Check out some highlights from Sammy Hagar And The Circle’s second of two nights (May 25th and 26th) reduced capacity in Orlando, Florida. "Doing it socially distanced is better than not doing it at all," says The Red Rocker. 

Remaining tour dates are as follows:

June
1 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater
2 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater

(Video by Leah Steiger)

 




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Tesla six-stringer Frank Hannon has released a new solo song called "Ride Strong". Joining Frank on the track, and in the video below, are bassist Aaron Leigh and drummer Kelly Nobles.

"Gettin’ better everyday," proclaims Tesla. "Just announced, we will be kicking a** on stage starting this August. More dates coming soon." Confirmed 2021 venues are as listed:

August 
6 - Spirit Mountain Casino - Grand Ronde, OR
11 - Island Resort & Casino - Harris, MI
12 - Island Resort & Casino - Harris, MI
18 - Iowa State Fair - Des Moines, IA (with Styx)
20 - Bands In The Sand at 3D Sideouts - Island Lake, IL

September 
17 - O.C. Bike Fest - Ocean City, MD

October 
27 - The Sands at Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort - Quintana Roo, MX (with Billy Idol, Cheap Trick, and more)

 




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One of The Big Four turns the Big 4-0 this year and is celebrating with a number of special activities and events to honor the landmark anniversary. Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, NY on July 18, 1981, Anthrax was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth.

Active over the past five decades, Anthrax has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with The Big 4. The band has built a strong reputation with fans as well as the record industry. With the lineup including Ian, bassist Frank Bello, drummer Charlie Benante, singer Joey Belladonna, and guitarist Jon Donais, the band is being feted on their 40th anniversary by a wide range of friends and music contemporaries.

Each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and wrapping on the band's official founding anniversary of July 18, Anthrax's social media accounts will offer a series of video testimonials sent in by former band members, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what Anthrax's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos will honor each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, Fistful of Metal. Go here for the full schedule, and watch the first 11 below.

The 11-week series will include video contributions from Chuck D, Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Dave Mustaine, Gary Holt, Gene Simmons, Henry Rollins, John Carpenter, Kerry King, Mike Patton, Nergal, Norman Reedus, Michael Poulsen, Rob Zombie, Robert Trujillo, Roger Miret, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Slash, Tom Morello and more. There will also be video clips from former Anthrax band members Dan Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin, and Rob Caggiano.

The finale will come as a very special Livestream performance from Anthrax on Friday, July 16, featuring a deep cuts set that will pull from the band's entire career-spanning catalog. All details including ticketing information will be announced shortly.

Fans will also be able to get their hands on a special 40th anniversary-edition bottle of Anthrax bourbon to enjoy during the Livestream and keep as a commemorative keepsake. More details will be coming soon.

Episode #1:

Episode #2:

Episode #3:

Episode #4:

Episode #5:

Episode #6:

Episode #7:

Episode #8:

Episode #9:

Episode #10:

Episode #11:

Episode #12:

Twenty-twenty-one marks Anthrax's 40th anniversary, during which time the band has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, six Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the media, the music industry, and fans. In 1991, the band helped break down race and genre barriers when they collaborated with Public Enemy on the track "Bring The Noise," and was the first metal band to have its music heard on Mars when NASA played "Got The Time" to wake up the Mars Rover in 2012.

Along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, Anthrax is a card-carrying member of The Big Four, the four bands that defined the speed/thrash/metal genre. Anthrax has also introduced a series now sold-out signature whiskeys and bourbons and partnered with the Stockholm-based NEZUMI Studios for a high-end, limited-edition Baleine dive watch.

Twenty-twenty-one will see the release of Z2 Comics' "Among The Living" graphic novel with a track-by-track storyline inspired by Anthrax's iconic 1987 album, Among The Living. The book pulls together a "who's who" of names from the worlds of comics and music who created "bubble dialogue" and original artwork to express what the songs meant to them. Taking advantage of COVID-19's prohibition of concert touring, the band has been hard at work writing the next Anthrax album.

(Photo - Jimmy Hubbard)




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Alcatrazz guitarist Joe Stump has shared a shred guitar jam he did with "my Brazilian brother Cesario Filho. Cesario is a killer player - an absolute beast and an awesome dude as well." Check it out below. 

"Forever Moore" is the new single from Stump. It is a gut wrenching, emotionally charged instrumental guitar ballad fueled by the influence of Irish guitar giant the late great legendary Gary Moore.  

The track will also be featured on Joe’s upcoming instrumental record entitled Diabolical Ferocity which is slated for release this year in late August/early September.  

Joe Stump says:

“While it’s extremely well documented who my favorite guitarists and main influences are and of course the new record is filled with everything you’d expect from one of my releases; ridiculously technical playing, neo-classical shredding, killer riff action and strong melodies.  For me Gary Moore is still the one guitarist that really reaches me on an emotional level like no one else. I frequently listen to all eras of Gary’s work to this day and I often say to myself why the fuck aren’t I listening to him even more. Every time without fail it’s an inspirational learning experience.

“On this tune I tried my best to keep it honest, channel his great impact on me and play from my heart. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as it’s meant with nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for someone that left us way too soon.”




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German medieval rock masters Feuerschwanz have released an official video for their studio track, "Kampfzwerg". The video consisting of video recordings from their live stream event, Die Letzte Schlacht, earlier this year and new performances in typical Feuerschwanz manner. The song, originally released on their chart-breaking studio album, Das Elfte Gebot (#3 in Germany) quickly became a fan-favourite and the video comes as a harbinger of a big announcement to be delivered next week!

Feuerschwanz about the new video: "The battle dwarf (German: Kampfzwerg) - key figure of the fantasy genre or bearded, cozy beer drinker? We say: both! And bow to the grim king of mines, gold treasures and underground halls with our latest prank! The film footage comes from our legendary online concert Die Letzte Schlacht (eng.: The Last Battle) - on a cold January night on the eve of the battle we descended into the glowing ovens of the dwarf forge to salvage this videographic relic from the underworld."

Earlier this year, Feuerschwanz released a black metal version of their own tremendous hit "Schubsetanz" together with an official video. The song will be available as a strictly limited 7'' picture vinyl, out April 22nd via Napalm Records, which also includes a live version of "Kampfzwerg" ("Fighting Dwarf") from the band’s latest chart-breaking studio album, Das Elfte Gebot, which landed at #3 in Germany.

Feuerschwanz premiered this diabolic offering for the first time at a recently-celebrated concert live stream, Die Letzte Schlacht. "Schubsetanz" (Black Metal Version) showcases a whole new facet of the six-piece in the most true and evil way.

About the song: "'Schubsetanz ist Rittersport' (Schubsetanz is a sport made for knights) - for years this song from the album Methämmer is a fan favourite at our concerts! We love the moment when hordes of metal-clad heavy metal warriors unite for the most beautiful of all dance styles, full of grace and violence: The 'Schubsetanz'! That's why the song made it onto the setlist of our legendary 11:0:A gig and was celebrated there in a special, Corona-compliant way - packed into airtight rubber balls and to the sound of a specially created black metal version, we celebrated the moshpit - 2020 Corona style!

