UK rockers Vega are back with Anarchy And Unity, their seventh studio album overall and the culmination of a string of releases which started in 2009 with their debut album, Kiss Of Life. The new album will be released on September 17, but today fans can get a peek at it with the release of the single and video for "Ain't Who I Am". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Anarchy And Unity on CD/LP/Digital here.

"The songs started like all Vega songs, with myself, Tom, and James writing and recording. Then Billy and Pete came along and for the first time we had everyone in the band getting involved in the songwriting. The songs Tom, James and I wrote were still there, but now with a steroid injection and production touches that just took them to new levels. Everyone had such a vital part to play on this album which is why every song is written, performed and produced by Vega. As always, we had no agenda when writing, we just wrote as and when the moment took us. However, we wanted the album to have a really solid, in your face sound that you can feel pumping in your chest," says frontman Nick Workman of how Anarchy And Unity came together.

Anarchy And Unity, while not a departure from the band’s defined and classy sound, shows a band determined, mature, and ready for the next step in their career. It has a crisp sound and immaculate musicianship showcasing the great talents in the band. On the songwriting front, the band have returned with a more muscular sound, but no less full to the brim with melodies that will grab you from the first note to the last.  

Anarchy And Unity sees two new faces in the band, Billy Taylor (ex-Inglorious) on guitars and Pete Newdeck (Di'Anno) on drums. They join singer Nick Workman, guitarist Marcus Thurston, and the brothers Martin, keyboardist James and bassist Tom.

Vega’s members have a rich history, but it was their meeting of musical minds back in 2009 that would lead to the melodic rock genre receiving one of the finest releases of that year in the form of their debut album, Kiss Of Life. The eclectic, off-kilter style of rock made them stand out from the crowd and the band have always been keen to be more than just another “AOR” band.

After the warmly received sophomore release What The Hell, the band recorded their third album Stereo Messiah at the home studio of John Mitchell. The It Bites frontman managed to get the best out of the band as they lived at the studio and fully immersed themselves in the process. With Mitchell’s all-time favourite album being Def Leppard’s Hysteria, a production that Mutt Lange would be proud of was pursued. Coincidentally, Stereo Messiah was also graced by the vocal presence of Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, who also gave the band a song for the album.

The fourth instalment in the Vega saga saw them releasing an album that was reckoned to be the best of their recording career. Produced and mixed by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), Who We Are saw them in fine form. It was like they’d pulled together all the pieces of the puzzle, coming up with an album of such magnitude that it was hard to put into words. Lyrically compelling, it traversed rock genres with ease, hitting a note with pop and rock fans alike. Songs like "Saving Grace", "White Flag", and "Every Little Monster" are sublime moments on an album that was full of outstanding songs. The subsequent tour with the Dan Reed Network was one of that year’s finest pairings in the UK, whilst their Hard Rock Hell performance was the stuff of legend.

2017 saw them releasing Only Human, a collection of songs that focused on their core strengths: strong harmonies, big choruses, and compelling lyrical content.  The album exceeded their expectations by hitting the UK National Rock Chart at #3 between Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry. The band toured with the Quireboys, Skid Row and many others, including a stop at Download along with their heroes Def Leppard and Whitesnake.

2020 saw the band release their well-received sixth studio album, Grit Your Teeth. The band was feeling energized and thrilled at the prospect of playing these songs to fans in the live setting. But, of course, the world wound up in the throes of a worldwide pandemic and the universe had other plans. Unable to tour as they normally would in support of a new album, the band set about to channel their energies into the writing and recording of their seventh album, Anarchy And Unity.

With pent up energy, a rejuvenated lineup, and a brand new album, Vega are firing on all cylinders. Watch out for tour dates in the UK in the fall.

Tracklisting:

"Beautiful Lie"
"Sooner Or Later"
"End Of The Fade"
"Ain't Who I Am"
"Welcome To Wherever"
"Bring The Riot"
"Live For Me"
"Kneel To You"
"Glow"
"C'mon"
"Had Enough"
"2Die4"

"Ain't Who I Am" video:

"Sooner Or Later" video:

Lineup:

Nick Workman - Vocals
Tom Martin - Bass
James Martin - Keyboards
Marcus Thurston - Guitar
Billy Taylor - Guitar
Pete Newdeck – Drums




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A.D.2020 has released a new video for their cover of the song “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” by the band WAR. The track is from their forthcoming album Lockdown Diaries which is being released on August 10.

The video features the members of A.D.2020 playing the track in the studio and their home studios. The track is fresh and fun with each member taking a swing at lead vocals as well.

Recorded on two continents during the pandemic A.D.2020 is a collective studio project featuring in order of appearance in the video.

“We discussed doing a remake of this song early in the conversations that lead to the A.D.2020 project. I think the video is great because it shows us all during the lockdown playing and having fun and there are also some moments of humor and fantasy. It’s also a bit of a mantra we all live by “ Why Can’t We (All Just) Be Friends? “ the world would be a better place if we could all be friends.

Our version of the song is the only song I can think of that has 6 lead vocal parts which also makes it a really unique cover. We hope the guys in WAR like the cover of their great song," says Todd Thanhauser.

The video features the following musicians:

Mark McNelley -Lead Vocals
Melvin Brannon Jr. – Bass Guitar, Upright Bass, Harmonica, Vocals
Todd Thanhauser- Drums, Vocals
Dan Reed, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal- Lead Guitar, Vocals
Greg Smith- Bass Guitar, Vocals




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SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn Crahan says that he will continue wearing a mask in public after the pandemic.

Crahan made the comment while speaking to Forbes about the atmosphere in the studio while he and his bandmates have been recording the next SLIPKNOT album.

He said: "The general atmosphere has been very complex as of recently, and the main reason for that is an obvious one, we have been in a very different world with COVID and abiding by government laws. For instance, I think we had it very bumpy because when we were in the studio if we were in the control room and around the engineers that worked for the studio, we had to wear masks. If we were in the live room where we were recording around each other, and we had all been tested, we didn't have to wear masks. But if an employee was in there we'd have to put them on. Now I think about nine months ago and it was even more restrictive, so it's been very challenging to say the least.

"But I'm not ever going to stop wearing a mask, COVID or not," he continued. "I've been in this business 25 years, and people are filthy all over the world. So when I had to be in the studio and I was asked to put on a mask, it didn't bother me, it was business as usual. I mean I'm glad at least the majority of the world has been profoundly open to the idea of, 'Hey, when you're going to be out in public there's a chance you could be around someone with pneumonia, the flu, or just a nasty cough. Why not wear a mask to just protect yourself?' We live in a filthy world, and we live in a world where people don't wash their hands, they wipe their nose and they open the door and then you touch it. I have four children and I know what it's like to drop your kid off at school and they come home sick and then you're sick. It's been a highly intense album making process because of COVID. There's been lots of testing, there's been different time frames and different restrictions, and it was business as usual. I don't believe anyone in the band missed a beat.

According to Healthline, a recent national survey of more than 2,000 people found that most plan to continue with precautions such as hand hygiene, avoiding crowds, and wearing a mask in public after the pandemic.

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 Novem

AEG Presents, a global leader in concerts and live events, announced today that it will be requiring proof of vaccination for entry into its owned and operated clubs, theatres, and festivals. The decision comes on the heels of the dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases as the delta variant spreads throughout the United States. AEG Presents is either an owner or partner in such iconic venues and festivals as New York's Webster Hall and Brooklyn Steel, The Roxy and El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas, Firefly Music Festival, Day N Vegas, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Coachella Music & Arts Festival, among others.

The vaccination policy, limited only as required by law, will be in full effect nationwide no later than October 1, 2021. Several venues have already been following local government vaccination mandates, with others anticipated to come in the weeks leading up to October 1. The date was chosen specifically to allow time for any eligible unvaccinated ticketholders and staff to reach fully vaccinated status should they choose to do so. Leading up to October 1, AEG Presents will be implementing a policy of showing proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of show date where permitted.

"We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status," said Jay Marciano, COO of AEG and chairman and CEO, AEG Presents. "Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again. We realize that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it's the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I'm confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what's best for artists, fans, and live event workers."

Added Shawn Trell, COO and general counsel, AEG Presents: "Certain states' regulations may override our mandate, or a few artists may not want to immediately get on board with the plan, but we know that using our platform to take a strong position on vaccinations can make an impact. The message we want to send is simple and clear: the only way to be as safe as possible is to require everyone to be vaccinated. And we're confident that others who haven't been ready to make this full commitment yet will follow our lead."

The vaccination policy will be implemented as an open-ended one, with any changes or reversals informed by updates relating to infection rates, transmission data, variant developments, and local and federal regulations.

"Our hope is that our pro-active stance encourages people to do the right thing and get vaccinated," added Marciano. "We've already had to deliver bad news about JazzFest this week; I think everyone can agree that we don't want concerts to go away again, and this is the best way to keep that from happening."

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.

Earlier in the month, concert promoter Live Nation announced it will honor touring artists requests to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for attendees at concert venues.

Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across four continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as THE ROLLING STONES, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney and Katy Perry, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as Goldenvoice, Messina Touring Group, Concerts West, The Bowery Presents, PromoWest Productions, Marshall Arts, Madison House Presents and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience re

Hammerheart Records has announced a co-operation with San Francisco Bay Area legends BLIND ILLUSION. The band's new album, "Wrath Of The Gods", will arrive in 2022.

