Remember, remember, the Fifth Of November? Last autumn, British metal legends Paradise Lost exorcised the demons and ghosts of a dreary dry spell without concerts and thrilled the world with their stunning livestream, At The Mill. The captured testimony of this special night is released today as a live album.

Captured at The Mill Nightclub near the band’s hometown in Yorkshire, England, the recording of the BluRay was directed by Ash Pears, who previously worked with the band on their music videos for "Medusa" and "Obsidian". Mixed by Les Smith and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano, the audio version of the show is available in various formats including CD, Blu-Ray and different vinyl colours. Save or order the album here, and watch an official live video for "As I Die" below:

"Due to the ban on live music, we, like many other bands, have had to adapt and do something we never thought we'd have to do”, reflects guitarist and songwriter Greg Mackintosh on the release. “No, not stacking shelves in Aldi like Metallica, but playing a show at a disused mill in Yorkshire with no one else there. We decided against trying to pretend there was an audience in the room with us, opting instead for a rather moribund version of a live lounge show. Whilst never being pleased with anything, we were however slightly less miserable at the result. It was also almost fun playing some of our new album Obsidian within the set for the first time too. We can now announce that we will be releasing this show as an official CD/Blu-Ray and vinyl imaginatively entitled At The Mill.”

Previously released live videoS for "One Second" and "Darker Thoughts" can be viewed below:




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Katatonia are set to release Mnemosynean on October 1 via Peaceville Records.

This new release marks 30 years since the formation of one of the most enigmatic & aurally captivating bands to grace the dark rock/prog genre, Mnemosynean contains an extensive collection of all of Katatonia’s rarities and B-sides, including tracks from the band’s numerous EPs, limited special edition bonuses, cover songs, as well as a series of collaborative remixes.

The journey of Mnemosynean spans the gothic-soaked experimental epic "Scarlet Heavens" recorded all the way back in 1994, through to tracks recorded during the sessions for the stellar 2016 opus, The Fall Of Hearts.

The intriguing title of Mnemosynean itself represents memories and was selected because tomb inscriptions dating back to 400 BCE say that the dead could keep their memories by avoiding drinking from the Lethe, and drink instead from the stream flowing from the lake of Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory).

The Mnemosynean packaging includes a new band biography courtesy of music journalist Eleanor Goodman, as well as full lyrics plus backgrounds to the track origins described by founding members Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse, along with other close Katatonia collaborators. The artwork for this release has been created by long-running Katatonia visual artist Travis Smith.

Mnemosynean will be released through Peaceville on 2 CD, deluxe gatefold  triple LP on black vinyl , deluxe gatefold  triple LP on white coloured vinyl (available only through the Peaceville label stores and Katatonia band store)and digitally.

Pre-order here, and watch a trailer below.

Tracklisting (CD split):

Disc 1:

"Vakaren"
"Sistere"
"Wide Awake In Quietus"
"Night Comes Down"
"Second"
"The Act Of Darkening"
"Ashen"
"Sold Heart"
"Displaced"
"Dissolving Bonds"
"Unfurl"
"Code Against The Code"

Disc 2:

"Wait Outside"
"Sulfur"
"March 4"
"O How I Enjoy The Light"
"Help Me Disappear"
"Fractured"
"No Devotion"
"Quiet World"
"Scarlet Heavens"
"In The White" (Urban Dub)
"My Twin" (Opium Dub Version)
"Soil`s Song" (Krister Linder 2012 remix)
"Day And Then The Shade" (Frank Default remix)
"Idle Blood" (Linje 14)
"Hypnone" (Frank Default Hypnocadence mix)




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After this year’s Wacken Open Air had to be postponed due to the pandemic, the promoters declare today that there won’t be a regular presale for W:O:A 2022. During the changeover, more than 95% of the fans to decided to hold on to their tickets. The few remaining tickets for the festival scheduled from August 4 through 8, 2022, with bands such as Judas Priest, Slipknot, Till Lindemann already being confirmed, will be assigned randomly among interested people on a mailing list.

"We are deeply moved by the backing we have received from our fans over the past months. The fact that the percentage of people keeping their tickets is evene higher than last year marks another highlight prompting us to wholeheartedly say: thanx for your support, Metalheads! It is an honour to able to create events for you," states Holger Hübner, managing director of WOA Festival GmbH.

His partner Thomas Jensen adds: "With the entries on our list for people interested in tickets far exceeding the contingent still available, W:O:A 2022 is practically sold out. We understand this as a signal from the fans, telling us they’re as hungry for live music as we are. We can hardly await the reunion with them – with some joining us already in September for our new event format Bullhead City!“

Said Bullhead City is taking place on September 16, 17 and 18, 2021, in Wacken. Blind Guardian, Nightwish, Powerwolf and many more will be performing on four stages.

The Mailing List for the remaining W:O:A 2022 tickets is open until July 31, 2021, and can be found here.

Another possibility to visit the next Wacken Open Air without having a ticket yet is through the festival’s official travel partners who offer packages including travel to and from Wacken as well as entry to the event. An overview is available here.

All information about Wacken Open Air can be found here.

(Photo - ICS Festival Service GmbH)




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Mansfield-based metal band, Savage, whose debut album Loose ’N Lethal was one of the most critically-acclaimed releases of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, have been forced to cancel all planned shows for 2021.

The decision was taken after bassist/vocalist Chris Bradley suffered two major heart attacks towards the end of last year. Although Chris’s health is improving, his road to recovery has been longer than he and the rest of the band – guitarists Andy Dawson and Kristian Bradley, and drummer Mark Nelson – anticipated. Chris is still receiving hospital treatment so, for now, Savage will be off the road.

“This has been a battle for me, personally,” says Chris, “but I’m in good hands and have the support of my family and friends. I look forward to being back onstage in 2022 to rock the nations!”

The decision also affects the recording of the band’s new album, the follow-up to 2015’s 7  / Live ’N Lethal double CD, although it is hoped that as Chris gets better he will be able to return to the studio once more.

In the meantime, German reissue label High Roller Records are working on a re-release of the band’s 1983 debut. Loose ’N Lethal will be available later in the year as a double album and CD, with both formats featuring bonus tracks from the band’s early days.

Lineup (left to right in above photo): Andy Dawson, Kristian Bradley, Chris Bradley, Mark Nelson.




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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has entered the Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada to begin recording its new album for a 2022 release. Helming the effort once again is Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, DISTURBED, IN THIS MOMENT and HELLYEAH, among others.

On Friday (July 9), FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael took to his Instagram to share a photo of him at Hideout, and he included the following message: "One of the hardest working bands in the business working hard on album Number 9. Are y'all ready? #ShitYesSon #PositivelyAffectingEardrums @thehideoutlv @kevin.churko @5fdp".

As previously reported, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is also planning to re-record its debut album, 2007's "The Way Of The Fist", later this summer for its 15th anniversary. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory explained the decision to rework the LP in a social media post in May. He wrote: "It was a truly self produced DIY album, mostly recorded in my living room, so we thought it would be really interesting to hear it with a proper big production".

"The Way Of The Fist" was originally released in July 2007 and was certified gold in April 2011 for sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's upcoming album will be the band's first with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook last year. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction - Volume 2", which came out last fall.

Each of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first six albums — "The Way of the Fist", 2009's "War Is The Answer", 2011's "American Capitalist", 2013's "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1" and "Volume 2", and 2015's "Got Your Six" — has gone either gold or platinum in the U.S.

The band has had two dozen songs hit the Top 10 on the Mainstream Rock or Hard Rock Digital charts, starting with "The Bleeding", which originally appeared on "The Way Of The Fist". FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 2010 cover of BAD COMPANY's "Bad Company" was certified platinum for accumulating a million certified units.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's No. 1 hits include "Coming Down", "Lift Me Up", "Battle Born", "Wash It All Away", "Sham Pain", "When The Seasons Change" and "Blue On Black".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's most recent album, 2020's "F8", debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the U.S., Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. "F8" features No. 1 hit singles "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off" and "Living The Dream".
























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Due to international visa issues, Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have pulled out of "The Metal Tour Of The Year", co-headlined by MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD and featuring special guests TRIVIUM. Replacing them on the bill will be HATEBREED.

Earlier today (Tuesday, July 13), IN FLAMES released the following statement: "In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make the difficult decision to not join 'The Metal Tour Of The Year'. We were looking forward to playing for you all and this was an unbelievably hard choice to make.

