Canadian legends, Annihilator, have released their latest Annihilator Acoustic Sunday selection, "In The Blood", taken from Triple Threat Un-Plugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions. Watch below:

Annihilator present Triple Threat, which includes Annihilator’s classics performed acoustically, with band leader/guitarist/ songwriter and vocalist Jeff Waters bringing together band members Aaron Homma and Richard Hinks, Vancouver BC drummer and friend Marc LeFrance plus Ottawa session player Pat Robillard. Recorded and mixed by Waters (with Marty Sobb), this quintet recorded everything live, off the floor and in single takes at Watersound Studios in Dunrobin, Canada during late May and early June, 2016.

The release also features Annihilator’s vicious set from the 2016 Bang Your Head Festival, a set which illustrates the very best of what Annihilator is known for –tight, sharp, technically-excellent and melodic thrash metal music. "Triple Threat" includes some exclusive inside-Annihilator off-stage perspective, courtesy of Jeff Waters’ own camera, which captures further elements, flavours and detail of the band which fans will flip over.




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Into Eternity guitarist, Tim Roth, has revealed that former vocalist Stu Block - who left the band in 2011 to join Iced Earth and was replaced by Amanda Kiernan - will be back on stage with the band this month.

Says Roth: "Hi Everyone! Hope you’re all doing good! 2021 is our 25th anniversary as a band. We’d like to welcome Stu Block back to the stage with us!  He’ll be performing alongside Amanda Kiernan at the Loud As Hell Festival on July 31/21. We have been rehearsing a special set, featuring both singers.

"Stu Block joined us back in January 2005 and is one of the very best singers in all of heavy metal. It’s been amazing hanging with him again.
This is going to be a very special show! See you all there!"

Stu Block has recently been featured on singles from Canada's Breaking The Silent ("Avoid Her Wrath"), and Massachusetts-based duo Lazarus Complex ("Caylee's Law"). Hear both below.




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Multi-talented Ad Infinitum singer Melissa Bonny, Feuerschwanz guitarist Hans Platz, his bandmate harpist Jenny Diehl and Amaranthe drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen form The Dark Side Of The Moon.

After hearing the first song, Napalm Records immediately signed the band and is very proud to accompany this great band from day one on their mission to transform musical themes in cinematography, TV shows and video games into powerful modern metal tracks. "Like the moon, every song has an unexplored side. This is where the band will be taking you. Welcome to the Napalm family!"

The Dark Side Of The Moon states: "Today we are proud to announce that we are starting the epic quest of transforming our and your favorite cinematic themes into powerful metal tracks! And to do so, we are happy to team up with Napalm Records for the release of this epic album that will also contain some songs of our own composition. We’ll take you on a musical quest from the depth of Moria up to the Iron Throne. And to make this journey even more magical, we invited some of our musician friends to join us. Stay tuned and welcome to the dark side!"

The Dark Side Of The Moon are:

Melissa Bonny - vocals
Hans Platz - guitars
Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums
Jenny Diehl - harp

(Photo - Svenja Metzner)




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Nameless Grave Records presents Spread Plague Death, the decimating new LP from long-running Phelan, California-based death metal collective, Ruin. Confirming the record for late August release, the label has posted its cover art, track listing, preorders, and the lead single, “Ornaments Of Flesh.”

Ruin was spewed forth in 1991 by Mihail Jason Satan (Dead Conspiracy, ex-Gravehill). Many band members came and went and after incarcerations, deaths, and disappearances, the band went on an extensive hiatus until 2015, when MJS decided to get this dismal and rotting corpse back up and ready to kill again. Former member Phobic One was on board to release the demo Spread Plague Hell on his label Nero One Records in 2015. Live assaults started that year, and the band has since released a massive number of EPs, splits with Violation Wound, Anarchus, Anthropic, Absconder, Anatomia, and more, and two full-length albums, Drown In Blood and Human Annihilation.

With MJS on vocals, the Ruin lineup currently is currently fleshed out with drummer D-Muerte (Aeternum, Oscuros, ex-Mictlantecuhtli), bassist Spine, and guitarists Carsten Brix (Destroyed in Seconds, ex-Gravehill) and Bodybag. 2021 sees the collective prepared to release the crushing blow if their third LP, Spread Plague Death. Packing thirteen tracks into the record, Spread Plague Death features additional assistance with soundscapes by Scott Lee Martin and Alex Allenruso. Recorded at Trench Studios by John Haddad and The Church Of Sacrifice by Carsten LaRoque in late 2020 and early 2021, with mixing handled by LaRoque at The Church Of Sacrifice as well as at the Ascension Falls Blk/Str Cabin at Apache Junction/Helican Gate, Spread Plague Death was mastered by Dan Randall at Mammoth Sound Mastering, and completed with original paintings by Janine Wunsch and photography by Carmen Canchola/CSGF and The Death Metal Cult.

Spread Plague Death will see release August 27 on 12” vinyl by Nameless Grave Records, on cassette through Nero One Records and Death Metal Cult, and on CD through Goat Throne Records. Preorder on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Intro-Antemortem Dread”
“Spread Plague Death”
“Murderous Delirium”
“Repulsive Universe Inside Nightmares”
“Catatonic Vomit”
“At One With The Earth And Worms”
“Ornaments Of Flesh”
“Slow Degradation”
“Quietus (Slit Throat)”
“Awaken Rotting Decay”
“Cosmic Vengeance”
“Choking On Burning Blood”
“Outro-Postmortem Dark”

“Ornaments Of Flesh”:

Spread Plague Death by THERUINDEATHMETALCULT

(Photo by Carmen Canchola)




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BLINK-182 singer and bassist Mark Hoppus, who went public with his cancer diagnosis last month, has confirmed that he is battling a blood disorder called stage 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the same type of cancer his mother previously beat.

Hoppus discussed his health issues during a recent Twitch question-and-answer session. Saying that he will soon undergo a PET scan which will shed light on whether his chemotherapy treatments have been working, he added: "Ideally I go in tomorrow and they say, 'Congratulations! Your chemotherapy has worked and you are all done and you'll never have to think about this cancer again for the rest of your life. Even if the cancer's totally gone from my whole body, they give me three more rounds of chemo just to make sure."

Hoppus also described his experience with chemo thus far, saying: "The first chemo, I felt like I was a zombie that fell onto an electric fence and was just being shocked… The second round of chemo, I just felt very weak and tired. Really just like the worst flu ever. The third round of chemo, I started retching. Nauseous and that whole thing."

Despite the nature of the disease, Hoppus has seemingly maintained a positive attitude about his ordeal. "We're beating this cancer," he said. "It's just a matter of time."

The musician broke the news of his diagnosis on June 23 by posting a photo of himself in what appeared to be a doctor's office surrounded by medical equipment. He wrote in an accompanying caption: "Yes hello. One cancer treatment, please."

The 49-year-old Hoppus is BLINK-182's bassist, co-vocalist and sole remaining founding member.

BLINK-182's latest album, "Nine", was released in September 2019 via Columbia Records and includes singles "I Really Wish I Hated You", "Darkside", "Happy Days", "Generational Divide" and "Blame It On My Youth".

Since its humble beginnings in 1992 in San Diego, BLINK-182 has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and rocked audiences around the globe, becoming one of the defining and inspirational rock bands of its generation.

BLINK-182 is Hoppus, Travis Barker (drums) and Matt Skiba (vocals/guitar). A guitarist and singer with ALKALINE TRIO, Skiba replaced original BLINK-182 singer Tom DeLonge in 2016.

BLINK-182 released its first post-DeLonge album, "California", in 2016.

FOZZY debuted a brand new song, "The Vulture Club", during its concert Wednesday night (July 14) at Wildwood in Iowa City, Iowa. The band also performed its latest single, "Sane", live for the first time. Fan-filmed video footage of both tracks can be seen below.

In May, FOZZY dropped a breathtaking video for its first new song in two years, "Sane", which hit one million views in its first two weeks. This first-of-its-kind video was filmed on the longest wooden roller coaster on the planet today. Get a first-hand view of the madness as the band literally defies gravity, by reaching top speeds of 70 mph and terrifying drops of 154 feet, rocking to the crushing new track every track of the way!! It's an edgy, heart-stopping thrill ride that represents both the power and physicality of FOZZY's music, along with the bombastic nature and "who gives a shit" attitude of their live show.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The passing of the late congressman John Lewis on July 17, 2020 had a profound impact on MINISTRY creator Al Jourgensen and inspired the new song "Good Trouble", a term often associated with the lifelong social activist work of the late congressman who was monumental in the civil rights movement.

