On September 7th, Hachette Books will release Beast: John Bonham And The Rise Of Led Zeppelin, the first-ever biography on legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. The book was written by music journalist C.M. Kushins and features a foreword penned by Foo Fighters frontman / former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl.

Beast: John Bonham And The Rise Of Led Zeppelin is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock drummer of all time. Bonham first learned to play the drums at the age of five, and despite never taking formal lessons, began drumming for local bands immediately upon graduating from secondary school. By the late 1960s, Bonham was looking for a more solid gig in order to provide his growing family with a more regular income. Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the popular blues rock band The Yardbirds, lead guitarist Jimmy Page sought the company of new bandmates to help him record an album and tour Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds. A few months later, Bonham was recruited to join the band who would eventually become known as Led Zeppelin-and before the year was out, Bonham and his three bandmates would become the richest rock band in the world.
 
In their first year, Led Zeppelin released two albums and completed four US and four UK concert tours. As their popularity exploded, they moved from ballrooms and smaller clubs to larger auditoriums, and eventually started selling out full arenas. Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin reached new heights of commercial and critical success, making them one of the most influential groups of the era, both in musical style and in their approach towards the workings of the entertainment industry. They added extravagant lasers, light shows, and mirror balls to their performances; wore flamboyant and often glittering outfits; traveled in a private jet airliner and rented out entire sections of hotels; and soon become the subject of frequently repeated stories of debauchery and destruction while on tour. In 1977, the group performed what would be their final live appearance in the US, following months of rising fervor and rioting from their fandom. And in September of 1980, Bonham-plagued by alcoholism, anxiety, and the after-effects of years of excess-was found dead by his bandmates.
 
To this day, Bonham is posthumously described as one of the most important, well-known, and influential drummers in rock, topping best of lists describing him as an inimitable, all-time great. As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer, explained, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."

Pre-order the book here.




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Toronto rockers Danko Jones have released their new single, "Flaunt It" today (April 16th). Check it out below and watch for the official video later today.

"Flaunt It" is taken from their forthcoming album, Power Trio, which is due to be released on August 27th. It was produced by Eric Ratz.

Danko: "I’m gonna be real here, it FUCKING RULES. I’m very proud we made this album and HOW we made this album."

Tracklist:

"I Want Out"
"Good Lookin'"
"Saturday"
"Ship Of Lies"
"Raise Some Hell"
"Blue Jean Denim Jumpsuit"
"Get To You"
"Dangerous Kiss"
"Let’s Rock Together"
"Flaunt It"
"Start The Show" (feat. Phil Campbell)

"I Want Out"




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Long-running metallers Lord released their new covers album, Undercovers Vol. 1 on April 2nd via Dominus Records. The band stormed the Australian Music Charts, debuting at #7 in the ARIA Australia Artist charts and #1 on the Australian Independent and Independent Records charts for the week beginning April 12th.

Bassist Andy Dowling says comments: "This is the highest chart position in the history for the band and we cannot say thank you enough! To celebrate this historic moment for the band, we have just released new merch and an exclusive CD maxi single of our 'To The Moon And Back' Savage Garden cover, featuring a number of brand new mixes. This CD will be hand numbered, limited in quantity and only available for a limited time while we hope to maintain presence in the charts for as long as we can."

Dowling continues, “Undercovers Vol. 1 is the first instalment of amassing this ever growing collection of cover tracks that Lord have recorded over the years whether it be in the studio or on the stage. There will be many you’re familiar with and there will also be a few surprises. Of course, we couldn’t help ourselves and decided to record two new cover songs for this release, Savage Garden’s 'To The Moon And Back' and Judas Priest’s 'Reckless' and we even threw in two covers from LT’s Blackened Angel project. Artwork has been once again created by the talented Tristan Tait and a hand-numbered limited edition CD release will celebrate the highlights from Volume 1 of our Undercover journey.”

Listen to Lord’s single "To The Moon And Back" below. 

Undercovers Vol. 1 is a 23 track release available on Bandcamp as both a digital release and as various bundle packs that includes a T-shirt, and a CD that is hand-numbered and limited to 500 hand-numbered copies only, worldwide.

Both the CD and streaming platforms will have a limited track listing, with Bandcamp being the exclusive destination to own all 23 tracks, which includes two covers by Lord Tim’s Blackened Angel project, as well as over 2 hours of Andy and LT talking about the stories behind the songs. The entire release clocks in at over 3 hours and 40 minutes. Pre-orders are now open.

Tracklisting:

"To The Moon And Back" (Savage Garden cover)
"Judas Be My Guide" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Send Me An Angel" (Real Life cover)
"Of Sins And Shadows" (Symphony X cover)
"Message In A Bottle" (The Police cover)
"Shattered" (Pantera cover)
"Playing To Win" (Little River Band, John Farnham cover)
"Someone’s Crying" (Helloween cover)
"Hard To Live" (Harem Scarem cover)
"Creeping Death" (Live - Metallica cover)
"(I Just) Died In Your Arms" (Cutting Crew cover)
"Reckless" (Judas Priest cover)
"Silent Jealousy" (X Japan cover)
"I Want Out" (Live - Helloween cover)
"The Sun Always Shines On TV" (A-ha cover)
"The Whisper" (Queensryche cover)
"Touch The Fire" (Icehouse cover)
"Wild Child" (Live - W.A.S.P. cover)
"Break The Ice" (John Farnham cover)
"Runaway" (Bon Jovi cover)
"On A Night Like This" (Kylie Minogue cover)
"Madhouse" by Blackened Angel (Anthrax cover)
"Night People" by Blackened Angel (Dio cover)

"Reckless" (Judas Priest)

"Hard To Love" (Harem Scarem)

Lord is essentially a continuation of Dungeon, one of Australia's longest-running heavy metal bands, with over a dozen releases so far. Their last full length album, 2019's Fallen Idols, was Lords’s best selling and best reviewed album to date, reaching #20 in the Australian ARIA charts and #2 on the Australian Independent Labels chart.




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Ottawa, Canada’s As We Suffer are releasing their debut album, The Fallen Pillars, on April 30. So far, the band has shared with fans two singles, the full-length's title track and “Invade The Host”.

Today, the band unveils their third single “Concrete Fist”, a rooted groove metal track inspired by the likes of DevilDriver and Lamb Of God. This single charges on, bringing the listener into its world of violent reform, heavy from start to finish with a hardcore breakdown and killer solo. Lyrically, this song is about making a stand through violent uprising with the caveat that this kind of solution often comes at the sacrifice of a healthy mind.

Check out the knuckle fury of “Concrete Fist” in the following lyric video:

As We Suffer's debut full length is an amalgamation of several heavy subgenres rolled into one. Hovering between metal-infused punk, hardcore, groove metal, and even a little hard rock, listeners go on a journey through each track. The tracklisting for the album was picked with diversity in mind. Each song stands out in contrast to the last.

The concept album’s theme revolves around the pillars of truth. Each song deals with destructive concepts and beliefs that we, as a society/people, should not prop up as truths. It is a journey of unhealthy and damaging thoughts/emotions that explore existentialism, politics, religious fanaticism, and truth through different styles of heavy music.

Recommended for fans of Machine Head Propagandhi and Death by Stereo, As We Suffer's debut album “The Fallen Pillars” is due out April 30, 2021.

