Jerry Cantrell, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of ALICE IN CHAINS, has completed work on his new solo album. The upcoming effort will mark his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Cantrell announced the new LP's completion in an Instagram post Thursday night (March 4). In addition to sharing a photo from the studio, where he was joined by ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN singer Greg Puciato, among others, he wrote: "Finished my record tonight one year to the day from when we started recording it . What a crazy journey ... always is. Look forward to setting it free upon your ear holes sometime soon."

Cantrell's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Jerry's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Cantrell has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

Cantrell discussed his plans to record and release new solo music during a pair of interviews he gave in January 2020. While chatting with Gibson about his new collaboration with the guitar maker, Cantrell touched upon his solo activity, saying: "I've been in this band, in ALICE IN CHAINS, since 1987, so 33 years. And that's always been my first love and my commitment, but I did have the opportunity to make a couple of solo records, and since we started the band back up, I really didn't have the opportunity to revisit that.

"[ALICE IN CHAINS] just finished touring in September [2019] off of 'Rainier Fog', and we generally take about a year off when we're done touring anyway — just give it a rest for a second and then get it reinvigorated and focus on what's new. So we're gonna take a year off, so I thought I'd maybe do some shows and I'm working on some music as well. And there's gonna be some exciting things. I don't wanna say just yet what's happening, but I can tell you that there's gonna be some cool shit happening this year."

In a separate interview with People TV on the red carpet of the MusiCares benefit honoring AEROSMITH, Cantrell said that he tries to stay away from listening to other artists while putting together new material. "I'm working on a new record myself, so, generally, when I'm in that sort of a mode, I pretty much don't listen to anything until I'm done, so nothing creeps in there," he explained.

"When I'm with ALICE, I'm with ALICE, and that takes the majority of my time. This year, we're taking a little time off, so... If you liked any of the solo work that I did or the work with ALICE, I'm sure you might like some of this stuff too."

Back in 2018, Cantrell told Billboard that he wasn't in good headspace when he made "Degradation Trip". "I was just really fucked up back then, to be honest with you, and you can totally hear it on that record," he said. "It was done right before I got sober, and it was also done right when I was dealing with the death of my band, and then the unhappy coincidence of Layne [Staley, ALICE IN CHAINS frontman] passing away right after I released that record. So it was not a good time in my life, and it totally comes across on that record."

Cantrell added: "It's a record I don't listen to a lot anymore because of all those things I mentioned," revealing that he got sober a year after it was recorded. He continued: "But it's a record that's important to me, and I'll see Robert and Mike every once in a while and they're like, 'We should do some fucking shows, man. Some 'Degradation Trip' shows.' [Laughs] I tell 'em we'll do it someday."

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.
























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Former DEEP PURPLE and current WHITESNAKE singer David Coverdale has dropped another $400,000 from the asking price of his Lake Tahoe estate. Coverdale put the home on the market in April 2019 for for $9.85 million, but that price came down in April 2020 to $7.65 million and in November 2020 to $7.20 million. The home now sits at an even lower price of $6.8 million.

According to Zillow, the property is now "contingent," which means a potential home buyer has made an offer that has been accepted and it has gone past the inspection phase, but there is still a contingency included in the purchase agreement that has not been cleared.

Found in Incline Village, a community on the north shore, the gated residence features high ceilings with exposed beams, wood and stone accents, three fireplaces, four bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The master suite features a step-up spa tub, multiple walk-in closets and a private deck.

"Every day for over 30 years, my family and I have loved and embraced our home," Coverdale said of the property in a statement. "The stunning views from every window, the peace and tranquility, and the privacy…far away from the three-ring circus of the music business, yet a mere hours' flight away from Los Angeles when work calls."

Chase International, which holds the listing, has posted a video overview of the home on YouTube. Check it out below.

Last October, Coverdale spoke to Darren Paltrowitz about his decision to move out of his longtime home in Incline Village, Nevada and set up base in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

"After having 10 years of degenerative arthritis, after 12 years, or whatever the hell, having a really big house — four floors and absolutely impractical for elevators, at 7,000 feet — instead of fighting for it, as I did in my last divorce, I couldn't do it anymore; I couldn't deal with it," David said. "And it's just beautiful — postcards from God on a daily basis. It's one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world. There's no high-rise buildings. You're not allowed to build above tree level. When people would fly in from Los Angeles, they'd be standing on the deck just biting off chunks of fresh air. But, yeah, it's a glorious, glorious place."

Asked what brought him to that area in the first place, the British-born singer, who has lived in America since the mid-1980s, said: "Well, it was tax. I've been a tax exile since I was 21 years old. When the '87 album just started to go batshit, we had a seven-hour meeting in Los Angeles, and they were wooing me to Delaware or Miami. The music business, at that time, of course, was Los Angeles. So I said, 'What the closest place…' And funnily enough, at school, I'd done a school project of the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics. So I had heard of Lake Tahoe, but I was unfamiliar with the geographics of it. And the very first day I woke up — I arrived in the middle of the night. There was no streetlights — it was just pitch black. I think I finished a world tour and had a hive of wasps up my ass about something. And the next day I woke up still kind of pissed and grumpy, making a coffee. And I opened these drapes to this drop-jaw, stunning, gorgeous view, widescreen — just unbelievable. I got my coffee, and I walked down to this boat dock, and I sat there, and I felt like all this rusty armor of all the bullshit and the dramas and the soap operas that go on on tours just drop off and into the water. It was an extraordinary meeting. It was like those Hollywood moments of seeing this woman walking in slo-mo, and you suddenly, your drink's paused, slo-moed halfway to your mouth, and it's love at first sight and time stopped. That was that kind of moment, and it still is."

Early last year, WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel its U.S. tour with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER so that Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia. Eventually, all of the shows were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Coverdale, who turned 69 in September, had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Gary Holt says that he doesn't know if there will ever be a SLAYER reunion.

The EXODUS leader, who spent almost nine years touring with SLAYER, discussed the possibility of a SLAYER comeback while taking part in this weekend's Headbangers Con.

Asked by Rocking With Jam Man if SLAYER would consider returning for a special show or tour, Holt said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a question I couldn't answer you, whether SLAYER would ever get back together. Those are questions that are above my pay scale, I guess you'd say.

"Look, if the powers that be ever — like, in a year or something — said, 'Hey, you know what? We feel like playing some shows,' I'm there to do it," Holt added. "But those aren't decisions for me to make, or even me to really speculate on. As far as my knowledge, the band is over, and the final show was November 30th, 2019. And I'm full speed ahead with EXODUS now."

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt played on SLAYER's final album, "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

Last August, Ayesha King, the wife of SLAYER guitarist Kerry King, said that there will never be a SLAYER reunion. She shot down the possibility of her husband and Tom Araya sharing the stage ever again under the SLAYER banner while responding to a fan on Instagram.

After Ayesha shared three photos of Kerry holding their cat in slideshow-type Instagram post, a fan wrote: "No Tom, No SLAYER Kerry. Stop thinking SLAYER without @tomarayaofficial". Ayesha then replied: "don't worry, they'll never be SLAYER again! You can rest easy".

That same month, SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph confimed that he is involved in a brand new project headed up by Kerry King. The duo spent much of last year working on music with the hopes of recording it properly once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

Bostaph told Australia's Riff Crew that the new band will "sound like SLAYER without it being SLAYER — but not intentionally so. I mean, Kerry's been writing songs in SLAYER his entire career, and he has a style," he explained. "And that style, as a songwriter, you just don't change your style because your band is done… So, all I can say is if you like heavy music and you like SLAYER, you'll like this."

Just a few days earlier, Kerry told Dean Guitars that he had plenty of musical ideas for his upcoming project. "I've been very, very lucky with riffs in 2020," he said. "Maybe because I can't go anywhere — I don't know — but riffs have certainly not been a problem. And looking forward into the future, what that means for me is I'm gonna be able to cherrypick the best stuff. And it's good stuff. I've got more than two records' worth of music, but to be able to go through that and cherrypick the best 11 or 12 [songs]… That first record should be smoking."

When SLAYER first announced that it was embarking on its final tour back in January 2018, Ayesha assured fans that they would "always get music" from her husband.