Today, in honor of one year since Lewis's passing, MINISTRY shares the new "Unity Mix" of the song that features N.W.A.'s Arabian Prince and guitarist Cesar Soto. This unedited version is meant to bridge the gap between black and white and be a unifying call to arms to keep the fight for what's right moving forward.

Says Jourgensen of the intent behind the song: "If you look at the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it took 100 years to actually make the unwritten Jim Crow laws of segregation illegal. And it's now taken another 50 years to bring these issues to the forefront of consciousness again. Seeing the grassroots movements springing up in 2020 and continuing today, coupled with the legacy and loss of John Lewis, I thought it was time to put a voice to that. Human beings deserve the right to be human beings and seeing this massive groundswell fighting for equal rights inspired this song."

Arabian Prince adds: "Working with Al is always a blast, but this song is special as the powerful message must be magnified and spread across the globe. Just to read the words of John Lewis on video will be something I will remember forever. Thanks, Al, for allowing me to bless this song."

Soto also says: "All the riffs that you hear in 'Good Trouble' were inspired by a reconnection that I've had not only with myself, but a reconnection with the universe through sobriety. Mix that with a country that was falling apart during a pandemic, and a home studio, and you have a winning formula and endless riffs. The song definitely means a lot to me and I can connect with it because I am a product of racial inequality. Being Latino, I've dealt with racism and still deal with racism, so I have a strong connection with the song."

The special "Unity Mix" of "Good Trouble" is only available to watch/share on MINISTRY's socials and will not appear on the band's upcoming "Moral Hygiene" release. It's intended solely to be a tribute to the work, the legacy, and the words of John Lewis.

"Moral Hygiene" will be made available on October 1 via Nuclear Blast Records. Containing some of MINISTRY's strongest and most inspired material to date, the 10-track follow-up to 2018's "AmeriKKKant" is Jourgensen's societal manifesto and plea for civilization to get back to a set of standards that lives up to and embraces our humanity.

"Moral Hygiene" also includes the previously released "Alert Level" that sounded the alarms about our collective dissonance towards the pandemic, climate change and the man formerly in the White House, bolstered by the song's overarching question posed to listeners: "How concerned are you?"

The new album also adds perspective to the countless lives that were tragically lost to the COVID-19 pandemic on the haunting track "Death Toll" while "Disinformation" describes the too frequent willingness to accept everything — even mistruths — as fact.

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

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

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

Born in 1981 in Chicago, MINISTRY has been the lifetime passion project of Jourgensen, considered to be the pioneer of industrial music. In its early days, MINISTRY was identifiable by its heavy synth-pop material in line with the new sounds and technology that were being developed in the '80s. MINISTRY's output began with four 12-inch singles on Wax Trax! Records in 1981 before the first LP, "With Sympathy", in 1983 via Arista Records. As time progressed, however, so did MINISTRY, quickly developing a harsher, and more stylized sound that the band soon became infamous for on seminal albums "Twitch" (1986), "The Land Of Rape And Honey" (1988), and "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" (1989). With the release of "Psalm 69: The Way To Succeed And The Way To Suck Eggs" (1992), MINISTRY hit an all-time high in the mainstream musical realm and received its first Grammy nomination. In total, MINISTRY has been nominated for a Grammy Award six times. Eight more albums would follow before an indefinite break in 2013, only to be unearthed again in 2018 with "AmeriKKKant", continuing to reflect Jourgensen's views on the frightening state of society and politics.

Former CRO-MAGS frontman John Joseph has called out Dave Grohl for playing vaccinated-only shows.

A vaccine passport is a physical or digital document that displays whether someone is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Critics say that such passports are a violation of privacy and an example of government overreach. Meanwhile, supporters point out that federal immigration law already requires that immigrants provide proof of vaccination status for several diseases.

FOO FIGHTERS essentially asked for a vaccine passport last month when they performed at Madison Square Garden in what was the first major concert in New York since the pandemic began. Days earlier, the Grohl-fronted outfit performed a small warm-up gig in Agoura Hills, California where fans wishing to attend had to show photo ID as well as proof of vaccination in order to pick up their non-transferable tickets. Both events featured dozens of anti-vaccination advocates who demonstrated outside the venue for "segregating" the vaccinated from unvaccinated.

Joseph, who has been vocal on Twitter about his concern regarding pharmaceutical company motives and the relationships between government agencies, vaccine manufacturers and providers, discussed his feelings on the issue in a new interview with Christina Rowatt of The Void With Christina.

Addressing the prospect of fans needing to have vaccine passports to gain entry to gigs, John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I forget what the dude's name is — he's in some big fucking band — he's, like, 'I'm not playing any vaccinated-only shows. He was in a big English band; I forget what the name of 'em is. [Then] you've got motherfuckers like Dave Grohl who used to play drums for [1980s Washington, D.C. hardcore punk band] SCREAM and open up for the CRO-MAGS, now he's with the FLU PFIZERS, the FLU FIGHTERS, and it's, like, 'We're playing vaccinated-only shows.' What kind of bullshit is that? What kind of fucking bullshit are you fucking dealing with in your fucking head that you would play a vaccinated-only fucking show?"

There's plenty of precedent for having to show proof of vaccination whether for work or travel. For a century, nearly every school in the U.S. has been requiring proof of vaccinations for students to enroll. Dozens of countries across the globe require a "Yellow Fever Card" to enter their borders.

Proponents of vaccine passports, including several high-profile heavy metal musicians, have touted them as one of the most effective ways to reopen the nation's economy in a safe manner.

This past April, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider said that he was in favor of some kind of a coronavirus vaccine passport program whereby concert venues can ask patrons to show proof of testing or vaccination before attending certain events. Snider addressed the hot-button issue in a tweet, writing: "I get that some people are wary of this, but I want a vaccine passport in the worst fucking way! I wave my vaccination card around like a flag! I've got nothing to hide and if a vaccine passport will let me go places without all these covid protocols sign me the fuck up!"

Earlier that same month, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick said that the recent announcement by various clubs and promoters around the country that they would begin staging events for only those guests who show proof of full vaccination was "what we need to do." He explained: "To go to certain countries, we need to get a yellow fever shot, and we carry this card that's put out by the World Health Organization that is proof of vaccination. What's the difference? We've been doing this for years. We wouldn't think otherwise. We don't wanna risk getting somebody else sick. So why would there be an issue here? And then, when people complain about the vaccine — 'I don't know what's in it. I'm suspicious…' Well, are you suspicious of the polio vaccine? 'Cause I think everybody gets that. I don't think you leave the hospital without getting certain vaccines."

Alex added: "I'm just amazed how people aren't aware of this. There's measles, mumps, polio… There's vaccines that we've been getting for years, and that's why we're not getting measles or mumps, or why we're not being forced to not be able to walk because of polio — because we get these vaccines. And the same medical and scientific communities that are behind those vaccines are behind these vaccines.

"My patience is running thin for these types," Skolnick concluded.






Every business has the right to decide whether or not you can come in once they roll out this draconian vaccine passport bullshit - just as I also have the right to not give them my money and I won’t - they can fcuk off ?

— John Joseph (@jjcromag) April 19, 2021








The WHO (which is corrupt as fuck and run by the pharmaceutical companies and Bill Gates) claims that people refusing to take this experimental shot are the biggest health threats. No mention of big Pharma which has killed tens and millions of people across the planet.

— John Joseph (@jjcromag) April 12, 2021








The piece of shit governor who murdered thousands of seniors and pushed himself on women has been saying since day one after meeting with Bill Gates that New Yorkers will be the guinea pigs for all of this crap. https://t.co/XWumNVm0wU

— John Joseph (@jjcromag) March 26, 2021

Cleopatra Records is sad to hear of the passing of the supremely talented rock guitarist Jeff LaBar at age 58.

LaBar’s dexterous and melodic playing helped propel Cinderella’s 1986 debut album Night Songs to the #3 spot on the Billboard album charts and would soon be certified platinum. Being an integral part of Cinderella’s sound, LaBar would continue with the group all the way through to their final recording as a band, the phenomenal 1999 concert album Live At The Key Club, which was released on CD by Cleopatra Records’ metal imprint Deadline Music.

LaBar’s talent showed through on that live recording as well as on the impressive video concert document In Concert, which was released as a DVD in 2005 capturing LaBar and the boys on their massive 1991 Heartbreak Station tour. The DVD would be RIAA Certified Gold later that year.

LaBar continued to record with other projects like Freak Show featuring Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali and the band Naked Beggars and would occasionally reunite with Tom Keifer and the rest of Cinderella for some spectacular live performances that are certain to live on in fan’s memories for years to come.

Cleopatra Records owner Brian Perera remarked, “Jeff LaBar was such an amazing guitarist and a very dear friend. We will miss him and the good times we shared. We extend all our love and deepest sympathies to his family and fans.”

