LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has shared some of what he called "practical information" regarding concert safety following the tragic crowd surge at a Travis Scott performance in Houston earlier in the month.

The rapper's November 5 set at his Astroworld event left nine people dead and several more fighting for their lives. Since then, dozens of lawsuits have been filed and a slew of questions remain unanswered about what went wrong.

Blythe, who spent five weeks in a Czech prison nearly a decade ago after he was arrested and charged with manslaughter for allegedly pushing a 19-year-old fan offstage at a show, addressed the Astroworld tragedy while preparing to perform Saturday (November 13) at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida in front of an anticipated 40,000 fans.

In a post to his Instagram, Randy wrote: "Tonight my band @lambofgod will play in front of thousands of people at the @welcometorockville festival in Florida. In light of the deaths at the Astroworld Fest in Houston, I'm posting some practical info. I will not retroactively armchair quarterback the whole Astroworld thing- suffice it to say, A LOT of shit went wrong in many ways. However, I BELIEVE THE BUCK ULTIMATELY STOPS WITH THE PERSON HOLDING THE MIC- anyone who knows my story knows that I have very sad, personal experience with not stopping an out of control show- it's something I will carry with me to my grave. Being a spokesperson for safer shows is both my responsibility as a good man & the fulfillment of a face-to-face promise I made to the family of a dead fan. SO TO THAT END:

"#1) From personal experience, I can say that from the performer's perspective onstage at a huge festival, it can be VERY DIFFICULT to tell if something has gone wrong in the audience- the noise of the music, the roar of the crowd, the lights in your face, the thousands of people moving all at once- it makes it very hard to ascertain if there is a problem or if people are just having a good time.

"If someone is hurt, screaming 'STOP THE SHOW!' at the band onstage doesn't really work, because unless the entire audience is chanting that, it's just gonna blend into all the noise.

"Waving your hands frantically in the air doesn't really help either— it just looks like more movement in a sea of movement.

"What DOES help the audience let a performer know that something has gone wrong in the crowd?

"A SIGNAL. Here are 2 signals I've personally seen from the stage that have let me know that someone was injured in the crowd. We then COMPLETELY STOPPED the show until that person could be removed:

"A) arms held in an 'x' above your head (picture 1). This is a fairly universal signal that means STOP.

"B) the 'time-out' signal (picture 2- fingertips of one hand speared into the palm of the other)

"When I've seen several people doing these signals in a crowd together, it looks DIFFERENT than everyone else, & I've known something was wrong.

"#2) if someone falls, pick them up. That is how WE do it in OUR COMMUNITY.

"Nuff said."

Blythe spent 37 days in a Prague prison before ultimately being found not guilty in 2013. His prison experience inspired two songs on LAMB OF GOD's 2015 album "VII: Sturm Und Drang": "512", one of his three prison cell numbers, and "Still Echoes", written while he was in Pankrac Prison, a dilapidated facility built in the 1880s that had been used for executions by the Nazis during World War II. It also led him to write his 2015 memoir, "Dark Days: A Memoir", in which he shared his whole side of the story publicly for the first time.
























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Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has shared an unfounded conspiracy theory that the deaths at a Travis Scott concert earlier in the month were part of a satanic ritual.

The rapper November 5 set at his Astroworld event left nine people dead and several more fighting for their lives. Since then, dozens of lawsuits have been filed and a slew of questions remain unanswered about what went wrong.

On Friday (November 12), Ace took to his Facebook to share a photo of what appears to be his right foot covered in a sock emblazoned with the words "Not Today Satan", and he included the following message: "On tour w/ [my daughter] Monique & [my girlfriend] Lara…In regard to what happened in Houston TX…Our prayers go out to all the families who lost loved ones at the concert!…Seems like it was a 'Satanic Ritual' gone very wrong! They'll Be Hell To Pay!!! For everyone who let those kids die! All people of every faith & religion should band together to stop this from ever happening again in America ??…God Bless!!!"

The conspiracy theory about a connection between Satan and what happened at Astroworld has been spreading online, with some TikTok videos including the hashtag #SaveTheChildren, a QAnon conspiracy theory that falsely alleges celebrities and politicians are running a child sex trafficking ring that harvests children's blood in satanic rituals. Other videos on TikTok claimed that the stage, which looked like an upside down cross, opened a "portal to hell." "The concert last night was a straight up satanic ritual and Scott didn't even stop playing as people were dying and chaos broke out," a Facebook post said. "8 people were killed at Travis Scott Astroworld Satanic concert," another post claimed.

"If you don't believe that there was nothing demonic about that whole concert, you are spiritually blind and I pray that God opens your eyes," a man wrote in a post on TikTok that drew more than a million views in a day.

In Rolling Stone's November 8 article headlined "Satan, Not Travis Scott, Is to Blame for Astroworld Tragedy, TikTok Geniuses Declare", the magazine wrote in part: "People have said the stage was shaped like an inverted cross leading to a portal to Hell, which they believe was represented by the arch-shaped set onstage. They also point to a shirt Scott wore at the show that depicts human figures walking through a door and emerging with what look like horns as further evidence that Scott was leading fans to hell and sacrificing people's lives intentionally."

Unsurprisingly, the "Satan" conspiracy theory has no credible basis. According to the Houston Chronicle, police and fire officials said a massive crowd started surging toward the stage around 9 p.m. leaving some panicked, struggling to breathe or underfoot, after they fell. A criminal investigation into the incident is underway, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

A week ago, Scott released a statement and a video offering condolences to the loved ones of the people who died. "I'm absolutely devastated by what took place last night," he tweeted. "My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival."


On tour w/Monique & Lara…In regard to what happened in Houston TX…Our prayers ? go out to all the families who lost...

Posted by Ace Frehley on Friday, November 12, 2021

Earlier this month, THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — released its debut single, "Shadowminds". The track, the official music video for which can be seen below, will appear on THE HALO EFFECT's first album, due in 2022 via Nuclear Blast.

Regarding how THE HALO EFFECT came together, Stanne told the "Heavy Hops" podcast (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is basically all my old friends from the area. Gothenburg is small, and it's always been very incestuous in terms of members, back and forth, in bands.

"I got asked by Niclas Engelin, who I've known since he… We played our first-ever show together with his old band; they were called SARCAZM, and we were still SEPTIC BROILER, before DARK TRANQUILLITY. So that's how far back we go. So he asked me, like, 'Let's play some music together.' And I was, like, 'Sure. It would be nice.' I was really deep into the writing and recording of the latest DARK TRANQUILLITY album, 'Moment', but I said, 'I'll be done soon.' 'Cause I was still kind of in the mode of sitting at home, recording and singing. So I was, like, 'Send me some songs. I'll see what I can do.' And then Peter Iwers called me as well and he was, like, 'I'm probably gonna be a part of this thing with Niclas. And it would be great if we could do it seriously. And we can probably get Daniel as well,' who played in IN FLAMES as well, 'and then maybe Jesper Strömblad as well.' And I was, like, 'That sounds fucking awesome.' That's totally old school. Even though we never played in that constellation in the early days of IN FLAMES, I was there, and Jesper was there, and then the other guys kind of joined later. So it was kind of, like, 'All right. Yeah, why not? Let's see what we can come up with.' So it's basically all the kind of old ex, weird members of IN FLAMES. But for me, it really is like… Daniel was in my younger brother's class when we grew up, so I started getting to know him because he got into death metal and he started his band SACRILEGE that I really loved. And Niclas was always kind of like a really, really proficient, great guitar player, playing in SARCAZM and tons of other bands that I always went to see, and we always hung out in the late '80s and early '90s. And Peter, of course, I knew, because he was the brother of Anders, who's been my friend forever. And Jesper I met during our first-ever shows in maybe '87, '88 — or something like that — hanging out at Valvet, which was the only kind of underground metal place here in Gothenburg in the late '80s and early '90s. So it kind of made perfect sense. So when we started talking about playing together, it was, like, 'Okay. What do we do then?' Should we just see if we can kind of pick up — not where we left off, but what we wanted to back then and see if we can update with what we have learned [through] our collective experiences. So that was kind of the idea. And it's been a blast — just being able to hang out with old friends. Because of touring schedules and all the stuff, in the recent 15 years or so, we never really get to see each other that much. But now we have. So it's been super, super, super cool."

On the topic of THE HALO EFFECT's musical direction, Mikael said: "Niclas started writing a few songs, just based on what he has and what he kind of digs. And I immediately felt, like, 'Oh, this is super cool. We're on to something here.' It's super heavy, it's melodic — it's all those things that we kind of grew up trying to do. Then Jesper got involved and he started changing a little bit of that or adding stuff to it. And we were, like, 'Okay, this is awesome.' It doesn't feel new at all, it doesn't feel super different, but at the same time, why should we? Let's focus on the things that we know best and try to kind of recapture that feeling that we had when we were kids, when we wanted to play together and that kind of playful atmosphere. Because the longer you play together with your main band or what have you, you try to constantly reinvent yourself, and so much energy goes into trying to be different from what you have done before. Whereas starting something new like this with a very familiar genre of music meant that you could be very free about it. It doesn't have to be anything in particular, it doesn't have to conform to any rules — it just needs to fucking kick ass and feel good. So that was the starting point. And then I tried, lyrically, to sing about or write about how it was growing up and how we felt and what was the thing that drove us to this extreme kind of music and all those things. It became kind of a thing that we always talked about: 'Do you remember this? Do you remember that old show? Do you remember that venue where we used to go and the long bus [ride] that took us all the way to that shitty youth center where we saw those bands?' or whatever. So it really became partly nostalgia but also kind of an appreciation for where we came from and how things turned out."

