QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre, former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and German metal queen Doro Pesch are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the passing of METAL CHURCH singer Mike Howe.

Howe died Monday morning (July 26) at the age of 55 at his home in Eureka, California. No cause of death has yet been revealed.

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.




RIP my sweet friend. I have no words for this loss. Love and respect to you always. #mikehowe #metalchurch #legend4ever pic.twitter.com/CfZczC1g4h

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) July 27, 2021








So sad to hear of the untimely passing of Mike Howe (centered) of @metalchurchis1. I finally met him for the first time this photo was taken in Vegas 04/19. Condolences to his family, friends and fans! pic.twitter.com/C9yIx0iH2J

— Jeff Scott Soto (@jeffscottsoto) July 27, 2021








So sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Howe from @metalchurchis1 I can’t say I knew him well, but I did spend a weekend with him and the band in the studio while they were recording his first album with the band (Blessing In Disguise) back in 1988. Gone way too soon #RIPMikeHowe pic.twitter.com/EpzuSR8nFz

— Mike Portnoy ? (@MikePortnoy) July 27, 2021








So #sad to hear the #terrible news of the passing of the one and only #MikeHowe of @metalchurchis1. Such a big loss!

What a great guy and fantastic singer! You will be missed sooooo much! We will never forget you!

R.I.P., my #friend!!

❤️?❤️?❤️

Much #love, #Doro pic.twitter.com/POChaiTC5W

— DORO (@DoroOfficial) July 27, 2021








Just heard the sad news of the passing of Mike Howe. We signed his first band, Heretic to @MetalBlade. Then of course he went onto a great career with @metalchurchis1. Really good guy and gone way too soon. Condolences to his family and friends. #RIPMikeHowe

— Brian Slagel (@brianslagel) July 27, 2021






Saddened to hear of the the passing of former HereticMetal vocalist Mike Howe. R.I.P.

Posted by HereticMetal on Monday, July 26, 2021



Shocked and saddened to learn that the incomparable Mike Howe, of Metal Church, unexpectedly passed away this morning. There will never be another like him. RIP, Brother.

Posted by Overkill on Monday, July 26, 2021



Words fail. Can't believe we lost not only an amazing singer, but a tremendously great guy. Our bands crossed paths...

Posted by Michael Wilton on Tuesday, July 27, 2021



Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Mike Howe. I had the honor of touring with him a couple of years ago on...

Posted by Jordan Cannata on Tuesday, July 27, 2021



Rest In Peace, Mike Howe. Super nice, talented guy and the 2nd singer of Metal Church to pass. ?

Posted by Craig Locicero on Monday, July 26, 2021

Back in May 2020, it was announced that OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt would score the upcoming Netflix series "Clark". The six-episode drama series about the Swedish criminal Clark Olofsson is being directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Production company is Scandinavian Content Group.

Åkerfeldt discussed his involvement with "Clark" in a new interview with DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Asked if he has had a chance to work on any new music during the coronavirus pandemic, Mikael responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not for OPETH. In a way, I don't wanna come across as insensitive, but the pandemic hit at a good time for me, work-wise, because I've been offered to do a film score, basically, or for a series. The director is Jonas Åkerlund, who's mostly known for making music videos for Madonna and Lady Gaga. He has a past in heavy metal. He was in a band called BATHORY years ago. And he's a friend of mine. And he asked if I would be interested in scoring music for a TV series that's coming out on Netflix about a guy called Clark Olofsson, who was a famous, infamous robber, basically. So it's almost like a biopic. So I'm writing music that's supposed to fit in from the '40s and onwards. So that's been fun. So I've been doing that. I'm still kind of working on that."

Regarding his approach to writing the "Clark" score, Mikael said: "In the beginning, I didn't wanna do much vocals, but I've done some vocals. He sent me the script, and I read through [it]. But he basically told me, 'Just write music like you normally do.' And that's what I did, only shorter pieces — like three-minute pieces. You don't wanna spend time working on a 20-minute piece and then he goes, 'That sucks.' So I'm just doing shorter things. But it's been really fun. And I think I've learned a lot. I had to kind of school myself in music, how it sounded in different decades and so forth… Some stuff is kind of OPETH-y sounding, I guess, and some stuff is definitely not OPETH-y sounding. But it's been really fun. And some what I think are really nice things I'm almost hoping it's not gonna be used, so I could take it for OPETH."

Asked if did any scoring to picture, Mikael said: "I haven't scored to picture. I would love to do that. But this is the first time I've done anything like this. So I'm just basically writing things and sending it to him. And then we'll see what happens."

Åkerfeldt went on to reiterate that the lockdown happened at a good time for him professionally. "Yeah, I'm afraid to say," he said. "Yeah, it was good. I wouldn't have had time [to work on the score] otherwise. I've been keeping busy working almost every day since March 2020."

Olofsson will be portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, who is best known for his terrorizing and iconic portrayal of Pennywise in the Stephen King saga "It". Last year, he starred in the Netflix film "The Devil All The Time" and in the Sundance hit "Nine Days" for Sony Pictures Classic. On television, Skarsgård most recently starred in Hulu's "Castle Rock", a psychological drama series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King.

Based on the truth and lies of Olofsson's autobiography, the Swedish-language series will feature Clark's early years until present day. The notorious gangster started his criminal career in the 1960s and became one of the most controversial personalities in contemporary Swedish history. Convicted of several counts of drug trafficking, attempted murder, assault, theft and dozens of bank robberies, he has spent more than half his life behind bars and has left behind a trail of trauma, heartbreak, disappointment and general devastation. In the 1970s, Clark gave rise to the idea of "The Stockholm Syndrome" during a failed bank robbery in Stockholm — and has ever since kept his position as celebrity criminal fooling all of Sweden to fall in love with him. Just like he desired.

Åkerlund said: "'Clark' is the story about the most politically incorrect man, who lived the most politically incorrect life. These are the kinds of stories I always look for. It's an ultra-violent, witty, emotional, real and surreal biography to put a face to the name Stockholm Syndrome, but it isn't just about the Norrmalmstorg Robbery. It's about his whole life and what made him who he is, the truth and lies of his incredible career. Bill Skarsgård is the perfect match for this and he will bring the Stockholm Syndrome to the role. And Netflix is the perfect platform, they are not just the biggest streaming service, they also have the boldness to tell this incredible story."

Added Skarsgård: "Clark Olofsson is, for good and bad, one of Sweden's most colourful and fascinating individuals. I accept this challenge with delight mingled with terror and think that with Jonas and Netflix in the back, we can tell a groundbreaking story with a pace and madness we may not have seen on TV before. Clark's life and history is so incredible and screwed that it would even make Scorsese blush."

Tesha Crawford, director of International Originals Northern Europe at Netflix, said: "We really look forward to continuing our great collaboration with Jonas Åkerlund and Bill Skarsgård. We can not imagine a better team to tell the complex story about Clark Olofsson and how he became one of the most controversial personalities in modern Swedish times."

METAL CHURCH singer Mike Howe has died at the age of 55. No cause of death has been revealed.

The news of Howe's passing was broken by METAL CHURCH in a social media post this evening. The band wrote: "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."

