In 2021, Waltari are celebrating their 30th anniversary of their very first space journey in true style.


This means that even though a best-of compilation might be in order on such an occasion, they weren’t themselves if they hadn't cooked up something special. The band noticed it was 30 years since the release of Monk-Punk and are not going to honor the anniversary with a special album. 


They revisited material from all creative phases, choosing some of their finest songs (plus one new track) to give them an overhaul with the help of like-minded musicians from every stripe. Be it Sami yoik duo Angelit or electro hip hop stars Bomfunk MC ́s, German industrial pioneer Jürgen Engler from Die Krupps or other countrymen of theirs such as former Nightwish bass player and vocalist Marco Hietala, humppa legends Eläkeläiset as well as Korpiklaani front man Jonne, The 69 Eyes singer Jyrki, German crossover newcomers April Art, Mr. Lordi himself and his band plus members from Skyclad, Amberian Dawn, Hanoi Rocks, Negative and Beast In Black.


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On November 26 the special album will be released. 





Tracklisting:


“Merry Go Round” (feat. Jürgen Engler)
“Below Zero 2021” (feat. Marco Hietala)
“Skyline” (Remix by Bomfunk MC’s)
“Ehtoopuolella” (feat. Eläkeläiset)
“So Fine 2021” (feat. Kevin Ridley and Youth Choirs Sykkii and n.u.k.u.
“Step Outside” (feat. Angelit)
“In The Cradle 2021” (feat. Jonne Järvelä and Jyrki 69)
“Misty Man 2021” (feat. Niki)
“Lights On 2021” (feat. Lordi)
“The Stage 2021” (feat. Tampere All Stars)
“Helsinki 2021” (feat. April Art)


(Cover photo and top photo by Jani Mahkonen / Cover layout by Aino Korpinen)





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Former MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman has blasted the current version of the band, calling them "mediocre fucking pieces of shit" and dismissing the group's recent musical output as "terrible."

A founding member of MANOWAR, Ross recorded six albums with the band before leaving after 1988's "Kings Of Metal". His work with MANOWAR included such classic LPs as 1982's "Battle Hymns", 1983's "Into Glory Ride" and 1984's "Hail To England".

Friedman discussed his time with MANOWAR during an interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. Recalling the circumstances surrounding his exit from the group more than three decades ago, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When a band gets big and the money hits, greed, avarice and evil takes place. A guy that I thought was my partner wasn't," he said, referring to MANOWAR leader and bassist Joey DeMaio. "So he wanted me [out]. He goes, 'You've gotta go.' I go, 'Really? I've gotta go why? I've gotta go why? We're equal partners, 50 percent. Why do I have to go? Why don't you go?' The whole thing is he was so — his antics and his bullshit was so insane that I had it up to [my neck] with him. When you have it up to [your neck] with someone, you've just gotta go, 'Get the fuck outta here. I can't take this anymore.'

"[It was] ego, greed, avarice, evil [that caused me to depart]," he explained. "When [Joey] met me, I had already four major albums. He had done zero. Joey DeMaio was nobody. When he met me, I had already done four. I had no will to fight him. If I were to fight him, I would have killed him. He's just a fucking pariah… You can't live with that. My heart couldn't take it. I can't take evil. And I know people are gonna be… [It's gonna be] hard [for them] to hear that, but I'm better off now. I really am."

Ross went on to say that he has never been approached about returning to MANOWAR. As for whether he would consider playing with the band again, he said: "Well, if the financial arrangements were right. But [Joey is] the kind of scumbag that would never have that… I'll never say no, but you never know. I just called him a scumbag, so… It's not gonna happen. He's secure in the fact that MANOWAR are mediocre fucking pieces of shit right now. What they're putting out to the public [is] just terrible."

Ross was one of the pioneers of both punk rock and heavy metal. First crashing on the scene with THE DICTATORS and with such classic albums as 1975's "Go Girl Crazy!", 1977's "Manifest Destiny" and 1978's "Bloodbrothers", Ross helped trailblaze punk rock (just to put it all in perspective, "Go Girl Crazy!" arrived a full year before the RAMONES' debut, and two years before THE CLASH's and SEX PISTOLS' debuts). By the end of the '80s, Ross had reconnected with his DICTATORS bandmates in MANITOBA'S WILD KINGDOM, which served as a bridge between his love of punk and metal, as heard on the group's popular 1990 debut, "…And You?" Throughout the remainder of the decade, Ross also played with such groups as THE HELLACOPTERS and THE SPINATRAS, before THE DICTATORS reunited, which resulted in several new releases starting from the late '90s all the way through the early 21st century. Also around this time, Ross joined forces with former of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT drummer Albert Bouchard in the band BRAIN SURGEONS. With Ross's main focus turning to metal music at this time, two additional projects were launched — DEATH DEALER and his solo outfit, ROSS THE BOSS.

In a new interview with US Weekly, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons once again spoke about the decline of the music industry as consumers value access over ownership and experiences over assets.

"By and large, new artists will never have the chance that we got, because record companies would give us millions of dollars — once we got successful — as an advance, non-recoupable, with a royalty system and all that," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And so we didn't have to work day jobs. Now if you're a new band, you can't make a living because all the freckle-faced college kids — who, by the way, hate me — because what I'm saying is it's robbery. You're robbing by downloading and filesharing that music. It doesn't affect me; our band came before, when it was a real business. But the new artists, you're breaking my heart. It's like new babies being born without being able to have food. You're taking food from their mouths so they have to go work for a living and not have enough time for their art.

"Who killed the music business? The fans did," he continued. "Not a foreign power, not aliens; the fans killed it. And who do I blame? The record companies for not suing that first putz who dared break into the henhouse and steal some eggs and a chicken for free. As soon as you let that first fox into that henhouse to take some eggs without paying for it, the rest of the foxes come along. Likewise, cockroaches — you allow one into the kitchen, you squash that first one, the rest of 'em are gonna go, 'Uh-oh, we've gotta watch out.'

"So, Pandora's box has been opened. There are hundreds of millions of fans around the world that are trained [in their minds] not to pay for music. So what does that do for new bands? It kills them. When you take away the value of something, it becomes by definition worthless.

