in QUEENSRŸCHE.

"I want to thank my friends, family, and fans for making the past 13 years an amazing journey. I wish nothing but the best for my fellow band members, crew and everyone who has supported us.

"I hope to have your continued support as I pursue new ventures."

The remaining members of QUEENSRŸCHE added in a separate statement: "For over a decade, it has been a great pleasure watching [Parker] evolve and flourish as a guitarist, songwriter, and most importantly, a wonderful human being. Parker will always be family to us and we wish him all the success in the world with his new endeavors. Take hold, brother!"

Lundgren, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2009, previously sat out some of QUEENSRŸCHE's U.S. shows in September 2018 when the band was on tour as the support act for SCORPIONS.

Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson are the sole remaining original members of QUEENSRŸCHE, which split with Tate in 2012 and replaced him with ex-CRIMSON GLORY frontman Todd La Torre.

QUEENSRŸCHE has released three albums thus far with La Torre — 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman" and the aforementioned "The Verdict".

Earlier this week, original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.

Rockenfield hasn't performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in more than four years. The band has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.

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


Queensryche at the Arcada 10/16/21

I had the opportunity to sit down with Michael Wilton & Todd La Torre of Queensrÿche this evening before their show at the Arcada Theatre. They haven't talked to ANYONE on this tour, and I am honored they take the time when in town. I hope you enjoy this stripped down Straus Project EXCLUSIVE!!! - J.R.

Posted by Straus Project on Saturday, October 16, 2021

English extreme metal legends, Carcass, recently released their new album, Torn Arteries, via Nuclear Blast Records. The band have released a drum playthrough video for their single, "The Scythe's Remorseless Swing". Watch as the band's beastly drummer Daniel Wilding unleashes his fury upon the kit on one of the album's most ferocious tracks.


Commenting on the song and playthrough, Wilding says: “Super happy to bring you another play through. This is 'The Scythes Remorseless Swing.' Definitely one of my favourite songs to listen to and play on the album! Pretty straight forward drum and arrangement wise but has such a lot of energy, dynamics, groove and power. Just a super fun one to play. Enjoy”







Torn Arteries can be ordered in a variety of bundles and formats, including CD, Box Set and limited edition vinyl pressings. Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Torn Arteries"
"Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstances March No. 1 In B)"
"Eleanor Rigor Mortis"
"Under The Scalpel Blade"
"The Devil Rides Out"
"Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited"
"Kelly's Meat Emporium"
"In God We Trust"
"Wake Up And Smell The Carcass / Caveat Emptor"
"The Scythe's Remorseless Swing"


"The Scythe's Remorseless Swing" video:





"Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B)" video:





"Kelly's Meat Emporium" visualizer:





Lineup:


Bill Steer - Guitars
Jeff Walker - Bass/Vocals
Daniel Wilding - Drums
Tom Draper - Guitars


(Photo - Ester Segarra)

Just in time for Halloween, Varja release a disturbing, horror-themed music video for “Wavering”, a dark ambient piece from their Irkalla EP.


Written, produced, shot, and edited by vocalist Annamaria Pinna and bassist David Sussman, “the video for 'Wavering' is the third chapter of a larger film inspired by the Sumerian classic hero myth, Descent of Inanna,” explains Pinna. The pair just received three Official Selection distinctions from the Montreal Independent Film Festival 2021, the 2021 ARFF Paris and the New York Independent Cinema Awards for their video “Maya”, which was released last year.


On the release of “Wavering”, Pinna reveals, “This song is a very different format from the last three singles we've released. It's more of a meditative piece rather than a full-on alt-metal song. In 'Irkalla', our objective was to weave a tapestry of melodic alt-metal with dark ambient experimental pieces that create an esoteric space to explore the dark night of our souls. 'Irkalla' is meant to be listened to in its entirety, and 'Wavering' is a part of that experience. What is important is that the music may provide a portal to go on a journey. The journey will be different for each individual. My musical heroes have done this for me. 'Wavering' may surprise some of our fans and we are excited to introduce this song as a bridge to our dark ambient musical side."







