Banger Films has announced "Heavy Metal Hitchhiker", an eight-episode original comedy web series produced by its digital division BangerTV.

The series is directed and co-written by Marc Ricciardelli ("Shredders Of Metal", "Protest The Hero: Of Our Own Volition") and stars comedian Garrett Jamieson and is soundtracked by music from POWER TRIP, CARCASS, MUNICIPAL WASTE, EARTHLESS and POSSESSED, as well as a slew of Canadian artists such as EXCITER, KEN MODE, PROTEST THE HERO, CANCER BATS, MOUNT CYANIDE, SARIN and SMOULDER.

This action-packed comedy series follows a day in the life of Mitch, a heavy metal-loving gas station attendant, who stumbles upon an abandoned guitar that belongs to his favourite band, RÄGR. In a moment of happenstance, Mitch realizes that he must follow in his father's roadie-shaped footsteps and return the six-stringed axe to the band in time for their headlining concert. Without money or wheels, Mitch's only option is to hitchhike. He's got 10 hours to travel 247 kilometers to fulfill his destiny.

"Heavy Metal Hitchhiker" will premiere on April 20 on BangerTV's YouTube channel.

The series' executive producer is Sam Dunn, co-founder of Banger Films, an award-winning filmmaker and a global ambassador for the heavy metal community.

"This is a new chapter for BangerTV. Metalheads are going to be blown away by this series," explained Dunn. "It's jam packed with laughs and killer tunes from some amazing bands. I'm super proud of this series. It isn't just for metalheads, I think everyone will enjoy it."

"The Heavy Metal Hitchhiker" digital series is produced by Banger Films with the support of the Bell Fund.

Banger Films is a fully integrated production company creating feature documentaries, TV series, live concerts, kids programming and digital. Founded by Scot McFadyen and Dunn in 2004 with the groundbreaking documentary "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey", its signature productions include the Peabody Award and International Emmy Award-winning series "Hip-Hop Evolution", the Grammy-nominated doc "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage" and "Metal Evolution", the biggest television series ever made about the history of heavy metal.

BangerTV is the world's fastest-growing digital channel for heavy metal music and culture. With over 40 million channel views, it's where headbangers gather to watch the best original documentaries, interviews and reviews made by metal fans, for metal fans. Since launching in September 2015 as a YouTube channel, it has reached more than 310,000 subscribers and has become the go-to destination for the international metal community.

Demon Records presents the ultimate reissue of the Yardbirds’ 1966 album Yardbirds, (often known as ‘Roger The Engineer’.) Recorded by the classic lineup of Jeff Beck, Keith Relf, Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja and Paul Samwell-Smith, the band began exploring new sonic territories, pushing their blues-rock sound into the realms of the avant-garde, psychedelia and Indian music. Using original tapes, this super deluxe edition features new and definitive remastering by Phil Kinrade at Alchemy Mastering at AIR, overseen by original album producer Paul Samwell-Smith.

"Remastering this album has been a joy. To hear the tracks sounding just as we heard them all those years ago while we were recording them - energetic, edgy, and in your face - is an unexpected treat. In 1966, it was a rare and exciting opportunity to be given a recording studio for 5 days and allowed to experiment. That excitement still shows." - Paul Samwell-Smith

Includes:

- Yardbirds in mono – Remastered from the original British 1⁄4” mono master tapes, newly transferred for this release at Abbey Road Studios. Pressed on 180g blue vinyl, housed in a replica of the original British album sleeve.

- Yardbirds in stereo – Considered by producer Paul Samwell-Smith to be the definitive version of the album, the stereo mix has been remastered from the 1⁄4” master tapes which were newly transferred for this release at Alchemy Mastering at AIR. Pressed on 180g red vinyl, housed in a replica of the ultra-rare German sleeve.

- "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" 7” – The classic psychedelic single (featuring future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones) has been newly remastered for this release. Pressed on white vinyl.

- 3 CDs - Featuring the mono and stereo mixes of the album on CDs 1 and 2 and bonus tracks on CD 3. Highlights on CD 3 include newly remastered non-album singles, rare alternate versions, and a previously unreleased early mix of "Turn Into Earth" which reveals a searing guitar solo by Jeff Beck.

- 24-page 12” x 12” booklet – Includes rare memorabilia and photographs, an exclusive introduction by Jeff Beck, testimonials by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and MC5’s Wayne Kramer, plus an extensive essay and track-by-track liner notes by David French based on new interviews with Jimmy Page, Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty and Simon Napier- Bell.

- A2 fold-out poster inspired by the original "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" single release advertisement.

Pre-order here.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

On April 2, the single “Where The Angels Fly” came out, which has been bubbling the rumour mill for weeks: when the video for the song went online, it triggered a huge social media storm. Dirkschneider & The Old Gang have already achieved more than two million clicks on YouTube.

The name practically explains what is behind the music project: Rock legend Udo Dirkschneider gathered his closest peer group around him in autumn 2020 and founded a spectacular new project.

The first concrete information is already available about the details of Dirkschneider & The Old Gang - in addition to Udo, his son Sven, the former Accept members, bassist Peter Baltes and guitarist Stefan Kaufmann, as well as singer Manuela Bibert are also on board - the extent of this prominent formation and their further plans will only be announced in the coming weeks.

Just this much: Anyone who had previously believed that they already knew all the essentials is mistaken. Dirkschneider & The Old Gang started with a sensational video, but only vaguely indicated the entire dimension. So keep your eyes and ears open: From now on it will be really exciting.

Listen to/buy “Where The Angels Fly” here, watch the video below:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Hundred Headless Horsemen is a psychedelic death metal band hailing from Helsinki, Finland. "Echoes" is the second single from their first full length, a concept album titled Apokalepsia that will be released on May 21st via Inverse Records. Check it out below.

“Innumerable waves of destruction sweep through our minds, soon to be decomposed. Only few of us count the rhythm of the steps to annihilation. The end comes not in the form of a rapid strike of a blade but through a slow succumbing to the oblivion. Remember your mortality.”

The band blends together different subgenres from the past and present to create a unique brand of psychedelic death metal. Their musical approach mirrors the narrative of the album, that moves in multiple time and space dimensions based on fragments of articles about a formerly unknown psychoneurological condition.

"We were so sure of ourselves. So sure we were in control that we forgot we all were, first and foremost, biomass. Biomass that consisted of trillions of bacteria inside our own bodies whose sole reason for existence was to continue existing. We should have learned ages ago that we were never unaffected by the needs of what was living inside of us. In fact, how could we tell which of our desires were our own and which of them were born out of the other living mechanisms inside us?

If the larger biomass we all are a part of decided that it was time for us to self-destruct, would we wilfully do so? Although ecosystems do not decide things, they merely strive to survive. Why did we think we were above all these mechanisms, even if turning a blind eye to them proposed a direct threat to our existence?”

Step into the realm of Apokalepsia. HIC SUNT DRACONES."

Apokalepsia was recorded at Sir Näs Studios in Helsinki, Finland and mastered by Magnus Lindberg Productions in Stockholm, Sweden. Check out the band's official Facebook page here.

"Catalclysm"




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Alternative metal/rock trio, Dear Mother, recently released  new single, "Satellite", the third track from their upcoming album, set to arrive on July 16. Guitarist Merel Bechtold has posted a playthrough video for "Satellite", available below.

The recent split of Delain is still fresh, but former members Joey Marin de Boer and Merel Bechtold have already released two singles, "Symbiose" and "12 Years In Exile".

Joey Marin de Boer and the other members left Delain in February. In 2019, Bechtold left to focus on different musical ambitions. Dear Mother is the result of that.

"After a long search we found David. A London stranded Russian vocalist, to complete the lineup. The first time I heard him sing on one of our songs I was blown away by his sound and capabilities. And you know what... he’s a super nice guy and on top of that he is the director and producer of all our music videos!," says Merel.

Compared to the previous singles, "Satellite" displays a more Australian alternative rock sound. "After releasing 2 ‘bangers’ we wanted to show you our other side. This song is more about the song and less about punching you in the face and just smashing you around. I feel that that was what we did with the first two songs, in a good way," Joey says.

