In a new interview with Sheldon Ang, Gilby Clarke was asked what it was like to play with GUNS N' ROSES at the height of the iconic band's success in the early 1990s. The guitarist responded: "I didn't feel great in the sense that it felt like I accomplished something; I didn't. I felt good in the sense of this is what I love to do — to play guitar. I love to play great music, whether it's my or somebody else's music. It just felt good to be doing what I love to do and have people appreciate it.

"I'm not an idiot," he continued. "I know that it's Slash, and it's Axl [Rose] — it's GUNS N' ROSES. But still, I'm doing my part. And my part was an important part too. It's not like I was the security guy. It was important to me. But it felt good. There were moments on that tour, like when I'd do my 'Wild Horses' thing" — referring to GN'R's performance of THE ROLLING STONES classic — "I came out by myself and started playing, where you take a moment and you go [takes a deep sigh]. 'Okay.' I did. I did have those moments. But it's also because when I got the gig, I was 30 years old. I had already been through the wringer, man. I knew what it was like to play a shitty club in front of three people. So when I got that gig, I appreciated what was special and unique about that gig."

Asked if he is still friends with Axl, Gilby said: "I'll always be friends with Axl — absolutely. I haven't talked to him in a long time. But he still sends notes every now and then."

Clarke replaced Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years. After exiting GUNS N' ROSES, Clarke continued as a producer and solo artist, while also playing in SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke, along with Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and former GN'R drummers Steven Adler and Sorum, performed three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with Myles Kennedy at the GUNS Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in April 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.

Clarke's new solo album, "The Gospel Truth", was released in April via Golden Robot Records.

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke to the 97.1 The Eagle radio station about her recent comment that she has been writing the best songs of her life during the coronavirus pandemic. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I hope so anyway. That's the way I kind of feel with every album cycle — that you keep trying to top yourself. But it's different with the way the world has kind of changed. And also when you're in that position where there's something, specifically with me with touring, we're used to being out on the road for about two hundred to two hundred and fifty days of the year, so when this big part of your life and this extension of your personality, this mission statement that you've always had in front of you, and that is stolen from you, you have to put that energy and that outlet into something else. And thankfully, yeah, the writing process — I've put all that energy into the songs, because I have nowhere else to put it. [Laughs] So, yeah, it's really exciting, and I can't wait for everybody to hear the new material."

Three months ago, Lzzy told Matt Pinfield of KLOS's "New & Approved" series about the lyrical themes covered in the new HALESTORM songs: "I'm just now seeing this arc, because there were the songs that we were writing just kind of coming off the road, where it's very confident and very live and energy. And then it kind of starts to get — still keeping the energy up, but then subject matter starts to get a little crazier and maybe a little darker. And then it's kind of starting to dip into some more hope now. So I feel like, in real time, this is going to kind of be like almost a musical documentary of what we've gone through, through this past year and change."

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

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".

In 2012, 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.

Former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals), Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar) have launched a new band called LIONS AT THE GATE. The group's lineup is completed by bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus.

The official music LIONS AT THE GATE's debut single, "Not Even Human", can be seen below.

Machado says: "I feel so blessed to be in LIONS AT THE GATE. We've all been making albums for a long time but I think it was time for us to make something special and memorable again. This album is exactly that. Take away our musical history, take away our long hair, take away our personal feelings, just make believe we were never there. This LIONS AT THE GATE album is amazing. We finally made a modern metal album that metalheads will enjoy beginning to end. It's deep, it's memorable, I can't wait for everyone to hear it, I can't wait for everyone to hear the featured female artist on one of the songs."

Verduzco adds: "I'm beyond proud and excited to announce our new band LIONS AT THE GATE. Life is all about change and I feel that this music is the most dynamic and honest that we've ever written. I feel a sense of freedom and am completely reinvigorated and even anxious (in a good way) to be a part of something that pulls influence from so many directions . Each member brings a unique set of talent and tools. It's quite frankly some of the best music we've ever written. Organic, honest, and true."

Luster states: "I'm more excited about LIONS AT THE GATE than anything that I've been a part of since I started my musical career."

LIONS AT THE GATE's debut album was produced by FAILURE ANTHEM's Kile Odell, who has previously worked with FOZZY and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

Luster discussed his renewed collaboration with Machado and Verduzco in a recent interview with Pierre Gutierrez of Rock Talks. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't even explain how happy I am with how this came out. It sounds, in my opinion, better than anything that Cristian and I have ever done together, and that includes all the ILL NIÑO records that we've done together."

Asked about the musical direction of LIONS AT THE GATE, Ahrue said: "It's a very polished sound, similar to… I don't wanna say it sounds like [ILL NIÑO's 2003 album] 'Confession', but there's a lot of singing on it, there's a lot of production. But at the same time, there's heaviness to it. But the songs are better than anything we've written. And the crazy thing was the process of writing 'em was way easier than it has ever been for us. Usually an ILL NIÑO record would take us three to six months to finish. We finished this record in 20 days, and we believe it sounds better than anything we've ever done in the past."

Speaking about LIONS AT THE GATE's collaboration with Odell, Ahrue said: "He's worked with BAD WOLVES. I think he may have co-wrote with them. But he has a huge resume, and he's had, like, five Number One hits last year. And he was amazing to work with. I've worked with Ross Robinson, I've worked with Johnny K, I've worked with Terry Date, as a mixer, and I've worked with some other big names in the industry that have all had platinum records, and I'll say, hands down, Kile Odell is amazing. I would say, second to [MACHINE HEAD's] 'The Burning Red', it was an amazing experience. It was a different way. As far as Ross Robinson was really into the emotion and getting the emotion out of the players and the music, Odell is very musical and he's really able to help with the songs, and he has a great ear and a great vision."

In March 2020, Machado, Ilustre, Verduzco, drummer Dave Chavarri and bassist Laz Pina announced that they had "reached a mutual, amicable and binding agreement" that would allow Chavarri and Pina to continue with ILL NIÑO while Machado, Verduzco and Ilustre would move on with new projects. A joint statement released by the five musicians also indicated that the parties had "entered into a confidential settlement agreement."