"Thank you for understanding and your support as we all get through this unprecedented time. We have a lot of things in the works for 2022 - more on that shortly. Stay safe & we’ll see you on the road again soon!"

Produced by Live Nation, the rescheduled "The Metal Tour Of The Year" will now kick off on Friday, August 20 in Austin, Texas and hit a further 26 cities before wrapping in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on Saturday, October 2.

IN FLAMES' latest album, "I, The Mask", was released in March 2019 via Nuclear Blast (worldwide, excluding North America) and Eleven Seven Music (North America).

IN FLAMES recruited American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS, to sit behind the kit for the band for its 2018, 2019 and 2020 live appearances.

Wayne stepped into IN FLAMES following the departure of Joe Rickard, who played on "I, The Mask" and "Battles".

Tanner made his live debut with IN FLAMES in July 2018 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Longtime IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced in 2015 that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life.

IN FLAMES' current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since longtime bassist Peter Iwers's November 2016 exit.

IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin has been sitting out the band's tour dates to focus on "personal matters." Filling in for him is former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

HATEBREED's latest album, "Weight Of The False Self", was released last November via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was produced by frequent HATEBREED collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris and it arrived on the heels of the sold-out anniversary shows that HATEBREED embarked upon throughout 2019 and the unprecedented success of 2016's "The Concrete Confessional". Not only did the latter tally over 42 million Spotify streams, but the single "Looking Down The Barrel of Today" also clocked 30 million-plus Spotify streams. The band also covered Revolver and The Guardian bestowed a 4-out-of-5-star rating on the album, proving that over 20 years deep into its career, this Connecticut hardcore metal institution remains as vital as ever.


In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make the difficult decision to not join the Metal Tour of The Year....

Posted by In Flames on Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Rage have released a video for their new single, "Virginity", from their upcoming album, Resurrection Day. Watch the clip below:

Fans were overjoyed when in the summer of 2020, Rage frontman Peavy Wagner presented the group’s new lineup featuring two guitarists, announcing a return to the constellation that had recorded classics such as Black In Mind and End Of All Days. After last year’s departure of Marcos Rodriguez, Stefan Weber (ex-Axxis) was enlisted, followed just a few weeks later by Jean Bormann (Angel Inc, Rage & Ruins). The fourth band member is drummer Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos, who has been with Rage since 2015.

The current lineup could be seen and heard for the first time on the “The Price Of War 2.0” video clip, a new edition of the same-named song from Black In Mind, which has been available on all major online channels since June 2020. Immediately afterward, the quartet commenced work on its brand-new album Resurrection Day.

“I'm surprised how quickly the new line-up has gelled into a homogeneous team and how positively the talents of each band member have come into effect,” says Wagner, looking back on a highly creative production phase and commenting on Rage’s latest offering, “I feel that our music is still typical Rage on the one hand while sounding so much fresher on the other.”

Rage have recorded twelve new songs covering a stylistic range that could hardly be more characteristic of the band, from raw thrash metal tracks like "Virginity", "The Age Of Reason" and "Extinction Overkill" through mid-tempo pieces such as "Arrogance And Ignorance" and "Monetary Gods" to the straightforward ballad "Black Room" which balances things out.

“Rage fans get exactly what they want on Resurrection Day, plus a surprise or two,” promises Peavy, mentioning in particular "Travelling Through Time"; a number that explores the extremes between bludgeoning 'shoot-em-up grooves' and epic moments.

“The song is inspired by Renaissance composer Giorgio Mainerio,” he explains. “There's a piece by Mainerio called 'Schiarazula Marazula', with a wonderful theme that I often play at home on acoustic guitar. Jean and I have adapted it to suit the Rage format and given the song a different rhythmic perspective, which has added intensity. We’ve never done a number like 'Travelling Through Time' before.”

Resurrection Day will be released on September 17 in the following configurations:

-  DigiPak incl. poster
-2LP Gatefold, 140 g, orange vinyl, printed inner sleeves
- Download / Streaming

Pre-order options available here.

Tracklisting:

“Memento Vitae (Overture)”
“Resurrection Day”
“Virginity”
“A New Land”
“Arrogance And Ignorance”
“Man In Chains”
“The Age Of Reason”
“Monetary Gods”
“Mind Control”
“Traveling Through Time”
“Black Room”
“Extinction Overkill”

Provided that the situation allows it, Peavy and his men are set to embark on a major European tour in November 2021. With Resurrection Day on their setlist, the shows are guaranteed to turn into highly explosive events!




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Z2 Comics further cements its place as the leading publisher of music-inspired books and graphic novels across all genres and formats with the announcement of a book of original poetry from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's Ivan Moody.

Presented in an exquisite hardcover format, "Ivan Moody's Dirty Poetry" will be released this fall, with signed special editions available exclusively through the Z2 web site.

Moody says: "Out of all the projects I've undertaken, this is something truly out of the ordinary, completely unorthodox, and without 'creative walls.' It is by far the oddest thing I've ever done (and that's saying something).

"I had no idea how this would turn out but thankfully — between Blake and myself — I'm ecstatic with this first edition of 'Dirty Poetry'. I'm intrigued and excited to share this full dose of my thought-provoking/chaotic and emotionally stimulating artistic vision with all of you.

"Welcome... to my rabbit hole."

Ever wondered what really lies beyond "where the sidewalk ends?" From the wonderfully twisted mind of the frontman of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, "Ivan Moody's Dirty Poetry" is a book of original poems punctuated with dark art that's guaranteed to inspire upside-down dreamscapes in the minds of its readers. Written by Moody himself, with beautifully haunting ink and watercolor illustrations by Blake Armstrong, Z2 Comics offers this Halloween treat to readers everywhere this October.

Armstrong says: "'Dirty Poetry' definitely stands out as one of the more free and unique creative experiences I've had in my career.

"Ivan's overall vision for this book was so twisted and tantalizing it would have been hard to keep me away from it. Our collaboration was truly a blast and I think the love shows on every page. My only hope is that the readers enjoy the book at least half as much as we did working on it. It's gratifying to be a part of something so weird, unexpected and special."

The "Ivan Moody's Dirty Poetry" illustrated book comes in at 104 pages and will be released in a standard hardcover edition in comic shops and bookstores alike in October 2021, as well as special deluxe and super deluxe editions available for preorder now only through the Z2 web site.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE has announced a streaming event set for Friday, August 6 at 7 p.m. ET. The entire performance will be available on demand for 48 hours after the original airing. Get tickets here.

"Atonement / Self-Titled: Vaccinated + Intoxicated" will take place at The Palladium in Worcester in the band's native Massachusetts, which has been the site of many memorable and iconic KILLSWITCH ENGAGE shows throughout the band's two-decade history. The event was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest for MyGoodEye.

"I am pleased we were able to finally pull this together," says singer Jesse Leach. "I hope everyone who watches enjoys this as much as we did making it. Aside from the music, the laughter and funny moments were an equal part of the experience. The whole package really feels like a KILLSWITCH experience and we're stoked for everyone to see and hear it."

The streaming event will find KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performing 2019's "Atonement" in full, along with the 2000-released self-titled album in fulll. There will be a few surprises along the way, so fans won't want to miss the event.

Special and event-exclusive merch will also be available, along with a VIP package with a virtual meet and greet.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will return to the road this fall, touring with SLIPKNOT, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE as part of the "Knotfest Roadshow". The band will also appear at several key fall festivals.

Last summer, three singles from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE reached new sales milestones in the U.S. "My Curse" was certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) on September 10 for accumulating a million certified units. That same day, "The End Of Heartache" and KILLSWITCH's cover of the DIO classic "Holy Diver" were both certified gold for accumulating half a million units.

According to the RIAA, one equivalent song unit is equal to a single digital song sale, or 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE recently celebrated two decades as a band with a comprehensive and in-depth 20-year timeline that documented so many of the band's memorable career milestones and storied history with plenty of captivating images. The clickable, scroll-through timeline boasts flyers from early shows, live shots from festival appearances, and fan tattoos. It also traces major tours, video shoots, album releases, Grammy nominations, lineup changes, and beyond. The timeline functions as a digital museum that effectively tells the complete KILLSWITCH ENGAGE story. The timeline was created specifically for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans to enjoy and to reminisce.