Album digital pre-save (Spotify, Apple Music) here, or through Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

"Caustic Paradigm"
"Malicious Compliance"
"An Open Letter (to the Bleeding Hearts)"
"Fucking Relentless"
"Invade The Host"
"The Great Leveler"
"High Tide"
"Scatter The Herd"
"Shadows Caste In White"
"Concrete Fist"
"The Fallen Pillars"

"Invade The Host":

"The Fallen Pillars":

(Photo - Laura Collins-Music Photography)




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Symphonic doom/death metal band Depressed Mode - founded in Pori, Finland in 2005 - has awakened from 10 years of hibernation and is currently finalizing its third album. The album, called Decade Of Silence, is scheduled for release later this year, and unlike previous releases, Veronica Bordacchini, known from Fleshgod Apocalypse, is responsible for its female vocal parts.

“Eternal Darkness" was forgotten in the desk drawer for 15 years before it found its rightful place on the upcoming album. With the re-adaptation, it became a great second fast track by the side of the previously released opening song, "Death Walks Among Us".

The lyrics of the song indirectly bypass the state of the modern world: “Drain the Seas, cut down the Forests. build in Darkness the new world order,” the band's singer Otto Salonen says about the song.

"Eternal Darkness" studio video:

"Death Walks Among Us" lyric video:

Lineup:

Otto Salonen – vocals & orchestrations
Iiro Aittokoski – drums (Mors Principium Est (live), ex-Retaliatory Measures)
Teemu Heinola – guitar (Arc Spectra, ex-Mors Principium Est)
Henri Hakala – bass (Hiidenhauta)

(Photo - Jamppa Lamminpää)




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Left Hand Solution had revealed a brand new music video for the song “Jolene” taken off their upcoming album, Dead Of Winter. The video was shot at Sundsvalls Teater in Sweden. 

What always made Left Hand Solution special was their combination of hard riffs, dark melodies, and Mariana Frykman’s dark and beautiful voice. Being one of the early metal bands with a female vocalist, their influence has been largely overlooked, while their cult following continues to grow.

Drummer and songwriter Erik Barthold states about the recording of the album:

"I remember starting to write the song 'First Day Of Winter' as the first snow fell in the year 2002. Little did I imagine that it would take another 18 years for it to be fully completed! The song was finished this summer in a hot recording studio, but of course, we had to wait until the winter solstice for this release. Sorry, that we’ve kept you waiting, but here it finally is in its full winter dress."

"'First Day Of Winter' deals with depression, depicted as the long and cold Swedish winter. As you might have noticed, Left Hand Solution songs usually aren’t that fast in tempo. With the track ‘The Sleeping Dead’ we tried to write a more up-tempo song. But it became more of a mid-tempo song, anyway... ‘Jolene’ is a song by Dolly Parton, and ‘The Hallowed Blood’ is about the deceptive human heart that yearns for love. The salvation of being loved."

"I found the lyrics to ‘Flame Of Desire’ when I went through my old notes and writing papers that I’ve kept for many years. I wrote this lyric a long way back, more than 25 years ago. The music was newly written, and we decided it to be an acoustic track. It is inspired by the music of Glenn Danzig."

"20 years ago, we talked about using more acoustic instruments on our songs, but as the band was put on hold, that didn’t happen. Until now. When our guitarist Jocke recorded the guitar for this track, I started to hear the sound of a violin in my head, and we decided to go along with it. Of course, you can’t do this without a nod to My Dying Bride. A band that had a big influence on me in the '90s."

The new Left Hand Solution album, Dead Of Winter, will be released on April 16th. Get your copy here.

 




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A music video for “Dark Side Of Magic”, the second single taken from Draconicon's forthcoming album, can be seen below. The song is now available on Spotify and on all digital platforms.

Once again, recording sessions for the song took place at Miskatonic Recording Studio and Giuseppe Orlando’s Outersound Studio, while Marco Mastrobuono (Hour Of Penance, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Shores Of Null and more) was responsible for the mixing/mastering at Kick Recording Studio in Rome.

Alessandro Mammola, guitarist and co-founder of the band says: “'Dark Side Of Magic' is the transition phase rite that answers to the call of darkness. Sacredness is the recurring topic of the song. While, the first verse turns its gaze towards darkness, the second one, with its chant in ancient Latin, makes us sink into oblivion, the place where humans lose all hope and move away from light forever. The chorus is an obsessive call to the dark side, an invitation to join the ranks of those who, after having had a taste of power, glory and death, cannot back out and do without it any longer.

The “Dark Side Of Magic” music video shoot took place at Cinecittà 3 studios, by film director Francesco Di Giorgio and Simonluca Fraioli as photography director.

Again, Draconicon chose Dan Goldsworthy, already known for his works for bands such as Accept, Gloryhammer and Alestorm, for the cover artwork.




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French black metal pioneers, Seth, have teamed up with Black Metal Promotion to release the new song "Les Océans du Vide". The song's accompanying music video, which was made by Guilherme Henriques, can be seen below.

Seth comments: "Let us dedicate seven minutes of silence today. April 15, 2019, the moment is solemn - the blaze devours Notre-Dame de Paris. Two millenaries of spirituality have symbolically collapsed under the assault of a demonic fire. The cover of our brand new album 'La Morsure Du Christ' is a commemoration to a tragic anniversary. In today's godless world, the end of the journey arises twenty years later from the depths of a past formerly believed to be eternal. Here is track number six from 'La Morsure du Christ' baptized 'The Oceans of Emptiness.'"

The devastating blaze at Notre-Dame de Paris embodies the very essence of 'La Morsure du Christ.' Twenty-three years after the release of their debut album 'Les Blessures de L’Ame,' the Quintessence of Evil has unfolded in a way that none could have been prophesied. The tribulation that has emerged from the inferno that engulfed our national monument is fraught with mysticism, cabalism, and necromancy, and has taken the world by storm/shaken the world to its core. (use one or the other, but not both).

More than a mere backdrop to our new album, the brazen arson attack occurred in a time of spiritual dislocation and religious collapse, and the resulting became a cornerstone of our inspiration : transforming a mystical experience into the coalescence art of an album written in French Alexandrine lyrics. Thus began the conception of 'La Morsure du Christ.'

The evocative title echoes the debut album's deeper meanings, and symbolizes both the betrayal of a God deserting his own world and the ultimate demise of His reign. These ashes are offered to you as a gift to pay tribute and celebrate the second anniversary of the Fire.

The band's new album, La Morsure du Christ, is set for release on May 7 via Season Of Mist. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"La Morsure du Christ"
"Métal Noir"
"Sacrifice de Sang"
"Ex-Cathédrale"
"Hymne au Vampire (Acte III)"
"Les Océans du Vide"
"Le Triomphe de Lucifer"

Bonus tracks:
"Les Océans du Vide" - Synth Version
"Sacrifice de Sang" - Synth Version

"Les Océans du Vide" video:

"La Morsure du Christ" lyric video:

Lineup:
Guitar - Heimoth (Sinsaenum)
Drums - Alsvid (ex-Enthroned, AdPatres)
Vocals - Saint Vincent (BlackLodge, Vorkreist)
Bass - Esx Vnr (Arkhon Infaustus, ex-Merrimack, ex-Glorior Belli)
Guitar - Drakhian (ex-Loudblast, Griffar)
Keys - Pierre Le Pape (Melted Space)

(Photo - Andy Julia)




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After “Intoleranz” German metalcore vets, Caliban, are releasing a brand-new track, ominously entitled “nICHts”, from their upcoming album,Zeitgeister”, that is due for a release on May 14. The dark video clip was directed by Michael Winkler for Der Pakt (Trigger). Warning: This video contains content about suicide.

Andy Dörner comments: “Who am I, where do I belong? Disorientation, hopelessness, fear, helplessness – the feeling of depression, feelings that can have multiple reasons. It’s feelings that many of us can relate to, especially these days and during the ongoing pandemic. ‘nICHts’ is dealing with these really dark places that are reflected by our protagonist who is dreaming about taking his own life.” What is really important to the band though: “Suicide is not a solution. If you feel like you are getting lost in these feelings, there are people ready to help you. Please reach out.”

