'70s classic rock legends CACTUS have released their new album, "Tightrope", on all formats today. The band filmed a slick performance video for the title track, which offers one of the album's most killer and memorably groovy hooks.

Founding member and drum legend Carmine Appice had this to say about the song: "'Tightrope' is one of my favorite songs from the album. The drum and bass groove plus the cool guitar riff rock!! Cool melodies on top make this is a great classic heavy blues rock track. I love it!!!"

CACTUS came to be known as "the American LED ZEPPELIN," a moniker they owned by virtue of their explosive blues rock stylings, subdued yet undeniably brilliant musicianship, not to mention their energetic and vivacious stage presence which made them a staple of arena rock venues around the globe. Now the band has returned with a smashing new album called "Tightrope" that strikes a delicate balance between powerful, driving rockers and more complex, heady album tracks. Still led by Appice alongside longtime members Jimmy Kunes on vocals and Randy Pratt on harmonica, "Tightrope" is, according to Appice, "one of the best CACTUS albums we've ever done. From playing to production and songs, we really took a step up." They are joined by new lead guitarist/vocalist Paul Warren (ex-Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Joe Cocker) and James Caputo on bass. "Tightrope" will also give longtime CACTUS fans a reason to cheer as it includes special guest appearances from original CACTUS guitarist Jim McCarty and singer Phil Naro.

Track listing:

01. Tightrope

02. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

03. All Shook Up

04. Poison In Paradise

05. Third Time Gone

06. Shake That Thing

07. Primitive Touch

08. Preaching Woman Man Blues

09. Elevation

10. Suite 1 & 2: Everlong, All The Madmen

11. Headed For A Fall

12. Wear It Out

CACTUS has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of VANILLA FUDGE by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty and vocalist Rusty Day. (Appice and Bogert had originally planned a new band with Jeff Beck which was put off until 1973, because of Beck's near-fatal car crash in 1969.) Jim McCarty had come from MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS and was playing with THE BUDDY MILES EXPRESS. Tim and Carmine also found vocalist Day in THE AMBOY DUKES with Ted Nugent. Together, the four musicians formed CACTUS, named after the peyote cactus, which provided a key ingredient in mind-altering drugs.

While CACTUS saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973, the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label, and the fact that Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim. It would not be until 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day, that the group reformed with Pratt and Kunes. When Tim Bogert was forced into retirement after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy jumped in both in CACTUS and VANILLA FUDGE.

Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), Roberto "Ra" Diaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES), Brandon Yeagley (CROBOT) and Mee Eun Kim (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) have shared their version of another classic RUSH song, "Subdivisions", recorded with each member separated in his or her own home.

Benante uploaded a video of the performance to his YouTube channel, writing in an accompanying message: "One year ago I had this idea to make a video while in quarantine. I was feeling pretty down about the passing of Neil Peart and about the Pandemic...I needed to be creative and play! I contacted Alex and Ra about doing a RUSH song and video and they both liked the idea. I felt that they were probably feeling the same way I was, and that this would be a great way of jamming and entertaining while we were stuck home. The response to the initial video was overwhelming! It really made us feel good during a bad time. A whole year ago...I cant believe it! It ended up being a year of making music and videos after all; I now have a record that's coming out May 14 with most of the Jams.

"The RUSH songs will be out on a special EP on Record store day in November. This song will be included on that. 'Subdivisions' is probably in every RUSH fan's top 10 songs, definitely one of their best. The keyboards dominate this tune and Neil's sound on it is so unique! His drum fills are so precise and powerful...like little hooks throughout the song, an air drummer's dream! The lyrics tell a tale of life in the burbs and being shunned when you don't meet a certain standard.

"Subdivisions

In the high school halls

In the shopping malls

Conform or be cast out!

"@alexskolnik @ra @brandon bring it big time - Alex captures Lifeson's vibe so well, Ra kills Geddy's bass parts and Brandon brings his amazing voice. We'd like to welcome @meeeun ,(Thanks to Alex for the suggestion), she is an awesome musician and kills the keyboard parts on this.

"I hope you enjoy this one, It may be one of the last ones for a bit...unless Alex wants to do that EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER tune ( hahahahaha)".

Benante will release a new album, "Silver Linings", on May 14 via Megaforce Records. The 14-track effort features an all-star cast of "who's who" in the thrash, metal, and rock worlds, with all cuts culled from Benante's acclaimed "quarantine jam" video series.

Throughout the quarantine video series, Benante collaborated on jams with fellow ANTHRAX bandmates Frank Bello, Scott Ian and Jon Donais, his girlfriend Carla Harvey (BUTCHER BABIES), Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT), Ra Diaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE) and Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), among many more. Some of Charlie's favorite songs by RUSH, Tom Petty, BEASTIE BOYS, STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH, KING'S X, RUN-DMC, MASSIVE ATTACK, U2, FUGAZI, CHEMICAL BROTHERS and Billie Eilish were covered.

For the album's cover art, Charlie recruited his friend, artist Brian Ewing, whose art he's always loved.

"Silver Linings" track listing:

* "City of Blinding Lights" (U2)

Frank Bello

Mark Osegueda

Charlie Benante

* "Chloe Dancer / Crown of Horns" (MOTHER LOVE BONE)

Mark Menghi

Mark Osegueda

Charlie Benante

* "Teardrop" (MASSIVE ATTACK)

Carla Harvey

Ra Diaz

Charlie Benante

* "Run DMC" (Run-DMC)

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels

Rob Caggiano

Ra Diaz

Charlie Benante

* "Rhiannon" (FLEETWOOD MAC)

Mark Menghi

Jennifer Cella

Randy McStine

Charlie Benante

* "Yer So Bad" (Tom Petty)

Carla Harvey

Ra Diaz

Charlie Benante

* "Transylvania" (IRON MAIDEN)

Dave "Snake" Sabo

Frank Bello

Jon Donias

Charlie Benante

* "Presto Vivace" (U.K.)

Ra Diaz

Alex Skolnick

Jordan Rudess

Charlie Benante

* "Bad Guy" (Billie Eilish)

Ra Diaz

Charlie Benante

* "Jimmy James" (BEASTIE BOYS)

Ra Diaz

Charlie Benante

* "All The Way" (KISS)

PJ Farley

Joe McGinness

John 5

Charlie Benante

* "Mr Speed" (KISS)

Joe McGinness

PJ Farley

Charlie Benante

* "Public Image" (PUBLIC IMAGE)

Hank Von Hell

Dave Brownsound

Jason "Cone" McCaslin

Charlie Benante

* "Funny Vibe" (LIVING COLOUR)

Ra Diaz

Corey Glover

Henry Flury

Charlie Benante

Photo credit: Jimmy Hubbard

RED FANG, the beloved Portland-based "riff-heavy" (NPR) rock band, will release a new album, "Arrows", on June 4 via Relapse Records.

"It was so gratifying to put these songs on tape with Funk!" says guitarist/vocalist Bryan Giles of the album that was produced by longtime collaborator Chris Funk. "It felt very comfortable with a loose schedule. We didn't take it one song at a time, but added guitars, vocals, or general weirdness whenever an idea sprang to mind. We busted out a hurdy gurdy! It was that fun."

"WOW! We are SO EXCITED to finally release this record to the world! We finished the album way back in December 2019 and then… something happened that is not worth discussing…," adds vocalist/bassist Aaron Beam. "Making this record felt totally loose and easy. It felt like we were just doing whatever the fuck we wanted, and not overthinking anything. That attitude reminded me a lot of what it felt like to make 'Murder The Mountains'. The result doesn't sound anything like 'Murder The Mountains', but it has more of that vibe."

News of the eagerly awaited album, the band's first collection in five years, arrives with a new chapter in the band's unparalleled canon of Whitey McConnaughy-directed music videos as the foursome unveils a clip for "Arrows". "Arrows" finds RED FANG once again exploring creative ways to spend the label's music video budget in a subtle nod to the band's classic "Wires" video.