D.D. VERNI & THE CADILLAC BAND has released "Cadillac Man", the first single and video from their debut album, "Let's Rattle", out September 17 (via MVD). Expect high-energy original swingin' and rockin' big-band music from D.D. Verni, the songwriter/founding member/bassist for heavy metal pioneers OVERKILL who've sold millions of records worldwide and have released 19 studio albums dating back to their 1985 debut album. Watch the video, filmed at the Vogel Theater in New Jersey and directed by Rich Furniss, produced by Adam Torkel and edited by Steven Bartashev, below.

Verni has always dreamed of recording a big band album, as his love for the sound dates back many years. The New Jersey-based artist began by writing a fantastic collection of soon-to-be big band classics. Next, he recruited longtime BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA upright bassist John "Spazz" Hatton to do horn arrangements and play upright bass, while D.D. switched things up playing some guitar on the album. Then D.D. brought in the L.A.-based horn section from PHAT CAT SWINGER to play the horns and added BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA drummer and current DOOBIE BROTHERS member Tony Pia. Add jazz pianist Dave Moscoe and HOT ROD guitarist Damian Bacci, and you have a star-studded lineup of big band greatness that made this album shake and swing.

With songs like "Cadillac Man", "Shake It Swing It" and "Olivia…That's Who!", the album features 13 tracks (nine originals and four covers), was produced by Verni and mixed by Greg Reely (COLDPLAY, SARAH MCLACHLAN, OVERKILL), and recorded in Los Angeles and New Jersey.

An interview with D.D. Verni follows below.

Question: A lot of people are going to be really surprised that you've recorded an album fully embracing a big band sound with rockabilly and other early rock and pop stylings, particularly since you're known as songwriter/founding member and bassist for OVERKILL. What inspired you to take this musical direction, sing lead vocals, and play guitar?

Verni: "Yeah, I think it will be a bit of a shock to some people, but I have been a fan of this kind of music for a long time. The old big band standards were playing at my house when I was a kid. My dad was a big Sinatra fan, so I'm sure some of it's from growing up with that and AM radio. And I always loved '50s music and doo wop — Fats Domino, Jerry Lee, etc. And loved the crooners too — Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, Tom Jones — and even in metal and rock: Jim Morrison, Ian Astbury, Glenn Danzig…all of the crooning type of vocalists I've always loved. And then I don't know how long ago it was now, but when Brian Setzer put his big, band orchestra together the first time I thought, 'This is amazing.' I never really understood why no one else was trying their hand at that. I mean there's a thousand blues bands all in the same genre and doing their own thing with it, but almost no swing/jump blues/rock and roll type of bands. I had collected a lot of riffs and material through the years — I just put it aside thinking one day I'll get to this and so with that in mind I just started writing the types of songs I liked best. High-energy, tap-your-toes, get-up-outta-your-seat kind of songs. I'm not one for jazz really or even a country twang as some bands in the genre touch on, so I kept it moving and jumping even on the standards we recorded, because that's really what I love best. I am a songwriter at heart; I have done all these records with OVERKILL, and also some side projects and was involved in writing a musical for a few years, so changing my head space is not such a big deal to me. I like what I like and as long as the energy is good, I can roll with it. Even with OVERKILL, I'm not trying to be ultra-heavy, or ultra-punk…the only real line I follow is, 'Am I digging it?' and if the answer is 'yes,' then I jump in. And I think the singing and playing guitar throws people a bit as well as I'm known as a bassist. But that's part of the fun to stepping out and trying new stuff. I had been the vocalist on my solo album and was not such a stretch doing this. Although I learned a lot and have to say singing is not as easy as I once thought… hahaha. And I am not really an upright bass player, which I knew I wanted for this, so it just made sense to stay with the guitar."

Q: As a songwriter having written nine of the 13 songs, this musical sound required a different mindset. How did you get yourself psyched up for it? It's a different language of course than metal.

Verni: "Ya know it is and it isn't. Metal is about energy. Although a lot of the times it's angry energy. [Laughs] But that's why it is so great —to scream and yell and get it out. This music is about energy as well but really about joy and fun. All the lyrics are fun and upbeat. Some little stories — nothing politically motivated or ripped from the headlines. Just fun. Even when writing and shooting the video, you can see people are smiling and bouncing around. So that's a cool headspace to be in when writing. That's actually cool to be around anytime! Part of what I love about this record is that it's fun! Especially after the last year that everyone has had, it would be easy to do an angry-as-hell record, but for me this is refreshing, like comfort food. [Laughs]"

Q: Of the album's 13 songs, which ones are personal highlights for you and why?

Verni: "Some of these songs have a long history, like the song 'Manhattan Baby', which is a kinda Louis Prima type of thing. I wrote and recorded that song 26 years ago when my first daughter was born — for her and my wife as a present. Then on my wife's 50th birthday, I wrote and recorded 'Just Say You Love Me', and gave her that as a present. And, of course, my second daughter Olivia was, like, 'Where's my song?' and then on her 16th birthday I wrote and recorded 'Olivia…That's Who!' So I had been toying with these kinds of songs for a very long time. Then when I started to see I had enough material to do a record, I started writing more material. And that's where a song like 'Cadillac Man' came from. Definitely one of my favorites and maybe the first one I specifically wrote for the album. It kind of encompasses all the different things I wanted for the record. Upbeat, a little rock and roll and little swing. 'Shake It Swing It' I really love as well. Again, the energy in the song is great, really exactly what I was looking for as a foundation for the band. And 'Close Your Eyes And Dream' was fun because it's a bit different. Has that old '50s tear-jerker vibe that the RAMONES used to do too."

Q: The performance video for "Cadillac Man" is instantly striking. Can you talk about the filming of it?

Verni: "That was a really fun day! We did it right around when COVID was loosening up a bit. It was my first time on a stage and inside a venue in over a year, and even though it wasn't a show, it felt like it some. I think you see that in the video and from everyone that was part of it. There's a lot of smiling and fun and energy from the song itself, but I think the fact that we all were feeling so good about performing and having the band vibe again, it was great! When we were talking about doing the video, I really felt like it had to be a band performance thing. We could have come up with a great concept kind of video, but I think people needed to see the band playing to know that it's a real band. That this is what they can expect to see when they come to a show. It was a challenge some because of all the COVID protocols. We weren't sure which venue we could use, and with the mask mandates and all. Plus the band that played on the record was all over the country and we couldn't bring them all in. First person I reached out to was John because he had been such a part of the whole album; I really felt like he needed to be there and he was up for it. Then I reached out to the girls who are local and they were up for it as well. I asked my friend Angus Clark who plays in TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA to be part of it; he was psyched and came down for the day. Then I spent a lot of time searching and calling local guys to be part of it. Funny how horn players are kind of a herd. One knows the other and then knows the other etc. Little by little, we filled in the band but you never know how the chemistry is till you start doing it. It was kind of amazing how everyone did gel. The director for the video thought we had been a band that had done a lot of touring, and I think it does come across that way. I had done a video for my solo record with a director Leigh Brooks from the U.K. and reached out to him about local directors etc. and he hooked us up with a team he had worked with from Brooklyn that he thought might be good. That was the thing; because of COVID, there was not going to be a lot of flying or bringing people in, the whole thing had to be local. But I spoke with Adam Steven and Ricky who were the team that did the video and they immediately got the vibe. Again, like the album and songs, I wanted a blend of things and some of the guys were metalheads so they understood the energy, and some were not, so they understood having it be more fun and upbeat. The whole band/album/songs etc. had been about the blend of swing and rock and roll and energy and fun. I told them that's what I wanted to come across as the main ingredient. I like when things feel like a family atmosphere. That's the way it's been for me my whole life; I come from a very big Italian family. That's the way it is with OVERKILL internally and with the fans and that's the way I would want this to be as well. It's just an extension of who I am."

Q: Might there be possible shows from D.D. VERNI & THE CADILLAC BAND in 2021 or 2022?

Verni: "I'm very excited to do some touring. We're looking at possibilities now. Whether it be a support slot, headline shows, or even festivals, I think would be great. How about Paul Stanley and his soul band and D.D. Verni and his swing band on the same bill… [Laughs] …Awesome!!!

Q: Have your bandmates in OVERKILL heard the album and what have they said about it?

Verni: "A few have…they think I'm nuts!"