King has said in previous interviews that his post-SLAYER musical efforts would not be much different from the sound fans have grown accustomed to hearing from him.

"If someone quit, I'm not going to go around with a made-up SLAYER," he told AZCentral.com back in 2010. "But my next band would sound like SLAYER, that's all I know."




Proud to have @garyholt_official back by popular demand because he sold out so quickly last time.

Posted by Headbangers Con on Saturday, December 26, 2020

Swedish heavy metal band LION'S SHARE has made a new song, "Under Attack", available on streaming services and digital service providers.

LION'S SHARE singer Nils Patrik Johansson commented: "It's about how complex everything is these days. It feels like we're at war all the time and every day — not so much the old fashioned way with guns and bombs. These days we're under virtual attacks with fake news, web criminality, terrorist attacks etc. We also have to deal with this brutal pandemic and the effects of climate change. We're under attack, that's for sure."

In late 2018, LION'S SHARE released a new five-track EP, plus its complete catalog — remastered with new artwork — on streaming services and digital service providers for the first time. The band have since released a few more digital singles, some of which will and some of which won't end up on the forthcoming full-length album.

LION'S SHARE guitarist Lars Chriss says: "We are aware our fans want a new album and the plan was to release one in 2020, but then COVID-19 came and put a stop to that. We had just started playing live again with a couple of headline shows in Germany in March and were gearing up towards a new album and tour. Since we think it's very important to tour behind a new album, we just have to wait until things go back to 'normal' again. Until then, we plan to release a new single every two-three months and keep building our fan base".

Both Johansson and Chriss remark that they have always worked very well together, and at this point it feels the most natural to keep LION'S SHARE as a duo, with friends helping out wherever needed.

The LION'S SHARE catalog features appearances by members and ex-members of KISS, MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, HAMMERFALL, SYMPHONY X, CHIMAIRA, THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, CANDLEMASS, etc. Mixers include top engineers such as Jens Bogren (ARCH ENEMY, OPETH, SYMPHONY X, AMON AMARTH), Niklas Flyckt (one-time Grammy Award winner and four-time nominee) and Ronny Lahti (ROXETTE, EUROPE, Glenn Hughes).

LION'S SHARE has toured with bands like MOTÖRHEAD, MANOWAR, DIO, SAXON, ICED EARTH, NEVERMORE, U.D.O., Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and has played many of the major rock and metal festivals.

"Under Attack" recording lineup:

Nils Patrik Johansson - vocals

Lars Chriss - guitar

Andy Loos - bass

Nils Fredrik Johansson - drums

Former Enuff Z'Nuff songwriter/lead vocalist Donnie Vie guested on the 80's Glam Metal Podcast and discussed his rise to stardom with Enuff Z’Nuff, the band's classic albums from the late '80s and early '90s, his relazionship with Chip Z'Nuff, and more.

On what he has going on for 2021

Donnie: "Working on new songs and putting my own company together. I'm also looking for a catalog deal for my solo stuff. If I end up releasing the songs myself, I'll probably just do singles. It's pretty expensive to make a record. If you want to do it right, you have to have the studio, hire an engineer. All that shit costs money. Nobody buys albums anymore anyways. To make a whole record in my position would be pointless unless their are finances to do it." 

On the Enuff Z'Nuff back catalog coming out now on Cleopatra Records

Donnie: "Cleopatra records have just put out Dissonance and Peach Fuzz. It's cool to have those on vinyl because they have never been on vinyl before. It's also good to have all those albums that were scattered all over on shitty labels corralled in one place. Now they are getting the attention and love they deserve." 

On his relationship with Chip Z'Nuff

Donnie: "It's successful right now under the circumstances. He has his quirks and I have mine. We had a lot of years together and some hard times. I prefer not to be involved with him every day, and I'm sure he prefers not to be involved with me every day. Because of the Cleopatra deal, we had to talk and work together on it. We have found a way to make it friendly and remember the love and forget the hate. I hated his ass. There was some really violating stuff happening coming from a so-called brother. But we talked about it and all that shit has been worked out."

On getting big in the '80s and the bands heavy glam image

Donnie: "I'll tell you what I can remember. Back in the '80s, it was like everywhere you would go, there was a party for you. Everybody loves you....giving you all kinds of free shit. It was so much fun, but it came with a lot of excess baggage that was impossible to shake for a long time. Our image in the late '80s just came from a lack of planning. Chip and I had never envisioned that as our look. With Derek and Vik, it kinda came with the territory. Derek had the giant hair and Vik was a total Crüe and Poison fan. That was what was going on on MTV and in the clubs. Chip and I without knowing any better, just got on the bus with the glam look. Our label didn't try and discourage it either. Atco basically built the label on that '80s glam shit. We were building them up because we were their main baby. We showcased for Geffen and the guy from the label said he had to pass on us because of our look. I really wasn't a fan of that glam shit and shook it as fast as I could. It went against my instincts, but it was such a big opportunity at a young age. How was I going to walk away because I didn't like the look, making it big was what I had dreamed about." 

On changes in the business in the '90s

Donnie: "On the Strength album it really hadn't sunk in yet. We didn't realize what was happening with music. For us and for a lot of fans, that album was like a masterpiece. We didn't make it thinking it was not going to be pushed and just sit on a shelf. When we went to Arista with Clive Davis, the first thing he had us do was drop the image. Before Nirvana came in, that was how I used to look as a kid. Punk, bum, drug addict, street lizard. I was writing punky shit too. I was like damn! Clive told me I deserved to be up on the wall with all these classic artists in his office. He said the minute you do something that's unnatural, you start taking away from you. He said all that glam and makeup shit had to go. I don't think he had any intention of keeping the rest of the band. He only cared about these power ballads and me. I was happy when all that glam shit was gone, but it was a lot of fun! When that '80s lifestyle went out, the good times went out of the business." 




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Australian heavy outlaw sleaze rock band, Snake Bite Whisky, has released the first single and video from their second album, Black Candy, which is being released globally by Sliptrick Records on March 30th.

"Hammered" is a riotous throwback to '70s punk rock mixed with screeching sleaze metal. A lyrical journey that traverses a typical night of debauchery in the world of Snake Bite Whisky. "Hammered" is set to become a new rock 'n roll party anthem with its in your face, non politically correct lyrics and infectious sing-along chorus.

The video was directed by Kyle Golly of the No.One Network who has directed the band's previous videos for "Down In The Dirt" and "Last Man Standing". The clip was filmed on location in Brisbane, Australia and features a cameo appearance by their original drummer, Nick Dysart, who left the band in 2018. The video is dedicated to bass guitarist Stacii Blake’s dog Cooper, who passed away last year.

Pre-order Black Candy, the new album from Snake Bite Whisky now at this location.

Black Candy was recorded at Lush Studios in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia. Produced and mixed by Bernie Wedrat, Black Candy features ten tracks of uncompromising heavy sleaze rock with elements of punk, outlaw country and heavy metal. This is Snake Bite Whisky's follow-up to their debut album, This Side Of Hell, and displays an even wider range of musical influence.

Black Candy is also the first recording featuring the talents of new members Danny Sharkz on drums and Laggy on guitars, who joined after the previous drummer and guitarist unceremoniously quit on the eve of the 2019 UK tour. Together with original members, vocalist / lyricist Jay R and bass guitarist, Stacii Blake they have crafted ten tracks born out of the filthy underbelly of heavy rock.

The band has gained a reputation for not caring about trends and doing whatever they want musically, regardless of consequence. And they continue that trend on Black Candy. From the high octane Southern-metal influenced opener "Thunderbird", to the pulsating sleaze of "Choke", to the Iggy Pop-esque ode to partying, "Hammered", the album never lets up. Not even on "Bones In The Fire", a heavy metal soaked, outlaw country dirge.