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, 2016's "XI" was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the '80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

During the making of the "XI" album, Mike stated about his return to METAL CHURCH: "Kurdt Vanderhoof got ahold of me in August of 2014, and he proposed [me] coming back to the band. He said Ronny [Munroe] left the band and he didn't really wanna carry on with METAL CHURCH unless maybe I would consider coming back. So I said, 'Well, I don't know. I'm open to it. But let's see what kind of music we can come up with.' So Kurdt went back to the studio and started writing songs in the vein of 'Hanging In The Balance', where we left off twenty years ago, and he sent them to me over the Internet. And I was, like, 'Damn! The guy still has it and he's doing great work.' So he sent me another batch, and that batch was just as good [as], if not better than, the other. So, from there, I said, ‘Well, I can’t say no to this. And let's just see how it goes.' And we started writing lyrics and getting together, and it's now morphed into this, being back in Aberdeen in the studio making the new METAL CHURCH record."

METAL CHURCH's latest release was "From The Vault", which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band's fan favorite classic "Conductor".

In a 2018 interview with Sticks For Stones promoting 2018's "Damned If You Do" LP, Mike stated about the 20-year gap between his stints in the band: "I lived my life just like everybody else. I was a carpenter/builder, and I raised two boys. Out of the blue, I got a call from Kurdt, and he invited me back. At first, I was apprehensive — I was happy to be retired [from music]; I had a great career and [was] very grateful for what I had — but because he's an old friend, I was open to listening to his proposition. We had long talks — a lot of talks — about how the music industry had changed, and how file-sharing was making it more possible to live in different areas and have family life and not cutting into your personal time as much. With the advent of technology in that way, it really helps facilitate being in a band. We just started with writing the record, because I said, 'I'm not coming back to METAL CHURCH for nostalgia's sake. If I'm going to do this, I want to make sure we can write music just as good, if not better, than what we were doing before.' We took baby steps and started writing some songs... if we like the way it sounds, we keep it; if we don't, we move on. We do that a few times until we had a good amount of songs, and we really liked what we were doing, so we put it out. That went well, and I said, 'Okay, I'm ready to go on the road with that.' ['Damned If You Do'], we took the same philosophy, and we're very happy with the end result."

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH's first two classic offerings (1984's "Metal Church" and 1986's "The Dark") before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.


It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy...

Posted by Metal Church on Monday, July 26, 2021

Prior to Thursday's (July 22) game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo spoke to Giants postgame live analyst George Kontos about the band's upcoming 40th-anniversary celebrations.

Hammett said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Man, it's crazy when I think about four decades. 'Cause I swear to God, it seems like just yesterday that we were on a tour bus somewhere in the middle of America, just trying to keep up with everything. And nowadays it's just… Forty years passed so quickly. It's amazing. What's truly amazing now is the fact that I still feel like we haven't really peaked, we're still real hungry, we still wanna make music, we still care about music, we still care about each other. I don't see any signs of us slowing down, man, 'cause we have stuff that we wanna do."

Trujillo added: "You know, what's insane about all this is that there's no shortage of musical ideas and riffs and grooves and bass lines. A lot of times when bands have been around that long, there is a shortage — people run out of ideas — and we have the opposite problem; we've got too many ideas. So it's a good problem to have."

Earlier in the month, METALLICA announced details of its massive 40th-birthday celebration: The band will mark this milestone by inviting the worldwide METALLICA family to join them in their hometown of San Francisco for two unique live shows featuring two different setlists December 17 and 19 at Chase Center. Tickets for these shows will be available only to registered members of METALLICA's Fifth Member fan club.

The 40th-anniversary shows see METALLICA return to Chase Center for the first time since the September 2019 "S&M²" concerts that also served as the venue's grand opening. It was impossible not to notice that fans from more than 60 countries traveled to the City by the Bay and completely took over San Francisco for "S&M²" weekend. That outpouring of positive vibes from around the world inspired METALLICA to invite those Fifth Members back — and this time, in addition to the two shows at Chase Center, METALLICA will be curating other live music and comedy events, Blackened Whiskey tastings, and so much more all around the city during the long four-day weekend of celebrations starting on Thursday, December 16.

Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 2.5 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album), "Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.

METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize. METALLICA's newest release, the "S&M²" album and film, arrived last August on the band's own Blackened Recordings label. "S&M²" chronicles METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony's September 6 and September 8, 2019 "S&M²" concerts that served as the grand opening of San Francisco's Chase Center and reunited the band and Symphony for the first time in 20 years. "S&M²" brings those historic shows back to life, capturing more than two and a half hours of James, Lars, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo joining forces with the nearly 80-strong San Francisco Symphony, legendary music director of the orchestra Michael Tilson Thomas and conductor Edwin Outwater.

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Speaking with 80's Metal Recycle Bin, former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell goes back to his early days and how he was introduced to Norway's TNT. He also offers his thoughts on the whole "grunge vs metal" thing and how it all came to an end. 

Harnell: "I don't think grunge killed '80s hard rock; it's the labels and too many signings. All of those singnings came in the late '80s into the '90s into the early signings of just any band with long hair, a pretty singer and a good guitar player and decent songs. I think it was just too much. MTV was loaded with that and everybody kinda started to sound the same. Our forst record came out in '84 - '85 so we were at the beginning of the whole thing- In '87 when we had Tell No Tales out and Guns N' Roses came out, Bon Jovi had Slippery When Wet out, there wer bands that were kinda different from each other. Poison was the glam band, Mötley Crüe was killing it....there was a nice mixture, but then there was this flood and just too many signings."

Harnell recently posted an acoustic cover of the Judas Priest classic "Before The Dawn" accompanied by the following message:

"There’s really no way to put into words the impact that Rob Halford had on me and my decision to make music my life, but I’ll try.

It all started when my junior high school buddy Ed Gotti gave me my first Priest album, Stained Class, in 1978 when I was just 15 years old. It blew my head apart. I listened to it every day, several times a day, it was my sonic bible that year. Of course I immediately went to the record shop and found Sin After Sin, Sad Wings and Rocka Rolla. I fell pretty hard for Sad Wings as well. And I was the first in line to buy Hell Bent For Leather when it came out later that same year and for me, it was the THE most bad ass album I’d ever  heard or seen! That cover! I literally played the 8 track to death in my first car when I was just 16.

What always struck me about Rob was his versatility. All the colors and textures in his voice, the use of various tones from beautiful to brutal and his ability to convey so many emotions in one single phrase. And of course his superhuman range and pure voiced stratospheric notes.

I surfed nearly every morning and listened to these albums to and from the beach singing full blast and honing my craft, but I didn’t know this at the time. I was literally training my voice without even thinking that’s what I was doing. I was just in a musical trance. Next to surfing it was all I cared about and all I thought about and Judas Priest was driving my obsession.

On the midst of all this heavy music there was this beautiful song 'Before the Dawn'. I just loved singing along to it so much. I performed it in my storyteller set on tour in Norway in September 2019 and it went over so well I figured at some point I’d record it. So here it is. With absolutely beautiful guitars from my brother Hans Petter Vik Sæther and a wonderful mix by my friend Ronny Wikmark.

I hope you like it. It’s from my heart to you."

Photo courtesy of Tony Harnell's official Facebook page




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Wales Online recently caught up with Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, who discussed his work with Cardiff Aviation,  which was re-branded as CaerdAV in 2019. Following is an excerpt from the story. 