(Photo - David Plastik)




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AUTOPSY has announced the departure of longtime bassist Joe Trevisano.

The highly influential U.S. death metal pioneers made his exit official in a social media post on Saturday (July 17).

The band wrote: "Surreal as it is, our long time bass player and friend Joe Trevisano has left the band.

"Joe has been making records and kicking ass on stage all over the world with us for the entire chapter two of AUTOPSY going back to 2008. And before that he was in ABSCESS going back to 1997, and even before that...we knew Joe from the local scene around 1991 when he was in VON, so we have a long history together.

"Let it be known the split is on good terms. Joe has decided to shift his focus to his family and we support him on this 100% and will always consider him part of the AUTOPSY gang. In the meantime fear not, AUTOPSY will continue to forge ahead and we will keep you all posted on developments. We are not done crushing your skulls yet, so consider yourselves warned."

AUTOPSY's first official live album, "Live In Chicago", was released last October via Peaceville Records. It was made available on double gatefold black vinyl and CD format.

"Live In Chicago" was recorded at Reggie's Rock Club on March 7, 2020, and contains 66 minutes of classics spanning the whole 30-plus-year career of the death metal legends. The release also notably includes the brand new track "Maggots In The Mirror", giving fans something to chew on while the impending next studio release takes shape.

With mixing carried out by Adam Munoz, notable for his work on AUTOPSY's studio albums, "Live In Chicago" captures the band in all of its ferocious, gory glory, with artwork once again conjured from the masterfully warped mind of Wes Benscoter (SLAYER, NILE, KREATOR).

One of the early breed of U.S. death metal acts, AUTOPSY formed in 1987 in San Francisco and released four albums on Peaceville Records, beginning with the classic debut "Severed Survival" in 1989 — before disbanding in 1995, with members going on to form ABSCESS. AUTOPSY triumphantly and officially returned from the grave after a 15-year hiatus with the 2010 EP "The Tomb Within". This was followed by the release of the band's fifth studio album, "Macabre Eternal", in 2011, to great acclaim, and the band has subsequently remained at the top of the death metal pile since.

AUTOPSY's latest studio release, the "Puncturing The Grotesque" mini-LP, arrived in November of 2017 via Peaceville Records.
























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NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen played her first pandemic-era solo concert this past Thursday, July 15 at Het Zomertheater in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Ever Dream (NIGHTWISH song)

02. Euphoria (Loreen cover)

03. Storm In A Glass (NORTHWARD song)

04. Nemo (NIGHTWISH song)

05. Mama (Samantha Steenwijk cover)

06. Sweet Curse (REVAMP song) (with Henk Poort)

07. Dangerous Game ("Jekyll & Hyde" cover) (with Henk Poort)

08. Face Your Demons (AFTER FOREVER song)

09. Winner (Tim Akkerman cover)

Set 2:

01. Slow, Love, Slow (NIGHTWISH song)

02. Shallow (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper cover)

03. Strong (AFTER FOREVER song)

04. Élan (NIGHTWISH song)

05. Energize Me (AFTER FOREVER song)

06. Let It Go ("Frozen" cover)

07. Bridle Passion (NORTHWARD song)

08. Our Decades In The Sun (NIGHTWISH song)

09. Wolf And Dog (REVAMP song)

10. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover) (with Henk Poort)

After the concert, Floor tweeted: "Yesterday was amazing! I was able to let the wolf side of me out again and perform live again. @henkpoort kicked ass as per usual as well."

She later added: "My first live show with a crowd since covid-19 is now done. Oh how I missed this!"

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013 and made her recording debut with the group on 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album.

NIGHTWISH's ninth studio album, "Human. :II: Nature." , was released in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The effort is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.




Just a couple of hours until I am on stage in front of people for the first time in over a year! ?❤️ See you there! And for the people who can't attend, I have two surprises tomorrow! ? pic.twitter.com/JiN0EA6b2t

— Floor Jansen (@FloorJansen_) July 15, 2021








Yesterday was amazing! ? I was able to let the wolf side of me out again and perform live again. @henkpoort kicked ass as per usual as well.

As promised, on Spotify you can listen to a playlist with all tracks of the setlist

?? https://t.co/nm5wXowSGe pic.twitter.com/Pkw9AnUIk5

— Floor Jansen (@FloorJansen_) July 16, 2021








My first live show with a crowd since covid-19 is now done ❤️ oh how I missed this!

? @BeckflashAndrea pic.twitter.com/MsHV1f0FYj

— Floor Jansen (@FloorJansen_) July 17, 2021

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has issued a brief statement regarding the passing of CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar.

Jeff was found dead by his wife, Debinique Salazar-LaBar, on Wednesday, July 14 inside his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

On Friday, Bach took to his Twitter to share a photo of him with LaBar, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Rock in Peace to my buddy Jeff LeBar. We had some good times together and he did not deserve to leave us so soon. To his son Sebastian hang in there dude & be strong from the other Sebastian your dad will always be by your side".

LaBar joined CINDERELLA in time to record the band's debut album, 1986's "Night Songs", which peaked at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and was eventually certified triple platinum. It included CINDERELLA's biggest hit, "Nobody's Fool", which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. CINDERELLA's second album, 1988's "Long Cold Winter", was also certified triple platinum. The band's third LP, 1990's "Heartbreak Station", went platinum before the rise of the grunge movement effectively killed glam and hair metal, resulting in drastically lower sales for the band's final release, 1994's "Still Climbing".

LaBar released a solo album, "One For The Road", in 2014.

Although CINDERELLA hadn't released a new studio album since "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but had been largely inactive for the last few years while frontman Tom Keifer focused on his solo career.

Back in 2016, LaBar accepted blame for CINDERELLA's prolonged period of inactivity, explaining that his "drinking problem" caused a rift between him and his bandmates. He told "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley": "I can only speculate, but I believe it's all my fault. It's no secret that I've had a drinking problem. And it showed its ugly face on one of those [cruises that CINDERELLA played]. I guess that's what caused a rift… When I fell out on one of those cruise ships in front of everybody — like, basically O.D.'d — that's when the band, and mostly Tom, took notice and was, like, 'What the fuck?'"

Asked if he was sober at the time of the interview, LaBar said: "No, I'm not. Which is the problem. Which is probably the problem. Like I said, I can only speculate, because I don't talk to the other guys anymore. I talk to Fred every now and then. Eric [Brittingham, bass] lives 20 minutes from me. We haven't talked lately, but Eric and I have been the most consistent of all my bandmates throughout the past 32 years. It's just Tom and I that don't talk anymore. And I can only speculate that he's very disappointed and doesn't wanna see me die. He doesn't wanna witness me dying."




Rock in Peace to my buddy Jeff LeBar. We had some good times together and he did not deserve to leave us so soon. To his son Sebastian hang in there dude & be strong ✌️ from the other Sebastian ✌️ your dad will always be by your side ? pic.twitter.com/jqGoToBNYL

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) July 16, 2021

Bassist Lexxi Foxx has left California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER.

The band announced Foxx's departure in a tongue-in-cheek social media post earlier today (Saturday, July 17).

STEEL PANTHER wrote: "The End of an Era

"The great pandemic of 2020-2037 has affected all of us. For some though, it has opened doors of opportunity and been a catalyst to seek out one's true calling in life. This is Lexxi's story. He started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown. But something miraculous happened. He realized that his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself. Lexxi discovered a greater love. Possibly, the greatest love of all.

"Lexxi has chosen to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion. Making ugly dogs pretty. Anyway, after nearly 40 years of rocking together and taking STEEL PANTHER from the Viper Room to headlining Wembley Arena, it is with heavy hearts —but great heavy metal memories — that we bid Lexxi Foxx farewell. We love you and we wish you a wonderful future putting eyeliner on chihuahuas.

"STEEL PANTHER will continue to rock the world. And though we may not ever find a bassist quite as beautiful as Lexxi, it shouldn't be hard to find one to match his towering intellect.

"Good Luck… And goodbye Lexxi Foxx!!"

Back in December 2018, Lexxi, whose real name is Travis Haley, sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

Last December, STEEL PANTHER released a re-worked version of its song "Fuck Everybody" from its latest album, "Heavy Metal Rules", now re-titled "Fuck 2020". The newly recorded version included updated verses that reflect the insanity of last year.

"Heavy Metal Rules" was released in September 2019. The disc, which is described in a press release as a "heavy metal version of a self-help manual and ultimate party album combined," was once again produced by Jay Ruston, who collaborated with the band on all of its previous recordings, including 2017's "Lower The Bar".

STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Thirteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA frontman Claudio Sanchez has confirmed to Consequence Of Sound that he and his bandmates have been working on new music during the coronavirus downtime. Regarding what fans can expect, he said: "I'll be honest. A lot of times, with bands who've been around and built a strong fanbase like we have, I think there might be a tendency, intentionally or unintentionally, to try to give the fans what they want and not take too many risks. But after making music for so long and entering a pandemic, we didn't want limitations to the creative process. The [next] record is going to be what I hope people perceive this band to be in 2021/2022."

He added: "It's a modern record. It's a COHEED AND CAMBRIA record, but it's looking forward, not backwards."

As for what is influencing COHEED AND CAMBRIA's new music, Claudio said: "I think the biggest influence of the record is my son and navigating parenthood within this strange new world we all found ourselves in."

It's been over two years since COHEED AND CAMBRIA's 2018 album, "Vaxis I: The Unheavenly Creatures", was released as the band's "return to concept" album. After stepping away with a more introspective album in 2015, Sanchez and the band returned to the sci-fi universe of "The Amory Wars" in what was said to be the first of a five-part series of albums. With 2021 upon us, and a major summer tour now announced, the volume of fans' chatter for "Vaxis 2" and what and when that will entail are loading up the band's social media pages.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA is a rare band whose music can transcend "scenes" and effortlessly cross genres of rock — from indie to progressive, to metal and pop-punk to classic rock. The band is frequently compared to progressive, operatic rock bands of the '70s, ala QUEEN, SUPERTRAMP or RUSH, due to their thrilling concept albums that take you on a grand journey of sounds and often clock-in around 110 mins, but still somehow include sugary pop-laden hooks.

The group's following has grown steadily every album, partly due to their ferocious live show that brings fans to their knees with an equally expansive light show. This summer, the band will be performing songs from their expansive catalog, and we can only imagine they'll pull a few new tricks from up their slee

SEETHER will release "Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP digitally and on CD July 30 and on vinyl October 22 via Fantasy Records. The five-track set includes the fan favorite "Wasteland", from the band's most recent album, and features three never-before-heard songs, and an alternate/stripped down version of "Wasteland". Written and produced by Shaun Morgan, engineered by the band's newest member Corey Lowery, and mixed by Matt Hyde, "Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP follows the August 2020 release of SEETHER's eighth album, the acclaimed "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If You Want Peace, Prepare For War.") The first two singles from the album both hit No. 1 on the Active Rock and Rock charts: the anthemic "Dangerous" and hard-hitting "Bruised And Bloodied".

The second single from the "Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP, "Feast Or Famine", can be streamed below.

"Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP special vinyl edition will be released on 45rpm 12-inch vinyl on October 22. The band's online store will have a 500-unit super limited-edition custom Smoke and Translucent Red split color vinyl and a limited-edition Custom Clear with Smoky White Swirls color vinyl, while record stores will carry Custom Mixed Translucent Red with Smoky Black Swirls color vinyl.

SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan comments on this new release: "We are really excited to release 'The Purgatory' EP as a companion to our latest single, 'Wasteland'. I'm especially proud of how the alternate version of the track turned out and really happy that people will finally hear it!"

"Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP demonstrates SEETHER's dynamism and creative versatility. Seething with dark muscularity, the urgent "What Would You Do?" is a beautiful and cathartic baptism-by-fire that never lets up. With PIXIES undertones and BEATLES accents, "Will It Ever End?" is a startling, pandemic appropriate head trip that, like the voice in your head, goes to places unforeseen and unforgiven. "Feast Or Famine" sounds like the unholy progeny of AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne-era BLACK SABBATH. The EP is bookended by two versions of "Wasteland", the original album version and a stripped-down alternate version that features touches of piano and cello, but still retains the original's tormented drive. This latest release finds SEETHER, one of hard rock's most enduring and prolific bands, at the very top of their very productive game.

Last month, SEETHER announced they will join 3 DOORS DOWN on the latter band's "The Better Life" 20th-anniversary tour as special guests on select dates throughout the summer. These shows kick off on July 17 in Huber Heights, Ohio and will see the bands play amphitheaters in major markets across the U.S. Additionally, this fall will see SEETHER play several festivals, including Louder Than Life 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky and the sold-out Aftershock festival 2021 in Sacramento, California.

"Wasteland - The Purgatory" EP track listing:

01. Wasteland (original album version)

02. What Would You Do?

03. Will It Ever End?

04. Feast Or Famine

05. Wasteland (alternate version)

Photo credit: Laura E. Partain

THE WILDHEARTS will release a new studio album, "21st Century Love Songs", on September 3 through Graphite Records. It is the follow-up to "Renaissance Men", THE WILDHEARTS' highest-charting album since 1994's "P.H.U.Q.", which debuted at No. 11.

The LP's latest single, "Sort Your Fucking Shit Out", can be streamed below.

THE WILDHEARTS frontman Ginger (real name David Walls) said: "We all have habits or irritating behavioural patterns that we know we ought to quit. Whether it's smoking, drinking/eating too much or simply having a shit temper, at some point we point the finger at ourselves. This song is about that moment, giving yourself a bollocking. It's important to give yourself a stern talking to. Unless your problem is talking to yourself, of course. In which case you probably ignore this advice."

With THE WILDHEARTS' classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Ritchie and Danny still holding strong, this creatively brilliant band, who helped change the landscape of British rock through the '90s, is showing no sign of slowing down.

"21st Century Love Songs" will be available in usual CD and vinyl formats plus an exclusive limited-edition red vinyl. There's also signed photocards with each format whilst stock lasts, as well as t-shirt bundles available from the band's webstore.

Ginger previously stated about "21st Century Love Songs": "'Renaissance Men' reminded me of our first album, 'Earth Vs The Wildhearts'. No one knew how the fans and press would receive it, so it was balls-to-the-wall rock, and fuck 'em if they don't like it. Going in again, for '21st Century Love Songs', naturally reminded me of our second album, 'P.H.U.Q.', where we got to flex our creative muscle and show everyone what we're capable of. This time we let the songs simmer until absolutely ready. We let the theme of the album present itself. There's a subtlety to this album, something that people don't often associate with THE WILDHEARTS, and a sense of adventure in the unorthodox arrangements of the songs. This is where I become a fan of the band, when we ditch the rule book and just follow our instinct. Sarcastic, fun, angry, proud, experimental and belligerent, all wrapped up in a big 'fuck you', this is the sound of the band in their natural habitat. This time we're in control."

To celebrate the release of "21st Century Love Songs", THE WILDHEARTS will embark on an 18-date U.K. tour in September. The tour will start in Cardiff on Friday, September 3 and conclude in Southampton on Saturday, September 25.

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna joined STEEL PANTHER on stage on Thursday, July 15 at the Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin to perform a cover version of the JOURNEY classic "Don't Stop Believin'". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Concert Mania").

Two months ago, Belladonna told "The Johnny Dare Morning Show" thar his recently launched JOURNEY tribute band called JOEY BELLADONNA'S BEYOND THE BAND (formerly JOURNEY BEYOND) was "working on some recordings."

JOEY BELLADONNA'S BEYOND THE BAND, which also features keyboardist Doug Carter, bassist Paul Arntz, guitarist Matt Basford and drummer Justin Ward, made its live debut in March 2020 at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell, Virginia.

Belladonna also touched upon his reasons for launching a JOURNEY tribute band, saying: "People ask why the hell I do it. I just like the songs. I've liked the band forever. And I just wanted to do it because I think it's a cool challenge and it's just fun music. I can't think of many bands that I'd like to do a whole evening of without trying to dress up and do everything they do. We just wanna be a band that plays that music. I don't care about the whole lookalike-type stuff. It's just about music. That's really all it is."

In an April 2020 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Belladonna stated about his approach to singing material that was originally written and recorded by Steve Perry: "Obviously, when you do [something like this], there's always open ground for [people to say], 'You didn't do that part, 'You didn't do this.' [But] I didn't wanna copy it note for note. Sometimes I just like to do my own thing with it. Represent it and do what you can, but I love to mess around with things. Not so much to try to be too different, but just make it cool and do it your own way versus trying to get every note. I'm sure some guys study every second of it. Even with ANTHRAX, I do songs different a lot of times. It's just fun that way. To do things off the cuff is fun for me versus trying to follow everything… I can study it all day, but I just don't feel like doing that. I wanna have a little fun doing my own thing with it."

When he is not busy touring and recording with ANTHRAX, Belladonna has been spending time playing drums and singing for a classic-rock covers band called CHIEF BIG WAY. The upstate New York-based group, which also features Dave Mickelson on bass, Joe Precourt on guitar and John Goodwin on keyboards, plays versions of songs from JOURNEY, AC/DC, ZZ TOP, BOSTON, CHEAP TRICK, FOREIGNER, PINK FLOYD, VAN HALEN, COLLECTIVE SOUL, THE WHO, THE DOORS, SHINEDOWN and BON JOVI, among others.

