Poisoning Wave is a new project created by Jason Walton (Agalloch, Sculptured, Snares Of Sixes) and Joy Von Spain (Eye Of Nix, To End It All), bringing together elements of dark ambient, noise, and vocal music. Combining electronics, guitar, bowed steel with both melodic and harsh vocals, the duo creates an intimate rumination upon tragic themes.

Debut single, "As Fog In Sunlight", is available for streaming below. It's the first in a series of pieces to be created in a remote collaborative setting. All proceeds from this song's release will benefit The Bail Project - a national revolving bail fund and critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities within the bail system by restoring the presumption of innocence, reuniting families, and challenging a system that criminalizes race and poverty.

Comments Jason Walton, "Amidst the pandemic and the blatant, horrific displays of systemic racism in America, I was feeling helpless and despondent. I had been working on a few albums but wanted to do something different. I was experimenting with guitars, synths, and various electronics in a way I hadn't really done before. Upon wrapping up this first track, the news of the killing of Seattle protester Summer Taylor reached me and impacted me greatly. I then revisited this track and made it angrier, more visceral and at that point knew I wanted to ask Joy Von Spain to collaborate with me on this."

Adds Von Spain, "The spirit-laden environment created by Jason in this piece illustrated to me both sorrow and despair, inspiring these lyrics in memory of those who've lost their lives in the ongoing battle for racial justice and equal rights. While compelled to sing a lament for those killed and injured, this moment called also for rage at the perpetrators of these horrific acts who typically experience little or no personal repercussions. While we tread a treacherous path throughout the piece, in the resolution of the song we can find a moment of solemn meditation."

Stream "As Fog In Sunlight" below. Buy the song here.

As Fog In Sunlight by Poisoning Wave




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Acclaimed rock vocalist Jeff Scott Soto has announced the release of his next solo project, "The Duets Collection, Vol. 1", on October 8. For this album, Soto wanted to do a career retrospective and re-record some of his favorite songs from his storied career, but with the twist that he invited friends to join him on duets of said songs. Today, fans can get their first taste of the album with the release of "Mysterious" (originally performed by Soto with TALISMAN) where he is joined by Eric Martin (MR. BIG).

Using the downtime from his normally relentless touring activity due to the worldwide pandemic, Soto decided to create a very special album which pays tribute to some of the classic songs he has recorded over the course of his storied career. But rather than simple re-records, he wanted to make the album something special, unique. So, not only did he re-record these songs with his musical friends Jorge Salan, Howie Simon (guitars), Leo Mancini (guitars), Tony Dickinson (bass) and Edu Cominato (drums), but he called in some of his fellow rock friends/vocalists to create a unique duets album. With the likes of Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE, W.E.T.), Eric Martin (MR. BIG), Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE), Deen Castronovo (REVOLUTION SAINTS, JOURNEY), Nathan James (INGLORIOUS), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB), Dino Jelusick (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), BJ (SPEKTRA, SOTO), and Aliro Netto (SHAMAN, QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA), this is an amazing international affair.

The track listing alone will surely make any JSS fan excited, much less hearing the final product. Where can you get such an amazing list of singers and songs all in the same place?

Jeff says: "It was a dream to cast these voices and I am so amped for you to hear the results…”

Soto is a man that needs virtually no introduction to any discerning melodic rock fan. Jeff launched his career at the young age of 18 years old in tremendous fashion as the lead vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen's debut album, "Rising Force", and the sophomore effort, "Marching Out". That first step into the spotlight has led to a career that has seen Jeff play and work with an outstanding number of artists and genres from the AOR of EYES and TAKARA, to the hard rock and metal of TALISMAN, AXEL RUDI PELL, SOUL SIRKUS, and, of course, his time with the legendary JOURNEY. Jeff has also maintained a solo career over the past decades, while also recently joining up with the progressive metal supergroup SONS OF APOLLO.

Track listing:

01. Livin' The Life (ROCK STAR) with Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE/W.E.T.)

02. Don't Let It End (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - with Dino Jelusick (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA)

03. Mysterious (TALISMAN) - with Eric Martin (MR. BIG)

04. Believe In Me (JSS) - with Nathan James (INGLORIOUS)

05. Coming Home (SOUL SIRKUS) - with Deen Castronovo (REVOLUTION SAINTS, ex-JOURNEY)

06. I'll Be Waiting (TALISMAN) - with Alirio Netto (SHAMAN, QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA)

07. Callin' All Girls (EYES) - with Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ALLEN/LANDE)

08. Colour My XTC (TALISMAN) - with Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB)

09. Warrior (AXEL RUDI PELL) - with Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE, AXEL RUDI PELL)

10. Holding On (JSS) - with BJ (SOTO, SPEKTRA)

11. Again 2 B Found (HUMANIMAL) - with Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA)

Lineup:

Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals, Bass and Keys

Edu Cominato - Drums

Tony Dickinson - Bass

Jorge Salan - Guitars

Howie Simon - Guitars and Bass

Leo Mancini - Guitars

Pittsburgh, PA-based slamming deathcore powerhouse, Signs Of The Swarm, have released a video for "Hollow Prison" featuring Despised Icon singer, Alex Erian. The track will be featured on the band's upcoming album, Absolvere, out worldwide on September 24.

Watch the video below, and pre-order/pre-save the new album here.

Tracklisting:

"Hymns Ov Invocation"
"Boundless Manifestations"
"Dreaming Desecration"
"Totem"
"Nameless"
"Absolvere"
"Revelations Ov A Silent King"
"Hollow Prison" (Feat. Alex Erian)
"Blood Seal"
"Death Whistle"

"Hollow Prison" video:

"Totem" video:




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Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of A-Z.

A-Z (pronounced "A through Z") equals Ray Alder (FATES WARNING; vocals) and Mark Zonder (ex-FATES WARNING, WARLORD; drums), and also means "anything is possible" — and with this lineup of musicians, that is no exaggeration. This exciting new band reunites Alder with Zonder, and they're joined by Philip Bynoe (WARLORD, STEVE VAI, NUNO BETTENCOURT) on bass, Joop Wolters (STEVE WALSH, SIMON PHILLIPS) on guitar, and Vivien Lalu (STEVE WALSH, JORDAN RUDESS) on keys.

Zonder comments: "When we were looking for a deal, Metal Blade was number one on the list. First worked with Brian Slagel about 40 years with 'Metal Massacre II' and WARLORD. No question that they do a great job and we are very excited and proud to be back at MB."

Musically, A-Z is melodic and progressive, bringing to mind the classic FATES WARNING-era of albums like "Parallels" and "Pleasant Shade Of Grey", while recalling the hooks of classic 1970s and 1980s hard rock artists. The band's upcoming debut will be the first time Alder and Zonder have recorded together since 2004, and it will surely please both FATES WARNING and melodic hard rock fans alike.

