Dean Guitars CEO Evan Rubinson has responded to the lawsuit filed against the company by the estate of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

On Monday (August 16), Rita Haney, Dimebag's longtime girlfriend and trustee of his estate, announced that she was cutting ties with Dean Guitars after 17 years with the company. She also revealed that she had filed a lawsuit against Dean, alleging fraud, breach of written agreement and false endorsement, among other claims.

In a statement posted on Dimebag's web site and social media, Haney wrote: "It became clear to me that Dimebag's relationship with Dean Guiars had come to an end when the CEO of Dean Guitars told me that Dime has been dead for 16 years, and then could not make the money they once did...and then continued on to tell me I should go somewhere else… Well...we will!" Haney went on to accuse Dean of continuing to promote and sell Dimebag-related guitars and merchandise even after the expiration of their endorsement deal. She also blasted Evan Rubinson as "incredibly disrespectful and often times belligerent to the legacy" of Dimebag.

"Moving forward, our goal will be to ensure the rightful and respectful celebration of Dime's legacy and the indelible mark he and his music made on this world," Haney added. "It is with absolute conviction that we say that this can no longer happen whilst continuing to partner with Dean Guitars."

Earlier today, Evan Rubinson released the following statement: "We have always treated Dime and his brother Vinnie with the utmost respect and loyalty. We have enjoyed a long-standing, 17-year relationship with Dime and Vinnie, and continue that relationship with Vinnie's estate on the ddrum side.

"We are shocked and saddened to see the actions that Ms. Haney has taken after both the Abbott brothers have tragically passed away, and we wish her the best in her future endeavors. However, it is unfortunate that Ms. Haney has allowed her unrealistic demands and accusations to dictate the future of the Dimebag Darrell legacy in the absence of Dime's immediate family.

"Dean Guitars is proud to have played a role in ensuring Dime's legacy not only survived, but thrived over the past 17 years. We have stood by the estate through good and bad. Ms. Haney's claims — across the board — are baseless, without any merit, and not grounded in reality. We will allow the full truth to come out as the legal process takes its course."

Dimebag's affiliation with Dean goes back to when he was 14. He played Dean guitars throughout PANTERA's heyday in the mid-1990s. He switched to Washburn Guitars late in the decade, a time when Dean Guitars had practically disappeared from the American market. But when Dimebag's contract with Washburn ended, he inked an endorsement deal with Dean, which Elliot Rubinson had revived. Dimebag died three weeks later at the age of 38.

Dimebag and his brother Vinnie Paul co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

The estate of PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott has filed a lawsuit against Dean Guitars, with whom he has had an endorsement deal for a number of years.

The news of the legal dispute was shared earlier today on social media by Dimebag's longtime girlfriend and trustee of his esate, Rita Haney. She wrote: "After much consideration, it is with great sadness that I announce the longstanding relationship between Dimebag and Dean Guitars is over. Unfortunately, we were forced to file a lawsuit against Dean Guitars on Monday, August 16th, for the reason set forth in the complaint that may be viewed at www.dimebagdarrell.com. It was necessary for us to end Dime's endorsement of Dean Guitars to continue to honor and celebrate his legacy the way he deserves, and in the way he had laid it out.

"We do not make this decision lightly and it is with a heavy heart that we share this news with you, Dime's loyal fans. As you know, after signing the deal with Dean Guitars in 2004, Dime was ecstatic to finally be working with the one and only, Mr. Dean Zelinsky, who's been gone from the company since 2008. Darrell had voiced several times that it was like going home where he belonged. It was something he was enormously proud of.

"I have spent days, re-reading through all of Darrell's guitar notes, lists, letters, and drawings (some not yet released). knowing Darrell's wishes and seeing them written down on paper, once again, after all these years solidifies that he would not have stayed. I want to see Dime's words followed through and to have his legacy reach the level he intended.

"I made several attempts to amicably settle our dispute with Dean Guitars. however, it became clear to me that Dimebag's relationship with Dean Guitars had come to an end when the new CEO of Dean Guitars told me that Dime has been dead for 16 years and they could not make the money they once did.. (so basically, he's used up???) and then continued on to tell me i should go somewhere else. Well... we will!

"Moving forward, our goal will be to ensure the rightful and respectful celebration of Dime's legacy and the indelible mark he and his music made on this world. It is with absolute conviction that we say that this can no longer happen whilst continuing to partner with Dean Guitars.

"As fans, we hope that you feel as we do. Our love for Dime has not wavered in the 16 plus years since his passing and he is still as relevant to us today, despite what we have been told by Dean Guitars. We want to capture the 'spirit of the deal' that was discarded by Dean Guitars, like it should have always been done. In this spirit, we soon hope to have more positive news to share with you regarding the future of 'Dime guitars.'

"Dime loved his fans so very much, in return, you guys have never wavered in your loyalty and love for him. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support.

"Long live Dimebag Darrell! Getcha pull!"

Dimebag's affiliation with Dean goes back to when he was 14. He played Dean guitars throughout PANTERA's heyday in the mid-1990s. He switched to Washburn Guitars late in the decade, a time when Dean Guitars had practically disappeared from the American market. But when Dimebag's contract with Washburn ended, he inked an endorsement deal with Dean, which Elliot Rubinson had revived. Dimebag died three weeks later at the age of 38.

In the lawsuit, Haney calls Dean's current CEO Evan Rubinson, the son of the late Elliot Rubinson, "incredibly disrespectful and often times belligerent to the legacy of Abbott. He acted without regard for the success Abbott brought to his father's company, and to which ultimately contributed to his inheritance," the complaint reads. "Given the misdealings uncovered by Ms. Haney, she felt that Dean Guitars had taken complete advantage of Abbott over the years and refused to continue a business relationship with Dean Guitars unless Dean Guitars was willing to right its wrongs."

The complaint goes on to accuse Dean Guitars of breaching its endorsement agreement with Dimebag in that it "never paid the contracted amount for each full cover photo that have been printed with Abbott playing a Dean guitar, with the Dean Guitars' logo and/or trademark prominently displayed; failed to provide the imported and domestic models for each line of Abbott endorsed guitars produced by Dean Guitars, and other guitars for personal and promotional use; fraudulently, in conjunction with Concordia and without the knowledge of Abbott, registered the trademark for Razorback and the Razorback guitar design, both of which were the sole property of Abbott, in Concordia's name; in conjunction with Concordia, transferred the Razorback trademark, which was the sole property of Abbott, to a third party without the knowledge of Abbott; and in conjunction with Concordia, acquired the registered trade dress for the guitar design known as the Dime3 in its own name, without Abbott's knowledge and without recognizing Abbott as a joint owner."

Dimebag and his brother Vinnie Paul co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.
























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In a new interview with Australia's Subculture Entertainment, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about how the concert industry — which has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus — will find its way out of the pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Of course, it's gonna be step by step. The entertainment business, the music business, it depends on interaction, it depends on traveling, going places, international free access, basically. We have to go where the people are — it's as basic as that. Of course, we have the Internet and all the possibilities we use on [SEPULTURA's new album] 'SepulQuarta', but that's not gonna substitute the actual show, the interaction with people, real energy and where art actually happens — at the stage. That's where it happens, and that's where it evolves and that's where we develop into new ideas into eventually a new album and stuff. But we're gonna have to learn how to survive and live with this virus, the same way with so many different illnesses around there, and vaccines as well. Yellow fever, for instance. In many countries, you cannot go in if you don't have the shot for yellow fever, and we do. And we never talked about politics and all that stupid stuff because of a vaccine, and now we do. It's ridiculous. Hopefully we'll have more of an understanding of how we're gonna survive with this virus, how our limitations and how we're gonna deal with that, because we have to deal with that. So, the more we learn, the more we're gonna know how to do it. And we have to be patient; I think there's no other way. Otherwise, it would be unsafe for people to watch a concert or for the bands or people working. It's not worth it. We really wanna make sure that we go there to enjoy the show instead of being worried, 'Oh, who's on my side?' And, 'Don't cough on me,' or something like that. You have to be free — free to enjoy. Otherwise, it makes no sense having a gathering and really experiencing a live concert the way it's supposed to be."

While the pandemic paralyzed the entire world and prevented bands from touring, SEPULTURA refused to sit back and feel like animals trapped in a cage. Therefore, in early 2020, the band seized the moment to start its own weekly "SepulQuarta" video podcast in which they invited other famous musicians from all over the world to not only discuss important topics but also perform a track from SEPULTURA's massive catalog together with the group. The resulting full-length compilation was released on August 13, with the album containing 15 classics featuring internationally renowned guests and friends.