BLIND ILLUSION's current lineup features founding member Marc Biedermann (guitars and vocals), along with Tom Gears (bass), Doug Piercy (guitar; ex-HEATHEN) and Andy Galeon (drums; ex-DEATH ANGEL).

Formed in 1979 by Biedermann, BLIND ILLUSION had an extremely unstable lineup (Biedermann being the only constant member) and went through a few stylistic changes in its early years.

BLIND ILLUSION's debut studio album, "The Sane Asylum", was released in 1988.

After leaving BLIND ILLUSION, bassist Les Claypool and guitarist Larry LaLonde went on to form the alternative psychedelic funk metal band PRIMUS.

Biedermann reformed BLIND ILLUSION in 2009 and in July 2010 the band released its sophomore album, "Demon Master".

Guido Heijnens, owner of Hammerheart Records, commented: "When I was young and got involved into more extreme kinds of metal, my first love was, of course, thrash metal. Soon my world was filled with sounds made by METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER. And, of course, thrash metal from Germany and thrash metal from the Bay Area. The Bay Area sound provided me with albums from TESTAMENT, VIO-LENCE, HEATHEN, EXODUS and also BLIND ILLUSION and their great 1988 album 'The Sane Asylum'.

"Fast forward to 2021 then. BLIND ILLUSION sends the recordings of 'Wrath Of The Gods' to Hammerheart Records and what is delivered is a logical follow-up to 'The Sane Asylum'... thinking man's thrash metal, old school in vibe and full of the genre's trademarks. So both band and label decide to join forces. In early 2022 Hammerheart Records will release 'Wrath Of The Gods' and reissue 'The Sane Asylum' at the same time (with a bonus disc full of '80s demos).

"Expect Bay Area thrash metal: great riffs, killer solos and a solid foundation laid by bass and drums. More details on the exact formats will follow along the w

Ted Nugent has explained his decision to resign from the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 26 years.

In a July 29 e-mail from NRA general counsel John Frazer sent to board members, it was announced that Nugent, who joined the board in 1995, was stepping down "due to ongoing schedule conflicts."

The following day, Nugent released the following statement via his social media: "Dear Fellow NRA Board of Directors, Members, Friends and Second Amendment Warriors: The time has come for me to face the dangers of burning the candle at both ends.

"I have been honored and humbled to represent all those great Americans that voted for me to serve on the NRA BOD for the last 26 years, and will not only continue my calling to fight for the return of the Second Amendment, but to actually increase my exposing and crushing those evil forces who would deny such basic freedoms to Americans.

"I was not voted onto the board as an accountant, administrator, paper shuffler or bureaucrat, but rather to lead the charge of the good guys against the bad guys in this vile culture war that has reached a deafening roar.

"I salute you and thank you for your never ending dedication to fight for our right to keep and bear arms, and though not sitting on the board with you, I will indeed be in the heat of battle on the not so main streets of America every damn day, as always.

"So due to constant scheduling conflicts, I hereby resign my position on the NRA Board of Directors, wishing you well and Godspeed.

"God bless America, Ted Nugent and family".

Ted's decision to leave the board comes less than a year after he told Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show" that the National Rifle Association was "he most important civil rights organization in the world."

"What is more important in the American Dream right now than the God-given individual right to keep and bear arms to defend yourself from these recidivistic street thugs," Ted said. "So, number one job in America is being a member of the National Rifle Association. It's the most important civil rights organization in the world. What other rights can you possibly hang on to if you don't have the right to defend yourself? Especially when these leftist freaks are engineering recidivism — they're letting the worst dangerous violent criminals out into the streets and then attempting to limit the availability of self-defense tools. I mean, this wouldn't make a 'Twilight Zone' script.

"All I can tell you is the NRA is more important now than ever," he continued. "And when you look at the background of this monster, this traitor in New York — the attorney general, and the mayor, and the governor — they're out to destroy individual freedoms. And who's the biggest fighter for individual freedoms? The National Rifle Association. That's all your need to know."

Last month, Nugent said that recidivism was to blame for the recent rise in violent crime and gun violence in America. He said: "Bad guys need to be locked up. If they shoot or stab people, I don't care if they even miss, that's a dangerous, vicious, evil act. We don't want people capable of dangerous, vicious, evil acts walking our streets. We want them either dead or in a cage — forever.

"We're living in engineered recidivism," Nugent said, referencing a measure of convicted criminals who commit another offense and re-enter prison. "The failed court system, the crime-celebrating prosecutors and attorneys are engineering recidivism. Ninety-six percent of violent crimes are committed by people that were let out for violent crimes. Here's a little guitar player idea: don't let 'em out.

"There isn't a gun problem in America," Ted added. "There is an intentional engineered recidivism problem in America. You wanna stop ninety-six percent of the violent crimes. Don't let 'em out."

This past March, Nugent threatened President Joe Biden and other Democrats, telling them to "come and take it" just hours before the House of Representatives passed two gun-safety bills.

In a March 11 Facebook post, Nugent addressed Biden and "all you other oath violating traitors," writing, "Google my address and itinerary and Come and Take It!" He also proclaimed, "If you want to play Concorde bridge again, you will be the British and I will be the Americans, again."


Dear Fellow NRA Board of Directors, Members, Friends and Second Amendment Warriors:

The time has come for me to face...

Posted by Ted Nugent on Friday, July 30, 2021

KORN drummer Ray Luzier has confirmed that he is featured on MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars's highly anticipated debut solo album.

Mars has been working on the disc — on and off — for at least the past five years. The effort is being recorded in Nashville, where Mars has lived for about eight years. Some of the early sessions for the LP were helmed by recently retired producer Michael Wagener (OZZY OSBOURNE, ACCEPT, WARRANT, SKID ROW) at Blackbird Studio.

Earlier today, Luzier shared a photo of him with Mars, and he included the following message: "When Mars invades your studio- It's an honor to work with this legend @mr.mickmars ! I've always loved his playing & tasty leads in Motley. To be playing on his solo record is pretty surreal, be on the look out for it! Plus he & his wife @serainamars are amazing humans. @_scott_bush_ @cmc21productions @jacobbunton @paultaylorkeys @wagenermichael #mickmars #newmusic #loseyerearstudio #motleycrue #musicislife #lifer #rockwillneverdie #legend #guitar #timelinestudio #jacobbunton #paultaylor #cmcproductions".

A year and a half ago, Alabama musician Jacob Bunton revealed that he was the lead singer on Mars's solo album. Speaking to AL.com, Bunton, who has previously played with LYNAM and former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, said about his collaboration with Mars: "I can tell you that I'm involved and the past several months we wrote and recorded a record and Michael Wagener produced it. The great Michael Wagener from [mixing 1986 METALLICA album] 'Master Of Puppets' and all that kind of stuff. He worked with MÖTLEY CRÜE on their very first record 'Too Fast For Love', when they did it themselves they recorded the record and then Michael Wagener mixed, and then when they got the record deal with Elektra, [QUEEN producer] Roy Thomas Baker ended up going back and remixing it. But on all of their self-released copies, it's Michael. But to make a long story short, Michael's producing the record because that was the first producer Mick worked with in MÖTLEY CRÜE, so he wanted to do his solo album, so it's been really cool. We've been recording it in Nashville and we're almost done."

Regarding what fans can expect from Mars's solo CD, Bunton said: "The songs are really cool, the record is really cool. He's such an inventive player and his riffs are insane and it's definitely going to be what people are expecting. When they hear it … It's really cool."

In September 2019, Mick told Billboard about the musical direction of his solo material: "[It's] not like today's music, which to me is pretty much pop metal and more growly guys. It's all cool and it's all good, and I'm just searching for something that's just a little different than that. I [also] don't want to be living in '85. It's hard to reinvent yourself, but that's what I'm doing now. I'm trying to reinvent the way that I approach music writing. I've got a lot of crap, and I've got a lot of good stuff too."

At the time of the Billboard interview, Mars said that he had been working with a vocalist named Jacob, leading some fans to speculate that he was referring to Bunton. "[He] can be a lot of different voices, and it's pretty amazing," Mick said. "I go, 'I want this kind of voice here,' and he'll pull it straight off."

In a separate interview with "Talking Metal", Mars said that his debut solo record will not sound like anybody else. "Well, I guess it's my own style," he said. "It isn't really blues. My playing has a blues element to it, of course, but it isn't what you would call a blues record. It's more of a heavier rock thing, but I don't wanna even try to 'outheavy' the heavies, you know what I mean? It's just something hopefully just a little different than what's going on now. You're not gonna hear a MÖTLEY-flavored song, except for the guitar, [because] that's me. They're gonna be a bit harder than that, but not as hard as the heavies, like MINISTRY and some of those guys."

Back in 2016, Mars released snippets of two solo songs, apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage". The tracks, which were recorded at Blackbird Studio, featured singer John Corabi, who appeared on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album. Corabi later said that he didn't contribute to the writing process for the two songs, but that he was open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material.
























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Shumaun is a progressive metal band from Virgina. This September they will be releasing a third album Memories & Intuition, from which they are now showcasing the second single, “Under The Sun” ft. Pain of Salvation drummer Leo Margarit, with a captivating lyric video.