"His way of presenting us really works," says guitarist David Sullivan of the band's relationship with Whitey. "That first video he did for us for 'Prehistoric Dog' gave us a big jumpstart as far as the band getting popular. And we love working with him."

"Arrows" track listing:

01. Take It Back

02. Unreal Estate

03. Arrows

04. My Disaster

05. Two High

06. Anodyne

07. Interop-Mod

08. Fonzi Scheme

09. Days Collide

10. Rabbits In Hive

11. Why

12. Dr. Owl

13. Funeral Coach

Pre-orders for the 13-song album are live now, with "Arrows" available in a variety of formats, including standard versions of the LP, CD, cassette and digitally, as well as, a limited-edition liquid filled LP, deluxe CD (exclusive to Europe and Relapse.com), and two collectible bundles: LP with a limited "Arrows" blacklight poster and a Red Fang x Psycho Las Vegas limited-edition Texas Hold'em-themed box set. Dubbed the Fortune Hunter Gamblers Pack, the poker-themed package includes branded casino-quality playing cards, dice, collector's coin, custom boxing, and a card of authenticity (all featuring custom artwork by Ian Colazzo), as well as the LP, and t-shirt.

RED FANG is Aaron Beam (bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar/vocals), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars).

Photo credit: James Rexroad

Former MOTÖRHEAD and current SCORPIONS drummer Mikkey Dee revisited his KING DIAMOND days by playing the intro to the song "Welcome Home" for a video posted to his official Facebook page. In introducing his performance, Dee stated about the song, which originally appeared on KING DIAMOND's 1988 album "Them": "I got so many requests, the whole time, about the intro to 'Welcome Home' with KING DIAMOND that we once upon a time did. I barely remember it, but it's a good one. And I'll play it for you. I get requests all the time. And it's really not a complicated one, but it fit that time for that song. So, here we go. I'll play it for you. Check it out."

Three months ago, Dee, who played drums for KING DIAMOND from 1985 until 1989, told Cassius Morris of "The Cassius Morris Show" in an interview that he would like to take part in a reunion tour featuring the surviving members of the band's original lineup. "Unfortunately, [original KING DIAMOND bassist] Timi Hansen is dead, but you could have Andy [LaRocque, guitar], Michael Denner [guitar], you could have Hal Patino [bass], Pete Blakk [guitar], myself, just for a tour, and only play the stuff that we did — from 'Fatal Portrait' to 'Conspiracy'," he said. "That could have been a really fun and successful tour."

Dee, who has been a member of SCORPIONS since 2016, went on to say that it's "totally up to" KING DIAMOND's namesake frontman and leader as to whether such a tour will ever take place. "Because he [also] does MERCYFUL FATE [on the side]," Mikkey said. "I don't see why not. If I'm off [and not doing anything] with SCORPIONS, then I could easily have done that. That would have been so much fun, I think, because we were a great bunch of guys. And I still talk to Andy and Pete and Hal and King as well."

The Swedish-born drummer, who also played with MOTÖRHEAD from 1991 until the band's dissolution in December 2015, previously reflected on his time with KING DIAMOND in a 2017 interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show". He stated at the time: "We started as a bunch of kids, really, and we created something. To tell you the truth, we really didn't know what we did. Well, we knew what we did, but [we weren't aware of the fact] that we created a style. But we had so much fun, and [we were] a bunch of friends touring. It all came to an end, where I didn't feel very happy in the band anymore. We were going in a little bit different direction than I thought that we'd been working ourselves up to. And me as a drummer, I like to play everything. I play big band jazz, fusion, pop, blues, rock, heavy metal, speed metal… So, to me, it was a natural move. I wanted to play some more straight-ahead rock and roll, and I felt a little stressed in KING DIAMOND in the end, maybe."

Asked how he felt about the Satanic overtones of the KING DIAMOND lyrics and image, Mikkey said: "It wasn't that bad at all. King believes in the occult — more Stephen King kind of stuff. And for the rest of the four of us, we were not so much into that. But it was great music, great camaraderie, great lyrics — great. Then King's personal belief was his deal. Just like I never got into Lemmy's personal vision. If you're a band, you're four or five or three people — whatever you are. Everybody has their own vision and their own belief in how life is or wherever you're gonna go. And the trick is to get that to work together without people getting angry or disagreeing. And luckily, with KING DIAMOND, we had great teamwork."

Dee played on the classic KING DIAMOND albums "Fatal Portrait", "Abigail" and "Them" until he left in 1988 to join Don Dokken. He returned a year later as a session player on KING DIAMOND's "Conspiracy".

KING DIAMOND's current drummer is Matt Thompson, who has been in the band since 2000.

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the group's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".




Requests keep coming so here it is again!

Intro to Welcome Home with King Diamond.

Posted by Mikkey Dee on Sunday, April 4, 2021

Former BURNING WITCHES vocalist Seraina Telli has released a new single from her DEAD VENUS project. According to a press release, "The song 'Flowers & Pain' tells the story of a girl who decides to make a change in her life and to evolve. Unfortunately, she has to realize someone very close to her doesn't think so and wants her to stay where she's been. Even if that means she stays unhappy. So she decided to leave and to walk her own way.

"Real friends and beloved ones don't try to keep you on the ground — they are the wind beneath your wings when you want to fly!"

Telli left BURNING WITCHES in June 2019 and was replaced by Laura Guldemond, vocalist of the Dutch symphonic metal band SHADOWRISE.

Seraina said that she exited BURNING WITCHES "for personal reasons" and vowed to "fully dedicate" herself to DEAD VENUS.

"For the last four years, I have had an incredible journey but I feel now that is the time to explore the challenge my own project is offering me," she explained in a statement.

Formed in 2015, BURNING WITCHES released two full-length studio albums with Telli on vocals, 2017's "Burning Witches" and 2018's "Hexenhammer". With Guldemond at the mic, BURNING WITCHES released "Dance Of The Devil" in 2020 and will follow it up with "The Witch Of The North" on May 28 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Napalm Records has set a July 30 release date for Dee Snider's upcoming solo album, "Leave A Scar". The follow-up to "For The Love Of Metal" was once again produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta and will include a duet with CANNIBAL CORPSE frontman George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher.

Last month, Snider told New York's Q104.3 radio station that his new LP will be "very heavy," but added that "there are some surprises on there that I think people are gonna really be excited about."

Released in July 2018, "For The Love Of Metal" featured contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST), and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

Snider previously spoke about his upcoming solo LP during an October 2020 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "[I'm] working with the same amazing team — the Bellmore brothers, Charlie [on guitar] and Nickey. Nickey plays drums, but also is the engineer and mixer — an amazing, talented guy. And Jamey Jasta is the producer and curator. He is the gatekeeper, the master. As all ideas are brought in, they're filtered through Jamey, his ears, and have to get a thumbs-up from him before it makes it to the record. But now we no longer have to do that 'Is this gonna work?' thing. And for me, it's, 'Do I trust these guys?' I mean, I trusted them in the sense that they were friends, but when Jamey challenged me to do the metal record, I had my doubts. I don't wanna say it's doubts, but [I thought], 'How is this gonna work?' So there was an initial thing where we were all feeling each other out. Now, after two years of working together, touring with the Bellmore brothers, locking in a band with Nick 'Taz' Petrino on guitar and Russ Pizzuto on bass guitar, we come in and we don't have to waste any time with that. There is trust, we do know our direction, we do know what works for Dee Snider and for this project, and we just go full steam ahead."

