In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, singer Jeff Gutt spoke about his experience of fronting STONE TEMPLE PILOTS for the past four years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It took a long time for me to get in there and for them to ask me to be their singer. So it was a long time of getting to know each other and getting to trust each other. We kind of became like a family and spending all the time that we have — 'cause we did a lot of touring before the whole COVID thing. We went around the world together. When you do that with people and you write records and you share intimate writing times with people, it's a good connection to have. And these guys, their musical vocabulary is ridiculous, so it takes a lot off my plate. Whereas before I would try to micromanage everything I had going on around me, but now everything's pretty much handled. I just have to come in and just listen to the music. And when they're writing it, it's pretty much spot-on."

Asked if STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have been working on new music during the pandemic, Gutt said: "I haven't had enough time with the guys to hear all their ideas. But I'm always writing, and I know they're always writing. And they always come in with a million things. So I'm excited for when that happens, 'cause it's gonna be like the floodgates opening and it'll be a real creative time. Right now it's more of a time just to get our bearings together after having all that time off, and just remembering how to do it. [Laughs] And just getting out there and trying to enjoy playing in front of crowds — not that it's hard to enjoy it, but it was taken away, so to have it back is all we wanna do right now. Speaking for myself, of course, I just wanna get out there and get in front of people and play these songs that I love."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric KretzGutt, a 45-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

During an appearance on the 100th episode of the "Infectious Groove" podcast, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal discussed one album that had "a huge impact" on his life: VAN HALEN's fourth LP, 1981's "Fair Warning". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was 12 years old, and up to this point, I was sort of like an Angus Young [AC/DC] kind of guitar player. I remember I was at a band practice, and there was a kid hanging out there who asked me if I heard VAN HALEN. I hadn't heard them before, so he played me a recording of the intro to 'Mean Street' on the just-released 'Fair Warning' album. And just like anybody that heard VAN HALEN for the first time, it blew my mind. I never heard that kind of guitar playing before. Still, to this day, I've never heard that kind of guitar playing ever again. That intro was just a sound I had never heard before, and it opened my eyes, my ears, my mind, my spirit, my entire being. It just changed the course of everything and how I looked at playing guitar and making music and the role that guitar has in a song and in music. And from there, I became a different kind of player. I started really experimenting and digging deep to find who I was. It will always be one of my favorite albums. And I am so grateful that I got to be on earth at the same time VAN HALEN was."

Thal previously spoke about Eddie Van Halen's influence on his playing in an October 2020 interview with the WDHA radio station. He stated at the time: "I heard 'Eruption' and I was just blown away immediately. It changed my life — it really changed my life, that moment, and I remember it vividly. I got a cassette of 'Eruption' and I went home and I spent months learning it. Just little by little and just hearing a couple of notes on a cassette, I would find 'em on the guitar, and a few more, and a few more, until I had the whole thing. Then I opened up the cassette, I unscrewed the four little screws on it, and I opened it up and I flipped the reel the other direction and I put it back together, so now everything was backwards, and then I learned it backwards."

He continued: "I had a cover band when I was 13 years old called PARADOX. And we played — half the set was RUSH and the other half was a bunch of VAN HALEN. [I was] the hugest VAN HALEN fan. I subscribed to Guitar World magazine and would read every Eddie Van Halen interview. And I started innovating — I started taking apart my guitar, then doing all the tricks that he was doing, [like] dipping your pickups in wax to change the amount of feedback, and all kinds of crazy stuff. And that's what made me start to really experiment and dig deep and try and find my own voice. Because nobody had as much of a personality and identity and unique spirit in their playing that they put out as he did as a guitar player. You can argue that, sure, but if you think about it, everything that he brought to the table — the guitar tone, the way he used a Variac to change the voltage and bring a different sound out of a Marshall amp and he created this new kind of tone that was called the 'brown sound.' And just the originality of his style — the way he played, the way he phrased everything, just what his fingers did and all the tapping that he did, like the big ending of 'Eruption' and then things like the intro to 'Little Guitars', quickly picking one string and hitting on notes on another string, like [there were] two people playing one guitar. There was so many things that he did. And also, the guitar's role in a song was completely different. It used to be, 'Okay, here's your rhythm track, and you overdub the leads.' But he made it this live personality of just this ripping high-energy entity in a song. And on albums too — he changed the way a guitar's role was on an album, where you would have breaks in between songs with little unique guitar parts and his long guitar intros and things that you just did not hear on rock albums — at least not like that. He absolutely was the number one game changer. And from that point on, after he was on the radar, everything changed."

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal is currently a member of SONS OF APOLLO, which also features drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20), in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

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

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

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

KORN drummer Ray Luzier will miss the band's next three shows after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Filling in for him will be FEVER 333's Aric Improta.

Earlier today, KORN issued the following statement via social media: "Unfortunately, Ray has tested positive for COVID, and he will not be playing the next three shows in Vegas, Fresno, and Oakland. KORN will be continuing on as scheduled despite these circumstances.

"We are anticipating a quick recovery for Ray and he should be back to play the Los Angeles shows with us.

"Aric Improta from FEVER 333 will be filling in so we won't miss a beat."

Luzier is the third member of KORN to sit out shows on the band's current tour after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Last month, guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer missed several dates and was temporarily replaced by J.R. Bareis, who is also in the band LOVE AND DEATH with KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. Bareis previously stepped in for Shaffer in August 2019 when Munky was forced to miss several KORN shows due to the impending birth of his child. In early August, singer Jonathan Davis contracted the virus, forcing the postponement of six dates and cancelation of two on KORN's U.S. tour.

At some of KORN's shows, Davis had been taking a seat on a custom throne near the drum riser due to lingering effects of his bout with COVID-19. In video footage of KORN's August 27 concert in Tinley Park, Illinois — his first gig back after revealing his positive diagnosis — Davis could be seen walking slowly around the stage, coughing and appearing to take a minute to catch his breath. According to TMZ, Davis also took occasional hits from an oxygen tank set up near this throne.

Bareis was not the only session musician to play with KORN on the current tour. Bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) is filling in for Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu after Fieldy announced in June that he would sit out the trek in order to "heal" after "falling back" on some of his "bad habits."

Upcoming KORN shows:

Oct. 15 - Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Oct. 16 - Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center

Oct. 18 - Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Oct. 22 - Los Angeles, CA – Banc Of California Stadium

Oct. 23 - Los Angeles, CA – Banc Of California Stadium
























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Legendary Swedish death metallers ENTOMBED will play "one exclusive show" at next year's edition of the Gefle Metal Festival, set to take place July 14-16, 2022 in Gävle, Sweden. The band says: "It will be quite special. See you there!"

ENTOMBED's lineup for the performance will include original members Alex Hellid (guitar), Uffe Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) plus former ENTOMBED bassist Jörgen Sandström, who previously played with the band between 1995 and 2004. There will also be guest appearances by other former ENTOMBED members and various well-known musicians.

Gefle Metal Festival festival general manager Chris Rotenius said in a statement: "Next year, it will be six years since the last time ENTOMBED was on a stage. Now we have managed to gather the core with Uffe, Alex, Nicke and Jörgen to create the perfect opportunity to perform a concert beyond the ordinary. At Gefle Metal Festival next summer you can expect a unique ENTOMBED gig. This is going to be a death metal evening you don't want to miss."

ENTOMBED's performance at Gefle Metal Festival will mark the band's first appearance since singer Lars-Göran "LG" Petrov died on March 7 after a battle with bile duct cancer. He was 49 years old.

"LG was a central figure in Swedish metal who left a huge void behind," Gefle Metal Festival CEO Edward Janson said. "When we started Gefle Metal Festival 2016, FIRESPAWN with LG was the very first band to play and at the last festival in 2019, he was on stage with his ENTOMBED A.D. In between, he was in attendance as an enthusiastic fan. It feels good to be able to pay tribute to LG and his contributions to metal with this concert."