It took Caliban recording a cover of Rammstein’s “Sonne” to realize that their native tongue was a seamless fit with their time-tempered collision of punishing riffs and Andreas Dörner’s urgent vocals. With fans hungry for the Essen-borne quintet to record an album exclusively in German, the band simply said: “Why not?” and “Zeitgeister” was born.

11 genre-defining LPs deep into their career, the band’s vision for the album came naturally – a career retrospective and deep-dive into Caliban favorites that haven’t had a live airing in some time.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but once we allowed us to make them as different from the originals as we felt it was needed it came fairly naturally”, explains guitarist and main songwriter Marc Görtz. Of course, some updating was necessary when it came to translating the songs to German. “It turned out to be surprisingly tricky,” says Dörner. “While I feel more at home with my native German it made it a lot more complicated, as I had more options to phrase something.”

Formed in 1997, Caliban’s legacy has been a tireless one, touring the globe and sharing stages with the likes of Kreator, Killswitch Engage and Dark Tranquillity just to mention a few “Zeitgeister” was a welcome homecoming.

Zeitgeister will be released May 14 and is available in the following formats. First presales incl. bundles are already online, here.

- Ltd. CD Digipak
- black LP+CD
- 300x glow in the dark LP+CD via CM Distro Wholesale and cmdistro.de
- 200x transp. coke bottle green LP+CD via Impericon
- 200x deep blood red LP+CD via EMP
- Digital Album
- USA only: 500x olive green LP+CD

With the help of long-running producer Benjamin Richter (Moonspell, Emil Bulls and more) Caliban hand-picked seven tracks to bring new life to:

“Trauma“ (feat. Matthi from Nasty, originally “Arena Of Concealment”)
“Herz” (originally “I Will Never Let You Down”)
“Ausbruch nach Innen“ (originally “Tyranny Of Small Misery”)
 “Feuer, zieh' mit mir“ (originally “Between The Worlds”)
“Nichts ist für immer“ (originally “All I Gave”)
“Intoleranz“ (originally “Intolerance”)
“Mein Inferno” (originally “My Little Secret”)

Zeitgeister also boasts the new track, “nICHts”.

"Intoleranz":

Caliban are:

Andreas Dörner - Vocals
Denis Schmidt - Guitar
Marc Görtz - Guitar
Marco Schaller - Bass
Patrick Grün - Drums




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Enslaved is turning 30 this year! To celebrate this milestone, they announce the release of the Cinematic Tour 2020 on June 25.

The Cinematic Tour 2020 release features four new live albums/DVDs with audio and visuals taken from their digital performances in 2020.

- The Rise Of Ymir (Verftet Online Festival 2020)
- Chronicles of the Northbound (Cinematic Tour 2020)
- Below The Lights (Cinematic Tour 2020)
- Utgard - The Journey Within (Cinematic Tour 2020)

The releases will be available via the following formats:

- Wooden Boxset (limited edition 300 copies - handcrafted, personally named & numbered)
- Splatter Vinyl (limited edition 300 copies)
- 4x CD/DVD boxset (limited edition 1000 copies)
- 4x DVD (limited edition 1000 copies)
- digital albums

All formats include a 4 movies download card.

Says the band: "Our will to keep moving regardless of weather and surroundings could be our Norwegian West-coast heritage (you know, from when there was only potatoes and no oil and certainly no reality-TV; Norwegians were once quite tough people), and is perhaps our greatest forte. That; and being surrounded by professionals that genuinely care about this old ship of a band. Put that together and you get the unlikely success of the Cinematic Tour of 2020. To see it materialize further into these wonderfully sounding and magically packaged releases is the Multiverse’s way of telling us to keep moving, creating and performing. No matter what idiotic state the world might be in. So be it.

"We are so stoked about how these Cinematic Tour 2020 releases turned out. The crown jewel for old vinyl collectors like ourselves has got to be the wooden box - handmade, numbered and named individually. That is simply... metal!"

Collectors Wooden Boxset - Handcrafted, Handnumbered, Personalized

Limited to 300 copies worldwide. Sold exclusively in the band's online store.

Featuring:

- Download card for all 4 movies
- All albums on black vinyl
-  Each vinyl includes the show poster and the movies download card
- Original illustration by Tor Ola Svennevig on the inner-sleeve
- The 4 streams on DVD (PAL)
- Woven patch, enamel pin, poster flag and printed A2 poster
- Handcrafted and Autenticity Certificate

Splatter Vinyl Editions

1st pressing of each album on Clear with Splatter vinyl, limited to 300 copies each.

Featuring:

- Download card for all 4 movies
- Original illustration by Tor Ola Svennevig on the inner-sleeve
- All songs lyrics

4x CDs + 4x DVDs Boxset

Limited 1st press of 1000 copies, featuring:

- Download card for all 4 movies
- 4x dual layer DVDs in digipack (PAL for EU, NTSC for US)
- 4x CDs in digipack
- Slipcase with matt finish and Gold Foil
- 16 pages booklet

4x DVD

Limited 1st press of 1000 copies, featuring:

- Download card for all 4 movies
- 4x dual layer DVDs (PAL for EU, NTSC for US)
- Slipcase with matt finish and Gold Foil
- 16 pages booklet

(Photo - Roy Bjørg)




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Lee Aaron will now release her new album, Radio On!, on July 23 via Metalville Records, delayed from the previously announced June 18 date.

Multi-platinum, award-winning Canadian vocalist Lee Aaron is back with a collection of 12 brand-new originals that invite you to tune into the heartbeat of your personal radio dial and hear the best of what this rock 'n' roll legend has to offer.

Like the FM stations that once ruled the airwaves, Radio On! is full of classic, melodic rock hooks, nasty guitar riffs, big harmonies, and inspired songwriting. Themes explored on the album include: mortality ("Radio On," "Twenty One"), materialism ("Devil's Gold"), empowerment ("Vampin'"), addiction ("Wasted"), love ("Cmon," "Had Me At Hello"), and society ("Soul Breaker," "Russian Doll").

Lee Aaron delivers these messages with memorable, soaring melodies and her extraordinary, versatile voice that has remained powerful and consistent throughout her career.

Like your favorite radio DJ coming over the airwaves on a hot summer night, Lee Aaron invites you to set your dial for a genuine rock 'n' roll listening experience… 12 tracks of melodic rock at its BEST!

Radio On! tracklisting:

"Vampin’"
"Soul Breaker"
"Cmon"
"Mama Don’t Remember"
"Radio On"
"Soho Crawl"
"Devil’s Gold"
"Russian Doll"
"Great Big Love"
"Wasted"
"Had Me At Hello"
"Twenty One"

Lineup:

Lee Aaron - lead vocals
Sean Kelly - guitar
Dave Reimer - bass
John Cody - drums




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On June 11, Behemoth will release a vinyl reissue of their classic album, 2009's Evangelion, via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order your copy here.

Evangelion vinyl will be available in the following versions:

- white / gold melt vinyl
- clear w/ black splatter vinyl

* includes gatefold jacket, poster (17"x24"), 8-page book

Behemoth released their latest full-length, I Loved You At Your Darkest, in 2018 to critical acclaim. I Loved You At Your Darkest marked a milestone in the history of the band, being not only their most successful album, but also an audiovisual masterpiece: from its detailed, blasphemous artwork, to the highly vicious and at the same time deeply emotional tracks, Behemoth once again played with fire - and ignited a wildfire burning the narrowminded bigotry of Christianity down to the ground.




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Danish metalcore four-piece, Ghost Iris, will release their new studio album, Comatose, on May 7 via Long Branch Records. A visualizer for the track "Cult" is available for streaming below.