In January 2019, Chavarri and Pina launched a new version ofILL NIÑO with vocalist Marcos Leal (SHATTERED SUN), lead guitarist Jes DeHoyos (SONS OF TEXAS) and rhythm guitarist Sal Dominguez (UPON A BURNING BODY). The Chavarri-led ILL NIÑO also issued a new single, "Sangre". A day later, Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco dismissed reports that they had left ILL NIÑO and vowed to continue with their own version of the band. Two months later, the trio filed a lawsuit against Chavarri and Pina, accusing the drummer and bassist of failing to pay the band's tour rental company and engineers, slandering Machado by spreading rumors that he has a drug problem, collecting and spending the band's money without consulting in all of the members and refusing the members access to the group's financial records.

In a statement announcing the launch of his new version of ILL NIÑO, Chavarri said about the split with his former bandmates: "Being in a band is much like being married, and sometimes people grow apart, and no longer see eye to eye, and a separation becomes inevitable."

Swedish boogie rockers Transport League have released the single "Me The Cursed", taken from the band's forthcoming album Kaiserschnitt, which will be issued by Mighty Music in the summer. Check out the official lyric video below.

"'Me The Cursed' is a reflection of the daily struggles in life. All the boundaries that you endure, all the choices that you make, stain your mind and soul in a good or a bad way. You might be torn, you might be tattered, but you are still standing and you are always cursed."

The pandemic struck Transport League hard, just like it did the whole music business and live scene. At the end of April 2020 the Swedes decided to wrap up songwriting sessions and drag themselves into the studio.

They entered Grand Recordings and El Bastardo Studio in their hometown, Gothenburg. The engineering was handled by Dan Johansson (Mary Beats Jane, Generous Maria) and Henrik Danhage (Evergrey). Transport League did the production themselves but with advisory from both Dan J and Henrik D. Mixing was done by Svein Jensen (Grand Recordings), mastering by Philip Granquist.

The 11 tracks breathe a lot of live-take energy and with some moody breakdown tracks as well. Guest appearances by Sal Abruscato (Type O Negative, A Pale Horse Named Death) on the track "March, Kiss, Die" and by Christian Sture (Heal) on "Kaiserschnitt", fit like a glove. The album is signature Transport League - groovy, energetic, catchy rock ’n’ roll.

"Criminal Energy"

(Photo by Patric Ullaeus)




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German epic death metal brigade, Kambrium, will release of their fifth studio album, Synthetic ERA, on July 9 via Reaper Entertainment. New single and video for "Nightly Beast Mode" is streaming below.

The band states: "‘Nightly Beast Mode’ is one of our catchiest songs, reflecting the retrofuturistic feeling from films like Blade Runner in the verses, to finally culminate in an epic Power Metal chorus. In no other song do we combine so many different styles and stay true to our style. Look forward to a new catchy tune that you won't forget anytime soon!"

Kambrium are not bound by stereotypes within the metal genre; they prefer instead to tread between these expectations and find themselves equally and comfortably at home within each of the styles that they have chosen to embrace. The result is a sound, crafted with elements of death, melodic and symphonic metal - everything the heart of a metal fan desires.

The album was produced in 2020 by the band, recorded at the Kohlekeller Studio in Germany and was mastered by Tom Porcell. Pre-order the new album here.

Tracklist:

"Neon Death" (Intro)
"Cybernetic Overload"
"Shadow Construct"
"Creator Of Dreams"
"Nature, Error: 404"
"Ghost Of The Machine"
"To The Core"
"Holographic Satisfaction"
"Synthetic ERA"
"Nightly Beast Mode"
"Transcendence"
"After It All"

"Nightly Beast Mode" video:

"Cybernetic Overload" video:




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The melo-progressive Finnish quartet Oddland have spent the Corona-lockdown, writing their first album in 5 years, excelling in a deeper and deeper internal insight about how to expand their impressively unique sound. A hybrid between bands like Tool, Leprous, Pain Of Salvation and Soen, but with their own trademark-sound that makes Oddland stand out.

The album, with the title Vermilion is set for release through new German label Uprising Records, who spotted the band's talent and immediately signed them, upon hearing the new album. Vermilion is set for release in November 2021.

Uprising Records is a sub-division of the Danish label Target, which also houses sub-labels, such as Emanzipation, From The Vaults and Mighty Music.

Oddland toured Europe alongside Persefone in 2018, and plans are in the making, of having the band, once again, hitting the European roads as soon as Corona allows for it to happen.

(Photo by: Jarno Terho / Edit by: Wiitanen Visual Designs)




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THE PRETTY RECKLESS's music video for the song "Only Love Can Save Me Now" can be seen below. The track, which features special guests Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil, both members of SOUNDGARDEN, is taken from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, "Death By Rock And Roll", which was made available in February via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

"Only Love Can Save Me Now" was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.

"It's hard to describe the feeling around our song 'Only Love Can Save Me Now'," says THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen. "The song was born out of tragedy and brought to life by two of my favorite musicians of all time — Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil. Hearing them play it is simply surreal. This song represents getting through the worst time in my life, and yet, is one of my proudest achievements. It means that there is hope, and that life has to go on, and most importantly, is worth living."

Thayil says: "It was super fun to spend time in the studio with Taylor, Ben and Matt, and to have the opportunity to contribute to this THE PRETTY RECKLESS song. 'Only Love Can Save Me Now' has elements of classic SOUNDGARDEN and the riff would probably be at home on 'Louder Than Love'. These are great guitar parts that Ben came up with. They lay down a heavy foundation that allows the entire song to open up with Taylor's powerful and haunting vocals. Cheers, and thanks to THE PRETTY RECKLESS for inviting Matt and me to play on this track!"

Cameron shares: "Kim and I had a blast recording with Taylor and THE PRETTY RECKLESS on their new single 'Only Love Can Save Me Now', a fantastic rock track that sounds amazing at full volume. Many thanks to the band for inviting us to play on their new album 'Death By Rock And Roll'."