Stanne also talked about "Shadowminds", which was accompanied by a music video directed by Lucas Englund. He said: "It was one of the first songs that we wrote. We decided, like, 'Let's record a few songs, see if it works, see how it feels, see what we can come up with.' So we recorded three songs, and 'Shadowminds' was one of those. And we were really happy with all three of them. And we were, like, 'This feels great.' Because everything was written really fast. We went into the studio. Jesper put his spin on it. Then I wrote some lyrics in a day or in a couple of hours, sang it on a demo version and sent it to them, and they were, like, 'All right. Cool. Yeah. Let's record this super fast and see what happens.' Then we recorded a few more songs. And we couldn't decide on what would be the first single, because when we initially recorded these demos, it was just a way for us to present something to a label, see if someone is interested. So we were, like, 'Okay, but what song is most representative of this music, this band that we hardly even know yet.' So we played five songs to a bunch of friends and people who work in music, and they all kind of agreed this is probably the one. This feels most representative of what we are. It's a really intense song, it's melodic, it's heavy, and it's the first song that we eventually finished where we felt, like, 'Okay, this is a good direction. This is a good way of moving forward. And if we can have the songs be at least this kind of quality but in a different way, then we should be fine.' So that felt good. It was a great starting point — starting off with something that we were instantly very proud of and we felt like this is gonna be a song that's gonna stick for a while."

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past two and a half years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows for most of 2019 and early 2020 has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

When Engelin was asked in an August 2020 interview with the "MetalBreak" podcast what his "future" with IN FLAMES was, he responded, "I choose to pass on that [question]," before quickly adding, "I'm still in the band."

As of last year, Engelin was not listed as a member of IN FLAMES on the band's Facebook page (Broderick was), and he is not featured in any of IN FLAMES' current promotional photos from the group's record label, Nuclear Blast.

Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.

THE HALO EFFECT's first-ever tour will be as the support act for Swedish death metal giants AMON AMARTH and U.S. metallers MACHINE HEAD on 31 dates throughout Europe in the summer and fall of 2022.


























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KISS have released a preview of "Rock N’ Rolls Royce", a previously unreleased demo of from Gene Simmons' personal archive, featured on the upcoming Destroyer 45th Deluxe Editions. Listen below:





Celebrating its 45 anniversary, Destroyer was originally released in 1976 and is considered to be one of the quintessential KISS albums. It is the band’s first album to sell one million copies in its first year and holds the title of being their all-time best selling studio album. Packed with concert staples and KISS Army favorites including “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “God Of Thunder” and “Beth,” on November 19 UMe will release KISS – Destroyer 45th in the form of a Super Deluxe 4CD + Blu-ray Audio box set as well as on standard double black vinyl and limited edition yellow and red double colored vinyl, 2-CD set, and digital. Destroyer 45th can be pre-ordered here.




For the recording of Destroyer, Bob Ezrin was brought in as KISS’s new producer, helping the band reach new levels, both sonically and creatively. The album also showed the band’s growth as musicians and songwriters, experimenting with new sounds which came in the form of the softer side of songs like “Do You Love Me?,” and songs heavy with orchestral arrangements including “Great Expectations” and their Billboard No. 7 hit single “Beth.” Following the breakthrough success of 1975’s No. 9 Billboard charting Alive!, Destroyer was the KISS album that brought them to the forefront of the mainstream and transformed them into global rock icons. For its anniversary, UMe celebrates this seminal album’s legacy with a staggering amount of bonus material.


CD1 includes the original album newly remastered at Abbey Road Mastering, while CD2 features 15 demos from Paul Stanley’s and Gene Simmons’s personal archives – 9 of which are unreleased. CD3 is packed with studio outtakes, alternate versions / mixes and single edits – most notably a brand-new stripped-down mix for “Beth (Acoustic Mix),” and CD4 contains an electrifying performance from the band’s visit to Paris France at the L’Olympia on May 22, 1976. For the Blu-ray Audio disc, Steven Wilson was brought in to create a first-ever Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mix of the original studio album plus 2 bonus tracks “Beth (Acoustic Mix)” and “Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)” the latter featuring Ace Frehley’s original recorded guitar solo that was not released on the studio album (this track is available on the 2012 Destroyer: Resurrected project.)





Additionally, the Super Deluxe box features an extravagant array of collectable KISS memorabilia and ephemera, including a complete recreation of the original KISS Army Kit with the original folder and following items:


- KISS Army newsletter Volume 1 – No 2 announcing Destroyer
- 2x 8”x10” Destroyer Press Photos
- Discography Sheet
- Gene, Paul, Ace & Peter Bio Sheet
- KISS Army Member Certificate
- KISS Army Membership Card


Also included in the Super Deluxe set:


- KISS logo Iron-on
- KISS Army Sticker
- “Detroit Rock City” Bumper Sticker
- Destroyer Cover Sticker
- 11”x17” KISS on Westminster Bridge UK Poster
- 4 brand new 8”x10” Band Member Photos
- 8”x12” Destroyer Foil Flyer
- 8”x12” Destroyer Canadian Flyer (super rare)
- 4x Band Member Trading Cards (newly created for this boxset)
- 16”x24” KISS Over New York Skyline Poster
- 16”x24” KISS Halloween 1976 Concert Poster
- 2x 9”x12” Destroyer Tour Stage Blueprints on Transparent Vellum (never been seen before)
- 16-page Destroyer 1976 Tour Program
- Gotham Rock City News Volume 1 Newspaper that is a track-by-track interview with all 4 band members, Bob Ezrin and crew
- 68-page hardcover book with extensive liner notes by Paul Elliott & Ken Sharp featuring interviews from Gene, Paul, Ace, Peter, then-manager Bill Aucoin, album producer Bob Ezrin, and many more about the album’s writing and production process, U.S. and European tours, photo shoots, promotional stories, band member memories from their TV appearance on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and an intoxicating amount of unreleased photos and imagery


The entire contents are housed in a lift top- style box and features artist Ken Kelly’s original Destroyer cover art, arguably one of the most iconic album covers in rock, making this the ultimate KISS Destroyer souvenir.


KISS is America’s #1 Gold Record Award winning group of all time in every category and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Peerless as a live act, the band’s illustrious legacy is marked by record breaking global tours. Now, after an astonishing 48-year career, KISS - Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer - are currently in the midst of their End Of The Road tour.





Tracklisting:


Disc One: Destroyer - Original Album Remastered


"Detroit Rock City"
"King of The Night Time World"
"God of Thunder"
"Great Expectations"
"Flaming Youth"
"Sweet Pain"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me?"


Disc Two: Destroyer-Era - Demos


Paul Stanley Demos
"Doncha Hesitate"
"God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll"
"It’s The Fire"*
"Detroit Rock City"*
"Love Is Alright"*


Gene Simmons Demos
"Bad, Bad Lovin’"
"Man Of A Thousand Faces"
"I Don’t Want No Romance"*
"Burnin’ Up With Fever"*
"Rock N’ Rolls Royce"*
"Mad Dog"
"Night Boy"*
"Star"*
"Howlin’ For Your Love"*
"True Confessions"


Disc Three: Destroyer - Outtakes, Alternate Versions / Mixes, Single Edits


"Beth" (Acoustic Mix)*
"Shout It Out Loud" (Single Edit)
"Flaming Youth" (Single Edit)
"Detroit Rock City" (Single Edit)
"Shout It Out Loud" (Mono Single Edit)
"Flaming Youth" (Mono Single Edit)
"Detroit Rock City" (Mono Single Edit)
"Beth" (Mono)
"King Of The Night Time World" (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
"Do You Love Me?" (Mono Instrumental)*
"God Of Thunder" (Early Instrumental Mix)*
"Ain’t None Of Your Business" (Instrumental)*
"Detroit Rock City" (Instrumental)*
"King Of The Night Time World" (Alternate Mix)*
"Great Expectations" (Early Version)*
"Flaming Youth" (Early Version)*
"Do You Love Me?" (Early Version)*
"Shout It Out Loud" (Alternate Mix)*
"Ain’t None Of Your Business" (Outtake)*
"Beth" (Take 6 – Instrumental)*
"Beth" (Instrumental)*
"Do You Love Me?" (Alternate Mix)*


Disc Four: Live In Paris - L’Olympia – 22 May, 1976*


"Deuce"
"Strutter"
"Flaming Youth"
"Hotter Than Hell"
"Firehouse"
"She" / Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
"Nothin' To Lose"
"Shout It Out Loud" / Gene Simmons Bass Solo
"100,000 Years" / Peter Criss Drum Solo
"Black Diamond"
"Detroit Rock City"
"Rock and Roll All Nite"


Blu-Ray Audio: Destroyer - *Dolby Atmos 48kHz 24-bit, *Dolby True HD 5.1 96kHz 24-bit, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 96kHz 24-bit, PCM Stereo 96kHz 24-bit


"Detroit Rock City"
"King Of The Night Time World"
"God Of Thunder"
"Great Expectations"
"Flaming Youth"
"Sweet Pain"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me?"


Bonus Tracks:
"Beth" (Acoustic)
"Sweet Pain" (Original Guitar Solo)


* Previously unreleased


Deluxe Edition 2CD tracklisting:


Disc One: Destroyer - Original Album Remastered


"Detroit Rock City"
"King of The Night Time World"
"God of Thunder"
"Great Expectations"
"Flaming Youth"
"Sweet Pain"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me?"