However, fans noticed that this unpolished rough diamond in all its raw violence deserved its own version and immediately started an online petition demanding a full-length version. We, as humble servants of our fans, spared no expense and effort and descended through the nine circles of hell, broke the seventh seal and snatched the tape from the incarnate himself, where those sounds were banned, that should have been hidden."

Das Elfte Gebot is the successor of 2018's Methämmer album, and can be ordered here.

Das Elfte Gebot tracklisting:

"Meister der Minne"
"Metfest"
"Das elfte Gebot"
"Kampfzwerg"
"Im Bauch des Wals"
"Mission Eskalation"
"Schildmaid"
"Malleus Maleficarum"
"Lords Of Powermet"
"Totentanz"
"Unter dem Drachenbanner"

Die Sieben Todsünden (bonus covers album) tracklisting:

"Ding" (Seeed)
"Hier kommt Alex" (Die Toten Hosen)
"Amen & Attack" (Powerwolf)
"I See Fire" (Ed Sheeran)
"Gott mit uns" (Sabaton)
"Limit" (Deichkind)
"Engel" (Rammstein)

"Im Bauch des Wals" video:

"Ding" video:

"I See Fire" video:

Lineup:

Hauptmann Feuerschwanz - vocals, guitars
Johanna von der Vögelweide - fiddle, hurdy gurdy
Sir Lanzeflott - drums
Jarne Hodinsson - bass
Prinz Hodenherz - winds, vocals
Hans der Aufrechte - guitars

Photo by Nikolaj Georgiew




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BLACKMORE'S NIGHT's Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore are featured in a new three-part interview series in which they talk about their new album "Nature's Light". The third and final part, in which they discuss their musical influences and creative process, can be seen below.

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT's eleventh studio album and the first in six years, "Nature's Light" was released on March 12 via earMUSIC.

The ten new tracks make for a quintessential BLACKMORE'S NIGHT album. Once again, Blackmore and Night successfully mix the tradition of folk music and their love for the Renaissance era, inspired by the myths and legends of ancient times.

While the album is rooted in a traditional approach, fans of Ritchie Blackmore's unique style will not be disappointed. Heartfelt ballads, such as a brand-new version of "Wish You Were Here", set the scene for the magical tales on "Four Winds" and "The Twisted Oak". On the two instrumental tracks — "Darker Shade Of Black" and "Der letzte Musketier" — Ritchie's guitar brilliance shines through.

"Nature's Light" was released on multiple formats. Among these is a strictly limited 2CD hardcover mediabook edition, including a bonus CD featuring a carefully selected set of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT's masterpieces from their extensive back catalogue. Furthermore, the album has become available as a CD digipak edition, a strictly limited heavyweight 1LP gatefold edition on yellow vinyl, a 180g 1LP gatefold edition on black vinyl as well as digital.

"Nature's Light" track listing:

01. Once Upon December

02. Four Winds

03. Feather In The Wind

04. Darker Shade Of Black (instrumental)

05. The Twisted Oak

06. Nature's Light

07. Der Letzte Musketier (instrumental)

08. Wish You Were Here (2021)

09. Going To The Faire

10. Second Element

GENERATION KILL, the band featuring former EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes, has released a new song called "Never Relent". The track, which features a guest appearance by Gary Holt of EXODUS and SLAYER fame, contains breakneck speed, dizzying guitar solos and uncompromising vocals. The medieval wartime theme of the visual accompaniment is a gruesomely appropriate fit for the brutal single. Thrash buffs should also note that "Never Relent" is the first recorded collaboration between Dukes and Holt since Rob's departure from EXODUS in 2014.

Speaking about the song, Dukes shares: "I'm really proud of 'Never Relent'. I was inspired to write the lyrics after reading about certain tyrannical leaders in history like Vlad The Impaler and Genghis Khan. It turned out to be one of the most brutal tracks on the album, which is why it made sense to have Gary play on it with us."

Holt added: "I'm super fired up to have been able to contribute a solo to the new GENERATION KILL song 'Never Relent'! The song is ripping on its own; to be able to contribute a solo to it was super kick-ass! Crushing song! Check it out ASAP!"

Furthermore, fans can also look forward to GENERATION KILL's third album "MK-Ultra", set to be released in late summer 2021.

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

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

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

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

MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil played a solo concert this past Saturday (May 29) at the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival in Boone, Iowa. As usual, Neil's backing group consisted of bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Jeff "Blando" Bland from SLAUGHTER, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney.

Neil's setlist was as follows:

01. Looks That Kill

02. Dr. Feelgood

03. Shout At The Devil

04. Helter Skelter (THE BEATLES cover)

05. You're Invited (But Your Friend Can't Come)

06. Smokin' In The Boys Room (BROWNSVILLE STATION cover)

07. Home Sweet Home

08. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

09. Piece of Your Action

10. Take Me To The Top

11. Live Wire

12. Too Young To Fall In Love

13. Kickstart My Heart

14. Girls, Girls, Girls

Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

Vince previously told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his solo performances: "It's a cool thing, because I love MÖTLEY CRÜE, I love MÖTLEY CRÜE's music, and I love singing, and I love the fans' reactions when they hear the songs. Whether we're playing in front of a thousand people or twenty thousand people, I can only see the front row anyway. So I'm happy for me and for the fans to be able to still hear that music."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

When it happens, "The Stadium Tour" will mark the CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017 — but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2019 biopic "The Dirt" depicts his 1984 drunk-driving accident that killed HANOI ROCKS drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley and seriously injured two others. It also shows Neil's firing from MÖTLEY CRÜE in 1992, only for his bandmates to rally behind him in 1995 when his four-year-old daughter, Skylar, died of cancer. (He rejoined the group in 1997.)

In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", "Ride With The Devil", "Crash And Burn" and the band's own spin on Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

Florida-based melodic death metal quartet, The Absence, have unveiled a music video for “Black Providence”, the third preview track from the group’s new album Coffinized, which will be released June 25 via M-Theory Audio. The clip can be viewed below, and the song itself is available now for streaming and download at all digital music outlets.

“We have never been ones to shy away from a slower tempo,” explains drummer Jeramie Kling. “And on ‘Black Providence,’ the sheer density becomes whole within the monolithic cadence. Sometimes we find ourselves afraid to face the pain of reality. The only way to achieve solace is to push through it; to make the tough decisions; to not take the easy way out.”

