Earlier this year, Dread Sovereign released their third full-length, Alchemical Warfare. For a preview of the record, a video for the track "Her Master's Voice" can be seen below:

Dread Sovereign was formed in Dublin, Ireland in 2013 by Primordial vocalist Nemtheanga to give praise to filthy cult old doom, black and heavy metal. Their first EP, 2013's Pray To The Devil In Man, came out on Roadburn/Burning World Records to coincide with the band's live debut. Soon after, two full-lengths were released by Van Records: All Hell's Martyrs (2014) and For Doom The Bell Tolls (2017). And now, the band's new album, Alchemical Warfare, is available via Metal Blade Records.

Alchemical Warfare can be ordered here.

Alchemical Warfare tracklisting:

"A Curse On Men"
"She Wolves Of The Savage Season"
"The Great Beast We Serve"
"Nature Is The Devil's Church"
"Her Master's Voice"
"Viral Tomb"
"Devil's Bane"
"Ruin Upon The Temple Mount"
"You Don't Move Me (I Don't Give A Fuck)" * CD+digital bonus track only

"She Wolves Of The Savage Season" video:

"The Great Beast We Serve" video:

"Nature Is The Devil's Church" video:

Dread Sovereign lineup:

Nemtheanga - vocals/bass
Bones - guitars
JK - drums

Since the pandemic began, Alan/Nemtheanga has also started a podcast, entitled Agitators Anonymous. Well over 60 episodes with almost 130,000 listens, Agitators Anonymous is a mixture of tour stories, politics, the occult, culture, history, travel, black humour, special guests, deep dives into books, events, writers, and characters from the past - and of course, metal.

Fans can listen at the below links and across all podcast platforms:

- Spotify
- shows.acast.com
- YouTube




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Z2 Comics has partnered with Universal Music Group and Mercury Songs Ltd for "Freddie Mercury: Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs", the first-ever graphic novel paying tribute to one of the greatest figures the music world has ever known.

A first in the comics format, "Freddie Mercury: Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs" will be a journey through Freddie's life, from his childhood in Zanzibar and India, through his formative years in England to becoming the rock star, known and loved by millions around the globe. The story is told in his own words, with each chapter giving a glimpse into the many facets of his life.

Written by Tres Dean ("All Time Low Presents: Young Renegades"), the graphic novel will give true insight into the many experiences that helped shape the young Farrokh Bulsara and his compelling existence, both on and off stage — that was the life of "Freddie Mercury, Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs".

Following up on the tremendous success of the Oscar-winning 2018 film "Bohemian Rhapsody", and inspired by the book "Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words", compiled by Greg Brooks and Simon Lupton, this upcoming graphic novel will be another essential addition to the bookshelf or coffee table of fans new and old, sumptuously illustrated by Kyla Smith, Robin Richardson, Safiya Zerrougui, Tammy Wang and Amy Liu, with accompanying cover painting by David Mack.

"Freddie Mercury: Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs" is available for preorder in standard 136-page softcover ($19.99) and hardcover ($29.99) editions, released in finer comic shops, book and record stores in November. It is available exclusively through Z2 in a special hardcover deluxe edition for $99.99 complete with an exclusive vinyl LP, as well as limited-edition prints by Sarah Jones, Kyla Smith and Sanya Anwar.

The Sonic Overlords have unleashed another taste of melodic rock majesty and thunderous doom via the music video for their new single, “Utopia”.

The Swedish quartet's debut album, Last Days of Babylon, will be released later this year by M-Theory Audio. In the meantime, “Utopia” is available now on all digital stream and download platforms here, while its music video - directed by Per Andersson - can be viewed below.

“We're very happy to announce the release of 'Utopia', the second single from our upcoming album,” states bassist Daniel Ramirez. “This song will also be the opening track since we wanted to start the album off with a BANG!!! It's an energetic up-tempo song that will hit you straight in the gut! Morgan [Zocek – guitar] might possibly have had a song like Deep Purple's 'Speed King' in mind when he started writing this one many moons ago. You might also hear some influences from Rainbow, Rising Force, Symphony X, and possibly even Queen in the song! Enjoy, and PLAY IT LOUD!!!

“Utopia” is the follow-up to the group's first single, “In My Darkest Room”, which was released in October 2020. That song gained rock radio airplay throughout Scandinavia and spread through mainland Europe, the US and Australia as DJs and programmers were drawn to the group's combination of powerful doom riffs and the epic and melodic majesty of 'late '70s/early '80s heavy rock with influences from the likes of Dio/Martin-era Black Sabbath, Rainbow, early Candlemass, Yngwie J. Malmsteen/Rising Force, Scorpions and MSG.

The band's blend of power, darkness, and musicality was recognized by former Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin via a shout-out to “In My Darkest Room” on his social media channels. The music video for “In My Darkest Room” - also directed by Per Andersson – can be viewed below:

The Sonic Overlords were founded in 2017 by Swedish rock guitarist Morgan Zocek. He began jamming with various musicians and writing songs inspired by classic hard rock of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but with a more modern approach to the production and sonics. The full sound of The Sonic Overlords began to solidify with the addition of Per Soläng on drums in 2018. This was followed by the addition in 2020 of vocalist Marcus Zachrisson Rubin, who had been playing with Zocek in an Ozzy Osbourne cover band for many years, and the rumbles of new bassist Daniel Ramírez.

The Sonic Overlords are currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album, Last Days of Babylon, set for release later this year. More news will be unveiled in the weeks ahead.

The Sonic Overlords are:

Marcus Zachrisson Rubin - Lead Vocals
Morgan Zocek – Guitars/Backing Vocals
Per Soläng – Drums
Daniel Ramírez – Bass/Backing Vocals

(Photo - ziyu yu)




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German stoner-doom formation, Demon Incarnate, reveal the new video "In Disguise". The track is the first to be revealed from the band's third album, Leaves Of Zaqqum, set for international release on June 18 via Metalville Records. Watch the clip below.

The multinational band, founded in 2010 in Saarland (Southern Germany), sees itself as a rigid and defiant monolith in the current of time. In doing so, they act primarily riff-oriented and organic. Preferences for classic '70s rock like Black Sabbath merge with doom influences from heroes like Candlemass or The Obsessed and form a foundation on which oriental influences underpin the deep and clear female vocals.

The recordings for Leaves Of Zaqqum were made over a period of five months at Studio Greywolf (Powerwolf) under the direction of Charles Greywolf. Both in terms of songwriting and production, the experience of the past years has made it possible to elaborate the band's existing unique selling points even more specifically and to realize them more compactly and independently.