Since the release of their album, Apple Of Discord, the band has made a name for themselves with relentless touring throughout Europe, UK, and Japan - sharing the stage with the likes of Dream Theater, Jinjer, After The Burial, and Soen, along with playing renowned festivals such as Copenhell, Rockstadt Extreme Fest, and Euroblast. Winning over new fans every night with their intense and energetic performance, audiences around the world instantly hunger for the band’s return.

Gearing up for the release of their fourth full-length album, Ghost Iris are building upon the sounds they explored on their previous album. Pulverizing instrumentals, bleak lyrics, catchy and hard-hitting - Comatose is no exception to these descriptors; being their most visceral material yet.

Ghost Iris about the album title and artwork for Comatose: "Comatose is a title that represents in a plethora of ways. It’s about the fact that many people are asleep, but even from a coma, one can arise. On the surface, it might seem extremely dark, nihilistic, and bearing of a defeatist attitude, but darkness cannot exist where there’s light. We all exist in the age of enlightenment and even though it seems as if we’re all screwed and the earth is almost destroyed, times will surely change. Arise from the coma, no longer comatose, we fight the demons.

"The artwork for Comatose depicts Kali, whose name translates to “she who is death”, as a mere mortal. To serve the title of the album, the majority of mankind are asleep and oblivious as to what is going on around them. Ultimately, we are death. However, there is no darkness without the light - let us all arise from the coma."

Pre-order Comatose here.

Comatose tracklisting:

"(3815935)"
"Desert Dread" Feat. Mark Hunter
"Paper Tiger"
"Cult"
"Former Self"
"Coda"
"Ebb//Flow"
"Cold Sweat"
"Coma"
"Power Schism"

"Cult" visualizer:

"Desert Dread" visualizer:

"Paper Tiger" video:

Lineup:

Jesper Vicencio Gün - Vocals
Nicklas Grønlund Thomsen - Guitar
Daniel Leszkowicz - Guitar
Sebastian Linnet - Drums




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Melbourne, Florida-based brutal deathcore outfit, Bodysnatcher, today unleashes their punishing rendition of the Hatebreed classic “Smash Your Enemies”. The cover appears on the B-side of their limited edition "Break The Cycle" seven-inch, out today via eOne.

Comments Bodysnatcher drummer, Chris Whited, of the decision to cover the twenty-five-year-old anthem: “'Under The Knife' by Hatebreed was an EP that changed my taste in music growing up. Hatebreed paved the way for heavy underground music. Without them, bands like Bodysnatcher wouldn’t exist. We just wanted to pay respects to a band that we feel deserves it. We recorded a cover of ‘Smash Your Enemies’ back in October 2020 so we’re super pumped for people to finally hear it.”

View Bodysnatcher’s “Smash Your Enemies” visualizer below.

Bodysnatcher’s "Break The Cycle" 7", which includes previously released single, “Break The Cycle,” comes in two color variants - olive green (300) and coke bottle clear (300) - and is available here.

“Smash Your Enemies” visualizer:

“Break The Cycle" video:

Bodysnatcher - a name inspired by notorious serial killer Ed Gein - brings an updated and brutal formula to deathcore, infusing elements of hardcore and beatdown into their scathing hymns. The band currently consists of founding vocalist Kyle Medina, drummer Chris Whited, formerly of King Conquer, bassist Kyle Shope, formerly of Float Face Down, and guitarist Kyle Carter, formerly of Dealey Plaza and Beacons.

Stay tuned for more Bodysnatcher news to be announced in the weeks to come.

(Photo - Toddi Babu)




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San Diego's Monarch will be unleashing their sophomore album, Future Shock, tomorrow, Friday, April 16, and before this electrifying thrash thriller hits the moshpit, the band has teamed up with BraveWords for its full stream premiere.

Says the band: "Future Shock hits hard on a lot of levels, there are the riffs, the solos, the speed, the heaviness, the melodies, great memorable lyrics, the dynamic range of our creativity we think was truly expressed, and yet we still managed to sound like ourselves. We all just really look forward to sharing it with everyone. At the time of this release, the world is still battling the COVID-19 virus in parts of the world and we think it will be a welcome escape from having to worry so much right now. We should all be cautious of course, but we can't make our lives not worth living."

Listen to the album below:

Future Shock by Monarch

Compared to their first, very DIY album, 2017's Go Forth... Slaughter, Monarch's next escapade, Future Shock, was done professionally at Clarity Recordings in El Cajon, California, and is a big step forward for the band both musically and sonically. It explores the entire spectrum of the band's creativity, with each song varying in sound, but maintains a cohesive feeling. The overall concept of the full length is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the United Nations system, governments, and major groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment.

Future Shock can be pre-ordered on CD / Vinyl here.

Tracklisting:

“Blast The Seed”
“Khaos Warrior”
“Future Shock”
“Nuclear Warfare”
“Shred Or Die!”
“Multiverse”
“Fatal Vector”
“Collison Of Bones”
“Swarm Of The Whorenet”
“Metal Soul”

"Nuclear Warfare" video:

“Future Shock” video:

(Photo – Astrid Anaya)




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Swedish story teller trio, Pressure, will release their debut concept album, Path Of A Shadow, on May 7. A single and video, "No One Can Hear You", will be available on release day.

Are you bold enough to endure the journey of your own pressures? This album takes you, the listener, on an adventure that is based on your life. Your shadow, the one that has been following you throughout it all tells your story as he has seen it through his dark but fiery eyes.

The introduction of the "story metal" concept is something Pressure has done well, with every track being a story within a bigger story about life’s pressures and how the shadow beside you is always around.

From beginning to end, Path Of A Shadow will intrigue your conscious mind and you will realize things about yourself that you either did not know or was too afraid to tell. You will be left on the edge waiting for the next guitar riff  as well as raw yet rigid and harmonious vocals.

Who are Pressure you ask? Well if you had to tag them with a genre the one that fits best is melodic rock, but they’re so much more than that. Hailing from Stockholm and with vocalist Olof Jönsson you can always guarantee soaring, athletic and committed vocals. Together with a twin guitar sound coming from songwriter and lead guitarist Simon “Siirpo” Forsell and Emil Salling.

Their work often focuses and embraces the pressures felt from everyday existence. Their lyrics ably demonstrating that there are two sides to every story - the good and the bad. Every song has a double meaning and they truly see music as a tool to handle the different pressures thrown at us from the modern world.  

Tracklisting:

"Path Of A Shadow"
"Vad Du Ser"
"Ingen Som Hör Dig"
"Osårbar"
"Nere Men Inte Död"
"Ännu Mer"
"Skuggan"
"Komm Her"
"Var Är Du Nu"
"What You See"
"No One Can Hear You"
"Untouchable"
"Beaten But Not Dead"
"The Shadow"
"Where Are You Now"




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Finnish melodic metal band Dead End Finland have released a new single entitled "Beyond The Distance" via Inverse Records. It will be included on a new EP due to be released in late 2021.

Guitarist / bassist Santtu Rosén comments: "'Beyond The Distance' is the second single from our upcoming release. It will be released in the spring ravaged by the corona today (April 15th). Where our previous album dealt more objectively with the state of the whole nation and the prevailing world situation, the theme of our new album is clearly more personal. The song to be published tells the story of how one is forced to first touch the bottom to be able to strive towards the surface. A kind of power song, if you will."

Check out Dead End Finland's official Facebook page here.