In connection with the release, Varja will be holding a contest to give away the handmade coffin featured in the "Wavering" music video to one lucky fan, along with a full Irkalla gift pack including: Irkalla vinyl, CD, T-shirt, ritual pack, mask and stickers. Yes, Varja is actually giving away a coffin; a hand-constructed pine box made by an Upstate New York casket artisan, and perfectly suitable for burial. For contest rules, check out the band's website and socials. The winner will be announced at midnight on Devil's night into Halloween, and will be personally hand-delivered by the band within 99.9 miles of NYC. The contest is free to enter. Contest rules and details are on Varja's website and social media pages.


Irkalla is available both digitally and physically on CD/vinyl. Physical copies include an additional dark ambient EP dubbed the Shadow Queen Ritual Music, which is not available anywhere else.





Tracklisting:


“Irkalla”
“Maya”
“Crown Or Crucify”
“Wavering”
“Sever The Tie”
“Win”


“Maya” video:

German metal band, Thunder And Lightning, have released a new single, "A Nation Of Fools", feat. Mob Rules singer Klaus Dirks.





The single is now live on all streaming services. Get it here, and watch a music video for the song below:

During an appearance Tuesday (October 19) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", David Ellefson opened up about 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. 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.

Ellefson told "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk that he "didn't even know what" the word "grooming" was, adding that he "had no idea" about the meaning of the term experts use to refer to the actions that sexual abusers take to get close to and gain the trust of those they are interested in. "And any allegations of anything being illegal [are false]," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "There was nothing. And that's why I immediately hired a criminal lawyer. I went right to the police department. And just for the record, the bad guy doesn't go to the police department. Okay? So, just to be clear. The guy who didn't do anything wrong, he goes to the police department. That's why I went to the police department and filed a police report and let them deal with it.

"I think there was a big fear of — there's always this talk of cancel culture and all this stuff," he continued. "And I was, like, 'Listen, that was not me.' And I had every right to stand up against that and defend myself against it. And I just turned that over to the lawyers and police department and let them deal with it, and they did."

David also addressed his decision to step away from social media and stop doing interviews for a few months while things settled, both personally and professionally.

"Look, certainly time heals wounds in these things, which is good," he said. "And that was the thing — I was, like, look, I didn't do anything wrong; there was nothing illegal here; and you let it go. And for me to just kind of take some time away and go dark. I got off all social media. I have one Facebook account that I don't even run, just for kind of professional purposes and everything, but I'm off of that. And I think that helps."

When Trunk brought up the point that the only apparent "illegality" in this case lies with the person who actually leaked the above-mentioned video, Ellefson said: "A hundred percent. That's why I didn't hire a civil lawyer to sue people for a million bucks. I hired a criminal lawyer, and what they do is prosecute to put people in jail. 'Cause those were the crimes. You can't just go do shit like that — put stuff out there, content — and not have a penalty. That is the crime. And I think people just think they can — and not everybody; I'm not saying all people — but there is a faction that they just think that that could be just done as a joke and for fun, and it can't. Of course, it's the Internet, so people live in foreign countries; there's all this stuff. That's why the best thing, I think, is to, first of all, just get away from those platforms because that is a breeding ground for that society to do that."

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.

Asked by Trunk if there are still ongoing legal proceedings in the case, Ellefson said: "It's been resolved. We took the steps necessary, walked through that process, which was necessary to do, and that's all landed and, as of now, that's fine."

David, who studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis nearly a decade ago, also wanted to address one specific "misconception" about him that has been repeatedly raised in the months since his masturbation videos were posted online. He said: "There's a misconception that I'm a pastor. I am not a pastor. I did a year of seminary, and they made it real clear, 'If you are gonna continue at seminary, you need to quit MEGADETH,' so I quit seminary to be in MEGADETH. And I remember telling my mom that, when she was still alive — God rest her soul. I said, 'Hey, I withdrew out of seminary,' in good standing, to continue being in MEGADETH. And she was actually very disappointed. She was, like, 'You know what? MEGADETH is holding you back. That's too bad. You should have stayed in seminary.' Turns out maybe I should have listened to my mom; I don't know. [Laughs] Of course, mom wants the best for you.