Explosive lead guitar work from Laggy peppers the album with his trademark screaming solos and huge, catchy riffs, adding to the signature Snake Bite Whisky sound. Stacii Blake once again brings his dirty bass riffs, notably on "Creep Show" (an anthem for the outcasts of society), with murderous intent on the driving rhythm of "Reload, Aim And Kill", and with lots of fuzz and groove on the aforementioned, "Hammered". Danny Sharkz brings a massive drum sound to the mix with tight rhythms and thunderous fills highlighted in tracks such as "Raised In Hell", "Sweet Cocaine" and "Dead By Dawn". Jay R once again draws from life experiences to paint a lyrical picture of the band’s debauched life. Everything from sex, revenge, drinking and hard living are covered across the ten tracks, at times delving into dark themes such as drug addiction on the epic album closer, "End Of The Line" and a man’s place in today’s politically correct society on "Bones In The Fire".

So take a shot of Snake Bite Whisky in the form of Black Candy. This party is just getting started!

 




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Blacktop Mojo has revealed the artwork for their upcoming, self-titled fourth studio album. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

"This group of songs in particular really kind of reflects our sound; all of our influences put together. We feel like it embodies what we're all about," says Blacktop Mojo.

The band is offering a select number of fans the opportunity of a lifetime!

"On April 24th, 2021 come down to beuatiful Rosewood Studios in Tyler, Texas and party with us as we all take our first listen through the new album. Hear first hand from the band the stories behind the songs, stories about the recording of the album, and everything in between."

Tickets are available here. Drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) and dinner will be provided. Note that travel and accommodations are not included.

(Photo: @katarzynacepek)

 




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World acclaimed keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Sons Of Apollo, Black Country Communion), one of the most significant keyboard players of the modern era, released his latest solo album, The Phoenix, in September 2020, and he has already started work on the follow-up. The writing for his ninth solo album has begun alongside his long-time collaborator Simon Phillips, who he also worked with on The Phoenix.

Derek appeared as a guest on guitar legend Michael Schenker’s new album Immortal, and Schenker was so pleased with his performance he agreed to appear on the forthcoming new Sherinian solo album. Derek comments: "To be working with Michael Schenker and Simon brings me back to 1980 when I was 13 listening to the first MSG record." 

Of the Immortal album, Schenker commented: “Derek and myself trading solos, it sounds unexpected and beyond my expectation, absolutely fantastic.” Other guest guitarists for the album will be announced at a later date.

Derek Sherinian also recently placed #1 in Burrn Magazines Best Keyboardist Poll, and was voted #9 in Prog Magazine’s greatest keyboardists of all time. He has also recently been collaborating with Whitesnake, and recently frontman David Coverdale spoke to ABC Audio and said of Sherinian that he is "like the illegitimate son of Jon Lord, this extraordinary proponent of scorching Hammond organ.”

Derek Sherinian’s far ranging talents have been much in evidence through the music of Alice Cooper (who once called him "The Caligula of keyboards"), Dream Theater, Black Country Communion and current band Sons Of Apollo. Moreover, proving just how much he is demand to work with rock royalty, Sherinian has also toured and recorded extensively with KISS, and Billy Idol, proving his classic and hard rock pedigree.

Derek Sherinian’s most recent solo album The Phoenix saw him collaborating once again with Simon Phillips, as well as a star-studded line-up of guests including Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Tony Franklin, Billy Sheehan, Kiko Loureiro, Jimmy Johnson & Ernest Tibbs. It received fantastic reviews, find a few of them below.




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SYSTEM OF A DOWN's Serj Tankian has admitted that he doesn't care for his bandmate John Dolmayan's opinions on American politics.

Last year, Dolmayan praised former U.S. president Donald Trump and accused Democrats of "demonizing" the real estate mogul and "blaming him for everything under the sun." The drummer also called Democrats "the true bigots" who "fought to maintain slavery" and were "directly responsible for 70 plus million abortions, a large majority of whom were black."

Tankian discussed his relationship with Dolmayan, who is also his brother-in-law, during a recent interview with Consequence Of Sound. He said: "We're very good friends, we're family, and he's my drummer in my band, so, of course, we've talked about many, many different things, including political views. When you don't agree with someone after a while about a certain topic … look, it doesn't mean that we don't agree about other stuff. We agree a lot about Armenian stuff, for example, a lot about family stuff, a lot of other things, a lot of personal stuff. But when it comes to American politics, we happen to be on the polar opposite ends of it, and we're both very passionate and vehement about our views, which is fine."

Serj continued: "I love and respect John very much, but I don't love and respect his American political views. And that's fine. And I can live with that and he can live with that because we respect and care for each other. And it's really just that. Have we talked about it? Yeah. But do we talk about it often? No, because there comes a point where when you don't see eye to eye on something, you just rather talk about something else."

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."

Last year, 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 outbr

German metal legends Helloween have checked in with some disappointing but understandable news:

"Sadly, but in the best interest of everyone’s health and safety, we have to postpone our European tour again. As we all know, touring is currently not possible. In order to guarantee a proper execution of the tour, we decided to postpone until spring 2022. 

We are working on the rescheduled dates and will announce them shortly. In addition, we’re close to announce big news, so stay tuned! Please hold on to your tickets as they stay valid for the rescheduled show dates. 

Stay safe, healthy and metal, everyone!"

Helloween are back with the spectacular single, "Skyfall", to be released on April 2. "Skyfall" will be available on CD, digitally and in two different vinyl versions. Pre-order here, and watch a teaser for the upcoming music video below.

The epic 12-minute track "Skyfall", written by Kai Hansen, has the long yearned Keeper Of The Seven Keys vibe,  but isn’t musically telling the whole story of the album - this has a musical arch spanning every era: from unforgettable times to glorious newer adventures all the way to the upcoming first album of Halloween's new age. "Skyfall" tells about an alien landing on earth and a dramatic chase, while Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske and Andi Deris duel with each other in a breathtaking manner and create a broadband adventure - including a lyric sheet with colored blocks identifying the singers, as well as a video that is formidable. Produced by Martin Häusler, it will be the most elaborate clip in the history of the band, the story to be shown with 3-D animation and having a cinematic look – in these times almost a dinosaur in implementation!

Single 1: Vinyl, CD, digital:

"Skyfall" (single edit)
"Skyfall" (exclusive alternative vocals mix)

Both are exclusive single versions and will not be on the album. Around 20 minutes playing time.

Single 2: Vinyl only:

"Skyfall" (single edit)
"Indestructible" (exclusive album track)

This is a strictly limited version of the new single with one exclusive album track.




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TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick has teamed up with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Bentante, along with singer Jennifer Cella (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), rhythm guitarist Randy McStine (MCSTINE/MINNEMANN), bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE, BPMD) and keyboardist Harry Waters to record a quarantine cover of Stevie Nicks's "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around".

Alex uploaded the video to his YouTube channel and wrote in an accompanying message: "Just in time for #internationwomensday, a classic song that's quite relevant today in which a woman tells it like it is (sometimes we need to just stfu & listen, amirite?). Originally by Stevie Nicks from her 1981 debut solo album 'Bella Donna', where she was joined by all of TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (except for the great session bassist Donald 'Duck' Dunn who played bass just on this one track). Here we have our same band that did 'Rhiannon' (see vid a few months back), which was so fun to do and well received that we thought we'd continue. As before, Stevie's part is channeled by the one & only Jen Cella, with Randy chiming in as Tom Petty (the late great, may he RIP) and the lineup augmented with Hammond B3 played by McNally Waters keyboardist Harry Waters, also a veteran of recent tours with his father (whom you may have heard of, his name's Roger).

"I tried a few guitars, including my LPs, SGs, but this AS sig ESP lemonburst just captured the right tone & sustain in this case. Original guitarist Mike Campbell (currently playing with Stevie in FLEETWOOD MAC) is someone not always as appreciated as he should be in guitar scenes, as his playing is not technically complicated, but it's nonetheless brilliant. I tried to capture the spirit of his original licks and, add a little bit of my own flavor but not deviate from the original too much (what Mike C did was perfect for the song, as usual).

"Enjoy the tune and for goodness sake, people (I'm not gonna tell you again): STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND!!!"

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan has just received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 57-year-old rocker, who lives in Nashville, took to his Instagram to share a photo of him getting the shot, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Guess what I got! One down. One to go. It was incredible easy and impeccably organized. Hopefully this puts us one step closer to being on stage safely. #vaccinate #shots #follow".