"Imagine being a farmer, and you sell eggs and chickens — that's what you do. And that first little cute fox comes in and steals an egg. And the farmer is gonna try to shoot the fox, 'cause, 'Hey, you're stealing my living.' And the wife says, 'Don't [shoot the fox]. It's so cute.' That cute little fox takes the egg back to where all the foxes are: 'Hey, we've got a sucker over here. Let's go get some chickens and eggs.' Before you know it, there are no chickens; no eggs' the farmer's out of business; the trucks that drove the farmer's stuff to market are out of business 'cause they don't have stuff; the supermarkets that sold the stuff are out of business. Everybody's out of business because that first putz, that first little hole in the Titanic sank the whole ship."

This is far from the first time Gene has painted a bleak picture of the state of rock music. Back in 2014, he told Esquire magazine that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last several years, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons's full remarks and others just glossing over the headline.

Stratovarius frontman Timo Kotipelto has checked in with a new update following months of silence:


"I had a visitor in my studio. Jens (Johansson / keyboards), Matias (Kupiainen / guitars) and I have been working on the new Stratovarius album. I have to admit that the songs sound great. Already now. I still need to work a bit on the lyrics and then of course record all the tracks. It will be a busy next few months. I can’t wait when the album is out. Sometime next year. Rock the album!"


Anthems Of The World is a tribute album released earlier thiy year which includes 14 Stratovarius hits totally re-recorded by great artists such as Mike LePond (Symphony X), Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Vivaldi Metal Project),  Beto Vazquez Infinity, Eagleheart, Sunrise, Marko Pukkila (Altaria), Bob Katsionis (Firewind), Patrik J Selleby (Bloodbound, Shadowquest), Juhani Malmberg (guitarist of Timo Kotipelto) to name a few, and includes the extraordinary participation of Timo Tolkki, Matias Kupiainen, and Jari Behm themselves.


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A message states: "That's why it is not the typical tribute album but is the very first ever which includes the participation of the members of the band being paid tribute to.


"This is our tribute to Stratovarius, our way to say 'Thank you!' to all the members of this band  (past and current) for all the great music they gave us. This music taught us how to play and how  to live, helping us to carry on the bad moments and give us happiness during beautiful ones of our lives. This album is made from the deepest of our hearts as truly Stratovarius fans for truly Stratovarius fans..."


The first single, "Distant Skies", featured on the 1995 Stratovarius album, Fourth Dimension, is available for streaming below. The album is available for pre-order here.


The cover was made by Harley Velazquez in collaboration with Iliour Griften, the mastermind of the project.





Anthems Of The World tracklisting:


"Destiny" - StratospherE
"Hunting High & Low" - Kublai Kapsalis (feat. Jari Behm, ex-Stratovarius bassist and Elmas MT, Vivaldi Metal Project)
"Black Diamond" - Beto Vazquez Infinity
"Distant Skies" - Marko Pukkila (feat. Juhani Malmberg, guitarist of Timo Kotipelto)
"Eternity" - Dark Horizon
"Hold On To Your Dream" - Heart Attack (feat. Bob Katsionis, Firewind)
"Anthem Of The World" - Tales And Legends (feat. vocalist Patrik J Selleby of Bloodbound, Shadowquest)
"Paradise" - Heaven Denies
"Shine In The Dark" - Magma Lake
"Playing With Fire" - Gépmadár (feat. Peter Schrott, The Voice of Hungary)
"Father Time" - Iliour Griften (feat. Mike LePond - Symphony X, Mike LePond's Silent Assassins, M° Mistheria - Vivaldi Metal Project, Bruce Dickinson, David Folchitto)
"S.O.S" - Eagleheart
"The Kiss Of Judas" - Silent Saga
"Halcyon Days" - Sunrise


"Distant Skies":





"Hunting High And Low":





Preview video:








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Uploaded to the official Jimi Hendrix YouTube channel on September 3rd, the audio clip below is The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live In Copenhagen '70. It was shot at K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 3rd, 1970.


The performance features Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox. The setlist is as follows:


"Stone Free"
"Foxey Lady"
"Message To Love"
"Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)"
"All Along The Watchtower"
"Machine Gun"
"Spanish Castle Magic"
"Ezy Ryder"
"Freedom"
"Red House"
"In From The Storm"
"Purple Haze"
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
"Sunshine Of Your Love"
"Hey Joe"
"Fire"


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Cyhra / Red Wolf guitarist Euge Valovirta has shared another instructional video, this time taking  his viewers through the Ozzy Osbourne classic "No More Tears". Valovirta breaks down the gear, tuning, verses, pre-chorus, chorus and leads. 








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Valovirta recently released the third single from his forthcoming second solo album, Shooting From The Hip, due out on June 30th. Check out "A Song For An Absent Friend" below, now available on all digital platforms.


Valovirta originally posted the track on line shortly after the news broke that Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho had passed away at the end of December 2020 along with the following message:


"This one is for Alexi, but also for all the late friends. And to my Grandpa, who passed away some time ago. This song actually got its start after my Grandpa’s passing and I came back to it after Alexi passed away ‘cos I felt that I had to 'play my feelings out' somehow.


Alexi and I weren’t the closest friends but every time we met we always had such a great time. Whether it was playing on each of other’s albums, doing guitar clinics or playing occasional live shows or just hanging out. He was one of the most caring, humble and nicest guys I’ve ever met and it feels so unfair that he isn’t with us anymore. And he was one of the best guitar players. Ever."








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In a recent Patreon livestream, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess took viewers through his synth programming process for the band's new single, "The Alien". Check out a portion of the stream below; it begins at the 3 minute mark.


Go to Rudess' Patreon page here.





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“The Alien” is the opener of the Dream Theater's upcoming album and showcases the energy the band had after reuniting to begin work on the new record. The song is now available via all streaming partners. An animated video for the track that clocks in at 9:32 is also available and can be seen below.


“It’s the first one we wrote together. It gives people a window into what it was like when we initially met up after all of those months off. It has the adventure, the untraditional structure, the heaviness, and the hooks. It really set the tone for the album,” explains John Petrucci. “ James wrote the lyrics about the idea of terraforming and looking beyond our Earth for alternative settlements. Since we’re going beyond our planet, ‘The Alien’ turns out to be us. I thought it was a cool and creative lyric by James.”