"For me this is one of the coolest songs of the album. I don’t scream as much as in the previous two, and we tried something different in the chorus, vocal wise. Which is very exciting," says David.

"12 Years In Exile"

"Symbiose"

"Satellite"




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

In a new interview with NME, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian, who was publicly critical of the Donald Trump administration, was asked if he is feeling "hopeful" about the Joe Biden presidency. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the word is 'relief' more than 'hopeful.' With Trump gone and Biden in, I think there was a sense of relief that we all sighed — not just in the U.S. but around the world, because U.S. policy affects the rest of the world more than any other country in the world. And the president way too much power in terms of foreign policy — more than domestic policy, because Congress will hamper him on domestic policy. A U.S. president has way too much power in terms of foreign affairs, so it affects the rest of the world greatly. So I think the whole world felt a bit of a relief that Trump was gone and someone more of an adult was now in power."

He continued: "Does it go far enough for me as an activist in terms of my wishes for pushing the envelope on lifestyle changes having to do with climate change? Does it go far enough in terms of my wishes of wealth distribution or free tuition and free health care in the U.S. I would like to see all those things coming to fruition. Hopefully Biden's administration opens the doors to some of those ideas that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and some other progressives were pushing for. So, personally, it's kind of middle of the road for me, but compared to the chaotic policies of whatever the Trump administration was called, lacking three-quarters of the staff that actually does the work, it's great."

Serj also talked about his relationship with SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan, who made headlines last year when he praised Trump and accused Democrats of "demonizing" the real estate mogul and "blaming him for everything under the sun."

"A good band always has a lot of dynamics, whether it's political differences or ideas, which kind of just became pronounced with John and I in the last year or whatever, with the whole Trump re-election campaign," Tankian said. "But that wasn't really that much of an issue with American politics before with the band. It's a new phenomena, really, if you will. But John's my brother-in-law as well as my bandmember, so find someone who doesn't have a brother-in-law with a different political [perspective].

"It's really interesting, because some of the most amazing bands — the bands that create the most elastic and interesting music — are ones that have very interesting, weird dynamics, differences between bandmembers," he explained. "So I wouldn't change that. I wouldn't change that in the least bit. Better than four or five people making what I call corporate music, which is we agree on everything, we wanna maximize our returns and let's put out music every year and let's tour every year and let's do this because we're Pepsi or whatever. We're not. SYSTEM OF A DOWN has never been that. We're punk rock. And it works great when we're working together, but sometimes we're not working together. So be it."

Last September, Dolmayan defended his reasons for voicing his political views that are ideologically opposed to those of Tankian, telling the "Deviant Gentlemen" podcast: "SYSTEM OF A DOWN has a legacy of being left-leaning, which isn't always the case. Serj, of course, is responsible for the lyrics, but they didn't always represent the band in the way that we maybe wanted [them] to. There's four individuals in the band. I don't speak for any of the individuals except for myself, and neither does Serj. But because he had that platform of writing lyrics, the perception was out there that that's how the band felt at all times, where I don't even think Serj necessarily felt those ways at all times. You're supposed to have diversity of opinion even within your own mind, and you should judge things based on information that's presented to you.

"If you're a SYSTEM fan and you gravitate towards the music, you enjoy the music, but you don't necessarily agree with the perceived message, well, where do you go?" he continued. "If you think that Serj is the mouthpiece of the band, which he is, as far as vocally, but not necessarily for ideology, then you have nowhere to go. So I wanted to present a different view and to give kids out there who think differently and who are critical thinkers, not necessarily following the norm, that there is a different option, you can think differently, it's okay to have diversity of opinion, as long as it's done peaceably."

Asked if he has been approached by anybody in the music industry and told to tone down his political rhetoric on social media, John said: "No. My manager, he was just, like, 'Look, maybe you guys are going a little too far' — for both Serj and I. And we did have a private text conversation between me, [our manager] and Serj. And again, I think Serj views himself in a way where he's really doing the right thing. And he really does care about people. And he does a lot for individuals and our nation as well. He's really trying to help people, Serj. I believe he's a good person, inherently. But again, it's that moral high ground that they think they're on — that perceived moral high ground. It kind of blinds them to being open about ideas they might be wrong on."

In early 2020, Dolmayan supported Trump's claim that his administration had done more for the African-American community "than any president since Abraham Lincoln." Meanwhile, Tankian had called for Trump to resign and described him as "completely useless" over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

THE WINERY DOGS guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen, who made a name for himself via his hard rock, blues-influenced solo albums, perhaps got his most notable exposure during his one-album stint with glam rockers POISON in the early '90s. Kotzen was in POISON for two years before getting fired in November 1993 after drummer Rikki Rockett found out that the axeman had been seeing his former fiancée, the woman he had lived with for four years and had been engaged to for two before she left him just prior to POISON's European tour.

Asked in a new interview with Radio Forrest if he has ever run into the POISON guys in the decades since his exit from the group, Richie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We ran into each other shortly after all that. And actually, the bass player [Bobby Dall] and I sat down one night at the Rainbow [in West Hollywood] and had a chat. That was maybe five years after, so the stuff was still relatively fresh. But the funny thing is I ran into Bret Michaels backstage at, I think it was a Rock Fantasy camp, and we hugged. 'Hey, I love you, bro. Great to see you.' We had a great talk. C.C. [DeVille, guitar], I ran into him. We were on tour with THE WINERY DOGS in 2019. The irony there is my tour manager for my solo tours and for THE WINERY DOGS, that tour manager is C.C. DeVille's day-to-day guy on the road. So that's totally ironic; we're connected there. But the craziest part of it is that my wife Julia, she's a bass player, and she did a show with Rikki Rockett playing the drums. And I actually overheard… Rikki was in the dressing room as I was coming down the hall, and I heard my name mentioned. Someone must have been asking him something. And I heard Rikki say, 'I don't give a fuck. I haven't seen the guy in 20 years. I don't care.' And then I ran into him, and I said hello, and I shook his hand."

Kotzen continued: "I was a kid when I was in that band. It was a great experience, but imagine you just turned 21 and now you're in a band that already sold 20 million albums. Everything was just like being in a fucking movie. And I think in the end of it, I still think we made a kick-ass record; I think we made a fantastic record. And if you think about what was going on with those bands back then, we were the only band that MTV actually gave a shot. That song 'Stand', when it came out, I used to sit in my room and leave the TV on. They played that video every 20 minutes, that video was on. And that was a great feeling back then. So we had a shot with that record, and it ended up [being] a gold record. I don't know if it eventually went platinum, but I definitely got a gold record out of it. A lot of those bands didn't even get their videos played on MTV [at that point], so we had a good shot with it. It was a great record.

"I was already signed to Interscope, and in my mind, I was just thinking, 'When am I gonna make my solo record?' So it was a weird situation for me coming in. I think we made a great record.

"People grow up and get over shit, and I think we all got over shit and moved on."

Three years ago, Dall told Detroit radio station WRIF that he harbored no resentment toward his former bandmate.

"Richie Kotzen's a very talented player," Bobby said. "[An] unfortunate personal issue happened in the band. It's pretty much public knowledge. I like the guy, but he hurt Rikki Rockett, a dear friend of mine, so I've got to let it go for what it is. But those guys have talked in recent years, and I've seen Richie at [the] NAMM [convention] and different things, and I don't hold a grudge against him or nothing. It just is what it is. The guy ended up marrying Rikki's fiancée at the time. It's a pretty difficult situation to go through and find out [about] in the middle of a tour. But it is what it is. I have no ill will towards Richie, [other than] the fact that it was the wrong thing to do."

THE OFFSPRING singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman spoke to Rock Sound about the band's upcoming tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", which will arrive on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

Speaking about the inspiration for the "Let The Bad Times Roll" album title, Dexter said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the phrase sums up the world over the last few years. And while it looks like, hopefully, better times are on the horizon, the bad times are rolling still, I think."