Hellid, Cederlund and Andersson played the band's groundbreaking 1991 album, "Clandestine", in its entirety at Malmö Live in Malmö, Sweden in November 2016. Joining them at the show were Robert Andersson (vocals) and Nicke's half brother Edvin Aftonfalk (bass), both formerly of the Swedish death metal band MORBUS CHRON. Two weeks earlier, the most recent Hellid-led lineup of ENTOMBED made its live debut on the Close-Up Båten cruise.

Hellid and Petrov had been embroiled in a legal battle over the ENTOMBED name for several years. In 2014, Petrov was reportedly awarded the right to use the band name in connection with future recording and touring activities, a decision which Hellid appealed without success. The guitarist then went on to register a trademark for spirits production under the "Entombed" name. This move did not sit well with Hellid's former bandmate, who filed a letter of protest against Alex's registration of the name, claiming that it could be confused with band activities. He also said that Hellid acted in "bad faith" when he registered name and that there was a desire to "deceive the public." Petrov's protest, however, found no favor with the Swedish Patent And Registration Office, which rejected his claims on the issue in a March 2016 ruling.

In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov defended his group's decision to release albums and tour under the name ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour," he explained. "I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."


Entombed at Gefle Metal Festival 2022 (Gävle, Sweden)

Next summer we will take the stage at Gefle Metal Festival for one exclusive show. It will be quite special. See you there!

For tickets and info https://www.geflemetalfestival.se/

Posted by Entombed Clandestine on Thursday, October 14, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finnish melodic death metal masters, Insomnium, have announced the cancellation of their upcoming European Tour with Omnium Gatherum, which was supposed to start on November 26.

The band states: "Dear Fans, We were looking forward to hitting the road again next month together with our brother in OG. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, we are forced to cancel the tour and take a break for a couple of months to re-group. We were excited to be back on stage but this will take a little longer than expected. We can't wait to see you again next year."

Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

Grammy-nominated band Trivium - Matt Heafy [vocals, guitar], Corey Beaulieu [guitar], Paolo Gregoletto [bass], and Alex Bent [drums] - have shared the video below, along with the following message:


"Didn't attend our album listening party last week?! Here's a recap of our event at Redlight Redlight brewery, thank you all for coming and hanging with us."





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Trivium's tenth album, In The Court Of The Dragon, is out now via Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in autumn 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Order In The Court Of The Dragon here.


The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres (@mathieunozieres on Instagram).





In The Court Of The Dragon tracklisting:


"X"
"In The Court Of The Dragon"
"Like A Sword Over Damocles"
"Feast Of Fire"

"To celebrate 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music, we’ve released the official HD video from the original film rushes for 'Painkiller'," states an update from Judas Priest.


Watch below:





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Judas Priest are set to release a mammoth limited edition box set, 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music, which will include every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs. This is the most extensive release of previously unreleased music the band have made from their vast archives - a real treat for fans. Restored and mixed by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8 and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.


The band recently released a new lyric video for their classic track, "You've Got Another Thing Coming", which can be viewed below:





This special release, 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music, will be out Friday, October 15, via Sony Music. Pre-order here.





This special box set comes as the band finally get the opportunity to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a headline slot at Bloodstock Festival in the UK plus the launch of a US tour this Autumn The 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour is fueled by the highest charting album of Priest’s career Firepower, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 and #5 in the UK.





Judas Priest originally formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England (an area that many feel birthed heavy metal). The original nucleus of musicians would go on to change the face of heavy metal. Throughout the 70's Priest were responsible for helping trail blaze metal with such classic offerings as Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976) Sin After Sin (1977) and Hell Bent For Leather (1978) as well as one of the genre’s top live recordings, Unleashed In The East (1979) among others.


It was during the 80's that Priest conquered the world becoming a global arena headliner on the strength of such all-time classics as British Steel (1980) and  Screaming For Vengeance  (1982) as well as being one of the first metal bands to be embraced by the then-burgeoning MTV plus performing at some of the decades biggest concerts (1980’s Monsters of Rock, 1983’s US Festival and 1985’s Live Aid) and being the first to exclusively wear leather and studs – a look that began during this era and would eventually be embraced by metal heads throughout the world. Priest’s success continued throughout the 90's and beyond with the addition of drummer Scott Travis as evidenced by such additional stellar offerings as Painkiller (1990), Angel Of Retribution (2005) and A Touch Of Evil: Live (2009) the latter of which saw Priest win a Grammy Award for a killer rendition of the classic "Dissident Aggressor".





In 2011 new guitarist Richie Faulkner came in to replace K.K. Downing who had left in 2010 - the move seemed to have reinvigorated the band as evidenced by a show-stealing performance on the American Idol finale that also served as Faulkner's debut performance with the band (also in 2011 was the release of a new compilation The Chosen Few which included Priest classics selected by some of metal's biggest names) and the Epitaph concert DVD in 2013.


Priest’s next studio effort would arrive in 2014 - Redeemer Of Souls which was supported by another strong tour. In 2017 (and again in 2019) Judas Priest received a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and got ready to unleash their latest studio album Firepower (produced by Andy Sneap and Tom Allom) which received global success and critical acclaim. In 2020 a fully official and authorized photographic book, Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years, was issued.


A Reflections Edition of the box set will also be available to purchase in CD and 2LP formats.





50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music tracklisting:


- CDs housed in mini LP Japanese-style wallets
- Box set designed by long-time Judas Priest collaborator Mark Wilkinson
- Includes Ross Halfin photos signed by each band member: Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Richie Faulkner, Scott Travis
- Numbered British Steel metal razor blade (blunt)
- Memorabilia book featuring rare photos, posters, adverts and passes
- Replica British Steel tour programme
- Two Replica Tour posters from: British Steel 1980 German Tour, Defenders Of The Faith 1984 European Tour


CD1 – Rocka Rolla
CD2 – Sad Wings of Destiny
CD3 – Sin After Sin (1977)
CD4 – Stained Glass (1978)
CD5 – Killing Machine – (1978)
CD6 – Unleashed In the East (Live in Japan 1979)
CD7 – British Steel
CD8 – Point Of Entry
CD9 – Screaming for Vengeance
CD10 – Defenders of the Faith
CD11 – Turbo
CD12 & CD13 – Priest… Live!
CD14 – Ram It Down
CD15 – Painkiller
CD16 – Jugulator
CD17 & CD18 – ’98 Live Meltdown
CD19 – Demolition
CD20 & CD21 – Live in London
CD22 - Angel of Retribution
CD23 – Nostradamus (Act 1) & CD24 – Nostradamus (Act 2)
CD25 – A Touch Of Evil Live
CD26 & CD27 – Redeemer of Souls
CD29 – Firepower


- 5 previously unreleased live stereo recordings from the archives
- Restored and edited by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8
- Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios, London


CD30 & CD31 – Live In Atlanta ’82 (Previously Unreleased)


CD30:
"The Hellion / Electric Eye"
"Riding on the Wind"
"Heading Out to the Highway"
"Metal Gods"
"Bloodstone"
"Breaking the Law"
"Sinner"
"Desert Plains"
"The Ripper"
"Diamonds and Rust"


CD31:
"Devils Child"
"Screaming for Vengeance"
"You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'"
"Victim of Changes"
"Living After Midnight"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"
"Hell Bent For Leather"


CD32 - Live At The Mudd Club ’79:
"Hell Bent For Leather"
"Delivering The Goods"
"Running Wild"
"Beyond The Realms Of Death"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"
"Victim Of Changes"
"Rock Forever"
"Starbreaker"


