Amorphis guitarist Esa Holopainen's Silver Lake By Esa Holopainen project will release it its self-titled debut album on May 28 via Nuclear Blast. Today, the band reveals the first album trailer, talking about how it all began. Watch below:

Since 1990, Esa Holopainen has been the lead guitarist of the progressively-minded heavy metal innovators Amorphis. Thanks to the metallic and melodic beauty of such classic albums as Tales From The Thousand Lakes, Elegy and Skyforger, Holopainen's magnificent abilities to create enchanting atmospheres and innovative riffs have become widely known within the worldwide heavy metal circuit - and when the COVID pandemic forced Esa to cancel all plans for 2020, the renowned Finnish guitarist knew that the time had come to finally record a couple of songs he had kept in his drawer for several years.

"Over the last few years, I have been writing a lot of music, and some of the stuff hasn't exactly sounded like Amorphis. When Nino [Laurenne, owner of Sonic Pump Studios] called me late March, I already had three decent-sounding Silver Lake songs in stock. These tracks, entitled 'Sentiment', 'Ray of Light' and 'Promising Sun', worked as the backbone for the full solo album."

Although the making of the record had already started, some important decisions were still under discussion and Esa soon decided that he would need to invite some friends over to sing on his upcoming record. "At first, I really didn't know if the album would turn out to be purely instrumental or would there be vocalists as well. However, one thing was certain, I wouldn't be the singer of Silver Lake", Holopainen laughs. "Many times, when people think about a guitarist's solo album, they get the impression of technical stuff with a huge amounts of notes played extremely fast. Well, I‘m not a big fan of that kind of music. Whenever I write, I always want to pile up interesting songs, and not just shred for the sake of it."

With diverse styles ranging from 80's Dire Straits vibes to some heavy, melancholic and even poppy tracks, these 9 fresh creations obviously needed some strong vocal performances. Therefore Esa started to ask several friends and favorite singers of his that joined him from their home studios on these 9 new tracks to be featured on Silver Lake By Esa Holopainen.

With moody cover artwork created by Metastazis, the album that was recorded at Sonic Pump, produced and mixed by Nino Laurenne & Esa Holopainen, and mastered by Svante Forsbäck will be available on May 28. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Silver Lake" (instrumental)
"Sentiment" (feat. Jonas Renkse of Katatonia)
"Storm" (feat. Håkan Hemlin of Nordman)
"Ray Of Light" (feat. Einar Solberg of Leprous)
"Alkusointu" (feat. Vesa-Matti Loiri)
"In Her Solitude" (feat Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis)
"Promising Sun" (feat. Björn 'Speed' Strid of Soilwork / The Night Flight Orchestra)
"Fading Moon" (feat. Anneke Van Giersbergen)
"Apprentice" (feat. Jonas Renkse of Katatonia)

"Storm" video:

(Photo - Juuso Soinio)




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Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) and Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the news that Ted Nugent, who once dismissed COVID-19, tested positive for it and "can hardly crawl out of bed" due to aches and pains.

In a Facebook Live stream on Monday, the outspoken conservative rocker said: "I've got an announcement to make. Everybody told me that I should not announce this.

"I have had flu symptoms for the last ten days. I thought I was dying. Just a clusterfuck.

"I was tested positive today. I got the Chinese shit. I've got a stuffed up head, body aches. My God, what a pain in the ass. I literally could hardly crawl out of bed the last few days… So I was officially tested positive for COVID-19 today."

Nugent went on to say that he is "homebound, i.e. quarantined" while he is recovering from the disease.

Later on Monday, Nugent spoke in a little bit more detail about his COVID-19 battle during an episode of his Internet show "Spirit Campfire". He said: "I've been around a long time — 72.4 years, to be exact — and it's been quite an adventure… But I have never been so sick in all my life… I could barely crawl out of bed. And I'm not looking for sympathy; I'm just trying to share a medical emergency during a global medical emergency, and what the Nugent tribe, what this guitar player is doing to counterpunch a COVID-19 positive test this afternoon. And it's gonna be willpower."

Earlier this month, Ted made headlines when he suggested the novel coronavirus is referred to as COVID-19 because there have been 18 other coronaviruses. Nugent also once again repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

"They claim five hundred thousand people have died from COVID-19," he said in a previous Facebook Live stream. "Bullshit. I believe that medical examiners in all 50 states have gone, 'I put down on the death certificate that he died of asphyxiation, but they made me put COVID.' 'Well, this guy was stabbed to death, but they made me put down COVID.' 'This guy was run over by a tandem gravel truck doing a four-wheel drift and the crows be pecking at your flesh, but they made me put down COVID-19.'"

In December, Nugent expressed skepticism that coronavirus even existed, calling it a "scamming pandemic" and vowing not to take any vaccine.

"It's not a real pandemic and that's not a real vaccine. I'm sorry, I ain't taking no vaccine," Nugent said in a Facebook Live stream.

"You come at me with a needle and I will be in fear of my life. You know what I'll do if you come at me with a needle. 'Hi, I'm from the government. This needle's good for you.' Fuck you."

Nugent has also mocked people who wear face masks, despite that both the CDC and World Health Organization have urged their universal use.




I have zero sympathy for loud mouth naysayers who get the thing they've been naysaying! People have suffered & died while Ted literally called Covid bullshit. #karmasabitch

DEE SNIDER, ALEX SKOLNICK And TRACII GUNS React To TED NUGENT's COVID-19 Diagnosis https://t.co/PIbohfH84i

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) April 20, 2021

On the latest episode of the 80's Glam Metalcast, host Metal Mike catches up with former Manowar guitarist David Shankle. He talks about the bands he’s in involved with today - Feanor, Grave Reign, and Holy Tide. He also talks Manowar, guitars, and hot sauce. Check out the interview below.

Shankle was with Manowar from 1989–1994 and recorded one album with the band, The Triumph Of Steel, released in 1992.

On the new Feanor album, Power of The Chosen One, coming out April 23rd

Shankle: "Before Covid, I had gone overseas and toured twice with the band Feanor. The first time I ever toured with them, we played the entire Triumph of Steel album live. It went so well that I decided to join the group and do this new record, The Power of The Chosen One. This new Feanor album was just meant to be. This record is my part two to the Triumph of Steel that I never got to make because I wasn’t in the band to do another album. It’s not a copy by any means, but it’s my way of going back to my true metal roots. The albums all done and we are so happy with how it came out. I just keep moving forward. If people like what I do..great. If they don’t, then fuck off!" 

On The Triumph of Steel album 

Shankle: "There many people out there that love that album. Nothing against Ross The Boss, he helped start the band and a lot of people love the early classic Manowar albums. You have different generations of Manowar, they have been around a long time. And they are still going with this other guitar player.....whatever! Ross made his legacy in the band. When I came in, I made my legacy that no one can take away from Ross or me. Triumph of Steel was one of the first albums for Manowar to be in the top 10 in Germany when it came out. I wrote that album with Joey DeMaio and it went Gold and Platinum and I’m very proud of that. I will wear that on my shoulder until the day I die. My time in Manowar helped put me on the map, but things change." 

On Manowar playing with a guitarist from a tribute band 

Shankle: "They brought in the drummer from a Manowar tribute band. I thought he was a very good drummer and of course he knew all the songs. Then that awful thing happened with Karl Logan and everybody was asking 'Are they going to bring Ross back? They should bring back David!' Some people wanted us both back and play together, but Joey would never ever do that! Neither Ross nor myself ever got a call, e-mail, or text to discuss it. I have always said, I have nothing against Manowar. If they wanted to muster up the strength to give me call about coming back, I certainly would have listened. I heard they chose to go with the tribute guy by the urging of the new drummer, because the two of them had played together and he knew all the songs. A lot of fans gave this guy heat because they wanted Ross or me, or both of us. I heard an interview with Joey, where he said we have a new guitar player (E.V. Martel) and he’s a combination of Ross, David, and any other guitarists we’ve had. No, that’s not true! Don’t even try and put that guy in my world, or alone my hemisphere. No disrespect to that guy, but don’t even go there! I know that after the tribute drummer they had Anders Johansson from Hammerfall and Yngwie Malmsteen in there. I’m not sure if he’s still playing in the band or not. Why people come and go? Point your finger at the leader of the band I guess. It’s Joey’s band and he’s done very well for himself. Him and Eric fought hard to put Manowar on the map, so did Ross. God bless ‘em....but I move on with my different projects."