SEPULTURA comprises Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre has blasted SKILLET frontman John Cooper over his comments about wearing masks, saying the Christian rocker "believes in a mythical celestial dictator but doesn't believe in science."

Earlier today, BLABBERMOUTH.NET transcribed portions of the latest episode of Cooper's "Cooper Stuff" podcast in which he called the issue mask wearing "nothing more than theater" and said that "every time I put my mask on, I know that I'm doing something that I do not believe in. In other words, I'm being forced to lie… I'm being forced to jump into something I don't believe, and I'm living by a lie — I'm living by a lie that this mask is actually gonna keep me safe from all harm," he continued. "To acquiesce to the government, which says that I'm believing something that I know that I don't believe. So now I'm basically living in a fantasy world. That frightens me. And every time I put that mask on, that's basically what I think. I know I'm doing this, I know it's show, I know it's theater, I know my overlords don't even believe in it, because if they did, they wouldn't be breaking all of their own rules."

After BLABBERMOUTH.NET published Cooper's stance on mask wearing and shared the article on Facebook, La Torre took to the comments section and chimed in, writing: "Cool, then go volunteer on the Covid floor of a hospital maskless and let us know how that works out. He believes in a mythical celestial dictator but doesn't believe in science. Got it."

La Torre, who is an atheist, told KNAC.COM earlier this year that one of the songs on his debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", is a commentary on religious charlatans who take advantage of people's weaknesses and fears. "These are the TV evangelists who sell people holy water that came out of the tap," he explained before adding that "I cringe at the idea of people knocking on my door trying to sell me God as though He's a cheeseburger. I mock it and expose the hypocrisy in some of the songs."

Wearing face masks and coverings is recommended, or in some places mandatory, in public spaces to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But anti-maskers think government orders requiring face coverings in public spaces or those put in place by private businesses violate their constitutional rights.

Studies have shown that masks limit the spread of the coronavirus by blocking respiratory droplets that can travel through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or even just speaks. There is also strong evidence to suggest that masks help protect others from catching the virus from the person wearing the mask.

Cooper recently published his first book, titled "Awake & Alive To Truth (Finding Truth In The Chaos Of A Relativistic World)". It "tackles the reigning philosophies of our day of post-modernism, relativism, and the popular view of the goodness of man-and combats these viewpoints by standing on the absolute truth of the Word Of God," according to the book's official description.

In various interviews over the years, Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

Former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens, who recorded two studio albums with the band before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003, was asked by the "Thunder Underground" podcast if he would like to hear Rob perform any of the songs from his era of the group live with PRIEST on the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, absolutely. I don't see why they wouldn't. I think songs like — oh, 'Burn In Hell' he would make sound so good. All these songs are tailor-made for him. There's nothing that's different. We're both very similar-style singers. I may have a little more [Ronnie James] Dio in me or something. But, yeah, 'Burn In Hell' would be great. And even them doing 'Bloodsuckers' would be great, because it was about the court case. But I think 'Burn In Hell', because that's the big one. I think it would be awesome to hear him sing it. I think it would be great."

Last year, Halford told "The SDR Show" that he had not yet listened to the albums JUDAS PRIEST made with Owens. "Those two PRIEST records, it's not just because it's not my voice, because that would be a silly thing to say; Tim is a very good friend of mine," he said. "I think it's just that with connecting with music, particularly with PRIEST, I know my place and I know where I wanna be. And so there's never really been a sense of [wanting to listen] to those records. Having said that, though, numerous times I've been asked would I ever do a song from 'Jugulator', would I ever do a song from 'Demolition'. Well, absolutely, I would, because those two albums are just as valid as everything else in the PRIEST catalog. So who knows? That day may yet come."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 after being discovered when the band's drummer, Scott Travis, was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Halford.

In 2019, Owens told Ultimate Guitar that he believes his era of JUDAS PRIEST is largely overlooked. "Yeah, I think it definitely deserves more [attention]," he said. "I mean, they don't do anything. [Laughs] It's kind of amazing that they just totally erased it that they won't play... I mean, 'Burn In Hell' [off 'Jugulator'], the crowd would like to hear 'Burn In Hell'.

"They don't have to give me a tribute or anything, but it would be nice to play a song from... You know, that was a pretty big thing, I did two studio records, two live records, and a DVD, starting from '96 to 2004. So it's kind of crazy that it's just been erased and they won't even play a song from it live, because it is JUDAS PRIEST."

In October 2019, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said that "Hell Is Home" is one of his favorite songs from the Owens era. The PRIEST guitarist, who joined the band in 2011 as the replacement for K.K. Downing, offered his opinion during a live video chat. He said: "I was listening to the Ripper albums the other day, and 'Hell Is Home' is such a great track. It's really heavy and the vocal melody is really great. I think Ripper sings it really well. It's probably one of my favorite PRIEST songs of the Ripper era. 'Hell Is Home' — I really like that."

John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, says that he has an issue with mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, calling the subject of face coverings "nothing more than theater."

During the latest episode of his "Cooper Stuff" podcast, the Memphis, Tennessee-born Cooper, who lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, addressed the fact that certain people, including conservative Christians, object to masks or outright refuse to wear them.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is extremely unprecedented times. I think people are genuinely trying to figure out, 'What does Jesus want me to do?' 'What is the best way to show my faith in these absolutely insane times that we live in?' I think people are really trying to do their best. I think there are some things that we need to be gracious towards one another on.

"I think that your conscience — your personal conscience before the Lord — has to come into play in a really big way in these issues," he continued. "If you feel like that the best thing that you can do unto the Lord is to get a vaccine, I would say go for it. That's between you and the Lord. That's up to you. Go for it. Absolutely no judgment from me. If you want to get a vaccine and wear a mask, if that's what you feel like you need to do, that's up to you. If you wanna wear a mask, up to you. I feel this is an issue of, like, hey, everybody can make kind of their own decisions here, because it's kind of a weird time we live in. What I don't like is on these very complicated issues when the dogmatism comes in of, 'If you are a believer, you will do this,' when there's so much to talk about."

Cooper then went on to discuss his own reluctance to wear masks, saying: "The issue of the mask wearing, to me, is nothing more than theater. It is making me jump into an unreality, something that I do not believe, just to acquiesce to either the overlords — overlords meaning government, Big Tech [Editor's note: A name given to the five largest and most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the United States — namely Google (Alphabet), Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft], big business, big media, whatever — to acquiesce to what they want me to do. Even though I know that it's not true, but I'm gonna play the game. And every time I put my mask on, I know that I'm doing something that I do not believe in. In other words, I'm being forced to lie… I'm being forced to jump into something I don't believe, and I'm living by a lie — I'm living by a lie that this mask is actually gonna keep me safe from all harm. To acquiesce to the government, which says that I'm believing something that I know that I don't believe. So now I'm basically living in a fantasy world. That frightens me. And every time I put that mask on, that's basically what I think. I know I'm doing this, I know it's show, I know it's theater, I know my overlords don't even believe in it, because if they did, they wouldn't be breaking all of their own rules."

Wearing face masks and coverings is recommended, or in some places mandatory, in public spaces to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But anti-maskers think government orders requiring face coverings in public spaces or those put in place by private businesses violate their constitutional rights.

Cooper touched upon the constitutional rights argument on "Cooper Stuff", saying: "I can't think of anything in this situation more loving — and I believe in a true biblical sense of the word 'love' — I can't think of anything more loving in this situation than to protect those individual rights. Not because we're a bunch of braggers, not because we don't care about anybody else, but because people fought and bled and died in order for us to have some sort of individual autonomy in the biblical sphere of authority. God gives us these rights. I think it's more loving to protect those rights and fight against the totalitarianism. I'm much more scared of totalitarianism than COVID or cancer, for that matter. Because totalitarianism and tyranny will destroy nations, will destroy cultures. A hundred and fifty million people were killed in the last century from various dictatorships and totalitarianisms and dictators and that sort of thing. I am much more frightened of that, because where you move into is this idea of 'safeism.' And once you move into 'safeism,' when you are willing to trade, 'I will give you my rights, government. I will give you control of my life if you just keep me safe. If you just keep me safe from all harm, I'll give it all over to you.' That's scary. That is a scary, scary place. And mark my words, you will see incredible oppression if people are willing to give up everything they have in order for the government to take care of them."