CD33 & CD34 - Live In Houston ’86


CD33:
"Out In The Cold"
"Locked In"
"Heading Out To The Highway"
"Metal Gods"
"Breaking The Law"
"Love Bites"
"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"The Sentinel"
"Private Property"
"Desert Plains"
"Rock You All Around The World"


CD34:
"The Hellion/ Electric Eye"
"Turbo Lover"
"Freewheel Burning"
"Victim Of Changes"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"
"Living After Midnight"
"You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’"
"Hell Bent For Leather"


CD35 & CD36 - Live In New Haven ’88


CD35:
"The Hellion/ Electric Eye"
"Metal Gods"
"Sinner"
"Breaking The Law"
"Come And Get It"
"I’m a Rocker"
"The Sentinel"
"The Ripper"
"Beyond The Realms Of Death"
"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll"


CD36:
"Turbo Lover"
"Ram It Down"
"Heavy Metal"
"Victim Of Changes"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"
"Living After Midnight"
"You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’"
"Hell Bent For Leather"


CD37 - Los Angeles '90 (Previously Unreleased):
"Riding on the Wind"
"Grinder"
"Heading Out to the Highway"
"Between the Hammer & the Anvil"
"Bloodstone"
"Better by You, Better Than Me"
"Leather Rebel"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"
"Hell Bent for Leather"
"You’ve Got Another Thing Coming"


CD38 - London '81(Previously Unreleased):
Solar Angels Intro / "Heading Out to the Highway"
"Metal Gods"
"Hell Bent for Leather"
"Breaking the Law"
"Sinner"
"Beyond the Realms of Death"
"Grinder"
"Desert Plains"
"You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise"
"Victim of Changes"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"


CD39 - Denver '80 (Previously Unreleased):
"Hell Bent for Leather"
"The Ripper"
"Running Wild"
"Living After Midnight"
"Sinner"
"Beyond the Realms of Death"
"You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise"
"Grinder"
"Victim of Changes"
"Steeler"
"Genocide"
"Tyrant"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"


CD40 - Irvine '91 (Previously Unreleased):
"Hell Bent for Leather"
"Heading Out to the Highway"
"The Hellion / Electric Eye"
"Diamonds and Rust"
"All Guns Blazing"
"Metal Gods"
"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"The Ripper"
"Night Crawler"
"Turbo Lover"
"A Touch of Evil"
"Painkiller"
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)"
"Breaking the Law"
"Living After Midnight"
"You’ve Got Another Thing Coming"


CD41 & CD42 - Beyond Live & Rare:
Previously unreleased stereo recordings from the archives


CD41:
"Epitaph" (Studio Demo) Demo from 1976’s Sad Wings Of Destiny
"Solar Angels" (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium
"Sinner" (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium
"Desert Plains" (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium
"You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise" (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium
"Genocide" (Live) May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
"Victim Of Changes" (Live) May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
"Ripper" (Live) May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
"Screaming For Vengeance" (Live) November 24, 1982 - Tucson, AZ - Tucson Convention Center
"The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)" (Live) June 07, 1981 - Odessa, TX - Ector County Coliseum
"Victim of Changes" (Live) June 07, 1981 - Odessa, TX - Ector County Coliseum


CD42:
"Tyrant" (Live) June 07, 1981 - Odessa, TX - Ector County Coliseum
"Diamonds and Rust" (Live) February 14, 1981 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Jaap Edenhal
"White Heat Red Hot" (Live) July 29, 1978 - Tokyo, Japan - Yuubin Chokin Hall
"Better By You Better Than Me" (Live) July 29, 1978 - Tokyo, Japan - Yuubin Chokin Hall
"Starbreaker" (Live) July 29, 1978 - Tokyo, Japan - Yuubin Chokin Hall
"Rock Forever" (Live) Killing Machine Tour - February 09, 1979 - Tokyo, Japan - Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
"Evil Fantasies" (Live) Killing Machine Tour - February 09, 1979 - Tokyo, Japan - Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
"Troubleshooter" (Live) World Wide Blitz Tour - February 29, 1981 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Rhein-Main-Halle
"Grinder" (Live) World Wide Blitz Tour - February 29, 1981 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Rhein-Main-Halle
"The Sentinel" (Live) May 02, 1984 - Albuquerque, NM - Tingley Coliseum
"Freewheel Burning" (Live) May 02, 1984 - Albuquerque, NM - Tingley Coliseum
"All Guns Blazing" (Live) August 17, 1991 - Montreal, QC, Canada - Forum de Montreal
"Painkiller" (Live) March 26, 1991 - Sheffield, England - Sheffield City Hall
"Mother Sun" (Live) October 11, 1975 - Slough, England - Slough College





Reflections - 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music


1CD:
"Let Us Prey / Call for the Priest"
"You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise"
"Fever"
"Eat Me Alive"
"All Guns Blazing"
"Never The Heroes"
"Dissident Aggressor" (Live)
"Out in the Cold" (Live)
"Judas Priest - Running Wild" (Live)
"Victim Of Changes" (Live) (May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre) *
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)" (Live) (Point of Entry ‘Worldwide Blitz’ Tour - Live in Hammersmith, London - November 21, 1981 - Foundations Forum - Hammersmith Odeon) *
"Bloodstone" (Live) (Screaming For Vengeance World Vengeance Tour - Live in Atlanta, GA - December 11, 1982 - The Omni)
"Judas Priest – The Ripper" (Live) (Irvine, CA - July 12, 1991 - Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre) *
"Beyond the Realms of Death" (Live) (Killing Machine/Hell Bent For Leather Tour - Live In New York, NY - March 11, 1979 - The Mudd Club) *
"The Hellion / Electric Eye" (Live) (Turbo ‘Fuel For Life’ Tour - Live In Houston, TX - June 21, 1986 - The Summit) *
"Sinner" (Live) (Ram It Down ‘Mercenaries Of Metal’ Tour - Live In New Haven, CT - August 7, 1988 - New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum) *


* previously unreleased








Reflections - 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music - 2 LP Gatefold Red Vinyl, 180gm


Side A
"Let Us Prey / Call for the Priest"
"You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise"
"Fever"
"Eat Me Alive"


Side B
"All Guns Blazing"
"Never The Heroes"
"Dissident Aggressor" (Live)
"Out in the Cold" (Live)
"Judas Priest - Running Wild" (Live)


Side C - previously unreleased
"Victim Of Changes" (Live) (May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre)
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)" (Live) (Point of Entry ‘Worldwide Blitz’ Tour - Live in Hammersmith, London - November 21, 1981 - Foundations Forum - Hammersmith Odeon)
"Bloodstone" (Live) (Screaming For Vengeance World Vengeance Tour - Live in Atlanta, GA - December 11, 1982 - The Omni)
"Judas Priest – The Ripper" (Live) (Irvine, CA - July 12, 1991 - Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre)


Side D - previously unreleased
"Beyond the Realms of Death" (Live) (Killing Machine/Hell Bent For Leather Tour - Live In New York, NY - March 11, 1979 - The Mudd Club)
"The Hellion / Electric Eye" (Live) (Turbo ‘Fuel For Life’ Tour - Live In Houston, TX - June 21, 1986 - The Summit)
"Sinner" (Live) (Ram It Down ‘Mercenaries Of Metal’ Tour - Live In New Haven, CT - August 7, 1988 - New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum)


"The Hellion / Electric Eye" (Live at The Summit, Houston, 1986):

Sepultura have released a new HD version of their "Mind War" video.


Says the band: "In support of the upcoming Sepulnation box set we have a new HD version of the video for 'Mind War' from Roorback. Check out the difference!"





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Despite being arguably Brazil’s biggest ever music export, when extreme metal legends Sepultura lost their original frontman and founder (alongside brother and drummer Iggor Cavalera) Max Cavalera in 1996 after their hugely influential Roots album, many thought the band would not recover from his departure. However, in Cleveland, Ohio punk and hardcore scene veteran Derrick Green, Sepultura found a formidable, towering force that would lead the band with power and conviction through this new era of their career.