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Ted Nugent says that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The outspoken conservative rocker broke the news of his diagnosis in a Facebook Live stream earlier today (Monday, April 19).

"I've got an announcement to make," Nugent said. "Everybody told me that I should not announce this.

"I have had flu symptoms for the last ten days. I thought I was dying. Just a clusterfuck.

"I was tested positive today. I got the Chinese shit. I've got a stuffed up head, body aches. My God, what a pain in the ass. I literally could hardly crawl out of bed the last few days… So I was officially tested positive for COVID-19 today."

Nugent went on to say that he is "homebound, i.e. quarantined" while he is recovering from the disease.

Later on Monday, Nugent spoke in a little bit more detail about his COVID-19 battle during an episode of his Internet show "Spirit Campfire". He said: "I've been around a long time — 72.4 years, to be exact — and it's been quite an adventure… But I have never been so sick in all my life… I could barely crawl out of bed. And I'm not looking for sympathy; I'm just trying to share a medical emergency during a global medical emergency, and what the Nugent tribe, what this guitar player is doing to counterpunch a COVID-19 positive test this afternoon. And it's gonna be willpower."

Earlier this month, Ted made headlines when he suggested the novel coronavirus is referred to as COVID-19 because there have been 18 other coronaviruses. Nugent also once again repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

"They claim five hundred thousand people have died from COVID-19," he said in a previous Facebook Live stream. "Bullshit. I believe that medical examiners in all 50 states have gone, 'I put down on the death certificate that he died of asphyxiation, but they made me put COVID.' 'Well, this guy was stabbed to death, but they made me put down COVID.' 'This guy was run over by a tandem gravel truck doing a four-wheel drift and the crows be pecking at your flesh, but they made me put down COVID-19.'"

In December, Nugent said that he would refuse to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus and he railed against pharmaceutical companies and their development of the vaccine. "A vaccine that was authorized in four months compared to every other vaccine that took years of adequate testing. Have you seen what's in it?" he said earlier this month.

Nugent has repeatedly expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of face masks during the pandemic and has mocked those who wear them, despite that both the CDC and World Health Organization have urged their universal use.

Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.

Ted has called Donald Trump "the greatest president in our lifetime," and has said that the billionaire real estate mogul represents "the heart and soul of the best American families out there."




Posted by Ted Nugent on Monday, April 19, 2021

GUNS 'N' ROSES' Duff McKagan and PEARL JAM's Stone Gossard were interviewed for the latest episode of Spotify's "Rock This With Allison Hagendorf". They cover everything from being at the center of Seattle's burgeoning punk and grunge scenes in the 1980s to this week's release of "The Living: 1982", a previously unreleased LP from Duff's teenage punk band THE LIVING. Allison follows their conversation by playing tracks from some of Duff and Stone's earlier bands, grunge pioneers 10 MINUTE WARNING, GREEN RIVER and MOTHER LOVE BONE, as well as their grunge peers like MUDHONEY and ALICE IN CHAINS. Finally, they wrap things up with tracks from the bands that rocketed them to stardom, and TEMPLE OF THE DOG's iconic "Hunger Strike".

Speaking about the first time he met GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash, Duff said: "I met him and Steven Adler [former GUNS N' ROSES drummer] at Canter's [family-owned 24-hour Jewish deli that's been in business since 1931]. It's a restaurant [in L.A.]. I had never been to Canter's. [Canter's third-generation owner] Marc Canter was Slash's boyhood friend. These guys grew up with each other in L.A. It was so foreign to me. I had come down [from Seattle] and played punk rock gigs [in L.A.], but I didn't know anybody in Hollywood, and here I was. I walked in. His name was Slash in the ad. We talked on the payphone, and I thought he'd be some, like, punker guy like me. 'Cause it was '84. By '84, and GREEN RIVER is a good testament to this, by '84, people were looking, like, 'Whatever's gonna be next is gonna be on our shoulders. Punk's done.' The hardcore had come in and kind of ruined a lot of punk scenes. It was these suburban jock guys who shaved their heads and started beating up people and doing 'sieg heils.' It was, like, 'This is not punk, guys.' So whatever was next, it was gonna be up to."

He continued: "So this guy's name was Slash. The influences he liked were FEAR, AEROSMITH, Alice Cooper… I'm, like, okay, but this guy's going kind of where I'm going. I had blue hair, short blue hair. I walked into Canter's. And they told me what booth they were gonna be at. So I found the booth, and it's these two long-haired guys, and I'm, like, 'Woah.' It was kind of a culture shock, and I think I was a little bit of a culture shock to them. But we sat down and started talking, and we talked about music. And that's the thing that — it's a universal thing. We went back to Slash's house, his mom's basement, and he started playing acoustic guitar. [Prior to that] I had played with these guys. Stone mentioned Paul Solger — he was the guitar player [at the time]. He could play leads and he was smooth and slick, and I thought he was the best guy on the West Coast. And I got in this basement with Slash, and I'm, like, 'Oh, wow.'"

Earlier this month, GUNS N' ROSES postponed its European tour for a second time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, "Not In This Lifetime" became the No. 3 highest-grossing tour in the history of Billboard Boxscore.

"Not in This Lifetime" featured classic-lineup members Slash, McKagan and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

The band is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

Ted Nugent has suggested the novel coronavirus is referred to as COVID-19 because there have been 18 other coronaviruses.

The outspoken conservative rocker's factual error was part of his Facebook Live stream earlier today (Wednesday, April 7) in which he lamented the cancelation of musical shows in 2020 and 2021 because the pandemic forced restrictions on large public gatherings.

"This year's tour is canceled again," Nugent said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "The production companies won't let us tour again this year. Dirty bastard, lying, scam, smoke-and-mirrors COVID-19 freaks.

"You know, I guess I would ask you, because I'm addicted to truth, logic and common sense, and my common sense meter would demand the answer to, why weren't we shut down for COVID-1 through -18?" he continued. "There was a COVID-1, and there was a COVID-2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, -9, -10, -11, -12, -13, -14, -15, -16, -17, -18. COVID-1 through -18 didn't shut anything down, but woah, COVID-19 [did], even though it's 99.8 percent survivable. Why didn't we shut down for the AIDS epidemic or the flu or the Spanish Flu or the bird flu or the West Nile flu or influenza every year?"

Nugent also once again repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

"They claim five hundred thousand people have died from COVID-19," he said. "Bullshit. I believe that medical examiners in all 50 states have gone, 'I put down on the death certificate that he died of asphyxiation, but they made me put COVID.' 'Well, this guy was stabbed to death, but they made me put down COVID.' 'This guy was run over by a tandem gravel truck doing a four-wheel drift and the crows be pecking at your flesh, but they made me put down COVID-19.'"

COVID-19 is short for Coronavirus Disease 2019, which is the year it was identified. The World Health Organization announced the name in February 2020.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "CO" stands for "corona," "VI" stands for "virus," and "D" stands for "disease." Before the WHO formalized a name for the disease, it was referred to as the "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."

In December, Nugent said that he would refuse to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus and he railed against pharmaceutical companies and their development of the vaccine. "A vaccine that was authorized in four months compared to every other vaccine that took years of adequate testing. Have you seen what's in it?" he said earlier this month.

Nugent has repeatedly expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of face masks during the pandemic and has mocked those who wear them, despite that both the CDC and World Health Organization have urged their universal use.

Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.

Ted has called Donald Trump "the greatest president in our lifetime," and has said that the billionaire real estate mogul represents "the heart and soul of the best American families out there."




