Sammy Hagar joined MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil's solo band on stage at a private event this past Thursday (August 5) in Austin, Texas to perform a cover version of the LED ZEPPELIN classic "Rock And Roll". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Thursday night's show came more than two months after Neil struggled to complete his solo concert at the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival in Boone. Based on fan-filmed video footage of the gig posted on YouTube, the 60-year-old rocker, who hadn't performed in more than a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began losing his voice several songs into his set, which consisted exclusively of CRÜE classics and cover songs previously recorded by the band.

14 songs into the performance, Vince attempted to sing CRÜE's smash hit "Girls, Girls, Girls" but gave up mid-song, explaining to the crowd: "Hey, guys… I'm sorry, you guys. It's been a long time playin'. My fuckin' voice is gone… Eh… We love you, and we'll hopefully see you next time, man. Take care."

After Neil walked off the stage, his backing band — which still consists of bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Jeff "Blando" Bland from SLAUGHTER, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney — continued to play the song, singing along to what appeared to be pre-recorded backing vocals.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

DEF LEPPARD has announced a worldwide broadcast premiere event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band's "High 'N' Dry" album.

Watch singer Joe Elliott, drummer Rick Allen and bassist Rick Savage reveal behind-the-scenes stories from their legendary 1981 release, while guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell discuss the album's impact on their own musical trajectory and the world of rock and roll.

Complete with "High 'N' Dry" influences from fellow colleagues with answers to fan questions sourced directly from the Def Leppard Vault and DEF LEPPARD socials, this hour-plus filmed event premieres only inside the Def Leppard Vault.

Have a question about "High 'N' Dry"? Send your questions (written or as a video) to [email protected] for a chance to contribute to this incredible broadcast.

Broadcast date: Saturday, August 28, 2021

Broadcast time: 9 p.m. BST / 4 p.m. EDT / 1 p.m. PDT

Admission grants entry to the livestreamed event, a 24-hour replay pass, and access to exclusive merch bundles.

Digital event tickets and limited-edition event bundles are on sale now. Get your tickets here.

Note: There is no guarantee that fan questions and/or videos submitted for this event will be featured in the event broadcast.

"High 'N' Dry" charted at No. 38 on The Billboard 200 and No. 26 on the U.K. albums chart. Following the success of "Pyromania", the LP re-entered the Billboard chart and reached No. 72 in 1983.

"High 'N' Dry" was reissued on May 31, 1984 with two bonus tracks: "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" (Remix), and "Me & My Wine" (Remix). Videos for both were made, featuring guitarist Phil Collen (who was not in the band at the time of the album's recording). Both bonus tracks were omitted from the mid-1990s re-releases of the album.

Elliott talked about how DEF LEPPARD's approach to making "Pyromania" was different from the way "High 'N' Dry" was recorded. He said: "When we worked with [producer] Mutt [Lange] on 'High 'N' Dry', it was done in three months, and we did it as quickly as we could. He also insisted that we do it his way. When we did 'Pyromania', we came to the conclusion we could make another 'High 'N' Dry', or we could utilize the new technologies that had come available. He was really excited about that. He told us we could try to make an album no one else had ever made, which appealed to us. We were always turned on by QUEEN, for example, who took their arrangements to the extreme."




SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE RUN ?Tickets for our High ‘n’ Dry 40th Anniversary Retrospective on 28 August are NOW available on LeppardVault.com ?

https://www.leppardvault.com/collections/livestream-event

Grab your tickets now and leave your questions in the comments for a chance to contribute to this incredible broadcast ?

Posted by Def Leppard on Friday, August 6, 2021

Earlier today (August 6), three-fourths of the "Burn My Eyes" lineup of MACHINE HEAD — guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn, drummer Chris Kontos and guitarist Logan Mader — teamed up with the band's current bassist Jared MacEachern to play the classic album in its entirety in celebration of its 27th anniversary. The event, which was held in the band's San Francisco Bay Area rehearsal facility, was streamed live for fans around the world and is now available for viewing below.

As well as all the classic tracks featured on the album, the boys run through some deep cuts and covers that haven't been performed live by this line up in over quarter of a century. They bust out "Frontlines" and "My Misery", both of which were written on the "Burn My Eyes" touring cycle, and period-correct covers of POISON IDEA's "Alan's On Fire" and CRO-MAGS' "Hard Times".

Featured songs:

0:00:00 Welcome and Beers Up!

0:04:22 Davidian

0:10:15 Old

0:15:22 Alan's On Fire (POISON IDEA cover)

0:22:09 A Thousand Lies

0:30:55 None But My Own

0:38:20 Rage To Overcome (w/"Wrong" Sawyer intro)

0:44:16 My Misery

0:54:39 Death Church

1:00:57 The Frontlines

1:11:17 A Nation On Fire

1:17:53 Blood For Blood

1:26:55 Hard Times (CRO-MAGS cover)

1:29:42 I'm Your God Now

1:36:19 Thunderkiss '65 (WHITE ZOMBIE cover)

1:38:37 A Lesson In Violence (EXODUS cover)

1:41:24 Creeping Death (METALLICA cover)

1:45:10 "Burn My Eyes" Certified Gold in the UK! Gold disc presentation

1:49:16 Fuck It All

Released worldwide on August 9, 1994, "Burn My Eyes" was and still is considered to be one of the most important albums of its genre, garnering the band an unprecedented level of recognition and spawning a myriad of imitators — all from just MACHINE HEAD's first record.

In 2019, Flynn, Kontos and Mader reunited — along with MacEachern — to celebrate the LP's 25th anniversary on tours in Europe and the U.S.

Asked by Metal Hammer if it bothers him that some fans still regard "Burn My Eyes" as MACHINE HEAD's best album, Flynn said: "No. The clincher for me, and this rarely happens, is when someone says, 'You should write 'Burn My Eyes' again,' but it'd be so phony! I'm not 24, fuckin' running around on the streets. It was real and that's why it came out the way it did. If I tried to do it now, it wouldn't be real. Those times made me who I am and affected me forever and I'm fearless because of them, but I'd like to think that I've aged gracefully and I hope to continue to do that. How dumb would it be for some [50]-something dude to be acting like some teenage gangster? It'd be ridiculous."

Kontos left MACHINE HEAD before the release of the band's second album, 1997's "The More Things Change", and was replaced by Dave McClain.

McClain and guitarist Phil Demmel exited MACHINE HEAD in the fall of 2018.