Studies have shown that masks limit the spread of the coronavirus by blocking respiratory droplets that can travel through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or even just speaks. There is also strong evidence to suggest that masks help protect others from catching the virus from the person wearing the mask.

Cooper recently published his first book, titled "Awake & Alive To Truth (Finding Truth In The Chaos Of A Relativistic World)". It "tackles the reigning philosophies of our day of post-modernism, relativism, and the popular view of the goodness of man-and combats these viewpoints by standing on the absolute truth of the Word Of God," according to the book's official description.

In various interviews over the years, Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

NINE INCH NAILS has scrapped all of its previously announced shows for 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Trent Reznor-led band shared the news of the cancelation in an announcement on social media earlier today (Thursday, August 19).

"It is with great regret that we are canceling all NIN appearances for the remainder of this year," the statement reads.

"When originally planned, these shows were intended to be a cathartic and celebratory return to live music. However, with each passing day it's becoming more apparent we're not at that place yet.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment and look forward to seeing you again when the time is right.

"Ticket buyers for the September 21 and 23 shows in Cleveland, please refer to your point of purchase for ticket refund information."

NINE INCH NAILS was also scheduled to make several festival appearances, including at such Riot Fest, Louder Than Life and Welcome To Rockville.

Several hard rock and heavy metal artists have canceled shows or whole tours as the concert industry is rethinking its approach to live shows while the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading nationwide.

A number of venues around the country have already instituted policies requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend shows.




Ticket buyers for the September 21 and 23 shows in Cleveland, please refer to your point of purchase for ticket refund information. pic.twitter.com/XYboGA7FBw

— nine inch nails (@nineinchnails) August 19, 2021

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will release its 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", on November 26 via Entertainment One (eOne). The album will be available digitally on CD and vinyl plus a deluxe edition that includes vinyl, CD longbox, cassette and more, pre-order now. Today, the band released the music video for the LP's first single, "Set You Free".

The 12-track album is both a tribute to the band's "first to bleed, last to leave" road crew and a salute to the legion whose support, stretching back to 1998, rivals that of the KISS Army. The stomping, heavy, bluesy, recklessly unhinged hard-rock-metal quartet are part invading horde, and part traveling carnival — summoning caffeine-fueled cacophony on records and the stage.

The songs are odes to celebration and mourning, the soundtracks to jubilant evenings and bewildering days recorded in Zakk Wylde's home studio, the Black Vatican. On this album, Zakk trades solos and twin-guitar parts with Dario Lorina, backed by the rumble of longtime bassist John "J.D." DeServio and powerhouse drummer Jeff Fabb.

"We incorporated Father Dario even more into the solos, doubling with me and being more involved in that regard," said Wylde. "It really, truly is a two-guitar album, more so than ever. A twin guitar band, whether it's THE ALLMAN BROTHERS or JUDAS PRIEST, with harmony lines, unison lines, and trading off solos. It stemmed from the live shows, where we'd both go into the crowd and extend songs like 'Fire It Up'."

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

"Doom Crew Inc." track listing:

01. Set You Free

02. Destroy & Conquer

03. You Made Me Want To Live

04. Forever And A Day

05. End Of Days

06. Ruins

07. Forsaken

08. Love Reign Down

09. Gospel Of Lies

10. Shelter Me

11. Gather All My Sins

12. Farewell Ballad

Photo credit: Justin Reich

CATHEDRAL frontman Lee Dorrian has paid tribute to Eric Wagner, saying TROUBLE's "The Skull" is "the heaviest doom metal album ever recorded."

Wagner, who was TROUBLE's original singer, died yesterday (Sunday, August 22) after a battle with COVID pneumonia. He was 62 years old.

The news of Wagner's passing was confirmed late last night by his son Luke Wagner. Luke wrote on social media: "Hey all this is Luke Wagner his oldest son. Eric Wagner has passed away."

Earlier today, Dorrian took to his Facebook page to write: "I had heard that Eric Wagner was ill in hospital but doing well and receiving good care. The news that he has died is nothing less than a tragic shock.

"There's no denying that TROUBLE were a massive influence on me since first hearing them in the mid 80s and they changed the very notion of what true heaviness was to me. Their first two albums in particular are stunning examples of how soulful and punishingly heavy the art of Doom Metal can actually be. They completely reinvented the genre and transcended the basic formula into something truly unique. Their influence on early CATHEDRAL was unquestionable, even more-so than [BLACK] SABBATH, particularly with regard to the the twin guitar aspect. To me, 'The Skull' is the heaviest Doom Metal album ever recorded. I still remember the day it came in to Revolver record shop in Coventry and asking the guy behind the counter to play it. It literally felt like the building was about to collapse when 'Pray For the Dead' kicked in.

"The first time TROUBLE came to the UK in 1990, I went to every show bar Scottish dates. We (CATHEDRAL) toured with them on several occasions and some crazy, crazy times were had.

"My condolences go to Eric's friends, family and former bandmates. RIP Eric."

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Wagner left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.

Eric was one of the guest singers on Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) heavy metal side project PROBOT, whose 2004 album featured heavy metal vocalists from the '80s and '90s.

Last year, TROUBLE partnered with Hammerheart Records to re-release the legendary doom legends' entire musical catalog, in addition to their upcoming album. This partnership that will see the distribution of the band's entire library of music that spans over three decades.


I had heard that Eric Wagner was ill in hospital but doing well and receiving good care. The news that he has died is...

Posted by Lee Dorrian on Monday, August 23, 2021

On the heels of his well received solo album "One Shot", Danish vocalist Ronnie Atkins (PRETTY MAIDS) has announced the upcoming release of a new EP, "4 More Shots (The Acoustics)" on October 1. The EP consists of one previously unreleased studio track, "Carry Me Over", and three acoustic songs. All three acoustic tracks — "When Dreams Are Not Enough", "Picture Yourself" and "Real" — have original studio versions that appear on "One Shot". Additionally, the EP contains a special bonus track, "One Shot" (Orchestra Version) that was originally available as a bonus track in Japan with the album "One Shot".

"'Carry Me Over' was in fact the first song I wrote after I was told my cancer was back in March 2020," Ronnie explains. "It was written when I hit rock bottom mentally and emotionally and in a very hopeless and frustrating period of time in my life. That's pretty obvious when you listen to the lyrics. So when I had to decide which songs were gonna go on the album 'One Shot', I deliberately decided to leave 'Carry Me Over' out for two reasons. One being the fact that, you know, I simply thought the lyrics were too sad/depressing and that's not what I wanted to signal to the fans. Second, I felt it would tip the balance on the album. However, I still think it's a beautiful melody. Melancholic indeed, but also very honest and therefore I can back it up at any time. That's how I felt, and that was the state of my mind when I wrote it. Today, I'm in a different place — not diagnosis-wise, really, but I feel good and I guess I've somehow learned how to adapt to the situation and deal with it. Thanks to immunotherapy, a positive mindset, and, not the least of which, the almighty God, I'm still here."

"4 More Shots (The Acoustics)" was produced and mixed by Chris Laney, co-produced and arranged by Anders Ringman, and mastered by Jacob Hansen. It was recorded during 2020 at Hansen Studios, Laneyland Studios and Platform CPR.

The musicians appearing on the EP are:

* Ronnie Atkins: Lead and backing vocals

* Chris Laney: Acoustic guitars, Bass and backing vocals

* Anders Ringman: Acoustic and lead guitars, Bass, Piano, Keyboards.

* Allan Sørensen: Drums

* Linnea Vikström Egg: Backing vocals

Track listing:

01. Carry Me Over

02. When Dreams Are Not Enough (acoustic version)

03. Picture Yourself (acoustic version)

04. Real (acoustic version)

05. One Shot (orchestra version - bonus track)

The 56-year-old Atkins was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019 and underwent at least 33 radiation and four chemotherapy treatments in the fall of that year before being declared cancer-free. In October 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned.

Photo credit: Tallee Savage

Corey Taylor is "doing well," two days after he contracted a breakthrough case of COVID-19 that made him "very, very sick."

The 47-year-old SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer was forced to call off his appearance at a Michigan pop culture convention this weekend after testing positive for the coronavirus. Taylor first shared the news in a video posted Friday on the Facebook page for Astronomicon, the event where he was scheduled to appear Saturday and Sunday.

Earlier today (Sunday, August 22), Corey's wife Alicia Taylor, who is a professional dancer and a member of the all-girl dance group CHERRY BOMBS, took to her Twitter to write: "Wanted to give you guys an update: Corey is doing well and thanks everyone for the sweet thoughts and messages. Ready to get him home as soon as it's safe, so I can take care of him! He (very luckily) hasn't lost his sense of taste or smell so I send him stupid amounts of snacks, hydration powders, and yummy desserts."