Posted by Ted Nugent on Wednesday, April 7, 2021

This past Friday (April 16), FEAR FACTORY released its first new song in over five years, "Disruptor". The track will appear on the band's upcoming album, "Aggression Continuum", due on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Aggression Continuum" features guitarist, songwriter and co-founder Dino Cazares; drummer Mike Heller; and former vocalist, lyricist, and co-founder Burton C. Bell, who laid down his vocal tracks for the LP in 2017. It was produced and engineered by Damien Rainaud (DRAGONFORCE, ONCE HUMAN), with keyboards by Igor Khoroshev (ex-YES), and programming on two songs from longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY). "Aggression Continuum" was mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM), who also worked on FEAR FACTORY's previous album, 2015's "Genexus".

In a new interview with Temple Of Bleh, Cazares revealed that FEAR FACTORY has not yet found a replacement for Bell. "We're at the point where I'm gonna decide on a singer any day now," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "There's multiple people that are really good — really good. Even some females that are really good. And making a decision is gonna be definitely tough. 'Will the fans accept them? Will the fans not accept them?' — that kind of thing. I worry about all those kinds of things, but at the same time, I've gotta be how I was in the beginning and not fear — not fear change. I necessarily don't fear change, but I do take it into consideration how fans are gonna take it. I mean, I can't base everything I do on what a fan might think, because then I'll never get anything done. But it is definitely a big decision. And whoever I choose, I want them there to be for the long run, because I plan on making a few more records before I'm retired or gone or whatever. It's definitely a big decision. And it's some big shoes to fill."

Dino continued: "I wanna get back to playing songs that we never got to play live. It's no secret that Burt had some vocal issues when he sang live — he just couldn't sing certain songs. It just happens. Like 'Linchpin', our biggest song, we could never play it. I wanna be able to find a singer that can sing that song and we can play it live every night. I wanna be able to give people the hits — the songs that they paid money to see."

Cazares went on to say that he is confident that he will pick the right person for the job. "I was able to find a couple of very talented guys for DIVINE HERESY [Dino's other band], who went on to do big things," he said. "Some of 'em went on to do big things and caused big things. [Chuckles] So I'm hoping that — well, I actually know that I've found some other really good talent. Now it's just a fact of getting in a room with these guys. Before I make a decision, I want these guys to come down here, spend some time with us, see if I like them, see if we can get along, see if they're gonna be too nervous on stage or singing in front of us. Blah blah blah blah blah. That kind of stuff."

Dino added: "I'm excited. I'm very excited about this. I can't wait."

Last September, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect. He also ruled out a possible reconciliation with Cazares down the line, saying: "I'm done. I haven't spoken to Dino in three years. I haven't spoken to Raymond [Herrera, former drummer] and Christian [Olde Wolbers, former bassist] in longer than that, and I have no intention to. I'm just moving forward with my life."

In October, Dino issued a statement in which he said that the door for Burton to come back to FEAR FACTORY wouldn't "stay open forever." The guitarist also revealed that Burton "lost his legal rights" to the FEAR FACTORY name "after a long court battle" with Herrera and Olde Wolbers. "I had the opportunity to do something right, and I felt that obtaining the name in full was the right thing to do for the both of us, so after nearly four years we can continue as FEAR FACTORY, to make more records and to tour," he said. "That is why it is sad to hear that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, for whatever issues he has it seems like it could've been worked out."

FEAR FACTORY has been out of the public eye since it completed a 2016 U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield made an appearance during Little Kids Rock' annual benefit that celebrates the transformational power of music education on Wednesday, April 14. Presented by Hot Topic Foundation, the event featured musical performances, an online auction, speeches, and testimonials to celebrate the organization's mission of bringing free musical instruments and lessons to over a million students across the country while ensuring that musical support is available when students return to school. Usually held in person in New York City, the evening was livestreamed and emceed by music artist T-Boz of TLC and DJ Skee of Dash Radio.

In his pre-recorded appearance, Hetfield stated about his involvement with Little Kids Rock (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Music has saved my life daily. It has been a passion of mine since the early, early times. Music has been an outlet for me, it has been a connection, it has been a best friend for me for my whole life.

"Having an option for music, music at schools, I'm an advocate for having an opportunity and a place for people to at least explore that. And if they find it helpful, that's great. And it could turn out to be a wonderful career.

"I'm here as an example of how music has saved lives."

Little Kids Rock annual benefit co-chairs include Richard Foos (founder, Rhino Records and Shout! Factory), Crag Kallman (CEO, Atlantic Records), Nadine Levitt (founder and CEO, Wurrly) and Stefani Scamardo (founder, Hard Head Management).

Little Kids Rock began as an informal effort by former schoolteacher Dave Wish to give his San Francisco Bay Area second grade students a music enrichment program. Borrowing from friends and scouring area flea markets for instruments, he began offering free after-school guitar classes. The curriculum Wish developed immediately captured each student's interest because it had them playing the types of music they enjoyed listening to, and enabled them to improvise and compose freely around a basic network of ideas and skills within minutes of picking up the instrument.

"We are humbled that so many incredible members of the artistic and business communities are coming together via this event to support our mission to bring more music to more kids," said Little Kids Rock founder and CEO, Dave Wish. "This school year we were inspired to see our teachers use music to keep their students emotionally close even when they had to be apart. Music has been and will always be one of humanity's emotional first responders."

Little Kids Rock uses genres including rock, pop, Latin, and rap to empower teachers across the country to build music programs as diverse as the students they serve. Students see themselves reflected in the curriculum, which strengthens their connection to their school, their peers, and their community. The organization also donates necessary instruments, and curriculum, which meet a key need of many school music programs. While the world of music expands through innovation, Little Kids Rock guarantees that music education does as well.

"Early music education is very important for the young," said Little Kids Rock national board member and longtime bandleader for PUBLIC ENEMY, Brian Hardgroove. "Not only is it a direct path to critical thinking; I believe it can also help a young person better understand the past that has led to their present. Music has always inspired and brought us together, and music will continue to inspire and bring us together."

More than 550,000 kids currently participate in Little Kids Rock programs nationwide. When the pandemic hit and schools began closing, the organization moved its professional development workshops to online and began creating new curricular resources focused on distance and digital learning. They pursued partnerships that provided free supplies such as JBL headphones to thousands of students in their homes and supported music teachers with online training, technology and the means to ensure their students did not miss a beat in their music education, whether they are learning virtually or in-person.

The Little Kids Rock annual benefit has convened many musical supporters who have spoken or performed at past events, including Billie Joe Armstrong, Jon Batiste, Harry Connick Jr., Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, Lady Gaga, Warren Haynes, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Joan Jett, Vance Joy, Wiz Khalifa, Lake Street Dive, Phil Lesh, David Letterman, Kenny Loggins, Darlene Love, Steve Miller, Keb' Mo', Tracy Morgan, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Smokey Robinson, Paul Shaffer, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Steven Van, Bernie Williams, Jesse Colin Young, and many others.

For additional information or to learn more about Little Kids Rock, please visit www.littlekidsrock.org.








SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT! ⭐ #JamesHetfield of @Metallica is joining us at the Little Kids Rock Benefit on April 14!

Thanks to our generous sponsors, General admissions tickets are FREE! Register now: https://t.co/m03B9dj0FH pic.twitter.com/03e4YmOMn8

— Little Kids Rock (@littlekidsrock) April 1, 2021

In the latest episode of AXS TV's "Rock & Tell", former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach shows off some of his favorite rock and roll memorabilia, including a signed copy of Roger Daltrey's (THE WHO) memoir, "Thanks A Lot Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story".

After recounting the night he and Daltrey drank "a lot of wine" while at a dinner together, Sebastian said: "You wanna know something weird? I've tried to keep up with my wine appreciation in lockdown, and it's gone down. I don't know what it is, but sometimes now, I'll have some wine at nighttime, and then I'll wake up at three or four in the morning and go, 'Ah, this sucks.' It's kind of a downer. It's different having wine in a lockdown under a pandemic than after a gig on a tour bus. [Laughs] That's the quote of the century right there."