In the meantime, fans can check out a video signing message from A-Z and Metal Blade CEO/founder Brian Slagel below.

A-Z is:

Ray Alder - vocals

Mark Zonder -drums

Philip Bynoe - bass

Joop Wolters - guitar

Vivien Lalu - keys

SATANIC PLANET has released the official Dennis Bersales-directed music video for the song "Strangers". The track is taken from the band's self-titled album, which came out on May 28 via Three One G Records.

SATANIC PLANET is the creation of Lucien Greaves (The Satanic Temple co-founder and spokesperson), Luke Henshaw (PLANET B, SONIDO DE LA FRONTERA), Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEAD CROSS) and Justin Pearson (THE LOCUST, DEAD CROSS, SWING KIDS, DEAF CLUB). With the birth of SATANIC PLANET, hip-hop producer Henshaw and punk provocateur Pearson joined co-founder and spokesperson of The Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves — the most prominent and outspoken contemporary Satanist in the world. Greaves has gained international attention as an advocate for religious liberty and the voice of the Satanic Reformation, delivering lectures nationwide and featured in national media outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, Huffington Post Live, CNN, Harper's Monthly, Newsweek, Fox News, Vice, Salon, Rolling Stone and many more. As the trio were diligently working, and nearly completed with, the music for their debut album, the worldwide pandemic hit, seemingly bringing things to a halt. However, with the onset of this new way of living, the newly formed band was in a unique position to enlist the legendary Lombardo, who found himself not touring for the first time in years, and suddenly having more time to work in his home studio on projects that interested him. With the addition of this iconic drummer, SATANIC PLANET was complete. Along the way, an eclectic range of guest appearances arose, including CATTLE DECAPITATION's Travis Ryan, Nomi Abadi, SILENT's Jung Sing, Shiva Honey, Eric Livingston (also known as his artist moniker First Church Of The Void), and HEXA's Carrie Feller. This collaboration embraces the avant garde to create sci-fi sermons that range from doom and industrial to evil exotica.

"Satanic Planet" was recorded and produced by Henshaw and Lombardo. It was mixed and mastered by Brent Asbury.

VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen spoke to the 94.9 The Rock Toronto radio station about the band's recently released songs "Wait A Minute My Girl" and "Dagen Før". The two tracks, VOLBEAT's first new music since 2019's album "Rewind, Replay, Rebound", were recorded while the world was in lockdown during the pandemic. Poulsen, Jon Larsen (drums) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) recorded their parts with longtime producer Jacob Hansen in Denmark, while Rob Caggiano (guitar) worked remotely from New York.

"['Wait A Minute My Girl' is] pretty much an old song that I wrote a long time ago; I just didn't finish it up [until last year]," Michael revealed (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It doesn't really say much about the coming album, which will be released later this year. Because the coming album is probably the most heavy record we've ever done. There's a lot of heavy riffing, like old BLACK SABBATH, early METALLICA, even some death metal in there. But these two singles that we released, they don't really represent the album. But this track 'Wait A Minute My Girl' is a pure rocker. It's very much inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, RAMONES — those kind of things combined. And it was just one of those songs that made sense to release during the summer because everyone's been waiting to get something new, something positive. Everybody's been sitting at home because of COVID and everything. So we thought this track would be a good idea to release. It's positive. It has all those summer colors that you need to be in a good mood. It kind of represents VOLBEAT in that '50s-'60s element where you definitely can hear the Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, RAMONES inspiration. And it's just a feel-good song. And I feel very good about it. I'm very proud of it. But, as I said, it's not really representing the full album, because the full album is definitely the most heavy album that we've ever done. And this song is more like pop-rock, rock and roll '50s kind of tune with punk elements."

He later added: "['Wait A Minute My Girl'] is just one of the tracks on the new album that just brings some light. But there'll be a lot of thunder and lightning for the rest of the material. There's a couple of those upbeat rock and roll, straight-in-your-face songs, but I would say probably 85 percent of the new album — which has been done since December, actually — it's pretty heavy."

In a recent interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, VOLBEAT drummer Jon Larsen was asked if there was any truth to Poulsen's previous claim that the group's new material was shaping up to be more aggressive and more thrash-oriented than the last two LPs. He responded: "Well, it's definitely heavier — let me put it that way. I wouldn't really call it more aggressive. It might be — I'm not really sure — but it's definitely got some of the old vintage VOLBEAT heavy elements to it. There's definitely some really heavy songs on it. Yeah, there might be a little bit of thrash on it as well — might be even a little venture into Swedish death metal perhaps. A little bit, yeah. Don't get too scared, though. But, yeah, I think it's a very mixed album, because you've definitely got the more heavier sound. We still have the more happy, punkish, even maybe pop songs, if you wanna call it that. And there's also, I think, a few surprises on there that will definitely make people go, 'Okay, I didn't see that coming.' But, yeah, I think it definitely has a mix of everything we've done up until now. And the vibe for the album, I think it sounds maybe more spontaneous this time, perhaps. And it definitely has a few nods and winks to our past. But, yeah, 'heavy' is probably the right word for it."

"Wait A Minute My Girl" features saxophone player Doug Corcoran and piano player Raynier Jacob Jacildo, who both perform with JD McPherson's band and previously appeared with VOLBEAT on 2019's "Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon)". Singer Mia Maja, who has worked with the band since "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie", also appears on backing vocals. "Dagen Før" features guest vocals from Danish artist Stine Bramsen, who is known for her solo work as well as being a member of the band ALPHABEAT. The song, in the tradition of "The Garden's Tale", "Maybele I Hofteholder" and "For Evigt", features both English and Danish lyrics, and marks the first commercially released song that features Stine singing in her native Danish.

THE OFFSPRING has launched "Cockpit Karaoke", a video series featuring frontman Bryan "Dexter" Holland and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman singing along to some of the band's biggest hits from inside a private jet that's being flown by Holland, who is a licensed pilot.

"We know everyone's heard of 'Carpool Karaoke', but 'Cockpit Karaoke'??? No one's done that!!" Holland told SPIN, which premiered the first clip, featuring the duo singing "Come Out And Play", with the "Keep 'Em Separated Guy" along for the ride. "Since I'm a pilot, we thought it would be great if Noodles and I had some fun and got to sing along to some of our many hits."

THE OFFSPRING's latest album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", arrived in April via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

Holland, Wasserman, drummer Pete Parada and new bassist Todd Morse wrote and recorded "Let The Bad Times Roll" in the last few years at various locations, including the band's studio in Huntington Beach, California.