On juggling his monumentally successful music career with his other projects

Dickinson: "I'm juggling it constantly. The idea was to not be juggling it quite as much as I ended up doing in the early and middle years. I put a substantial amount of money into the company over the years and when it was known as Cardiff Aviation I think it's fair to say it had a few false starts. Two years ago we had to completely reorganise the company, we changed the name and completely rebranded it. Much of the workforce stayed the same and they have been fantastic, but I went from being one-third shareholder to 100% shareholder.

The crucial thing is to always communicate as a team. In terms of the business it's about running past ideas and representing the company as a chairman should do. You rely on a team and you just can't do it on your own. There have been quite a few occasions when there was a significant amount of personal pressure, but that does go with the territory. But the people who were around me in Wales were very supportive.

It's the same with Iron Maiden. We have a great team so when, as a band, we're thinking of doing music, we're not worrying about 'who's going to rent the truck' or 'who's going to sort out the permits'. We have a fantastic team who does that and we do the music."

Read the complete interview here.

BMG will release Iron Maiden’s 17th studio album, Senjutsu, their first in six years, on September 3. It was recorded in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Steve Harris.

For Senjutsu – loosely translated as ‘tactics & strategy,’ the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Steve Harris. With a running time of a little under 82 minutes, Senjutsu, like their previous record The Book Of Souls, will be a double CD/Triple vinyl album.

Steve says “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds. There’s some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging, but Kevin is great at capturing the essence of the band and I think it was worth the effort!  I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.”

Lead singer Bruce Dickinson continues, “We’re all really excited about this album. We recorded it back in early 2019 during a break in the Legacy tour so we could maximize our touring yet still have a long set up period before release to prepare great album art and something special as a video. Of course the pandemic delayed things more - so much for the best laid plans – or should that be ‘strategies’!?  The songs are very varied, and some of them are quite long. There’s also one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style, and I think Maiden fans will be surprised -  in a good way, I hope!"

Senjutsu will be released on the following formats and is available to pre-order/pre-save at IronMaiden.com.

- Standard 2CD Digipak
- Deluxe 2CD Book Format
- Deluxe heavyweight 180G Triple Black Vinyl
- Special Edition Triple Silver And Black Marble Vinyl (Details to follow)
- Special Edition Triple Red and Black Marble Vinyl (Details to follow)
- Super Deluxe Boxset featuring CD, Blu Ray and Exclusive Memorabilia
- Digital album [streaming and download]

Tracklisting:

"Senjutsu" (8:20) - Smith/Harris
"Stratego" (4:59) - Gers/Harris
"The Writing On The Wall" (6:13) - Smith/Dickinson
"Lost In A Lost World" (9:31) - Harris
"Days Of Future Past" (4:03) - Smith/Dickinson
"The Time Machine" (7:09) - Gers/Harris
"Darkest Hour" (7:20) - Smith/Dickinson
"Death Of The Celts" (10:20) - Harris
"The Parchment" (12:39) - Harris
"Hell On Earth" (11:19) - Harris

"The Writing On The Wall" video:




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Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released a new video, featuring an acoustic performance of the Joan Baez classic "Diamonds And Rust", made popular in metal circles by Judas Priest.

Thomas: "'Diamonds And Rust' was written by Joan Baez (about Bob Dylan) and introduced in the metal scene by Judas Priest, with both Rob Halford and Tim Ripper Owens on vocals. Richie Blackmore and Candice Night also performed it with Blackmore's Night. This acoustic solo guitar cover takes inspiration from all versions." 




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Entertainment Earth has just announced the arrival of the KISS Rock and Roll Over 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Deluxe Box Set.

Convention Exclusive includes:

- Exclusive 3 3/4-inch action figures of The Starchild, The Demon, The Spaceman, and The Catman!
- Featuring kimonos and makeup inspired by photographs from the band's first tour to Japan.
- Each figure sports 11 points of articulation and his specific instrument.
- The box looks just like the 1976 platinum album Rock and Roll Over!
- Individually numbered limited edition of only 1,000 pieces!

According to a press release: “Packaged in an amazing box that looks just like the 1976 platinum album Rock and Roll Over, this fantastic KISS Rock and Roll Over 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Deluxe Box Set - Convention Exclusive from Bif Bang Pow! includes four super-detailed action figures. The Starchild, The Demon, and The Spaceman bring their guitars, and Catman comes ready with his drumsticks. The Rock and Roll Over Tour marked the first time KISS performed in Japan, so these plastic figures feature the band in accurate character-specific fabric kimonos and makeup! They all sport 11 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, hips, and knees). This limited edition of only 1,000 pieces is individually numbered with a holographic sticker. Bring the entire band into your home for a command performance! Ages 14 and up.”




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Norway's Gaia Epicus has announced their demise via the following statement:

"Gaia Epicus has come to the end of the road. It has been a long and winding journey for the last 20 years, filled with great memories and no regrets. I actually started the band in 1992 so you could say it’s been 29 years all in all with no breaks, but Gaia Epicus has existed since 2001. The first album was released in 2003 so we are just two years away from a 20th anniversary of the debut album SATRAP. It is with a heavy heart that I have made the decision to end such a long project. The reason for this is no dramatics but something that I have thought about for a long time, and now I have made my decision. The band or project if you will (since it turned into more of a project over the last 10 years) is not going to end right away, in fact I will use the next 1-2 years to slowly make it come to an end.

For the last 20 years I have invested so much time and money in this project, and almost everything Gaia Epicus has achieved is solely because of me. I am of course ever so grateful for all the excellent musicians that has contributed to my music on albums and in concerts, I could not have done this without your help. I have worked hard and spent lots of money that I couldn’t really afford trying to take Gaia Epicus as far as possible, but yet I haven’t succeeded in reaching the BIG masses of people needed to get the ball rolling. And when even the metal/rock press and festivals in my home country Norway doesn’t want to back you up (with a few exceptions of course), and all the invested money always gives you red numbers, well then it’s hard to push forward.

You could say it’s because no one likes Gaia Epicus?!, or you only get shitty reviews etc… But the facts speak for themselves. 7 albums and almost only great reviews, ranging from middle score to high score and most of it being close to high score. From my knowledge and from what I have read, there has only been around 3-4 bad reviews for each album and the rest has been great. The problem is that when you don’t have lots of money for promotion or a big label that can promote you, or a great social network that will like, comment, share and follow you, then it’s very difficult to break through. We have also had a good turn up of people on most of the concerts and tours, even when playing places we haven’t been before and where people might not have heard of Gaia Epicus. (we have also played for very few people but still, we gave it 100%)

During all these years I have seen so many bands come and go, releasing all from 1 to 3 albums and then the bands just disappears for good. So having kept the band/project alive for so long, released 7 albums with almost just great reviews, I would think you should get some more respect and back up.

I might sound like a bitter man or a little whiny bitch but I assure you that I am not, I am in fact very proud of what I have been able to accomplish so far. All these albums, working with such great musicians, playing all these shows and booking tours to take my band on the road several times, this is something that I am very proud of having accomplished.

Future plans! Gaia Epicus will come to the end of the road within the next two years, but before that I have some plans that I am working on. First of all I want to mention the 2 crowdfunding campaigns I just started, which is to get the albums ALPHA & OMEGA and DARK SECRETS available on cd. These campaigns will go on as planned and hopefully we can make it happen. And then I would like to mention that I am working on plans to make one last Gaia Epicus album, and that would of course be album number eight. Also I would like to do some more shows with Gaia Epicus before it’s over, so if possibilities comes my way and people are backing up my campaigns we can still create some more good memories together with Gaia Epicus.

