Sahil Makhija, better known as Demonstealer, has long been one of the pillars of the heavy metal scene in India. From being at the vanguard of a fledgling metal scene to becoming one of its most visible and respected proponents today, Demonstealer is integral to the growth of the Indian metal community.


He now returns with his new EP, The Holocene Termination, out December 3 via Demonstealer Records. The release, featuring a stellar cast of guest musicians, is another entry in an astonishingly vital and storied carrier.


Demonstealer has released the second single from the EP. The track, "An Epoch Of Degradation", features Krzysztof Blingbeing from Deathspawn on drums and Anton Zhikharev from Gorgasm on bass.




"This song talks about how humans have pretty much wrecked the planet and how our entire existence has slowly corroded and degraded the earth. Over the last few years I feel like the true colours of people are more boldly displayed and it's not a pretty colour at all," says Demonstealer about the track.





Pre-order the EP here (International), or here (India).





Tracklisting:


"The Holocene Termination" feat. Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse), Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under) and Nick Padovani (Equipoise)
"An Epoch Of Degradation" feat. Krzysztof Klingbein (Deathspawn) & Anton Zhikharev (Gorgasm)
"From Extinction Begins Evolution" feat Simon Schilling (Marduk), Anton Zhikharev (Gorgasm) and Fabio Bartoletti (Fleshgod Apocalypse)
"What She Creates She Will Destroy" feat. Robin Stone (The Amenta), Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under) and Veronica Bordacchini (Fleshgod Apocalypse)


"The Holocene Termination" video:

The great 2017 Lionheart album, Second Nature, will be released worldwide for the first time on January 21 via Metalville Records. To mark this special event, the album has been remastered to sound punchier than ever, and now also includes two bonus tracks.


In 2017, the album Second Nature hailed Lionheart’s triumphant return to the melodic rock music scene with a collection of powerful and memorable songs featuring the distinctive harmony vocals and harmony lead guitars for which Lionheart were so renowned.


The first Lionheart album to feature the extraordinary talent of Lee Small on lead vocals, Second Nature was released in Japan (on King Records) and Europe. Unfortunately, in 2020, the European deal lapsed and the album disappeared from the market outside of Japan.




Now Metalville Records have stepped up to the plate and are releasing a repackaged version of the Second Nature album and, for the first time, globally. The release will also include the remarkable "Circle Of Bands" chart by Tristan Greatrex, which has been brought up to date and which was up to now only available in the Japanese release. Cover and tracklisting below.





Tracklisting:


"Prelude"
"Give Me The Light"
"Don’t Pay The Ferryman"
"Angels With Dirty Faces"
"30 Years"
"On Our Way"
"Second Nature"
"Prisoner"
"Every Boy In Town"
"Time Is Watching"
"Heartbeat Radio"
"Lionheart"
"Mary Did You Know" (bonus track)
"Paperback Writer" (bonus track)
"Reprise"


Lineup:


Dennis Stratton - formerly guitarist with Iron Maiden
Steve Mann - currently guitarist and keyboardist with Michael Schenker
Rocky Newton - formerly bass player and backing vocalist with McAuley Schenker Group
Clive Edwards - formerly drummer with UFO, Wild Horses, and Uli Roth
Lee Small - formerly lead vocalist with Shy and Phenomena

KISS frontman Paul Stanley once again demonstrated his cooking chops in the kitchen overseeing "cruisers" aboard this year's Kiss Kruise. The ship departed from New Orleans on October 29 for a five-day journey that took participants from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize and Roatan, Honduras aboard Norwegian Jewel. Check out video footage below (courtesy of Mike Brunn).

This past June, Stanley, who frequently uses social media to share photos of his culinary creations, was asked in an interview with Germany's Radio Bob! if he has any plans to eventually release a cookbook. He responded: "Maybe at some point, but right now that cookbook would be very thin. If I were to collaborate with some of my friends who are chefs and whatever, I'd love to do a cookbook at some point."

He continued: "It's a lot of fun and very gratifying to sit and eat something that you made that's actually good. I think at some point most of us have cooked something and gone, 'Woah. That's awful.' But when you cook something and you go, 'Wow. If I got this in a restaurant, I'd go back to that restaurant,' that's good.

"So, would I love to do a cookbook? Yeah," Paul added. "Right now it wouldn't have many pages. So I'm gonna wait a little while."

Back in 2014, Stanley demonstrated his home-cooking skills during an appearance on an episode of "Home & Family" on the Hallmark channel. Stanley showed off his culinary expertise in the kitchen with co-host Cristina Ferrare when they made his recipe for chicken marinade and Brussels sprouts.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has released the official music video for the song "End Of Days". The track is taken from the band's upcoming 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", which is due on November 26 via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music).

In a recent interview with the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY leader Zakk Wylde stated about the writing process for "Doom Crew Inc.": "The way it always goes, it's always the music first and then a melody. And then I've gotta find out something I wanna sing about. So then I'll write the lyrics. That's usually always the way it goes. And then, when it's all done, then the solos go on it. The painting's all done, and the solo is the frame that goes on the thing. So you can sit back and look at the whole thing. That's the way we pretty much always do it.

"We did the box set, and then we did videos for that, and then, after that, [my wife Barbaranne] was just, like, 'Maybe you guys can do a record,'" he recalled. "I said, 'All right. No problem.' So I said, 'How long till the guys come out?' [She said], 'You've got a month till the fellows come out.' So I was just, like, 'All right. Let me get started.' So I would just have a cup of coffee and just start writing riffs. You always get inspired by — for me, it's always Mount Riffmore, which is CREAM, MOUNTAIN, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE… If you're not getting inspired by the riffs those guys have created, it's just like… So I'll just go fishing and just start writing till you get to something you like.

"What we ended up doing [was] tracking about 30 songs and then whittled it down to the 12 that we have [on the album]," Zakk explained. "It's funny, 'cause the 'Farewell Ballad' thing has been sitting around on YouTube for probably about 11 years or something like that — just that instrumental strip of music. And so I was just, like, 'You know what? Let me just get around to finishing this thing.' 'Cause we had that bit of music, the chord progression that I wrote. So then I just finished it — I just wrote a melody, I wrote a song with that intro. So we finished that thing. And then 'Love Reign Down', the piano ballad, that was sitting around. I wrote that about my mother who passed away. That was during [the making of Ozzy Osbourne's] 'No More Tears', actually. I remember noodling on the piano at A&M and I wrote that song. So it was good to actually finally put that on an album. But the rest of it is all brand new. 'Set You Free' was pretty much right at the end, when we were tracking everything else. So that definitely popped in there late at the end of the whole thing. But the album's probably almost about a year old now, since we recorded it and finished it and mastered it and everything like that. But it's just been sitting in the can until right now."

"Doom Crew Inc." 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 kicked off the "Doom Trooping Over North America" tour on October 1 in Sacramento at Ace Of Spades. The trek, with openers OBITUARY and PRONG, will run through November 28, ending in Albuquerque at the Sunshine Theater. The band will then finish up the tour from December 27-31 with PRONG and ARMORED SAINT.

"Doom Crew Inc." track listing:

01. Set You Free

02. Destroy & Conquer

03. You Made Me Want To Live

04. Forever And A Day

05. End Of Days

06. Ruins

07. Forsaken

08. Love Reign Down

09. Gospel Of Lies

10. Shelter Me

11. Gather All My Sins

12. Farewell Ballad

Photo credit: Justin Reich

Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, featuring an acoustic cover of Iron Maiden's "Infinite Dreams". The song originally appeared on Maiden's 1988 album, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.





Thomas previously released acoustic covers of the tracks "Hell On Earth", "Stratego", and "The Writing On The Wall", from Iron Maiden's new album, Senjutsu. Watch below:

Selfmadegod Records presents Agonia, the destructive new album from Krakow, Poland-based death metal outfit Redemptor - uniting current and former members of Decapitated, Vader, Hate, Sceptic, Sothoth, Banisher, Deivos, and more - now confirmed for early December release.


