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,

Cathartic black metal titans, Gaerea, are now entering the Demigod Recording Studio for the recordings of their brand new full length, which is scheduled for release next year via Season of Mist.


Gaerea comments on the recordings:  "Inspiration, Chaos and Cathartic Magik!


"Ladies and gentlemen, It is with great Vigor and Chaotic Hunger that we now stand before a brand new chapter of Gaerea. During most likely the bleakest period the Artistic World has ever witnessed, we have never held back, releasing Limbo during the pandemic and making it our strongest

BRITISH LION, the side project of IRON MAIDEN bassist and founder Steve Harris, has released a brand new music video, "Bible Black". Taken from BRITISH LION's 2020 album "The Burning", the song was written by Harris alongside BRITISH LION singer Richard Taylor and guitarist David Hawkins.

Although a summer European tour in support of "The Burning" couldn't go ahead last year as planned, BRITISH LION has now confirmed nine new European shows next summer. The band will appear at Finland's Rockfest, U.K.'s Download and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals, and will make additional stops in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and Portugal.

BRITISH LION completed its first U.S. tour in January and February 2020.

"The Burning" was released on January 17, 2020 in digipack CD, double gatefold vinyl and digital download formats via Explorer1 Music (E1).

BRITISH LION comprises Taylor, guitarists Hawkins and Grahame Leslie, Harris on bass and keyboards and drummer Simon Dawson.

Recorded, engineered and mixed at Barnyard Studios by Tony Newton and produced by Steve Harris, "The Burning" is crammed with powerful hard rock melodies.

Asked by the Tampa Bay Times what the itch is that BRITISH LION scratches that he doesn't get in his job with MAIDEN, Harris said: "I suppose playing small clubs and being close and personal with the audience. I love playing big places as well. I enjoy them all, and I'm very lucky that I can do them all. But also, it's clubs that I never played with MAIDEN, even in Europe. There's a famous club called the Milky Way in Amsterdam, which I managed to play with BRITISH LION, but I never did that with MAIDEN. There's places now that I'm going to be playing on this [U.S.] tour that I've never played before. So it's all new ground. It's a challenge. It's nice. I like a challenge."

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley joined Alice Cooper on stage to perform the legendary rocker's song "School's Out" at their joint concerts in West Palm Beach (October 10) and Tampa (October 11). Fan-filmed video footage of Ace's appearances can be seen below.

Frehley is currently supporting Cooper on a 26-city U.S. tour.

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

When Frehley's tour with Cooper was first announced in May, Ace said in a statement: "I've known Alice for over 30 years. We're good friends, and we've toured together numerous times and always had a blast. Our musical roots are very similar, and the combination of our two bands make for a great event that nobody is gonna want to miss. Being off the road for more than a year because of the pandemic has been tough on everyone in the music industry, and I'm really looking forward to seeing all of the fans happy, healthy, and ready to rock."

Last December, Frehley told Talking Metal Live that he would begin recording his next all-original album "after the New Year." The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne. Ace is laying down the effort at the newly built studio at his new house in New Jersey.

Earlier last year, Frehley told Canada's iHeart Radio that he has "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.

Jim Lindberg will release a solo album, "Songs From The Elkhorn Trail", digitally on November 19 and physically on May 6 via Epitaph.

Best known for his role as songwriter and lead singer of punk rock band PENNYWISE, Lindberg has been making inspiring, shout-along skate punk anthems since the 1990s. Musically, he's influenced by an array of genres from early Hermosa Beach melodic hardcore to the PMA-influenced sounds of MINOR THREAT, 7 SECONDS and DAG NASTY. Lyrically, Jim has often taken inspiration from transcendental philosophers to produce not only heartfelt songs about self-reliance and individualism but also scathing indictments of political hypocrisy and corruption.

On his new solo acoustic debut, however, "Songs From The Elkhorn Trail", Lindberg takes a much more introspective turn, producing an album that is at once a personal reflection of life, a testament to family and friends, and a look at the fleeting nature of those relationships, and the resulting consequences of loneliness and alienation. With many of the songs being over 25 years in the making, the album is a heartfelt look at Lindberg's life story. His late father who passed away in 2018 of Alzheimer's Disease is a huge inspiration for the record, having encouraged him in many aspects of his life; from buying him his first guitar to supporting him quitting his job and going on tour with PENNYWISE.

Produced and mixed by Tedd Hutt (GASLIGHT ANTHEM, LUCERO, DROPKICK MURPHY'S), the album features David Hidalgo Jr. (SOCIAL DISTORTION) on drums, Joe Gittleman (THE MIGHTY, MIGHTY BOSSTONES, AVOID ONE THING) on bass, and Marc Orrell (DROPKICK MURPHYS, THE WALKER ROADERS) on guitar.

Having already released the first inspiring anthem "The Palm of Your Hand", from the album, today Lindberg shares the heartfelt track "You're Not Alone".

"It's about all the people who are for one reason or another, forced to be lonely in the world, the castaways, the unloved, the unwanted," says Lindberg of the track. "There comes a point for a lot of people when you're existing in an untenable situation where you just have to say, 'This isn't an acceptable way for me to live anymore.' When this happens, there isn't a need for a lot of fanfare. You just 'get your stuff and you walk out.' The moment where you make the decision to leave, it can be sad and painful but also extremely liberating to finally get your freedom. When you've taken that last insult or soul damaging put-down, it can be very satisfying to just 'smile and wave as you walk past.' You may be lonely for a while, but the song is about reminding you that there are always millions of other people in your situation — You're Not Alone — and your bond and friendship with them is that you've escaped. You're never alone in feeling alone. You've got friends everywhere."