Coffinized is The Absence's follow-up to their 2018 comeback record, A Gift For The Obsessed. That album was the band's first in eight years, as well as their first for new label home M-Theory Audio. The time period between that album's release and the COVID outbreak saw the band stay busy by taking their new songs to the road, touring alongside acts such as Deicide, Origin, Jungle Rot, Exmortus, and Hatchet. Band members also stayed busy with other outside endeavours, with drummer Jeramie Kling manning the kit for Venom Inc., bassist Mike Leon gigging with Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy, and guitarist Taylor Nordberg playing with Massacre. Those three band members took the experiences from those touring gigs and reconvened in the studio with Stewart who has also been busy with his other project, Hot Graves, to put together the 11 tracks of pummeling death metal that compose Coffinized.

Coffinized was produced and engineered by Kling and Nordberg and mixed by Kling. The album was mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (Immortal, Overkill, Scar Symmetry) at Sweden’s Black Lounge Studios.

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Coffinized"
"Future Terminal"
"Choirs Of Sickness"
"Radiant Devestation"
"Cathedral Dawn"
"Black Providence"
"Discordia"
"Treacherous"
"This Consuming Nocturne"
"Aperture Expands"
"Faith in Uncreation"

"Coffinized" video:

"Choirs Of Sickness" video:

.

The Absence is:

Jamie Stewart (vocals)
Jeramie Kling (drums)
Mike Leon (bass)
Taylor Nordberg (guitars)




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US powerhouse Tragedy promises another all metal tribute to The Bee Gees and beyond with its first release on Napalm Records, Disco Balls To The Wall,  a collection of new masters, new mixes and some all-new recordings of Tragedy’s most beloved songs, out July 30. Prepare your air guitars and get the party started.

Following up on their enjoyably bombastic take on the Grease soundtrack classic “You’re The One That I Want”, Tragedy swirls the spirit of disco with red-hot heavy metal on their second remastered single,  “Stayin’ Alive” (The Bee Gees). The song was originally released on Tragedy's album The Joy Of Sex (2017) and supported by a hilarious music video with several nods to the 1970s classic movie, Saturday Night Fever. The video stars comedian/musician Dave Hill (Witch Taint, Last Week Tonight) in the Travolta role of Tony Manero, and also features the cabaret dance troupe, The Love Show, and of course, Tragedy. Shot on location at the Knitting Factory and on the streets of Brooklyn, this entertaining romp is a 3 1/2 minute tale of a disco dreamer who finds his true love of metal on the dance floor. This is the pure genius of Tragedy - merging the sex-appeal of disco with the mania of heavy metal, and forging an entirely new genre of disco-metal in the process.

Tragedy say about “Stayin' Alive”: “This song and video represents so many awesome things about what is arguably the world's greatest city, New York, and inarguably the world's greatest band, Tragedy.  NYC and Tragedy are a melting pot of energy, creativity...and insanity.  We've brought together these warring worlds - disco and metal - and forged an invincible musical and cultural alliance. Travolta struts.  Massive riffs. Tight pants. Lush harmonies. Is it disco? Is it metal? Yes. Yes, it is.”

Watch the video for "Stayin' Alive":

It doesn’t matter at all if you love or hate disco or metal - you will unabashedly love Tragedy and their bombastic, crazy mix of disco, metal, glitter and revelry. The band’s first offering with Napalm Records will include Tragedy’s unique twist on hits such as Abba’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” and “Dancing Queen”, Toto’s “Africa”, Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” and Adele’s intense super-hymn ''Skyfall”, just to name a few. These fearsome brothers drop the perfect selection of all-time favorite disco, soft-rock and pop favorites - completely reimagining them as glorious, red-hot heavy metal treatments.

Tragedy add: "Disco Balls To The Wall is the biggest, sexiest, collection of hits we've ever released. It’s as if the Bee Gees turned into werewolves, ate some teens, then bred with the local dog population; thus creating the world's most beastly recordings of disco and soft-rock songs ever made. Sharing this album with your friends and lovers will make you 500% more desirable.”

Get your body shaking when Tragedy start to rock out with The Bee Gee’s “Stayin' Alive”, “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Tragedy”, and headbang to the tunes of Slayer’s heavy riffing thrash thunder “Raining Blood” combined with “It’s Raining Men” from American duo The Weather Girls in a way absolutely never heard before. Disco Balls To The Wall is finally topped by a smashing live version of Donna Summer’s fabulous “Hot Stuff”, featuring Alex Skolnick of Testament on lead guitar. What a ride! But the party won’t stop as long as there’s a repeat button to push heavily!

The concept, while subversive and humorous, goes well beyond what others have done in satirical music - Tragedy celebrates the soul of the original song, even while turning the soundscape on its head. The amps are cranked to eleven, but the emotion is not lost. You’ll discover new meaning in songs that have been a part of your life as long as you can remember. You’ll laugh and cry, dance and mosh, and feel newly connected to the disco-metal that was inside you all along.

Disco Balls To The Wall will be available in the following formats:

- 2-LP Gatefold (Orange transparent) - strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide
- 1-CD Digipack
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
"You're The One That I Want"
"Evil / Baker Street"
"Stayin' Alive"
"Sweet Caroline"
"Raining Blood" / "It's Raining Men"
"How Deep Is Your Love"
"Aquarius" / "Let The Sunshine In"
"Africa"
"Total Eclipse Of The Heart"
"Tragedy"
"Dancing Queen"
"Skyfall"
"Hot Stuff"

"You're The One That I Want" video:

Tragedy is:

Disco Mountain Man - lead vocals, lead keyboards
Mo'Royce Peterson - lead vocals, lead guitar
Andy Gibbous Waning - lead bass, lead vocals
Garry Bibb - lead guitar, lead vocals
The Lord Gibbeth - lead drums
Lance - towel boy, complete idiot

(Photo - Michael Blase)




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UK-based black metal act, Necronautical, have returned with the video for their new single, "Hypnagogia". Watch the clip below.

The band also announced its fourth album, Slain In The Spirit, due out August 20 via Candlelight/Spinefarm Records. Pre-order here.

"We are proud to announce the release of our fourth album Slain In The Spirit," the band says. "Produced once more by Chris Fielding at Foel Studio, as well as featuring guest performances from soprano vocalist Victoria Harley, this album represents our most ambitious and contorted material to date. With this announcement, we are pleased to share a taste of things to come through our latest single and music video for 'Hypnagogia'."

Necronautical have always explored the darkness. Their very name means "to explore death." It's fitting that on Slain In The Spirit, the Manchester band is pushing both its sound and their concept to the outer limits.

Since forming in 2010, Necronautical have become respected among the British black metal underground. Across three albums - 2014's Black Sea Misanthropy, 2016's The Endurance At Night and 2019's Candlelight Records debut Apotheosis - their sound has become one rich in its skill with the dark side of metal. Ambitious and grandiose in its symphonic touches, this velvet glove hides beneath it an aggressive iron fist.

On Slain In The Spirit, this is truer than ever.

Everything has been taken to a degree beyond where the band has trodden previously, with the symphonic elements swirling even more dizzyingly above a metallic attack that hits with an almost machine-like ferocity. So much so that the band have transcended black metal altogether.