Sepulnation - The Studio Albums 1998 - 2009, released through BMG on October 22, celebrates the bands seconds phase, and this five-album boxset (across eight slabs of vinyl or five CDs) contains the albums; Against, Nation, Roorback, Dante XXI and A-Lex, all of which are half speed cut, remastered and back on 180g vinyl for the first time in a decade and also as a collector’s CD box.  


In addition, the Roorback album features the rare Revolusongs EP, which is available for the first time digitally and saw the band celebrate their influences with covers of bands as musically broad as Devo, Exodus, U2 and Massive Attack.


You can watch an unboxing video below:





Any fans who feared that this new lineup of Sepultura would see the band taming their intense and heavy approach were not left disappointed when Against came out of the traps in 1998. With the powerhouse that is Iggor Cavalera still on drums (he remained for four of the five albums), Andreas Kisser’s grinding guitars and bassist Paula Jr’s heavy bottom end powered behind Derrick Green’s guttural roar and Sepultura sounded heavier and more forceful than ever. This period would see the band continue to push their sound forward and challenge new sounds and styles, but they never lost sight of what was the core of the band. The righteous, rebellious nature remained with the 1998 album Nation calling for ‘one nation, Sepulnation,’ – a rallying cry that stayed with the band throughout their long and challenging career.


Sepulnation - The Studio Albums 1998 - 2009 brings the focus back on a period of the band that may have been missed by early supporters and shows that the fire continued to burn bright throughout.


“It’s an honor and privilege to be a part of Sepultura's history,” states frontman Derrick Green. “I’m proud of all the work we have done together and it only makes sense to have this box set format released for the fans to have the complete history of Sepultura. Long live the Sepulnation!”


Pre-order here.








Sepulnation - The Studio Albums 1998 - 2009 tracklisting:


Against:


Side A
"Against"
"Choke"
"Rumors"
"Old Earth"
"Floaters in Mud"
"Boycott"
"Tribus"
"Common Bonds"


Side B
"F.O.E."
"Reza"
"Unconscious"
"Kamaitachi"
"Drowned Out"
"Hatred Aside"
"T3rcermillennium"


Nation:


Side A
"Sepulnation"
"Revolt"
"Border Wars"
"One Man Army"


Side B
"Vox Populi"
"The Ways of Faith"
"Uma Cura"
"Who Must Die?"


Side C
"Saga"
"Tribe to a Nation"
"Politricks"
"Human Cause"


Side D
"Reject"
"Water"
"Valtio"


Roorback (inc. Revolusongs – Disc 2):


Side A
"Come Back Alive"
"Godless"
"Apes of God"
"More of the Same"
"Urge"
"Corrupted"


Side B
"As It Is"
"Mind War"
"Leech"
"The Rift"
"Bottomed Out"
"Activist"
"Outro"


Side C
"Messiah"
"Angel"
"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"


Side D
"Mongoloid"
"Mountain Song"
"Bullet the Blue Sky"
"Piranha"


Dante XXI:

Hailing from Niagara Falls, Canada, Varius brings forth a new EP “Concordance” that aims to challenge genre boundaries, more so than any of their previous releases. The second single “Lament of Dissonance” can now be enjoyed with a visualizer video currently being premiered on BraveWords!





“Lament Of Dissonance” balances between a relatively straightforward groove track and an experimental piece. The song begins with melodic guitars before descending into a crushing groove riff in the verses. The band explains further: “The track came about in a different way for us, originating from a piano piece that our drummer, Vlad, had written. We worked together to rearrange the melodies and other parts for guitar and bass, adding more details and riffs along the way until the song took on its own identity. It became one of the groovier, more straightforward tracks on the EP, and easily represents the heaviness of this album. We worked together lyrically as well, telling the story of a genius composer cracking under the pressure of expectations from their audience, before channeling their doubt into a masterpiece. To top it off, the end of the song has a certain twist that keeps with the experimental tradition of Varius, and it stands out to us as a special track.”


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While the song takes a personal perspective from this individual and describes the burden of living up to the demands of a hungry au

Finnish melodic death metal group Nemecic have released the third single off The Last Magic In Practice, the band’s second album set for release on October 29th via Inverse Records. Check out the band's first ever video, "Dodecahedron Avenue", below.

The band comments: "'Dodecahedron Avenue' is one of the fiercest tracks off the album and was chosen as the video song due to its crushing chorus and fast tempo. The song will certainly remain on our live setlist for a long time. Lyric-wise, the song follows the album’s theme of creativity. 'Dodecahedron Avenue' is about finding your own path as an artist, and our trademark elements of mythology, Western occultism and magic are present as usual."

Nemecic will hold a The Last Magic In Practice album release show on October 30th at Lutakko in Jyväskylä, Finland. Album details will be revealed soon.

Greek epic heavy-metal trio Black Soul Horde have just revealed a lyric video for a brand new song off the band's forthcoming third album Horrors From The Void. Lyric video for “The Betrayal Of The King” is streaming below.





"To me this is a powerful and very personal song which is why the vocal delivery is so emotional." Says vocalist JIm Kotsis about this new song. "Despite the fact that the lyrics seem like they're dealing with the topic of an actual battle, taking place in a medieval setting with kings, castles and all, the song is actually about the struggle of snapping out of a difficult situation, whatever this means. Our everyday battles are never-ending and as years are passing by and shit's getting real, one needs more and more inner strength to overcome the difficulties and move forward. Never give up - Never surrender - Always fight to the end!"


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The 450s have released the second video and single for “Lucy Walk Away”. Watch the clip below.


“Lucy Walk Away” now is also available as digital single on all digital platforms, and the album, The 450s, will be released on November 19 via Louder Than Loud Records. Pre-order here.


Tales of decadence and despair are rendered with dark and edgy musicality in the provocatively titled songs “Flowers for Columbine” and “Lust and Denial.” Cleary, The 450s aren’t afraid to delve deep into the heart of darkness, either lyrically or in their modern take on soulful, raucous rock ‘n’ roll. Thankfully, some do get out alive, including frontman Rhett, who, like the other members of The 450s, is a musician with a storied history and prolific creativity.


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But past critical raves and credits—and there are many among this foursome—don’t necessarily translate into brutally honest, beautifully rendered rock songs, influenced by the ages, but sonically current. Musical chemistry is elusive, but this band of brothers— though only two, Robert and James Jacobs, are blood brothers—have been friends and sometime musical collaborators for decades despite living in Florida, Connecticut, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Each musician had their own project when they came together: Respected drummer and producer (Anthrax, Blue Cheer and more) Carl Canedy just released an album with his iconic band the Rods; the Jacobs’ found strong success with a 2019 release from their acclaimed band St. James; while Rhett, a veteran of major labels, was thriving as a solo artist, earning critical praise for his “ugly-beautiful, gutter- to-penthouse vocals.”


When the quartet got together in Miami, on a whim, the chemistry was effortless, the resultant songs so strong that they caught the ear of legendary producer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith), who went the extra mile in mixing the album, highlighting The 450’s inherent musical tension and dynamics. Chris Collier (Korn, Prong) also worked on the mixing/production, helping to hone the “modern” part of The 450’s “modern vintage” vibe.


The result is songs with an immediacy and nakedness that’s so intense it’s almost scary. The bluesy flamenco spookiness of “One King” is hauntingly cinematic; while the addictive “Black Tar” mixes a raw power with a dramatic string section, courtesy of keyboard player Ryan Sambrook. The musical push-pull comes from their personalities, as they explain: “Carl is the foundation and Bobby is the bridge between Carl and the rest of the band.”