"Who knows? Whatever," he continued. "I'm a rock and roller, man. I'm a founding member of MEGADETH. It's who I am. It's what I do. It's part of my life. It's part of my existence. So I have no regrets about any of that. But I think that was a misconception. People started throwing that around. And so I've never been an ordained pastor. Yes. I did explore that world for a time."

David went on to say that there is a perception that people of faith must set a higher standard of how they live with and treat others. "It's almost like you're this entity that's floating up toward the heavens: 'Oh, he's such a wonderful man. He's a man of faith. He's got his family. And then this happens.' It's, like, 'What the hell is this?'

"I mean, look, admittedly I've sort of trained the public to think that I'm one of the more well-behaved rock stars out there, and for the most part I have been," he continued. "But at the same time, and this isn't to claim anything other than just, oops, shit happens. That is what it is.

"In the season that I was away from MEGADETH, in the 2000s, I got involved in other things in church, and raising my family, and blah blah blah, these things, and so by nature, I kind of became more of a suburban homebody — the dad guy," David added. "And then I went back to MEGADETH in 2010. And the thing is to try to reconcile that you're not one guy at home and another guy on the road, that you're the same guy. And I think for anybody who spent any time on the road — whether you're a rock star, a traveling salesman or whoever you may be — that is the challenge, and it's a real challenge, to keep your life in order when every day your toothbrush is in a new zip code."

David and his wife Julie Ellefson have been married for 27 years. They have two child

Back in 1990, Megadeth appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show, the American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall, to promote their album, Rust In Peace. Rare footage of the band performing "Hangar 18" on the program, courtesy of Menza Nation, can now be seen below:





Screaming Butterfly Entertainment recently announced their partnership with former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson / Ellefson Films on their upcoming feature length documentary, This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza. Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of Nick's life.




Ellefson stated: "In forty-second promo clip, that can be seen below. I am proud to announce I will narrate / co-produce the upcoming documentary film This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza and I look forward to sharing together with you the life story of one of musics most celebrated rock star drummers of all time Nick Menza."


Menza's longtime personal manager Robert Bolger said: "I am very happy to connect David Ellefson with Screaming Butterfly Entertainment to narrate / co-produce the project. Ellefson's involvement and knowledge will secure the authenticity of the film. They both spent a lot of personal time together touring world and if anyone knew Nick at best, it's David Ellefson. Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick's fans will enjoy this journey through his life."


Executive Producer/Director Holly Mollohan from Screaming Butterfly Entertainment added: "I am very happy to welcome David Ellefson to the "This Was My Life" team. He brings with him a wealth of in-depth knowledge and personal experience that will be so valuable to making this film something very special for the fans and Nick's family. I believe that his involvement will be an extremely positive addition to the project, and am excited to collaborate with him on the film."





In conjunction with the announcement of Ellefson's attachment to the film, an Indiegogo campaign has been launched to raise funding for the completion of the film. Fans have the opportunity to support the production of the film directly, as well as obtain some rare, official Nick Menza memorabilia.


These items include various Nick Menza personally owned items - some with authentic signatures from Nick himself. In addition to memorabilia, fans can purchase brand new Nick Menza merchandise including hats, posters, and even Nick Menza skateboard decks. Fans can even have their names and a message added to the end credits of the film.


The campaign can be found here and is now live.





"This Was My Life" will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic Rust In Peace lineup."


"This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with. A screenshot from the film was recently released that featured an interview with former Lamb Of God/Megadeth drummer Chris Adler.


Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to The Wall Street Journal about his decision to sell his Southern Nevada estate, only five months after buying it.

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

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

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

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

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

Gene bought the Los Angeles property back in October 1986 for $1,337,500.

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

"It's a big property, and the kids were literally raised here," he said about the Beverly Hills house. "Now they've moved on, and they both have their own homes next to each other in the Hollywood Hills. They borrow a cup of sugar and all that. They love each other and support each other like the best kids you could imagine."

"They've got their own lives, and now we've got this big house. And if I want to talk to [my wife] Shannon, I've got to hit an intercom because she's at the other end of the house," he continued. "It's happy and it's also sad. When you're a kid and you live at home, you love your mom and dad, but at some point you've got to move out. It's sad because you're moving from home, but you're also looking forward to the future, and we really hope the next family that lives here is going to get as much joy as we have from this place."