In a 2005 interview with MusicDish, Belladonna was asked about the rumor that he came to the table with a JOURNEY tune during his 1985 audition for ANTHRAX. "Actually, what happened was I went into the room and they said, 'Just go on in,' and they hadn't heard me sing," he said. "They'd heard of me and they asked me to come in, but we were going in to start tracking and stuff, to get the mic set up and all that and they said, 'Let's get you in there and get you warmed up.' I hit the mic and belted out some JOURNEY… I think it was [the song] 'Lights'. I didn't know what the hell I was getting into in the first place. I just wanted to lay some vocals or something. Just to kinda give an idea and that's what happened. It wasn't really anything more than that. I just kinda belched it out. I think I did 'Oh Sherrie' [written by Steve Perry], too, or something. I dunno why, but I just did. It was something off the top of my head I could do a cappella and it was kinda challenging. I thought maybe in range or something that would be kind of intriguing. It was definitely one they weren't expecting."

ANTHRAX's 2013 EP "Anthems" EP included the band's cover version of JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" alongside classics by RUSH, THIN LIZZY, AC/DC, CHEAP TRICK and BOSTON.

KORN played its first show with Roberto "Ra" Díaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) last night (Friday, July 16) at the Upheaval festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of the "BREWtally Speaking" podcast).

Díaz is filling in for Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu on KORN's current tour. Fieldy announced last month that he would sit out the trek in order to "heal" after "falling back" on some of his "bad habits."

"We appreciate your kind words of support in response to the recent tour update about @Fieldykorn," KORN wrote in a social media post on July 12. "While our brother takes some time to heal, we wanted to let you know that we are bringing our friend @Ra_Diaz from @SuicidalTendencies out with us this summer to fill in on KORN bass duties. We've all been rehearsing to get ready to bring the heat, and we can't wait to see you next month."

On June 21, Fieldy broke the news of his absence from the trek, writing in a social media update: "To all KORN fans worldwide. The past 6 years I've been dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me. It's been suggested to me to take some time off to heal. I'm going to respect what was asked of me and take that time. Unfortunately you will not see me on stage with my band. I will be working towards getting the bad habits out of my system. In the meantime I will be staying creative to keep my mind & soul in a good place.

"I'm thankful for all of your support, patience & understanding as we all have something that we deal with.

"Jonathan, Munky, Ray and Head, I love you and I don't want to bring any tension or bad vibes to the circle."

A short time later, KORN's official social media shared Fieldy's statement, along with the following message: "We love and support our brother, Fieldy. Health and family always comes first."

In May, KORN announced a U.S. summer tour featuring special guests STAIND on all dates. Produced by Live Nation, the coast-to-coast 28-city outing will kick off August 5 in West Palm Beach, Florida and make stops in Long Island, Detroit, Irvine, Phoenix, Austin and more, before wrapping up with a performance at Dallas' Dos Equis Pavilion on September 21. Furthermore, both bands will perform at Louisville, Kentucky's Louder Than Life festival on September 23.

Back in 2017, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo's then-12-year-old son Tye Trujillo filled in on bass for KORN's South American tour after Fieldy was unable to make the shows due to "unforeseen circumstances."

Fieldy's 2009 memoir, "Got The Life: My Journey Of Addiction, Faith, Recovery And Korn", detailed his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction during KORN's early years and how he became a born-again Christian to help get his life together and get sober.

Fieldy's STILLWELL side project released its third album, "Supernatural Miracle", last September.

KORN's latest LP, "The Nothing", arrived in September 2019 via Roadrunner/Elektra. The follow-up to 2016's "The Serenity Of Suffering" was once again produced by Nick Raskulinecz.

Fan-filmed video footage of POP EVIL's July 16 performance at the Upheaval festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan can be seen below.

POP EVIL's current touring lineup includes two session musicians: drummer Jason Hartless (TED NUGENT) and bassist Joey "Chicago" Walser of EGYPT CENTRAL and DEVOUR THE DAY.

Last weekend, POP EVIL's longtime bassist Matt DiRito announced his exit from the band, saying in a statement that "the details surrounding my departure are only known by a few people, and respectfully it will remain that way."

"Walking away from something I've helped build is not easy — but it is the best thing for the band, myself and our respective futures," he said. "POP EVIL will continue on and so will I, just not together."

POP EVIL drummer Hayley Cramer is being forced to miss the first couple of weeks of the band's U.S. tour because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The U.K.-based musician, who joined the Michigan rockers in 2016, announced her absence from the first shows of the trek in a social media post on July 8.

She wrote: "Hey everyone! As I'm sure some of you have noticed, POP EVIL have started rehearsals yet I'm still here in the UK. So I just want to fill you all in with where we are at with regards to some travel logistics back to America.

"We have been able to secure a meeting with the consulate on the 21st of July to get my P1 visa renewed. The embassy is extremely backed up due to the pandemic, but our immigration team have really delivered. Some people are still waiting to obtain an appointment! This does mean unfortunately I will be missing the first couple of weeks of tour.

"I can't wait to get back to play shows in front of you all again. In the meantime, a fantastic drummer Jason Hartless will be filling in for me and will deliver a kick ass performance for sure!!

"I want to encourage you to continually show your love, encouragement and support to bands, musicians, crews and venues. We need all the help you can give to rebuild our precious yet vulnerable music industry. Live music in particular!

"Big love to you all. See you soon."

POP EVIL's "Versatile" tour kicked off on July 14 with an outdoor show in Lake County, Illinois and will run across the U.S. until September 23 including stops at several of the major rock festivals — Rocklahoma, Aftershock and Inkcarceration — as well as supporting SHINEDOWN. Support on the trek will come from special guests ZERO 9:36, BRKN LOVE and LIKE MACHINES (on select dates).

POP EVIL's latest album, "Versatile", features the No. 1 mainstream rock hit single "Breathe Again" — the band's sixth No. 1 single to date — alongside heavyweight tracks "Set Me Free", "Let The Chaos Reign" and Top 10 single "Work".






We got Jason M Hartless on drums dough

Miss you Chuck Alkazian!!!!

Posted by Tom Marsh on Friday, July 16, 2021

HALESTORM played its first concert in almost two years last night (Friday, July 16) at The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance is available below.

Earlier in the day, HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale tweeted: "Tonight's the night. Our first show back in almost two years. Emotions are running hot. I can't even believe it's real. See you there!"

The setlist for the gig was as follows:

01. Mayhem

02. Apocalyptic

03. Mz. Hyde

04. Do Not Disturb

05. I Get Off

06. I Am the Fire

07. I Like It Heavy

08. Break In / Dear Daughter

09. Familiar Taste of Poison

10. Drum Solo

11. Freak Like Me

12. Uncomfortable

13. Love Bites (So Do I)

Encore:

14. Here's To Us

15. Amen

16. I Miss The Misery

HALESTORM has spent the last few months recording its new album for a tentative late 2021 release. The LP's first single will arrive in August.

During an appearance on the June 11 edition of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation Virtual Invasion", Lzzy spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for HALESTORM's follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" album. She said: "It's going great. We're actually kind of in the eleventh hour. Everything is starting to really congeal and just reveal itself. So we're at the tail end of it. We already have a first single picked; that just happened. So you're definitely going to be hearing music sooner than later. As far as the release date of the record, I don't have that yet."

Hale went on to reflect on the songwriting process for the new HALESTORM LP, some of which took part after touring was shut down due to coronavirus precautions. She said: "I think a lot of us [artists] were questioning, over the past year and change, about why am I still doing this? Who am I without touring? Who am I without all of the normal things that make my life normal? And we took, or at least I — I can't speak for the guys — but I took writing when there was no real schedules, 'cause we didn't know what was gonna open up, I took to writing to kind of have that be my escape, have that be my stage. So what you're going to hear on this record is a lot of that, a lot of me placing myself in this spot, in this communion of people that I feel most comfortable, and just surrounded by everyone that loves the same music that I do."

Lzzy also talked about once again working with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who first helmed HALESTORM's 2017 effort "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" and was previously described by Hale as the group's "fifth member."

"He's so passionate and he's just a fan of music," she said. "And I know that sounds surprising — oh, yeah, a music producer that isn't a fan of music. There are a lot of those; there are a lot of those types of producers that are not fans of your music, let alone really listening to your genre. So it's just great to be working with a producer that just loves the same kind of music and knows what we can do.

"We've written so much material for this record, and a lot of it we end up throwing out and then rewriting and whatever," she explained. "What people don't understand is you have to be willing to work so hard just to throw it all away and do it again and make sure it's right, 'cause it has to be right. 'Cause you don't wanna look back and be, like, 'Oh, I should have said something about that.'"

