Hells Headbangers has announced the signing of MALEFIC THRONE. The first fruit of this union will be the band's debut EP, "Malefic Throne", which is due in the coming year on CD, 12-inch vinyl and cassette tape formats. The effort will include the track "Deciding The Hierarchy", which can be streamed below.

A veritable death metal "supergroup," MALEFIC THRONE is a three-headed beast joining together death metal royalty: guitarist Gene Palubicki (PERDITION TEMPLE, ANGELCORPSE, BLASPHEMIC CRUELTY), vocalist/bassist Steve Tucker (MORBID ANGEL, WARFATHER) and drummer John Longstreth (ORIGIN, HATE ETERNAL, ex-ANGELCORPSE). Suitably, the sound on their self-titled debut EP maliciously mainlines much of those foundational death metal sounds for which all three members have been renowned the past three decades. Fiery and furious but finessed with a surprising amount of grace, MALEFIC THRONE spits forth a lean 'n' mean whirlwind that's diabolically blackened and gleaming like the sharpest blade. In just 19 minutes, the trio get in, get out, and destroy.

Palubicki explains the genesis of the band: "MALEFIC THRONE was conceived over conversations and shared ideas among the three of us since around summer of 2020, deep in the early pandemic upheaval, while everyone was — and has been — in limbo for live shows/tours/etc. We hit on the idea of just going for it, writing some furious death metal material with the three of us, and seeing what would happen. Given who the bandmembers are, it is surely clear the nature of what this is all about. We originally considered just doing an independently released demo, but we approached Hells Headbangers to see if they were interested in handling the debut EP release. They agreed, and onward it goes."

Release date, cover and track listing will be revealed shortly.

Baack in 2019, Tucker said that MORBID ANGEL was preparing to begin the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2017's "Kingdoms Disdained" album.

In April 2018, Silver Lining Music released a special two-disc digipack edition of "Kingdoms Disdained", featuring seven instrumental demo tracks previously only available as part of the deluxe box set.

"Kingdoms Disdained" was released in December 2017 via Silver Lining Music in the U.S. and JVC in Japan. The disc, which reunites founding guitarist Trey Azagthoth with Tucker, was recorded at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and produced by MORBID ANGEL with Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL, SIX FEET UNDER, BELPHEGOR).

Joining Azagthoth and Tucker during the recording sessions for "Kingdoms Disdained" was drummer Scotty Fuller (ANNIHILATED; formerly of ABYSMAL DAWN)

MORBID ANGEL in January 2017 announced the addition of Dan Vadim Von (guitarist/frontman of the American death metal band VADIMVON) to the band's lineup on second guitar. He joined the group as the replacement for Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren), who left the band six years ago.

In a brand new interview with Brazil's Diário De São Paulo, founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, who is promoting the debut album from his KK'S PRIEST project, was asked if there is any chance of him ever returning to PRIEST. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. I asked [them] many, many times in writing. Even before doing this project, I said, 'Are you absolutely sure?' And they said, 'You're out. The door is closed.' So then I decided to put KK'S PRIEST together, and that's the only choice I've got. And now I'm fine with that. I don't see that there's any other option ever.

"I think it's absolutely unbelievable that Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] left the band for 12, 14 years, Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] did solo albums with other musicians, but I was the loyal [member of] PRIEST. And I introduced them into the band in the beginning. For them not to allow me to continue… Because they told the world that I had retired, so why not allow me to come back out of retirement, if that's the only problem, the only issue, when there was an opportunity. But there's a lot of misinformation. So, without going into too much detail, I just need to move on."

Downing went on to praise the rest of KK'S PRIEST, in which he is joined by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

"The band is great. I'm really happy with the band," he said. "They're in love with the music, in love with everything. They're totally dedicated. And we'll kick some serious ass when we play live. You know me — I only do it one way.

"One of the reasons I was unhappy [with PRIEST] in 2010 was the band seemed to slow down and lost the energy and the will to wanna go out there and give 101 percent," K.K. said.

"I'm very grateful to all the fans that travel so far and spend money and take the time out to make arrangements. So when you're on the stage, you have to give 101 percent; you have to do that and enjoy doing that."

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

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the '80s.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

In his 2018 autobiography "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", Downing wrote that he told Tipton and PRIEST manager Jayne Andrews that he had "hated" them both "since 1985." Earlier this year, he explained his outburst to Classic Rock magazine: "I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn't like that."

Richie Faulkner has credited Dr. Siddharth Pahwa, cardiothoracic surgeon at Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, with saving his life.

On September 26, the JUDAS PRIEST guitarist suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival, just a short distance from the hospital. It took the UofL Health - Jewish Hospital cardiothoracic surgery team, led by Dr. Pahwa, and also including Drs. Brian Ganzel and Mark Slaughter, approximately 10 hours to complete the surgery, an aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement with hemiarch replacement.

Faulkner, who is now resting at home in Nashville, spoke to reporters and Pahwa via a video link at the end of last week. He said: "I became a bit light-headed. It didn't go away. I've never fainted before. I've never passed out, but I knew that this felt like I was going to pass out in a minute.

"Luckily, it was about half way into the song," he continued. "So obviously, I had to finish the song. If I had known how important it was, maybe I would have got off there a bit quicker. But I think that's the whole point for me. I had no idea whatsoever what it was."

JUDAS PRIEST, which was scheduled to play for 50 minutes, was in the middle of performing "Painkiller", the final song of its set.

"Luckily, it was a short set, and we would have come off stage anyway," Faulkner said. "Otherwise, I don't know I would have come off stage."

Faulkner said that he experienced a sharp pain as he was stepping off the stage. "That's when it exploded," he said.

"The more I read about it, the more astonishing it is to me to think that I even made it to the hospital," he added. "The amount of time when I actually go the pain and when I turned up in the hospital and when we were actually operating, it was quite a lot of time. The more I read about it, the more unbelievable — that amount of time — I don't know how I'm still around today."

Faulkner also once again encouraged fans to learn from his experience and closely monitor their heart health.

"Listen, I'm 41 with no history," he said. "You could be the same. Go and get checked. Get in front of it if there's anything like that. If there's not, great. Take it from me: Just go and get yourself checked out."

As for how he plans to eventually return to action with his PRIEST bandmates, Faulkner said: "Get better first. Don't rush. And then we'll get back to seeing when we can get back out there and play some more PRIEST. But at the moment, it's focusing on getting ready, getting better, getting my energy back and my strength back. And at some point, I'll pick up the guitar again and seeing if I can knock out some riffs."

Speaking directly to Pahwa, Faulkner said: "You saved my life. My little girl saw me come home, and that just means everything. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart. There's really nothing more to say other than that, really.

After being told that he will help a lot of people by sharing his story, Faulkner said: "I hope so. The fact that I'm here able to do it, again, it just means everything. You gave me everything back, so whatever I can give to you guys in return is fine by me."

Aortic aneurysms are "balloon-like bulges in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Dissections happen when the "force of blood pumping can split the layers of the artery wall, allowing blood to leak in between them."

"He was only four miles away, but miles equal minutes and he did not have many to spare," said Dr. Pahwa. "Mr. Faulkner is alive today because the stars aligned. He had an outstanding emergency care team, he was close to a world-class heart center, and he was quick to recognize he needed help."

Earlier last week, Faulkner described his medical emergency in a statement, writing: "As I watch footage from the Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky, I can see in my face the confusion and anguish I was feeling whilst playing 'Painkiller' as my aorta ruptured and started to spill blood into my chest cavity.

"From what I've been told by my surgeon, people with this don't usually make it to the hospital alive," he added. "Five parts of my chest were replaced with mechanical components. I'm literally made of metal now.

"The amazing Heart & Lung Center was 4 miles away from the gig site — if it had been further away ... We can always drive ourselves crazy with these things, but I'm still alive thankfully. Whatever the circumstances, when watching that footage, the truth is, knowing what I know now, I see a dying man," the 41-year-old said in his statement.

Last month, JUDAS PRIEST postponed the remainder of the U.S. dates on its rescheduled 50th anniversary tour, dubbed "50 Heavy Metal Years". The trek kicked off on September 8 in Reading, Pennsylvania and was slated to run through October before concluding on November 5 in Hamilton, Ontario.

Faulkner joined PRIEST in 2011 as the replacement for original guitarist K.K. Downing.

Richie was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

Faulkner and his girlfriend Mariah Lynch, daughter of former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch, welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Daisy Mae, in July 2020.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Frantic" on October 8 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California can be seen below.

Around 40,000 people attended each day over the course of the four-day event starting on October 7 at Sacramento's Discovery Park.

A number of COVID protocols were in place for this year's Aftershock, with Sacramento County Public Health issuing a statement saying they provided the festival organizers "information regarding the current California Department of Public Health guidance for mega-events which include requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test."

Chamie McCurry, chief marketing officer with production company Danny Wimmer Presents, said: "From the beginning of the year, as long as we were going to be allowed by the local authorities, we were going to be bringing this event back and we were going to be doing it safely."

McCurry said that METALLICA was the biggest draw this year, performing two nights of the festival.

"It's a truly unique experience for METALLICA fans to be able to see them two nights, never repeat a song. Two completely different sets," McCurry told KCRA. "This is something that's part of history."

Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento, said that this year's Aftershock was expected to generate an economic impact of close to $30 million.

In August, Danny Wimmer Presents announced that the sold-out Aftershock would require attendees, staff, crew and artists to provide proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or a negative test within 72 hours of their first day at the festival. The festival also added a section to its web site about virus safety guidelines.

In a statement posted on social media, Danny Wimmer Presents founder Danny Wimmer said: "We are at an unprecedented crossroads with uncertainty about whether or not our festivals will happen this Fall. It is not my nature to idly sit back and let others decide our fate. Instead, I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that our festivals happen, even if that means enacting policies that some people may not agree with. But before you react negatively to our policy, please consider this. What I see is that the fans feel the world needs music festivals now more than ever. We need to bring people back together to heal from the past 18 months. We need to get the people and artists whose livelihoods depend on live events back to work. I am confident that these requirements are what is needed to guarantee that we have fun and safe festivals this Fall."

Producer Andrew Watt, who helmed Ozzy Osbourne's latest "Ordinary Man" album and is working with the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer on his follow-up effort, was asked in a recent interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station to tell his favorite Ozzy story. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Some of 'em I don't think I can tell on the air. There's too many — too many. Every day is a story.

"During the pandemic, we were making this [new Ozzy] album," he continued. "I went over to his house. And he draws. He's actually a great painter and drawer. So I came over and I came and sat down. He was in the middle of drawing something, and he was using a lot of reds and stuff. So I was just talking to him as he was doing it. And he was drawing a bunch of circles and stuff like that. So he goes, 'Okay, cool.' I was, like, 'Where are we going?' He takes this big sheet of paper and walks outside with it, in his Ozzy walk, and puts it down in front of a tree. And then he goes, 'Okay, sit right here.' And he walks out with two BB guns. Ozzy holding two guns — I mean, anyone holding two guns — but Ozzy holding two BB guns is a scary thing. And the dogs are all in the backyard and everything. He's, like, 'All right. Let's shoot.' I'm, like, 'Hold on. Hold on. We've gotta get the dogs.' Me and one of the people that worked there are getting the dogs and [putting] them in the house. And he was shooting targets during the pandemic — he did not miss a single target. You think what you think — he just goes down to do it and, boom, perfect shot. Every single circle he hit — he hit 'em all. [He's a] pretty amazing man."

Watt connected with Osbourne after meeting Ozzy's daughter Kelly at a friend's party and pitching her on the idea of Post Malone and Ozzy collaborating together.

Six months ago, Ozzy told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that he and Andrew had completed more than a dozen for his next studio LP. "My only concern right now is finishing the bloody thing," he said. "We've got the same production time as the last time, so there's definitely going to be some similarities. But you'll just have to wait and see what you think."

In December 2020, Watt told Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend were "halfway through" the new LP. "There's some songs on there that are like eight or nine minutes long that are these really crazy journeys. I'm really excited about it," he said.

Like "Ordinary Man", which featured Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Ozzy's next album will feature guest appearances by a number of other notable musicians. "There's a bunch of people involved," Andrew told Guitar World. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo [METALLICA], who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."

Photo credit: Apple Music

Ace Frehley's backing band paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen on the first anniversary of the iconic VAN HALEN guitarist's death by playing two VH songs — "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" and "Dance The Night Away" — during soundcheck in Raleigh, North Carolina. The October 6 concert at the Red Hat Amphitheater was part of Ace's U.S. tour as the support act for fellow legendary rocker Alice Cooper.

Frehley's band features guitarists Ryan Cook and Jeremy Asbock, bassist Philip Shouse and drummer Matt Starr.

Last October, Frehley reacted to Eddie's death on social media, writing on his Instagram: "Eddie was a friend of mine...I'm very saddened by his passing away so young in life...my prayers and condolences go out to his family, friends & fans!...A great and innovative guitarist...God Bless Eddie...R.I.P."

After Eddie was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, he began flying to Germany for treatments. Eventually, the cancer spread to Eddie's spine and brain. Just a few months later, Eddie died at age 65.

Last December, Eddie's immediate cause of death was revealed to be a cerebrovascular event, such as a stroke. Pneumonia, the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome and lung cancer were also cited as underlying causes in his death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ. The certificate also listed a number of other "significant conditions" that contributed to Eddie's death, including squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) of the head and neck, and atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes irregular heartbeat and elevates stroke risk.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

A memorial honoring Eddie in his former hometown of Pasadena, California was officially unveiled Monday morning (October 11).

According to Billboard, METALLICA's "The Metallica Blacklist", a massive 53-song collection featuring covers of every track off of the band's self-titled breakthrough album, sold 8,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending October 7 to land at position No. 7 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart. Of that sum, 6,300 copies were CDs while nearly 1,400 copies the vinyl LP edition.

A week earlier, when "The Metallica Blacklist" was only available to purchase as a download, spent one week on the Top Album Sales chart at No. 73. The physical editions of the album, on CD and vinyl LP, were made available on October 1.

"The Metallica Blacklist" offers up new dimensions of the record whose gravitational pull first drew the mainstream to METALLICA — and provides new insights into the universal and timeless appeal that kept it there: the boundary-smashing influence these 12 songs have had on fans and musicians of all stripes. "The Metallica Blacklist"'s 53 tracks find singer songwriters, country artists, electronic and hip-hop artists — including musicians like WEEZER, Phoebe Bridgers, Jason Isbell, St. Vincent, CAGE THE ELEPHANT, PORTUGAL. THE MAN and many, many more — sharing their love of these songs alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music and many, many more.

All profits from "The Metallica Blacklist" are being split evenly between the All Within My Hands foundation and 50+ charities chosen by the artists who play on the album. All Within My Hands was founded by the band in 2017 as a way for the entire METALLICA family to give back to communities that have supported the band by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

"The Metallica Blacklist" features the following tracks:

* ALESSIA CARA & THE WARNING - Enter Sandman

* MAC DEMARCO - Enter Sandman

* GHOST - Enter Sandman

* JUANES - Enter Sandman

* RINA SAWAYAMA - Enter Sandman

* WEEZER - Enter Sandman

* SAM FENDER - Sad But True (Live)

* JASON ISBELL - Sad But True

* MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND FEAT. LA PERLA & GERA MX - Sad But True

* ROYAL BLOOD - Sad But True

* ST. VINCENT - Sad But True

* WHITE REAPER - Sad But True

* YB - Sad But True

* BIFFY CLYRO - Holier Than Thou

* THE CHATS - Holier Than Thou

* OFF! - Holier Than Thou

* PUP - Holier Than Thou

* COREY TAYLOR - Holier Than Thou

* CAGE THE ELEPHANT - The Unforgiven

* VISHAL DADLANI, DIVINE, SHOR POLICE - The Unforgiven

* DIET CIG - The Unforgiven

* FLATBUSH ZOMBIES FEAT. DJ SCRATCH - The Unforgiven

* HA*ASH - The Unforgiven

* JOSÉ MADERO - The Unforgiven

* MOSES SUMNEY - The Unforgiven

* J BALVIN - Wherever I May Roam

* CHASE & STATUS FEAT. BACKROAD GEE - Wherever I May Roam

* THE NEPTUNES - Wherever I May Roam

* JON PARDI - Wherever I May Roam

* SEBASTIAN - Don't Tread On Else Matters

* PORTUGAL. THE MAN FEAT. AARON BEAM - Don't Tread On Me

* VOLBEAT - Don't Tread On Me

* THE HU - Through The Never

* TOMI OWÓ - Through The Never

* PHOEBE BRIDGERS - Nothing Else Matters

* MILEY CYRUS FEAT. WATT, ELTON JOHN, YO-YO MA, ROBERT TRUJILLO, CHAD SMITH - Nothing Else Matters

* DAVE GAHAN - Nothing Else Matters

* MICKEY GUYTON - Nothing Else Matters

* DERMOT KENNEDY - Nothing Else Matters

* MON LAFERTE - Nothing Else Matters

* IGOR LEVIT - Nothing Else Matters

* MY MORNING JACKET - Nothing Else Matters

* PG ROXETTE - Nothing Else Matters

* DARIUS RUCKER - Nothing Else Matters

* CHRIS STAPLETON - Nothing Else Matters

* TRESOR - Nothing Else Matters

* GOODNIGHT, TEXAS - Of Wolf And Man

* IDLES - The God That Failed

* IMELDA MAY - the god that failed

* CHERRY GLAZERR - My Friend Of Misery

* IZÏA - My Friend Of Misery

* KAMASI WASHINGTON - My Friend Of Misery

* RODRIGO Y GABRIELA - The Struggle Within

Arizona metallers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have pulled out of their previously announced European tour as the support act for ACCEPT. The trek was scheduled to kick off on January 15 in Oberhausen, Germany and conclude on Febraury 28 in Kiev, Ukraine.

Earlier today, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM released the following statement: "Due to circumstances beyond our control we unfortunately find it necessary to with-draw from the ACCEPT 'Too Mean To Die' tour. Many factors have weighed into this decision.

"We wish our friends in ACCEPT and PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS much success on the upcoming tour, and we hope to see all of our fans in Europe as soon as possible!!"

Two months ago, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's concert in San Francisco was canceled due to the "unvaccinated" status of some of the bandmembers. The Arizona metal veterans' concert on August 25 at the DNA Lounge was scrapped by the venue after the San Francisco mayor announced that the city would be requiring both proof of full vaccination and masks in bars, restaurants, and all indoor settings.

In a post on the DNA Lounge web site, the venue wrote: "We are sorry to report that the FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are unvaccinated, and so we were forced to cancel this show.

"Get vaccinated! Especially if you are on tour!"

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM is promoting its latest album, "Blood In The Water", which came out in June. The LP was once again mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (U.D.O., VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, POWERWOLF).

Formed 35 years ago, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, released its landmark debut, "Doomsday For The Deceiver", the only album to ever receive a 6K rating from the influential British magazine Kerrang! Bassist Jason Newsted left to join METALLICA after their bassist Cliff Burton was killed in a tour-bus crash in Sweden in September 1986.

In a recent interview with Arizona Central, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM singer Eric "A.K." Knutson said: "We're very hungry for it. We feel like it's our turn to get to that next level like TESTAMENT or DEATH ANGEL or any of those other bands that have been around as long as we have. They all made it to that next level. And they deserve it. They worked their butts off for it. But we never quite got to that point."

"We've learned that you have to put the work in. Those guys put the work in. [MEGADETH leader] Dave Mustaine, he's not the nicest guy in the world. But he is a hard worker. And he put in the work every day of his life to get where he is."

Knutson went on to say that METALLICA put the work in, too. "But they also got super lucky and were in the right place at the right time doing the right kind of songs," he said.




pic.twitter.com/tO3QcFHCVr

— Flotsam and Jetsam (@Flotztildeath) October 13, 2021

DEEP PURPLE's next studio effort will be 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 official music video for the first single, "7 And 7 Is", can be seen below.

"Turning To Crime" track listing, according to FNAC:

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, DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover revealed during a virtual meet-and-greet with Finnish fan Anssi Herkkola that the band 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 album, "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."

Austin, Texas-based cult noise rock trio, Cherubs, return with their new EP, SLO BLO 4 FRNZ & SXY, out October 15 via Relapse Records. The band has released this new video for "Sooey Pig (Sad)" (Skrewed Version):





Physical pre-orders for the new EP are available via Relapse.com here, and Digital Downloads / Streaming here.


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A follow up to their Immaculada High (2019), the new EP capitalizes on the musical frenzy and shining moments of the late

Richmond, Indiana’s Wolftooth launched onto the scene in 2017, swiftly grabbing the attention of fans, tastemakers and industry alike. Now, building upon the subterranean success of their lauded previous albums (2018’s Wolftooth and 2020’s Valhalla), the band unveils their colossal full-length Napalm Records debut, Blood & Iron, out December 3.


Offering an immense slab of proto-metal influenced heaviness with a deep dose of doom essence and addictive stoner riffage, Blood & Iron isn’t just epic in sound, but at heart. The album travels through a treasure trove of fantasy-themed lyrical influences - exploring mystical and often treacherous themes of mythology, lore and legend with a focus on sorcery, battle and non-stop adventure. Recorded, mixed and mastered by producer Jeremy Lovins, Blood & Iron is a true nod to classic, feel-good American heavy metal with modernized flair.


Today, the band have released a guitar playthrough video for the first single “The Voyage”. Watch below:


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Watch the official music video for “The Voyage” below.


If you enjoy your metal homegrown, larger-than-life and with a weighty dose of mystical storytelling, Wolftooth’s Blood & Iron is your newest obsession.


Blood & Iron begins ominously with “Ahab” - beckoning the listener to join Wolftooth’s fabled trek with an isolated guitar introduction before bursting into a sticky, metallic blues jam, instantly echoing the likes of Black Sabbath to Pallbearer while maintaining fresh delivery. The track effectively poises the album for greatness before leading into two tales of historic prevalence backed by trudging riffage - Xerces epic “Hellespont”, and mythical ode to triumphant Irish warrior Cú Chulainn, “Blood & Iron”. The tracks ebb and flow amid melodic solos, sludgy rhythms and charging drums, evident on songs like galloping, thrash-injected assault “Broken Sword” and headbang-inducing, lead-laden “A King’s Land”. Wolftooth continue their immense sonic storytelling with soaring saga “The Voyage” and frigid ballad “Winter White” before closing out the nine enormous tunes on Blood & Iron with two of its most standout offerings – cohesive and rhythmically-enticing “Garden Of Hesperides” and driving final epic “The Mare” - depicting stories of 100-headed dragons, witches, dark horses and mind control. What more could a true metalhead ask for?


Wolftooth adds about the album: "Blood & Iron is the culmination of all the work that we as a band have put into forging our sound over the last four years. Musically, we feel that we've honed what works well for us while expanding on what was already there. This album represents a more mature direction, relying on classic heavy metal influence with a strong nod to our proto-metal roots. Lyrically, the album focuses on kings, battle, conquest and myth. These elements together coalesce into a riff-laden slab of heavy metal that we are all proud of."





Blood & Iron will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digipack
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- 1LP Gatefold Gold Die Hard Edition w/ album cover slipmat and logo patch (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 100)
- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Gold & Black (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 200)
- CD Digipack & Shirt Bundle (Napalm EU/RoW Mailorder only)


Pre-order

Swedish premium rock outfit, Dead Lord, has announced that their debut album, Goodbye Repentance, is digitally available again on all streaming platforms.


The digital album has been re-released through Century Media Records and can be finally heard again, here. A physical re-release is planned for a later date.





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Furthermore, the tour with label colleagues Lucifer is just around the corner. This theatre of Swedish rock will last through the good second half of November and will kick off in Apeldoorn, Netherlands on November 13.

Enuff Z’Nuff's fondness for the legendary rock 'n roll band The Beatles has been more than well documented over the years. The band, now led by co-founder Chip Z'Nuff, have finally decided to go all in on that fandom and have announced the release of Enuff Z’Nuff’s Hardrock Nite, a covers album of some of their favorite Beatles songs as well as songs from Beatles’ members post-Beatles bands. The album will be released on November 12.


A taste of music from the album is available with the release of a music video for "Back In The U.S.S.R.". Watch below, and pre-order/save Enuff Z'Nuff's Hardrock Nite on CD/Color Vinyl/Digital here. Please note, due to worldwide delays with the manufacturing of vinyl, the LP version will be released on December 10.


On Enuff Z'Nuff's Hardrock Nite, the band offers their reinterpretation of tracks from the world famous Liverpool musician's repertoire with no samples, no synthesizers, no wizards behind the curtain, just four cats in the studio paying respect to their heroes. Enuff Z’Nuff’s Hardrock Nite is a colorful Cadillac Escalade driving 100 mph on the freeway without rules or regulation and just livin' the dream.


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When the band first emerged on the wider scene, Enuff Z’Nuff were acclaimed as rock’s 'Next Big Thing'. They were power-pop princes in glam-metal clothing and aptly described as The Beatles and Cheap Trick combined and reinvented for late 80’s US hard rock musical landscape. Long-time fans of the band have yearned, begged, and wished for a Beatles covers album from the band and now, finally, Enuff Z’ Nuff pay tribute to their main inspiration and musical heroes with Enuff Z’Nuff’s Hardrock Nite in their own inimitable and rocking fashion. Enjoy the ride!


Enuff Z’nuff are the living, breathing example of what a rock ‘n roll group should be. Now centered around bass player and vocalist Chip Z’nuff, Enuff Z’nuff are still delivering the band’s patented power pop melded with hard rock stylings. Originally formed in 1984 in Chicago, IL, the band received their big break in 1989 when they signed to Atco/Atlantic Records. Founding members, Chip Z'Nuff and Donnie Vie were joined by guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Foxx and they commenced work on their major label debut. The self-titled album was a monster hit and spawned two evergreen singles, “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle”. Both received constant airplay on radio and heavy rotation on MTV, spending over 60 weeks in the Top 10. 1991 saw the band release their sophomore album, Strength. The album had more of a hard rock overtone and sustained the success achieved on the first album. The band made high profile television and radio appearances on the likes of David Letterman and Howard Stern and were featured in Rolling Stone’s Hot Issue as ‘The Next Big Thing'. The band soldiered on during the new musical climate

Times Of Grace, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, released their second album, Songs Of Loss And Separation, earlier this summer. Today, the band has shared the virtual performance video for "The Burden Of Belief". It will tide fans, who are itching to see the band live, over... for now.


"'Burden' was one of the songs we originally thought really represented our newer album's sound overall," says Leach. "I could also always hear it like an acoustic song in my head, similar to 'The Forgotten One.' Perhaps someday we will do just that, but in the meantime, an 'at home' performance of the song felt like a cool thing to put out there. I really enjoyed setting a vibe and just belting it out. The song has such a deep meaning for me - hell, the whole album does. But there was always something about this song from the first time I heard the demos."


"This is a version of 'The Burden of Belief' performed as it would be live, but done separately from our homes," adds Dutkiewicz. "Obviously, we'll need a bass player and second guitarist to help out for the real deal. We hope to bring this song, and many more, to your town at some point in the future."


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Order the Songs Of Loss And Separation album here, and check out the band's D2C webstore, with brand new merch and exclusive limited vinyl offerings, here.





Tracklisting:


"The Burden Of Belief"
"Mend You"
"Rescue"
"Far From Heavenless"
"Bleed Me"
"Medusa"
"Currents"
"To Carry The Weight"
"Cold"
"Forever"

Motörhead have released another HD upscale of a classic video. This time it’s "I Don't Believe A Word" from the band's 1996 album, Overnight Sensation. Watch below:





On October 29, BMG will release a new career-spanning Motörhead set, entitled Everything Louder Forever - The Very Best Of. The collection will be available on 2CD, 2LP and 4LP. The 2CD digipak and 4LP fold out sets will feature 42 tracks. The 2LP set will include 22 tracks in a gatefold package. Pre-orders and exclusive bundles available here.


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Motörhead... a life force, an energy, an attitude and the loudest, meanest, dirtiest music to smash the 20th and 21st centuries. With a bastard sound comprising an unholy synergy of rock, punk and heavy metal, Motörhead comes coated in relentless, ear-curdling power. They were life-changing for millions, carrying a spirit and approach to life and music which proudly said, “Honey, we’re hoo-oome and don’t bother cleaning because we’re here to enjoy ourselves!” The ‘off’ switch was never employed in the Motörhead lust for life, and they became legends as a result.


Leading the charge for their entire 40 year career was the cultural icon Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, who swashbuckled around stages, streets and overseas like a glorious Mad Max pirate truthsayer, roaring for the good and screaming at the wankers. With his propulsive sound and lyrical might leading the charge, Motörhead released 22 studio albums over those four decades, amassing chart topping records worldwide, a Grammy award and racking up around 20 million sales. Their hit song “Ace Of Spades” became Motörhead’s anthem, perfectly capturing their attitude for millions, and punching giant holes in stereos worldwide to this day. Nothing was harder, nothing was faster, nothing packed more raw attitude and certainly nothing was louder, making Motörhead a cultural elixer that was regularly imbibed across all genre lines. Don’t take our word for it, look around any heavy metal, punk or alternative gig, and you’ll see the indomitable warpig logo and Motörhead gothic script on a t-shirt, a jacket, even an arm or leg or back (Motörhead tattoos are everywhere), all sitting on the bodies of rockers, metalheads, punks, bikers, rebels, outcasts, freethinkers and even athletes all around the world. Yeah, that’s right, Motörhead's cultural reach remains virtually peerless to this very day (the one you’re living right now as you read this), and it continues to span fans young and old, igniting their adrenaline and giving them both entertainment and identity.


This collection is the definitive assembly of Motörhead songs which have created this cultural phenomenon, and represents the first time all eras of the band’s recorded history have been represented in one place. And we feel that if in this mad, mad world we’re living in, some aliens decide to drop by your house for tea and demand an explanation as to, “what the fuck is this ‘Motörhead’ is that we keep hearing and feeling bits of in our extra-terrestrial houses millions of miles away,” you could happily play Everything Louder Forever and know that the question will be thoroughly answered. Buy two copies though, because you know they won’t leave without taking one themselves! Or something like that anyway…





Deluxe 4LP Vinyl tracklisting:


Side A:


"Overkill"
"We Are Motörhead"
"Snaggletooth"
"Rock It"
"Orgasmatron"


Side B:


"Brotherhood Of Man"
"In The Name Of Tragedy"
"Bomber"
"Sacrifice"
"The Thousand Names Of God"


Side C:


"Love For Sale"
"Killed By Death"
"I'm So Bad (Baby I Don't Care)"
"Smiling Like A Killer"
"Sharpshooter"


Side D:


"Queen Of The Damned"
"Keys To The Kingdom"
"Cradle To The Grave"
"Lost Johnny"
"The Game"


Side E:


"Ace Of Spades" (40th Anniversary Master)
"Burner"
"Stone Dead Forever"
"Bad Woman"
"Just Cos' You Got The Power" (Eat the Rich 12" B-Side)


Side F:


"Stay Out of Jail"
"No Class"
"I Am the Sword"
"The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" (40th Anniversary Master)


Side G:


"G

"We're proud to present Heresy - Bloodbath's first official beer," proclaims the band. "This limited batch of 33cl bottled Pale Ale with 6.66% abv was brewed in France and released in collaboration with Adipocere Records who offer worldwide shipping, so drink from the cup of Heresy and feel the enchanting power!" Orders can be placed now at this location.





The Heretic beer label design is also available as a t-shirt from the official Bloodbath

Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) is back with a new Star One album, titled Revel In Time. The album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on February 18 via InsideOutMusic.


The album will be available for pre-order on December 17, and it will come as Ltd. 2CD Digipak, Ltd. Deluxe 3CD+Blu-Ray Artbook (incl. a poster of the cover artwork), and as 180g Gatefold 2LP (incl. the album on CD & an LP-Booklet).


CD2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind The Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.


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For this Star One release, Arjen has decided to use a different singer for each song, and those singers as well as the instrumentalists are slowly being revealed on Arjen’s Facebook page.


Arjen has checked in with the following teaser:


"Steve Vai plays this amazing 3-minute solo in the track 'Lost Children Of The Universe' off the new Star One album, Revel In Time. Check out this video to hear a part of the solo, and don’t miss Steve’s heartwarming quote at the end. Still can’t believe it. Thanks again Steve!"





Arjen explains the decision to return with a new Star One album: �

US dual-violin gewyrdelic folk metal band Isenmor is celebrating the first anniversary of its debut album Shieldbrother with the release of "Wanderlust (Acoustic Version)," a folky re-imagining of the album track.


"Wanderlust (Acoustic Version)" and Shieldbrother album are available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.





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"Wanderlust" captures the spirit of adventure among the real peoples of the migration period and the heroes of their songs. In verse as in real life men would travel far to seek new opportunities, be it new lands to farm or settle, or the hall of a warlike king where they could win glory. For some, the constant search for new adventures or new challenges meant these travels would never cease.


The c

For the one-year anniversary of their 2020 album Question Everything, American power metallers Helion Prime released a special edition of the full-length digitally on October 8, 2021 along with it being available on vinyl coming early 2022. 


In support of the special edition of Question Everything, the band is sharing their latest music video for the opening track "Wash Away". The song is based on Ignaz Semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847. 





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The new song for the special edition album was written by guitarist Jason Ashcraft and lyricist Heather Michele with mixing and mastering done by Alex Nasla (Witherfall). The music video was filmed by Alex Nasla and Trey Xavier (Gear Gods), with editing done by Adrienne Beacco 


Guitarist Jason Ashcraft adds:


"We are thrilled to share this new song and video with everyone. When we decided to release a special edition for Question Everything, I knew from the start I'd wanted to include a brand new song that continued the theme of the album. Wash Away, we feel, is one of our strongest songs to date. Showcasing all the things that make Helion Prime, Prime."


The special edition was produced by Helion Prime guitarist Jason Ashcraft and Alex Nasla, who also remixed/remastered the record to better fit its vinyl experience. The original artwork also went under a small make-over for a classic "marble wall" vibe. 


The bonus material on the special edition also includes cover versions of Children of Bodom's "Angel's Don't Kill" with a guest guitar solo from Garrett Peters and Nightwish's "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion" with guest vocals from Carlos Zema (Immortal Guardian) plus a guest guitar solo by Garrett Peters.


"We are so thrilled to announce this special edition release of Question Everything to help celebrate the album's one year of life! This was such a fun album to work on and to get to relive it with you all is something we are very excited about. We are also excited to finally be coming to vinyl. It's something we've wanted for a long time and we know a lot of you have asked for it. So now is the time to get your hands on this special and limited run of Question Everything." adds the band.


Question Everything is Helion Prime’s first album with new vocalist Mary Zimmer, who has also accompanied the band on two separate tours of the United States. The album also saw the band’s original singer, Heather Michele, returning in a writing capacity and contributing all lyrics and melodies. Heather Michele also along with other former Helion Prime vocalist Sozos Michael and with John Yelland (Judicator/Dire Peril) add their guest vocals on the full length.


The third record is a concept album, with each song revolving around different influential figures throughout human history who had the courage to question the status quo of their respective worlds/societies, in some cases even dealing with harsh persecution as a result. Those Helion Prime chose to write about faced prejudice, mockery, ex-communication, and persecution – yet through it all, they held true to their beliefs and ideas. Time would be their greatest ally as their ideas and identities were eventually validated, oftentimes not until after their passing. They serve as an inspiration for all minds to continue thinking outside the box and staying true to themselves.


Vinyl preorder available at IndieGoGo.





Tracklisting:


“Wash Away”*
“The Final Theory”
“Madame Mercury”
“Prof”
“The Gadfly”
“Photo 51”
“E Pur Si Muove”
“Words Of The Abbot” feat. John Yelland (Judicator, Dire Peril)
“The Forbidden Zone”
“Question Everything” feat. Heather Mich

Avantasia mastermind Tobias Sammet is currently working on the follow-up to 2019’s Moonglow and in a new social media post has expressed his excitement for the new album.


“Astounded by the stuff I am just listening to,” writes the Edguy frontman. “Listening to an amazing performance of a guest singer for the new Avantasia album. It's a lot of work and many night shifts currently. But it's worth it! By the way, kudos to Markus Bertram whose company built me the best studio one can think of. The folks at Abbey road would be jealous of my magical cozy little retreat! 🤘 perfect for Avantasia!!!”


Vocalist Michael Kiske is best known as the singer for Helloween - now sharing vocal duties with Andi Deris in the band's expanded line-up - but he has been a member of Avantasia's ever-changing roster of singers since the band's 2001 debut album, The Metal Opera. Avantasia mastermind Tobias

Canadian metallers, Ravenous, have partnered up with Calgary's New Level Brewing for the release of a limited-edition beer, called Speed Metal Blonde. The beer is in celebration of Hubris, the upcoming second album by Ravenous, with the label designed by frontman R. A. Voltaire.


"We have had so many iconic bands and friends of ours release their own booze, it became a symbolic milestone for us! Luckily, with the support of New Level Brewing, we were able to make that milestone come to life - and it's tasty!"





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The beer is a smooth and crushable Blonde Ale for those in league with the craft beer devil, with a sophisticated and nuanced profile. Crisp, clean and refreshing, yet metal enough to be the crowd favorite at shows. Ingredients are water, yeast, barley, and hops, with oats added for a fuller body and additional sweetness.


Speed Metal Blonde is only available in Canadian markets and is limited to 1,000 cans - available during all Ravenous show dates in Canada until they're gone. The band's next live performance will be in Calgary, AB on October 15 at Dicken for their Hubris album launch show. Details can be found on the band's Facebook page, here.


Ravenous will be unleashing their new album, Hubris on October 22 via Feast Beast Records for North America plus Europe and for Asia via Spiritual Beast with exclusive bonus tracks “Cakaw Te Partiro” and “一瞬千撃” for the Japanese version.


Hubris pre-orders are available at Indiegogo.





Tracklisting:


"Carnage In Carthage"
"Astral Elixir"
"Son Of Storms"
"Die 1000 Deaths"
"Bridgeburner"

A music video for the song "Grace Of God" from ALCATRAZZ can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "V", which is set for release on October 15. The LP features original members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea, along with new vocalist Doogie White (RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST), drummer Mark Benquechea and guitarist Joe Stump.

The "Grace Of God" video contrasts scenes of beautiful, breathtaking landscape with somber and evocative displays of raw emotion and battle. The track takes the listener on a monumental journey with White's powerful soaring vocals, perfectly complemented by Stump and Waldo's intricate weaving guitars-and-keys-wizardry bolstered by the thunderous and robust bass and drums from Shea and Benquechea.

"I love 'Grace Of God'," comments White. "It is a cracking tune with lots of intricate vocal parts. I love what everybody in the band has done on it. It has great energy and drive… It's just magic!

"Lyrically, it is set in the Middle Ages," White continues. "It is about the fear of being sent off to war to fight for your King, your Queen, or your country… to invade a land you've never heard of, to conquer people you know nothing about, to fight for a reason you're not sure of, and the desperation in accepting such fate."

"When I first heard 'Grace Of God', I just couldn't believe how perfectly well the melody and lyrics fit together: it's hard to imagine anything else being better than that," enthuses Waldo. "Doogie has the ability to write exactly what the melody of a track calls for and the result is very powerful."

Formed in 1983, ALCATRAZZ became famous for its blend of melodic and progressive rock and for introducing guitar heroes Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai. Emerging in 1983 with "No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll", which featured the hit "Island In The Sun", the band continued building popularity in 1985 with their sophomore effort "Disturbing The Peace", which contained the hit "God Blessed Video". The band issued one more studio LP, 1986's "Dangerous Games", before ceasing operations the following year. The band regrouped and released highly acclaimed "Born Innocent" in 2020, their first studio album containing all-new material since 1986.

Both vintage and timeless, "V" treads the ALCATRAZZ textured territories of old but with renewed vigor and verve.

"The new album brings us full circle from our original roots to a modern much heavier version of all things ALCATRAZZ in 2021," confirms Shea. "I feel great and I'm looking forward to the release of our new album with its heavy rocking metal sounds."

There is little doubt that this ALCATRAZZ is going full tilt with no shackles holding them back and in that regard, White's supreme vocal work on all twelve tracks serves as the catalyst for their creative synergy, in addition to a supremely positive energy that brings the band closer than it has been since, well, 1986!

"The guys called me and asked if I wanted to join the band, and, you know, I'm sure they could and would've been spoiled for choice, but, they asked me," beams White. "I heard the music and 'Turn Of The Wheel' was the first song we wrote together. It's a great song, a 'metal' hit! 'V' has a couple songs that are 'commercially metal,' and then it has some that are very dark and menacing. It touches on a lot of isolation and loneliness, alcoholism, redemption and darkness, but hopefully there's a ray of hope and light at the end of it all."

Produced by Giles Lavery and Jimmy Waldo, and mixed by Andy Haller (Elton John, Joe Cocker, SYSTEM OF A DOWN), "V" also includes guest appearances from TANK's Cliff Evans (bass on "Grace Of God"), and RIOT's Donnie Van Stavern (bass on "Guardian Angel", "Nightwatch" and "Target"), underscoring how perennially popular ALCATRAZZ's music remains with their peers. "V" stands for ALCATRAZZ's fifth studio album of course… but it also stands just as resolutely for Victory; the victory that sees ALCATRAZZ 2021 stronger than ever despite all the odds.

Track listing:

01. Guardian Angel

02. Nightwatch

03. Sword Of Deliverance

04. Turn Of The Wheel

05. Blackheart

06. Grace Of God

07. Return To Nevermore

08. Target

09. Maybe Tomorrow

10. House Of Lies

11. Alice's Eyes

12. Dark Day For My Soul

Last fall, original ALCATRAZZ singer Graham Bonnet said that he was "no longer affiliated" with ALCATRAZZ's manager Giles Lavery." At the time, the other ALCATRAZZ members shot back, saying that they were "still represented" by Lavery and blasting Bonnet for "dictat[ing] to us who our collective or individual manager may or may not be." Not long after, Bonnet released a statement via his social media in which he said that he would "still be recording and performing with ALCATRAZZ. I am the founder and main songwriter and have been since the band's inception in '83." He added that he would "be announcing the incredible new ALCATRAZZ lineup in the spring" and promised to take the new band on the road.

Founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, who has just released the debut album from his new band KK'S PRIEST, says that he has no problems with fans making comparisons between the two groups. "It's absolutely fine, because it's who I am and what I am and what I do and how I do it," he told Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda in a new interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It's too late to change; I can't change. I can't go out and buy different guitars and different amplifiers and start to write differently and think differently. I have to do things the way that I like them to be done. And that's what I did in JUDAS PRIEST for all those years to the best of my ability. But even now that I don't have to consult with anyone else, really, then I feel a lot more freedom to be able to do this.

"I think I can do what I do better now than I did before, if that makes any sense," he continued. "Because I'm working and writing and putting things together for me — and, obviously, of course, the rest of the members in [KK'S PRIEST] as well. But I was on my own, for the most part, in the lockdown doing this. But there was a lot of things I wanted to say and get off my chest.

"The [KK'S PRIEST] album's full of emotions, sentiments and messages and also rejoicement. It's a lot of things, all in one package. And it was very important for me to be able to express myself through this album.

"I know that people will make comparisons, but that's fine. I either succeed or fail, like everyone else in life. But I'm a fan of this wonderful style of music, and if I like it, I'm hopefully sure that the fans will like it too. And I really hope they do. And I'm very much looking forward to the feedback from everybody all over the world.

"Towards the end for me in JUDAS PRIEST, it wasn't as energized as it was in former years, and I missed that. I remember the days when Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] used to come offstage and he used to empty his boots out, and the water — which was sweat — used to just pour out of the boots. And it was the same for all of us. It was like we ran a marathon or something. So, hopefully we deliver that up. So I'm looking forward to doing that. I'm definitely gonna do my best, put it that way."

Downing is joined in KK'S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

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

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the '80s.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Photo by George Chin

Fan-filmed video footage of Geoff Tate's entire October 8 performance at The Canyon Montclair in Montclair, California can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user Live Rock Music by Scott Perry).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic and unable to perform live with popular rock band VANILLA FUDGE, lead vocalist and keyboardist Mark Stein decided to put his down time to good use. He wanted to write and record songs about what was going on in America and the rest of the world. He saw social unrest, racial disparity, political division, violence, widespread sickness, and an entire world on the brink of an economic disaster due to the spread of a disease like no other. Yet, at the same time, Stein saw a great opportunity.

As Mark states: "I knew we, as a country, had been here before. The great world wars; the civil rights movement of the 1960s; the natural disasters such as Katrina and Sandy; and, of course, 9/11. In every case, we rose together as one nation; one united force and came back stronger than we had been before. Within each person I believe there is a light; a hope; and a desire to do the right thing. My song 'We Are One' speaks of this unity and what I know our country and the world is capable of."

Due on November 26 via Deko Entertainment, "There's A Light", Mark's first-ever solo album, is a thematic collection of ten songs which weave a remarkable story of what America was, has become, and may or may not face in its future.

Mark continues: "This is an album about hope, but at the same time, I had to sing about the dangers of division. As John Lennon once sang, it is time to 'come together'.

"I have had some of these songs in the can but didn't really have the right outlet for them. When I started the newest collection of songs during the early weeks of the pandemic, it dawned on me that I had created an album with a theme. These songs are reflections of what the world is about now, and what we need to do to bring us together again."

Aside from the aforementioned "We Are One", Stein has written and recorded songs whose titles pretty much sum up what they are about. Including "We Are Survivors", "Lyin'", "Let's Pray For Peace", along with powerful new versions of THE RASCALS' "People Gotta Be Free" and THE TEMPTATIONS' "Ball Of Confusion". "I love those two songs," says Stein whose own band were playing the same venues as THE RASCALS and THE TEMPTATIONS during the 1960s. "These songs are just as relevant today as they were over 50 years ago. As I often do with the FUDGE, I gave both of these songs my own interpretation, providing as much punch and power as I could to each one."

Stein closes "There's A Light" with an astonishing version of "America The Beautiful", sung with a careful balance of patriotism and concern for the future.

"America is the greatest country in the world," says Stein. "Everyone around the world knows this, but we are heading into some very deep and choppy waters. We have to keep it together and unite or we could lose everything we have spent nearly 250 years building."

Deko Entertainment president Bruce Pucciarello states on releasing Mark's first-ever solo record: "It's an amazing selection of music, almost a lifetime's worth of emotion and wisdom, and Mark bares his soul in every song with grace and a timelessness that only a true legend can deliver. Honestly, this takes me backward and forward at the same time. You will all love it!"

Stein first came to prominence in VANILLA FUDGE, formed with Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert and Vince Martell. Sold-out world tours, hit albums and singles and a reputation as a group steeped in cutting-edge musicianship has allowed VANILLA FUDGE to be one of the most influential acts to rise from the revolutionary 1960s. In addition to his many years within VANILLA FUDGE, Stein has also worked extensively with such rock legends as Alice Cooper, Dave Mason and the late guitarist Tommy Bolin. He has also made guest appearances with DEEP PURPLE, Carl Palmer, Steve Miller and once recorded and sang with Michael Jackson.

"There's A Light" track listing:

01. We Are One

02. Ball Of Confusion

03. We Are Survivors

04. Lyin'

05. Racism

06. All Lives Matter

07. Let's Pray For Peace

08. People Got to Be Free

09. Break It Down

10. America The Beautiful

If your favorite mode of transportation is the Highway To Hell, you're in for a treat. Blown Ups! is ready to add some high-voltage rock 'n' roll to your collection with the release of an Angus Young figure. The AC/DC lead guitarist and co-founder is rocking on his guitar as an officially licensed Blown Ups! musician.

Blown Ups! are fun collectibles that characterize pop culture icons from yesterday and today.

Standing approximately six inches, these figures have a weighted design, making them fun to flick and spin. They'll just wobble around — unless you choose to throw a knock-out punch.

With an iconic bop bag shape, Blown Ups! appear to be inflatable, but the patented valve design is just for show. They're actually made of hard vinyl and their arms rotate 360 degrees for added entertainment.

Earlier this year, Angus spoke to Germany's Guitar magazine about his early musical influences. He said: "I could play guitar a little bit, but I really got focused on it around the years when I was about 12 into my teenage years, I started to focus more on it. And around when I was about 13 [or] 14, that's when Jimi Hendrix appeared on the horizon. And when I first heard the song 'Purple Haze', I was totally enthralled: 'How's he doing that?' I was just so impressed with it. Plus, Malcolm, my brother, there was a few shows we had also seen. We had gone, the two of us together, and we had seen people like the band THE YARDBIRDS; they had come to Australia. And at the time, the lineup had just changed. I think they originally used to have Jeff Beck. But then, later on, when we saw them, they didn't have Jeff Beck; they had Jimmy Page on guitar. So that was good, because at that time, that kind of sound, especially for guitar, it jumped out at you, the sound of it. So that was really good. But then when along came Hendrix, you kind of went, 'Woah! This is another level on guitar.' So I was very much a fan of that."

He continued: "I was not really a good note picker. People, they could hear a song and just pick up the notes. I used to say to Malcolm, 'You pick up the notes and then show me.' [Laughs] So he would do that. He'd pick out all the notes of anything I wanted to know, and then he would just show me, and then I would play it like he showed me… But I had a host of styles. From other family members who played, you pick up a bit of Chuck Berry, you pick up a bit of blues, and some folk tunes. So I had a bit of a variety of different stuff — even some early traditional jazz stuff. My sister, she was always getting me different records and stuff, 'cause she knew we were interested in doing stuff. It wasn't so much guitar. I heard Louis Armstrong play on the trumpet, do a solo, and I'd go, 'I like the notes,' and I'd learn the notes… So I had quite a bit of variety. When I look at all the players who I admire, there's a lot of players. You can go from A to Z — there's a lot of players."

AC/DC's latest album "Power Up", was released in November 2020. The LP features AC/DC's current lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). It was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

"Power Up" landed at the No. 1 spot in 18 countries, including in the U.S., where it sold over 117,000 copies in the first week. "Power Up" marked AC/DC's sixth No. 1 album in Australia where the band is the only Australian group in history to have had a No. 1 album across five decades: "Back In Black" (1980s), "Ballbreaker Live" (1990s), "Black Ice" (2000s), "Rock Or Bust" (2010s) and "Power Up" (2020s).

"Power Up" was the fastest-selling album of 2020 in at least three of its biggest markets — U.S., Australia and the U.K. — where it debuted at No

Mad Margritt will release a new CD, Mad Margritt: Best Of 1999-2021, in November via Perris Records.





A message from the band: "We are excited to announce that we will be releasing a new CD on November 19th, entitled Mad Margritt: Best Of 1999-2021. The CD is being released on the Perris Records label and will be available to purchase at all major record stores throughout the United States and overseas.


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"The CD will be a collection of songs from our previous CDs,