"Let's Rattle" track listing:

01. Cadillac Man

02. Shake It Swing It

03. Give Me Your Number

04. Olivia...That's Who!

05. Powerhouse

06. Cold Hearted Woman

07. School Of Rock n' Roll

08. L-O-V-E

09. Just Say U Love Me

10. Manhattan Baby

11. Close Your Eyes and Dream

12. Ain't That A Kick In The Head

13. The One Who Loves You

TRIUMPH drummer Gil Moore spoke to Dr. Music about about the forthcoming first-ever feature documentary about the band's dramatic career. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It'll be [out in Canada] this fall. Will it come out in [the rest of North] America at the same time? I'm not sure. Canada, it'll be fourth quarter this year, for sure. If it's simultaneous in America, then it'll be the same time. And if not, my guess would be first quarter of 2022."

As for which platform the documentary will land on for its U.S. release, Moore said: "That's to be determined. In Canada, it's on free TV — on Bell Media, which is the biggest television network in Canada. So it'll be on free TV. I'm not sure how many broadcasts — whether they'll play it once, twice or three or four times — I'm not sure about that. And then the Canadian, I guess, equivalent of Netflix, which is Crave, which is also Bell Media — it'll be on Crave in Canada. Whether it'll do a theater run or not remains to be seen. And what the launch platforms in America and international remain to be seen."

He added: "I think typically what they do is when it hits the film festival, which we're hoping to get that confirmed shortly, that's when I think a lot of those decisions get made, is once it's presented at a festival."

Produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning Banger Films, "Triumph: Lay It On The Line" is a Crave original documentary that was previously described as "a celebratory, exhilarating thrill ride through the history of one of rock's most unsung acts." The film covers TRIUMPH's humble beginnings as staples of the GTA circuit in the mid-'70s to their heyday as touring juggernauts, selling out arenas and stadiums all across North America with their legendary spectacular live shows — and way beyond.

Last year, guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett told The Metal Voice about the making of "Triumph: Lay It On The Line": "There's a surreal nature to it — you're going back in your life, and they're reminding you of things that you'd completely forgotten," he continued. "And you're going, 'Oh, yeah.' And then they're digging deeper, and they're going, 'So, when the band broke up…' And you're going, 'Okay, this hurts, actually.' I don't wanna have to go back to that, because the rise and the fall and the rise again, it's the fall that hurts. I don't wanna go there. I thought I'd put all this behind me. It was ugly, heavy baggage."

Emmett also talked about a "really extraordinary thing" Banger Films did while working on "Triumph: Lay It On The Line". "They flew in fans from all over the world," he said. "They created an event. And the fans didn't know that we were gonna actually play three songs. So, they brought 'em all to the warehouse, and they're wandering, and they're looking at this TRIUMPH museum-y kind of thing. They've got dummies with my old spandex jumpsuits on. And then they send them down and they were gonna show them a few little clips on a scrim. The scrim drops and there we are and we play. And these are the people that love us the most. And there was only a couple of hundred of 'em. But it was so intense; it was so amazing. And, of course, they've got, like, 15 cameras around the room capturing every angle of this. And then you go, 'Oh my God. This is heavy duty.'

"So it's really good," Rik added. "It really gets to the heart of, you're a band, you create some music, you make a connection to people, and then here's these people, you're the soundtrack to their lives, and it matters to them. So they love you. I could get up there and fart, and they would go, 'Yeah! Great!'"

The aforementioned invite-only event was held in November 2019 in front of 300 "superfans" at MetalWorks studio in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto), Ontario, Canada. Emmett, Moore and bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine played a three-song set that marked TRIUMPH's first performance in 11 years, as well as its first as a pure three-piece power trio in 31 years. The tracks played were "When The Lights Go Down", "Lay It On The Line" and "Magic Power".

Moore, Levine and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Rock legend Paul Stanley recently talked to SiriusXM's Jim Norton and Sam Roberts about the future of KISS non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency.

"Well, we certainly are on the edge of the diving board into NFTs," he said. "That's obviously a natural, and we're flexing our muscles just before we dive in. But that's in the foreseeable future.

"There's so much cryptocurrency out there," he continued. "NFT is almost an experience and possessing an experience. But cryptocurrency — there's enough out there. And clearly there are a few that are much more important and seem to dictate the direction of crypto. So I don't know we can be better at that than they are."

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 market.

POISON's Rikki Rockett has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after being vaccinated.

The 59-year-old drummer, who lives outside Los Angeles, revealed his positive diagnosis in a video message shared on his social media earlier today.

He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was diagnosed, or got a positive test… My son and I stayed in the camper on Friday. On Saturday, he came down with symptoms. So Saturday afternoon, I took him to the urgent care and we had him tested. The doctor said, 'It's 50/50. We don't know.' Sunday, we got the call that he was positive. On Monday, I went in and got tested. It came back negative, 'cause I was a day early. And I got the results on Tuesday. By then, I was having symptoms. And so I went back in and got a rapid test. And it was positive. So, I'm not the only one in my family. Now everybody has it."

He continued: "Guess what: I'm vaccinated. I'm fully vaccinated, and I've been vaccinated for months. I don't know if this is the [COVID-19] delta variant, but every physican I've spoken to said it has every hallmark of being the delta variant."

"You're probably thinking to yourself, 'Vaccinated and you still got COVID. Do you feel like an idiot for getting vaccinated? No. The reason I don't feel that way is because I know that this would be way worse, especially if it was the delta variant. And I'm pretty sure — pretty, pretty sure; and I'm gonna get a DNA sequence to make sure — but absolutely every doctor that my family and I have come in contact with, and I think we're counting seven doctors now, have all said, 'It is the hallmarks… Everything that you describe is the delta variant.' So I'm quite confident that that's what it is. And that would completely devastate me if I hadn't had the vaccine."

Rikki added: "I am a cancer survivor — almost five years ago, I had cancer, and I've been cancer-free since then. I did a little inquiry with the clinic, and they said, 'No. We're getting dozens of people a day that are vaccinated that are testing positive with the delta variant.

"So, this is the predominant variant right now, and it just sucks, 'cause it's no fun — trust me — it's no fun. But it could have been a lot worse. I'm not on a respirator. My doctor told me yesterday. We had a nice call for about 20 minutes. I showed him all my numbers. But he said, 'I'm pretty convinced you're out of the woods.' It'd be very weird for me to just relapse all of a sudden."

Rockett, like many others, are showing that while vaccines are exceptionally effective in preventing death and severe illness from the coronavirus and its known variants, some are far from foolproof in preventing infection altogether.

Most of the people with so-called "breakthrough" infections are asymptomatic.

According to Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), large-scale clinical studies found that COVID-19 vaccination prevented most people from getting COVID-19. Research also provides growing evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) offer similar protection in real-world conditions. While these vaccines are effective, no vaccine prevents illness 100% of the time. For any vaccine, there are breakthrough cases.

New variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 illness are spreading in the United States and other countries. Current data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States offer protection against most variants. However, some variants might cause illness in some people after they are fully vaccinated.

Rockett, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, was diagnosed with oral cancer six years ago. In June 2015, Rikki visited his primary care doctor with a sore throat. His doctor found a small tumor at the base of his tongue, and Rikki learned he had human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oral cancer. He endured nine rounds of chemotherapy and 37 sessions of radiation therapy. The tumor initially responded, but returned three months later, spreading to his lymph nodes. Rikki then saw Dr. Ezra Cohen at UCSD Moores Cancer Center, who helped him enroll in a clinical trial of pembrolizumab (Keytruda). Rikki's tumor responded immediately. Just over two months into the trial, a scan revealed that his tumor had shrunk over 90 precent. Today Rikki is cancer-free, enjoys playing with his band, POISON, caring for his two children, and practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Ubiquitous in the music world, Fender guitars and amplifiers are also icons in popular culture, their shapes and sounds instantly recognizable. Authoritatively written and lavishly illustrated, "Fender 75 Years" (Motorbooks, September 21, 2021) is the officially licensed anniversary celebration of the company and its legendary instruments.

From Fender's first instrument — a lap steel guitar produced in 1946 — to founder Leo Fender's groundbreaking early six-string "Spanish-style" guitar designs like the Esquire that set the standard for the electric guitar explosion to follow, author Dave Hunter traces Fender's entire history to the present. All the innovations and landmark models are here, as well as legendary players who became synonymous with Fender instruments across musical genres.