HALESTORM's latest release was last year's "Halestorm Reimagined", a collection of the band's reworked original songs as well as a cover of "I Will Always Love You", the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton.

Lzzy and her brother Arejay formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)". According to the Grammy web site, Lzzy became the first woman to earn a Grammy in the category.




Tonight’s the night. Our first show back in almost two years. Emotions are running hot. I can’t even believe it’s real. See you there!

— Lzzy Hale (@LZZYHALE) July 16, 2021












And then Friday was a wrap. Halestorm at Beast. Lzzy totally bringin’ it.

Posted by Michael Jude Grimes on Saturday, July 17, 2021

Finnish melodic death metal pioneers INSOMNIUM have released a new single, "The Antagonist". The track, along with previously issued singles "The Conjurer" and "The Reticent", will appear on the band's upcoming EP, "Argent Moon", due on September 17 via Century Media Records.

INSOMNIUM frontman Niilo Sevänen stated about the "Argent Moon" EP: "When the corona outbreak forced us to cancel all the tours and shows, we pretty soon adopted a mindset that we better do something and keep ourselves in motion. We wanted to try how the streaming shows might work. We wanted to see what kind of new music might grow in the darkness and misery of the quarantine. And soon these vibes were channeled into songs that came to be the 'Argent Moon' EP. We wanted to try something a bit different so all the four songs on this release represent the softer side of INSOMNIUM. The ballads and the mellow tunes. Acoustic guitars and clean vocals. The sorrow and agony that creeps into your heart when the nights grow longer. But fear not, we haven't changed our style. Next album will be something different again. We used all the ballad ideas here so maybe it will be pure blast beats. We shall see. 'The Antagonist' video is something new and fresh too, since we worked with director and mastermind Ville Lipiäinen for the first time ever. The result is a bit different kind of INSOMNIUM montage."

After reaching pole position on official Finnish album charts and hitting German Top 10 with the acclaimed album "Heart Like A Grave" in October 2019, INSOMNIUM was once again supposed to entertain the legions of metal addicts all around the world. And that's what these gentlemen did for the time being: there was definitely no absence of severe headbanging... well, until mid-March 2020 when the good old world abruptly closed its curtains.

Drummer Markus Hirvonen previously told Sonic Perspectives about "Heart Like A Grave": "In my opinion, this is easily the strongest INSOMNIUM record we have ever done. There weren't any plans for diversifying or anything. Maybe the recording of the [2016] 'Winter's Gate' [album] kind of opened the gates in a way for us that we could prove to us that, 'Okay, there are no boundaries in a way. We can explore all the directions we want. I'm not saying we went like full-on to some weird directions, but yeah, it kind of opened the treasure box for us in a way that we can expand tempo-wise and the timings of the songs, we can play slower and faster and so. Also, maybe explore with the time signatures a bit more, but still keeping the INSOMNIUM [feeling] behind it. It wasn't like a decision that we were going to diversify our material, but it came up."

INSOMNIUM is:

Markus Hirvonen - Drums

Ville Friman - Guitars

Niilo Sevänen - Vocals, Bass

Markus Vanhala - Guitars

Jani Liimatainen - Guitars, Vocals

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine makes a guest appearance on the new album from John 5.

The former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist revealed Mustaine's participation in the project during a new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station.

Speaking about his upcoming LP, which is titled "Sinner" and is due on Halloween, John 5 said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm very excited about it. It's all instrumental, like my crazy stuff that I do. We have [original KISS drummer] Peter Criss playing drums on 'Georgia On My Mind'. And we just got it finished yesterday — hopefully nobody's upset I'm gonna talk about it — but we have Dave Mustaine doing a little vocal thing. 'Cause we have these little vocal hooks in each song. So it's super cool. And Mustaine did it. And it sounds so good. I love MEGADETH so much, so I was, like, 'Oh my God. We've gotta see if Mustaine will do it.' And he kills it."

John 5, whose real name is John William Lowery, first discussed Criss's involvement with "Sinner" during an appearance last month on Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "Peter Criss is playing drums on the song 'Georgia On My Mind', which is the last song on the record. And I'm telling you… This guy… Barry Pointer, my producer, flew out to Peter's house, set up a couple of mics. Now, this is a jazz type of song, and Peter is known for that jazz feel he has. I shit you not, he sat behind those drums, played two takes. Barry's mouth was dropped open. Wait till you hear this. I mean, it was perfect."

John 5 continued: "It's something you can't teach, is this feel and this vibe. And he nailed it in two takes. And Barry was, like, 'Well, what do we do now?' It took him, like, literally probably eight minutes. And it was just perfect. He was, like, 'There's nothing else we can do. That was perfect.'"

In a 2014 interview, Criss said that he had been working with John 5 on material for a new rock solo album, which he promised would be "heavier" than the stuff he had done in the past.

John 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, LYNYRD SKYNYRD and more. Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around," and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder." John 5 has released nine solo albums to date, as well as a remix album, and has written music for the likes of Avril Lavigne, GARBAGE, Ricky Martin and others.

JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES' latest album, "Invasion", was released in July 2019.

As the drummer of the legendary rock band SCORPIONS, Herman Rarebell was the rhythmic backbone of the band for many years and remains one of the most influential drummers in the rock world today. Recorded 40 years ago, his first solo album "Nip In The Bud" will be re-released this year, remastered and available digitally for the first time. "Nip In The Bud" will be released on August 27 via Aviator Management.

"It was an amazing feeling," Rarebell describes the moment of holding his own solo record in his hands. "I'm extremely proud of this album. Even after 40 years, the album sounds totally fresh and exciting and tracks like 'I'll Say Goodbye' or the ballad 'Messing Around' are still absolute hard rock classics, even today."

Rarebell's drumming style was influenced by bands such as LED ZEPPELIN and he has always felt at home playing classic hard rock. A clear and direct sound is still his passion today. Many of the songs, which were written by Rarebell in the early '70s, did not fit into the concept of the SCORPIONS at that time and so the idea of a solo album was born.

To mark the announcement, Herman has released the single "Rock Your All" and you can listen to it below.

Herman says: "'Rock Your All' is one of my favorite-ever singles and contains one of my favorite riffs of all time."

The two other musicians on his album were Pedro Schemm alias George Philips (vocals and bass) and David "D.H." Cooper (guitarist). Rarebell and George Phillips were childhood friends and played together in bands such as THE MASTERMEN and the legendary krautrock band RS RINDFLEISCH with George on vocals and Rarebell on drums. Both later moved to England, where they played in various bands and met guitarist David "DH" Cooper.

Rarebell knew immediately that this trio would be the optimal lineup for his first solo album.

"Nip In The Bud" was recorded live in a 16-track studio in Rarebell's hometown of Lebach. The chemistry between the musicians was perfect with all three working in harmony to create an honest, live hard rock album. Within two weeks, the basic tracks were finished. The last overdubs were done in Dieter Dirks's studio near Cologne and Herman Rarebell's first solo album was ready to mix. The final mix was done by Gerd Rautenbach, who was also responsible for the unique sound on the legendary SCORPIONS albums "Blackout" and "Love At The First Sting". Both Rarebell and Rautenbach's goal was to give the songs the LED ZEPPELIN sound, "so the drums are way up front in a big room," Herman says. "The idea was to capture both the live feeling as well as the pressure from the drums."

The artwork was created by Storm Thorgerson's team at Hipgnosis, who also created legendary album covers for PINK FLOYD, ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA and LED ZEPPELIN.

Track listing:

01. Messing Around (remastered version)

02. Two Timer (remastered version)

03. Havin' A Good Time (remastered version)

04. Rock Your All (remastered version)

05. Triangle (remastered version)

06. Slob (remastered version)

07. Junk Funk (remastered version)

08. Do It (remastered version)

09. Pancake (remastered version)

10. I'll Say Goodbye (remastered version)

Rarebell was born on November 18, 1949 (a Scorpio) in Saarbrucken, Germany. He wrote the lyrics for some of SCORPIONS' most classic songs such as "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Make It Real", "Dynamite", "Blackout", "Arizona", "Bad Boys Running Wild", "Don't Stop At The Top", "Tease Me Please Me" and other songs. In 1981, he released his first solo album "Nip In The Bud" (which he later re-recorded as HERMAN ZE GERMAN & FRIENDS). In April 1996, he left the SCORPIONS after an incredible 32 million sold albums. Together with Prince Albert of Monaco he co-founded Monaco Records releasing a second solo album under the label Stings Like a Scorpion.

The SCORPIONS reunited their classic lineup at the Wacken Open Air festival on August 3, 2006, billed as "A Night To Remember: A Journey In Time". Herman was invited by his old friends to join them on stage and the band performed many classic songs also featuring Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker.