Noodles added: "It's not just [that] we've been handed this shit show that we don't really have any control over, we might as well make the most of it, on top of that we have world leaders that don't seem to wanna change anything for the better. They're rolling the bad times."

Continued Dexter: "This is fucking no joke. The world's in a bad place right now. And I felt like the leaders are not really trying to make it better — not the way they should; not the way they would have a generation ago. I think this idea of working together with people on the opposite side of the political spectrum has just gone out the window."

Said Noodles: "Democracy has been taking a hit. The idea that we can get all together and through shared ideas and shared concern for each other, we can get through this. People are just, like, 'Oh, no. Fuck you. We won this election, and you go fuck yourself. We're in power. We don't wanna hear from you.' You can't have a civilized society that way."

Dexter stated: "That's heavy. That's a serious message that we wanted to get across. At the same time, jeez, you can only hammer so long before you're just the bummer at the party. So I think the flipside of the same statement, 'Let the bad times roll,' is almost kind of, like, 'We're here. We've gotta roll with the punches a little bit.' And the chorus of that song kind of sums it up, makes it a little bit lighter. So it kind of felt like this is what the tone of the record should be; this is the underlying message of the whole thing."

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

In December, THE OFFSPRING released the official music video for its Rock-produced cover version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", a rock song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 seasonal compilation album "A Christmas Gift For You" from Phil Spector.

Last April, THE OFFSPRING jumped on the "Tiger King" bandwagon by recording a cover version of THE CLINTON JOHNSON BAND's "Here Kitty Kitty", a song made popular by Joe Schreibvogel — better known as Joe Exotic, the "Tiger King" — through the Netflix docuseries.

Two years ago, bassist Gregory "Greg K." Kriesel, who hasn't performed with THE OFFSPRING since 2018, filed a federal lawsuit against Noodles and Dexter alleging trademark infringement and breach of partnership agreement over the rights to THE OFFSPRING name. In response, Holland and Wasserman filed a cross-complaint, denying basically everything Kriesel alleged and asking the court to appoint "three disinterested appraisers to appraise the fair value" of Kriesel's shares of THE OFFSPRING.

THE OFFSPRING has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, won countless awards, and has toured consistently, playing more than 500 shows in the last decade alone. Their music has had a lasting impact across film, television, and video games.

LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice spoke to Thomas S. Orwat Jr. of the "Glam Metal" podcast about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's third album. The follow-up to 2019's "II" is tentatively due in late 2021 or early 2022 via an as-yet-undisclosed record label.

"We got half of the record recorded, and then this [pandemic] hit," Vinny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "So it slowed everything down. Now we're negotiating another record deal at the moment, and we're going to get a schedule together… 'Cause this band, we can't [make music] over the Internet. Like, 'Hey, man, I've got this riff.' It doesn't work like that with this band. This band, like DIO and like [BLACK] SABBATH, jams in a room and comes up with stuff that way. The first LAST IN LINE record we did jamming — we were jamming, and I recorded it, and we listened to it, and we worked that way. 'Cause it's heavier, and it's natural to do it that way for us. So we're gonna get together in the near future and start finishing the rest of the record."

Addressing the fact that LAST IN LINE features in its ranks DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell, Vinny said: "Meanwhile, we're waiting for a schedule of what's gonna happen with DEF LEPPARD's tour dates; they had those big tour dates scheduled, [with] MÖTLEY CRÜE and all that. So we don't know what's happening with that. As soon as we know, we'll be doing some gigs. We've got some gigs in October so far. We'll have to wait and see how this pans out…. Hopefully the album will be finished and out probably around Christmas, and we'll be out before then."

This past February, Appice told Metal From The Inside that former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson, who produced both "II" and 2016's "Heavy Crown", is not involved with the upcoming LAST IN LINE album. "We made a change," he said. "Actually, the guy who mixed the last record, Chris Collier — he's great; he's working with KORN — he recorded this record. And we're kind of producing it ourselves, between all of us.

"Jeff is great — Jeff's a great producer, and [he has] great ideas and stuff, but we just felt that we could probably do what we wanna do now that we're a band, we've been on the road, and we know what we wanna hear," he explained. "But it's coming out great. The stuff sounds fantastic.

"And yeah, I've been through a lot with Jeff Pilson. I've known him for years. He's a great guy. He's like my brother."

Also in February, LAST IN LINE bassist Phil Soussan told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that the band was working on "a very, very special song that we're gonna be putting out fairly soon. I can't tell you any more than that, but it is something in the interim between us coming out with a new album, or releasing a new album, and now," he said. "So we'll do this as a video single."

As for the musical direction of the new LAST IN LINE material, Phil said: "The songs are another progression from the last album — the difference between 'Heavy Crown' and 'II', and now 'II' and whatever this next album is gonna be called; we don't know yet, by the way. But it's definitely evolved even more; it's gone into even more of an evolution, but we are always trying to keep the characteristics of LAST IN LINE there. I mean, you can't shake those things — you can't shake Vinny's drumming, you can't shake Vivian's playing. And I'd like to say the same thing about myself, and, of course, Andrew."

Some of the early recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album took place in January 2020 at Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California.

Formed in 2012 by Appice, Campbell and bassist Jimmy Bain — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly passed away at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, the aforementioned "II".

In a new interview The Sessions, former KISS and current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist was asked what advice he had for aspiring artists looking to break into the music business. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, what's interesting, of course, and I know you're aware, now with the Internet, it doesn't matter where you live. I was bragging about I grew up in New York, so I got to see these bands. I could audition for Meat Loaf because it's gonna happen in New York. The label's in New York, the lawyers are in New York… You know what I mean. And it was almost like you had to be in a major city to be famous in the '60s and '70s, and the '80s maybe too. But now, I think the Internet and the way we share music and the fact that you have Grammy-winning people now just doing it all on their laptop, the success that they have is really that they are creating something that's connecting with people. All the artists now, the playing field is a bit leveled, and everyone can get out there. So now it's gonna be about you being as unique and special and wonderful as possible.

"I think it's very important for everyone to embrace their heroes — whoever influenced you — but then make it your own," he continued. "I remember Paul [Stanley, KISS frontman], back in the KISS days, being really enamored with a terrific band that sounded just like VAN HALEN. But that was their problem, really — they sounded just like VAN HALEN. Take a great element and make it your own. Certainly when GUNS N' ROSES came out, no one heard anything like that, but it was still rock and roll, it was hungry and it was powerful.

"There's a lot of new music that's not for me, really, but the point is the ones that come out that connect with a lot of people, I think that somehow their inner muse is now completely there. They're as raw as can be. Obviously, anyone can do a good video now. Be as creative as you can.

"I'm blessed with who I have," Kulick added. "For someone brand new, it's a different thing. I'm always gonna be the guy from KISS who plays with GRAND FUNK, but a new artist, really, they're starting from the ground, so there's nowhere but up to go. But don't give up. If you really have something, keep going. Keep hitting the pavement, as they say. Keep figuring out how you can improve your numbers and reaching people. Don't be afraid to be critiqued by people you admire. You notice how some of the artists, they have another famous artist maybe promote them or mention them — an 'influencer,' shall I say. That's a value.

"I know all the tricks for me to get out there, and all I could share is hopefully that inspiration that the cream will rise, you will get seen if you're truly doing something special that's connecting to people. That's the most important thing: does this move people? 'Cause that's ultimately all we're responding to. And now the way everybody's just, like, 'All right. Yeah. Okay.' You watch 15 seconds of it, but they put their heart and soul in three minutes or four minutes. But if something's truly interesting, you're gonna get drawn into that.

"You've just gotta persevere and keep working hard at it."

In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with them until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic four-decade-plus career.

In a new interview with George Dionne of Metal Express Radio, former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley spoke about how he has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The first part of the lockdown, that was a challenge, because gigs were getting postponed and disappearing, and you can't help but think about the future. The second part of the lockdown [consisted of] actually making a record, doing something positive, not really thinking about the future, just staying in the moment and getting through every day. And in this third part, journalists have got the album, we've got two singles out that fans are listening to, and people are getting the vibe of what we were trying to talk about and the message that we were trying to get over. So it's worked really well.