A View From The Top Of The World is now available for pre-order in various configurations including a limited Deluxe Box incl. Gatefold 2LP (180g bright gold vinyl) with exclusive alternate cover, limited deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook with exclusive alternate cover, Zoetrope Slipmat, Beanie, Enamel Keychain, 8 x Artcards, Poster, Hand-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity in a Lift-off Lid Box.


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


The album is also available for pre-order digitally and fans that pre-order the digital version will receive an instant download of “The Alien”.


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





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


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


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





A View From The Top Of The World tracklisting:


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


Dream Theater is also planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The Top Of The World Tour of North America kicks off on October 28 in Mesa, AZ and runs through December 14 where it concludes in St. Petersburg, FL. The tour will make stops in Seattle, WA; Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; New York, NY and Orlando, FL among others. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows as well as VIP packages can be found at dreamtheater.net.








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St. Louis synth metal trio, The Lion's Daughter, have released the Turbo Covers EP, a career spanning collection of songs by Judas Priest, Ministry, GG Allin, Nine Inch Nails, Mr. Bungle, and Nirvana. It is only available via Bandcamp. Check it out below or go to this location to purchase.


Turbo Covers EP by The Lion's Daughter


Tracklist: 


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"Turbo Lover" (Judas Priest)
"Burning Inside (Ministry)
"Dog Shit" (GG Allin)
"Mr. Self Destruct" (Nine Inch Nails)
"Everyone I Went To High School With Is Dead" (Mr. Bungle)
"Negative Creep" (Nirvana)


The Lion's Daughter released their fourth full-length album, Skin Show, on April 9th via Season Of Mist. The nightmarish and intense music video for the single "Curtains" can be viewed below. The clip, which was directed by Guilherme Henrqiues, is a disturbing look at obsession turned deadly.


The band comments: '"Curtains' is about the way that obsession and paranoia can lead to destruction. And how sometimes when you try to kill that thing that waits in the dark, you actually only hurt yourself."


Director Guilherme Henriques adds, "As a director, you truly live for these type of clips where everybody around you is as invested technically and emotionally on the project as you are from the very beginning. The Lion's Daughter is one of the most cinematic and disturbing bands I ever worked with and ideas flow so well and so organically. This clip brings you a devastating episode where control and despair collide, where sadness takes you away on a journey through the depths of a broken spirit.





Skin Show could serve as the soundtrack to Times Square in the 1970s - the epicenter of sin and salacious misdeeds; a haven for sex, drugs, and crime beneath the inviting glow of neon signs from sleazy adult video stores; a place one would not dare walk alone after midnight unless tempted by devil himself. Its deviant, raw, nasty, disturbing, and yet, the most lively, evolved, and polished version of the trio yet.





Tracklisting:


"Become The Night"
"Curtains"
"Neon Teeth"
"Dead In Dreams"
"Werewolf Hospital"
"Sex Trap"
"Snakeface"
"All Hell Is Mine"
"Skin Show"
"The Chemist"


"Sex Trap" video:








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According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, SABATON founders Joakim Brodén and Pär Sundström have been ordered by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax surcharges.

The Swedish Tax Agency, which manages civil registration of private individuals and collects taxes such as personal income tax, corporate tax, VAT and excise tax, believes that Brodén and Sundström did not report their income from USA tours in 2016-2018 correctly. As a result, each one of the musicians will have to cough up a substantial amount to settle his debt.

Brodén, who writes all of the music for SABATON, is the one who is facing the biggest tax blow, having been ordered to pay back more than two million Swedish kronor (more than $233,000).

Brodén and Sundström claim to have followed the United States – Sweden Tax Treaty which covers double taxation with regards to income tax, corporation tax, and capital gains tax, and insist that they had hired experts to make sure the paperwork was filed properly. Despite this, the Swedish Tax Agency says that the accounting was not handled accurately.

Brodén and Sundström can appeal the decision.

SABATON is considered to be one the most important bands to emerge from the Swedish modern metal scene, having been honored with five Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards (including "Best Live Band" three different years) and nominated several times for the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards, the Grammis. In 2016, SABATON's "The Last Stand" album debuted at No. 1 in three different European countries and cracked the Top 3 in four others. Brodén, Sundström, Chris Rörland (guitar), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Tommy Johansson (guitar) curate a festival of their own, Sabaton Open Air, that started back in 2008, as well as their own forward-thinking Sabaton Cruise which has been held since 2009.

SABATON will support JUDAS PRIEST on the "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour of North America, which is scheduled to kick off later this w

Chicago, Illinois-based metal act REPENTANCE has signed a worldwide deal with Noble Demon, the new German label founded by Nuclear Blast veteran Patrick Walch. Founded in 2018 by former SOIL and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass, the band soon became known for its distinctive heavy yet dynamic sound, packed with details, groove and intensity. With a critically acclaimed debut album under its belts (2020's "God For A Day") and numerous shows with high-profile acts such as TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER, JINJER, SKULL FIST, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, SACRED REICH and others, REPENTANCE has taken the heavy scene by storm and represents a sound which is sure to obliterate fans of extreme music everywhere.

Glass comments: "REPENTANCE is thrilled to be with the mighty Noble Demon Records for our new releases! I was so impressed with how such a newer label was making waves, and with such a diverse roster of metal/rock, it was the obvious place for this to be our new home. With a professional staff and Patrick's amazing history in the metal industry, it's a breath of fresh air."

To celebrate and start the new chapter with a big bang, REPENTANCE has just released a lyric video for the crushing new single "Reborn". Taken from the band's upcoming EP — slated for a release later this year — and featuring none other than Corey Beaulieu of TRIVIUM on guitar for a guest solo, "Reborn" is a stunning first peek of what to expect from REPENTANCE in the near future. This track showcases REPENTANCE's renewed lineup — including the ferocious voice of Adam Gilley — and is the perfect introduction to the rebirth of the band's aggressive modern metal sound.

Gilley states: "When I first heard the track for 'Reborn', I knew I wanted to be a part of REPENTANCE. This song is a straight punch to your face. I love the intensity of this song and Corey absolutely shreds on the guest solo…So whether you're at home, work, the gym or wherever you are. CRANK this!!!"