Slain In The Spirit tracklisting:

"Ritual & Recursion"
"Occult Ecstatic Indoctrination"
"Slain In The Spirit"
"Hypnagogia"
"Pure Consciousness Event"
"Necropsychonautics"
"Contorting In Perpetuity"
"Death Magick Triumphant"
"Disciple" (Slayer cover -CD exclusive)

"Hypnagogia" video:

Lineup:

Naut - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Carcarrion - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Anchorite - Bass, Backing Vocals, Clean Vox
Slugh - Drums




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Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released a new video, featuring an acoustic performance of Helloween's new single, "Fear Of The Fallen". Watch below:

Helloween's new single, "Fear Of The Fallen", is a fast paced, melodic track taken from the upcoming and self-titled new album, Helloween, out June 18. Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind, the song features vocalist Andi Deris along with his bandmates Michael Kiske, Michael Weikath, Kai Hansen, Markus Grosskopf, Sascha Gerstner and Dani Löble in their prime.

With the upcoming album, simply titled Helloween, the band opens a new chapter after 35 years of a glorious career. The future of one of the most influential German metal bands from now on will feature three singers. Originally planned for the live performances only, it was the birth of a unique seven-piece metal alliance.

To pre-order Helloween's new album, head here.

Tracklisting:

"Out For The Glory"
"Fear Of The Fallen"      
"Best Time"              
"Mass Pollution"                 
"Angels"                                  
"Rise Without Chains"          
"Indestructible"                     
"Robot King"                        
"Cyanide"                                 
"Down In The Dumps"         
"Orbit"                                  
"Skyfall"

"Skyfall" video:




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NMB are pleased to announce the release of their much-anticipated fourth studio album, Innocence & Danger, on August 27.

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

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

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

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

The album will be released as a Limited 2CD+DVD Digipak (featuring a Making Of documentary), 3LP+2CD Boxset, Standard 2CD Jewelcase & Digital Album, featuring artwork by Thomas Ewerhard (Transatlantic). Pre-orders start on June 18.

Tracklisting:

CD 1 (Innocence):
"Do It All Again"
"Bird On A Wire"
"Your Place In The Sun"
"Another Story To Tell"
"The Way It Had To Be"
"Emergence"
"Not Afraid Pt. 1"
"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
 
CD 2 (Danger):
"Not Afraid Pt. 2"
"Beyond The Years"
 
The Neal Morse Band (now NMB) was formed in 2012, featuring long-time collaborators Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards and guitars), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals) and Randy George (bass), as well as Bill Hubauer (keyboards, vocals) and Eric Gillette (guitars, vocals). The band’s first album, The Grand Experiment, showed both a freshness and maturity that was further developed in 2016’s The Similitude Of A Dream, 2019’s The Great Adventure and 2021’s Innocence & Danger.

Look for NMB on tour in North America in October 2021 and in Europe throughout May/June 2022. Tour dates coming soon.




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The world's most exciting acapella metal masters Van Canto return with their energetic and unique Rakkatakka-power. The inimitable new offering, To The Power Of Eight, will be released this Friday, June 4th To stir the anticipation even more, those thundering voices are smashing their new single, "Faith Focus Finish" today. The official music video references the album's cover artwork while also following the visual approach of the previous singles, hammering cover-version "Raise Your Horns", originally by Swedish Vikings Amon Amarth and powerhouse "Falling Down".

Stefan Schmidt on "Faith Focus Finish": "Ther song is all about the 'flow' you feel when you're so deep into something, that you totally forget about space and time. This can happen while listening to music, making music, or even playing sports, which is where the phrase 'Faith Focus Finish' actually comes from. We have adopted this feeling and the result is a composition in which the parts merge seamlessly into each other. Especially the drums and the rhythm section permanently drive the song forward. Inga gave all her power here and is framed and carried by the two male lead voices. Just what you need to finally be able to pull a ship into a harbour..."

Van Canto are well-known for their catchy tunes and sophisticated interpretations of various scene classics and follow their path with record number eight as well, as the album triumphs with four red-hot cover versions and eight own, rousing band anthems. Today, those thundering voices unleash their very own and remarkable take on hammering “Raise Your Horns” by Swedish Vikings Amon Amarth.

Van Canto took the well-known favorite and turned it into their own unique version, featuring band trademarks without losing sight of the actual core of the track. Horns up!

Van Canto on the song: “'Raise Your Horns' is a very special cover for us. For the first time Van Canto tackled a song where the lead vocals are consistently in the lowest growl register. Thanks to the constellation of having three lead singers, Hagen could spread out in the lead, while Inga can set high, almost orchestral accents and Sly leads the choir together with Jan. For the first time in a while it's also a song where a "real" riff sets the direction, so that the Rakkatakka and bass singers are extremely busy as well. A great composition by Amon Amarth, that we gladly pay homage to.”

Watch the official video for “Raise Your Horns”:

To The Power Of Eight marks another milestone in the band's impressive career and presents Van Canto as a coherent entity stronger than ever! Starting out with their first full-length, A Storm To Come (2006), the unstoppable force set the stage for their very own genre and never failed in surprising their fans and beyond through the time being, while showcasing that metal can be heavy as hell without any riffage. With their previous full length, Trust in Rust (2018), the German rarity reworked its lineup, consisting of seven members since then. For To The Power Of Eight, the unit once again joined forces with Philip Dennis “Sly” Schunke, who had been the lead singer on their first six studio records. Sly joins lead vocalists Inga Scharf and Hagen Hirschmann on all twelve flawless tracks as third vocalist and special guest. It’s clear that this peerless piece of music was written with three voices in mind: To The Power Of Eight embodies a special sense of common bond and presents Van Canto in undeniable peak form.

Van Canto on the new album: “Being able to present an album after 15 years of band history, where three lead singers share the microphone hand in hand, makes us incredibly proud. Due to the pandemic situation we had a lot of time to work on To The Power Of Eight and put all our heart and soul into the compositions, the arrangements and the production. Originally we planned to have Sly as guest vocalist for one song – but it turned out to be twelve in total in the end. If someone would ask for one record to present Van Canto the most suitable way, we would choose To The Power Of Eight.”

From their own original speed driven tracks, like flaring “Dead By The Night”, raise-your-fist animated “Heads Up High” or mid-tempo, heart-warming “Turn Back Time”, to anthemic heavy metal covers such as Amon Amarth’s “Raise Your Horns”, Iron Maiden’s “Run To The Hills” or AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, Van Canto always manages to easily serve their own unique take with every output. On the one hand, To The Power Of Eight reflects a well experienced collective that has gathered several top 50 entries on the German album charts and played numerous shows around the globe and festivals like 70k Tons Of Metal, Wacken and Masters of Rock. But at the same time, it presents these energetic visionaries of acapella metal, who are far from resting on what they’ve achieved so far.