"On this lockdown, I've been thinking less about the gigs — and I really miss my fans — but on this lockdown, I've been thinking more about sleeping on the floor in the airport," he continued. "And I've been thinking, 'You know what? Getting up at home and having a choice of food that's not a flavor of pizza, actually, that's not so bad.' And waking up in my own bed and being able to go to bed almost anytime is so much better than lying on the floor in the airport, waiting for the check-in desk to open because the weather stopped a flight. And it's so much better than running across the airport in Frankfurt, or being told to, which is full of armed police.

"So in this lockdown, I've focused on the good side of being at home, and not having to climb onto a tour bus and sleep in a bunk, not having to sit in a van for hours, not sitting at airports for hours. So all of that time when you would be sitting and waiting, I'm not waiting for anything. I'm actually at home and I can do stuff. So that's been a good side of it, really.

"I'm very, very lucky I've had incredible support from all of my fans around the world," Blaze added. "They've gone online and gone to BlazeBayley.net, they've bought direct from me and their support has really kept me going.

"I am so lucky to be in this situation, because there are so many people that are suffering, especially in the music business — at different levels, people are really, really struggling. And I'm lucky I've got these incredible, wonderful, loyal fans that, through thick and thin, good and bad, they have supported me and kept me going. And I'm so grateful and I'm so lucky to have that support."

The 57-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left to join MAIDEN, with whom he recorded two studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums he appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Blaze will release a new studio album, "War Within Me", on April 9. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.

CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz spoke to "The Dan Chan Show" about the fact that his band is considered to be one of the forefathers of the late 1980s and early 1990s death metal scene. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's cool, I guess — just the fact that we happened to be in the right place at the right time, obviously, growing up when we did. So it's a little bit of luck in that way. And it's just very exciting and cool that we were able to kind of help create a genre here, I guess. The fact that, like I said, we're still around and relevant 30 years later and all that, it's pretty incredible. So, it's definitely a cool accomplishment and a cool feeling to know that we're one of the ones still standing and were there in the beginning of it all."

Asked if there is "some weight" around his and his bandmates' necks every time they make an album, Paul said: "I don't think so. I think we just do what we do. The way I look at it is we're CANNIBAL CORPSE. There was never any expectations. There wasn't some formula or something. We just strived and strived to be the best band we could. I think it really just comes out of us from inside when we have to create. So I think it's just kind of business as usual, for the most part, when we're about to start writing and put a new record out or what have you."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's new album, "Violence Unimagined", will be released on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

George Lynch says that he has come up with a possible new name for his "touring entity" after deciding to retire the LYNCH MOB band name last year.

Last August, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB, apparently due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he will no longer record or perform under that name.

George brought up the tentative new name for his touring band while discussing his many projects with Aftershocks TV. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'll always have my touring entity. It won't be LYNCH MOB. I'm thinking of calling it GEORGE LYNCH AND THE NEW WEST. THE NEW WEST is a name I've had kicking around since freakin' the '80s, and I told some of my friends about it. And recently I [have been] kind of searching for a new name for a touring entity, and one friend brought that up. He goes, 'What about THE NEW WEST? That was a cool-ass name.' And I'm, like, 'You know what? Yeah. I do like that. GEORGE LYNCH AND THE NEW WEST. Why not?' So I think that might be what I'll use. That's what I've been putting out there with my agent. And that way, it'll give me the freedom to play a wider variety of stuff. It's not just gonna be LYNCH MOB-centric. I mean, I'll probably play some of that, and DOKKEN, but also all kinds of other stuff. I can play anything. I can change it up every night."

Three months ago, Lynch offered a lengthy explanation for why he was ending LYNCH MOB during an interview with George Dionne of Metal Express Radio. Addressing questions about why it took him three decades to call it quits with LYNCH MOB, George said: "When we first formed the band in '89, the name had sort of already been around. While I was in DOKKEN, it's what I called our little group of guitar fans — I had picks made; it was kind of a little subculture within DOKKEN. When we started working on developing and building the band after DOKKEN broke up, that was just the name that we always thought we'd use, 'cause it was a perfect fit — it's my name, and it describes it pretty well. And, of course, the negative connotations were always there, and I was aware of 'em, but not as aware as I probably should have been. [Laughs]

"I had made numerous attempts over the decades to kind of let that name go and had walked that back for multiple reasons — usually because of business considerations," he continued. "For instance, if you try to go out on a tour and not use the name, promoters aren't gonna be happy with you changing it. People aren't gonna know who you are. They're not gonna show up, because what's THE GEORGE LYNCH EXPERIENCE, or whatever you call it. Or record labels are not interested, because it's a brand that they can count on and sell a certain many albums or whatever.

"For instance, the LYNCH MOB record 'Smoke This' that came out, I think, in '99 or 2000, that was not supposed to be a LYNCH MOB record; that really wasn't anything to do with LYNCH MOB. At the end of the day, after the record was done and we were delivering it to the label, they insisted on using that name as insurance. And if I hadn't agreed to that, we wouldn't have had a record. That's the kind of pressure I'm talking about.

"But then, with the onset of everything that's happened in the last year, I didn't have that kind of pressure anymore," George added. "I could take it or leave it at this point. And I didn't really feel comfortable with it; I didn't feel comfortable with the name. 'Cause I'm a very progressive person politically, and it just so flies in the face of everything I believe in, and it makes it hard. It makes it hard to have relationships with people and explain yourself, and I got tired of rationalizing it. I think the music is bigger than that, and it's had a great run.

"Another reason, too, is the band fell apart again. The band has fallen apart so many times, I can't even count. And it was just, like, 'No more Oni [Logan, vocals], no more Brian Tichy [drums], no more this guy, no more that guy. Oh, great. Now what do I do?' It's, like, 'Okay, build another band from scratch, call it LYNCH MOB?' No. How about just build something new? It gives me a lot more freedom to basically play anything I want live… I can go out and play everything from my catalog — new, old, covers, jams, you name it, and go deep and have fun and change it up every night."

Oni first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the outfit in the late 2000s.

Logan is featured on five of LYNCH MOB's eight albums, including 1990's "Wicked Sensation", as well as 2009's "Smoke And Mirrors", 2014's "Sun Red Sun", 2015's "Rebel" and 2017's "The Brotherhood".

Last August, LYNCH MOB celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Wicked Sensation" with a special limited print/deluxe edition of the album. "Wicked Sensation Reimagined" features re-worked and re-recorded versions of the LP's classic songs, and was made available via Rat Pak Records.

Venom Inc. frontman, Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, recently announced the upcoming Black Sabbath tribute album from all-star project Sabbatonero, entitled L’Uomo Di Ferro - A Tribute To Black Sabbath. They have released a lyric viceo for their cover of "Heaven And Hell" featuring Tony D’Alessio (Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso) on vocals, Heric Fittipaldi (Scenario) on keyboards, and a guitar solo by Ken Andrews (Obituary).

Dolan recently checked in with an update on the project, which can be found below.

All funds raised by the projectwill go to frontline COVID workers in Italy. It will be released on digital and followed by vinyl/CD versions.