Adam Duce, who played bass on "Burn My Eyes", was fired from MACHINE HEAD in February 2013. He was replaced four months later by MacEachern. Adam later sued MACHINE HEAD, claiming that the other bandmembers "simply kicked him out of the band and presumed he would forget about over two decades of hard work, dedication, and effort" he put into the group. Duce also said his likeness was used on the band's web site and in promotions without his authorization. The lawsuit was settled out of court in July 2014.

SKID ROW celebrated the 30th anniversary of its classic second album, "Slave To The Grind", by performing it in its entirety last night (Thursday, August 5; postponed from July 11) at The Amphitheater at Rolling Hills Casino And Resort in Corning, California. Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

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

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

As previously reported, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach will also celebrate the "Slave To The Grind" anniversary on a U.S. tour this fall. He will perform the LP in its entirety at all shows on the trek, which will kick off in October.

Bach previously performed "Slave To The Grind" in its entirety in October 2019 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Earlier that fall, he completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's self-titled debut album.

In June 2019, Bach issued an "open invitation" to the other members of SKID ROW's classic lineup to "get onstage and jam" during the vocalist's last tour. A few days later, during an interview with Finland's Kaaos TV, guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo confirmed that he would not accept Bach's latest overture. "I'm working with my band," he said. "This is SKID ROW, and this is what I do."

Drummer Rob Affuso — who left SKID ROW in 1998 and claims to be "the only former member that keeps in contact with all former SKID ROW bandmates and is still good friends with them all" — subsequently joined Bach in September 2019 at Sony Hall in New York City to play the band's classic song "Makin' A Mess".

Asked by Rolling Stone if he thinks his former bandmates are offended that he put his invitation out there publicly, Bach said: "No. I think it's an ego thing. They don't like when I get attention, and they don't get attention. It's always been like that. I can already see them getting mad, because I'm selling out shows, and they're not part of the show, and blah, blah, blah."

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

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

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

In February 2019, Sabo told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that SKID ROW came "pretty close" to reuniting with Bach after Harnell's exit from the band. But then he clarified: "I said 'pretty close,' and that's actually not true. Because we didn't get beyond text messaging each other, to be quite honest. The same old stuff just seemed to exist where there was this confrontational sort of demeanor going back and forth between myself and Sebastian.

"I'm so proud of what we were able to create throughout the entire history of this band, and that will never change," he continued. "But some things just don't work anymore and people go their separate ways and you can't get that back together. And I'm fine with that.

"I play music to be happy," Sabo added. "I don't play music for a paycheck. It's great to get paid to do what you love. But I've never done it for the money. It's always been about my love of music, and that's what it still is. At my old crusty age, it's still because I love the guitar and I love creating. And I love the response. I love being able to connect in some way with an audience. That's why I started playing music — because I didn't know how to communicate, so it came out through music, through songs.

"Playing with [ZP] in the band has brought a real joyousness back to our lives. You can see it — it's not faked or phony. You can see it when we play. And that's what I live for — I live for those moments of just absolute joy.

"A reunion [with Sebastian] would have been great for a lot of other people who have wanted to see that happen," Snake said. "But for us, it would not have been pleasurable, to be quite honest."

Former SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo has confirmed that he is focusing on his solo projects following his departure from the band.

Although Rizzo's exit from SOULFLY was never officially announced, it was revealed yesterday (Thursday, August 5) that FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares will play guitar for SOULFLY on the Max Cavalera-fronted band's upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off on August 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Rizzo addressed his absence from the SOULFLY trek while chatting with fans on Facebook Live yesterday morning. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm just going full forward with my solo project. It's just better for me. It's more of a healthier environment for me and my family. And being home more, and do my solo project, which I'm super stoked about. I've also got [my new band] HAIL THE HORNS. We're releasing the video that we did for a KISS cover today. I've got REVENGE BEAST. I've got ACOUSTIC VENDETTA. Things are good. And I'm doing a lot of good shit. I'm going full forward with my solo project. That's really where my heart is at, where I get my writing credit, where I get credit for my work and all my hard work gets proper credit. It's a healthier environment."

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".




Posted by Marc Rizzo on Thursday, August 5, 2021

Sicksense is here to break down barriers by delivering their relentless blend of thought-provoking lyrics and explosive music. Hard-hitting and melodic. Pissed off and groovy. Relevant and catchy, Sicksense is pushing the envelope with their unique sound.

Check out the official video for their debut single, "Make Believe", below.

Sicksense is:

Vicky Psarakis (The Agonist) aka “Killer V” - vocals / keys
Robby J. Fonts (Stuck Mojo, Divinity Plague) aka “Rob The Ripper” - vocals
Branislav Panic aka "Breakdown Bran" - guitars
Samuel Bedard aka “Spot-On Sam / SOS” - bass
Cody Taylor aka “The Trve Cody Taylor” - drums

"Make Believe" was recorded, mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson. The official video was filmed, directed and edited by Chris Kells.

Check out the official Sicksense Facebook page here.




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Phoenix-based rockers Halocene teamed up with Lauren Babic from Toronto's Red Handed Denial, and Sao Paulo-born Violet Orlandi for a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman". The official video is available below.

Previously , the trio of vocalists were joined by First To Eleven's Audra Miller for a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". The official video is available below.




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Iron Lizards have released "Obey / Annihilate", the second single leading up to their debut album Hungry For Action. The French power-trio combines raw, primitive rock ‘n’ roll with ‘80s hardcore into a tasty mixture of energetic, straightforward garage rock.

Fast, direct, and punchy, "Obey / Annihilate" captures the essence of Iron Lizards' unfiltered sound. Iron Lizards' debut album 'Hungry for Action' will be released on The Sign Records on September 17. The album is released on LP and CD, as well as digital format, and can be pre-ordered now.

Iron Lizards are a power-trio from Paris, France. The band was formed in 2015 by Elio with their goals already set; honoring the old gods of Detroit (MC5, The Stooges) whilst paying their homage to the ‘90s action rock scene (The Hellacopters, Zeke, New Bomb Turks). This was then mixed with influences taken from everything from ‘60s garage punk to ‘80s punk hardcore (Zero Boys, Minor Threat, Gang Green) and psychobilly (The Cramps). Their first EP was released in 2016 by German JanML Records, following this with playing as the opening act for bands such as Get Dead, Zeke, Mammoth Mammoth, Sonic Wolves, The Hip Priests, and Christmas.




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Cruzh are back with a new vocalist, Alex Waghorn, and a new album, Tropical Thunder, out on August. Waghorn was first introduced to Cruzh fans in 2019 with the release of an acoustic version of the song “Aim For The Head”. Now, Waghorn, along with Dennis Butabi Borg, Anton Joensson, and Matt Silver, are at long last ready to unleash the band’s long-awaited second album.