Taylor completed the latest leg of his solo tour in support of his 2020 album "CMFT" Thursday night (August 19) in Denver.

In his video message on Friday, Corey said that he woke up earlier that day and tested positive for COVID-19. "I'm very, very sick," he added and assured fans he "should be okay" and said that because he was vaccinated, he was "not worried" about his illness. "But I certainly wouldn't want to spread it to anyone else," he said.

In a recent interview with Consequence Of Sound, Taylor lamented the politicization of the coronavirus vaccines, saying: "The fact that [vaccines] have been demonized, almost to the point of these gnarly conspiracy theories, no wonder why people are afraid of it — because they're listening to the wrong people."

He continued: "Do I think it should be a requirement for people to be vaccinated to go to shows? Yes and no. Here's the thing: there shouldn't be a mandate. But guess what, man — if you're going to put people at risk of getting sick, you shouldn't want to go to a show. That's common sense. And if you do put people at risk, then you're a fuckin' asshole. And you shouldn't be let in anyway. So, for me, it's a common sense thing, but we don't have a lot of common sense these days, man."




He (very luckily) hasn’t lost his sense of taste or smell so I send him stupid amounts of snacks, hydration powders, and yummy desserts. ?

— uh-lee-see-yuh Taylor (@AliciaETaylor) August 22, 2021

Vocalist Sean Killian of San Francisco Bay Area thrash metallers VIO-LENCE has been hospitalized with COVID-19.

The 57-year-old musician, who battled stage four liver cirrhosis five years ago, revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis in a social media post earlier today.

He wrote: "I entered the hospital Thursday to be treated for Covid. I contracted the virus from a friend who was unaware he was carrying it. I am feeling much better but my lung capacity at this time is diminished. My oxygen absorption is good and all my other symptoms have gone away. I will have a recovery period that will take some time.

"I'm sorry we have had to make adjustments to our schedule but at this time I cannot perform to the level our fans and the band expect and deserve. This will only be temporary and VIO-LENCE will be back onstage better than ever."

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

VIO-LENCE debuted a new song, apparently titled "Upon Their Cross", during their August 6 concert at Strummer's in Fresno, California. The track will appear on the band's upcoming EP, "Let The World Burn", which is due in early 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The effort was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producer Juan Urteaga, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD and EXODUS, among many others. Mixing duties were handled by Tue Madsen.

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

In August 2020, VIO-LENCE released a new digital single, "California Über Alles", a cover version of the DEAD KENNEDYS classic. The band also filmed a music video for the song with director Scott Kirkeeng.

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.

The band performed its first comeback concert in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California and spent most of the ensuing months playing select shows in the U.S. and Europe.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in any of the comeback shows.

VIO-LENCE's last album, "Nothing To Gain", was recorded in August 1990, but wasn't released until 1993.
























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Professionally filmed video footage of DESTRUCTION's August 14 performance at the Alcatraz festival in Kortrijk, Belgium can be seen below (courtesy of ARTE).

DESTRUCTION recently officially parted ways with founding guitarist Michael "Mike" Sifringer and replaced him with Martin Furia. The Argentinian-born, Belgian-based Furia is best known for his work as sound engineer and producer for such bands as NERVOSA and EVIL INVADERS.

Sifringer was the only member of DESTRUCTION to have remained constant throughout the band's career. Schmier appeared on DESTRUCTION's first three albums before leaving the band and being replaced by POLTERGEIST vocalist André Grieder. André's sole recorded appearance with DESTRUCTION was on the "Cracked Brain" album, which came out in 1990. Schmier rejoined DESTRUCTION in 1999.

In other news, DESTRUCTION has released a new single and video, "State Of Apathy", featuring Furia's first recorded appearance with the band.

"State Of Apathy" is available as a digital single, as well as on limited 12-inch slipcase vinyl together with a live-version of "Sign Of Fear" from "Live Attack", with etching in neon green or purple on the B-side.

DESTRUCTION released a new Blu-ray and CD, "Live Attack", on August 13 via Napalm Records. The 22-song release includes footage of the band's nearly two-hour livestream concert from January 2021 at the legendary Z7 venue in Pratteln, Switzerland.

DESTRUCTION's latest studio album, "Born To Perish", was released in August 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was DESTRUCTION's first to feature Randy Black on drums and second guitarist Damir Eskić.

Damir is a Swiss guitar player of Bosnian decent who works as a guitar teacher, himself being a former pupil of Tommy Vetterli (CORONER). He also plays in a heavy metal band called GOMORRA and previously contributed three solos to DESTRUCTION's 2016 album "Under Attack".

DESTRUCTION 2021 is:

Schmier - Bass, Vocals

Martin Furia - Guitars

Randy Black - Drums

Damir Eskić - Guitars

Terry Ilous (GREAT WHITE, XYZ) and his solo band THE VAGABONDS performed a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Heaven And Hell" during the July 10 global virtual concert produced by Rolling Live Studios. The event benefited the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the late heavy metal icon who was the voice of ELF, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO before losing his battle with gastric cancer in 2010. The global fundraising event brought together celebrities and fans all over the world to honor Dio's undeniable impact both on and off the stage.

On Friday (August 20), Terry shared video of his performance, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "On July 10, 2021, I was honored to perform along with my band THE VAGABONDS at the Stand Up and Shout for Ronnie James Dio's Birthday global livestream event recorded live at Rolling Studios. It was a wonderful celebration of the life of whom I consider the greatest Heavy Metal singers of all time—Ronnie James Dio. Wendy Dio and Mary Kusnier were generous enough to let us perform a rendition of this epic song."

Featured musicians:

Terry Ilous - Vocals

Luis Villegas - Guitar

Andres Vadim - Guitar

Sean McNabb - Bass

Fernando Diez - Cajón

The Stand Up And Shout For Ronnie James Dio's Birthday virtual fundraising concert also featured exclusive archival footage from Dio's life and long-spanning career and never-before-seen footage from Dio Cancer Fund events held in Los Angeles since 2011 when the organization began. Through musical performances and storytelling, a wide array of guests celebrated the life of a man who deeply influenced their lives through his artistry and larger-than-life presence.

Throughout his career, Ronnie James Dio was a passionate supporter and contributor to charitable work and numerous animal charities. He was an artist who was not only well respected for his talent, but also admired and loved by his peers and fans worldwide, some of which included renowned celebrities, musicians, and prominent individuals from all walks of life.

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, has raised over $2 million in its history. The organization's last in-person event was its 10th-anniversary gala held at the Avalon in Hollywood in February, 2020. Its annual Ride For Ronnie motorcycle ride and concert and Bowl For Ronnie celebrity bowling tournament have been suspended as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund: The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable fund formed in honor of the legendary Ronnie James Dio, who lost his life to stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. Cancer is a deadly disease that robs families of loved ones, and the Dio Cancer Fund is dedicated to support cancer prevention research, raise awareness and educate the public with the focus that early detection and prevention saves lives.

Monies raised have been committed to the cancer research work of the T. J. Martell Foundation for cancer, AIDS and leukemia research, the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life, and other cancer research projects. Since 2016, the Dio Cancer Fund has also committed funds to support the research of Dr. David Wong and his team at the UCLA School of Dentistry in developing a simple, non-invasive saliva test for the early detection of cancer, which is in keeping with the Fund's mission of cancer prevention, research and education.

Fan-filmed video footage of KISS's August 21 performance at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Detroit Rock City

02. Shout It Out Loud

03. Deuce

04. War Machine

05. Heaven's On Fire

06. I Love It Loud

07. Lick It Up

08. Calling Dr. Love

09. Say Yeah

10. Cold Gin

11. Guitar Solo

12. Tears Are Falling

13. Psycho Circus

14. Drum Solo

15. 100,000 Years

16. Bass Solo

17. God Of Thunder

18. Love Gun

19. I Was Made For Lovin' You

20. Black Diamond

Encore:

21. Beth

22. Do You Love Me

23. Rock And Roll All Nite

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

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

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

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

This past June, Simmons told Philadelphia's 6 ABC Action News why "End Of The Road" is KISS's last-ever tour: "I'm 71, although I'm in great shape. The hand doesn't shake. I never got high or drunk in my life. I never smoked cigarettes; I never did anything of that… So, we're in great shape and we can't wait to get out there and do what we do. But there is such a thing as getting off the stage while the getting's good.