In addition to the instantly recognizable Telecaster and Stratocaster, Hunter examines Fender's line of legendary offset guitars like the Mustang, Jazzmaster, and Jaguar, and bygone models such as the Marauder, Coronado, Bronco, and more. The Jazz Bass and Precision Bass also feature, as do Fender's acoustic guitars and workhorse tube amplifiers like the Bassman, Twin Reverb, and Princeton, to name a few.

Along the way, readers will get in-depth scoops on the relationships dozens of players have enjoyed with Fender: rock 'n' roll pioneers like Hank Marvin and James Burton; classic-rock icons like Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Eric Clapton; blues legends Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy; alt-rock gods J Mascis and Kurt Cobain…the list goes on. In addition, Hunter explores the work of the award-winning Fender Custom Shop and the wares produced there.

Illustrated throughout with rare images from company archives, "Fender 75 Years" treats readers to rare behind-the-scenes views of the shop floor throughout the years, as well as studio imagery of the guitars, rare period advertising and brochures, and performance images of Fender players.

In addition, a Deluxe Collector's Edition of "Fender 75 Years" will be available October 19, 2021. Limited to 500 copies, this stunning collector's edition is packaged in a Fender-inspired presentation case that also includes a custom envelope featuring five pieces of exclusive flat art from the Fender archives: a reproduction vinyl decal, a photo pin-up, and three 12 × 18–inch posters.

"Fender 75 Years" is the definitive look at the Fender's first three-quarters of a century and a must-have for any guitar enthusiast.

Hunter is an author, musician, and journalist. He is the author of several popular books about guitars, amps, and effects, including Voyageur Press's "Star Guitars", "The Fender Stratocaster", "The Gibson Les Paul" and "365 Guitars, Amps & Effects You Must Play". A regular contributor to Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar magazines, he resides in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Guitar legend Bernie Marsden will release his brand-new album, "Kings", on July 23 via Conquest Music. All pre orders to Bernie's site will get a signed CD of "Kings" and a free limited-edition Bernie Marsden "Kings" plectrum. Only orders via Bernie's web site qualify for this, and offer ends on release day.

"Kings" is Bernie's first solo album in seven years and is sure to delight his fans and lovers of blues, rock and more.

Many will know Marsden as a founder member of WHITESNAKE — one of the biggest rock bands of all time. Since leaving WHITESNAKE, almost 40 years ago, Bernie has forged an impressive solo career. He is undeniably one of the premier British blues guitarists.

Most recently, Bernie partnered with Joe Bonamassa to co-write his hit album "Royal Tea". "Underestimate Bernie Marsden at your peril," warns Joe Bonamassa, "because as a singer, he'll kick your ass; as a player, he'll kick your ass; and as a songwriter, he'll definitely kick your ass!"

The "Inspirations Series" is being released as a new collaboration between Conquest Music and Bernie Marsden's Little House Music. The sequence of albums will be released by Conquest Music, wherein Bernie Marsden pays tribute to the songs and artists which helped shape his own hugely influential career as a composer and guitarist.

The inspiration for "Inspirations" comes from summer 2018. Bernie was invited to join Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP on stage with the SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE. After the soundcheck, Billy played Bernie an album by American blues singer and harmonica player Kim Wilson, and posed a question… "Bernie," Billy asked, "wouldn't it be great if we could all record the songs we grew up with as we learned to play the guitar?" His imagination fired, Bernie set about compiling a list, and the "Inspirations Series" was born.

"Kings" — the first of the sequence — is a stunning album that's going to wow blues lovers in particular. It features 10 classic blues songs, originally recorded by the legendary Albert, B.B. and Freddie King. These Bernie has recorded in a studio in Oxfordshire, aided and abetted by a talented band that just locked into a natural groove. "Kings" is chock-full of high-caliber blues and soul.

What's more, two Bernie Marsden-penned instrumentals — inspired by "Kings" — appear as bonus tracks on the album.

The next album in the "Inspirations" series — "Chess" — will be out later this year and stands as a homage to recordings released on the legendary Chicago-based label.

Bernie has recorded a special video message about his new album, which can be viewed below. You'll hear tempting tastes of blues excellence, while Bernie tells the tale behind the album and series, catch glimpses of Bernie on stage with Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa and hear about some of the special perks for CD copies from Bernie Marsden's web site, where "Kings" is now available for pre-order.

Photo credit: Fabio Gianarda

Italian musician / composer Zombie Sam, perhaps best known as the guitarist / producer for Season Of Ghosts, released the album Self Conscious Insanity under his own name in 2013. He has checked in with the following update o the status of the project, which has been on ice for several years:

"Hey guys, I know I have been gone for a while. The reality is I have been assessing my life from different perspectives. 

I have been in contact with people in the music industry for a while now, played music, produced things, tried things, travelled to places. Obviously, I am not Madonna. The meaning of this post is to state that although I have not reached stardom, my CV is rich. However, in what I have experienced, I still got tired of the crazy amount of useless opportunists and lazy creatures I have encountered. If you have joined SOG livestreams, I have gone through a few times already what musicians are and the various phases.

A few of you asked why am I not active or doing something to come back? The reality is - even trying - I have met a crazy amount of difficult people; either you are a start-up band or a professional, there's always a dick that will shit on your parade, that will never believe in what you do as much as you do. You will even find people that will calculate the ROI and tell you shit about it.

In the past weeks, I got Covid 19. I saw and valued which people supported me and were really close to me. I went through a crappy time, I reassessed my life (which was anyway halfway through a re-assessment). I have decided that the band Zombie Sam as a chapter is over. I have written very nice songs. Shame. 

My support for Season Of Ghosts as a band member and producer will proceed BAU (business as usual). Zombie Sam (the name) is still me as an artist. 

My career will proceed as a music producer and I will start a new project (where and when I will feel comfortable) where there's involved... just me Stay tuned for news because I have something good coming!"

Season Of Ghosts recently released an official video for "Listen", taken from the band's second studio album, A Leap Of Faith, released October 23rd, 2018. The clip features live footage taken during the band's 2019 European tour.




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Swedish avant-garde metallers Diablo Swing Orchestra recorded their forthcoming album, Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole, through 2020 but fell silent in January due to "some Covid 19 related setbacks" and therefore weren't able to meet up and complete the record. D:S:O continues to roll out release details, slowly but surely, and have revealed the album will be released this November. 

According to a new tease from the band, the first single will be "War Painted Valentine", which they call "a song very well suited for festivals", due for release on August 13th.

D:S:O recently checked in with an update offering up some details of what fans can expect from the album:

"Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole is exactly 60 minutes & 50 sec long.

- It contains 13 tracks, no interludes
- Johannes & Martin sing lead vocals on one track each. The rest is shared equally between Kristin & Daniel
- We aim to release 4 singles 
- Inspirations are from all over the place. Some familiar to old listeners and some new ones.
- The list of guest musicians is the longest one yet. 
- The recording, mixing and mastering took 13 months. If you include pre-production it took 19 months. 
- We’re exhausted and extreamly proud of this album

We can’t wait to share it with you guys."

Dedicated metalheads that we are here at BraveWords, we have gone to the painstaking trouble of puzzling out the tracklist as posted by the band, found below. You're welcome.

"Sightseeing In The Apocalypse"
"War Painted Valentine"
"Celebremos Lo Inevitable"
"Speed Dating An Arsonist"
"Jig Of The Century"
"The Sound Of An Unconditional Surrender"
"Malign Monologues"
"Out Came The Hummingbirds"
"Snake Oil Baptism"
"Les Invulnéables"
"Saluting The Reckoning"
"The Prima Donna Gauntlet"
"Overture To A Ceasefire"




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The power metal trailblazers Airborn from Turin, Italy, have announced a new live album and DVD titled Live Animals, for their their 25th anniversary with a special dedication to the fans. The publication, planned in 2020 but then postponed due to the global pandemic, has been finally set this August. That’s the last show the band played in 2019 before Covid-19 spread out, and will be out short before their comeback on stage as a message of hope and perseverance.

 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. 

“After every show the tracklists I usually print and share with the guys on stage go like hot cakes among the audience,” says bassist Domenico Buratti. “So we thought it might be cool to include one of them in each copy of the album. Thus, everybody’s happy.”

Frontman Alessio Perardi states: “We're very proud of this live album and enthusiasm was there since the very early mixes. All you will hear comes from the soundboard. Of course we cleaned up unwanted noises in the mix and tried to make everything sound at best, but there are no studio overdubs. It's an Airborn show, pure and simple. 100% fun!”