Disc Two:


Paul Stanley Demos
"God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll"
"Detroit Rock City"*
"Love Is Alright"*


Gene Simmons Demos
"I Don’t Want No Romance"*
"Rock N’ Rolls Royce"*
"Star"*


Rarities
"Beth" (Acoustic Mix)*
"Shout It Out Loud" (Mono Single Edit)
"King Of The Night Time World" (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
"Detroit Rock City" (Instrumental)*
"Flaming Youth" (Early Version)*
"Shout It Out Loud" (Alternate Mix)*


Live In Paris - L’Olympia –- May 22, 1976*
"Deuce"
"Strutter"
"Flaming Youth"
"Hotter Than Hell"


* Previously Unreleased


Deluxe Edition 2LP tracklisting:


LP One: Destroyer - Original Album Remastered


Side One
"Detroit Rock City"
"King of The Night Time World"
"God of Thunder"
"Great Expectations"


Side Two
"Flaming Youth"
"Sweet Pain"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me?"


LP Two:


Side Three


Paul Stanley Demos
"God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll"
"Detroit Rock City"*
"Love Is Alright"*


Gene Simmons Demos
"I Don’t Want No Romance"*
"Rock N’ Rolls Royce"*
"Star"*


Side Four - Rarities
"Beth" (Acoustic Mix)*
"Shout It Out Loud" (Mono Single Edit)
"King Of The Night Time World" (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
"Detroit Rock City" (Instrumental)*
"Flaming Youth" (Early Version)*
"Shout It Out Loud" (Alternate Mix)*


* Previously Unreleased


Dolby Atmos - Streaming


Destroyer: *Dolby Atmos 48kHz 24-bit
"Detroit Rock City"
"King Of The Night Time World"
"God Of Thunder"
"Great Expectations"
"Flaming Youth"
"Sweet Pain"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Beth"
"Do You Love Me?"


Bonus Tracks:
"Beth" (Acoustic Mix)
"Sweet Pain" (Original Guitar Solo)


* Previously unreleased


“Beth" (Acoustic Mix):





Trailer:

Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel filled in for Dave Linsk at OVERKILL's November 13 concert at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey. The gig marked OVERKILL's first pandemic-era performance — "609 f!!kin' days" after they were supposed to play the same venue before the coronavirus crisis forced everything to shut down.

When Demmel's participation in the concert was first announced two weeks ago, OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth commented: "We had a few issues getting this rescheduled show together. But to hell with the issues, we all have problems. And wouldn't you know it, our bro and yours Phil Demmel to the rescue. The show must and will go on. See you at the Welmomt Jersey..."

Demmel stated: "So excited to jam with my bros in OVERKILL in New Jersey. I'm neck-deep in learning the parts and expect a raging show."

OVERKILL drummer Jason Bittner said: "Even though I am disappointed that our very own Dave Linsk can not participate in this show, I am more than psyched and confident that my longtime friend Phil Demmel will get the job done for us. We have a long history together playing a bunch of NAMM events and have toured together in the past, so this should be a lot of fun."

Ellsworth and Demmel are bandmates in BPMD which released its debut album, "American Made", in June 2020 via Napalm Records. Also featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO) and bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE), the LP was previously described as a "10-track homage to some of rock music's greatest treasures."

OVERKILL has spent the last few months recording its new studio album for a tentative early 2022 release.

In November 2020, OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni told MetalAsylum.net that the band's new LP would be mixed by Colin Richardson. "He did a couple of records for us, and he's great," Verni said.

Richardson previously worked with OVERKILL on 1997's "From The Underground And Below", 2000's "Bloodletting" and 2003's "Killbox 13".




OVERKILL " ROTTEN TO THE CORE " AT WELLMONT THEATER IN MONTCLAIR NEW JERSEY

Posted by Scott Winnies on Sunday, November 14, 2021



Thanks to our brother Phil Demmel ?????

Posted by Overkill on Monday, November 15, 2021



Posted by The Wellmont Theater on Monday, November 15, 2021



Posted by The Wellmont Theater on Monday, November 15, 2021



Guest guitarist Phil Demmel of Machine Head fame.

Posted by Rich St Van on Sunday, November 14, 2021

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, recently took part in the fourth event in Cardiff University's Cardiff-Japanese Lecture Series where he spoke about how the mastery of the Japanese language unlocked opportunities for his life and career. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

Asked if he experiences culture shock when he returns to his former home country of America, Marty said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When I moved to Japan, I completely was encompassed by Japanese culture. No one I worked with spoke English. No one around me spoke English. The only time I spoke English was when I was doing international promotion or international tours or international interviews. So 24/7, it was all Japanese. And when that goes on for years and years, you start to dream in Japanese. My wife's Japanese, and we speak only Japanese. So, cultural things also become a part of you, because when you live somewhere, you become a part of the culture. And the things that matter in Japan are not the things that matter in America. Or the things that matter in Europe are not the things that matter in South America. So things that matter on a day-to-day basis are different. So culture 'shock' is kind of a shocking word, so I don't really feel shocked. But I feel like I'm very blessed, because when I go to America, I'm an American, so I can feel all the great things about being American. But I've lived in Japan for almost 20 years, and before I came here, I've been in so many Japanese situations that there's a definite part of me that is really a part of the Japanese culture so I can really feel both of them.

"You should never think that you're trying to belong," he continued. "Because it doesn't matter how perfect my Japanese is — and it's not perfect — but I'm never, ever gonna be Japanese. I feel a part of me is definitely influenced by Japan very much, but if your goal is to belong in another society, I think you're gonna be let down very, very much. Because as hard as you try, Japan is a one-race society and you just look different and you're born in a different place and you have different things in you. So the goal is not belonging; the goal is to add what you have to Japan. If you're trying to belong to something like that, I think you're gonna be let down. But it's not a letdown. You only really belong to yourself. And belonging to something is overrated. So I think you'll enjoy your Japan experience a whole lot more if you celebrate your differences while understanding Japan and enjoying the great things that you're able to enjoy about Japan. And don't be let down when sometimes people are not necessarily so friendly to foreigners. This happens to every country. You just have to let it be; it's just the way it is, especially with older generations. They're, like, 'Oh, the world is changing. Now there's English in the taxicabs. Oh my God.' People fear change. But you can't let that bother you. It's never bothered me once. I'm completely fine being a gaijin [a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically non-East Asian foreigners such as white and black people]; it hasn't stopped me from anything. So culture shock, it's not really as bad as people think it is. I enjoy being in America, and I enjoy being in Japan because both things have given me a lot of great things in my life. So learning English — English is the language of the world, so that's helped me everywhere. But in Japan, it's the opposite — in Japan, Japanese is the language, so it's a must. So culture shock is not really that big of a thing."

Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", received a North American release in April via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

Marty has spent the last few years working on a documentary called "Spacefox". The film, which is being directed by Jeremy Frindel, the founder of Substratum Films, follows Friedman's reinvention from lead guitarist in MEGADETH to one of the most famous TV personalities in Japan.

Want to get up every morning with DISTURBED? Well, now you can! The Grammy-nominated rock band has partnered with the team at Dead Sled Coffee to bring their fans the "Get Up: Dark Java Blend". The coffee is from the Indonesian island of Java, located between Sumatra and Bali. Fans of DISTURBED who love a heavy body, nutty aroma, and bright acidity in their coffee will love this brew. "Get Up" is available in either ground or whole bean options and is on sale now for $22 via the retailer's website. International fans don't need to worry, Dead Sled ships worldwide!

"Get Up: Dark Java Blend" celebrates the band's quadruple-platinum debut album "The Sickness" — the LP that is a favorite of Mike Thorwart, co-owner of Dead Sled Coffee. He says: "Stationed in Korea at the time, the album had a huge impact on both my life and those around me. It was something we had never heard before." He goes on: "DISTURBED changed the game and continue to push boundaries while staying true to their sound. It is my pleasure to welcome DISTURBED to the Dead Sled family and help launch their 'Get Up: Dark Java Blend' to the world."

DISTURBED's Mike Wengren added: "Working with Dead Sled has been a great opportunity for me to share another passion of mine in coffee. It was fun tasting many of the flavors. I'm proud to put our stamp on a coffee that represents my own personal palette and embodies the DISTURBED attitude."

Primary Wave Music's VP of brand partnerships Lisa Fruggiero worked with Mike and his team on this exciting project, adding: "We are thrilled to bring together DISTURBED and Dead Sled Coffee to create the new coffee line, 'Get Up'. This partnership connects music and coffee like never before. Watch out for more hard-hitting flavors to come in 2022."

Dead Sled Coffee is distinguished quality coffee for the exceptional and unconventional. The company prides itself for using only the highest quality of coffee beans while partnering up with both musical and horror icons.

Dead Sled Coffee has launched official coffees with musical icons such as KISS, CYPRESS HILL and Rob Zombie, along with horror icons such as Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees), Elvira and more.

For more information, visit deadsledcoffee.com.

Karkaos has taken their mastery of the Quebec metal scene to the next level with the addition of new vocalist, Morgan Lander of Kittie. The band is coming back more fierce and focused than ever, ushering in a devastating new era of power, presence and brutality. They have been working on a new album and have checked in with the following update:


"Part 1 of the Karkaos studio vocal session update!  We entered the studio with Christian Donaldson in October 2021 to record vocals for our forthcoming album.  And cheese.  


Vocals are finally finished for the forthcoming album.  We accomplished it all with the help of so many amazing friends and family.  We can’t wait for you to hearthis beast!"







On September 21st, 2019 Karkaos hit the stage at Théatre Fairmont in Montréal, Quebec with Lander leading the charge. Fan-filmed video is available below.