“The opening guitar chords were very much inspired by the guitar work of Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins,” says Farhad Hossain. It is also good to note that unlike their previous album “Memories & Intuition” is not a concept album, but more thematically driven. The band explains the track further:

“Several aspects of the song are almost experimental. The backing vocals are not just doing harmonies, but they add another dimension to the lead vocals.” adds Tyler Kim.

“The music paints a dark mood, and the vocal melody is hauntingly beautiful and catchy. I love the breaks before the choruses. The ‘Shumaunic’ signature makes its way into the choruses since they’re in 7/4 time, yet doesn’t sound odd because of the groove. One of my favorites on the album for sure,” Jose Mora elaborates.

Shumaun is progressive, but not pretentious. They're accessible to fans who wish to subject themselves to the melodic and ambitious soundscapes painted by the band. This is demonstrated through the single “Memories of Water”. According to the band, it really embodies what Shumaun is all about: writing progressive inspired tracks with memorable melodies and catchy hooks that anyone can sing along to. They continue to explain the album in their own words:

“I think this album is even more song-oriented than the previous two. It still contains many of the progressive characteristics of our previous songs with regard to odd time signatures and layered instrumentation, however, it's a bit more refined and vocal driven, though there are a couple of instrumentals on it with some crazy progressive moments. I think there’s material on this album that’ll resonate with many prog fans, however, I feel the material won’t get lost on the average music fan who doesn't necessarily listen to progressive music of any kind. It’s certainly my favorite Shumaun album to date.”

Alongside the regular band lineup, on this album, Shumaun employs the talents of legendary drummers Thomas Lang (Peter Gabriel, Paul Gilbert), Atma Anur (Jason Becker, Tony Macalpine), and Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord). Drummers Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation) and Chris DeChiara also contributed.

Shumaun started as a solo project of Farhad Hossain, who at the time was playing with Iris Divine and needed another creative outlet for music that didn’t fit in the “prog rock/metal” genre. However, he was unable to stray from his roots of progressive rock and began the writing process for Shumaun’s first album.

Tracklisting:

“A Subtle Invocation”
“Prisoners”
“Memories Of Water”
“Jabriel’s Song”
“Invincible”
“Under The Sun”
“The Pursuit of Happiness”
“Tides”
“Intuition Underground”
“Breathing Light”
“A Planetary Shift”
“The Day We Said Goodbye”

"Under The Sun" lyric video:

“Memories Of Water”:

Album teaser:




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Melodic hard rockers, Edge Of Forever, have released the new video below, "Feeding The Fire" - Live Studio Session. The original studio version appears on the 2004 album, Feeding The Fire.




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The harshness and extreme sounds of WoduridaR is a return to the roots for the viking metal legends Helheim. The album is a result of a fusion between their former releases LandawarijaR (2017) and Rignir (2019), and they’ve returned to the aggression one could hear on LandawarijaR. However, as Rignir presented something new and exciting that the band enjoyed, a lot of the atmospheres, focus of melodies and the use of clean vocals is also a big part of the new album.
 
WoduridaR, the eleventh full length album from Helheim, more or less sums up their almost 30 years long career, with elements from all their album combining the harshness from the first ones to the vocal arrangements on Rignir.
 
WoduridaR is an Old Norse word, that can be translated to “the wild rider”. You can draw lines from that to Odin's many names and meanings. For Helheim and their new album, all the songs are conceptual free from each other, and tells their own story. It has never looked darker in the realm of Helheim, and songs like "Tankesmed" and "Litil vis madr" are good examples for that.

WoduridaR was recorded at Conclave & Earshot Studio with Bjørnar E. Nilsen. Cover artwork was done by Tom Korsvold

A visualizer for the title track is available below. WoduridaR will be released via Dark Essence Records on October 29th.

 
Tracklist:

"Vilje av stål"
"Forrang for fiender"
"WoduridaR"
"Åndsfilosofen"
"Ni s soli sot"
"Litil vis madr"
"Tankesmed"
"Det kommer i bølger"
"Hazard" (vinyl/digital only)
 

 




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German metallers Powerwolf have released an official lyric video for "Faster Than The Flame", the latest single taken from their new album, Call Of The Wild. Check it out below

Various formats (2-CD Mediabook, 3-LP Vinyl Box, 3-CD Earbook, digital) of the new album include the bonus album Missa Cantorem - a cross-section of the Wolves' success story with newly recorded vocals by friends and companions of the band.

Order here.

Tracklisting:

LP 1

"Faster Than The Flame"
"Beast Of Gévaudan"
"Dancing With The Dead"
"Varcolac"
"Alive Or Undead"
"Blood For Blood (Faoladh)"
"Glaubenskraft"
"Call Of The Wild"
"Sermon Of Swords"
"Undress To Confess"
"Reverent Of Rats"

LP 2 (Bonus Album): Missa Cantorem

"Sanctified With Dynamite" feat. Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)
"Demons Are A Girl‘s Best Friend" feat. Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy)
"Nightside Of Siberia" feat. Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth)
"Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone" feat. Doro Pesch
"Fist By Fist (Sacralize Or Strike)" feat. Matthew Kiichi Heafy (Trivium)
"Killers With The Cross" feat. Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork)
"Kiss Of The Cobra King" feat. Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost)
"We Drink Your Blood" feat. Johannes Eckerström (Avatar)
"Resurrection By Erection" feat. Christopher Bowes (Alestorm)
"Saturday Satan" feat. Jari Mäenpää (Wintersun)

LP 3 (Bonus Album): Symphony Of The Wild - Orchestral Versions

"Faster Than The Flame"
"Beast Of Gévaudan"
"Dancing With The Dead"
"Varcolac"
"Alive Or Undead"
"Blood For Blood (Faoladh)"
"Glaubenskraft"
"Call Of The Wild"
"Sermon Of Swords"
"Undress To Confess"
"Reverent Of Rats"

"Blood For Blood (Faoladh)" lyric video:

“Fist By Fist (Sacralize Or Strike)” lyric video:

"Dancing With The Dead" video:

"Beast Of Gévaudan" video:

“Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend” video:

(Photo - Matteo Vdiva Fabbiani / VDPICTURES)




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Leading U.S. independent festival promoter and producer Danny Wimmer Presents has announced that several of its festivals this fall — including Louder Than Life, Aftershock and Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival — will require full vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test to attend the events.

Danny Wimmer Presents founder Danny Wimmer shared the news in a social media post on Wednesday (August 11). He wrote: "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."

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.

Earlier in the month, concert promoter Live Nation announced it will honor touring artists requests to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for attendees at concert venues.

Danny Wimmer Presents produces several of the largest rock and alternative festivals in the U.S., including Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival and Welcome To Rockville. Previous DWP festivals include Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion and more.
























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During a recent chat with Interview Under Fire, SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green, who went vegetarian when he was just 15 years old, was asked if he has noticed veganism gaining momentum in the heavy metal community in recent years. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No doubt. It's definitely caught on more. It's incredible how it has. I've noticed from festivals and shows that they're catering more towards plant-based people in catering and having dishes that are tastier, healthier. And they're really doing the research and homework and trying to have interesting dishes, not just the bland things of the past. They're really doing the research and creating tasty dishes that are healthy. So a lot of times I've noticed [in catering] they'll have meat and they'll have the vegan section, and they vegan section is always gone, always empty. And it's great. At times, I'm, like, 'Yo, can you hide my plate in the back before everyone eats it?' The thing is just the waste from all the meat. I'm just, like, 'Why do people still insist on ordering this stuff or having it on the rider?'"

He continued: "A lot of things we had to change on the rider, because even the guys in my band aren't vegan but they like to be healthy on the road and they like to eat well on the road and they're much more conscious about it as far as even digesting, being on stage with a full stomach and things like that. So with a plant-based diet, it's easier to digest, you're gonna feel lighter, and they're coming up with tastier dishes. So I've noticed that all those trays are always empty. I've noticed a lot of different bands are asking for it. Before it'd only be one person or two, but now there's full bands that are vegan, metal bands. We've toured with KREATOR. Mille [Petrozza] is a hardcore vegan as well, and he's awesome. That was great to link up with him and talk about things like that. I've noticed even on cruise ships — metal cruise ships — there was an entire buffet dedicated to plant-based people, a whole vegan buffet, and there was a line packed with people in that line, which was really cool to see. Because people are understanding that you are able to live longer, be happier in pursuing this type of lifestyle."

Green added: "I've noticed even on stage, people want to feel healthier. You don't see as many people getting fucked up backstage like in the past. People are taking the live show seriously 'cause they wanna have that energy, they wanna put on the best show possible, they wanna feel good when you're doing those shows, because fans will appreciate that and your body will appreciate that, your band will appreciate it — being serious, being focused and being sober on stage and ready to go. So a lot of that, not only having to do with drugs — cutting that out — but also with food. So it's incredible to see that people wanna have this longevity with the band and that helps when you're eating well, taking care of yourself and you're able to do those shows and last longer and exist longer and doing your music, which is something that you truly love to do."

Formed in 1984 in Brazil, SEPULTURA has gone on to sell over 20 million records and solidify its legacy as one of the greatest metal bands of the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. Today, SEPULTURA is still going strong, 15 albums deep into one of the hardest-hitting discographies in history.

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 will now be released on August 13, with the album containing 15 classics featuring internationally renowned guests and friends.

SEPULTURA comprises Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, 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.

Ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing, who left JUDAS PRIEST a decade ago, spoke about his former group in a brand new interview with Greece's Rockpages.gr. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "JUDAS PRIEST is different to me, because I'm not in it. To me, it finished when I wasn't there. That's for me. And the band is a different band now. It's successful, and that's great. But I'm sure lots of people remember the band, the traditional PRIEST, as it was when we were really on fire, storming across the world."

Downing, who was replaced in PRIEST by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior, also commented on the fact that PRIEST chose "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT, to fill in for longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton when Tipton retired from touring due to his battle with Parkinson's disease.

"I think Richie playing Glenn's solos from 'Firepower' album is… I don't know why Andy isn't playing those parts," Downing said. "I just think the two guitar trade-off… And I miss solos. Obviously, on this album [Editor's note: Referring to 'Sermons Of The Sinner', the debut LP from his new band KK'S PRIEST], there's an abundance of guitar playing, solos and stuff, and I like that. And, of course, I get to play more on this album.

"I should have played more in PRIEST," he continued. "I should have put my foot down and said, 'Glenn, I need to play more solos, because I can.' So, now I can, which is great. And I see, obviously, Richie playing my solos and Glenn's solos. I know that Andy was a rhythm player in his own band before then [referring to HELL], which I liked that band. I know Kevin [Bower] was the lead player in [HELL], but he sustained an injury, unfortunately. But I liked that band. I thought they were really cool."

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

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 Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Last year, Downing announced the formation of KK'S PRIEST, in which he is joined by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

"Sermons Of The Sinner" will be released on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records. The LP's first single, "Hellfire Thunderbolt", came out in May. The title track followed in June.

Former SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo says that the support from the fans has been "overwhelming" following his announcement that he was exiting the band.

Although Rizzo's departure from SOULFLY wasn't officially announced until Saturday (August 7), it was widely speculated that he was out of the group two days earlier when it was revealed that FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares will play guitar for SOULFLY on the band's upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off on August 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Rizzo addressed his split with SOULFLY in a new interview with Rocking With Jam Man. Regarding SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera's comment that Marc didn't leave the band but was actually fired "due to personal reasons," Rizzo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think he really brought up dirt. It's just history of the band; there's always been a lot of drama. I don't like to get into all that stuff. I like to just be honest about what the situation was and move forward, which is what I plan on doing, and letting my guitar playing and the music of my bands do all the speaking. But a thank you to the fans. I think the fans realized what was going on all these years. And the support towards me leaving has been very overwhelming. I'm very much blown away by all the love I've gotten from the news. So I'm moving forward. I'm a positive person. I can't wait to get out there and hang out with all the fans and talk to everybody in person. So, a big thank you for all the love and support from the fans out there."

Asked if he coud ever see himself working with SOULFLY again, Marc said: "You never know what the future will hold. But everything would have to change. I don't see there being any change. So it is what it is. With [my new band] HAIL THE HORNS, we will be playing a lot of those SOULFLY songs that I'm known for. Also, with my solo project, I've always played SOULFLY songs in my setlist. So the fans are still gonna get that. So it's all good."

As for how he feels about Dino stepping in for the upcoming SOULFLY tour, Marc said: "I've known Dino for a long time, and I think he's a great guitar player. He obviously has done amazing things with his career with FEAR FACTORY. He was a big influence on me. I like Dino. I think he was the obvious choice, 'cause he's always [gotten up on stage to jam with] SOULFLY. So, good for him. I know he's had some downtime too. So I hope he does good. I wish him the best."

Rizzo joined SOULFLY in 2004, and has since appeared on all of the band's subsequent records, including "Prophecy" (2004), "Dark Ages" (2005), "Conquer" (2008), "Omen" (2010), "Enslaved" (2012), "Savages" (2013), "Archangel" (2015) and "Ritual" (2018). In 2007, Rizzo became a member of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, the side project of SEPULTURA co-founders, brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, and has performed on all CAVALERA CONSPIRACY releases including "Inflikted", "Blunt Force Trauma", "Pandemonium" and the critically acclaimed 2017 LP "Psychosis".

Back in 2018, Max praised Rizzo, telling "The Classic Metal Show": "He loves what he does; he loves playing in SOULFLY; he loves working with me. We are totally connected. He gives 150 percent every show, no matter if there's ten people or ten thousand, which is rare. Sometimes when there's not a lot of people, it's hard to go out there and still be excited and he does it. I do believe he's underrated big-time, but I'm kind of happy about that because if he gets too big, then he will go away. He will join a big band. I'll be out looking for another guitar player and it would suck. It would really suck to lose Marc. I'm kind of happy. It's almost like a secret thing that we have, this treasure that we have. He's fantastic. He's an amazing guitar player. I sit sometimes around the dressing room just to hear him play. Just go in the dressing room to hang out while he's practicing just to hear him playing some of the flamenco sections in the dressing room or when he's just shredding. He's killer. He is a true, true guitar hero."

Rizzo was originally a member of New Jersey Latin metal favorites ILL NIÑO, appearing on their classic 2001 Roadrunner release "Revolution Revolucion" and the 2003 follow-up "Confession".

British rockers THE DARKNESS have unleashed the first taste and title track of their forthcoming opus "Motorheart", out November 19 via Cooking Vinyl.

Paying homage to a devoted sex robot, "Motorheart" growls, pounds and stomps with Rufus Taylor's drums, Frankie Poullain's bass and Justin and Dan Hawkins's guitars all turned up to 11, while Justin's trademark vocals soar to ever more earthquaking levels.

Regarding the single, Justin says: "'Motorheart' rocks harder than anything we've done before. It makes me happy and proud to crank it up and literally shake my Swiss chalet to its foundations. Dan did an awesome job on the production. It'll take your face off, but your skull will be grinning from meatus to meatus. Please, to enjoy."

"Motorheart" is a record of immeasurable rock and roll extravagance, and yet another masterpiece from England's favorite rock icons.

Released in a wide variety of formats, including standard and deluxe versions, both digitally and on CD. There's a heavyweight black vinyl album alongside limited-edition color LPs, an old-school cassette version. With exclusive bundles and signed editions to boot, it's the complete aural experience from THE DARKNESS, and a glorious addition to one of the most exciting canons in British rock music.

"Motorheart" track listing:

01. Welcome Tae Glasgae

02. It's Love, Jim

03. Motorheart

04. The Power And The Glory Of Love

05. Jussy's Girl

06. Sticky Situations

07. Nobody Can See Me Cry

08. Eastbound

09. Speed Of The Nite Time

10. You Don't Have To Be Crazy About Me… But It Helps *

11. It's A Love Thang (You Wouldn't Understand) *

12. So Long *

* bonus deluxe tracks

With a back catalogue overflowing with sonic gold and a live reputation that most bands can only dream of attaining, THE DARKNESS have established themselves as one of the most loved and important British rock bands of our time. Their last album, 2019's "Easter Is Cancelled", became the band's fourth Top 10 album in the U.K. while also topping the Official Charts Top 40 Rock Chart and the iTunes Rock Chart, alongside receiving swathes of critical praise.

THE DARKNESS will be showcasing the live potency of "Motorheart" on their extensive 22-date U.K. headline tour throughout November and December this year. A true spectacle to behold, fans will be treated to brand new songs from the album as well as hits from across their award-winning, platinum selling back catalogue. Support also comes from BRITISH LION, the side project of legendary IRON MAIDEN founder and bassist Steve Harris.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have announced the forthcoming release of their new album "Raise The Roof", out November 19 on Rounder Records. The surprise announcement finds Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Plant and 27-time Grammy-winner Krauss reunited after some fourteen years, following the historic success of their first collaboration "Raising Sand" (2007, Rounder), which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, generated platinum sales, and earned six Grammy Awards, including "Record Of The Year".

Like its predecessor, "Raise The Roof" was produced by T Bone Burnett, who worked with Plant and Krauss to expand their collaboration in thrilling new directions, accompanied by drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarists Marc Ribot, David Hidalgo, Bill Frisell and Buddy Miller, bassists Dennis Crouch and Viktor Krauss, along with pedal steel guitarist Russ Pahl among others. The album features 12 new recordings of songs by legends and unsung heroes, including Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, Anne Briggs, Geeshie Wiley, Bert Jansch and more. Other highlights include a Plant-Burnett original, "High And Lonesome", and the classic "Can't Let Go", written by Randy Weeks and first recorded by Lucinda Williams.

Plant and Krauss have shared their new recording of "Can't Let Go" today. Listen below.

The songs selected for "Raise The Roof" alternately reflect deep-rooted influences and new revelations. For his part, Plant was keen to introduce the English folk traditions he has loved since adolescence, while Krauss cites hearing "Quattro (World Drifts In)" by the American group CALEXICO as "the moment I knew we'd make another album."

"We wanted it to move," Krauss continues. "We brought other people in, other personalities within the band, and coming back together again in the studio brought a new intimacy to the harmonies."

Adds Plant: "You hear something and you go 'Man, listen to that song, we got to sing that song!' It's a vacation, really — the perfect place to go that you least expected to find."

Released in 2007, "Raising Sand" is one of the most beloved and acclaimed albums of the 21st century. In addition to winning all six Grammy Awards for which it was nominated, it also earned a CMA Award for "Musical Event Of The Year", plus "Album Of The Year" and "Duo/Group Of The Year" accolades from the Americana Music Honors And Awards.

Plant and Krauss will tour together in 2022, with dates to be announced soon.