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

Gene, Shannon and their kids all appeared on the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 until 2012.

Photo credit: courtesy of Stetson Ybarra Photography

For all the fans around the globe unable to be present as SLIPKNOT performs the biggest headline performance of its career to date, the band have announced today that Knotfest Los Angeles at the Banc of California Stadium will be streamed live on Friday, November 5. SLIPKNOT's first-ever livestream, the event will allow fans to share all the excitement of a SLIPKNOT gig, both live as it happens, and for a full 72 hours after. Tickets are on sale now at knotfest.veeps.com, priced at a discounted pre-sale cost of $15, with on-the-day tickets being $20. Knotfest members are eligible to purchase at a discounted price of $12. Tickets bundled with event merch are also available.

As part of the broadcast, ticket holders not only get to see SLIPKNOT's incendiary new production, live from Los Angeles, but also a selection of songs each from a stacked supporting bill of the hottest bands in heavy music, including KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333, CODE ORANGE, VENDED and a special performance from CHERRY BOMBS. Check out the trailer below.

Ticket holders can still watch the stream up to 72 hours post event, so don't worry if you can't watch "live" on the night.

In late August, the Grammy Award-winning Iowan icons took Knotfest back to their home state for Knotfest Iowa, selling out an expanded capacity show at the National Balloon Classic Field in Indianola. The band ia currently on the "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, which is snaking its way across the USA, culminating at the Banc Of California Stadium show for this very special event.

If you're in Southern California, you can still pick up remaining tickets to attend in person.

"Knotfest Roadshow" features support from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE. The 28-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicked off following Knotfest Iowa on September 25, and will wrap up in Arizona in early November.

SLIPKNOT has spent the last few months working on a new studio album, tentatively due in 2022. The band's latest LP, "We Are Not Your Kind", came out in August 2019. The disc sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

British rock band MAGNUM will release its new studio album, "The Monster Roars", on January 14, 2022 via SPV/Steamhammer. A couple of singles will precede the full-length effort: "I Won't Let You Down", a typically deep melodic midtempo song featuring a memorable chorus with stylish string accompaniment for added lustre, will arrive on November 12, followed five weeks later, on December 17, by a second pre-release track, "No Steppin' Stones", also including a lyric video.

"The Monster Roars" features twelve new songs in total from guitarist Tony Clarkin, singer Bob Catley and their comrades in arms Rick Benton (keyboards), Dennis Ward (bass) and Lee Morris (drums), with a few little surprises thrown in. On top of the regular disc, MAGNUM will release a limited box set with three extra bonus tracks, including a new version of "Days Of No Trust", the opener of the 1988 album classic "Wings Of Heaven", a new remastered version of "Sweets For My Sweet", the very first single of their career from 1975, and a previously unreleased track from the same era. And from March 2022, the band will finally be returning to Europe for a major tour.

Track listing:

01. The Monster Roars (3:57)

02. Remember (5:05)

03. All You Believe In (5:01)

04. I Won't Let You Down (3:57)

05. The Present Not The Past (5:27)

06. No Steppin' Stones (3:57)

07. That Freedom Word (4:52)

08. Your Blood Is Violence (6:44)

09. Walk The Silent Hours (4:51)

10. The Day After The Night Before (4:23)

11. Come Holy Men (5:01)

12. Can't Buy Yourself Heaven (5:00)

Iconic singer, songwriter, guitarist, and ALICE IN CHAINS co-founder Jerry Cantrell has released "Siren Song", the third and final song before next week's release of his new album "Brighten". The album will be made available on October 29.

"Siren Song" begins with a soft, finger-picked acoustic guitar, as a lead into the heavy distorted sound that follows. Jerry's soaring vocals take listeners on an epic journey — "She don't lie she walks on. A passerby in a dream. You feel as though it'll never die. In my dark you are the light. Funny how the feeling never goes. When I'm wrong you are the right. Carry the memory in my soul."

"Brighten" 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.

"Siren Song" is performed by Cantrell (guitar, vocals, bass) along with Sharone (drums, percussion), Puciato (backing vocals), Rozon (pedal steel), Jordan Lewis (piano) and Barresi (triangle).