Lander is thrilled to be brought into the fold. "Joining Karkaos has been a true honour for me. It feels so incredibly good to be back in the metal game after a number of years away, and I cannot wait to step on the stage once again with these amazing musicians."


The rest of the band feels the same. “We already knew how talented Morgan was when we began talking to her about joining the band,” says band founder, Vincent Harnois. “When she sent us her first demos, we realized that this was going to be something extremely special. She is an absolute pleasure to work with and she brings a whole new dimension to our songs. It is an honor to have her with us and we are thrilled to start the next chapter or our band together.”


Forged out of the ashes of a much earlier band incarnation by Harnois in 2003, Karkaos has quickly evolved into one of the most respected and celebrated metal acts from Montreal, Canada. Mixing elements of death metal, power metal and hard rock, this female-fronted band succeeds in bridging the gap between extreme darkness and light, beauty and terror. Karkaos has performed alongside international acts such as Into Eternity, Enslaved, The Agonist, UneXpect, Unleash the Archers, Delain and Leaves Eyes. The band is brutally punishing audiences with an incredible live show, enabling them to establish a strong following both locally and abroad within a few short years.


The band released their first EP, entitled In Burning Skies, in 2010, closely followed by a professionally shot music video and a live appearance on Montreal’s prestigious music television station Musique Plus. Striking while the iron was hot, the band returned to the studio to record their critically acclaimed debut full-length album Empire, in 2013, led by the single and subsequent music video for “Depths Of Madness”. After years of crafting their live show and refining their sound, once again Karkaos managed to come back stronger and more accomplished than ever with the release of their second full length album, Children Of The Void, in 2017, a testament to their work ethic and strength as a band, diversifying their sound with the addition of the immensely talented and seasoned drummer Justine Ethier (Blackguard, Sykode).


Karkaos is ready to push the boundaries of extreme melodic metal with their upcoming follow up to Children Of The Void. The band entered Silverwings studio in September 2019 to demo and work on pre-production on eight new songs.

Up and coming Los Angeles metal band Anubis are carving their own path by organically blending power and thrash metal together. Founded in 2018, the band is comprised of bassist and vocalist Devin Reiche, guitarists Justin Escamilla and Eleazar Llerenas, and drummer Zed Amarin. The hybrid metal band’s newest single “The Great Divide” is available now.





“The Great Divide” is the first song written by then-incoming guitarist Justin Escamilla. Lead singer Reiche shares that, “We were just finishing recording the solos on the previous EP when he showed me some riffs that he had never ended up using that sounded like classic Amon Amarth, and I knew that it would be a perfect direction to go in musically.” With hard-hitting guitar solos, aggressive drums, visceral lyrics, and Reiche’s impressive vocal range, Anubis’ diverse metal influences assemble to create a distinct and unforgettable track on “The Great Divide.”




Reiche adds that, “Lyrically this is loosely based on an old sci-fi story from the ‘90s about an avian alien race split into two factions: a warlike, predator faction and a spiritual, pacifistic faction, and the war between them.” The song’s eccentric sci-fi theme further makes Anubis stand out and lends the listener sounds and lyrics fit for war. With lines such as “Empathy has long since died, no prayer no mercy for our father’s sons,” the listener is transported to the trenches with a killer soundtrack as company. The immersive experience of this song is intentional with Reiche concluding, “I love geeky metal shit like that.”





Anubis takes their musicianship seriously. Both guitarists are classically trained, Reiche was the original bassist for international thrash band Hatchet, and Amarin is a spokesman for Axis Percussion. They credit artists from across the metal spectrum as influences in their music: Blind Guardian, Helloween, Testament, Metallica, and Dead Kennedys to name a few. This melting pot of metal sounds sets them apart and garners excitement from fans and audiences.  Their earlier single “Ashes” is a testament to this with Reiche commenting, "We've always thought that Ashes was one of our strongest songs, and definitely one of the most well-received live.”


“The Great Divide” showcases the band’s development of this sound and advances their reputation as budding trailblazers. Listeners are due for a treat as Reiche reveals that a re-recording of “Ashes” will be featured on the B-side of the record. Reiche elaborates, “I was never satisfied with the lyrics or the vocal performance on the recording [of “Ashes”]. Now seemed like as good a time as any to do a re-recording and get it sounding the way I'd always envisioned it." Anubis is making steady progress and they are the new band to watch in the LA metal scene.





 

Images Of Eden has premiered their video for “Animation In A Still World". This is the fourth video from the band's latest album Angel Born. 


Images Of Eden hopes to open people's eyes with their video and make a positive impact on listeners everywhere. "Animation In A Still World" makes some bold statements on the media. Images Of Eden says, "This video is a very accurate (and current) snapshot of our world today. We can no longer trust the media to tell the truth because it is no longer ‘information’ but has become a platform for propaganda instead. Trust your senses and do your research.”







Catch Images Of Eden live this fall. The band will be touring with metal legend Yngwie Malmsteen, as well as NYC metal band Sunlord. Confirmed dates are as listed:


November
16 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
18 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
19 – Buffalo, NY – Showplace Theater
20 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance Theater
22 – New York, NY – Sony Hall
23 – Harrisburg, PA – HMAC
24 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie Homestead Music Hall
26 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
27 – Newton, NJ – Newton Theater
28 – Richmond, VA – The National
30 – Ashwaubenon, WI – EPIC Event Center


December
2 – Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theatre
3 – Columbus, OH – King of Clubs
4 – Belvidere, IL – The Apollo Theatre
6 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
8 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Theater
9 – Agoura Hills, CA – The Canyon Club
10 – Fresno, CA – Tower Theater
11 – Montclair, CA – The Canyon Club
12 – Santa Clarita, CA – The Canyon Club
14 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
16 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey
17 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
18 – Houston, TX – Rise Rooftop


Angel Born artwork and tracklisting:





“Autumn Is Burning”
“Angel Born”
“My Promise”
“Where Dreams Begin”
“If?”
“Killing God”
“Fight The Good Fight”
“War Room”
“Serenity Reign”
“Animation In A Still World”
“Marigold Sun”
“In Memory Of Me”


Secure your copy now at this location.


“Autumn Is Burning”:





“My Promise”:





“Fight The Good Fight”:





 

In celebration of their special release show tonight at La Boule Noire in Paris, French / Irish alternative/progressive rock outfit Molybaron shared the last episode of their studio sessions. Watch them perform “Prosperity Gospel” below:





Morybaron, who recently signed a worldwide deal with InsideOut Music / Sony Music Entertainment, already caused a big stir internationally with their two albums Molybaron (2018) and The Mutiny (2021). The sound of the band is multifaceted and ranges from influences from Tool, to Mastodon, Gojira and Muse. With a big partner behind them, they are now ready to take the next big step.







The band comments their new deal as follows: “We’re over the moon. Every kid who picks up a guitar dreams of joining a big label one day and after 6 years of hard grind, we’ve finally done it! We want to give a massive thanks to our formidable manager Richard Gamba (Sphere Manage), who saw something special in this band and made this deal possible. We are so excited about our future together! To Thomas Waber and InsideOut Music for putting his trust and faith in us. To our publisher Nicolas Ramaget (Editions Hurlantes), for his tireless support and counsel. But of course, none of this could happen without the unbreakable support and belief of our families, friends and our fans! Thank you all and let’s get to work!”





The Mutiny tracklisting:


"Animals"
"Lucifer"
"Amongst The Boys And The Dead Flowers"
"Prosperity Gospel"
"The Lighthouse"
"Slave To The Algorithm"
"Something For The Pain"
"The Hand That Feeds You"
"Twenty Four Hours" (feat. Whitfield Crane)
"Ordinary Madness"


"Lucifer" video:





"Slave To The Algorithm" studio session video:





"Amongst The Boys And The Dead Flowers" studio session video:





Molybaron is


Gary Kelly - Guitar/Vocals
Steven Andre - Guitar
Sébastien de Saint-Angel - Bass
Camille Greneron - Drums

Stockholm, Sweden-based band, Mass Worship, have released a guitar playthrough video for the new single, "Portal Toms". Watch below:





Mass Worship are primed and ready to unleash their second full-length assault. Due for release on February 4, Portal Tombs is a terrifying but electrifying exploration of the gloomy depths of human nature: a monolithic manifestation of the musical force that is Mass Worship.







Drawing inspiration from bands such as At The Gates, Mastodon and Meshuggah, Mass Worship could be likened to many bands, but somehow forge their musical identity into something exceptionally distinctive and transcendent, and with enough confidence and conviction to win over even the most orthodox fans of the genre.


Enter the “Portal Tombs” and check out the first track and music video below. The clip was directed and produced by Miles Skarin of Crystal Spotlight and Mass Worship while the song features guest vocals from Mark “Barney” Greenway (Napalm Death).


The band comments: “We as humans are approaching a state where we don’t believe in anything, and we can’t seem to envision any alternatives. Our elected leaders are merely there to sustain a seemingly perpetual status quo, and to grab whatever opportunity they can to shift our focus away from what’s important. What happens behind the scenes is a slow and steady collapse of our financial, political, ecological, spiritual and cultural world. We’re all perfectly aware of where we are heading, but we can’t seem to envision any alternative -- it’s far too late, and far too terrifying to try to stop what has been started. ‘Portal Tombs’ symbolises that Death is the only true way forward. Mass Worship is an attempt at putting the current state of humanity’s affairs and suppressed emotional state into music and words. We want to capture the fears, the pain, the uncertainty and the total disbelief in the future of mankind. As we spiral towards an abyss of our own making, Mass Worship is the soundtrack that will resonate loudest of all.”