Redemptor is back with their first new full-length in four years, the successor to their well-received Arthaneum album. Agonia delivers nine new tracks of technical, heavy, and atmospheric death metal heavily influenced by Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Immolation, and Death. With the drums recorded at dMb Studio, the album was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Zed Studios by Tomasz Zalewski (Decapitated, Kat, Deivos), and completed with artwork by the band's vocalist Michał Xaay Loranc, known from his work for Behemoth, Necrophagist, Nile, Abysmal Tortment, and many more. Additionally, Agonia features guest contributions of viola from Monika Boroni and orchestral arrangement by Dominik Wawak on the song “Debris.”


Alongside the album’s details, Agonia’s lead single, “Potion Of The Skies,” has also been issued through an official video created by Chariot Of Black Moth. Writes guitarist Daniel Kesler with its premiere, “'Potion Of The Skies' is an intense piece, at the same time showing the more structured face of Redemptor's music, a showcase of the sound of Agonia, which is why it is the first one we want to share it. Working on Agonia, we've been entirely focused on creating an overwhelming, dark atmosphere. It expresses fear, anguish, and despair. In the flood of strange and bleak arrangements the peculiarity floats inertly towards the abyss.” Watch the video below.




Selfmadegod Records will release Agonia December 3 on CD, LP, and digital platforms. Watch for pre-orders to post at selfmadegod.com this week. Stand by for additional new singles and more to post over the days ahead preceding the release of Agonia.





Tracklisting:


"Tectonic Plates"
"Potion Of The Skies"
"TAR"
"Further From Ordeal"
"Excursus Ignis"
"Aurora"
"Debris"
"Wounds Unhealed"
"Les Ruines De Pompei"


"Potion Of The Skies" video:





Redemptor was formed in 2001 by Daniel Kesler (Only Sons, Sothoth ex-Sceptic), recording two demos in its first lineup. The debut album, None Pointless Balance, was recorded in 2005, while the band played many concerts, paving the way for a new chapter of their activity.


2007 brought with it revolutionary changes in the lineup, with well-known Polish artists such as vocalist Michał Xaay Loranc (responsible for the graphics of Nile, Pestilence, and many others), drummer Jakub Chmura (Sceptic, Thy Disease), guitarist Konrad Rossa (Decrepit Birth, Decapitated, Sothoth), and bassist Andrzej Pichlinski (Privateer) joining the band, recording the new demo, Nanosynthesis, performing together through 2010.


In 2011, Hubert Więcek (Banisher, ex-Decapitated, ex-Acid Drinkers) replaced Konrad Rossa on guitar and Piotr Tokarz joined on bass. In this lineup, Redemptor played many concerts and recorded the 4th Density EP. In 2014, longtime drummer Jakub Chmura left the band, his place was taken by Kerim Lechner (ex-Decapitated, Septicflesh) as session drummer, and recording on the band’s self-released second full-length, The Jugglernaut, which was very positively received by fans and critics alike.


The next few years of the band's activity marked a new era and a significant change of musical direction. In 2017 the band signed with Polish label Selfmadegod Records, releasing their third album, Arthaneum. At this time, Paweł Pavulon Jaroszewicz - then performing with Vader, Decapitated, Hate, and Antigama - became the new drummer, and Arthaneum was realized as the band's greatest success, the album receiving enthusiastic reviews and greatly expanding their fanbase.


In 2018, Selfmadegod released The Becoming [2005-2011], a collection of Redemptor recordings which compiles a reissue of None Pointless Balance, the Nanosynthesis demo, and the 4th Density EP. Now, as 2021 draws to a close, the band delivers their massive Agonia LP via Selfmadegod, with drums recorded by Daniel Rutkowski (Hate) bass from Kamil Stadnicki (Deivos, Ulcer, Only Sons).


Redemptor:
Michał Xaay Loranc - vocals
Daniel Kesler - vocals/guitar
Hubert Więcek - guitar
Kamil Stadnicki - bass
Daniel Rutkowski - drums
Paweł Pavulon Jaroszewicz - drums (live)


(Photo - Michał Xaay Loranc)

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale talked to Los Angeles Daily News about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" album. She said: "I don't think I am the same person I was when I started writing the songs for this record. We wrote a lot [pre-pandemic] and threw a lot away; we recorded a lot and threw a lot away. New stuff just rose to the surface and the album began shaping itself into what it needed to be. It was truly life-saving to have that outlet and that direction during that time and we put everything we had into it so it's going to be a barn burner because of that."

In a separate interview with Portland Mercury, Lzzy spoke about being able to work on new music helped her deal with the pandemic and get through the year and a half of not being able to play live shows.

"We began writing this album before the pandemic hit and then I feel like I lived about three different lifetimes through that," she explained. "And then we just recorded our last song for the album yesterday.

"In a lot of ways, writing kind of saved me. First and foremost, I love live music and touring and being in the bus and the whole thing. And since I was 13 when we started the band, we had never gone this long without a live show. Because even when I was 13, we had two bowling alley shows a month, which I totally would have taken during the pandemic. So in a lot of ways, writing music was just the outlet. It's where I could put all of my fears and my doubts, trying to reconnect with the person I am offstage because I hadn't seen her in a while. It's just the power of music, man. You reconnect with why you really love music. And what I discovered is it's not about the whole 'I wanna be a rock star' thing, it's not about the live show, it's not even about the fans and the radio and whatever it is. It's my thing. It's a part of me."

In August, HALESTORM released a new single called "Back From The Dead". The video for the track, directed by Dustin Haney (Noah Cyrus, Luke Combs) and produced by Revolution Pictures, features Lzzy and the rest of the band in a morgue and cemetery somewhere between life and death.

HALESTORM's new music is once again being produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who first helmed the band's 2017 effort "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" and was previously described by Hale as the group's "fifth member."

Two months ago, HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale told Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio about the band's musical approach on the upcoming album. "At this point, we're just, well, we could either try to create as much open, breathable space so when we play these songs in arenas, they can sound really big, or we can try to do almost the opposite, but tastefully. Like, let's try to bring out more personality, let's try to be even more ourselves in the sense of bringing more energy to the songs. 'Cause like it or not, we play without a click track live, so the songs are gonna be a little bit faster, we're gonna throw more notes in here and there, we're gonna get excited and do something crazy.

"I feel like with every record we do, we have that much more experience and we get even closer and closer to matching our live energy, which has been consistently our M.O. when it comes to going in the studio," he continued. "So that's where we're at once again. We're, like, 'Let's try and amp it up even more.' And not playing a show for a year and a half definitely brought out a lot more aggression, I think, in us.

"We said, 'Working on this record throughout the entire pandemic, it's either gonna be the best record we put our or it's gonna be the most insane record we put out, and everyone's either gonna love it or hate it,'" Arejay added. "I hope that they love it. I love it. It gets me excited. I feel like with these new songs, there's an energy and excitement there that has been lacking in the last couple of records."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)"

At this year's Ohana Festival, PEARL JAM's Eddie Vedder performed his solo single "Long Way" for the first time during his headlining set. Fans can now see the amazing performance which was shot and edited by PEARL JAM video director Blue Leach.

Vedder was joined by an all-star backing band including Chad Smith, Pino Palladino, Josh Klinghoffer, Andrew Watt and Glen Hansard who performed with Vedder two nights in a row during the festival's first weekend.

"Long Way" was released in September via Seattle Surf/Republic Records. The song is the first track off Vedder's upcoming solo album, "Earthling".

In creating the song, Vedder worked with producer Andrew Watt in their first collaboration together. Vedder's iconic vocals shine through as Watt's production drives home the emotions of the track.

Vedder has been busy, recently collaborating with Glen Hansard on eight new compositions for the "Flag Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", available via Seattle Surf/Republic Records. The soundtrack features noted singer-songwriter Cat Power who contributes three new original songs, along with one cove, and the debut of Olivia Vedder on two tracks. The 13-song soundtrack serves as the musical companion to the Cannes Film Festival-selected film "Flag Day" starring and directed by Academy Award winner Sean Penn and also starring his daughter Dylan Penn.

More than a year and a half ago, PEARL JAM unveiled its latest album, "Gigaton", to widespread critical and fan praise and a Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200. It graced year-end lists by Mojo, Consequence Of Sound, Insider, and more.

First Gear has teamed up with AC/DC to offer a rockin' new limited-edition replica featuring the band's seventeenth studio album, "Power Up". The 1/64 Peterbilt Model 389 truck is covered in a black finish with AC/DC bolts adorning the rear of cab, cab doors, and fifth wheel plate. The Kentucky moving trailer is matte black and features art and photography from the album. Each limited-edition model will come packed in a custom AC/DC PWR/UP designed carton.

This authentic Peterbilt Model 389 63" Mid-Roof Sleeper Cab diecast metal replica model comes paired with a Kentucky Moving Trailer and features an opening hood with authentic engine detail, poseable front wheels, accurately detailed cab interior, pivoting fifth-wheel for trailer attachment, functioning trailer landing gear/jack stands, and detailed chassis and undercarriage. This quality replica is decorated with a black paint scheme. You can see the band's iconic logo and thunderbolt throughout the truck. It also features art and photography from the album on both sides of the trailer. This replica will come in custom AC/DC packaging.

This 1/64 scale replica measures approximately 14.25" long, 1.75" wide, and 2.75" high.

For more information, visit AC/DC's official webstore.

"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

Ozzy Osbourne's follow-up to 2020's "Ordinary Man" is expected to be released early next year.

In a new financial statement released by Sony, the BLACK SABBATH singer's name is listed under a section titled "Selected upcoming releases anticipated over the next six months" alongside projects by Adele, Alicia Keys, BLACK EYED PEAS and Travis Scott, among others.

While no specific release date is mentioned on the report, Ozzy, who is signed to Sony Music, recently confirmed that 15 songs have been recorded for his next LP. He is once again working with producer Andrew Watt on the "work-in-progress" effort, which will include guest appearances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde.

Last month, Ozzy told Metal Hammer magazine that his new album will be "similar in tone to 'Ordinary Man', 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," he said.

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.

Seven 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."

BMG will release a limited-edition 1inch black vinyl of four previously unreleased tracks by Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen's project SMITH/KOTZEN on November 26 in conjunction with international Record Store Day's Black Friday event. The "Better Days" EP reflects the ongoing strength of the dynamic writing and recording partnership between these two world-class musicians, following their eponymous debut album released in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting in the Top 20 in markets such as U.K., Germany, U.S. and Canada, a tremendous accomplishment for an inaugural collaboration project.

"Better Days" continues this trajectory with its huge hooks and driving riffs, coupled with the pair's now-traditional vocal trade-offs building to crescendo with its soaring, unforgettable chorus.

The full track listing is:

01. Better Days

02. Got A Hold On Me

03. Hate And Love

04. Rise Again

The final two songs on the EP were recorded at Windermere on Turks & Caicos Islands in March 2020. "Better Days" and "Got A Hold On Me" followed at The House recording studio in Los Angeles in April 2021 when SMITH/KOTZEN were finally able to reconvene after lockdown and to shoot an accompanying video for the title track. As with the "Smith/Kotzen" album, the EP was produced by Richie and Adrian, and mixed by Kevin Shirley.

Richie comments: "When Adrian came over to L.A. earlier this year, we got together and started throwing ideas around and we very quickly came up with the new songs. 'Better Days' almost seemed to write itself. It's got a nice groove to it. Adrian came in with the riff and we came up with a melody for the chorus together, pretty much working to the same formula we used when writing the 'Smith/Kotzen' album, bouncing ideas off each other."

Adrian adds: "'Better Days' is a song I'm really excited about. I think its slightly different to the songs on the 'Smith/Kotzen' album — it's kind of heavy but melodic. I'd played Richie the riff and I was looking for a reaction, and I got one. Kind of like the old grey whistle test scenario — there was a spark and we started building the song from there. I'd have an idea, then Richie would have an idea and we'd go back and forth, like building blocks."

"Better Days" will be available from all good independent record stores and available as a download.

The "Better Days" video was filmed at Mates studio in Los Angeles and was directed by Jeff Wolfe, who successfully combined an action career onscreen with an award-winning director's role behind camera.

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.

On November 19, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will return with new album "Raise The Roof", delivering a fresh, cosmic collision of early blues, country deep cuts, revolutionary folk-rock and lost soul music written by a dozen legends and unsung heroes of the past century. The long-awaited reunion marks the duo's first record in 14 years, produced by T Bone Burnett, and the track listing reflects both deep-rooted influences and recent revelations. On "It Don't Bother Me", the final preview of the album shared today, the two artists transform Bert Jansch's solo acoustic composition into an empowering arrangement led by Alison Krauss, simmering with spectral flourishes of dolceola, marxophone and pedal steel, handclaps and percussion, and interplaying guitars of Marc Ribot and LOS LOBOS' David Hidalgo.

On the inclusion of "It Don't Bother Me" on "Raise The Roof", Plant says: "I've been a big follower of Bert Jansch's work since I was a teenager, and of that whole Irish, Scottish, English folk style that has a different lilt and different lyrical perspective. I was very keen to bring some of that into the picture."

"One of my favorite parts of this is the songs and songwriters that I had never heard of," adds Krauss. "Working with Robert, and with T Bone, is always a great education in music history."

"It Don't Bother Me" arrives on the heels of "Raise The Roof"'s lead single, "Can't Let Go", which just spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Americana radio charts, as well as the album's sole original song, "High And Lonesome", penned by Plant and T Bone Burnett.

Following the monumental debut of 2007's platinum-certified "Raising Sand", which won all six Grammy Awards for which it was nominated (including "Album" and "Record Of The Year"), Plant and Krauss "are still proof that sometimes the best things come from unlikely collaborators" (Entertainment Weekly). Across "Raise The Roof", the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and 27-time Grammy-winning Bluegrass Hall Of Famer step further outside their comfort zone, expanding their unexpected, unparalleled partnership in remarkable new directions.

While sessions for the album began in Nashville in November 2019, wrapping just weeks before the world went into lockdown, Krauss remembers sending Plant the Randy Weeks/Lucinda Williams classic "Can't Let Go" at least 10 years ago — and "it seems like time hasn't passed at all" (NPR Music). Elsewhere on "Raise The Roof", Plant and Krauss reimagine songs from Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, Anne Briggs, Geeshie Wiley, Ola Belle Reed, Brenda Burns and more, with arrangements even more evocative and hypnotic than those on "Raising Sand".

"It's such a far cry from everything I've done before," says Plant. "I love the whole kaleidoscope of music that I've explored, but this is a place where you can think within the song, you can decide how to bring home an emotion. It's another blend that we've got, and long may we have more of them."

"Raise The Roof" track listing:

01. Quattro (World Drifts In)

02. The Price Of Love

03. Go Your Way

04. Trouble With My Lover

05. Searching for My Love

06. Can't Let Go

07. It Don't Bother Me

08. You Led Me To The Wrong

09. Last Kind Words Blues

10. High And Lonesome

11. Going Where the Lonely Go

12. Somebody Was Watching Over Me

Photo by David McClister

Sepultura have released a new HD version of their "Bullet The Blue Sky" video. Watch below.


Says the band: "To celebrate Revolusongs being available on digital globally for the first time, we have a new HD version of the video of 'Bullet The Blue Sky'. Check out the difference!"







Sepultura recently announced the postponement of the European leg of their Quadra tour.


Says the band: "Even though the world is slowly opening up and shows are starting to take place, there is still too much uncertainty with the ever-changing rules between the different European countries. As a result of this, We are forced to postpone our European QUADRA tour with Sacred Reich and Crowbar to 2022. Purchased tickets will remain valid."

Sepultura's North American Quarda Tour 2022 will kick off on March 4 in Sacramento, California and will make stops in Toronto, Cleveland, and New York before concluding on April 8 in Berkeley, CA. The band will be joined by Sacred Reich and Crowbar with openers Art Of Shock.


General admission tickets and VIP packages are now available for purchase here.





Tour dates:


March
4 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA
5 - The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT *
6 - Oriental Theater - Denver, CO*
8 - Wildwood - Iowa City, IA
9 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
10 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
11 -  Harpo's - Detroit, MI
12 - The Forge - Joliet, IL *
13 - Thunderbird Music Hall - Pittsburgh, PA *
15 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
16 - Opera House - Toronto, ON
17 - Corona Theater - Montreal, QC
18 - Big Night Live - Boston, MA
19 - Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
20 - Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
21 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
23 - Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC *
24 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
25 - Culture Room - Ft Lauderdale, FL
26 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL *
28 - Southport Music Hall - New Orleans, LA *
29 - Come and Take It Live - Austin, TX *
31 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK


April
1 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
2 - GMBG - Dallas, TX *
3 - Rockhouse - El Paso, TX
5 - The Nile Theater - Phoenix, AZ *
6 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
8 - Belasco Theater - Los Angeles, CA
9 - The UC Theatre - Berkeley, CA


* New shows and not rescheduled

Gearing up to release their fifth studio album, Apotheosis, this Friday, November 5, Hungarian black/pagan metal outfit, Bornholm, showcase a powerful asset in the void between pagan and black metal with new single, “Black Shining Cloaks", featuring a virtuosic solo from King Diamond/Mercyful Fate guitarist Mike Wead. Dark, almost doomy influences merge with background vocals in their trademark vocal spectrum of somber growls and ear-splitting screams and heavy, irascible guitar lines.


Bornholm on “Black Shining Cloaks”:"'Black Shining Cloaks' is one of the earliest songs from this album. It is from the time when our previous album was released. We felt from the very beginning that this song is perfect for a music video. We decided that as the song was born, but this is quite different from the other songs on the album. The tempo, the structure is simpler, but the atmosphere is very strong.


The solo at the end of the song was originally written and played by Mike Wead from King Diamond/Mercyful Fate. I felt that this song needed something unique at the end part, and I asked him what he thinks about it, and he recorded this really outstanding solo part that is the highlight of the song. We are so thankful for it because he is one of my most honoured guitarists. This is a huge honour for us. We worked with Johan Baath again at the beautiful Van der Nootska Palace in Stockholm. The milieu of the building was perfectly suited to our imaginations.
 
The lyrics of the song take us behind the thick curtains of the world of secret societies. A small group of enlightened people, who since the birth of mankind, have controlled and formed the human world; creating ages, cultures, and history from the beginning. They drive humanity through the ages to the very end, the deification of man. As the light splits into colours by the prism, they split knowledge into a thousand pieces, creating ideologies, cults and religions all around the world. You cannot find the original divine light among those colours, nor the truth among the religions or philosophies… you have to unify them to see it. There is only one light and the infinite darkness, the origin of everything, which allows for this light to shine.”







Apotheosis not only showcases Bornholm's tonal development, but also goes back to the origins of the band’s history and the heavy, often almost doomy influences mixed with indispensable atmospherically dark and raw flavor. Accompanied by sinister sacral sounds of historic proportions and a hypnotizing, incantatory chant, intro track "I Divine" heralds the dark ride to nowhere. It is precisely in the void between pagan and black metal that the sound finds its home, with tracks like “Spiritual Warfare” and “Black Shining Cloaks” - the latter of which featuring a magnificent guitar solo by Mike Wead (Mercyful Fate/King Diamond) - including its diabolic, atmospheric intro, “The Key to the Shaft of the Abyss”, representing the mellowness and extremes of the band. Along with the almost melodic borrowings and acoustic guitar inserts in combination with the pure rawness of “To the Fallen”, the record highlights the band’s variety and sonic progression. The title track “Apotheosis” is a slow, howling homage mixing aggressive, shrieking vocals and melodiously grim anecdotes. Album closer “Enthronement” closes the metaphorical and musical bracket and provides the 52-minute piece with a venerable, instrumental conclusion.


Bornholm add: “So the day has come, the new album is coming! Its title is Apotheosis, which is a Greek originated word meaning deification, divinization and the glorification of a human to a divine level. It contains 11 tracks and drives deeper into our musical world and soul than ever before. We had to deal with a lot of difficulties both in the studio and in our private life during the making, but somehow something was always guarding the birth of the record. Nothing stopped, not even for a single moment, no matter what happened. It was a great experience to go through this uprising while the world is going into another direction. We didn't lack anything; fate was with us - so the birth of the record was a sort of magical experience. Step by step, everything was in place in time and, without tolerating the outside world, we built another one for ourselves.”


On Apotheosis, the band has built a flowing, epochal sound concept that combines explosive guitar/bass lines with thunder-fast drums, spiced with choral elements and leading into a heavy blend, which Bornholm present successfully in all kinds of variations from track 1 to 11.


Recording and mixing took place at SuperSize Recording Studio in Hungary with the contribution of Viktor Scheer, with mastering completed by Maor Appelbaum, who has worked with bands like Dream Theater, Annihilator, Mayhem, Abbath and many more.





Apotheosis will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digipak
- 1LP Gatefold Black
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Apotheosis tracklisting:


"I Divine"
"My Evangelium"
"Sky Serpents"
"The Key To The Shaft Of The Abyss"
"Black Shining Cloaks"
"Spiritual Warfare"
"Darkened Grove"
"To The Fallen"
"I Am War God"
"Apotheosis"
"Enthronement"


“Spiritual Warfare” video:





"I Am War God" video:





Lineup:


Sahsnot – Guitar/Vocals
Charun – Bass
D – Drums


(Photo - Krisztina Máté)

Dream Theater have revealed the worldwide chart positions for their new album, A View From The Top Of The World, released on October 22nd.


"Thank you DT fans around the world for your amazing support of our latest album A View From The Top Of The World! It means a great deal to us." 







With the recent release of the band’s 15th studio album, Dream Theater have released another music video from A View From The Top Of The World. The video for “Awaken The Master” is a frenetic, high-definition CGI marvel from long-time collaborator Wayne Joyner.


Continuing to challenge themselves as musicians, “Awaken The Master” marks the first recorded use of an eight-string guitar by John Petrucci. The track was the last one recorded for the album and clocks in at an impressive 9:47 - making it the third longest song on A View From The Top Of The World. The video for “Awaken The Master” can be seen below.


“It’s the last song we wrote. It’s also the first time I’ve used my eight-string guitar, which was fun for me. Back in the day when we were writing Awake, I’d always wanted to play a seven-string. So, I ordered myself one. I wanted to be inspired again by the instrument without any pre-conception. I used it, and I wrote in my style on the eight-string. It was actually a prototype! ‘Awaken The Master’ purposefully starts with guitar only. John Myung wrote the lyrics. Recently, I heard him say, ‘The master was your heart’. He was referring to awakening your heart. It’s one of the heavier songs on the record due to the range of the instrument,” explains John Petrucci. 





A View From The Top Of The World is now available everywhere music is sold and streamed and is also available for order here.





A View From The Top Of The World tracklisting:


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


"Invisible Monster" video:





“The Alien” video:





Deluxe Box Set trailer:





(Photo - Rayon Richards)

Wymer Publishing has set a February 25, 2022 release date for "Judas Priest: A Visual Biography".

This A4 224-page hardback coffee table book by esteemed author Martin Popoff is crammed full of memorabilia including backstage passes, gig posters, media adverts and much more. It is a grinding celebration of the metal gods JUDAS PRIEST in all their sumptuous glory and written by Popoff with his usual style.

"Judas Priest: A Visual Biography" is stuffed with the entire fifty-plus-year history in meticulous timeline order — a rock‐hard reference book, with the facts presented mostly soberly and efficiently. This book contains all manner of facts that also rtakes a detailed look at offshoot bands and side projects throughout the visually stunning pages. It is a glorious pictorial celebration of the band's full career in one mighty tome, crammed full of stunning visuals including many previously unpublished photos.

Pre-order your copy at this location.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Singer Rob Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of Hill, Halford, guitarists Andy Sneap and Faulkner, and drummer Scott Travis.

PRIEST and Rufus Publications recently published the first-ever official book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews. This huge, 648-page coffee table book chronicles the history of the world’s foremost heavy metal band using hundreds of previously unseen, unpublished photographs from rock's greatest photographers including Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Mark Weiss, Fin Costello, Oliver Halfin and many more. With a linking text by renowned journalist Mark Blake, the book explores the bands exciting history on stage and off in a unique photo documentary designed to excite fans and devotees of true heavy metal the world over. Current bandmembers have all contributed to the book, with written pieces detailing their love and passion for the band, making this an extraordinary artefact for their legions of followers. The book features an exclusive cover by Mark Wilkinson, who has worked with the band for many years now.

Grammy-winning hard rock band HALESTORM, which currently has the No. 1 rock song in the country with "Back From The Dead", has announced a one-night-only streamed concert on December 23. Tickets for the "Happy Hale-i-days" concert stream, recorded in September at the Brown County Music Center in Nashville, Indiana, are available starting this Friday at Mandolin.com.

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Thursday, November 4 at 10:00 a.m. EDT and end on Thursday, November 11 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. When prompted, type in the presale code "BLABBER" to get 15% off.

Today HALESTORM also announced a second set of virtual meet-and-greets from their upcoming tour dates for fans who'd like a one-on-one experience with the band before they hit the stage, also available via Mandolin. Prior to the streamed concert on December 23, fans will also have the option to purchase tickets for a VIP Party an hour before showtime. For all details, visit Mandolin.com.

This week, HALESTORM claimed its sixth No. 1 at rock radio with "Back From The Dead". Today the band unveiled an acoustic, re-imagined version of the song.

"Back From The Dead" remains the first and only glimpse yet of HALESTORM's new album due in 2022. Rolling Stone called it "a biting, cathartic howler about overcoming obstacles — even death," and Consequence praised frontwoman Lzzy Hale's "powerhouse pipes" and lead guitarist Joe Hottinger's "blistering solo." Revolver declared it a "raucous, hard-rock rager about staying strong in the face of crushing adversity."

HALESTORM begins its final leg of 2021 touring tomorrow night with a show in Garden City, Idaho, and on Friday the band joins with EVANESCENCE to kick off the two bands' arena co-headline tour in Portland, Oregon, running through December 18 in Worcester, Massachuse

Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS will release their fourteenth studio album, "Halo", on February 11, 2022 via Atomic Fire Records.

In the past, mythology and legend took the role of today's pop culture: Stories and a set of values uniting us by giving us a voice and a tapestry on which we can find each other and identify with something. By weaving the tales of Finnish national epos "Kalevala" into their songs and interpreting them in a timeless way, AMORPHIS combine the role of ancient minstrels and luminaries of the modern world, honoring tradition without getting stuck in the past.

The vibrant, lively, and touching beauty that is "Halo" highlights their musical and storytelling mastership on a once again soaring level: It's a progressive, melodic, and quintessentially melancholic heavy metal masterwork plucked from the fickle void of inspiration by original guitarists Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari, bassist Olli-Pekka Laine, drummer Jan Rechberger, longtime keyboardist Santeri Kallio and vocalist Tomi Joutsen, the band's long-standing lyrical consciousness Pekka Kainulainen and a selected group of world class audio professionals led by renowned Swedish producer Jens Bogren. Considering the band's prolonged journey in the forefront of innovative metal music, it's difficult to grasp how AMORPHIS manages to raise the proverbial bar time and time again, presenting a more than worthy finale to the trilogy begun with 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" followed by 2018's "Queen Of Time".

"It really is a great feeling that we can still produce very decent music as a band," says Holopainen, a founding member of the band. "Perhaps a certain kind of self-criticism and long experience culminate in these latest albums." To the songwriter himself, "Halo" sounds both familiar and different. "It is thoroughly recognizable AMORPHIS from beginning to end but the general atmosphere is a little bit heavier and more progressive and also organic compared to its predecessor," he elaborates.

Tomi Joutsen, the man with vocal cords capable of unleashing colossal, bear-like growls as well as singing soothing, mesmerising lullabies, adds, "To me, 'Halo' sounds a little more stripped down compared to 'Queen Of Time' and 'Under The Red Cloud'. However, don't get me wrong: when a certain song needs to sound big, then it sounds very big." He's right, of course: By stripping down some of the arrangements, the monumental moments become even more monumental.

That's of course also thanks to producing renaissance man Jens Bogren who harvested the thirteen final tracks from a batch of thirty songs AMORPHIS offered him. "Jens is very demanding, but I really like to work with him," says Holopainen. "He takes care of the whole project from start to finish, and he allows the musician to focus on just playing. I may not be able to thank Jens enough. Everything we've done together has been really great, and this co-operation has carried AMORPHIS significantly forward."

Indeed. Setting off with the stormy grandeur of opener "Northwards", AMORPHIS take us on an epic journey through the lands of the north, their rich cultural and historical heritage and musical traditions. This is not only an album for fans or metal connoisseurs. It's a must for every imaginative mind out there with a soft spot for cinematic soundscapes, triumphant melodies and breathtaking dynamics measuring the borderlands of light and dark.

However, no AMORPHIS album would be complete without the imaginative and poetic storytelling of renowned lyricist and "Kalevala" expert Pekka Kainulainen. "From day one, Pekka has always been an enthusiastic and prolific lyricist for AMORPHIS," says Joutsen. "It is a slow process of translating archaic Finnish poetry into English and adapting it our progressive rhythms. Fortunately, Pekka does everything on time and with great care." Since 2007's "Silent Waters", Kainulainen has been navigating the mythological waters of his homeland with great skill and respect. For "Halo", he outdid himself once again. "'Halo' is a loose-themed record filled with adventurous tales about the mythical North tens of thousands of years ago," he explains. "The lyrics tell of an ancient time when man wandered to these abandoned boreal frontiers after the ice age. While describing the revival of a seminal culture in a world of new opportunities, I also try to reach the sempiternal forces of the human mind."

Thirty-one years after their inception, with uncounted global tours under their belt and fourteen albums deep in their career, AMORPHIS still proves to be the musical fountain of youth, an extraordinary band constantly reinventing itself without abandoning its mystical roots. With "Halo", they deliver an astonishing album that deserves to be played everywhere, transcending the realms of metal and rock by its sheer profoundness and musicality.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Northwards

02. On The Dark Waters

03. The Moon

04. Windmane

05. A New Land

06. When The Gods Came

07. Seven Roads Come Together

08. War

09. Halo

10. The Wolf

11. My Name Is Night

AMORPHIS is:

Tomi Joutsen - vocals

Esa Holopainen - guitars

Tomi Koivusaari - guitars

Santeri Kallio - Keyboards

Olli-Pekka Laine - bass

Jan Rechberger - drums

SLIPKNOT will release a new single, "The Chapeltown Rag", on Friday, November 5. The track was produced by Joe Baressi, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and CHEVELLE, among many others.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor described the song to Knotfest.com as "a punisher," saying it documents what happens when the distortions of mass media circulate within the echo chambers of social media.

"It's classic SLIPKNOT," said Corey. "And it's frenetic. But lyrically, it's coming from a point of talking about the various manipulations that can happen when social media meets media itself. And the different ways that these manipulations can try to pull us in different directions, in the fact that we're all becoming addicts to it, which is very, very dangerous."

According to Knotfest.com writer Dan Franklin, "The Chapeltown Rag" chorus sees Corey experimenting with vocal approaches he had never taken before.

"I wasn't even sure if that part was going to be the chorus, to be honest," Corey said. "But I just love the way that the chord progression lent itself this weird, chromatic, minor vibe to it, which I had never really done before. I played with it on 'Vermilion' years ago, but I had never really given it a little more aggression. The harmony that I created for it was just so fucking weird as well that it just gives it that slight dissonant vibe, but it's also very, very melodic and hummable. Writing and pulling yourself out of trying to keep it in some sort of structure allows you to just fucking rip the scab off and let the wound be what it is. Then obviously, the big breakdown at the end where it just fucking goes off the rails is is so heavy, dude."

SLIPKNOT's last album, "We Are Not Your Kind", was released in August 2019, and Taylor recently confirmed that new music would be arriving soon. Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" in late September, Taylor stated about the band's next LP: "It's pretty much done. I'd say it's probably about 80 percent done. We're finishing up some music [and] I've got a couple more songs to sing. However, I will say this: don't be surprised if in the next month or so you hear something new."

Taylor also offered a hint as to what the album's lead single might sound like, saying it has "a 'let's-bludgeon-everybody-and-remind-them-why-we're-still-SLIPKNOT' kind of vibe."

"We Are Not Your Kind" sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

SLIPKNOT is currently headlining the "Knotfest Roadshow" tour, featuring support from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE. The 29-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicked off following the band's Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25, and will wrap up at Knotfest Los Angeles on November 5 at Banc Of California Stad

STATIC-X has released the official music video for the song "Terminator Oscillator". The track is taken from the band's latest album "Project Regeneration Vol. 1", which came out in July 2020.

"Terminator Oscillator" has become a fan favorite and the Godzilla-inspired music video was directed by Edsel Dope and co-directed by Matt Zane. The clip follows a giant X-faced monster wreaking havoc on an entire city, while chasing down the members of STATIC-X.

"We wanted to do something outside of what you would generally expect to see from a metal band music video," explains STATIC-X. "The video really captures the quirky, sci-fi spirit of STATIC-X and is unlike anything that we’ve ever seen from bands in our genre."

The first of two volumes, "Project Regeneration Vol. 1" features 12 brand new tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup of bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay, and guitarist Koichi Fukuda. Both volumes are being worked on by longtime STATIC-X producer Ulrich Wild.

In total, "Project Regeneration" volumes one and two will consist of more than 20 brand new or previously unreleased STATIC-X songs and will feature all of the remaining works left behind by Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" band lineup. The individual albums are expected to contain creative packaging elements that will allow fans to marry the two volumes together.

STATIC-X will bring more of its self-proclaimed "Evil Disco" to the masses with its "Rise Of The Machine" North American tour 2022. The 37-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicks off on February 21 in Portland, Oregon and runs over five weeks, wrapping up on April 3 in San Francisco, California.

The tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's RIAA-gold-certified sophomore album "Machine" which is being re-released next year and will serve as a continuation of their memorial tribute to honor Wayne Static. Joining STATIC-X on the bill will be fellow industrial metal pioneers FEAR FACTORY and DOPE, along with special guests MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID (appearing on select dates).

The 20th-anniversary release of "Machine" — scheduled for February 18, 2022 — features newly remastered audio by Ulrich Wild and features all 12 tracks from the original release, as well as three new bonus tracks: "Wisconsin Death Trip (Live 2019 Regeneration featuring Wayne Static)", "Sweat Of The Bud (Live 2019 Xer0)" and "I'm With Stupid (Live 2019 Regeneration Featuring Wayne Static)".

Originally released in 2001, "Machine" would ultimately turn out to be the last album recorded by the four original members of STATIC-X. All of the lead vocals and guitars on "Machine" were performed by Static, while bass, backing vocals, drums, and programming contributions came from founding members Campos, Jay and Fukuda. The limited-edition release will have packaging featuring fully reimagined artwork and will be available in multiple configurations, including multiple color vinyl sequenced on two discs, with an etching of the STATIC-X Shock symbol on side D.

In 2019, STATIC-X wrapped up a world tour comprised of nearly 100 mostly sold-out dates in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its platinum-selling debut album "Wisconsin Death Trip". The shows also served as a traveling memorial for Wayne, who passed away seven years ago.

While the identity of STATIC-X's touring singer Xer0 has not been officially revealed, strong rumors suggest that DOPE frontman Edsel Dope is the one performing with Jay, Fukuda and Campos and appearing in all of STATIC-X's promotional videos.

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old Static, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

SCORPIONS have unveiled the cover artwork for their 19th studio album, "Rock Believer", which will be issued on February 25, 2022 (postponed from the previously announced February 11). The LP's first single, "Peacemaker" will arrive tomorrow (Thursday, November 4), with the accompanying music video following a day later.

During the pandemic the band retreated to the studio in their German hometown in Hanover and started working on new songs.

"The album was written and recorded in the SCORPIONS DNA with core [Rudolf] Schenker/[Klaus] Meine compositions," said singer Klaus Meine. "We recorded the album as a band live in one room, like we did in the '80s."

"Rock Believer" was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS' new album will mark their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

Meine previously told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce "Rock Believer" was to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."

According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP features "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

SCORPIONS will kick off their "Rock Believer" world tour in March 2022 in Las Vegas where the band will play nine shows as part of their residency at Planet Hollywood Hotel. Afterwards they will cross the Atlantic to Europe where they will play six concerts in France and six shows In Germany supported by Wolfgang Van Halen's new band MAMMOTH WVH.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.






This is a call for all ROCK BELIEVERS out there: We are excited to announce that our new album ROCK BELIEVER will be out 25th February 2022. The pre-order for the album starts tomorrow 4pm CET.

? More exciting news will drop tomorrow.

? stay tuned pic.twitter.com/u2EZgm2tPN

— Scorpions (@scorpions) November 3, 2021

In a new interview with Vikram Chandrasekar of Tales From The Road, URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the legendary progressive rockers' 26th album. "We recently have just been in the studio with Jay Ruston, who did our last album, 'Living The Dream', as a producer, and we just recorded a new album," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And it's over in L.A. now being mixed. So a new album is on the horizon."

As for a possible release date for the new URIAH HEEP LP, Box said: "We're not sure yet, because it's all down to the record label, of course. It's in L.A. now being mixed, and then we've gotta find a title and get the artwork together; that'll take a few months. And then next year when we do start touring, we'll start touring [to celebrate] the 50th anniversary, which we couldn't do two years ago. It'll be 52 years, [but] we'll still call it the 50th anniversary. And we need to tour that. And then I think the record label, being business people, will decide where to insert that to get the maximum effect out of it. But the good thing is it's in the bag now, and we're very happy with it. So it's cool."

"Living The Dream" was released in September 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP was helmed by Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER, among others.

Box is the original guitarist and sole remaining founding member of URIAH HEEP. He, vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist/vocalist Phil Lanzon have formed the nucleus of the band for more than 34 years and released 17 albums together.

URIAH HEEP debuted in 1970 with the release of one of hard rock's milestones, "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", and has since sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide. They constantly tour the world, playing up to 125 shows a year to more than 500,000 fans. The band's live set features the classic tracks from the '70s and is a musical journey from the band's beginnings to the present day.

URIAH HEEP is:

Mick Box - Lead Guitar/Vocals

Phil Lanzon - Keyboards/Vocals

Bernie Shaw - Lead Vocals

Dave Rimmer - Bass Guitar/Vocals

Russell Gilbrook - Drums, Percussion

This past June, AC/DC's drummer for the "Rock Or Bust" tour, Chris Slade, was intervewed by France's United Rock Nations. The chat took place just several weeks before AC/DC members Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, Angus Young and Stevie Young were all photographed outside Vancouver's Warehouse Studios.

Asked by United Rock Nations what the "mood" is like right now within the AC/DC camp, Slade responded (see video below): "It was very sad when Malcolm [Young, AC/DC rhythm guitarist] passed, of course — very, very sad. He was a genius — an absolute genius. And the combination of him and Angus was magic — it was a magic combination. And, of course, the same with Cliff [Williams, bass]. It's sad [he left], but I understand. He wants to go fishing [laughs] all the time. His son is a fisherman, so he wants to enjoy time with his children and maybe grandchildren — who knows? [Laughs] He's been there 40 years. But the thing is, you must remember there's been five years between every album and tour.

"The mood, it's absolutely fine," he continued. "The last time time I saw the guys was at the end of the 'Rock Or Bust' tour. Yeah, everybody was fine. Malcolm hadn't passed yet, and, of course, I'm sure it hit Angus very, very hard — as with all of us, actually. And just before him, brother George [Young] also died, so it was a very sad time. So I think the mood is probably appropriate for those things that have happened. And as people say, time is a great healer. So you never forget them."

Asked what the future holds for AC/DC, Slade said: "You'll have to wait and see. Along with everybody else — including myself."

Based on the recent photos that have surfaced online from Warehouse, the assumption is that AC/DC is in the midst of making — or at least planning — another album, with Rudd and Johnson both back in the lineup.

Ever since AC/DC completed the tour cycle for its 2014 album "Rock Or Bust" nearly two years ago — a turbulent trek that weathered the forced retirement and eventual death of co-founder Malcolm Young, plus the departures of Johnson, Rudd and Williams — fans have wondered whether sole remaining founding member Angus Young would keep the band going or decide it was time for AC/DC to pack it in.

Johnson was forced to leave AC/DC mid-tour due to a dangerous level of hearing loss, and was eventually replaced on the road by GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose, while Williams decided to retire at the end of the cycle.

Rudd's spot behind the kit for AC/DC's "Rock Or Bust" world tour was taken by Slade in 2015 after Rudd was arrested for drug possession and threatening to kill an employee.

Angus has not said publicly what he has planned for the future of AC/DC.


Slade followed Simon Wright in AC/DC's lineup, joining in time to play on 1990's "The Razor's Edge" album. When Rudd returned in 1995, Slade was shown the door and harbored some bad feelings about that for a while. Although he's 71, he still hits the drums as hard as ever.

Slade has been busy touring with his band THE CHRIS SLADE TIMELINE, which finds him performing selections across his five-decade career.

FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho joined STRYPER on stage during the "Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager At Sea: Triple Whammy" cruise at the end of October to sing a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Breaking The Law". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Back in July 2020, STRYPER's Michael Sweet came to Jericho's defense after Sebastian Bach accused FOZZY's lead singer of using pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances. At the time, Sweet wrote on his social media: "You know it's funny, @chrisjerichofozzy doesn't have anything to prove as a singer, a wrestler or a person. He's achieved success and made quite the name for himself. He's about as active as anyone I know and is also a great guy with a big heart. He's also my friend. @stryper had him up on stage to perform with us at @hobanaheim and I was honored to have him sing on one of my solo songs a few years back as well.

"My point? Chris is a very talented individual and a grounded human being. He doesn't need validation from anyone. He's made his mark and will continue to do so. He was at my wedding in 2010 and we had our own 'sing off' on the dance floor to the @bonjovi classic, 'Living On A Prayer' - Remember this Chris? Good times.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that Chris is the man, and a good one at that. Love ya buddy".

In 2012, Jericho brought up STRYPER while discussing his faith in an interview with Beliefnet, which is described as "a large multi-faith e-community that aims to provide a free forum for religious information and inspiration, spiritual tools, and discussions and dialogue groups." He said: "I basically got into Christianity through Christian rock, which is another reason why music has always been important to me; it was through STRYPER. And Michael Sweet and I have become really, really good friends.

"When I was in high school, it was ambition and fate. And my ambition was to play bass guitar in a Christian metal band. And I vividly remember having a deam that I was in STRYPER. And here I am, whatever it was — 20, 25 years later — on stage singing with STRYPER. It blew my mind. It blew my freaking mind, man. I even said that on the microphone: '25 years ago, I had a dream that I would be playing in STRYPER, and now I am.'

"I have been a Christian for years and years and years," he added. "That's how I've been able to get this far — by always having God have my back. And I haven't always been the best of Christians, but at the end of the day, I know who the boss is. And he has granted me two wishes, to where if I died tomorrow, how many [other] people can say they've done this, and the answer is zero. How many people have been a world champion in the WWE and had a record that was No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers charts? I mean, there might be a novelty thing, but for a real band, I think I'm the only one; I think I am."

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have launched a unique web activation called Judas Priest's Guide To Heavy Metal. The graphic novel-inspired interactive web experience, allows you to explore six chapters of storytelling, guitar tutorials, video question-and-answer sessions and more that show you how to become the ultimate metal maniac. Headphones are recommended for the full experience.

According to PRIEST, Judas Priest's Guide To Heavy Metal "aims to put JUDAS PRIEST's story and, of course, their music in front of a new audience, who may already be fans of the genre, but want to explore and widen their discovery further, with the chance to delve into albums, playlists and gain a deeper understanding into the wider impact the band had across fashion, culture and more, because, after all, metal isn't just about the music, it's a way of life!"

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Singer Rob Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of Hill, Halford, guitarists Andy Sneap and Faulkner, and drummer Scott Travis.

PRIEST and Rufus Publications recently published the first-ever official book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews. This huge, 648-page coffee table book chronicles the history of the world’s foremost heavy metal band using hundreds of previously unseen, unpublished photographs from rock's greatest photographers including Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Mark Weiss, Fin Costello, Oliver Halfin and many more. With a linking text by renowned journalist Mark Blake, the book explores the bands exciting history on stage and off in a unique photo documentary designed to excite fans and devotees of true heavy metal the world over. Current bandmembers have all contributed to the book, with written pieces detailing their love and passion for the band, making this an extraordinary artefact for their legions of followers. The book features an exclusive cover by Mark Wilkinson, who has worked with the band for many years

In a new interview with "The Classic Metal Show", ANTHRAX guitarist Jonathan Donais was asked how the music that band is working on for its upcoming album compares to the group's last two efforts, 2011's "Worship Music" and 2016's "For All Kings". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I haven't heard any music yet, so I couldn't tell you. But I know they recently got together — those guys recently got together — and were working on it. I'm anxious to hear it. I can't wait to hear it."

When "The Classic Metal Show" host Chris Akin asked Donais if he is actively involved in the songwriting process for ANTHRAX's next LP, the guitarist responded: "Nope. Nope. Nope. All bands work different, man. They have a way that's worked, and they've [had a] strong 40-year career. So, if it's not broken, don't mess with it."

Donais, who joined ANTHRAX in 2013 as the replacement for Rob Caggiano (now in VOLBEAT), contributed lead guitar to "For All Kings", which came out via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Megaforce in the U.S. At the time of the record's release, his ANTHRAX bandmates praised his playing, with bassist Frank Bello saying: "I think Jon has brought a great energy to the band. He stepped up and then some on this record." Guitarist Scott Ian added: "Jon's approach towards lead guitar playing, he's more of a guy who's looking to construct something that makes sense and helps a song rather than the 45 seconds for him to be showing off how many notes he can play in X amount of measures."

On the topic of the "For All Kings" recording process, Donais told Distorted Sound Magazine: "It was real easy. It was my first time working with Jay Ruston, the guy who produced it, and the way we did it was he would give me the demos of the songs and then I would start writing the leads and then send them to Charlie [Benante, drums]. Charlie would then tell me what direction the leads should go in, there were a few times where it would take a couple of attempts to get him happy."

He added: "I didn't know how they worked or necessarily know what they were looking for. So I just did what I did, and if Charlie wasn't happy, we just got on the phone and discussed the direction that he wanted to go in, and most of the stuff didn't take more than three demos to get right."

Hot on the heels of the first-ever commercial release earlier this year of a rare acoustic set from 2001, "Unplugged In Boston", metal giants MEGADETH have another treat in store for fans: a monster, fully electrified and electrifying concert extravaganza filmed in Argentina 2005 to a stadium full of 25,000 adoring fans. Due on November 26, "A Night In Buenos Aires" finds founder/vocalist Dave Mustaine leading his band of metal magicians — guitarist Glen Drover, drummer Shawn Drover, and bassist James MacDonough — through several of MEGADETH's best-loved tracks, including "Symphony Of Destruction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due", plus tracks from the then-brand-new album "The System Has Failed".

The concert is being released on all formats, including digital, on CD as a two-disc gatefold wallet, and in a deluxe three-LP vinyl set that comes in a variety of colors from 180-gram black to purple splatter to clear, red and blue, as well as a deluxe multi-media box set that includes a Blu-ray, a DVD and two CDs. Each release comes with a complete set of liner notes written by Mustaine reflecting on this historic and memorable live performance.

For a sneak preview of this killer live album, just check out the group’s phenomenal version of the longtime fan favorite "Holy Wars…The Punishment Due", which has been released today on all digital stores and on YouTube in a clip from the Blu-ray.

Track listing:

01. Blackmail The Universe

02. Set The World Afire

03. Wake Up Dead

04. In My Darkest Hour

05. She-Wolf

06. Reckoning Day

07. À Toute Le Monde

08. Hangar 18

09. Return To Hangar

10. I'll Be There

11. Tornado Of Souls

12. Trust

13. Something That I'm Not

14. Kick The Chair

15. Coming Home (To Argentina)

16. Symphony Of Destruction

17. Peace Sells

18. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due

19. Symphony Of Destruction (Alternate Version)

MEGADETH played its first show with bassist James LoMenzo in nearly 12 years on August 20 in Austin, Texas at the opening concert of "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For the past eight years, LoMenzo has been performing with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has yet to reveal who played bass on the band's new album after Ellefson's tracks were removed from the LP following his dismissal from the group in late May.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

The last three shows of "The Metal Tour Of The Year" — in Toronto, Laval and Quebec City — were postponed to spring 2022 due to restrictions in the Quebec province and international logistical issues.

The official lyric video for "The River Is Rising", the opening track and first single from SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' new album, titled "4", can be seen below. Due on February 11, 2022, via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG, "4" is Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

Last month, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS released the official music video for "The River Is Rising", shot on location in downtown Los Angeles with Gibson TV director Todd Harapiak.

In a "Behind The Track" clip uploaded to Slash's official YouTube channel, he stated about "The River Is Rising": "'The River Is Rising' is the newest song that I wrote on the record. Right before we went into pre-production, I just made up this riff and it turned into 'The River Is Rising'. So it's the most recent-written song on the record.

"It's very spontaneous. I can't even remember how it all came together; it came together really quickly. But it rocks. And I thought it would be a good track for the opening of the record."

Slash previously said about the creation of "The River Is Rising": "There's two or three songs on the record that were written during the pandemic; everything else was written before. 'The River is Rising' was one of the last songs I wrote before we started pre-production, and because it was so fresh and has a certain groove and energy to it, it was the first thing we really attacked. It's the newest song on the record, and as for the double-time part, that was something that I came up with and tagged onto the end of the arrangement. Then when we were over at RCA, Dave Cobb suggested we do it right after the breakdown. So, we went straight into the fast part, and I just started doing the guitar solo over it. It was one of those things where we were jamming around, trying to fish out the arrangement, and it just happened." While Myles Kennedy adds, "The lyric ultimately explores how humans can be brainwashed or indoctrinated by some sort of dangerous idea. Once we shot the demo back and forth a few times, I personally felt confident that we had the album opener. To me, it's an important track."

For "4", Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile), revealing a stunning new sound and style all captured live in the studio. Cobb shared the band's desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.

The band's previous albums over the last decade — "Apocalyptic Love", "World On Fire" and "Living The Dream" — have continued on an upward trajectory, all achieving Top 5 Billboard charting debuts in the U.S. and reaching the Top 10 on 12 major charts across the globe. To date, the three SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS albums have now garnered 10 consecutive Top 5 Radio singles, spawned sold-out world tours, and have earned Slash and the band the best critical acclaim of their career with their latest album "Living The Dream" (2018) singled out by the Los Angeles Times, Classic Rock, Guitar World, Loudwire, LA Weekly, and more, as their best songs to date.

The new album "4" has the added history-making distinction of being the first-ever album to be released on the new Gibson Records label, which is headquartered in the iconic American instrument brand Gibson's hometown of Music City, Nashville. In light of the 30-year partnership between Gibson and the Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Slash, it makes sense the new SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' album "4" will be released via Gibson Records.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS will kick off a North American headlining tour on February 8, in Portland, Oregon and hit 28 major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and more, before wrapping up March 26 in Orlando, Florida.

ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 has released a cinematic music video for his solo song "Land Of The Misfit Toys". The clip is set in 1980 and tells the tale of a young John Lowery who stumbles into a haunted house and becomes possessed by an entity. This entity gradually turns him into the guitar-shredding face-painted icon we all now know as John 5.

"Land Of The Misfit Toys" is taken from John 5's brand new solo album, "Sinner", which was released on Friday, October 29 via Big Machine Records and is available everywhere now.

Speaking on the new track and accompanying video, John 5 shares: "'Land of The Misfit Toys' is my favorite track on the record. It's a real epic and the longest track on the new album.

"I was watching a documentary on David Foster and how he would produce, arrange and build songs which really influenced me on the arrangement and production of this track.

"The camera that was used to film the video for 'Land Of The Misfit Toys' was the same camera that was used to film the new 'Matrix' movie that is coming out in December, which is pretty cool.

"The video tells the story of the 10-year-old John Lowery (played by my producer's son), who stumbles into this haunted house and becomes possessed by an entity that causes him to start playing guitar and wearing the makeup. At the end of the video, he fully becomes John 5.

"Everybody knows that I'm a big fan of horror so this was a really fun video to make alongside director Chantal Savage."

Commenting on "Sinner" and the incredible reaction to it, John 5 continues: "I'm so excited that the record is finally out. We had such a great time making it.

"I didn't want to punch in with this record so each track is a full-performance. So if I started from the beginning and messed up, I would start again at the beginning until I got a great take all the way through. With a lot of time on my hands due to lockdown, I was able to really practice and focus on making the record the very best it could be.

"I'm so happy that the fans really love the album because I do this for the love of the guitar and the love of music and without the fans, it wouldn't be anything. So thank you again to the fans. I will see you all on the road soon."

The first single from "Sinner", the epic "Qué Pasa", revolves around a distinctive vocal refrain. Originally built with a sample, John opted to have it reworked by Grammy-winning MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine.

"Sinner" was produced and mixed by Barry Pointer at Riott House Studio in North Hollywood. Drums were engineered by ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke at Redrum Recording in Los Angeles. The LP also features a guest appearance by original KISS drummer Peter Criss on a cover of "Georgia On My Mind", a 1930s classic by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell that's become famous thanks to Ray Charles decades later.

John 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, LYNYRD SKYNYRD and more. Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around," and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder." John 5 has released nine solo albums to date, as well as a remix album, and has written music for the likes of Avril Lavigne, GARBAGE, Ricky Martin and others.

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

OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth comments: "We had a few issues getting this rescheduled show together. But to hell with the issues, we all have problems. And wouldn't you know it, our bro and yours Phil Demmel to the rescue. The show must and will go on. See you at the Welmomt Jersey..."

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

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

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

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

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

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