A new poll from the Pew Research Center showed that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

The poll, released on Friday, found that 69 percent of adults say they are going to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

The Pew poll showed that 19% of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 32% say they will definitely get the vaccine and 17% say they will probably get it.

The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has estimated that about 70-85% of Americans would need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

America's two main vaccines have shown 95% efficacy against the coronavirus.

As of late January, the CDC discovered that only 11 per 1 million people experienced severe reactions from the Pfizer vaccine, and only 2.5 per 1 million people who received the Moderna dose.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, which became available in the United States earlier this month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave it emergency use authorization, was tested with new variants of COVID-19, and has shown to be effective against them; Pfizer and Moderna were tested prior to the emergence of these variants.
























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CANDLEBOX will release its seventh album, "Wolves", on September 17 via Pavement Entertainment. It is the follow-up to 2016's "Disappearing In Airports", which had a fresh modernity, a vibe that is amplified and broadened on "Wolves". Lead singer Kevin Martin says: "It comes from where we are as humans right now, and what we’ve become. Yes, there's beauty in these wolves, but there's the pack mentality, and that lone wolf mentality on the other side."

The disc's first single, "My Weakness", can be streamed below. Martin says: "The song is kind of guttural and like 'The Summer Of '69' and Bruce Springsteen tunes; it's one of those love songs where you can feel the band just wants to take off with you the whole time."

"Wolves" is rife with brutal lyrical honesty and songs that run the gamut from dirty rock stompers to timeless, radio-ready pop-rock tunes. The album was produced by Dean Dichoso in Los Angeles's legendary Henson Studios.

In August of 2020, CANDLEBOX released the energized song "Let Me Down Easy", an aggro, blues-based rocker with a booming bass and edgy guitar riffing. The song was co-written with old Seattle pal Peter Cornell, Chris Cornell's older brother, and is also available on "Wolves".

"Wolves" track listing:

01. All Down Hill From Here

02. Let Me Down Easy

03. Riptide

04. Sunshine

05. My Weakness

06. We

07. Nothing Left To Lose

08. Lost Angeline

09. Trip

10. Don't Count Me Out

11. Criminals

"Disappearing In Airports" delivered the chart-topping single "Vexatious", and found the band touring for over two years in support of the release.

In a brand new interview with Pierre Gutierrez, former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT frontman John Bush was once again asked whether he is still open to the idea of embarking on a special tour during which he would perform material from his time as the singer of ANTHRAX. He responded (see video below): "Well, it was an idea that never really came to fruition, for various reasons. Probably it had something to do with me and my own slight laziness, because I think I would have to be the guy that would have to, obviously, carry it, because it would be my thing, and maybe I was just not really ready to give it the time at that time.

"It's something that I would like to do at one point, because I do love those records… And I have good relationships right now with the ANTHRAX camp — with the bandmembers and also Mike Monterulo, the manager," he continued. "So, who knows? We'll see. It's certainly in my mind to do something, and I would like to play some of those songs live at some point, because there are some great tunes. I was able to do it with METAL ALLEGIANCE at a couple of shows — we played 'Only' and 'Room For One More' — and that was really fun, and the crowd really seemed to dig it. But it's there in my mind to do something. I just don't know what yet. I'm kind of busy with this other thing, ARMORED SAINT, and other aspects of life. So it's just trying to fit it in somehow, someway."

Bush also once again said he wanted former ANTHRAX guitarist Paul Crook to be involved in the hypothetical ANTHRAX tour featuring material from his era of the band. "I talked to Paul about it," he said. "Paul and I text on occasion. I really love Paul as a person — he's just a great human being. He's just a good guy; he's one of the nicest guys there is. And a great player, great musician, of course, needless to say. And he was there. That's one of the reasons I always talk about Paul, is that he was there during 'Stomp [442]' and some of 'Volume 8', because he toured with us… I think he would be open to it, certainly as long as time permits. He's kind of busy doing the Meat [Loaf] thing, but I think he would love to do that. I think a lot of those songs are special to him because he performed them live. And like I said, it would just be fun. I'm sure it would be just a million laughs, because we would always goof around. I spent a lot of time on the road with Paul, and a lot of that was consumed by just cracking up about whatever, so we had a lot of fun.

"So, we'll see," he added. "These are ideas, and we'll see if any of these things can actually happen. I certainly don't wanna go out and do, like, 50 dates or anything like that. It would be more special if it was just selected shows. I think that would make it more fun and special."

Last September, Bush told Canada's The Metal Voice that he first talked to his booking agent about the ANTHRAX tour idea "several years ago." He said: "We talked about it, and I think he sniffed around for some feelers to see what people would think. And I don't think we got the response that we really wanted to. It wasn't like we were looking for millions of dollars or anything, but we wanted to make it worthwhile to do it, and do the proper shows. It's not like something I wanna go out and do six months of touring with. It'd be fun to do some sporadic shows. I'd have to put a band together to do it. I'm probably a little lazy about that, quite honestly. But that's what would be involved in doing it. And I don't think we were pleased enough with the response that we tried to push it ahead and make it happen."

Bush went on to say that he was "caught by surprise" by ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian's recent comment that was not opposed to taking part in a special concert featuring most of the singers that have fronted the band over the course of its nearly four-decade existence. "I was, like, 'Wow. Okay.' And I thought that's a great idea. That would be really cool," Bush said. "I think that would be an amazing thing for the fanbase. But what I keep saying is that Joey Belladonna is the singer of ANTHRAX, and Joey should be the singer of ANTHRAX, as far as I'm concerned. And if this happens, it needs to have his approval, really, quite honestly. Because I wouldn't want him to feel like, 'Well, this is not my idea, and I don't wanna do this,' because he is the singer who'd be sharing the stage [with the rest of us], quite honestly. So I think it would be something that Joey would have to give endorsement to, for that to happen, if that's an idea. And again, I think it would be a fun thing to do a couple of handful of shows, sporadic stuff."

ANTHRAX has had a number of vocalists — including Bush, Belladonna, Neil Turbin and Dan Nelson — over the last 39 years, with Ian and drummer Charlie Benante remaining the sole bandmembers who have appeared on every one of the group's studio albums.

Turbin sang on ANTHRAX's debut LP, 1984's "Fistful Of Metal", before getting booted and being replaced by Belladonna. Belladonna performed on four ANTHRAX albums, including the fan favorite "Among The Living" (1987) before he himself was fired over creative and stylistic differences. Bush fronted ANTHRAX between 1992 and 2005 but was sidelined when the band reunited with Belladonna for a 20th-anniversary tour. When that collapsed, and relationships disintegrated with next frontman Nelson, Bush returned for a time before Belladonna took the job back in 2010.

"You And Me", the title track of the debut solo album from HEART's Nancy Wilson, can be streamed below. Due on May 7 via Carry On Music, the LP was recorded primarily in Wilson's California home studio, working with band members and special guests remotely.

"Being off the road last year from touring with HEART, and at home with my good guitars and amps out, I felt like I was once again able to reconnect with my pre-HEART self, my college-girl self, creating poetic, intimate and romantic songs, which pretty much is what I first brought in to HEART," she said.

Most of the tracks are originals, but Wilson decided to include a handful of covers by a few of her favorites, including a female perspective of PEARL JAM's "Daughter", a stirring turn of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Boxer" featuring Sammy Hagar, and an ethereal cover of THE CRANBERRIES' "Dreams", featuring Liv Warfield (Prince) from Nancy's previous band ROADCASE ROYALE. The first single from the album was Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising", which dropped last fall. "During this horrific time in the world, with all this enduring loss, it seemed like the right time for an aspirational song about hope and perseverance," Wilson says.

The other eight tracks are originals, mostly acoustic ballads, but there are also some rousing rockers like "Party At The Angel Ballroom" which features a superstar backing band, including Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS. The album ends with a song that captures the full spectrum of loss, love and redemption in one instrumental coda. Titled "4 Edward", it is Nancy's tribute to Eddie Van Halen, whose 2020 loss still looms large over music. Nancy came to know Eddie when HEART toured with VAN HALEN, and she once asked him why he didn't play acoustic. "I don't have one," he told her, which she immediately rectified. Eddie took the guitar she gave him and wrote a song on it that stole Nancy's heart. After his death last year, Nancy knew she had to return the favor.

