In a new interview with Jaimunji, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album. Asked if the new LP will be a throwback to some of the early TESTAMENT records or if it will once again be a step forward for the band, Chuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think we've always evolved. We never like to go backwards. These songs, definitely the old classic stuff, 'The Legacy' and 'The New Order', that's where we came from, those are the first songs we wrote, so definitely that's who we are, but we always wanna evolve. We don't wanna do something we've done. But I will say the new record, we're very excited for it 'cause Chris Dovas, the new drummer, it's probably the most a drummer has worked with Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] writing material, and it shows.'

He continued: "The songs are very strong, very heavy, very fast. We've got a little of everything. We've got some mid-tempo, but really crushing fast drums. I would even say that we went and put — I don't wanna say the word 'ballad', but it's a very slow, old classic TESTAMENT vibe, like 'Return To Serenity', that we had the confidence and the song is there that we wrote. This record, we're fired up 'cause, to me, it sounds modern. That's the one thing I've gotta say. It's TESTAMENT but modern-sounding, just because I think Chris, he shifts another gear on the songs. I mean, he just puts it to another level as far as the drum playing and inspiring Eric to what he's doing. And it actually opens up the doors for me, challenge-wise, to not just take it the easy way out. I've really had some challenges — a lot more screaming death metal, mid-tempo clean vocals. I'm doing a little bit of everything. So that's the fun part for me and the challenging part, is to make it all work."

Regarding a possible release date for the new TESTAMENT album, Chuck said: "We went in the studio, I wanna say May. So we've been tracking, recording since. Of course we've used Andy Sneap in the past to mix our records, but he's not gonna be available because he's in JUDAS PRIEST now. So we had to find a new producer and he's not available until January. So that kind of bought us a little more time to take our time with the record. I've got three songs to sing. Alex [Skolnick, TESTAMENT lead guitarist] has his solos to lay down. Drums, rhythms, everything else is done, bass is done. Just a few things. And then once January comes off, we'll go right into mixing it. And we'll probably, hopefully have the first single out shortly after that. But I could definitely see the record being out by the end of the first quarter, maybe the second quarter next year."

Billy also confirmed that one of the new TESTAMENT songs will be a duet with Floor Jansen of NIGHTWISH. "Yeah, I reached out to her," he said. "Me and Floor became friends maybe under 10 years ago. Me and her, Joey Belladonna [ANTHRAX], Udo Dirkschneider [ex-ACCEPT], we all did this Christmas performance show through Europe. And we were singing our songs, but with a Christmas theme with an orchestra. And so we all traveled together and became friends. And she's a powerhouse of a vocalist. Great voice. And when we wrote the song and the lyrics, first thing I thought was, 'Okay, this song, it, it needs a strong girl's voice,' and, of course, Floor is the first one that came to mind. And this song, it's gonna be pretty epic. We're gonna put a string section on it, acoustic guitars. It's gonna have a lot going on, but it's a really, really beautiful song. It's really deep. And with Floor, it's kind of me and her kind of singing the lyrics kind of to each other, and the meaning of the song and what we're saying, it's kind of, like, I'll say my part and she's answering me through the vocal. So it's gonna be very strong, very cool. And I can't wait to hear what she's gonna do on it… We haven't sent it to her because we haven't laid down the acoustic guitars yet for it, but the song's done. I tracked it all. I tracked her parts. And I wanna wait till she hears it for the first time with the acoustics and get the vibe — I want her to be in the vibe once she gets it… And Alex has a connection to some guys that are gonna do the strings on it, who played on some huge records, so what we've heard so far, it's pretty cool."

Billy recently told Metal Express Radio's Bryce Van Patten about how TESTAMENT's songwriting process has changed since the band's early days in the late 1980s and 1990s: "Oh, it's night and day. Before, back then, we all lived the same place, we all had to go to the same studio, where now it's by e-mail, sharing the songs. Everybody has home studios to work out demos. Definitely a different writing process, but still Eric is one of the main writers. And ever since we brought in our new drummer, Chris Dovas, he's been here two years — he was 24 when he came into the band; he's 26 [now]. But he's a smart kid. [He] graduated [from] the Berklee [College] Of Music. [He] knows theory [and is] great in the studio with Pro Tools. He's really into modern bands and new and upcoming stuff, and he's got an old soul so he knows the history of the music. But I think him working hand in hand with Eric as long as they did, he really pushed Eric and drove Eric to get challenged. And I wouldn't say 'copy', but I think Chris and what he listens to and the style Eric likes, it brought an influence to the new songs."

Regarding the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT material, Chuck said: "To me, the new songs sound current, they sound fresh. They're touching what a lot of new upcoming bands are making good names for themselves are doing. So, again, it's raising the bar one more time. And I think when fans hear this record, especially new, younger fans are gonna go, 'Whoa. That's TESTAMENT. I know the TESTAMENT I know from 30-something years ago and grew up with, but what is this?' I'm excited for that because I wanna hear what people think. I'd love to see the expression of them hearing it for the first time. That would be great, because it does sound new and modern and fresh, even though we're still being challenged."

Asked if he and his TESTAMENT bandmates have more freedom to do whatever they want now than they did when you were on a major label like Atlantic, Chuck said: "Totally. When we were on Atlantic, that was a big machine. They had an A&R department, they had the radio department, they had tons of departments, tons of money, and they were always influenced by how well their big-selling artists were, which were radio bands and they were pushing radio. So that A&R guy would be whispering in our ears, 'What's the next radio song?' And we're thinking, "Well, we're not a radio band. That's not us.' And even to this day, when I hear some stuff like [on the SiriusXM channel] Ozzy's Boneyard or something, they play ballads by us, and it's, like, that doesn't represent us, but that represents that era in thinking maybe of what TESTAMENT did or what they chose to expose us to the public, which it's misrepresenting us. So, yeah, the freedom's huge now, especially being with Nuclear Blast as long as we have. There's no deadline. It's just, 'When you're ready, you have a record, give it to us.' And that's been really nice. And the beauty about this record is that usually we have Andy Sneap mix our record, so we usually write a record and give it to him and then it's done, written in stone, can't go back. But this record, we had to pick a somebody to mix it, which wasn't available till early next year, January. So we decided, 'Okay.' We tried to get all the tracking done before we went to Europe this June or July, and we got most of it done."