Snider's latest release was "For The Love Of Metal Live!", which came out in July 2020 via Napalm Records. The DVD/Blu-ray and accompanying live album (available in various formats) features audio captured from several Snider festival performances worldwide — from the United States to Europe, Australia and beyond. In addition to tracks from Snider's solo catalog, like "I Am The Hurricane" and "For The Love Of Metal", TWISTED SISTER favorites such as "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take It", and even a cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", the audio portion of "For The Love Of Metal Live!" also features a brand new original studio track, "Prove Me Wrong".

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.




Wait'll you hear my new album "Leave a Scar"! Release date is July 30th on @NapalmRecords! Produced by @jameyjasta...again! https://t.co/wex2ZT1cqn

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) April 4, 2021

Japan's Serenity In Murder released their new album, entitled Reborn, on February 10th. They have posted a tab + playthrough video for track "The Glow Of Embers". Check it out below.

Tracklist:

"The Great Beyond"
"Anthem"
"Plead For Your Life"
"The Titans"
"Sea Of Stars"
"Rain Or Shine"
"Leaves Burned To Ashes"
"Beast In Human Shape"
"The Black Sun"
"The Glow Of Embers"
"The Four Seasons"

"Sea Of Stars"

"Plead For Your Life"

"The Glow Of Embers"

Physical copies of Reborn are now available via CD Japan here.




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In his latest Twitch stream, DragonForce guitarist Herman Li hangs with Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Andy James for a live shred collab session. They also discuss James replacing Jason Hook in FFDP mid-tour. Check out a portion of the chat below, watch the full livestream on Li's channel here.

Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in October 2020, recently unveiled his new AJ2 signature guitar from Kiesel. In the clip below, James and Jeff Kiesel introduce the new model.

From Music Radar: "The AJ2 is a more affordable version of Andy's previous Kiesel AJ signature with a bolt-on neck and flat alder top unlike the carved maple top and set neck AJ, but the exact spec elsewhere is up to you and there's far more options than with the original AJ; you can have an Evertune bridge or a Hipshot fixed bridge and a wide choice of finishes including solid colours, plus flamed and poplar tops."

Visit Kiesel Guitars for more information.

Five Finger Death Punch confirms in late 2020 they had parted ways with guitarist Jason Hook back in February 2020, during the band's sold out European arena tour.

After his recovery from emergency gallbladder surgery at the end of last year, Jason Hook had to leave midway from the band’s tour of Europe to address further complications.

“I have had the pleasure of meeting so many of you in person. Thank you for the endless stories of how our music has touched your heart in some way! But the best part of being on tour the last 12 years, by far, has been playing my guitar and seeing the joy on your faces every night. I will miss that more than anything. As far the reason I’m leaving…well, there really isn’t just one. I’ve been in bands my entire life and I feel like I’ve done all the good that I can here. It’s time to pass the baton and move on to new challenges," says Jason Hook about his departure.

It was Jason’s suggestion, with all parties coming to a mutual agreement that it was best for him to step away from the band’s rigorous schedule. The band’s new lead guitarist has been confirmed as British virtuoso, Andy James. James featured on “Broken World,” one of the previously unreleased tracks on their recently released their greatest hits compilation, Decade of Destruction, Volume 2.  

“Jason is an incredible guitar player so we had to find someone on the absolute top of their game. Someone like Andy James who was already a well-known virtuoso and had the chops to step into Jason’s shoes. Andy completed our European Tour with us back in February so he was already tried by fire. We instantly clicked both musically and personally so he was the obvious choice. We even have the same birthday… Some things are just meant to be,” explains guitarist Zoltan Bathory.

“I just congratulated Jason on his recent wedding, and I hope he finds peace and happiness. As for us, I’m really excited to keep working with Andy and I just can’t wait for this Covid madness to be over so we can go back out on the road," adds vocalist Ivan Moody.




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Armed with bucket loads of flaming petrol, toxic smoke and angel wings whiter than snow. "Machine Ready" is a horror-punk industrial metal monster. There really is no other video like it.

Released on April 2nd, the new Syd.31 album Machine Ready is inspired by a book from school during the 1980's Satanic Panic. It creates a vision of apocalyptic fallen angels and dangerous rock stars it tried to warn about – their outrage over W.A.S.P., Misfits, Slayer, The Damned and Alice Cooper only served as introduction to these artists.

Syd.31 has taken these influences and merged them with Prodigy, KLF, Atari Teenage Riot and aggressive machine beats. "I just wanted to create the ultimate hellish punk soundscape with addictive pop hooks. Sounding like a one way ticket to Hell, with a grin on my face."

Tracklisting:

"Intro (A Night Visitor)" 
"Broken Blank" 
"It Came To This" 
"Imminent Failure" 
"As They Let You Down" 
"Collapsing New Stars" 
"Demon Night" 
"Imitating Art" 
"Disassemble Me" 
"Machine Ready" 
"We Turned The Lights Out" 
"Outro (A Visitor Departs)" 

Order your copy of Machine Ready now at this location.

 




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"King Of A Stellar War" initially appeared on Rotting Christ's third studio album, Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers, released in 1996 via Century Media. This live version was recorded on July 6th 2020 at Artworks Studios for the Mexico Metal Fest live stream. It was mixed and mastered by Callmelazy (aka Costas Gavakos) at Soundflakes Studio.

Audio of the original version of "King Of A Stellar War" can be heard below.

 




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King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox - accompanied by a mysterious stranger - are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they take on Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast". Watch below:

Watch Robert & Toyah's renditions of ZZ Top's "Gimme All Your Lovin'", Motörhead's "Ace Of Spades", Mötley Crüe's "Girls, Girls, Girls", the Black Sabbath classic “Paranoid”, Metallica's "Enter Sandman", and Alice Cooper's "Poison", below:

 




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France's Pathfinders will be unveiling their debut album, Ares Vallis, via label Music-Records on April 16th. Pre-orders can be placed here.

Naming themselves after the NASA space probe "Mars Pathfinder", Pathfinders are embarking on an encounter of the metal kind. Fascinated with space exploration, especially following recent odysseys to the red planet, Ares Vallis (named after an outflow channel on Mars) is twelve tracks of progressive groove, blended with thrashy, djenty, and melodic tones.

Now, the band is sharing the music video for their second single "Impostors", an explosive moshpit crusher.

Fans of bands such as Lamb Of God, Periphery, Parkway Drive, and In Flames will be intrigued to enter the undiscovered metal terrain that Pathfinders are offering up.

Pathfinders was formed in 2018 and consists of the Gaucher brothers Jérémy (bass) and Romain (guitar) with Jérémy Barthélémy (drums), Benjamin Daguet (guitar), and Clément Levy (vocals).

Tracklisting:

“Landing”
“Impostors”
“Damned Earth”
“Evolution”
“Precious Star”
“Explode Inside”
“Annihilate Them All”
“The Light”
“Pressure”
“Ghosts Of Mars”
“Bad Guardians”
“Peste Noire” 

“Damned Earth”:

 




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French death metal up-and-comers Akiavel have unveiled the first single from their forthcoming opus, Væ Victis, due out April 23rd. The single is accompanied by a truly chilling video, depicting the historic and grizzly serial killers: Ivanova and Olga Tamarin. 

Væ Victis is a concept album that explores the darkest and most depraved spaces of the human psyche. Further evolving their sound, Akiavel takes a radical approach to their musical assault, consuming the listener with dizzying maelstroms of chaos. Væ Victis embodies the word “death,” putting forth an intrusive battery of blistering guitars, pummeling drums, and scathing vocals that culminates in one of the most robust death metal records the genre has seen yet.

Vocalist Auré comments on the album: “My writing is quite a ritual! To write Akiavel's second album it only took a containment, a lot of frustrations, and reports on serial killers...

I'm fascinated by the brains of killers. I wanted to take a closer look at it and I read a lot of books around them. During the confinement the time passed quickly, because I was on the lookout for anything that could touch my subject. As for writing itself, it's part of my life. I've always read and written a lot. I studied literature. I love Molière's language so much.