Pre-orders for Portal Tombs will be launched in due time.


Mass Worship are:


Gustav Eriksson - Guitar
Dadde Stark - Bass
Claes Nordin - Vocals
Fred Forsberg - Drums

In a new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg spoke about the recent passing of his predecessor, SLIPKNOT's founding drummer Joey Jordison. Asked how Jordison's death has changed his "sense of curating" Joey's legacy, Jay said: "I think with Joey's tragic passing, of course, we're all affected. And I would never wanna speak for my older brothers who started this band with Joey, but certainly, it has been heavy. And I think, to me, the way of preserving Joey's legacy, Paul's [Gray, SLIPKNOT bassist, who died in 2010] legacy is really just committing my full self to the ethos and spirit of this band. They live through this music, without a doubt. So, to me, that's the most true tribute we can give. As a collective to their memory, their art, their music, what they contributed to this world that has, and will forever have, a lasting impact is just to give all of ourselves to this music. To me, that's the most tried-and-true way to honor those who have fallen."

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

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father Max, who has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E STREET BAND since 1974. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Jordison in 2014.

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

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

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

Trepanation Recordings has announced that they will be working with Hypaethral Records to release Resilience & Despair, by Los Angeles-based atmospheric doom maestros, Qaalm, in early 2022. Hypaethral Records will be releasing on vinyl with Trepanation handling the CD and cassette release.


The first single, “Existence Asunder”, will be released as an edited version of the epic 20-minute album track with an accompanying music video. The full album is set for an early 2022 release, with specific details regarding pre-order and limited edition vinyl versions coming in the next couple of months.


Despite featuring current/former members of notable metal bands Act Of Defiance, Harassor, and Seven Sisters Of Sleep, no musical comparison can be made to Qaalm, who have forged a sound unlike any of the member’s previous efforts.




Combining the crushing heaviness of sludge, the melancholic harmonies of funeral doom, with the atmosphere and intensity of black metal, Qaalm have created a gloomy, depressive, and unique interpretation of the doom metal genre.


Formed in 2012, Hypaethral Records, are purveyors of doom and blackened metal. Qaalm are a perfect fit for the label, alongside the stalwarts of doom Olde, the blackened hardcore of Spread the Disease, the crust/black metal of Ramlord, and the suffocating drone of Gates.


Listen to the Qaalm demo here.


Lineup:


Pete Majors - Lead Vocals
Henry Derek Elis - Lead Guitars / Vocals
Brock Elmore - Rhythm Guitars / Vocals
David Huet - Bass
Dave Ferrara - Drums

Canadian prog metal Trailight mastermind Omer Cordell has checked in with the following update on his new album, the follow-up to last year's Sophia:


"Rather quiet while here as the album is being mixed by Dave (Padden). We've had some setbacks with some logistical issues but we're back on track and making progress.


Release date for Chasing Daylight has been set to February 22, 2022 with two singles to be released beforehand. One will be the title track of the album and the other, a cover of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds' "The Weeping Song" featuring Dave Padden and Burton C. Bell on vocals."







Chasing Daylight features guest performances by Devin Townsend, former Strapping Young Lad guitarist Jed Simon, Archetype guitarist Toño Tejeda, The Astral Light drummer Steven Parent, cellist Anna Kuchkova (Alchemy Chamber), and Cyanotic guitarist Cory McBain.


Check out Trailight's 2015 cover of "The Weeping Song" below.

Last night (Friday, November 12), Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Sammy Hagar kicked off his final weekend of sold-out performances as part of the "Sammy Hagar & Friends" residency at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hagar was joined at the show by Grammy winner Rick Springfield as they performed with Hagar's band THE WABOS, featuring guitarist Vic Johnson, drummer David Lauser and bassist Mona Gnader. The crowd erupted when Springfield and THE WABOS played Rick's iconic hit "Jessie's Girl". Fans also rocked out to Hagar's songs, including "I'll Fall In Love Again", "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy" and "Mas Tequila".

The STRAT Theater has a capacity of about 800 people. The theater was designed to capture the beach vibe Hagar's synonymous with, including elements of his famed Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, home to his epic annual birthday bash.

An additional show is scheduled for tonight (Saturday, November 13) at 9 p.m.

"Sammy & Friends" celebrates Hagar's career, spanning four decades, from his solo career, MONTROSE, VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT, THE CIRCLE, and surprise additions to the setlist depending on which of his musician friends take the stage with him.

Speaking to the Las Vegas Sun about what fans can expect from the residency concerts, Hagar said: "Nobody is going to hear the same thing twice. One night we're going to come out and play VAN HALEN for an hour, then start cherry picking. Another night, we might just play MONTROSE, which will be fun because that's only about 35 minutes of music. I want to do it with a different theme every night and really mix it up.

"The team at The STRAT has been awesome and they've really allowed us to come in and do what we want to do," he added. "That room is great and I looked at every room that was available in Las Vegas. My fans, the Redheads, they come from all over the world, and you want them to be in a place like Vegas where they can have a good time before and after the show. The experience in Vegas is like no other town. If you can't find something to do here, you're either broke or in a really bad mood."

Produced by industry leader SPI Entertainment and Hagar's manager, Tom Consolo of TC Management, "Sammy Hagar & Friends" sold out each show in under two hours. New dates will be announced for 2022.




Some more live Sammy Hagar and joined onstage by Rick Springfield for some Jesse's Girl.Wow.???⭐???

Posted by Ashi Minhas on Friday, November 12, 2021





When you’re Sammy Hagar, Rick Springfield comes to join in…

Posted by Eric Hausten on Friday, November 12, 2021

In a new interview with NewsNation's "Banfield", TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, who was famously called to testify before the U.S. Senate against the proposition to have warning labels be placed on albums deemed "offensive" to listeners, once again spoke about the rise of political correctness in the social media era. Asked for his opinion of cancel culture, which is the idea that someone, usually a celebrity or a public figure, whose ideas or comments are considered offensive should be boycotted, Dee said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's censorship. And censorship has changed quite a bit. I mean, you go to when I was in Washington testifying. By the way, it was a bipartisan effort — it was the Democrats and Republicans who were joined together in putting a leash on rock and roll. But it was definitely a conservative attitude — it was a more conservative attitude, wanting to censor music. Now censorship still exists, but it's gone from the right more to the left. We're in this P.C. [politically correct] world where we have to be careful about what we say and who we offend, and it's a very odd thing."

He continued: "I've been working on lyrics for my new album, 'Leave A Scar', which comes out in July, and I found myself questioning the metaphors I was using — metaphors. I mean, where is art without metaphor? Where is lyrics and writing without metaphor? Yet I was going, 'Can I say this? Can I say this?' I have a song called 'In For The Kill', and it has all these metaphorical [lines], 'Fire at will, I'm in for the kill.' And I was talking about going for it — just going for it — yet here I was censoring myself lyrically because of the current state of things.

"What is censorship? What's not censorship?" Dee added. "Boy, I would say, as long as you're not screaming 'fire' in a crowded movie theater, you're cool."

Last year, Dee told Canada's The Metal Voice that a movie like "Blazing Saddles", the 1974 American satirical Western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks "could not be made today — it literally could not be made, because it would offend too many people.

"I remember seeing that movie the first time in a theater full of African-Americans in a black neighborhood in a black theater; me and my brother were the only two white people," he continued. "And I was laughing my ass off. And my friend said, 'Stop laughing. We're gonna get our asses kicked.' And I looked around the theater, and everybody was laughing. I said, 'Everybody's laughing.' It's funny. Funny is funny.

"It's odd, because conservatism was ultra-right back in the '80s. Now it's shifted toward the left, where you've got the liberals saying, 'Oh, you can't say that, and you can't say that, and you can't say that.'

"So, yeah, [censorship] still around, it's still an issue. But we've just gotta continue to push back and fight."

In 1985, the Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC), led by Tipper Gore, was trying to introduce a parental warning system that would label all albums containing "offensive material." The system was to include letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be found in each album (e.g. O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc.), which resulted in the "Parental Advisory" sticker now found on new album releases with "questionable content." The incongruous trio of Snider, Frank Zappa and John Denver were called before Congress to testify in defense of music.

In 2015, Snider wrote an Op-Ed story for HuffingtonPost.com about his experience, saying: "Thirty years later, everything and nothing has changed. The ultra-conservatives still want to dictate to the masses what they deem acceptable for the general public to see and hear. The record industry is a mere shadow of its former self (apt punishment for its cowardice), and CDs and vinyl albums have almost become 'novelties’ in a world driven by downloads. Yet, the warning labels still adorn individual track listings and albums online.

"While initially my appearance at those Senate hearings was damaging to my career and reputation, long term it was beneficial, showing people for the first time that I was much more than a screaming 'Raggedy Ann on acid' and a fairly intelligent, sentient human being. Fortunately, I have gone on to better things."

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.

Fan-filmed video footage of METALLICA's November 12 performance at the Welcome To Rockville festival at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Whiplash

02. Ride The Lightning

03. Harvester Of Sorrow

04. Cyanide

05. The Memory Remains

06. One

07. Frantic

08. Moth Into Flame

09. No Leaf Clover

10. For Whom The Bell Tolls

11. Whiskey In The Jar

12. Fade To Black

13. Master Of Puppets

Encore:

14. Fight Fire With Fire

15. Fuel

16. Seek & Destroy

Welcome To Rockville, a four-day rock festival, kicked off its 10th edition on Thursday (November 11) at a new home in Daytona Beach.

METALLICA will play another show at Welcome To Rockville with a different setlist on Sunday, November 14.