Leaves Of Zaqqum tracklisting:

"In Disguise"
"The Liar’s Tongue"
"To Resist"
"Longing For Pt. 1"
"Black Veil"
"Lunar Majestic"
"Over The Under"
"Longing For Pt. 2"
"Serve The Cause"
"Grave Worms"

"In Disguise" video:

Lineup:

Lisa Healey - vocals
Jan Paul - guitars
Kai Schneider - drums
Matz Naumann - bass
Donny Dwinanda Putra - guitars
Steve Biber - keyboards/media




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Gothic death rock pioneers, Christian Death, will be reissuing their dark 1986 opus, Atrocities, on both CD and vinyl format via Season Of Mist on July 9. In addition to being available in standard black vinyl, the LP will also be available on a limited edition sun yellow 12" vinyl (33 rpm).

The reissues are available for pre-order here.

This is part of an ongoing series of vinyl reissues of Christian Death's acclaimed catalog via Season Of Mist. Previously, the label reissued LPs for the band's highly influential Catastrophe Ballet (1984) as well as The Root Of All Evilution, Ashes, The Scriptures 'American Inquisition, and Sex And Drugs And Jesus Christ. All vinyl reissues can be found at the Season Of Mist E-Shop.

Tracklisting:

"Will-O-The Wisp"
"Tales Of innocence"
"Straping Me Down"
"The Danzig Waltz"
"Chimere De-ci De-la"
"Silent Thunder"
"Strange Fortune"
"Ventriloquist"
"Gloomy Sunday"
"The Death of Josef"

Founded in Los Angeles in 1979 by Rozz Williams, the hugely-influential band trail-blazed the American goth and death-rock movement with their debut album, Only Theatre Of Pain (1982) and genre-defining Catastrophe Ballet (1984) and Ashes (1985). Of these, Ashes is a true testament to the Christian Death legacy, as it marks the final appearance of the classic band lineup. Ashes features the final recordings of founder Rozz Williams alongside current Christian Death main-man Valor Kand, vocalist-keyboardist Gitane Demone and drummer David Glass before Williams' untimely demise in 1998.




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DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG, the project featuring former ACCEPT members Udo Dirkschneider (vocals), Peter Baltes (bass) and Stefan Kaufmann (guitar), has released a new single and video, "Every Heart Is Burning". Check it out below.

DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG, which is rounded out by Udo's son Sven Dirkschneider (drums), Manuela Bibert (vocals) and Mathias Dieth (guitar), issued its debut single, "Where The Angels Fly", last September. A second single, "Face Of A Stranger", followed in April.

On August 27, all three songs will be released as the "Arising" CD, a 12-inch vinyl and a download.

DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG is:

Udo Dirkschneider - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals

Peter Baltes - Bass, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals

Manuela Bibert - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals

Stefan Kaufmann - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

Mathias Dieth - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Sven Dirkschneider - Drums, Backing Vocals

Last July, Udo ruled out the possibility of a reunion with ACCEPT. The singer, who last reconnected with ACCEPT in 2005 for a number of exclusive shows, discussed the prospect of a renewed working relationship with his bandmates during an interview with "The Rock N Ragni Show". Speaking about the fact that Baltes and Kaufmann both appear on the latest album from his U.D.O. project, "We Are One", Dirkschneider said: "It's, in a way, a reunion if we were working together songwriting-wise. That was interesting. But a lot of people came up already [saying this opens the door to an ACCEPT] reunion. And I said, 'What kind of reunion?' It's not possible to do a reunion with ACCEPT. There is only one guy left," referring to guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. "Sorry, but there is no reunion with ACCEPT. Of course, some people are thinking, 'Now he's working already with Peter and Stefan.' But no. Forget this. [Laughs] Definitely not."

In November 2019, Hoffmann told Powermetal.cl that he no longer kept in touch with Baltes after the bassist exited ACCEPT a year earlier. "Unfortunately, when somebody leaves the band, they're always kind of out of sight, out of mind," Wolf explained. "It's very sad. I wish it wasn't that way, because we've been friends for so long. But the reality is I haven't really heard from him — even though I reached out a couple of times. He's almost like he wants to disappear or he wants to leave the music business altogether. It's sad and I still don't quite understand what really happened. But it is what it is, and we move on."

Kaufmann was the drummer for ACCEPT on nine albums but was forced to give up drumming towards the end of the band's initial run after sustaining a serious injury to his back.

Stefan joined U.D.O. as a guitar player in 1996, following ACCEPT's second breakup, and recorded nine albums with them, including his most recent release with the group, 2011's "Rev-Raptor".

Back in 2015, Hoffmann dismissed Dirkschneider's comment that the band's then-lineup — which included Baltes and ACCEPT's singer of more than a decade, Mark Tornillo — performed live "without any emotion." "It's just hilarious at this point," Wolf said. "It's just a big joke in our lives. And we just go on about our lives, and we do our thing, and we just… We let these things go by and laugh about it. He's actually sort of our press agent, in a way. He keeps us [in the news]."

NIGHTWISH has tapped Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN) as the session bassist for the band's upcoming world tour in support of the "Human. :II: Nature." album.

Koskinen joined NIGHTWISH as the replacement for Marco Hietala, who announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now."

NIGHTWISH said in a statement: "Finally we can share the awaited news with you all! Let's welcome Jukka Koskinen on board!"

Added Jukka: "I couldn't be more honored to be part of the vehicle of spirit of NIGHTWISH on its onward journey sharing special live moments to come on the 'Human. :II: Nature.' tour with all of you out there!"

Koskinen will make his live debut with NIGHTWISH at the first of the band's two interactive "An Evening with Nightwish In a Virtual World" concert experiences that will kick off the "Human. :II: Nature." run.

NIGHTWISH will perform in a tavern called "The Islanders Arms" built in a virtual world for two nights — Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29, 2021. On both nights, the fans will experience a one-and-a-half-hour performance, hearing songs live off "Human. :II: Nature." for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

Earlier this month, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said that Hietala's decision to leave the band "came as a bit of a surprise."

Holopainen spoke about Hietala's exit from NIGHTWISH in an interview with Finland's Kaaos TV. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Marco informed us in December last year [that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

Tuomas elaborated on NIGHTWISH's reasons for carrying on, saying: "I think we still have something to give, and that's the main point. The music is still there. We felt that there's still so much music that needs to come out from this band that, 'Okay, let's give it one more shot.' And then finding the new bass player was really easy."

He added: "It's not like we do this just because we need to do it and there's nothing else to do. On a personal level, I feel that there's still so many stories and melodies that I want to share with the world with one lineup or another, so that's why you want to continue and keep on going.

"I've said this a million times, that a lineup change is the ultimate energy vampire, and that's how it really felt and still feels."