Music is one of my many passions and I don’t have any plans to stop playing, so the chances are you will hear more music coming from me but it won’t be power metal. I do hope that you want to continue to follow me on my new adventures to come.

I would like to thank the following musicians for their contribution to Gaia Epicus: Joakim "Jokke" Kjelstad, Hans Åge Holmen, Ole Alexander Myrholt, Mikael Duna, Yngve Hanssen, Morty Black, Alessandro Elide, Lukky Sparxx, Mike Terrana, Tim Ripper Owens, Michael T. Ross, Roland Grapow, Dominique Leurquin, Jonas Hörnqvist, Andreas Olsson, Michael Troy, Fabrizio S Muratori, Ola Halén, Cathrine Solhaug Storli, Lars A R Larsen, Jan Thore Grefstad, Isabell Øversveen, Alfred Fridhagen, Mathias Hemmingby, Christer Harøy, Jack Roger Olsen, Magnus Tveiten, Amy Slootweg, Ann-Kristin Bjørby, Lasse Jensen, Kristian Nergård, Kristoffer Øyen, John Erik Andersen, Maria Kristin Sørensen, Thomas Stokkan, Bård Kolstad, Andreas Nergård, Tom Andersen. If I missed out on any names I am sorry, but you know who you are so thank you it means a lot to me.

And also to anyone else who has helped out or played with me in the earlier days, you all rock and thanks for your contribution.

Gaia Epicus has actually sold many thousands of albums, believe it or not! So I also want to thank everyone who has bought the albums or played the music on streaming platforms. Even though the band might be ending, the music will live on forever and I hope that you will continue to play it long into the future. Thanks to everyone who has come to see Gaia Epicus play live, and last but not least the people who has been following the band since the very beginning. A million Thanks!

So for the next 1-2 years I hope that you will still follow me, continue to buy albums, back me up on the very last Gaia Epicus album, and that I will see you somewhere on a concert. In 2023 the mighty wizard will retire but the music will continue to KICK ASS!

Love & Peace
Thomas Chr. Hansen"

 




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Canadian thrashers Lutharö have released a stunning video for their song, "Lost In A Soul". The track is from their upcoming album, Hiraeth, which will be released on October 15, 2021. Pre-orders can be placed here.

Vocalist Krista Shipperbottom commented, “We are extremely ecstatic to release our new album Hiraeth out into the world! This album is jam packed with a little bit of everything for true metal lovers! We have been working incredibly hard for the last year and have taken experimentation to the next level. Compared to our last release, Wings Of Agony, Hiraeth takes a lot more risks and is a huge step in the right direction for us as a band.”

Hiraeth artwork and tracklisting:

"Introspection"
"To Kill Or To Crave"
"What Sleeps In Your Mind"
"Phantom"
"Worship Your Path"
"Hopeless Abandonment"
"Valley Of The Cursed"
"In Silence We Reign"
"Eclipse"
"Lost In A Soul"  

(Photo by Lisa Thompson - Dark Moon Productions)

 




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Prog metal giants Dream Theater have checked in with the following update:

"Dream Theater are pleased to announce the upcoming re-release of one of the most sought-after entries in the band’s previously recorded Ytsejam Records catalog: Master Of Puppets!  The next entry in the Lost Not Forgotten Archives series will see this remastered edition of the band’s historic presentation from Barcelona, Spain, of Metallica’s 6x-certified platinum record, performed live in its entirety in 2002. Pre-order here. Autographed band-exclusive vinyl editions are limited to just 250 copies, and available exclusively at DreamTheater.net."

Tracklist:

"Battery"
"Master Of Puppets"
"The Thing That Should Not Be "
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
"Disposable Heroes"
"Leper Messiah "
"Orion"
"Damage, Inc."




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Video footage of RATT's July 23 performance at the Waukesha County Fair at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin can be seen below.

Guitarist Frankie Lindia made his live debut with RATT on June 24 at the Lakes Jam in Brainerd, Minnesota. He joined the band for its summer 2021 tour dates following last year's departure of Chris Sanders.

Lindia is a Los Angeles-based guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and music teacher who played with David Lee Roth on the VAN HALEN singer's 2020 tour.

Singer Stephen Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which played its first comeback gig in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Also joining them in the band is drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER).

Sanders joined RATT in 2018 after the departure of original axeman Warren DeMartini. Sanders spent almost two years playing sporadic shows with the band's most recent lineup before quitting the group left RATT in early 2020, saying in a statement that he was retiring from the music industry.

According to Ziff, RATT was planning to play several gigs early last year as a four-piece following Sanders's exit from the group, "but we only did one show where I was the only guitar player in the band," he said during an appearance on a video podcast hosted by Todd Kerns. "And it was in February. And then that was it. And then COVID [hit]."

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" album.

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

In recent months, Pearcy and Blotzer have mended their differences, as was apparent during the RATT singer's livestream concert on April 2 from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip where Bobby made a special guest appearance on several songs.




Ratt 2021 waukesha County fair

Posted by Timothy Schulz on Friday, July 23, 2021



Great front row seats for Ratt at Waukesha County Fair!

Posted by Jackie Schroeder Gebhard on Friday, July 23, 2021









Great front row seats for Ratt at Waukesha County Fair!

Posted by Jackie Schroeder Gebhard on Friday, July 23, 2021

Video footage of former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens's July 23 performance at Artie's Bar And Grill in Frenchtown, New Jersey can be seen below. Tim's set included songs from PRIEST, ICED EARTH, BLACK SABBATH and DIO.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Owens and founding PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing are reunited in KK'S PRIEST which also features guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST will release its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", on October 1 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

A year and a half ago, Owens told Trevor Joe Lennon about how he managed to move on from being in PRIEST: "Leaving JUDAS PRIEST — you hate to leave the name JUDAS PRIEST. I think that was the one thing. It's, like, 'Oh, you're out of JUDAS PRIEST.' People still say to me, 'Man, you're out of JUDAS PRIEST. What have you done since you were [in the band]?' I've toured more places — even within this past year — I've toured more places than I ever did with JUDAS PRIEST. And it's kind of nice.

"Nowadays, people expect you to hand them something that you've done," he explained. "Years ago, in the '90s and '80s, you would get a paper, a magazine, you'd go to the local store, you might go to the person's web site. Nowadays, people just [go] on social media and [expect] to be handed, here's what you do.

"You know what I tell people? [When they ask me] 'What are you doing [now]?' I say, 'Google me.' It's not hard. [People will] send me messages on my Facebook, and they send me personal messages, saying, 'So, what are you up to?' I'm, like, you're sending me a message on my Facebook Messenger, where everything is on my Facebook, what I'm doing. I don't know what else to tell you. Everything is on my Facebook, and yet you're sending me a message on my Facebook asking me what I'm doing. It's, like, man, the days of us going to the local record store and picking up the magazine and seeing what was going on, the local magazine, [are long gone].

"People still say, 'After JUDAS PRIEST, where did you go?' I'm, like, 'Man, I've done…' Last year, I put out three records — THE THREE TREMORS, A NEW REVENGE and SPIRITS OF FIRE… So, it's, like, listen, I'm pretty busy."

Tim told The Metal Voice in 2016 that he "wouldn't have quit JUDAS PRIEST." But he clarified: "I wanted to leave JUDAS PRIEST, 'cause I had already recorded the ICED EARTH record ['The Glorious Burden']. So I wanted out of JUDAS PRIEST, 'cause I wanted to do other stuff, but I never would have quit. 'Cause I was great friends with them, and I was the singer of JUDAS PRIEST. But to make more money and to do more things, I had to branch out and do other things."