When I compose a song, I like to be alone at home. I'm old school so I don't have a computer. Just a pencil and a white page. A lot of things happen in my head and in my feelings when I decide to write about a subject. For example, when I wrote 'Comrade', I was so focused on the horrors of Tchikatilo  that as soon as I finished, I took my son in my arms, I hugged him very tightly, I kissed him a thousand times, I almost cried...

Depending on the subject, if it touches me too hard sometimes I need a little time before I dive back on another song.”

Væ Victis will be released on CD with limited edition signed and numbered vinyl pressings. Pre-orders available at this location.

Tracklisting:

"Frozen Beauties" 
"Bind Torture Kill"
"Zombie"
"Needles From Hell"
"Comrade"
"Medium"
"The Lady Of Death"
"Pentagram Tattoo"
"Mommy I'm Capable"
"Matrimonial Advertisements" 

For further details, visit Akiavel on Facebook.

 




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Tony Iommi says that it was "wrong" for the Ronnie James Dio-era BLACK SABBATH song titled "Slapback" to be released without the band's knowledge.

Gary Rees, the stepson and executor of the estate of SABBATH's longtime keyboardist Geoff Nicholls, uploaded the track to YouTube in early March, writing in an accompanying message that he had found it on a cassette tape that contained other material recorded during SABBATH's 1979 songwriting sessions for the following year's album "Heaven And Hell". (Note: The song has since been removed from YouTube.)

Asked in an interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show if there are any plans to properly release this tune, Iommi said (hear audio below): "That's a bit of a problem for us at the moment. Because that has got released without any of our knowledge, and it's not particularly a good thing. There was stuff floating around that Geoff Nicholls had, and he wasn't on that. I mean, it was before Geoff Nicholls [played] with us. But that suddenly got hold of by his stepson, and he just put this stuff out, which was a bit wrong, really."

Iommi went on to say that while there are no immediate plans for "Slapback" to receive an official release, other previously unreleased tracks will be included on future SABBATH box sets. "I've got lots and lots and lots of recordings of stuff we've done in the past that's never seen the light of day," he explained. "And I'd like to sort some of that out and put that on some of the albums. We are gradually going through these box sets. And there'll be a Tony Martin [-era] box set at some point coming out, and stuff with Ian Gillan maybe. So, yes, there'll be other songs added that have never been used for anything."

Last month, Iommi told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was "not at all happy" with the fact that Nicholls's estate decided to release "Slapback". "It's left a really bad taste in my mouth," he said. "At that point, when we did that, Geoff wasn't even involved in the band; I hadn't even got Geoff over at that time. That is actually Ronnie playing bass on that… And that was just in the lounge recorded on a cassette."

As for why "Slapback" never saw the light of day before, Iommi said: "We had one or two things that we'd jam around on and play on and stuff, but it [wasn't] right for the album, so we didn't put it into shape; we didn't record it [properly] or anything," he explained.

Iommi's assertion that Dio played bass on "Slapback" seemingly contradicts Geezer Butler's claim that he is featured on the track. In early March, the BLACK SABBATH bassist told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that "Slapback" was one of the songs he and his bandmates worked on before he exited SABBATH for a short time in order to deal with some personal issues. "It's probably the reason I did leave," he joked. "It was just one of those songs that didn't make the grade."

Asked if he in fact played bass on the recording that was uploaded to YouTube, Butler said: "Yeah, that was right before I left. It was just a one-off thing. We just jammed it and didn't think anything more of it. It didn't really work."

The "Slapback" upload came a month and a half after Rees shared a previously unreleased rehearsal recording of BLACK SABBATH playing the "Heaven And Hell" title track during the same sessions. That recording featured Nicholls on bass due to Butler's absence during the initial writing stage for the LP.

Butler went on to say that it's "incredible" to see both these recordings see the light of day more than 40 years later. "And it's quite good quality as well," he said. "I've heard the two songs from the Geoff Nicholls thing. It's reasonable quality."

Dio joined SABBATH for the first time in 1979 and quickly found kindred spirits in Butler, Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. When "Heaven And Hell" was released in April 1980, the album was met with effusive reviews for the band's return to form on metal masterpieces like "Neon Knights" and the title track. The LP reached No. 9 in the U.K. and No. 28 in the U.S., where it was also certified platinum.

Released on March 5, "Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition" added several bonus tracks that have never been made available in North America, including versions of "Children Of The Sea" and "Die Young" recorded live in 1980 in Hartford, Connecticut. The set concludes with live rarities like "E5150" and "Neon Knights" that originally appeared in 2007 on the Rhino Handmade's limited edition collection "Black Sabbath: Live At Hammersmith Odeon".

Nicholls died in January 2017 after a long battle with lung cancer.

Geoff, who played keyboards on all of SABBATH's albums between 1980 and 1995 and toured with them, was reportedly in remission from cancer at the time of his death but succumbed to the side effects of chemotherapy.

Nicholls's first appearance on a SABBATH album was on "Heaven And Hell". Although his main role with SABBATH was on the keyboard, Nicholls also played some rhythm guitar at concerts. In addition to not always being credited as a full member of the band, Nicholls rarely appeared on stage during SABBATH shows and would instead play on the side of the stage or backstage.

Nicholls's involvement with the band ended when Adam Wakeman (a member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band) was chosen to play keyboards during SABBATH's 2004 and 2005 tours as part of Ozzfest.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. Bruce picked DEEP PURPLE frontman Ian Gillan and stated about his choice: "So there I was as a young spotty teenager — just a teenager, I should hasten to add — and there was this noise coming through somebody's door. And I opened it, and I [went], 'What on earth is that?' And it was 'Speed King' by DEEP PURPLE off 'Deep Purple In Rock'. And that was what got me started.

"Having said all that, I met Ian Gillan. Not only did I meet him, I actually went on tour with him when I was in a band called SAMSON.

"I'm in a studio. We've done an album in Ian Gillan's studio. We've all been at the pub and had a few pints. In walks my god Ian Gillan and goes, 'Hey, what a great vocalist. Who's the singer?' At that moment, I felt the sudden urge to vomit. I ran out of the room, puked up for about 45 minutes in the toilet when in comes my idol, kicks the door and goes, 'C'mon, mate. Out you come. Let's get you wiped down with a towel.' He put me in a taxi and sent me home. I've never forgotten that, and he's never let me forget it either."

Several years ago, Dickinson told Metal Hammer that Gillan was a big influence on him vocally. "Ian was a big vocal hero of mine," he said. "There was Ian Gillan, Arthur Brown, Ian Anderson from JETHRO TULL, surprisingly enough, and a chap called Peter Hammill from VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. They're all in the same area of voices — they all had a ballsy sort of tenor, extended baritone thing to their voices."

Dickinson previously said that "Fireball" was one of his favorite DEEP PURPLE cuts. He stated about the song: "It's just one of those tracks that is not played very often, but it's got some phenomenal bits in it. And, of course, it's also got — I mean, having been a drummer or at least aspired to being a drummer, I have huge respect for drummers, and Ian Paice is simply one of the finest drummers in the world; he really is. And I suppose if you're going to be a drumming nit-noid type guy, it's his foot, it's all down to his fo

Ljubljana’s underground legends Noctiferia have signed with Blood Blast Distribution for the digital release of their Reforma album, set to be unleashed on May 28th. The second single and video "No History" has been released; check out the video below.

Noctiferia comments on the single: "'No History' might be the most Noctiferia song on the Reforma album. It is very dynamic and It has all the elements we are known for. Massive riffs, wicked atmosphere, emotional guitar solo and some blast beats to top it all off. Also Giani went a step further with the vocals on this one and the whole thing just sounds heavy! And it's a great song to play live, which in a way explains the video we made for it."