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital Charts. The record also yielded two back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll" and "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello). The band has tallied six No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" is THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH have released the official music video for "Shadows Ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha", a track taken from last summer's "A Forest" EP. The clip, produced by longtime BEHEMOTH collaborators Grupa 13, brings to life some of the spectacular artwork by renowned Polish artist and photographer Sylwia Makris, featured on the band's much lauded 2018 album "I Loved You At Your Darkest".

BEHEMOTH frontman Nergal states: "'Shadows Ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha' is the final piece of the puzzle to complete the 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' cycle. An amazing album campaign for BEHEMOTH, and this is its grand sendoff! Once again, we collaborated with Grupa 13 and created a very cinematic script and vision.

"There are numerous references linking this new video and our previous videos for 'God=Dog' and other 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' videos," he continues. "It's all high-end, unseen footage and has a cool and intriguing story running through it.

"And Legions, we have a busy end to the year and we HOPE to see many of you in the fall on 'The European Siege' with ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS and UNTO OTHERS. Regardless, prepare yourselves for some monumental announcements to come over the next 12 months!"

The "I Loved You At Your Darkest" album was met with vast critical acclaim upon release in 2018 and marked a milestone in BEHEMOTH's history, not only being the band's most successful album to date but also as an audiovisual masterpiece. Its intricate, blasphemous artwork was showcased in a number of special gallery events across the globe.

Creative Norwegian rock outfit LEPROUS will release a new studio album, "Aphelion", on August 27 via InsideOut Music. The follow-up to 2019's "Pitfalls" was recorded throughout the last year at three different studios: Ghost Ward Studios in Sweden, Ocean Sound Recordings in Norway and Cederberg Studios in Norway. The LP was once again mixed by Adam Noble (PLACEBO, BIFFY CLYRO, NOTHING BUT THIEVES), with mastering by Robin Schmidt (THE 1975, PLACEBO, THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM). The front cover artwork was designed by Elena Sigida, based on photography by Øystein Aspelund.

LEPROUS vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg stated about "Aphelion": "We had no plans to start with a new album, then came COVID.

"'Aphelion' is a very different album. It's intuitive and spontaneous. We've experimented with many completely different ways of writing music and explored new ways to work. There has been no room for overthinking, exaggerated perfectionism or carefully planned songs. I believe this is one of the strengths of this album. It feels alive, it feels free and it does not come across as too calculated.

"The album was recorded in three different studios, and a few of the songs were actually recorded in all three studios, Ghost Ward Studios, Ocean Sound Recordings and Cederberg Studios.

"The aphelion is the point in the orbit of an object where it is farthest from the sun, and it has a symbolic value which I will leave to your own interpretation."

Look out for the album pre-order to start on June 25, enhanced by the release of a new single.

LEPROUS will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a string of special European shows in December. The dates are as follows:

Dec. 01 - Oslo (Norway) - Vulkan Arena

Dec. 03 - Nijmegen (The Netherlands) - Doornroosje

Dec. 04 - London (UK) - Electric Ballroom

Dec. 05 - Paris (France) - Elysee Montmartre

Dec. 06 - Aschaffenburg (Germany) - Colos-Saal

Dec. 07 - Vienna (Austria) - Arena

Dec. 08 - Esch (Luxembourg) - Rockhal

Dec. 09 - Lyon (France) - Ninkasi Kao

Dec. 10 - Barcelona (Spain) - Apolo 1

Dec. 11 - Madrid (Spain) - LAB

Dec. 13 - Milan (Italy) - Live Club

Dec. 14 - Aarau (Switzerland) - KiFF

Dec. 15 - Munich (Germany) - Technikum

Dec. 16 - Berlin (Germany) - Columbia Theater

Photo credit: Bjørn Tore Moen

LEPROUS is (from left to right in photo):

Robin Ognedal - guitar

Simen Børven - bass

Einar Solberg - vocals/keys

Tor Oddmund Suhrke - guitar

Baard Kolstad - drums

AC/DC's official music video for the song "Witch's Spell" can be seen below. The clip was directed, edited and animated by Wolf & Crow, with live action band footage production by Collider.

"Witch's Spell" is taken from AC/DC's latest album "Power Up", which was released in November. The LP features AC/DC's current lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). It was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

"What I like about Brendan is that he keeps you working when you're doing a project with him," Angus told Rolling Stone. "He's talented himself. He knows his bass and his guitar and a bit of drums. And piano. He covers the spectrum for what we can do musically. It's very good because you’re working with a musician, since he can apply that musical knowledge."

Although AC/DC originally planned on releasing "Power Up" in early 2020, the pandemic forced the band to reconsider.

"We were hoping to get the album out before all this happened," Angus said. "They were getting ideas together for packaging and video promo things. And then that virus thing came along. It kind of put everyone on hold."

"Power Up" landed at the No. 1 spot in 18 countries, including in the U.S., where it sold over 117,000 copies in the first week. "Power Up" marked AC/DC's sixth No. 1 album in Australia where the band is the only Australian group in history to have had a No. 1 album across five decades: "Back In Black" (1980s), "Ballbreaker Live" (1990s), "Black Ice" (2000s), "Rock Or Bust" (2010s) and "Power Up" (2020s).

"Power Up" was the fastest-selling album of 2020 in at least three of its biggest markets — U.S., Australia and the U.K. — where it debuted at No. 1.

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy has collaborated with pop singer Richard Marx on a "metal version" of Marx's classic ballad "Right Here Waiting". You can now listen to the track below.

Heafy said in a statement: "Richard is one of the greatest songwriters of our time and an incredible incredible human being, so it's unreal that we were able to create this metal version of his mega-hit together. Stream the heck outta it!"

Earlier today, Marx tweeted: "The crazy talented @matthewkheafy of TRIVIUM came up with an amazing metal version of my song. We did vocals together and it's out today! Check it out!!"