Melodic rock fans will not be disappointed with the cavalcade of melodies, hooks, and catchy songs on display on Tropical Thunder. Watch a lyric video for "New York Nights" below and pre-order/pre-save the album here.

Cruzh was put together after the demise of Swedish glam rockers TrashQueen, in which both Anton Joensson and Dennis Butabi Borg played. They shared a love for melodic rock and AOR and joined forces with Tony Andersson, who previously worked as a studio musician on the never released TrashQueen record.

In March 2013, Cruzh was officially announced. An image of the silhouette of the three band members, the debut song "In A Blink Of An Eye," information that the band was Swedish, and the text "Get ready for the Cruzh" was all that was revealed. The song quickly spread and in May of that year came the sequel, "Stay". Meanwhile, the band, still ‘incognito’, shared various clues on social media regarding their identity and location. In the fall of 2013, Cruzh “unmasked” and released the Hard To Get EP, the first of two very well-received self-produced demos.

Hard To Get and its successor, the darker Aim For The Head got great reviews and by late spring of 2015, just when Cruzh was about to release a new EP, they were approached by Frontiers Music Srl who wanted to sign the band to a deal. Cruzh started the album recording process by the end of summer 2015 and their self-titled debut was released in 2016 to rave reviews from the melodic rock community.

After introducing new vocalist Alex Waghorn to the public via an acoustic version of their track “Aim For The Head” in 2019, the band spent 2020 working on their second album, Tropical Thunder. Now, in 2021, the long wait for a follow-up album from Cruzh is over.

Tracklisting:

“Tropical Thunder”
“We Go Together”
“Turn Back Time”
“Are You Ready?”
“Cady”
“New York Nights”
“All You Need”
“Line In The Sand”
“Moonshine Bayou”
“Paralyzed”
“R.J.C.”

"New York Nights" lyric video:

“Tropical Thunder” lyric video:

“Turn Back Time”:




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Portland, Oregon’s Unto Others have announced details of their new album Strength, which will be released September 24 on Roadrunner Records and is available for pre-order today. The band have also shared the new song, “Downtown” which is streaming today on all platforms and joined by an official music video directed by Brock Grossl. Find preorder options here.

Unto Others’ vocalist / guitarist Gabriel Franco elaborated on the genesis of Strength sharing, “I wish I could say it came to me like a bolt of lightning, but the record was a process. A challenging process, to write, record and mix. It was 10 months from beginning to end, and the most time I’ve ever spent on an album. You can decide if that's good or bad. Arthur did a great job giving the record an organic heavy sound and it was a privilege to work with him. What we have at the end is something I am extremely proud of, for better or worse, and a constant reminder to myself that we don't do things because they are easy, we do them because they are hard.”

Produced and mixed by Arthur Rizk, Strength was recorded between June 2020 and April 2021 at Redwood Studio in Philadelphia, PA and Falcon Studios in Portland, OR. The forthcoming release marks Unto Others’ debut album on Roadrunner Records and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2019 LP Mana. Strength also features the single “When Will Gods Work Be Done” which arrived earlier this summer alongside news of the band’s signing.  

Comprised of Gabriel Franco (Vocals / Guitar), Brandon Hill (Bass), Sebastian Silva (Guitar), and Colin Vranizan (Drums), Unto Others formed in Portland, OR in 2017 and quickly made waves out of the Pacific Northwest under their previous band name Idle Hands. Following 2018’s Don’t Waste Your Time EP, they released their debut full-length album Mana in 2019 to widespread acclaim. Unto Others joined King Diamond and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats on a sold-out coast-to-coast tour across North America in support of Mana and returned in 2020 with the surprise release of Don’t Waste Your Time II.

Next up, Unto Others will join Behemoth, Arch Enemy, and Carcass for a massive European fall tour, kicking off September 28 in Dublin, Ireland and running for six weeks through November 7 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.

Tracklisting:

“Heroin”
“Downtown”
“When Will Gods Work Be Done”
“No Children Laughing Now”
“Destiny”
“Little Bird”
“Why”
“Just A Matter Of Time”
“Hell Is For Children”
“Summer Lightning”
“Instinct”
“Strength” 

“Downtown” video:

“When Will Gods Work Be Done”:

(Top photo by: Peter Beste)




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Canadian hard rock/metal band Celestial Ruin takes the next step in their bold musical evolution with their hard-hitting new single “See U Nxt Tuezday.”

From their auspicious beginnings as a symphonic metal band 10 years ago, they embrace a decidedly straight-forward, harder edge sound with their latest single, the result of a dynamic period of growth and ongoing quest to broaden their horizons while still staying true to themselves. 

Produced by Jay Van Poederooyen (Hinder, Devin Townsend) in their hometown of Vancouver, “See U Nxt Tuezday” heralds the group as a tour-de-force as they deliver an energetic, uncompromising performance. Driven by Larissa’s powerful vocals, the track pummels the listener as it winds its way through a plethora of starts and stops, which helps to highlight the group’s technical prowess. 

The video for the song captures the band in a post-apocalyptic nightmare, standing tall as the world burns around them. Directed by Dave Benedict (Default, Bonds of Mara), with whom they worked on their “Heart-Shaped Ashes” video, Larissa said they felt the track warranted an atypical treatment, something Benedict was happy to indulge them with. 

“Dave saw this as a performance video, but with a twist. We wanted the edgy energy of the song to be at the forefront of the video because ultimately, we wanted to create something that might pique someone’s curiosity and give them a reason to stop scrolling.”




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Frontiers Music Srl has released Circus Of Rock's debut album, Come One, Come All. Circus Of Rock is a new band, or rather a massive musical project, masterminded by drummer Mirka Rantanen (King Company). Watch a video for "Crossroads" below, and order Come One, Come All here.

"My musical influences in making Come One, Come All come from a mix of artists I've been exposed to over the years. My own bands which I've been involved in and, of course, my own musical idols. In music, I love more than anything classic melodic hard rock and that shows on this album. I wanted to make the kind of music I could stand behind completely. The intention was just to have fun with musicians I admire and have everybody perform great songs," says Circus Of Rock mastermind Mirka Rantanen.

"As for the recording of the album, last summer we had all the songs and demos ready. I recorded the drums in early autumn and then everyone else did their part in different studios or at home during autumn and end of the year. Since the album has almost 40 musicians, it was a bit of a challenge to keep everything in order when it comes to sessions. Dozens of tracks could arrive to me on the same day. I worked closely with mixer Kimmo Ahola so that we both kept up to date with what was coming in, what had been transferred, etc. It was quite a job and I still have to tip my hat to Kimmo for putting this puzzle together," continues Rantanen.