Bach previously spoke about his love of fine wine in a 2020 interview with Esquire. He stated at the time: "I've loved red wine my whole life until March, when this [pandemic] shit happened. When this shit happened? I lost my — it's just a different buzz! It's a different feeling, no matter how hard I try, I can't really drink red wine anymore."

Two months ago, Bach said that he had finished demoing 14 new tracks for his next studio album.

Among the musicians who have assisted Bach during the writing and recording process for his new music are Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, Michael Jackson), John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Devin Bronson, Brent Woods, Eli Santana and Jeremy Colson.

In January, Sebastian told The Aquarian Weekly that he was working on a new album but he declined to name the record company that will be putting it out. "Yes, I have a new American label and I have been working somewhat on the album during this damned quarantine," he said. "But there is only so much I can do in my house. I have been sending files back and forth [to my bandmates], but it is not as exciting as being together in the same room. Maybe Taylor Swift lives with her whole band. I don’t know how that works."

He added: "My new album is going to be heavy. In many ways it is my follow-up to [2007's] 'Angel Down'. I am trying to make the best record I have ever made. There will be a lot of heavy [music] coming your way."

Back in 2018, Bach told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station that he was going to ink a deal with a U.S.-based heavy metal record label that would help him make a "career-defining" new solo album.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

Photo courtesy of AXS TV

In a new interview with Finland's Kaaos TV, Alexi Laiho's BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT bandmates Daniel Freyberg (guitar) and Mitja Toivonen (bass) were asked if there are any plans to stage a tribute concert to the late guitarist/vocalist once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. Daniel responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We haven't thought about it seriously. We have to wait that the world opens again — and probably process this thing. And then we can start seriously thinking about something like that." Mitja added: "None of us can tell when it's even possible to play shows, so it's really weird to start thinking about that right now. It doesn't feel right. It feels so distant."

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT will release an EP, "Paint The Sky With Blood", on April 23 via Napalm Records. The effort was recorded in Finland back in 2020 and was meant to be the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Sadly, that chapter ended far too soon with the December 2020 passing of Laiho.

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, whose lineup was completed by drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (PARADISE LOST) and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto, made its live debut last October in Seinäjoki, Finland. The 17-song show consisted entirely of CHILDREN OF BODOM material.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

Alexi passed away in his home in Helsinki, Finland. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

Matthew Kiichi Heafy, the Japanese-American musician best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated heavy metal band TRIVIUM, has released the "What The Dead Men Say" acoustic EP, featuring reworked versions of four songs from the group's 2020 album of the same name. You can now listen to it in the YouTube clip below.

Featured songs:

00:00 What The Dead Men Say

03:41 Catastrophist

09:08 Bleed Into Me

12:40 The Defiant

16:02 Scattering The Ashes

Heafy is also an avid gamer who steadily built his Twitch profile to massive success in the past few years. His Twitch efforts have been featured by Microsoft, TechCrunch, Forbes and beyond. He is also a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a food connoisseur. Heafy streams daily on his Twitch channel "matthewkheafy," displaying the behind-the-scenes work it takes to stay in shape to play guitars and do vocals. He plays TRIVIUM songs by request and every day is a new show made by the fans, for the fans.

Some of Heafy's notable accomplishments include hosting the first-ever full metal gaming village at Wacken Open Air, competing against Ninja in the Twitch Rivals Summer Skirmish, competing and celebrating the opening of Full Sail's esports arena, creating Shroud's theme song, being Streamlab's top streamer merch seller of all time, being in the top 100 most subscribed to channels on Twitch, leading the charge as the pioneer of music streaming on Twitch (also partnering with Twitch to make the official how-to guides on streaming music on Twitch's help page), and co-founding the Metal & Honey Foundation, which supports the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for children. 100% of the proceeds directly benefit the music therapy program.

Heafy also recently appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show", where he surprised a fan and gifted him with a guitar.

TRIVIUM's ninth full-length album, "What The Dead Men Say", is available now via Roadrunner Records.

"Die With Your Boots On" is the name of the successful collaboration that launched back in 2019 between IRON MAIDEN and the English professional football club West Ham United. With thousands of home shirts sold, there was huge appetite from West Ham and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris to extend the range for fans around the world to enjoy in both football and music. The new West Ham/IRON MAIDEN away shirt (worn by West Ham attacking midfielder Saïd Benrahma and Steve Harris above) is accompanied with a new West Ham/IRON MAIDEN training jacket and a new range of IRON MAIDEN training wear.

Harris has been flying the flag for West Ham on stage for decades, with his bass guitar even featuring the club's iconic logo. His love for the Hammers goes back to 1965 and many MAIDEN fans around the world have embraced Harris's passion for West Ham and taken up support for the club themselves, often appearing at concerts in Hammers apparel.

Harris was not going to turn down the opportunity to extend the range beyond the success of the original home shirt design.

"It was incredible to see the number of IRON MAIDEN and West Ham fans that picked up the initial home shirt," he said. "With West Ham doing so well in the Premier League right now, it feels like a nice time to put out this 'away' shirt. I'm so happy to carry the MAIDEN/West Ham partnership further... who knows, it might bring us luck for a Champions league place, you never know! COYI!"

Tracey Stratton, licensing manager at West Ham, speaks of how popular the MAIDEN collaboration was with the West Ham fans when it launched back in 2019: "We've had a phenomenal response to our first shirt collaboration with IRON MAIDEN, selling out repeat orders several times. The fans' reactions were amazing with huge engagement on social media. We are now excited to release the 'away' shirt as a first run exclusive online at www.officialwesthamstore.com, with further styles to follow as we continue this highly successful partnership. Come on you Irons!!"

The new "away" shirt and the "Die With Your Boots On" range are available to pre-order at this location, with a limited number of away shirts in stock and ready to ship from the West Ham store, officialwesthamstore.com.

Scott's Bass Lessons has shared a new video in which MEGADETH's David Ellefson shares his top bass techniques. This is your chance to investigate this hardcore bass style with one of the most influential bass players in thrash metal.

In a fall 2020 interview with Guitar Summit, Ellefson was asked if he ever played with his fingers before switching to playing with a pick/plectrum and if so, what prompted the change. He responded: "I learned how to play with my fingers. As I got into the real world of playing in bands, when I had these little amps, playing with guitar players who had 50- and 100-watt Marshall half stacks against big, loud, banging drummers, I couldn't hear myself. So I grabbed a pick. And all of a sudden, I could dig in and get a percussive attack that allowed me to be heard. And that was why I picked up the plectrum. It wasn't because I was trying to be like somebody else. It was literally a survival tactic.

"As I moved to L.A., we started MEGADETH, and I was trying to be sort of a finger aficionado, but as we were playing, it looks impressive, and people are, like, 'Oh, you look so cool,'" he continued. "To hell with looking cool. It's about can you freakin' play to a click track.

"Bass playing is about three things — actually, all of music: what note you play, where you play it, and how long you play it. That's music. You can take all of music ever in the history of the world, and those three factors apply to all of it. Same with bass. What note are you playing? How long are you playing it? And where are you placing it? So those three elements are always what's required. And especially when you get into the studio and you start cutting records. Pretty much, nine times out of 10, even today, when I walk in with a pick and I plug in, I hit a note, and they're, like, 'That sounds great.' And then I'll move to my fingers, and they'll look at me and go, 'What'd you do? What happened? The tone changed.' And I go, 'Oh, I switched over to my fingers.' And they'll be, like, 'Yeah, don't do that. Put the pick on. The pick sounded better.' It just sounds better.

"Recording engineers love clarity," Ellefson added. "Their job is to get things clean, clear [and] precise so that it translates to the mix and to the final product. And the cleaner and clearer you can get a bass to tape — Pro Tools, if you will — is the big win. So, for me, the plectrum usually wins in most cases."