Heafy discussed the pairing during a recent interview with the "Bringin' It Backwards" podcast. Asked how the collaboration came about, Matt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I saw his son was wearing a TRIVIUM shirt, so I hit him up on social media. [He's a] super-amazing guy. We stayed in touch. One day, I [wrote to him], 'Hey, let's do a song together.' And then he texted me, 'Let's do it.' So I did a metal version of 'Right Here Waiting'. He did the vocals on it already. It's sick. Will Putney from FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY is mixing the song."

Credits:

Lead vocals: Richard Marx

Backup vocals, guitars, bass, drums: Matt Heafy

Mix and master: Josh Wilbur

Art: Kacper Gilka

The original version of "Right Here Waiting" was released in June 1989 as the second single from Marx's sophomore album, "Repeat Offender". The song was a global hit, topping charts throughout the world, including the U.S., where it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Right Here Waiting" has been covered by many artists in the past, including Monica for her album "The Boy Is Mine".

Between 1987 and 1995, Marx hit the Top 20 with 14 songs, including three straight No. 1 hits — "Right Here Waiting", "Hold On To The Nights" and "Satisfied" – and had three other songs, including "Now And Forever", top the Adult Contemporary chart. According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, he is the only male artist ever to have his first seven singles reach the Top 5 on the Billboard charts.








The crazy talented @matthewkheafy of Trivium came up with an amazing metal version of my song. We did vocals together and it’s out today! Check it out!! https://t.co/ZXjMZk9P2E

— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) June 9, 2021

In a new interview with RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire", ATREYU guitarist Dan Jacobs discussed his love for METALLICA. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET) : "We've played with them a couple of times — always at a festival, though; there's never been a METALLICA/ATREYU tour.

"They're the kings of metal — of rock and metal — they're just the biggest thing there is. So getting to experience that and see how they roll, it's really inspiring for any band, especially in the rock world. I mean, you watch what they do, and you're just, like, 'Holy crap, man.'

"When you're that big, you just have the best show; your show is so ridiculous," he continued. "It's so over the top in the most awesome, epic way. They still sound just as good [as], if not better than, they ever have. I mean, those dudes are just ripping at what they do. James Hetfield is an animal. It's a great experience. There's a reason why they're as big as they are and they have been as successful as they have. They're the real deal. You will not go to a METALLICA show and be let down."

Asked how he first discovered METALLICA's music, Dan said: "The first METALLICA I ever heard was 'Enter Sandman' back in the '90s. It was kind of around the time that I was just getting introduced to… I guess kind of really paying attention to music more than I ever have. I started watching MTV. Before, music was something in passing I'd hear on the radio. I sought it out a little bit. But this was the age when I was, like, 12 or 13 years old, and I was really pursuing music and really just obsessed with it at that point. So, I remember watching MTV or VH1 and METALLICA's 'Enter Sandman' would come on every once in a while. I liked it — it wasn't something that I super fell in love with, but I knew it was a great song [and it had] a huge sound, with the drums and the guitars and everything. It wasn't exactly in line with what I was listening to at the time; I was kind of a little bit more drawn to the punk world… As far as the mainstream — THE OFFSPRING and GREEN DAY and RANCID, which kind of led me down way more into the punk world, which then led me into the hardcore bands, which then led me into metal, which was kind of around high school time. That's when I kind of came back around and started listening to METALLICA a little bit more, especially a song like 'Battery'. I think that's probably the most standout song that kind of resonated with me as far as listening to quote-unquote older METALLICA… Out of all the METALLICA songs that are older, that one just, for whatever reason, sticks to my head the most."

ATREYU has just dropped a new album, "Baptize", via Spinefarm Records. The effort marks ATREYU's first release since the departure of vocalist Alex Varkatzas last September. The LP showcases ATREYU's current lineup consisting of Brandon Saller focusing completely on singing after previously sharing lead vocals with Varkatzas for most of the band's two-decade-plus existence. Sitting behind the kit is Saller's HELL OR HIGHWATER bandmate Kyle Rosa, who had filled in for Saller on drums in 2019 after Varkatzas bowed out of the band's European tour while dealing with serious back and hernia issues.

THE OFFSPRING guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman and singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland recently took part in a virtual meet-and-greet with listeners of the Austin, Texas radio station 101X. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

Speaking about how the music industry has been turned upside down with the advent of the Internet and digital technology, Noodles said: "Back [in the late 1990s], we weren't sure exactly how the Internet was gonna change. We knew things were changing — the ground was kind of shaking — but we didn't really know what it meant. But we were kind of positive about the effects that the Internet could have. I mean, things like this [discussion] — we're talking one-on-one right now. When I get tweets, I can talk to people right away. We could talk to 'em on our web site back in the day. Now it's on Facebook, we can respond right away. So that stuff's all good. Unfortunately, it almost feels like music doesn't have as much worth as it did when we were growing up. I mean, we would all go buy vinyl and pore over the liner notes. If we wanted to hear a song, we had to pick the needle up and go back. You know what though? Vinyl's still a thing; you can still get vinyl. Most of our records are out on vinyl, so you can still live that, if you want to. You can still pick up that needle. Wait, wait — I don't know if we wanna be telling kids to pick up needles. Wrong message."

In a 2012 interview with Metroactive, Holland said: "The Internet is something I've always been comfortable with because I've always thought of the Internet as a way to directly connect to fans. It's what we were trying to do in little clubs as a punk band. The bands that I loved are the bands that invited the audience on stage. We did a lot of that too. I always thought of punk shows as being really inclusive of their audience, like you're part of an event. So when the Internet came along, you had your own webpage, your own chat room and your own Facebook — Twitter now is even more direct. It fits in very natural to what our band was already about."

THE OFFSPRING's latest album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", arrived on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

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

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

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




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Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess has posted another video from home along with the following message:

"EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choirs with Word Builder is just incredible! With a little work I was able to program the virtual choir to sing all the words while being able to play from my keyboard."

Rudess recently released a video for "I Surrender" from his new solo album, A Chapter In Time. Get the album here, and watch the new clip below.