To The Power Of Eight will be available in the following formats:

- 1 LP Gatefold
- 1 CD Digipack
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

To The Power Of Eight tracklisting:

"To The Power Of Eight"
"Dead By The Night"
"Faith Focus Finish"
"Falling Down"
"Heads Up High"
"Raise Your Horns"
"Turn Back Time"
"Run To The Hills"
"Hardrock Padlock"
"Thunderstruck"
"From The End"
"I Want It All"

“Falling Down” video:

Van Canto is:

Hagen Hirschmann - Lead Vocals
Inga Scharf - Lead Vocals
Ross Thompson - Higher Rakkatakka Vocals
Stefan Schmidt - Lower Rakkatakka Vocals
Jan Moritz - Pad und Backing Vocals
Ingo Sterzinger - Bass and Backing Vocals
Bastian Emig - Drums and Backing Vocals

(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)




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German/Celtic death metallers, Suidakra, recently finished working on their new album, Wolfbite, which is set for release on June 25 via MDD Records. They have released a lyric video for the song "Resurgence". Check it out below. 

Suidakra recently checked in with the following update:

"Wolfbite pre-order starts today. We've promised you that we will start the pre-order of our album #14 this weekend. Guess what? Here comes the link to a very strong limited mega bundle package including our own red-wine here. To all of you that live outside the EU and don't like red-wine, we also have a cool package for you here."

After more than 25 years of history and more than 13 studio albums as well as worldwide tours, can a band reinvent itself or even release the unexpected? Well, Suidakra may not reinvent themselves completely in 2021, but on their new album Wolfbite they create a mixture of all their past musical work and a fresh breeze, which gives the impression that the band has risen from a fountain of youth.

Wolfbite is bursting with power, uncompromisingness and joy of playing. The collaboration with Aljoscha Sieg (Eskimo Callboy, Vitja, Gestört aber GeiL), which is certainly untypical for die-hard fans, results in a breathtaking, lively sound, which from the very first note makes any scepticism about whether Suidakra still sound like Suidakra in 2021 evaporate. With the proven concept story from the Realms Of Odoric cosmos, lyrically and visually realised by Kris Verwimp, of course, Suidakra 2.0 presents itself in a form that even old fans probably wouldn't have dreamed of.

Tracklist:

"A Life In Chains"
"The Inner Wolf"
"Darcanian Slave"
"Faoladh"
"Crossing Over"
"Vortex Of Carnage"
"Resurgence"
"Redemption"
"A Shrine For The Ages"




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Melbourne-based rock band Shotgun Mistress will release their self-titled debut album via Crusader Records on July 16th. It is available for pre-order / pre-save here.

Tracklist:

"Born 'N' Raised"
"Devil in Disguise"
"Bleed Me Out"
"No Friend of Mine"
"Collide"
"Natural Disaster"
"Save Me from Myself"
"Glorious Machine"
"Pretty Little Thing"
"Analyse"
"Grave Mistake"
"Technicolour Faded"
"May She Never Walk Alone"

Shotgun Mistress recently released their first track for 2021, "Bleed Me Out", on all digital platforms. It landed at #1 on the Australian iTunes Rock Single Charts and #20 on the Australian iTunes Overall Single Charts. It is now available via digital platforms found here.

Shotgun Mistress was formed by Matt Wilcock (The Berzerker, Akercocke, Abramelin), internationally renowned death-metal demon guitarist best known for playing at light speeds. He hooked up with “Diamond” David Lee on drums to jam out LA Strip-era rock. Ben Curnow (Earth) joined on bass, along with vocalist Glenn Patrick (Collegians).

Shotgun Mistress is the first Australian band to join Golden Robot’s new metal label Crusader Records.

(Photo above by: Oli Sansom)




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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. They have checked in with the following update:

"We are FINALLY done!!!! We’ve been working on this album over a year now and Roberto Laghi has been on this day and night. So many small details have been added in the last few weeks and hence the delay. But we promise it sounds fantastic and we hope to get back to you the upcoming days with dates."

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"

D:S:O recently issued the following update:

"We’ve been living with these songs for a couple of years now and we honestly can’t wait to share this with you all. We really feel that we’ve achieved what we set out to do.

It’s by far our most ambitious undertaking ever and we know this album will make a mark. Writing-wise, we really threw the rules out of the window and just concentrated on the songs. All genres were welcome and we went out of our way to really explore and understand what we appreciate about a certain style or genre and how we can apply it to our way of writing songs.

We don’t have a set release date but we’ll let you know asap. The plan is q1 2021."




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Canadian metal combo Death Perception has released the lyric video for "Bleed To Death", a track taken from their upcoming album Ashes, due for digital release on June 18th via Wormholedeath.

Ashes artwork and tracklisting are as follows; pre-save / pre-order your copy now at this location.

"Bleed To Death"
"Scars Over Skin"
"In Plain Sight"
"No Tears For The Dead"
"Crimson Darkness"
"The Kill"
"Wars"
"Vermin"
"Final Breath"
"Ashes To Mourn"

Album teaser:

 




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New Jersey based brutal death metal act Cognitive return with a new single and stunning video "Eniac", and have announced the release of their fourth album, Malevolent Thoughts Of  Hastened Extinction, out July 16th via Unique Leader.

Guitarist Rob Wharton commented: "'Eniac' was one of the first songs written for the new album, and when it was completed we instantly were like, this has to be a single. The name 'Eniac' comes from the first computer, and musically this song we felt has a lot of new elements that are showcased on this album, from some more tech-laden grooves, big chord sections, a ripper solo, and some catchy vocal patterns. And Zen-Beast did an amazing job of making this video come to life to put a cherry on top. We hope you enjoy!"

Tracklisting:

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

Pre-save Malevolent Thoughts Of A Hastened Extinction here.

 




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VHF is the band featuring guitar virtuoso Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) on guitar, the fretless monster, Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder, Kenny Wayne Shepherd) on bass, and published author, master of the groove, Todd “Vinny” Vinciguerra on drums. 

The band recently signed to Golden Robot Records, and they are set to re-release their 2014 album Very High Frequency digitally and via CD on June 25th. Unparalleled musicianship and mind-blowing composition greets you with VHF! 

VHF's music is created from the bottom up - that is, the drums are the creative force behind the band. The final piece contains parts by each musician uniquely composed, completely independent of each other, and done with complete artistic freedom.

The sound of the band varies from piece to piece, but it is a combination of ethereal trippy sounds and driving rhythms, enticing the listener to create a picture or movie to play out in their mind.

Tracklisting:

"Shattered Insomnia"
"Whispers Of The Soul"
"Suspended Animation"
"Conception To Death For 8 Guitars"
"Invisible Thread"
"Backside Of Your Eyes"
"All Is Within"

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

 




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Over the course of the eight tracks on Radical Absolution, Crawling Manifest brings you anger, relief, energy, heavy riffs, and wild solos. The single “Right To Refrain Silence” is no exception as one of the album’s fight songs that inject listeners with that “get up and go” feeling.