Photo credit: Nico Mass

Krokus frontman Marc Storace recently participated in a career-spanning interview with Andrew DiCecco of Vinyl Writer Music; an excerpt follows:

Headhunter proved to be the band’s breakthrough album and has incredibly stood the test of time. What do you recall from the recording of the 1983 classic?

"That was the recording process that I loved most, and I had actually not experienced it in that way since the TEA days with Dieter Dierks; he had a big studio up in Cologne, where the Scorpions would go to, and everyone had his own booth. So, to start off the recording, the first thing you do is, you have the drummer in the middle of the biggest room and all the amps are in different rooms. And the band stands around the drummer, and you go through the paces. I have my lyrics, and I kind of do a little bit of directing, letting the band know the chorus is coming now; now it’s the bridge; now it’s the verse. With sign language! This whole shit is really exciting, and I miss that. And that happened again for the Headhunter album. So, what I do in that first stage, whilst we’re laying down the basic tracks, is I concentrate more on the arrangements. So, it’s the guide vocals that I’m singing, which I then repeat everything else. I go over the whole stuff again, but this time, I’m alone in the booth wearing headphones, and I have all the basic tracks of the band. And everyone else has gone home, in the hotel, or in the club, or whatever. And I’m in the studio alone; I was alone with Tom Allom, and Chris used to hang out there, and Fernando [von Arb] to go over the whole thing.

I was really happy. I think five of those were first takes. 'Screaming In The Night' was also one of them, and 'Eat The Rich' was one of them and a couple of the others. And there were others that I repeated just because I wanted to repeat them and try maybe different angles and different approaches, but they were kind of rejected later on. In the end, you sit in a control room and start jumping tracks. You record maybe 3-5 tracks of one song and start choosing the best sentences out of five tracks, or you throw out the obviously bad ones and start narrowing it down until you have the favorite track. It’s a process that I like, and it still works the same, only today you have pro tools.

But the recording I’m doing now for my solo album, the basic tracks have been done the same way as I did in Florida in Bee Jay Studios for the Headhunter album. With the whole band in one big room, and I’m behind the glass and helping them with the guide vocals to know what’s coming next. You’re so into this stuff sometimes, you’re not reading your notes, maybe."

The video for “Screaming In The Night” received heavy rotation on MTV and exemplifies the band’s innate musicianship. Tell us about your memories from the video shoot.

"Oh yeah, I remember that very well. It was one of my favorite video recording experiences. It was recorded by Joe Dea. He’s from San Francisco; we’re still in touch. He’s an artist now. We were put together by the record company, I guess, and we met in Los Angeles. We were rehearsing for the tour at SIR Studios on Sunset Boulevard, somewhere close to the Chinese Theatre. Joe came in and we started talking, he asked me about the lyrics and stuff, and he said, 'Well, here’s an idea. It’s not gonna literally be following your lyrics.' I said, 'Well, I don’t care. As long as it makes sense and it’s rock ‘n’ roll.' So, he came up with this concept that reminds one of the Road Warriors movie. It’s like after the Holocaust or after the end of the world, or after a big, nuclear war; humankind has to do with whatever’s left and you’re still fighting evil, as always. It was a great concept, and what was really special to me, was the part where my chains are broken and I put on my Nikes. [Laughs] and climb down the ladder into that diner, then go walking over all the guys' breakfasts after seeing see my loved one is alive reading the news on TV… crossing dimensions!"

To read the complete interview, visit this location.

 




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STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis performed his controversial new solo single, "Am I The Only One", on The Daily Wire's "Candace" show. You can now watch video of his appearance below.

According to Billboard, "Am I The Only One" bowed at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after posting blockbuster first-week sales of 59,300. The track, which which Lewis wrote with Ira Dean and Jeffrey Steele, also topped Billboard's airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated July 17). It opened atop Country Digital Song Sales and at No. 2 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales ranking. "Am I The Only One" also drew 4 million U.S. streams in the tracking week.

The outspoken conservative rocker, who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade, debuted the song in March at a solo concert in Texas — a state which removed all pandemic restrictions that same month.

"Am I The Only One" finds Aaron asking if he is the only one fed up with the state of the country right now, featuring such lyrics as: "Am I the only one, who can't take no more, screaming, 'If you don't like it there's the fucking door.' It's not the freedom we've been fightin' for

It was somethin' more, yeah, it was somethin' more.'

Apparently addressing the removal of Confederate statues, Lewis sings in the song: " I'm not the only one, willin' to fight for my love of the red and white and the blue, burnin' on the ground as a statue's comin' down in a town near you. Watchin' the threads of Old Glory come undone, I'm not the only one. I can't be the only one."

Lewis also criticizes Bruce Springsteen at the end of the track, singing: "Am I the only one who quits singin' along every time they play a Springsteen song."

Springsteen can best be described as Lewis's political polar opposite, having been a vocal opponent to former U.S. president Donald Trump on many occasions. Last August, Bruce went as far as to allow the use of his song "The Rising" in a video that aired during night one of the Democratic National Convention.

Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, told the Anchorage Press in a January 2020 interview that he considered the first Trump impeachment by the House Of Representatives as the clearest representation of what's wrong with America these days.

Lewis was a staunch critic of President Barack Obama, telling a crowd at one of his solo concerts in 2016: "Barack Obama should have been impeached a long fucking time ago. Every fucking decision he makes is against the Constitution, it's against what's good for our fucking country, and he is truly the worst fucking president that we have ever had in the history of this fucking country."

That same year, Lewis told Billboard that he would support Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race, even though he was "disappointed" by the real estate mogul "with the bickering and the name-calling." Lewis added that he voted for Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the Republican nomination race, in the Massachusetts primary.

Last month, Lewis made headlines when he accused the U.S. Democratic Party of fighting against every major civil rights initiative and of having a long history of discrimination.

The power metal trailblazers Airborn from Turin, Italy, have dropped the “Metal Haters” video from the upcoming live album and DVD, Live Animals. Watch the clip below. The publication, announced a few days ago, was first planned in 2020 on their 25th anniversary, but then postponed due to the global pandemic and finally set this August.

Live Animals is already available for pre-order, exclusively at Airborn’s webstore, here.

Live Animals will be published as a CD + DVD digisleeve and for digital download at arpmusic.bandcamp.com and on the main platforms. The album features three bonus tracks recorded at Airborn’s Born To Fly Festival 2018, the last one for audio CD only. The physical format includes a heartwarming introduction by Turin’s metal poet Walter Olivetti as well as a copy of the setlist handsigned by the band.

Live Animals will be published as a CD + DVD digisleeve and for digital download at arpmusic.bandcamp.com and on the main platforms. It will be available for preorder from July 19 exclusively at Airborn’s web store airborn.bigcartel.com. The album features three bonus tracks recorded at Airborn’s Born To Fly Festival 2018, the last one for audio CD only. The physical format incudes a heartwarming introduction by Turin’s metal poet Walter Olivetti as well as a copy of the setlist handsigned by the band.

Live Animals represents the second effort the band took on a live album, after the successful Dinosaurs they published on their 20th anniversary. A release party and a streaming session on Airborn’s YouTube channel are being defined, details will be revealed further on.

Tracklisting:

“The Hero”
“Heavy Metal Wars”
“Who We Are”
“Lizard Secret”
“King Of Fear”
“Wolf Child”
“Here Comes The Claw”
“Sword Of Justice”
“Reign Of The Human Race”
“Terrifying Manhunt”
“Mess We’re In”
“Metal Haters”
“Against The World”

Bonus (Recorded At Born To Fly Festival 2019)
“Defenders Of Planet Earth”
“Born To Fly”
“Metal Gods” (CD only)

"Metal Haters" video:




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Blind Illusion, featuring ex-Heathen guitarist Doug Piercy, performed on July 17th at Holy Diver in Sacramento, California. The band's line-up now features former Death Angel drummer Andy Galeon. Check out video of the band performing the Blind Illusion classic "Smash The Crystal", courtesy of Capital Chaos TV.

Blind Illusion was formed in 1978 by frontman Mark Biedermann. The band has had several lineup changes, with Biedermann being the only constant member. Blind Illusion is also notable for featuring future Primus members Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde, who performed bass and guitar respectively on their 1988 debut album, The Sane Asylum. After a 20-year hiatus, Biedermann reformed Blind Illusion in 2009. A new EP entitled 2018 was released in February 2019 and includes remakes of some of their older songs. In August 2020, Blind Illusion announced they were in the studio recording their third album, tentatively titled Wrath Of The Gods, which will include Galeon.