The title track "You And Me", as with several of the songs on the album, reunites Wilson with longtime collaborator Sue Ennis, who co-wrote many of HEART's classics with Nancy and sister Ann.

"I've known Sue since I was 12," Nancy says. "Back then she was a high school friend of Ann's. We've always worked well together."

With her band HEART, Nancy Wilson has recorded 16 albums, sold over 35 million albums worldwide and has four Grammy nominations. She had previously released one other album with just her name on it, "Live At McCabe's Guitar Shop", which captured her playing a set of covers and new songs in 1999. But considers this her first true solo album, a positive creative move amid a surreal year of loss; life during lock down.

"I don't know why it took me so long to do this," she laughs. "Maybe I was stuck in traffic, maybe I was stuck in the HEART vortex of it all." But in a year with "no traffic," Wilson finally found a place for the music she's been writing in her head for decades.

"You And Me" track listing:

01. You And Me

02. The Rising

03. I'll Find You

04. Daughter

05. Party At The Angel Ballroom (feat. Duff McKagan & Taylor Hawkins)

06. The Boxer (feat. Sammy Hagar)

07. Walk Away

08. The Inbetween

09. Dreams (feat. Liv Warfield)

10. The Dragon

11. We Meet Again

12. 4 Edward

Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel has teamed up with singer Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), drummer Stix Zadinia (STEEL PANTHER) and bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH) to record a "quarantine" cover version of the DOKKEN song "Tooth And Nail" as part of Phil's series "Collab-A-Jam".

Phil uploaded the video to his YouTube channel, writing in an accompanying message: "Me and Stix has been wanting to jam on something for awhile and finally had the opportunity on one of my favorite tunes from this era.

"STEEL PANTHER took over the [MACHINE HEAD] practice gear in Germany after our sets at the Rock Am Park Festival in 2012 and were slaying a bunch of DOKKEN covers. This had to be one we did.

"I had realized that Dave hadn't guested on a ['Collab-A-Jam'] yet so he was a no-brainer. Dave and I have the same mind-set as things go and he's one of my favorites in the business. Always quick with the tracks and loves to get things done.

"Russell was the final piece and came through big. Such a huge talent and gave the song all the sprinkles.

"Paul Fig has been such a rad connection through all of this and beefed up our mix while Wayne Marsala is always on point with the vid edits.

"Thanks to George, Don, Mick and Jeff for creating such a ROKKEN tune and to all who had a part in bringing this cover to life."

German melodic death metal band Burn Down Eden has released the official music video for "Sadomasochists From Beyond the Grave".

With "Sadomasochists From Beyond The Grave", the band is opening their third album in typical Burn Down Eden style. Fast melodic leads and brutal riffs combined with angry growls and rapid blast beats. This is what they love, this is what they do. The band gives credit to the Hellraiser movies, a beloved genre for lead guitarist William. 

With their self-titled third album, Burn Down Eden pick up where they left off with their second album, Liberticidal, and even put a shovel on it again. The band continues to focus on the catchy choruses and melodies, brute, fiddly riffs and modulations, as well as rapid solos and classical elements. Nevertheless, all in all the third album seems to be more mature. And yet they also like to leave the genre and play happily with all elements from black to prog metal.

With Burn Down Eden, the guys make it crystal clear, that they are THE next big thing in the matter of melo-death from Germany. Kernkraftritter Records is convinced, "We will welcome Burn Down Eden to lots of festival stages in the post-corona times."

Burn Down Eden artwork and tracklisting:

"Sadomasochists From Beyond The Grave"
"A Prepper's Prophecy"
"Bizarre Circus"
"A Bloody Pool Of Angels"
"Witch's Scorn"
"Abducted Reality"
"Hurricane Of Greed"
"Law Enforcement Ubermensch"
"The Five Horsemen"
"Encounters Of The Unkind"

"A Prepper's Prophecy":

"The Five Horsemen":

Pre-order your copy of Burn Down Eden now at this location.

 




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Edged Circle Productions has announced the signing of Swedish black metallers In Aphelion. In Aphelion includes:

Sebastian Ramstedt - vocals, lead guitar
Johan Bergebäck - rhythm guitar
Marco Prij - drums 

Sebastian and Johan need no further introduction, being known for their work in Necrophobic and Nifelheim among other bands. Marco is an extremely talented drummer, also active in Cryptosis. The three met for the first time in 2019, playing at a German festival with their respective bands. In Aphelion is best described as black metal with elements of thrash and heavy metal: furious and epic - violent, ugly, and beautiful. 

In Aphelion will be recording 12 songs during the spring. These will be mixed by Fredrik Folkare at Chrome Studios. In the fall of 2021, In Aphelion will release first an EP and, at the end of the year, a full-length album.

Says Sebastian, "This is just the deal and collaboration we have been looking for. The drive and honest metal dedication of Edged Circle's Stian Smørholm is just perfect for us. We are beyond dedicated to the metal scene, and we need to work with people who are not into this because of the profit but because it is a way of life."

Adds Johan, "Our union with Edged Circle is a gateway into the dark depths of creativity and suits our needs in a great way. We are very excited to see where this communion leads us!"

To celebrate the deal, In Aphelion has released a lyric video for one of the demo songs that landed the contract. A raw, unpolished recording of the song "Let The Beast Run Wild" can be heard below. Additionally, a limited t-shirt can be ordered here. More news to be revealed shortly.

 




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Depths Of Hatred have released "Pulsating Rhythm", the fourth single from their upcoming new album, Inheritance, due out on March 19. "Pulsating Rhythm" showcases the Canadian quintet's signature blistering modern death metal sound, alongside their newfound penchant for memorable chorus hooks, as William Arseneau's vocal acrobatics crisply alternate between anger and melody.

Talking on "Pulsating Rhythm"'s themes, the band comment, "'Pulsating Rhythm' describes the night where our protagonist's view on life is forever altered. Witnessing an unforgivable act, he learns to replicate what he thinks is affection."

Keeping production duties in house and allowing themselves to work at their own pace has resulted in a polished, mature sounding collection of songs, which was then mixed and mastered at The Grid Studio by Christian Donaldson (Beneath The Massacre, Shadow Of Intent). 

A progressive slant to their rejuvenated sound means that they have stayed true to their definitive death metal roots, yet allowed themselves the opportunity to open up and explore metalcore and beyond. With ambitions to take their new material on the road as soon as they are able to do so, Depths Of Hatred have every intention of making this fresh start really count.

Inheritance artwork and tracklisting:

"Enslaved Through Lineage"
"Sadistic Trials"
"Pulsating Rhythm"
"Fastidious Imitation"
"Drop Of Red"
"Illusive Obsession"
"The Gift Of Consciousness"
"Shivers"
"Inheritance"
"The End Of Ourselves"
"Emerging As One"

Pre-order your copy of Inheritance now at this location.

"Sadistic Trials":

"Fastidious Imitation":

"Illusive Obsession":

(Photo credit: Dominic D.D.)

 




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German metal legends Helloween officially re-issued their The Dark Ride (2000), Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003) and My God-Given Right (2015)albums via Nuclear Blast in Europe on March 5th in an assortment of coloured vinyl and CD digipak editions. They will be re-issued on March 12th in North America.

The Dark Ride tracklist:

"Beyond the Portal"
"Mr. Torture"
"All Over the Nations"    
"Escalation 666"
"Mirror Mirror"    
"If I Could Fly"    
"Salvation"
"The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)"
"I Live for Your Pain"
"We Damn the Night"    
"Immortal"
"The Dark Ride"

Rabbit Don't Come Easy tracklist:

"Just A Little Sign"
"Open Your Life"
"The Tune"
"Never Be A Star"
"Liar"
"Sun 4 The World"
"Don't Stop Being Crazy"
"Do You Feel Good?"
"Hell Was Made In Heaven"
"Back Against The Wall"
"Listen To The Flies"
"Nothing To Say"
"Far Away"

My God-Given Right tracklist:

"Heroes"
"Battle's Won"    
"My God-Given Right"
"Stay Crazy"
"Lost in America"
"Russian Roulé"    
"The Swing of a Fallen World"    
"Like Everybody Else"
"Creatures in Heaven"    
"If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll"
"Living on the Edge"
"Claws"
"You, Still of War"




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Jacksonville, Florida's black metal outfit The Noctambulant have shared the  video for their song, “Blackened Swords Of Satan”, from their new EP, Hellrazor. 