"I was a massive Muhammad Ali fan. He stayed in the ring too long," he continued. "Go out on top. If you're gonna go surfing, ride that tsunami — that's a hundred-foot wave — and then don't get back out there when there's a little baby [wave]. Go out on top.

"So, we are going out one last time. We started off the New Year New Year's Eve in Dubai, where it was completely safe, with the largest pyro show of any entity other than the military, and the Guinness book of [world] records was there to capture it. Hundreds of millions of people on earth recorded it, and so on. It was streamed. I hate streaming. I want people to witness it live. You don't wanna watch a Godzilla movie; you wanna be in the city as it's being destroyed when Godzilla's coming down. That's what you want.

"So, we're gonna go out on top," Gene added. "I don't wanna stay on stage too long. You don't wanna ruin the legacy. So you can go to Las Vegas, play golf at the KISS golf course at the Rio hotel. You can go on the Kiss Kruises… You wanna have some pride in what you do, and don't wait too long. It's like picking fruit — pick that fruit when it's ripe. Don't wait too long; it'll get rotten. There's a point of diminishing returns. This is the right time. And we're gonna do a hundred and 10 more cities around the world, and then we're gonna hang up our boots. But that doesn't mean there can't be KISS in other forms. There's a Netflix movie coming, our four-hour documentary, there's gonna be a KISS cartoon. It's gonna be Planet KISS — and by the way, that's trademarked too — and you're just all living in it."

In its 48-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.

MEGADETH played its second show with bassist James LoMenzo in nearly 12 years last night (Saturday, August 21) in Irving, Texas. As was the case the night before in Austin, "The Metal Tour Of The Year" concert at the The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory saw MEGADETH share the stage with co-headliners LAMB OF GOD, along with TRIVIUM and HATEBREED.

MEGADETH's 12-song show in Irving did not include "The Threat Is Real", "Sweating Bullets" and "Mechanix", all of which were performed in Austin, but did see the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit add "Take No Prisoners", "The Conjuring", "She-Wolf" and "A Tout Le Monde" to the setlist.

MEGADETH played the following songs in Irving:

01. Hangar 18

02. Take No Prisoners

03. The Conjuring

04. She-Wolf

05. A Tout Le Monde

06. Trust

07. Conquer Or Die!

08. Dystopia

09. Tornado Of Souls

10. Symphony Of Destruction

11. Peace Sells

12. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Produced by Live Nation, the rescheduled trek will hit a further 26 cities before wrapping in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on Saturday, October 2.

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

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

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

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

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

In early May, on the same day that sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving Ellefson were posted on Twitter, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

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

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


















Vendredi 20 août 2021, Megadeth - The Conjuring, Dallas, Texas, États-Unis

Metal Tour of the Year

Posted by Jacques Monteil on Sunday, August 22, 2021



El set list de esta noche en Dallas.

Posted by Megadeth Colombian Fan Club on Saturday, August 21, 2021

On Saturday (August 21), legendary rockers JOURNEY performed on the Great Lawn at New York City's iconic Central Park as part of the "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert".

The event, produced by music executive Clive Davis in coordination with the city of New York and Live Nation, was witnessed by a vaccinated crowd of 60,000 and was meant to be "a celebration of New York City's comeback" after a challenging 17 months marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release.

About 80% of the tickets for the event were distributed free of charge. All attendees who were age 12 or over were asked to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Children who were not yet eligible for vaccination had to provide proof of a negative COVID test.

Other artists performing at the event included Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson, THE KILLERS, Polo G, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Wyclef Jean, Kane Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, Elvis Costello, LL Cool J, Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, EARTH, WIND & FIRE, Lucky Daye, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Barry Manilow, the New York Philharmonic and Carlos Santana.

JOURNEY made its return to the live stage on July 29 during a special "aftershow" at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. The concert took place just two days before JOURNEY's appearance at Lollapalooza on the Bud Light Seltzer stage at Grant Park.

JOURNEY's lineup for all three shows included the return of drummer Deen Castronovo, who shared the drum duties in the band with Narada Michael Walden. Walden, bassist Randy Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY last year following the band's acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory. Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss the Aragon, Lollapalooza and "We Love NYC" gigs because he was scheduled to undergo back surgery. Filling in for him was Marco Mendoza, who previously played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH performed for the first time in a year and a half last night (Friday, August 20) at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

After the show, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael took to his Instagram to share a few onstage and backstage photos from the event and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Iowa! Thank you. Such an incredible crowd to have performed in front of for the first time in a year and a half! For once, I don't have the words other than simply repeating, 'Thank you.' So, thank you! #ShitYesSon #BassPackagePicturesComingTomorrow #DesMoines #ForJoey".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently entered the Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada to begin recording its new album for a 2022 release. In addition, the band has commenced re-recording its debut LP, 2007's "The Way Of The Fist", for its 15th anniversary.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's upcoming album will be the band's first with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook last year. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction - Volume 2", which came out last fall.

Each of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first six albums — "The Way of the Fist", 2009's "War Is The Answer", 2011's "American Capitalist", 2013's "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1" and "Volume 2", and 2015's "Got Your Six" — has gone either gold or platinum in the U.S.

The band has had two dozen songs hit the Top 10 on the Mainstream Rock or Hard Rock Digital charts, starting with "The Bleeding". FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 2010 cover of BAD COMPANY's "Bad Company" was certified platinum for accumulating a million certified units.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's No. 1 hits include "Coming Down", "Lift Me Up", "Battle Born", "Wash It All Away", "Sham Pain", "When The Seasons Change" and "Blue On Black".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's most recent album, 2020's "F8", debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the U.S., Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. "F8" features No. 1 hit singles "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off" and "Living The Dream".




























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LIGHT THE TORCH (formerly DEVIL YOU KNOW), the band fronted by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones, has scrapped its previously announced tour dates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

LIGHT THE TORCH shared the news of the cancelation in an announcement on social media earlier today (Saturday, August 21). The group wrote: "We are sorry to announce that we are pulling off of the September tour with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and all of the festivals along the tour. We have concerns about the ability to keep ourselves and our crew healthy and the ramification we could incur if shows need to be cancelled in this current climate.

"We were really looking forward to playing for all of you again, supporting our new album, and sharing the stage with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. Ultimately it was a very difficult decision, but one that we felt we had to make. We wish we had better news.

"At this point we just want to say thank you to all of our fans for your understanding. We couldn't be a band without your continued support. Be careful and safe out there and we look forward to seeing you all again soon."

LIGHT THE TORCH's second full-length album, "You Will Be The Death Of Me", was released in June via Nuclear Blast.

The guys returned to Sparrow Sound in Glendale, California to once again work with the production team of Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AS I LAY DYING, SUICIDE SILENCE). This time around, they also welcomed WHITECHAPEL's Alex Rudinger on drums.

The LP includes 12 metallic anthems, including a cover of the '80s hit "Sign Your Name" by R&B singer Terence Trent D'Arby.

LIGHT THE TORCH shot out of the gate as a contender on its full-length debut, "Revival". It bowed at No. 4 on the Billboard U.S. Independent Albums chart and at #10 on the Hard Rock Albums chart in addition to receiving acclaim from Revolver, Outburn, and many more. "Calm Before The Storm" racked up a staggering 14.5 million Spotify streams, while "The Safety of Disbelief" remains one of SiriusXM Octane's all-time most requested songs. They also crisscrossed North America and Europe on tour with the likes of TRIVIUM, AVATAR, IN FLAMES, ICE NINE KILLS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and AUGUST BURNS RED, to name a few.


We are sorry to announce that we are pulling off of the September tour with Motionless In White and all of the festivals...

Posted by Light The Torch on Saturday, August 21, 2021

LAMB OF GOD kicked off "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with MEGADETH, TRIVIUM and HATEBREED last night (Friday, August 20) at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin, Texas. Fan-filmed video footage of LAMB OF GOD's performance can be viewed below.

Produced by Live Nation, the rescheduled trek will hit a further 27 cities before wrapping in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on Saturday, October 2.

During a appearance on the "Making Waves: The ShipRocked Podcast", LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton stated about "The Metal Tour Of The Year", which was originally scheduled to take place last year but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic: "It was gonna be summer of 2020, and, obviously, the lockdown happened, the COVID stuff happened. And that was a real drag — certainly for a lot of reasons bigger than missing a metal tour. But we were pretty jacked up about that. It's a big bill and it's an exciting bill and it's a great bill for heavy metal in general; it just brings a bunch of great bands together in big places. The fact that that still managed to stick together and can actually happen now is a thrill — it's exciting. It feels good to be able to realistically say we're doing this."