Holopainen also confirmed that NIGHTWISH's future setlists will likely also be affected by Hietala's absence from the group. "There are some songs that are so profilic [sic] to Marco that we cannot do them, I think, ever again," he said. "I'm not absolutely certain, but, for example, 'The Islander', 'While Your Lips Are Still Red' and definitely 'Endlessness' from the new album is something that cannot be performed without Marco. But then, after spending five days in the rehearsal room, there are some songs that actually work surprisingly well without Marco, that Floor [Jansen] or Troy [Donockley] is doing [Marco's] parts. And I was a bit suspicious about that, but then when I heard the new arrangement for those parts, I was, like, 'Yeah, I think this actually might work.'"

In December, Hietala was crowned the winner of the fall 2020 season of "Masked Singer Suomi" — the Finnish edition of the popular masked singing contest. He was disguised as Tohtori — the Doctor.

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", "Human. :II: Nature." is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.




Jukka Koskinen will be our session bass player and join us for our Human. :||: Nature. world tour! Finally we can share the awaited news with you all!

Let's welcome @jukkiskoskinen on board! pic.twitter.com/vkGUiOzIIo

— Nightwish (@NightwishBand) May 28, 2021

FOZZY has released a breathtaking music video for its new song "Sane", filmed on the longest wooden roller coaster on the planet today. Get a first-hand view of the madness as the band defies gravity by reaching top speeds of 70 mph and terrifying drops of 154 feet. It's an edgy, heart-stopping thrill ride that represents both the power and physicality of FOZZY's music, along with the bombastic nature and "who gives a shit" attitude of their live show.

FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho states: "'Sane' is the perfect first single for FOZZY to unleash on the world, as it's heavy, hooky, catchy and riff-tastic!! I can't think of a better way to remind everybody of the feeling you get when you hear a great rock 'n' roll tune, one that makes you wanna put the top down on your car and put your foot down on the gas.... and 'Sane' is that tune! It's been such a tough year in so many ways, but now as the world is slowly getting better, FOZZY is here to vaccinate you with a proverbial phonograph needle and make you wanna rock again."

FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward adds: "After the first few songs started to develop in the early stages of writing material for FOZZY's new record, we knew we were on to something special. We were inspired, creating music that had the potential to be the best we'd ever recorded. The only thing we were missing was a riff worthy of opening the record. The next day, I came to the studio with 'Sane'."

This past February, Jericho told Detroit's WRIF radio station that FOZZY's follow-up to 2017's "Judas" album would "continue with the momentum that 'Judas' started for us three years ago."

Last summer, Chris revealed that FOZZY's next LP will contain 12 songs, including one cover.

In May 2020, Jericho told Australia's Triple M radio station that FOZZY has "so many great songs" written for the new LP that "it's gonna be hard to pick the singles."

Ward and producer Johnny Andrews once again did "the lion's share" of the songwriting for the new LP, which was recorded primarily in Atlanta, Georgia.

Released in August 2019, "Nowhere To Run" was FOZZY's third single to hit Top 10 on rock radio, following "Judas" and "Painless".

In addition to producing "Judas", Andrews previously co-wrote FOZZY's "Lights Go Out" track back in 2014. He has also written songs with the likes of ALL THAT REMAINS, THREE DAYS GRACE and HALESTORM.

In November, FOZZY appeared in its first global live streaming event from Madison Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals), Rich Ward (guitars, vocals), Frank Fontsere (drums), Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

Photo credit: Adrienne Beacco

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES have released the second single off their upcoming album, "The Nightmare Of Being", which will arrive on July 2 via Century Media Records. Check out the track "The Paradox" in a music video directed by Patric Ullaeus of rEvolver Film Company (ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR).

AT THE GATES vocalist Tomas Lindberg comments: "Humanity is the biggest paradox. We as humans always want justification for the big things: death, the meaning of life, etc. Our knowledge of being mortals drives us away from being human, hence the paradox. We invent defense mechanisms to protect us from the thought of death, religion, different –isms, etc.

"The first time our producer Jens Bogren heard this song, he said, 'This is a monster!' It touches on some core parts of the AT THE GATES sound, but builds further, on top of that, some classic NWOBHM/MERCYFUL FATE vibes thrown in for good measure. It is a death metal song, but has its progressive moments.

"This was a very fun video to record, as we tried to create most of the 'special effects' in an analog way, and not just to be added in the editing. Hence we were drenched in tons of crushed coal and soil, which took over a week and a lot of showers to get out of our hair, haha. We really wanted an oppressive, apocalyptic emotion for this video. And Patric Ullaeus, being the master that he is, went all the way to make that happen!"

While main parts for "The Nightmare Of Being" were recorded in several different Swedish studios — drums at Studio Gröndal with Jens Bogren, guitars and bass with Andy La Rocque at Sonic Train Studio and vocals at Welfare Sounds with Per Stålberg — the LP was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios (AMON AMARTH, OPETH, KREATOR) by Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with AT THE GATES on the "At War With Reality" comeback album in 2014. The album's visual concept was developed by artist Eva Nahon.

Lindberg previously stated about the album's concept: "The overall theme deals with the topic of pessimism, and I have been diving deep down in pessimistic philosophers. Trying to understand this way of looking at the world. It is not a negative album, more a gateway into new ideas for me personally, trying out different perspectives. You could call the album an introduction to pessimism as a concept, I guess. It is a very dark album, but not negative…"

And musically, while "The Nightmare Of Being" unveils a newly liberated and adventurous AT THE GATES via some of the bravest and most mesmerizing material they have ever written, Lindberg added: "It still sounds like AT THE GATES, 100 percent. It is just more of everything…"

"The Nightmare Of Being" track listing:

01. Spectre Of Extinction

02. The Paradox

03. The Nightmare Of Being

04. Garden Of Cyrus

05. Touched By The White Hands Of Death

06. The Fall Into Time

07. Cult of Salvation

08. The Abstract Enthroned

09. Cosmic Pessimism

10. Eternal Winter Of Reason

Speaking to MessedUp Magazine, Lindberg stated about "The Nightmare Of Being": "We were very excited about [2014's] 'At War With Reality' already before it was released, because it represented our comeback. No one was as excited about it as us, but some time later, I thought it was too slick, too well-produced. 'To Drink From the Night Itself' was a response to that and we wanted it to be dirty and gritty and have loads of classic death metal sounds on it, like a lot of reverb on the vocals and that stuff. It was a record for old-school fans. The upcoming album is somewhere in between, something that continues on the concept we started on the two previous albums where we incorporated much more of our proggy, krauty and avant-gardist influences. Just to give you the picture of how it sounds; one song goes by the nickname 'the Goblin song,' another we call 'the Neu song.' But I promise you we don't take it too far — people wouldn't listen to it if we did. [Laughs] When we were in the studio, we told Jens Bogren [producer] to keep the gritty sound and the attack from the last record and put the overall sound in between the comeback records. And it sounds awesome.