NW Metalworx Music will release "Building An Empire: The Story Of Queensrÿche", this coming October. After 40 years, QUEENSRŸCHE's career-spanning story will finally be told, covering the band's earliest roots in suburban Seattle, the group's rise to arena-level success, downfall, and rebirth. Featured on the book's cover is a previously unseen photo of QUEENSRŸCHE's original lineup of Chris DeGarmo, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Geoff Tate and Michael Wilton, taken by photographer Robert John at the height of the quintet's stardom.

Written by James R. Beach, with Brian L. Naron and Brian J. Heaton, the book will be issued in various formats ― a limited-edition collector's hardcover, a standard paperback, and an electronic version that can be downloaded as a standalone .pdf, or purchased for the Amazon Kindle. The hardcover edition will feature a CD of rare audio interviews with QUEENSRŸCHE and an exclusive poster. Pre-orders will start in August on nwmetalworxmusic.com, and later on Amazon and other online retail sites.

"We're excited to finally publish the definitive story of QUEENSRŸCHE," James Beach said. "After providing fans with 40 years of great music, we're delighted to help celebrate the band's success by telling its rich history."

"Building An Empire: The Story Of Queensrÿche" examines how the band evolved from album to album, weaving new interviews with the band members' family and friends to help tell this honest, riveting tale of how five guys from Seattle's Eastside overcame the odds to become one of the most respected bands in hard rock and heavy metal. Paul Suter, the acclaimed writer from Kerrang! who broke the story on QUEENSRŸCHE in early 1983, penned the book's foreword.

"When starting on this project, our goal was to write something everyone, from the hardcore fan to the casual listener, could read and learn something new about QUEENSRŸCHE," said Naron. "We're confident we've achieved that and can't wait to share this with the world."

"The story of QUEENSRŸCHE has so many twists and turns and it needed to be unraveled," Heaton added. "At the same time, we wanted to do that with an emphasis on the band's knack for persevering through every obstacle thrown at them. QUEENSRŸCHE is an undeniable success and we hope our words encourage readers to further appreciate the band's music."

GREEN DAY played a cover of the KISS classic "Rock And Roll All Nite" during its concert Saturday night (July 24) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons both tweeted out a short video of GREEN DAY's rendition, and offered their praise for the Northern California band, with Stanley writing: "'Tonight In DALLAS!' Another reason to love @GreenDay!" Simmons chimed in: ""@GreenDay In Houston [sic] yesterday! Thank you, Gentlemen." The official KISS Twitter account also shared the clip and added the message: "@GreenDay 'Rock And Roll All Nite' tonight in Dallas. SO Cool! #KISSisEverywhere!"

GREEN DAY is an American punk rock band composed of vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool. Formed in 1986, GREEN DAY was originally part of the punk scene at the DIY 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley, California. The band's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout! Records. In 1994, its major label debut "Dookie" (released through Reprise Records) became a breakout success and eventually sold over 10 million copies in the United States.

GREEN DAY was widely credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States. Follow-up albums "Insomniac" (1995) and "Nimrod" (1997) each sold over two million albums and were certified double platinum, and "Warning" (2000) was certified platinum. 2004 brought the band's rock opera "American Idiot" which reignited the band's popularity with a younger generation and sold over six million copies in the United States.

GREEN DAY is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. The group has won five Grammy Awards: "Best Alternative Album" for "Dookie", "Best Rock Album" for "American Idiot", "Record Of The Year" for "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams", "Best Rock Album" for the second time for "21st Century Breakdown" and "Best Musical Show Album" for "American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording". In 2010, a stage adaptation of "American Idiot" debuted on Broadway. On April 18, 2015, the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a part of the 2015 class in what was their first year of eligibility for induction. On October 16, 2015, GREEN DAY released the documentary "Heart Like A Hand Grenade", an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the writing and recording of "American Idiot". GREEN DAY's 12th studio album, "Revolution Radio", was released on October 7, 2016 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. GREEN DAY released its 13th studio album, "Father of All Motherfuckers" last year via Reprise/Warner Records. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart while also hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums and No. 4 on the Billboard 200, resulting in the band’s 11th U.S. Top 10 album. They performed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "The Late Late Show With James Corden", "Good Morning America" and "American Music Awards".








“Tonight In DALLAS!” Another reason to love @GreenDay! pic.twitter.com/dPXgicnlEE

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) July 25, 2021








⁦@GreenDay⁩. In Houston yesterday! Thank you, Gentlemen. pic.twitter.com/IW4Hx5go2i

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) July 25, 2021








.@GreenDay "Rock And Roll All Nite" tonight in Dallas. SO Cool! #KISSisEverywhere! pic.twitter.com/xwh4UNTfyc

— KISS (@kiss) July 25, 2021

ZAC BROWN BAND performed a cover version of the METALLICA classic "Enter Sandman" during last night's (Saturday, July 24) concert at the Twin Cities Summer Jam in Shakopee, Minnesota. Fan-filmed video footage of their rendition can be seen below.

ZAC BROWN BAND has been playing "Enter Sandman" during its live shows for about a decade, including in January 2019 when the American country group was joined by Dave Grohl in Atlanta, Georgia to close out its set at the Bud Light Dive Bar.

In a 2018 interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle's Phil W. Hudson and Atlanta radio personality Tug Cowart, ZAC BROWN BAND multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook stated about the group's cover of "Enter Sandman": "It's been around for seven years. People don't get tired of us doing it."

ZAC BROWN BAND founding member and songwriter John Driskell Hopkins told Herald-Tribune back in 2014 that playing "Enter Sandman" "is my favorite, by far."

ZAC BROWN BAND is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Southern rock group led by frontman Zac Brown. Throughout their decade-long career, ZAC BROWN BAND has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and five consecutive albums debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three Grammy Awards, including "Best New Artist" in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, nine million albums, has achieved 15 No. 1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats.

ZAC BROWN BAND has headlined seven North American tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Since their debut, ZAC BROWN BAND has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries.

In a new interview with Bass Player magazine, CANNIBAL CORPSE's Alex Webster opened up about his battle with focal dystonia, a rare neurological disorder that involves involuntary spasms in small muscles in the body.

"Focal dystonia is essentially an injury, but not the kind of injury that people would normally think of — it's not carpal tunnel, or a tendon problem, or something like that," he explained. "It's essentially a neurological problem, and it happens in a lot of disciplines that require precise, repetitive movements, and not just in music."

Asked what the symptoms were, Alex said: "The normal fingerpicking that I would do would become very strained. It seemed as if my pointer finger would be going left instead of down. When I first noticed something was going wrong, it was very confusing and frightening. I was, like, 'What's going on with my right hand? Why isn't it behaving the way it's behaved for the past 30 years?'"

He continued: "Basically, the signals from your brain are going wrong on the way down to your fingers. Imagine your legs walking. What if the signal from your brain was telling both legs to go forward at the same time? That's not exactly what was happening with my picking fingers, but certain signals were definitely getting through and certain signals weren't."

Webster went on to say that he solved the problem by embracing a natural therapy based on cutting-edge research in neuroscience.