"Wounded & Bleeding"

Line-up:

Mikko Virtanen - vocals
Santtu Rosén - guitars & bass
Miska Rajasuo - drums
Jarno Hänninen - keys




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In a new interview with the "Cobras & Fire" podcast, legendary guitarist George Lynch was asked for his opinion of the label "hair metal," the pejorative term which was coined in the late 1990s as a way to disparage acts thought to have been all flash and no substance. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Generally, it's not a genre that you look at too seriously. It was the one that allowed me to have a career. So I respect it in that sense; it's what got me here. There are bands from that genre that I really, really like — RATT being one; I like RATT. I love their songs, and I love Warren [DeMartini, RATT guitarist], and I just like what they do, and what they did back then. So, I don't know — there's a few things that I like about it. But generally, I'm a product of the '60s and '70s, and that's where my heroes are from — from those eras."

The use of the term "hair metal" became widespread after grunge gained popularity at the expense of 1980s metal.

One musician who has been very vocal about his dislike of being called "hair metal" is Sebastian Bach. Last July, the former SKID ROW frontman said that "being labeled something that I never set out to be labeled gets under my skin. It's a pain when people try to rewrite history," he tweeted. "Believe me none of us ever set out to be in a hair metal band that did not exist in the 80s".

That was not the first time Bach reacted negatively to the term "hair metal." In a 2012 interview with The New York Times, he famously said: "I am the man who put the hair in hair metal. I also headlined Broadway musicals. I acted in millions of TV shows. I didn't get to star in 'Jekyll And Hyde' on Broadway because of my haircut. My voice has gotten me everything in my life, not my hair."

More recently, TESLA bassist Brian Wheat said that he found the term "hair metal' "condescending. What does fucking hair have to do with the music?" he said in an interview with "The Cassius Morris Show". "Should we be called 'cock metal' because we all have big dicks? Seriously, it's, like, 'hair metal' — what does that have to do with [anything music-related]? It's condescending. It's a putdown. It's almost like saying, 'Well, the music's not valid. They just had good hair.' That's what it's like.

"I don't like it," he reiterated. "Just talk about the music, because that's what what matters. Not about the hair. If you wanna call it anything, call it '80s metal — call it 1980s rock. 'Cause that's what it was — it was rock that came out of the '80s and early '90s. THE BLACK CROWES came out a year later than TESLA, and they're not called a hair metal band.

"Why call us a hair metal band when all we were doing was imitating AEROSMITH?" Wheat added. "I think we're very parallel to an AEROSMITH. I think, personally, if you can't go see AEROSMITH and you wanna see a good version of AEROSMITH, go see TESLA. They're very similar. I mean, Jeff Keith looks like Steven Tyler; he sings like Steven Tyler."

In a new interview with Cuartel Del Metal, GOJIRA guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier has commented on the fact that some people have compared the band's new song "Amazonia" to SEPULTURA's "Roots" album. Asked how much of an influence SEPULTURA has been on GOJIRA's sound, Joseph said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "How much? From one to 10? A solid seven, whatever that means. I could say 10 also, because I love them so much. But SEPULTURA is massive in the history of our band, for some reason. I discovered 'Arise' first, and I was pretty blown away — it was so dark and so fast and so technical. It was right after I discovered the band DEATH and MORBID ANGEL, and then SEPULTURA. And I was absolutely blown away by their craft. And then, I had a few bands in high school, and I started to get together with my brother. We were playing at home, sometimes after school, and then we decided to form our own band. We dropped our other bands, got together, and 'Chaos A.D.' came along. And we were absolutely blown away — absolutely blown away. And [it was] easy to play too — it's simple riffs. They stripped down everything to the core… I mean, oh my God. They said it all with this album."

As for what he thinks when people compare "Amazonia" to SEPULTURA, Joseph said: "I go, 'Yup.' And it's a compliment, and there is no shame here. And we ripped them off, but we didn't do it on purpose. But we realized it right after. We were, like, 'Oh, that sounds like SEPULTURA. Ahhh, whatever.' It's a tribute to SEPULTURA — how about that? It's about Brazil. It's about the Amazon. It's tribal."

"Amazonia" is taken from GOJIRA's new album, "Fortitude", which is due on April 30 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Magma" was recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

Proceeds from "Amazonia" will benefit the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.

GOJIRA initially laid the foundation for "Fortitude" last year with the surprise release of the 2020 single "Another World".

The artwork for "Fortitude" was created by Joseph Duplantier.

Fast-rising St. Louis-based black metal export, Stormruler, recently announced the impending release of their infernal, fantasy battle-inspired full-length offering, Under The Burning Eclipse, on May 28 via Napalm Records, alongside the release of an epic first music video for the opus “Reign Of The Winged Duke”. Today, the band is following up with a second new track - the searing, dynamic "Of Hollowed Souls & Distant Flame" - along side a brand new lyric video.

Stormruler about the new single: "'Of Hollowed Souls & Distant Flame' is the final song we composed for the record, and we felt it was a good second single to represent the band's direction. Lyrically, it invokes a feeling of being liberated, from both physical and mental shackles."

Stormruler - featuring the dark lyrical genius and deft skill of guitarist/vocalist Jason Asberry and drummer Jesse Schobel - have built a noteworthy subterranean following since their formation, leading to their recent signing with Napalm Records. Combining unrelenting black metal atmosphere and vision from varying metal genres with a brutal, modernized twist of inspiration, careful listeners may just be able to identify themes from some of their favourite stories, games and more…

Featuring 19 tracks alternating between ominous instrumental ambience and incendiary black metal riffs and fury, the album tells harrowing tales of war, death, victory and defeat, and delivers an unmatched, hellscaped auditory experience. Creeping in like menacing sonic smoke, instrumental ambient intro track “Shine Of Ivory Horns” launches directly into opener “Reign Of The Winged Duke”, instantly careening into a cascade of pummeling drums and charred riffage.

Under The Burning Eclipse evenly ebbs and flows between warning mystical atmosphere and ghastly action, evident on the likes of blackened headbobbers “Age Of Steel & Blood”, “Dawn Of The Eternal Fire” and unrelenting 8+ minute title epic “Under The Burning Eclipse”. Standout burner “Of Hollowed Souls & Distant Flame” looks to the north with archaic screams and memorable, colossal progressions, while combat-ready tracks like “At The Cliffs Of Azure City” incorporate ruminations of classic heavy metal combined with scorched, war-torn percussion.

The album traverses desolate musical peaks and valleys before closing with the otherworldly brutality of “Fear The Old Blood” – a non-stop onslaught of black metal attack – and ambient, acoustically-driven finisher of olde “Fields Of Mortal Shame”. Under The Burning Eclipse is a solid hour of fantasy-laden, grim fables transfixed in blackened scourge. Fans of extreme metal will not want to miss this debut offering from the mighty Stormruler!

Stormruler adds about the album: “We sought to take all of the elements we love about black and death metal and make the album we always wanted to hear.  Early on, we formulated the idea to compose interludes between the songs to segue the moods, yet maintain a cohesive nature.  As long-time fans of dark fantasy and historical warfare, it seemed like the proper path lyrically.”

Under The Burning Eclipse will be available in North America in the following formats:

- CD Digipack
- 2LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- Limited DieHard Edition: 2LP Gatefold Vinyl Orange/Black Splatter + Slipmat & Logo Patch (Napalm Mailorder Only - only 200 copies worldwide)
- 2LP Gatefold Transparent Orange (Napalm Mailorder Only - limited to 300 copies worldwide)
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Under The Burning Eclipse tracklisting:

"The Shine Of Ivory Horns"
"Reign Of The Winged Duke"
"The March Onto Golden Lands"
"Age Of Steel & Blood"
"Culling Of The Blood Moon"
"Blood Of The Old Wolf"
"Journey To The Unknown"
"Under The Burning Eclipse"
"Prithee, Chosen"
"Of Hollowed Souls & Distant Flames"
"An Empire Of Ash & Dust"
"At The Cliffs Of Azure City"
"Illuminating The Ancient Sky"
"Dawn Of The Eternal Fire"
"A Message From A Foreign King"
"Mark Of The Valkyrie"
"Blood Ritual"
"Fear The Old Blood"
"Fields Of Mortal Shame"

"Reign Of The Winged Duke" video:

Stormruler is:

Jesse Schobel - Drums
Jason Asberry - Vocals & Guitars

(Photo - Chris Bauer)




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Greek modern metal five-piece, Scar Of The Sun, is poised to reach the next level with the release of their otherworldly third full-length, Inertia, out May 14 via Napalm Records. The band has dropped the second single and official video for the album’s title track.