L’Uomo Di Ferro - A Tribute To Black Sabbath tracklisting:

"Symptom Of The Universe"
"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
"N.I.B."
"Killing Yourself To Live"
"Heaven & Hell"
"Paranoid"
"Children Of The Grave"
"A National Acrobat"
"Hole In the Sky"
"War Pigs"

Backing band:

Tony ‘Demolition’ Dolan (Venom Inc) - All bass & vocals on "N.I.B."
Francesco Conte (Necromega) - Guitars
Filippo Marcheggiani (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso) - Guitars
Riccardo Spilli (Balleto Di Bronzo) - Drums

Guest artists:

Vocalists:
Rasmus Bom Anderson (Diamond Head) - Vocals on "Symptom of the Universe"
Steve Sylvester (Death SS) - Vocals on "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
Tony ‘Demolition’ Dolan (Venom Inc) - vocals on "N.I.B."
Maksymina Kuzianik (Scarceration) & Mayara Puertas (Torture Squad) - Vocal duet on "Killing Yourself To Live"
Tony D’Alessio (Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso) - Vocals on "Heaven & Hell"
Fleigas (Necrodeath) - Vocals on "Paranoid"
John Gallagher (Raven) - Vocals on "Children of the Grave"
Simone Salvatori (Spiritual Front) - Vocals on "A National Acrobat"
Andrea Zanetti (Monumentum) - Vocals on "Hole in the Sky"
James Rivera (Helstar) - Vocals on "War Pigs"

Guitar soloists:
Marty Friedman - "Symptom of the Universe"
Mantas (Venom Inc) - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
Terence Hobbs (Suffocation)  - "N.I.B."
Prika Amaral (Nervosa) - "Killing Yourself To Live"
Ken Andrews (Obituary) - "Heaven & Hell"
Sonia Nusselder (Crypta/Cobra Spell/ex-Burning Witches) - "Paranoid"
Russ Tippins (Satan) - "Children of the Grave"
Atilla Voros (Leander Rising, ex-Tyr/Nevermore - "A National Acrobat"
Wiley Arnet (Sacred Reich) - "Hole In the Sky"
James Murphy (ex Death/Agent Steel/Obituary) - "War Pigs"

Guest drummers:
Snowy Shaw (Dream Evil/Mercyful Fate, etc) - Drums on "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
Mark Jackson (Acid Reign ex-M:Pire of Evil) - Drums on "War Pigs"
Dario Casabona  (Schizo) - Drums on "Hole in the Sky"

Keyboard guests:
Freddy Delirio (Death SS) - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
Heric Fittipaldi (Scenario) - "Heaven & Hell"

"Symptom Of The Universe"

Cover Art by @weltyamatattoo
Design/Layout: Maxi Kuzianik/Tony Dolan

Recorded all over the planet, but...

Mixed by Francesco Conte
Stem Pre Mastering by Marco Mastrobuono, Francesco Conte and Filippo Marcheggiani at Kick Recording Studio Italy
Mastered by Jack Control at Enormous Door Mastering Italy

Produced by Tony Dolan and Francesco Conte




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Rockers From Ashes To New have announced their "Remote Uncontrolled" livestream event, set for Saturday, May 1 at 4 PM ET. Tickets and a variety of merch bundles are available here.

The band will be playing songs from their new album Panic, which arrived in April 2020, for the first time during the stream.

"We never wanted to do a livestream," says singer Matt Brandyberry. "We wanted to wait and play the new songs when we could finally be on stage, live, and in front of our fans. It's almost been a year since we started Panic and this virus won't hold us back anymore. We have to get these songs out of our system and into your ears."

He finishes, "We will be coming to somewhere near you sometime this year. But until then, join us for an epic night where we can at least rage together in a virtual world.  Much love — and stay safe!"




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Cryptosis released their debut album, Bionic Swarm, on March 26th. The album is available in the following formats and can be ordered here. They have released an "unboxing" video taking you through the various album formats available. Check it out below.

-CD Digipak – all outlets
-Gatefold black LP+CD – all outlets
-Gatefold dark green LP+CD – CM EU Onlineshop (200 LPs)
-Gatefold red LP+CD – Band Shop (200 LPs)
-Gatefold neon yellow LP+CD – District 19 Shop (200 LPs)
-Gatefold golden LP+CD – EMP & Nuclear Blast (100/100 LPs)
-Digital Album

Cover art by Eliran Kantor / Cryptosis logo by Christophe Szpajdel:

Tracklisting:

“Overture 2149”
“Decypher”
“Death Technology”
“Prospect Of Immortality”
“Transcendence”
“Perpetual Motion”
“Conjuring The Egoist”
“Game Of Souls”
“Mindscape”
“Flux Divergence”

“Transcendence” video:

“Death Technology”

"Death Technology” - Behind The Scenes

To celebrate Bionic Swarm, Cryptosis play a live stream show at Metropool on April 24, starting at 8:30 PM, CET. The stream will take place here.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Philip H. Anselmo And The Illegals will return to the stage April 9 for a very special livestream event.

Dubbed A Vulgar Display Of Pantera, the multi-camera shot, fully live performance will take place on Friday, April 9 and find the band celebrating the legacy of Pantera with a set featuring select cuts from the band’s five classic albums: Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display Of Power, Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill, and Reinventing The Steel. The livestream will also include an opening set by Australian grindcore unit/Housecore recording artists King Parrot.

In the video below, the band unboxes the tickets that will be sent to those who purchased the livestream:

Comments Anselmo, “It’s always fun to get together with The Illegals and pay tribute to Pantera with all the awesome fans jamming along with us. Let’s do this!”

The festivities will commence at 7 PM, EDT / 4 PM, PDT with Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals taking the stage at 8 PM, EDT / 5 PM, PDT sharp. Video on demand will be available through Monday, April 12 at 11:59 PM, EDT / 8:59 PM, PDT.

Don’t miss it! Early bird tickets are $12.50 ($17.50 week of show). Find tickets and exclusive merch bundles at illegalslive.com.

Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals’ A Vulgar Display Of Pantera Live is presented in association with Danny Wimmer Presents.

Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals features Philip H. Anselmo (Pantera, Down, Superjoint, Scour, En Minor, etc.) with guitarists Stephen Taylor (Superjoint) and Mike DeLeon (Flesh Hoarder, Being Killed, ex-MOD), drummer Jose Manuel “Blue” Gonzalez (Superjoint, Warbeast), and bassist Derek Engemann (Scour, ex-Cattle Decapitation). The band’s most recent full-length, the critically-acclaimed Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue, was released in 2018 via Anselmo’s own Housecore Records.

(Photo - Joseph P. Dorignac IV)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

All-Star Vivaldi Metal Project is currently in production for their second studio (double) album.

The new record features a larger cast of world-class musicians than ever before and, as on the previous album The Four Seasons, all songs will include vocalists, band, orchestra and choir, as well as a featured cast of internationally-recognized metal and classical artists from all across the globe.

Vivaldi Metal Project’s crowd-funding campaign page for the new album is officially live and running here and features exclusive prize packages that will only be available during this preorder campaign.

At this point in production, many renowned artists are already slotted to record. This list includes such sensations as Mike Portnoy, Rob Rock, Jeff Scott Soto, Mike Terrana, Mark Boals, Roy Z (B. Dickinson), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), Anders Johansson (Manowar), Michele Guaitoli (Visions of Atlantis/Temperance), Rolf Pilve (Stratovarius), Gerit Lamm / Aeva Maurelle (Xandria), Steve Di Giorgio (Testament), Zaher Zorgati (Myrath), Emma Zoldan / Nils Courbaron (Sirenia), Coen Janssen (Epica), Jennifer Batten, Joe Stump (Alcatrazz), Nick Z Marino (Y. Malmsteen), Allan Sorensen (Pretty Maids), Chris Caffery (Savatage), Mark Cross (ex-Firewind), Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Elina Siirala (Leaves' Eyes), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Jorn, Revolution Saints), Fabio D’Amore (Serenity), Melissa Ferlaak (Plague of Stars), Philip Bynoe (S. Vai), Kelly Simonz, Matt Bissonette (E. John/J. Satriani), Giacomo Voli / Roberto De Micheli (Rhapsody of Fire), Felipe Andreoli (Angra), David Folchitto (Fleshgod Apocalypse), Roger Staffelbach (Artension), Marco Sfogli (J. Labrie), Andreas Passmark (Royal Hunt), Marcelo Moreira (Z. Stevens), Bob Katsionis (Firewind), Henrik Klingenberg (Sonata Arctica), Milan Polak, Andrea Martongelli (D. Ellefson), and many more.

The Vivaldi Metal Project is an international symphonic-metal group conceived and produced by Italian keyboard player, composer and producer Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Roy Z, Rob Rock, Mark Boals, Artlantica, Joe Stump’s Tower of Babel).