"I saw a specialist named Joaquin Farias, who helped me out very much, and I also spoke with a classical guitarist, Apostolos Paraskevas, and the bassist Scott Devine, who gave me tips on their bouts with this," he said. "It's something that can often be resolved, which is good news for anyone who gets it. You just have to work through it, learn what you need to correct, and then take the time to correct it."

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, dystonia affects as many as 250,000 people in the U.S. and is the third most common movement disorder behind essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. Focal dystonia, a specific sort of dystonia, affects an estimated 7 to 69 per million people, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

CANNIBAL CORPSE released its 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", in April via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

Photo credit: Alex Morgan

Fan-filmed video footage of STYX's July 24 performance at the York State Fair in York, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

01. The Fight Of Our Lives

02. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)

03. The Grand Illusion

04. Lady

05. Rockin' The Paradise

06. Crash Of The Crown

07. Miss America

08. Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)

09. Too Much Time On My Hands

10. Khedive

11. Lost At Sea

12. Come Sail Away

Encore:

13. Mr. Roboto

14. Renegade

STYX's latest studio album, "Crash Of The Crown", came out on June 18 via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe.

The legendary rockers — James "JY" Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals — wrote "Crash Of The Crown" pre-pandemic and recorded it during the trying times of the coronavirus crisis.

The "Crash Of The Crown" song breaks some brave new world ground for STYX. Actually, it's the first cut in the band's storied canon to feature three lead vocalists, seeing how it has Young unleashed at the starting gate, Shaw heading up the heroic stacked-vocal middle section, and Gowan leading the vocal charge for the final verse.

Efforts to record "Crash Of The Crown" began in earnest at Shaw's home studio in Nashville during the fall of 2019, with Gowan — STYX's criminally minded showman extraordinaire and keyboardist/vocalist since 1999 — in the room together with Shaw and the album's producer, Will Evankovich, as he conjured up the album's first song to be recorded, with cosmetic flourishes that reign over the insistent, yearning call for togetherness, "Common Ground". But the global pandemic that inevitably transformed the way we all wound up living in 2020 changed the course for how many of the band's home-and-away recording sessions ultimately had to set socially distanced sail. Safety precautions took precedent for all involved STYX bandmembers and production compatriots with much diligent quarantining and testing required before any one of them could travel to Shaw's tranquility homebase to spread the uniquely ingrained STYX stardust that's been duly sprinkled across the album's cosmically chosen 15 tracks.

"Crash Of The Crown" is the follow-up to STYX's 16th studio album, "The Mission" (their first in 14 years at the time, which critics called "a masterpiece") which was released June 16, 2017 on the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The highly anticipated two-disc reissue of "The Mission" was released on July 27, 2018 via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which includes a CD of the original album, as well as a Blu-ray of the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound accompanied by stunning visualizations for each of the album's 14 songs based on the album artwork. It originally debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, #14 Billboard Top Albums, #16 Retail, #17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, #29 Digital Albums, and #45 Billboard 200 (includes catalog and streaming).

After the enormous success of their "Live For This Lager", Connecticut hardcore metal masters HATEBREED have once again teamed up with Witchdoctor Brewing Company and Half Time Beverage to unleash two refreshing new beers for their legion of diehard fans — just in time for the high heat of summer.

"Who is stoked to get their summertime, post-COVID party on?!," says drummer Matt Byrne. "Live music and touring are beginning to come back strong and what better way to celebrate than with the release of a new Breed Brew? HATEBREED have once again partnered with Southington, Connecticut's Witchdoctor Brewing and Poughkeepsie, New York's Half Time Beverage to bring you 'Perseverance Pale Ale.' The beer culture will rejoice for this one, as we've kicked it up a notch with this hop-forward, crisp, and malty-flavored 5.8% banger, perfectly bridging the gap between a heavy stout and a lighter lager."

Fans and beer lovers alike can stop at Witchdoctor Brewing and belly up to the bar for a cold draught pint or go to here to choose from various limited edition can/case options, paired with Breed Brew swag, to be shipped directly to your door. Shipping is available to select zip codes throughout the continental U.S. only. Customers can enter their zip code on the website to confirm shipping availability to a specific state/city.

Byrne finishes: "For those fans who don't consume alcohol, we sure as hell didn't forget about you, either. We now have a smooth, crisp, and non-alcoholic version of our well-received 'Live For This Lager' in a limited edition blue can." Both are available at Witchdoctor Brewing and halftimebeverage.com.

Singular Vision Productions has uploaded multi-camera video of George Lynch's May 1 performance at the Dallas International Guitar Festival at Dallas Market Hall in Dallas, Texas. Check it out below.

Lynch's new solo album, "Seamless", will be released on August 20 via Rat Pak Records. The LP features nine brand new tracks and three bonus tracks from Lynch, who is backed by drummer Jimmy D'Anda and bassist Eric Loiselle on the album. "Seamless" is produced by Lynch and is now available for pre-order in various configurations here.

Starting in music in 1977, Lynch has long since been considered one of the most-notable guitar players of all time. His work with DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB has garnered him a legion of devoted fans around the globe. His creativity and musicianship has been showcased on over 50 albums since 1982 and 2022 will mark his 45th anniversary as a professional musician. Lynch continues to redefine guitar playing and songwriting while showing no signs of slowing down.

In recent years, Lynch has recorded albums with a number of different projects, including LYNCH MOB, KXM, SWEET & LYNCH, THE END MACHINE and DIRTY SHIRLEY. His most recent release was "Heavy Hitters", a collaboration with his former DOKKEN bandmate Jeff Pilson on a collection of studio recordings that turn pop music classics into metal anthems.

Last year, Lynch told Guitar World magazine that staying "diversified" was key to making a living in rock music today. "Do everything," he said. "Be an engineer, be a composer, play every instrument you can, get endorsements, learn how to make a web site, be social-media savvy and keep your eye on everything."

Glenn Danzig's homage to Italian spaghetti westerns and classic vampire films, "Death Rider In The House Of Vampires", will open across the U.S. at select theaters on August 27. There will also be two advance screenings the week before in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. More information will be made available soon.

"Death Rider In The House Of Vampires" is the follow-up to Danzig's "Verotika" feature film directorial debut, which received its premiere in June 2019.

"Death Rider In The House Of Vampires" was written and directed by Danzig, with Glenn also acting as the executive producer, along with James Cullen Bresack. The cinematography is by Danzig and Pedja Radenkovic. The film follows the Death Rider, who travels to the desert Vampire Sanctuary, ruled by Count Holliday. The price of admission… one untouched virgin.

According to The Wrap, "Death Rider In The House Of Vampires" stars Devon Sawa as the Death Rider, Julian Sands as Count Holliday and Kim Director as Carmilla Joe. Joining them are Eli Roth as Drac Cassidy, Ashley Wisdom as Mina Belle, Victor DiMattia as Kid Vlad, Danny Trejo as Bela Latigo, and Danzig himself as the vampire gunslinger Bad Bathory.

Glenn spoke about his new project during a question-and-answer session for the Philadelphia screening of "Verotika" in December 2019 at the Philadelphia Film Center. He said: "We just finished my vampire spaghetti western. It's much different [from 'Verotika'], of course, because there's no comic book to follow. So we had pretty free rein in the movie… All the characters have like a traditional vampire name and a traditional western name… A lot of guest cameos in it — some friends of mine came in and did some cameos in the movie. It's, again, based on the European cinema."

He continued: "A spaghetti western is, basically… The Italians loved American westerns so much, they started doing their own westerns. And they got Clint Eastwood and Henry Fonda and a bunch of other actors — Charles Bronson — to come over and do these wild Italian westerns. And we eventually started calling them spaghetti westerns. In mine, everybody's a vampire. So you don't have to wait around to see the vampire — everybody's a vampire. You don't have to wait around to see blood — you're gonna see lots of blood… It's pretty crazy."

Glenn also confirmed that he has an acting role in his new movie. "It's such a small part," he said. "But it was a lot of fun. I get to get all bloody, which I love being bloody — it's part of what I do."

Glenn previously spoke about his upcoming movie during a question-and-answer session at at the Cinepocalypse festival in Chicago. He said: "The soundtrack has been done [since 2017] and, of course, it sounds almost exactly like an Ennio Morricone soundtrack."

When it debuted at the Cinepocalypse festival in Chicago, "Verotika" was compared by some reviewers to Tommy Wiseau's "The Room", the so-bad-it's-amazing drama which is considered one of the worst movies ever made.

"If you do something you love, it's difficult," Danzig said at Cinepocalypse. "On a movie set, there are tons of problems that happen that you would never foresee. So, you have to hit the ground running… Right from the start, it was very clear we're not making a Hollywood movie. A lot of my influences and the different films I like, especially European films, you can see them in here, and, lighting, colors, it's much different from a movie you will see nowadays."


"DEATH RIDER" AUGUST 27 RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED

DANZIG's 2nd feature film the vampire spaghetti-western "Death Rider in...

Posted by Danzig on Friday, July 23, 2021

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen has teamed up with OpenSea, one of the largest digital art marketplaces to capitalize on 2021's non-fungible token (NFT) boom, to create the Yngwie Malmsteen Parabellum NFT Collection.

Each vinyl-backed NFT is extremely limited and comes paired with a corresponding physical double-vinyl album, all personally signed by Yngwie.

The crown jewels of the collection are two rare 1 of 1 albums with signed and numbered double vinyl and fold. These are only available as part of the Parabellum NFT Collection.

The Collection consists of the following

* 1 of 1 splatter vinyl

* Signed and numbered vinyl and cover

* Collection of four splatter vinyl

* Signed vinyl cover

* 1 of 1 red vinyl

* signed and numbered vinyl and cover

* Collection of four red vinyl

* Signed vinyl cover

* Each vinyl-backed NFT/album package is sold separately.

NFTs are a type of digital asset where ownership is recorded on a digital ledger blockchain. Each NFT is unique and can be viewed as a collectible that cannot be duplicated, making them singular and potentially valuable. NFTs can represent digital files, such as art, audio, videos, posters, album art and other forms of creative work.

Most NFTs are a part of the Ethereum blockchain, meaning that they are bought and sold using Ether, a major cryptocurrency.

MEGADETH, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and SLIPKNOT's Clown are among the notable heavy metal musicians who have dipped their toes in the NFT mar

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox - joined by the mysterious stranger Sidney Jake - are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they take on "My Generation" by The Who. Watch below:

A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:

 




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During an appearance on the "Bloodthirsty" podcast, hosted by DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're kicking the tires. We've got some good stuff in the can, as I say, already. But you know, you can never stop, can you? You can keep punching and punching. And we're getting close to the point now, I think, where we say, 'Okay, we've got enough music. Let's start going into pre-production.'"

According to Rob, he and his bandmates "love being in the studio more than ever now. Because, as you know, the possibilities are endless," he explained. "It's exciting. You start with a clump of metal clay, and then, at the end of it, you've got something that's gonna live forever. It's beautiful. It's the best feeling."

This past March, Halford confirmed that PRIEST will reunite with the "Firepower" production team consisting of British producer Andy Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

"That was a great experiment," Rob told the "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie" podcast about the "Firepower" recording experience. "We didn't even know it was gonna work. Tom's classic old-school metal. Andy is from more recent times. And Mike, of course, just came [from doing] the '13' album with [BLACK] SABBATH; he had done a lot of work with SABBATH. So there's three heads working together. And we thought, 'This is either gonna be a trainwreck or something glorious,' and it turned out to be something glorious. So we're gonna at least recreate those same production moments. But having said that, it is all about the songs, and right now, the songs feel really, really strong."

Last September, guitarist Richie Faulkner told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that the creative process for PRIEST's next LP was halted by the coronavirus outbreak, which disrupted global travel.

Halford resides in Phoenix, Faulkner in Nashville and Glenn Tipton still calls his native United Kingdom his home.

"Firepower" entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it PRIEST's highest-charting album ever. "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.

"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's spring 2018 North American tour.

Across the pond, "Firepower" landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. album chart. It marked the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" also became PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden.

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall says that his band was unfairly criticized for playing a concert in Dickinson, North Dakota just a few months after the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Video footage of GREAT WHITE's July 2020 outdoor performance — which was part of the town's "First On First: Dickinson Summer Nights" series — showed there were no safety restrictions at the event, with attendees standing shoulder to shoulder and not a single person wearing a mask.

Although North Dakota health officials at the time recommended social distancing and wearing masks when possible, there was no legal requirement to do so in the state.

Steven Peterson, a GREAT WHITE fan who attended the Dickinson concert, told CNN that "maybe 5%" of the audience wore masks.

Asked in a new interview with "On The Road To Rock" what the "sentiment from the public" was when GREAT WHITE played the North Dakota show last year, Kendall said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As far as crowd control and all that, that was up to the mayor and the promoter and the powers. We kept it safe backstage, wore masks and did that number. Onstage, we've gotta sing, and we're not gonna go up there looking like surgeons. But people kind of jumped on the bandwagon and were trying to blame us because people out in the audience, some weren't wearing masks. And that was way out of our control. Plus I don't think that that area — I think it's kind of a conservative area and they really didn't ever close anything. People just did the necessary safety measures and stuff. But it was out in the open in the street. So, people did come after us a little bit, but we couldn't be playing and going out there saying, 'Please put your mask on.' We didn't set the rules for that."

Two weeks after the Dickinson concert, GREAT WHITE singer Mitch Malloy took to his Facebook page to say that he "never apologized" for playing the gig and slammed the "fake news" media for claiming there were no masks and no social distancing at the event.

Kendall and singer Jack Russell founded GREAT WHITE in 1982. Both musicians were present at the 2003 show in Rhode Island where a fire caused by a pyrotechnic display claimed 100 lives. At the time of the incident, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Kendall said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. Kendall later explained that the name GREAT WHITE was displayed on the marquee outside The Station nightclub because the owner of the venue wanted to "sell more tickets."

The GREAT WHITE lineup that performed in North Dakota consisted of Malloy, Kendall, keyboardist/guitarist Michael Lardie, drummer Audie Desbrow and bassist Scott Snyder.

Malloy joined GREAT WHITE in July 2018 as the replacement for Terry Ilous, who was with the band for eight years.

Former Delain singer and songwriter, Charlotte Wessels, recently released a video for "Superhuman", featured on her first solo endeavour, Tales From Six Feet Under, out September 17 via Napalm Records. Below is a live performance of the clip featuring her former Delain bandmate, Timo Somers.

Unable to perform live due to the pandemic, Wessels spent most of last year buried in her Six Feet Under home studio, writing, performing and producing an eclectic wealth of songs. Tales From Six Feet Under offers her favorites out of the bunch. All instruments and vocals on these ten intimate and honest songs were performed or programmed by Wessels herself - except for the exciting collaboration with Alissa White-Gluz on the haunting track "Lizzie" - showcasing the multifaceted nature of Wessels, including her exceptional ability to express the most sincere feelings and emotions within her art.

Charlotte Wessels states: “In May 2020, I started releasing a song every month on Patreon as an outlet for my surplus of music, and tracks I wrote that didn't fit my band. The year that followed was an absolute roller coaster, from living through a global pandemic to closing a chapter so dear to me. It shows through these songs, made right here in my Six Feet Under home studio. Producing these songs with the support of a wonderful community has been a lifesaver during such turbulent times, and I'm happy to bring them out of the basement and into the world with this release. Let me tell you the Tales From Six Feet Under.”

Tales From Six Feet Under is an electrifying collection with gems ranging from melancholic indie pop to synth-infused rock. The record features Wessels’ rendition of Goth classic “Cry Little Sister”, as well as a beautiful synergy of the stunning voices of Charlotte Wessels and Alissa White-Gluz on “Lizzie”. It also debuts a song in Wessels’ native language with the Dutch rocker “Afkicken”. The mesmerizing and haunting “Victor” was released in April this year along with a visually palpable music video. “Soft Revolution” showcases the artist right where the magic happens; in her Six Feet Under studio. The song - part sweet sorrow, part soaring call to action - is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Tales From Six Feet Under will be available in the following formats:

- 1 LP Gatefold Black
- 1 LP Gatefold orange/cream marbled
- 1 LP Gatefold viola/cream marbled (Patreon exclusive)

Get your copy of Tales From Six Feet Under here.

Vinyl tracklisting:

Side A
"Superhuman"
"Afkicken"
"Masterpiece"
"Victor"
"New Mythology"
"Source Of The Flame"

Side B
"Cry Little Sister"
"Lizzie" - A Duet with Alissa White-Gluz
"FSU (2020)"
"Soft Revolution"

"Superhuman" video:

“Soft Revolution” video:

"Victor" video:




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Former QUIET RIOT singer Paul Shortino, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick and THE WILDHEARTS frontman Ginger are among the musicians who have reacted to the report that Eric Clapton announced he will no longer perform at any venues that require attendees to show proof of vaccination. The announcement came after U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson's mandate that "vaccine passports" be required for entrance into nightclubs and venues by the end of September.

In Clapton's statement, he said that he would refuse to play at "any stage where there is a discriminated audience present."

"Following the PM's announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021 I feel honor-bound to make an announcement of my own," Clapton said. "I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show."

Shortino, who frequently "likes" tweets that amplify Republican talking points and that are derogatory to Democrats, praised Clapton for his stance, tweeting: "Right on @EricClapton stand up for Freedom." He added: "Amen @EricClapton We don't develop Courage by being happy everyday. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. #StandUpAndShout #Freedom".

Ginger, whose real name David Walls, was far more critical in his response to Clapton, tweeting: "I will celebrate Eric Clapton's death, just as I did those of Thatcher, Mary Whitehouse and my first stepfather." He went on to call Clapton a "fucking idiot."

Actress Valerie Bertinelli, who was married to late VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen for many years, shared an article about Clapton's stance on vaccine requirements at concerts along with a photo of her, Clapton and her ex-husband, and she pointedly captioned the post, "Once a dick, always a dick."

Skolnick shared Bertinelli's tweet and wrote: "This tweet should be in the dictionary under 'No F's Given' (Go Val)".

Clapton previously criticized the lockdowns instituted around the world in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and stoked fear and conspiracy theories after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Clapton recounted his negative experience with the AstraZeneca shot, suggesting the side effects had been so "severe" that he was afraid that he would "never play again." He also said he was inspired by another musician-turned-anti-vaccine activist, Van Morrison.

This past February, Shortino told the "Ouch, You're On My Hair" podcast and radio show that he was not concerned about contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. He said: "I'm not really afraid of it. I think [other] people are more afraid of it. I'm such a believer in the law of attraction that if you're not afraid of it, and you put out there that you're not afraid of it, I don't think you're gonna contract it. I know people that have contracted it who were so afraid of getting it. And then they just put it out there."

The singer continued: "Everything begins with a thought, and everything's on a frequency, so if you put out something there, you're gonna get it back. So you should only think about what you want, not what you don't want. [Don't think] 'I don't wanna get this. I don't wanna get the COVID.'"




Once a dick, always a dick. https://t.co/WdlN90tgi1 pic.twitter.com/BQs97vYGia

— Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) July 21, 2021








This tweet should be in the dictionary under “No F’s Given” (Go Val ?) https://t.co/9LJMEw2dVO

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) July 24, 2021








I will celebrate Eric Clapton’s death, just as I did those of Thatcher, Mary Whitehouse and my first stepfather.

I respect the fact that you would never celebrate the death of someone.

— Ginger Wildheart (@GingerWildheart) July 22, 2021








Anyway, how the fuck can a blues guitarist also be racist?!? ?

Ah whatever, bollocks to Eric Clapton. Fucking idiot. https://t.co/XL6AFg0tE8

— Ginger Wildheart (@GingerWildheart) July 22, 2021








Right on @EricClapton stand up for Freedom .

— Paul Shortino ?? (@PaulShortino) July 22, 2021








Amen @EricClapton ??????We don’t develop Courage by being happy everyday. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. #StandUpAndShout #Freedom

— Paul Shortino ?? (@PaulShortino) July 22, 2021

Ten years after their last studio album, "Don't Talk Science", German hard rock titans VICTORY will release the follow-up effort, "Gods Of Tomorrow", on November 26 through AFM Records.

Formed in 1984, VICTORY is one of the most distinctive acts of its genre. VICTORY ranked alongside SCORPIONS, ACCEPT and HELLOWEEN as one of the most successful German bands, played countless arena and festival shows all over the world and released 10 records to date. After several line up changes and years on hiatus, in 2003 the band announced its reunion. "Don't Talk Science", released in 2011, was the last record of the original lineup. But guitarist Herman Frank, who was also a longtime member of ACCEPT, never gave up on VICTORY and decided to continue the band. Newborn, heavier and stronger than ever, they will return to the music scene this fall, featuring a lineup consisting of Frank on guitar, vocalist Gianni Pontillo, guitarist Mike Pesin, Malte Frederik Burkert on bass and drummer Michael Stein.

VICTORY's exceptional talents prove that they can be the gods of today and also of tomorrow. Thirteen addictive tracks taking you on a wild ride of unexpected power and classic rock grandeur! Listen to the first song released from the "Gods Of Tomorrow", "Cut To The Bone", watch the video below.

Says Frank: "An infinitely exciting and turbulent journey makes a stopover with the new VICTORY album 'Gods Of Tomorrow'. But the whole story is far from being told yet…"

"Gods Of Tomorrow" track listing:

01. Intro

02. Love & Hate

03. Gods Of Tomorrow

04. Cut To The Bone

05. Dying In Your Arms

06. Hold On Me

07. Into The Light

08. Mad

09. Unconditional Love

10. My Own Desire

11. On Fire

12. Rising Force

13. In Rock We Trust

14. Leave You Alone (CD bonus track)

VICTORY is:

Gianni Pontillo (Vocals)

Herman Frank (Guitar)

Mike Pesin (Guitar)

Malte Frederik Burkert (Bass)

Michael Stein (Drums)