After unveiling their hard-hitting first offering, “I Am The Circle”, Scar Of The Sun delivers their next smashing anthem with its catchy chorus, poised to stick in the listener’s mind forever. Taking off with an instrumental intro, “Inertia” evokes full aggression - raising a voice for everything that is about to come and lyrically dissecting the idea that those who run the world want society to be numb. The song is visually underlined and smartly grasped by an impressive music video, shot and directed by Achilleas Gatsopoulos.

Scar Of The Sun on the video for “Inertia”: “It's absolutely breathtaking to watch your emotions and words that you put on paper being materialized and visualized in such a magnificent way! The work of Achilleas Gatsopoulos exceeded our expectations for one more time! Achilleas perceived and depicted the whole Inertia album lyrical concept and he managed to fit it in a four minute masterpiece of a video. We hope everyone will enjoy it as much as we do!”

Achilleas Gatsopoulos adds: “Picking up from where the album cover left off, the band's trademark Jugendstil/Dieselpunk/Ancient Minoan design elements were combined with an Expressionist Film approach in order to breathe life into the intricate illustration and manifest the lyrical concepts into visual form.”

Vocalist Terry Nikas on “Inertia”: “The opening track of the album is a surprise attack! An amalgam of good old Swedish death metal with modern colors, it’s the aggression you didn’t expect at all!”

Watch the official music video for “Inertia”:

On Inertia, Scar Of The Sun utilizes scientific terminology to transmit their impassioned messages of difficult trials and social awareness lyrically, conveying an overarching theme that reflects one of society’s heaviest burdens – that financial gain has flourished at the expense of humanity and the livelihoods of everyday people.

Terry Nikas about the album: “Third strike, this album is our punch to the world disarray! The most aggressive album we’ve done so far indicates our current intentions! The main concept of Inertia deals with how financial interests act against the lives of everyday normal people, no matter where you come from, since profit knows no ethics and nationalities. We become lab rats and we struggle in our everyday life while at the same time that extreme minority that runs the financial interests see people like numbers and value our lives like ants. These are matters that concern and annoy me and I had to get them out of my chest.”

Instrumental intro “Hydrogen” stirs things up before kicking in with hard-hitting title track “Inertia”, evoking a truly thunderous verse and, propelled by blasting drums, leads into an undeniably catchy chorus, while the “Quantum Leap Zero”-trilogy conveys very intense and dramatic events that occured in Greece in 2015: Suppression, rise/revolution and huge defeat in the end. Beginning with “Quantum Leap Zero I: Torque Control”, Scar Of The Sun unveils a whole new instrumental facet of the record, splicing their soundscapes with distinctively desolate vibes. “Quantum Leap Zero II: Transition To Turbulence”, on the other hand, calls for an untamed storm to annihilate everything, followed by atmospheric “Oxygen”, smashing “The Fallible Experiment” and poignant trilogy-closer “Quantum Leap Zero III: Thrust”. Inertia ends with “Anastasis” (Greek for “resurrection”), an intense track about the terrible pain of losing someone you love. With this closer, Scar Of The Sun manages to put agony into words and turn this palpable despair into emotive music.

Inertia was recorded and mixed by singer and songwriting mastermind Terry Nikas at Zero Gravity Studios in Athens, Greece and mastered by the legendary Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Dimmu Borgir) at Fascination Street Studios, Sweden.

Inertia will be available in the following formats:

-1LP Gatefold Transparent Green + Black Marbled
-1LP Gatefold Black
-Shirt & Digpack Bundle
-CD Digipack
-Full Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Inertia tracklisting:

"Hydrogen"
"Inertia"
"I Am The Circle"
"Quantum Leap Zero I: Torque Control"
"Quantum Leap Zero II: Transition To Turbulence"
"Oxygen"
"The Fallible Experiment"
"Quantum Leap Zero III: Thrust"
"Singularity Collapse"
"Zenith To Minos"
"Anastasis"

"I Am The Circle" video:

Lineup:

Terry Nikas - vocals
Alexi Charalampous - guitars
Greg Eleftheriou- guitars
Panagiotis Gatsopoulos - bass
Thanos Pappas - drums

(Photo - Cristina Alossi)




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FEAR FACTORY has 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.

The "Disruptor" video — created by Finland's Riivata Visuals — is also available, along with the "Aggression Continuum" cover art, designed by LIGHT THE TORCH guitarist Francesco Artusato.

Guitarist Dino Cazares comments: "This record is one of my proudest achievements and I'm really excited for it to finally be released. There were a lot of personal struggles, sacrifices, and legal issues involved with this record which almost didn't see the light of day, but through passion, determination, lots of hard work and not giving up the fight, it’s finally ready for the world to hear. I felt that I needed to prove myself once again as I always try and make each record better than the last. Listen, and understand! This album is pissed! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear and it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are hooked. You must fight to survive in the 'Aggression Continuum'."

"Aggression Continuum" features guitarist, songwriter and co-founder Dino Cazares; drummer Mike Heller; and former vocalist, lyricist, and co-founder Burton C. Bell. 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 A-list rock and metal producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM), who also mixed FEAR FACTORY's previous album, 2015's "Genexus".

"Aggression Continuum" track listing:

01. Recode

02. Disruptor

03. Aggression Continuum

04. Purity

05. Fuel Injected Suicide Machine

06. Collapse

07. Manufactured Hope

08. Cognitive Dissonance

09. Monolith

10. End Of Line

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.

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's long-awaited new LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

Pressed about whether there is any chance of a reconciliation with FEAR FACTORY down the line, Burton said: "I'm done. I haven't spoken to Dino in three years. I haven't spoken to Raymond [Herrera, drums] and Christian [Olde Wolbers, bass] 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."

In explaining his reasons for starting a fundraising campaign, Cazares said that all donations would go toward covering newly incurred production costs involved with the making of the new FEAR FACTORY LP, including re-recording the drums, guitars, bass and keyboards, as well as production by Damien Rainaud and Cazares, and mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap. Burton's original lead vocals, which were recorded in full in 2017, remain on the new version of the album.

FEAR FACTORY's fundraising campaign marked the first public activity from the band since it completed a 2016 U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety.

Bell's ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project released its second full-length album, "Apocrypha", last October via Dissonance Productions.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Dutch death metal veterans PESTILENCE will release their ninth album titled "Exitivm" on June 25 via Agonia Records. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Morbvs Propagationem", can be seen below. The clip was filmed by Grupa 13 production house (KREATOR, BEHEMOTH, AMON AMARTH), with costumes by Prepostevolution.

Back in 1986, in the small town of Enschede in the Netherlands, near the German border, a true metal phenomenon was born. More than three decades later, not only is PESTILENCE alive and well, but about to once again reaffirm its place in the extreme metal pantheon, with "Exitivm", which is Latin for "total destruction."