Along with two nights of METALLICA, this year's Welcome To Rockville features DISTURBED, SLIPKNOT, A DAY TO REMEMBER, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, LAMB OF GOD, SOCIAL DISTORTION, MASTODON and many others. The event is also being livestreamed on Danny Wimmer Presents's Twitch channel, featuring select performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes content at twitch.tv/DWPresents.

This past September, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich said that it was "way too early" to talk about a new studio album from the band. The 57-year-old drummer touched upon a possible follow-up to 2016's "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" while speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked if there is a new METALLICA LP in the works, Lars said: "We're on that path. I don't know if it's cohesive enough to call a record, but we're dipping our toes. We've been trying to stay busy. We did the drive-in thing last summer. We did an All Within My Hands event in November. We did '[The Late Show With Stephen] Colbert'. We're doing '[Jimmy] Kimmel [Live!]' tomorrow. We're engaged. And we are creating at some level. It's way too early to talk about a record or a timeline or anything. But we're staying busy. And it's exciting to just think of the possibilities. Right now we're so rejuvenated and just ready to get back in."

Earlier this year, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told "The Fierce Life" podcast that he and his bandmates had written "quite a few songs" during the coronavirus quarantine. "We'll see how many we like first, and then we'll put 'em out," he said. "We're pretty selfish that way; we like what we write as well."

This past July, guitarist Kirk Hammett told Classic Rock magazine that he and his bandmates have been staying creative during the pandemic. "We've tried to make the most of the COVID year and a half, and we've been pretty successful," he said. "We've got together remotely and worked, and we've got together [properly] and worked. Things are moving really well. I would say that the music we're coming up with is very appropriate for the times."

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

Lars Frederiksen from legendary punk band RANCID will release a new solo EP, "To Victory", on November 19. The official Sam Benavidez-directed music video for the EP's new single, "Skunx", can be seen below.

"To Victory" is the first effort to be released solely under the Lars Frederiksen banner. He previously issued two albums with LARS FREDERIKSEN AND THE BASTARDS: 2001's "Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards" and 2004's "Viking".

This solo venture for Frederiksen started back on March 7, 2020 when he sold out the landmark Oakland club Eli's Mile High Club. Frederiksen performed a Billy Bragg-esque set. The lucky fans attending the show — which was supposed to be the first of many, including an appearance alongside DROPKICK MURPHYS on St. Patrick's Day in Boston — had no idea that they would be the only ones to witness this unbelievable performance for quite some time. The surreal concert was treasured by the lucky few who got to see it, and has given Lars even more confidence and validation to pursue this venture. Frederiksen headed into the studio to record these tracks in the vein of his live performance — simple, raw, emotionally charged, and powerful.

"So much happened in my life starting in 2018 and is just now sorta wrapping up here currently in 2021," remarks Frederiksen. "This entire period, especially during my mom's passing, was a great reflection point for me and a time to dive deeper than I've ever been into my pagan roots."

The album has six tracks, featuring a mix of covers and songs from his other bands — each song carrying personal meaning for Frederiksen, and each a standout performance in its own right.

With two more videos on the way, and touring planned for 2022, this is just the beginning of a new venture for Frederiksen.

"There will be more to come 'cause I'm not done yet. I don't think I'll ever be," he says. "As long as I have breath, I'll unapologetically use my voice."

"To Victory" track listing:

01. God And Guns (THE OLD FIRM CASUALS)

02. Army Of Zombies (LARS FREDERIKSEN & THE BASTARDS)

03. Tomorrows Girls (U.K. SUBS cover)

04. Motherland (THE OLD FIRM CASUALS)

05. Comin' Home (KISS cover)

06. Skunx (LARS FREDERIKSEN & THE BASTARDS)

Canadian rock icon Aldo Nova took to Facebook on November 13th to celebrate his 65th birthday, posting the following message:


"Sixty-five years ago 1 took my first breath on November 13th, 1956, and today on November 13th, 2021 is the day of my rebirth, so two birthdays on the same day. Finally, a solid schedule and this is it. January 11th, 2022, I release my first song and video to my song, 'Free Your Mind' with press handled by Mitch Schneider and Marcee Rondan of SRO PR, who also handle Ozzy. Then, on February 22nd, 2022, I release the second song and video to my song 'Burn Like The Sun', again with a huge press release. Then on March 29th of 2022, I release my third video and single to my song, 'King of Deceit'. Then, on April 1st, 2022 the 40th year anniversary of the release of my multi-platinum, now considered a classic album titled Aldo Nova, which was released on April 1st, 1982. I finally release my 10-song EP, a preview to my 25-song 2-hour 15 minute rock opera, The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage. It will be available when I think the fans are ready to absorb 2-hours and 15 minutes of what is, in essence, my autobiography in music, because Eddie Gage is the name of my alter ego to make things a little clearer for you. But if it would've really been the autobiography of my Life, 65 years multiplied by 24 hours a day wouldn't be nearly enough music to cover it.


Then on April 19th, 2022 I release Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded, which is made up of some of my biggest songs taken from my first album, Aldo Nova, my second album, Subject, and Blood On The Bricks, but turbocharged to the Nth degree. Be careful when you're driving listening to Reloaded because you'll get the feeling that your car has nitro in the gas tank. 




The thing about Reloaded which makes it special is that since I own everything on it - because at 65 I'm not a slave to the system and I make my own rules - I've decided to make it a 2 disc set which consists of Disc 1, that has all the song as they were recorded, then on Disc 2 is where I screw the entire music industry and change the way music will be forever sold, and it's simple. Since I own everything, Disc 2 will consist of all the songs but with versions that will have my full tracks but with no lead vocal and then also versions of all the songs with no lead guitar on them, something that no artist on the planet has ever done and will probably never do because they're only interested in making money and don't give a shit about the fans. I, on the other hand, have realized that it's because of you that I can pay my mortgage and feed me, my wife Sylvie, my cat Daisy, and my Yorkshire Terrier, Roxy, so I wanted to give you something to thank you by giving you the chance to do supercharged karaoke with me, Aldo Nova, as your backing band. I also encourage young and old guitar players to jam with me to either play my solos or to do what my intentions were, and that is for guitar players to jam and use my tracks and me as your backing band to create and develop your own style and innovate and not imitate as I do.


Then in June, having bought back the master to my album Nova's Dream and re-sequencing it and having Bob Ludwig, a living legend (who has mastered all of the albums) master it so it sounds out of this world, will re-release it since the album isn't really known but is a gem of an album which is instrumental where I completely let my creativity loose and it showcases some of my best guitar playing ever recorded.


Then I start my world tour at the M3 festival on May 8th, 2022, so don't miss out and see me and my new band of gunslingers rock the world.


And then, before I do all of that, my wife will tell me to take out the garbage and the recycling also... lol.


See you all in 2022."


Back in March, Aldo Nova took six of his COVID 19 special versions of his classics from his albums, Aldo Nova, Subject, and Blood On The Bricks, and turbocharged them.


The performances below are spot on with Aldo doing the guitar and vocals live, playing to specially re-recorded versions made just for his fans who were stuck at home during the COVID 19 lockdowns. Aldo performs all the instruments and vocals on all of the songs, with an occasional song featuring the best of the best musicians.


All the songs have been re-mixed for this Home Mini Concert so it's like sitting watching a live show with an amazing soundman behind the mixing console.

BEHEMOTH mastermind Adam "Nergal" Darski and his dark folk/blues/Americana influenced solo project ME AND THAT MAN continues its celebrity team-up with the new Western-inspired single "Under The Spell" featuring the mysterious Mary Goore, better known as GHOST's Tobias Forge, alongside a captivating music video.

In contrast to the recently released soulful blues-rock ballad "Angel Of Light" (featuring Myrkur), ME AND THAT MAN now enters heavier horizons. Dark guitars, a galloping duo of snare and bass and the raspy tingling and well-known voice of Mary Goore create an ambience full of untamed anger with an unmistakable vintage Western touch.

Regarding how Forge came to be involved with the track, Nergal told Ireland's Overdrive: "It's a funny story… I've known Tobias for a long time. We crossed paths at some festival many years ago and I just introduced myself to him, and we became buddies ever since. We would see each other every now and then on different occasions. I remember him coming to Warsaw with GHOST, and I picked him up and I took him to my Barbarian Shop where he got his hair cut, etc. and we just really maintained a friendship. So, when I had this song, I immediately though of Tobias and his voice, which was just perfect for what I was trying to achieve with the overall vibe of the song. I remember sending him the rough track and he was, like, 'Awesome! It's like a rockabilly/MOTÖRHEAD kind of vibe, with an up-tempo/Western feel.' And he was totally into doing it. But then we had some issues with the lockdown/restrictions and it wasn't easy to move around, so he [Tobias] suggested that rather than doing it remotely, we actually do it in his studio because he stated that he prefers that and likes to have an in-person 'dialogue' during the recording process. I didn't think twice about it. I just booked my flight and went straight to Stockholm where we spent most of a full day in the studio. And yeah… the rest is history."

"Under the Spell" is taken from ME AND THAT MAN's third full-length studio album, "New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 2", which will be released on November 19 via Napalm Records.

Following the chart-breaking and critically acclaimed antecedent, "New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 1" (2020), the enthralling new offering follows the exciting path Nergal then set ablaze, once again featuring an abundance of heavy music icons — but this time, he takes it to a whole new level. Experience greats such as Gary Holt (SLAYER, EXODUS), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD), Myrkur, Devin Townsend, David Vincent (MORBID ANGEL), Doug Blair (W.A.S.P), Hank Von Hell (TURBONEGRO) and Olve "Abbath" Eikemo (IMMORTAL, ABBATH) intertwining with the album's bewitching collection of occult anthems, marking another breathtaking symbiosis of unfiltered blues, gothic-laced folk, country essence and touch of evil you'll swear was either beamed straight out of hell or the most blackened of churches.