"When we did the Roadburn festival two years ago we did a special set with guest vocalists and string instruments and that stuff on stage and played songs we never played live before. All that was very inspiring because we realized we can do it today, the things we thought we could do as teenagers when we wanted to be the KING CRIMSON of death metal [laughs], but we weren't good enough. After the Roadburn gig, we talked about incorporating more of those elements on record.

"Let's say we're super excited about how people will receive the record because there's stuff on the album never heard on an AT THE GATES record before — a lot of weird things. [Laughs] For old fans, there's at least five or six classic AT THE GATES songs on it, but it's a quite diverse album.

"AT THE GATES have been around for such a long time by now that we don't need to release records to please someone else — we want to do things we like ourselves. It's still death metal, but it has evolved. We just want it to sell enough to get money to record the next album. [Laughs] "

AT THE GATES guitarist Jonas Stålhammar recently told Italy's Poisoned Rock about the music he and his bandmates have written for the upcoming effort: "It's kind of progressing even more from the last album. It's gonna be different than that one too, but still you know it's AT THE GATES. It's evolving even more. All of us are kind of on the same page with why should we do the same record over and over again."

"To Drink From The Night Itself" was produced with Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE HAUNTED, DIMMU BORGIR) at Parlour Studios in the U.K. The follow-up 2014's "At War With Reality" featured conceptual artwork created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13Media, who also worked with AT THE GATES on the band's previous disc.

"To Drink From The Night Itself" was the first AT THE GATES album written and recorded without lead guitarist/primary songwriter Anders Björler, who departed in 2017. He has since been replaced by Stålhammar.

AT THE GATES is:

Adrian Erlandsson - Drums

Jonas Björler - Bass

Tomas Lindberg - Vocals

Jonas Stålhammar - Guitar

Martin Larsson - Guitar

Photo by Ester Segarra

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of their third full-length album, "The Crusher", Sweden's celebrated Viking overlords and undisputed modern masters of epic heavy metal AMON AMARTH have released a special, re-recorded version of the track "Masters Of War". A visualizer for the song can be viewed below.

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

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

AMON AMARTH's latest album, "Berserker", was released in May 2018 via Metal Blade Records. The disc was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, URIAH HEEP and STONE SOUR.

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

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

Breakthrough releases like 2006's "With Oden On Our Side" and its now-legendary follow-up, 2008's "Twilight Of The Thunder God" further cemented their popularity throughout the metal world, while the band's stage show evolved with each successive tour, transforming into one of modern metal's truly great spectacles. "Berserker" brought with it an epic, history-making trek across North America with fellow Swedes ARCH ENEMY, AT THE GATES and GRAND MAGUS and saw multiple sell-outs. To date, the band has clocked up a mammoth 270 million YouTube views and 547 million streams across its releases, with over two million albums sold worldwide.

The official music video for the song "No Rewind" from reactivated Norwegian progressive metallers CONCEPTION, who feature in their ranks former KAMELOT singer Roy Khan, can be seen below. The track is taken from CONCEPTION's latest album, "State Of Deception", which was released in April 2020. The band's first full-length offering in over two decades follows on from 2018's successful EP "My Dark Symphony", and was once again released via CONCEPTION's own Conception Sound Factory label.

Says the band: "Restricted by the ongoing outbreak of the COVID 19 virus, and in isolation from one another, we thought we'd record our own separate video parts of 'No Rewind'."

"State Of Deception" follows a 20-year interval during which bandmembers Khan, Tore Østby, Ingar Amlien and Arve Heimdal remained friends throughout, and the album release marks a full-circle evolution of the band.

Khan says: "The reception we've had from fans made recording a new album almost inevitable; they'd have rioted if we didn't get this out. But we're mightily proud of what we have put together here; I actually think it's the best thing I've ever been involved in."

Reflecting CONCEPTION's desire for an entirely direct relationship with its fans, the album is wholly fan-funded. Moreover, "State Of Deception" was wholly produced by the bandmembers themselves, with mixing duties handled by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, WITHIN TEMPTATION, EUROPE). The nine-song effort perfectly captures the band's trademark breadth of progressive sound, from symphonic melodrama to rock riff utopia, and features a guest appearance by AMARANTHE vocalist Elize Ryd.

Guitarist Tore Østby explains: "Producing this new album has been an emotional and exciting process, digging deeper into the heart and soul of the band than ever before. The result is dynamic and intense, it really feels like we managed to capture the state of CONCEPTION 2020.

"We've always said that we have a need to do what we feel is right for our music. We couldn't limit the musical scope of CONCEPTION even if we wanted to.'

"If we didn't think we were capable of surpassing our previous work, we wouldn't be here. We're super proud of every single track on this album."

Regarding the decision to release the new album through CONCEPTION's own label, Khan says: "We've worked with record companies in the past, and by definition, the artist sits at arms length from their fanbase. We felt that was an unacceptable compromise."

"For an artist to see the reaction from a fan the first time they hear a new song is an extraordinarily powerful experience," offers Østby. "Whatever happens, these are shared encounters that will never leave us, band member or fan alike."

"State Of Deception" is both a definitive album release statement, as it is also a career milestone, recognizing a lyrical depth that acknowledges the current social climate.

Says Khan: "The lyrics of the album revolve around human error and betrayal, hence the album title, but also touch upon everything from people's facade to climate change, religion and politics."

Lee Aaron will release her new album, Radio On!, on July 23 via Metalville Records, delayed from the previously announced June 18 date. The first single from record, "C'mon", was released yesterday, May 21, and can be enjoyed below. Get your digital copy of "C'mon" now at this location.

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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BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, Nuclear Blast, MY DYING BRIDE, Laney, Epiphone, Earache, Sony/BMG, Razamataz, PRS Guitars, Live Nation/Download, 5BAM, Bravado and UK Metal Merger are among the international metal-music industry heavyweights who have donated over 1,000 items of "money-can't-buy" metal memorabilia, merchandise and rarities to #ILoveMetal, the world's biggest ever metal-music charity prize draw.

In partnership with Julie Weir of Music For Nations, the #ILoveMetal collection was collated by the UK Metal Merger "In Solitude" single supergroup collaboration, again with the motivation of raising funds for the Stagehand charity.

Stagehand is the only U.K. charity that specifically helps music stage and road crew, and is dedicated to providing severe-hardship funding and mental health support for live events industry workers.

The #ILoveMetal campaign is critical to supporting the "behind the scenes" workers in the live music industry that, right now, are in crisis. Without them, there won't be a live events industry, even when covid restrictions are lifted.