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Enter if you dare “The Waste Of Dreadrift”, the latest music video from Xael (ft. members of Nile, The Reticent, Rapheumets Well). The video is the next visual exploration into the fictional sci-fi world created by band founder and drummer Joshua “Nassaru” Ward for the band's new album “Bloodtide Rising” released this past February via Pavement Entertainment.

Ward explains the album's story in further detail:

"Imprisoned by the counsel of Tymeer in the waste of Dreadrift, Darmak and the Watchers of Xan were presented as an offering to the Sovereign Ruler of Vuul Athmar, Atara Avuniir where they were assimilated into her elite guard, the Suun Vir. Unforeseen, the Queen fell in love with Darmak and bore him a son, yet the queen harbors a dark secret, an anomaly that threatens the outer-worlds."

Hailing from the American Carolinas, Xael brings forth with them epic symphonic death metal like no other. Their new album entitled Bloodtide Rising is a concept record rooted in a science fiction universe that Xael revolves all their music around. The extreme symphonic release chronicles the journey of a character named Darmak, an immortal who is trying to find purpose in a chaotic and complex multiverse. 

Xael was initially meant to be a personal project by drummer Joshua “Nassaru” Ward, however, when other musicians showed interest it evolved into a full-fledged project with each member contributing equally towards this current full length and the band's first album “The Last Arbiter” (2018).

Fans of progressive and brutal metal along with sci-fi enthusiasts will take interest in what Xael is doing. It’s different, and listeners can get lost in the complex multiverse that they have conceived. Epic and extreme, it is recommended for fans of Septicflesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Nile.

Tracklisting:

"Suun Rai Aru (Passion Begets Ruin)"
"As Decreed: The Law of Vuul Athmar"  
"The Waste of Dreadrift"
"Srai - The Demon of Erring"
"Dark World Mirrors"
"Bloodtide Rising" (ft. Mathieu Marcotte of Augury)
"The Red Odyssey"
"The Red Odyssey Part 2: The Temple of the Sky Eater"
"The Odium and the Contrition"

"Bloodtide Rising" video:

Album lineup:

Joshua Niemeyer - Vocals
Daniel Presnell - Guitar
Chris Hathcock - Guitar, Clean vocals
Brad Parris - Bass vocals
Joshua “Nassaru” Ward - Drums, Keys, Vocals




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Transcending Records will issue limited edition vinyl pressings of Rebellion and Eternal from Swiss blackened experimental metallers, Samael.

Initially released in 1995 via Century Media, Rebellion collected out-takes from the band’s legendary Ceremony Of The Opposites album hinting at the band’s new direction. The EP includes two new tracks, two rearranged songs, and a rendition of Alice Cooper’s "I Love The Dead.” “Static Journey” and the title track marked the first songs Samael recorded with programmed drums. This is one of the first steps in the new path taken by the band after their black metal early days and one of the most unique releases of the genre.

Transcending’s vinyl edition of Rebellion, set for release May 28, comes in three color variants: standard black, marble (limited to 200 copies), and splatter (limited to 200 copies). Preorder here.

Eternal is Samael’s fifth full-length. Initially released in 1999 via Century Media, Eternal was recorded and mixed in Montreux, Switzerland at the world-famous Mountain Studios (which today serves as a museum dedicated to Queen), with late rock producer David Richard (Queen, David Bowie, Iggy Pop). The sound and the overall production of Eternal is very much rooted in the 1970s while the approach of the songs, very contemporary. The record would take the band on several successful tours including European jaunts with Grip Inc. and Lacuna Coil and US runs with Dimmu Borgir, Monstrosity, and Epoch Of Unlight.

Transcending’s vinyl edition of Eternal, set for release June 25th, also comes in three color variants: standard black, blue/purple galaxy (limited to 200 copies), and purple/black splatter(limited to 200 copies). Preorder here.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Frontiers Music Srl announces the signing of the progressive metal act Lalu to the label for a multi-album deal. Lalu is a musical project originally founded in 2004 by the French composer and producer Vivien Lalu, son of Noelle and Michel Lalu (members of the ‘70s French progressive act Polène). Paint The Sky will be the first album, and third album overall from the band, released under the new partnership between Vivien and Frontiers. It is easily the most accomplished and mature album put together by Vivien thus far in his career.

Being the son of two progressive musicians from the '70s and growing up surrounded by progressive music, Vivien always wanted to craft a true-to-its-roots progressive rock album. He spent a lot of time laying down the basics for the new effort and along with this new album comes a change in vocalist specifically designed for this more progressive version of Lalu. In May 2020, Vivien announced Damian Wilson (Arena, Headspace, Threshold) as the lead vocalist for Paint The Sky.

Lalu's lineup on the album is rounded out by Jelly Caldarelli (on drums) and Joop Wolters (guitars and bass). More special guests will be announced in the coming months, so be sure to follow Lalu's social media to stay up-to-date.  

Lalu's first full-length album, Oniric Metal garnered critical acclaim upon its release, and marked a new chapter for Vivien and his insatiable need to create mind-expanding, cinematic music.

After collaborating with Shadow Gallery on Digital Ghosts, working with Lazlo Jones on his debut album, and the original soundtrack of Warner Bros. movie Seuls Two, Lalu finally settled in and began work on the second Lalu opus, Atomic Ark. Handling all composition and songwriting duties, as well as all keyboards, Lalu weaved the cloth of the new album together with vocalist Martin LeMar, bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X), guitarist Simone Mularoni (DGM), and world class drummer Virgil Donati (Planet X, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth). The album was produced by Vivien in his own studio and mixed at Boumbox Studio in Paris by Yan Memmi (Dio ‘Lock Up The Wolves’). Additional contributions came from Jens Johansson (Stratovarius), Joop Wolters, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie), Mike Andersson (Cloudscape) and Peter Wildoer (James LaBrie). The final product, boasting over fifty minutes of exceptional, massive cinematic, atmospheric metal was dubbed Atomic Ark. The album was released worldwide in 2013.

Spring 2014 saw Vivien venturing out on a unique live tour, hosting only a few select shows featuring the all-star Atomic Ark line-up of Martin LeMar, Mike LePond, Simone Mularoni, and Virgil Donati, adding Joop Wolters as a second guitarist on stage. After a few weeks’ practice, the tour culminated in the live recording of their set during the final stop. Produced by Vivien and mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio, the digital only Live at P60 was released in June 2015.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Liquid Tension Experiment, the legendary supergroup comprised of Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic, Sons Of Apollo), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), and Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), return with a new album, LTE3, out April 16 via InsideOutMusic.

The band recently released the Christian Rios-created music video for the album opener, "Hypersonic" (see below), and have now released the Mike Portnoy drum cam video for the song. Watch below:

The new album will be available in the following formats:

• Limited deluxe hot pink 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray Box Set (incl. a poster and 4 artcards, Blu-ray includes a 5.1 surround mix with visuals, and full band interview from the studio)
• Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook
• Limited 2CD Digipak
• Gatefold black 2LP+CD
• Digital album (2CD)

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Hypersonic"
"Beating The Odds"
"Liquid Evolution"
"The Passage Of Time"
"Chris & Kevin’s Amazing Odyssey"
"Rhapsody In Blue"
"Shades Of Hope"
"Key To The Imagination"

Bonus Disc: Includes almost an hour of improvised jams.

"Hypersonic" video:

"Beating The Odds" video:

“The Passage Of Time” video:

Teaser:

In 1997, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, and Tony Levin, joined forces to create Liquid Tension Experiment. The foursome would release their iconic, self-titled debut album in 1998 and the dazzling follow-up, LTE2 in 1999, creating a dynamic, frantic, and inventive sound all their own. The incredible creativity between the collective would prompt Petrucci and Portnoy to invite Rudess to join Dream Theater, effectively marking the end of this side project.  However, since that time, there have been few reunions more in demand. Now, with the world in lockdown and calendars unexpectedly aligned, the inconceivable has finally happened… a new Liquid Tension Experiment album.