This past September, Peterson told Brutal Planet Magazine that TESTAMENT has tapped Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, KREATOR, PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK and AMON AMARTH, among others, to mix the band's upcoming studio album. Peterson said about the LP: "It's, like, 90 percent done. And it's gonna get mixed in December by Jens Bogren. He's a producer from Sweden, and he's done — God, he's done KREATOR, he's doing the new BEHEMOTH right now, he's done IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. A lot of European bands. We usually work with Andy Sneap, but he's [the touring guitarist] in JUDAS PRIEST and he's just, like, 'Bro, I need some time off.' It's a good switch, though. I think Jens will do a good job. And yeah, there's a lot of crazy stuff on this record. I'm excited for everybody to hear it."

In August, Billy told Oran O'Beirne of Overdrive.ie about the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT material: "We always try to outdo ourselves or make a better record or write better songs. It's always a challenge for ourselves, and I think this time we really took a long time to create the record. We kind of got everybody in the same room to really go through the songs and kind of put their two cents in to the arrangements. I think by having Chris — he's a younger drummer, a really great drummer — but I think he brought you know a new fire to Eric in the writing process. And I believe because we're going on 37 years of making records, it's kind of full circle right now. We're kind of inspired by new generation, I guess, of music and metal. And Chris is a big part of that. He's a big fan of that. So I think he inspired Eric just to write some really aggressive, fast, creative riffs. And it really inspired me to really push myself to try to do a little more screaming, death vocals, melodic stuff. We even went as far as writing — I don't wanna say 'ballad', but it's something really catchy that's really slow that's something we haven't done in over 30 years. So I think just the overall songs and the confidence in the writing this time really is gonna stand out on this record."

This past June, Chuck told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about the lyrical themes covered in the new TESTAMENT songs: "[It's] not as focused [on], like, the aliens, creating mankind and that kind of stuff, but there is some of that. There's a lot. Each song definitely has its own identity lyrically. And again, we're writing stuff that is real, that happens with the environment; we're singing about that again. A.I., we're singing stuff about that. That's a big thing. So, there's always an inspiration for songs. I think it's a little easier. There's so much going on in our world to write about now. It's a crazy world today, so there's a lot of stuff to talk about. And I like singing about what's real and what's going on instead of some fantasy lyrics, because, for me, I think when I sing 'em, I have more conviction, I believe in 'em a little more. And maybe it's easier for me to remember the lyrics live. [Laughs]"

Naming specific tracks, Chuck said: "There's a song, 'Havana Syndrome', which is about the Havana Syndrome. People, look that up. There's 'Infanticide A.I.', which is another song going A.I. direction. And there's actually a slower song. We haven't done a slower song. I'm not gonna say 'ballad', but I'm gonna say a slower song that has a lot of groove and soul, called 'Meant To Be'. And it's like a classic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I guess, if you wanna use that word. But we've got a little bit of everything, but, again, I think it's really sticking to TESTAMENT, having to have some melodic stuff, even though there's some really brutal lyrics and real brutal, more of a death voice. I still put the hook in with more of a melodic hook or something. It's still classic TESTAMENT. If you listen to it, you'll go, 'That's TESTAMENT, but a little more octane to it.'"

Also in June, Chuck told Canada's The Metal Voice that he writes most of TESTAMENT's lyrics with Del James. "Del, he works with GUNS N' ROSES," Chuck said. "He's been working with them and wrote with them a long time ago. I think he had big hits like 'November Rain' with them. And we've been working [together] for over 20 years. So I always go down and work with him because I come up with a lot of the ideas and concepts, but he really interprets and gets the right words, how to say what I'm thinking. And we work fast. When we get together, we'll knock out like two songs in a day. So we don't mess around. We get there, say hello to each other, we sit down and we go right to work. It's about what we do."

Prior to joining TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas filled in for Lombardo on the first six dates of TESTAMENT's summer/fall 2022 leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour".

In a new interview Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, the rock music station licensed to Dover and Morristown, New Jersey, HINDER lead vocalist Marshal Dutton was asked if he and his bandmates still like putting out full-length albums or if they are starting to think about maybe focusing on singles going forward. said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm kind of more of an album guy, I think, because I just come from that era. I grew up listening to cassette tapes and CDs and having the album. That was really special to me. And I listened to [full] records. When I was growing up, I couldn't just go get a new record every other week or a new single — you didn't have access to [unlimited] music — so you had to listen to records front to back. And I feel like that's a way that forces you to really get to know a band and all the kind of ins and outs. But that being said, we don't really write concepts for records. We're a song band — we just write songs — and so a record is ultimately just a collection of songs. So I guess in this day and age it doesn't really matter whether or not you release 'em one at a time or you release 'em as a package. I kind of think there's still a whole lot of people that that love to get an album, but there's still a part of me that worries about the fact that everyone's attention span is so quick these days that they don't have the patience for a record. So, in doing that, you end up kind of wasting a lot of songs, as opposed to giving it a chance to be in its own limelight for a small period of time. So, I don't know. I can pick it or pull it."

This past September, HINDER released the official music video for its latest single, "Live Without It", a soulful showstopper about letting go and moving on.