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)




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After Undying Sun’s “The Dark Decay” reached more than 1.5 million views on YouTube, their debut album Where All Begins is available digitally on all platforms and in physical format through their website.

Where All Begins is a concept album that relate a story that passes through all the songs, about a person who strives to fight against the darkness of their mind and the shadows of their life to get up and pursue their goals and dreams after getting lost in overwhelming sadness, pain and despair.

The album contains classic elements of power metal that all its followers love so much, as well as other more fresh, elegant and new that will make listeners feel different emotions.

Luar Shadow Ligth is the singer, composer and creator of Undying Sun and he has captured part of himself in the songs trying to address vital and emotional issues that can affect us all at some point in our lives to shed hope on their overcoming.

Tracklisting:

“Where All Begins”
“Ascending Deception”
“The Dark Decay”
“Signs Of Joy”
“Untended Light”
“Rise Up”
“The Promised Dawn”

“The Dark Decay” video:




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After recently signing with Napalm Records and Napalm Events, German based melodic death metal unit, Hiraes, is set to drop its first sonic monster with ultimate strength: Their debut offering, Solitary, will be released on June 25.

Today, the band release a drum playthrough video for the song "Under Fire". Watch below:

Hiraes already established its own remarkable identity built upon a smashing femme vocal attack, intense melodies and charging guitars, led by guitarist Lukas Kerk as main songwriter. An atmospheric, instrumental intro introduces the album opener “Shadows Break'', whilst showcasing the impressive vocal onslaught of seasoned frontwoman Britta Görtz shortly after. “Grain Of Sand” sets the next exclamation mark while delivering an unrelenting attack of smashing riffs along with an inexorable vocal performance, followed by standouts such as brutal “1000 Lights”, razor-sharp “Eyes Over Black'' and fast-twitching title-track “Solitary”, proving that Hiraes don’t decelerate for a second.

This massive melodic death metal assault leaves no scope for weakness and serves an exciting take on the genre with hymnlike melodies, enthralling drums and guitar riffing as well as breathtaking hooklines. Topped with the distinctive and versatile performance of Britta Görtz, this powerful new formation and its debut, Solitary, is a must have for fans of bands like Insomnium, At The Gates, Arch Enemy and Amon Amarth.

Hiraes say about the album: “Our debut album Solitary is the result of the collaboration of five musicians who burn with passion for melodic death metal. With its incredible emotional energy, it will captivate fans of the genre in no time. Hymn-like melodies and catchy riffing meet versatile drumming and the very varied growls of our singer Britta. The result is a unique blend of the best that melodic death metal has to offer. Rounded off by stunning sound, refined at Fascination Street Studios under the direction of Jens Bogren, and strong artwork by Costin Chioreanu, we are really more than satisfied with our first album. We can't wait to finally present Solitary to the metal community on June 25, 2021!”

Solitary will be available in the following formats:

- 1 LP Gatefold Silver
- 1 LP Gatefold Black
- 1 CD Jewel Case
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Solitary tracklisting:

"Shadows Break"
"Under Fire"
"Grain Of Sand"
"1000 Lights"
"Eyes Over Black"
"Outshine"
"Solitary"
"Strangers"
"Running Out Of Time"

"Eyes Over Black" video:

"Under Fire" video:

Hiraes are:

Britta Görtz - vocals
Lukas Kerk - guitars
Oliver Kirchner - guitars
Christian Wösten - bass
Mathias Blässe - drums

(Photo - Lisa Ulferts)




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Metallica have released a new audio preview for their upcoming reissue of The Black Album. Watch "The Unforgiven" (Las Cruces, NM - August 27, 1992) from the Wherever We May Roam DVD included in the Deluxe Box Set edition below. Recorded live at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, NM on August 27, 1992, featuring John Marshall on rhythm guitar.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out Biffy Clyro's take on "Holier Than Thou" below.




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Brazilian death metal unit The Troops Of Doom will unleash their The Absence Of Light EP this September.

Featuring guitarist Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz, a former member of Sepultura’s original lineup playing author and co-author to classic Sep albums Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions, alongside bassist/vocalist Alex Kafer (Enterro, Explicit Hate, ex-Necromancer), drummer Alexandre Oliveira (Southern Blacklist, Raising Conviction), and guitarist Marcelo Vasco (Patria, Mysteriis, acclaimed graphic artist for the likes of Slayer, Kreator, Machine Head, Soulfly, and Hatebreed), the band focuses on revisiting the essence of ‘80s-style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh, genuine, and ferociously heavy.

The Troops Of Doom released their debut EP, The Rise Of Heresy, worldwide in October 2020. 

A conceptual work inspired by the book Leviathan, from 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, The Absence Of Light was mixed and mastered by Øystein G. Brun (Borknagar) at Crosound Studio in Norway and features the legendary Jeff Becerra of Possessed sharing vocals on the track "The Monarch,” Lars Nedland of Borknagar, Solefald, and White Void on bass on the first three tracks, and Dave Deville conducting the orchestral introduction. The EP includes a version of Sepultura classic “Antichrist” mixed by Leonardo Pagani at LP Mobile Studio in Brazil, in addition to the demo versions of “The Devil's Tail” and “The Monarch.” It all comes housed in the arresting cover art of Brazilian painter Maramgoni. With the world still uncertain in these pandemic times and the band being forced to postpone their European tour -- and consequently their full album -- to 2022, the EP serves a bridge piece to the impending LP.

The Absence Of Light will see release this September digitally via Nuclear Blast digital subsidiary Blood Blast, on CD via Voice Music in Brazil, Metalized Records in Mexico, and Hellven Records in Portugal, on vinyl via Anomalia Distro in Brazi and Hellven Records in Portugal, and on cassette by Repulsive Echo Records in Greece. A street date and preorders will be announced in the days to come. In the meantime, view video teasers featuring Becerra and Nedland below.

Tracklisting:

“Introduction – The Absence Of Light”
“Act I – The Devil’s Tail”
“Act II – The Monarch” feat. Jeff Becerra
“Antichrist” (Bonus track, Sepultura cover)
“The Devil’s Tail” (Bonus track, Demo version)
“The Monarch” (Bonus track, Demo version)




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While the pandemic paralyzed the entire world and prevented bands from touring, Latin America's biggest metal export SEPULTURA refused to sit back and feel like animals trapped in a cage. Therefore, in early 2020, the legendary Brazilians seized the moment to start their own weekly "SepulQuarta" video podcast, in which they invited other famous musicians from all over the world to not only discuss important topics but also perform a track from SEPULTURA's massive catalog together with the band.

The resulting full-length compilation will now be released on August 13, with the album containing 15 classics featuring internationally renowned guests and friends.

Today, SEPULTURA unveils a new version of its 18-year-old sensational track "Apes Of God" that they recorded together with DEATH ANGEL guitarist and Grammy nominee Rob Cavestany.

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser comments: "'SepulQuarta' was born at the very beginning of the pandemic when everything was halted. We had a new album out, but we couldn't tour for it. Therefore, we created this recurring event where we could talk with our fans around the world, play our music and exchange ideas. It was a blast! 'SepulQuarta' kept us alive and strong throughout one of the most difficult times in human history."

Obviously, the Brazilian/American pioneers were not the only musicians feeling this way, so they started to connect with friends and colleagues worldwide and asked them to not only be part of their weekly podcast, but also join them in playing one of SEPULTURA's classics tracks. From the safety of their homes, international stars like Devin Townsend, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Danko Jones, Matt Heafy (TRIVIUM), and many more recorded a SEPULTURA track together with the band, which have been mixed and mastered by Conrado Ruther for release on jewelcase CD, recycled 2LP vinyl in black and marbled (Nuclear Blast + bandshop exclusive) and all streaming platforms.

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Territory (feat. David Ellefson)

02. Cut-Throat (feat. Scott Ian)

03. Sepulnation (feat. Danko Jones)

04. Inner Self (feat. Phil Rind)

05. Hatred Aside (feat. Angélica Burns, Mayara Puertas & Fernanda Lira)

06. Mask (feat. Devin Townsend)

07. Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering (feat. Emmily Barreto)

08. Vandals Nest (feat. Alex Skolnick)

09. Slave New World (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)

10. Ratamahatta (feat. Joao Barone & Charles Gavin)

11. Apes Of God (feat. Rob Cavestany)

12. Phantom Self (feat. Mark Holcomb)

13. Slaves Of Pain (feat. Frédéric Leclercq & Marcello Pompeu)

14. Kaiowas (feat. Rafael Bittencourt)

15. Orgasmatron (feat. Phil Campbell)

Founding BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has shared a new original poem called "Don't Leave Us". Check it out below.