Fresh off last week's announcement of their upcoming 11th studio album "Horizons/East", California-based rock band THRICE has dropped a visually stunning music video in support of its newest single "Scavengers". Directed by DJay Brawner, the video transports viewers to a different world; one of mystery and disguises that leaves viewers unsure of whom to trust and where to turn. Sonically, "Scavengers" is driven by a dark and intricate braid of guitar and drum grooves, while the lyrics challenge listeners to discern between the issues and information that bond us versus those that disintegrate and destroy.

"Horizons/East" is available for pre-order now and will be released September 17 digitally and October 8 physically via Epitaph Records. The album exemplifies art as a work of recognition — the human task of perceiving oneself amid details, disasters, and blessings as a relentlessly relational phenomenon among others. In this, "Horizons/East" is the rare rock album on which interrelatedness is a theme, painting an adventurous and lush landscape mixed by Scott Evans that the band produced and recorded at their own New Grass Studio.

With the new album, THRICE addresses, with candor and courage, the fragile and awkward arrangements that pass for civilization, while inviting us to dwell more knowingly within our own lives. Without surrendering any of the energy and hard edge of their previous albums, they've given us a profoundly meditative work, which serves as a musical summons to everyday attentiveness.

Some of the writing even began with open-ended challenges that the band laid on themselves like building a song using the quartal chords they found in much of the jazz they loved, or taking the Fibonacci sequence and turning it into a guitar riff.

"Horizons/East" track listing:

01. The Color Of The Sky

02. Scavengers

03. Buried In The Sun

04. Northern Lights

05. Summer Set Fire To The Rain

06. Still Life

07. The Dreamer

08. Robot Soft Exorcism

09. Dandelion Wine

10. Unitive/East

Formed in 1998, the Orange County-based four-piece is widely regarded as one of the most innovative rock bands of its generation.

THRICE features frontman Dustin Kensrue, guitarist Teppei Teranishi, bassist Eddie Breckenridge and drummer Riley Breckenridge.

THRICE will be touring this fall with special guests TOUCHÉ AMORÉ, JIM WARD (appearing at select dates only) and SELF DEFENSE FAMILY.

Photo credit: Matt Vogel

In a new interview with The SDR Show, Lorraine Lewis spoke about how she ended up becoming the new lead singer of VIXEN following the departure of Janet Gardner. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The crazy thing is that, honestly, the night before Roxy [Petrucci, drums] called me to join, I had actually reached out to my booking agent to tell him I was done with [my longtime band] FEMME FATALE. I just had enough, a lot on my shoulders. I have a really good day job, the love of my life. And I was just, like, we had a really good run — six years with the girls — and I just felt done. And so I called him to tell him. And the very next day Roxy calls me and asks me if I'd be the lead singer of VIXEN. That's, honest to God, how it happened. And I was, like, 'This is so weird. 'Cause I just called [my booking agent] last night and told him I'm done.' So it was one of those things. I was really done with FEMME. I'd had a great run and I was ready to say goodbye. And Roxy called and I told her I was done. She was, like, 'What do you mean 'done'?' I'm, like, 'I'm done done.' She's, like, 'Done what?' And so I said, 'I'm done with FEMME. I'm done with singing. I'm just gonna chill.' And she's, like, 'No, you're not. You're gonna join VIXEN.' And so she presented what was going on. And I told her I was gonna think about it, talk with my husband, figure it out, and make sure that I could hit some of those soaring notes that VIXEN was famous for. And when I felt that I could do that, and [once] everything fit into place, I called and said, 'Let's do this.' So it wasn't that hard of a decision. I had really put FEMME to bed at that time."

Lorraine also confirmed that VIXEN was working on material for a new studio album

"This past year, things have been so disjointed with everybody living everywhere and not being able to travel [due to the pandemic]," she said. "Britt [Lightning, a.k.a. Brittany Denaro; guitar] and I have been pretty good about getting together on Zoom and working things out. Roxy has been writing. We've all been separately, and then together as well. So things are in the works. We're not ready to release anything right now. But I'm hoping that now that we're gonna be kicking shows into gear, the glue will start happening again and we'll be able to get some stuff recorded together as a band."

Lewis went on to say that she is "so thrilled to be the singer of VIXEN. I'm so stoked to be carrying on the legacy of the band," she said. "So I'm honored. And I just wanna keep rockin'."

Prior to officially joining VIXEN in January 2019, Lewis had already performed with the band in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

In the wake of WHITESNAKE's massive global success, the band's founder and lead singer, David Coverdale, set out to record his third solo album in 1995. However, the plan was derailed when pressure from his record label forced him to change course and release "Restless Heart" under the DAVID COVERDALE & WHITESNAKE moniker. Despite the changes, the 1997 album was a Top 40 hit in the U.K. Surprisingly, the record was never released in the U.S. That will change this fall when Rhino introduces several versions of "Restless Heart", including a four-disc boxed set.

"Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition" will be available on October 29 and is available for pre-order now. The 4CD/DVD collection features newly remastered and remixed versions of the original album, along with unreleased demos and studio outtakes. The DVD includes music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album with new interviews from David Coverdale. The set comes with a hardbound book filled with rare and unseen photos from the era.

Three additional versions of "Restless Heart" will be available the same day. First is a two-CD deluxe edition that includes the new remix plus the original album, newly remastered. Next is a double-LP deluxe edition pressed on 180-gram silver vinyl that features the newly remixed album. And finally, there is a single-disc version which again features the newly remixed album. In addition, all of the music will be available digitally through streaming services.

"Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition" opens with a newly remixed version of the album that's closer to the sound Coverdale initially intended for his new solo release. It's followed by a newly remastered version of "Restless Heart", including the singles "Too Many Tears" and "Don't Fade Away", plus three bonus tracks from the album's original Japanese release. Featured musicians include Adrian Vandenberg, Denny Carmassi, Guy Pratt and in addition, guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Derek Sherinian who bring their exceptional talents to the party.

The following two discs reveal how "Restless Heart" evolved, starting with early pre-production versions of every album track to later takes of those songs.