According to the band, the single, at its core, is designed to hit a nerve, as they explain further: “The song 'Right To Refrain Silence' is nothing short of a fight song against oppression, with every line pointing out the failings of our leaders. All around us we see this theme of the police departments and legislators suppressing people’s voices, and this track was a call to action against that. Like we say in the song, “Until our last breath escapes us, we’ll take our liberty.”

The single was one of the first songs finished for the album, and one of the most fun for the duo to write. They say that musically, they really found their stride with this one and were able to put forward a song that combined all of the fast-paced aggression that they look for within their tracks with a groove that pulls all of it together in the chorus.




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Bulgaria’s Storm has released a new single, “Here I Am”, their third one following "Angel" (2019) and "Sulza" (2020). It is a sleek speed metal offering characterized with melodic vocal lines presented often in harmonies, laid against swift tempo and heavy riffs.

According to the band, “Here I Am” is a look inward, where Mihail Bonev (bass, vocals) reflects on coping with personal problems. Compared to the other singles, which are more melodic and slow, this one is, as the band remarks, more sophisticated and accurate.

They continue to explain the track: “We are evolving in playing as well as in producing, which is great. 'Here I Am' is the clearest example so far of what kind of a band we are, in the sense of music. This song best reveals the essence of our music - both the lyric side and the powerful side. We really believe that it will be much liked, we already see our fans enjoying the songs very much. It’s trying to give them the full joy of real original music in the respective genres, not banal cliches or latest modern tunes.”

Initially, Storm was trying to appeal to the commercial side of music, but has now moved past that and is fully embracing the heavier music their audience knows them best for. “Here I Am” is one of the band’s favourites and they are ecstatic to finally be releasing it.

Galvanized by ambition and a desire to pave their own way, Alexander Mladenov (drums, vocals), Mihail Bonev (bass, vocals) started Storm after leaving Atlantic in 2018, they recruited Nikolay Mihaylov (guitar). Fans can expect at least three brand new original songs coming down the pipe, along with two covers of Atlantic songs.

With its promising intro and inspiring riffs, the powerful “Here I Am” is recommended for fans of Helloween, Blind Guardian, and Angra.

“Here I Am” is now available, and can be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, and below:




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Finland power proggers, Ultimatium, are sharing their new music video "(Don’t) Fear The Silence" in support of their epic theme album Virtuality, released this past November via Rockshots Records.

The band comments on the track: "'(Don't) Fear the Silence' is the most beautiful and saddest song on the album. Heroes have lost one of their own and they must say goodbyes in order to prepare for the final battle against the villain... This song is the first acoustic ballad from Ultimatium, with the ending chorus bringing in all the instruments. Listeners beware: the song features a sudden, hidden bass solo!"

Ultimatium was birthed out the deep forests of Suomussalmi, Finland. Their fourth studio full-length Virtuality follows their independently released Vis Vires Infinitus (2015), New Dawn (2004, Mastervox Records), and Hwainoo (2008, Mastervox Records).

The premise behind Virtuality is an introduction of a storyline of four gamers getting stuck in a virtual reality game in a near-future setting. Packed with five amazing lead vocalists, Peter James Goodman (Conquest, ex-Virtuocity), Jukka Nummi (ex-Myon), Emily Leone, Tomi Viiltola (ex-Dreamtale, Perpetual Rage, Viilto) and Matti Auerkallio (Katra, Manzana, SoulFallen), "Virtuality" is a unique storyline about the virtual world, and the dangers of sharing everything in social media, along with up-tempo power metal songs combined with darker elements.

The story album is backed up with lots of background vocals, sound effects and a "narrator"/system voice synthesized with Amazon's Alexa.

The album introduces the best parts of power and progressive metal combined, including easier up-tempo songs, but also long, progressive mid-tempo tracks. The songs take influence from such bands as Stratovarius, Dream Theater, Symphony X and Rainbow. Especially on tracks "Digital Tower" and "Ghost of Yesterday" where influences from Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore are easily heard.

Tracklisting:

"Vengeance"
"Run Like The Wind"
"Hall of Heroes" (instrumental)
"Mindcaptives"
"The Seer"
"Dark Cold Day"
"Remorse"
"(Don’t) Fear The Silence"
"Digital Tower"
"Ghost of Yesterday"
"Scream"
"Together"

"Digital Tower" video:

"Vengeance" video:

"Run Like The Wind" video:

"The Seer" video:

"Ghost Of Yesterday" video:




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Austrian metal duo, CueStack, has announced plans for the “We Won’t Let Music Die” campaign, beginning with their latest single, “Stronger,” available now. Watch the official music video below.

CueStack will donate all profits from the single, radio royalties and upcoming debut album, Diagnosis Human, to the German fundraiser #AlarmstufeRot, which helps music industry professionals in need.

“Everybody is missing live shows, festivals and tours,” the band says. “But industry professionals have especially suffered from the current situation. Over three million people are out of work and over €265 million was lost last year in Germany alone.”

When CueStack’s Martin Kames and Bernth Brodträger saw the amazing work #AlarmstufeRot was doing last year, the pair made the decision to use Diagnosis Human as a means to contribute to the group’s mission to help those professionals in dire need.

Through the purchase of a “Live Music Relief Kit” containing the album, an exclusive crew backstage pass, poster and personal thank you card signed by CueStack, fans can directly help those who have lost work due to the global pandemic. Supporters of the campaign will also receive an exclusive bonus crew shirt. “Live Music Relief Kit” pre-orders are available here, and will begin shipping at the campaign’s end on August 31.

“It’s in our hands to bring live music back,” Kames and Brodträger say. “Let’s do our part to help!”

"Stronger" is available via Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify and Deezer.




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Saudi Arabia’s Wasted Land has a new single out entitled “Fade Away”, this is following their self-titled 2013 album. Since that full-length, the band suggests that they have evolved over time from being melody and folk focused into something heavier, but still having a strong melodic base.

“Fade Away” has been in the works since 2017, and is the first music video from the band, which can be viewed below.

Lyrically, the single talks about someone having severe depression and comparing his journey in life to that of a candle, getting shorter and shorter until it eventually burns out. Then he finds his soul’s salvation after his death. Musically, it starts with heavy doses of melody which are complimented by heavy riffs and even more melodies. To contribute to the theme of depression and life’s waning, it carries a somber and melancholic tune near the end.

The band comments on the track: “It’ll be a new mixture from our old folkish style with more heavy catchy riffs and chorus. We hope we can catch the attention from the old fans and attract new ones.”

For Wasted Land, they compose the music first and then create lyrics that fit. For this song in particular guitarist Ayman composed the lyrics a long time ago for his previous band Banj. Writing for the band is a joint endeavour between guitarists Ayman and Ahmed whenever they jam together. Vocalist Emad adds his flavours in the lyrics and of course the vocal lines.