Walch adds: "When I discovered REPENTANCE last year listening to their first single and then the full-length album 'God for A Day', I instantly knew I was on to something there. After having spoken with Shaun Glass for a while, we knew that the vibe was more than right between us, so it didn’t need much negotation in order to work together on their next songs. I’m proud to welcome another member to the Noble Demon family, this time with a pure U.S. metal sound which I've always been appreciating by bands like TRIVIUM, LAMB OF GOD, DEVILDRIVER etc., all bands i grew up with as well. And having Corey of TRIVIUM play the solo on this new single is a huge honor for all of us. Check out REPENTANCE, you won’t be disappointed!"

Produced by Alex Lackner at Accelerated Sound and mixed by Chris Collier at CMC 21 Productions, "Reborn" is now streaming on all digital platforms.

REPENTANCE is:

Adam Gilley - Vocals

Shaun Glass - Guitar

Eric Burns - Guitar

Eric Karol - Bass

Brandon White - Drums

Photo by Rob Grabowski

VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel says that the band's recent concert in California "turned out to be a superspreader event" after which his entire household and some of his bandmates contracted COVID-19.

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

In an Instagram video chat promoting METAL ALLEGIANCE's September 25 concert at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York, Demmel reflected on the VIO-LENCE gig, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We played a show in Fresno about a month ago, and it turned out to be a superspreader event. [Laughs] And the whole house here, we all got COVID. So we spent a couple of weeks healing up and getting better… That was our first show with Bobby Gustafson, ex-OVERKILL, and Christian Olde Wolbers from FEAR FACTORY and POWERFLO; it was their first show with us. We played a small, I think 300-capacity club, and it was a Petri dish of just the plague. And it served its purpose, other than everybody getting the sickness. It was unfortunate in that [regard]. Because we were supposed to play Bloodstock [Open Air in the U.K.] and Alcatraz festival [in Belgium] the next week, but then we couldn't go because we all got sick. Then we had Southern California shows. We canceled probably seven shows because of everything that happened."

METAL ALLEGIANCE core member Mark Menghi also discussed his own personal experience with coronavirus, saying: "This delta variant and all this other COVID shit, as we all know, it's hitting pretty hard again. I know a lot of people right here at home in my close circle that have COVID right now and it's kicking the shit out of them. And these are vaccinated people. It's kicking the shit out of them. I'm vaccinated and had it twice. It's a motherfucker. I had it really bad in December, this past December. I missed Christmas altogether. I came [very] close to checking myself into the hospital because I couldn't breathe. I came close to going to the hospital because it was the first time in my life where I could not breathe. I felt like my lungs were — like [boxer Mike] Tyson was coming at me and just kicking the shit out of [me]. It was hard. And I remember that night — it was, like, 2:30 in the morning — I started fucking screaming. I'm, like, 'Fuck you!', yelling at myself. 'You're not going to a fucking hospital.' And I don't know if I willed myself but the next day I started feeling better. But it was bad. Whether it's the flu, COVID — I don't know what it was — but I've never been sick like that before in my life. So, I don't know. People have their take on it. My take is just get the shot. We all put worse shit in our body. God knows myself and Phil put bad shit in our bodies. It can't be any worse. So, that's the way I look at it."

Last month, Killian revaled that he was hospitalized with COVID-19 after his lung capacity was compromised. But he later defended his decision to not take the coronavirus vaccine, saying "it's about freedom" for him. The 57-year-old musician, who battled stage four liver cirrhosis five years ago, said: "I'm a free man. I'm internal. My freedom comes from within, not from anyone else. Nobody determines my freedom. So, don't step on my freedom — that's all. And don't step on other people's [freedom]… My business is not someone else's business. Like I said, my freedom's internal. I decide — no one else."

Sean's public revelation that he was infected with the virus came on the day that former TROUBLE singer Eric Wagner — who was also unvaccinated — died after a battle with COVID pneumonia.

Unvaccinated people are more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated.

Infectious disease experts have said that large-scale outbreaks among unvaccinated people are being fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.

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
























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According to TMZ, Rickie Lee Reynolds, the longtime guitarist for BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, the southern hillbilly psycho-boogie band with over 50 years of history, has died. He was 72 years old.

Reynolds passed away Sunday morning (September 5) in a hospital, where he was battling long-term health complications.

BLACK OAK ARKANSAS has had an unbelievable streak of bad luck. Aside from divorces, drugs and near-death car wrecks, members of BOA faced jail time and homelessness. The band went through years of lawsuits with former management. Accusations flew everywhere. Millions of dollars disappeared. When their band compound burned to the ground, singer James L. Mangrum (a.k.a. Jim Dandy) was investigated on suspicion of arson and fraud. Early in their career, members formed a corporation, giving away power of attorney, with the aim of sharing their gains equally. Business and brotherhood were great for years.

However, in the late 1970s when members tried to leave, problems arose. Drummer Tommy Aldridge had tried to leave BOA, but was not allowed. He finally snuck out of the band compound in the middle of the night and ended up suing band and management for his release. Bassist Pat "Dirty" Daugherty was arrested and served time in prison for drug possession after he left the band. Guitarist Harvey "Burley" Jett, who wanted to leave to begin a ministry upon finding Christianity, settled in a court to give up his land, home and royalties in exchange for his freedom. Legal battles continued, with both sides unable to make peace.

For Mangrum and Reynolds, the final straw came when they helplessly watched as, in an unprecedented move, the entire BOA publishing catalog was sold on eBay.

Headlining arenas in the 1970s with opening acts such as Bruce Springsteen, AEROSMITH and THE EAGLES, BOA destroyed over 1000 stages from '72 to '76. They became one of the Top 5 touring acts in rock, earned three gold albums, sold close to five million records, and became the largest private landowners in Arkansas. They gave millions to Arkansas charities and gave then-attorney general Bill Clinton and wife Hillary their first limo ride.

Boasting the first-ever three-guitar lineup, BLACK OAK were an explosion of sex, sweat, scrubboards, bare-handed drum solos with a guitar-destroying ritual as their live climax. David Lee Roth, Vince Neil and Axl Rose all took pages (some say stole) from Dandy's onstage persona. However, in the 21st century, it's been punk and metal bands that have discovered and embraced BOA. BLACK FLAG, SUPERSUCKERS, BUTTHOLE SURFERS and PANTERA can be counted as fans.

Through triumphs and tragedies, the OAK has stood strong. Bad luck, lawsuits and women couldn't keep a fighter like Dandy down. In the mid-1990s, Mangrum, Reynolds and Daugherty reformed the band and they had been on the road since.