As for how "The Metal Tour Of The Year" came together, Mark said: "There's teams of people who are smarter and probably better paid than me that dream up these kinds of things. But, yeah, I'm all for it, man. That's a dream bill for a metal fan, for sure."

Released in April via Nuclear Blast Records, LAMB OF GOD's "Live In Richmond, VA" includes a live version of the self-titled album with two bonus tracks, along with a DVD that features the first of LAMB OF GOD's two ultra-successful live stream events from September 2020, in which the band performed "Lamb Of God" in full, plus an encore of four songs including "Ruin", "Contractor", "512", and the debut live performance of "The Death Of Us", a newer song the band wrote and recorded in quarantine for the "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie and soundtrack. The DVD includes a new director's cut with bonus material.

"Lamb Of God" was released in June 2020 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. The follow-up to "VII: Sturm Und Drang" marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

"Lamb Of God" was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).

In celebration of 35 years of WARLOCK's "Triumph And Agony" album, Doro Pesch will release "Triumph And Agony Live" in various formats, including CD, vinyl, cassette, DVD, Blu-ray, and a huge box set, on September 24 through Doro's own label, Rare Diamonds Productions.

A performance video of the song "All We Are", taken from "Triumph And Agony Live", can be seen below.

The "Triumph And Agony" artwork centers on Geoffrey Gillespie's famous original drawing of the "Warlock" embracing the blonde rock star.

Doro says: "The cover and the whole artwork including booklet and inlay are a combination of live shots and the amazing iconic Warlock paintings of my favorite artist, Geoffrey Gillespie, who did all the classic DORO / WARLOCK artworks. It worked out great. I am so happy with it."

Regarding "Triumph And Agony Live", Doro says: "It's one of my favorite records we've ever done! It includes some of our big classic anthems like 'All We Are', 'Für Immer' and 'I Rule The Ruins' as well as fan favorites like 'Metal Tango', 'Three Minute Warning', 'Kiss Of Death' and 'East Meets West', not to forget headbanging album opener 'Touch Of Evil'. I'm super excited to let the fans hear and see it!

"It was always my dream to play the 'Triumph And Agony' album in its entirety live," she adds. "The order of the tracks is different from the original album, but we're playing all ten songs in new, powerful versions. The first time we did it was at Sweden Rock followed by a big tour in the USA and Spain, and more large festival shows like Graspop and Norway Rock. It was fantastic. There was a killer atmosphere!"

"Triumph And Agony Live" track listing:

01. Legacy (Intro)

02. Touch Of Evil

03. I Rule The Ruins

04. East Meets West

05. Three Minute Warning

06. Kiss Of Death

07. Für Immer

08. Cold, Cold World

09. Make Time For Love

10. Metal Tango

11. All We Are

Prior to an appearance at the 2017 Sweden Rock Festival, Doro stated about why that was the right time to go out and play the "Triumph And Agony" songs again: "Well, because we have our 30th anniversary of this big record. It was called 'Triumph And Agony', and it was the biggest record. I think it was one of the best records. And I thought, 'Man, we have to play one time the whole album in its entirety,' and we never did before. And then I called my old guitar player, Tommy Bolan, and he played on the whole record, he played all the solos. And I asked him if he was into that idea, doing a couple of shows with just the 'Triumph And Agony' album and then some encores. And he said, 'Oh, let's do it. I'm ready.' And then we were rehearsing all, yeah, the last week, and I think it sounds really good. We are playing some songs we've never played before, but I think they will sound really amazing. And I'm very excited."

In a 2000 interview with Metal Rules, Doro stated about WARLOCK: "I loved that so much and my heart and soul was so much into it. I was totally devastated when it broke up and it broke up not because of the band but because of all the bullshit around it. It was the record companies, the management, everything. The band had no control anymore — everybody else had, and the band did not. It was really tough and there were a lot of problems and I was totally heartbroken about it. But those times were awesome, man, it was awesome! I will always treasure them. I love to think about the great times."

Doro told Get Ready To Rock! that "everything fell into place" for WARLOCK after "Triumph And Agony" was released. "The record company was totally behind it, MTV put our song 'All We Are' on heavy rotation, which was a big plus, I must say, the fans were there and metal was at its peak between 1987 and 1988. Sometimes you do wish for everything to fall into place, but it's very rare that this happens as things need to work like a watch."

Doro is currently working on material for a new studio album, tentatively due in 2022. The LP will be the follow-up to "Forever Warriors, Forever United", which came out in 2018. The double album featured 19 regular tracks and six bonus songs.

FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares is playing guitar for SOULFLY on the Max Cavalera-fronted band's current U.S. tour which kicked off last night (Friday, August 20) at Launchpad in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 33-date trek will make additional stops in New York, Chicago and Austin before concluding in Tempe, Arizona on September 25. The final date will be a family celebration as it will include performances by INCITE, GO AHEAD AND DIE and HEALING MAGIC. Joining the band for select dates are NIVIANE and SUICIDE PUPPETS.

Video footage of the Albuquerque concert can be seen below.

Max recently told Heavy New York about Dino's addition to SOULFLY's touring lineup: "I'm hugely inspired and excited and happy that Dino is doing this with us. Dino is an old friend. Our friendship goes back to the early days of SEPULTURA coming to America. I believe we met on the 'Beneath The Remains' tour. For sure by the 'Arise' tour we were friends. He tells the story better, but he had to wrestle me [over] the [FEAR FACTORY] demo tape that had 'Big God' on it. I loved it. I was listening to it on his Walkman. I didn't wanna give it back to him. And it was his only copy. And we had to wrestle. He finally got it out of me. But I ended up bugging [then-Roadrunner Records A&R executive] Monte Conner at that time and saying, 'You're a fool if you don't sign this band.' I think I even called them 'the future of metal' at that time. I was, like, 'This is the future of metal.' If you pass on it, you're a fool. And then Monte signed them, and the rest is history, as they say."

He continued: "That's why this link, this possibility, the situation that happened and we needed somebody to fill in, I couldn't think of a better person than Dino — musically and as a friend. 'Cause we're still very hurt, mostly from the stuff that [former SOULFLY guitarist Marc] Rizzo has been saying [in the press] — it hurts us a lot. And it's good to have a friend that you could talk about it. And then musically I think it's insane. To think of songs, especially the songs that have crunchy guitars, I close my eyes and I imagine Dino's sound on some of those songs, like 'Downstroy' and 'Babylon'… 'Cause there's a lot of chugging — SOULFLY always had chugging. But Dino is a whole another level of chugging. [Laughs]"

When his addition to SOULFLY's touring lineup was first announced, Cazares said in a statement: "The first time I met Max in 1991, I knew we were going to be longtime friends. I was standing at the bar, he grabbed my arm and yelled 'Papa Capado.' I was like 'who the [email protected]#% are you? He said 'I'm Max' and from there we just hit it off. That same night I played him the FEAR FACTORY demo tape on his cassette Walkman in his hotel room while we were attending a music convention in Los Angeles. He liked it so much that he wouldn't give it back, so I had to wrestle him and take it out of his Walkman, haha. It was my only copy. Max told Monte Conner, the A&R director from Roadrunner Records, that we had a new demo that he needed to check out, so our manager at the time sent our demo to Monte after many labels turned us down. The rest is history.

"Over the past 30 years, I've guested on a few of Max's projects and jumped on stage whenever and wherever I could. Now it's a great honor to be doing this tour alongside Max as the second guitarist. It's going to be amazing for all the fans to see the two of us playing a selection of SOULFLY songs and a few familiar extras.

"Much respect to Max and his family — thank you for always making me feel at home with the SOULFLY Tribe. Let's do this!!!! Um Dois Três Quatro".

Although Rizzo's departure from SOULFLY wasn't officially announced until August 7, it was widely speculated that he was out of the group two days earlier when it was revealed that Dino would play guitar for SOULFLY on the current tour.

Last week, Max told Metal Kaoz that Marc has been spewing out "lies and bullshit" in some of his recent interviews regarding his exit from SOULFLY. "All these accusations — it hurts," he said. "It hurts to hear. After everything that we did for him, which was a lot — we put him on all the records and always took really good care of him, always really, really gave good treatment to him. To hear him backstabbing us like that, it's just not nice. He's obviously trying to get fans to be against me and make him the victim… It just sucks to hear all that. It definitely hurts me when I hear all these accusations that I know are lies and bullshit; it's all fabricated by his crazy mind. I don't know. It's a strange situation."