The DVD features several music videos ("Too Many Tears" and "Restless Heart") plus the making-of-the-album featurette. There is also a video EP featuring the three relevant songs from the 1997 live acoustic album, "Starkers In Tokyo", originally only available in Japan

"Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition" track listing:

Disc 1:

Restless Heart: 2021 Remix

01. Restless Heart

02. You're So Fine

03. Can't Go On

04. Crying

05. Take Me Back Again

06. Anything You Want

07. Too Many Tears

08. All In The Name Of Love

09. Your Precious Love

10. Can't Stop Now

11. Woman Trouble Blues

12. Stay With Me

13. Oi (Theme For An Imaginary Drum Solo)

14. Don't Fade Away

15. Can't Go On (Unzipped)

Disc 2:

Restless Heart: 2021 Remaster

01. Don't Fade Away

02. All In The Name Of Love

03. Restless Heart

04. Too Many Tears

05. Crying

06. Stay With Me

07. Can't Go On

08. You're So Fine

09. Your Precious Love

10. Take Me Back Again

11. Woman Trouble Blues

12. Anything You Want

13. Can't Stop Now

14. Too Many Tears '95 (Live & Drunk in the Studio featuring The Horny B'stards)

Disc 3:

Dancing On The Titanic

Early Arrangements & Getting Drum Tracks in the Studio

01. Restless Heart

02. You're So Fine

03. Can't Go On

04. Crying

05. Take Me Back Again

06. Anything You Want

07. Too Many Tears

08. All In The Name Of Love

09. Your Precious Love (Soul Version)

10. You Precious Love

11. Can't Stop Now (Instrumental Version)

12. Woman Trouble Blues

13. Stay With Me

14. Oi (Instrumental)

15. Don't Fade Away

16. Snakes Down South (Unreleased Demo)

Disc 4:

Restless Heart: Evolutions

01. Restless Heart

02. You're So Fine

03. Can't Go On

04. Crying

05. Take Me Back Again

06. Anything You Want

(Red Light Green Light)

07. Too Many Tears

08. All In The Name Of Love

09. Your Precious Love

10. Can't Stop Now

11. Woman Trouble Blues

12. Stay With Me

13. Oi (Instrumental)

14. Don't Fade Away

Disc 5: Restless Heart: DVD-Video

* All In The Name Of Love (Fan Video)

* Anything You Want (Fan Video)

* You're So Fine (Music Video)

* Restless Heart (Fan Video)

* Too Many Tears (Music Video)

* Don't Fade Away (Music Video)

* Can't Go On (Acoustic Slideshow)

* Restless Heart (Lyric Video)

Starkers Trilogy

* Too Many Tears

* Can't Go On

* Don't Fade Away

Behind The Scenes

* The Making Of Restless Heart

Trafalgar Releasing and Anthem Entertainment have announced that RUSH — Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart — will return to the big screen as "Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut" comes to select movie theaters nationwide on September 9, 2021.

"Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut" brings RUSH fans together in movie theatres once again worldwide — this time to celebrate 40 years of "Moving Pictures". This global fan event takes an alternate "director's cut" of 2019's feature, giving audiences a special look into "R40 Live", with a revamped setlist including new additions of bonus tracks "One Little Victory" and "Red Barchetta" as well as "Cygnus X-1" / "The Story So Far" featuring Neil Peart's final recorded drum solo masterpiece. Additional favorites include songs such as "Animate", "Closer To The Heart", "Subdivisions" and "Tom Sawyer", along with backstage moments and candid footage left on the cutting-room floor. The Director's Cut also includes soundcheck performances of the fan-favorite "Jacob's Ladder", exclusive interviews with Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, Taylor Hawkins, producer Nick Raskulinecz, The Trailer Park Boys, violinist Jonathan Dinklage and more surprises.

Public ticketing for "Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut" begins on August 3. Ticket on-sale dates may vary by country. Visit www.cinemastrangiato.com for ticketing and the most up-to-date information regarding participating theaters.

"We are proud to once again bring RUSH to big screens worldwide in celebration of 40 years of 'Moving Pictures'," said Kymberli Frueh, Trafalgar Releasing SVP of content acquisitions. "RUSH has such a passionate following and we're pleased to be able to share so many never-before-seen performances with fans through this new Director's Cut of 'Cinema Strangiato'."

To accompany the announcement, RUSH has shared a snippet of the above-mentioned performance of "Cygnus X-1" / "The Story So Far", which features Peart's final recorded drum solo.

RUSH singer/bassist Geddy Lee told the 93.3 WMMR radio station about "Cinema Strangiato": "What it is is basically a way of celebrating the 'R40' tour in the sense on a big screen. It's taking a lot of stuff that fans might have seen on that video, the concert footage, but it's added a few twists to it — there's some soundcheck footage, there's some pieces that people haven't seen and haven't been released, and there are interviews with various musicians blah-blah-blah-ing about us. [Laughs] So I think the intent of the record company, in that regard, was just to create something that you can't have at home. Going into a venue with a ton of other like-minded RUSH fans and celebrating the final tour, as it were."

Peart died in January 2020 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson have repeatedly said that RUSH will never do a show unless all three musicians agree to take part. They haven't performed as RUSH without Peart since he joined the band in 1974.

California rockers BUCKCHERRY have released the third video from their "Hellbound" album, for the track "Wasting No More Time". The clip was directed by Kurtis "KasterTroy" Imel and was shot at Nelson's Landing, a legendary ghost town 45 minutes from Las Vegas. It follows videos for the songs "So Hott" and "Hellbound".

Earlier in the month, BUCKCHERRY postponed a couple of weeks' worth of tour dates after two members of the band tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

"Hellbound" was released on June 25 via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded last fall in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Last summer, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July 2020.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY recruited Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

ZZ TOP's longtime bassist Dusty Hill has died. He was 72 years old.

The band's Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said in a statement: "We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ TOP fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the 'Top'. We will forever be connected to that 'Blues Shuffle in C.' You will be missed greatly, amigo."

ZZ TOP played without Hill last Friday night (July 23) at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois after he was forced to return to Texas to address a hip issue. Filling in for him at the gig was longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis.

On July 21, ZZ TOP canceled its concert in Evansville, Indiana because of a "health issue within the band," according to local news outlet Evansville Courier & Press.

ZZ TOP kicked off its latest tour less than two weeks ago in Manchester, Iowa. The trek, dubbed "A Celebration With ZZ Top", is scheduled to continue in August with dates in the South, Midwest and Far West. A residency at The Venetian Theater in Las Vegas that had been postponed from last year is now set to start in early October.

When ZZ TOP announced the tour, Hill — who joined the band a year after its formation in 1969 — commented: "They shut the door right after our 50th-anniversary tour and now it's back open. We're excited to get out there and play our music for everybody."

Gibbons recently told Classic Rock magazine that he and his bandmates were working on ZZ TOP's 16th album after he had completed work on his latest solo LP, "Hardware". "The last laugh has yet to be heard," he said. "While we were working on 'Hardware', I was sending the roughs that might not have been fitting for that but were certainly fitting for the ZZ thing. I get to tiptoe out of 'Hardware' and back into ZZ, which is underway now."


"We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. ...

Posted by ZZ Top on Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Two-time Grammy-nominated progressive music titans DREAM THEATER will release their 15th studio album, "A View From The Top Of The World", on October 22. "A View From The Top OF The World" is DREAM THEATER at its musical finest expanding on the sound they helped create while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe. The seven-song album also marks the second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap.

DREAM THEATER — comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini — was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of their last release "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of "Scenes From A Memory" when a global pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they'd just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) — a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face-to-face with Petrucci. The album ultimately threaded together lean and uncompromising hooks with tried-and-true technical proficiency.

"We just love to play our instruments," observes Petrucci. "That never goes away. I love to be creative, write, and exercise that part of my mind. We've been able to do this for a long time, and we don't take it for granted. Whenever we get together, we know we can’t disappoint ourselves or our fans, so we manage to try even harder."

"We approach every album like it's our first," adds LaBrie. "It's been such a great ride, but we're not going to stop."

"A View From The Top Of The World" track listing:

01. The Alien (9:32)

02. Answering The Call (7:35)

03. Invisible Monster (6:31)

04. Sleeping Giant (10:05)

05. Transcending Time (6:25)

06. Awaken The Master (9:47)

07. A View From The Top Of The World (20:24)

DREAM THEATER is also planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The "Top Of The World" tour of North America kicks off on October 28 in Mesa, Arizona and runs through December 14 where it concludes in St. Petersburg, Florida. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows as well as VIP packages can be found at www.dreamtheater.net.

For the past 127 years, Gibson — the iconic American instrument brand — has been synonymous with creating and shaping sound across genres of music and generations of players. Gibson today announced the launch of Gibson Records, headquartered in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee, alongside a strategic label partnership with BMG.

Over the past two and a half years, Gibson has launched successful music initiatives built around their iconic brands, premium guitars, and amazing artists. Not to mention initiatives that have re-energized the Gibson fanbase and the music community at large including Gibson Artist Collections, Gibson TV, the Gibson App, the Gibson Generation Group (G3), Gibson Gives, and the newly opened Gibson Garage in Nashville. Gibson Records is the next major step in contributing to the evolution of collaborative artist partnerships.

Iconic music that inspired generational movements has been recorded with Gibson guitars since the inception of recorded music. Gibson Records will work with Gibson artists to produce, record, and promote their music to fans around the world, spreading the power of their music, creating, building, and delivering guitar-centric music, across genres to fans across the globe.

Gibson Records has also announced that it has entered into a strategic label partnership for the release with BMG, the world's fourth-biggest music company.

"Launching a record label that is in service to our artists is the natural evolution of our 127 years of history. Gibson Records will work with Gibson artists to capture, record and promote their music under an artist friendly partnership," says Cesar Gueikian, brand president, Gibson Brands. "Gibson Records will keep all of us at Gibson focused on our artist first culture that is engaged and connected to music. We are excited to launch Gibson Records, to announce that Slash is our first signed artist and that we have entered into a label partnership with BMG."

"It's an honor to be the first release on the new Gibson Records," says Slash. "It's a zenith in our partnership for sure and having worked so closely with Gibson for so long, I know they will be a label that genuinely supports their artists creatively. Not just me, but all the artists they choose to work with. It's perfect."

"Partnering with Gibson Records and BMG presents an exciting and unique opportunity to explore new ideas for marketing and promoting a record," adds Jeff Varner, co-founder of Revelation Management Group (Slash's longtime manager). "It shows a real commitment on the part of Gibson towards the artist community, and it will serve as a model for future artist releases. Working with Cesar and the Gibson team has provided a fresh approach to how we can support an album release."

"BMG congratulates Gibson on the launch of their new label and is proud to collaborate with Gibson Records on its inaugural album release," says Thomas Scherer, president, BMG repertoire and marketing, New York, and Los Angeles. "This is the perfect match between two global brands with an unrivaled reverence for iconic artists and respect to service their creative talents. We are excited to be the worldwide partner for Slash's new album with MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS and look forward to delivering their new music to fans everywhere around the world."

On September 24, Rivers Of Nihil will release their fourth full-length, The Work, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the album, a video for the new single "Clean" (directed by Mike Truehart) can be viewed below.

Reading, Pennsylvania's Rivers Of Nihil have never fit neatly into a box, but with 2018's Where Owls Know My Name, they transcended all labels applied to them. Returning in 2021 with The Work, they have forged further into new territory, delivering an album that is as cerebral as it is visceral, and that covers a staggering sonic range, definitively placing them in a category of their own. Inarguably a very dense, heavy collection, The Work is far too dynamic to be considered a solely metal record, and there is a genuine warmth that shows through, particularly on "Wait" and the gorgeous "Maybe One Day," and the band have included far more clean vocals alongside the screaming that tears through many of the heavier tracks. Courtesy of their friend Zach Strouse, saxophone once again adds extra layers of atmosphere to the collection, utilizing baritone, soprano and alto saxes to great affect.

With guitars and synths/keys tracked at Uttley's home studio, the band then we went back for the third album in a row to Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio to do drums, vocals, bass, sax, and mixing.

"We've done so many sessions with those guys that they're basically an extension of our band at this point. They usually know what we like, and we always encourage them to roast us to make stuff better," says guitarist Brody Uttley.

Alongside the band, James Dorton from Black Crown Initiate provided some vocals on "Episode," Grant McFarland played cello on "The Void From Which No Sound Escapes", and Uttley's friend Stephan Lopez helped out with all of the field recordings, an integral part of the sonic textures of the record.

The Work can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- deluxe box set (hardcover box includes: CD digipak (w/ bonus track), blue w/ black & white splatter vinyl, 52-page photo book, slipmat, and exclusive download content)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- silver w/ blue & black splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- natural clear w/ black & red splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- crystal clear w/ white & turquoise splatter vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red / white melt vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- transparent orange w/ black swirls vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- silver / black marbled vinyl (Impericon exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- aqua blue / canary yellow galaxy vinyl (US exclusive)
- white / cyan blue galaxy vinyl (US exclusive)

The Work tracklisting:

"The Tower (Theme from "The Work")"
"Dreaming Black Clockwork"
"Wait"
"Focus"
"Clean"
"The Void from Which No Sound Escapes"
"MORE?"
"Tower 2"
"Episode"
"Maybe One Day"
"Terrestria IV: Work"

"Clean" video:

Rivers of Nihil lineup:

Jake Dieffenbach - lead vocals
Brody Uttley - lead guitar, keyboards
Adam Biggs - bass, backing vocals
Jon Topore - rhythm guitar
Jared Klein - drums, backing vocals

(Photo - Mike Truehart)




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Veil Of The Serpent have released a cover of "Dark Saga" from Iced Earth's The Dark Saga record, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

With this debut single the anonymous trio pays tribute to one of the most important heavy metal bands of the American metal movement. "Dark Saga" sets the tone for this exciting new music project heading from Germany and the US.

Watch the official visualizer for "Dark Saga" below, and stay tuned for more exciting news to come from Veil Of The Serpent.




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Metallica have released another preview for their upcoming reissue of The Black Album. Below you can watch "Enter Sandman" (Psycho Band Pass) from the “Music Videos” DVD included in the box set edition. It's an early rough cut of the band performance footage from the “Enter Sandman” music video.

You knew it was coming, you’ve been patiently waiting, and finally The Black Album reissue is here. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, multiple formats will be hitting the physical and digital universe on September 10, and are available for pre-order now.

Says Metallica: "Can you believe it’s been almost thirty years since its original release? Neither can we! Then off we went to hit the road for a massive 300+ show tour, and the ‘Tallica experience went to a whole new level. To celebrate this milestone, we had to go all out with a wide variety of configurations for all your listening pleasure, including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3CD expanded edition, and digital (including high-def versions).

"There’s also the ultimate release for die-hard fans: a Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set containing over 24 hours of music including the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, and live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, and live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four different tour laminates, three unique lithos, three guitar picks, a Metallica lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card.

"But wait… of course there’s more! In addition to the reissue of The Black Album, we’re also pretty pumped about the release of The Metallica Blacklist which features an unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, continents, and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.

"Everyone who pre-orders any configuration of either release will receive digital instant grats delivered right to your inbox throughout the summer. Keep watching this site and our socials for lots of video and audio previews as well as all kinds of other Black Album related activities… it’s definitely going to be one black summer!"

Metallica recently checked in with the following update: "We told you about the re-issue of The Black Album, but we’re also really proud and excited to be releasing The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut. Available now for pre-order, digital formats hit the internet on September 10th, CDs and LPs in stores and at your favorite online retailer on October 1st.

"With contributions from countries all over the globe from the US to Nigeria, there are tracks from singer-songwriters, country artists, electronic, and hip-hop artists alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music, and many, many more covering the entire spectrum from musicians we’ve shared the stage with, to some who were not even born yet when the original album was released!

"The Metallica Blacklist will be available in multiple formats including digital (standard and high-def versions), 4CD, and a limited edition 7LP vinyl pressing. Pre-orders will instantly receive multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, philanthropist, and trailblazer Miley Cyrus’ version of “Nothing Else Matters” featuring Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith, as well as Columbian-born rock/pop superstar, and winner of 20+ Grammy & Latin Music Grammy Awards, Juanes’ interpretation of “Enter Sandman.” Additional digital instant grat tracks will be delivered right to your inbox throughout the summer.

"One hundred percent of the profits go to charity – 50% to our own All Within My Hands and 50% to a charity of each artist’s choice. In addition to raising money for charity, we wanted to show that Metallica’s music transcends genres, distance, and cultures, and we like to think that – with everyone’s help – we’ve done just that. It was important to us that the artists could choose whichever song they most connected to; it didn’t matter if we already had multiple versions of a song, if an artist wanted to cover that song, so be it. We were honored to have artists of this caliber want to be a part of the project and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed putting it all together!

"One album, 12 songs, 53 artists, unlimited possibilities."




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Zee Productions has announced the September 17 release of more new Iron Maiden jigsaw puzzles via their Rock Saws imprint.

A message states: "We are adding three more 500-piece puzzles to our official Iron Maiden puzzles range, and this time it's the classic singles 'Running Free', 'Sanctuary' and 'Purgatory'!"

Pre-order here.




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The Night Flight Orchestra is back! Sweden's most famous cabin crew recently announced the second part of the "Aeromantic" saga, seeing the light of the day on September 3. Aeromantic II is another thrilling journey to the band's core and their passion for traveling and being in motion - accompanied by the balance act of bittersweet sadness and pure joy of life.

You can pre-order and pre-save the album here.

The band states: "Aeromantic II is about circling around the globe in the stratosphere, never wanting to land. A continuation of the journey we started all these years ago. The Swedish melancholy and the simultaneous love of life, creating a new alternative world for all the restless souls out there. We know that you are there. We feel you. And The Night Flight Orchestra will guide you into a better place. Where the nights are made of Chardonnay and every day is burning. Just take our hands and flounce about with us in the twilight zone, where everything is possible."

The Night Flight Orchestra have released a video for the single, "Chardonnay Nights". Stream "Chardonnay Nights" here and watch the clip below.

The band about "Chardonnay Nights": "This song tells the story of endless summer nights and a young man’s desperate fight to push his tomorrows away. To immerse himself or herself in the emergency of the present tense. The way the secrecies of the night reveal unknown truths, and you don't have to see things too clear, you just have to see them."

Tracklisting:

"Violent Indigo"
"Midnight Marvelous"
"How Long"
"Burn For Me"
"Chardonnay Nights"
"Change"
"Amber Through A Window"
"I Will Try"
"You Belong To The Night"
"Zodiac"
"White Jeans"
"Moonlit Skies"
"Reach Out"

"Chardonnay Nights" video:

"Burn For Me" video:

"White Jeans" video:

The Night Flight Orchestra is:

Björn Strid – Lead and Backing vocals
David Andersson – Guitars
Sharlee D’Angelo – Bass
Sebastian Forslund – Guitars, percussion
Jonas Källsbäck – Drums
John Manhattan Lönnmyr – Keyboards
Anna Brygård – Backing Vocals
AnnaMia Bonde – Backing Vocals




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Frontiers Music Srl recently welcomed the new melodic metal project, Between Worlds, to the label. The band is a vehicle for vocalist Ronny Munroe (ex-Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Metal Church) and highlights his incredible vocal talents.

The self-titled debut album will be released on September 10, 2021. Written and produced in partnership with Alessandro Del Vecchio, this album is a must hear for fans of classic American heavy/power metal. A new preview of the album is available today with the release of the song "Soul Chaser", featuring Whitesnake guitarist, Joel Hoekstra. Listen below, and pre-order/save Between Worlds here.

Ronny Munroe first came to prominence in the metal world when he stepped into the role of frontman for the legendary band Metal Church. During an audition for a project principal Metal Church member Kurdt Vanderhoof was working on, Ronny was first put on Kurdt's radar. After watching Munroe's performance, Vanderhoof decided to resurrect Metal Church with Ronny on lead vocals. He would go on to sing four albums with the band, The Weight Of The World (2004), A Light In The Dark (2006), This Present Wasteland (2008), and Generation Nothing (2013). Ronny would also wind up singing for Vanderhoof's progressive rock project, Presto Ballet, further showcasing his vocal talents.  

In another sign of the power of his voice, in 2011, Ronny was asked to join the mighty Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which further highlighted his vocal talents and showcased his voice to the popular act's audience.

After a break from music for personal reasons, Ronny joined Steve Smyth’s (Forbidden, Nevermore) band One Machine in 2019 before starting work on the, at the time, as yet untitled Between Worlds project with Alessandro Del Vecchio. Munroe and Del Vecchio got in touch at the end of 2019 with the idea of writing some songs together and creating a musical project centered around Ronny's vocal abilities and songwriting. Alessandro invited his longtime songwriting partner Pete Alpenborg to join forces with them and sent the first four demos to Frontiers, who moved quickly to sign them to the label. Between Worlds was thus formally born.

Ronny and Alessandro wanted to involve people in the project that would resonate with Ronny's history in music and put their mark on this incredible set of songs, so Johnny Lee Middleton (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Chris Caffery (TSO, Savatage, Spirits Of Fire), Jack Frost (Seven Witches, Savatage), and Joel Hoekstra (also of Whitesnake) all contributed.  Fans of Crimson Glory, Metal Church, and Classic American power metal will revel in hearing Ronny deliver some of his best vocal performances to date, while telling the story of his rebirth in music. Ronny poured his soul into the performance, with musical power and melody lifting him up during the process.

Tracklisting:

"Between Worlds"
"These Walls"
"Life Enough For Me"
"Times Of Change"
"No Escape"
"Soul Chaser"
"Scent Of An Angel"
"Beautiful Disaster"
"Flip The Script"
"Beneath The Surface"
"Calm Before The Storm"

"Soul Chaser":

"Between Worlds" video:

Lineup:

Ronny Munroe - Vocals
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Pete Alpenborg - Rhythm Guitars
Jack Frost - Lead Guitars
Alex Jansen - Bass
Michele Sanna - Drums

John Lee Middleton -  Bass On “No Escape”
Joel Hoekstra - Lead Guitar On “Soul Chaser”
Chris Caffery  - Lead Guitars On “Angel” And “No Escape”




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Following up to the announcement of their new album Molotov Rocktail, out September 3 via Napalm Records, and releasing their single “Careless (In The Age Of Altruism)”, Norwegian power trio Bokassa are not stepping down from their stoner punk rampage, revealing their new single “Burn It All (P.T.S.D.E.A.D.)”. Airtight, dense production and raspy, unmistakable vocals by guitarist Jørn Kaarstad make this heavy rock banger an unmatched joyride. The melodic chorus and speedy guitar solos prove Bokassa to be on top of their stoner punk game.

Says the band: “’Burn It All’ is just a great song in our opinion. A perfect uptempo Bokassa track. Everything from the stoney lead riff, the melodic verses and choruses to the metal riffage in the bridge makes this song pop. One of our favorites on the record. And it probably includes our coolest solo yet. The video was really fun to shoot as well, although we wouldn’t recommend dressing in corpse paint with fake blood when it’s 30 degrees and a hell of a lot of mosquitos around!”

Hailing from Trondheim, Norway, hard rock trio Bokassa have recently made a name for themselves with their brand of hard-hitting, melodic, catchy punk and stoner rock, right from the first full length, Divide & Conquer (2017). During the Worldwired tour with Metallica, the band released the critically acclaimed Crimson Riders (2019). On top of this, the Norwegians were nominated for the prestigious Spellemann-Award as Breakthrough of the Year in 2020. Now, Bokassa are ready to enter the next explosive chapter with their exciting new album, Molotov Rocktail.

Vocalist and guitarist Jørn Kaarstad’s unmistakably raspy voice and crushing guitar riffs hit satisfyingly hard with the snappy drumming and fat bass tone of drummer Olav Dowkes and bassist Bård Linga. Songs like “Herticules” effortlessly pull off the transition between melodic choruses and punishing breakdowns, while the title track “Molotov Rocktail” is two minutes of pure stoner punk paradise with its dense songwriting and dynamic production. The album closer’s intro riff (“Immortal Space Pirate 3 Too Old For This Sith”), meanwhile, could be lifted straight off a classic Behemoth album. On Molotov Rocktail, Bokassa’s daring but cohesive tightrope act of singalongs and neck breaking grooves is highly contagious – mixed and mastered by Machine - the powerhouse from Trondheim misses no chance to entrance the listener with every second of runtime.

Molotov Rocktail will be available in North America in the following formats:

- CD Digipak
- 1 LP Gatefold Pink - limited to 300 copies worldwide
- 1 LP Gatefold Black
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Freelude"
"So Long Idiots!"
"Pitchforks R Us"
"Hereticules"
"Low (And Behold)"
"Godless"
"Molotov Rocktail"
"Burn It All (P.T.S.D.E.A.D)"
"Careless (In The Age Of Altruism)"
"Code Red"
"Immortal Space Pirate 3 Too Old For This Sith"

"Careless (In The Age Of Altruism)" video:

Bokassa are:

Jørn Kaarstad - Lead Vocals,Guitar
Bård Linga - Bass, Vocals
Olav Dowkes - Drums, Vocals

(Photo - Kenneth Sporsheim)




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It was announced on July 26 that, sadly, Metal Church vocalist Mike Howe is no longer with us. The band has issued the following statement:

"It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California. We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time."

Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery has paid tribute to Howe via social media:

"Completely speechless.

In 2016, I was given the opportunity to play guitar on a tour with Metal Church. This was their tour with the return of the legendary Mike Howe on vocals. 

Not only was it an honor to play with this band. It was a complete pleasure to tour with Mike and listen to him sing every night. In 2019, I had the opportunity once again to share the stage with him on a tour playing with Doro. This tour I just had the opportunity to watch him perform since I was playing guitar with Doro. But I spent a lot of time talking to Mike and wandering some of our locations together.

I thank you for all of your kind words and friendship with our time together on the road.

RIP Mike Howe.

Heaven's band of legends just got another amazing singer."

Mike Howe was the singer of Metal Church from 1988 - 1996, and again from 2015 - 2021. Howe made his Metal Church debut on Blessing In Disguise, and his final work with the band was Damned If You Do. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.

All of us at BraveWords send our condolences to Mike Howe's family, bandmates, friends, and fans. R.I.P.




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On July 25th, Fractal Universe held a livestream event in support of their new release, The Impassable Horizon. This show was the one and only time that the band would perform The Impassable Horizon in its entirety. 

Fans who couldn't watch the initial stream are able to re-watch it through Veeps until August 8th; additionally, an exclusive shirt design is available for purchase during the show at Veeps. Tickets can still be reserved at veeps.com. Fractal Universe has shared "Falls Of The Earth" from the livestream:

Fractal Universe comments: "With the release of The Impassable Horizon, we received messages from fans all around the world asking us when we'll be able to perform in their countries. While we don't have an answer for that, with The Impassable Horizon - Alive we want to give all of you the opportunity to experience a Fractal Universe show from home! We've prepared a unique setlist: this is our one and only time performing the new record in its entirety, alongside some of your favorites from our previous albums, all of that with our brand new stage production! So make sure not to miss it!"

The Impassable Horizon can be ordered here on CD, vinyl, as well as digitally.

Fans can also visit Fractal Universe's official store for additional vinyl and more.

The Impassable Horizon tracklisting:

"Autopoiesis"
"A Clockwork Expectation"
"Interfering Spherical Scenes"
"Symmetrical Masquerade"
"Falls Of The Earth"
"Withering Snowdrops"
"Black Sails Of Melancholia"
"A Cosmological Arch"
"Epitaph"
"Godless Machinists"
"Flashes Of Potentialities" (Unplugged)

"A Clockwork Expectation" video:

 




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New Jersey based brutal death metal act, Cognitive, released their fourth album, Malevolent Thoughts Of Hastened Extinction, on July 16 via Unique Leader. All ten songs can now be streamed in one video:

 Malevolent Thoughts Of A Hastened Extinction artwork and tracklisting:

"Eniac"
"The Maw"
"Arterial Red"
"From The Depths"
"Oroborous"
"To Feed The Worms"
"Malevolent Thoughts"
"Tearing Tendon From Bone"
"Destitute"
"Of A Hastened Extinction"

"To Feed The Worms" video:

"Eniac" video:

 




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NMB (Neal Morse Band) will release their fourth studio album, Innocence & Danger, on August 27. Drummer Mike Portnoy has uploaded drum, vox & perc cam for the song "Bird On A Wire".

The band has released a video for the song, "Bird On A Wire", which can be seen below:

A "making of" trailer for the Innocence & Danger documentary included with the album has also been issued:

With NMB’s previous two releases being concept albums, it’s perhaps remarkable that Innocence & Danger is a series of unrelated songs, but drummer Mike Portnoy says, “After two sprawling back to back double concept albums in a row, it was refreshing to get back to writing a collection of unrelated individual songs in the vein of our first album.”

Indeed, making this album came easy to the band; while the initial inspiration came particularly from Bill Hubauer (keyboards) and Randy George (bass), the ideas flowed from everybody from there on, as George recalls: “I am excited about the level of collaboration that we achieved on this one. We even went in with a lot of ideas that weren’t necessarily developed, and I think in the end we have something that represents the best of everybody in the band.”

In fact - like its two acclaimed predecessors - Innocence & Danger is a double album by inspiration, rather than design, as Portnoy explains: “As much as we wanted to try and keep it to a single album after having just done two double albums, we wrote so much material that we found ourselves with our third double album in a row! That’s pretty prog!”

There is also plenty in Innocence & Danger to excite those prog fans who have a thirst for epics, as Neal Morse explains: “There's one half hour epic and another that's about 20 minutes long. I really didn't realise that they were that long when we were recording them, which I guess is great because if a movie is really good, you don't realise that it's three hours long! But there are also some shorter songs: some have poppier elements, some are heavier and some have three part acoustic sections. I’m excited about all of it, really.”

The album will be released as a Limited 2CD+DVD Digipak (featuring a Making Of documentary), 3LP+2CD Boxset, Standard 2CD Jewelcase & Digital Album, featuring artwork by Thomas Ewerhard (Transatlantic). Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

CD 1 (Innocence):
"Do It All Again"
"Bird On A Wire"
"Your Place In The Sun"
"Another Story To Tell"
"The Way It Had To Be"
"Emergence"
"Not Afraid Pt. 1"
"Bridge Over Troubled Water"

CD 2 (Danger):
"Not Afraid Pt. 2"
"Beyond The Years"

"Do It All Again" video:

The Neal Morse Band (now NMB) was formed in 2012, featuring long-time collaborators Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards and guitars), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals) and Randy George (bass), as well as Bill Hubauer (keyboards, vocals) and Eric Gillette (guitars, vocals). The band’s first album, The Grand Experiment, showed both a freshness and maturity that was further developed in 2016’s The Similitude Of A Dream, 2019’s The Great Adventure and 2021’s Innocence & Danger.

 




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Coming off their sophomore album, Emerald Seas, Seven Spires are set to return with their third, and by far, most ambitious album to date, Gods Of Debauchery, on September 10.

Today, the band has released another new single and video, "Lightbringer" ft. Casey Lee Williams. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Gods Of Debauchery on CD/LP/Digital here.

Seven Spires on the new single: “‘Lightbringer’ is a song about revelling in life's fleeting pleasures, and indulging the parts of yourself that the world demonised. It was born from a love of Korean Pop Music, and in the context of the story of the album Gods Of Debauchery, it sees our detached anti-hero sailing from port to port, collecting a loyal crew of devotees without regard for the collateral damage left in their wake."

On the album, the band continues: "There is a ton of influence from video games, films, and TV soundtracks such as Skyrim, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Lucifer, Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel films, and many more, plus our love for classic Kamelot, Dimmu Borgir, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Late Romantic Classical Music. The most important part of making art is staying true to yourself, and we unapologetically did exactly that, which meant exploring every corner of what we love about music, and constantly pushing the technical limits of our own musicianship."

After the release of Emerald Seas in February of 2020, the band had multiple amazing support slots lined up to promote the record on the road. They were geared up and in fighting form, ready to bring their music to the masses and show the world what they are all about. Plans were quickly changed weeks after the album' release due to the coronavirus pandemic though and soon it became obvious that touring would be ground to a halt for a while. So, the band took the opportunity to commence work on their follow-up album, which wound up becoming the mammoth 70+ minute masterpiece that is Gods Of Debauchery. This album, epic in scope and reach, shows progression well beyond their years.

Tracklisting:

"Wanderer’s Prayer"
"Gods Of Debauchery"
"The Cursed Muse"
"Ghost Of Yesterday"
"Lightbringer"
"Echoes Of Eternity"
"Shadow On An Endless Sea"
"Dare To Live"
"In Sickness, In Health"
"This God Is Dead"
"Oceans Of Time"
"The Unforgotten Name"
"Gods Amongst Men"
"Dreamchaser"
"Through Lifetimes"
"Fall With Me"

"Gods Of Debauchery" video:

Lineup:

Adrienne Cowan - Vocals and Orchestration
Chris Dovas - Drums
Jack Kosto - Guitars
Peter de Reyna – Bass
Chris Dovas - Drums




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