Jimmy, who cites “Jimmy Page’s arrangements and production abilities and David Gilmour’s precision,” among his influences, “brings the whole thing together musically.” And Rhett himself? He brings a reckless urgency vocally, observing, “This is the heaviest record I’ve ever done, yet it has subtleties, and I hope, at times, a pop sense. Lyrically, this album talks about the thin lines that differentiate where one ends up in life.”


The 450s bring an old-school band ethic to bear: No resting on laurels, no copping styles from their forefathers; no pre-fab or pre-conceived anything. “We got together in a room and turned everything up real loud,” they explain. “We jammed and recorded what came out. Ultimately, it’s “about creating this group of songs out of nowhere for no reason other than it’s what we all love to do.”





Tracklisting:


"Flowers For Columbine"
"Black Tar"
"Lucy Walk Away"
"Lust And Denial"
"Gr

Internationally acclaimed melodic hard rockers Wicked Sensation have announced the release of their new album Outbreak.

After their album Adrenaline Rush in 2014, Wicked Sensation found a new home with ROAR! Rock of Angels Records, and they are armed and ready to “Break Out” and to take the next step with their new Album Outbreak. With a new and refreshing line-up, former guitarists Michael Klein and Sang Vong, took forces again with singer David Reece (ex-Accept) to work on the songwriting for their fifth album.



Again, with the long-time collaboration of the band’s producer and friend Dennis Ward, who mixed and mastered Outbreak. Wicked Sensation is now presenting their strongest and best album ever in December 2021. Nobody less than the incredible Gus G. (Firewind, ex-Ozzy) guests on the song “Light In The Dark”.

Outbreak will be released on December 17, 2021 as digipak CD, limited transparent Orange/Red Splatter Vinyl (300 copies worldwide) and digital streaming and download format.

On October 29, Whitechapel will release their new album, Kin, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the new single, "Orphan" (directed by David Brodsky) can be viewed below.


Frontman Phil Bozeman comments: "'Orphan' represents the battle of accepting what reality has given me within the story of 'Kin', and the battle between me and my alternate reality's realm."





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At this stage in the game, the name Whitechapel commands respect. Already sitting on one of the most enviable catalogs in contemporary metal, in 2019 they dropped The Valley, showcasing a confident evolution in their sound and standing as a true landmark release that sets a new standard for the genre. "To me, it was like the stars aligning for us to create our almost perfect record in regard to songwriting, vocal performance, the mix and master, and the artwork," says guitarist Alex Wade. "We like to look at our albums as chapters of our career, and that is one chapter I will never forget. I think it really solidified that we can embrace a new sound, and if we execute it properly, then the fanbase is going to support and enjoy it." In 2021, they return with that album's successor, the mighty Kin, which is an even more dynamic and diverse collection, further advancing the band's sound into new territory without losing sight of what brought them to this point. "I feel with every album, we learn what worked best on the last one and try to utilize that in our writing. Early in the writing, there was some discussion of the album being like 'The Valley' part II, not literally called that, but in how the songs sound and flow through it. It's very much a storytelling type record like 'The Valley' was," adds vocalist Phil Bozeman, "Musically, we just want to create what we vibe with at the given moment. We write music with how we feel and not what is expected of us, while lyrically the idea of continuing from the story of 'The Valley' was always the goal."


The resulting record explores a lot of sonic and emotional territory, and for the first time, it could be said that a Whitechapel record is as much a rock album as it is a metal one, an assertion Wade agrees with. "It's still very much a metal album, but there are elements of the record that have more of a rock and open vibe. We really wanted these songs to breathe and have life and to sound bigger than anything we've made so far. We have explored more singing on 'Kin' too. It wouldn't make sense to have the majority of the fanbase enjoy that sound and then shy away from it." This is not to say that the band have lost their hardest edges, with the full-on death metal assault that kicks off both "Lost Boy" and "To The Wolves" as brutal and serrated as extreme metal gets, and while Bozeman explores his wide-ranging singing voice more, he also cuts loose with his trademark roar across the album's eleven tracks.


Tracking of Kin was predominantly done at guitarist Zach Householder's home studio with producer Mark Lewis producing his fifth straight Whitechapel album, making for a very comfortable working environment. "Creating records with him has an effortless flow to it, and we can track things pretty quickly and efficiently these days," says Wade. "Mark has a great ear for giving us unique and complementary guitar and drum tones for the songs we are trying to record." The tracks were then sent off to David Castillo at Ghostward Studios in Sweden for mixing, with Ted Jensen mastering it in Nashville, TN. Now, having another album they can be as proud of as its predecessor, it stands them in good stead as they look toward the future. "I see more growth and a limitless potential," says Wade. "I think we found a great formula on 'The Valley', and we used that to create another monumental record for our career that I can't wait for people to hear. We hope to continue to grow our fanbase with this new album, and always seek to move in a positive direction. I'm excited as the pandemic lessens for the touring world to come back to life and to be able to perform these massive songs we have created in the manner they were meant to be heard - live and loud."





Kin can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:


- digipak-CD
- deluxe box set (hardcover box includes: exclusive gold vinyl, gold 7-inch single, 72-page photo book)
- 180g white vinyl (EU exclusive)
- clear sky blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- clear ash grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- midnight blue marbled vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- milky clear w/ blue and white splattered blob vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- gold / black split vinyl (Impericon exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- cool grey marbled vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- gold / black dust vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- opaque cyan (sides A/B) black (sides C/D) vinyl (US exclusive)
- black w/ white edge splatter vinyl (US exclusive)
- royal blue / black color in color vinyl (Newbury exclusive)
- electric blue w/ aqua blue splatter vinyl (Revolver exclusive)
- cyan w/ black splatter vinyl (US exclusive)
- white / cyan melt vinyl (US exclusive)





Kin tracklisting:


"I Will Find You"
"Lost Boy"
"A Bloodsoaked Symphony"
"Anticure"
"The Ones That Made Us"
"History Is Silent"
"To the Wolves"
"Orphan"
"Without You"
"Without Us"
"Kin"


"Lost Boy" video:





"A Bloodsoaked Symphony"





Next year, Whitechapel will join Cannibal Corpse, Revocation, and Shadow Of Intent for an extensive US tour, kicking off in February. See below for all dates.





Tour dates:


February
18 - Center Stage - Atlanta, GA
19 - The Ramkat - Winston-Salem, NC
20 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
21 - Reverb - Reading, PA
22 - The Roxian - Pittsburgh, PA
24 - Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY
25 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
26 - Anthology - Rochester, NY
28 - The Majestic - Detroit,

Lancaster, Pennsylvania's AUGUST BURNS RED has released a new song called "Vengeance".

"Earlier this year, we set out to write a standalone single that was fast, heavy, and concise," the band says. "'Vengeance' is that song. It's ABR at our most raw."

Regarding the song's incredibly current subject matter, AUGUST BURNS RED says, "The song speaks about how much meaner the last 18 months seem to have made everyone. There is a lack of compassion and understanding for others, and we should be doing all we can to bring that back into our lives."

AUGUST BURNS RED is currently ripping through its fall 2021 headline tour. The "Leveler 10-Year Anniversary Tour" features FIT FOR A KING, ERRA and LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES.

Earlier this year, AUGUST BURNS RED released "Leveler: 10th Anniversary Edition". The band re-recorded its fourth album, which was originally made available on June 21, 2011, with special guests, brand new guitar solos, alternate tunings, and more.

In 2020, AUGUST BURNS RED guitarist JB Brubaker told Billboard that he and his bandmates have grown more comfortable with the "metalcore" tag in recent years.