HINDER's story begins in 2001, when Cody Hanson (drums),Joe "Blower" Garvey (lead guitar) and Mike Rodden (bass) met and activated their musical chemistry. The 2005 hit "Lips Of An Angel" from the band's debut album "Extreme Behavior", since certified three times platinum, topped the charts and remains a radio mainstay. Powerful lead vocalist Marshal Dutton joined them in 2015. Throughout their discography, HINDER has embodied an ethos of defiance and tenacity through gutsy lyrics, rousing melodies, and soaring choruses. Each album in their musical journey has reflected a progression, from the grittier early days of "Take It To The Limit" to the more introspective and exploratory energy of their most recent album, 2017's "The Reign".

In 2013, original HINDER singer Austin Winkler parted ways with the band following a long battle with substance abuse.

HINDER started 2024 strong with a series of sold-out shows and live performances with CREED, THREE DOORS DOWN and DAUGHTRY. and a loyal global fanbase.

HINDER's most recent album, 2017's "The Reign", was the band's second with Dutton.

Photo credit: Dylan Johnson

In a new interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked if he and his bandmates are planning to continue touring in 2025 or if they will hit the studio to write and record new music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think a bit of both, really. These tours tend to grow and evolve over time — the more we do, we get more offers from different territories and stuff — so I'm sure there'll be more touring. And there's always ideas coming up, there's always creative juices flowing. So if we're able, we might be able to get in and put some ideas together and see where we are. Is there another record? I know we've got ideas coming up all the time — riffs and melodies and song ideas and stuff. We're creative people — as a group of creative people, that's gonna happen. So I think, hopefully if we get some time early next year, we'll be able to pool those ideas and see what we've got and then hopefully hit the road again somewhere else."

JUDAS PRIEST has just completed leg two of its "Invincible Shield" tour with special guest SABATON. Produced by Live Nation, the 23-date tour launched on September 13 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec and is making stops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona and more before wrapping up with three shows in Texas on October 22, 24 and 26.

In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked what's on the horizon for him and his bandmates at the moment. He responded: "It's just this wonderful, wonderful renaissance going around, not only for PRIEST, but for metal in general, for bands that were there from the start. Our good friends SAXON, who we worked with recently in Europe — we were selling out places all over Europe because people not only are the fans of the band, but there are also people that were maybe on the outside looking and going, 'I've gotta check this out. What is this happening now? Why is there such a buzz about these bands?' And so we're thriving on that, we're thriving on that."

He continued: "We're so grateful and honored and humbled to be in this place all these years later and still have this thing called relevance. We're a relevant heavy metal band that's not living on their past glories. And there's nothing wrong with that. But we've always felt that who we are and what we're about is representative of what we're doing and saying now. So to have this glorious experience with [PRIEST's latest album] 'Invincible Shield', and it's not dissipating. There's still tremendous love and interest for that particular album and this band. And so we're just out there roaring away, giving you all of these moments from PRIEST right from the beginning of our metal lives to where we are right now with 'Invincible Shield'."

"Invincible Shield" entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" was JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, SALIVA frontman Bobby Amaru spoke about the band's decision to carry on following founding guitarist Wayne Swinny's March 2023 death after suffering a brain hemorrhage while on tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I tossed it up, man, and when he passed away, I kind of questioned whether I even wanted to do it or not. And I had tough decisions [to make], man. But I thought about what he would have wanted. I thought about a lot of our conversations and kind of went back to a lot of that. And he was at my house literally five days before he passed, cutting a solo on one of the last songs for the 'Revelation' record. And that was a very fun and interesting day, doing that and just hanging with him. And I remember we went and got Thai food. And he got a number two, and, dude, his mouth was literally like numb on fire. He could not handle it, dude. He was drinking milk and water and all kinds of stuff. But we had so many great times, and I know how he felt about what we were doing with SALIVA. I knew how he felt about the new record.

"I think sometimes people don't give me credit either for being here 13 years, and they just kind of wanna assume the early days — forget all the other stuff; it's just all about the early days," Bobby continued. "And I get the legacy of SALIVA and the brand, and I've never disrespected that one bit and I've always just tried to take the high road. But sometimes, man, when things are going on behind your back and stuff, too, and sometimes people just play the victim in all of this and you're the problem, like I'm the issue or something as to why SALIVA is continuing to go on. And it's, like, I'm just doing what I've been doing the last 13 years, which is keeping the train on the track. I felt like we did a lot of really cool things last year. We played a bunch of DWP [Danny Wimmer Presents] shows and a bunch of really cool festivals… That was fun. And we had a really successful tour with DROWNING POOL. And it felt like the right thing to do was to just keep going forward, keep moving into the direction that we feel is positive and keeps things on track. It's no disrespect to the old stuff and the old band — I never would take any credit away from any of those guys — but I think brands, fans, especially, sometimes they forget it is a business, and businesses do still go on after members leave. It's always touchy. You're never gonna please everybody. You're always gonna have people who just hate it regardless, but you can't please everybody. And I've always lived by that from day one. Like when I came in the band, it was, like, 'Well, what are you gonna say to people that don't like it?' People are gonna like it or they're not gonna like it. You can't please everyone."

Swinny was the last remaining original member of SALIVA, which he formed in Memphis in 1996 with Josey Scott, Chris Dabaldo, Dave Novotny and Paul Crosby.

On March 22, 2023, SALIVA shared a statement on Facebook in which the band said that Swinny had been found that morning "in medical distress." Paramedics were called and the musician was transported to hospital "where he was diagnosed with a Spontaneous Hemorrhage in his brain."

SALIVA's current lineup consists of Amaru and bassist Brad Stewart alongside Sammi Jo Bishop (drums),Sebastian LaBar (guitar) and Josh Kulack (guitar).

SALIVA launched its career in 2001 with the release of "Every Six Seconds", a double-platinum selling album with hits that include "Click Click Boom" and "Your Disease".

The band has toured the U.S. with SEVENDUST, AEROSMITH and KISS.