While providing the opportunity to win money-can't-buy prizes, #ILoveMetal is a way for the metal community to come together to support live music (a cause very dear to our hearts and ears!) giving back to the people who make these life-affirming events happen.

This is not an auction! It is a series of prize draws for each available bundle. With an auction, only fans with the deepest pockets get involved, whereas with a prize draw the whole international metal community can participate through £5 entries via the #ILoveMetal Crowdfunder page. If a fan enters multiple times, they stand a better chance of winning. The prize draw ends June 11 and the winners will be contacted June 18.

The limited-edition, unique items up for grabs are listed here, but include a limited-edition Tony Iommi Epiphone Signature SG Custom, and rare/exclusive BLACK SABBATH book, both of which personally signed by Tony Iommi, two VIP passes for Download 2022; a framed JUDAS PRIEST "Epitaph" presentation, personally signed by Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner, Ian Hill and Scott Travis; a black PRS SE Standard Tremonti guitar signed by Richard Shaw of CRADLE OF FILTH, and a once-in-a-lifetime collection of MY DYING BRIDE rarit

Finland's Asphodelus has signed a worldwide deal with Hammerheart Records and will record a follow-up to 2019's Stygian Dreams during the summer of 2021. A release is expected early 2022.

Stygian Dreams received great reviews worldwide, comparing Asphodelus to the early version of Katatonia, being a doomed death/black band full of melancholy and melodies. Asphodelus is the continuation of Cemetary Fog, whom started out in 2012 and did a great EP for Iron Bonehead in 2016.

Together with Hammerheart Records, Jari Filppu (vocals/guitars) thinks Asphodelus will be able to deliver a big record that will appeal strongly to all fans of melancholic doom/death metal.

Original AC/DC singer Dave Evans has just released a new compilation album called "BADASS Greatest Hits". The effort, which can be ordered at this location, contains "20 massive hits on one album," including Dave's version of "Rockin' In The Parlour", the song that originally appeared as the B-side of AC/DC's debut single, 1974's "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl".

"BADASS Greatest Hits" track listing:

01. Hot Nights (Evans/Franceschini/Green)

02. Somebody Better (Evans/Franceschini)

03. Get Ready (Evans/Green)

04. Baby Blue Eyes (Evans/Green)

05. Sold My Soul For Rock 'N' Roll (Evans/Tinson/Croft)

06. Only The Good Die Young (Evans/Tinson/Croft)

07. Take Me Down Again (Tinson)

08. Back On The Firing Line (Tinson)

09. Rock 'N' Roll Or Bust (Tinson)

10. Another Boy On The Street (Evans/Tinson)

11. House Of The Rising Sun (Traditional)

12. Judgement Day (Evans/Tinson)

13. Shoot On Sight ( Evans/Tinson)

14. We Don't March To Your Drum (Evans/Tinson)

15. Put Up Or Shut Up (Evans/Appleton)

16. I Believe (Evans/Appleton)

17. Go Wild (Evans/Steigeoal)

18. Sunset Strip (Evans)

19. Rockin' In The Parlour (Young/Young)

20. Bad Ass Boy (Evans/Tipton)

Dave recorded AC/DC's first two singles, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" and "Baby Please Don't Go". But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC's first gig, Evans was out of the group.

Evans was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

In December 2019, Evans took to his Facebook page to shoot down rumors that he was hoping to come back to AC/DC, explaining that "the real essence of the band" died when founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young passed away in November 2017.

Earlier this year, Dave Evans was asked in an interview with The Rocker Diaries if he thought "that would be it" for AC/DC after Bon's death in 1980. He responded: "No, not at all. I mean, we all keep going. And AC/DC has had that many players through [the history of] the band. I don't know how many. 20? And three singers, plus a stand-in singer as well.

"We were always ambitious when we first started," he continued. "We always wanted to be the best in the world — all of us. And after me, Bon Scott got his chance. He did great with the band. And when he died, I just thought, 'Who are they gonna get?' I never thought [I would be approached about it] myself, because that's water under the bridge. And I was busy with bands as well at the time, and doing my own music and recording. I was just wondering who it would be. I had heard of [Brian Johnson's pre-AC/DC band] GEORDIE — just the name GEORDIE. I'd never heard of Brian. And then Brian popped up and, of course, the 'Back In Black' album came out, which was a massive album around the world, and they were off and running with Brian. But if Brian quit, they'd get another singer, and another singer. [They've gone through] different bass players [and] different drummers.

"The drive was always Malcolm Young," Dave added. "I remember Malcolm when I first met him. He was such a driving force. Just a tiny little guy — just a little touch over five foot tall — but, boy, he had a big heart and a big personality. And he was tough, too — Malcolm was very tough. And no matter what, he was AC/DC through and through. And, of course, once he passed away, which is very sad, AC/DC, of course, will never, ever be the same without Malcolm. How can it be?"

Former TESTAMENT bassist Greg Christian has weighed in on David Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH, saying "sometimes there are consequences to doing stupid shit."

Christian — whose acrimonious January 2014 exit from TESTAMENT was well publicized on these pages — addressed MEGADETH's decision to fire Ellefson while responding to questions on Facebook about his possible interest in auditioning for the vacant spot in the Dave Mustaine-fronted band.

On Monday (May 24), Christian took to his Facebook page to share MEGADETH's statement about Ellefson's departure, and he included the following message: "Before anyone else messages me about this ... I kinda feel bad for Ellefson about this but sometimes there are consequences to doing stupid shit. But whatever that's their issue not mine.

"My issue is: I'm about 99% certain that Dave (M) only wants a bass player that uses a pick. No fingers. In that camp, Dave is the General. He does what he wants and gets what he wants.

"I can play the shit out of the bass with my fingers but I'm pretty much useless with a pic. It is what it is. If it were different, my broke ass would've already reached out to him. C'est La Vie ... it'll be a good gig for someone. And I wish David (E) the best. I think it's unfortunate things ended up like this (but it's not unexpected)".

MEGADETH fired Ellefson on Monday, two weeks after the leak of the bassist's messages and videos featuring a woman who is not his wife.

Earlier in the month, sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving Ellefson were posted on Twitter. The longtime MEGADETH member later released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

Ellefson's statement was accompanied by a screenshot of a social media post from the woman involved, who denied any suggestions that she was underage at the time. The woman also revealed she recorded the intimate moments and shared them with a friend without Ellefson's permission, calling herself "naïve" for doing so and claiming that the contact between her and the musician was "all consensual and all online." She also called assumptions that she was "groomed" by Ellefson "misinformation".

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play.