As controversial as he can be to some, nobody will ever deny the band's undisputable driving force, Patrizio "Patrick" Mameli, and his constant ability to reinvent himself. Unlike most of the bands in the scene, PESTILENCE just keeps evolving. From the raging thrash leanings of their cult 1988 debut "Malleus Maleficarum" to the jazz-infused versatility of 1993's "Spheres" or 2009's "Resurrection Macabre" frontal assault, not to mention the fans' favorite and Scott Burns-produced "Testimony Of The Ancients" from 1991, he never did the same record twice. No matter who playes with him on any PESTILENCE album, Mameli always gets the best out of the musicians he is working with. But first and foremost, the man has a one-of-a-kind vision, instantly recognizable style and yet always stretching musical boundaries. And it's never more true than on "Exitivm".

After a vast reissue campaign in between 2015 and 2018 and an acclaimed new album "Hadeon", the band got seemingly stopped in their mission to conquer the death metal scene in early 2020, like everybody else, by the global pandemic, going as far as forcing some of the band's "Hadeon" lineup members to drop the towel. But what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, and instead of letting that whole situation drag him down, Mameli chose to do the exact opposite and write the best and darkest album possible to date. And he just did that. With its ambitious lyrical concept about "global domination," "induced mental illness," "inner and outer demons" and malicious external entities, "Exitivm" is propelling the band one again to the forefront of the death metal movement with yet another original and brilliant artistic overhaul.

Mind you, as soon as you're past the very cinematic introduction "In Omnibvs", you're instantly caught up by "Morbvs Propagationem" whose intense riffing will take back to the "Testimony" days. Except that their core sound has been revived, with now extra layers of ominous soundscapes ingeniously suggesting an atmosphere of suspence and horror, boosted by Mameli's jazz-fusion impressive solo works and a renewed sense of urgency. This rejuvenation, with emphasis on "new musical landscapes but also sick and twisted riffs," as stated by Mameli himself, is no accident, though. Not only has Mameli been extremely inspired by the turmoil humanity had to face since March 2020 but with a lineup once again, entirely based in the Netherlands and made up of only super-seasoned players — besides former DEW-SCENTED and CREEPMIME bassist Joost Van Der Graaf and BLEEDING GODS' Rutger Van Noordenburg on lead guitar, former GOD DETHRONED drummer Michiel Van Der Plicht joined last year — PESTILENCE is more than ever a band where everybody feeds off of each other's musical talent.

With the exception of the drums — tracked by Van Der Plicht himself at his home studio — "Exitivm" was recorded over a period of two months in between June and August 2020 at Pitchnote Productions. The album was produced, like all PESTILENCE albums, by Mameli and is co-produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jory Hogeveen (SHINIGAMI and ANCIENT RITES).

"Exitivm" will be available in various formats, including supra-limited picture, pin-wheel, "firebreath" and clear vinyl versions. The cover artwork once again brought the band's iconic sphere and was done by Michal "Xaay" Loranc, known for his various cover for NILE, GOD DETHERONED and EVOCATION and who previously worked on "Hadeon".

"Exitivm" track listing:

01. In Omnibvs (Intro)

02. Morbvs Propagationem

03. Deificvs

04. Sempiternvs

05. Internicionem

06. Mortifervm

07. Dominatvi Svbmissa

08. Pericvlvm Externvm

09. Inficiat

10. Exitivm

11. Immortvos

12. Personatvs Mortem (Outro)

PESTILENCE lineup:

Patrizio Mameli - vocals, lead guitars

Rvtger Van Noordenbvrg - lead guitars

Joost Van Der Graaf - bass

Michiel Van Der Plicht - drums

Photo credit: Marc Van Peski

Japanese pop-metal band BABYMETAL played 10 shows at Tokyo's famed Nippon Budokan venue earlier this year as part of the group's tenth-anniversary celebration. The shows, which marked the final chapter of the "Metal Resistance" era, kicked off with two dates in January (19 and 20) and four concerts in February (16, 17, 19 and 20).

It had been seven years since BABYMETAL last headlined at the Nippon Budokan. At that time, BABYMETAL had broken the record for youngest female artist in history to headline at the prestigious Japanese venue. It had been approximately a year since they last performed in Japan at Makuhari Messe over a total of two days.

The setlist for the final performance "Doomsday - X" featured a total of 13 songs focused on BABYMETAL's greatest-hits album titled "10 Babymetal Years" album, which was released in December 2020. The production fully utilized the unique layout of the 360-degree venue with the stage set in the center of the venue, allowing fans to enjoy the performance from any seat.

After the tenth and final performance, BABYMETAL announced that they will be having a world premiere of the online version of "10 Babymetal Budokan", which will feature special edits of their footage from the 10 performances they successfully finished at the Budokan. The world premiere will stream on Saturday, June 26 at 9:00 p.m. JST.

Make sure to check out BABYMETAL's official web site as details were revealed at 9:00 p.m. JST today about more information on the world premiere. Tickets are also now on sale, so don't miss your chance to experience "10 Babymetal Budokan" together with fans from all over the world.

Ten songs are featured on ten special editions of "10 Babymetal Years", including a Regular Edition released on CD and vinyl; First Press Limited Edition A, containing a Blu-ray with all 16 of BABYMETAL's music videos on it; First Press Limited Edition B, which comes in a special vinyl-size CD cover containing ten newly taken photos of Su-metal and Moametal; and First Press Limited Edition C, which includes a Blu-ray featuring 10 Legend Movies, a special video of ten songs chosen by fans in the 10 Legend Songs Tournament. Members of the BABYMETAL fan club, The One, can also purchase The One Edition A, which includes a karuta battle set (Japanese playing cards); and The One Edition B, which comes with the "Chronicle Set", featuring a video containing interviews with the bandmembers. Also being made available are the Su-metal Edition, Moametal Edition, and Kobametal Edition, each of which comes with all three different Prophet Cards included in all the other editions mentioned and each with unique serial codes. These three bandmember editions also contain ten songs chosen respectively by each member of their personal favorite tracks the band has released. A special X Edition will arrive at a later date and will come with a mystery item that "Only The Fox God Knows", which will serve as the final piece of the puzzle to "10 Babymetal Years".

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

BABYMETAL's third studio album, "Metal Galaxy", was released in October 2019 via earMUSIC/Edel. The follow-up to 2016's "Metal Resistance" is based on the concept of "The Odyssey Of Metal Galaxy".

"Metal Galaxy" hit No. 19 in the U.K. official album chart, No. 1 No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, becoming the first Asian act to land at No. 1, and No. 18 on the German chart.

In the U.S., "Metal Galaxy" earned 28,000 equivalent album units (of which 27,000 were in album sales) in its first week of release. The album also topped the Hard Rock Albums chart.

"Metal Galaxy" entered the all-format Billboard 200 chart at No. 13. The group's previous disc, 2016's "Metal Resistance", peaked at No. 39.

"Metal Galaxy" contains 14 songs, including four singles that were released prior to the LP's arrival: "Pa Pa Ya!!", "Starlight", "Distortion" and "Elevator Girl". The album expresses light and darkness, emotions like duality and ambivalence, and "new metal" created by various chemical reactions as other entities evolved and expanded in this album.

The album includes five songs that feature guest appearances from worldwide musicians who were perfect to the character of each song. Vocalist Joakim Brodén from SABATON is featured on "Oh! Majinai". Guitarist Tim Henson and Scott LePage from POLYPHIA are featured on "Brand New Day". Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz from ARCH ENEMY is featured on "Distortion". Rapper F.Hero is featured in "Pa Pa Ya!!"

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

Italian metallers LACUNA COIL will release a new live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", on June 25 via Century Media.

"Live From The Apocalypse" is the fruit of an unprecedented time. Unlike previous live efforts the Italians, under the yoke of the pandemic, cleverly devised a way for their devoted fan base to hear and see them on stage by organizing a special livestream event performing their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety, in September 2020. This very special show will now be released on vinyl and CD as well as a digital album. The physical album formats come with a bonus DVD featuring the footage of the original live stream.