He added: "I don't want to turn this into an ugly thing. I don't wanna talk bad about him; I really don't. Of course I don't like those accusations, and it's bullshit, but he has the right to say whatever. But I think we treated him really good through all those years. We put him on the map pretty much. When he joined the band, not many people knew him. Just a little bit of gratitude would have been nice. Because even on 'Max Trax' [Cavalera's a twice-weekly Internet video series in which he discusses the inspiration for many of the songs spanning his nearly 40-year music career], when I mentioned that I fired him, I thanked him for the 18 years of SOULFLY, and I said good luck on his projects. I'm not bitter. I don't wanna be a bitter guy."




Posted by Soulfly on Friday, August 20, 2021





Posted by Soulfly on Friday, August 20, 2021



Chilling with Albuquerque’s Metal Mayor Timothy Keller!. Tribe!!!!

Posted by Soulfly on Friday, August 20, 2021

Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI will release no less than seven new studio albums in the fall. The LPs will mark the first new music from LORDI since the arrival of 2020's "Killection", a fictional compilation album which contained songs that LORDI would have written had the band existed between the early 1970s and the mid-1990s.

The "Lordiversity" box shall be available on November 26 as seven-CD box set and as seven-vinyl box set in three different color editions. Each album has a different genre approach: hard rock, disco, progressive rock, heavy metal, AOR, thrash/speed metal and industrial metal.

The band's leader, Mr. Lordi, explains: "Within a week when the 'Killectour' was cut short in March 2020, I realized we're gonna have to use the sudden extra time somehow. It was clear that it is the time to start planning the new album, even though 'Killection' was released not even two months before. I was thinking that the most boring thing we could do after 'Killection' is to do another basic LORDI album. And I was very much enjoying the different styles of songwriting, recording and production on 'Killection', but another boring idea would have been to do a part 2. Since 'Killection' is a fictional compilation album from a fictional back catalog that doesn't exist, I got the idea that the only thing that could top that is to record and release that fictional back catalog. And until Halloween 2021 the fictional back catalog will be no longer fictional, it actually will exist... at least for the most part. My original idea was to release 10 albums, but the label said that is insane. But seven is a number they felt that is somewhat sane, hahahaha!"

The newly released song "Believe Me" has its origin in the band's fictional disco era. Imagine LORDI performing a classic disco track in the style of ABBA, KISS or the BEE GEES in the late 1970s, while disco music hit its peak. A hilarious and entertaining idea that now becomes reality.

The seven albums contained within "Lordiversity" are:

* Skelectric Dinosaur

* SuperFlyTrap

* The Masterbeast From The Moon

* Abusement Park

* Humanimals

* Abracadaver

* Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular

LORDI won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" and remains the first and only winner from Finland in the history of the competition. Since then, the band has gone through several lineup changes. The original members who are still active with the band are Mr. Lordi and guitarist Amen.

KORN singer Jonathan Davis is "on the mend," less than a week after it was announced that he tested positive for COVID-19. As a result of his infection, the band was forced to postpone six dates on its current U.S. tour.

Earlier today, KORN released the following update on Davis's health: "Thank you all for your words of support and well wishes for Jonathan Davis. He is on the mend, and we will be ready to bring this energy back to Chicago in one week. Head to Kornofficial.com for all upcoming and rescheduled dates."

KORN's next concert is set to take place on August 27 in Tinley Park, Illinois.

In the past month, a number of other high-profile hard rock and heavy metal artists — including IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson, TESLA, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, SHINEDOWN and LIMP BIZKIT — have also called off shows or played concerts without members who have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The cancelations and the increased number of COVID-19 infections are driven in large part by the fact that the delta variant of the coronavirus, now the most common strain circulating in the United States, has a supercharged transmissibility, driven in part by how the mutated virus behaves in the body after infection.

New variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 illness are spreading in the United States and other countries. Current data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States offer protection against most variants. However, some variants might cause illness in some people after they are fully vaccinated.

According to Healthline, data so far suggests efficacy rates against the delta variant of more than 67 percent for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 72 to 95 percent for the Moderna vaccine, and 64 to 96 percent for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Even though vaccines offer different ranges of protection, experts say getting fully vaccinated is crucial.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said earlier in the month that while vaccinated people can carry and spread the virus in what is known as "breakthrough infections," people largely driving the current surge were unvaccinated.

As the virus spreads, it can mutate and create more dangerous variants. Consequently, "there could be a variant that's lingering out there that can push aside delta," Fauci said.


See you in 1 week

Thank you all for your words of support and well wishes for Jonathan Davis. He is on the mend, and we will be ready to bring this energy back to Chicago in one week. Head to Kornofficial.com for all upcoming and rescheduled dates.

?: Sebastien Paquet

Posted by Korn on Friday, August 20, 2021

SLIPKNOT will embark on a European tour in July and August 2022.

The 13-date trek, which will kick off on July 15, 2022 in Moscow, Russia, includes the previously announced six rescheduled European shows which were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2022 tour dates:

Jul. 15 - Moscow, Russia @ Park Live Festival

Jul. 17 - Kyiv, Ukraine @ Upark Festival

Jul. 20 - Bucharest, Romania @ Romexpo

Jul. 21 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria @ Hills of Rock

Jul. 23 - Athens, Greece @ Release Festival

Jul. 27 - Graz, Austria @ Messe Open Air

Jul. 28 - Prague, Czech Republic @ O2 Arena

Aug. 01 - Geneva, Switzerland @ Arena

Aug. 03 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ Nepela Arena

Aug. 05 - Wacken, Germany @ Wacken Open Air

Aug. 07 - Gdansk, Poland @ Ergo Arena

Aug. 11 - Tallinn, Estonia @ Saku Suurhall

Aug 15 - Malmö, Sweden @ Arena

This past June, SLIPKNOT announced the 2021 incarnation of the "Knotfest Roadshow". Support on the trek will come from three Grammy-nominated heavy music luminaries, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE.

The 28-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicks off following the band's previously announced Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25. The "Knotfest Roadshow"'s first official date happens at Tinley Park, Illinois on September 28, with the tour then snaking its way across the U.S., wrapping up in Arizona in early November.

Twenty-two years ago, nine inspired musicians from Des Moines, Iowa, shattered the scope of what was possible in rock music. From the moment SLIPKNOT emerged in 1999 with their self-titled debut, it was clear they were like nothing the world had seen before. Where a similarly creative act may have burned out or lost their relevance chasing mainstream acceptance, SLIPKNOT has only proven that an enduring commitment to constant evolution, their craft, and their fans can allow a rock band to not only continue — but flourish and push the envelope on what defines heavy metal and rock music in general. With "We Are Not Your Kind", SLIPKNOT's first new album in five years, the band delivered when they were needed most. Meanwhile, SLIPKNOT's annual Knotfest festival has evolved into the biggest hard rock and metal festival in the world, expanding to four continents. Over 550,000 fans have attended these massive festivals, which are as cultural as they are music-based, mixing heavy rock with hip hop, world music, visual art, experiential installations, and much more. Recorded music and live performances aside, SLIPKNOT has always permeated mainstream culture in ways that defy expectations. Recently, SLIPKNOT partnered with Amazon Studios' advertising campaign for their smash hit series "The Boys", and have launched SLIPKNOT No. 9 Whiskey in a partnership with Cedar Ridge Distillery (American Distilling Institute's "2017 Distiller Of The Year").

"We Are Not Your Kind" came out in August 2019. The disc sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

"We Are Not Your Kind"'s sales in the U.S. were boosted by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with SLIPKNOT's summer 2019 tour.


2022 | slipknot1.com/events

Posted by Slipknot on Friday, August 20, 2021

David Lee Roth has fired back at Gene Simmons over the KISS bassist/vocalist's recent comment about the VAN HALEN frontman.

Roth performed as the opening act for the February/March 2020 North American leg of KISS's farewell tour, but is not making any appearances on the rescheduled KISS shows which kicked off on August 18 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Asked in a new interview with Rolling Stone about Roth's absence from the "End Of The Road" trek, Simmons said: "It bears noting that during Dave's heyday, nobody did what he did. He was the ultimate frontman. Not [Robert] Plant, not Rod Stewart, nobody. He took being a frontman way beyond anything. And then, I don't know what happened to him… something. And you get modern-day Dave. I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis, you know, doing all that. I don't want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor."