(Photo - Tony Levin)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

In the same spirit of the well received Allen/Lande project, which featured a pairing of powerhouse vocalists Russell Allen and Jorn Lande, Frontiers presents a new duets project featuring two Brazilian vocalists, Renan Zonta (Electric Mob) and Nando Fernandes (Sinistra). Under the banner Brother Against Brother, Zonta and Fernandes deliver a brilliant, exciting melodic metal duets album on their self-titled debut, which is due June 11.

Watch the video for their debut single "Valley Of The Kings" below, and pre-order/save Brother Against Brother here.

Nando Fernandes says, "Singing with the incredible Renan Zonta was a great honor for me, as I believe he is one of the best vocalists in Brazil today. The difference in timbres, our interpretations, always loaded with a lot of emotion, the incredible melodies, the very well harmonized choirs, make this album another beautiful and striking record for the history of Brazilian and worldwide hard rock and metal!"

Renan Zonta says, "Being involved in this project and getting to sing metal is beyond amazing. Ale is a multi-talented beast, great songwriter, wonderful producer, and one of the biggest hearts I've ever met. Besides that, sharing vocals with the one and only Nando Fernandes is an honor. The man is a Brazilian living legend and his kindness shows why it is not only because of his groundbreaking voice that people love him. Brother Against Brother goes beyond a heavy metal project. It's a soulful heavy emotional part of my career that I will cherish forever."

"Representing Brazil on a record company as important as Frontiers, for me it is a source of great pride, as we are talking about one of the best in the world, and to be alongside true legends in the world rock is truly a dream come true. May this be the first of many others," adds Fernandes.

Conceived by Serafino Perugino, President and A&R director of Frontiers Music Srl, Brother Against Brother is meant to showcase these two amazing vocalists to a larger global audience outside of their homeland of Brazil. Nando Fernandes is one of the most established, popular rock/metal singers in Brazil and he is paired here with one of the hottest vocal talents of the new wave of hard rock bands from the Frontiers label, Renan Zonta of Electric Mob. Together, they are on fire on this magnificent melodic metal album written for them by none other than Alessandro Del Vecchio (Jorn, Revolution Saints, Edge Of Forever).

While Brazil is quite obviously rich in musical talent in the rock and metal world, these two singers are some of the best on the planet and are ready for the world stage. Get ready for one of the most exciting releases of the year in the self-titled debut from Brother Against Brother! Fans of rich, powerful melodic metal and powerful rock and metal vocals will want to have this on their 'must hear' list for 2021.

Tracklisting:

"Two Brothers"
"What If"
"City Of Gold"
"Heaven Sent"
"Haunted Heart"
"Deadly Sins"
"In The Name Of Life"
"Demons In My Head"
"Whispers In Darkness"
"Valley Of The Kings"
"Lost Son"

"Valley Of The Kings" video:

Lineup:

Renan Zonta: vocals, backing vocals
Nando Fernandes: vocals, backing vocals
Alessandro Del Vecchio: bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Jonas Hornqvist: guitars
Michele Sanna: drums




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

UK alt-metal upstarts, Vexed, will release their debut full-length, Culling Culture, on May 21 via Napalm Records. The band have released a guitar playthrough video for their new single, “Epiphany”, which can be seen below:

Facing very personal experiences, Culling Culture is a tribute to hate, betrayal and anger, whilst also reflecting post-modern society with strikingly honest songwriting and heavy groove. Moreover, for as confident as they are musically, Vexed is as poignant lyrically. The title of the album, Culling Culture, and portions of its contents deliver the band’s unfiltered response to the world’s latest social phenomena of public ostracism, “cancel culture”.

Unrelenting lead vocalist Megan Targett’s vicious vocal assault blending venomously low growls, soaring cleans and razor-sharp rap-like deliveries (see “Fake” and “Weaponise”) is backed by the pure technical proficiency of bandmates Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Al Harper (bass). The warning instrumental “Ignorant” prefaces the record’s menacing atmosphere and provides a flawless basis for smashing wake up call “Hideous” and fiery, threatening tracks “Fake” and “Narcissist”. Ghostly “Aurora” and disrespectfully heavy album-closer “Lazarus” showcase Targett’s multi-faceted clean vocal delivery while clashing otherworldly auras with resonating, melodic rhythms. “Epiphany” blends both, offering a bold message of moving past self-loathing, while superciliously weighty offering “Weaponise” seethes between violent hatred and ambient darkness.

Pre-order Vexed’s debut album Culling Culture here.

Culling Culture will be available in the following formats:

- 1-CD Digipak
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Orange transparent, strictly limited to 100 copies)
- 1-CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Ignorant"
"Hideous"
"Fake"
"Epiphany"
"Misery"
"Narcissist"
"Weaponise"
"Purity"
"Drift"
"Aurora"
"Lazarus"

“Epiphany” video:

"Hideous" video:

(Photo - Andy Ford)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Canadian thrash legends, Anonymus, have reunited with band founder Marco Calliari for a live-off-the-floor video performance of "Tierra", from the band's latest album and first Spanish release, La Bestia (winner of two GAMIQ Awards). The track is sung in both Italian and Spanish.

Calliari's departure from Anonymus in 2003 was to pursue a solo career that has so far released three albums: Che la vita (2003), Mia dolce vita (2006), and Al faro est (2010).

The band comments on the video reunion: "Marco was in the band for a long time, we were friends as young kids and during high school was when we decided to start Anonymus. We learned our skills together doing covers initially, then moved on pretty quickly to make our own songs. For us, it’s always a great pleasure to have him come in to sing and play with us here and there. He left the band to fulfill his career in another genre (worldbeat/ pop). He’s a hell of a performer and we remain on the best of terms with each other. So to have him come in and share some moments with us is very natural. We celebrate our past having him in this live performance, while on the other hand, we focus on the future on writing new material for our next release.“Tierra” is very special because it’s the only song that we wrote in both Italian and Spanish. This is a tribute to our families who had to make sacrifices in their lives and leave their families and countries behind for a better future and a new home. It strikes a chord when you see all these immigrants doing the same in Africa, South America, and the rest of the world. Our parents ended up having a nice story about their immigration, which is not the case for everybody. This song is a song about the newfound land."

Watch "Tierra":

La Bestia is available for stream and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. Vinyl copies can be purchased via Amazon.

(Photo - Dani Rod)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

On May 28, Cirith Ungol will release their new EP, Half Past Human, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview, the new single, "Brutish Manchild", can be heard below.

The globe was ravaged by pandemic in the wake of the release of Cirith Ungol's triumphant reunion album, Forever Black, in April 2020. As time stood still, the band dug deep into their archival crypts, drawing back the veiled mists of history to expose long-forgotten jewels from their storied past. In so doing, the band exhumed four songs written in a bygone era but never properly included as part of their fabled discography.

Cirith Ungol swept the dust off these precious relics, summoning long-dead forces back to life. Each song was reimagined for today, injected with a fresh dose of power and vitality while preserving their trademark mysticism and remaining drenched in sinister, apocalyptic energy. Recorded under the watchful eye of producer Armand John Anthony (Night Demon / Bewitcher / Gygax) in the darkness of 2020, Half Past Human promises to be a treasured addition to the music collections of Cirith Ungol's loyal legions.

In keeping with tradition, the package is completed by stunning cover art courtesy of acclaimed fantasy artist Michael Whelan, from the original Elric series.

The EP can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- sheer violet marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- orange aurora vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- yellow marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- picture disc (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- dark red marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Half Past Human tracklisting:

"Route 666"
"Shelob's Lair"
"Brutish Manchild"
"Half Past Human"

"Brutish Manchild":

Cirith Ungol lineup:

Tim Baker - Vocals
Greg Lindstrom - Guitar
Robert Garven - Drummer
Jim Barraza - Guitar
Jarvis Leatherby - Bass




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Mike LePond (Symphony X, Ross The Boss, Mike LePond's Silent Assassins) held a bass clinic as part of Wacken World Wide 2020. You can now watch via the video below:

Symphony X have announced the rescheduled dates for their 25th Anniversary North American tour, with special guests Primal Fear and Firewind.