With "Bad Things", LACUNA COIL releases a very special single, as the original studio version has only been available as an Amazon exclusive track. As of now, the live version is available on all digital platforms. You can watch the video to "Bad Things" taken from the bonus DVD below.

"Live From The Apocalypse" will be available in the following formats:

* CD+DVD digipak

* Gatefold 2LP+DVD and LP booklet

* Digital album

The vinyl version will be available in the following colors and limitations:

* Black vinyl, unlimited

* Neon yellow, limited to 300 copies worldwide, available at CMDistro EU

* Red vinyl, limited to 200 copies worldwide, only available at EMP

* White vinyl, limited to 300 copies worldwide, only available at the band's official store

* Silver vinyl, limited to 300 copies worldwide, only available at Century Media U.S.

* Orange vinyl, limited to 300 copies worldwide, only available at Revolver

"Live From The Apocalypse" track listing:

01. Anima Nera

02. Sword Of Anger

03. Save Me

04. Now Or Never

05. Reckless

06. Through The Flames

07. Apocalypse

08. Black Feathers

09. Under The Surface

10. The End Is All I Can See

11. Veneficium

12. Black Dried Up Heart

13. Bad Things

14. Layers Of Time

15. Black Anima

16. Save Me (Apocalypse Version)

By all accounts, this was no ordinary gig. Even though LACUNA COIL was in its hometown of Milan — at the famed Alcatraz Club — there were no fans to greet them. No roar of anticipation; no claps of adulation; no interaction with the people who had become deeply involved in and had a profound love for LACUNA COIL's music and live shows over two-plus decades. The livestream energy was different. It had to be. With hearts on their sleeves, cameras rolling, and the world tuning in online, LACUNA COIL brought "Black Anima: Live From The Apocalypse" to life.

"On one hand, it felt awkward to play for a huge empty room," says vocalist Andrea Ferro. " But on the other hand, it felt great to finally reconnect with our fans at home and with the people working behind the scenes. A lot of people enjoyed the show — it was definitely a one-off event loaded with a lot of emotions and feelings. 'Live From The Apocalypse' is an opportunity to offer a new release to our fans while the COVID-19 crisis is still a real thing, affecting them and us. The live album represents a unique moment in our career (and life) that will be forever remembered as that one time when we literally 'rose from the Apocalypse.'"

Last month, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia told The Pit's podcast "Last Words" that she and her bandmates have not used the coronavirus downtime to work on new music. "To be honest, no, because we didn't want any of our music to be connected with this period, because it wasn't something that we wanted to talk about," she explained. "Of course, unconsciously, it will be inspiring us for the next record, because everything everything you live translates into music and lyrics unconsciously.

"The thing is that when you write a new record, it's because you're inspired by something," she continued. "But if you don't travel, if you don't live experiences, if you don't meet new people and [see] new cultures, I find it hard to find inspiration only through movies and — I don't know — series on TV. I need to live to be inspired, and the same for the guys [in the band]."

Cristina went on to say that she and the rest of LACUNA COIL have previously used negative personal experiences as fuel for their songwriting. "I feel really inspired when something bad is happening, but at least something is happening, and I'm living it," she said. "But this [pandemic] situation is really static."

In February, LACUNA COIL took part in an initiative dubbed "L'Ultimo Concerto?" (Last Concert) to highlight the increasingly uncertain future of music venues. Instead of delivering live performances as part of a scheduled free virtual stream on February 27, each of around 130 Italian artists was filmed taking the stage at a different venue and then standing there in silence as a way of commemorating the one-year mark since the first Italian venues closed.

Grammy Award-winning four-piece GRETA VAN FLEET performed the song "Heat Above" on Wednesday night's (April 14) episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

The "Kimmel" appearance marks the fourth national late night show GRETA VAN FLEET has performed on. The band previously appeared on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" in December 2020, performed two songs on "Saturday Night Live" in January 2019, and played "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in July 2018.

"Heat Above" is taken from GRETA VAN FLEET's sophomore LP "The Battle At Garden's Gate", which will arrive on April 16 via Lava/Republic.

"'Heat Above' is theatrical, eloquent, and exaggerated," explains the group. "This is a dream in the clouds, a moment of peace in the storm. Thematically, we are dead center in the cult of Heaven, surreal, strange, alive and free."

"The Battle At Garden's Gate" reflects heavily on the group's personal and spiritual growth, as well as deepening empathy for the struggles and inequalities others are experiencing.

"We realized that while growing up, we had been shielded by many things," describes drummer Danny Wagner. "As we started to travel a lot, meet new and different people and experience different cultures, our definition of 'normal' changed." Bassist Sam Kiszka adds, "I suppose that everything has changed except what got us here in the first place…our perception of the world, perception of life itself, what it means to be an artist, what it means to be part of a beautiful, gorgeous society. We've gained a larger understanding of why we're all here."

"The Battle At Garden's Gate" was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Greg Kurstin (Paul McCartney, FOO FIGHTERS, Adele). "There was a lot of self-evolution happening during the writing of this album that was prompted by experiences I had, experiences we all had," explains vocalist Josh Kiszka. "It's reflecting a lot of the world that we've seen, and I think that it's reflecting a lot of personal truth," says guitarist Jake Kiszka.

"Certainly after this, we've grown in so many ways," Josh explains. "This album has taught us a lot, about life in general, about ourselves, about all of us, about the world we live in."

Formed in Frankenmuth, Michigan back in 2012, GRETA VAN FLEET consists of three brothers, vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka, as well as drummer Danny Wagner. Together they have gone on to sell one million concert tickets across multiple continents, perform on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show", top the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts with their debut single "Highway Tune" in 2017, and win the Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album" in 2019 for their debut full length album, "From The Fires".

In a new interview with The Pit's MoshTalks Cover Stories, former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo discussed the importance of staying authentic and following your heart when it comes to making music.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If the Internet existed back when SLAYER released their very first album, we would have been destroyed. 'Oh, what is this?' … So, today, these days, you have to go with the approach of how we did it back then — we didn't care. We thought it was heavy; we thought it was brutal and evil. It was dark. It had a certain feel to it. And it made all of us happy; it had our stamp of approval.

"What we were listening to at the time created a bar," he continued. "It's, like, 'Okay, we've gotta come up with something like this or better. And we always wanted to do something better and different.

"I think, really, musicians and bands, listen to yourselves. Don't listen to anyone [else].

"And another thing is bands that feel, 'Oh, no. Our fans won't go for that, because our fans only like us to do this style.' Well, then there's no growth. You're gonna grow stagnant. It's just not gonna evolve if you don't venture out and try new things.

"I feel like part of longevity is being as creative as you can be," Lombardo added. "Like, for example, when SLAYER released 'Reign In Blood', we did the exact opposite on 'South Of Heaven'. It was a little bit slower — although there were some fast songs, but we touched on slower rhythms. We shifted things. And the sound was a little bit different as well. And then 'Seasons [In The Abyss]' came out, and it was different. You have to do that, man. Otherwise… I don't know. Maybe it works for some bands, but for me personally, it feels good when you try different styles, different approaches to music."

Lombardo, who splits most of his time between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS and hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

The 56-year-old musician, who was born in Havana, Cuba but emigrated to Southern California with his parents when he was a toddler, finally got a chance to visit his former homeland in May 2018 when SUICIDAL TENDENCIES played two shows in Cuba. The concerts at Centro Cultural Club Bariay in Holguin and at Salon Rosado De La Tropical in Havana marked the first time Dave had ever performed in the Caribbean nation.