"Raise The Roof" track listing:

01. Quattro (World Drifts In)

02. The Price Of Love

03. Go Your Way

04. Trouble With My Lover

05. Searching For My Love

06. Can't Let Go

07. It Don't Bother Me

08. You Led Me To The Wrong

09. Last Kind Words Blues

10. High And Lonesome

11. Going Where The Lonely Go

12. Somebody Was Watching Over Me

Photo by Frank Melfi

WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale has reacted to the passing of Michael Finnigan, an American keyboard player and vocalist who had worked primarily as a freelance studio and touring musician.

According to CelebrityAccess, Finnigan succumbed to kidney cancer on Wednesday morning at Ceder Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 76 years old.

Earlier today, Coverdale took to his Twitter to share the CelebrityAccess article on Finnigan's death, and he included the following message: "So very sad to hear the news of the passing of this fantastic man & incredible musician…I was honoured to work with him on my 'Into The LIGHT' album…Heartbreaking…"

Finnigan is best known for his Hammond organ (and vocal) contributions to dozens of recordings, by a wide variety of artists, over the past 50 years, appearing on albums with CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER, JANE'S ADDICTION, Etta James, Dave Mason, Joe Cocker, Dan Fogleberg, Ringo Starr, Maria Muldaur, James Ingraham, Tracy Chapman, Rod Stewart, John Hiatt, Leonard Cohen, Buddy Guy, Sam Moore, Curtis Salgado, Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, and many others. Additionally, Finnigan has provided Hammond organ to numerous film and television scores — and commercials — over the years.

While recording with THE SERFS in the late 1960s in New York City, Finnigan met and recorded with Jimi Hendrix. The album was "Electric Ladyland" and the tracks on which he provided Hammond organ introduced Finnigan to a much wider audience.

Finnigan is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Candy Finnigan, and their two children.

Released in 2000, "Into The Light" was Coverdale's third solo album.

In an interview with Classic Rock magazine, Coverdale stated that the "whole premise" of "Into The Light" is "about coming out of what I felt was a dark period... I didn't really know who I was, using the illusion of David Coverdale I've created, or that other people have. I got tired of trying to live up to that, which is not necessarily who I am."




So very sad to hear the news of the passing of this fantastic man & incredible musician…I was honoured to work with him on my ‘Into The LIGHT’ album…Heartbreaking…??????❤️‍?❤️‍?❤️‍?

Legendary Keyboardist & Session Player Mike Finnigan Dead At 76 https://t.co/Xlf3yQmNY6

— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) August 11, 2021

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT — the formidable musical partnership of Grammy-nominated STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand and co-songwriter and vocalist Casandra Carson — has dropped a new lyric video for the ballad "Worthwhile".

Speaking about the track, Rand comments: "When I started writing music for what would become THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT, it was about trying new things in the creative process. Writing songs on piano for the first time was refreshing and exciting. I'm really proud of how all three piano songs turned out, 'Worthwhile' being my favorite."

"Worthwhile" is the fifth and final video to be made available from the duo's recently released debut, self-titled EP and follows "Purgatory", "A World On Fire", "Ignite" and the band's debut release, "The Nothingness", which was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. "The Nothingness" was also included on SiriusXM Octane's Test Drive the week it was released.

Nurturing the project from concept to execution, the instrumentation on "The L.I.F.E. Project" EP was written, arranged, recorded and produced by Rand in his home studio and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, PARKWAY DRIVE). Completing the collaborative effort with the addition of Carson, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT presents an important milestone in an already decorated career for Rand, one that was punctuated with the addition of a one-of-a-kind vocal lead that understood how to compliment the music with her lyrical pen.

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand's penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy. From the ethereal, cinematic soundscape of the piano-latent ballad in "Worthwhile" to the sonic sledgehammer of "A World On Fire", the broad spectrum resonates as especially impressive. Between Rand's instrumental framework, accentuated by Carson's ability to articulate poignant stanzas, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT remains a passion project culminating in perfect collaboration.

Arriving at the intersection of time and circumstance, Rand found himself at a proverbial fork in the road. Rotating back to real world after an extensive two-year run on the road completing STONE SOUR's "Hydrograd" album cycle, Rand resumed his routine of immersing himself in his craft, songwriting with clear intent - breaking new ground and exploring new sounds. Shortly thereafter, a series of events would prompt Rand to make some significant professional decisions.

The pivot would find Rand continuing to push his creative pace as a songwriter, while devising a brand-new outlet that would feature his stylistic signature throughout. Accustomed to working with the kind of vocalist that is equally commanding and versatile, Rand knew he wanted to maintain a standard of a dynamic lead, while bringing something new to the space of hard rock and metal.

As chance would have it, just a few degrees of separation stood between Rand and Carson. The resulting introduction of THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a five-track EP that offers a complete presentation of a songwriter asserting his stride after more than two decades steeped in his craft. Building off the sonic stamp he established during his six albums, twenty-year tenure with STONE SOUR, Rand's current iteration holds true to his track record, without relying on it.

"The L.I.F.E. Project" EP track listing:

01. Ignite

02. Purgatory

03. The Nothingness

04. Worthwhile

05. A World On Fire

Former ICED EARTH singer Stu Block says that Jon Schaffer "fucked up real bad" when he got involved in the violent protest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 that left several dead, including a Capitol police officer.

Four months ago, the ICED EARTH leader pleaded guilty for his role in the Capitol riot. Although he was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Block, the Canadian-born vocalist who had fronted ICED EARTH since 2011, officially quit the band in February, stating at the time it was "the best decision in many ways" for his "personal and professional growth going forward."

Stu addressed Jon's involvement in the Capitol riot as well as his departure from ICED EARTH in a brand new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. Speaking about his former bandmate, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We all make bad decisions, man, and [Jon] fucked up real bad. And I'm sure he knows it, and I think everybody with half a brain knows it… The line that was crossed with going in and all that kind of stuff… He had so much going on. It was a shame. It hurts, 'cause you've got plans, and all of a sudden, you can't tell someone what to do — you can't tell a very strong-willed individual what to do; you can't. And so it would be lost words."

He added: "At the end of the day, I don't hate him. I'm not writhing in hate for him. I feel sad. I feel bad that everything went down the way it did. And maybe one day we'll talk. I don't know. I'm not too sure. But I think he knows that I still have a place in my heart for him, because I've seen that man do a lot of amazing, wonderful things for people. But I just wanna move on. And that's what it is."

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

According to CNN, prosecutors and Schaffer's attorneys agreed to recommend that he get between three and a half and four and a half years in prison, based on how fruitful his cooperation is with the government.

The government agreed not to oppose Schaffer's release during the sentencing phase.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

As part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

Earlier this month, Block announced his permanent return to his pre-ICED EARTH band INTO ETERNITY.

Before joining INTO ETERNITY in 2005, Block began his musical career singing for various bands in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After two albums with INTO ETERNITY, Block joined ICED EARTH in 2011, with whom he recorded three LPs: "Dystopia" (2011), "Plagues Of Babylon" (2014) and "Incorruptible" (2017).

UNDEROATH will release its seventh full-length album, "Voyeurist", on January 14, 2022 via Fearless Records. To celebrate the announcement, the band shared the anthemic new track "Hallelujah", which serves as the second single from "Voyeurist" and is sure to be a staple of their live set for years to come.

"Hallelujah" boasts one of the most addictive hooks of the band's career over a soundscape anchored in chaotic guitars, soaring synths, and percussion that will rattle the listener to their bones. Fans were offered a sneak peek of the track earlier this week in exchange for granting camera access at voyeurist.io. Once on the web site, they were able to listen along as they got a glimpse at other fans doing the same.

Guitarist Tim McTague summarizes the track: "I think the song is one of the more powerful songs on the album for a myriad of reasons, but sharing a night of beers and stories with a handful of the people you love, unpacking a ton of heady concepts and recording a choir really put an exclamation point on the song for me. It's dark, beautiful, haunting and heavy all at the same time. That's what UNDEROATH does best in my opinion."

"Voyeurist" marks the first time in UNDEROATH's storied career that they took the recording process completely into their own hands. Doing so led to plenty of difficult conversations, but it also provided the ideal situation for artistic innovation. As McTague continues: "I've always wanted to record our own album. I think we just needed to get into a headspace personally that would allow criticism and critique to land in a productive and constructive way." The result is the most collaborative album of UNDEROATH's career and, anchored in a profound respect for each other, one that left no stone unturned creatively. McTague adds again: "We grew so much in real time and I think the record speaks to that growth and collaboration. I haven't ever felt this attached to a project in my life."

UNDEROATH refers to "Voyeurist" as "high-def violence" — technologically advanced but undeniably visceral. Conceptually, "Voyeurist" has several interrelated meanings, each tying back to the concepts of how we curate ourselves through social media and how that facade masks a lot of what we actually experience in life. The album is a cohesive listening experience with enough layers to provide fans with a fresh take and new favorite track on every spin.

"Voyeurist" is available for pre-order now, including a deluxe animated vinyl that features a plastic o-card sleeve that activates playback of the jacket's interlaced video imagery.