Tracklist:

"Barbarians Are Coming"
"Now You Will Pay" (feat. David Vincent)
"No History"  
"Tanz Mit Laibach" (feat. Attila Csihar) 
"Eurovision"
"Smrt Za Smrt"
"Das Spiel Ist Aus"  
"Slovenska Akropola" (feat. Jørgen Munkeby)

Reforma is new studio album by Noctiferia, a tribute to the legendary and world-renowned avant-garde band Laibach featuring three big and legendary names of metal scene; David Vincent - ex-Morbid Angel, Vltimas, Attila Csihar - Mayhem, and Jørgen Munkeby - Shining. It was mixed and mastered by the award-winning producer Henrik Udd (Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, At The Gates, etc.). The artwork concept and design is the work of Jean-Emmanuel "Valnoir" Simoulin from French design studio Metastazis, known for their work with Ghost, Behemoth, At the Gates and Amorphis. The album can be described as a "crushing sounding mix of extreme metal and avant-garde music," with some very special and legendary guests!

"Now You Will Pay" (feat. David Vincent)




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“Ritual Warfare” is a track taken from Temtris' upcoming album, due for release on April 30th via Wormholedeath.

Temtris combines the best elements of heavy metal and brings them to life with a modern feel. “Ritual Warfare” delivers powerful and soaring vocals, twin guitar harmonies, blazing solos and a crushing rhythm section that drives a catchy chorus, leaving you hungry for more.

Ritual Warfare features the outstanding musicianship and songwriting skills that Temtris deliver with every album. With eight blazing tracks, over 45 minutes, full of catchy riffs and choruses, dynamic and dominant rhythm sections, and powerful vocals that set this band apart from any other. Ritual Warfare, with its Aztec themed artwork, is the complete heavy metal indulgence.

Tracklisting:

"Race To The End" 
"One For All" 
"Seven Sins Of Man" 
"Forever"
"Ritual Warfare" 
"Tempus Aeturnum" 
"Erased" 
"Always United"

"Forever":

Album Teaser:

(Photo by MickG Photograpy and ISR Photography)

 




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Canadian rockers Headstones have released a new lyric video for their song "Bin This Way For Years", from their 2013 album, Love + Fury. Accompanying the clip, which can be seen below, is the following brief but exciting statement: 

#Headstones #FallTour2021 #comingsoon

 




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Ereb Altor presents Eldens Boning, a classic vinyl only 12” Mini-LP featuring four new Scandanavian metal songs full of pagan epicness!

Ereb Altor always promises one thing with each release: epic, folk-blended metal inspired by the Norse legends. Eldens Boning keeps any fan satisfied with a true and sincere Pagan theme in its lyrics and art. Each song delivers in full and features some of the best work from the band yet.

The opening track, “The Twilight Ship”, builds the atmosphere before exploding into classic Ereb Altor, a true heavy Pagan metal song focused on epicness. Sharp heavy metal riffs, Nordic melodies, catchy choruses and pounding drums, an enrichement to the band's future live set. Followed up by “Fenrisulven”, which sees Ereb Altor tread new paths, that of an all acoustic song, that really leaves an appetite for more of this. Very atmospheric, calm as a Swedish lake in the morning, it features great violin parts, skaldic in feel, a great addition to the metal songs.

The title track is the third song on this EP and it is classic Ereb Altor, blending in their Blackened roots, full speed ahead with the grim rasping vocals taking the lead. Never losing the focus on epicness, and graced with killer guitar solo-work. A raging song for sure. Closing song “Sacrifice 2.0” might refer to the “Sacrifice” song on the Fire Meets Ice album, but this new song is much swifter and tighter, showcasing once more the mix of epicness and Ereb Altor’s blacker roots.

Pre-order Eldens Boning now at this location, release date is May 10th.

 




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Thundermother keep fighting for rock 'n' roll. Following their international chart hit album Heat Wave, is a brand-new single called "The Road Is Ours", heradling the release of a special deluxe edition of Heat Wave.

Swedish rockers, Thundermother, will release a deluxe edition of their fourth album, Heat Wave, on May 21 via AFM Records.

The initial release of the Heat Wave album reached #6 on the official German charts. Featured guests Jesper Binzer (D-A-D) and Dregen (Backyard Babies / Hellacopters) join the band on this Deluxe Edition. It contains - as a bonus - three brand new tracks, three live tracks from Wacken World Wide, one Japanese bonus track, and acoustic versions.

Pre-order here, and watch a video for "The Road Is Ours" below.

CD tracklisting:

CD1:
"Loud And Alive"
"Dog From Hell"
"Back In ‘76"
"Into The Mud"
"Heat Wave"
"Sleep"
"Driving In Style"
"Free Ourselves"
"Mexico"
"Purple Sky"
"Ghosts"
"Somebody Love Me"
"Bad Habits"

CD2:
"The Road Is Ours"
"Show Me What You Got"
"You Can´t Handle Me"
"Driving In Style" (Acoustic)
"Dog From Hell" (Acoustic)
"Sleep Feat. Jesper Binzer" (Acoustic)
"Give Me Some Lights" (Live)
"Thunderous" (Live)
"Hellevator" (Live)
"Rock'n'Roll Heaven" (feat. Dregen & Pontus Snibb)

"The Road Is Ours" video:

 




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Tank has unveiled their video for “Shellshock”, featuring Cradle Of Filth vocalist Dani Filth, from the Baphomet motion picture soundtrack.

Cleopatra Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Baphomet, a horror film from writer-director Matthan Harris.

Baphomet tells the tale of an American family (the Richardsons) celebrating their daughter’s pregnancy, but things begin to go awry when Satanic cult leader, Henrik Brandr unexpectedly visits their ranch. Henrik offers to pay the family a large sum for ownership of their land, claiming it is sacred to his congregation. Jacob Richardson, the father, rejects the offer due to the sentimental value of his ranch. Henrik, displeased, begins to put curses on the Richardsons, trying to force them off of their own land – even if it means murdering them. After suffering unexplainable tragedies created by the curses, the Richardsons seek help from Marybeth, a white witch high priestess. They soon discover a terrible secret about their house, revealing why their land is so sacred to the cult. They realize that they must protect their house from the cult at all costs, and a violent battle between good and evil ensues.

The film stars Colin Ward (Mank, Criminal Minds), Giovanni Lombardo Radice (The Omen, City Of The Living Dead, Cannibal Ferox), Nick Principe (Laid To Rest, Chromeskull), Harris (German Angst, For We Are Many) and Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth as Lon Carlson, an occultist and expert on witchcraft.

Says Harris: "Baphomet is a hellish rollercoaster of demonic and supernatural terror. I started pre-production for it back in 2013 and it has been my labor of undying love ever since. I've poured everything I could into this monster of a movie, and I'm so pleased that we can unleash this horrifying beast upon the world this year!"

Adds Filth: "I really liked the idea of it. The script was good. It seemed genuinely interesting, esoteric. The premise is great, and I quite liked the idea of the character I was playing... haggard and highly intelligent. It's kind of apt, you know. I wouldn't say it's tongue-in-cheek, I wouldn't even say it's role reversal, but it's similar in the way that Ozzy played a priest in Trick or Treat. It's playing with the genre, mixing it up a little bit, and I think it's cool, yeah. I think that I'm cut out for the role of an occult investigator, occult philosopher, etcetera. I could see myself actually doing that role in real life."

See an interview with Dani Filth below:

The rights deal was brokered by Cleopatra Founder and CEO Brian Perera, Tim Yasui VP/GM of Cleopatra Entertainment and by John Lepper from the Cyfuno Ventures Sales Agency on behalf of the filmmakers.

Baphomet will be released domestically on June 8 on VOD Platforms and also as a Home Entertainment DVD and Blu-Ray package.

         




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Last Sunday, March 28, Dirty Honey drummer Corey Coverstone and a couple of friends were riding their mountain bikes in Haines Canyon, which is up in the hills, north of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Corey took a nasty fall, as seen in the video below, resulting in an injury to his left wrist.