"The word metalcore became a little bit taboo for us in like, 2013," he said. "There was just this enormous boom of bands playing metalcore and it was just so watered-down and predictable and boring. And at this point now in 2020, I feel like so much of that heap of bands that were active seven years ago, so many of them have come and gone now that I'm not as embarrassed by the term 'metalcore' anymore. Because I feel like the bands who are left standing from that boom, it's sort of like the cream rose to the top. And while I much prefer just calling AUGUST BURNS RED a metal band, I get why people would call us a metalcore band. I mean, we play a ton of breakdowns. So if you want to get quite literal about it, the 'core' is obvious."

Canadian extreme melodic death metal juggernaut, The Agonist, will release their Days Before The World Wept EP on Friday, October 15, via Napalm Records. Inspired by real life experiences, Days Before The World Wept explores a grim, conceptual tale of greed, gluttony, confusion, pain, redemption and hope enveloped in a new level of aggression and cohesive, technical prowess.


Following up to their single, “Remnants In Time”, and its haunting music video, The Agonist reveal the EP's second single, "Feast On The Living" and another killer video. The certified burner stands tall with rollercoaster clean and gritty vocals, rapid fire drums and needle-sharp guitar leads and solos, cementing the track as one of the most technically meticulous of the band’s career and a forewarning of the band’s more extreme leanings.


Frontwoman Vicky Psarakis says about the track and video: "Everything that could possibly go wrong with this video shoot, well... did, haha. We had a very difficult time finding the right location, so our vision kept changing. Days before the shoot was scheduled to take place we managed to secure the perfect spot and experimenting with all sorts of cool lighting is what took it to the next level! Musically, 'Feast On The Living' is a much more straightforward metal track. You're 4 songs into the EP, at this point you know exactly what you're going to be served and you're loving it."


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Produced by Christian Donaldson (Beyond Creation, Cryptopsy, Despised Icon), Days Before The World Wept packs several albums worth of skill, songwriting prowess and melancholic lyrical mastery into just five tracks – leaving no stone unturned.


Opening track “Remnants In Time” begins ominously with ghostly piano lines performed by lead vocalist Vicky Psarakis before slamming into a double bass, one-woman choir explosion rife with needle-precision guitar work by deft guitarists Danny Marino and Pascal Jobin. The death metal burner brings non-stop energy throughout, showcasing Psarakis’ multifaceted vocal attack as she nails searing highs, guttural lows and magical clean passages in one fell swoop. The onslaught continues with the rhythmic soundscapes of cry for salvation “Immaculate Deception”, blending fast paced, aggressive verses with haunting, melodic choruses. “Resurrection” reaches into blackened territory before Psarakis splits it wide open – annihilating with her pinpointed vocal attack calling for rebirth. In addition to Psarakis, Marino and Jobin, dexterous drums from Simon McKay and the bass attack of Chris Kells lead the listener through metallic melodic passages topped with emotive poetry before breaking into the next track, “Feast On The Living”. It stands tall with rollercoaster clean and gritty vocals, rapid fire drums and blazingly precise guitar leads and solos, cementing the track as one of the most technically meticulous of the entire offering. Shifting into fifth gear, title track “Days Before The World Wept” brings it all home, beginning with a beckoning acoustic introduction before roaring in with intense blastbeats, polyrhythms and bellowing screams. The Agonist pulls out all the stops, showcasing their chops in all directions with breakneck instrumentation and staggeringly superb vocal approaches. Soaring through a kaleidoscope of blistering metal mastery and hopeful lyrical dramatism, the opus dominates as one of the most impressive works of the band’s catalog.


Psarakis adds about Days Before The World Wept: “There's a lot I could say about this EP and its importance to the band, but does it matter? Obviously, this is the part where I tell you these are the best songs we've put out to date. Honestly - it's a journey. You're either gonna reach the end and want to relive it or you're not... and that's okay. Let the music speak for itself.”


Days Before The World Wept will be available in the following formats:


- CD Jewelcase
- 1

With "Fortitude", Finnish melodic death metal force, Omnium Gatherum, present their new single taken off their upcoming album Origin, which will be released worldwide on November 5 via Century Media Records. From today on, this track will be available on all digital platforms alongside the previously released singles, "Paragon" and "Reckoning".


The video for "Fortitude" was directed, filmed and edited by Jari Heino. Aerial footage by Jani Vihavainen


About the place, where the band got together to shoot the video, they state: ”’Fortitude’ was filmed at Munapirtti, an island in the Southeast Finland, near Kotka. This cabin is the sacred sanctuary, our secret lair in the woods, where we have rehearsed many many bandcamps before entering the studios to record new albums since ‘New World Shadows’. Isolated from the world.”


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Origin will be available as Ltd. CD Digipak, Gatefold LP and as digital album. All physical formats can be pre-ordered

Tomorrow, Friday, October 15, Hate will release their new album, Rugia, via Metal Blade Records. Join fans for the YouTube premiere of Rugia at 1 PM, ET / 10 AM, PT / 7 PM, CEST.





No one combines death and black metal quite like Poland's Hate. With unflinching viciousness and a sense of atmosphere unique to the band, on Rugia, their twelfth full-length, they push the boundaries of their craft even further.


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"It was clear to me that it should build upon and evolve from our previous record, Auric Gates Of Veles (2019), both musically and lyrically. However, every Hate record stands as a separate journey, and never twice to the same place. You never know exactly where it will lead you," states vocalist/guitarist ATF Sinner, who has led the band since 1991.


Fresh blood in the band's lineup also helped contribute to Rugia's unique sound. Drummer Pavulon, who had played with the band since 2014, was forced to step down from the band due to serious health issues. The band tapped Nar-Sil (Neolith, Virgin Snatch, Embrional) to take his place. "Working with a new drummer this time around was a fascinating experience for me. Nar-Sil's technique and presence are quite different from Pavulon's, and that definitely comes across. I believe we managed to construct a refreshing new chapter to our discography, composing nine truly sinister onslaughts of pure rage."


Hate elected to once again track Rugia at Hertz Recording Studio in Poland, and it was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the Wiesłaski Brothers (Behemoth, Decapitated). Everything was laid down over about two to three weeks, with longtime collaborator Michał Staczkun providing the ambient elements of the band's sound. The only struggle came about at the mixing stage, where the final character of the record emerges. "Here we encountered many problems, contradictory visions, too. The producers had their own idea for the overall sound, which differed from what I had in mind, so we were trying to find a good compromise and it took us a few months." Given how strongly the personality of the record shines through, it is safe to say that the compromise reached was in its best interest, standing as perhaps the best sounding record in the band's long career.


Hate is also celebrating thirty years of activity with Rugia, Sinner affirming he is as driven as ever. "The fire is still burning! I'm proud that I have built a band with such strong energy, that's lasted for a long time in spite of numerous line-up changes and obstacles in our way. We are still here, and we create with ever growing consciousness and dedication. The energy speaks through us. Honestly, I think of the band as something much bigger and more profound than the individual people involved in it over any given period of time. I believe we create a channel for energies that surpass us."





Rugia can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:


- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- white / black burst vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- red / black splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- blood splatter vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- silver / black splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- silver / black marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING will release their first studio album in almost a decade, "Beautiful Distortion", in early spring 2022 via Psychonaut Records. Produced by Attie Bauw, who previously worked on 2006's "Home" and 1998's "How To Measure A Planet?", the band's 11th studio LP will contain eight songs with a running time of nearly 50 minutes.

THE GATHERING comments: "'Beautiful Distortion' is a typical eclectic THE GATHERING album, although it may be our most dynamic and melodic album to date. THE GATHERING's signature atmospheric and electronic rock sound is topped with the warm Nordic vocal lines by Silje Wergeland."

Wergeland adds: "We wanted the artwork and title to reflect the times we have been in lately. Both with the pandemic, trying to be creative in isolation, all our everyday struggles, in private life, in relationships, and all that comes in life and with not being able to meet face to face. It symbolizes communication, or the lack of it, the interaction that has been out of balance. But at the same time, all the beauty that can come out of this distortion, such as new music, ideas and perspectives. It has been a long way, but we are so pleased and excited to soon reveal what we have been working on so hard for the past years."