"Voyeurist" track listing:

01. Damn Excuses

02. Hallelujah

03. I'm Pretty Sure I'm Out of Luck and Have No Friends

04. Cycle ft. Ghostemane

05. Thorn

06. (No Oasis)

07. Take A Breath

08. We're All Gonna Die

09. Numb

10. Pneumonia

This far into their storied career, UNDEROATH has unsurprisingly faced their fair share of adversity. Through the trials and tribulations, a commitment to their craft and a sense of accountability rooted in mutual respect for each other has ensured that each new chapter for the band continues to mold their legacy in a positive fashion. With their shared history of remarkable accolades and trying hardships continuing to shape who the individual members are as people, UNDEROATH is still just scratching the surface of what they can accomplish as a band. There are few acts in the annals of rock history that can say their best work is still ahead of them almost two decades into their career. Fortunately, UNDEROATH falls into that category. As the world opens back up in 2021, the band is deeply committed to living up to the high expectations that fans (and themselves) have come to expect for anything associated with the project. It will undoubtedly be something special to witness as this next chapter in the UNDEROATH story manifests.

Marty Friedman has offered an update on his long-awaited documentary. Titled "Spacefox" (changed from the original title, "Hebi Metal San"), the film — which is being directed by Jeremy Frindel, the founder of Substratum Films — follows Friedman's reinvention from lead guitarist in MEGADETH to one of the most famous TV personalities in Japan.

The former MEGADETH guitarist spoke about "Spacefox" during a new interview with FOX17 Rock & Review. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's being going on since 2016. They've been filming, on and off… Mostly around 2019, they got the bulk of it together. When I did my first real tour of America in 2016 after being in Japan for, like, 10 years, that's what they covered at the beginning, and then they came to Japan and did the main segment. And all they had left to shoot was the very ending, and then the [pandemic] hit."

He continued: "I've been playing the Tokyo Marathon opening ceremony for the last four years, and I was slated to play in 2020, and the film crew was gonna come to Japan and film that, and that was gonna be the big ending. And then possibly in the Olympics, I was not confirmed but there were some things that I could have done in the Olympics and the crew was all planned to come out for any of that stuff to make a final ending to the movie. And that kind of put the kibosh on that. So the next time we get a chance to film together, they're gonna put the ending on it and we'll be good to go. But the meat and potatoes of it is done, and I really like it."

As for a possible release date for "Spacefox", Friedman said: "I would say summer of 2022, because I'm probably gonna do some international touring before then, and that would make a nice backdrop for the ending of it."

In July 1999, Friedman was onstage performing at Woodstock '99 in front of a sea of fans as the lead guitarist for MEGADETH. Since joining the band in 1990, Marty played a crucial role in their rise to stardom with his unorthodox style of virtuoso guitar playing, selling millions of records worldwide, and being nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Just six months after Woodstock, in an unexpected move that shocked his friends, family, and especially his bandmates, despite platinum albums and sold-out tours, for reasons unknown, he suddenly quit the band and walked away from it all. Unbeknownst to his U.S. fans, Marty moved to Tokyo to pursue his love of Japanese pop music, and in the process, reinvented himself as a wildly successful Japanese TV celebrity. Marty has appeared on 700-plus television programs, commercials and motion pictures since then, and become was dubbed "the Ryan Seacrest of Japan" by Billboard magazine in the USA.

"Spacefox" tells the surreal story of Marty Friedman, a nice Jewish boy from the suburbs of Baltimore who walked away from the ultimate rock and roll dream to search for something more fulfilling in a culture that was not his own. His renegade story is an inspiring example of the vast human potential to reach for our and achieve even our most unconventional dreams.

Said Frindel: "I grew up playing guitar, playing in rock bands, and spent many hours playing along with Marty's guitar parts from some of the classic MEGADETH records. As years passed and my interests shifted, I went on to work making films and hadn't thought about MEGADETH in many years. So when I stumbled across an article about how Marty Friedman had become the 'Ryan Seacrest of Japan,' I was fascinated.

"I've had many different chapters in my life and am always intrigued about the seemingly infinite variety of ways we can reinvent ourselves. So to see someone like Marty at the top of his game step away and disappear to another country, and re-emerge as a TV entertainer, completely captured my imagination. Right away I felt there was an amazing story and film in there. I am honored and excited that Marty put his trust in me to share his story and the crazy journey he's gone on."

Frindel released his first feature film, "One Track Heart: The Story Of Krishna Das", in 2013. Distributed by Zeitgeist Films, the film screened theatrically in over a hundred U.S. cities, in festivals all over the world, and won the Best Documentary prize at five festivals. Earlier in his film career, he also worked on the seminal rock documentary "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster". Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2001, Jeremy has worked in the film and music industry in New York City for nearly 20 years.

FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho has released an orchestral version of the band's hit song "Judas". The accompanying video, which was created by composer J.D. Spears, can be seen below.

"Judas" was the title track of FOZZY's last studio album, which came out nearly four years ago. In a 2018 interview with Distorted Sound, Jericho stated about the song: "The single came out in May 2017 and the record was October [of that year]. It's been amazing, it’s taken us to a completely different level all across the board. [It's] what I call the 'Judas effect', you know? It's the right collection of songs in the right place at the right time for us, and it just took us to a completely different level, and was basically all anchored around the reception it received in the States on the radio. We knew eventually it was going to happen. We've had popular songs before, but things now have just gone completely through the roof. It's kind of become our signature song, and that's fine. I mean, once you're lucky enough to have that happen for your band, it takes things completely… It's like our 'Stairway To Heaven', our 'Enter Sandman', something along those lines. But you know, like I said, when you're lucky enough to get to that point where you have a song that everyone equates with you, it's just a great thing. It's one of those things where if people only know one FOZZY song, that's all right; we don't have a problem with that. And it just continues to build and continues to grow and to get bigger."

In May, FOZZY dropped a video for its first new song in two years, "Sane", which hit one million views in its first two weeks. This first-of-its-kind video was filmed on the longest wooden roller coaster on the planet today.

This past February, Jericho told Detroit's WRIF radio station that the band's follow-up to 2017's "Judas" album would "continue with the momentum that [the] 'Judas' [title track] started for us [four] years ago."

Last summer, Chris revealed that FOZZY's next LP will contain 12 songs, including one cover.

In May 2020, Jericho told Australia's Triple M radio station that FOZZY has "so many great songs" written for the new LP that "it's gonna be hard to pick the singles."

Guitarist Rich Ward and producer Johnny Andrews once again did "the lion's share" of the songwriting for the new LP, which was recorded primarily in Atlanta, Georgia.

Released in August 2019, "Nowhere To Run" was FOZZY's third single to hit Top 10 on rock radio, following "Judas" and "Painless".

In addition to producing "Judas", Andrews previously co-wrote FOZZY's "Lights Go Out" track back in 2014. He has also written songs with the likes of ALL THAT REMAINS, THREE DAYS GRACE and HALESTORM.

In November, FOZZY appeared in its first global live streaming event from Madison Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals), Rich Ward (guitars, vocals), Frank Fontsere (drums), Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

Industrial metal pioneers MINISTRY will release their 15th studio album, "Moral Hygiene", on October 1 via Nuclear Blast Records. The 10-track follow-up to 2018's "AmeriKKKant" was recently described in a press release as frontman Al Jourgensen's "societal manifesto and plea for civilization to get back to a set of standards that lives up to and embraces our humanity."

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, Jourgensen stated about the new LP's musical direction: "Same old stuff. Just a progression of the MINISTRY sound that's been refined for the last 30 [or] 40 years. And I think we hit a good one this time. There's a couple that I wish I could have back, and there's a couple that I'm really gung-ho about. But this one's in the 'gung-ho' category. This one makes a lot of sense for the times that we're living in."

As for the lyrical themes covered on "Moral Hygiene", Jourgensen said: "We cover everything — from the actual pandemic to climate change to the political climate now. And I don't mean so much the politicians as much as the rise of fascist tendencies all over the world and in various countries. And a lot of life topics like that."

The album's first single, "Good Trouble", was released in early July. The song, inspired by the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and the activist work of the late congressman John Lewis, was accompanied by a video that includes sampling from last year's demonstrations in Los Angeles as captured by Jourgensen and his partner Liz Walton. "Moral Hygiene" also includes the previously released "Alert Level" that sounded the alarms about our collective dissonance towards the pandemic, climate change and the man formerly in the White House, bolstered by the song's overarching question posed to listeners: "How concerned are you?" The new album also adds perspective to the countless lives that were tragically lost to the COVID-19 pandemic on the haunting track "Death Toll" while "Disinformation" describes the too frequent willingness to accept everything — even mistruths — as fact.

Other musical jewels on the upcoming release include a collaboration with Jello Biafra (Jourgensen's cohort in side project LARD) on "Sabotage Is Sex" and a unique take on THE STOOGES' "Search And Destroy" that features guitar virtuoso Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL, ROYAL MACHINES). Morrison is also heavily featured on a number of songs on the album.

"Moral Hygiene" was recorded with engineer Michael Rozon (also behind the boards on "AmeriKKKant") at Scheisse Dog Studio, Jourgensen's self-built home studio and creative lab. As with all MINISTRY albums, all songs are written and performed by Jourgensen. Additional contributions come from Morrison, Cesar Soto (MAN THE MUTE), John Bechdel (KILLING JOKE, FEAR FACTORY), Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR, SOULFLY, NAUSEA), Paul D'Amour (TOOL, FEERSUM ENNJIN), Arabian Prince (N.W.A.), Jello Biafra (DEAD KENNEDYS) and sitar player Flash.

"Moral Hygiene" will be available in CD, vinyl and digital download formats.