Mustaine reformed MEGADETH 17 years ago. Originally setting out to record a solo album, Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH's 2004 "The System Has Failed" comeback album, subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefeson's place for the album's touring cycle.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.


Before anyone else messages me about this ...

I kinda feel bad for Ellefson about this but sometimes there are...

Posted by Greg Christian on Monday, May 24, 2021

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen spoke to Kaaos TV about the upcoming comeback album from his long-running black metal project DARKWOODS MY BETHROTHED. Tentatively due before the end of the year, "Angel Of Carnage Unleashed" will be DARKWOODS MY BETHROTHED's first collection of new songs since the release of "Witch-Hunts", which came out more than two decades ago.

Regarding how he and his DARKWOODS bandmates decided that now was the right time for the group to return, Tuomas said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We did three albums in the mid-'90s, the latest one coming out in '98; 'Witch-Hunts', it was called. And since then, we have had this high-school-friends get-together almost every summer, since the past 15 years or so, and we always talk about the comeback of DARKWOODS and then forget it immediately. The summer comes, we talk about it, 'Now let's do it,' and then we forget about it. But last July, in 2020, we thought that it's really now or never. Because of this situation that the world is in, we finally might have the time and the means to actually realize this that we have been talking about for so long. And here we are."

According to Tuomas, the drums for "Angel Of Carnage Unleashed" were recorded in February at Petrax studios. "Then we spent a week in our place here in Kitee recording the guitars and the vocals," he said. "And now it's in the middle of the mixing process, to be finished in a couple of weeks."

Holopainen went on to emphasize that DARKWOODS MY BETHROTHED has never been his band. "Originally I was just a session musician back in the days," he explained. "And now, even though I'm a full-time member of the band, I still don't do any songs; it's the other guys who take care of that. I just play my parts with the keys… That's the dynamics of this particular band, and that's the way it works the best, because Jouni ['Hallgrim' Mikkonen, guitar], Teemu ['Hexenmeister' Kautonen, bass] and Pasi ['Emperor Nattasett' Kankkunen, vocals], the core of the band, they have such a strong vision of the songs and the lyrics and the overall atmosphere of what DARKWOODS is about. So they do the songwriting part, and then I just come in and spice up the whole thing with the keyboards, just the way it has worked in the past and on this album as well."

Asked what his relationship to black metal is nowadays and whether he still listens to the genre at all, Tuomas said: "I don't really listen to any kind of music anymore, for reasons I can't really explain. But back in the days, in the mid-'90s, black metal was a huge thing for me for a short period of time. Bands like EMPEROR, ENSLAVED, DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH. I don't even know if these bands want to be called black metal, because that's such a puritanic thing, but for me, I was highly influenced by that genre of music. And I still enjoy them a lot. But I just don't listen to music at home that much. And also I don't think that DARKWOODS MY BETHROTHED can be categorized solely as a black metal band. Musically, yes, but the lyrics are about something completely else."

NIGHTWISH's two interactive "An Evening with Nightwish In a Virtual World" concert experiences will kick off the "Human. :II: Nature." world tour this weekend. The band will perform in a tavern called "The Islanders Arms" built in a virtual world for two nights — Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. On both nights, the fans will experience a one-and-a-half-hour performance, hearing songs live off the latest album, "Human. :II: Nature.", for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

Israeli metal collective Shredhead have returned with a neck-breaking single, “The Nothing We Are”, recorded, mixed and mastered by acclaimed Danish producer Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, The Haunted, Suicide Silence).

“Nothing shows how feeble and insignificant we all are like this past year has,” says frontman Aharon Ragoza. “It has stopped everything and everyone in their tracks, reminding everyone that no matter how big you are, there are bigger fish in the sea, no matter how special you are, there are thousands like you, and no matter how important we think we are, in the end, we are all just nothing. This is what this song is about.”

The new single comes as Shredhead announces a headline performance dubbed “Rise Up” on June 19 at one of Israel’s top venues, Zappa B-Side TLV club in Tel Aviv, with support from local artists Dukalaton, Matricide and DPS. “Everybody is naturally aching for a show, and we've felt like this is the perfect time to bring up our game and return to the stages with our biggest headline show to date,” says guitarist Razi Elbaz.

The hardworking Shredhead is a force to be reckoned with in Israel. Grinding their way to the top of Tel Aviv’s alternative scene with hundreds of domestic and international shows, including tours with Overkill, Crowbar and DevilDriver in Europe and Japan, packed local headline shows and official endorsement from metal guitar giants ESP, the band continues pushing forward with their new single.

“Everyone in the band is hyped about releasing this new single backed by a major ‘post-Covid’ comeback to the stages after this year and a half of a shitstorm,” says bassist Lee Lavy. “We can't wait. All five of us are working around the clock to put on the best show that we can for our fans.”

The band is also hard at work on their next full-length album. “This release and the upcoming show feel like a breath of fresh air after a long time working hard behind the scenes,” guitarist Yotam Nagor says. “‘The Nothing We Are’ is just a first taste of much more material to come from the band. Stopping or slowing down is never an option for us, so during this time we've been busting our asses to bring forth new material. For now, we can say we're at a very advanced stage in the production of our next title, and at this point it's safe to say new material from the band is coming soon.”

For further details, visit Shredhead on Facebook.

 




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Legendary vocalist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Ann Wilson has unveiled a collection of unreleased archival songs made with the band that she was in before HEART. THE DAYBREAKS were a short-lived hard rock group fronted by Wilson in the late 1960s. They performed in various small venues, recorded a handful of songs and released a seven-inch single in 1969 before she left the band to form HEART with sister Nancy. THE DAYBREAKS EP is out now at all streaming platforms. A limited-edition 10-inch vinyl is available for order at annwilson.com with a digital redemption code.

"The Daybreaks" track listing:

01. Standing Watching You

02. I'm Gonna Drink My Hurt Away

03. Wonder How I Managed

04. Through Eyes And Glass

Wilson is jumping right back into live performances with the "Rite Of June: An Evening With Ann Wilson" Florida tour set for June. The dates are as follows:

June 22 - Fort Myers FL - Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hal

June 24 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live Orlando

June 27 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre

Widely regarded as one of the greatest voices in the history of rock and roll, Ann Wilson is a true icon, known far and wide as lead singer and songwriter of the groundbreaking rock band HEART. Led by Wilson's extraordinary vocal power, HEART has thrilled audiences for over four decades, earning sales of more than 35 million and well-deserved induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013. Indeed, as lead singer of the first female-fronted superstar hard rock band, Wilson blazed a trail for generations of women to come, while her songs — including "Barracuda", "Crazy On You", "Straight O" and "Magic Man", to name but a few — have become part of the very fabric of popular culture.