BLACK OAK ARKANSAS has donated many hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities in its career, and both the mayor of Little Rock and the governor of the State of Arkansas even declared a "Black Oak Arkansas Day". There is now a permanent display in the Arkansas State Museum and the Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Arkansas dedicated to the b

In the latest episode of the 80's Glam Metalcast, host Metal Mike talks with Europe drummer Ian Haughland. He reveals what the band has been up to and  revisits Europe's classic albums. 


On what the band has been up to 


Haugland: "We just did two festivals in Finland and those were the first shows we had done in like a year and a half. It was a little like trying to walk again, but I think we did great and the audience was supportive. The Finnish people love their rock music. For new music -I know that the guys have been writing new songs, but we haven’t worked on them as a unit. Joey said he just started getting in the mood again to write new music. It’s all about getting the forces together again and getting creative. So we’re talking about it and I think next year should be really busy for us if everything goes the right way with the pandemic." 


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On his favorite Europe album


Haugland: "It’s hard to say because there are great songs on all the albums. I tend to gravitate toward Prisoners In Paradise. I think it’s because that album was shoved away, it was released right around the time Nirvana came around. Despite of grunge, that album sold quite well in Sweden and Scandinavia. I think the album sold around 1 million worldwide. That’s pretty good compared to today’s standards. The problem was the label didn’t want to push it. It was kinda unfair, but it happened to most bands like us at that time. We were just burnt out that time as well. We had problems with the management and we had been touring non-stop for so many years. So we needed that break after Prisoners In Paradise." 


On breaking big with The Final Countdown


Haugland: "It just happened so fast. It was like a bomb going off. We didn’t have any time to reflect on it as it was happening. We became big all over the world at the same time. If Prisoners In Paradise was the worst timing, then The Final Countdown was the best timing. We had the right people working for us and we had MTV booming. We were young and handsome and we had a video director that could expose that. We had a lot to thank MTV for during that period." 


On auditioning for Yngwie Malmsteen in 1982


Haugland: "I was looking for a gig and I saw a flyer that Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force was looking for a drummer. I went there for a jam and it was just Yngwie and Marcel Jacob on bass. It was this shitty rehearsal area, there was trash and stuff everywhere. There were two Marshall stacks and a tiny little shitty drum set in the corner. We jammed on a couple of Rainbow songs. When we were done, Yngwie said I was great and we wanted me to join the band. But during this jam, Marcel and Yngwie had been fighting and screaming, trying to play louder and faster than each other. They were fighting like a cat and a dog! I didn’t take the gig. Yngwie got really pissed off about it. Years later in 1987, I saw him at a bar and he was totally fucked up. I asked if he remembered me and he was like 'It’s you, the coward that didn’t want to play with us.' 5 years later, he was still mad about it!











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KISS has uploaded a new video of the band performing the song "See You Tonite" — which originally appeared on Gene Simmons's 1978 solo album — during a pre-show acoustic set at a recent stop on the "End Of The Road" tour.

"Gene Simmons" was one of four solo albums released by the members of KISS in September 1978. It reached position No. 22 on the Billboard 200 chart and was the highest-charting of all the four KISS solo albums.

KISS was forced to postpone at least three shows on its current tour last week after frontman Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID-19.

In a social media post, KISS said the whole band and the crew members who are traveling with them on the tour are fully vaccinated.

Members of KISS "and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows," the band wrote in the statement.

"The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines," the statement continued.

KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band's first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and 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 Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

Blackened American Whiskey has unveiled its new "Masters Of Whiskey Series" with the inaugural release, Blackened X Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In Madeira Casks. The expression is a result of the collaboration of two of today's most innovative distillers, Rob Dietrich of Blackened and Drew Kulsveen of Willett Distillery.

Blackened was born from the masterful collaboration between legendary Master Distiller Dave Pickerell and METALLICA. It's this core tenet of collaboration behind the "Masters Of Whiskey Series" — a convergence of passionate master craftsmen who combine their talent and skills to create a distinctive expression. This series will combine strengths of Dietrich and renowned whiskey makers to re-imagine craft whiskey and create more complex expressions.

The Blackened X Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In Madeira Casks starts with a base of low rye and high rye whiskey recipes that were hand-picked by Dietrich and Kulsveen, from the Willett Family Estate Reserve Selection. The two tasted and experimented with a number of whiskeys before landing on the recipes that would create the perfect flavor profile. Aged for an average of 6.5 years in white American oak casks, the complexity of the whiskey balances perfectly, gracing the nose with hints of sweet rhubarb, brown sugar, corn husk, cigar box, and vanilla. The first sip liberates the palate with notes of buttery caramel, earthy mint, and fresh-cut hay, rolling into a superb finish with vanilla, cinnamon butter, and dark walnut.

After the rye whiskeys are married together, they are finished in Madeira casks for up to 14 weeks. Madeira is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese Madeira islands and receives its unique taste from repeatedly heating the wine. The casks impart subtle dark fruit notes, overtones of honey, and slightly sweeter flavors of caramel and cinnamon that pair perfectly with the spicier notes of the rye. The expression is bottled at cask strength.

During finishing, the whiskey undergoes the proprietary Black Noise sonic enhancement process in which the finishing barrels are pummeled by the low hertz frequencies of METALLICA's music. The sound waves visibly shake the finishing barrels, causing a greater interaction between the whiskey and the wood, thereby extracting more flavors and colors.

The 11-track playlist for the Black Noise process was chosen by both Dietrich and Kulsveen and sequenced by METALLICA co-founder and drummer Lars Ulrich.

The full playlist includes:

* For Whom The Bell Tolls

* Master Of Puppets

* King Nothing

* Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

* Dyers Eve (Remastered)

* Broken, Beat & Scarred

* The Thing That Should Not Be

* Atlas, Rise!