Fan-filmed video footage of STAIND's August 11 performance at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia as the support act for KORN can be seen below. The two bands' 28-date joint tour will make stops in Long Island, Detroit, Irvine, Phoenix, Austin and more, before wrapping up with a performance at Dallas' Dos Equis Pavilion on September 21. Furthermore, both bands will perform at Louisville, Kentucky's Louder Than Life festival on September 23.

Two months ago, STAIND's Mike Mushok told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that he and his bandmates were working on their first studio album since 2011's self-titled effort. "Aaron [Lewis, STAIND frontman] is finishing up a country record; he's just about done with it," he said. "I think the idea is once that's completed, we're gonna… There's a bunch of [new] songs kicking around. It's just kind of [a matter of] sorting through that stuff and seeing what, if anything, we like, and figuring out… I imagine, having not put out a real record of new music in 10 years, we're gonna be pretty critical of what it is and wanna make sure that it's great. But, yes, there is talk of that. We actually signed a record deal and have a deal to do a new record."

This past March, Lewis told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he "would certainly love to" have the new STAIND album "recorded and done by the end of this year, to be released next year. All of our plans that were kind of semi on the books and on the table, everything just had a year taken off of it [due to the pandemic]," he said. "We were gonna have a record come out sometime in 2020 or certainly in 2021, and there was a schedule that was on the table that, just like everything else, got burned to the ground as soon as [the lockdown] started."

STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", on May 7 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents. The series launched with STAIND's "Live: It's Been Awhile (From Foxwoods)" concert, which streamed globally on May 1. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album and concert were recorded at the band's comeback show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut in October 2019. The never-before-seen concert celebrated the band's reunion after a five-year hiatus. STAIND also performed its iconic multi-platinum 2001 album "Break The Cycle" in its entirety for a May 8 streaming event, exactly 20 years after the album's release. The "20th Anniversary Of Break The Cycle, Performed In Its Entirety" took place at Mill 1 in Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, bringing the band back to their Western Mass roots.

STAIND played its first full live show in five years in September 2019 at the Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

The band was scheduled to support DISTURBED on "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" throughout North America last summer. The amphitheater trek has since been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

British extreme metal veterans CARCASS have released an animated video — created by Costin Chioreanu (OPETH, NAPALM DEATH) — for a new single, "Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B)", from their upcoming seventh studio album, "Torn Arteries", due out September 17 via Nuclear Blast Records.

CARCASS's founding vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker states about "Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B)": "The song is a foot-stomping festival anthem that will go unheard in an empty, vacuous, post-COVID world 'stadium', where used lateral flow tests blow around as litter in the breeze."

In 2019, the band released its first single in over five years, "Under The Scalpel Blade", followed by a four-song EP titled "Despicable" (October 2020), setting a potent precedent for "Torn Arteries". With the album title itself referencing an old demo created by original drummer Ken Owen back in the 1980s, "Torn Arteries" sits as a bookend on the modern side of the CARCASS discography, connecting directly back to where everything began over 30 years ago.

The "Torn Arteries" album artwork also rings reminiscent of the grotesque photography that appears on classic CARCASS album covers like "Reek Of Putrefaction" and "Symphonies Of Sickness". Artist Zbigniew Bielak traveled outside his normal wheelhouse to bring forth a time-lapsed set of photos showing vegetables shaped like a heart, rotting over time upon a white plate. This form of artwork was influenced by Japanese Kusôzu, meaning "painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse."

"It's very clean, white, which we've never done before," explains vocalist and bassist Jeff Walker. "It doesn't look evil, or typically death metal, but I like how clean it is; almost like a coffee table book." This new album presents images, lyrics, and sounds that so distinctly scream CARCASS, but ferry us into a new era of production, songwriting, and art all together.

"I think as our seventh album, it does stand out from the others both sonically and stylistically," says Walker. "You can definitely tell that it's CARCASS; when you drop that needle on the vinyl, when you hear that guitar tone, you can tell it's Bill Steer, but each album is always a product of its time."

With "Torn Arteries", each track stands unique from the rest in its approach to guitar, bass, vocals and drumming, along with all the finer details. Filthy and dominating guitar work creates thick layers of tone and melody, piling on top of each other like the weight of dead flesh in tracks like "Kelly's Meat Emporium".

"The working title for 'Kelly's' was originally 'Stock Carcass'," laughs Walker. "We knew that one was a real meat-and-potatoes track for the album." Meanwhile, the elevated speed and catchy beat in "Dance Of Ixtab" tell a robust and airier story, one that is certain to get a reaction from live crowds. "We built this song around the beat. We had an approach to each song that was a definite idea," Walker says. "It's all about 'what haven't we done before?'"

Recording and production for "Torn Arteries" wasn't as simple as sitting down for a few weeks and knocking it all out, but rather spread out over the course of approximately one year bouncing back and forth between England and Sweden. Initially, drummer Daniel Wilding did session work in Sweden at Studio Gröndahl with David Castillo while guitars were recorded at The Stationhouse with James Atkinson in Leeds, England. Eventually needing some form of residential location to finalize vocals, bass, and other guitarwork, the band headed back to Studio Gröndahl in Sweden to continue work in a very relaxed atmosphere with Castillo. "There was no real big plan to do it this way, the process just organically grew on its own," says Walker.

Most will find that the only real struggle when indulging in "Torn Arteries" is fighting the desire to start it over the second it finishes. It covers substantial new ground for a band with such a reputation, while still retaining that addictive, time honored CARCASS sound that has come to represent the face of true death metal.

"Torn Arteries" track listing:

01. Torn Arteries

02. Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstances March No. 1)

03. Eleanor Rigor Mortis

04. Under The Scalpel Blade

05. The Devil Rides Out

06. Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited

07. Kelly's Meat Emporium

08. In God We Trust

09. Wake Up And Smell The Carcass / Caveat Emptor

10. The Scythe's Remorseless Swing

"Torn Arteries" is available for pre-order in a variety of bundles and formats, including CD, box set and limited-edition vinyl pressings.

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

METALLICA has shared "Nothing Else Matters (Orchestra/Clean Guitar/Vocal Mix - July 8th, 1991)", taken from the "Rough & Alternate Mixes" 2CD included in the remastered deluxe box set of its self-titled fifth album — also known as "The Black Album" — due on September 10 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Check it out below.

The Black Album is one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed records of all time. Its 1991 release not only gave METALLICA its first No. 1 album in no fewer than 10 countries, including a four-week run at No. 1 in the U.S., its unrelenting series of singles — "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Sad But True" — fueled the band's rise to stadium headlining, radio and MTV dominating household name status. The album's reception from the press was similarly charged, building over the years from the top 10 of the 1991 Village Voice Pazz & Jop national critics poll to becoming a constant presence in the likes of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. The album's impact and relevance continue to grow — as proven by one indisputable fact: The Black Album remains unchallenged as the best-selling album in the history of Nielsen SoundScan, outselling every release in every genre over the past 30 years.

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the Grammy-winning, 16-times-platinum-certified Black Album is receiving its definitive re-release. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, The Black Album remaster will be available in multiple configurations including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3 CD expanded edition, digital, and limited-edition deluxe box set (containing the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four tour laminates, three lithos, three guitar picks, a METALLICA lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card).

Much more than a mere tribute album, "The Metallica Blacklist" celebrates the enduring influence of this musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived by the METALLICA team: An unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.

"The Metallica Blacklist" offers up new dimensions of the record whose gravitational pull first drew the mainstream to METALLICA — and provides new insights into the universal and timeless appeal that kept it there: the boundary-smashing influence these 12 songs have had on fans and musicians of all stripes. "The Metallica Blacklist"'s 53 tracks find singer songwriters, country artists, electronic and hip hop artists sharing their love of these songs alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music and many, many more… and for 50+ good causes: Profits will be divided evenly between charities of the artist's choice and METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation.

"The Metallica Blacklist" is a fitting and limitless homage, one that features bands who've shared stages with METALLICA alongside artists who are younger than the original album. It's a truly staggering, at times mystifying assemblage of musicians, dozens of whom have little to nothing in common other than the shared passion for the music that's united them for this album: 1 Album. 12 Songs. 53 Artists. Unlimited Possibilities.

"The Metallica Blacklist" will be available in formats including digital, four-CD and a limited-edition seven-LP vinyl pressing. Pre-orders will instantly receive multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, philanthropist and trailblazer Miley Cyrus's version of "Nothing Else Matters" featuring Andrew Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith, and Colombian-born rock/pop superstar, and winner of 20+ Grammy and Latin Music Grammy Awards Juanes's interpretation of "Enter Sandman".