Tracklisting:

"Weightless"
"I Surrender"
"Light As A Feather"
"The Quiet Mind"
"After The Storm"
"Once Upon A Time"
"Empty Streets"
"And Breathe"
"Into Sleep"
"Flying"
"Patterns Of Thought"
"Touching Light"
"Twilight Rain"
"Stellar Enigma"
"Beyond The Clouds"

"I Surrender" video:

"Weightless" video:




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Amon Amarth have shared pro-shot video of their entire Pol'and Rock (Woodstock Poland) show, which took place on August 24th, 2017. Check it out below.

The setlist was as follows:

"The Pursuit of Vikings"
"As Loke Falls"
"First Kill"
"The Way of Vikings"
"Asator"
"At Dawn's First Light"
"Cry of the Black Birds"
"Deceiver of the Gods"
"Death in Fire"
"Father of the Wolf"
"War of the Gods"

Encore:
"Raise Your Horns"
"Guardians of Asgaard"
"Twilight of the Thunder God"

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of their third full-length album, The Crusher, Sweden’s celebrated Viking overlords and undisputed modern masters of epic heavy metal, Amon Amarth, have released a special, re-recorded version of the track “Masters Of War”. Find the track on your streaming platform of choice here and watch the accompanying visualizer below.

Speaking on the band’s celebratory re-working of “Masters Of War”, frontman Johan Hegg shares, "Celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Crusher album, we felt we wanted to re-record one of the main songs from the album and put a bit of a modern Amon Amarth touch on it. Enjoy!"

To coincide with the release and further the festivities, the band have also announced the release of a special edition “Masters Of War” merch collection exclusively available from the band’s store, Victorious Merch.

Amon Amarth stand tall and unassailable: over 25 years into a career that has seen them evolve from humble origins in the dark, dank rehearsal rooms of their native Tumba to their current status as explosive festival headliners and one of the metal world’s most widely adored bands.

Formed in 1992, Amon Amarth became modern metal greats the hard way. Ruthlessly dedicated to creating new music and taking it out on the road, the Swedes steadily built a formidable reputation as a ferocious live band and, as the years passed, were increasingly recognized for their recorded achievements too. Since the dawn of the millennium, Amon Amarth have been unstoppable.

Breakthrough releases like 2006’s With Oden On Our Side and its now legendary follow-up, 2008’s Twilight Of The Thunder God, further cemented their popularity throughout the metal world, while the band’s stage show evolved with each successive tour, transforming into one of modern metal’s truly great spectacles. Amon Amarth returned in 2019 with their biggest, boldest and most bombastic musical statement to date - Berserker - which brought with it an epic, history-making trek across North America with fellow Swedes Arch Enemy, At The Gates and Grand Magus and saw multiple sell-outs. To date the band have clocked up a mammoth 270 million YouTube views and 547 million streams across their releases with over 2 million albums sold worldwide.




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Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has checked in with the following message:

"Love us or hate us, we’ve stood strong and stayed true to our convictions musically, lyrically and spiritually for 38 years. We’ve stumbled a few times but we’ve always gotten back up to beat the odds. We’re the band that won’t go away when some may want us to. We step into the studio again in January to record yet another album. Will it be our best? You bet it will! How do I know this? Because I believe that the best is yet to come with every album. We’re not done yet. 

To all the fans worldwide - thank you for standing with us."

Join Stryper frontman, Michael Sweet, on June 2 for a live listening party where he will play To Hell With The Devil and talk about each song in detail. He will take questions via a chat board and discuss the origins, the inspiration, musical parts, lyrics, recording history, videos from this album, and more.

Also, there will be a big announcement at this listening party as it relates to To Hell With The Devil. You don't wanna miss this one.

It all happens June 2, 2021 at 7:30 PM, EST at Patreon.com/Stryper. Free for Fan Club+ members. Not a member? It's easy. Just go to Patreon.com/Stryper, choose your tier, and instantly unlock videos, photos, and more as well as get a pass to join fun events like this one.




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Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent gave an hour-long interview to Mike Brunn at the "May Metal Madness" event on May 29 at S.I.R. Soundstage in Nashville, Tennessee. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if he ever felt there was a chance that he could rejoin KISS when Vincent was brought back into the KISS mix to co-write "Unholy", "Heart Of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album, "Revenge", Vinnie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think — I think… Those are very important two little words, because it's me thinking this. But we formed this thing where we were… The Vinnie, Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley]… The bond was getting there creatively. And we're talking about at that time. In my humble opinion, in my heart of hearts, in my private world of my own mind, I believe that there was a moment where… Whoever was driving the car was gonna turn the wheel, but there was a moment where it could have easily happened where I would have been back in the band. But this is my opinion. Don't take it as someone else's opinion."

Pressed about whether he have wanted to be back in KISS at that time, Vinnie said: "Yes and no. Yes in a big way, and, for my own little reasons, no. But yes in a big way. Of course, because we're just a natural team. So, when you're natural, it feels natural to you. If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, and they feel so great to you, and you have such a great relationship in a certain way, what, are you gonna look for someone else? This person works for me. They know me; I know them; and it's a great marriage. But maybe there's something there that doesn't work. So, it didn't happen. But it could have. And I mean it really could have."

By the time "Revenge" was released in 1992, Vincent's relationship with Simmons and Stanley had once again soured.

"Vinnie was up to his old tricks again," Gene later said. "He reneged on a signed deal we had made and decided that he wanted to renegotiate. He eventually sued us and lost. As far as I was concerned, he was persona non grata forever."

Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances in 2018 after spending the preceding two decades out of the public eye.

In 1983, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.

Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded two albums.

In 1996, Vincent released a solo EP, "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.

In November 2019, KISS manager Doc McGhee claimed that all former members of the group have been contacted about possibly taking part in the band's last-ever tour.