Lindberg also shared the album cover artwork produced by renowned punk rock artist and fellow South Bay of Los Angeles local and musician Bob Dob. The imagery in the artwork reflects the fact that many of the songs on Jim's album were written at his father's Palm Desert rental house near the Elkhorn Trail. Bob's illustrated paintings feature his sardonic humor spotlighting punk rock and pop culture icons, video game characters, beach culture stereotypes, historical references, and Disney characters.

Jim has said: "It's a supreme honor that Bob agreed to do the artwork for the album and collaborate with me on it. He's one of my favorite artists of all time."

Track listing:

01. The Palm Of Your Hand

02. I Feel Like The Sun

03. You're Not Alone

04. Hello Again

05. Don't Lay Me Down

06. Not One Of Them

07. Blood On Your Hands

08. Good Enough

09. It's Only

10. The Basement

11. On Fire

12. Long Way To Go

Photo credit: Brent Broza

The official lyric video for "Where Can You Flee?", a brand new song from Swedish death metal veterans UNLEASHED, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "No Sign Of Life", due out November 12 via Napalm Records.

Led by founding frontman Johnny Hedlund, and featuring drummer Anders Schultz and two guitarists Tomas Måsgard and Fredrik Folkare, UNLEASHED transports the listener straight into an outraging battle with 11 forceful tracks that revive the essentials of death metal, facing the sheer brutality of war. UNLEASHED is back to defend its throne, forging another uncompromising musical weapon that continues the marvelous legacy of Vikings.

Johnny states about the new single: "The Midgard Warriors will never forget nor forgive, the atrocities that occured in Svithiod as the armies of White Christ burned village after village, raped and killed women and children on their way as they fled. Now, as the once so holy city of Jorsala has fallen, the Midgard Warriors pressed on in persecution of those responsible, and the hunt continues into the great Sinai peninsula. Whatever sacred mission lay behind it all, the Midgard Warriors are determined to find the answers. So 'Where can you flee?' Where can you go?"

The silence gets crushed right within the first notes of the album opener "The King Lost His Crown" and invents a paving rage that leaves no time to catch your breath during its entire playing time. The album unfolds with "Where Can You Flee" as an unstoppable war battalion and builds upon UNLEASHED's well-established trademark sound and strong lyrics. Bare-boned screams are accompanied by epic shouts praising Odin and heavy guitar riffs as the journey of clashes continues in "The Highest Ideal", until the album reaches its glorious peak with "Here At The End Of The World" as a fading hymn for the victorious march that leaves the battlefield behind in ashes.

UNLEASHED on the album: "It is our hope that our warriors all over the world will enjoy the new album just like they have our previous ones. We have, as always, tried to stick to our roots while testing our steel to develop the genre of Viking death metal even further. Hail Odin!"

"No Sign Of Life" track listing:

01. The King Lost His Crown

02. The Shepherd Has Left the Flock

03. Where Can You Flee?

04. You Are The Warrior!

05. No Sign Of Life

06. The Highest Ideal

07. Midgard Warriors For Life

08. Did You Struggle With God?

09. Tyr Wields The Sword

10. It is Finished

11. Here At The End Of The World

UNLEASHED's last album, "The Hunt For White Christ", came out in 2018.

UNLEASHED is:

Johnny Hedlund - bass, vocals

Anders Schultz - drums

Tomas Måsgard - rhythm guitar

Fredrik Folkare - lead guitar

Photo credit: Jens Rydén

Houston heavy metal band, Night Cobra, will release its debut full length album, Dawn Of The Serpent on February 11. Featuring current and former members of Necrofier, Eternal Champion, Venomous Maximus, and more, Night Cobra plays a fiery blend of scorching rock 'n' roll and blistering metal.


Today, Night Cobra releases the new song, "The Serpent's Kiss" which is available for streaming below.


"The Serpent's Kiss" is a song dedicated to all those who carve their own path," says frontman Christian Larson. Larson also doubles as guitarist/vocalist for the fast-rising Texas melodic black metal band Necrofier.


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With Dawn Of The Serpent, Night Cobra delivers dynamic, fiery music forged in the concrete and steel of punk and heavy metal. Ominous cover artwork by Adam Burke (Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats) portends the calamity that the record promises. Dawn Of The Serpent will see a US release via Irongrip Records with High Roller handling for the rest of the world.


"With our upcoming LP, Dawn Of The Serpent, Night Cobra dives deeper into the underbelly of this depraved world," adds Larson. "Many things are happening that align with the tech noir reality that we seem to be living in. All these moments will be lost in time."





Dawn Of The Serpent tracklisting:


"Run The Blade"
"The Serpent's Kiss"
"Lost In Time"
"Black Venom Dreams"
"The Neuromancer's  Curse"
"For Those Who Walk The Night"
"In Mortal Danger"
"Acid Rain"
"Electric Rite"


"The Serpent's Kiss":

Swedish metallers AVATAR have postponed the last five shows on their "Going Hunting" U.S. tour after the band's lead singer Johannes Eckerström tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

AVATAR broke the news of the postponement in a social media post on Tuesday (October 12). The band wrote: "We are very sorry to announce that the remaining dates of the Going Hunting tour are postponed. Johannes has tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated, feels fine under the circumstances, and expects a full recovery shortly. Sadly, this will not be in time to make the remaining shows happen. We are already working on solutions to make the dates at a later time. We are looking into routing around our dates in January at ShipRocked, so please stay tuned for that!

"We made a point to not see friends, fans, or anyone outside our bubble on this run in order to minimize the risks. We thank everyone who helped make this tour as safe as possible. It's amazing that we made it this far and that was a team effort.

"This is just a bump in the road and we WILL see you all very, very soon!

"Be good to yourselves. Take care of each other."

Affected shows:

Oct. 12 - Billings, MT - Pub Station

Oct. 14 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory

Oct. 15 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

Oct. 16 - Garden City, ID - Revolution Concert House and Event Center

Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA – Neptune

Last month, AVATAR released two brand new songs: "Going Hunting" and "Barren Cloth Mother". AVATAR also announced its signing with a new label. They are now part of the Thirty Tigers roster and have launched their own Black Waltz Records imprint.

The music video for "Going Hunting" was once again directed by Johan Carlén. The black-and-white animated visual features a giant insect as its protagonist, faceless men in suits, the band performing, and much more in its storyline.
























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DOKKEN has announced a seven-date fall 2021 tour of California.

The trek will kick off on October 21 in Agoura Hills and will conclude with a pair of shows at the legendary West Hollywood venue Whisky A Go Go. The Whisky dates will see DOKKEN reunited with guitarist George Lynch.

Tour dates:

Oct. 21 - The Canyon - Agoura Hills, CA

Oct. 22 - The Canyon - Santa Clarita, CA

Oct. 23 - The Canyon - Montclair, CA

Dec. 03 - Sycuan Casino - El Cajon, CA

Dec. 04 - The Canyon at Oxnard PACC - Oxnard, CA

Dec. 17 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA*

Dec. 18 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA*

* With special guest George Lynch

Lynch previously rejoined DOKKEN on stage in July in Ashland, Virginia and in Moline, Illinois as well as in early June at the Live United Live Music Festival in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

DOKKEN's classic lineup — Lynch, Don Dokken, , Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set included footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as newly recorded acoustic reworkings of "Heaven Sent" and "Will The Sun Rise". Also featured on "Return To The East Live (2016)" was "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife".

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

DOKKEN is currently working on material on a new studio album, tentatively due next year via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. It will mark the group's first disc since 2012's "Broken Bones".
























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IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke to France's La Claque FNAC about "Senjutsu", IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, which came out on September 3. It was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris.

For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.

"It's always a big thrill when you get a new IRON MAIDEN album and it comes out," Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We thought it was a great album when we made it. But it was two and a half years ago, nearly three years ago now. So we just have to pinch ourselves and go, 'Let's just check.' It's one of my favorite albums. And after 17 albums, it's pretty cool."

Regarding the writing and recording process for "Senjutsu", Bruce said: "I would like to say that everything was very organized, but actually, we're not. We turn up and we sort of go, 'Oh, has anybody got a couple of ideas?' And Steve said, 'I've got one idea. I've got this track 'Senjutsu'. What do we think about having a Samurai Eddie?' And we were, like, 'Oh, yeah. Cool. Why haven't we done that before?' Because we had an Egyptian Eddie and we had a sci-fi Eddie and we had a Mayan Eddie. The album is like the picture that's in the frame. But just because the frame is Japanese doesn't mean every song is organized to be about Japanese themes."

"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.

"Senjutsu" is MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.

MAIDEN's first two Paul Di'Anno-era albums, "Iron Maiden" (1980) and "Killers" (1981), as well as with those recorded with singer Blaze Bayley, "The X Factor" (1995) and "Virtual XI" (1998), all failed to dent the Top 40 in the U.S.

According to Billboard, "Senjutsu" logged the second-largest week of 2021 for a hard rock album in both equivalent album units earned and in traditional album sales. It trails only FOO FIGHTERS' "Medicine At Midnight", which debuted on the Feb. 20 chart with 70,000 units (of which 64,000 were in album sales).

"Senjutsu" topped the charts in several European countries upon its release, including in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

In a recent interview with "I Ask No One With Kevin Re LoVullo", Billy Idol's longtime guitarist Steve Stevens offered his opinion on METALLICA, both in terms of the band's musicianship and its influence on the heavy metal genre as a whole. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think they're the next generation's BLACK SABBATH, as far as what they contributed and their impact and their uniqueness and willingness to do what was not the norm. And that's always the way you get the greats, as people go, 'Yeah, we're not gonna do it the way it's been done before.' And James's [Hetfield] riffs…

"Sometimes people say, 'Well, Lars [Ulrich] is not the most technical drummer.' But the thing is great drummers write great parts. There's two ways to go — you can concentrate on the technical ability and keep a straight beat, or whatever, but then there's a guy like Lars who really, obviously, is a co-writer. But he's really listening to what James is doing, and he's translating those guitar parts to the drums and orchestrating them. And I think that's what makes a great drummer, because some of those drum parts, they're really inventive. I happen to think he's a great drummer — for that reason. And he's also a band leader that brought that band to incredible heights."

Steve added: "So, man, I've got nothing but respect for those guys — every one of them. And I knew [bassist] Robert Trujillo, I had jammed with before, and he's a monster. When he joined the band, it was, like, 'Okay, they got the right guy.'"

Ulrich spoke about his unique way of playing drums in a 2018 interview with Polar Music Prize. He stated at the time: "To me, it's always about the song and the band first. And the drums, or the guitars, or whatever else is going on, is just part of the big picture. So what you always have to do is you have to check your ego at the door and do what's best for the song, for the music, for the overall sound.

"What's always the most interesting to me about drumming is how do you fit the drums into what else is going on?" he continued. "How does it work [with] accents and special hits and kind of things that make it more rhythmic or more dynamic or just add a kind of a physicality to it?

"I've never been very interested in ability. 'Oh, wow! This guy is so great!' Yeah, he's so great, but it doesn't mean that he can make it swing, or it doesn't mean that he can make it work within a group or a collective.

"As much as I grew up on people like Ian Paice from DEEP PURPLE, who obviously has a lot of ability, I also love people like Phil Rudd [AC/DC] and Charlie Watts [THE ROLLING STONES], who [have] certainly ability, but, I think, to a lot of purists, maybe not so much, because they're not as technical," Lars added. "But they have a different kind of ability that, to me, is as valuable and as precious and as important in that they make it swing, they make it move, it gives it that physicality that it needs.

"I've always just looked at drums as more of a group instrument. I've never been very interested in playing drums by myself — you know, sitting down in a basement, practicing drum solos for hours at a time, that's not my thing. So being in a band, writing songs, making records, being part of a gang, being part of a band, that's always fascinated me."

Asked in a 2008 interview with U.K.'s Rhythm magazine if he was troubled by the fact that he's gotten a lot of flak over the years from people who accused him of being a poor drummer, Lars said: "It used to, back in the day — and I spent a lot of time overcompensating for that on the early records. But then you wake up one day and you're like, whatever. It hasn't bothered me for about 15 years. I'm no Joey Jordison, I'm no Mike Portnoy, and I have nothing but love and respect and admiration for all those guys. When I hear some of the young dudes, they blow my mind with what they can do with their feet and stuff — but it's not something that makes me go, 'I need to feel better about myself so I'm gonna learn how to do what they do with my feet.' I'm not a particularly accomplished drummer but I am very, very, very good at understanding the role of the drums next to James Hetfield's rhythm guitar. I guarantee you I'm the best guy in the world for that, and that's enough for me."

Former ACCEPT members Herman Frank and David Reece recently joined forces in a new band called IRON ALLIES. Also involved with the project are bassist Donnie Van Stavern (RIOT) and drummer Francesco Jovino (U.D.O., PRIMAL FEAR, VOODOO CIRCLE, JORN).

Reece, who is promoting his upcoming solo album "Blacklist Utopia", discussed his collaboration with Frank during a new interview with the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The ironic thing about Herman and I, we played festivals many times and not even met each other. And here we are, part of the same band and their history. And we would miss each other by, like, two minutes. We always wanted to see each other, but something came up [and] we never really got to meet. So Herman and I started talking, and we said, 'Yeah, let's put a band together. Who do you wanna get?' Well, my manager suggested Donnie from RIOT on bass, Donnie Van Stavern. And we talked to [drummer] Mike Heller from FEAR FACTORY a few times, and that didn't really work out. And then I said, 'I've got Francesco Jovino, dude, on my [solo] album. This guy is a beast.' So then we got the band together. So right now we're sitting on about 22 songs that are recorded, and we're shopping a deal."

Regarding the musical direction of IRON ALLIES, Reece said: "It's got some of those elements of old [ACCEPT circa] 'Restless And Wild'. It's got Dave's voice — [as heard on my solo albums] 'Cacophony [Of Souls]' and 'Blacklist [Utopia]'. It's ripping shit, man. I'm really excited about it."

According to Reece, part of the motivation for putting IRON ALLIES together is the negative publicity surrounding their respective departures from ACCEPT. "They badmouth him, they badmouth me, there was this back-and-forth all the time, and then [Herman] said, 'You know what? Screw it. I'm gonna call David Reece,'" David explained. "And I'd never really talked to him. He just came down to Italy about two weeks ago, and we got to actually meet face to face. We went out to a great dinner, hung out for about six hours. He was just driving around Europe, relaxing, 'cause he had just finished another VICTORY album and his solo album, so he needed a break."

David said that he is excited about the prospect of hitting the road with a seasoned veteran like Herman.

"This is a band of guys who have been around and done it all," he said. "So we're not gonna have that, 'Oh, I don't wanna go there. Do we have to get up so early?' We know what we've gotta do. We've gotta travel and we've gotta rock."

He added: "I'm hoping that thing gets picked up pretty quick and we can release that in the early part of '22, 'cause that's really good."

Frank broke the news of the collaboration in a June 2021 interview with Justin Smulison of Jace Media. He said: "I'm working right now — already working since a couple of months [ago] — on another project I wanna do with a singer, a well-known singer. He played in the same band as I did, but we never played [in the band] at the same time." When Smulison guessed that Frank was referring to Reece, the guitarist said: "How do you know? Good guess."

Herman joined ACCEPT in 1982 shortly before the release of the band's "Restless And Wild" album and exited the group for the first time after the arrival of 1983's "Balls To The Wall" LP.

When ACCEPT reunited for festival appearances in 2005, Herman handled second-guitar duties alongside founding axeman Wolf Hoffmann, with Stefan Schwarzmann sitting behind the kit.

Frank and Schwarzmann were involved in ACCEPT's comeback with singer Mark Tornillo and appeared on the reunited group's first three studio albums: 2010's "Blood Of The Nations", 2012's "Stalingrad" and 2014's "Blind Rage".

Two years ago, Herman told All That Shreds about his decision to exit ACCEPT in December 2014: "It was just time to leave the band. Let's put it this way: I wanted to do music the way I started to. I wanted to have my own band. I wanted my own music and just wanted to just play my own leads. Not to follow somebody's guitar. I was getting too old for it. It's fine to be a backup, but after a couple of years, it's time for a different thing."

Reece was recruited for ACCEPT's "Eat The Heat" LP in 1989 following the departure of Udo Dirkschneider. Reece's higher-pitched delivery was in sharp contrast to Dirkschneider's distinctive style, and overall, the album was a critical and commercial disappointment. Midway through the "Eat The Heat" tour, differences between the band and Reece had come to a head, leading to the altercation between the singer and bassist Peter Baltes in Chicago. By the end of 1989, ACCEPT had hung it up.

David spoke about the circumstances that led to his dispute with the bassist during an interview with Metalliluola. He explained: "Peter had told my girlfriend I was having an affair. And I asked him, 'Did you tell her?' And he said, 'Yes.' So I slapped him. That ended it. It was bad before that, the communication. Ticket sales weren't good. We were opening for W.A.S.P."

He continued: "I think they really thought that getting the American [singer] in, they were gonna break the United States. But ACCEPT aren't really huge in America, like [in Europe]. That's why they hired me — they wanted a change. And the tour was going kind of slow. We did a headline tour first in the States, [playing in the] clubs. That was good. And then we went out with W.A.S.P. and METAL CHURCH, and it was half[-filled] rooms. So they were feeling the stress of that, and the communication was bad. So it was building."

David went on to say that he is sorry for assaulting his former bandmate. "Peter and I are friends now," he said, adding that "it was a bad decision" that was made while he and the rest of the group were under "a lot of stress. Being in a band, it can be a lot of drama. He had no right to tell her, and I had no right to slap him. So, I regret it."

"Blacklist Utopia" will be released on October 29 via El Puerto Records.




Somewhere in Italy with HERMAN FRANK chatting about our new group Iron Allies also featuring Donnie Van Stavern and Francesco Jovino.

Great night!

Posted by David Reece Official on Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed to Metal Hammer magazine that 15 songs have been recorded for his upcoming follow-up to 2020's "Ordinary Man" album. He is once again working with producer Andrew Watt on the "work-in-progress" LP, which will include guest appearances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde.

"It's going to be similar in tone to 'Ordinary Man'," he said, "but I can't describe it completely. I've not heard it for a while because it keeps going over to the next person to add their parts — we're fucking around with it all the time."

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."

Wylde, who has played with Ozzy on and off for nearly 35 years, told Classic Rock that he wasn't disappointed to be excluded from "Ordinary Man". "Not at all," he said. "I thought he and Andrew Watt did a great job. And I'm not on the new one either. Again it's Ozz and Andrew. I understand why I'm not in the studio. Ozz once said to me that he didn't want to be the lead singer in BLACK LABEL SOCIETY: 'You have your own thing now, so go to it.'

"I don't have to be involved in everything Ozz does. I'll always be there for him and Sharon. If they call now and ask me to go over to feed their dogs for three days… I'm there."

This past April, Zakk told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he checked out some of the songs on "Ordinary Man" and liked what he heard. "It came out cool," he said. "I saw the videos and everything like that. It's cool, man. And Andrew and everything like that — yeah, it was rocki

Former ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens says that Jon Schaffer will "pay the price forever" for his role in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Owens, who joined ICED EARTH in 2003 and stayed in the group for four years before being fired in December 2007, addressed his time with the band in a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com.

Asked if he has had any contact with Schaffer in the months since the ICED EARTH leader was arrested for participating in the Capitol riot, Owens said: "I didn't have contact [with him] before [he was arrested]. It's funny, everybody comes out of the woodwork and said, 'Tim's just like Jon,' and blah blah blah. It's, like, listen, he kicked me out of the band five days before Christmas. I don't hate the guy, but it's not like we talked [in the years that followed]. Jon messed up and he'll pay the price.

"Everybody knows my belief on riots that are still going on in Portland and all over America all the time that everybody still seems to think are fine," Owens, who frequently "likes" tweets that amplify Republican talking points and that are derogatory to Democrats, continued, apparently referencing the Fox News–propelled narrative that downtown Portland is on permanent fire. "Any time you break the law and you riot or have an un-peaceful protest, it's wrong. I don't care who you are and what you are, it's wrong.

"It's funny how we still talk about January 6th all the time, but we don't talk about everything that's still going on in America non-stop," Tim continued. "Portland's a fucking train wreck; they took over city blocks and we act like it's fine. It's all wrong. And Jon was wrong, like everybody else is. He's just as wrong as the people burning down mom-and-pop stores in Baltimore. They all put 'em in the same category. If you're breaking the law, you're breaking the law. That's what I look at. When anybody sticks up for any side, I think they're breaking the law.

"Listen, Jon could have stood outside and protested all he wanted," Owens added. "That's fine. Stand outside and protest all you want. Once you guys go inside and once you do things, you broke the law. And that's just the way it is. And Jon did something wrong, and he'll pay the price forever for it. But still, you know what? People are still buying his records, so he'll still get to have his big house and his cars. It's gonna be a little different."

Owens previously discussed Schaffer's involvement in the Capitol riot a couple of days after the insurrection. Asked by a fan on Instagram what it was like "working with a terrorist," Owens said: "crazy what he did wasn't if. All I can say is wow. See we never talked politics while I was in ICED EARTH because at that time we where on totally opposite sides. LOL. But I gotta say could of been way worse for me I could of been in a Band with Sebastian Bach".

When the fan expressed his incredulity over the fact that Owens and Schaffer never talked politics, especially considering the fact that Tim's first album with ICED EARTH, "The Glorious Burden", was a concept album exploring various moments in military history, the ex-JUDAS PRIEST frontman replied: "yea that was more of history and I actually learned a lot More then I did in school. Taking about politics at the time wasn't something I would get into. Opposite sides of the fence and I was working! I got fired anyways so it didn't matter. Haha".

In a 2012 interview with Australia's Loud, Owens said that his departure from ICED EARTH wasn't executed properly. 'It was handled poorly, I think, the situation," he said. "It could've been handled good and everybody could've looked good in the situation. But it was handled poorly, I think… I started getting all the blame when things weren't the same. Or things weren't what Jon thought they could be. And then, of course, it all came down on me. None of the blame ever came down on Jon. I'm fine with that, but the funny thing is that nothing really changed when I left anyway. I read numbers and I talk to agents, and the crowds are the same or smaller now. I think it was also me wandering a bit, knowing that ICED EARTH was kind of like a solo project. It's really Schaffer's band, and I knew that. And I started having my own: I started doing BEYOND FEAR, and pushing BEYOND FEAR when probably I should have been talking about ICED EARTH. I think Jon read a lot of that and he read into it that my heart and soul wasn't into ICED EARTH."

Schaffer discussed Owens's exit from ICED EARTH in a 2008 interview with Metal Exiles. At the time, he said: "Tim was great to work with in the studio, and from a standpoint of performing live, he was great as far as being an incredible vocalist, but he was not a true believer in this band. It was a job for him, and ICED EARTH is not about that… He was more interested in doing his solo thing — that was where his head was at — and it was becoming more and more obvious. This band was a means to an end for him."

In April, Schaffer pleaded guilty to his role in the Capitol riot. As part of the plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

According to CNN, prosecutors and Schaffer's attorneys agreed to recommend that he get between three and a half and four and a half years in prison, based on how fruitful his cooperation is with the government.

The government agreed not to oppose Schaffer's release during the sentencing phase.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

As part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon says that he doesn't know when drummer Troy Luccketta will return to the band.

Last month, Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He is being temporarily replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

Frank discussed his longtime bandmate's absence from TESLA's gigs during a September 29 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we got hit with COVID super hard in August, everybody got sick, including Troy. And when we all finally got over it, I think Troy realized, 'You know what, man? I just don't wanna go on the road. I need more time.' So he's taking the time that he needs to pull it together, man. A lot of people are feeling that way. And I don't blame him. Shoot, man, he's in his 60s, he's been touring with us for 35 years. So he's taking a break. And I don't know when he's gonna come back. And thank goodness, he hooked us up with our old friend Steve Brown, who's Mick Brown from DOKKEN — you know, 'Wild' Mick Brown — it's his little brother. And man, Steve — I have to be honest — is bringing a lot of positive energy to the band, and we're having a great time with Steve. Whenever Troy is ready [to come back], we'll talk about that then, but right now Steve Brown is really kicking ass for us. And the shows are going great."

According to Hannon, this isn't the first time that Steve Brown had played with TESLA. "Steve has sat in with us before, when Troy's needed one or two days off here and there," he explained. "Whenever we've had family emergencies, there's been times where someone sat in for me — Howie Simon sat in for me before. Steve Brown has played with us before, but this is the first time it's been to this extent of time. And it's gonna go at least until the end of this touring season of this year, Steve will be playing with us in our shows. He's a great guy, man, and he's bringing a really good vibe to the show."

When Luccketta first shared the news of his decision to stay off the road, he wrote: "I am happy and well, and couldn't be more grateful to my bandmates for this opportunity. I am also looking forward to some musical ventures closer to home. In my absence please show some love to Steve Brown. Steve is a dear friend, and great drummer! He has played with OLEANDER, Ronnie Montrose just to name a few. He is one of Sacramento's finest, The perfect choice so to speak!"

In August, TESLA postponed several shows due to members of the touring party — including Hannon — contracting COVID-19. Hannon later issued a statement saying that he had "not been able to move all week" and revealed that he woke up with a 102-degree fever and could "hardly breathe" on the day that TESLA was scheduled to leave for tour.

TESLA played the first two shows of its summer 2021 tour — August 5 in Grants Pass, Oregon and August 6 in Grand Ronde, Oregon — without Frank. Filling in for him was Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET, STRYPER), who previously stood in for Hannon in September 2018.

In late August, TESLA released the official music video for its brand new single, "Cold Blue Steel". The clip was directed by Brandon Gullion and produced by Hannon.

In an exclusive 16-page cover feature for issue 28 of Rock Candy magazine legendary ZZ TOP guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons reveals the most surprising of influences on the "Little ol' band from Texas — DEPECHE MODE.

"One of the best things about our blues-based rock and boogie band, ZZ TOP, connecting with what was happening in the U.K. was an unexpected alliance with the leaders of the electronic music scene, DEPECHE MODE," Gibbons explained to Rock Candy's Dave Ling. "That mutual appreciation was a well-guarded secret for the longest time."

It's hard to imagine ZZ TOP and DEPECHE MODE having anything in common, but Gibbons insists that the two bands really did bond, and that DEPECHE MODE's music had at least a subliminal influence on ZZ TOP's music.

"Our fans would have thought it completely absurd that we hung out with a band so different from ourselves," acknowledges Gibbons. "But we did. The way DEPECHE MODE used those sounds and the band's writing style was just so infectious. It was great to see something so different become so popular around the planet."

In an in-depth interview conducted shortly before the untimely death of longstanding ZZ TOP bassist Dusty Hill, Gibbons discusses a wide range of topics including catching COVID-19, his favorite ZZ TOP recordings, the runaway success of "Eliminator", and his current solo album, "Hardware", proving once again that he is one of the most fascinating and colorful characters in rock.

Read this and many other fascinating stories in issue 28 of Rock Candy.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock magazine, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s. Put together by respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era — Rock Candy is available in print format with a free digital download version for anyone who buys the mag online at www.rockcandymag.com.

In a new interview with New York's Q104.3 radio station, Zakk Wylde spoke about what it was like to return to the live stage with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY for his first performances since the start of the pandemic.

"We were gone for 18 months, or whatever, 19 months, from when we did our last show, which was with the Milwaukee chapter over at the Rave — that was the last time we did a BLACK LABEL show," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And I remember we were all just thinking, 'We're gonna go home for two weeks, a month.' This was before everybody knew what was going on. We just figured, 'Just a precaution-type thing,' or whatever. And here we are 18 months later, almost two years later. But as soon as we started playing, it felt like everybody went home for, like, two weeks and here we are again.

"I cherished every moment I had home, because I'm always touring," he continued. "This has gotta be the longest break I've taken in 20-plus years. 'Cause usually when I'm home, I'm home for a little bit. And you're really not home because you're working on a record. So you're in the studio for 14 hours a day. You've always got something going on. It was nice. I was telling [my wife], I said, 'Have you ever slept with a professional dog walker? Well, now's your chance, woman.' So I take care of the dogs, and, obviously, bringing [my son] Sabbath to his Jeet Kune Do classes, which you don't get a chance when you're on the road all the time. But I love getting up on stage every night and I love playing, and when I'm home, I love being home. I'm truly blessed. But those three shows that we did just recently, we had a blast. It was awesome."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will release its 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", on November 26 via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music). The album will be available digitally on CD and vinyl plus a deluxe edition that includes vinyl, CD longbox, cassette and more.

The 12-track album is both a tribute to the band's "first to bleed, last to leave" road crew and a salute to the legion whose support, stretching back to 1998, rivals that of the KISS Army. The songs are odes to celebration and mourning, the soundtracks to jubilant evenings and bewildering days recorded in Wylde's home studio, the Black Vatican. On this album, Zakk trades solos and twin-guitar parts with Dario Lorina, backed by the rumble of longtime bassist John "J.D." DeServio and powerhouse drummer Jeff Fabb.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will hit the road this fall on the "Doom Trooping Over North America" tour starting October 1 in Sacramento at Ace Of Spades with openers OBITUARY and PRONG through November 28 ending in Albuquerque at the Sunshine Theater. The band will then finish up the tour from December 27 to December 31 with PRONG and ARMORED SAINT.

In a new interview with Guitar World magazine, Yngwie Malmsteen reflected on the embarrassing drunken episode on an airplane more than three decades ago which inspired the title of his "Unleash The Fury" album. In the surreptitious recording of that event (hear audio below) — which first surfaced in December 2002, 14 years after it was allegedly made — the Swedish axeman threatened to "unleash the fury" on a flight attendant.

"There's no doubt I'd react differently now, but the 'air rage' incident of 1988 is still funny as shit," he said. "Here's the part that people might not know. I fly first-class and the band and crew fly coach — that's the way it is. But back then, some knucklehead decided to put everybody in first class.

"The flight to Japan is 16 hours — and everybody gets shit-faced. I was drinking then, too, and I'm sure I wasn't perfect, but I definitely wasn't the biggest problem, either. So I fall asleep and this woman decides to take a pitcher of iced water and pour it over me, saying, ‘Cool down, boys!'

"So I totally lose it. But it's always the same. One time, I was in a bar and the drummer starts throwing beer at people, but they threw my ass out — because I'm the face of the band.”

Malmsteen previously spoke about the above-mentioned incident in a 2004 interview with Electric Basement. When asked for the "real story" behind the recording, Yngwie said, "What happened was a sick story, but a true one. Back in 1988, I was flying to Japan for a tour and everyone was sitting in first class. Me and Joe [Lynn Turner] got fucked up really bad. My keyboard player [Jens Johansson] was being really nasty. . . When served dinner, he put Bloody Mary mix on a female napkin. We were screaming and yelling and drinking all the cognac. After a while, we fell asleep. All of a sudden, this lady pours a pitcher of ice water on us. I wasn't happy about that. . . I tried to kill her, but her bodyguard brought me down. And I said, 'You release the fucking fury.' "

Yngwie's new album, "Parabellum", was released in July via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist/vocalist Ralph Ciavolino and drummer Brian Wilson.

In June, Yngwie announced a month-long fall 2021 U.S. tour. Support on the trek will come from former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5.

On the latest installment of the 80's Glam Metalcast, host Metal Mike speaks with Dangerous Toys / Dirty Looks guitarist Paul Lidel. He gets us up to speed on all the current activity from Dangerous Toys, Dirty Looks, and his band 99 Crimes. Lidel also shares some stories from the past,. 


On his current activities


Lidel: "Dangerous Toys have been firing up again playing shows. We have dates all through this year, all the way into March of 2022. We have the Monsters of Rock Cruise coming up next year as well. A new Dangerous Toys album is in the works. There’s a whole bunch of songs that are written and we are in the process of writing some more. It’s a slow process, but it is going to be pretty cool. We also have just one show coming up as Dirty Looks (it took place on September 18th) with me, Jack Pyers on bass, and Gene Barnett on drums, and Jason McMaster filling in on vocals. We tried to do this in March of 2020, but it got cancelled because of COVID. We even tried to get a reunion show going back when Henrik was still alive, but we just couldn’t make it happen. So us playing again is something many years in the making. You never know, we may do some more shows with Dirty Looks." 


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Looking back on the Dirty Looks album Cool From The Wire


Lidel: "I wouldn’t have ever thought that all these years later that people would still care. We are happy to play the songs again....revisit them like old friends! At the time of Cool From The Wire, I was only 23 years old. Here I find myself next to producer Max Norman. He produced the early Ozzy stuff. Then it hit me, this guy produced Randy Rhoads....there’s no way he is going to be impressed by me! I think we got AC/DC comparisons because of the single 'Oh Ruby'. That song was AC/DC-i

Celebrating his contribution to "The Metallica Blacklist", Corey Taylor sat down for a four-part conversation with Knotfest.com's Ryan J. Downey. In the fourth and final part of the chat, the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman talks about his cover of "Holier Than Thou" and the enduring impact of METALLICA's self-titled LP, commonly known as the "Black Album."

"For me, I was so shocked by the 'Black Album' at first," Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I was one of those kids that I was expecting something more like '…And Justice For All'. And I can remember listening to [first single] '[Enter] Sandman' because it was fucking everywhere.

"In retrospect, we were blown away by the single, but we were expecting more from the album," he continued. "And it has grown on me over the years to the point where I can listen to it now and I appreciate that album just as much as I appreciate the first four albums. You can see the evolution. And maybe that's maturity. 'Cause we were young and we were fucking dicks back then. 'This doesn't sound like 'Creeping Death'' or anything like that. It was one of those things where it was different, and we didn't know how to feel about 'different' at the time, especially for a band like this. And then the more attention they got, the less they felt like 'ours' — they were being taken from us. And I think that's why there was such an anti-METALLICA thing for a while amongst us as metal fans. I never turned my back on them but I definitely looked for other things. Because it didn't seem as special and as specifically ours. But that was just me being a kid. They were one of my favorite bands, so I was gonna judge them as such. But it wasn't until I got a little older that I really went back and I started listening to that album again. And I was, like, 'Fuck, man. This thing is really good.' And not even the singles, because those singles got played ad nauseam; they were fucking everywhere. 'Holier Than Thou' is my favorite song on that album. 'The Struggle Within' held up… And I think that once you put that in perspective with where they were going, it all makes sense; that was the missing piece. And they've earned every drop of their success."

Corey previously told Downey that "Enter Sandman" was one of the first songs he ever learned how to play on guitar. "Because that was kind of our generation's 'Stairway To Heaven' or 'Smoke On The Water'," he said. "It's one of those riffs that… I like to call if the Guitar Center virus. Anybody who comes in [at a Guitar Center location] is either playing 'Sandman', 'Crazy Train', 'Smoke On The Water' or 'Stairway' or 'Whole Lotta Love'… You have those gateway riffs where you go, 'Oh, I figured it out.'

"I sat down one day, as I got better at guitar, and I went back and listened to the first four METALLICA albums and just started woodshedding and learning all these riffs. And it became a sort of language that you could speak to other musicians when you're jamming for the first time. If you kicked into 'Blitzkrieg' or something, or if you kicked into 'Ride The Lightning' and just started [playing the opening riffs of the song], and they kicked in with you, you knew you were off to the races, because you don't just learn that riff; you learn the whole tune and you just go for it. So it was almost like an initiation in a weird way; you knew how to do it. So I played METALLICA in almost every band that I've been in; it's always just been there. I mean, from my first sort-of-real band CRIMINAL MISCHIEF all the way up to my solo band."

Taylor's cover version of "Holier Than Thou" is included on the aforementioned "The Metallica Blacklist", a four-hour, 53-song collection of the "Black Album" covers spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, with each artist contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite "Metallica" LP cut.

Last year, Taylor told Apple Music's Zane Lowe that METALLICA's longevity and career success have offered a "blueprint" that SLIPKNOT will continue to follow in the years to come.

"If there's any band that we absolutely respect… there are a handful of bands, but METALLICA was definitely, they were the high-water mark, man, they were the band to achieve," he said. "That was our [SLIPKNOT's] blueprint, basically. But we took so much from so many different bands as well that it would be unfair to say it was just METALLICA that really guided us. Obviously, they [METALLICA] were… still finding ways to challenge themselves. That's the key. And that's where METALLICA, I really feel, is the blueprint, because they keep finding ways to break new ground, play every continent. They'll be the first band to play Mars, I'm convinced of that."

STONE SOUR's version of METALLICA's "Creeping Death" was featured on the former band's "Meanwhile In Burbank…", a five-song covers EP which was released in 2015.