Earlier today (Friday, August 20), Roth shared a black-and-white photo of a little kid wearing sunglasses and sticking his tongue out with his middle finger extended, and he superimposed the text "Roth to Simmons:".

In a January 2020 interview with Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show", Paul Stanley was asked what the best part was of having Roth opening for KISS. Stanley said: "Well, Dave's got so many great songs. All the VAN HALEN catalog is terrific, and that's what he's doing. So, people get to hear all those great songs, and it was something that really appealed to us."

Simmons has repeatedly taken credit for "discovering" VAN HALEN and flying the band to New York to record a 15-song demo at Electric Lady Studios, with Gene at the production helm. But he ended up not working with the group after his KISS bandmates and manager, Bill Aucoin, expressed little interest in his demos. "I gave the demo back to the band, told them I had a tour to go on and afterward I would try to get them a record deal, but until then, I tore up our contract and set them free," he said. "It didn't take them long to get on Warner Bros."

In March 2020, Roth postponed the final six shows of his Las Vegas residency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

KISS's rescheduled "End Of The Road" dates run through October.


Posted by David Lee Roth on Friday, August 20, 2021

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to The Music Universe about the band's decision to cancel its meet-and-greet events on the "End Of The Road" tour due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. "That's for the fans as well as us," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "If one fan infects any one of us, the entire tour is canceled and the insurance company goes insane and everybody sues each other. [Because of] just one asshole who didn't care about you — who cared only about his 'freedoms.' Even as a courtesy when you yawn, you cover your mouth. And you're not willing to wear a mask that might endanger somebody else?"

Asked if he and his KISS bandmates are concerned about possible show cancelations as the concert industry is rethinking its approach to live performances while the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading nationwide, Gene said: "Well, we already have an oversold Australian tour; we kept adding dates that was to start in November. But since Australia is only 10 percent vaccinated, the government there moved the shows to March."

Simmons's latest comments come just a couple of weeks after he told Ultimate Classic Rock that he would favor vaccine requirements for participating in crowded events in addition to mandates for certain professions.

"I hope everybody is going to be wearing their masks," he said. "But we can only control what we can control and different states and different countries have different rules."

Gene also blasted one of the most common arguments raised by dissenters — that vaccine mandates infringe upon unvaccinated people's human rights and civil liberties.

"'I have my rights, don't tell me what to do,'" he said. "Which is curious, because you do not have the right to drive down the highway in a car without a seatbelt. You must stop at a red light. That's not a right you have. And you don't have the right to walk naked down the street. These are not life-threatening ideas. We're talking about a fuckin' pandemic and people are fighting it.

"I blame our former president," Simmons added, referring to Donald Trump, on whose "The Celebrity Apprentice" show he was once a contestant. "I knew the man before he entered politics. But he got vaccinated and so have most of the other party."

In the past, Simmons has criticized people who refused to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection. Last December, he told the "Jeremy White Podcast": "Believe what you want, but don't hang out around me. Okay? If you're a denier, stay in the shadows. I don't wanna be around you. 'Cause I don't wanna catch what you've got. It's not about you. It's not whether you believe it or not." He added: "When you sneeze, you put your hand over your mouth. If your dog poops on the ground, you'll pick it up. But you won't pick up a mask?"

That same month, Gene's KISS bandmate Paul Stanley took to his Twitter to write: "Frankly, I've had enough of the self-serving & politically motivated mask misinformation & BS about this pandemic. I don't want to hear about 'my freedom' & 'my rights' that then infringe on so many other's. Those 'rights' & choosing to gather at Thanksgiving got us here. Wake up". Three months earlier, Paul tweeted out a CNN article about an Idaho pastor who was hospitalized with COVID-19 after calling himself a "no-masker" during a service and repeatedly questioning the veracity of coronavirus case reporting. Stanley added in a message: "YOU figure this one out. I can't. A hoax and non-existent virus has put this guy in the ICU. If you're so concerned with a loss of your freedom , Why do you stop at red lights? Don't let the government control you!! Drive right through!!! PUT YOUR MASK ON."

Intergalatic space metal outift Gloryhammer is no longer fronted by Thomas Winkler. Earlier today, August 22nd, the band issued the following statements:


"We regret to announce that Thomas Winkler is no longer a member of Gloryhammer. All upcoming shows (including the UK Tour with Alestorm) will continue as planned, with a new vocalist. For the Eternal Glory of Dundee."


"We have been reading all your comments and appreciate there's a lot of confusion, speculation, and sadness around our last message and we wanted to try and explain why we were so brief.


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Obviously we are all sad that it's come to this, and it's not the outcome anyone really wanted, but we felt we had no option. We currently don't want to elaborate any further, out of respect to Tom.


All we can promise you is that we will be back, and we will do our very best to bring you a new vocalist that lives up to your expectations so we can continue to bring you Gloryhammer shows and albums, better than ever.


We want to really thank you for your understanding and kind messages of support, it's a very sad and difficult time for us all."


Thomas Laszlo Winkler, aka Angus McFife, took to social media with his own version of events, posting the following piece:


 


Gloryhammer's aforementioned UK tour with Alestorm begins November 30th in Southampton at Guildhall. 


(Photo - Robert Zembrzycki)


 





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The New Black guitarist / Who Brought The Dog frontman Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz kept himself busy during lockdown with more musical experimentation. He recently released a full album of '80s-inspired synth wave tunes under the moniker SixMixSix. Below is a new piece entitled "Black Hole", complete with guitar solo, available for free download.



SIXMIXSIX · Black Hole



Prior to the album release, Schwarz unleashed a lyric video for the non-album track "Third Eye" featuring vocalist Alen Ljubic.


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Following is Schwarz's announcement for the SixMixSix debut:


"It is finally here! Grab your headphones, choose a platform and have a nice 40 minute trip. I would recommend Bandcamp because of the best available quality out there. If you want to support this project, tell it to your synthwave friends and share the album. Peace out."


Check it out via the player below. The album is also available via Soundcloud and Spotify.


SIXMIXSIX by SIXMIXSIX


Tracklist:


"The Howler"
"Antarktos"
"Evening Star"
"Continuity"
"Star Winds"
"Azathoth"
"Night Gaunts"
"Nyarlathotep"
"The Gardens Of Yin"








The New Black is a hard rock band hailing from Würzburg, Germany, launched in 2007 by Svhwarz and guitarist Christof Leim. They have released four albums to date via AFM Records: The New Black (2009), II: Better in Black (2011), III: Cut Loose (2013) and A Monster’s Life (2016).








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Stockholm’s Zornheym have announced their worldwide signing with Germany's powerhouse label Noble Demon for the release of the band’s sophomore album, entitled The Zornheim Sleep Experiment.


Founded and led by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Zorn, who was determined to shake up the traditional "metal-meets-symphony" approach after leaving iconic black metallers Dark Funeral, Zornheym quickly grew from an ambitious idea into a dramatic musical and narrative driven concept revolving around the horrors of a mental institution and its prisoners.


The band's debut album, Where Hatred Dwells And Darkness Reigns, opened the doors of the asylum in 2017, introducing the terrifying concept and gruesome characters within. Four years later and featuring ten new tracks of powerful, cinematic and mesmerizing symphonic extreme metal, Zornheym's upcoming album picks up where they left off, inviting the listener on a distracting journey, straight into the depths of the asylum! Once again, Zornheym create their very own wall of sound by using a real choir and a string quartet and bring the story to life in a graphic novel that accompanies and expands upon the stories behind the album!


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In support of the new full-length record, Zornheym just unleashed a brand new music video for the track "Keep The Devil Away":





"The crushing, mid-tempo song, 'Keep The Devil Away' is your first invitation to The Zornheim Sleep Experiment. This melodic yet heavy song takes us deeper into the story of what cruel and unusual treatment the inmates face within the walls of the terrifying asylum behind Zornheym's concept. Prepare for an aural assault of orchestration and devastating metal riffs that could leave you questioning your sanity," the band comments.





Tracklisting:


"Corpus Vile"
"An Evil Within"
"Dead Silence"
"Keep The Devil Away"
"Slumber Comes In Time"
"Black Nine"
"The Veiling Of Bettelheims Eye"
"The Revelation"
"Keep Cutting"
"The Madness That Lurks Within" (Epilogue)


The Zornheim Sleep Experiment will be released October 22nd on Noble Demon and is now available for pre-order at this location.


 





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