Wilson made her stellar solo debut with 2007's "Hope & Glory", showcasing inventive covers of songs that inspired her own artistry alongside guest appearances from such friends and fans as Elton John, K.D. Lang, Alison Krauss, Wynonna Judd, Shawn Colvin and Rufus Wainwright. Her critically acclaimed second solo album, 2018's "Immortal", saw her teaming with longtime HEART producer Mike Flicker to put her unique stamp on songs made famous by David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty, Amy Winehouse and more. A series of remarkable single releases have followed, including "The Revolution Starts Now" (written and originally recorded by Steve Earle) and Wilson's own mighty soul ballad "Tender Heart", earning applause from such high-profile media outlets as Rolling Stone, American Songwriter and Goldmine. "The Hammer" and "Black Wing" were also released shortly after.

As creatively energized as ever before, Wilson is currently working on additional new music and plans to return to the road as soon as possible, bringing her one-of-a-kind voice and classic songs to stages everywhere.

The eldest son of original SALIVA singer Josey Scott, died on Sunday, May 23 after a battle with COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Josey, who left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the band, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career, announced his son's passing in a social media post. He wrote: "I don't even know where to begin in making this post. Our sweet Cody lost his fight with covid tonight, and the Lord has called him home. We are absolutely heartbroken, confused, grief stricken, angry, just every emotion you can imagine. Please keep us in your prayers, as we have some difficult days ahead. We are trusting Jesus to bring us peace that passes all understanding."

Josey first revealed his son's health battle on May 11. At the time, he shared a photo of Cody and wrote in an accompanying message: "Please, everyone, I beg you to please pray for my son Cody. He is in the hospital in Memphis with Covid pneumonia. He is 29 years old. He is my life, and I believe G-d can heal him, I just need everyone within the sound of my voice, and the viewing of this message, to please, please pray for my beautiful baby boy! He has always been so loving, and kind, and he is an amazing human being, and we look forward to years, and year more of the joy, and pleasure of his amazing presence, and company! Please remember my son in your prayers! #prayers #prayer #prayersforcody #covid_19 #healing #love #care #medicalstaff #essentialworkers".

After Scott left SALIVA, he was quickly replaced by Bobby Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last four releases: "In It To Win It" (2013), "Rise Up" (2014), "Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016) and "10 Lives" (2018).

Formed in Memphis in 1996, SALIVA released a self-titled a debut album the following year. After selling 10,000 copies of the self-released album, Island Records took notice of the band. "Every Six Seconds" and its hit singles, the Grammy-nominated "Your Disease" and "Click Click Boom", catapulted SALIVA into the mainstream and is now certified double platinum.

Two months ago, it was announced that SALIVA had abandoned its previously announced plan to reunite with Scott.

Scott broke the news of his return to SALIVA in October 2019 during an appearance on "The Morning Dump", a podcast hosted by "The Big Mad Morning Show" in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time, Josey said that he wanted to get together with SALIVA and "write a badass record."

SALIVA guitarist Wayne Swinny addressed Scott's status with the band during a March 2021 interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. Asked if there are still plans for Josey to reunite with SALIVA for a possible album and/or a tour, Wayne said: "There was preliminary discussions, but it never really got off the ground. We just basically had to make plans and keep this train rolling, so to speak. It didn't make sense to me to stop what we were doing. 'Cause this unit, we've been together, it's been almost 10 years now, with Bobby in the band. Brad came along shortly after that. We're tight. We get along. It's a well-oiled machine. We've got a great crew, a great bus driver. It would throw a monkey wrench into the actual SALIVA."




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DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen has released a music video for his version of "Quadrant 4", featuring his DELTA DEEP bandmates Forrest Robinson (drums) and Craig Martini (bass).

Says Phil: "I recruited drummer Forrest Robinson and bass player Craig Martini to accompany me on this track. We did a shred-guitar, hard-rock update of the 1973 jazz rock fusion classic 'Quadrant 4'. I've always loved the version from Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' album that featured Tommy Bolin on guitar. We [DELTA DEEP] opened up our set with this song every night on Joe Satriani's 'G3' tour in 2018 and it was always a breakneck blast. I also wanted to let everyone know about some of the stuff I've been doing during COVID. This is just one of the amazing compositions I've recorded. More to come…"

Collen left school at 16 to work in a factory and as a dispatch rider. Influenced by guitar players such as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Ronson, he soon developed a flashy, aggressive style of playing rock guitar. Phil quit his day job he went on tour as a guitarist with the London-based post-punk glam rock band GIRL. Collen joined DEF LEPPARD in 1982 during the "Pyromania" album recording sessions, playing guitar solos on the hits "Photograph", "Foolin'" and "Rock Of Ages", among others. "Pyromania" was DEF LEPPARD's breakthrough album and turned the band into rock superstars almost over night. They spent the summer of 1983 at No. 2 on the Billboard chart, behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller", the biggest-selling album of all time. "Pyromania" sold in excess of 10 times platinum and received a diamond award in the U.S. and Canada.

Collen has been featured in outlets ranging from Rolling Stone, People, The New York Times to Guitar World, Inc., Iron Man and beyond. Phil is an outspoken advocate for music, music education, animal rights, health and fitness and sobriety. In addition to his duties with DEF LEPPARD, Collen continues to write, perform and produce with MANRAZE, DELTA DEEP, TESLA and others. Collen released his memoir, "Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard, and Beyond", in fall 2015.

Canadian metal outfit SPIRITBOX will release its debut album, "Eternal Blue", on September 17. The band's music video for its latest single, titled "Secret Garden", can be seen below.

Speaking about the LP, SPIRITBOX vocalist Courtney LaPlante states: "We are very anxious to release our album. It is a body of work we have been accumulating for over two years.

"Having the recording process put on hold for so long due to the pandemic has made me see that I can never take the experience of tracking an album for granted ever again.

"I must say that although we never intended to wait so long to do this record, I think it did help the songs become stronger. I am so happy with every single song, I wish I could release each one as a single with a music video. They all reflect different moments and influences in our lives.

"We have had enough time to release the exact music we would like to put out into the world, with no need to compromise. Every single note and every single syllable is the music that we have always dreamed of making and we are very proud of it."

Regarding "Secret Garden", LaPlante adds: "I think this is the most scared I've been to put out a song, because I realize as we continue to release music in single format, listeners can start to assume what kind of band we are, and are alarmed when we do not meet those assumptions. I want to continue to showcase the fluidity that is inherent in heavy music, and even though this is just one part of a full body of work that may not sound exactly like this song, it is a song that we love and are obsessed with. I celebrate variation. 'Secret Garden' is exciting to me for this reason. I'm scared but excited, like I'm about to hit the big drop on a roller coaster, and I'm fully embracing that."