Cantrell played a pair of sold-out solo shows in Los Angeles joined by an eclectic group of musicians and friends, several of whom appear on "Brighten".

"It was fun to play tunes I hadn't performed in years from 'Boggy Depot' and 'Degradation Trip'," Jerry continues. "Tyler Bates not only introduced me to a lot of cool players, he also helped me put the band together for the shows, and performed with me."

"Brighten" spawned from those gigs.

"It was like an old-school '70s record where a multitude of musicians played," smiles Cantrell. "So it's not a set band. I got to make music with a bunch of people I never had before, along with friends like Duff, Tyler and Gil who I've worked with previously."

Jerry's expansive sonic palette incorporates everything from moments of moody organ and powerful pedal steel to the cathartic choruses and airtight riffs which is the hallmark of Cantrell's sound.

"Brighten" track listing:

01. Atone

02. Brighten

03. Prism of Doubt

04. Black Hearts and Evil Done

05. Siren Song

06. Had To Know

07. Nobody Breaks You

08. Dismembered

09. Goodbye (Elton John cover)

The cast of players on "Brighten"

* Jerry Cantrell - Guitar, bass, vocals, keys

* Greg Puciato - Background vocals

* Duff McKagan - Bass

* Gil Sharone - Drums

* Abe Laboriel Jr. - Drums

* Tyler Bates - Strings, percussion, guitar

* Vincent Jones - Piano, keys, & strings

* Jordan Lewis - Piano

* Michael Rozon - Pedal steel

* Lola Bates - Background vocals

* Matias Ambrogi-Torres - Strings

Jerry's upcoming effort will mark his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Cantrell announced the new LP's completion in an Instagram post in March.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

VIRGIN STEELE's forthcoming metal opus, The Black Light Bacchanalia will be released on October 22 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the rest of Europe on October 25 and on Novemeber 9 in North America.

Leader David DeFeis checks in from the studio: "This has been one tense week for us to say the least! Josh (Block) and I have worked like demons from the farthest crypts of Hades and Vikings on a rampage to complete this album. Due to some freaky electrical malfunctions caused by the various late summer storms we have had here, we lost various tracks from the majority of the songs on the album, including information on drives that were the backups. The gods and goddesses of all things involving the Currents of the earth and sky are not always kind. Luckily we had enough material from earlier sessions baked up on other drives, to be able to go in and frantically begin work again, re-recording over the past three or four days about 75-80-% of the album all over again in terms of vocals, guitars and a few stray bits of orchestration. Now after a harrowing week, we are in the home stretch and once again racing to the finish line in our attempt to make our deadline. While we are in for another major league insane day and night, this actually looks possible.

The end result of all this manic activity, is that an already raw and passionate album is even more raw and passionate! Listening back last night, I was reminded of the untamed fury and pure unadulterated energy of albums like LED ZEPPELIN 2, or the early VAN HALEN albums. Not that Virgin Steele sounds like that per say, but that spontaneity, that abandon, is captured here. If Zeppelin came back today as a barbaric-romantic metal band and were releasing there first album, they might have made an album like we are making now. It sounds like a debut album in many ways. It is very honest and overflowing with exuberance. It is heavy when it needs to be, atmospheric on occasion, epic in all directions, violent, tender, proud and ultimately defiant.

I want to express my thanks to my friend and bandmate Josh Block for his dedication, determination, and for hanging in there with me, not only playing wicked guitar on the record, but also contributing his exceptional engineering skills throughout the recording and mixing process. I also wish to thank our good Friend and long time recording engineer Ed Warrin for his tireless assistance, keen ears, great wit, and Noble skills in helping to bring this album to a proper close.

I also wish to send out a royal thanks and a round of drinks to: our drummer Frank Gilchriest who contributed amazing drum performances even while suffering from a severely injured ankle. He is the new and indestructible Keith Moon, and he shall remain Invictus. And thanks and cheers to Edward (Van Dorian) Pursino for his passionate guitar work and positive vibes throughout these past several months of traveling and recording.

We hope that you will all enjoy the fruits of our summer of madness."

YouTube channel Heavy Metal Hill has uploaded video footage of Geoff Tate's October 15 performance at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California.