SALIVA reunited with Josey for a one-off appearance at the 2022 edition of the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last five releases: "In It To Win It" (2013),"Rise Up" (2014),"Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016),"10 Lives" (2018) and "Revelation" (2023).

SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, "Your Disease".

In May 2021, SALIVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, "Every Six Seconds", with a special project called "Every Twenty Years", an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru.

On November 1, SALIVA released a new single, "Time Bomb", featuring a guest appearance by post-grunge vocalist Peyton Parrish.

Future SALIVA releases will be available via Judge & Jury Records, a powerhouse record label and production company founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SEETHER, SKILLET, OF MICE & MEN) and Neil Sanderson of THREE DAYS GRACE.

Photo credit: Gabriel Goulding

Melodic hard rockers, The Big Deal, are pleased to share their new single and accompanying video, “Survivor”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Stream/download the single here, and watch a music video below.





Guitarist Srdjan Brankovic expresses his enthusiasm for the release: “Together with Frontiers Records, we are very much looking forward to presenting to you our new single, the song 'Survivor'. We are very happy that during the process we collaborated with Anders Wikström (Treat), who composed the song and wrote the lyrics!”







The Big Deal first came together in 2020 when guitarist, composer, and producer Srdjan and vocalist and keyboardist Nevena, who is an academic pianist and singer, started working on some demo songs and covers with the drummer Marko Milojevic. At the end of the year, they thought it would be interesting to include Ana's vocals in addition to Nevena's.


After Alessandro Del Vecchio heard the demo recordings, the band signed a contract with Frontiers Records, after connecting them with Srdjan. That's when the real life of the band under the name The Big Deal begins.


Alessandro became the band's bass player until 2023, when he left due to personal commitments. In joint plans with Frontiers Records, an album was recorded during 2021, which was released in May 2022, named First Bite.


The album attracted a lot of attention and got a lot of great reactions, especially the songs “Sensational” and “Never Say Never”, which was named the most viewed video of 2022 on the Frontiers YouTube channel. The album even reached the ninth place of the best-selling metal albums on the British "Amazon" list, in the first weeks after its release.


Immediately after the release of the album, the band became active in concerts and received offers to perform at many great festivals, among which performances on “The KissKruise” sea to

Crypta, the Brazilian death metal powerhouse, delivered a thunderous performance on the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2024 on August 10. Known for their ferocity and crushing sound, the band emerged as one of the festival’s standout acts. Led by the formidable bassist-vocalist Fernanda Lira and the relentless drummer Luana Dametto, Crypta has been rising rapidly in the metal scene since their formation in 2019.


Their music blends brutal death metal with old-school thrash, earning a loyal global following. At Bloodstock, they unleashed a crushing setlist featuring tracks from their debut album Echoes Of The Soul, alongside newer releases. A standout moment came with their performance of "Stronghold", a track embodying their intense and aggressive style. The crowd was captivated as Crypta delivered a flawless, high-energy show, further solidifying their status as a rising force in extreme metal.


This performance of "Stronghold" is a must-watch, showcasing Crypta's unmatched stage presence and technical precision. Their appearance at Bloodstock 2024 marks another key moment in their global metal domination.







Another sta

Associated Press is reporting that Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic Thriller album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.


Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. Jones was to have received an honorary Academy Award later this month.


“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”




Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection to him.


Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for “Roots” and “In The Heat Of The Night,” organized President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of “We Are the World,” the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.


Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.”


In a career which began when records were still played on platters turning at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Jackson: Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For Thriller, some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the tit

KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque and bassist Pontus Egberg spoke to Jimmy Kay of The Metal Voice about the two new songs — "Spider Lilly" and "Electro Therapy" — the band is performing on its current North American headlining tour. The "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" trek, which launched on October 15 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, will run through December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Support is coming from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Additional backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set are provided by the special guest Myrkur.

Regarding "Spider Lilly", Andy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That idea came up from King [Diamond, KING DIAMOND singer and namesake]. I don't know exactly when, but he's been working on it quite a while. And I think the lyrics for it got done just like a few days before the tour started, actually. And he sent me the basics of the song just a few days, like a week prior to the tour start, I believe. So we had to learn it real fast, record it, because we knew that we were gonna shoot it on video, too. So that's the newest song we have right now that we actually play live. And 'Spider Lilly' is a mean girl. She can also be good. We'll see. It's gonna change a little bit, I believe. It's a character, part of the story that King is working on right now."

Asked if King had been sitting on the "Spider Lilly" musical idea for quite a while, Andy said: "No. I don't really think so. I mean, he had some ideas, but how much she had and how long, I don't really know. I just know that we realized the ideas very shortly before we actually started the tour."

Pontus chimed in: "Like Andy said, we only heard the rough demo of this song a week before we headed over to the States and quickly had to learn it and record it too. And now I think it's been mixed."

Andy added: "It's gonna be released as a video single and a single. I don't know when exactly. But we have other songs in the loop too. King has a lot of ideas and I have a lot of songs that's kind of in the demo stage done or finished."

Asked if the new KING DIAMOND album is already completed, Andy said: "No, it's not. We're still working on it. And as soon as we get back from tour, we're gonna have a little Christmas break and then we're gonna pick it up again. So the plan is to have everything done this spring, and it will be released shortly after the European summer festival tour and all that. That's the plan we have."

On the topic of the inception of "Electro Therapy", La Rocque said: "It's been around for — let's see here — a couple of years, actually. I think I wrote it, I think I wrote the start riffs on the tour back in '19, even. And there's been some changes to it back and forth, especially on the verse, trying to find the right key for King to sing on and all that stuff. And I think what we have now is probably the final version, and it's gonna end up on the album too. King is still working on some fine-tuning on the lyrics; you will hear that tonight."