Prior to the "End Of The Road" launch, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons weren't very enthusiastic about the prospect of an onstage collaboration with Vinnie Vincent. "Now Vinnie, that's one exception, and for so many reasons," Stanley told Guitar World. "I would say that's not someone who I want to celebrate."

Simmons also chimed in, explaining that "it's worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I'm not here to cast any aspersions. He's a talented guy. That's why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never. … Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never."

In April 2018, Vincent joined Simmons at the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault" event in Nashville, Tennessee. He later said in an interview that he felt that got "a cold reception" and was "treated very indifferently" by Gene at the event.

Wymer Publishing has set September 10 as the release date for the new book, Dire Straits - A Visual Biography, by Laura Shenton.

After their last studio album in 1991 and the tour that followed it, fans have eagerly awaited a Dire Straits reunion ever since. Whilst the likelihood of that remains incredibly slim, this book is a celebration of the band and their amazing musical accomplishments ‐ with "Sultans Of Swing", "Private Investigations" and "Money For Nothing" being just the tip of the iceberg!

From the early days of playing at London's Hope & Anchor in 1977, to the dizzying heights of the 1985‐86 Brothers In Arms tour and beyond, this book documents it all. With vintage interviews and reviews aplenty, the story of Dire Straits is one that needs to be told and this mammoth 240-page large format book is the most comprehensive biography of the band yet published. Not only is the band's story covered in detail through the narrative ‐ this lavish coffee table book is also visually stunning. Weighing in at around 2kg it is printed on high quality art paper and illustrated throughout with numerous photos and items of memorabilia and will certainly become a highly desirable Dire Straits collectible.

The first 250 come in a presentation box with a set of prints. Customers who pre‐order by June 30 can also have their names printed on a dedicated fan page. Buy direct from the publisher, here.




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Italian queen of Gothic / black metal Cadaveria is back with her band and a new majestic single that embraces the concept of the sacred feminine and exalts the woman as symbol of life, energy, abundance, strength and elegance.

"The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is available for streaming from a digital outlet here.

Credits: Lyrics by Cadaveria herself. Music by Cadaveria herself, Kris Laurent, Marçelo Santos. Performed by: Cadaveria (vocals) Kris Laurent (guitar) Pier Gonella (guitar) Peter Dayton (bass) Marçelo Santos (drums). Recorded at Rrooaarr Sound in March 2021. Produced by Cadaveria and Pier Gonella.




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SoCal artists (HED) P.E. have released the official lyric video for the title track of their upcoming "Sandmine" EP. The EP is due on July 23 via Suburban Noize Records.

Comments frontman Jared Gomes: "After the success of 'Class Of 2020', we wanted to give the fans more of what they wanted! The pandemic, the election, the reaction, the pending birth of my daughter... all these experiences fueled the inspiration for 'Sandmine'. The title itself names a brutal place where only the strong survive and few are able to escape.

"On 'Class Of 2020' we went back to our roots with the back-to-basics approach; but on this one we mixed all those elements together with our signature G-Punk sound and a pissed off 'Sandmine' was born. I cannot wait for the world to hear this one."

Recorded at Gomes's home studio in Idaho, the seeds of "Sandmine" were triggered by producer/songwriter Remy Dovianus who co-wrote and co-produced the EP. Dovianus has been a lifelong (HED) P.E. fan and recorded the guitar and bass in The Netherlands with a goal of harnessing the signature sound of the band's biggest albums. Drummer Jeremiah "Trauma" Stratton laid down his drums with an emphasis complimenting the deep metallic grooves. Gomes is at the top of his game and ever defiant on "Sandmine", recording vocals that draw inspiration from the raw aggression of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, mixed with the unfiltered hardcore tones of HATEBREED. "Sandmine" encapsulates the old thrashiness and ferocity of early (HED) P.E. albums, weaving together a complex mixture of poignant punk-rock, brutal riffs, and bludgeoning drums that packs a walloping punch.

"Sandmine" track listing:

01. Sandmine

02. False Prophet

03. R.T.R.

04. Death Trip

05. Let Me Know

(HED) P.E. will commemorate the new release by hitting the road starting July 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada for a month-long headlining tour. The tour will also mark the first time the band performed tracks off their critically acclaimed twelfth studio album, "Class Of 2020", which was released last year.

(HED) P.E. are the pioneers of the G-Punk sound, which fuses together punk-rock, metal, hip-hop and reggae. For over two decades, the band has toured the world alongside hard rock chart-toppers like PAPA ROACH and LINKIN PARK, hardcore legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, as well as the iconic Ozzfest tour. (HED) P.E. experienced a creative resurgence after signing with Suburban Noize Records in the early 2000s and was instrumental in developing the booming underground scene.

German heavy metal supergroup Hellryder released their full-length album The Devil Is A Gambler on May 28, 2021 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Order here. A lyric video for the ripping title track is streaming below. 

Since 2017, Chris Boltendahl and Axel Ritt have been thinking about bringing a project to life which deals with the origin of metal. Usually extensively involved in their main band Grave Digger, unfortunately and due to the pandemic, 99% of all activities became canceled or postponed overnight. This unexpected time window of opportunities opened up and was finally used from Boltendahl and Ritt.

The first songs were recorded in September 2020 and Hellryder took shape; an idea led into a project and in November 2020 to a real band. With drummer Timmi Breideband (Gregorian, ex-Bonfire, ex-Freedom Call) and bass player Steven Wussow (Orden Ogan, ex-Domain, ex-Xandria), two absolute thoroughbred musicians could be won and complete the line-up into a real German metal supergroup. Hellryder stand for straightforward, metallically hard, diabolical and uncompromising traditional heavy metal.