Come One, Come All has a killer line-up of singers and musicians, a full list of which you can see below. The amazing talents involved come from the likes of Amaranthe, Tyketto, Hardline, Nightwish, Leverage, and more, plus musicians from bands such as Stratovarius, Brother Firetribe, Masterplan, and others.

Hardline and Axel Rudi Pell frontman Johnny Gioeli handles lead vocals on first single "Desperate Cry". Rantanen explains, "'Desperate Cry' was called 'Why' at first, but when Johnny got it, he wanted to change the lyric a little bit and it became 'Desperate Cry'. This was the first song that came together for the album. It is written by songwriter/guitarist Ade Manninen and as soon as I heard the demo of it, I was absolutely sure it would go to Johnny. It fits his voice perfectly. Unfortunately, Ade died of cancer May 9th and will not be able to see the release of the song or the entire album. The guy in the video is a "stunt guitarist" because Ade was no longer able to participate in the video shootings due to his health. But he's in our memories now here and a few other songs he plays on. The song is about a relationship ending between two people and the pain involved with that, but after Ade's death, the story took on a whole new meaning, at least for me."

“A few years ago I started to think about recording a solo album; however, I didn’t want to do just a traditional solo album. That’s because people often think a solo album is mainly to allow the musicians to show off their fantastic skills and magnificent instruments, but I wanted to focus more on the great songs that don’t happen to have extra drum solos. I also wanted to include many fantastic colleagues with whom I have played over the years on this album, and in addition a couple of great guest singers. My intention is to get the album released in 2021, when I turn 50. And now this will happen thanks to the Frontiers label. The album will be a kind of milestone in my professional career, my long-term 'dream that is finally coming true' type of thing," says Rantanen.

Confirmed singers and musicians appearing on the album include:

- Jarkko Ahola
- Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
- Kimmo Blom (Leverage)
- Johnny Gioeli (Hardline)
- Marco Hietala (ex-Nightwish)
- Erik Kraemer (Simulacrum)
- Mark Quee
- Antti Railio
- Pasi Rantanen (Thunderstone)
- Elize Ryd (Amaranthe)
- Tommi “Tuple” Salmela
- Riku Turunen
- Danny Vaughn (Tyketto)

Mirka Rantanen has a long career in the Finnish hard rock scene. He has played on 40+ albums during his 30 year career, including releases by King Company, Raskasta Joulua, Kotipelto, Warmen, Northern Kings, Revolution Renaissance, and more. In addition, ten years ago he created the very popular heavy rock band for kids called Hevisaurus, for which he was awarded the Emma Award in 2011 (the Finnish equivalent of a Grammy).

Tracklisting:

"The Beat" (Feat. Riku Turunen)
"Desperate Cry" (Feat. Johnny Gioeli)
"Sheriff Of Ghost Town" (Feat. Marco Hietala)
"Never" (Feat. Kimmo Blom)
"In Times Of Despair" (Feat. Elize Ryd)
"Crossroads" (Feat. Pasi Rantanen)
"Caught In The Middle" (Feat. Danny Vaughn)
"Plywood Covered Windows And Crappy Shoes" (Antti Railio)
"Edge Of Love" (Feat. Rick Altzi)
"Set Me Free" (Feat. Jarkko Ahola
"Everafter" (Feat. Tommi “Tuple” Salmela)
"No Reason" (Feat. Marc Quee)
"Tears Of The Clown" (Feat. Erik Kraemer)
"Burning" (Bonus Track Digital)

"Crossroads" (Feat. Pasi Rantanen) video:

"In Times Of Despair" (Feat. Elize Ryd):

"Desperate Cry" (Feat. Johnny Gioeli) video:




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Frontiers Music Srl has released the debut album, Overload, from Brazil's Spektra, a new, exciting project by BJ, a stellar vocalist from the modern Brazilian hard rock scene.

Watch a video for "Running Out Of Time" below, and order/save Overload here.

Tracklisting:

"Overload"
"Runnin' Out Of Time"
"Just Because"
"Since I Found You"
"Our Love"
"Breakaway"
"Don't Matter"
"Back Into Light"
"Forsaken"
"Behind Closed Door"
"Lonely Road"

"Runnin' Out Of Time" video:

"Just Because" video:

"Overload" video:

Lineup:

BJ - Vocals
Leo Mancini - Guitars
Edu Cominato - Drums
Henrique Canale - Bass




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Norwegian blackened Viking metal band, Hjelvik, unleashes a brand-new single called "Synkverving:, that features a guest appearance by Lars Nedland from White Void and Borknagar. The single follows the release of Hjelvik's debut album, Welcome To Hel, in late 2020 and is also strongly based on Norse mythology and Viking themes, paired with the raw and sinister tone that is typical for the band.

The single comes with an animated music video, that you can watch below. Get the single digitally here.

Frontman Erlend Hjelvik comments: "This doomy little ditty was recorded during the Welcome To Hel sessions and is now released in all its glory with a brand new mix and master courtesy of fellow countryman Endre Kirkesola (Abbath & Green Carnation). Making things sound extra Norwegian, 'Synkverving' features the debut of Hjelvik rhythm guitarist Remi André Nygård and awesome guest vocals and organ by Lars Are Nedland (White Void, Borknagar & Solefald). The cherry on top of this pagan pie is an animated video created by Zak Kirwin (Ghoul & Spirit Adrift) who brings the "mound people" to life! Listen loud!"

Hjelvik is the solo-band of ex-Kvelertak frontman, lyricist and co-founder Erlend Hjelvik. After touring worldwide with some of the world's greatest bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Ghost and earning four Norwegian Spellemann awards, Erlend parted ways with his bandmates in 2018 and has spent the last two years songwriting and creating Hjelvik's first solo album.

Hjelvik is:

Erlend Hjelvik - Vocals, Lyrics and Songwriting
Rob Steinway - Lead Guitar
Remi André Nygård - Rhythm Guitar
Alexis Lieu - Bass
Kevin Foley - Drums




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Classical metal collective Lost Symphony, have issued a new video for “Acceptance”, a grand musical piece featuring guest performances by guitar wizards Alex Skolnick, Angel Vivaldi and Richard Shaw, from the collective’s latest album, Chapter III. Watch below.

“I was instantly moved when I first heard this song,” says Vivaldi. “The solo came out almost instantly and with much ease thanks to the uplifting, melodic nature of the arrangement. It’s a stunning piece of music and I'm quite grateful to have been able to contribute to it!”

Having performed on other tracks on Chapter III, when asked to contribute to “Acceptance,” both Skolnick and Shaw were excited to lend a hand. “After becoming familiar with the Lost Symphony gang and working on ‘Take Another Piece,’ I was more than happy to jump in for an additional guest spot on ‘Acceptance,’” Skonick says. “This tune has a flavor that is different from the first one and it was nice to get the chance to bring in some other elements. It's been great to see the response to ‘Take Another Piece’ and I'm sure all those listeners will appreciate this one as well.”

Shaw adds, “I chomped at the bit to work with Lost Symphony again, especially when I was told the other players would be Alex and Angel, both of whom I've admired for a long time. When I was sent the track, I loved that it had a different feel to the other songs I had contributed solos to. ‘Acceptance’ was a little more Andrew Lloyd Webber, and allowed for more grand melodic statements alongside the shred that LOST SYMPHONY are known for. It's hard not to smile when I listen back. It's a great composition and I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of it.”

Lost Symphony was set in motion when multi-instrumentalist and producer Benny Goodman invited guitarists Kelly Kereliuk and Conrad Simon to add another dimension to the classical demo he had composed. An early recording of “Leave Well Enough Alone,” which appeared on the band’s Chapter II album, made its way to Herbert, who quickly jumped aboard as a chief collaborator.

The group’s tribute to Herbert, “My Last Goodbye,” featuring some of the guitarist’s last recordings, was unveiled last month.

The collective founded by multi-instrumentalist and producer Benny Goodman and comprising his brother Brian (compositions, arrangement), Cory Paza (bass, guitar), Kelly Kereliuk (guitar), Paul Lourenco (drums), and Siobhán Cronin (violin, viola, electric violin), has once again welcomed a revolving cast of virtuosos to join them for Chapter III. This installment includes Marty Friedman, Nuno Bettencourt, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Richard Shaw, Angel Vivaldi, Jimi Bell, Jeff Loomis, Joey Concepcion, Matt LaPierre, Oli Herbert, Matt LaPierre and Ryan Formato.

Order the album here.

Chapter III tracklist:

"Denial Of Anger" (feat. Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Jimi Bell & Matt LaPierre)

"Bargaining Depression" (feat. Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Jimi Bell & Joey Concepcion)

"Acceptance" (feat. Alex Skolnick, Angel Vivaldi & Richard Shaw)

"Decomposing Composers" (feat. Jeff Loomis, Jimi Bell, Matt LaPierre & Joey Concepcion)

"Take Another Piece" (feat. Marty Friedman, Nuno Bettencourt, Alex Skolnick & Richard Shaw)

"My Last Goodbye" (feat. Oli Herbert, Matt LaPierre & Ryan Formatto)

"Take Another Piece" video:

(Band art by Boris Groh)




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Sick Of It All have released an animated lyric video for their track, “Beef Between Vegans”. Watch below.

“We're excited to announce the release of our apocalyptic and hopefully not prophetic lyric video for 'Beef Between Vegans'. Please check it out and keep an eye out as we add more tour dates to our calendar. Can't wait to see all of you again,” states Sick Of It All about the release.

“Beef Between Vegans” is off the band’s recent full-length album, Wake The Sleeping Dragon!. For the release, Century Media Records teamed up with Fat Wreck Chords, who put out the CD and vinyl version in the US. The album was produced by Jerry Farley at Nova Studios in Staten Island, New York and mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, The Haunted) at Antfarm Studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark.

Tour dates:

August
27 - Providence, RI - Dusk
28 - Wallingford, CT - Cherry Street Station

(Photo - Jammi York)




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Legendary hard rockers, Night Ranger, have released their 12th studio album, ATBPO, via Frontiers Music Srl. Listen to the song "Tomorrow" below.

ATBPO stands for And The Band Played On, an ode to making music during the covid era. Its available on CD and Vinyl (several limited edition, color vinyl versions), as well as digitally across all streaming platforms.

The band began writing the album in early 2020, amid the onset of the global pandemic. After narrowing down the song selection and tightening them up to their well-known rock ‘n’ roll sound, the band hit the studio, although separately, due to the times we are in. Throughout ATBPO, we hear Night Ranger continuing their hot streak that kicked off with 2011's Somewhere In California. Ten years on, and two highly acclaimed albums later, High Road and Don't Let Up, the band's latest studio work shows them still burning with that high octane hard rock energy they are known for. Night Ranger has always had a knack for killer melodies, intricate instrumentation, and captivating lyrics; ATBPO delivers all of that and more.

"The process was strange but the outcome rocks." - Jack Blades

"This record was incredibly hard to do as we could not be in a room together with all the COVID-19 issues that were going on. But sometimes you do your best work when there’s a deadline approaching." - Kelly Keagy

“It’s been a crazy but fun task trying to write and finish this new record in a Covid situation. A few zoom video gatherings got us started. With everybody in the band having their own home studios, we were all able to elaborate and add our own textures to each song. As a Vintage Guitar Collector, I was able to add some great classic sounds to rhythm and solos using my 57 Strat and 52 Goldtop! I hope everyone enjoys the record!" - Brad Gillis

Having sold over 17 million albums worldwide, performed across more than 4000 stages, and enjoyed a radio audience that exceeds 1 billion, Night Ranger has both epitomized and transcended the arena rock sound and style well beyond that era. With multiple songs having a significant impact on popular culture, Night Ranger continues to grow their fanbase. The band is proof that powerful songs alongside incredibly talented musicians is the perfect formula for continued success.

Night Ranger is Jack Blades (bass, vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums, vocals), Brad Gillis (lead & rhythm guitars), Eric Levy (keyboards), and Keri Kelli (lead & rhythm guitars).

ATBPO is available on CD, Digital, and the following LP versions:

ATBPO Red Vinyl - Available Everywhere
ATBPO Crystal Vinyl - Frontiers U.S. & EU Webstore Exclusive, Limited to 400 Copies
ATBPO Blue Vinyl - Newbury Comics Exclusive, Limited to 300 Copies
ATBPO Yellow Vinyl - Night Ranger Webstore Exclusive, Limited to 400 Copies

A bonus track, “Savior” appears on the CD & LP versions of ATBPO only.

Save/order here.

Tracklisting:

“Coming For You”
“Bring It All Home To Me”
“Breakout”
“Hard To Make It Easy”
“Can’t Afford A Hero”
“Cold As December”
“Dance”
“The Hardest Road”
“Monkey”
“A Lucky Man”
“Tomorrow”
“Savior” (CD/LP bonus track)

"Tomorrow":

“Bring It All Home To Me” video:

“Breakout” video:




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"We LOVED playing 'My Fate' live and, for those who were at the shows, it seemed to rock your world as well," states a message from The Dead Daisies. "Sooo... for all you guys, ''My Fate (Radio Edit) is out today!"

Stream the single at Spotify and Apple Music, and watch a video teaser below.

More from the band: "As you all look forward to the upcoming Like No Other World Tour, we’re invading the airwaves with the release of ‘My Fate’! The crowds lapped up this darker and more mysterious track during the warm-up shows in the US last month and we love playing this song live! ‘My Fate’ is available now on your favourite digital platforms so stream away and turn it up loud!

"We’re ready and rearing to head out on their Like No Other Tour kicking off at the Apollo Theater in Rochford Illinois on September 10th with twenty nights of Rock and Comedy featuring the high energy Arizona rock trio The Black Moods and former ‘That Metal Show’ comedic icon Don Jamieson! Let’s enjoy this ride together!!"

Tour dates:

September
10 - The Apollo Theater AC - Rockford, IL
11 - The Forge - Joliet, IL
13 - Piere’s - Fort Wayne, IN
14 - Agora Theater - Cleveland, OH
17 - The Showplace Theater - Buffalo, NY
18 - The Landis - Vineland, NJ
20 - Sony Hall - New York, NY
22 - Elevation 27 - Virginia Beach, VA
24 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
25 - Jannus Live - St. Petersburg, FL
27 - Pop’s - Sauget, IL
29 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
30 - The Rock Box - San Antonio, TX

October
2 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
3 - Come and Take It Live - Austin, TX
7 - Ramona Mainstage - San Diego, CA
9 - The Vermont - Hollywood, CA
10 - Goldfield Trading Post (Placer) - Roseville, CA
12 - Alberta Rose Theater - Portland, OR
15 - Neptune Theater - Seattle, WA




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Live Nation will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry to its concerts, according to an internal memo obtained by Variety.

The document, which was signed by Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, states that Live Nation will be adopting the same practices that have already been implemented "successfully at many major shows, including Lollapalooza."

"Our teams have worked together to put new processes in place so that artists doing shows with Live Nation in the US can require all attendees and staff to be fully vaccinated or show a negative test result for entry, where permitted by law," Rapino said. "We believe this is a great model".

The people attending Lollapalooza last month at Chicago's Grant Park were required to show proof that they had been vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested negative for the disease within the previous three days.

The four-day Lollapalooza started July 29 and drew over 100,000 attendees per day. 90% of attendees on the first day of the event reportedly proved they were vaccinated.

According to USA Today, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot defended the decision to hold the festival, citing strict pandemic precautions that required concertgoers show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test and to wear a m

Rockborn’s new single/video, “Rock Me Harder,” serves as a preview of the group’s forthcoming studio album, arriving in spring 2022.

Comprised of members Lu Reid (vocals), John Lyell (guitar), Dino Serna (bass), and Gary Gabaldon (drums), Rockborn is a female-fronted heavy rock band that is intense, sexy, bluesy yet edgy with raspy, sassy power vocals performed with dynamic emotional passion.

Dark, tasty guitar riffs and funky fresh bass lines are lifted up to the stratosphere by hard-hitting, solid drum rhythms and powerful, soaring vocals. Rockborn creates music with heartfelt lyrics, emotional depth, melodic intricacies that have modern, contagious hard energy, down-to-earth classic grit, heavy with mystical “Zeppelinesque” romance and enduring timeless appeal.

The “Rock Me Harder” single/video sums it all up perfectly. Watch the video below, and stream/pre-save the single here.

“‘Rock Me Harder’ was born out of a couple of rough ideas between John, who had this incredibly heavy riff, and some lyrics I had been toying with for quite some time,” explains Lu. “His riff gave me a shove in the right lyrical direction. I needed the foundation and inspiration that his riffs gave me to finish the lyrics, and of course after hearing Dino and Gary throw in their ingenious licks to John’s riffs, I was able to come up with the melody lines and the phrasing needed to kick this song into gear.

“Overall, this song is a culmination of the synchronicity of all the members of Rockborn. I’m very pleased with the ferocity and impactful energy that John, Dino, Gary and I gave to this very powerful female empowerment song. I hope that everyone, digs on this fantastic groove that Gary and Dino masterfully perform and also the badass riff and the brilliant lead guitar of John. Most of all I want women to know that they deserve what they want and they can have what they want. Just be bold and ask for it, like ‘Rock Me Harder’ does!”

Rockborn is perfectly poised to build upon the buzz created by the Michael Wagener-produced, engineered and mastered previous album, Born To Rock, which spawned the popular video “Reasons Why I Cry,” which has received 2.25 million views on YouTube. “Rock Me Harder” most certainly delivers.




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The long-awaited fourth album by the Swedish-Spanish band Putrevore, entitled Miasmal Monstrosity, is now ready for its release on October 5, again through Xtreem Music on CD, 12"LP, Cassette and Digital formats. Listen to the first single, "With Tentacles Adorned", below.

Formed in 2004 by Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Holycide) and Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader), Putrevore has been forging its heavy, dense and brutal sound through three albums and two split EP's. In Miasmal Monstrosity, the band has perfected their sound, and while the current fashion, when it comes to dark and heavy death metal, is based on imitating Incantation, Putrevore continues its own vision creating a perfect album where both the own band's name and the album title, perfectly define what the nine songs included here sound like; A sound that's incredibly brutal, heavy, dense, crushing, intense, dark, putrid... Rogga's vicious and morbid riffs, along with Dave Rotten's monstrously decomposed and inhuman voice and Brynjar's intense and crushing drumming, make Miasmal Monstrosity possibly the most overwhelming death metal album of the year.

And if this was not enough, Russian artist Daemorph Art has created an incredible art for the front cover of this album, clearly, unsurpassed.

Miasmal Monstrosity tracklisting:

"Those Who Dwell Beyond"
"Vortex Devourer"
"Terrible End Of The Conjurer"
"Clad In Skin And Rot"
"Bloodlust Of The Sleepers"
"Miasmal Monstrosity"
"The Fleshmen Awaits"
"With Tentacles Adorned"
"Consume All Flesh"

"With Tentacles Adorned":




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West Texas metal outfit, Pissing Razors, has released the first details for their forthcoming seventh studio effort, Eulogy Death March, set for release in mid-September.

Guitarist Mat Lynch describes the group’s latest effort as “brutally raw and tastefully ferocious”, and sees a return to the group’s signature punk infused heavy groove with co-founder Eddy Garcia (ex-Overkill) on drums and original vocalist Joe Rodriguez. The band welcomes back Sterling Winfield (Pantera, Hellyeah) as mix/master engineer.

The album track listing features, among other standouts, a cover of Nailbomb’s “Wasting Away” with guest vocals from Skinlab frontman Steev Esquivel.

The band will debut the album at their CD release party on Friday, October 1, at Ricky D’s in El Paso, Texas. Live concert footage will be filmed for a future video.

Pissing Razors is an American groove-based heavy metal band formed in 1994 in El Paso, Texas. The sole purpose was and still is to incite a musical tone loud and aggressive in ferocity and heavy in punk and metal elements. Their first CD was an independent release, followed by their first official album, Pissing Razors, produced by Andy Sneap. Five more CDs followed with touring that saw two stints in Europe. With their seventh album, Eulogy Death March getting ready for release, the band hopes to tour, depending on the ongoing Covid situation.




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Florida death metal veterans MASSACRE will release their fourth full-length album, "Resurgence", on October 22 via Nuclear Blast. The official visualizer for the LP's first single, "The Innsmouth Strain", can be seen below.

Commenting on the upcoming album and new single, vocalist Kam Lee states: "It's all about Lovecraft, isn't it? Honesty though, aesthetically MASSACRE needed two main things to return to be proper. A) The return to the core roots of O.S.D.M. (Old School Death Metal) style death metal that late '80s, early '90s sound. Musically, the record has to retain that nostalgic retro style. B) To return to the lyrical aesthetics laden with influences heavily drawn from the stories and fictional mythos that is all Lovecraftian.

"'The Innsmouth Strain' is heavily influenced by the H.P. Lovecraft story 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' yet has my own twisted take on transmutation body horror aspects thrown in. I sort of lyrically give it a David Cronenberg/Junji Ito-type spin on a Lovecraft fiction. So lyrically it is basically about body horror of aquatic transmutation. Any deeper meaning then that is just speculative, but could simply be metaphor for our world's current situation with the pandemic and other threats of the spreading of viral infection. Musically it's just proper O.S.D.M. the way it's meant to be played and properly represented by MASSACRE."

Joining Lee and bassist Mike Borders for the new album are guitarists Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER), Jonny Pettersson (GODS FORSAKEN, WOMBBATH, HENRY KANE) and Scott Fairfax (MEMORIAM, AS THE WORLD DIES), along with drummer Brynjar Helgeton (CRYPTICUS, THE GROTESQUERY). There are additional guest performances by Marc Grewe (INSIDIOUS DISEASE), Dave Ingram (BENEDICTION), Anders Odden (CADAVER) and Pete Slate (DRUID LORD) The LP was recorded with producer and death metal icon Dan Swanö (ex-EDGE OF SANITY, ex-BLOODBATH) and Pettersson as engineer/mixer.

MASSACRE's upcoming album will be the first to feature Borders, as well as the band's first recording in 25 years to feature Lee (ex-DEATH, ex-MANTAS).

Nuclear Blast's U.S.A. general manager Gerardo Martinez, who signed MASSACRE, said: "For many of us at Nuclear Blast, MASSACRE is one of our favorite bands, and instrumental in the formative years of death metal and with their debut album alone. It paved the way to many artists to follow. It's an honor to be working a brand new record with Kam Lee on vocals after nearly 30 years!"

Last September, drummer Jeramie Kling (VENOM INC., THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) and guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) announced their departure from MASSACRE. The duo had joined the group less than a year earlier and were said to be working on MASSACRE's fourth studio album at Kling/Nordberg's own Smoke & Mirrors Productions in Spring Hill, Florida.

Kling and Nordberg said in a statement that "what was presented as a democracy turned out to be a dictatorship with an excruciating lack of communication."

MASSACRE parted ways with guitarist Rick Rozz and drummer Mike Mazzonetto in September 2019. At the time, Lee and Borders blamed the split on "contract infringement violations," "poor performance, incompetence, and lack of professionalism."

MASSACRE's latest album, 2014's "Back From Beyond", featured Rozz and Mazzonetto alongside bassist Terry Butler and vocalist Ed Webb.

In early 2017, Butler — who is now playing bass for OBITUARY — told Metal Wani that Rozz and Mazzonetto "destroyed" MASSACRE with their "behind-the-scenes backtalking and backstabbing." He went on to make it clear that Rozz and Lee's then-collaboration could not be called MASSACRE. He said: "They can do all they want and write all the songs in the world they want, but it's not gonna be called MASSACRE."

Scorpions have uploaded new classic footage, this time of the Taken By Force track "He's A Woman, She's A Man" live from Mexico City on March 23, 1994.

Scorpions have offered fans a first glance at their new music. The currently untitled effort will be the band's 19th studio album; a release date has not yet been announced.

Scorpions singer Klaus Meine, along with guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs uploaded the following video to social media from Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany.

According to Klaus: "We're in the studio right now, as you can see — Peppermint Park in Hannover — and this morning, we decided to give you guys a little snippet. We're here for a year. We spent so much time in here working with the recording sessions. And right now it's so very exciting to finally listen to the mixes coming in from Berlin the other day. And we just wanted to share this moment with all of you out there. And believe me, we can't wait — not only to give you a little snippet but to play you the whole damn album. All right? And we'll see you out there."

 

 
New Album Snippet

Dear Fans, here comes a little snippet for you... we can‘t wait to play you the whole album! 🤘 🦂 🤘 - Scorpions

Posted by Scorpions on Monday, 7 June 2021




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Norwegian death metal vets, Blood Red Throne, will release their 10th album, Imperial Congregation, on October 8 via Nuclear Blast. Today, the band pull back back the curtain on a decimating song, titled "Conquered Malevolence".

Founding guitarist Daniel Olaisen comments on the song: "'Conquered Malevolence' started with Meathook showing me a cool riff of his. I modified it a bit and it became the opening riff of this kick ass tune. It has some classic death metal riffs and this really tasty solo. Lyrics is about growing your individual strength. Learning not to live for anything else, be it religious, material or simply popularity."

With over 25 years and 10 albums soon to be under their belt, Blood Red Throne is dedicated to the continual delivery of straight forward, exceptional death metal with Imperial Congregation being no exception.

“This time around we’ve made something new and fresh in our sound. We felt it from the very first song that was written; this will take us to a whole different level in terms of arrangements, riffs, vocals... everything. We are super-excited to share this with our fans, and in cooperation with the greatest label ever,” says Olaisen.

Imperial Congregation delivers quality, old school sound while reflecting in part upon the self righteous nature of humanity and its incessant need to destroy itself through power, ignorance and religion.

“We live outside this system,” explains Olaisen. “We don’t join in on the sheep mentality. Create your own possibilities, be responsible for your own misery or success!”                        

The haunting, organic album artwork was designed by the infamous Marcelo Vasco. The image displays a flock of old, religious men as they meet in secrecy to design the laws of lower society.

“Many of our lyrics deal with our skepticism of religion, and of mankind in general. Be free or be dead,” says Olaisen. "Two gigantic skeletons tower over the men of worship as they dictate human fate by candlelight."

Pre-order Imperial Congregation here.

Imperial Congregation tracklisting:

"Imperial Congregation"
"Itika"
"Conquered Malevolence"
"Transparent Existence"
"Inferior Elegance"
"We All Bleed"
"6-7"
"Consumed Illusion"
"Hero-Antics"
"Zarathurstra"

"Itika" lyric video:

Lineup:

Daniel ”Død” Olaisen - Guitar
Ivan ”Meathook” Gujic - Guitar
Freddy "the Shred" Bolsø - Drums
Stian "Gunner" Gundersen - Bass
Yngve "Bolt" Christiansen - Vocals

(Photo - Matthias Moser)




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As they prepare for the release of their monumental new E.P. Forge Your Future, Spirit Adrift have reemerged with a music video for the album’s stunning second single “Wake Up.”  

Vocalist/guitarist Nate Garrett comments: “The video for 'Wake Up' marks the third time we’ve worked with Guilherme Henriques, and these collaborations somehow produce better results every time. Guilherme has become a crucial contributor to how we visually express ourselves. For this video, he and I began by discussing a certain story arc from Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing comics, and our own unique vision took shape from there."  

He continues, "'Wake Up' was written at the height of the toilet paper buying frenzy. As usual, I was totally disgusted with humanity, and I needed to write about it. This song celebrates the reason we all got into metal/rock n roll in the first place. Music is a way of life that offers us freedom from the insane expectations of a sick society. While this video is our first foray into anything resembling fun or humor, it wholeheartedly delivers the sincere message of the song. TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP OUT.”

Written at the beginning of the pandemic, Forge Your Future features three new songs that showcase Spirit Adrift at their strongest.  Recorded at Homewrecker Recording Studio with Ryan Bram at the helm, the tracks were handed over to the legendary Zeuss to handle the E.P.’s mixing and mastering.  Garrett comments, "These songs, and this band, represent persevering through difficult times, staying true to your innermost self, and celebrating the life-affirming power of metal. We can’t wait to see you all live and in the flesh, in the meantime we hope you enjoy the tunes."

Since their inception, Spirit Adrift is much more than an obsession for Garrett.  It’s become a mission unto itself — a quest to re-cast the power and potential of melodic metal, doom and hard rock like the masters before him. Garrett's songwriting style teeters between vintage and modern, combining intelligent lyrics that provoke spiritual and philosophical thought with bold hooks and gilded riffs.  With four albums behind Garrett and drummer Marcus Bryant, including 2020’s year-end chart-topper Enlightened In Eternity, Spirit Adrift have shown the world just what heavy metal can be.  

Forge Your Future will be available August 27 from Century Media on vinyl and digital formats; pre-orders are available on Bandcamp .




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Wacken TV has shared pro-shot footage of Norwegian black metal horde Tsjuder performing at Wacken Open Air 2016. Check out the full set below.

Setlist: 

"Demon Throne"
"Slakt"
"Ghoul"
"Demonic Supremacy"
"Mouth of Madness"
"Unholy Paragon"
"Antiliv"
"Sacrifice" (Bathory Cover)




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Three years since their latest album, Purgatorio, Gothenburg metal force Manimal has announced to return with a brand new studio record this fall. Armageddon is slated for a release on October 8, 2021 via AFM Records.

Despite the band‘s loyalty to traditional heavy metal influences, Purgatorio was a prime example of modern and trend-setting power metal characterised by musical enthusiasm, exceptional talent and new ideas. As expected of a band that claims Judas Priest, King Diamond and Queensrÿche as major influences on their sound since Day 1, ManimaL’s new record is a high energy, in-your-face salute to the music that inspired them over the past 20 years.

But calling Manimal "just" a power metal band, however, is way off the mark according to vocalist Samuel Nyman. "We are more than power metal. It was our label that put Manimal into the power metal category with our first album, and we understand that completely because they had to put us in a genre to guide people. Power metal for me are bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray and Stratovarius; they have more up-tempo songs, more vocal harmonies. Sure, Manimal does have power metal elements but we're not pure power metal. There is more to us than that and I think the new album is perfect example of that."

After the previously- released singles "Forged In Metal" and "The Inevitable End", Manimal have unleashed the epic album title track! Watch the official music video for "Armageddon" below.

The songwriting for Armageddon was once again headed up by guitarist Henrik Stenroos, considered by his bandmates to be the musical mastermind behind Manimal. And therein lies the secret to the band's more-than-power-metal sound. Stenroos listens to all different types of music and because of that colourful musical palette, according to Nyman, "he boils it down and gets his own ideas, trying to create something he likes himself." Stenroos has a solid riff-oriented approach to Manimal's music, and the material he presented to the rest of the band for Armageddon were actual songs rather than just mere ideas. As with their three previous records, the quartet worked together fleshing the songs into their final form. "The vocals harmonies Henrik gives me are played with the guitar," says Nyman, offering up one example of their creative process for Armageddon, which was mixed by Manimal bassist Kenny Boufadene at his Studio Meltdown in Sweden. "We have been making music together for so many years now that I can almost hear by the way he's playing how he wants me to deliver the vocals. It's not very often that we disagree in the songwriting process."

”I’m really proud we’ve managed to create yet another great album together," Henrik Stenroos adds. "And it’s been a team effort. All four of us have put so much soul and effort into everything from song writing to recording, with the result of a really heavy and all through awesome sounding album without any fillers what so ever. The fans of our previous works will not be disappointed."

Manimal's evolution between Armageddon and their first album, The Darkest Room - released in 2009 - is unquestionable. Their songwriting has become tighter, stronger and bolder, and they have improved by leaps and bounds as musicians. Armageddon will showcase their wide range of a heavy as hell sound, and one that will most likely win over the true hearts of both the old-school and every modern metal fan.

Armageddon will be available as LP, CD and Digital formats. Preorder options available here.

Tracklisting:

“Burn In Hell”
“Armageddon”
“Slaves Of Babylon”
“Forged In Metal”
“Chains Of Fury”
“Evil Soul”
“Path To The Unknown”
“Master Of Pain”
“Insanity”
“The Inevitable End”

“Forged In Metal”

“The Inevitable End”:




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