Wasted Land originally formed in 2005 to participate in Metal II gig in Dammam. Ahmed and Ayman were jamming together and felt there was chemistry between them while composing folky melodic death metal. From there they decided to add more members to create a full band. They were one of the first Saudi metal bands to get massive media exposure from outlets like CNN, BBC radio and other local and international newspapers.

“Fade Away” is available for stream and download via Saudi Arabian based label Wall of Sound Records. Get it at Bandcamp and Spotify.

Band lineup:

Ahmed Khojah - Guitar
Emad Mujalid - Vocals
Ayman Al Ghamdi - Guitar




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Shadow Kingdom Records announces the signing of the legendary Hour Of 13 for the release of their long-awaited fourth album, Black Magick Rites, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

By now, Hour Of 13 should require little introduction. For the better part of two decades, mainman Chad Davis has pursued a unique and intensely personal iteration of traditional doom metal. Along the way and over the course of three albums and numerous EPs, Hour Of 13 have built a formidable discography that's amassed a fanatic following awaiting each spooky 'n' somber offering Davis and his rotating cast of cohorts creates. And while he's released records for a variety of labels over the years, in between a couple breakups, Davis brings Hour Of 13 back to Shadow Kingdom, who released the band's self-titled debut album in 2007 long before the hype started.

Hour Of 13's first full-length offering in over eight years, Black Magick Rites, was available digitally on November 1, 2020 for only 24 hours. Just as uniquely, Black Magick Rites also marks the first Hour Of 13 album where he handles not only all instruments, but also all vocals. Indeed, Davis' vocals evoke an ancient nostalgia, of doom metal before it was "doom metal" - of the days when bands like Black Sabbath, Pagan Altar, and Witchfinder General simply followed their respective muses wherever it took them. And for Davis, Black Magick Rites sees him taking his Hour Of 13 muse toward a rougher, more rock 'n' roll expression and yet tinged with an emotive melancholy that resonates deeply within the soul. No, no flavor-of-the-week "occult rock" cliches here, for Davis still prizes blue-collared authenticity in his doom, but he likewise never lets it hamper his immediately recognizable songwriting, which here ever so subtly inches closer to classic deathrock territory (think the likes of early Christian Death and Voodoo Church). Naturally, with a title like Black Magick Rites, an indulgence in occultism is expected, and you can literally feel the fingers of the black beyond reaching out to you across every electric minute of this 44-minute monolith.

Despite those isolated breakups, Hour Of 13 continue to get better with age. Perfectly titled as any record in their enviable discography, Black Magick Rites is the sweet sound of salvation... through damnation.

Release date, cover art, tracklisting, and pre-order info to be announced shortly.




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PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, the band featuring MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell alongside his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla, has parted ways with vocalist Neil Starr,

The band comments: "After much deliberation, we regret to announce that we have decided to try a new vocal direction with the band and are therefore parting ways with our friend and lead vocalist Neil Starr.

"We'd like to thank Neil for all of his fantastic performances with the band and for his work behind the scenes over the years and wish him the best of luck for the future.

"We are planning to go ahead with this summer's scheduled shows with a replacement.

"If you live within the UK and think you might be suitable as lead vocalist and front person for PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, please send us your details and some links of your performances for us to consider to [email protected]"

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS will perform at a number of festivals throughout the summer, and will undertake a full U.K. tour in November.

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS' latest album, "We're The Bastards", came out in November 2020 via Nuclear Blast.

Formed in the aftermath of MOTÖRHEAD's dissolution, following the death of Lemmy Kilmister in 2016, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS were always going to draw a crowd at any discerning rock or metal festival. Led by one of the genre's most respected guitarists, the band emerged onto the 2017 touring circuit powered by a huge amount of good will, a smattering of MOTÖRHEAD covers and a handful of new songs that crackled with passion and swagger. Landing themselves a prestigious support slot on GUNS N' ROSES 2017 summer stadium run, the BASTARD SONS hit the ground running.

Fast forward to 2020 and, just like everyone else, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS had to cancel a lot of carefully laid plans when the global pandemic descended on us all. But as if to confirm their absolute dedication to blowing people's heads off with thunderous rock 'n' roll, the band refused to cancel plans to record a follow-up to their widely lauded debut. Recorded and engineered during lockdown by guitarist Todd Campbell, the second BASTARD SONS album is called "We're The Bastards" and it was described in a press release as "bigger, better and even more raucously uplifting than its predecessor."

Last week, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen stopped by CBS12 studios for an exclusive one-on-one about his three-date Florida fine art tour, which started on May 20 in Fort Lauderdale and concluded two days later in Boca Raton.

Allen's collection houses originals, limited editions, the painted drum series, mixed media originals, plus the "Legends" series, which consists of lifelike-yet-impressionistic portraits of musicians who have influenced him, including Eddie Van Halen, Kurt Cobain and Johnny Cash.

Speaking about his painting of Van Halen, Rick said: "I really looked up to him. I think he changed guitar playing forever. I think between him and Jimi Hendrix, they inspired other musicians. It's just a massive loss. I was fortunate to meet him back in '91. Very unassuming. You would never think he did what he did on stage. But I just wanted to capture that smile. He just seemed to be in his element. It's really paying homage to him. And I really felt for his family as well, of course."

In a 2018 interview with The Hype Magazine, Allen, who started painting at an early age before he ever picked up the drums, stated about his use of light or some sort of bright object in his art: "Reality is very difficult to do, but it's my attempt to painting the object or whatever it is. It's a study of how the light bounces off of the object. Some of the more recent pieces — there was one that I did of [late DEF LEPPARD guitarist] Steve Clark; then there was one I did of John Lennon; I did one of Jimi Hendrix, the 'Legends' pieces — that, to me, was a study at how you're really not painting the person's face, you're painting how the light bounces off of the person. If you look closely at some of the pieces, they make no sense when you look at them up close. When you stand back and you start to view it from a distance, it's almost like your mind fills in the blanks and it creates the illusion of reality."

Two years ago, Rick told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his artistic process with his paintings: "I take a photograph I really like of the person, and I'll poster-ize it and sketch the poster-ization onto the canvas, and that's when I can come up with my whites, blacks and grays. After I do the under painting, I'll start to choose colors. When I do the 'Legends', I normally listen to the music of the artist I'm painting."

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen spoke to Aftershocks TV about how he was compared to another groundbreaking axeman, Eddie Van Halen, early on in his career. Asked if he felt the comparisons were justified, Yngwie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't believe in comparing anybody with anybody, because it's supposed to be an artform. However, in art, in any art, there will be trendsetters, basically — there will be people who come around and kind of, like, turn everything upside down, and Edward was definitely one of them. And I brought something different to the table also.