The first single from "Beautiful Distortion", a song called "In Colour", can be streamed below.

This past February, THE GATHERING drummer Hans Rutten told Portugal's Underground's Voice don't see 2013's "Afterwords" as the group's latest studio album. "We all see 'Disclosure' [2012] as our last studio album, and 'Afterwords' was more or less a 'Disclosure' after-party," he said. "Frank [Boeijen, keyboards] and René [Rutten, guitar] really wanted to do some extra things — to make remixes. We had some sounds going on and some ideas, so we devoped into a sort of — it's a mini album, maybe, but it's a long album. But that said, we don't see it as a full-length album of THE GATHERING, more as sort of an EP kind of thing."

According to Hans, the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic afforded him and his bandmates the perfect opportunity to focus on making a new album.

"It's strange, because touring is really impossible," he said. "Everything is unsure, especially this year, and I'm afraid it will take a while [before we can go back on the road]; it will become difficult to tour. On the other hand, what we can do is make new music, and you can do it at a distance, of course — send files, send ideas to each other. And that's the thing we can do, and that's what we did the last year, 2020. [We] bounced back e-mails with files, and that's what we did. So we tried really to focus on making new material — writing new material, talking about it. So that's what we did. The main focus was really writing. And, yeah, the virus, what can we do? What can we say about it? Did it influence the new music. I think so, but on other hand, it's difficult to say because we're still into it. It's difficult to say something about it. I think we have to wait after the whole thing. When it's totally over, maybe we can say what was the influence. But it's difficult to say about it right now."

Released in September 2013, "Afterwords" contained three songs that originally appeared on the "Afterlights" EP in 2012, two "Disclosure" remakes, three brand new THE GATHERING tracks and a cover version of a song called "Areas".

"Disclosure" arrived in September 2012 via THE GATHERING's own Psychonaut Records.

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis has once again accused the U.S. Democratic Party of fighting against every major civil rights initiative and of having a long history of discrimination.

The outspoken conservative rocker, who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade, voiced his views before performing his new single called "Am I The Only One" during his October 7 concert at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know what was weird: I released this song as a single and then completely abandoned this altogether and went and played STAIND shows.

"So me and a couple of friends wrote this song during lockdown.

"We will look back on this time frame in history and wonder how we were allowed — how we allowed — such ridiculousness to happen in this country, in this world. We allowed a virus that was created by man to destroy the entire fabric of mankind," he continued, referencing the scientifically unvalidated theory that the COVID-19 virus escaped from a Chinese lab. (Most scientists think the virus spread from animals to humans naturally, but, because they have not been able to pinpoint the exact path the virus took, they haven't ruled out the possibility that it came from the virology lab.)

"See, I liked American history in school. I paid close attention in that class. Yeah, but did we all pay attention? Because if we all paid attention in our fucking history classes, we would know that the Democrats are responsible for every fucking scar that exists on this country.

"Let's go through history, shall we, real quick? Every American Indian massacre, every fucking slave beside from eight that was ever owned in this fucking country was owned by fucking Democrats. Every segregational law, every racist law, every Jim Crow law, every fucking KKK meeting was done by the goddamn Democrats.

"Can we please embrace history so we don't fucking repeat it? Please!

"Go look it up yourself," Aaron said. "Please, I'm begging you, do not take my word for it. Get off Google and go look it the fuck up yourself. The Democrats are responsible for every fucking scar that exists on this fucking country. Period. The fucking end.

"I implore all of you. Please, go look it up yourself. I don't want you to believe me. I don't want you to think that just because I have this microphone what I'm saying is true. I want you to go and look it the fuck up yourself. Find out for yourself. Wake up."

He paused for a few seconds and walked away from the microphone before returning.

"That might have been a little much," he added. "But I never said a word on the entire STAIND tour; I just wore awesome t-shirts. And I felt like I was being silenced."

According to a "fact-check" article that was published by USA Today in June 2020, historians agree that although factions of the Democratic Party did majorly contribute to the Civil War's start and the KKK's founding, it is inaccurate to say the party is responsible for either.

As the Democrats introduced policies to support voting rights, it became the favored party for most black voters and has remained so since. With that realignment, many racist voters who opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 left the Democratic Party to become Republicans.

"Am I The Only One", which takes aim at liberals and touches on American flags burning and statues that have been removed in the country, was written by Lewis with Ira Dean and Jeffrey Steele.

Lewis sings in the song's chorus: "I'm not the only one, willin' to fight / For my love of the red and white / And the blue, burnin' on the ground / Another statue comin' down in a town near you." Lewis also criticizes Bruce Springsteen at the end of the track, singing: "Am I the only one who quits singin' along every time they play a Springsteen song."

Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, made headlines last month when he urged his fans to chant "Fuck Joe Biden" during a STAIND concert in Pennsylvania.

Aaron told the Anchorage Press in a January 2020 interview that he considered the first Donald 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 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.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has just returned to the stage for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band's double-platinum, acclaimed album "Slave To The Grind". The trek kicked off on September 25 in Waterloo, New York and will wrap in San Diego, California on December 17.

Fan-filmed video footage of Bach's October 8 performance at Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

During a September 23 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Bach stated about the current tour (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're doing [the 'Slave To The Grind' album] in its entirety. We've already done it once. We did it at the Whisky [A Go Go in West Hollywood, California] back in 2018 one time. And it was really funny because we did the first SKID ROW album on the first night and 'Slave' on the second. The first night's crowd was wall-to-wall chicks. [Laughs] I'm just being honest. The second night was wall-to-wall dudes. It couldn't have been a more different crowd — dudes with hooks in their noses and long earlobes with weird stuff.

"When I read back-and-forth in the press, which we all do whether we want to admit it or not, Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] once had a comment that when we put out 'Slave', we lost half of our female audience," he continued. "And my immediate response to that was, 'Dude, do you not remember the GUNS N' ROSES tour?', because there was a lot of females coming out to that one. But in retrospect, having performed the first album on a full tour, he is right — the appeal on songs like 'Can't Stand The Heartache' and 'Rattlesnake Shake', chicks love those songs. And dudes love 'Monkey Business' and 'Get The Fuck Out' — dudes love it. So, hey, man, me and Rachel just agreed on something."

According to Bach, he is performing the "Slave To The Grind" LP "in sequence except for one song. We are doing half of the song 'Get The Fuck Out' because half of the song, the lyrics are not acceptable in this day and age," he explained. "Even though I argued, when I was recording that song, about the words in that song [being] extreme. But we're doing half of it."

Asked what the most challenging part of performing all of "Slave To The Grind" is for him, Sebastian said: "I'll tell you, honestly — the ending of 'Quicksand Jesus'. That is me pushing my voice and my melodies, my licks, that's pushing it to the max. That's really hard to do.

"I have to say this, that sometimes fans lose sight of the fact that making a record is not playing a show," he continued. "Making a record, you're standing completely still. You're in an air-conditioned studio, and you can try as many times as you want to get the ultimate take that you want. That's not the same thing as going out there and you get one shot, and that's it. And if you're not using tapes, too bad for you. If you mess up, everyone's gonna know it.

"I'm not interested in going to a karaoke show; that doesn't have any interest to me. So that's just the way it is.

"I use effects sometimes, but I don't use Auto-Tune or nothing."

Last summer, Bolan told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he and his SKID ROW bandmates would embark on a "Slave To The Grind" 30th-anniversary tour in 2021. "We'll do the album in its entirety, and then we're gonna do a bunch of stuff to coincide with it," he said. "We're pretty psyched, and the shows are booked. We're keeping our fingers crossed that everything is gonna come to pass… It'll be cool, to go out there and do 'Slave To The Grind' top to the bottom. That'll be fun."