Darski commented on the new album: "Here we go again, mother lovers! 'New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 2'. You guys know the drill, I recruited the best of the best in heavy music to collaborate on some unique tracks me and the Polish, Italian and Ukrainian crew have been working on over the last 18 months. Once again, the result, amazing and the performances, inspired! Thank you, comrades — Abbath, Alissa, Amalie, Anders, Blaze, Chris G, Chris H, David, Devin, Douglas, Frank, Gary, Hank, Jeff, Kriss, M.Goore, Michale, Ralf and Randy. Who knows when we'll get together to play these songs but I will try my best to make it happen! Enjoy it everyone!"

Following the chart-breaking part one of the album, ME AND THAT MAN are now presenting whole new facets: Opening track "Black Hearse Cadillac", featuring the vocals of Hank Von Hell and guitar sorcery by Anders Odden, marks a sinister beginning to this infernal journey through dark desert soundscapes and evil lyricism. Driving "Under The Spell" lives up to its title, at times evoking a spaghetti western-esque ambience. Songs like wicked "Witches Don't Fall In Love" (featuring Kristoffer Rygg of ULVER), straight-to-the-head rocking "Blues & Cocaine" (featuring Michale Graves) and mysterious "Goodbye" — with a haunting-yet-powerful vocal attack by Alissa White-Gluz — showcase the record's extensive variety and that there's something unexpected lurking all throughout. This is further evident on songs like the soulful blues-rock ballad "Angel Of Light" featuring the compelling voice of Myrkur, or insanely dynamic, uptempo outburst of "Got Your Tongue" featuring Chris Georgiadis (TURBOWOLF).

After the enticing debut "Songs Of Love And Death" (2017), followed by sophomore release "New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 1", its sequel once again mirrors Nergal in a completely different light and provides a tremendous contrast to the extreme metal sounds of BEHEMOTH.

"New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 2" track listing:

01. Black Hearse Cadillac (feat. Hank Von Hell, Anders Odden)

02. Under the Spell (feat. Mary Goore)

03. All Hope Has Gone (feat. Blaze Bayley, Gary Holt, Jeff Mantas Dunn)

04. Witches Don't Fall In Love (feat. Kristoffer Rygg)

05. Losing My Blues (feat. Olve Abbath Eikemo, Frank The Baptist, Chris Holmes)

06. Coldest Day In Hell (feat. Ralf Gyllenhammar, Douglas Blair)

07. Year Of The Snake (feat. David Vincent)

08. Blues & Cocaine (feat. Michale Graves)

09. Silver Halide Echoes (feat. Randy Blythe)

10. Goodbye (feat. Alissa White-Gluz, Devin Townsend)

11. Angel Of Light (feat. Myrkur)

12. Got Your Tongue (feat. Chris Georgiadis)

ME AND THAT MAN is:

Adam "Nergal" Darski - Vocals, Guitars

Łukasz Kumański - Drums and Percussion, Backing Vocals

Matteo Bassoli - Bass, Synth, Backing Vocals

Sasha Boole - Guitars, Mouth Harp, Banjo

Photo credit: Grzegorz Gołębiowski

Dutch retailer Plato has shared audio samples of all the songs that will appear on DEEP PURPLE's next studio effort, an album of covers titled "Turning To Crime". Due on November 26 via earMUSIC, the LP will contain DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.

Produced by Bob Ezrin, "Turning To Crime" arrives only 15 months after "Whoosh!", DEEP PURPLE's 21st studio album, which received acclaim by critics who praised the creative strength of a band that continues evolving with every release, and prestigious chart achievements (third consecutive No. 1 in Germany, No. 4 in the U.K., and topped the U.S. Independent Album and Hard Music Albums charts).

The second single, "Oh Well", can be streamed below. A song originally written and recorded by FLEETWOOD MAC, it is accompanied by a music video (set to premiere later today) that shows DEEP PURPLE on a very special mission. Label and management would like to state that nobody from the band or crew, nor members of the media, were hurt during the shooting of the video in Germany in early October.

"Everyone knows 'Oh Well' is a great song," DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover says. "Steve [Morse, guitar] did the demo for that one. You never quite know where it's gonna go with Steve because he is very inventive. Right up until the point, with a couple of verses in, it was pretty much the same as the original. And then, all of a sudden, it took off like a rocket… in some other space."

"Turning To Crime" track listing:

01. 7 And 7 Is (LOVE)

02. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey "Piano" Smith)

03. Oh Well (FLEETWOOD MAC)

04. Jenny Take A Ride! (MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS)

05. Watching The River Flow (Bob Dylan)

06. Let The Good Times Roll (Ray Charles & Quincy Jones)

07. Dixie Chicken (LITTLE FEAT)

08. Shapes Of Things (THE YARDBIRDS)

09. The Battle Of New Orleans (Lonnie Donegan/Johnny Horton)

10. Lucifer (BOB SEGER SYSTEM)

11. White Room (CREAM)

12. Caught In The Act [Medley: Going Down / Green Onions / Hot 'Lanta / Dazed And Confused / Gimme Some Lovin']

Last December, Glover revealed during a virtual meet-and-greet with Finnish fan Anssi Herkkola that DEEP PURPLE was planning to enter the studio in 2021 to begin work on another album. Speaking about how he and the other members of PURPLE have been spending their coronavirus downtime, Roger said: "All this COVID situation has meant that we can't tour. We're twiddling our thumbs, really, for over a year, and the idea was to possibly go back in and do another album. And so we're just working towards that. It's so quick after we'd done the last album, [and] maybe that will spoil things, but we're gonna try and do another album at some point next year. We're experimenting with stuff."

DEEP PURPLE's latest collection of original material, "Whoosh!", was released in August 2020 via earMUSIC. The LP was once again helmed by Canadian producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, ALICE COOPER), who also worked on the band's previous two studio albums, 2017's "Infinite" and 2013's "Now What?!"

Glover told Den Of Geek about the PURPLE songwriting process: "All our songs come from jamming. We don't actually write songs, they just evolve as we play. The first writing session is usually a lot of fun. We just explore different rhythms and riffs and whatever, and then take a break to listen to them, and figure out which ones we really want to work on, and that's the second writing session. And then we go to the studio and record them, but at this point, we rarely have finished vocals or lyrics. It's usually when the album has been all recorded instrumentally that [singer] Ian Gillan and I go off on our own somewhere for a couple of weeks and we write the words. Sometimes he writes on his own, sometimes I write my own. Sometimes we write together. And that's how it comes out.

He added: "You don't go to a PURPLE session with anything like a finished song. You go with an idea, and we all work on it together. It's got to be a collective. That's the point of the band — it's a collective. So, one person couldn't write a DEEP PURPLE song. It takes five of us.

"We've always done it that way. It's a strange way to write songs, I know. Most people write the songs before they go in the studio, we write them after we've been in the studio. But it was like that in '69 when I joined the band. It's been the same ever since."

In the Den Of Geek interview, Glover also said that DEEP PURPLE has "always" been a democratic group. "It was right from when I first joined the band," he explained. "We decided that whoever writes any particular idea, we all share, because we all contribute. The way we play is almost as much a part of the writing process as what the riff or the lyrics are. So we all shared everything. It didn't last that way. When I left the band, and Gillan left the band, it changed. It changed up until when Steve Morse joined. When Steve Morse joined, we said, 'Right, let's share everything.' It takes away stress, it takes away ego, it takes away jealousy, it takes away bad vibes. And I think we all share and we all write for it. We all work our bits. So that's the way we do it, and it is a democratic band."

OPETH played its first show with drummer Sami Karppinen (THERION) Tuesday night (November 16) at ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville, North Carolina at the opening date of the band's tour with MASTODON and ZEAL & ARDOR. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Karppinen stepped in to play with OPETH after the Swedish progressive metallers parted ways with their longtime drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot due to what they called "a conflict of interests."

When Axenrot's exit was first announced earlier yesterday, OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt said in a statement: "However sad it is to not have Axe in the band anymore, we're not in a position to linger on anything that is going to hold us back. We need to soldier on.

"Needless to say, we're incredibly thankful that Sami is helping us out, making this tour possible and all. On top of that, he's quite outstanding, really!

"All of us wish the best for Axe in all and any of his future endeavors. He has been a incredibly important part of the band for many years now, and we're all heartbroken it didn’t work out in the end. But that's life, I guess…"

Axenrot officially joined OPETH a decade and a half ago as the replacement for Martin Lopez, who left the band in May 2006 after being plagued by illness and anxiety attacks, which forced him to miss several of OPETH's tours.

Shortly after he first started playing with OPETH, Axenrot told Drummerzone about how he landed the gig: "During OPETH's tour in the U.S., Martin Lopez got ill. The band temporarily used the services of Gene Hoglan [who is also featured in OPETH's video for the song 'The Grand Conjuration'] but needed someone else for their European trek. While they were still in the U.S., I received a phone call from singer Mikael Åkerfeldt whom I already knew from our mutual project BLOODBATH. Soon after we all met in OPETH's rehearsal studio in Stockholm and here I am today."