Formats:

-Digipak CD
-Limited digipak CD & T-Shirt Bundle
-Black Vinyl (LTD. 150) incl. signed A3 poster
-Transp. Yellow Vinyl (LTD. 150) incl. autograph card
-Orange/Red Splatter Vinyl (LTD. 200) incl. autograph card
-Digital streaming/download

Tracklisting:

“Hellryder”
“Sacrifice In Paradise”
“Night Rider”
“The Devil Is A Gambler”
“Jekyll & Hyde”
“Faceless Jesus”
“Chainsaw Lilly”
“I Die For You”
“Bad Attitude”
“Passion Maker”
“Harder Faster Louder”
“I Don’t Wanna Die” (Bonus Track)

"The Devil Is A Gambler" lyric video:

"Hellryder" video:




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STÖNER will release its debut studio album, "Stoners Rule", on June 25 via Heavy Psych Sounds. The disc's second single, "Rad Stays Rad", can be streamed below.

STÖNER is the supergroup formed by desert rock godfathers and long-time compadres Brant Bjork (founding member of KYUSS, also former member of FU MANCHU), Nick Oliveri (MONDO GENERATOR, former member of KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) and Ryan Güt. The outcome of this desert reunion is "Stoners Rule", a high-class, groovy and rousing seven-track effort driven by the spirit of these true legends.

The sound is mellow, yet these are the same guys who created the legend of KYUSS as well as the desert and stoner rock movement, which is alive now more than ever. "Stoners Rule" is a celebration of the sound of the Desert, the perfect soundtrack for a ride across the dusty roads of the Mojave Desert, where it has all begun.

Brant told Outlaws Of The Sun about how STÖNER came together: "Nick called me up and wanted to jam. So we got together and we were having a blast and this felt right. It was cool all of us playing together. It felt like we were kids starting out again just playing for the fun of it without any outside pressure.

"We all put our musical influences into this via original jam sessions," he added. "This feels like a mixture of punk rock, metal, blues rock and hard rock. Some stuff we're already known for and some stuff that will surprise and hopefully entertain people."

Brant went on to call STÖNER "a full-time thing. We've got long-term plans for STÖNER and the music that we create. We're booking tour dates for 2022 onwards in Europe and possibly in the United States. Those plans are in the hands of our booking agents but we've been told the pandemic should be under more control next year and more areas will be open up for live performances to happen."

According to Bjork, "it's been nothing but fun playing with Nick and my drummer Ryan Güt. I wanted to do something different and STÖNER allowed me the opportunity to do this," he said. "This project feels right for me especially during the pandemic. It feels good vibing new ideas off Nick, who is one of my closest friends and I can't wait to perform these new songs to a live audience. As I feel these songs deserve to be heard by a live audience."

"Stoners Rule" was recorded at The Rad Cabin in Joshua Tree, California in October 2020 by Yosef Sanborn. Cover art was designed by Branca Studio.

"Stoners Rule" track listing:

01. Rad Stays Rad

02. The Older Kids

03. Own Yer Blues

04. Nothin'

05. Evel Never Dies

06. Stand Down

07. Tribe / Fly Girl

Cruise To The Edge, progressive rock’s largest festival at sea, is set to return in 2022 with it's biggest cruise ever. The official artist lineup has been announced and includes the largest number of acts to sail the prog seas.

The 5-night cruise sails from Port Canaveral, Florida, May 2 - 7, 2022, aboard the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas visiting the Private Isle of Labadee and the Perfect Day at CocoCay. Reservations will reopen next Wednesday, June 9, at Noon, Eastern.

Headlined by prog legends Marillion, Alan Parsons, Transatlantic and Al Di Meola, the event features some of the world’s greatest prog-rock musical artists.  The lineup also includes returning acts Riverside, Saga, The Flower Kings, Adrian Belew, Haken, Pendragon and many more, alongside debuts by Al Stewart, King's X, McStine And Minnemann, Pattern-Seeking Animals, and more.

Beyond the sun, fun, and exquisite dining, there will be artist/cruiser photo experiences, Q&A sessions, special theme nights and other events designed to optimize the artist/fan experience. This year will once again feature the unprecedented CTTE Late Night Live, where fans can sign up to showcase their own musical talents.

The newly amped up Mariner of the Seas is packed with more ways to play on the most maxed-out short getaway ever. When the sun goes down, the night heats up with epic prog performances on stages throughout the vessel. Combined with some of the best food and service afloat, Cruise To The Edge is truly the greatest prog-rock show on earth and is a can’t-miss event for prog enthusiasts throughout the world.

For more info, visit CruiseToTheEdge.com.




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Guitarist Dave Carlo of Canadian thrash metal legends Razor has released the new video below, stating, "Shred session number one. Non stop, unedited guitar riffage."

Back in May, Carlo launched a new YouTube series, Road Stories. Episode one, which focuses on the 1990 Shotgun Justice Tour, can be seen below.:




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Finnish modern melodic metallers, As I May, have signed with the new German label ,Uprising Records, for a release of their third album Karu, which is set to be released in November. Uprising Records is a sub-division of the Danish label Target, which also houses sub-labels, such as Emanzipation, From The Vaults and Mighty Music.

Since the 2019 album My Own Creations, As I May have been composing a somewhat more modern, and basic album. Hard hitting, with loads of nerve and punch, but with an emphasis on the grand choruses.

As I May have been long-time confirmed as support act of Semblant, for a European tour that has been postponed a few times, due to the COVID-19 virus and lockdown. Find the band's tour itinerary here.

Lineup:

Tipi Nokelainen - Bass and clean vocals
Lasse Hiltunen - Guitars and scream vocals
Jani Valhola - Guitars and backing vocals
Leevi Räsänen - Drums




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Sheboygan, Wisconsin’s Toxic Ruin have unleashed the playthrough video for “Divine Acclimation", the third preview track from their forthcoming sophomore album (and M-Theory Audio debut), Nightmare Eclipse.

The song shows off the combination of energetic thrash metal, death metal brutality and clinical technicality that propelled the band to the final round of the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle. The playthrough video can be viewed below, while the song itself is now available for streaming/download through all major digital music platforms.

Nightmare Eclipse, which features artwork by Mark Richards (Revocation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Municipal Waste),will be released by M-Theory Audio on August 27. Pre-orders are now available for CD, digital, and limited-edition maroon-colored vinyl editions of the album, here.