The Noctambulant comments on the track: "We are incredibly excited to release our latest single, 'Blackened Swords Of Satan'.This track is an homage to the things we loved growing up. Loud rock n roll, wizards, epic metal and clanging of steel. Featuring Mr. Damage of the incredible Chrome Division, let 'Blackened Swords Of Satan' take you to a time of knights and demons."

In February, The Noctambulant released the video for "Hellrazor". The title track of their new EP is the perfect representation of how the band has transformed from straightforward melodic black metal into an aesthetic more authentic to their southern Floridian roots.

Frontman E. Helvete commented, “For me personally, this rebrand and music video was very personal. The video was shot on our family property, of which I'm the fourth generation to live here. I spent so many years trying to fit into the Scandanavian/European motif, that it started to feel disingenuous. So after our last album, The Cold And Formless Deep, the band and I decided to look at what makes us unique in the Black Metal landscape, and that is our origin. From the swamps and bayous of the south, we found a love of extreme metal tempered with our own brand and influences.”

 




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Rising power metal force Adamantis has issued the official video for "Voron (The Ravensong)", a track from the band's Far Flung Realm debut album. The clip was directed by Yelena Kamenetskaya and Evgeny Gromovoy.

Cruz Del Sur Music will re-release Far Flung Realm on a limited edition Compact Disc and Vinyl (Gatefold LP + 7’’) on March 19.

Spawned by Helloween in the mid-1980s, then carried throughout the ensuing decade by the likes of Angra, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray and Stratovarius, European power metal is a style few can master. Essential ingredients include a soaring vocalist, dueling guitars, a battering ram of a rhythm section and, most importantly, songs that both engage and inspire. It is rare when a young band displays such mastery of these skills, which is why Cruz Del Sur Music quickly swooped in and signed Massachusetts’ Adamantis barely a month after the self-release of their Far Flung Realm debut full-length for proper release in 2021.

Adamantis formed in 2016 when drummer Evgeny Gromovoy and guitarist Javier Estrada moved to Boston for work. They soon met guitarist Jeff Taft and former singer Ashley Caval via an Internet post calling for musicians sharing similar influences to start a band. The band played across New England and culminated their run with the release of the Thundermark EP. Soon after its 2018 release, Caval and original bassist Liz Cleary left and the trio continued working on new material, eventually adding bassist Cody Pelchat and vocalist Jeff Stark to complete the lineup.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Christian “Moschus” Moos of Spacelab Mixing, Far Flung Realm is the culmination of Adamantis’ democratic writing process — each member contributed to the album’s 11 tracks. Lyrically, Far Flung Realm tackles a wide range of themes: “Misbegotten Dream” is about Elric of Melnibone from Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion novels; “Puppeteer’s Bane'' is about a character from Steven Erikson’s Gardens Of The Moon. Songs such as “Journey’s End” and “Voron” tackle themes of facing death and mortality, “The Siege Of Arkona” details historical events, while fantastical themes are covered on “Unbound Souls.” Far Flung Realm also features a guest appearance from former Dark Moor singer Elisa C. Martin on “The Oracle’s Prophecy”.

(Photo - Eric Cerda)

 




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Former ENTOMBED and current ENTOMBED A.D. singer Lars-Göran Petrov passed away on Sunday, March 7 after a battle with bile duct cancer. He was 49 years old.

In a statement, his ENTOMBED A.D. bandmates wrote: "We are devastated to announce that our beloved friend Lars-Göran Petrov has left us. Our brother, leader, vocalist, our Chief Rebel Angel went on another ride last night. It's with the deepest sadness that we have to announce that Lars-Göran Petrov has left us. He was (is!!!) an incredible friend, and a person that has touched so many people. He has changed so many lives with his voice, his music, his character and his unique personality.

"LG's smile is something that we will carry forever in our hearts. When asked in an interview what he would like to have written on his grave and what about his legacy, he said: 'I will never die, it will never die'. And you didn't. You will live forever in our hearts."

Last August, Petrov told Metal Hammer about how he found out about his cancer: "A couple of months ago. I felt a lump in my solar plexus. And I was, like, 'Okay, I'll ignore it.' But then it started to hurt, so I went to the doctor, and they X-rayed it quickly and said, 'You have to go to the specialist.' That was weird. You can't imagine what it feels like. Your whole body goes warm. It's, like, 'Fucking hell.'"

Although Petrov revealed his cancer was "incurable," he said that the doctors were "hoping" they will be able to treat it. "I will find out when I meet my doctor, who is the best doctor when it comes to this particular cancer," he explained. "Being young, the doctor said there's hopefully a way to control it so it doesn't spread, or maybe even make it smaller."

AMON AMARTH vocalist Johan Hegg offered his condolences via Twitter, writing: "The word legend is to small to describe LG and what he meant for me as a friend and inspiration. Not only was he one of the best and original voices in metal, but the most kind, humble, funny and genuine person one could ever hope to meet. I will miss you my friend! R.I.P.".

HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta said: "Rest In Peace LG Petrov. What a legend & and a powerful voice. Inspiration to countless bands & singers. A true game changer. One of the first bands to take us on tour for which I am still grateful for. Someone you always looked forward to seeing. You will be sorely missed."

ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott said: "Just heard the awful news. This really sucks...

"Rest in Power LG! We had a lot of great times together, especially in the late 80 underground scene when we didn’t have record deals etc (simpler times). First time I stayed with you in your mums apartment I couldn't believe that you had a huge drum kit in your bedroom, and banged out KING DIAMOND songs in the middle of the night! You were a great drummer, maybe people didn't know that about you so much?

"We had a wicked time in London, U.K. when I played in ENTOMBED for a hot minute! We had even more fun in the early 90s when we did a few tours together with ENTOMBED and CARCASS, luckily there were no smart phones to capture all the nonsense that we got up to! I also remember the summer 2000, we shared a tour bus in Europe and opened for IRON MAIDEN - Fuck yeah, Metal dreams do come true!

"Was always cool to catch up at festivals in later years, like in this pic... Also reconnecting online recently and sharing pics and memories was fun and emotional.

"You fought hard my friend. You did your best. Thanks for the good memories, the laughs, the music! Cheers buddy, wish you a safe onward journey. See ya on the left hand path..."

ORANGE GOBLIN said: "We are all very saddened to hear of the tragic passing of LG Petrov of ENTOMBED / ENTOMBED AD. We had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with LG quite a few times over the years and he was always funny, caring and a great person to be around. His music and his legacy will live on forever and our thoughts go out to his bandmates, his family and friends at this terrible time. R.I.P LG, the Chief Rebel Angel."

ENTOMBED A.D. was formed in 2014 when Petrov and other members of ENTOMBED decided to change the band's name in order to avoid a legal battle with ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker.

ENTOMBED A.D.'s latest album, "Bowels Of Earth", was released in August 2019 via Century Media.


⁣We are devastated to announce that our beloved friend Lars-Göran Petrov has left us.⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣⁣

Our brother, leader,...

Posted by Entombed A.D. on Monday, March 8, 2021





The word legend is to small to describe LG and what he meant for me as a friend and inspiration.

Not only was he one of the best and original voices in metal, but the most kind, humble, funny and genuine person one could ever hope to meet.

I will miss you my friend!

R.I.P. ? pic.twitter.com/aUrrfTZR8T

— Johan Hegg (@AmonJohan) March 8, 2021








Rest In Peace LG Petrov. What a legend & and a powerful voice. Inspiration to countless bands & singers. A true game changer. One of the first bands to take us on tour for which I am still grateful for. Someone you always looked forward to seeing. You will be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/kHnhDiBzRb

— Jamey Jasta (@jameyjasta) March 8, 2021




























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Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate will release the second album from his SWEET OBLIVION project, "Relentless", on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official music video for the disc's second single, "Another Change", can be seen below.