* Of Wolf And Man

* One (Remastered)

* Enter Sandman

While the "Masters Of Whiskey Series" is part of Blackened's future, the collaboration between Dietrich and Kulsveen also provides an homage to the past. Both brands were profoundly impacted by late Master Distiller and whiskey luminary Dave Pickerell. Known as the "Johnny Appleseed" of craft distilling, Pickerell used his expertise to help dozens of entrepreneurs start or restart small craft distilleries, one of which was Willett Distillery. He had been a longtime friend of the Kulsveen family and bonded with them over a shared passion of whiskey making. In 2011, when the Kulsveens were looking to bring the Willett Distillery back online, Dave lent his insights and helped with logistics to get the distillery up and running. When Blackened was looking for a location to shoot its brand video, the Kulsveens graciously lent their distillery. It was then that Dave introduced the Blackened team to the Kulsveens, setting the foundation for this collaboration.

METALLICA met the Kulsveens and the distillery team when the band was in Louisville for its "WorldWired" tour. The band received a first-hand look at Willett's production, christened the distillery's new restaurant with a delectable meal, and bonded with the Kulsveens over fine cigars. The rest, as they say, is history.

"We couldn't think of a more impactful first release for the series than a collaboration with Willett Distillery," said Dietrich. "I wanted the first expression in the series to be a rye, and as a huge fan of Willett and everything they produce, I felt it was the obvious first choice. I couldn't be more honored to work with Drew and the great team at Willett Distillery. Our connections to Dave brought everything full circle, and when I was working with Drew and the Kulsveens, it was almost like being welcomed back. I'm extremely excited by what we've accomplished, and I hope our fans and the whiskey enthusiasts of the world will enjoy this whiskey as much as Drew and I have!"

"We are thrilled to congratulate Rob and the Blackened team on this inaugural release of what will certainly be a unique series of whiskeys," said Kulsveen. "Frankly, I have had a good time collaborating with Rob on this project. We realized early on that we both shared a vision for the flavor we hoped to achieve in the blend and we are eager to share what we have come up with."

Ulrich said: "The original idea with Blackened was to create something new, exciting, and unique that connected with both our fans and whiskey enthusiasts — something that stood on its own and was hopefully respected. The next step was to expand on Blackened's foundation, to push the possibilities of the marriage of music and whiskey even further. When we visited Willett Distillery in 2019 and saw the passion and craftsmanship that goes into every drop they produce, we knew we had found kindred spirits. Teaming up with the Kulsveen family to kick off the 'Master… Series' with Willett was the natural next step in Blackened's evolution."

Blackened X Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In Madeira Casks is available in limited quantities for a suggested retail price of $139.99. It is the first in the brand's new "Masters Of Whiskey Series," which will feature new collaborations and unique expressions for years to come.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "2020'd" podcast, STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel discussed the recent departure of the band's longtime bassist Lexxi Foxx. "We didn't want him to quit," Satchel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Nobody wanted him to quit, including a lot of fans. I'm sure a lot of fans are very sad that he left. But he's the guy who left the band. I think he's got his own things he's dealing with, and he just wanted to go and do that. So, I don't know… I can't answer for Lexxi Foxx. But we will all miss Lexxi Foxx, and we all wish him the best in everything that he does. But we didn't fire him; he quit the band. So we're gonna have to move on and get somebody else who's younger and foxier and doesn't need as much Botox," referencing the drug doctors have been using for years to treat wrinkles and facial creases.

As for whether STEEL PANTHER has already secured a replacement for Lexxi, Satchel said: "We did put the word out for bass players, and we've already gotten a lot of submissions. And we've gotten some really great ones as well. No musicians yet. We don't really want a musician, though; we want a bass player. So…"

When STEEL PANTHER first announced Lexxi's exit in July, the band jokingly said that Foxx "started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown." After realizing that "his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself," he chose "to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion: making ugly dogs pretty," the group wrote in a statement.

Back in December 2018, Lexxi, whose real name is Travis Haley, sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

Last December, STEEL PANTHER released a re-worked version of its song "Fuck Everybody" from its latest album, "Heavy Metal Rules", now re-titled "Fuck 2020". The newly recorded version included updated verses that reflect the insanity of last year.

"Heavy Metal Rules" was released in September 2019. The disc, which is described in a press release as a "heavy metal version of a self-help manual and ultimate party album combined," was once again produced by Jay Ruston, who collaborated with the band on all of its previous recordings, including 2017's "Lower The Bar".

STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Thirteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

SLIPKNOT played its first concert in 18 months Saturday night (September 4) at the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. The gig marked the debut of SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor's new mask, which he had been working on for the past few months.

This past May, Taylor spoke to Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3 about the evolution of SLIPKNOT's masks and what fans can expect to see during the band's current touring cycle.

"The mask has been a part of us forever," he said. "The mask is king. And for us, especially people like me and Clown and the guys in the band that really allow those masks to evolve, it's important for it to be a reflection of who we are in that music. And I can tell you that the mask I'm working on is very disturbing. It's gonna be hard to look at. And it'll probably be my favorite mask that I've ever put together. It's little bits and pieces of things that have intrigued me, of masks that I've had in the past. And it's gonna have a devil-may-care kind of terror to it, let's put it that way."

Corey worked on his previous mask with special effects legend Tom Savini, whose extensive career in the film industry and especially the horror genre dates back to the late 1970s, including in such films as "Friday The 13th", "Dawn Of The Dead", "From Dusk 'Til Dawn" and many others.

The other members of SLIPKNOT performed with their current masks for the first time in May 2019 when they appeared as the musical guests on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

During a 2017 appearance on an episode of Viceland's "The Therapist", Taylor was asked about the significance of wearing a literal mask when he is performing with SLIPKNOT. He responded: "With SLIPKNOT, at least for most of us in the band, the mask is part of the art — it's not just the visual and the shock; it's a representation of who I am in that album. So, for me, it's as natural as having a different hairstyle for one album and tour cycle, wearing different clothes for an album and tour cycle. It's a part of the dynamic. It's one of the things that you look forward to. Not just writing the songs, not just putting the music together, not just putting the visuals together, but what… who am I in this album?"

Corey spoke about the changes in the SLIPKNOT bandmembers' masks in a 2014 interview with Metal Mania Radio. "With every album, some of us have evolved our masks more dramatically than others, but there's always a difference, they've always changed a little bit… This band evolves with every album, and it just makes sense that our masks [would as well], because we're not the same people. It's not something that we sit down and we talk about as a group, we just kind of do it. As unified as we all are, the mask is really something that we trust each other to do individually and we trust them to do the right representation."