Tracklisting:

"Until Everything Is Gone"
"Ritual Rebirth"
"Defiler"
"Voices Of Death"
"It Of The Horrid Storm"
"Divine Acclimation"
"Liquor Blood Bound"
"Nightmare Eclipse"
"Lord Of Pandemonium" (Bonus Track)

"Nightmare Eclipse" lyric video:

“Ritual Rebirth” video:

The current lineup of Toxic Ruin began writing and recording songs for Nightmare Eclipse while relentlessly touring the United States in 2019 alongside bands such as Lich King, Micawber and Stonecutters and playing multiple festivals including Full Terror Assault and Slam Dakota, plus winning 2nd Place in the 2019 edition of Wacken Metal Battle USA. The result is the band's most mature and complex material to date, while also being their heaviest display of metallic force so far. Guest appearances from guitarists Glen Drover (Eidolon, ex-Megadeth), Derek DeBruin (Micawber) and Nick Weyers (Aronious) provide additional ear candy for aficionados of guitar wizardry.

Toxic Ruin was formed in 2014 with a mission of blending classic thrash metal, old-school death metal and modern technicality and tones into a wicked headbanging brew. Operating out of their collective hometown of Sheboygan, the band released their debut album, Subterranean Terror, in 2016. This opening serve showcased the group's already-burgeoning barrage of furious riffs and lyrical content ranging from the sociopolitical commentary of tracks such as “Seat of Corruption” to the beloved craving of a good drink on songs such as “Alcoholocaust.”

The group followed up that debut record with the release of their 2018 EP, Mortal Insolence. The effort saw the current lineup of Toxic Ruin take shape with Behrendt stepping into the vocalist position and the debut of rhythm guitarist Blake Toltzmann alongside lead guitarist Jacob Baneck and drummer David Miller.

Toxic Ruin is:

Stephen Behrendt (vocals/bass)
Jacob Baneck (lead guitar)
Blake Toltzmann (rhythm guitar)
Dave Miller (drums)




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Prog ensemble, Potter's Daughter, will be releasing their second full-length album, Close To Nearby, featuring legendary drummer, Simon Phillips, on September 30. The album will be available digitally, CD, and limited-edition vinyl with accompanying art book.

The album Close To Nearby features eight tracks, three virtuosic instrumentals and five captivating vocal songs. All compositions arranged and Produced by Jan-Christian Vögtlin.

Joining forces with the world-renowned drummer, Simon Phillips, Potter's Daughter plan to release their heaviest work to date. “It has been an absolute pleasure to play on your music. Very challenging and ever so much fun.” - Simon Phillips

Say Dyanne and Jan-Christian of Potter’s Daughter, “The huge contribution of Simon’s playing to our music, together with the depth of his artistry and vision simply cannot be understated or exaggerated. He added a completely new dimension to each song. He is also down to earth, such a joy to work with!”

The artwork for the album cover was created especially for this project by the master artist, Armand Cabrera.

Tracklisting:

"Movement I"
"Rosewind"
"Night Sky"
"The Mask"
"5 And 5"
"Midnight"
"Seven Meets Five"
"Hold"

Potter’s Daughter are scheduled to open the prestigious music festival, Prog On the Ranch, in Florida this October.




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This past April, Endseeker released their new album, Mount Carcass, via Metal Blade Records. Today, the band has launched a video for the album track, "Escape From New York", a cover version of the John Carpenter classic. Watch below.

Endseeker comments: "We have a long tradition of cover songs, but this is the first time we chose an instrumental track, and even a main theme from a movie, but 2021 is the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's masterpiece, which just never gets old. The main theme has this iconic beat and mesmerizing melodies that sound so creepy and haunting in their original synth sound that we thought this would be the perfect template for a massive metal version. When we started to play around with it and try out different things for the arrangement, it was clear very fast that this works out absolutely great. We tried to stick quite close to the original and keep that eerie feeling over the song as a deeply respectful homage to this awesome movie and composition."

Having become one of the premier German death metal bands - and rapidly rising the ranks of the genre as a whole - Endseeker storm back into the fray with Mount Carcass. Building on the groundwork laid down on 2017's Flesh Hammer Prophecy and having the difficult task of besting 2019's stunning The Harvest, they have returned with a streamlined, powerful collection that further raises the bar.

Like both of its predecessors, Mount Carcass was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Eike Freese at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, Germany. Going into the record, Endseeker knew they wanted something rawer and more organic than The Harvest, and while COVID was causing global havoc, the band embraced the time they would have otherwise spent touring, using it to rehearse and discuss what they wanted the record to be. From this process they knew they wanted the songs to be quite straightforward and even have something of a "punkish / crust feel, so to speak. The songs are pretty reduced to the core with all the ballast removed. Every part and every riff has a meaning and isn't just there for no other reason than extending the song. The album is also very melodic. There are a bunch of very strong guitar hooks and vocal compositions that really stick in your ears for days. It's way simpler and probably more easy to listen to compared to 'The Harvest' or 'Flesh Hammer Prophecy', but at the same time, it has a very spontaneous and lively attitude with a big chunk of personality."

To keep the genre sounding fresh in 2021, they focused on the production, having just a touch of the old school vibe to remain rooted, and they did not limit themselves too hard to the Swedish death metal style of songwriting they previously embraced, but also let other influences into their songs.

"You can hear all kinds of stuff that is inspired by bands like Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Slayer, Dissection, Gorefest, etc. We listen to so many different bands, and somehow, a bit from all of this keeps adding to our music."

Mount Carcass can be ordered here.

Mount Carcass tracklisting:

"Unholy Rites"
"Merciless Tide"
"Bloodline"
"Mount Carcass"
"Count The Dead"
"Cult"
"Moribund"
"Frantic Redemption"
"Escape From New York" (John Carpenter cover)

"Count The Dead" lyric video:

"Unholy Rites" video:

Get to know the band:

Endseeker lineup:

Lenny - vocals
Jury - guitars
Ben - guitars
Eggert - bass
Kummer - drums

(Photo - Toni Gunner)




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