Ward has released a number of poems in recent months, some inspired by the coronavirus pandemic and others celebrating the fall–winter holiday season, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced more than nine years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio during SABBATH's last tour that Ward was not in shape to participate. "Bill Ward has got the most physically demanding job of the lot of us, 'cause he's the timekeeper," he said. "I don't think personally he had the chops to pull it off, you know. The saddest thing is that he needed to own up to that, and we could have worked around it, whether we had a drummer on the side with him or something."

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH's "Ten Year War" box set.

In 2015, Ward released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

In November 2017, Ward's band DAY OF ERRORS released its first two songs, "Day Of Errors" and "Blaspheming At Creation", via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and Google Play. Two more tracks, "Dark" and "Ghost Train", followed in 2019.

This past March, Ward revealed that he was working on an autobiography.




pic.twitter.com/feOr6enb1F

— Bill Ward (@billwarddrums) July 16, 2021

TIMES OF GRACE, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, has released its second album, "Songs of Loss and Separation", via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide. A decade removed from their debut album "The Hymn Of A Broken Man", it brings the emotionally charged intensity, artistic passion, and heartfelt lyrics that fans have grown to expect from TIMES OF GRACE.

To celebrate the album's bow, the trio has just shared the video for the fourth single, "Mend You". It's an impactful song about love, loss — and ultimately — personal redemption. The video was directed by Nick Hipa and was shot in the beautiful landscape of Joshua Tree, California.

"'Mend You' is about finding yourself at a loss for words," shares Leach. "It's about the struggle to come to terms with an unraveling and falling apart. It is also about finding the will to carry on and stay loyal to your own heart, even when no one else seems to understand what you are going through. It's a song about the journey of finding a way to mend wounds and in time find a deeper sense of self love."

Dutkiewicz, who produced "Songs Of Loss And Separation" as well as the band's debut, adds: "'Mend You' is one of my favorites since the lyrics can mean different things to different people — and I know these hit our drummer Dan at an important time in his life."

Drummer Dan Glezak addresses this assertion and the song's effect on him, saying: "This is probably the most emotionally charged song on the record for me. Adam sent me a mix and I felt the instrumental section in the bridge could use a sample. I remembered a voice note that I sent to someone, which was saved on my phone, and it fell perfectly in line with Jesse's lyrics. Initially, I was scared to use something so personal, but the guys liked it, so it stuck. It's still really hard for me to hear this song but it's one of my favorites."

A handful of years in the making, "Songs Of Loss And Separation" mixes stark confessions of struggle with narrative storytelling. The music is just as expansive, with Adam handling lead vocals on several songs and Jesse experimenting with a lower vocal range reminiscent of post-punk and goth.

Speaking to Australia's Heavy about the musical direction of the new TIMES OF GRACE songs, Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's probably not what KILLSWITCH fans are expecting. It's a different sound than anything we've ever done before. So, it's not metal all the way through. Sorry, everybody. This is a labor of love, truly. Obviously, it's our side project, me and Jesse, and we can only work on it when we have free time to do so. And now that Jesse's the singer for both bands, we decided to take it into a different direction a little bit. There's a lot of more rock and roll-vibe jams, so don't expect blazing death metal all over the place."

Asked if there were specific goals that he and Jesse were aiming to achieve with "Songs Of Loss And Separation", Adam said: "There weren't really any set goals except just try to create something that we liked. We wanted to something different, obviously, like I was saying. We didn't want it to feel like KILLSWITCH. We wanted to show maybe even a more personal, darker side to who we are. We wanted to create some songs more so from painful things in our lives — almost like a cathartic thing to make for us. So, yeah, it's definitely much different. Whereas KILLSWITCH is a lot on the more positive, hopeful light, this is a lot of darkness and just tough things to go through."

TIMES OF GRACE's debut album, "The Hymn Of A Broken Man", arrived in 2011, nearly a decade after Leach's exit from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, the pivotal New Wave Of American Heavy Metal band the duo co-founded with friends in 1999. The first music from TIMES OF GRACE materialized during Dutkiewicz's arduous recovery from near-crippling back surgery. A collection of songs the multi-instrumentalist and producer knew would suit his once and future bandmate. The first album earned acclaim from BBC Music, The Aquarian and Rock Sound. It willfully upended expectations, with flourishes of shoegaze and ambiance in its songs.

Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

Clocking 150,000 attendees from more than 100 countries for their ground-breaking online concert "An Evening With Nightwish In A Virtual World", Finnish/British/Dutch symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH broke records and, once again, re-wrote metal history during the most challenging time for music all over the world.

Sharing a testimonial from that memorable night, NIGHTWISH recorded its performance of "Nemo" and teamed up with Amazon to gift their fans an exclusive track as an Amazon Original.

"Nemo (Virtual World Version) (Amazon Original)" is available to stream exclusively on Amazon Music Prime, Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music HD at this location.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen previously stated earlier about the livestream: "'The Islander's Arms were a figment of our imagination. That was the key thing that made us decide we wanted to do this — that we're actually going to be able to play inside this fantastical tavern, and almost play to each other rather than to the cameras. That's why we called it 'An Evening With Nightwish In A Virtual World' — we invited people to come and watch us play, instead of us playing to the world."

"An Evening With Nightwish In A Virtual World" was a full-length live experience that reached magical dimensions set in virtual reality — The Islanders Arms tavern. The technical production was led by Zoan, whose Burst Live platform also powered Finnish rap superstars JVG's May 1 virtual reality show that attracted more than a million viewers.

"Nemo" comes from NIGHTWISH's fifth studio album "Once" (2004) that made NIGHTWISH legends of modern symphonic metal. As a tribute to the manifesto that they gifted the world 18 years ago, the band will re-release "Once" as a remastered version with bonus tracks in different formats on August 6.

"Once" was not only a unique milestone for the band, it also sealed the long-term relationship between Nuclear Blast Records and NIGHTWISH — a bond that remains unbroken. It climbed up to No. 1 in the album charts in Germany, Finland, Norway and Greece, achieving triple platinum status in Finland with more than 90,000 CDs sold, triple gold status in Germany with more than 300,000 sold CDs and gold status in Switzerland, Austria and Nor

Blast Tyrant, originally released in 2004, is the first of several Clutch catalogue albums reimagined and individually curated by a band member, in this case bassist Jean-Paul Gaster. The album is reissued as part of the brand new Clutch Collector's Series.

To begin with, each album is embossed with the "Clutch Collector’s Series Small Batch Pressings" seal. The artwork itself is in the vein of the original Blast Tyrant yet strikingly different. This 2xLP vinyl release is remastered and, for the first time, manufactured on 180-gram coloured vinyl which in turn is stored in extra heavy sleeves. The gatefold jacket is printed on metallised polyester paper, and each album includes a numbered insert autographed by the band. This version of Blast Tyrant in the Collector's Series is limited to 5,000 units worldwide.

Says Jean-Paul: "We are excited to make Blast Tyrant the first our Collector's Series vinyl releases. For myself and many Clutch fans our Blast Tyrant album is a favourite. So many of the songs off of Blast Tyrant make their way into our live sets night after night. We’ve remastered this album and pressed it on 180 gram coloured vinyl to make this limited release truly special. We are proud to say the Collector's Series version of Blast Tyrant sounds and looks even better than the original!"

The initial presale on clutchmerch.com took place on March 23 and sold out within 3 hours.




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On September 25, 2021, METAL ALLEGIANCE will reassemble and hit the stage for the first time in nearly two years on Long Island, New York — where METAL ALLEGIANCE began back in 2014 — at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York (their first show since before COVID-19). The night will feature music from METAL ALLEGIANCE's self-titled album, "Fallen Heroes" EP and "Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty", as well as a special set of covers picked just for this show.

In METAL ALLEGIANCE fashion, an all-star lineup will perform in Patchogue, including core members Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi and Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) as well as Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) and John Bush (ARMORED SAINT, ex-ANTHRAX).