The latest announcement comes hot on the heels of SPIRITBOX's previous single release at the end of May for track "Circle With Me" which charted on Billboard at No. 1 Hard Rock Digital Song Sales, No. 5 Hot Hard Rock Songs, No. 9 Rock Songs Core Genre, No. 12 Rock Digital Songs, No. 50 Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, No. 71 Digital Songs. The track has already clocked up 4.3 million streams to date.

Prior to "Circle With Me", SPIRITBOX released two break-out, hit singles last year the heartbreaking and otherworldly "Constance" and the unrelentingly brutal "Holy Roller", which debuted at No. 25 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs and charted as the No. 1 song of 2020 on SiriusXM's Liquid Metal.

The band released "Constance Reimagined" this past weekend in conjunction with The Grammy Museum COLLECTION:live #spotlightsaturdays in partnership with BMG. The band performed an incredible acoustic rendition of the song featuring a string quartet and filmed in a church.

The husband-and-wife duo consisting of Courtney LaPlante and Michael Stringer made its debut with an independently released EP in October 2017, quickly building a cult following. In 2018, they found their musical counterpart in bass player Bill Crook and partnered with Pale Chord Music to continue to create and release music in single and EP formats, and in fall of 2020, signed with globally renowned label Rise Records.

Drawing its name from a device that some believe is capable of communing with the dead, SPIRITBOX has a paranormal undertone that runs through everything they do, using EVP (electronic voice phenomena) recordings both at its live shows and within its tracks.

Having toured the world many times over with their previous bands — metal outfit IWRESTLEDABEARONCE (Courtney and Mike) and pop punk band LIVING WITH LIONS (Bill) — SPIRITBOX absorbed the highs and lows of living as working musicians and decided to try a different and more sustainable approach when it came to releasing their music. They took the concept of supply and demand and applied it to their release model, focusing on making fans across the globe by using the social media tools available to them, releasing shorter bodies of music and removing touring from the plan until a demand was built. In doing so they quickly garnered a cult-like online following which has lead to over 66.6 million streams across all platforms and sell outs on every physical release and most merch items they've released to date.

In February 2020, SPIRITBOX jumped on a plane and finally went on tour in support of AFTER THE BURIAL across Europe, which was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having to return to Canada early, SPIRITBOX has remained busy, recording the two new music, shooting the accompanying videos, launching their Patreon and working on their debut LP.

"Eternal Blue" track listing:

01. Sun Killer

02. Hurt You

03. Yellowjacket (feat. Sam Carter)

04. The Summit

05. Secret Garden

06. Silk In The Strings

07. Holy Roller

08. Eternal Blue

09. We Live In A Strange World

10. Halcyon

11. Circle With Me

12. Constance

The iconic band KISS return to comics in a haunting new tale, "Phantom Obsession", by writer Ian Edginton.

As a young man in 1978, Darius Cho attended a concert of his favorite band, a memory that has stuck with him to this day. Now he is a massively wealthy tech giant, but mysteriously reclusive. Some even believe he may not exist at all, simply serving as a ghostly facade for an endless consortium of corporations. At least until KISS receives an all-expense invitation to play an exclusive concert for him. Playing for an audience of just Cho, his assistant and a crowd of "Westworld"-style androids invented by the mega-billionaire, everything seems a little off… Especially when the band wakes up in luxurious accommodations, but with no way to leave, and their powerful talismans stolen from them!

"It was 1977, in the U.K., and I was 14. I actually discovered KISS in issues #12 and 13 of Marvel's Howard The Duck!," said writer Ian Edginton. "I didn't know who the hell they were, but loved the look. A friend of mine who knew his metal played me the 'Love Gun' album and I was hooked, which is why 'Love Gun' (song and album) has always been my favorite!"

Acclaimed writer Ian Edginton (X-Force, Iron Maiden) twists this mystery and more for readers in this rocking new series. He's joined by artist Celor (Hack/Slash, Zombie Tramp) as well as colorist Valentina Pinto and letterer Troy Peteri. With official collaboration and approval by the band, this is a series that KISS fans can't miss!

In addition to a concert scene, of course, and the band's fight to break free from Cho's captivity, Edginton is tackling some serious questions in the series. Delving into science fiction territory with an exploration of humanity and identity by way of the androids. Which ties right into the band's famous identities involving masks and makeup. Also featured will be a romp through a theme park, with reference and influence from major parts of Japanese culture like Godzilla and the horrific manga works of Junji Ito. But ultimately, Edginton confirms, "It sounds deep, but it's mostly about robots, monsters, and blowing shit up!"

No great rock album is complete without iconic cover art, and comics are no different! In addition to one by interior artist Celor, Jae Lee leads the pack, tapping into the Japanese influences of the story on his cover. KISS fan-favorite artist Stuart Sayger returns, following his contributions to previous series Blood & Stardust, The End and Kiss Zombies, all now available in graphic novels. Celor brings along his Hack/Slash collaborator, writer and artist Tim Seeley, for one too. Plus, of course, a photo of the band themselves, and a blank sketch cover for aspiring artists!

Kiss: Phantom Obsession #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' June 2021 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in August 2021. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more.

Leviathan Project is a powerful new metal ensemble, featuring, Bobby Koeble (Death), Matt Nardo (Producer), Tk (Britny Fox) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (guest vox, ex-Judas Priest) exploring the ongoing study of our human condition through music, writings, and visual communication. The result is an aggressive and captivating sound that combines traditional heavy metal with catchy melodies, haunting vocals and other worldly guitars.

Leviathan Project will release the first of two EP’s It’s Their World on June 4 digitally and as a Limited Edition (only 100 copies) cassette. Throwing it back to the early days of metal when you would discover the latest new band through tape trading, as Deko Entertainment president Bruce Pucciarello comments, “What a great example of how you can take a familiar musical genre to another level. Amazing writing is here, the sound explodes, it’s powerful and seductive! This is an insanely good project.”

The band have released a lyric video for the track “Solar Storm” and had this to say about the new release. Tim “Ripper” Owens: “Gotta say these were some fun tunes to sing on!! When Tommy called and asked if I wanna sing on a few songs and maybe even help write a few I said hell yea let’s do it! Always cool to be a guest singer on stuff you dig!”

Bobby Koelble: “I listened to the basic tracks and just went for it. I tried to keep the flow of musicality in whatever I play. It's a lot of fun to be a part of this music.”

Matt Nardo: “Being involved in the creation of Leviathan Project has opened up new worlds for me as a musician. When you build music with talents like Bobby, Tim, and Tk; how can it not be something that resonates?”

TK: “Leviathan Project is about the moment and letting yourself get lost in the music. I try to capture sounds and create songs that will take you somewhere else.”