KING DIAMOND 2024 touring lineup:

Andy La Rocque - guitar
Mike Wead - guitar
Pontus Egberg - bass
Matt Thompson - drums
Myrkur - additional backing vocals, keyboards

Titled "The Institute", KING DIAMOND's first studio LP in 18 years is tentatively due in 2025 via Metal Blade. It will be made available as a two-LP horror concept story, with the second part arriving at a later date.

In October 2023, KING DIAMOND released a music video for the 2019 single "Masquerade Of Madness". The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of MyGoodEye Visuals.

At the time of the video's release, King commented: "'Masquerade Of Madness' was released digitally in 2019 before our North American tour. During rehearsals, we took one full day to film 'Masquerade Of Madness' with David Brodsky and Allison Woest. We spent all day and all night recording while performing the song with our full tour stage show choreography. After the tour, Covid happened.

"The video was all but forgotten as the world came to a standstill — we never saw a single frame from all the footage. Years later, as things began to pick up and writing began for both new MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND records, we wondered, what happened to that video from four years ago? So we decided to check in with David Brodsky and a couple of weeks later, we had the first cut of the video.

"I was speechless! I had nothing to criticize and after just a few notes from Andy La Rocque, the video for 'Masquerade Of Madness' was finished! There's so much mood and black and white is used in a perfect way with Jodi's performances. The visuals fit the music flawlessly and this is now among my favorite KING DIAMOND videos along with 'Sleepless Nights' and 'Welcome Home' — and not to forget of course, our double live DVD."

A month after KING DIAMOND released "Masquerade Of Madness" in November 2019, La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."

At the 2022 Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom, King spoke to Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne about his plans for "The Institute". "Something with KING DIAMOND, we have a very special thing [planned] for that album," King said. "It's gonna be a two-album story. But KING DIAMOND, we are building something that you will never have seen on a stage before — not that way. And with the light guy, he's never done it that way either. … It's very different, very sick. You will not have seen musicians standing on stage in that type of light. It's gonna be very dark. They have to learn to play in dark areas. It's crazy. I know that our light guy, he can't wait for us to do it. I showed him some pictures that have the kind of feelings I want, the kind of backdrops I want, stuff like that. … This is gonna blow people's minds when they see it, I am a hundred percent sure."

La Rocque, whose real name is Anders Allhage, discussed his vision for the new KING DIAMOND album with The Metal Voice, saying that it will be filled with great "melodies, of course. Super important. Without melodies, there is no music," he explained. "I'm also envisioning a more organic sound of the album. If you look back to the older albums, when Mikkey [Dee] played [drums for the band], for example, it's, like, a little bit up and down in tempo, and that makes it dynamic and also organic. So that's one thing that I would like to hear on the next album, for sure. But building up a dynamic, kind of organic feel, the drummer is a really important thing here, of course. And I know that Matt Thompson [current KING DIAMOND drummer] is the right guy to do this, for sure."

In March 2019, King told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show that the next album from his namesake band will be "absolutely gruesome" with a story set in a 1920s mental institution. "I chose that because I think it's a very creepy scenario," he explained. "And some of the things that go on that we're gonna show onstage is also things that certainly was going on back then, when medicine was beginning to take a beneficial turn in history and actually being able to help human beings live longer. But there was some experimentation going on, too, that was absolutely gruesome. Some of that is involved in the story, but it's something totally different. Once you get to the second part of the story, you will begin to suddenly understand that, 'What the hell is going on here? What is this really about?' 'Cause there's a whole different story that will not come to you till second part. But in the first part, you're gonna get to know a lot people at a certain place… Some of it takes place here, this world, and some of it takes place in a parallel world. And there's a correlation between what happened to me and what happens to some people in this place and where they suddenly appear. And you will find out why they are there, how they appear there and the places down the road. I won't say too much right now, but it's gonna be very creepy."

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captures 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances feature KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.

Photo courtesy of Palmer Turner Overdrive for Metal Blade Records

In a recent interview with Clint Switzer of On The Road To Rock, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the status of his ELEGANT WEAPONS project, also featuring singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG),including a possible second album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Ronnie's fantastic. Again, he's one of those guys, he's not only a singer, he's a frontman. He fronts the band. There's a lot of people I know, they've got great voices, but it takes a frontman or frontwoman, front person to do that job. So Ronnie's definitely got that.

"We did some dates last year in Europe, which was fantastic," he continued. "We did some dates with PANTERA, which was nuts. You can imagine opening up for them. We've got a second record which is halfway done — bass, guitars and drums are done. When we get some downtime from the PRIEST tour, we're gonna get Ronnie in and see if we can put him down on the songs. And then, really, it's waiting for the PRIEST cycle to finish up, really, wherever this tour takes us. When that winds down and we find a window of opportunity to release the second record, we will.

"That's what it was about, really," Faulkner added. "It wasn't about the one record recorded during COVID; it was about a band that goes on. We've all got our different things, obviously — PRIEST, ACCEPT, Ronnie's got his stuff — but we wanted it to be a proper band with multiple records doing live dates, which we've done. But it's just, obviously, when PRIEST are out, ACCEPT are out, URIAH HEEP are out at the moment as well, when we find a window in between for that, then we'll look at releasing the second record. So, that's an exciting thing to think about, too."

Last year, Richie told Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global that he plans on focusing on ELEGANT WEAPONS full-time once PRIEST has officially called it a day.

"PRIEST music is gonna be around a lot longer than we are," he said. "It's legendary music. They're genre-defining musicians and it's a genre-defining band. It will be around for a long time. But none of us gets out of this alive. That's just the reality of it. So if one day that call comes in and that's the last tour or the last album, whatever it is… I mean, I joined the band on what was the farewell tour. Luckily it wasn't, and we're still here 12 years later. [It's] fantastic. But at the time, I think I would have been silly not to consider what I was gonna do after the band, because of the circumstances of the tour. It was a farewell tour — it was [supposed to be] the last tour — so what am I gonna do after? So it's always been in the back of my mind. And this is a band that seems natural to me to continue with if that call ever came in."

ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances in June 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and on June 18 at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released in May 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, played additional shows in Erope through July 2023. The trek included additional performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining shows.

Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick has defended KISS against claims that the band was using pre-recorded tracks during its farewell tour.

Ever since KISS's "End Of The Road" trek launched in early 2019, there had been persistent online chatter about frontman Paul Stanley allegedly singing to a backing tape. The speculation stemmed from the fact that Stanley had been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years.

Kulick, who joined KISS in 1984, and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour, weighed in on the rumors of playback tracks being using at KISS concerts while responding to a question from the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel at this weekend's Spooky Empire convention in Orlando, Florida. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I didn't study all the — I know there were people doing video proof and the whole thing, and I know that there's plenty of video out there that shows what was happening with backing tracks. I know at one point [KISS's longtime manager] Doc McGee finally let it out that that's what that was happening. And I always felt like, quite honestly, KISS is much more than just that, and they wanted to do this show and they were going to try to do it any way they did. And it's not fair for me to judge on it. All I know is they made a lot of people happy. I do prefer when people — like I know Jon Bon Jovi doesn't wanna perform if he can't sing. But I can't fault Paul for going out there and putting on a hell of a show, even if it was with some of these — the help, shall we say, okay? So, it was a weird thing."

He continued: "I always feel bad for the singers that were known for these high-register things to carry on. But I know that this podcast has had a lot of fun with it… But no matter how anyone wants to look at it, Paul Stanley's an icon and he's always gonna be loved by everybody. And I'm just grateful that they did finally wrap up, and 'Kisstory' is now 50 years, and that's done."

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

In March 2023, McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

Fan-filmed video of LINKIN PARK's November 3 concert at La Défense Arena in Paris, France can be seen below.

The setlist for the show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Somewhere I Belong
02. Crawling
03. Points Of Authority
04. Lying From You
05. New Divide
06. The Emptiness Machine
07. The Catalyst
08. Burn It Down
09. Waiting For The End
10. Castle Of Glass
11. Joe Hahn Solo
12. When They Come For Me / Remember The Name
13. Over Each Other (live debut; with Emily Armstrong on guitar)
14. Lost In The Echo
15. Given Up
16. One Step Closer
17. Lost
18. Breaking The Habit
19. What I've Done
20. Leave Out All The Rest
21. My December
22. Friendly Fire
23. Numb
24. In The End
25. Faint

Encore:

26. Papercut
27. Heavy Is The Crown
28. Bleed It Out

As previously reported, LINKIN PARK played its single "Heavy Is The Crown" on Saturday, November 2 at the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship opening ceremony at the O2 Arena in London.

"Heavy Is the Crown" is the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship Anthem, marking the band's first collaboration with Riot Games.

Since its September 24 release, "Heavy Is The Crown" has become the most-streamed Worlds anthem, with over 270 million audio streams and 57 million views on YouTube.

"Heavy Is The Crown" will appear on LINKIN PARK's upcoming album, "From Zero", due on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.

"From Zero" features LINKIN PARK's new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band's new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder is filling in for Delson at all LINKIN PARK concerts for the foreseeable future.

In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK's comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon — who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.

"Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band," Shinoda said. "And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The 'Hybrid Theory' re-release [in 2020] and 'Papercuts' release [this past April], he didn't show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best."

According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn "quietly began meeting up again in recent years" and "rather than 'trying to restart the band,'" they worked with numerous musicians and "found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain."

Regarding the band's new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: "Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead."

THE DOORS drummer John Densmore has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump for president.

On Saturday (November 2),John shared a message on Instagram in which he wrote: "Dear Fans, in the past, when I posted something political, most of you knew THE DOORS were a rather 'liberal' thinking group. A few of you said, 'John, just shut up and drum.' Next Tuesday is so important for the future of OUR country, I feel the need to speak out. I guess I'm mostly speaking to those who think I should 'shut up.'

"Last night Trump said that Republican Liz Cheney should be put before a firing squad for not supporting him. If he wins, it looks like yours truly will be 'taken out' as well. On the other hand, Kamala Harris has implied that she will put a Republican in her cabinet. That is America — inclusive.

"I urge you to consider voting for the continuation of the America Dream — the dream of many different folks living together & working out their differences peacefully.

"Sincerely, John Densmore".

This past September, Densmore was among the musicians who performed at the "Musicians For Kamala" national livestream musical event produced by top music and entertainment industry professionals in partnership with the Harris-Walz campaign and the Harris Victory Fund.

The 79-year-old musician was far more than merely the rhythmic engine of THE DOORS. Strongly influenced by jazz skinsmen like Elvin Jones and the supple grooves of the Brazilian wave, he brought a highly evolved sense of dynamics, structure and musicality to his beats.

In the mid-1960s he joined guitarist Robby Krieger in a band called PSYCHEDELIC RANGERS, shortly thereafter joining forces with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, and an explosive chapter in the development of rock and roll began.

Following his time in THE DOORS, Densmore explored reggae and jazz in subsequent projects, became active in L.A.'s adventurous theater community, and wrote articles and books, including his autobiography "Riders On The Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison And The Doors", a New York Times bestseller. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, London Guardian, The Nation and many nationally syndicated newspapers. In his most recent book, "The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes On Trial", Densmore wrote about his lawsuit against former doors bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger.

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footage of his concert at Théâtre des Ambassadeurs in Paris on November 2, 1971 as part of the “Love It To Death” tour. Alice was interviewed for French TV about his musical inspiration and the sources of his image. Watch below:





Alice Cooper's Too Close For Comfort Tour continues with new 2025 tour dates taking

Los Angeles alt metal/rock act Worldwide Panic has premiered their new music video for “Break Me Down” exclusively through BraveWords! The video was directed by Andre Brown and filmed at Monarch Studios in Los Angeles.


Lane Steele of Worldwide Panic says, "The song - like almost all of our songs - has a rich backstory. We were looking for producers to hire to work on this record we just now finished. We met with a famous producer at a multi-million dollar studio. We were told that our material wasn't good and ‘Where’s the hook’ when it’s staring you in the face the whole time. We left and simply said to each other in the band at the time ‘Why should we work with someone who wants to break us down, just to build us up again?’ And then the song was written within the next 48 hours. We recorded the song with a legend, Bob Marlette. He and his family poured their hearts and souls into this track. It helped make Worldwide Panic sound bigger then I could even imagine. The experience was great and I am super proud of this track."







Worldwide Panic was formed in 2016 with the aim of writing heavy music with catchy hooks and personal, meaningful lyrics. Giving a relatable take on everyday life, the songwriting approach focuses on a mix of clean and aggressive vocals and a guitar-driven sound.   


With influences that range from Rammstein, Pantera, and Slayer to Strapping Young Lad and KISS, the band put out an eponymous LP, Worldwide Panic in early 2023. The LP was mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, Demon Hunter, Rob Zombie). The release made inroads at Active Rock Radio, charting with the singles "I Tried" (#23 on the Billboard Rock Indicator, #16 on the SMR Chart) and “Falling Apart” (#20 on Billboard Rock Indicator and # 6 on the SMR chart). 

Former Delain vocalist Charlotte Wessels has shared a new video along with the following message:


"This video was shot in December 2023 during the drum recordings for The Obsession. It was recorded in two takes - once for filming the band and once for filming Charlotte - the audio is from those takes respectively. You don't get much closer to being a fly on the wall of the recordings than this! Claire (Blond & Blauw Films) was there to film us.


This video, as well as the recordings for The Obsession, wouldn't have been possible without the support of my patrons. That's why they get an extra shoutout in this video!"







After chart-breaking success and ruling stages worldwide with Delain, Wessels takes her solo career to the next level with her first traditional full-length, full-band solo album. Having already gained a devoted following with her previous solo offerings, The Obsession is sure to impress fans and critics alike. The multifaceted record marks an exciting and touching listening experience and, together with its honest storytelling, it acts as Wessels’ most mature solo offering so far.


While still writing and producing the songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing their first incarnations with her patrons, Charlotte Wessels now takes the songs from her new album, The Obsession, to the next level with a band of her fellow ex-Delain cohorts Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums) as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/hammond), contributing to the new heavier sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Pain of Salvation), cello by Elianne Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and was mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).             


Charlotte Wessels about the new album: "On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story – through its unintended theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them – and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the song's true forms with everyone involved in the making of this record. That’s why I chose The Obsession as a title. It refers to my personal challenges with OCD that inspired many of the songs - but I’ve also started referring to the band as The Obsession - because there were moments in the studio with them that truly reminded me of why I'm obsessed with making music in the first place."


Themes of fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on the album, presenting dark and heavy on songs like “The Exorcism”, “The Crying Room” and “Ode To The West Wind” (feat. Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject – like “Dopamine” (feat. Simone Simons of Epica) which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or “Praise” – which sings the gospel of needing external validation in order to feel anything. The reimagining of fan-favorite “Soft Revolution” won’t leave a dry eye in the room, while “Soulstice” and “Serpentine” present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to cast out a little of the fear it deals with.    


Charlotte Wessels about the guests: “I’m extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the line-up of this album. They are creative powerhouses that I have so much love and respect for. Whenever we get to work together is an absolute treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances.”








The Obsession is available in the following formats:


- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Splatter + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched – ltd. to 200 copies worldwide *Napalm Records Mailorder Only*
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Recycled Black + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Inkspot + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched *Patreon Exclusive*
- Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle
- Digisleeve
- Digital Album


Order here.





The Obsession tracklisting:


"Chasing Sunsets"
"Dopamine"
"The Exorcism"
"Soulstice"
"The Crying Room"
"Ode To The West Wind"
"Serpentine"
"Praise"
"All You Are"
"Vigor And Valor"
"Breathe"
"Soft Revolution (2024)"


“The Crying Room” video:

British melodic rock band Nitrate have unveiled their new single and accompanying lyric video “Tough Guys Don’t Cry” and announced the release of the deluxe edition of their latest album, Feel The Heat, available digitally on December 20 via Frontiers Music Srl.


Preorder here.







Vocalist Alexander Strandell comments on the release, by saying: “It feels great to give the fans something more from this amazing album. It’s an honour to be involved with the Nitrate guys.”


Nitrate’s fourth studio album, Feel The Heat, was released on October 13, 2023. Produced and mixed by Martin Bros Productions (Vega), it features a duet and backing vocals by female rock artist Issa, backing vocals by rock legend Paul Laine (Danger Danger/The Defiants), along with a song co/written by legendary song writer Bob Mitchell (co-writer of the Billboard #1 song Cheap Trick’s “The Flame”).


There are also backing vocals by Leon Robert Winteringham (LRW Project), Alan Clark (Change of Heart), and a couple of co-writes by Rob Wylde (Midnite City/Tigertailz). With Richard Jacques and Alex Cooper (Devilfire, Corvus) coming on board, Nitrate delivered a record full of anthemic hook filled tracks and a more intense AOR style.


Formed in 2015 in Nottingham, England by bass player Nick Hogg, Nitrate is a Melodic/AOR rock band heavily inspired by the late ‘80s rock scene. Influenced by the likes of Def Leppard, Europe, Journey, and Bon Jovi, they have previously released three critically acclaimed albums: Real World in 2018, Open Wide in 2019, and Renegade, in 2021.


For “Real World” in 2018, Nick brought in Rob Wylde (Tigertailz, Midnite City) to get the project started and help with the song writing/recording process; Joss Mennen (Zinatra, Mennen) on vocals gave an authentic 80’s sound, Pete Newdeck (Eden’s Curse, Vega, Grim Reaper) mixed the album and played drums with the whole thing being mastered by Harry Hess of Harem Scarem fame. 


The second album, Open Wide, in 2019, saw a couple of changes in personnel including a new singer in Philip Lindstrand (Find Me, East Temple Avenue), and Marcus Thurston (Vega) on guitars alongside Nick and Rob with Pete and Harry Hess again Mastering. The names may have changed but the same concept of classic melodic rock still applied with the album getting rave reviews and featuring on several “Best of the Year” accolades.


This was again the case for the third album which featured a more AOR style, with more changes in personnel. The new line-up for Renegade was Nick Hogg on bass, Alexander Strandell on vocals, Tom Martin on rhythm guitars, James Martin on keyboards, Dario Nikzad on lead guitar, Mikey Wilson on drums plus Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge of Forever, Revolution Saints, Giant) on backing vocals and mastering. The album sold

Fellowship has released "Victim", second single taken from the new album The Skies Above Eternity to be released on November 22 by Scarlet Records.


"Victim" is the Fellowship’s darkest song to date and centered on just how heavy the burdens we carry around with us can feel, and how addictive our vices can be when life gets hard. Isolated, lonely verses lead to a tour-de-force chorus that unleashes a pent up anger and, over the course of the song, morphs it into something positive. "Victim" is not just about feeling like the world is out to get you, it’s about overcoming that feeling and fighting back against your inner demons with everything you’ve got.


Fellowship was the absolute power metal revelation of 2022 with their magnificent debut album The Saberlight Chronicles; after successfully bringing their positive vibes live in Europe and Japan, and hitting the American stage for the first time as headliners of the Mad With Power Fest on August 2, the English band is now ready to take things to the next level with their sophomore record.




Once again recorded by Richard Campbell at Orpheus Studio, mixed and mastered by Alexander Backlund and Ricardo Borges at Fascination Street Studios, and graced by a stunning artwork courtesy of the Hungarian maestro Peter Sallai, The Skies Above Eternity is a journey into a new side of the Fellowship sound.


Darker, and more dynamic, but still retaining that classic Fellowship sense of joy, this album tells a new story that delves into a deeper sense of melancholy with themes of helplessness and resistance, asks us to find joy in the darkest of places through its uplifting, powerful choruses, and reminds us that with each new day comes new hope – because sometimes all it takes to find it is looking up at the skies above you.


Drawing additional influence from Japanese power metal and delivering non-stop bangers from start to finish, this might just be the work that catapults Fellowship all the way up to the stars.


The Skies Above Eternity will be released in the following formats:
- digipack CD
- vinyl LP: 350 marbled silver (retail exclusive), 150 marbled purple (mailorder exclusive)
- digital


Artwork by Peter Sallai:





Tracklisting:


“Hold Up Your Hearts (Again)”
“Victim”
“The Bitter Winds”
“Dawnbreaker”
“Eternity”
“King Of Nothing”
“World End Slowly”
“A New Hope”
“Memories On The Wind”


"Victim":

Luminare Christmas!, the acclaimed holiday music sensation known for their innovative take on Christmas classics, shares the new single, "Like A Child," from their forthcoming debut album Mistletoe Madness, out on November 22 via Frontiers Music Srl.


Get ready for an unforgettable holiday experience, led by former Mannheim Steamroller keyboardist and longtime musical director for Dennis DeYoung of Styx. Luminare Christmas! brings a fusion of reimagined holiday classics, high energy symphonic rock and cinematic magic.


Preorder Mistletoe Madness here.




Their sound can be described as a blend of Mannheim Steamroller’s holiday classic vibes, the high-energy rock of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the cinematic atmosphere of Hans Zimmer. The result is a musical fusion that’s sure to leave you breathless and wanting more.


With a phenomenal lighting show and a heartwarming story woven throughout the performance, Luminare Christmas! creates a magical atmosphere that’s perfect for all ages. You’ll feel the holiday spirit and be swept away by the passionate and sonically lush vocal and instrumental musical performances. 


Unleash your festive side and experience the exhilarating energy of a high-octane holiday rock concert with Luminare Christmas!, the ultimate celebration!





Tracklisting:


“The Light That Shines”
“Mistletoe Madness”
“Oh Holy Knight”
“Carol Of The Bells”
“Toy Soldiers”
“Like A Child”
“A Ray Of Hope”
“Winter”
“His Majesty”
“You Look Like Christmas”


"Like A Child":





"Carol Of The Bells":

Just in time for Devil's Night! and your Halloween scares! Canada's newest black / death metal demons GraveMass (ft. members from Zimmers Hole, West of Hell, The Golers, Punch Drunk, 3 Inches of Blood, Revocation) are unleashing their next single and music video "Spitting Hell", which will be featured on their forthcoming debut album in 2025.


The full-length, written by Mayan Hate and with lyrics by Lorde Heathen, promises to be a masterclass in extreme death metal, capturing the true spirit of Canadian black metal.


GraveMass embodies the essence of sonic brutality with their sinister riffs, bone-crushing rhythms, and unholy vocals. Drawing inspiration from legends like Slayer, Venom, Morbid Angel, Watain, and Napalm Death, the band’s music is a relentless onslaught of evil, guaranteed to leave a lasting impact on any listener. The members of GraveMass, with decades of experience between them, have united to create a sound that is both devastating and true to the roots of black metal.







The band’s debut music video “Slave To Pain” offers fans a glimpse into the raw power and intensity that defines GraveMass. The track, steeped in the tradition of early black metal and tape trading, addresses the harsh realities faced by foll