Andy Galeon a founding member of Death Angel's, which was formed in 1982. He left the band in May 2009 for personal reasons, stating in a September 2009 interview: "We had a tour booked, and basically, I had personal things I had to deal with. I had a newborn baby, and I just was like, 'Well, I've gotta do stuff at home.' We (the members of Death Angel) weren't communicating well. I wasn't about to ask them to not go (on the road), so I just said, 'I'll just leave then.'" Galeon was replaced by Will Carroll, formerly of Scarecrow, Old Grandad and Vicious Rumors.




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Ushering in a new generation of classic southern rock steeped in soul and the blues, The Georgia Thunderbolts are set to release their debut full-length album, Can We Get A Witness, out October 15th on digipack CD via Mascot Records. A vinyl edition of the album, with bonus track “Better Run From The Beast,” will be out November 26th. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

The Georgia Thunderbolts’ debut album features their scorching signature style steeped in soulful southern swagger, blistering blues, and raw rock with a wide swath of inspirations, ranging from southern gospel and Hank Williams to Merle Haggard, Neil Young, Little Feat and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The album comprises thirteen undeniable anthems doused in anthemic riffs, wild harmonica, and pulse-pounding drums. The Georgia Thunderbolts rustle up a new era of rock ‘n’ roll, informed by their history in Rome, GA - a town with a deep agricultural history. So when they sing, "Spirit Of A Workin' Man," you better believe they mean it.

Tracklisting:

"Take It Slow"
"Lend A Hand"
"So You Wanna Change The World"
"Looking For An Old Friend"
"Spirit Of A Workin’ Man"
"Midnight Rider"
"Be Good To Yourself"
"Half Glass Woman"
"Dancin’ With The Devil"
"Can I Get A Witness"
"Walk Tall Man"
"It’s Alright"
"Set Me Free"
"Better Run From The Beast" (Vinyl Bonus Track)

The album title, Can We Get A Witness, represents "overcoming the obstacles in life," says vocalist TJ Lyle. "Everybody has their ups and downs, but it's how you persevere and prosper through adversity that shows your true colors. The song ‘Can I Get A Witness’ is a statement that goes out to anyone who has the desire and faith in themselves and others to be successful."

"There's a message to what we're doing," comments drummer Bristol Perry. "It's okay to be yourself. If you're going through hard times, the music will always be there. We'd love to remind everyone of that.” 

Check out The Georgia Thunderbolts version of the Frankie Miller classic "Be Good To Yourself", from their upcoming album, Can We Get A Witness, out everywhere October 15th.

 

 




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GENERATION KILL, the band featuring former EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes, has released the official music video for a new song called "Rat King". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "MKUltra", due on September 27 via Blood Blast Distribution.

Dukes commented: "I watched the documentary 'Rats' by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, and it impacted me so much that I was immediately inspired to write a song about rats, maggots, and roaches taking over the planet Earth. Shortly after finishing the lyrics, our guitarist Jay Velez just so happened to send me the music he had been working on and it ended up matching perfectly with the lyrics. Feedback on the song so far has been overwhelmingly positive and I think our fans are gonna really dig it."

GENERATION KILL was formed by Dukes in New York City in 2008. Rob, on hiatus from touring with EXODUS, wanted to funnel his excess creative energy and aggression into something new. After the inclusion of Jason Trenczer, Lou Lehman and Sam Inzerra, the band began writing and recording its first album, "Red, White, & Blood", featuring several singles, including "Feast For The Wolves" and "Hate" as well as a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS track "Wish" which enjoyed heavy radio rotation.

Due to creative differences with Inzerra and the untimely death of guitarist Lou Lehman, Jay Velez and Jim DeMaria (HEATHEN) joined and began recording GENERATION KILL's sophomore album, "We're All Gonna Die", with renowned producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED). Shortly after its release, the band embarked on a European tour with fellow EXODUS member Lee Altus's band HEATHEN. The album spawned several successful singles, including "Prophets Of War" which went to No. 1 on SiriusXM Liquid Metal's "Dirty Dozen" and remained one of the top requested songs on the channel.

Following the success of "We're All Gonna Die", drummer Rob Youells joined GENERATION KILL and they went into the studio, this time with ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal to record an album with a founding member of RUN-D.M.C., Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels. The project was initially titled DMC GENERATION KILL before becoming its own entity, later renamed FRAGILE MORTALS.

Currently, GENERATION KILL is recording "MK-Ultra", teaming up once again with Zeuss, Youells returning on the drums and with a new member, Max Velez, on bass.

Polish tech death masters DECAPITATED have pushed back against attempts by unnamed individals to force the cancelation of the band's recently announced European 25th-anniversary tour.

The controversy stems from the fact all four members of DECAPITATED were accused by a woman of gang-raping her after a concert in 2017 in Spokane, Washington. In January 2018, rape and kidnapping charges against the musicians were dropped by prosecutors in Washington state. At the time, the prosecutors filed a motion in Spokane County Superior Court dismissing the charges, citing only the "well-being of the victim" as the reason.

Earlier today, DECAPITATED released the following statement: "As many of you may or may not be aware, back in 2017 in the midst of our USA tour we had the worst experience of our lives during the time we got arrested and jailed after being falsely accused of sexual assault. We went through hell and back. After all charges got dropped when evidence that would prove our innocence came to light and we were able to return to Poland, we made a short statement about the situation and had decided not to go into any sort of detail. The band had not been found guilty and we didn't want to share much, if any, of the details of what we had to go through. We have known the truth and the truth will always win.

"Unfortunately, it has been brought to our attention that a small group of people, who know nothing about our case or have any connection to it or us, have been reaching out directly to some of our beloved UK venues and promoters of the 25 year anniversary EU/UK tour that we announced earlier this week, bringing up old articles from when we got arrested, in an attempt to cause damage to the band and our shows.

"Over the past weeks and months, we've heard about several industry players (be it bands, promoters or agents) rightfully coming under fire after severe allegations of unacceptable misconduct. This is absolutely unrelated to DECAPITATED. We have nothing to do with this and don't deserve to be dragged through the mud again.

"The band has ZERO interest in rehashing the past and certainly, the scars need to be kept closed. We value the emotional and mental health of our band members and ALL involved in their lives. We will not go back to one of the, if not, the worst times of our lives. It hurts us that some people are forcing us to go relive all those terrible feelings again, while we moved on and have been working very hard to rebuild this band.

"Our members, family, label, closest fans, friends and people from the music industry have helped every step of the way to keep us afloat, as well as mentally and emotionally strong.

"DECAPITATED has never used and will never build their strategy and recognition, or look for media attention, by talking about private life, being scandalists, or provoking and offending others. But once and for all to set the record straight: We strongly stand with the victims of ACTUAL sexual abuse, homophobia, racism and strongly condemn any actions or sentiment of this kind, ALWAYS! There is NO room for this in our beloved metal community (or anywhere else). Accusations related to any kind of abuse or assault should always be taken seriously. Sexual harassment does happen and it is horrible. But false accusations do also happen and can also very easily and rapidly destroy lives, relationships and careers. Unfortunately, we experienced this first hand and this keeps chasing us to this very day. It is very unfortunate and disrespectful that some people are trying to take this away from real survivors of abuse.

"After months of hard work together with our team, we were very excited to announce our 25 year anniversary tour this week. In case some venue or promoter would still want to cancel our show, it would sadden us deeply but we will respect that decision and move on.

"We cannot wait to hit the road again after these challenging Covid times and hope to see many of you on one (or more) of our below tour dates.

Thank you once again to everyone who has supported us over the years."

The woman alleged she was gang-raped by the musicians in their tour bus bathroom after DECAPITATED's August 31, 2017 concert with THY ART IS MURDER at The Pin concert venue in downtown Spokane as part of the two bands' "Double Homicide" tour. The woman said entered the bus for drinks with the band before each member forced themselves on her.

Deputies later stated the victim had "significant bruising to her upper arms consistent with being restrained" and "small abrasions on her knuckles that were scabbed over."

Andy Marsh, a member of THY ART IS MURDER, provided testimony for the defense, saying he saw the woman violently dancing in the mosh pit in front of the stage. "She was smashing her hands, arms and body against the metal barricade between the audience and the stage," he said in the court documents.

All four members of DECAPITATED were arrested on September 9, 2017 in Santa Ana, California after performing at the Observatory. They were held in Los Angeles County Jail before being extradited to Spokane.

The musicians were released from jail last month as they awaited trial. As part of their release conditions, they were ordered to stay in Washington and were required to turn in their passports. In the event that they did return to Poland, they were ordered to sign waivers of extradition, meaning they were agreeing to be extradited to the U.S.

The DECAPITATED members were released on their own recognizance and did not have to post a bond.

Their trial was scheduled to begin on January 16, 2018.




pic.twitter.com/kB2BUKfcg5

— Decapitated (@decapitated) July 17, 2021