According to Bolan, SKID ROW didn't celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album in 2019 because "the timing didn't really work out. We had so much other stuff planned, and then all of a sudden, boom, it was here," he explained. "Maybe down the road [we'll celebrate it]. Maybe [for the] 40th [anniversary]. [Laughs]"

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of Bolan and guitarists Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.
























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TESTAMENT's Chuck Billy and EXODUS's Steve "Zetro" Souza have released a new 40-minute video in which they go in depth about the two bands' decision to postpone the North American leg of their "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" to 2022. The 30-date trek — also featuring DEATH ANGEL — was originally scheduled to kick off on October 6 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California and make stops in Austin, New York, and Detroit before concluding on November 27 at The Fox in Oakland.

Speaking about the thought process behind pushing back the tour, Chuck said: "I called Zet and I called Will [Carroll, drums] and Ted [Aguilar, guitar] from DEATH ANGEL and just wanted to hear what everybody's thoughts were. And the most important thing, I think, came back as that when we did the European leg [in February/March 2020], we all had such a great time. It was the first time where you go out and there's not a band that you met that you've gotta get to know and hang out with. Where we came into it as, like, 'Hey, buddy.' We're all pals flying out together. It didn't feel like starting a tour. And at the end of it, we all had a good time. No attitudes, no problems.

"We said, 'This has gotta go to America. This has to go everywhere,'" he continued. "We were saying that. The most key thing was, you know what? Remember how much fun we had? I was talking to Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer] about it and Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist]. We had a great time. Do we wanna do America and not have fun, not enjoy ourselves?

"'Cause I did talk to other [bands who were recently] on tour, and the consensus was it wasn't fun. And we were, like, do we wanna go do that? We wanna have fun. I think we're bands that like to go out and talk to the fans. We don't hide and run from fans.

Added Zetro: "Then there's the whole cost factor. Buses cost money. Crew cost money. We're not rich rock stars. We live off the business, and we're very fortunate to do so, but we still have to look at it from that angle. And if we go out for three weeks, and we've printed all this merchandise with the dates on the back, and Chuck gets sick. Are you gonna get a new singer for TESTAMENT? You can't do that. You can't replace it. So the tour's now over with. 'Cause DEATH ANGEL and EXODUS are not gonna go, 'Well, TESTAMENT's dropping off. We're just gonna continue.' That's not the package. That's not how it works. Gary gets sick. Over with. Zetro gets sick. Over with. Tom, who's just coming back from his whole ordeal with cancer. Tom gets sick — done, over, tour over.

"And, again, we're talking to our friends on other tours. We're getting the feedback from the crews. And they're telling us what's going on and what a nightmare it is. 'And yes, we're there working, but we're isolated on the bus.'

"I've always said, as soon as it's not fun anymore, I don't wanna fucking do it anymore," Zetro said. "So if we're gonna go out there for five weeks, and you're gonna basically put me in a rolling prison, I can't do that. On days off, we have to be accountable for. I like going to the movies or going to games and stuff on days off. I can't do that, 'cause if I go out and I get exposed and I expose everybody, it's just the way… We have to tour in a bubble, basically."

Continued Chuck: "We really took our time thinking about, 'Do we wanna go and do this?' And I think at the end of the day, after all this talk, it just came down to, 'Let's go out and do this right. Let's go out and have some fun. Let's go out and do it for the fans that got to hang out that we've been doing this for for all this time.' And it just made more sense [to postpone it].

"So many restrictions in venues in different cities are different. You've either gotta have the shot or show proof… So, as time goes by, I think it's all gonna open up better.

"First of all, we've seen the world change. 'Okay, there's daylight. Things are getting normal.' And then the delta variant hits," Chuck added. "We're, like, 'Oh, here we go again.' Things are changing — shutdown, restrictions are coming back. We thought we booked this tour knowing by the time October comes around, it's gonna be free and clear. And it changed on us. So that was the sucky part for us."

"The Bay Strikes Back Tour" dates have been rebooked beginning in April and will include additional cities not originally scheduled for the tour.

"The Bay Strikes Back Tour" 2022 dates:

Apr. 09 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater

Apr. 10 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

Apr. 12 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues

Apr. 13 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

Apr. 15 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre

Apr. 16 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater

Apr. 19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom

Apr. 20 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall

Apr. 21 - Austin, TX - Emo's

Apr. 22 - Dallas, TX -Amplified Live

Apr. 23 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues

Apr. 26 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade

Apr. 27 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz

Apr. 30 - Sayreville, NJ -Starland Ballroom

May 01 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage

May 02 - Boston, MA - House of Blues

May 03 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts

May 05 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount

May 06 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom

May 07 - Cincinnati, OH - Madison Theater

May 09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE

May 10 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora

May 11 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall

May 12 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre

May 14 - Joliet, IL - The Forge

May 15 - Joliet, IL - The Forge

May 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre

May 19 - Denver, CO - Summit

May 20 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

Multi-platinum-selling English supergroup ASIA will release a 10-CD box set, "The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1", on November 26 through BMG. There will also be a digital album — also called "The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1" — featuring a selection of 24 tracks taken from the full box set, out on the same day.

ASIA — Geoff Downes (THE BUGGLES, YES; keyboards), Steve Howe (YES; guitars), Carl Palmer (EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER; drums) and John Wetton (KING CRIMSON, UK; bass/vocals) — took the world by storm with their eponymous debut album, globally the biggest-selling album of 1982, and the single "Heat Of The Moment".

"The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1" celebrates the huge appeal of the concert tours that followed ASIA's first two albums in 1982 and 1983. The success continued following ASIA's 25th-anniversary reunion in 2006 and three more highly acclaimed albums. The slipcase boxset features 5 x 2CD concerts from 1982 (Buffalo, NY, USA), 1983 (Worcester, MA, USA), 2007 (São Paulo, Brazil), 2008 (Tokyo, Japan) and 2010 (London, UK).

"This historical collection represents some of our finest and most defining live moments," says Downes, "from the very first ASIA tour in 1982 and the 'Alpha' tour the following year through three of our many 'Reunion' shows. It was such a privilege to take ASIA's music to these different continents and feel the warmth and support from fans all over the world. We hope this brings back great memories and inspires others to appreciate the music of ASIA."

The sets for ASIA's original 1980s tours featured only the band's new music. For the "Reunion" years tours, ASIA included heritage tracks from each of the band member's pre-ASIA groups. The 2007 and 2008 concerts also feature the Wetton/Howe composition "Ride Easy", a song omitted from the debut album that was issued as the B-side of "Heat Of The Moment", and included in their later live repertoire as a thank you to their fans for their support over a quarter of a century.

This the first time these recordings have been made officially available by ASIA and they are presented together in a superb collector's edition box set with original artwork by Roger Dean, who created all of ASIA's album artwork.

ASIA was a true "supergroup," pooling the talents of Downes, Howe, Palmer and Wetton, who had already amassed tens of millions of record sales with their collective bands of the 1970s. Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound that dominated U.S. airwaves and took that, and the then-new MTV video channel, by storm. The single "Heat Of The Moment" was a worldwide monster smash and their eponymous 1982 debut album spent an incredible nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart as ASIA became the biggest-selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out. A second album, "Alpha", was released in 1983. The four original members reconvened in 2006 for a world tour, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that incredible success, and the album "Phoenix" followed.

While the members were still heavily involved in other projects, they came together again to record "Omega" in 2010 and "XXX" in 2012. Both albums were acclaimed by their faithful fans and supported by more world tours. Howe stepped back from ASIA to concentrate on his work with YES and was absent for 2014's "Gravitas". Following this tour came the news of Wetton's treatment for cancer, a fight he sadly lost in 2017.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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