Ellefson's latest comments echo those he made in October 2018 at the Bristol, England stop of the European leg of his "Basstory" tour. At the time, he said: "For me, I ended up picking up a plectrum, a pick, mostly because you guitar players are always too loud. And I was in bands where I could afford amps about that size [points to a small amp], as a kid, and I couldn't afford big Ampeg SVTs and big stuff like that. And guitar players would get 50-, 100-watt Marshall half stacks and we would have to turn them against the wall, 'cause they were so loud. Because the sound man, when he does this [lifts arms above his head an shakes his head], that means the P.A. is off, you're not in it and you're too loud. And most guitar players go, 'Fuck that, dude! I'm gonna fucking play loud.' Pardon my language, but that's just kind of how guitar players are. So in order to compete with that, I picked up the plectrum, because when I got in a band, all of a sudden, that got in the mix; now I was in the room finally and got inside the kick drum. I learned that later making records about how to get my bass kind of right inside that kick drum, so as the drummer… as that beater hit the skin, that was the cannon and I was the cannonball right behind it. But that really is my philosophy."

DailyBOOM Media has released "Let The Music Play", a documentary on COVID-19's brutal impact on the music industry, via YouTube (a mid-April release on Amazon Prime is also slated). This feature-length film was written by executive producer Cate Meighan, with Emmy Award-winning video-editor and co-producer Heather Dauterive, and an original score by award-winning multi-instrumentalist Jack Miele.

In early 2020, the music industry was readying itself for another blockbuster year. Acts like GUNS N' ROSES and FOO FIGHTERS were gearing up for major tours, while MÖTLEY CRÜE announced a reunion that had sold out nationwide within days. Symphonic shows, festivals, Vegas residencies, and club gigs were all booked solid when COVID-19 brought everything to a screeching halt. Overnight an entire billion-dollar industry was shut down and the fact remains that it will be one of the very last industries to fully reopen.

Not everyone fortunate enough to grace the stage makes a ton of money, especially when you consider the massive amount of overhead that goes into booking even the smallest of club tours. Artists feel as though their lives are at stake because their livelihood is their life. If they cannot work, then they cannot feed their kids and they just aren't going to make it. Right now, no one is waiting for a rock star to sign a contract or respond to an email- musicians are just as unemployed as those who would normally pay hard-earned money to see them play.

Those working behind the scenes in the industry are the hardest hit, living through a situation that snuck up on them and has then unfolded like a gradual continuation of an utter disaster. There is no money to be made, people are getting sick, and hundreds of thousands are dying. Many often do not realize just how much one venue benefits an entire community and the tourism industry. People stop for dinner before a show, they stay in a hotel, they shop, they fuel up before driving home. Everyone from parking attendants to the guy that stocks the ice behind a bar has been directly impacted by the hard-hit music business.

"Let The Music Play" is a feature-length documentary that gives viewers a detailed glimpse inside of this shattered and shuttered industry through the eyes of its' hardest workers. Famous artists, indie artists on the rise, plus rock and dance acts working the club circuit on both coasts have all lent their voices to this documentary. We also hear from the National Independent Venue Association, various promoters, venue owners, and a mastermind merch guy that put together one of the most popular streaming concerts of the year. Every voice was crucial to the telling of this story, and they also share an equal amount of importance. They speak openly about the financial hardship, deep depression of losing something that they love so much (even temporarily), and the things that they are doing to help keep their own positivity and hope alive.

The filmmakers say: "Since we are dealing with COVID-19 restrictions and there is no such thing as a backstage interview, we met our interviewees exactly as they were. Some have studios at home with great cameras and others had a more normal setup. As a media team we prefer perfection of course, but these are not normal times and we needed to be authentic. This group of people has been so incredibly honest with us and we feel a responsibility to be just as honest with our viewers in how they are portrayed."

The cast of "Let The Music Play" includes:

* Sal Abbatiello (promoter, manager, venue owner)

* Stacey David Blades (CRASHING WAYWARD, ex-L.A. GUNS)

* Whey Cooler (PRETTY POISON)

* Jesse James Dupree (JACKYL)

* Audrey Fix Shaefer (communications director NIVA/Save Our Stages)

* Tony Hall (DUMPSTAPHUNK, NEVILLE BROTHERS, Harry Connick Jr.)

* Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, CHER)

* Haley Johnsen ("American Idol" semi-finalist)

* Ron Keel (RON KEEL BAND)

* Todd Kerns (SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS)

* Jeffrey "Soave" Martinez (freestyle artist)

* Sabrina Nieves (THE COVER GIRLS)

* Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, ex-DOKKEN)

* Greg Ross (owner of Manic Merch, creator of Back To The Basement)

* Numa Saisselin (president of the Florida Theatre Of Performing Arts)

* Jade Starling (PRETTY POISON)

* Chris Steven (indie artist)

* Michael Sweet (STRYPER)

* Ace Von Johnson (L.A. GUNS, FASTER PUSSYCAT)

* Chip Z'Nuff (ENUFF Z'NUFF)

More information is available at www.letthemusicplay.org.

You can view "Let The Music Play" below.

FOO FIGHTERS have released an animated music video for "Chasing Birds". The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Medicine At Midnight", which landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 64,000 copies in the U.S.

The Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales.

FOO FIGHTERS previously topped the chart with 2017's "Concrete And Gold" and 2011's "Wasting Light".

23,000 of "Medicine At Midnight"'s first-week sales came from vinyl LP sales, with CDs and digital albums registering 20,000 each.

"Medicine At Midnight" came out on February 5 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. The LP is a nine-song, 37-minute effort which was produced by the FOO FIGHTERS and Greg Kurstin.

The first single from the disc, "Shame Shame", was released in November. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Paola Kudacki and co-stars FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl and Sofia Boutella. "Shame Shame" renders in stunning black and white an interpretation of a recurring dream that's haunted Grohl since his childhood days.

Grohl told SiriusXM's Alt Nation about the "Medicine At Midnight" musical approach: "It's our 10th album, and it's our 25th anniversary. We're. like, okay, let's look back at all the stuff that we've done before. We've made that loud sort of noisy punk rock fast stuff. We've made the sleepy acoustic kind of gentle acoustic record stuff. We've done the three- or four-minute-long bubblegum rock and roll, pop, single thing before. And it was, like, well, what haven't we done? And we had never really made a groove-oriented sort of party record.

"It's hard to put the words 'dance' or 'funk' or 'disco' in the same sentence as the FOO FIGHTERS; it scares the shit out of me," Dave admitted. "But all of us grew up loving rock and roll records that you could like bounce around to, like THE CARS. Like, oh my God, we love THE CARS. Or David Bowie's 'Let's Dance'. Or POWER STATION. Or THE [ROLLING] STONES' 'Tattoo You' — things like that. We're, like, 'All right. We've never really explored that territory before. Let's do it.

"We're lucky in that everybody in the band has diverse influences and everybody loves different kinds of music, but I honestly think we're capable of doing almost anything," he said. "So if we put our minds to it, we can kind of chameleon and turn into a death metal band, or we could be like THE CARPENTERS. So we just have to come together and make the decision, like, 'All right, which way do we wanna go? Which way are we gonna turn the wheel?' And this time we did it to make this party record."

PSYCHOSEXUAL, featuring former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer on vocals as the Devil Daddy character, has released the official music video for its latest single, "Devil From Hell". A distorted twang gives way to his dusky baritone as Spencer announces: "I have only one burning desire…to set this motherfucking world on fire" before exploding into a powder keg of a chorus.

"It announces we're basically coming here to kill it as much as we can," Spencer shares about the track. "I found my own way and made my stance. This is the best way to introduce the world to this band. We're ready to make a fucking wave."

The song will appear on the band's forthcoming sophomore album, "Unholy Hymns For The Children", due out May 14.

Last month, Spencer spoke to "Drag The Waters: The Pantera Podcast" about his decision to remove all the previously released music and videos from PSYCHOSEXUAL ahead of the arrival of "Devil From Hell".