This past June, SLIPKNOT announced the 2021 incarnation of the "Knotfest Roadshow". Support on the trek will come from three Grammy-nominated heavy music luminaries, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE. The 28-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicks off following the band's previously announced Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25. The "Knotfest Roadshow"'s first official date happens at Tinley Park, Illinois on September 28, with the tour then snaking its way across the U.S., wrapping up in Arizona in early November.

Photo courtesy of Rocklahoma




Corey's newest mask debuts at Rocklahoma @slipknot pic.twitter.com/aYx4u0GgoB

— Rocklahoma (@Rocklahoma) September 5, 2021








Slipknot volvió a los escenarios esta noche y esta es la nueva máscara de Corey Taylor ? pic.twitter.com/gFdCxwaDua

— Slipknot México (@Slipknot_Mexico) September 5, 2021




























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Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY performing a brand new song called "Filth Upon Filth" on September 1 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City can be seen below.

Max Cavalera and his bandmates have spent the last few months working on the follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" at Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Arizona with producer Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE.

In a recent interview with Chris Annunziata again of "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" show, which airs on the 90.3 WMSC radio station, the Brazilian-born musician stated about the upcoming SOULFLY disc: "We're still tracking right now. So the record is not gonna come out till next year. It's a little bit of a long process. Because of COVID and everything, it had to be done a little bit differently. Actually, we're gonna play one song called 'Filth Upon Filth' on this tour. It's a killer song. It reminds me of old SLAYER; it sounds like SLAYER 'Hell Awaits' era meets SOULFLY, which is always a good thing.

"We still need to record drums," he continued. "Right now we just really have the songs written — all the riffs. So we're still building the music. But we did have one full song, which is 'Filth Upon Filth', and we get to play that on the next tour, which is great. So people do get a taste of the new record, which I think is amazing — to be able to give them a taste."

Asked if there is an overall lyrical theme on the new SOULFLY album, Max said: "Some of it [is] dealing with, actually, the spiritual world and things like that, which is really cool. I think it's always been kind of a SOULFLY theme anyway. There's a song called 'Spirit Animal' that's really cool. And there's gonna be a couple of guests. I'm not gonna say who they are right now; I don't wanna spoil the surprise. But, again, there's gonna be some special guests singing on this record.

"[There isn't gonna be] an overall theme," he clarified. "It's not gonna be a theme album like maybe [SEPULTURA's] 'Roots' was more like a tribal theme kind of record. This is more like a [mixture of subjects]. There's a song about the environment and how we're destroying the earth and all that, called 'The Damage Done'. And that came out really good. So, yeah, [it's] just my way of writing. It's pretty simple. I don't try to get fancy with it. I know what I do. It's like my riffs — I know how to do them. I don't try to fancy them up. That's how they are — they're simple but direct, and they work. And that's what I love about it."

This past April, Max told Chris Enriquez of Saint Vitus Presents: Age Of Quarantine that Rizk took the new SOULFLY project "super seriously. He said, 'Hey, Max, I don't wanna do just another SOULFLY record. I wanna do the best SOULFLY record,'" he recalled. 'I was, like, 'All right. I take the challenge. Let's do it, man.'"

As for the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, Max said: "It's full-on. I think it's got kind of like the best of all the years. I think it's a compilation Max Cavalera record of the whole 50 years. [Laughs] That's what it feels like — it's got old stuff, it's got middle stuff, it's got very SOULFLY vibes. It's got a lot of groove. It's got a lot of fast stuff."

In December 2020, Max told the "Sappenin' Podcast With Sean Smith" about the songwriting process for the new SOULFLY album: "The cool thing about Zyon, the way he plays drums, is he's a bit like a wild animal — he has no restraint, man, and he just unleashes on the drum kit. Pure, pure brutality power drumming, and I love that. So that takes me back to a lot of the early records that I like — a lot of the old ENTOMBED stuff and CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH; out-of-control shit. So I think we have that kind of spirit going on on a lot of the new tracks."

Last month, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. A permanent replacement guitarist has yet to be announced. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares is playing guitar for SOULFLY on the current U.S. tour. The 33-date trek will conclude in Tempe, Arizona on September 25.

In June 2020, SOULFLY released a new digital EP, "Live Ritual NYC MMXIX". The effort was recorded at The Gramercy in New York City on February 11, 2019 while SOULFLY was on tour in support of its most recent full-length album, "Ritual". The audio for the EP was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott (ABYSMAL DAWN) from Tastemaker Audio. Cover artwork was comprised of live photos taken by Rodrigo Fredes.

"Ritual" was released in October 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).

Former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin will release his long-awaited new solo album, "Thorns", on January 14, 2022 via Battlegod Productions and Dark Star Records. Battlegod will handle distribution in Australia, Asia, Europe and Japan, while Dark Star will handle distribution in all of North and South America, including both physical and streaming.

Among the guest musicians set to appear on the LP are Scott McClellan (who helped write the album), Danny "Danté" Needham (VENOM), Magnus Rosén (HAMMERFALL), Greg Smith (ALICE COOPER, RAINBOW, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT) and Martin's youngest son Joe.

"Thorns" track listing:

01. As The World Burns

02. Black Widow Angel

03. Book Of Shadows

04. Crying Wolf

05. Damned By You

06. No Shame At All

07. No Where To Fly

08. Passion Killer

09. Run Like The Devil

10. This Is Your Damnation

11. Thorns

Tony said in a statement: "This new album is probably the most 'Tony Martin' a Tony Martin album has ever sounded!! It's got several surprises that will lift people's eyebrows, I am sure. Largely but not entirely based around the riffs of Scott McClellan, new to the world scene, he has proved to be a worthy partner in crime for this release... I was able to make some great songs out of the riffs he was coming up with, which is very similar in the writing sense to that which I experienced with Tony Iommi. Different sound and style, but the riffing talent that someone like Scott has is very cool. It is diverse, melodic, powerful, thought-provoking and of a standard high as ever I have worked on. I believe there are stories still to tell, songs still to be sung, and with this album, I feel it's achieved everything I could have wished for.

"Grateful to the people who have given their extra talents in appearances on this recording. It's been a challenge in COVID lockdown, getting everyone's performances from across the world, but in another way, it was a perfect opportunity to get it done."

Martin's last solo album, "Scream", was released in November 2005 via MTM Music.