There are two trails up there that run parallel - the one in the video which is the “bike” trail, and then one that runs along side it that’s a hiking trail. Corey had ridden that trail three times previously. On Sunday, he rode the course once as a warm up, and then the second time, he said it was a “perfect storm” of loose terrain, dirt with loose small rocks, and slick. Corey did mention that the suspension of his bike was kind of stiff, probably should have been set up differently. By his own admission, Corey was going a little too fast, not looking far enough ahead - he said he launched off the jump, followed by a sharp turn he hadn’t seen.  

When he crashed, Corey definitely felt the pain in his left wrist - you can see in the video where he tries to use his left hand to take off his right glove, and just can’t.  He’s crashed before but was always able to walk away, but not this time. He got stuck in a pile of sticks, but was able to get his helmet off using his right arm; and then the buddies he had been riding with finally found him. When asked how he got the bike out of there, Corey said he rode it down the hiking trail, keeping his left arm and wrist protected.  

Corey did see an orthopedic doctor who suggested a cast - he didn’t get one. Instead, he's opting to just ice it, while keeping his fingers moving, and thereby the blood flowing, taking calcium and letting it heal. Corey also said this particular ride was the first time he’s used the Go-Pro camera.

After a string of chart hits and live triumphs, one of rock music's most exciting new bands, Dirty Honey, is keeping the momentum going with the April 23rd release of their self-titled debut full-length. The Los Angeles quartet has also released the second single from Dirty Honey, a song called "Tied Up".

Dirty Honey - LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone - planned to record their debut album with producer Nick DiDia (Rage Against The Machine, Pearl Jam), who had produced the band's 2019 EP; but the day before the band was due to fly to Australia to track the album, Los Angeles entered lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and traveling was off the table. Still keen to work with DiDia, they came up with a Plan B:  record the full-length at Henson Studios in Los Angeles studio with DiDia beamed into the proceedings via the magic of modern technology.

Having to switch gears delayed the start of recording slightly, although this extra time ended up being a boon. Dirty Honey rented a rehearsal space and demoed the album's songs in advance, meaning the tracks were in good shape when DiDia came onboard. "If we had gone when we were supposed to in March, we wouldn't have had as many songs," Smolian says. "We did a lot of rehearsing and got tighter as a band.  Except for Marc's lyrics, everything was pretty much written by the time we got into the studio, there really wasn't a lot of, 'Let's try this, let's try that.' It was more about capturing takes." 

Adds drummer Corey Coverstone: "Because of the pandemic, we had a lot more time to write and prepare, which was great.  It meant that we were able to workshop the songs a lot more, and I think it really made a difference."

The Dirty Honey album does sound effortless and captures the lightning-in-a-bottle dynamics and energy of the band's live sound. The collection boasts airtight songwriting that plays up their strengths:  sexy, bluesy, nasty rock 'n' roll.  LaBelle reaffirms his status as one of contemporary rock's best vocalists on "The Wire," while the gospel-tinted "Another Last Time" is a midtempo, organ-fueled album-closer bursting with soul.

Although the pandemic has thrown some obstacles in the way, Dirty Honey knows that pushing through those tough times will only help them come out stronger on the other side. "When you finally come through on those moments, that's where the real magic comes in," Notto says. "What makes all of our songs fun to play and listen to is we don't allow ourselves to stop short of getting the best possible results out of each one of them."

In fact, if anything, all of the four band members are determined to better themselves going forward. "As a guitarist, I'm always inspired by the everlasting pursuit of the perfect riff," Notto adds. "I also wanted to extend the artistic statement that we've already made. We weren't looking to sound different, or prove our growth, necessarily. It was more about, 'Oh, you thought that was good?  Hold my beer.'"

Tracklisting:

"California Dreamin'"
"The Wire"
"Tied Up"
"Take My Hand"
"Gypsy"
"No Warning"
"The Morning"
"Another Last Time"

"California Dreamin'":

 

 




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Torn Between Two Worlds featuring former Angtoria bandmates Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn recently released their debut single, "The Beauty Of Deception". The follow-up single, "All Eyes On Me", has been confirmed for release on May 2nd.

Sarah recently checked in with the following update:

"Recording vocals for the new track 'All Eyes On Me' by Torn Between Two Worlds. It's strange when you have to stop recording a song because you get all emotional about it and the experience it gives you. My journey with Chris started on the Therion / Evergrey European tour over 15 years ago. It continued with Angtoria and now this, and there is one thing I'm so grateful for which made me so emotional today: the friendship I have with Chris Rehn. I know at times he has more or less pulled his hair out with me, but he had never turned his back and no matter how tough things have been in our lives over the years, he has NEVER turned his back. I think this song is better than 'The Beauty Of Deception'. Every track we do in my eyes is a step up from the last and I'm far, far from perfect I still say I'm a 'has been' haha.... but I have my passion back for singing. I have always been a true believer of actions speak louder than words."

Go to the official Torn Between Two Worlds Bandcamp page here. The official lyric video for the song is available below.

Photos used with kind permission of Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn




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Progressive, technical death metal collective Alluvial has released a cataclysmic new single titled, "Thy Underling" from the band's sophomore album, Sarcoma, that's due out May 28 from Nuclear Blast. 

Guitarist Wes Hauch comments on the single: 

“The first half of the song is from the perspective of a scornful entity. The idea is that a wraith and aims to confuse and debilitate the host ‘Until he rots and lies stinking in the earth’, a line borrowed from one of my favorite movies. The second half is from the perspective of the host. The content is based on an ongoing experience I have, but I think anyone could apply it to something familiar to them."

What began as an instrumental collaboration has grown into a full-frontal aural assault with a lineup consisting of vocalist Kevin Muller (ex-Suffocation, The Merciless Concept), guitarist Wes Hauch (ex-The Faceless, Black Crown Initiate), bassist Tim Walker (Entheos) and drummer Matt Paulazzo (Aegaeon). On their follow up to 2017's The Deep Longing For Annihilation, Alluvial plunge into a whirlwind of neck-snapping polyrhythmic riffs, a barrage of double bass and a dynamic avalanche of screams.

Alluvial's second full-length album, Sarcoma, examines people's connection with pain and the hardships that bind us.

“Sarcoma is a type of cancer that grows from connective tissue in the body,” says Wes Hauch. “At the end of working on everything, Kevin [Muller] pinpointed that each song on the record was about the different perils that happen at the hand of one man to another. These perils live in our connections to one another, so 'Sarcoma' became an apt title.”

As Hauch began writing the record, he took notice of Muller due to his time in Suffocation. After hearing his vocals on a demo, everything simply clicked, and Kevin joined the band. Fast brothers, it fulfilled a long-term goal. “The Deep Longing for Annihilation was supposed to have vocals, but I couldn’t find the right guy,” he adds. “Some people possess a rare inability to doubt themselves. Kevin can marry that into performances. The day I heard his vocals over the Sarcoma demos was a special one. We’ve become brothers.”

After writing and producing demos at home, Alluvial cut guitars, bass, and vocals with engineer John Douglass (Mr. Bungle, Amon Amarth) in Atlanta. The opener “Ulysses” begins with warm guitar echoes before building towards an ominous crescendo. It quickly crumbles under the weight of a thrash riff and brain-rattling growl.

“I was always in trouble in my small hometown,” Hauch says. “After going to a county jail, I joined the military and took orders as an Equipment Operator bound for the US Naval Mobile Construction Battalions. The enlisted side of the military are all misfits of one kind or another. Because of this, it’s really a continuation of high school. The military continued raising us, for better or worse. In 2005, I deployed to Iraq and convoyed throughout Baghdad for seven months. If you were in Iraq from 03 to 08, it was generally pretty bad. Because of that, I wouldn’t call my experience in Iraq “unique,” it was just a hot time over there. If you convoyed, you were gonna get shot at, and you were gonna deal with IED’s. If you were in a camp, you were gonna get mortared. If you were infantry and you were kicking down doors, god bless you, you were gonna have it the worst out of anyone. ‘Ulysses’ is a glossary of my hindsight on that experience.”

"Ulysses" is a taste of what's to come from a band that's already proven themselves before. They've set the stage for their next onslaught, "Sarcoma," armed with some of the most vicious, technical riffs and merciless vocals that metal has to offer.

Pre-order the new album here.

Sarcoma tracklisting:

"Ulysses"
"Thy Underling"
"Sarcoma"
"40 Stories"
"Zero"
"Exponent"
"Sleepers Become Giants"
"The Putrid Sunrise"
"Sugar Paper"
"Anodyne"

"Thy Underling":

"Ulysses" video:




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Los Angeles hard rockers Slizard have released a music video for their cover version of Scorpions’ "Still Loving You". The music video was edited by Slizard percussionist Todd "Toad" Resmen and features lead vocalist Liz Fawcett on piano. The track was produced by Chris Wood.  

Slizard guitarist Pat "Buzz" Belrose shares his comments on the Video: "Nosferatu strikes again with an irresistible attraction felt by his victims. Slizard pay our profound gratitude to the Scorpions for such a brilliant and beautiful song, and to 'The Noss' for his masterful performance of Dracula, or shall we say Nosferatu.”

Slizard recently signed a worldwide deal with Mega Metal Records, a sub-label of Canadian label Maple Metal, to release their self-titled debut on May 28.

The band was formed in 2019, and features LA singer Liz Fawcett on vocals, Pat "Buzz" Belrose on guitars, bass & vocals, and Todd "Toad" Resmen on drums.

Singing sensation Liz Fawcett has been described by a few LA music industry reps as a "badass" singer that has an instantly recognizable voice. Pat "Buzz" Belrose has previously played guitar for LA bands Spoiled Rotten, & World Jungle who were popular acts, especially on the local LA scene in the 90's, but has also recorded two albums with Canadian metal band Jade in the mid-80's. Buzz currently also has his own band appropriately named BUZZ ZA.

All the lyrics on Slizard were penned by American poet Randall Dwight.

The Slizard album cover art is designed by well-known Finnish artist Jan Yrlund, of Darkgrove Studios, Tampere, Finland.

Slizard is produced & mixed by Chris Wood, a 3-time Grammy Award nominated L.A. producer, & mix engineer. Chris Wood has worked with a variety of artists in multiple music genres, but in the rock world most notably with Slash, Lenny Kravitz, Vivian Campbell guitarist of Dio & Def Leppard.

The album is mastered by Chris Crerar at Metalworks Studios (Guns N' Roses, Rush, Triumph) in Toronto, Canada.

Slizard have written over 50 songs for this project, and below is a list of the 15 tracks that'll appear on their debut album.

Tracklisting:

"Monsters"
"Mr. Hyde"
"Gears"
"Crack The Whip"
"Skinwalker"
"Watch N' Listen"
"Vampire Zombies"
"Running Towards The Zombies"
"Madness Of The Queen"
"Neverland"
"Down By The River"
"Spooks In The Trees"
"Broken Dreams"
"Slow Motion Suicide"
"Will You Still Be There"

Sampler #1:

Sampler #2:




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On Saturday, March 27th, Canadian rock veterans Helix played a virtual show at the Burlington Arts Centre in Burlington, Ontario with Monster Truck. Frontman Brian Vollmer has uploaded footage from the night.

Vollmer: "Great bunch of guys and they treated us well.  Here's our opening number, 'Eat Sleep Rock'. First time we played in a year and a half, brand new song, brand new guitarist (Gary Borden)."

Helix released the Eat Sleep Rock CD on Perris Records in August 2020; a compilation album with some of singer Brian Vollmer’s personal favorite songs recorded since leaving Captiol/EMI in 1990. The album was recorded at bassist Darryl Gray's own Dawghouse Studios, mixed by Siegfried Meier and mastered by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem). The artwork was done by ex-Helix guitarist Brent Doerner with photos by Victor Azziz Studios. "Brent is a very creative guy," states Vollmer. When he was in the band writing songs, he was with us for I think 16 or 18 years. I've always found him as a person who thought outside the box when it came to creativity so it's great still having him involved with Helix projects. He's like a 6th member."

Eat Sleep Rock adds the new track "Eat Sleep Rock" and includes "The Story Of Helix," a rap that Brian wrote a couple of years ago to kick off the acoustic show. "Eat Sleep Rock" is the first to feature new Helix guitarist Gary Borden, a veteran of the Canadian music scene who has played with Sass Jordan, Toronto and The Guess Who, worked with Gowan, and fronts his own original act Blood Of VanGogh. Brian continues, "Kaleb left last year, he was a solid member for over 10 years and he is still involved with the band writing for the next studio album. Gary is a great guy and he fits right in. It's great having guys with personalities like Gary and Chris (Julke, guitarist) to bring you up as it's tough when you are out there doing it all weekend long, travelling, playing, getting up early and flying. I got a great bunch of guys behind me."

Check out the official video clip below.

Keep up to date with all things Helix in their newly designed website at Planethelix.com.




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"Say Goodbye", the latest solo single from Robin McAuley, can be streamed below. The song is taken from Robin's upcoming solo album, "Standing On The Edge", which showcases the desire of the respected Irish rock singer to make a strong musical statement in a period that was more creative than ever for him. After reemerging on the recording side of the music industry with guest spots on MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST albums and fronting the hard rock supergroup BLACK SWAN, McAuley is feeling invigorated and ready to explore even more creative output, letting the world see that his voice is as powerful as ever. "Standing On The Edge" will arrive on May 7 va Frontiers Music Srl.

Of the album, Robin says: "It was hard not to draw reference from the dreaded pandemic we all found ourselves in, and still do, so I just spat out what I was feeling and 'Standing On The Edge' seemed an appropriate title to describe the current climate." He continues: "In contrast to that however, songs like 'Run Away' harken back to my childhood years, racing across the fields next to our house trying to beat the rain home. I'm still running all these years later!! Alessandro sent me this beautiful music and this lyric and melody came together quite quickly. It's very simple and childlike and I really like how this song turned out. 'Wanna Take A Ride', on the other hand, was just me desperate to get out of the house during lockdown and head to the beach. Top down, throttle wide open, and a stiff middle finger to COVID. I crank this SO LOUD in my car. Makes me smile!

"Perhaps this record is not everything I ever wanted to say or record in a solo effort, but it's how I felt at the time. I'm far from being done. Hope you like what you hear," concludes Robin.

McAuley is widely recognized as one of the great singers of a golden period in hard rock music. His voice can be heard on albums from GRAND PRIX and FAR CORPORATION, and of course on the chart-topping MSG records "Perfect Timing", "Save Yourself" and "MSG". Through these releases, he was introduced to hard rock fans around the globe, who no doubt recognized the inherent talent and skill in his vocal abilities. Since departing MSG, he released one solo record in 1999, then joined AOR legends SURVIVOR, and then re-grouped with Schenker in MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST on their recent records "Resurrection" and "Revelation". And, of course, in what was an absolute revelation to hard rock fans around the world, in 2020, he came out swingin' as the frontman of the supergroup BLACK SWAN, where he joined forces with Reb Beach (WHITESNAKE, WINGER), Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, ex-DOKKEN) and Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR BIG).

McAuley spent the latter half of 2020 working on a new solo record, one which truly encompasses all music styles he is known for — hard rock and melodic rock superbly performed as only he can do it. Envisioned, overseen, and creatively directed by Serafino Perugino, president and A&R director of Frontiers, with production (and co-writing) by Alessandro Del Vecchio, McAuley offers up a true gem of an album in "Standing On The Edge". Included are a splendid songwriting collaborations with his former GRAND PRIX bandmate Phil Lanzon (currently longtime URIAH HEEP keyboardist) on "Like A Ghost", Howard Leese (of BAD COMPANY, ex-HEART) on "Supposed To Do Now", and Tommy Denander on "Do You Remember" and "Chosen Few".

"Standing On The Edge" track listing:

01. Thy Will Be Done

02. Standing On The Edge

03. Late December

04. Do You Remember

05. Say Goodbye

06. Chosen Few

07. Run Away

08. Supposed To Do Now

09. Wanna Take A Ride

10. Like A Ghost

11. Running Out Of Time

Recording lineup:

Robin McAuley - vocals

Andrea Seveso - guitars

Alessandro Del Vecchio - bass, keyboards, backing vocals

Nicholas Papapicco - drums

Howard Leese - guitars on "Supposed To Do Now"

Rammstein has, as expected, pushed their 2021 European tour - initially planned for summer 2020 - to 2022 due to the ongoing global pandemic. Dates are available below.

Check the band's official website here for updates.

May
20 - Leipzig, Germany - Red Bull Arena 
21 - Leipzig, Germany - Red Bull Arena 
25 - Klagenfurt, Germany - Wörthersee Stadion 
30 - Zürich, Switzerland - Stadion Letzigrund 
31 - Zürich, Switzerland - Stadion Letzigrund 

June
4 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion 
5 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion 
10 - Stuttgart, Germany - Cannstatter Wasen 
11 - Stuttgart, Germany - Cannstatter Wasen
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion
15 - Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion 
18 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Merkur Spiel-Arena 
19 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Merkur Spiel-Arena 
22 - Aarhus, Denmark - Ceres Park 
26 - Coventry, UK - Ricoh Arena 
30 - Cardiff, UK - Principality Stadium 

July
4 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Goffertpark
8 - Lyon, France - Groupama Stadium 
9 - Lyon. France - Groupama Stadium 
12 - Turin, Italy - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino 
16 - Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy 
20 - Tallinn, Estonia - Song Festival Grounds 
24 - Oslo, Norway - Bjerke Travbane 
29 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium 
30 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium 

August
3 - Ostende, Belgium - Park De Nieuwe Koers 




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Metal band A Sound Of Thunder has released an acoustic cover of the Black Sabbath song “Too Late”. The song was originally written and recorded by the Ronnie James Dio-fronted lineup of Black Sabbath for the Dehumanizer album, released in 1992. A Sound Of Thunder’s version of “Too Late” is available on all major music streaming services worldwide from April 2. Listen here. Download the single for free here.

Listeners will hear a drastically different version of “Too Late” in A Sound Of Thunder’s version. The band chose to strip the song down to its most basic elements in order to emphasize Ronnie James Dio’s lyrics. The lone vocal track and single acoustic guitar accompaniment are meant to reinforce the sense of isolation and despair inherent in the original composition.

A Sound Of Thunder was formed in Washington, DC in 2008. The band recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of their permanent lineup of Nina Osegueda (vocals), Josh Schwartz (guitar), Jesse Keen (bass), and Chris Haren (drums). The occasion was marked with the release of the band’s 8th album Parallel Eternity, a collaboration with composer Brad Charles of Magic Giraffe Soundworks featuring orchestral versions of new songs and fan-favorite songs from the band’s back catalog.




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Serj Tankian has defended his right to speak out on political issues.

The SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman, who is currently promoting a new documentary about his life and activist work, discussed his decision to publicly express his political views in a new interview with Brazil's G1.

Asked how he responds to criticism from SYSTEM OF A DOWN fans who want him to just sing their favorite songs and not get involved in politics, Serj said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was an activist before becoming an artist. And I do different types of music — I do classical music, which has no vocals, I do jazz music, I do scores for films. I work with a lot of different types of music, as well as rock. And when I write something, the song could be a love song, it could be a political song — there's many different types of music I deal with. So when I write something that I intentionally feel and feel stongly about, no one can tell me what to say and what not to say, because that's in the song, and those thoughts come from that song that I'm telling you.

"To tell an artist that he should only play music and not talk about politics is like telling a journalist that they should only do interviews and not fix the — I don't know — toilet, or whatever," he explained. "It makes no sense. We're dynamic, sentient beings on this planet. We can be good at more than one thing. And if they're not, that's their problem."

A singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, film producer, activist, and composer, Tankian has always created music as an outlet to express his thoughts and feelings with a level of passion and consciousness that few in today's world of music can rival. An Armenian born in Lebanon and re-rooted in Los Angeles, Tankian was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas, and ideals from a very young age. The principles learned from this integration and adaptation have led to his understanding of the oneness of all things and have since maneuvered and transfigured into the music and art that he lives to create. As the lead singer and songwriter for SYSTEM OF A DOWN, Serj has released five studio albums, winning a Grammy Award in 2006 for "B.Y.O.B." and selling over 40 million albums worldwide. Despite this success, Serj has never grown complacent with his art, always striving to open up new channels of sound and arrangement to articulate his artistic expressions. He has released five albums of solo material, beginning with 2007's chart-topping hard rock album "Elect The Dead". His sophomore solo album, "Imperfect Harmonies", was released in 2010, followed by "Harakiri" in 2012. 2013 saw two distinct releases from Serj, the first being the critically acclaimed "Orca Symphony No. 1", released in June of that year, followed up with the very unique "Jazz-Iz Christ" one month later.

Over the past few years, his time spent in the recording studio has been focused on creating musical scores and compositions for film and video game projects. Serj recently lent his vocals to a modern-day cover of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's rock classic "Godzilla" for the blockbuster Michael Dougherty film "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters". He also recorded a modern version of the Armenian folk song "Sari Siroun Yar" along with the Authentic Light Orchestra for the film "The Promise", directed by Terry George and starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Serj was also brought on by Survival Pictures, the producers of the film, to serve as an executive music consultant.

Most recently, Tankian composed the full musical score for award-winning documentary "I Am Not Alone" directed by Garin Hovannisian and the upcoming Live Nation Productions film "Truth To Power", which chronicles Serj's own journey through the crossroads of music and activism. In 2017, Serj composed music for Emmy-nominated "Intent To Destroy", a gripping film directed by award winning documentarian Joe Berlinger. That same year he created an intense score for the epic Russian action film "Furious - The Legend of Kolovrat", followed by his 2018 musical score for award-winning film "Spitak", directed by Alexander Kott. Additionally, Tankian composed the full musical score for independent films "1915" and "The Last Inhabitant", an original composition for Ilya Naishuller's "Hardcore Henry" and video game musical scores for "Midnight Star" and its sequel, "Renegade", which were created by one of the chief architects of the famed "Halo" game franchise.

Serj's resume also includes the formation of a record label, Serjical Strike Records (established in 2001), which has released albums from many critically acclaimed artists, including FAIR TO MIDLAND, Buckethead and DEATH BY STEREO.

Along with fellow musician Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE), Serj co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice in 2002, which strives to bring together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has also dabbled in the world of broadcasting as co-host of the Axis Of Justice Radio Network, which can be heard via SiriusXM and KPFK in Los Angeles. With a mission of spreading diversity and understanding through music, poetry and activism, Serj will continue to surprise and enlighten those who listen to his music and hear his words.

In recent years, Tankian has split his time between holding a mic and a paintbrush, having feverishly created over 60 pieces of art since 2013. His journey into the world of fine art began with his "Disarming Time Musical Paintings", which were exhibited at Project Gallery in Los Angeles. Since then, he has had multiple exhibitions at galleries in both the United States and New Zealand. In 2015, his artwork was exhibited at the grand opening of New Museum Los Gatos in Northern California as part of a group exhibit that ran from May through September of that year. Most recently, Serj's artwork was exhibited at two notable galleries in New Zealand during February and March of 2019.

Photo credit: George Tonikian