Janet Gardner has opened up to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about her departure from VIXEN. The singer, who released her debut self-titled solo album in 2017, broke the news of her exit in a social media post in January 2019.

Elaborating on her reasons for leaving the band, Janet said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The summer of 2018 was insane with life in general. 'Cause between [me and my husband Justin James], we have three kids [and regular] jobs… And [Justin and I] were doing our [project]. And VIXEN, we were doing tons of the great, the big festivals — we did Graspop, we did Sweden Rock, we did a whole bunch of… Barcelona, whatever… Lots of stuff was going on. And we were still trying to do shows. It was just insane. And I was so stressed out. I literally went to work — my job as a dental hygienist — didn't have time to change clothes. Went to [John F.] Kennedy airport [in New York], got on a plane, flew to Spain. Then we did a bunch of shows. We had a 2:30 in the morning lobby call, and we got to Germany and had to get in a van and drive and do a 90-minute show. I couldn't do that when I was 25. And then a few other times, [Justin and I] had a show and then I had to get on a plane and fly somewhere else and do a VIXEN show, like, in the afternoon. And literally one time I didn't even get a shower. I wore my makeup from the night before on stage the next day. It was that bad. No sleep, no nothing."

Janet went on to say that she is still on good terms with her former bandmates in VIXEN. "Absolutely. I love 'em to death," she said.

When Janet announced her departure from VIXEN, she said in a statement that it was time for her to step aside and let drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross "pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN."

In January 2018, Gardner underwent surgery to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma.

While Gardner was recovering from her surgery, VIXEN played a show in Durant, Oklahoma in March 2018 with a fill-in singer, Lorraine Lewis of FEMME FATALE. In January 2019, Lewis was announced as Gardner's official replacement.

Asked if she had anything to do with Lorraine replacing her in VIXEN, Janet told "Trunk Nation": "No. It was totally their call. I expected it. She filled in when I had brain surgery. And they were all comfortable together. Roxy had worked with Lorraine in a different project. Share had worked with Lorraine in a different project. So they all knew each other, and I wasn't surprised at all that that's how it all happened. And I love Lorraine — I think she's great. She's a great singer, a fantastic talent, great frontwoman and a nice person. So I'm happy for them — all of 'em."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

Last year, Janet's collaborative project with her husband, GARDNER/JAMES, released its latest album, "Synergy", via Pavement Entertainment.

"Synergy" is the first Gardner/James album to be released under the GARDNER/JAMES banner. The couple previously collaborated on Janet's first two solo albums, 2018's "Janet Gardner" and 2019's "Your Place In The Sun"

In a new interview with Taryn Daly of Audacy Check In, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge was asked how he processes the fact that he has seen the size of the venues his band performs at grow exponentially over the years, from playing clubs to co-headlining arenas on GHOST's upcoming U.S. tour with VOLBEAT. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think if you are a touring band that tours continuously, and you do what most other touring bands do — you do your own tours, and then you support, and then you do your own tour, and then you support someone else, and then you do your own tour, and then you do a festival; you go on these cycles of going back and forth — and usually by the time, if you ever get to play an arena or a sport hall yourself, for the most part, I think, most rock bands at least have done that before supporting someone else. That's sort of the code of the road — you do that, unless you're this overnight sensation…

"Our career might have gone quickly in the beginning, but the last 10 years have been pretty normal in terms of what you're supposed to do — grinding," he continued. "So sometimes the novelty of doing something might not be as overwhelming as the first time you played a stadium show at all. We don't play stadiums ourselves — we don't play football stadiums — but we've done it quite many times supporting METALLICA, we've supported IRON MAIDEN, we've supported FOO FIGHTERS, we've supported other bands in stadiums as well. And the same thing went with arena shows — all those bands that I mentioned we did arena shows with before, so once you sort of accidentally do an arena show yourself, it feels, like, 'Oh, yeah. I know this. I know what to do.'"

Last month, GHOST released a new single titled "Hunter's Moon" which is featured in the latest blockbuster installment of the legendary film franchise "Halloween Kills". The "Halloween Kills" soundtrack arrived on October 15 via Sacred Bones, with the film hitting theaters (and Peacock) the same day as well.

Produced by Klas Åhlund and mixed by Andy Wallace, GHOST's "Hunter's Moon" plays as the "Halloween Kills" end credits roll, and will be released January 21, 2022 as a collectible seven-inch single by Loma Vista Recordings. "Hunter's Moon" can be streamed, purchased, and/or pre-ordered in its vinyl incarnation. The retail version of the seven-inch will feature the special B-side "Halloween Kills (Main Title)", performed, produced and engineered by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies.

"Hunter's Moon" features OPETH's Fredrik Åkesson on guitar and THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES founder Martin Hederos on the piano. Producer Max Grahn and "A Ghoul Writer" are listed as the song's composers and lyricists.

The official music video for the infectious first new track from GHOST since 2019's "Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic" was directed by Amanda Demme.

GHOST's 26-date co-headlining U.S. arena tour with VOLBEAT and special guests TWIN TEMPLE will include shows in Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase.

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle".

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans DEATH ANGEL will release a new live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" on Black Friday, November 26 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" is a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's celebrated catalog that will be released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

A new trailer for "The Bastard Tracks" in which the members of DEATH ANGEL talk about how the album came to be can be seen below.

Vocalist Mark Osegueda stated: "When we performed and filmed the songs for 'The Bastard Tracks', it was such a crazy time, and having missed being able to perform live for so long was taking its toll on me to a certain degree as I have been a live performer for the majority of my life. I must say it was a pretty dark time. I know it was for so many of us. But music once again helped to pull us through it.

"It was a bit odd performing to no crowd, but it felt great re-learning some deep tracks and getting on stage with the guys and unleashing this pent-up aggression. And the response from everyone who tuned into it suggesting that we release it as an album was overwhelming. Well… thanks to them, here it is. I hope you enjoy it."

Guitarist Rob Cavestany added: "Choosing and sequencing the songs for 'The Bastard Tracks' setlist was quite a different trip. All of them had rarely (and in some instances never) been played live. We hadn't performed in front of a live audience for over a year, the longest ever for this band. It was to be filmed live at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and then broadcast worldwide on the good ol' interweb! I could get into that…

"From basically re-learning most of these songs to getting them as tight as they should be, we put our energy together and made it happen. I'm thankful for having had this goal to focus on during those (still) crazy earth crisis days. It gave us an important reason to get together at DA studio and JAM! Literally the only time I've felt 'normal' since 2020 was while we were jamming. Fortunately, we've been able to do it a lot. Now, we proudly present the audio and visual recordings of those sessions. Turn it up! P.S. - We cannot wait to exchange live energy with you as soon as possible!!"

Last month, DEATH ANGEL revealed the record's first single and live music video for "Where They Lay".

Osegueda said of the track: "'Where They Lay' is a prime example of a DEATH ANGEL bastard track. We have rarely played this song live and I'm guessing the last time we did was 2010. I love the release I get singing this song. Namely because the screaming bits I do are so cathartic. And I need a release during these crazy times. And screaming is one of my favorite ways to get frustration out of my system. I look forward to screaming in front of a live audience again soon."

Cavestany added: "Rise! This empowering message echoes thru the entire song from the first note to the last. 'Where They Lay' is one of our pure thrash cuts with those chugging riffs, pounding grooves and vicious lyrics that incites headbanging and thrashing. It's so fun to play on guitar, I love the percussive, rhythmic attack and the solos are so twangy. I'm stoked to include it in the set and to launch it as the first single from our upcoming release 'The Bastard Tracks'."

Last December, DEATH ANGEL streamed its seventh annual "Another Death Angel XMas Show" from The Great Northern in San Francisco.

This past January, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll confirmed to EXODUS frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza's YouTube channel, Zetro's Toxic Vault, that he and his bandmates have spent part of their coronavirus downtime putting together material for the follow-up to the Grammy-nominated "Humanicide" album.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

Finland's Oceanhoarse released their critically acclaimed full-length album Dead Reckoning on August 20th via Noble Demon. Anofficial lyric video for the new single "Fields Of Severed Dreams" is available below.





With former and current members of well-known acts like Amoral, Warmen and others, Oceanhoarse have delivered exactly the kind of debut studio album one would hope to get for from such experienced people - Dead Reckoning features 13 tracks, loaded with crushing riffs, vocal harmonies and high voltage arrangements and shows a band willing to explore things in their very own style, instead of sticking to any kind of average formular.




In support of the new album and to celebrate the release in glorious style, Oceanhoarse recently unleashed a brand new video clip for the melodic and groove-laden heavy metal anthem "From Hell To Oblivion".


The band comments: “‘From Hell To Oblivion’ represents Oceanhoarse at its most melodic, and it just might feature the biggest chorus on the album. The lyrics talk about false lighthouses, the inability to see warning signs in advance and how history keeps repeating itself, usually in pretty depressing ways.”


Oceanhoarse have amassed an impressive two million plus streams on Spotify alone, and all this before their first studio album has even been released. The band's previous single "One With the Gun" was released in late February, and has already hit the 100,000 stream mark.





Tracklisting:


"Headfirst"
"Locks"
"Betrayed By Light"
"One With The Gun"
"Reaching Skywards"
"Fields Of Severed Dreams"
"Submersed"
"The Intruder"
"Fight For Tomorrow"
"From Hell To Oblivion"
"REW"
"Dead Reckoning"
"The Damage"
"Fading Neons"


"From Hell To Oblivion":





"The Damage" lyric video:





"One With The Gun":





(Photo - Jony Karlsson)

SION, the new project featuring former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and modern guitar virtuoso/content creator Jared Dines, will release its self-titled debut album on November 26. The 12-song effort was "almost two years in the making" and "was funded independently out of Jared and Howard's own pockets," according to a statement released by the group.

The official music video for SION's second single, "More Than Just Myself", can be seen below. It is the follow-up to "The Blade", which came out in March.

Speaking about how their collaboration came about, Dines told Rock Feed: "Way back [in] 2018 was the TRIVIUM tour that I filled in for that Howard was on with his band LIGHT THE TORCH. And, of course, we met and we talked and we just kind of randomly started talking [about working together]. I think Howard mentioned, 'Down the road, let's maybe talk about doing something.' And, of course, I was, like, 'Yeah, that sounds awesome.' So that's kind of where it started. And then maybe just until [early 2020], I think [he] reached out and had said that [he] had some free time, and I had some free time, so we figured why not start now and start writing some songs. So that's kind of how it started. It was just very casual, and it's just been that way — very natural, and not, like, [with] any type of real plan."

Regarding SION's musical direction, Dines said: "I think there's a lot of natural influence I have from bands like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING, et cetera, et cetera, because that's the era I grew up on, so that's kind of imprinted into my playing as it is. So it's very natural for me just to flow out these very, you could call it KILLSWITCH ENGAGE-sounding songs, but that's not the intent, what we were going for. But, yeah, they're going to sound, when you hear them, of course, because of Howard and because of my influence and my style, they will be similar to that sound — just naturally. [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's third album, 2004's] 'The End Of Heartache', of course, for me, was my favorite and what influenced me the most, so I would say it's probably gonna sound more like that, as far as instrumentally. And whatever Howard wants to do with it, it's gonna sound like Howard. It's gonna sound like me and Howard, whatever that sounds like."

Jones left KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in 2012 and battled manic depression and bipolar disorder before forming a new project, DEVIL YOU KNOW, with guitarist Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and drummer John Sankey (DEVOLVED). Along with bassist Ryan Wombacher (BLEEDING THROUGH), they recorded and toured behind two well-received albums, 2014's "The Beauty Of Destruction" and 2015's "They Bleed Red". In 2017, the band changed its name to LIGHT THE TORCH following a bitter dispute with Sankey, a part owner of the name.

Asked what made him get back into music after leaving KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Howard told Heavy New York: "Honestly, I think it was because I was just kind of tired of doing nothing and I don't do much else other than music. I felt like I needed to venture out because I was basically agoraphobic for three years. It's kind of well known. I went off the grid. I didn't have a cell phone for three years — I was gone. It felt, like, 'Okay, maybe I should dip my toe in. I don't have to do it full time. I don't have to do what I don't want to do.' That's all I was thinking. I started moving, I started doing things. It was definitely a struggle, especially for the first few years. I was, like, 'What am I doing?' There's been few things in my life that has been consistent other than music. I just did it. It just took some time, then all of the sudden, the spark showed up. I fell back in love with what I was doing. I really can't explain it. It just sort of happened."

In a 2014 interview with Fishing World, Jones stated about his musical influences: "Well, just about anything I can listen to. AC/DC and KISS were the first bands that introduced me to heavy music. After that, I just absorbed anything I could get my hands on. Some favourites are FAITH NO MORE, HIM, ALICE IN CHAINS, PORTISHEAD ... My taste is kind of all over the place."

Jones makes an appearance on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "Atonement", contributing guest vocals to the song "The Signal Fire".

Dines has redefined the very idea of a guitar hero online. His YouTube channel boasts a staggering 2.92 million subscribers and more than 700 million views. He also has collaborated with everyone from Post Malone to BREAKING BENJAMIN. His recorded output includes "Rest", "Repose", "Daddy Rock" and "Dissimilator", to name a few. He made history as "the first YouTuber" to grace the cover of Guitar World magazine. Meanwhile, he teamed up with Music Man for a signature Stingray guitar.

Iconic singer-songwriter Steve Perry has shared a visualizer for "The Christmas Song", from his holiday album "The Season", which came out November 5 via Fantasy Records. The track is the latest single to be unveiled from the inspired and joyous new record, and marks the first-ever Christmas album from the beloved rock legend.

One of the most iconic voices in rock and roll history, Perry has captivated generations with the sheer power of his range and extraordinary warmth of his tone. As the latest turn in a phenomenal career that's included landing on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list, fronting JOURNEY during the band's most massively successful era, and gaining entry into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the legendary singer/songwriter now returns with "The Season": an exquisitely curated holiday album that reveals him as a flawless interpreter of the classic Christmas songbook.

Co-produced by Perry and engineer Thom Flowers, "The Season" embodies an immaculately arranged and richly nuanced sound inspired by such time-honored holiday albums as Nat King Cole's "The Magic Of Christmas".

"All the songs on this record were my favorites growing up," says Perry, who hails from Central California. "I used to hear them on the Philco radio that my grandmother always had on in the kitchen when she was cooking the most amazing holiday food, and because of that they hold a very emotional place in my heart. I wanted to make sure to record them all in a simple way that honors how I first heard and fell in love with them as a child."

Mainly recorded at Perry's home studio, "The Season" came to life in collaboration with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa) and Dallas Kruse (a multi-instrumentalist who also worked with Perry on his acclaimed 2018 album "Traces"). While most of the album encompasses an understated sonic palette — piano, strings, upright bass — each track leaves an indelible impact thanks to the soulful sincerity of Perry's vocal work.

"One of the things I love most about those traditional recordings is they're not coming at you like a rock song — they're just sitting there quietly and inviting you in," says Perry. "I'd never sung with that much simplicity before, and it was incredibly thrilling to bring that kind of expression to these songs."

Despite its heartfelt fidelity to the original material — a quality especially striking on the album's beautifully tender bookends of "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" — "The Season" unfolds with plenty of surprising details that breathe new life into every song. To that end, "Winter Wonderland" merges its lush string arrangements with a Motown-inspired groove, while "Auld Lang Syne" arrives as a bittersweet piano ballad graced with choir-like harmonies. On "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", "The Season" shifts into a jazzy reverie that lovingly nods to Ella Fitzgerald's version from 1960. And in a particularly poignant moment, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" opens on a cascade of layered vocals that perfectly capture its mood of melancholy longing.

"As I was singing that song, I closed my eyes and all of a sudden found myself standing in the doorway that looked onto the living room of my grandmother's house," Perry recalls. "Her Christmas tree was always loaded with presents underneath, and covered with the tinsel that my mother and I put on to make the tree shimmer. I could see that tree so clearly in my mind, and then I opened my eyes and thought, 'Whoa — where did I just go?' Now everybody has passed of course, but for just that moment I was home for Christmas."

For both artist and audience alike, "The Season" ultimately serves as a form of emotional time travel, a direct conduit for the kind of memories that sustain the spirit and restore a sense of joyous serenity.

"Music has always been something that rescues me in difficult times," says Perry. "I hope when people hear this record, they're teleported in the same way I was when I recorded all these songs — I hope it brings them back to those golden moments with their loved ones, and gives them that feeling of joy and connection and comfort that we all need so much."

"The Season" track listing:

01. The Christmas Song

02. I'll Be Home For Christmas

03. Auld Lang Syne

04. Winter Wonderland

05. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

06. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

07. Silver Bells

08. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Perry credited his late girlfriend, psychologist Kellie Nash, who died more than eight years ago, with helping him want to sing again; she'd made him promise he wouldn't go back into isolation when she passed.

Perry dated Nash for nearly two years before she died in December 2012 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. He mourned for two years, and then began recording again.

Perry reunited with JOURNEY for the first time in years as they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2017. The iconic singer appeared onstage with his former bandmates as they each gave speeches, but did not perform with the group later in the event.

Photo credit: Myriam Santos

After well over one thousand concerts in their home country, five successful studio albums to date and a platinum award for their latest release 'Revolter', Czech modern metal band DYMYTRY – who just recently signed a worldwide deal with AFM Records – has opted for a step that is unusual in two respects: 'Revolt', originally recorded exclusively in Czech (under vhe name 'Revolter'), will be the first DYMYTRY album to also be released in an English language version, as well as introducing a new, additional singer!

“Four years ago we came up with the idea of expanding our musical operating radius beyond the Czech Republic. We probably wanted to get out of our comfort zone and try something new and different. After translating a few of our tracks into English, we started to look at the option of playing some shows abroad,” bassist Artur “R2R” Mikhaylov explains.

After a joint single with German act Hämatom in September 2018, both bands went on tour together in October 2018; these were DYMYTRY's first shows outside their home country.

Mikhaylov: “The tour proved to us that our music also works for an international audience, and in English.” So the band decided to take this remarkable step, and the band’s first international output, 'Revolt', will be released on January 14, 2022 through AFM Records. “We want to show to the world that there is great music in the Czech Republic, too,” Mikhaylov explains. “We feel that our first English album is a very strong record, we really put everything into it.“

But give ear, as today the band has premiered a first song, whose original Czech version has already been a huge success! Watch the brand new video clip for Dymytry's 2.0 Version of 'Chernobyl' below.

The brand new English version of the much acclaimed 'Revolter' album will be the first DYMYTRY album featuring the new and additional singer Alen „A.L.“ Ljubic. DYMYTRY will continue to work with vocalist Protheus in the Czech Republic and with Alen on the international market, especially since the band think highly of both frontmen. Says Mikhaylov: “We’re really happy with how Alen has recorded the vocals on the ‘Revolt’ album. He has a fantastic and versatile voice, a broad range and really good energy, a combination which has infused our material with a new dimension and lots of power. Also he’s very passionate about the band, so we’re grateful to have him on board. Protheus is also an awesome front man with a charismatic voice, plus he’s got a huge talent for writing lyrics with a lot of depth and hidden meaning. In addition, he’s a dab hand at leading the audience.”

So there’s every sign of a storm brewing when DYMYTRY, featuring its three main songwriters Mikhaylov, Jiri “Dymo” Urban and Jan “Gorgy” Görgel (both guitar) as well as with exciting guest appearances by Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson of BROTHERS OF METAL and ex- RAGE guitarist Victor Smolski, will present its successful Revolt album to an international audience for the first time on January 14, 2022 via powerhouse AFM. The twelve album tracks all practically burst with a high-voltage energy, strong melodies and powerful rhythms driven by mercilessly modern metal!

Album track listing:
01 - Revolt
02 - Stronger
03 - 300 (Feat. Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson - Brothers Of Metal)
04 - Never Gonna Die
05 - Rise And Shine
06 - Awaking The Monster
07 - Until The World Knows Why
08 - Touchdown
09 - Tick Tock
10 - Hope
11 - Somebody's Watching Me (Feat. Victor Smolski / ex-Rage, Almanac)
12 - Chernobyl 2.0

Revolt Album Line-Up:
Alen "A.L. " Ljubic (vocals)
Jiri "DYMO " Urban (guitar)
Jan "GORGY " Gorgel (guitar)
Artur "R2R " Mikhaylov (bass)
Milos "MILDOR" Meier (drums)

Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess has shared a new demo video. check it out below.


Rudess: "In this video, we dive into my newly released app, in collaboration with Fingerlab, PolyWave! 


Polywave allows you to draw distinct and unrepeatable waveforms. Simply move your finger along the screen, and watch and listen as your unique musical exploration unfolds. 




Purchase in the App Store here and follow along."





Dream Theater's new album, A View From The Top Of The World, is available in a limited Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook, Special Edition CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD+LP-booklet. The Blu-ray contains a 5.1 surround sound mix with full album animations, plus ‘Digging For A Spark - A View From Inside DTHQ’, a specially filmed documentary that gives a glimpse behind the scenes of the band’s new home-base and the making of the new album.


A View From The Top Of The World was produced by John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James “Jimmy T” Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap and is available for pre-order here.


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


“We just love to play our instruments,” observes Petrucci. “That never goes away. I love to be creative, write, and exercise that part of my mind. We’ve been able to do this for a long time, and we don’t take it for granted. Whenever we get together, we know we can’t disappoint ourselves or our fans, so we manage to try even harder.”


“We approach every album like it’s our first,” adds LaBrie. “It’s been such a great ride, but we’re not going to stop.”





A View From The Top Of The World tracklisting:


"The Alien" (9:32)
"Answering The Call" (7:35)
"Invisible Monster" (6:31)
"Sleeping Giant" (10:05)
"Transcending Time" (6:25)
"Awaken The Master" (9:47)
"A View From The Top Of The World" (20:24)


"Invisible Monster" video:





“The Alien” video:





Deluxe Box Set trailer:

England-based post-metalcore quintet ARCHITECTS will performing an exclusive global streaming event from the legendary Abbey Road Studios on December 11. The performance will be backed by Parallax Orchestra, made up of some of England's best and most versatile classical musicians, arranged and written by Simon Dobson, Parallax Orchestra's conductor and a three-times British Composer award (BASCA) winner for his compositions.

Abbey Road Studios stream will premiere via Veeps on December 11 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET and will be available for 48 hours afterwards. Tickets are on sale now at this location.

In February this year, ARCHITECTS released its ninth studio record, and the first U.K. number 1, "For Those That Wish To Exist", via Epitaph Records. The LP finds the band tackling the biggest questions facing the future of our planet with its grandest, most expansive sonic offering yet building upon ARCHITECTS' hallmark post-metalcore sound by layering a burgeoning influence of electronics and orchestral strings, horns and choirs. The result is a rich tapestry that transcends the limitations of genre and rewards exploration and immersion in its journey. The record's 15 tracks hang in a limbo between energizing positivity that it is not too late to correct our collective course and paralyzing negativity of defeatism; where hope and despondency are bed-fellows triggered daily by the simple act of existence. A reflection of the human condition, "For Those That Wish To Exist" calls for all of us to rise to challenge established models and strive for a collective betterment.

In the U.S., "For Those That Wish To Exist" debuted No. 1 on the Digital Album chart, No. 6 on the Current Rock Album chart, and No. 80 on the Billboard 200.

ARCHITECTS is vocalist Sam Carter, drummer Dan Searle, bassist Ali Dean and guitarists Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson.

EXODUS frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza, who has gone on record in the past as a supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, discussed the state of American politics in a new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast. After McKaysmith told Souza that he doesn't think "there is any question" that Zetro's past "support for Trump was well placed given the shit show" that America has "as a president these days," Souza said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They disliked the person," referring to the hatred that Trump elicited from most Democrats and even some Republicans. "What other leader in the world in history, if you tweet, would come right back at you and go, 'Hey, fuck you'? Because [Trump] wasn't a politician. He was already a millionaire and a very famous man — more famous than any of the presidents. So what did he have to gain?

"Gas has gone up a full dollar since he's gone out of office," Zetro continued. "Wood prices, you used to pay 28 dollars for a sheet of plywood; it's 94 dollars for a sheet of plywood. So you tell me — you tell me what's going on. And I feel that nobody's really doing anything right now. I have not seen our government do anything; they're just sitting back like they always do and just cruise. I thought [former U.S. president Barack] Obama did the same thing. He just got in office and, 'I'm the president.' 'What are you doing today?' 'I'm just being the president. If something comes up, I'll get with it.' But I don't see him getting out there. Fucking Trump, you heard his goddamn name every day, whether you liked it or not. He was trying to close up the borders and build a wall. People didn't like that.

"Do you know, when I go to Australia or Mexico, I have to fucking get a visa to come into your countries. Why doesn't anybody have to have a visa to come into my country? That's bullshit. And that's all he was trying to do. But people [said], 'No, he's a racist, and he doesn't like Latin people.'"

Souza went on to say that he wasn't always a dyed-in-the wool Republican. "Through my life — I'm 57 years old — and I've voted Democrat many, many times," he said. "I vote for who the guy I think can do it. And over the last 10 years, I completely went right wing."

Zetro also railed against the federal and local vaccine mandates that have been implemented across the U.S. over the past few weeks. "They're forcing you to get a vaccine," he said. "Do we live in a socialist society? What happened to 'my body, my choice'? I don't understand it. And it's not about the vaccine not being effective or whatever; it's about the choice that you're telling me to. We're playing a concert with TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL in Oakland, California [at the end of November]. You have to show proof of vaccination to even come in. I think that's socialist right there. That's bullshit. What about people that have AIDS? What if people have Hep C? How come they don't have to show [any kind of proof]…? To me, it's like anything else — why is this all of a sudden [something that] the government can mandate you?"

Souza clarified that he is not denying that COVID-19 exists and he is not denying that it's transmissible. "Yes, it's real. Yes, it kills people," he said. "It's no worse than the flu, though. You can't shut the world down. You can't ruin people's businesses that they built. Little mom-and-pop donut shops, how are they supposed to survive? I'm just using that as an example. My take is you cannot run from something. You need to hit it head-on. And once you hit it head-on, you're gonna beat it. You're gonna beat it. [But instead they are, like], 'Let's keep locking it down. Let's not do it anymore. Let's [postpone] the festivals till next year, and then the next year, and then the next year.' Just do it. What are you gonna do? Hide from this thing your whole life? It's been two years now — two years. It's fucking November. The shit hit in fucking December '19. I know 'cause I was in Europe when it went down. I had to fly home in the beginning of March [2020].

"Get it together, people," he concluded. "I just don't think our governments or our officials or the heads of the world really know what they're doing or know what to do with this. I wish they would just say they don't instead of trying to act like they do."

Two months ago, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt told The Metal Voice that his own band is "comprised of varying different political ideologies, and we're best friends. The world has forgotten how to do that," he said. "We're so divided. And the powers that be want us divided. And that's on both sides — that's not just a hard-right or hard-left thing."

Back in April 2020, Holt spoke in more detail about the different political opinions within the EXODUS camp, telling the "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast: "Everybody knows I'm liberal on hella shit, but I'm also super conservative on hella shit too. And those are just my own opinions, and I leave them off my [social media] 'cause it starts a huge fight. People are, like, 'Ah, liberal snowflake EXODUS.' And I'm, like, motherfucker, three-fifths of EXODUS are Trump-loving Republicans — the majority of the band. Lee [Altus, guitar], Jack [Gibson, bass] and Zetro — it's full-on."

Three years ago, Souza said that he supported then-President Donald Trump, explaining in an interview: "The economy in the United States… the unemployment is the lowest it's ever been in the history of the United States. I think [Trump] making the attempt to go to meet [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un, I think that's great — that's what you need to do. People need to touch together, not do it through channels."

In a 2016 interview, Holt ripped Trump, saying: "You can't believe anything he says, 'cause he's a serial liar… He won't even condemn David Duke's support. He pretended he doesn't know who he is… That was your moment, Donald Trump, to say… you know, to condemn the man, basically, but you pretended you were just ignorant of who he was, 'cause you don't wanna fuck with that vote. There are some fucking hillbillies out there who you want voting for you."

Holt went on to say that he was "in many ways a Republican" but that he hadn't been able to find "a candidate up there who wasn't walked around on a leash by the Christian evangelicals, because they're the death of the conservative movement anyway. And if they just stay out of women's wombs and just actually concentrate on running a country and not being beholden to those people, I would vote Republican in a second."

Holt added that he had had productive discussions about the political situation with his bandmates. "I know people, including my own bandmembers in EXODUS, who, you might not agree with them, but I'd love to see some uptight, metal-hating, I-know-everything-about-politics dude go up against Jack Gibson in an argument," he said. "It might come to a draw. It's a debate — like, if you disagree with him, you're not gonna win — but he knows his fucking facts. And we're not all idiots. We actually do know what's going on in the world around us."

EXODUS's new album, "Persona Non Grata", will be released on November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Spanish thrashers Mordhida have issued a video for "Holycaust", the second single from their new LP, The Idiotic Principle.


The video was directed by Cristina Garcia Galietero (Pampaneo Estudios) and stars Juan Bautista Noheda Cobo.







Mordhida comments:


"We really wanted to work with Cristina, we met her during the recording of the album and we knew that she would be ideal for what we wanted with this song. Of course, she has won her wings after what we made her suffer during filming."


With the video, the band has also introduced new sticksman, Manuel Martínez "Carnacki", also drummer for the Valencian black metal band Vladek.


"It is a pleasure to finally introduce you to our new member, Manuel. We have had him hiding in the shadows for a few months, and what better time for him to make an appearance than in the video as an official presentation!"

Former L.A. GUNS drummer Scot Coogan has accused singer Phil Lewis of "conjuring up" a reason for his exit from the group.

Last month, Lewis told Metal Rules that Coogan quit L.A. GUNS because he "didn't have a studio" where he could lay down the drum tracks for the band's new album, "Checkered Past", resulting in L.A. GUNS' decision to enlist longtime engineer Adam Hamilton to play on the record instead.

Coogan, a veteran session drummer who has also played with Ace Frehley, LYNCH MOB and Lita Ford, addressed his departure from L.A. GUNS in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell". Asked if it's true that he left L.A. GUNS because he was upset that he didn't play on the band's new album, Scot said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. [Laughs] Not at all. I think that's something that they conjured up, maybe through management. I never once said to Phil Lewis that I was upset about not playing on the record. Tracii [Guns, L.A. GUNS guitarist] and I talked about it, and I said, 'I can. I can get a studio. And this is how much I will charge to do the tracks.' And they decided not to do that. Because I'm not a bandmember — I'm a hired gun — so if I'm gonna record, I'm gonna charge my rate. And they didn't want to do that. So they just decided to have Adam do everything. I could have gotten into a studio. Do you know how many records I've done. And I'm not upset that I didn't play on an L.A. GUNS record — I never said that once. So that's something they conjured up."

He continued: "I didn't respond to [Phil's comments earlier] because I'm taking the high road, and I don't wanna cause any problems. I've been playing with Tracii for years in different bands and everything. But I never said that once. And then I went and did the two videos [in support of 'Checkered Past']. If I was upset about not playing on the record, why would I do the videos? [Laughs] It doesn't make any sense.

"So, no, that never was mentioned at all," he reiterated. "But that's what they came up with and that's what they said. And I'm, like, 'Well, that's fine.' They could have made up something worse. [Laughs] And Phil did say some nice things; he said, 'We took a big hit.'"

As for the real reason he left L.A. GUNS, Coogan said: "To be honest, the reason I made that decision is because I have moved on. I enjoy playing with Tiffany and Stephen Pearcy. And there was confusion about these dates that came up with L.A. GUNS. Because I was told we weren't gonna tour until New Year's. And so I had dates planned. And then they said, 'Oh, you have to do these shows.' And I said, 'I can't.' So there was all that. And then the way that that was handled — I'm not gonna say any names or anything, but the way it was handled, I just got a real bad taste in my mouth. And I said, 'You know what, guys? I'm gonna bow out and do what I'm doing now,' which is the Tiffany band and Stephen Pearcy. And I'm very happy — I'm very healthy and happy doing those two gigs right now. And I didn't want to go back and have things be weird with L.A. GUNS. So I just decided to quit."

He continued: "I told them [I was leaving] in plenty of time to get somebody [else]; it was, like, a month and a half or almost two months before. I figured this new record's coming out, and feeling the way that I was feeling about business things and stuff with the band, I decided that I should do that then. And it was a tough decision, because I love Tracii and I love Ace [Von Johnson, L.A. GUNS guitarist]. I was just texting with Ace Von Johnson. I'm out here with Johnny Martin [L.A. GUNS bassist]. It's, like, we're all family. So it was a tough decision, man — it was really tough. I was going back and forth with it. But with the business end of the way things were handled, I just decided to do it at that time before the new record comes out. And I'm in the videos now, but shit hadn't hit the fan at that point. [Laughs]"

Coogan played with Frehley for five years until 2012 when he left Ace's band to focus on other projects. He rejoined Frehley's group in 2014 and stayed with the guitarist for another four years before he was fired — along with guitarist Richie Scarlet and bassist Chris Wyse — and replaced with the musicians that played with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons on his solo dates.

Due on November 12 via Frontiers Music Srl, "Checkered Past" marks L.A. GUNS' third album since the 2016 reunion of the band's core members Lewis and Guns. It follows 2017's "The Missing Peace" and 2019's "The Devil You Know".

This past April, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis will continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS will now operate under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS.

"The Alpha" is the third single by Finnish melodic death metal band, Wolftopia. The single, off their 2021 debut album Ways Of The Pack, boasts the characteristic fast-paced melodic death metal that the band have become known for since their first release, the I Am The Storm EP, from 2019.



 
Frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov explains that the song is about the chaos of nature: the breath of the wild, the harshness of existing at the mercy of nature, the never-ending, cruel cycle of life. And listening to the song, that’s not hard to imagine. From the first of Okhotnikov’s howls to the tremolo picking and majestic chords by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen, the song breathes that chaos. The melody occupies the middle ranges — neither high nor low — which makes it difficult to interpret, and this interpretation is not aided either by the movement of the melody: it moves up and down at seemingly random intervals, fully encapsulating the unpredictability of the wilderness.
 
The lyrics tell of dominance in a wolf pack. Okhotnikov admits that the alpha male theory has long been debunked, but the idea persists in popular culture, and it’s an enticing metaphor for the cyclic nature of, well, nature. The alpha leads the pack, grows old, and is replaced by the next alpha. The cycle starts again. That notion of repeating cycles can also be heard in the music. The main melody continues into the verse, and the pre-chorus melody into the chorus, changed but still the same. And this cycle of verse, pre-chorus and chorus repeats throughout the song, too, just like the cycle of nature. The song ends with the introduction melody, but changed yet again. We are back at the start. The cycle is ready to repeat itself. But everything keeps changing. The wilderness is never predictable.
   







Tracklist:


"Hound Of War"
"The Last Embrace Of The Mother"
"Wash The Spears"
"We Are Pack"
"Predator"
"May He Sever The Shadow"
"The Alpha"
"I Am The Storm"


"Wash The Spears"





"Hound Of War"





Line-up:


Aleksander Okhotnikov (Vocals & guitars)
Tom Israels (Drums)
Tim Reus (Bass)
Topi Karhunen (Guitar)


Promo pic by Hannu Perälä (Hannu Perälä Photography)

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley says that he has collaborated with his longtime friend Peppy Castro on "some heavy songs."

Peppy reportedly taught Frehley how to play guitar and previously collaborated with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons as a songwriter and performed on Frehley's and KISS frontman Paul Stanley's solo records.

Frehley shared the news of his latest latest studio sessions with Castro in an Instagram post on November 4. At the time, he wrote: "Been Recording all day w/my dear friend Peppy Castro…collaborated on some heavy songs!!!"

Earlier today, Ace offered an update on his studio activities, writing: "Been Recording all day!!! I'm thinking about Christmas & how lucky I am that I have complete creative freedom over my music, and I'm very thankful for all the gifts God has given me… I sometimes forget how good I have it, and I'm trying to act humble & be worthy of my talents & situation, considering I grew up with nothing in the Bronx!"

Last December, Frehley told Talking Metal Live that he would started recording his next all-original album earlier this year. The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne. At the time, he said that had "been writing all along. Plus, I have tracks that I've already recorded that I have to revisit and decide whether they have a chance to make it on my new studio record — [if they] have to be rewritten or [they're] just good the way they are," he explained. "And I've got people sending me song ideas constantly… So, little by little, it's an ongoing process, and it evolves as it goes."

Earlier last year, Frehley told Canada's iHeart Radio that he had "only written about three songs" for his next LP, and he added they were "not finished." He said: "Now that I'm [living] on the East Coast [after moving to New Jersey from Southern California], my engineer only lives an hour from me, Alex Salzman, who worked with me extensively on this last record, and he played a lot of bass guitar as well, So it's gonna be even easier, 'Origins Vol. 3' and the next [original] record."

Frehley's latest release was "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.

"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.
























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Fan-filmed video footage of VIO-LENCE's November 5 performance at the Mass Destruction IV festival in Atlanta, Georgia can be seen below.

VIO-LENCE's August 6 appearance at Strummer's in Fresno marked the first performance by the band's current lineup, consisting of guitarist Phil Demmel, singer Sean Killian and drummer Perry Strickland, along with the band's latest additions, guitarist Bobby Gustafson (ex-OVERKILL) and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY).

During the Fresno concert, VIO-LENCE debuted a new song, apparently titled "Upon Their Cross". The track will appear on the band's upcoming EP, "Let The World Burn", which is due in early 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The effort was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producer Juan Urteaga, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD and EXODUS, among many others. Mixing duties were handled by Tue Madsen.

In July, Killian told Ireland's Overdrive about VIO-LENCE's decision to make an EP after initially being reluctant to work on new music: "It was after [a] show [we played with SACRED REICH] in Arizona when Phil [Demmel, guitar] and I really started to talk about it because we're the guys that wrote 'Eternal Nightmare'. We talked about who would be involved and made the decision that if we do this, we've gotta be sharp, you know? We have to be tight, on it, spending time in the studio and really putting in 100%. It took some time — about eight months or so — to get things up and running with regards to schedules, but when it began to take shape, and we were vibing off each other in the studio, writing new songs, and lyrics, etc., everything felt really natural from start to finish. The album is currently in the mixing stages, and we're really happy with the way it all came out."

Regarding the recording process, Killian said: "[Urteaga] was really digging deep with all of us in order to get the best out of us. Like I'd be doing my vocal lines and he's in the booth saying, 'Come on, man. I know you can do better than that. You've gotta get more aggro. I want to you sound like you're about to kill somebody!' [Laughs] Also when we were doing the drums, we were all saying to Perry [Strickland, drums], 'That sounds great.' He [Juan] was, like, 'No, it doesn't. You can do better. C'mon. Dig deep.' He really pushed Perry a lot. [Laughs]"

In August 2020, VIO-LENCE released a new digital single, "California Über Alles", a cover version of the DEAD KENNEDYS classic. The band also filmed a music video for the song with director Scott Kirkeeng.

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

The band performed its first comeback concert in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California and spent most of the ensuing months playing select shows in the U.S. and Europe.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in any of the comeback shows.

Killian underwent a successful liver transplant surgery in March 2018. The year before, Killian was diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis, which was caused in part by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis.

VIO-LENCE's last album, "Nothing To Gain", was recorded in August 1990, but wasn't released until 1993.

UNDEROATH will perform its new album, "Voyeurist", in its entirety via the "Digital Ghost" cinematic concert on December 3, in partnership with Moment House. The "Digital Ghost" event will continue to push further down the path the band blazed in the digital performance space last year with its groundbreaking "Observatory" event. "Observatory" was considered a major reference point in the evolution of livestreaming with its influence apparent in digital concerts from major artists thereafter. It was praised by everyone from Revolver and Loudwire to Forbes and CNBC for the unique way it treated fans to a raw and visceral experience with the hits they longed to see played live while being robbed of concerts during the pandemic. In addition to the enjoyment it brought fans during a difficult time, it reached a level of success where the band was able to replace the tour income they would have otherwise lost in 2020 and keep a team of over 20 live music professionals employed for a month while the industry was struggling to provide jobs.

This time around, "Digital Ghost" offers something entirely different — a chance to be part of a communal moment built around UNDEROATH music that nobody has ever heard before. "Voyeurist" is arguably the most ambitious record of the band's career, and it's only fitting that the first time fans hear it will be during this equally ambitious event.

Get your tickets now for "Digital Ghost" through Moment House and secure your spot in witnessing a pivotal moment in Underoath history.

UNDEROATH's Tim McTague comments: "When we started conceptualizing the 'Voyeurist' event, we knew that we wanted to do something different than a traditional livestream. We have done three of them and, coming back a year after 'Observatory', we knew we didn't want to just repeat the cycle. One of the biggest goals was the idea of blending narrative with the visuals.

"Threading the needle on a live performance while adding in cinematic elements was a big part of 'Digital Ghost'. The goal of 'Observatory' was never to re-create a static live performance, and I think 'Digital Ghost' is an extension of that thought. In the end, 'Digital Ghost' is an attempt to push boundaries as a band and set a new bar for what virtual live experiences can be.

"With everything we do, there is a lot of risk and some lofty goals. It's pretty special to conceptualize these projects and then watch them form in real time, especially when you have a finite amount of time and resources."

Arjun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Moment House, said: "We're thrilled to partner with UNDEROATH for their 'Digital Ghost' cinematic concert ahead of the release of their new album. The band have masterfully embraced this powerful new medium and we can't wait to help bring their remarkable creative vision to life with their fans around the world."

Over the past few months, UNDEROATH has continued to excite fans with a cryptic release plan that has included four singles from "Voyeurist" to date. Each track revealed has been accompanied by a deeper glance into the meaning behind the new record, which functions more as a multimedia art project than a standard album campaign. At the heart of this release is the immersive web site, voyeurist.io, where visitors are able to peer in on other fans, as well as the band, begging the question of whether or not what they're witnessing is happening in real time or is something pre-recorded. This serves as a microcosm of the overall effect that a digital existence has on us all and provides some insight into the concept of "digital ghosts" that is essential to the meaning behind the record.

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

Tommy Lee's wife has publicly thrown her support behind the fat-burning technology that Vince Neil has been trying out in an apparent effort to get in shape for MÖTLEY CRÜE's upcoming "The Stadium Tour".

Two months ago, Vince revealed he was using Emsculpt Neo, a revolutionary new treatment which supposedly builds muscle and reduces fat using both radio frequency and high-intensity electromagnetic energies.

Earlier today, Brittany Furlan, who has been married to the CRÜE drummer for nearly three years, took to her Instagram to share a video of her wearing the Emsculpt Neo device strapped on to her body, and she wrote in an accompanying message: "Ok so here's my honest review of #EmsculptNeo on the tummy: not painful at all, honestly just feels like you're laying there and doing crunches (which um, I don't have to get up or move my body in any way? Yes please!) Apparently 30 minutes is equivalent to 20,000 crunches! Afterwords I felt like I definitely did a serious work out. HIGHLY recommend. Can't wait to show you guys my 38 pack".

Last year, fashion and beauty influencer and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo also revealed she was using Emsculpt Neo as a way "to get back in shape without having to feel like you're not giving it your all."

According to Swagger, the Emsculpt Neo procedure "is done in-office, is needle-free, and does not require any downtime. The technology uses energy waves that cause your muscles to fire up to 20,000 times per 30-minute session for simultaneous deep tissue muscle building, remodeling, and fat burn."

Back in May, Neil made headlines when he struggled to complete his solo concert at the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival in Boone. Based on fan-filmed video footage of the gig posted on YouTube, the 60-year-old rocker, who hadn't performed in more than a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began losing his voice several songs into his set, which consisted exclusively of CRÜE classics and cover songs previously recorded by the band.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In December 2019, CRÜE manager Allen Kovac told Fox Business that "some of" the bandmembers had enlisted outside help to get in shape for the trek. Kovac was referring to criticism of Neil for his supposed diminished singing ability and weight gain, as well as the health status of guitarist Mick Mars, who has been dealing with a chronic form of arthritis that led him to undergo a hip replacement.

Kovac explained: "Some of them are working with a trainer, some of them are working with a nutritionist to make themselves the best they can be. The greatest insecurity for an artist is: Is anyone going to care about my music? Is anyone going to buy a ticket? We were in November [2019] when the discussions were happening, and these guys were already into regimens of how they get ready for a tour."

Speaking specifically about Neil, Kovac added: "Let's see what Vince sings like and looks like when the tour goes out."

CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx also said that Vince was "killing it" while working with "trainers" and "nutritionists" in preparation for "The Stadium Tour".
























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Guitarist Gus G. (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne) recently got together with his friends Strutter (bass) and Achilles (drums) to rehearse some of the tracks off his new album, Quantum Leap.


"We set up a few cameras and pushed the 'record' button," says Gus G. "We approached this as if it was a livestream. The video edit is done on the spot and the audio is raw with no overdubs. Engineered, recorded and mixed by Strutter at Valve Studio in Thessaloniki, Greece. Camera edit operation by Jimmy Tott."







Quantum Leap artwork and tracklisting:





"Into The Unknown"
"Exosphere"
"Quantum Leap"
"Chronesthesia"
"Enigma Of Life"
"Judgement Day"
"Fierce"
"Demon Stomp"
"Night Driver"
"Not Forgotten"
"Force Majeure" (feat. Vinnie Moore)


"Into The Unknown" video:





"Enigma Of Life" video:





"Fierce" video:





"Exosphere" video:





 

Extreme metal brutes, Feed The Corpses To The Pigs, released their full-length debut album, This Insidious Horror, in October via Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Now, the band has issued a lyric video for “Separate”, which can be found below.


This Insidious Horror is a hook-forward LP with tales of technocratic rulers, murderous cults, and otherworldly terrors. Horror comes in many forms; the Pigs revel in them all. Feed The Corpses To The Pigs (FTCTTP) pummels and brutalizes their listeners with their mix of old-school and new-school metal styles including grindcore, crossover, black, and death metal.







Guitarist / vocalist Shawn “Death Pig” Fink comments: “For me, this album is a mix-tape to all the different genres I love. When I listen to music at home, I like to hit that random button. I’ll get a black metal track, then a punk track, then a thrash band, and so on. I think when you switch up the styles, it makes each of them pop more than just listening to an album of just one thing. I think all of our songs have our signature Pigs sound and sensibility, but I’ll follow a good song wherever the riffs and lyrics may lead me and not worry about sticking to one metal style.”





Tracklisting:


"Separate" 
"Ghost Of Winter" (ft. Rick Rozz from Death / Massacre)
"Jesus Is My Respirator" 
"The Death Of Expertise" 
"Trapped Spirit" 
"I Drink Myself To Death" 
"The Ocean Sings Of Murder" (ft. Jelly from Void Dancer)
"Out Of Sync" 
"Flashpoint" 
"This F*cking Horror"





 

My Infected Soul was created in the mind of singer songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, Brian Troch (Cyclone Temple, Shooting Hemlock, Elliott Waits For No One, Vante). A video for the new single, "Watch The World Burn", can be found below.





My Infected Soul has a very dark industrial/rock/metal/rave/djent vibe with peaks and valleys which take the listener on a very emotionally intense ride.




During the writing process Brian had to step away for a while as the subject matter was very personal and sometimes extremely painful. “After years of compartmentalizing Claude had been let out of the box” Troch stated and “a flood of emotions came with him.”


When The first single “Infected” hit the airwaves it was apparent to Brian that there was definitely a there there. My Infected Soul was originally Brian Troch and life long friend and singer songwriter Jeff Vincent. After Vincent departed producer/composer and orchestrator/orchestra leader Spencer Creaghan teamed up with Troch to help co-write, form and round out the sound of My Infected Soul. The final piece of the puzzle was Brian getting his producer/engineer Jaben Pennell of Vibehouse Productions involved. Jaben and Brian had worked together on Troch’s alternative project and full album release Elliott Waits For No One with his wife Jenny Franck and Blue Man Group drummer Jeff Tortora, as well as currently mixing another hard rock project called Vante with Brian and guitar player Scott McClellan, plus a single rock/rap collaboration with EWFNO and platinum rapper C Murder which is scheduled to be released.


The initial plan was to release a full length concept album called The Essence Of My Psychosis and all the songs for that album have been written and tracked. But as things moved along Troch changed his mind and decided to release each song as a single and then after that phase was complete the entire album in order with lyric book would be released.


This lengthy single, “Watch The World Burn”, was chosen as the first single release. The song takes you from anger to sadness/beauty/hope/destruction/finality and demise. Creaghan’s Orchestration is absolutely amazing and captured the feelings of Troch’s complex heart and mind to an absolute sublime level.





Look for more MIS song releases in the near future on DarkStar Records/Sony/Universal Music Group.

Ground-breaking, genre-defying instrumental trio, Animals As Leaders, recently dropped brand new track, "Monomyth", their first in 5 years. You can now watch a drum playthrough video for the song:





"Monomyth" comes accompanied by a high-concept music video directed by Telavaya Reynolds and featuring choreography by Tlathui Maza / NOHBORDS. Find "Monomyth" on streaming platforms here, and watch the official video below.







Speaking on the band's new release, Tosin Abasi shares, "'Monomyth' is part fever dream, part ritual. Its imagery represents man's ceaseless attempts to translate transcendent ideas into movement. The conflation of struggle with meaning. Pain with significance. The ultimate failure of distilling perceived patterns in the world into knowledge."





The band also announced that they have signed a new deal with their current label home, world renowned independent powerhouse, Sumerian Records.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has signed on to produce the recently unearthed "drum riffs" from late MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza. Ellefson will enlist "a handful of different" musicians from around the world to record new riffs and add new parts to Menza's existing riffs — an expected 13 tracks which are being touted as "the heaviest and fastest drum material Nick ever created."

In a video announcing his involvement in the project, Ellefson said: "We're actually recording some new riffs and parts to some existing Nick Menza drum riffs that he has — some parts that are brand new. So posthumously, we're actually forming a new band with Nick. I've got a handful of different people from our industry around the world participating in this. And I'm gonna be writing some new riffs and some new things."

This past September, Screaming Butterfly Entertainment announced a partnership with Ellefson and his Ellefson Films on the upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza". Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life.

In conjunction with the announcement of Ellefson's attachment to the film, an Indiegogo campaign has been launched to raise funding for the completion of the film. Fans have the opportunity to support the production of the film directly, as well as obtain some rare official Nick Menza memorabilia. These items include various touring laminates personally owned, and authentically signed by Menza himself and Ellefson. In addition to memorabilia, fans can purchase brand new Nick Menza merchandise, including hats, posters, and even Nick Menza skateboard decks. Fans can even have their names and a message added to the end credits of the film.

The campaign can be found at this location.

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

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

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

Irish melodic death metal band, For Ruin, have released the debut single, "Wake", from the forthcoming remix of their debut album, entitled December 2021.   


Says the band: "December is our debut album and was originally released on September 15, 2007. The album contains many of the songs that featured on the band's three demo releases but the debut album was performed by the English / O' Sullivan / Myers / Murphy lineup of the band at that time. The album was recorded during March-May of 2007 but the production of the album was never what the band had wanted as it masked the quality of the songs. In the summer of 2021, John Murphy began the process of remixing the album - all of the original 2007 performances have been preserved for this remix and some additional guitar & new vocal/synth parts were recorded to strengthen the mix, before being mastered by Marko Tervonen (The Crown) at Studio MT in Sweden.







Ten tracks featured on the original 2007 release, but 15 songs were recorded in 2007 by the December lineup; the five bonus tracks are now included with this release. Some of the bonus tracks were re-recorded by the Last Light lineup a few years later, but these are the originals and have never been released until now."


The December 2021 remix will be available digitally and on limited Digipak CD (via Bandcamp) from December 2. In the meantime, here's "Wake" (2021 Remix):