BLACK SABBATH released six albums with Martin on vocals: "The Eternal Idol" (1987), "Headless Cross" (1989), "Tyr" (1990), "Cross Purposes" (1994), "Cross Purposes Live" (1995) and "Forbidden" (1995). Eventually, Martin and his "Forbidden"-era bandmates were ousted when guitarist Tony Iommi reunited with SABBATH's fellow original members.

In a 2012 interview with Über Röck, Martin said that he was "surprised" to see Iommi criticizing him in the guitarist's "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" book (referring to the Martin period, especially the touring phase following the release of "Cross Purposes" in 1994, Iommi lambasted his former singer as "unprofessional" and having "no stage presence"). Martin said: "I mean, they never said anything to me. Surely, if you've got a problem, the first person you should say something to is the person that's in the band with you... It sounds like a really stupid thing to say, as they didn't say anything to my face — and, if that's the case, then more fool them for not saying anything, because, you know, we could have fixed it. I said to them, endlessly, that if there was anything they wanted changed, done differently, just to say and we could fix it, but clearly, they didn't, they hadn't got the guts to, obviously, and to write about it in a book afterwards seems a bit daft to me. I'm not bitter about it, but it is surprising... It seems a bit stupid to say that after the event."

Five years ago, Iommi told I Heart Guitar that "it's a shame" that "it took a lot for people to accept" Martin as SABBATH's vocalist. "It's taken all these years later for people to say, 'Oh blimey, that was a good band with good singing.' So it took a long time to get people to really realize how good it was."

In 2018, Iommi spent time in the studio remixing "Forbidden" for a future release. The LP, which features Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, is often regarded as SABBATH's worst studio recording.

Photo credit: Rob Billingham


The wait is over!!!!!

Posted by Tony Martin on Friday, September 3, 2021

The official LED ZEPPELIN documentary "Becoming Led Zeppelin" is debuting today (Saturday, September 4) at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy. Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the film documents the legendary rockers' "meteoric rise to stardom."

The first clip from "Becoming Led Zeppelin", as well as a short interview with LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page about the documentary (conducted by FRED [Film Radio Entertainment & Dialogue]), can be seen below.

Speaking about his original goal for LED ZEPPELIN, Page said: "I was looking for a band with four… I didn't want to have a band with just the guitarist and the other guys are bit players. There was a lot of bands like that. I wanted each and every musician in it to be equally as strong. So then when they came together, they would feel the contribution by the others and up their game; everybody is upping their game. I believe that the first album, the musicians — Robert Plant, John Bonham… Certainly John Bonham, but Robert Plant, myself and John Paul Jones had never played at that level of intensity as to the quality of how good they could play. But it all joins together into something really special. And that never stops."

MacMahon said in a press release: "With 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' my goal was to make a documentary that looks and feels like a musical. I wanted to weave together the four diverse stories of the band members before and after they formed their group with large sections of their story advanced using only music and imagery and to contextualize the music with the locations where it was created and the world events that inspired it. I used only original prints and negatives, with over 70,000 frames of footage manually restored, and devised fantasia sequences, inspired by 'Singin' In The Rain', layering unseen performance footage with montages of posters, tickets and travel to create a visual sense of the freneticism of their early career."

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" features new interviews with Page, Plant and Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham. It marks the first time members of LED ZEPPELIN have participated in a documentary about the group.

MacMahon previously directed the Emmy-nominated music documentary series "American Epic" about the early American roots music recordings of the 1920s. Page praised the film back in 2019, saying: "When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is 'American Epic', I knew he would be qualified to tell our story."

Plant added: "Seeing Will Shade and so many other important early American musicians brought to life on the big screen in 'American Epic' inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story."

Jones stated: "The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring this story to life."

An official LED ZEPPELIN book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin", came out in October 2018.

Walmart is now offering an excluisve red and black marble vinyl LP edition of Iron Maiden's  new album, Senjutsu, complete with gatefold cover artwork. Go to this location for purchase details.





Senjutsu has been released in the following formats and is available to order/save at IronMaiden.com.


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- Standard 2CD Digipak
- Deluxe 2CD Book Format
- Deluxe heavyweight 180G Triple Black Vinyl
- Special Edition Triple Silver And Black Marble Vinyl
- Special Edition Triple Red and Black Marble Vinyl
- Super Deluxe Boxset featuring CD, Blu Ray and Exclusive Memorabilia
- Digital album [streaming and download]





Tracklisting:


"Senjutsu" (8:20) - Smith/Harris
"Stratego" (4:59) - Gers/Harris
"The Writing On The Wall" (6:13) - Smith/Dickinson
"Lost In A Lost World" (9:31) - Harris
"Days Of Future Past" (4:03) - Smith/Dickinson
"The Time Machine" (7:09) - Gers/Harris
"Darkest Hour" (7:20) - Smith/Dickinson
"Death Of The Celts" (10:20) - Harris
"The Parchment" (12:39) - Harris
"Hell On Earth" (11:19) - Harris


"Senjutsu" visualizer:





"Stratego":





"The Writing On The Wall" video:





"The Writing On The Wall" (SFX Version)








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Sweden's Thundermother has made the following announcement:


"After two years and one album we have now together with Majsan decided to go our separate ways. She has done an incredible job and really made a mark in the TM history, and for that we are forever grateful. We wish her nothing but the best in her future projects. Love Emlee, Filippa, and Guernica."


Personally from Majsan: "I wish to see a Thundermother world domination and I can't wait to get a ticket and see them from a crowd position. All my love to the girls!"


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(Photo - Guido Karp)


 





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Back in May, Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann released a solo single, "Lubimiy Gorod", sung entirely in Russian for the original motion picture Devyatayev, which came out on April 29th. Translated as "Beloved Town", the song was composed by Yevgeniy Dolmatovsky (lyrics) and Nikita Bogoslovsky. It was originally performed by Mark Bernes in 1939. 


Lindemann performed the song at the Spasskaya Tower Festival, which was held at Red Square in Moscow on September 5th. Pro-shot video is available below. The performance was streamed live on the Russian website TCI.





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Devyatayev, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, is about the Soviet pilot Mikhail Devyatayev (July 8th, 1917 – November 24th, 2002), who was captured by Germany during World War II. He leads an escape from a concentration camp on the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea by hijacking an aircraft.


Check out the official video for "Lubimiy Gorod" below. The song is available on all streaming platforms.











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