All profits from "The Metallica Blacklist" will be split evenly between the All Within My Hands foundation and 50+ charities chosen by the artists who play on the album. All Within My Hands was founded by the band in 2017 as a way for the entire METALLICA family to give back to communities that have supported the band by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

"The Metallica Blacklist" features the following tracks:

* ALESSIA CARA & THE WARNING - Enter Sandman

* MAC DEMARCO - Enter Sandman

* GHOST - Enter Sandman

* JUANES - Enter Sandman

* RINA SAWAYAMA - Enter Sandman

* WEEZER - Enter Sandman

* SAM FENDER - Sad But True (Live)

* JASON ISBELL - Sad But True

* MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND FEAT. LA PERLA & GERA MX - Sad But True

* ROYAL BLOOD - Sad But True

* ST. VINCENT - Sad But True

* WHITE REAPER - Sad But True

* YB - Sad But True

* BIFFY CLYRO - Holier Than Thou

* THE CHATS - Holier Than Thou

* OFF! - Holier Than Thou

* PUP - Holier Than Thou

* COREY TAYLOR - Holier Than Thou

* CAGE THE ELEPHANT - The Unforgiven

* VISHAL DADLANI, DIVINE, SHOR POLICE - The Unforgiven

* DIET CIG - The Unforgiven

* FLATBUSH ZOMBIES FEAT. DJ SCRATCH - The Unforgiven

* HA*ASH - The Unforgiven

* JOSÉ MADERO - The Unforgiven

* MOSES SUMNEY - The Unforgiven

* J BALVIN - Wherever I May Roam

* CHASE & STATUS FEAT. BACKROAD GEE - Wherever I May Roam

* THE NEPTUNES - Wherever I May Roam

* JON PARDI - Wherever I May Roam

* SEBASTIAN - Don't Tread On Else Matters

* PORTUGAL. THE MAN FEAT. AARON BEAM - Don't Tread On Me

* VOLBEAT - Don't Tread On Me

* THE HU - Through The Never

* TOMI OWÓ - Through The Never

* PHOEBE BRIDGERS - Nothing Else Matters

* MILEY CYRUS FEAT. WATT, ELTON JOHN, YO-YO MA, ROBERT TRUJILLO, CHAD SMITH - Nothing Else Matters

* DAVE GAHAN - Nothing Else Matters

* MICKEY GUYTON - Nothing Else Matters

* DERMOT KENNEDY - Nothing Else Matters

* MON LAFERTE - Nothing Else Matters

* IGOR LEVIT - Nothing Else Matters

* MY MORNING JACKET - Nothing Else Matters

* PG ROXETTE - Nothing Else Matters

* DARIUS RUCKER - Nothing Else Matters

* CHRIS STAPLETON - Nothing Else Matters

* TRESOR - Nothing Else Matters

* GOODNIGHT, TEXAS - Of Wolf And Man

* IDLES - The God That Failed

* IMELDA MAY - the god that failed

* CHERRY GLAZERR - My Friend Of Misery

* IZÏA - My Friend Of Misery

* KAMASI WASHINGTON - My Friend Of Misery

* RODRIGO Y GABRIELA - The Struggle Within

Back in 2017, METALLICA announced that it was preparing deluxe remastered versions of its "…And Justice For All" (1988) and "Metallica" (1991) albums and reached out to its hardcore fans for help to get content for the new editions. "…And Justice For All" has since been reissued for its 30th anniversary in 2018.

METALLICA's self-titled LP in 2014 became the first album to sell 16 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.

"Metallica" was already certified 16 times platinum on December 13, 2012 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of 16 million copies in the U.S.

The album in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era.

"Metallica" was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock, with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc.

METALLICA performed "the black album" in its entirety at a number of European festivals in 2012.

Grammy-nominated band TRIVIUM will release its tenth album, titled "In The Court Of The Dragon", on October 8 via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in the fall of 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando. The band has also shared the new song "Feast Of Fire", which is accompanied by an official music video. The footage was filmed at the band's headquarters — The Hangar in Orlando. It was shot by director John Deeb.

"There's always that one song you aren't expecting when you begin writing a new album," says bassist Paolo Gregoletto about the song and, in turn, sharing an inside look at the band's songwriting process. "It could be a riff written on the spot in the rehearsal space, a lyric that pairs just right with a melody, or in the case of 'Feast Of Fire', sitting right there in front of us in the middle of a demo that Corey [Beaulieu, guitar] brought in. We were well into pre-production at Full Sail when we all decided that something about the demo we had tracked was good but could be even better. Our producer Josh Wilbur even had in his notes: 'Bridge is special, maybe so special it needs its own song.' We tore the song apart and began again on the spot."

He continues: "We went into this album knowing we had time to consider everything and anything that came about during this period, and if need be, we could start again if it didn’t feel right given that no touring was on the horizon."

Further pulling back the curtain, he says: "I had the words 'Feast Of Fire' written in my running list of notes for lyric ideas that I try to amass before we record. Something about the phrase stuck out to me. It felt like the missing piece of the story we were trying to tell with this album, a climactic moment and a real centerpiece for the narrative."

He finishes: "After all these years, I'm still blown away at how a song can really appear out of thin air and take the album to a place you weren't expecting. Those are the moments we are always looking for when making a record."

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

"While the music of 'In The Court Of The Dragon' was taking shape, we knew we needed epic artwork of the type that you might see on the wall of an important museum from a long dead renaissance master," says guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy. "After extensive research, we found one of the few living artists who is capable of creating artwork like Caravaggio and Gentileschi — painter Mathieu Nozieres. Mathieu took our song title and created an original oil painting on canvas unlike anything we could have ever imagined. It's so staggeringly breathtaking and epic and it looks like what the song and album sounds like."

The oil painting, which is also featured in both new videos, will be on display at the Bloodstock Open Air festival from August 11 through 15 at the on site R.A.M. Art Gallery. This marks the painting's first public showing. The first 100 fans to view it in the gallery will receive a free poster of the image.

Last month, TRIVIUM shared the album's title track, "In The Court Of The Dragon", which featured an epic intro composed and orchestrated by Ihsahn (EMPEROR) and was accompanied by an official short film music video directed by Ryan Mackfall.

"In The Court Of The Dragon" track listing:

01. X

02. In The Court Of The Dragon

03. Like A Sword Over Damocles

04. Feast Of Fire

05. A Crisis Of Revelation

06. The Shadow Of The Abattoir

07. No Way Back Just Through

08. Fall Into Your Hands

09. From Dawn To Decadence

10. The Phalanx

TRIVIUM will make its long-awaited return to the road this summer with MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED.

In celebration of the 15th anniversary of LAMB OF GOD's "Sacrament" album, Epic Records is issuing an anniversary edition of the album and short documentary.

The remastered "Sacrament (15th Anniversary)" will contain the original album tracks, as well as previously unreleased bonus live tracks recorded at House Of Vans Chicago in the band's only live performance of 2020. The album is scheduled for a digital release on August 20, with a vinyl edition slated for early next year. The "Making Of Sacrament" feature, originally included on the "Walk With Me In Hell" DVD, will premiere on YouTube on August 20. Watch the trailer below.

Originally released on August 22, 2006, "Sacrament" debuted at #8 and sold nearly 65,000 copies in its first week. The album spawned the popular track "Redneck", which brought LAMB OF GOD their first Grammy Award nomination for "Best Metal Performance". The album was certified gold by the RIAA in September of 2019.

"Sacrament (15th Anniversary)" track listing:

01. Walk With Me In Hell

02. Again We Rise

03. Redneck

04. Pathetic

05. Foot To The Throat

06. Descending

07. Blacken The Cursed Sun

08. Forgotten (Lost Angels)

09. Requiem

10. More Time To Kill

11. Beating On Death's Door

12. Walk With Me In Hell (Live from House of Vans Chicago)*

13. Redneck (Live from House of Vans Chicago)*

14. Descending (Live from House of Vans Chicago)*

* Previously unavailable on DSPs

Released in April via Nuclear Blast Records, LAMB OF GOD's "Live In Richmond, VA" included 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 its latest album, "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).

World-renowned guitarist/songwriter Mark Tremonti will release the fifth album from his solo band TREMONTI, titled "Marching In Time", on September 24 via Napalm Records. The official live video for the LP's first single, "If Not For You", can be seen below. The song tells the story of a father having a child during a global pandemic and how he prepares for life during that time — something Tremonti recently experienced in his own life.

Tremonti is no stranger to storytelling. Throughout his years with top-charting bands ALTER BRIDGE and CREED, and most recently his solo band, Mark has never strayed from his love of writing memorable songs. With "Marching In Time", the band looks to continue this trend while exploring their love for heavy music, drawing from current events from the last year to form the basis of each song. While its predecessor, "A Dying Machine", was an overall concept album seeped in darker sentiments and story, the vibe of "Marching In Time" is different — emerging as a charging rock/metal offering that takes the listener on 12 individual journeys.

From the driving drum beat of opener "A World Away" to the epic closer "Marching In Time", the new album is a reflective look at the world around us today. TREMONTI's unmatched musicianship bleeds through the album, showcased on tracks like "Thrown Further", "In One Piece" and the thought-provoking "Would You Kill". Alternatively, the band displays their softer side on pensive tracks "The Last One Of Us" and "Not Afraid to Lose". Epic title track "Marching In Time" tells the story of a father having a child during a global pandemic and how he prepares for life during that time — something Mark Tremonti recently experienced in his own life — while upcoming single "If Not For You" shows the evolution of the TREMONTI sound in 2021.

"Marching In Time" was produced by longtime friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette — the producer Mark has worked with exclusively since 2007.

"Marching In Time" track listing:

01. A World Away

02. Now And Forever

03. If Not For You

04. Thrown Further

05. Let That Be Us

06. The Last One Of Us

07. In One Piece

08. Under The Sun

09. Not Afraid To Lose

10. Bleak

11. Would You Kill

12. Marching In Time

TREMONTI will hit the road in advance of the release of "Marching In Time", starting on September 3 in the U.S. with longtime friends SEVENDUST.