Get your tickets here.

Dates:

May
12 - Reverb - Reading, PA
13 - bergenPAC (Bergen Performing Arts Center) - Englewood, NJ
14 - Worcester Palladium - Worcester, MA
15 - Mulcahy’s Pub & Concert Hall - Wantagh, NY
16 - The Chance Theater - Poughkeepsie, NY
18 - The Fairmount - Montreal, QC
19 - Impérial Bell - Quebec City, QC
21 - The Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
22 - The Agora - Cleveland, OH
23 - The Token Lounge - Westland, MI
25 - The Forge - Joliet, IL
26 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
28 - The Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
29 - The Gateway - Calgary, AB
31 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA

June
1 - VENUE - Vancouver, BC
3 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
4 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
5 - Whisky A Go-Go - West Hollywood, CA
6 - Grove of Anaheim - Anaheim, CA
7 - Club Red - Tempe, AZ
9 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
10 - Herman’s Hideaway - Denver, CO
12 - Trees Dallas - Dallas, TX
13 - Come and Take It Live - Austin, TX
14 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
16 - The Kelsey Theater - West Palm Beach, FL
17 - The RITZ Ybor - Ybor City, FL
18 - Center Stage – The Loft – Vinyl - Atlanta, GA




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Old school death metal revivalists, Carnation, have teamed up with Belgium's Galaxy Studio for a very special virtual performance, which will take place on April 18 at 2 PM, EDT. The whole band will be available in the live chat during the stream, which will be made available via both the band and label's YouTube and Facebook. The event is completely free for all to watch via the event link here.

Carnation comments on the stream: "The Galaxy Sessions await! On Sunday, April 18th at 8:00 PM CEST, we will be hosting a streaming event of a very special Carnation performance. Our second album Where Death Lies, has been out for a while now... And we have been itching to perform the tracks from this album for you all. Instead of waiting any longer, we have decided to take action! Join us in the mighty Galaxy Studio, where we perform the majority of our new album live for the first time in a very special setting. The whole band will be present in the chat during the stream for a meet and greet to answer all your questions and hang out like the good old days (more or less...). Cheers, see you then!"

Where Death Lies was recorded from January to April 2020. The drums were recorded by Wojtek & Sławek Wieslawski at the Hertz Recording Studio in Białystok, Poland and the guitars, bass & vocals were recorded by Yarne Heylen at Project Zero Studio in Nijlen, Belgium.

The cover artwork for Where Death Lies, which is again created by the talented Juan Jose Castellano Rosado.

Order the album in various formats here.

Album stream:

"Where Death Lies" lyric video:

"Iron Discipline" video:

"Sepulcher Of Alteration" video:

"Sepulcher Of Alteration" live video:

Lineup:

Simon Duson - Vocals
Jonathan Verstrepen - Guitars
Bert Vervoort - Guitars
Yarne Heylen - Bass
Vincent Verstrepen - Drums




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Southern California rockers THE OFFSPRING have released a new song called "We Never Have Sex Anymore". The track is taken from the band's tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", which will arrive on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

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

"Let The Bad Times Roll" track listing:

01. This Is Not Utopia (2:38)

02. Let The Bad Times Roll (3:18)

03. Behind Your Walls (3:21)

04. Army Of One (3:11)

05. Breaking These Bones (2:46)

06. Coming For You (3:48 )

07. We Never Have Sex Anymore (3:30)

08. In The Hall Of The Mountain King (1:00)

09. The Opioid Diaries (3:01)

10. Hassan Chop (2:20)

11. Gone Away (3:16)

12. Lullaby (1:12)

Speaking about the long gap between "Let The Bad Times Roll" and the previous OFFSPRING album, Noodles told the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station: "We've been working on it for a while. Really, about two or three years ago, everything started really kind of clicking, and we had a really creative period — then and since, actually.

"We were hoping to have the record done probably five years ago, ultimately, and it just took longer to make something that we really felt was strong and representative of the band in the best light."

Added Dexter: "I think that's it. It had to feel right before we wanted to put it out. We're not really under a deadline. We didn't even have a label, actually — we were sort of floating out there. So it was a good time to just take our time and make the right record."

Asked how hard it was for them to sit on those songs for so long without being able to share them with their fans, Dexter said: "There really is this feeling, when you have something that you're really happy with… 'Cause sometimes you go through a bunch of stuff that, 'Oh, this song needs work. This needs work.' When you have something that's clicking, you're, like, 'Oh, man. I can't wait to get this out.' But you just kind of have to sit on it for a while. I mean, we basically sat on this since the pandemic started, 'cause we kind of thought, 'This is probably not the best time to release a record, 'cause we can't go out and tour, we can't promote it, can't be there to play it for the people,' so we've kind of been sitting on it for the better part of a year. Although we kept on going back and tweaking it, and it actually got better over that year. But we decided, well, we can't wait forever if we're gonna put this out."

Regarding the inspiration for the "Let The Bad Times Roll" album title, Dexter told HardDrive Radio: "We had a song two albums ago [on 2008's 'Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace'] called 'Shit Is Fucked Up'. We wrote that 'cause we thought how terrible things were in the world back then. But it actually got worse. So we had to come up with a new title, 'Let The Bad Times Roll'.

"You can apply it to a lot of things," he explained. "I mean, we're not a political band. Some people would apply it to the last administration. Some people would apply it to things that are going on today, or just how messed up everything is, trying to fix our pandemic and all that kind of stuff."

Added Noodles: "But really, it's not just an American-centric thing either, cause you're seeing stuff happening around the world. There's unrest happening literally everywhere — on all continents. You're seeing unrest, and then you're also seeing anti-democratic forces kind of taking power in some places, in which case causes more unrest. So, yeah, the whole world is a little bit of a scary place right now."

Dexter continued: "That's right. Climate change, climate deniers, vaccine, anti-vaxxers — whatever you want, it's out there."

Photo credit: Daveed Benito

JUDAS PRIEST's European tour, which was scheduled to kick off in late May, has once again been postponed due to "ongoing COVID-19 vaccine issues." The trek will now run from May 27, 2022 in Moscow, Russia until July 31, 2022 in Oberhausen, Germany.

Earlier today, PRIEST issued the following statement: "Unfortunately due to ongoing COVID-19 vaccine issues in Europe we have been advised that our 2021 dates will not be able to take place as planned - all dates have been rescheduled to 2022 as detailed here - all tickets will remain valid for the new dates - further dates will be announced shortly.... However we are pleased to confirm our UK headline show at Bloodstock Open Air 2021 is still scheduled for this coming August where we look forward to celebrating 50 years of JUDAS PRIEST and 20 years of Bloodstock."

Last November, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford addressed the COVID-19 crisis in an interview with Canada's iHeart Radio. He said: "We're gonna have to learn to live with this thing. It's like the flu. And this vaccine is just one tool in the way of recovery. But the facts are, believe the scientists, 'cause they are the experts. This is what they do. They are committed to making lives better for people. And the prognosis is that everything should be secure enough for us all to start going out again.

"Whoever made this choice or decision [to push back the PRIEST tour], I think they made the right move, because I think it's gonna be very tricky for bands to try and go out on January the 1st of 2021," he continued. "I think by the summer, everything will be settled, and hopefully the vaccine will have been administered to hundreds of millions of people. I think we'll still have to go through some protocol, which is a small price to pay — getting the temperature done and maybe wear a mask. It doesn't matter. We'll be back with each other again."

Last September, JUDAS PRIEST and Rufus Publications announced the publication of the first-ever official JUDAS PRIEST book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews.

The U.S. leg of PRIEST's "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour is still due to launch September 11 in Orlando, Florida and wrap up on October 30 in Mashantucket, Connecticut.


Unfortunately due to ongoing COVID-19 vaccine issues in Europe we have been advised that our 2021 dates will not be able...

Posted by Judas Priest on Wednesday, April 7, 2021