Tate's current tour is celebrating the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

1986's "Rage For Order" introduced a much more polished look and sound for QUEENSRŸCHE. The album featured keyboards as prominently as guitars, and the group adopted an image more closely associated with glam rock or glam metal than with heavy metal (of which glam metal was a subgenre). A video was filmed for the song "Gonna Get Close to You", originally recorded in 1984 by DALBELLO.

Released in 1990, "Empire" included the hit ballad "Silent Lucidity", which reached No. 9 on the Billboard singles chart, helped propel "Empire" to No. 7 on the album chart and earned two Grammy Award nominations.

Prior to the launch of the trek in early 2020, Tate told MisplacedStraws.com that he would take the "Empire 30th Anniversary Tour" to "as many countries as I can and playing the album in its entirety, which I've never done before. So that'll be real fun. In fact, I think there's some songs on that album that I've never, ever played live before, so it'll be a treat — for me, as well, I think, for the audience too," the former QUEENSRŸCHE singer said. "I'm really looking forward to that."

Tate told Eonmusic that one song from "Empire" that was rarely performed live is "Anybody Listening?" "When QUEENSRŸCHE was together, we never really put that song in our set," he said. "We just had a hard time playing it, for some reason; it just never jelled or felt right. And I'd really like to play that song again, and play it right."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" on European and U.S. tours.

Andrea Haugen, who previously was married to Samoth (EMPEROR, ZYKLON), will release her third album under the NEBELHEXË moniker, "Dead Waters", on May 5. The effort will be made available through Amber Autumn, which is a subdivision of Candlelight Records.

Despite her popularity in the metal scene, Haugen's music is often refered to as "ambient/folk/rock/gothic." She describes "Dead Waters" as "very own, very dark, very organic, very strange. 'Dead Waters' certainly turned out to be more organic, kind of like a mix of dreamy ambient, tribal, and a darker form of country... or something like that... maybe it was the influence of that Texas snake beer we were drinking in the studio (cool stuff!) and the hot weather. The songs, as usual, embrace many of my deep and dark thoughts, dreams... and recent experiences... I have a talent for ending up in unusual, interesting and weird situations... always kinda stressy when it happens... but they always makes the best and entertaining stories afterwards."

Through Nebelhexë, Haugen has released three albums so far: "Laguz - Within the Lake", "Essensual" and now "Dead Waters". Her lyrics talk about her real experiences, dreams, magical visions, vampires and animalistic impulses, dream gods, animal abuse, yearn for freedom, fears and her thoughts about society...

She is a writer of thought-provoking publications and articles about the darker aspects of human nature, animalistic instincts and other esoteric/taboo subjects which became quite popular in the alternative and metal music scenes. She also wrote a book about the understanding of northern myths, traditions and goddess worship, which became very popular. She has a column in a Norwegian gothic magazine, called "Seriously - The Things That Irritate Nebelhexë", yet she prefers to write her dark surrealistic stories, such as her comic "One Autumn Day".

"Dead Waters" track listing:

01. Against The Wall
02. Skindeep
03. Digital Sleep
04. Dead Waters
05. Charmed (Again)
06. In My Dreams I Am Free
07. 19th Century Ghost
08. Beyond The Ninth Wave
09. Fallen
10. The Nightguard

Horror metal band First Jason, featuring Friday The 13th’s original “Jason Voorhees” Ari Lehman, has announced the release of its new video for their latest single “The Price Of Peace.” Describing the song as embodying a harder edge than the band’s recent projects, Lehman says he is particularly proud of this track as it is reminiscent of the group’s earlier work.


“It’s kind of like us almost returning to our original formula, like ‘Jason Never Dies,’ which has most of our biggest hits where we’re on a little more hardcore than a heavy metal sound. Maybe even a little bit of a nu metal sound in there, admittedly, because I’ve been very impressed by bands like Nonpoint, Ice Kills Nine, who I did a collaboration with, and just looking at different sounds that are out there,” Lehman said.





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What’s also different about the “Price Of Peace” is its subject matter. Written during quarantine, the song explores today’s turbulent times. Lehman said “It asks the question, ‘Is this the price of peace that we have to pay?’ And it says the only way to pay the price is to sacrifice your pride, so it’s a philosophical song, which kind of reveals a lot about me.”


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