Bush comments: "Always a blast to get on the stage with my METAL ALLEGIANCE homies. Never played on the Island with 'em! This is a first for me… I'm looking forward to getting on any stage at this point. We'll be tearing through some METAL ALLEGIANCE originals, classic metal songs along with some ANTHRAX tunes from the records I made with them… It is ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary after all… Come on out, metalheads!"

Menghi states: "METAL ALLEGIANCE is back! Can't wait to hit the stage again and shed some of these COVID pounds! Haha. It's been way too long since we hit it and this show is a special one as it's on METAL ALLEGIANCE's home turf of Long Island.

"New York audiences have some catching up to do with our West Coast friends. Let's show them how it's done!"

Portnoy says: "After an unexpected year and half vacation, I am sooooooo excited to finally be playing live again! And what better way to break my post-COVID cherry than with my metal brothers in METAL ALLEGIANCE! And what better place than my old home sweet home, Strong Island… I can't wait!"

States Skolnick: "We are all looking forward to hitting the stage once again as METAL ALLEGIANCE, this time in Long Island, our symbolic hometown, sight of many meetings (and tacos) and location of our first recording. After the year or so we've all had, this first (and only) METAL ALLEGIANCE gig of 2021 will have an extra special energy. Don't miss it!"

In addition to this being the bands only concert of 2021, they will be filming for a future online streaming event and release. Radio personality Rob Rush (94.3 The Shark) will be the guest MC. Presented by Metal Department and Loaded Concerts, the night will include performances by KILLCODE, MAGUS BEAST and TO THE PAIN, with doors opening at 7 p.m.

General admission tickets are $35 in advance/$40 day of show and are available for purchase here. Show-goers will also have the opportunity to purchase VIP meet-and-greet packages and a Soundcheck VIP meet-and-greet package. Each package will include:

* Early access into the venue

* Exclusive pre-show Meet & Greet with members of METAL ALLEGIANCE

* Personal photograph & autograph signing with members of METAL ALLEGIANCE

* Collectible show poster (which they'll happily sign for you)

* METAL ALLEGIANCE T-Shirt (sizing from Small to 3XL)

* Official Meet & Greet VIP laminate

* Crowd-fee access to the merch booth

The Soundcheck VIP meet-and-greet option will give show-goers everything listed above plus an exclusive "Soundcheck" viewing with METAL ALLEGIANCE crew from the front of the stage and/or on the stage!

Please note that VIP packages do not include a ticket to the concert and must be purchased separately.

METAL ALLEGIANCE will be following any and all COVID-19 protocols during VIP meet-and-greet and the concert.

For full VIP meet-and-greet package details and to purchase your VIP packages, click here.

Sami Yaffa, best known for his work with New York Dolls, Michael Monroe Band and Hanoi Rocks, will release his first solo album, The Innermost Journey To Your Outermost Mind, on September 22, 2021 via Livewire/Cargo Records. He has unveiled the cover artwork and revealed the tracklist.

Tracklist:

"Armageddon Together"
"Selling Me Shit"
"Fortunate One"
"Rotten Roots"
"Germinator"
"Down At St. Joe's"
"I Can't Stand It"
"You Gime Fever"
"The Last Time"
"Look Ahead"
"Cancel The End Of The World"

Yaffa recently released “The Last Time”, the first single taken from the album.

“‘The Last Time’ is one of the first songs I wrote for this album when still living in Brooklyn NY back in 2015. It’s a story about two people whose communication is stuck. How hard it is to change one’s habits, no matter how much one wants it. It's about the frustration and distress of addiction” - Sami Yaffa

Sami Yaffa has had a unique career as a musician. He joined the punk band Pelle Miljoona Oy at the tender age of 16 and played on the bands now legendary album Moottoritie On Kuuma. Pelle Miljoona Oy was Finland's number one band at the time, but Yaffa and his future cohorts were aiming higher: as an original member of the band Hanoi Rocks, he spent the first half of the 80’s as an international rock musician with all its ups, downs and trappings. The band influenced many of the acts that would later become huge in the world of rock n’ roll - including Guns N' Roses.

After the break-up of Hanoi Rocks, Yaffa was asked to join some of the most notable artists in R’n’R history such as Joan Jett And The Blackhearts 2002-04, as well as one of Hanoi Rocks' major influences, the New York Dolls 2004-10. In 2009 he started a band with the Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe. This collaboration continues to this day, but now Yaffa is also releasing music under his own name.

“The idea for the solo album started to take shape a few years back. Previously I had written music for the New York Dolls and the Michael Monroe Band, but now some of the songs that I was writing and had written, started to sound more and more like my own stuff instead of what I would write for those bands.”

What kind of music does Yaffa release under his own name then? Versatile. “I’ve always loved bands like The Clash and Rolling Stones. They could write country, funk, reggae, rock`n`roll or jazz without fear and make it their own. I wanted to have that same kind of versatility and freedom for my own record.”

The album has wide influences, but that is hardly surprising to those who have followed Yaffa's career: in addition to his own musical career, he has been getting to know the musical traditions from different parts of the world as the host and co-creator for the Sami Yaffa: Sound Tracker TV series. “However, my roots are deeply in punk and rock'n'roll. I don't shy away from that.”

Even though it’s a solo record, Sami has always been a member of bands and because of that, a team player. Yaffa mentions a couple of names without whom the record would not have come to completion - at least the way it finally became. The first to mention is a childhood friend, drummer Janne Haavisto with whom Sami made his first forays into the world of music. Sami and Janne created the basic tracks together and invited valued friends and musicians to collaborate on the album. Rich Jones, the guitarist from the Michael Monroe band helped pull together a lot of the songs lyrically, Christian Martucci from the band Stone Sour played guitar on half of the album, the other half was played by another old friend Rane from the cult band Smack and Sami’s old bro from the Hanoi days, Timo Kaltio.

Produced by Sam Yaffa. Mixed by Erno Laitinen. Mastered by Pauli Saastamoinen at Finnvox Studios. Recorded by Erno Laitinen / Sam Yaffa / Janne Haavisto / Jose "Puter" Puigserve.

Lineup:

Sami Yaffa - Vocals, Bass Guitar (Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe, New York Dolls)
Rich Jones - Guitars (Michael Monroe Band)
Christian Martucci - Guitars (Stone Sour)
Rane Raitsikka - Guitars (Smack)
Timo Kaltio - Guitars (Izzy Stradlin, Cheap And Nasty)
Janne Haavisto – Drums




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Today, the long-awaited 39th studio album from classic metal superhero, Thor, is officially released worldwide.

The album, Alliance, includes special guest appearances from Soilwork vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid, W.A.S.P.'s Chris Holmes, Raven vocalist John Gallagher, Danko Jones, Anthrax's Neil Turbin, Ross “The Boss” Friedman and many more. It features stunning artwork from Timo Wuerz and is available on both digital as well as on CD in a digipak and limited-edition silver vinyl in a gatefold jacket.

To celebrate this monumental release, Thor shares a new video for the song "Because We're Strong". Check it out below, and order the CD and vinyl here. Order/save the digital edition here.

Tracklisting:

“We Need Musclerock” feat. John Gallagher (Raven)
“Niflhel (Realm Of The Dead)” feat. Björn Strid (Soilwork)
“The Ultimate Alliance” feat. Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Ross “The Boss” Friedman (Manowar), Nina Osegueda (A Sound Of Thunder) & Fang VonWrathenstein (Lords Of The Trident)
“Ode To Odin” feat. Dan Cleary (Striker)
“We Will Fight Forever” feat. Neil Turbin (Anthrax)
“Because We Are Strong”
“Rock Around The World” feat. Danko Jones
“Queen Of The Spiders” feat. Frank Soda (The Imps)
“Power Hungry”
“Bounty Hunter” feat. Frank Meyer (The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs) & Dennis Post (Warrior Soul)
“Battlements” feat. Trevor William Church (Haunt)
“Thor vs. The Juggernaut (War Of The Gods)” feat. Sean Peck (Death Dealer)
“Generation Now” feat. Joey Killingsworth (Joecephus & The George Jonestown Massacre)
“After The Laughter” feat. Martin Gummesson (Thundermaker)
“Good Stuff” feat. Al Harlow (Prism)
“Congregate” feat. Joey Roads & Sheldon Byer (Roadrash)
“We Will Fight Forever” (Reprise)

“Because We Are Strong” video:

Niflhel (Realm Of The Dead)":

“The Ultimate Alliance” video:




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