Back in 2007, Åkerfeldt slammed the "new breed of idiot OPETH 'fans'" for questioning the abilities of Axenrot when compared to that of Lopez. Responding to a discussion on the band's forum regarding Axenrot's more "straightforward" playing technique compared to the "jazzy" style of his predecessor, Åkerfeldt wrote in an online posting, "Wow, looks like we got ourselves a new breed of idiot OPETH 'fans' on our tail, huh? Mindblowing guys...really!" He then added: "Axe is in the band now and we all fucking love playing with him.

"When somebody picks on [Martin's] drumming I can't help but to feel that that person is a deaf moron who knows nothing about music or drumming," Mikael continued. "I get defensive not only because I brought him in the band, but mainly because he's a fucking fantastic drummer."

Australian metalcore trailblazers THE AMITY AFFLICTION have shared another new track, "Give Up The Ghost". The emotionally charged but heavy song wasn't meant to be recorded, as it came at the end of a session where they were recording alone for the first time.

"It turns out everything is faster and yet we have the same level of attention to detail we’ve always had on our records" says singer Joel Birch. "The lyrics were already written, and Ahren [Stringer, bass/vocals] had a chorus melody on another demo that worked for this song, so it all came together quickly, which was cool. Banging out a song on a whim in a day isn’t something we’ve done before, so it felt pretty good."

Since emerging in 2008 with its debut "Severed Ties", THE AMITY AFFLICTION has served up two ARIA gold-certified albums, "Youngbloods" (2010) and "Chasing Ghosts" (2012), and earned a platinum certification from ARIA for the seminal "Let The Ocean Take Me" (2014). "This Could Be Heartbreak" (2016) marked the band's second consecutive Top 30 debut on the Billboard 200 and it went gold in Australia, while "Misery" (2018) elevated them to new critical heights and most recently "Everyone Loves You...One You Leave Them" (2020) showed the band returning to their heavier side and saw the group's total stream tally surpass 460 million and counting.

THE AMITY AFFLICTION is Joel Birch (vocals), Ahren Stringer (vocals, bass), Dan Brown (lead guitar) and Jon Longobardi (drums).

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


Vocalist/Guitarist Tim Mullaney comments on the new song:


“This song is an homage to our faster influences... old school grindcore bands like Terrorizer, Napalm death, and assuck. We’ve always had parts that were influenced by these bands but this time we decided to do a 100% fast song for the speed freaks. The lyrics of this song describe a generation that is increasingly socially isolated, with world views formed by what gets to your screen. Specifically, this touches on the fine line between entertainment and information relating to negative events. The ratings on war, terrorism, shootings, police violence, and on and on are so massive, it implies to some extent, that a lot of people are subconsciously entertained by the fucked up stories that dominate our media. At a certain point, the news goes from informing people to placing them in the center of a snuff film.”




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


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


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


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





Tracklisting:


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


"Deprive / Degrade":





"Purged Flesh":





"Perverse Dominion" video:





Genocide Pact is:


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


(Photo - Brian Boeckman)

With seven studio albums and many tours alongside such black metal heavyweights as Marduk, Gorgoroth, and Dimmu Borgir under their belt, it wasn't just a little history that German black/death metal legion Mystic Circle left behind when they decided to call it quits in 2007. But alas, fourteen years of silence are over as Mystic Circle -- consisting of Beelzebub and A. Blackwar, who had actually left the group in 1999 -- has risen from their graves to renew their deal with the Dark Lord.


Comments Beelzebub of the reunion: "Had anybody told me last year that we would be releasing a new Mystic Circle album in 2022, I would have laughed out loud. A. Blackwar and I never lost contact since his departure, but we never seriously considered making music again either. One day, for whatever strange reason, we were talking about music and quickly realized that we both had lots of ideas. We got to work immediately. The old spirit was right there again as though it had never left."


Adds A. Blackwar, "I think the spirit never really left. It shouldn't have ended the way it did back in 1999. Somehow, it was boiling under the surface for all those years."







Followed by crafting eight brand-new psalms that continue along the same musical path Infernal Satanic Verses -- the final record featuring both reunion members -- left off, MYSTIC CIRCLE will unleash their self-titled comeback studio album upon mankind in early 2022 through their new partners, Atomic Fire Records. The first taste of the new offering, “Letters From The Devil” will be revealed alongside an new music video on Friday, November 19. The song also gives its name to the infernal duo's upcoming pitch-black 7" single (limited to 666 copies) whose B-side features an exclusive non-album track titled “The Godsmasher.” Preorder at the Atomic Fire webshop.


"It is with pride, we can announce that we have the opportunity to work with Atomic Fire Records,” states Beelzebub. “This is a very big thing for us because these guys will bring our dark visions to our fans and supporters in a proper way. We feel total support and together we will raise a giant called Mystic Circle. I am looking forward to all things to come in the future."


"After years of friendship and respect, we are now in the position to work together with our fellows from Atomic Fire Records,” notes A. Blackwar, “This is not only another record company, it already feels like a family. We can't wait to present you our new as well as our future releases. So let's start the Armageddon and bring the sound of hell to earth."


Atomic Fire Records CEO/founder Flori Milz raves, "After listening to the first demo versions of their new material, we were immediately sure that Mystic Circle would be of the same quality and darkly outshine all of their previous works - and it really does!"


Label co-CEO/owner Markus Wosgien concludes, "I have a special long-time relationship with the band since I was the international publicist in support of their first three albums back in the '90s. When we met the guys after hearing the new songs, we could immediately feel that a special magic and spirit was still there. We simply had no other choice but walking this way all together from then on. So here we are now, waiting for the day to come... We're pleased to herald the start of Mystic Circle's new era and can't wait for the metal world to hear this devastating comeback album!"


More details on Mystic Circle's upcoming record to be unveiled in the coming weeks.


(Photo by: Alen Ljubic)

Canada's thrash metal machine Wreck-Defy, featuring guitarist Matt Hanchuck alongside former Archetype singer Greg "Wags" Wagner, former Testament bass player Greg Christian and drummer Dave O'Neal, have released a lyric video for their new single, "Fashionably Offended".


"Fashionably Offended" is featured on the new album, The World Enslaved, available on December 1 at all digital retailers and providers. Watch the video below.


Pre-order the new album in digital format at the SubLevel Bandcamp site or anywhere digital music is sold.







Tracklisting:


"Bring It All Down"
"Fashionably Offended"
"Obey"
"Crushing The Coward"
"Tow The Line"
"I'd Share Your Grave"
"Death By War"
"Moment Of Clarity"
"Form Of Release"
"Kill The Pain"


"Fashionably Offended" lyric video:





Wreck-Defy is:


Greg “Wags” Wagner - Vocals
Matt Hanchuck - Guitar
Greg Christian - Bass
Dave O’Neal - Drums

TOTO's "Africa" recently crossed the threshold of one billion streams on Spotify. This accomplishment speaks to the continual discovery of the band's repertoire, alongside the multi-generational fan base enjoying a composition that is nearing 40 years since the band's album "IV" was released. Co-writer David Paich shares: "This surpasses a dream come true! Thank you to our family, friends and fans! 'Africa' is the result of a team effort in the studio – resulting in musical magic! And thanks to Spotify for helping TOTO connect with so many awesome listeners. I know my co-writer Jeff Porcaro would be smiling and celebrating this moment with us." Cumulative Spotify streams exceed 3.3 billion plays.

TOTO will stage 18 appearances with JOURNEY in arenas across the United States. The run begins on April 7 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California and ends on May 11 at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

TOTO recently released "With A Little Help From My Friends", a recording of a special November 21, 2020 concert when guitarist Steve Lukather, singer Joseph Williams and Paich appeared with the new lineup of TOTO for a global event originating from Los Angeles. They were joined by bassist John Pierce, drummer Robert "Sput" Searight, keyboardist/background vocalist Steve Maggiora, keyboardist Dominique "Xavier" Taplin and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Warren Ham. This lineup marks the fifteenth incarnation of TOTO in consideration of band members or sidemen who joined or exited. In the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the set, a documentary is featured alongside the performance, which includes commentary from all members of the band that appeared that evening.

On February 26, Lukather and Williams presented separate solo albums via The Players Club / Mascot Label Group which charted in multiple territories across the globe. Both artists made significant contributions to the other's recordings. Additionally, Paich performed on select tracks on Lukather's "I Found The Sun Again" and Williams's "Denizen Tenant". The titles were released on LP and CD, and a limited-edition deluxe edition is available with the two titles bundled together.

This past June, Lukather confirmed to Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com that there are no plans for TOTO to record new music. "There's not gonna be another TOTO record," he said. "What we do is we continue doing what we do. Joe and I can make [solo] records and have some of the cats on it. And we can go out and play as TOTO. And if we get the audience, we pay off the people that sued us, and we go forward."

Lukather continued: "I'm gonna dig in. I don't roll over easily. I've taken a lot of punches over the last 45-plus years — whatever the hell it is; it's a long time. So I can take a punch, man, and I've taken a whole lot of 'em on falsities. But that's okay. It's behind me now. I let it all go. Peace and love to everybody. I don't carry around any hate. I'm, like, 'Okay, life changes. I'm sorry.' It broke my heart too. But it's like getting over a divorce — you've gotta get back on the horse again and do it. And that's what we plan on doing. There's no malicious vibe or, 'I'm gonna get even with anybody.' It's just such a waste of time. I'm 63 years old, man. I don't wanna play the games anymo

Brazil-based animator, Val Andrade, has released the latest cartoon in his series, "The Tales Of The Iron Maiden". The cartoon based on the Dance Of Death album track, "Montségur" (1993), can be seen below:





A selection of Andrade's previously released Iron Maiden-based cartoons can be seen below: