In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens spoke about the prospect of going back on the road following a year-and-a-half pause as the COVID-19 pandemic raged. "At first, people were enthusiastic and came out," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think it's a little different now. I just because they're told something different every day anyway, whether you believe it or not. I'm vaccinated — everybody knows I'm vaccinated — and I was all for wearing masks. But to go back to work, I have to figure out a way to do it.

"I think one issue now is there's a lot of shows — I mean, there are so many damn shows that are happening that people have to pick and choose what they go to," he continued.

"If, like me, you're vaccinated, but you're all concerned about people who aren't vaccinated, then you shouldn't go out anyways; you should stay home. Because I probably know seven people that are vaccinated that have had it and two of them ended up in the hospital.

"I feel pretty safe — I got it, and I'm ready to rock; that's my whole thing.

"I think people, they're not going out quite as much, but if they try to careful — that's what I always say: just try to be careful," the 53-year-old singer, who lives in Akron, Ohio, added. "You can live your life; just be careful and do it. It's like if you go to a show and you drink, call an Uber and don't drive home. It's about the same thing.

"I think people are worried. Some people still don't wanna go out. And you can't disagree with them — if they don't wanna go out, they don't wanna go out. This is a scary world. But I think the big thing with concerts, there's a lot of concerts going on [right now] — I mean, a lot."

Earlier in the month, Owens said that he "got vaccinated" and he wears a mask when he has to, "just because I wanna go back to work — I wanna tour. I got COVID last year. I had more effects from Mexican food than I did from getting COVID, but I got COVID. I believe it's there. It doesn't hurt me to wear a mask in a supermarket. Right now we just wanna get some kind of normalcy."

Owens went on to say that "people should get vaccinated. I think especially if you're older or you're unhealthy or you have underlying conditions, you should get vaccinated. I want the world to go back to normal. I wanna tour. I wanna be able to go to the store now and find something on the shelf. I mean, the shelves are empty. I go to my grocery store, and they're fucking empty, man."

Owens is currently in a new band called KK'S PRIEST with ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, 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", will be released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Pumpkin fans, unite! HELLOWEEN and Incendium are teaming up for the launch of "Seekers Of The Seven Keys", a supernatural horror-fantasy comic book that explores the iconic cast of characters depicted on album covers from the legendary German heavy metal band, known as the "godfathers of melodic speed metal." Incendium is also thrilled to announce a line of collectible HELLOWEEN action figures inspired by the band's' cover artwork and lyrical lore: The Keeper Of The Seven Keys, The Witch and Jack O. Lantern.

Published under Incendium's music-focused Opus imprint, "Seekers Of The Seven Keys" is crafted by horror masters, writer Joe Harris ("Creepy", "The X-Files", "Rockstars") and artist Axel Medellin ("Hoax Hunters", "Elephantman") and features cover artwork by Santi Casas.

In "Seekers Of The Seven Keys", the mystical Seven Keys have been lost, and the Keeper wants them back. But he's not the only one looking. And when teenage siblings stumble upon the quest, they embark on a 1980s-style science-fiction, fantasy adventure filled with the horror tropes, campy characters, and throwback humor for which the band is known.

HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath said: "Obviously, Dr. Stein is not the only one who can come up with funny creatures. We are thrilled to see the characters from the HELLOWEEN universe finally come to life! The team of Incendium did a great job and created an exciting new comic adventure. As we say in Dr. Stein: And their time is right!"

Added Llexi Leon, CEO of Incendium: "HELLOWEEN's offbeat comic, inspired by their epic music, fuses fan-favorite characters with whimsical fantasy — and a healthy dose of heavy metal! As they are one of the great innovators in the genre, it's been a joy to revisit their catalog, particularly the 'Seven Keys' saga, and lay down the groundwork for an all-new narrative that will appeal to long-time fans of the band and Halloween horror aficionados alike!"

The debut of the comic book comes in the wake of the recent release of HELLOWEEN's self-titled album, which has climbed to the top of the charts across the world. The album is reminiscent of all eras of the band's history, and unites their three vocalists Michael Kiske, Andi Deris and Kai Hansen. The band's sixteenth studio album was released by Nuclear Blast Tonträger Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH in June.

The first print edition of "Seekers Of The Seven Keys" will be released as a prestige-format limited-edition collectible comic book, featuring cardstock covers, specialty foil treatments, glossy pages, and individual numbering.

The first printing of the comic will be limited to 2,000 copies at $19.95, and is available to order from this location. It is available to order now and ships by October 31, 2021. The Keeper Of The Seven Keys, The Witch and Jack O. Lantern action figures are also available to pre-order for $29.95, shipping spring 2022.

Other high-profile projects under Incendium's Opus music-focused imprint include the EVANESCENCE graphic anthology series "Echoes From The Void", DISTURBED's "Dark Messiah" comic book series, Joe Satriani's "Crystal Planet" series, BLACK VEIL BRIDES' "The Phantom Tomorrow" series, EXODUS's "Tales Of The Damned" series, CRADLE OF FILTH's "Maledictus Athenaeum" series, and more; Incendium is releasing collectible action figures for every project related to the bands and their comic book storylines.

Scott Gorham says that "the time was right" for him to leave BLACK STAR RIDERS.

Gorham was in BLACK STAR RIDERS for nearly a decade, having formed the band in 2013 with other THIN LIZZY members after deciding to write and record new music under a new moniker. BLACK STAR RIDERS' original lineup was completed by vocalist Ricky Warwick, guitarist Damon Johnson, bassist Marco Mendoza and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso.

Earlier today, Gorham released the following statement: "As you all are now aware, I have decided to leave BLACK STAR RIDERS to concentrate on putting THIN LIZZY on the road again next year (which will include Ricky Warwick).

"Leaving a close-knit working environment, shared with good friends over 8 years is never easy, but I felt that the time was right, especially knowing that Ricky and the band and how great they are, would be in no danger at all to carry on without me. I am certain that they will build on past successes and I look forward to listening to their new album.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of our fans for your fantastic support over the years, we always had a blast touring and being able to shake hands with so many of you in person. Thank you also to all the well-wishers who have posted such great comments on the web — it was very much appreciated.

"There has been some speculation regarding the state of my health, so I'd like to let you all know that I am very well, having had the 2 covid jabs and getting my flu shot tomorrow and trying to improve my game of golf, which has gone south recently… unfortunately.

"Regarding THIN LIZZY concerts in 2022 — this is currently in the planning stages and I will make sure to let you know of our progress regarding line-ups and dates.

"Once again, I miss you all and thank you all and hopefully see you all very soon.

"Alright then… who's buying?!"

BLACK STAR RIDERS announced Gorham's departure on Monday (September 20), with Warwick saying in a statement: "We are very sad to see Scott go, but we discussed a very heavy world touring commitment on the new record and Scott decided he wanted to concentrate just on THIN LIZZY — and being the legend he is, none of us can blame him.

"We all wish him the best and he will be looking to put THIN LIZZY back out on the road from 2022 onwards with a busy schedule, so he won't be missing me too much!"

BLACK STAR RIDERS said that they will not seek a replacement for Gorham and will instead carry on as a four-piece, with Ricky handling a lot of the guitar parts alongside Christian Martucci, who joined the band after album number three in 2018.

BLACK STAR RIDERS are due to enter the studio in Los Angeles on October 14 with longtime producer Jay Ruston (STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER, URIAH HEEP, ANTHRAX) to begin recording the follow-up to 2019's "Another State Of Grace". The as-yet untitled fifth album will arrive in early 2023, and dates are booked to start within a couple of weeks of release.

Los Angeles drummer Zak St. John will join BLACK STAR RIDERS to track the new album.


As you all are now aware, I have decided to leave Black Star Riders to concentrate on putting Thin Lizzy on the road...

Posted by Scott Gorham on Wednesday, September 22, 2021

3 DOORS DOWN has canceled its shows in Raleigh and Atlanta due to new COVID-19-related regulations put in place since the announcement of these concerts.

Beginning next week, two major concert promoters (Live Nation and AEG) will require either full vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter their events.

In recent weeks, several high-profile artists have called off gigs over the venues' requirement that patrons be vaccinated or show recent negative coronavirus tests.

Earlier today, 3 DOORS DOWN released the following statement via social media: "Unfortunately, we will be cancelling our shows in Raleigh, NC (10.7) and Atlanta, GA (10.9) due to new regulations put in place since the announcement of these shows. Refunds will be issued at the point of purchase. Simpsonville, SC (10.8) is still on. West Palm Beach, FL (10.16) is moving from iThink Financial to Mizner Park in Boca Raton, FL. VIP packages for this show have been canceled due to the change in venue however ALL tickets will still be honored from iThink Financial for Mizner Park.

"We apologize for any and all inconveniences. We love you and hope to see you again soon."

A Fox News poll released earlier this month showed clear majorities of Americans back mask and COVID-19 vaccination mandates. 54 percent of people favor proof of vaccination in indoor spaces like restaurants and gyms while 66 percent said they favor businesses requiring masks for customers and employees. 67 percent said they support mandating that students and teachers wear masks in schools. According to the poll, which included interviews with more than 1,000 registered voters conducted between September 12 and 15, 56 percent of voters supported President Joe Biden's directive to companies with more than 100 employees to require proof of vaccination or regular testing.

Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC that COVID-19 vaccines "are extremely safe," noting that the risks of the side effects from the vaccines are significantly lower than the health risks posed by the virus. "COVID, on the other hand, is deadly, unpredictable."

COVID-19 vaccines have been studied in humans for more than a year now, and more than 182 million people have been fully vaccinated in the United States alone. There are several robust safety monitoring systems in place for these vaccines that can detect the very rare adverse events.

With the original strain of the virus, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were about 90% to 95% effective in preventing symptomatic disease. As a result of the delta variant, that efficacy rate has dropped to 66%. Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that unvaccinated people are almost five times more likely to contract symptomatic COVID compared to a fully vaccinated person.

Fully vaccinated people are 29 times less likely to be hospitalized because of the virus compared to those are unvaccinated, according to a study released by the CDC.

Research shows that fully vaccinated people experience milder symptoms and are half as likely to develop several symptoms in the first week of illness compared to unvaccinated people.

Various polls have consistently find that Democrats are much more likely to report having been vaccinated than Republicans, and Republicans are much more likely to say that they definitely do not want to get vaccinated.

Back in January 2017, 3 DOORS DOWN singer Brad Arnold defended his band's decision to perform at then-President-elect Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration", saying that "it's all about America."
























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A post shared by Brad Arnold (@brad3doorsdown)

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis urged his fans to chant "Fuck Joe Biden" during a concert in Pennsylvania.

The outspoken conservative rocker, who also tours and records as a solo country artist, called on the crowd to follow him in the expletive-laden chant against the president while appearing at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on Saturday, September 25.

Lewis is a frequent critic of the president who has been wearing "Fuck Biden," "Impeach Biden" and "I could shit a better president" shirts while performing on stage in recent weeks.

Aaron's latest solo single, "Am I The Only One", takes aim at liberals and touches on American flags burning and statues that have been removed in the country.

Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, told the Anchorage Press in a January 2020 interview that he considered the first Trump impeachment by the House Of Representatives as the clearest representation of what's wrong with America these days.

Lewis was a staunch critic of President Barack Obama, telling a crowd at one of his solo concerts in 2016: "Barack Obama should have been impeached a long fucking time ago. Every fucking decision he makes is against the Constitution, it's against what's good for our fucking country, and he is truly the worst fucking president that we have ever had in the history of this fucking country."

That same year, Lewis told Billboard that he would support Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race, even though he was "disappointed" by the real estate mogul "with the bickering and the name-calling." Lewis added that he voted for Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the Republican nomination race, in the Massachusetts primary.

In June, Lewis made headlines when he accused the U.S. Democratic Party of fighting against every major civil rights initiative and of having a long history of discrimination.

Grammy Award-winning band EVANESCENCE, production company Incendium, and NFT platform Sweet have announced a collaboration on a new line of NFT collectibles inspired by the first issue of EVANESCENCE's Echoes From The Void graphic anthology series, which sold out in its first printing, published by Incendium as part of their Opus line of books. Today (Wednesday, September 29), Sweet will launch the EVANESCENCE Echoes From The Void drop on sweet.io, which will include 4 NFTs available to purchase, including 2 collectors cards, a virtual souvenir coin, and an auction of a one-of-a-kind 3D interactive sculpture. This marks the first-ever NFT project for both EVANESCENCE and Incendium, with additional drops planned near in the future. While this initial NFT line is inspired by issue #1, future drops will expand on the artwork and creations in upcoming issues of EVANESCENCE's five-issue fantasy graphic anthology series.

"It's been awesome to see the art and stories of Echoes From The Void evolve into the digital space. The series is becoming a showcase with so many talents adapting visions from songs in our discography," said EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee. “Diving into the world of digital collectibles let's us add a new dimension to the characters and storylines that we've loved creating. I can't wait to see what more we can do as the rest of Echoes From The Void unfurls!"

The two NFT virtual collectors cards from Echoes From The Void will feature the main and variant cover artwork from issue #1, created by Hugo Award-winning artist Abigail Larson and esteemed painter Kelly McKernan, brought to life through a combination of 3D design and 2D animation. In addition to the cards, a virtual souvenir coin featuring an illustration of Amy Lee will be available for purchase. Sweet will also host an auction of a single interactive 3D sculpture NFT of the winged Stone Princess fromEchoes From The Void #1. Fans can visit sweet.io to learn more about the drop and to access Sweet's blockchain wallet to purchase the EVANESCENCE Echoes From The Void NFTs using a credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or cryptocurrency through Coinbase Commerce, starting on September 29. The 1 of 1 auctioned NFT will be delivered to the wallet of the buyer's choice, and fixed price NFTs will be delivered to Sweet's blockchain wallet with the ability to transfer to another wallet as desired. Prices will vary per NFT.

"Incendium has always been rooted in collectibles, be it comic books, figurines, or pin badges. We're delighted to be partnering with Sweet to expand our offering in the digital space, and to collaborate with our in-house 2D, 3D, and animation talent to create new and exciting designs for digital collectibles," said Llexi Leon, CEO of Incendium. "What better way to launch our NFT line than with EVANESCENCE and Echoes From The Void, one of our most ambitious art and narrative projects that has spawned incredible imagery across comic books, art prints, and more. For those that missed out on the physical first printing of issue #1, these digital collectibles will be a great way for fans to get in on the ground floor and collect the series art. We can't wait to launch our first of many exclusive drops."

Echoes From The Void #1 is the debut issue in EVANESCENCE's fantasy graphic anthology series, featuring two stories based on the songs "Better Without You" and "Wasted On You" from the 2021 album "The Bitter Truth". Issue #1 highlights tales written by Carrie Lee South and Blake Northcott (Arena Mode saga, DC's Catwoman) and illustrations from Abigail Larson and Kelly McKernan. Fans can now purchase the limited edition second printing of Echoes From The Void #1, featuring a variant cover by Kelly McKernan, on Incendium's site. Upcoming issues in the anthology series will explore additional song themes from "The Bitter Truth" and revisit iconic material from throughout the band's career, with short stories created by an all-star line up of writers and artists, with additional details to be announced soon.

Sweet has created a highly-scalable NFT platform that enables IP holders and brand partners such as the New York Knicks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Dave & Buster's to deploy integrated and gamified NFT solutions through interactive consumer experiences and branded marketplaces. Sweet's user-friendly NFT wallet takes the crypto-complexities out of buying, collecting, and trading digital collectibles. Its blockchain agnostic platform allows Sweet's enterprise clients to create holistic, long-term NFT strategies that attract both crypto enthusiasts, as well as everyday fans. Sweet has chosen to launch the first stage of EVANESCENCE's NFT experience on the Polygon blockchain, an interoperable scaling solution for Ethereum that consumes a fraction of the electricity of other blockchains while handling large volumes of tokens. Polygon follows Proof of Stake methodology to leverage transaction speeds and to be eco-conscious. To learn more, visit sweet.io.

"We are very excited to partner with the innovative thinkers at Incendium on this first rollout with EVANESCENCE. The creative designs of these NFTs are exceptional and offer EVANESCENCE fans and collectors alike the opportunity to own verifiably unique and authentic digital works inspired by the Echoes From The Void graphic anthology series," said Tom Mizzone, Sweet's CEO.

This marks Incendium's first venture into the world of NFTs, with plans to do additional digital collectibles on a monthly basis that are inspired by other stories in their Opus line of music-focused comic books. Other high-profile projects under Opus include DISTURBED's Dark Messiah comic book series, Joe Satriani's Crystal Planet series, BLACK VEIL BRIDES' The Phantom Tomorrow series, EXODUS's Tales Of The Damned series, CRADLE OF FILTH's Maledictus Athenaeum series, HELLOWEEN's Seekers Of The Seven Keys series, and more. Incendium is also releasing collectible action figures for purchase that represent iconic characters from the musical lore of each band and from the comic book storylines from each series.

Canadian tech death masters, Archspire, will release their new full-length album, Bleed The Future, on October 29 via Season Of Mist. The official video for the album opener, "Drone Corpse Aviator", can be seen below.


Bleed The Future is available for pre-order here.





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Tracklisting:


"Drone Corpse Aviator"
"Golden Mouth Of Ruin"
"Abandon The Linear"
"Bleed The Future"
"Drain Of Incarnation"
"Acrid Canon"
"Reverie On The Onyx"
"A.U.M."


"Drone Corpse Aviator" video:

Finnish Helsinki-based blackened death metal band Gomorran is set to release their debut record, Excerpts From The Dark Age, on December 3rd via Inverse Records. The first single, "Sermon", is released today along with an official video. Check it out below.

 
Vocalist/guitarist Perttu Laamanen comments: "'Sermon' is a heathen ritual where demons of the verses lay waste to everything. A chorus that burns in purgatory is enforced with fast and satanic interludes. At the final moments of the ritual the listener is pulled to the dreary and hopeless depths of hell. The enchanting infernal damnation of the final beats keeps fascinating on every listen." 

Pre-save Excerpts From The Dark Age on Spotify here. 

Gomorran was formed in Helsinki in the Fall of 2019, when Olli Lappalainen’s hiatus from playing drums came to an end. There was a burning desire to form a new band and get back to producing metal music. Guitarist Joonatan Wiitasalo ended his own hiatus and joined to release his heavy music creativity. In the following months many new song ideas came to light.

Even though the composing was proceeding strong, the band desperately lacked members. By the end of summer 2020 the band was joined by an ambassador of evil soundwaves, singer guitarist Perttu Laamanen. Perttu gave a huge boost to the composing of new material. Song structures and ideas formed into complete songs and Gomorran started to plan on producing its debut record. In the beginning of 2021, right before the recordings of Excerpts from the Dark Age, bassist Panu Nykänen joined to amplify the lower frequencies.

When Olli and Joonatan wanted to compose merciless ass-kicking music, inspired by Ajattara and Cannibal Corpse, Gomorran’s first song Black Plague was born in the spring of 2020. The song was held as a beacon to the direction the band should musically strive forward to. Gomorr

At the conclusion of its headlining set at this past Saturday's (September 25) Knotfest Iowa, SLIPKNOT paid tribute to two of its founding members, Joey Jordison and Paul Gray, both of whom are no longer with us.

After performing the song "Surfacing", a song written by Gray, Jordison and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor, pictures of Joey and Paul emerged on the large video screens on the stage along with the numbers each one of them was assigned at the band's formation as well as their birth and death years. Fan-filmed video footage of the tribute can be seen below.

Jordinson died "peacefully in his sleep" on July 26 of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

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

Jordison and the members of SLIPKNOT had been silent and evasive about the reasons for his dismissal from the band, but Joey finally spoke about it in 2016 while accepting an award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in London, England.

At the time, Joey claimed that he was fired from SLIPKNOT without a band meeting or "anything from management." He said: "All I got was a stupid fucking e-mail saying I was out of the band that I busted my ass my whole life to fucking create. That's exactly what happened and it was hurtful. I didn't deserve that shit after what I'd done and everything I'd been through.

"They got confused about my health issues and obviously even I didn't know what it was at first," he continued. "They thought I was fucked up on drugs, which I wasn't at all.

"I've been through so many things with those guys and I love them very much. What's hurtful is the way it went down was not fucking right. That's all I want to say. The way they did it was fucking cowardly. It was fucked up."

Back in 2014, Taylor told Metal Hammer that firing Jordison after 18 years was "one of the hardest decisions" the group ever made, adding that Joey is "in a place in his life" which is "not where we are."

Gray was found dead on May 24, 2010 after overdosing on drugs in a hotel room in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, where he and SLIPKNOT were based. His family blamed the death on a Des Moines pain doctor, Daniel Baldi, who had treated Gray for years, and sued the doctor and his former employers.

Paul's wife, Brenna Gray, testified during Baldi's trial that she tried reaching out to some of Paul's bandmates in SLIPKNOT just days prior to the bassist's death but that none of them wanted to get involved. She revealed, "One was playing golf two minutes away from our house but couldn't come. Nobody else cared, nobody was involved. They told me it was my problem."

Brenna said in a 2011 interview with Revolver that her husband had agreed to get help for his drug problem just one day before he died.

After a lengthy hiatus, SLIPKNOT resumed touring in 2011, with Donnie Steele playing bass live. The band in 2014 secured the services of British musician Alessandro "Vman" Venturella to play bass on tour.

Paul was 38 years old at the time of his death.

BraveWords is premiering the music video for Boston-based heavy rockers Mammothor's new single, “Take The World”, from their latest full-length album, The Silence Of Ecstasy... The Agony Of Dreams, available now in CD format through retailer Bull Moose here and later, on all major streaming platforms.





Mammothor spent most of last year recording and writing new material, entering The Halo Studioin Windham, ME to record with Kevin Billingslea (Lamb of God) and Chillhouse Studios in Charlestown, MA with Will Holland (Fall Out Boy). The new material has been mixed and mastered by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), at Planet Z in Hadley, MA.


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"Take The World" is the second single to be launched worldwide with new members Euz Azevedo (from Boston’s own Das Muerte) on drums, and Alex Muss (from Minsk-based Slaves of Insanity) on guitar alongside members Josh Johnson (guitar), Lori Gangi (bass) and Travis Lowell (vocals).


Written by Johnson and Lowell, "Take The Wor

With governments finally admitting that UFOs do in fact exist, and humanity attempting to heal from a state of the recent crisis, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate for the newest addition to the Hypocrisy catalog: Worship.  Nuclear Blast Records.


Today, the band releases the music video for the second single, "Dead World". Watch the video, directed by Andrey Kezzyn and Cooldown Production, below.


Peter Tägtgren comments, "'Dead World' is a song that Sebastian wrote for our father/son project that never saw the light of day. When he started playing the song, I felt that the world needs to hear this crushing song asap as the groove and tempo blew my mind. The video idea came from our director Andrey Kezzyn and it's similar to my point of view of what’s about to come of the world. Maybe not literally, but who knows. Enjoy!"


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It has been 8 long years since the last record, and Hypocrisy fans can feel the itch. Worship is 11 tracks of precise, ferocious musicianship. Commonly inspired by the fusion of the modern and the ancient, Hypocrisy has once more found a way to combine innovative ideas with classic sound in order to deliver something metalheads can enjoyably consume with awe and brutal vigor. As usual, all recording and mixing took place at Tägtgren’s Abyss Studio AB in Sweden while mastering was completed by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers Audio Mastering. Designed by artist Blake Armstrong (Kataklysm, In Flames, Carnifex, etc.), Worship’s artwork speaks to the history of the relationship between humanity and extraterrestrials.





Worship will be released on November 26 via Nuclear Blast Records. Worship will be available in the following formats:


- CD Jewel
- LP
 * Crystal Clear W/ Silver & Black Splatter (Exclusive to USA) (Limited to 600)
 * Blue/White Marbled (Exclusive to USA) (Limited to 500)
 * Transparent Blue/Black/White Marbled (Limited to 600)
 * Transparent Violet/Black Marbled (Limited to 400)
 * Black
 * Purple (Exclusive to Europe) (Limited to 100)
 * Crystal Clear (Exclusive to Europe) (Limited to 100)
- Purple Tint Cassette (Limited to 250)
- Box Set (Limited to 900)
 * Light Blue W/ Black S

KK'S PRIEST, the new band featuring former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE), has released the official music video for the nine-minute song "Return Of The Sentinel". With references to the sci-fi greats, the lyric video looks like a combination of the best elements of each of them.

Downing states: "The 'Return Of The Sentinel' song and video defines the whole sound and image of the evolution of true and classic metal… Metal that is such an important part of all of us that have been on this wonderful journey together."

"Return Of The Sentinel" is taken from KK'S PRIEST's debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", which is being released today (Friday, October 1) via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

"Return Of The Sentinel" is a bold choice to close the album. Not only is it a sequel to the classic track from JUDAS PRIEST's 1984's platinum-selling "Defenders Of The Faith" album, it's an epic that doesn't play by the rules. The first half is stirring metal, and the latter half is somber and subdued, which reflects the tale of a being who, once a dispenser of justice and death, now faces his own mortality.

The album cover features a mysterious figure robed in a monk's habit, whom Downing slyly states may or may not be him, holding a book of sermons. He says the "sinner" in the title refers to his famous solo in that classic song of the same name and also reflects his sense of alienation from the groundbreaking group that he helped create. "The whole concept is the fact that I continue proudly to be who I am and what I am and do what I do," declares Downing. "It's been nearly 10 years. I'm back making music."

And his disciples are ready to receive his sermons. He's brought a former bandmate along for the ride, and they have unleashed an album with a modern sound that hearkens back to what fans have always loved about Downing and his music and which still sounds fresh. "All of my life, people always wanted an album that we've made in the past," muses Downing. "'What's the new album like? Will it be anything like 'British Steel'? Will it be anything like 'Sad Wings'?' People hoping you're going to make a record that you've already made. So in a way this record just sounds like something that has already been made or should have been be made. It does have a lot of things that are connected to the past. For example, 'Brothers Of The Road'. If you take all the lyrics off and just listen to the music, maybe you could be listening to 'You've Got Another Thing Comin''."

After years of quietly enjoying life away from the rigors of the road and intense studio recording, Downing emerged again on stage in August 2019. From there, the conversation led to Downing performing a few songs with Ross The Boss at Bloodstock Open Air. The performance electrified the crowd and reinvigorated Downing. In November of that year, he put on a show in Wolverhampton, U.K. with Owens, Binks, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and HOSTILE guitarist A.J. Mills. Downing had produced two albums for the latter band. Spanning JUDAS PRIEST's catalog, this superb and successful show sent shockwaves throughout the metal world: K.K. was back and the fans were clearly hungry for more.

Rather than simply rely on his past successes and go on the road performing classic JUDAS PRIEST songs, the renowned guitarist did what he has always done — make new music. And songs that fans would want to hear and sing along to in concert. Downing assembled Owens, Mills, Newton and Elg to create "Sermons Of The Sinner", an album that celebrates his classic metal roots and encourages us to cherish those iconic pioneers whom we still have with us. He jokes that KK'S PRIEST is "like a new old band. Or an old new band."

"The ultimate message is we've moved away from this music that we loved for so long and we're so dedicated to, and now we're in a situation where lots of people are actually passing away," explains Downing. "We've lost a lot of great people — [Ronnie James] Dio, Lemmy, I could go on — and that's gonna be accelerated over the coming years. Basically, enjoy everything that's left of this brand of metal including from me. It's not going to last forever."

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. (Can you pick them out?) After partnering with Explorer1 Music Group, the album was originally intended for release a year ago, but with the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing everyone's release and touring plans, Downing pulled back and spent two more months tweaking the album to how he wanted it. The extra time paid off.

High-speed album opener "Hellfire Thunderbolt" offers a fictitious take on how metal arrived before the masses were ready for it, so it gestated in the late '60s before exploding in the '70s and '80s. Rousing rockers like "Raise Your Fists" and "Wild And Free" revel in the passion and excess that metal fans embrace. The guitar interplay is intense and inspiring, and the band is firing on all cylinders.

Downing is hoping to reach as many headbangers as he can worldwide — from Europe to North and South America. "Sermons Of The Sinner" is a love letter to the music he helped create and evolve and to the devoted followers who have supported it. "I'm talking about the diehard fans that are not going anywhere," says Downing. "They're not certainly going to jump on a different genre of music just because a lot of their heroes are unfortunately passing away. And that sentiment is in this album where we said in the title track, 'time is running out for us, things may never be the same, but the sermons of the sinner center can help us rise again.' Because you never know when the last gig is going to be the last gig, so to speak. I'm pretty optimistic. I'm working on material for the second album."

"Sermons Of The Sinner" track listing:

01. Incarnation

02. Hellfire Thunderbolt

03. Sermons Of The Sinner

04. Sacerdote Y Diablo

05. Raise Your Fists

06. Brothers Of The Road

07. Metal Through And Through

08. Wild And Free

09. Hail For The Priest

10. Return Of The Sentinel

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

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

SIXX:A.M., the long-running project featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael, has unveiled its new single "The First 21" from its upcoming compilation album "Hits", due on October 22 via Better Noise Music. The album is a retrospective celebration of SIXX:A.M.'s biggest hits and fan-favorite songs, that will also include five unheard tracks and mixes, marking the band's first official album with new material since 2016.

As the new companion track of Sixx's new memoir by the same name, "The First 21" looks back nostalgically at the moments where we discovered music, ourselves and our dreams. An official lyric video for the song also premiered today, featuring exclusive unseen childhood footage following Frank Feranna's journey to becoming Nikki Sixx. The video was directed by artist Lucy Dyson, who has handled creative visuals for Paul McCartney, Beyonce, Paul Smith and many more.

Inspired by the release of Sixx's "The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx", SIXX:A.M. members Michael, Ashba and Sixx are making "Hits" available as a companion piece to the upcoming book. With a throwback to the band’s more formative years, "The First 21" captures the captivating content of the memoir for fans.

Now in his 21st year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll. He is globally recognized for his work with people in recovery and has been passionately vocal about the disastrous social effects of the opioid crisis in the USA and worldwide. In the memoir, Sixx, already a three-time New York Times best-selling author, tells the inspirational story of his first 21 years, how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. The book fills in the earlier parts of Sixx's fascinating true-life story, which fans have partly come to know through MÖTLEY CRÜE's widely celebrated collaborative autobiography "The Dirt" which was most recently adapted into a hit biopic by Netflix in 2019. "The First 21" also continues Sixx's tradition of setting the soundtrack to his own life, combining his work as a writer and a musician to offer multi-layered pieces of art.

In 2007, SIXX:A.M. released "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack", which acts as a companion piece to Sixx's best-selling memoir "The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star", released the same year, introducing the concept of a book soundtrack into popular culture. Both the book and the album were successes upon release, with the book instantly becoming a New York Times best seller in its first week, selling out in bookstores around the U.S. The album spawned the No. 1 single "Life Is Beautiful", while simultaneously receiving critical acclaim and eventually achieving gold certification in the U.S.

"Hits" track listing:

01. Life Is Beautiful (3:35)

02. This Is Gonna Hurt (3:56)

03. Lies Of The Beautiful People (3:58)

04. Pray For Me (4:13)

05. Rise (3:53)

06. Stars (3:50)

07. Maybe It's Time (4:21)

08. Skin (3:25)

09. Belly Of The Beast (3:47)

10. Are You With Me Now (4:02)

11. Girl With Golden Eyes (4:20)

12. Accidents Can Happen (4:07)

13. Gotta Get It Right (3:12)

14. We Will Not Go Quietly (4:20)

New bonus tracks:

15. The First 21 (3:20)

16. Talk To Me - Radio Mix (3:39)

17. Penetrate (4:38)

18. Waiting All My Life (3:17)

19. Skin - Rock Mix (3:50)

20. Life Is Beautiful - Piano Vocal (3:06)

Sixx recently teamed up with Rob Zombie, John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON) and Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH, ROB ZOMBIE) in a new project called L.A. RATS. The quartet came together expressly to record a cover of "I've Been Everywhere" for the soundtrack to the movie "The Ice Road". "I've Been Everywhere" is a song written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, and made popular by Lucky Starr in 1962.

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

"Rainbow Veins", a new song from Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's seventh, self-titled studio album, which will arrive on November 5.

"Bullet For My Valentine" follows the success of the band's last album, 2018's "Gravity", which saw the metal juggernauts' catalog surpass one billion streams in the U.S. That accomplishment solidifies BULLET's hard-earned status as one of the most elite bands in the hard rock scene.

On the last cycle, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE played its biggest shows to date, including a U.K. arena tour and a massive show at London's Alexandra Palace. But this time around, the band has taken things back to basics. "Bullet For My Valentine" is stacked with squealing solos and monstrous riffs that will delight fans — both new and old.

"I think it's the most ferocious side of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE that I've ever known," says lead guitarist Michael "Padge" Paget. "It's time for us to put out a really angry, heavy, aggressive record. I just can't wait to grimace on stage!"

"I wanted to come out guns blazing, fucking middle fingers flying, and just go for the throat," agrees guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck. "I think this is a far more aggressive, intense part of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. It's always been there. I've just never opened the floodgates on it. I want to take people's heads off in a metaphorical way.

"This is the beginning of BULLET 2.0. It signifies where we are right now. The music is fresh, it's aggressive, it's more visceral and passionate than it's ever been."

Tuck began writing the album in September 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic brought things screeching to a halt in early 2020. But in June 2020, Tuck and longtime producer, Carl Bown, who co-produced the band's 2015 album, "Venom", and produced and mixed "Gravity", picked up the pace again. Together, they hunkered down at Treehouse Studio in Chesterfield, where the remainder of the album was written.

"Bullet For My Valentine" track listing:

01. Parasite

02. Knives

03. My Reverie

04. No Happy Ever After

05. Can't Escape The Waves

06. Bastards

07. Rainbow Veins

08. Shatter

09. Paralysed

10. Death By a Thousand Cuts

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE is:

Matt Tuck - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Michael "Padge" Paget - Lead Guitar

Jamie Mathias - Bass

Jason Bowld - Drums

Acclaimed British rock group ASKING ALEXANDRIA has released the official music video for the song "Never Gonna Learn". The track is taken from the band's latest full-length studio album, "See What's On The Inside", which arrives today (Friday, October 1) via Better Noise Music.

Asked what inspired the whistling on "Never Gonna Learn", ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce told Billboard: "Because of COVID-19, there was a lot of initial writing ideas that were bringing sparks between me and the producer much like this by Zoom and FaceTime calls. We did most of the music [for the song] in a session, and we were, like, 'Okay, I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed. We'll reconvene tomorrow.' I got in bed, and I was listening to it over and over again. I just was like, 'Man, all I want to do is whistle over this. I just want to whistle over it.' I made a mental note to see what Matt [Good], our producer, thinks tomorrow. The next day comes around, and I go in for a virtual writing session. And I'm, like, 'How's it going, man? Are you ready?' He was, like, 'I've actually been at the studio for two hours already.' I said, 'Oh, sorry, am I late?' And he was, like, 'No, no, no, I just had an idea I had to get out. Now, you got to hear me out. I know it's weird, but just give it a listen.' And he'd gone into the studio early and whistled over the song. We hadn't talked about it. So it's one of those things where it just had to be there. The song asked for it. It's like [GUNS N' ROSES'] 'Patience'. If 'Patience' didn't have that whistle, it wouldn't be 'Patience'. I like it. It is kind of corny, and it is kind of weird."

In the early months of 2021, all five members of ASKING ALEXANDRIA found themselves hunkered down in a house in Franklin, Tennessee to write and record their new album. It was the first time in over a decade that all were together in the same studio. Armed with a new sense of dedication to themselves and to their fans, they went back to their roots and pulled inspiration from some of their earliest influences and musical heroes. With time to reflect on their journey thus far they began preparing their next steps forward as a band.

Bruce previously stated about "See What's On The Inside": "This album is the result of us reconnecting and falling back in love with why we started this band in the first place. No frills or cheap tricks, just the five of us playing our instruments as hard and as loud as we can! At some point in our lives, we all feel lost and confused as to who we are and who we want to be, and I think this song will really unite all of us in that sense. We are so excited to share, not only this new song with you all, but our new album. We went back to our roots as musicians and really wanted to reignite that passion and love for rock and metal music. METALLICA, LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN, NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, AEROSMITH, AC/DC….all the greats that we fell in love with as kids have greatly influenced this new album and we couldn't be more excited!"

A series of inspired encounters between creative forces from various worlds of sound and vision has resulted in "Hunter’s Moon", the infectious first new track from Ghost since 2019’s Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic, and its phantasmagoric video directed by Amanda Demme.





The genesis of "Hunter’s Moon" can be traced back to Ghost's November 16, 2018 show at the Forum in Los Angeles. Ryan Turek, Vice President of Feature Film Development at Blumhouse Productions (Get Out, Insidious, The Purge, Us, Whiplash) would attend the sold-out show, striking up an instant rapport with Ghost's Tobias Forge - one that developed quickly and deeply via meetings, podcast appearances, and ultimately a visit with co-writer and director David Gordon Green on the North Carolina set of the upcoming Halloween Kills.


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Three years nearly to the day since that first fateful exchange, Ghost's "Hunter’s Moon" has materialized on DSPs, will play as the Halloween Kills end credits roll, and will be released January 21, 2022 as a collectible 7-inch single by Loma Vista Recordings. "Hunter’s Moon" can be streamed, purchased, and/or pre-ordered in its vinyl incarnation here. The retail version of the 7-inch will feature the special B-side, "Halloween Kills (Main Title)",  performed, produced and engineered by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies.





Volbeat recently announced their 26-date co-headlining arena tour with Ghost and special guests Twin Temple, coming to cities including Seattle, Denver, Chicago,  Houston, and Phoenix (full dates below).


Said the band: “We are so incredibly excited to get back to these cities with a Volbeat headline show, but getting to do it alongside a headline show from our goulish friends in Ghost AND bringing the incomparable Twin Temple with us? How soon will it be January already!? Start getting ready, the thunder and lightning is coming to your town in 2022.”





Tour dates:


January
25 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
27 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
28 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Arena

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have released the official Lorenzo Diego Carrera-directed music video for their new song "Teardrinker". The track is taken from MASTODON's upcoming album, "Hushed And Grim", which is due on October 29. The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" was recorded at West End Sound, which is located inside of Ember City, the rehearsal facility that members of MASTODON manage in Atlanta. Helming the effort was Grammy-winning producer/mixer/engineer David Bottrill, who has previously worked with MUSE, DREAM THEATER and TOOL, among many others.

The "Hushed And Grim" artwork was created by longtime MASTODON collaborator Paul Romano, who also designed the sleeves for "Crack The Skye", "Blood Mountain", "Leviathan" and more.

MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor stated about the "Hushed And Grim" cover: "Essentially, to be brief, [the tree] is an afterlife mythology that when you pass away, your spirit goes into the heart of a tree and then experiences all the pillars of your in successions of the seasons that the tree experiences. That is the way you're able to say goodbye to the natural world and move on to the next dimension. You can see a green man in the center of the tree — the heart of the tree — and that is our good friend and manager Nick John, who passed away, unfortunately, a couple of years ago [after a battle with pancreatic cancer]. [Nick] has a lot to do with the inspiration of the album, 'Hushed And Grim'."

"Hushed And Grim" track listing:

01. Pain With An Anchor

02. The Crux

03. Sickle And Peace

04. More Than I Could Chew

05. The Beast

06. Skeleton Of Splendor

07. Teardrinker

08. Pushing The Tides

09. Peace And Tranquility

10. Dagger

11. Had It All

12. Savage Lands

13. Gobblers Of Dregs

14. Eyes Of Serpents

15. Gigantium

The official Lorenzo Diego Carrera-directed music video for the disc's first single, "Pushing The Tides", can be seen below.

In a March 2021 interview with Talking Metal, MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher stated about working with Bottrill: "Honestly, I hadn't really heard of him before last year. We were kind of tossing around who we were gonna use for the new record. We have a couple of different producers that we like; I mean, we've liked everyone we've used in the past. But I think, with this record, we kind of were just, like, 'We might need somebody new — somebody really fresh and brand new.' And we got on the phone with David, and we had a couple of other people we had been talking to. With COVID and everything, a lot of people just weren't available or willing to come to Atlanta."

He continued: "When we got on the phone with David, he seemed like a great guy. He already had some of the demos, so he had all kinds of notes. That's what you need a producer for — someone who kind of thinks outside the box. The four of you have been playing the same songs, demoing the same songs for so long, you're kind of, like, 'Is this even good anymore? I can't really tell. Does it need something? I'm kind of lost.' It's like you can't the forest through the trees. You're, like, 'What's what? Everything's upside down.' So he came in and he was diligent. He had all kinds of notes written out. He had done his homework. And he was, like, 'For this song, I have this idea. For this song, I have these ideas.' And he kind of spouted them off to us on the phone. And I said, 'Are you willing to come to Atlanta and work with us here, sight unseen, at our studio?' And he was, like, 'As long as the studio's got the certain equipment that I need, and it's a decent-sized room and everything…' We had done a lot of other records there with other bands. And he was willing to come down."

Kelliher admitted that he initially "wasn't really into trying anything new, but the more I thought about it, I was, like, 'You know, this record is really special, and it's different, and times are different right now.'"

As it turned out, "David had a lot to do with steering the direction of a lot of the sounds and how it went, and he was a pleasure to work with," Bill said. "A couple of times a week, we talk. And he'd come over for dinner, and we'd all hang out. He's just a down-to-earth guy and very approachable."

Elaborating on Bottrill's approach in the studio, Kelliher said: "I think 90 percent of being a good producer is really having a degree in psychology, almost. 'Cause when you're dealing with fragile egos… We're band guys, we're musicians, we pour our heart and soul into a musical riff, and it really means a lot to us. It's just heartbreaking if somebody's, like, 'I don't like that riff. That riff sucks. That's not gonna be in the song.' You can't say that. You have to circumvent the obvious, like, 'Man up and get rid of that riff. Write something better.' And that was one of my first questions: 'How do you deal with if there's certain people in the band that might be more sensitive than others?' And he's, like, 'I've worked with so and so and so and so.' He's, like, 'I'm just a big fan of your band, and I just wanna make your best record that we set out to make.' And he just had a really good way with words without insulting anybody's creativeness. He was firm. And we basically tried everything. He said, 'I don't have a problem with trying anything at all. If you're gonna do it, do it with gusto and just go for it and try it. If someone [goes], 'Hey, I wanna try to sing here,' 'Hey, I wanna try to play a solo here,' hey, let's try it. Maybe it doesn't fit, but we never know until we try it. So we all just kind of [went into it] with open minds, and the result is amazing. It's the fullest-, biggest-sounding record we've done so far."

Dailor told Full Metal Jackie's syndicated radio show that he and his bandmates wrote more than two albums' worth of material in the months leading up to the recording sessions for the new LP.

MASTODON's latest rarities collection titled "Medium Rarities", was released in September 2020. The compilation includes a new song called "Fallen Torches" as well as a bevy of classic covers, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides, and live recordings on one complete package for the very first time.

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That LP was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

Last year, MASTODON wrote and recorded a new song called "Rufus Lives" for inclusion in the latest "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie.

THE LUCID, the four-piece hard rock band featuring bassist David Ellefson (ex-MEGADETH), vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE), guitarist Drew Fortier and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY), will release its self-titled debut album on October 15 via SpoilerHead Records. The LP's final cover artwork, which was created by Alex Sarabia, can be seen below.

Last week, THE LUCID released "Damned", the second single from the upcoming album, which was produced by Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert. Check it out below.

"The Lucid" track listing:

01. Maggot Wind

02. Deaths Of Despair

03. Spoiler Head

04. Hair

05. Maskronaut

06. Damned

07. Breech Boy

08. Pigs And Sons

09. Parade Of Spit

Ellefson states: "It's been a real blast making a record with these guys and I must say that it’s refreshing to explore some new musical avenues… to step out a bit from what each of us have done stylistically in our own careers. There was an effortless synergy that came with creating these songs together which is always amazing when working with new people. I'm looking forward to everyone checking it out!"

During a November 2020 appearance on "The Chuck Schute Podcast", Ellefson stated about how he got involved with THE LUCID: "Drew sent me a track and said, 'Hey, can you throw a bass on here?' And I was writing a new ELLEFSON solo record at the time, so my studio ears were on. I was plugged in and ready to go. He sent it over and I was, like, 'Yeah, this is freaking cool, man.' I'd seen Drew play, I know his BANG TANGO history and the other stuff he's done. But this was really cool stuff that spoke to me. And then he called me up and he said, 'Hey, Vinnie is gonna come in and write some vocals and lyrics and lay down some tracks.' And it turned into a thing."

"I love [Vinnie]. I love SPONGE," David continued. "He's such a rock star. He's just a cool guy. And he writes such great lyrics — very trippy lyrics. He's the type of lyricist I'd never worked with before, so it's fun with that. And Drew is a great guitar player. Mike Heller — he's good friends with [MEGADETH drummer] Dirk Verbeuren. And Dirk's, like, 'Mike's awesome.' They're good friends. We all met in L.A. We got the songs together and we all met in L.A. in mid-July. I plugged in and banged out 10 songs in two days. And it was fun. Mike was very good in the studio; he really knows his way around."

As for THE LUCID's musical direction, Ellefson said: "It's cool stuff, and it's very different. It's, obviously, not thrash metal, hence the name LUCID. [The name] kind of feels like what the music sounds like."

Ellefson and Fortier have also announced the pre-order for their award-winning found-footage horror film "Dwellers", which will be released October 12 on Blu-ray and digital streaming services and is available now in various limited edition pre-order bundles at www.dwellersfilm.com.

Ellefson and Fortier will promote the film at the following events:

* Crypticon, Minneapolis, MN - Sept. 10-12

* Dead Conventions, Fort Wayne, IN – Oct. 15-17

* Chiller Theater, Parsippany, NJ – Oct. 29-31

Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH in late May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter. A short time later, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In July, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

On May 24, Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — announced the bassist's departure from the band.

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

Photo credit: Tharasa DiMeo

DED's second full-length album, "School Of Thought", will be released on October 15 digitally via Suretone Records, with the physical release dropping on November 19.

"We are elated to release our sophomore album 'School Of Thought', as we really pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zone and that is where growth and great things can happen," shares singer Joe Cotela.

"A school of thought is the perspective of a group of people who share common characteristics of opinion or outlook of a philosophy, cultural movement, or art movement. That is what the DED Nation is. It speaks to the lyrics and the foundation of the ethos of DED's message. We cover themes of self-empowerment, mental health, darkness, anger, futility, false idols, and being the change you want to see amongst others — everything it is to be a human while navigating through this life. I think it includes a broader spectrum of our influences and where we can venture creativity and dynamically as well. We feel it and we hope everyone else does, too."

"School Of Thought" track listing:

01. Ghost

02. Kill Beautiful Things

03. Love Song

04. Eyes Sewn Shut

05. A Mannequin Idol

06. Parasite

07. Persona

08. My Blood

09. 10 Minutes Underwater

10. Half Alive

11. Lost

DED has been turning heads as one of rock's most promising newcomers since the release of its debut album "Mis-An-Thrope", which racked up more than 25 million streams and spawned two Top 20 rock hits with "Anti-Everything" and "Remember The Enemy", while "Hate Me" tallied 15 million streams across DPS.

DED is currently on tour and shaking venues from the rafters to their bedrocks with IN THIS MOMENT and BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

DED is:

Joe Cotela - Vocals

Adam Adamcik - Guitar

Kyle Koelsch - Bass

Matt Reinhard - Drums

A snippet of "Rock Your Fuckin Age", the first song from HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS, the new band featuring former STEEL PANTHER bassist Travis Haley (a.k.a. Lexxi Foxx) alongside longtime friend and television celebrity from MTV's "Pimp My Ride", Diggity Dave, can be streamed below.

After performing for over two decades with his former band, Haley had amicably decided to move on and do something a little different in the space of music and bass playing alike.

Diggity Dave explains: "It's not like he ever thought he wasn't challenged by the copious amount of talent that resided within STEEL PANTHER; it's just that he wanted to explore different kinds of music and was intrigued by some of the music I was sending him."

Diggity Dave has been doing television since the early 2000s but came from the world of music. Diggity was signed to Warner Brothers Records in the mid-1990s with a band he fronted named SHAKE THE FAITH which featured Tommy Thayer (KISS) on guitar, Brian Jennings on guitar (who went on to play with TVT recording artists CLOSURE) and drummer Danny Parker (who went on to co-found Warner Brothers recording artist BEAUTIFUL CREATURES). After a decade of being on MTV, Diggity went on to star in countless other TV shows, including "Battleground Earth" with longtime friend Tommy Lee (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and famed rapper Ludacris.

Travis, Diggity, Brian, Danny and their female singer 7even (Kris Aragon) have known one another for 20 years before collaborating on this magnipotent, musical, mishmash.

Travis says: "I am very proud of what I've accomplished with my other band. Nothing can take away the memories and the camaraderie that existed for all those years, but I just felt it was time for something new. When I heard this music, I knew this was the group of friends and the music I wanted to collaborate on."

Because Diggity, Brian and Danny had all played in a previous band together and had been best of friends with Haley for more than half their lives, the opportunity to form a new band was simply too compelling not to do so. Diggity confesses that the challenge was what kind of music they would construct. "Once we figured it out, we then set out to find the missing pieces that would propel the sonic and sound needed to round out this parade of hooligans," he says. "We knew we were in need of two types of talent. A rapper extraordinaire that could dismantle any genre of music and reconstruct it into his own image, and a female singer that could terrorize through the throat but tingle the testicles. We managed to find the perfect purveyors of punched out panic."

HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS has enlisted a rapper named Hype (a.k.a. H.M.K.) who is a phenom in the world of not just rap but also as a vocalist. Hype, who just released a single titled "Money & Power", was already a bullet on the rise in the musical scene when he was brought into the fold with HGNM. Hype says: "I knew this was a great opportunity to represent legends past and present from all genres of music, while also transforming music for a new generation. It was a no-brainer to team up with these rockstars and 'Define My Hype' to the world."

Rounding it out was a female singer who goes by the name 7even (also known as Kris Aragon). Travis says 7even was vital for the overall sound of the band because the music demanded not just a female presence, but a female who could occupy a musical space that was jumping from pop, punk, rock, rap, and country.

HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS' music is what some might call "mashup" but they get agitated when people throw them in that category. HGNM is a new hybrid of musical forms, one that has not been explored, but is sure to ignite a million copy bands once they "blow up the area" and introduce the world to "smashup" music. The band explains it as a blender of styles, sounds, artists, genres, and attitudes.

Travis says: "This generation, the one before it, and the one that's following are ripe for a band like us. It's about losing yourself in the music, about dancing, about feeling alive. That's why the DJ scene has conquered music — because people wanna go to a show and identify and recognize the songs they're ingesting. They just wanna be enveloped in the music they know, their friends know, and hell… even their parents know."

Diggity closes by saying: "We are not a cover band. This is original stuff we're creating, and it's a living, breathing history of music. We equate it to what DJs are doing, but in the form of a full band smashing together the songs every generation has grown up with. What other band is mixing the '70s band CHIC with QUEEN, AEROSMITH, SUGARHILL GANG, BLONDIE and DMX? And that's just one song by us. Also, kids wanna see rock stars again… larger-than-life entities on stage that mirror the atmosphere. Think of us as a bigass American jukebox… where all the records in it have melted together… except when you press B5…you get that plus B6, B7, B8 and the track you thought you knew is now a stitched-up Frankenstein jam that makes you shake your ass harder than ever."
























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AC/DC's music video for the song "Through The Mists Of Time" can be seen below. The clip is a rock and roll museum tour through an exhibition of the band's incredible history. Based on a concept by guitarist Angus Young, director Najeeb Tarazi and creative director Josh Cheuse used footage shot by Clemens Habicht of each of the five bandmembers in five separate shoots around the world. They then enlisted Mathematic, a Paris-based visual effects studio, to combine all the elements so the band could take the stage together to perform the fan favorite from "Power Up", almost one year to the day that the highly anticipated album was announced.

"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 on 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

"Power Up" is a tribute to founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up", along with his brother Angus.

Johnson discussed "Through The Mists Of Time", which has been described in one review as "the closest thing we'll get to AC/DC reflecting on the ever-present face of old father time," in a November 2020 interview with Radio X. He said: "The riff for 'Through The Mists Of Time' came out, and Angus wrote the lyrics for that song, and I believe he captured everything — about the early days when the band started, when rock and roll was just carefree, when nobody gave a flying thought about anything except just having a good time and playing. And all this lovely innocence was gone. And I think [the lyrics] encapsulated [the sentiment]. To tell you the truth, every time I hear it, I still get a goosebump, and it's a tribute to Malcolm: 'Through The Mists Of Time'. And it's different. I don't know if it's different from anything we've done before, but it certainly stands apart."

"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. 1.

Angus told Rolling Stone about AC/DC's continued collaboration with O'Brien: "What I like about Brendan is that he keeps you working when you're doing a project with him. He's talented himself. He knows his bass and his guitar and a bit of drums. And piano. He covers the spectrum for what we can do musically. It's very good because you’re working with a musician, since he can apply that musical knowledge."

Although AC/DC originally planned on releasing "Power Up" in early 2020, the pandemic forced the band to reconsider.

"We were hoping to get the album out before all this happened," Angus said. "They were getting ideas together for packaging and video promo things. And then that virus thing came along. It kind of put everyone on hold."

Following Lex Amentiae, released in 2017, Norway’s Order are releasing their brand new and second full-length album The Gospel out digitally on October 1 and physically on October 29 via Listenable Records. New video for “It Burns” is streaming below.


Order was founded in 2013 by Anders Odden, Rene Jansen, Kjetil Manheim and Billy Messiah. The four being respectively responsible for early-stage Norwegian death metal (Cadaver) and the origin of the Norwegian Black metal (Mayhem).  In 2014, Jansen sadly passed away, leaving the project unrealized. The remaining members decided to move forward despite the setback. In 2015 Stu Manx (f. Gluecifer) joined the band and set the band back on its quest to make unpolished raw black metal anno the 21st century. 


Drummer, lyricist Kjetil Manheim comments:


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"'It Burns' is about how we have different states of mind through life. When we are at the peak of mount serenity we are in harmony and all is well, we see no end to the feeling of contentment. Over time we build our own reality based on experiences and life itself and things are getting to us. We fail, we suffer, we do not achieve. Angst is building up as we observe and try to interpret people around us. When the anxiety hits it overwhelms us. We stand in a field where there is no escape. The pain grips us from within, like a slow and persistent fire that burns our existence. You have to find your way to endure the walk of life, there's no way around. In the video we try to illustrate this inner struggle by showing the contrast between how the female character looks on the surface and how s

Motörhead have released the new video below, stating: "Here’s another video from the vault that’s been given the HD upscale treatment. ‘Life’s A Bitch’ from Inferno! Who remembers this clip?"





Recently released 4K HD upgraded videos for "Brave New World" and "Whorehouse Blues" can be seen below:


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






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


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


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





Deluxe 4LP Vinyl tracklisting:


Side A:


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


Side B:


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


Side C:


"Love for Sale"
"Killed by Death"
"I'm so Bad (Baby I Don't Care)"
"Smiling Like a Killer"
"Sharpshooter"


Side D:


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


Side E:


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


Side F:


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


Side G:


"God Save the Queen"
"

Legendary grindcore death metal band, Lock Up, are gearing up to release their new album, The Dregs Of Hades, out in various formats via Listenable Records on November 29. Pre-order here, and watch a video for the single, "Dark Force Of Conviction", below.


Recorded in various parts of the world and mixed by Seba Puente at Audiocustom Studio in Santiago, Chile, the album features the dual vomit storms of Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth) and the returning Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates, Disfear). Joining the band on skin battery is Adam Jarvis (Misery Index, Pig Destroyer), with grind mammoth Shane Embury (Napalm Death) handling the low-end terror and Anton Reisenegger (Brujeria, Pentagram Chile) providing the rusted six-string riff assault. The visual insanity is the work of Chariot of Black Moth.

In a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing spoke about the band's never-released collaboration with S/A/W, the English songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, well known for their U.K. pop hits with BANANARAMA, Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue.

At the start of 1988, JUDAS PRIEST and S/A/W spent four days in a studio in Paris, France and recorded three tracks, a cover version of "You Are Everything" by THE STYLISTICS, and two songs penned by S/A/W ("Runaround" and "I Will Return"). The PRIEST members later indicated that the sessions were nothing more than an experiment that was never intended to see the light of day.

Asked by Paltrowitz if he was one of the PRIEST members who voted against having the material released, Downing said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was one of those things. Basically, our manager was friends with Pete Waterman; they'd been friends for years. And I think Pete flew over to Denmark when we were recording over there; I think it was the 'Ram It Down' album, if I remember rightly. But we met with Pete, and Pete is a great guy. The whole team was very, very talented. And they just suggested we fly to Paris and spend a couple of days there and lay a couple of tracks down, and that's what we did. And so we met up with the guys. Their pre-preparation was absolutely wonderful and they made everything very easy for us. And we put down three tracks.

"It was essentially myself and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist], I think, really, that said that we shouldn't release the tracks," he explained. "As much as we liked them and they sounded great — they were all very professional — it just wasn't right for us. And we stood by that decision. And today, I personally think it was the right decision, for sure. But no one — our manager or Pete or Stock and Aitken — none of them ever said anything to us about it. It was our decision, and they were very cool with it. And that was it. It just went by. So, there you go."

Back in 2015, a snippet of PRIEST's version of "You Are Everything" surfaced on YouTube. You can check it out below.

Regarding PRIEST's cover of "You Are Everything", Tipton told Guitar magazine in a 1989 interview: "I don't know whether it will ever be released. I can tell you I'm pretty sure it will never be on a JUDAS PRIEST album."

Downing previously told Guitar about the group's collaboration with S/A/W: "Stock, Aitken and Waterman are very popular producers in England, producing quite a lot of hit songs by people like Rick Astley and BANANARAMA. We did a little work with them for experimental reasons. It was great to work with them because they are very professional and very good producers.'

He continued: "Everybody is very naive and think that just because they produce these pop hit artists that's all they can do. In actual fact, they can do a lot more that than."

Downing went on to say: "We had a bit of spare time and cash and we got together and had many long hours of table tennis. And we did a couple of songs. We [also] did 'Johnny B Goode'. We were asked to possibly do 'Reckless' for the original 'Top Gun', which we missed out on because we didn't want to take anything off the 'Turbo' album. We thought this would be a good opportunity to go in and do some stuff for future movies. It was purely experimental and fun."

Singer Rob Halford told the New York Post that he'd "love to release [the songs], but there's a different consensus within the band. Our rendition of 'You Are Everything' is just beautiful. It's an '80s megarock ballad, with big drums, big vocals, sweeping strings. People are a lot more open-minded now, whereas in those days it could have created a bit of push-back, maybe even some damage to our reputation."

"We signed a piece of paper that says when we're all dead, they can release them," Halford joked to The Aquarian. "I personally love those songs. They're fucking great. We've never been afraid to try everything. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. And the exercise of those songs totally worked, but they were completely wrong for us, if that makes sense. In the manner of the adventure of going to Paris for three days. … I'm totally responsible for that because I just said to Glenn one day, 'What you think about this deal?' 'Let's do it.' We never shut each other down. Even the most ridiculous things sometimes are ridiculous, but you don't know until you carry the exercise. That's what we did. We went over there and had a blast."

Tipton told Super Channel 88 in 1988: "We went in [with Stock, Aitken and Waterman], we did four days in Paris, we got four days in between Christmas and going back into the studio. It was a mutual thing, an experiment to just see what would come of it. We weren't chasing hit singles; we'd actually finished our album anyway and we had only got mixes left to do."

He continued: "I think what a lot of people don't realize about them is there's far more to them than 'hit' producers. I mean, Mike Stock's a great guitar player and we work really well together.

"The tracks we came up with were very interesting. I don't suppose they'll ever be on a JUDAS PRIEST album, but we've been approached a lot recently to do film soundtracks and things, so maybe they'll be used for that. Who knows? But were really pleased with them. We've never been scared to experiment, so..."

Tipton added: "What I think people thought, you know, it was bizarre because we were surprised at the sudden, almost like a backlash. People thought it was going to be like 'JUDAS BANANARAMA PRIEST' or something, God forbid we should ever do that — we wouldn't compromise the band in anything of that nature. But as it's turned out, we've got a fantastic heavy ballad and we've got two real good rock tracks; but we've got too much material for 'Ram It Down'..."

Halford added in a 1988 interview with Tele 5 Hard 'N' Heavy: "[The tracks are] mixed and they're hidden away in a vault in our office in London, and some day, at some point, people will hear them — it's just getting the timing right. We didn't put them on 'Ram It Down', because we had all the material already written anyway, so there wasn't any real need to include them, but I think a lot of people were worried you know. They think, 'Oh god, JUDAS PRIEST is going to sound like Rick Astley or BANANARAMA!' and we go, 'No! No! No! It's not going to be like that!'

"We would never jeopardize our career. We know what JUDAS PRIEST means to ourselves and we know what JUDAS PRIEST means to the fans around the world, so we'd never compromise ourselves — we'd never do anything less than what people expect from us. So they're three very powerful songs, you know, so maybe you'll hear them in 1990 or the year 2000, I don't know. We would like people to hear them, because I think people are very curious about what's happening and we had a fantastic time with them..."

Former DARK TRANQUILLITY bassist Anders Iwers says that the decision to leave the band was both "easy" and "very hard."

Last month, it was announced that Iwers and drummer Anders Jivarp were exiting DARK TRANQUILLITY.

Iwers joined DARK TRANQUILLITY in 2016 and played on the group's last two albums, 2016's "Atoma" and 2020's "Moment". Jivarp is an original member of DARK TRANQUILLITY, having played on all of the band's releases to date.

On Monday (September 20), Iwers took to his Facebook page to write: "Hello friends. I took some time off from social media after my decision to leave the band was made public. In light of recent social media activities I think I may need to address this matter a little.

"I was not fired from DT. I quit before the summer, but we decided to wait a bit until we posted it officially.

"My decision to leave DARK TRANQUILLITY after six years was not made in haste, or in affect.

These last 18 months or so during the pandemic was rather hard for me, on many levels, and it made me think and reflect really hard on my place in life, and who I really am. I came to the conclusion that who I am is not decided by how many people I get to play in front of. And it is not decided by what or with who I play.

"I will always play. Music is not a choice for me.

"I have known and loved the DT-guys for over 30 years and they are family to me. Yes, we had our differences, musically and personally. Doesn't matter, people are different. I consider them brothers in all but blood. This of course includes Anders Jivarp, who was still in the band when I left. Most of our crew I have known for over ten years. Also family who I would take a bullet for.

"To make it very easy to understand, I was done. In my soul, I did not have the urge anymore. Seeing the touring plans made me realize that I don't want to be away from my family for that long anymore. So when that became clear to me, the decision was easy. And very hard. But inside, I know I made the right call. Though I don't regret a single moment spent with DT.

"I will continue to support them. Always."

Jivarp and Iwers will be replaced on DARK TRANQUILLITY's upcoming tour by Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (IN MOURNING, WOLVES WITHIN) and Christian Jansson (GRAND CADAVER, PAGANDOM), respectively.

DARK TRANQUILLITY frontman Mikael Stanne shared the news of Jivarp and Iwers's departures in a statement on social media on August 13. He wrote: "Times have truly changed.

"This last year and a half has been challenging to say the least, and we've all had time to think over our decisions and motivations in all aspects of life. When removed from what you take for granted, it becomes clear that you realize what is truly important in life. And this is different for everybody.

"Anders Jivarp and Anders Iwers have decided to move on to other things and not be a part of the band anymore.

"These are two of the most amazing, loyal and dedicated friends and musicians you could ever find and as sad as we are seeing them go, we know that if passion leads you elsewhere you should follow it.

"Anders Jivarp has of course been there from the very beginning, being instrumental in creating the sound that eventually became our own. His songs are some of our most beloved and with the exception of one insane evening in Istanbul 20 years ago he has played every single show since the band's inception. We're excited to hear what will come out of Anders' future musical projects.

"Anders Iwers has been with us for the last six years but since we have known each other from the very early days of the band it felt like he had always been there. He played on our two latest records, not to mention being an integral part of our live shows.

"We love you guys so much and we wish you the absolute best in everything that you do."

Released in November 2020, "Moment" was recorded at Nacksving Studios and Rogue Music by Martin Brändström and then mixed/mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.


Hello friends.

I took some time off from social media after my decision to leave the band was made public.

In light of...

Posted by Anders Iwers Official. on Monday, September 20, 2021

On September 24th, Germany's WDR network released a new Rockpalast documentary, Doro - The Queen Of Metal.


The documentary features metal icon Doro Pesch and looks back on her 40 year career. She is proof that it is possible to escape predetermined life lines and to live a dream that is a role model, encouragement, role model and cult at the same time. 


When heavy metal rocked out of the underground into the charts in the early '80s, the gender roles were clearly distributed: long-haired guys on and in front of the stages raised their fists, while female metal fans watched on the edge of the action. Only a few women venture into the spotlight for hard guitar riffs back then.  


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Since then, the Düsseldorf-born singer has been an exception in the male-dominated world of heavy metal. She is a bundle of energy and a power woman and not only for fans the true Queen of Metal: She has written songs with Lemmy from Motörhead, sung with Klaus Meine of the Scorpions in, and paved the way for bands from the region like Blind Guardian into the international heavy metal scene, and she herself regularly rocks the Wacken Festival in front of 80,000 fans. 


Doro Pesch has received gold and platinum awards in her career for over 10 million records sold. Over 2,800 live performances on four continents in 60 countries around the world, 21 albums and countless covers on all relevant music magazines prove her career. 


With Doro Pesch, Klaus Meine (Scorpions), André Olbrich and Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) and boxing world champion Regina Halmich.


A film from Oliver Schwabe. 


Subtitles in English are available.





On September 24, Doro celebrated the 35th anniversary of her classic album Triumph And Agony, with the release of Triumph And Agony Live, which will be issued on her own label Rare Diamonds Productions / Rough Trade.


Triumph And Agony Live was recorded in front of a mega-crowd at the famous Sweden Rock Festival, Doro and her band delivered a show for the ages.


Doro: "It has always been my dream to play the complete Triumph And Agony album live. The order of the tracks is different from the original album, but we're playing all ten songs in new, powerful versions."


The audience thanked them frantically. "It was fantastic," Doro explains. "There was a killer atmosphere!" And this was perfectly captured in sound and image - to be heard (and seen) on the great Triumph And Agony Live album.


"It's one of my all-time favorite albums," Doro reveals, "It's got some of our biggest classics and anthems like 'All We Are,' 'Für Immer,' or 'I Rule The Ruins,' plus fan favorites 'Metal Tango,' 'Three Minute Warning,' and 'Kiss Of Death.' And not forgetting the album opener and headbanger 'Touch Of Evil.' I'm super excited and can't wait to let fans hear and see Triumph And Agony’ And it's so exciting to hear the live versions of the classic songs. They capture even more magic now. When I see the fans at the shows and hear them scream and sing along, I know what I live for."


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Legacy (Intro)”
“Touch Of Evil”
“I Rule The Ruins”
“East Meets West