"When you make records, they're like snapshots in time," Jeremy explained. "We made the first thing pretty fast, and I just threw it out independently. And we had started the next record right away, and 'Devil From Hell' happened. And I'm, like, 'Fuck, man. I really like this. I wish this would have been the first thing that we dropped.' So it's, like, you know what? Nobody even really knows much about the other music, which I do like, but I think this is more appropriate of where we kind of wanna debut; this is what I wanted to be the first thing. So it's kind of like a reboot — we're starting over. I'll release the other music down the road again, but this second record will technically be our first. [Laughs]"

Regarding "Devil From Hell", Jeremy said: "It's a little different than the previous material that we've been working on. It's a little heavier. We do all kinds of stuff — it's not just metal or whatever; it's kind of eclectic. But this one's definitely a stomper. I'm pretty happy with it. The video turned out really cool too."

Spencer, who handles lead vocals in PSYCHOSEXUAL, also addressed the negative reaction the band's early music videos received from the FIVE FINGER fans, some of whom were turned off by the new project's theatrical presentation and goth-flavored sound.

"That's okay," Jeremy said. "Not everyone's gonna dig what you do. I mean, it's how it is in DEATH PUNCH too; we would release stuff, and you get hated on. You can't please everyone. We always made records for ourselves, and then you hope people like it. You can't control it. And we were fortunate enough to have a large fanbase that did appreciate what we did. And I think we'll find the audience for this as well. It's not for everyone, but I'm doing what I love to do, and I'm a big fan of theatrics. I do like goth music, I do love metal. I'm gonna put it all in a blender, [and] it's gonna be a lot of fun. And I hope that people wanna join us on the journey. And when we finally get to play freakin' shows, hopefully people can come out and have a good time and see what we're all about."

PSYCHOSEXUAL released its debut album, "Torch The Faith", last July. It was co-produced by Spencer and Shawn McGhee (DROWNING POOL) and released via Spencer's 6eX Records. The debut premiered at No. 150 on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 5 on the Hard Music Albums, No. 12 on Top New Artist Albums and No. 30 on Current Rock Albums.

Prior to the arrival of "Devil From Hell", PSYCHOSEXUAL's last release was the covers EP "Songs To Stalk You By", which came out last November. The EP reunited Spencer with former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook, who contributed solos on the KISS classic "Watchin' You" and QUEENSRŸCHE's "Gonna Get Close To You". The recordings marked the first time the pair had worked together since both parted ways with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

Spencer, who sports a Mephistophelian mask as Devil Daddy, is joined in PSYCHOSEXUAL by guitarist Crucifer, bassist Astaroth and drummer Volac.

Jeremy, who co-founded FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with guitarist Zoltan Bathory, left the band so that he could undergo back surgery in the fall of 2018 that required a significant recovery period.

Spencer's replacement in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is Charlie "The Engine" Engen. Engen made his recording debut with the band on the "F8" album, which came out in February 2020.

Nearly four decades after their unholy conception, masters of Floridian death metal MASSACRE have found a diabolical union with Nuclear Blast Records, with plans to release their fourth studio album, and first in seven years, later this year.

Nuclear Blast's U.S.A. general manager Gerardo Martinez, who signed MASSACRE, says: "For many of us at Nuclear Blast, MASSACRE is one of our favorite bands, and instrumental in the formative years of death metal and with their debut album alone. It paved the way to many artists to follow. It's an honor to be working a brand new record with Kam Lee on vocals after nearly 30 years!"

Commenting on the signing, vocalist Kam Lee states: "I would first like to give my appreciation to Nuclear Blast for signing MASSACRE. It's a long time dream of mine to be a part of the metal family under the NB flag and I am even more so grateful that it's with my signature band. We have a lot of plans for the future of MASSACRE, and what a great place to be making such a proper return other than one of the best independent metal labels in the world.”

Bassist Michael Borders adds: "It's a privilege at this point in our careers to be associated with the big name in metal labels, we did our best to make this a proper MASSACRE release, an authentic sounding representation of a band we started over thirty years ago."

Joining Lee and Borders for the new album are guitarists Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER), Jonny Pettersson (GODS FORSAKEN, WOMBBATH, HENRY KANE) and Scott Fairfax (MEMORIAM, AS THE WORLD DIES), along with drummer Brynjar Helgeton (CRYPTICUS, THE GROTESQUERY).

MASSACRE's forthcoming album will be the first to feature Borders, as well as the band's first recording in 25 years to feature Lee (ex-DEATH, ex-MANTAS).

Last September, drummer Jeramie Kling (VENOM INC., THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) and guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) announced their departure from MASSACRE. The duo had joined the group less than a year earlier and were said to be working on MASSACRE's fourth studio album at Kling/Nordberg's own Smoke & Mirrors Productions in Spring Hill, Florida.

Kling and Nordberg said in a statement that "what was presented as a democracy turned out to be a dictatorship with an excruciating lack of communication."

MASSACRE parted ways with guitarist Rick Rozz and drummer Mike Mazzonetto in September 2019. At the time, Lee and Borders blamed the split on "contract infringement violations," "poor performance, incompetence, and lack of professionalism."

MASSACRE's latest album, 2014's "Back From Beyond", featured Rozz and Mazzonetto alongside bassist Terry Butler and vocalist Ed Webb.

In early 2017, Butler — who is now playing bass for OBITUARY — told Metal Wani that Rozz and Mazzonetto "destroyed" MASSACRE with their "behind-the-scenes backtalking and backstabbing." He went on to make it clear that Rozz and Lee's then-collaboration could not be called MASSACRE. He said: "They can do all they want and write all the songs in the world they want, but it's not gonna be called MASSACRE

Multi-platinum rock band STAIND has released a live version of "Mudshovel" from its upcoming album, "Live: It's Been Awhile", due out May 7 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. Listen to the song below.

The classic "Mudshovel" is from STAIND's 1996 debut album, "Tormented", which led to the band's first record deal with Flip Records.

There hasn't been a gig since we first wrote this song in '96 where we haven't played 'Mudshovel'," says STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok. "It's definitely become a fan favorite, and I have as much fun playing it now as I did back then."

The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album will be accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents. The series launches with STAIND's "Live: It's Been Awhile (From Foxwoods)" concert, which streams globally on May 1. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album and concert were recorded at the band's comeback show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut in October 2019. The never-before-seen concert celebrates the band's reunion after a five-year hiatus.

"These were the first grouping of shows we played together in 2019, when we were gearing up for what was to be a very busy 2020...that never happened," says STAIND lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis. "I'm glad we captured that energy here and can share it with those who couldn't be at Foxwoods."

STAIND will also perform its iconic multi-platinum 2001 album "Break The Cycle" in its entirety for a May 8 streaming event, exactly 20 years after the album's release. The "20th Anniversary Of Break The Cycle, Performed In Its Entirety" takes place at Mill 1 in Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, bringing the band back to their Western Mass roots. Please note, this is a fully virtual event, with no in-person attendance.

"Our first show together in 1995 was at a now defunct bar called the Waterfront in Holyoke," says Aaron. "We played mostly covers, because that's what you had to do back then. Turns out The Waterfront is two miles from where we did this. Here we are, two miles down the road, 26 years later, celebrating the anniversary of the album that helped us break though 20 years ago and altered our lives forever."

Both global streaming events debut at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT / 10:00 p.m. BST / 11:00 p.m. CEST on their respective days and will be available on demand for 72 hours. Watch the official trailer for "The Return Of Staind" below.

Purchase tickets for one or both of the STAIND global streaming events at StaindLive.com. Fans can also purchase bundles and VIP experiences, including exclusive merchandise, a custom STAIND guitar autographed by the entire band, and a virtual meet-and-greet with the band.

After a five-year hiatus, STAIND roared back on the scene in 2019 with a series of electrifying live performances, including DWP's Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals.

"'Break The Cycle' was huge — in 2001, it debuted at #1 with over 700,000 copies sold in its first week – but it's more than just a hit record. It's a defining moment for the genre, the way it flows from beauty to heaviness — and Aaron Lewis was the perfect instrument for those melodies, those lyrics. Nobody in the genre could match the dynamics of Aaron's voice," says Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. "When STAIND came back in 2019, they sounded as good as ever, and the fan demand for what the band had planned for 2020 was through the roof. Now in 2021, there's no way we were going to miss this opportunity to celebrate 20 years of such a pivotal record, and carry that momentum into the next era of STAIND."

STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being the 2011 self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

In 2019, Lewis said that new STAIND material would likely sound "pretty brutal. It would be continuing back to how heavy we were to begin with, when 'It's Been Awhile' and 'Outside' and 'So Far Away' and songs like that, that were radio songs, confused everything. 'Cause if you came and saw us at a show, the show was a hell of a lot heavier than most of the songs that you would hear on the radio. And I would have to say that it would be going back in the direction of just heavy… I think I've got some pent-up stuff that would probably flow out quite nicely over some of Mike's [Mushok] heavy riffs."

"Live: It's Been Awhile" track listing:

01. Eyes Wide Open (Live)

02. Paper Jesus (Live)

03. Not Again (Live)

04. Fade (Live)

05. For You (Live)

06. Something (Live)

07. Intro (Live)

08. Crawl (Live)

09. Right Here (Live)

10. Outside (Live)

11. Paper Wings (Live)

12. So Far Away (Live)

13. Raw (Live)

14. It's Been Awhile (Live)

15. Mudshovel (Live)

In 2020, Danny Wimmer Presents entered the digital content curation space, promoting pay-per-view livestreams and creating the popular digital series "Offstage With DWP". DWP is known worldwide for their stellar portfolio of music and lifestyle events, which includes Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival and Welcome To Rockville.

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy has collaborated with pop singer Richard Marx on a "metal version" of Marx's classic ballad "Right Here Waiting".

Heafy discussed the pairing during a new 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."

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.








Richard Marx x Matt Heafy!?! https://t.co/YgoiEcsxT0 now pic.twitter.com/5hXfN1Yx6U

— Matthew kiichichaos Heafy (@matthewkheafy) February 8, 2021

Canadian prog metal Trailight mastermind Omer Cordell has checked in with the following update on his new album, Chasing Daylight:

"During the recording of The Primitive Mountain, I teamed up with one of the most prolific and talented musicians that I ever had the pleasure of knowing; Mr. Cory McBain (of Vancouvers own metal pioneers, Cyanotic). Joining myself and Steven Parent (drums), Chasing Daylight will get the signature McBain treatment on guitars and string scoring as well. I am very excited and honoured to have Cory work on this project with me! More special guests to be announced soon!"

McBain comments: "A blank slate and a mountain to climb for a very cool project I’ll be tracking a LOT of guitar and composing some orchestral pieces for. Can’t wait for this one to come out."

Cordell released a new Trailight album, Sophia, in late 2020. It was mixed by former Annihilator frontman Dave Padden. He spoke with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about working with Padden in the studio.

Cordell: "I've been working with Dave since The Primitive Mountain (released in 2015). He knows what I want and what I like. Dave is a phenomenally talented musician beyond the scope of a lot of people's understanding. People don't know how talented Dave is and that's a shame. The other thing about him is that his standards are remarkably high. Me being an absolute hack compared to Dave, having him mix the album was a treat. To make a long story short, he polished the proverbial turd. He really pushed me when I was doing vocals, asking me to sing parts over and teling me I could deliver the lines better. He gave me some pointers as to what I could do to make the vocals a lot better."

"And he's an incredible singer. He could front any band in the world, from a bluegrass band to the most brutal metal band. When I recorded The Primitive Mountain, I had no idea who was going to sing on it. If I had done it, it would have been nothing short of catastrophic. A mutual friend suggested I get Dave to sing on that record and he agreed to it, and I met him on the day we were going to record vocals. He nailed the entire vocal array for The Primitive Mountain in two days. I was recording him thinking 'Who the fuck ARE you and what planet did you come from?' (laughs). So on the record new record, it was his standards couple with his experience that were so important to me. He pushed the album sonically to a level that I did not expect it to go."

Sophia by Trailight

Tracklist:

"Eon"
"Aftershock"
"Truth"
"The Three Waves"
"Sleepwalkers"
"Island"
"Up In The Air"
"Dance"
"Birth"




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Dream Theater / Liquid Tension Experiment keyboardist Jordan Rudess has shared another video from home, this time offering a studio tour of his piano and synth collection. Check it out below.

Rudess recently checked in with the following update:

"Just announced! I will be performing live May 20th at Caffe Lena in Saratoga, NY and at the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA on June 25th, 2021 as part of my A Chapter In Time Tour! I’ll be playing tracks from my new album, as well as other originals and covers. Some of the dates will offer Live Stream options for those who can’t attend in person.

For all current dates and tickets, visit JordanRudess.com.

I’m very excited to get back out and share a live concert experience with you! I’ll see you on the road!"

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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Organizers of the annual Summer Breeze festival, which takes place Dinkelsbühl, Germany, have checked in with an update the 2021 edition of the festival. Forced to cancel the 2020 edition of festival due to the global pandemic, organizers are pushing to have 2021 go ahead as planned, from August 18th - 21st

"Dear Summer Breeze fans,

Our infection control strategy is now submitted to the authorities.

We have worked intensively for months on a comprehensive concept, which is now available to the authorities. Experts have worked with us to develop a concept that is scientifically sound, documented and based on facts. We have explained to the relevant stakeholders in an open letter (German only) what matters to us: we are convinced that a controllable and safe implementation of Summer Breeze 2021 is realistic!

Our strategy:

- Close-meshed testing (arrive tested negative, on-site rapid testing, festival operation with testing, retesting before departure).
- Trained personnel (very high reliability of testing)
- Clear digital strategy (ticket personalization and risk check in advance, traceability through DSGVO-compliant storage of data, wristband with RFID chip)

You, the fans of the festival, have overwhelmingly agreed, in fact strongly agreed, with your willingness to a close-meshed testing concept, as well as necessary steps via survey. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your cooperation! We now hope for the same cooperation from the authorities and politicians! All steps taken for the Summer Breeze are always aimed at enabling the best scenario for fans and festival and generally all parties involved.

We rely on a variety of tests, direct and clear communication with all parties involved. Guests as well as crew and artists will only enter the site with a negative rapid test or proof of vaccination. We even renew the tests during the stay and do not let any of the visitors go home untested.

The contact of infected and uninfected is the most fundamental problem of the pandemic. We want to reduce this scenario to a minimum with our strategy. You can find a catalog of measures in the detailed PDF (German only) on the strategy.

Outdoor contagions are very rare. We see with a repeadedly (!) tested audience with negative results the chance to gather a large number of people. Our festival is up to an elaborate, close-meshed testing concept.

We are reaching out for an intensive cooperation with the authorities by handing in our concept now! To remain inactive is not an option for us, now we hope for an answer from politics. As the outcome of this summer is not yet set in stone, we will remain active and flexible, also for necessary adjustments of our infection control strategy!"

Watch for updates via the official Summer Breeze website here.

Bands slated for the festival include Paradise Lost, Alestorm, Exodus, Testament, Finntroll, Unleash The Archers and more. Go to this location for the complete 2021 line-up.




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Alternative metal/rock trio Dear Mother, featuring former Delain members Joey Marin de Boer (drums) and Merel Bechtold (guitars) have revealed the title of their forthcoming debut album is Bulletproof. They have unveiled the cover artwork, which can be viewed below.

The album is available for pre-order here.

The tracklist is as follows:

"Vertigo"
"Means To No War"
"12 Years In Exile"
"The Ones Below"
"An Eye For An Eye"
"A Soul For Hire"
"Symbiose"
"Satellite"
"Fade In"
"Heart"
"Invincible"
"Palace"

"12 Years In Exile"

"Symbiose"

"Satellite"




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Swedish legends Opeth are celebrating two decades of Blackwater Park. The 20th Anniversary Edition of the album launches on July 16th via Music For Nations. Special edition double vinyl, t-shirts, merchandise and bundles are available for pre-order via the band's official webshop here and Music For Nations.

Music For Nations: "The reissue comes lovingly pressed onto heavyweight, audiophile approved vinyl, with a variety of deluxe finishes, and housed in a gatefold artwork sleeve, with updated liner notes and acknowledgements. The deluxe variants, including a hardcase CD, come furnished with an updated artwork booklet complete with new liner notes, never seen before memories from the band, and exclusive content provided by the Opeth fanbase. It remains a must for Opeth enthusiasts, completists and casual listeners alike."

Blackwater Park is Opeth's fifth studio album , released on March 12th, 2001. The album marks the first collaboration between Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson and the band, as Wilson had been brought in to produce the album. This contributed to a shift in Opeth's musical style. The songs "The Drapery Falls" and "Still Day Beneath the Sun" were released as singles. Although Blackwater Park did not chart in North America or the UK, it was a commercial breakthrough for the band and is often considered their masterpiece.

Tracklist:

"Leper Affinity"
"Bleak"
"Harvest"
"The Drapery Falls"
"Dirge for November"
"The Funeral Portrait"
"Patterns In The Ivy"
"Blackwater Park"




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On April 16th, German rockers Hartmann - featuring Avantasia guitarist Oliver Hartmann - üerformed a livestream show at the Colos-Saal in Aschaffenburg, Germany. They have shared their first ever acoustic performance of their single "Don't Walk Back Down" from the show. Check it out below.

"Don't Want Back Down" is taken from Hartmann's Hands On The Wheel album, released in 2018.

In December 2020 Hartmann released the 15th Anniversary Hartmann Livestream Concert /  15 Pearls And Gems Release Show that took place on June 26th, 2020 at the Colos-Saal in Aschaffenburg, Germany. The 90 minute show is available in mp4 format via Hartmann's online shop here.

The show features guest musicians Ina Morgan (Avantasia), Zlatko Jimmy Kresic (ex-Rock Meets Classic), and former keyboard player, Jürgen Wüst.

The setlist:

"Can't Stop This Train"
"You Will Make It"
"Walking On A Thin Line"
"Don’t Want Back Down"
"Simple Man"
"When The Rain Begins To Fall"
"The Sky Is Falling"
"After The Love Is Gone"
"The Sun's Still Rising"
"I Won’t Get Fooled Again"
"Don't Give Up Your Dream"
"Alive Again"
"Listen To Your Heart"
"Out In The Cold"
"Music"




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Turkish black metallers Sabhankra have premiered their new track, "Death To Traitors". The song is the second to be revealed from the band's fifth album, Death To Traitors, set for international release on May 21st via Saturnal Records. Pre-orders can be placed here. 

Encompassing six songs in a searingly compact 36 minutes, Death To Traitors is undeniably Sabhankra's most extreme work to date. But for all its aggression, the atmosphere also takes equal importance, establishing a mysticism that's otherworldly and uniquely Sabhankra. Not for nothing, then, is the album titled Death To Traitors: this is a swift 'n' decisive strike upon unbelievers, and should once and for all establish Sabhankra on an international scale. If ripp(l)ing melodic black metal played with passion and precision is your vice, then Sabhankra have your fix with Death To Traitors!

Tracklisting:

"Call To Arms" 
"Burn Down Their Halls" 
"Death To Traitors" 
"Heavens Are Fake" 
"I Came This Far For Nothing" 
"Awakened In The Dark"

 "Call To Arms" lyric video:

 

 




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Endseeker have released their new album, Mount Carcass, via Metal Blade Records. Watch a new video trailer below:

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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Mark Spiro has announced the release of his new solo album, Traveling Cowboys, on May 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. Listen to the title track below, and pre-order/save Traveling Cowboys here.

Mark Spiro’s new solo album Traveling Cowboys comes about one year after the career spanning “Best of” album which Frontiers released as a celebration of this great songwriter’s career. Once again, Spiro continues his legacy of excellent songwriting, which he has always done in a very personal and heartfelt way.

"I didn’t really have a goal other than the same goal I always have. When I write I want to reflect the world around me in a unique way. Both the outside and the inner world. I want to paint a picture with lyrics in ways they have never been used and surround them with melodies that add or change their intensity. It's magic to me when a simple thought is injected with a melody and the sum becomes bigger than the parts. Synchronicity," says Spiro of the songwriting process for Traveling Cowboys.

On what kind of album he wanted Traveling Cowboys to be, he says "A truthful one. I think every song is directly inspired by what I’m feeling these days. It’s vulnerable and a little bit risky to say some of these highly personal things. But..I think without vulnerability and risk, you are not an artist, you are simply a delivery system. Gotta have something to say!"

On Traveling Cowboys, Mark once again writes and sings songs about life, love, sacrifice, heartbreak, and everything in between, while wrapping everything up in a smooth melodic rock blanket. Mark was helped on the record by Tim Pierce and Gia Sky and also appearing on “7 Billion People,” as a duet partner with Mark, is none other than Julian Lennon.

"I’ve always been attracted to space travel and the possibilities of our universe. “7 Billion People” is about our Earth becoming unlivable and our only hope is to colonize Mars. The song is kind of a tragic comedy. It suggests that we’ll simply repeat our greedy, rich privileged mistakes. I think a lot about these subjects like dead soil, climate change, oppression and greed. I think they are worth writing about. I’ve also been working with folks on regenerative farming, homelessness and other challenges we face on this planet. Having co-written “Saltwater”with Julian Lennon, this duet was a natural fit for us. Julian is one of my closest friends…beyond music. We had a blast online making the video with him at home in France and me at home in L.A… Really hope people enjoy it!" adds Spiro of the first single and video.

Traveling Cowboys is another album of which Mark Spiro can be truly proud. It showcases a man with a talent for writing catchy yet thoughtful songs, songs that any fan of good music will enjoy listening to.

Tracklist:

"Traveling Cowboys"
"Rolls Royce"
"Vanderpump"
"Going"
"7 Billion People" (Featuring Julian Lennon)
"Someone Else"
"Kingdom Come"
"I Ain't Leaving"
"Between The Raindrops" (Revisited)
"Dance"
"Feel Like Me"
"Let The Wind Decide"
"Nothing In Between Us"
"The Fisherman 3 2020"
"Still"

"Traveling Cowboys":

"7 Billion People" video:




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Finland power proggers, Ultimatium, are sharing their new music video,, "Digital Tower" in support of their epic theme album Virtuality, released this past November via Rockshots Records.

The band comments on the track: "'Digital Tower' is a very aggressive, but low-tempo song, the heaviest and most symphonic song we've ever made. The song is heavily influenced by these three songs: Rainbow - Stargazer / Stratovarius - Season of Change / Black Sabbath - Heaven & Hell. And shows the full potential of the character sang by Jukka Nummi. As seen on the video, this song has very special meaning for Jukka since Matti gave him the full artistic freedom to use his Ronnie James Dio-vocalising style at full strength."

Ultimatium was birthed out the deep forests of Suomussalmi, Finland. Their 4th 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"

"Vengeance" video:

"Run Like The Wind" video:

"The Seer" video:

"Ghost Of Yesterday" video:

 




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Florida based hard rock group, Dayride Ritual, announce the release of their new album We, The Outsiders, available today. The album is available on all digital platforms and can purchased here. You can watch the lyric video for the album's title track below.

Dayride Ritual stated about their newest release: "We really feel that 'We, The Ousiders.' is our strongest offering yet,  These songs tell stories that people can relate to, delivered with a musical punch in the gut! 'We, The Outsiders.' Get it and play it loud!"

Tracklisting:

"We, The Outsiders"
"Close Your Eyes"
"Crawl"
"Around Again"
"Faith"
"Unbroken"
"Goodbye This Time"
"Speed of Sound"
"Where Do We Go from Here?"
"Off the Rails"

"We, The Outsiders" lyric video:

Formed in 2011 by Dave Thomas and Michael Vaughn, Dayride Ritual is a hard-rock band out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They bring strong musicianship, powerful vocals, catchy riffs, meaningful lyrics, and a dynamic live stage show. Through the years, various personnel changes have brought growth to their sound and style, but the nucleus of Thomas/Vaughn has remained intact with the strongest lineup yet.

Lineup:

Michael Vaughn: Lead and Backing Vocals
Dave Thomas: Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals
Jose Antonio Mena: Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals
Corey Gillmer: Drums, Percussion, and Backing Vocals




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