"I personally loved Eddie Van Halen — I thought he was amazing," Yngwie continued. "I loved everything he did since the first time I heard him. But I don't think it's a logical thing to compare artists. It's like [comparing Pablo] Picasso and [Leonardo] Da Vinci, which are completely different styles, but they're very well-regarded artists in their own right. It's a crazy thing to do."

Back in 2019, Malmsteen named Van Halen as one of the 10 guitarists who impressed him the most.

"I was 13 years old when that first fuckin' [VAN HALEN] album came out and it definitely caught my attention," Yngwie told Music Radar. "I wasn't into guitar players back then; it was all about classical. But what I loved about them was the rawness of it all — no overdubs; they just went in and fucking did it.

"He didn't have a Floyd Rose for those early records; it was just a vintage Fender bridge. I found those kind of locking vibrato arms kills the sound of the guitar. I use vintage trems and float my bridges quite a bit — usually about 5mm up so you can pull up, but not the whole way. Eddie's tone was great: just a 1959 Marshall all the way up and nothing turned down."

Yngwie's new album, "Parabellum", will be released on July 23 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

Swedish/Canadian/American metallers ARCH ENEMY are celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2021.

When ARCH ENEMY released its debut album, "Black Earth", in 1996, death metal was stagnating and in desperate need of a kick up the ass. Guitarist Michael Amott's blueprint for the purest of metal strains proved an instant underground hit, both in Europe and Japan, and almost single-handedly resurrected death metal as a viable art form with mainstream potential. Signed to Century Media Records for 1998's sophomore effort "Stigmata", ARCH ENEMY marched purposefully towards a new millennium with a rapidly growing reputation. 1999's "Burning Bridges" added to the band's momentum, their razor-sharp blend of brutality and epic melody becoming more refined with each creative step. But it was in 2001, when original vocalist Johan Liiva stood aside and mercurial frontwoman Angela Gossow stepped in, that ARCH ENEMY truly took off.

Released in 2001 in Japan and nearly a year later in Europe, "Wages Of Sin" showcased a revitalized line-up and newfound gift for immortal anthems, Gossow's feral roar adding many layers of charisma and power to ARCH ENEMY's already-monstrous sound. Swiftly dedicating themselves to a relentless touring schedule, the band's upward trajectory continued throughout the first decade of the 21st century, with each successive album enhancing the band's reputation and bringing legions of new fans to this resolute heavy metal campaign. Albums like 2003's vicious "Anthems Of Rebellion" and 2011's pitch-black and savage "Khaos Legions" ensured that Amott and his loyal henchmen — Gossow, drummer Daniel Erlandsson, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo and Michael's guitarist sibling Christopher — remained firmly at the top of the extreme metal tree: respected veterans at the height of their powers.

Always focused but impervious to other's rules and expectations, ARCH ENEMY evolved once more in 2015 following the departure of Gossow (now the band's manager). Replacing one of the most iconic vocalists of the modern age was never going to be easy, but in the shape of former THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz, ARCH ENEMY found the perfect candidate. Unveiled on the ferocious, anthem-laden triumph of 2014's "War Eternal", Alissa's powerful identity and extraordinary vocal talents proved a natural and instantly welcomed fit. Further extensive touring cemented the new line-up's thrilling efficacy, before one final line-up change — the arrival of legendary guitarist Jeff Loomis, formerly of NEVERMORE — completed the musical puzzle that Amott had been tinkering with for the best part of 20 years.

Amott comments: "I must admit that it feels somewhat surreal that the year 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of ARCH ENEMY. I never imagined that we would reach a point in our career where we'd be looking back on two and a half decades of creating music, releasing albums and playing live shows all over the planet! It's been an awesome experience, to say the least.

"As a group, we have been fortunate enough to achieve some incredible highs and accomplishments, but we have also lived through difficult times and lows. This is life, peaks and valleys… I have to say, whatever adversities we faced — we've always come through it all stronger than before. Overall, it's been a great journey and one that I am extremely proud of. I wouldn't change a thing.

"Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from doing any elaborate grand celebrations of the 25th anniversary, but we are doing some special merchandise and some other cool things - so keep your eyes peeled for that.

"A lot of my memories about the earliest days of ARCH ENEMY are connected to Japan. The first trilogy of albums, 'Black Earth' (1996), 'Stigmata' (1998) and 'Burning Bridges' (1999) were all released first in Japan and we toured there on all those three albums. Before much of the rest of the world really cared about us, we had gained a fantastic Japanese fan base that has supported us throughout the years — to this day. Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!

"With the release of our fourth album 'Wages Of Sin' in the early 2000s, we famously changed singer, a dramatic change from the classic Swedish death metal voice of original singer Johan Liiva to Angela Gossow — an unknown female German vocalist. A new concept at the time, and a bit of a gamble... I remember not being sure how the fans would react to the big change in the band. The new music we had written and recorded was also in a more straightforward style and the overall sound was a somewhat new direction for us. I needn't have worried, the 'Wages Of Sin' album was received very warmly by the fans in Japan, quickly becoming our biggest-selling album there. But maybe more importantly, it finally broke the band into the international metal arena in a big way. We found ourselves embarking on a rigorous touring schedule in Europe, USA and beyond. We had arrived!

"One thing ARCH ENEMY always did was tour a lot. We strongly believed in building the band by proving ourselves on the live stage, city by city, country by country…one show at a time. We really loved performing the concerts and the touring lifestyle — we still do.

"ARCH ENEMY is always pushing to play new uncharted territory — we have on many occasions been the first metal band to perform in a city or even country, which is always a huge thrill. Alongside building our own fan base on our countless headline tours and festival appearances, we also received fantastic opportunities with some of our early influences such as IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH and SLAYER. They all brought us out as special guest on their tours, introducing us to their audience — for that we will always be thankful to them.

"In 2014 we released the 'War Eternal' album and introduced our new singer Alissa White-Gluz to the world, kicking off a new exciting chapter in the evolution of the band. We hit the road harder than ever before, eager to show the world what the band could do with the new lineup. In the seven years that have passed since then, the band has grown far beyond my wildest dreams. ARCH ENEMY's music continues to connect with new fans every day — it's hugely inspiring and keeps us pushing forward.

"On a personal note, ARCH ENEMY has been my band, my passion as well as my work for half of my life now and I can't really imagine what I would do if this band had not come to be all those years ago. I am eternally grateful to all the people that have helped us along the way in some way, shape or form... My dear band members/friends, all the people in the music business and underground metal scene that believed in us, producers and engineers for making us sound great, our tireless road crew and all the ex-members of course. Most importantly, the incredibly loyal fans that we have, whom I'll never be able to thank all in person. I can only promise that ARCH ENEMY will keep on making music (YES, there is a new album on the way!) ... and, of course, we will be out there playing live shows as we embark on what will be our biggest tour ever! I am very positive about the future.

"Here's to hopefully another 25 years! See you in the pit! Metal is forever!"


#AE25

Posted by Arch Enemy on Saturday, May 29, 2021