The self-titled SWEET OBLIVION debut album caused quite a stir in the international hard rock and metal scene since it brought Tate back to a musical landscape akin to the sound of the stone cold classic metal albums he released with QUEENSRŸCHE during the 1980s. But what made the album work so well was that instead of being a simple throwback, other different musical influences were thrown into the mix, allowing fans to hear Tate in a simultaneously familiar and new musical setting.

While the production and main songwriting on the previous record were handled by Simone Mularoni of DGM, this time the production was instead handled by his fellow Italian metal maestro Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, ARCHON ANGEL).

Not only does Aldo produce and handle the songwriting, he is also featured on guitar. Other musicians appearing on the album include Michele Sanna on drums, Luigi Andreone on bass and Antonio Agate on keyboards.

This time around, Tate was more involved in the songwriting and asked Aldo to draft a very special song for him, which he would ultimately sing in Italian. The song also features guitars from Walter Cianciusi and Dario Parente, who are now also in the OPERATION: MINDCRIME live band.

Musically, this album showcases the great songwriting and performing talents of Lonobile and his cast of musicians and also marks a very welcomed return for Tate to a style that he made famous along with his former band.

"Relentless" track listing:

01. Once Again One Sin

02. Strong Pressure

03. Let It Be

04. Another Change

05. Wake Up Call

06. Remember Me

07. Anybody Out There

08. Aria

09. I'll Be the One

10. Fly Angel Fly

"Relentless" recording lineup:

Geoff Tate - Vocals

Aldo Lonobile - Guitars

Luigi Andreone - Bass

Antonio Agate - Keys

Michele Sanna - Drums

Last month, Tate announced around a dozen U.S. dates in late summer and fall as part of a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

For more information, including ticket links and links for meet-and-greet passes for purchase to meet Geoff and his band after the live shows, visit www.geofftate.com.

Early last year, Tate was forced to postone a number of his tour dates due to the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading across the globe.

Tate spent the first two months of 2020 performing the QUEENSRŸCHE albums "Rage For Order" and "Empire" in their entirety on the "Empire 30th Anniversary Tour", which kicked off in January in Norway. Prior to that, Geoff celebrated the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime" album on European and U.S. tours.

Tate's post-QUEENSRŸCHE band OPERATION: MINDCRIME released three albums over three years as part of a trilogy: "The Key" (September 2015), "Resurrection" (September 2016) and "The New Reality" (December 2017).

Looking for a way to interact artistically during the COVID-19 lockdown last June, producer-songwriter LIBRA invited an impressive ensemble of metal artists, including members of Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Apocalyptica, Within Temptation, My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Athanasia, Five Finger Death Punch and solo artist Anneke Van Giersbergen, to contribute to a stunning cover of “It Doesn’t Matter Two” by the legendary Depeche Mode.

Recorded individually at home by each artist, “It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” features performances by Aaron Aedy (Paradise Lost), Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride), Anneke Van Giersbergen (solo artist, formerly of The Gathering), Caleb Bingham (Athanasia/formerly of Five Finger Death Punch), Don Aires Pereira (Moonspell), Eicca Toppinen (Apocalyptica), Kenny Hickey (Type O Negative), LIBRA (solo artist), Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation) and Shaun MacGowan (My Dying Bride). The track was produced, arranged and mixed by LIBRA at 13Eighteen Studio in Hollywood and mastered by the legendary engineer Ted Jensen (Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, David Bowie, Madonna), at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.

“Since I was a kid, Depeche Mode has been one of the biggest influences of my musical development,” Libra explains. “So I chose, and completely re-arranged, one of my favorite songs, called ‘It Doesn’t Matter Two’ from the album ‘Black Celebration.’ I only invited artists who I respect, admire, and even some of my personal heroes. I honestly felt I would be really lucky if only one of them agreed to be part of this project. So you can imagine how I felt when, one by one, almost everyone I invited replied saying yes (most of them without even knowing who I was), simply after hearing the demo I sent.”

“It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” is available here.

“It Doesn’t Matter Two (Lockdown Version)” artists weigh in on the experience:

Anneke van Giersbergen: “Working with this group of amazing musicians on a song by one of my favorite bands has been truly amazing, especially in times like these.”  

Apocalyptica’s Eicca Toppinen: “I immediately got very excited about this project when Libra contacted me. During this lockdown it felt so nice to get connected with cool artists around the world. All musicians are in the same situation during these weird times, no matter where you live. The original song is great and I loved Libra’s arrangement and the passionate way of working on this project. The song turned out great and it is wonderful how the video shows the way we were able to be together even with the distance. Music has power!”

Athanasia’s Caleb Bingham: “When Libra sent it to me, I was impressed by his ability to take a classic Depeche Mode song and completely reinvent it into something all his own. Now, with all of this top tier talent on top of what was already a killer song, I think we’ve created a monster!”

Moonspell’s Don Aires Pereira: “I really enjoyed participating in this collaboration and seeing guys I hadn't seen in a while, as well as getting to know even if virtually new faces. It was a good initiative in these lockdown times and it also served to imagine what it would be like to play in a band with such illustrious musicians. Thank you very much to Libra for the invitation. I really enjoyed recording the bass and video in a very relaxed way. Thanks to today's technology, we can always create or materialize what we visualize and make it real. A hug and greetings to all who participated, and I hope you enjoy the final result. Life is an alchemical process in which we visualize and then materialize using the well-known formula: ‘Solve et Coagula.’”

My Dying Bride’s Aaron Stainthorpe: “Believe it or not but I was actually a member of the Depeche Mode Fan Club way back when ‘Violator’ was released. I adored the band and was the only person wearing a Depeche Mode sweatshirt in the notorious rock bar The Frog & Toad in Bradford. My Dying Bride also used a piece of music by DM as an intro to their gigs on one of their tours but my age won't allow me to recall which piece. When Libra asked me if I'd be interested in taking part in this project, a 'yes' was inevitable and I thoroughly enjoyed my little moment when, just for a short time, I was actually in Depeche Mode."

My Dying Bride’s Shaun MacGowan: “I’d heard good things about Libra and his work, so it was a real pleasure when he invited me to join this project. I'm a Depeche Mode fan but never actually heard this particular song before, but instantly the potential to make something great was there. It's also hard to say no to being alongside a list of fantastic musicians from across the metal genre. Obviously, it would be nice to visit a studio but, due to COVID restrictions, my living room had to do! The end result is far beyond my expectations and it's been a real pleasure to be involved.”

Paradise Lost’s Aaron Aedy: “I got the initial contact from Libra last year, halfway through our first lock down of 2020 here in the UK. At the time, we in Paradise Lost, like our fellow musicians, were getting emails of constantly moving or cancelled shows and festivals. The prospect of doing a Depeche Mode cover (a band I've loved since buying the ‘People Are People’ single, aged 14) purely for the joy of making music, seemed like the perfect distraction during a time of seemingly mostly bad news. I agreed, then upon hearing the bare bones version, was pleasantly surprised how good it was, even at that very early stage.

“Having been a part of this project from early on and watching it grow as more artists were added with Libra's energy driving it all forward, made this an absolute joy to work on, a truly wonderful escape from everything that's been going on in the world. I'm thrilled with the outcome, the amazing contributions from all the artists involved have really elevated this it to another level.

“The fact that this was born out of the hopeful and fun lockdown idea of one person, which is now able to raise money for The International Association for Suicide Prevention, a charity whose work is even more important during a time when we're all becoming more acutely aware of the mental health issues experienced by so many, makes me feel even more proud and privileged to be involved. Listen, enjoy and escape with us for a few minutes! Thank you.”

Type O Negative’s Kenny Hickey: “It was fun doing this!!”

Within Temptation’s Ruud Jolie: “I must admit I have never been into Depeche Mode but when I heard Libra’s arrangement I got all excited. The demo sounded really good already. And it’s a no-brainer when you learn that a lot of great musicians have joined the project. The end result sounds great and I feel lucky to be a part of this.”

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Libra taught himself how to sing, play guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and studied music production and audio engineering. In addition to being a former Sony Music artist, where he released his solo album Até que a morte não separe, LIBRA has been worked as a music producer for film, TV and theater for over 20 years. Always proud to be eclectic, Libra’s influences range from metal to pop, rock to electronic, and classical to country.

“Music has been my life since I can remember,” says Libra. “But somewhere around 2014, due to a stream of traumatic disappointments (professional and personal), I lost the will to write and play music altogether and decided to turn my back on the music business. I moved to the US, where I slowly had to rebuild myself from the ground up, and when the time was right, I decided to let music find its way back into my life. This project was literally the first track I produced, after more than six years of artistic hibernation. The whole experience of having such talented artists trusting my vision was a wake up call, and the final result of this collaboration was a testament to the fact that I did the right thing when I decided to make music again.”




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Guitarist Toby Knapp is wrapping a new record from Where Evil Follows. Their debut, Portable Darkness, was released in 2015. 

Knapp comments: “I certainly didn't expect to be doing another WEF album, especially after just finishing my solo instrumental album (which is being prepared for release).

“Recording the solo album seemed to open up a lot of ideas; writing better arrangements, higher standard of performance, recording quality. The solo album felt like a preparation for the WEF album in hindsight.

“Although I do agree that you should write music for yourself, this one is for the listeners that want a specific traditional heavy/power metal sound from me. This time I was more than happy to oblige.

“I also worked quickly because I asked Moribund Records to give me a deadline in order to make their 2021 release schedule. I work better under a little pressure. So now it's onto recording bass, lead guitar and vocals. The fun part! Stay tuned and thanks for listening!”

For further details, follow Toby Knapp on Facebook.




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Former ACCEPT guitarist Herman Frank has released an official lyric video for the song "Eye Of The Storm". The clip, which was created by Hard Media, can be viewed below.

"Eye Of The Storm" is taken from Frank's fifth solo album, "Two For A Lie", which is due on May 21 via AFM Records. The disc was once again mixed by Arne Neurand at Horus Sound Studio in Hannover, Germany, while mastering duties were handled by Robin Schmidt at 24-96 Mastering in Karlsruhe, Germany.

"Two For A Lie" track listing:

01. Teutonic Order

02. Venom

03. Hate

04. Eye Of The Storm

05. Liar

06. Hail The New Kings

07. Just A Second To Lose

08. Danger

09. Stand Up And Fight

10. Open Your Mind

Frank's band lineup is as follows:

Rick Altzi (MASTERPLAN, AT VANCE) - Vocals

Herman Frank (ex-ACCEPT, VICTORY) - Guitar

Mike Pesin (MAGISTARIUM, VICTORY) - Guitar

Michael Müller (JADED HEART) - Bass

Kevin Kott (AT VANCE, MASTERPLAN, HEAVEN'S TRAIL) - Drums

Herman joined ACCEPT in 1982 shortly before the release of the band's "Restless And Wild" album and exited the group for the first time after the arrival of 1983's "Balls To The Wall" LP.

When ACCEPT reunited for festival appearances in 2005, Herman handled second-guitar duties alongside founding axeman Wolf Hoffmann, with Stefan Schwarzmann sitting behind the kit.

Frank and Schwarzmann were involved in ACCEPT's comeback with Tornillo and appeared on the reunited group's first three studio albums: 2010's "Blood of the Nations", 2012's "Stalingrad" and 2014's "Blind Rage".

Frank's fourth solo album, "Fight The Fear", was released in February 2019 via AFM.

Two years ago, Herman told All That Shreds about his decision to exit ACCEPT in December 2014: "It was just time to leave the band. Let's put it this way: I wanted to do music the way I started to. I wanted to have my own band. I wanted my own music and just wanted to just play my own leads. Not to follow somebody's guitar. I was getting too old for it. It's fine to be a backup, but after a couple of years, it's time for a different thing."

Asked how it was different playing with current ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo after performing with Udo Dirkschneider during the band's early years, Herman said: "Mark is a really nice guy and really promising. It's kind of a different voice and Mark really doubles Udo in his personal way. I prefer the style of Udo's singing. He is original ACCEPT. There is this voice sticking in your head. On the new songs, which Mark sings for the first time in ACCEPT, it's a different character, but it's very good. You can't compare them, really. They are a match for certain things, but they are quite different people. I do like them both. I couldn't have the decision which one I would prefer. It would have been great if they would put a couple of albums with Udo and Mark together. That would be awesome."

Dutch metal trio Cryptosis has released a new single and video for “Death Technology”.

The band have checked in with the following quote: "For decades, people have tried to store their deceased bodies using low-temperature freezing techniques. This song is about a person who wakes up from cryosleep in the year 2149 and realises he is being detained and used as a test subject in a secret lab. The lyrics describe a technology that is very advanced and complex seen through the eyes of the test subject. The music is a reflection of that intricate technology. The riffs are built in a technical and extremely fast paced style. Whereas the structure of the song is built in the opposite direction, resembling the old yet simple world that this person is coming from."

Cryptosis will release their debut album Bionic Swarm on March 26. The album will be available in the following formats and can be preordered here:

-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

To celebrate “Bionic Swarm”, Cryptosis play a live stream show at Metropool on April 24, starting at 20:30 PM CET. The stream will take place here.

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”

"Death Technology":

“Transcendence” video:




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A rehearsal recording of BLACK SABBATH playing a previously unreleased song apparently called "Slapback" in 1979 during the pre-production sessions for the band's "Heaven And Hell" album can be streamed below. The track, which features Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar and Bill Ward on drums, was uploaded to YouTube by Gary Rees, the stepson and executor of the estate of SABBATH's longtime keyboardist Geoff Nicholls.

The "Slapback" upload comes 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 Geezer Butler's absence during the initial writing stage for the LP.

Rees stated about "Slapback": "This latest upload from the Geoff Nicholls estate I believe is called 'Slapback' from the scrawling on the cassette and the chorus. This is from the same cassette as the 'Heaven & Hell' upload on this channel. It doesn't sound like a typical SABBATH song if it is them but it does sound like Ronnie James Dio."

Dio joined SABBATH for the first time in 1979 and quickly found kindred spirits in Iommi, Butler, and 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 album 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".

In a recent interview with Songfacts, Iommi was asked how the songwriting compared to when Dio was the singer in SABBATH as opposed to Ozzy Osbourne. He responded: "It was different. With Ozz, we tend to jam usually, and then Ozzy would sometimes be in the room, sometimes he wouldn't. And sometimes he'd hear something and go, 'Oh yeah,' and start singing something to it. It depends on what periods. We'd play and come up with a format for a song, and then he'd listen to it and start coming up with a melody. With Dio, he was a little bit more involved because he played an instrument [bass] and was more musical. And that's not knocking Ozzy, because Ozzy was great at what he did, but Dio was a little more involved. I could sit down quietly and play something to Ronnie, and he'd say, 'Yeah, I like that.' He'd start singing, and then go, 'Can I go through a change now? What about that note there? Oh yeah, that's good.' We'd work together and bounce back with each other."

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.

In a new interview with "The Rhino Podcast", Tony Iommi reflected on his time recording and touring with Ronnie James Dio as his bandmate in both BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL. The guitarist said (hear audio below): "It was really amazing. And it was going so good — the last [HEAVEN & HELL] album we did with Ronnie. We talked about doing another album. We were really focused, all of us, then. With any kind of egos or anything anybody had, it had all gone, and we could work together. And it was great fun — we had a great time doing that album, and we had a great time doing the tour. And we never put pressure on each other as far as, 'We've gotta do another album; we've gotta do this.' It was, 'If we wanna do it, we'll do it.' And we did talk about doing another album, and we would have done another album if Ronnie hadn't passed away. But at least we had that opportunity of being able to do that tour. And it was great."

Iommi went on to call Dio's 2010 death "a tremendous loss — absolute tremendous loss. He [had] such a unique voice, and the way he presented his voice was fantastic," he said.

Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer was diagnosed with cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Ronnie's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", will be released on July 27 via Permuted Press.

Iommi is currently promoting the upcoming deluxe editions of BLACK SABBATH's "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums.