Ancient metal upstarts SpellForger have premiered their new track "Lord Of Possession". The song is the first to be revealed from the band's debut EP, Upholders Of Evil, set for international release on April 2nd via Personal Records, the new label imprint of Majestic Downfall mainman Jacobo Córdova. 

Hailing from Indonesia, SpellForger began in early 2020, highly influenced by early proto-black metal such as Celtic Frost, early Slayer, Bathory, Possessed, and also modern black metal-influenced thrash metal bands such as Cruel Force, Deathhammer, Condor, and Inculter. And since most of the members are huge fans of the old-school style of death metal, SpellForger's music also bears some slight '90s death metal influences, as well. 

SpellForger have signed with Personal Records for their debut EP, Upholders Of Evil. Bearing six tracks in 22 minutes, Upholders Of Evil is a fresh blast of old air, the band honoring the ancient ways - actual songwriting, live playing, unpolished recording - with utmost aplomb whilst never reeking of "retro" regressionism. Simply put, this is Metal played by Metal maniacs. Indeed, the EP is aptly titled, for SpellForger likewise exude a tangible evil here: never overwrought nor overly obvious, this atmosphere authentically harkens to those ancient forebears.

Tracklisting:

"Upholders Of Evil"
"Lord Of Possession"
"Metal Crusaders"
"Curse Of The Lycans"
"Black Spellcrafters"
"Pestilentia"

For further details, visit SpellForger on Facebook.

 




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Tavares Project - comprised of vocalist / guitarist Fernando Tavares and drummer Rob Kay (both formerly of J.F. Wylde) - have filmed a quarantine video for their cover of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Warrant.

"Uncle Tom's Cabin" originally appeared on Warrant's second album, Cherry Pie, released in 1990. Named after the classic novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, first published in 1852, the song tells the story of a witness to the involvement of local police in a double murder. Warrant's video for the song, set in Louisiana, can be seen below.

 




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"It’s been a few months since King Eddie Van Halen passed away. We are all inspired by His music. For respect, we have been working on some tribute recordings/videos," says The Dirty Movies.

The Dirty Movies features half of Toque - vocalist Todd Kerns (Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, The Age Of Electric) and drummer Shane Gaalaas (Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker) - along with guitarist Toshi Yanagi (Jimmy Kimmel Live), and bassist Coray McComic (Willie Nelson, Neil Young).

In the video below, The Dirty Movies cover "Outta Love Again", from Van Halen's second album, Van Halen II, released in 1979.

Previously, The Dirty Movies covered "On Fire", which is the final track on Van Halen's self-titled debut album from 1978.

Get your own digital copy of The Dirty Movies' version of "On Fire" now at this location.

 




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Season Of Mist announces the signing of psychedelic stoner rock trio, Somali Yacht Club. The band will be releasing a brand new album as well as their back catalogue via Season Of Mist in the near future. Stay tuned.

The band comments: "We're proud to announce that our new album will be released on the Season Of Mist. It's an honor to be part of their roster, featuring many bands that  are significant to us. We're very excited and hope that this cooperation will be fruitful! "

For a glimpse of what to expect, check out Somali Yacht Club on Bandcamp.

Somali Yacht Club is a psychedelic stoner rock trio from Lviv, Ukraine. It started out as a jam session between band members from different Lviv groups, but soon turned into the main act for each of them.

The trio self-released the demo EP called Sandsongs in 2011. After this, they played numerous shows in Ukraine and shared the stage with bands like Elder, Kadavar, Red Fang and others. The first album The Sun was released on September 11, 2014 (Robustfellow). After the 2015 release of LP The Sun (Bilocation Records) the band went on their first European tour with Ethereal Riffian (UA).

In 2018, Somali Yacht Club released the second album The Sea (Robustfellow, Bilocation Records) and toured with Straytones (UA) and Stoned Jesus (UA). The stoner rockers have played at festivals like Void, Swamp, Keep It Low and several Garmonbozia festivals.

Lineup:

Ihor - guitar, vocals, keys
Artur - bass
Oleksa - drums




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Frontiers Music Srl will release the self-titled debut album from Brazil's Icon Of Sin, a new project centered around the stunning vocal talents of the popular Brazilian YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes, on April 16. A lyric video for the song "Icon Of Sin" can be found below. Pre-order/save Icon Of Sin here.

Tracklisting:

"Icon Of Sin"
"Road Rage"
"Shadow Dancer"
"Unholy Battleground"
"Nightbreed"
"Virtual Empire"
"Pandemic Euphoria"
"Clouds Over Gotham"
"Arcade Generation"
"Hagakure" (Intro)
"The Last Samurai"
"The Howling"
"Survival Instinct"

"Icon Of Sin" lyric video:

"Shadow Dancer" video:

Lineup:

Raphael Mendes – Vocals
Caio Vidal – Bass
Sol Perez – Guitar
Mateus Cantaleãno – Guitar
CJ Dubiella - Drums




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Guitarist Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth) has released a new video, simply stating: "This music video is about: PLAYIN' SUM SKYNYRD!!!"

Watch Young, Zachary Throne, and friends cover Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1973 classic, "Simple Man", below:




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Nordic favorites The Vintage Caravan recently announce the upcoming release of their new full-length album, Monuments, out April 16 via Napalm Records. Check out this guitar playthrough video for the first single, "Whispers":

The band incorporates a fountain of modern influences mixed with retro reminiscences to create an addictive sound all their own.

After countless high-voltage live performances at festivals such as Roadburn, Wacken and Hellfest, and touring with Opeth, the Icelandic band’s new full-length impressively demonstrates that they have matured both musically and lyrically, accented by bold, nostalgic nuance. Virtuosic ‘70s-inspired guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of fresh elements and psychedelic, progressive and blues rock trademarks on Monuments, radiating the soul of some larger-than-life bands of the past as these youngbloods breathe new life into a classic formula.

Cut from Monuments, the first single, “Whispers”, showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing the retro-inspired staples they’ve become renowned for. The accompanying music video takes its viewer straight into the hearts and studio of the band, connecting with lucid live-music vibes. Above all, the performance video also highlights the band's musical passion and provides an intimate glimpse into their sonic work.

The Vintage Caravan on “Whispers”: “First single is Whispers! It was one of the first things we came up with for the album. We always try to start our albums in a strong and powerful way and it felt fitting as an opener. Hope you like it as much as we do! Enjoy!!”

Watch the “Whispers” video below.

On 11 diverse tracks, these fast-rising musicians from Reykjavik truly cast a spell on fans of bewitching, guitar-driven classic and blues rock influences. The album opener, “Whispers”, clearly showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing their tried-and-true, retro-inspired sonic trademark. “Crystalized '' convinces with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. “Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind” takes its listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus, while tracks like “This One’s For You” represent a stunning blueprint in The Vintage Caravan’s musical universe with unconventional, surprisingly calm melodies and Óskar’s gripping, tranquil vocal power. In contrast, bold drumming merges with fast-paced riffs, enveloping an impressive galloping vortex and pronouncing tracks like “Dark Times” and “Said and Done” as top notch rock pieces. The softly plugging, atmospheric sound of album closer “Clarity” symbolizes the crowning culmination of a 60-minute journey through the eternal landscapes of Iceland and the poetic lyricism of the trio.

With their new studio-album, Monuments, and its captivating, stellar arrangements, these rising stars definitely know how to put their very own stamp on the retro rock wave.

The Vintage Caravan on the new album: “We are proud to present to you our new album Monuments!! This one has been long in the making and we truly believe this is our best work so far. We went into a legendary Icelandic studio, Hljóðriti, during the stormiest season of last winter and tracked non stop for 22 days, working around the clock to get as much done as possible. Luckily enough we finished tracking just before the pandemic hit.

"Having worked with producer Ian Davenport on our previous album Gateways we were comfortable and inspired to take the album to new heights in terms of sound, feel and songwriting. We ended up with quite a diverse set of songs through an interesting and in many ways different process than our usual recording sessions.  It was a great feeling to get to experiment more with our sound in so many different ways. We hope you'll enjoy the journey through Monuments!"

Monuments will be available in North America in the following formats:

- 1 CD Digipak
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Yellow/Red - limited to 300 copies
- Limited Diehard Edition - 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Multicolor Splatter + Patch, Slipmat - limited to 200 copies
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Whispers"
"Crystallized"
"Can’t Get You Off My Mind"
"Dark Times"
"This One’s For You"
"Forgotten"
"Sharp Teeth"
"Hell"
"Torn In Two"
"Said & Done"
"Clarity"

"Whispers" video:

The Vintage Caravan are:
Óskar Logi Ágústsson – lead vocals, electric guitar
Alexander Örn Númason – bass guitar, backing vocals
Stefán Ari Stefánsson – drums, percussion

(Photo - Hörður Sveinsson)




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A Pale Horse Named Death is currently recording and working on their fourth studio album, to be released in fall 2021 via Long Branch Records/SPV.

The band led by founding Type O Negative and Life Of Agony member Sal Abruscato released their debut, And Hell Will Follow Me, in 2011 and firmly implanted their roots in the metal scene with the sophomore albums Lay My Soul To Waste in 2013 and When The World Becomes Undone in 2019.

"I am really looking forward to releasing APHND’s fourth album later this year," says Abruscato. He adds, "2021 is the 10 year anniversary since APHND’s first album And Hell Will Follow Me was released so it’s even more special for me to release a new album this year. There has been so much depression and anxiety for so many during this pandemic, how the world has literally become undone in 2020. I started working on material back in early 2020 and felt I needed to evolve, switch things up with more instrumentation, different vibes, and unleash a new album for the fans this year! We are in the middle of production and I can’t wait to release it. Looking forward to working with Long Branch Records and SPV again as well!"

Besides Sal Abruscato on guitars and lead vocals, A Pale Horse Named Death's lineup includes Joe Taylor and Eddie Heedles on guitars. We're also pleased to welcome Chris Hamilton (Blood Simple, Downset) in the band on drums as well as Oddie McLaughlin (Black Water Rising, Damn Your Eyes) on bass.

Lineup:

Sal Abruscato - Vocals Guitar
Eddie Heedles - Guitar
Joe Taylor - Guitar
Chris Hamilton - Drums
Oddie McLaughlin - Bass




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Frontiers Music Srl announces the return of Lana Lane, who has signed to the label for a new multi-album deal.

Lana Lane is an accomplished rock vocalist with a long history of recording and touring. Born in Concord, California to a musical family, Lana grew up on a balanced diet of both rock music and big band swing music. Since music was always in the house, singing came very naturally to Lana, and she started fronting bands straight out of high school. To forward her career, Lana moved to Los Angeles in the late '80s where she met her husband/producer Erik Norlander (Dukes Of The Orient, ASIA featuring John Payne).

Lana's debut album, Love Is An Illusion, was released in 1995 to critical acclaim. It soon caught the ear of a Japanese record company, Marquee Belle Antique, who saw great potential in the music, and of course in Lana's voice. The company released Lana's second album, Curious Goods, in 1996, and then in 1998, Marquee launched a new high profile label called Avalon with Lana Lane as their flagship artist. Avalon released Lana's Garden Of The Moon album which skyrocketed her career on the international stage, ultimately resulting in her first European release.

Lana began touring in Japan in 1998 to support Garden Of The Moon and the subsequent Ballad Collection and Queen Of The Ocean releases. She then expanded her touring efforts to Europe in 2001 to support Secrets Of Astrology, with additional tours in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, Lana released her first DVD, Storybook: Tales From Europe And Japan, which documented her first years of touring on two continents. Then in 2005, Lana embarked on her 10th Anniversary Tour which culminated in her appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival at the end of the European leg and then the filming her 10th Anniversary Concert DVD in Tokyo after the final show in Japan at the tour’s conclusion. These years also marked the beginning of Lana's relationship with Frontiers Music Srl.

Lana has been dubbed "The Queen of Symphonic Rock" by fans and media, yet she remains a very versatile artist, able to move from intimate jazz pieces (Ballad Collections, Winter Sessions) to bone crushing progressive metal (Secrets Of Astrology, Lady Macbeth, etc.). But, in the end, it is Lana's love of melody and artistry that reigns over all. She is a dedicated artist who approaches her craft with grace and integrity.

Lana Lane released her last album, El Dorado Hotel, in 2012, so it has been a long time coming for her next release. The new album will again be produced by Lana’s husband, Erik Norlander. The release is anticipated for release in late 2021 and will be Lana’s 11th full-length studio album.




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On April 9, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Lynyrd Skynyrd: Live At Knebworth ‘76 as a DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, limited edition 2LP+DVD, and digital video, capturing the band’s historic performance in England on August 21,1976.

Featuring the legendary lineup of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Leon Wilkeson, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, and The Honkettes, this set was part of a daylong festival which also boasted the likes of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, 10cc, and headliners The Rolling Stones.

This footage, originally only available via the 1996 film Freebird...The Movie, was intercut with interviews and other performance footage. Now Live At Knebworth ‘76 presents the pure concert experience in its entirety, delivering the show as it happened that day. Kicking off with opening number “Workin’ For MCA,” Lynyrd Skynyrd ignited a powerhouse performance before over 150,000 attendees. Displaying the renowned triple guitar attack of Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, and Steve Gaines with Ronnie Van Zant’s signature vocals, Lynyrd Skynyrd: Live At Knebworth ’76 showcases fiery performances of such beloved classic rock anthems as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Gimme Three Steps,” and of course, “Free Bird”.

As a bonus, the Blu-ray set also features the full-length documentary If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd. Originally released in 2018, the film is an in-depth exploration of the band’s music and history.

Over 40 years after their inception, Lynyrd Skynyrd continues their legacy as icons of American music. Carrying on after the tragic 1977 plane crash, with sales beyond 30 million worldwide and 60 albums to their name, Lynyrd Skynyrd remain etched as pivotal forebearers of Southern Rock.

Pre-order here, and watch a video for "Gimme Three Steps" below.

Tracklisting:

"Workin' For The MCA"
"I Ain't The One"
"Saturday Night Special"
"Searching"
"Whiskey Rock-A-Roller"
"Travelin' Man"
"Gimme Three Steps"
"Call Me The Breeze"
"T For Texas"
"Sweet Home Alabama"
"Free Bird"

"Gimme Three Steps" video:

Trailer:

Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup:

Ronnie Van Zant (Lead Vocals)
Gary Rossington (Guitar)
Allen Collins (Guitar)
Steve Gaines (Guitar / Backing Vocals)
Leon Wilkeson (Bass / Backing Vocals)
Artimus Pyle (Drums / Percussion)
Billy Powell (Keyboards / Piano)

Honkettes:

Cassie Gaines (Background Vocals)
JoJo Billingsley (Background Vocals)
Leslie Hawkins (Background Vocals)




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Nervosa’s latest record, Perpetual Chaos, steamrolled through the metal scene, demonstrating the band's new lineup in absolute peak form. The album secured the band their first chart positions at #18 in Germany, #6 on the US Hard Music Album charts, #9 on the US Top New Artist Albums charts and recently returned to #1 on the NACC Heavy chart.

The four women of Nervosa haven’t stopped to catch their breath, delivering their next thrasher, “Genocidal Command”, featuring Schmier (Destruction) along with a powerful official lyric video. The track perks ears with Diva Satanica’s vocal eloquence, accented by the outstanding range of Schmier whilst mirroring a rousing thrash metal manifest. Enter a thrashing world of destruction and be a part of the next generation of Nervosa.

Perpetual Chaos is available in the following formats:

- Deluxe Edition: LP Gatefold Vinyl Splatter Blue/Red + 7 Inch incl. Bonustrack, Sticker and Patch - strictly limited to 300 copies  
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Red Transparent - limited to 500 copies
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Blue Transparent
- CD Digipack
- CD Digipack + Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Venomous"
"Guided By Evil"
"People Of The Abyss"
"Perpetual Chaos"
"Until The Very End"
"Genocidal Command"
"Kings Of Domination"
"Time To Fight"
"Godless Prisoner"
"Blood Eagle"
"Rebel Soul"
"Pursued By Judgement"
"Under Ruins"

“Under Ruins” video:

"Guided By Evil" video:

“Perpetual Chaos” lyric video:

Lineup:

Diva Satanica (Vocals)
Prika Amaral (Guitar)
Mia Wallace (Bass)
Eleni Nota (Drums)




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Warthrone members Kristel Dawn (ex-Witch-Hunt) and Erik Sayenga (ex-Dying Fetus, ex-Witch-Hunt) have launched a brand new atmospheric/melodic black metal band called Kristel Dawn.

The band's single, "The Frozen Forest", is available for digital download via the Kristel Dawn Bandcamp page, here. An official video for the song can be viewed below.

Lineup:

Kristel Dawn - Vocals (clean and harsh), Keyboards, Bass, Drums
Erik Sayenga - Drums, Guitars, Vocals




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LAMB OF GOD will issue a three-disc deluxe edition of last year's critically acclaimed self-titled album featuring the full record with two bonus tracks and a live version of the album, along with a DVD performance of "Lamb Of God" on March 26 via Epic Records.

"This album, and in particular this deluxe edition, is something I'm incredibly proud of," says guitarist Willie Adler. "Throughout the process of writing, recording and the subsequent filming of the live stream, I knew we were creating much more than a collection of songs. Much more than a simple streamed performance. This was focused energy. Energy that, to me, is very tangible. And now, more than ever, in an era where human interaction is so limited, art.... be it music, visual or otherwise, is a human connection point. And we need as much of that as possible! I hope everyone enjoys this deluxe edition as much as we enjoyed creating it. Thank you."

Pre-orders for the set are available now, along with the bonus track "Ghost Shaped People". The live CD and DVD portion of the deluxe edition features the first of LAMB OF GOD's two ultra-successful live stream events from September 2020, in which the band performed their critically acclaimed, self-titled album "Lamb Of God" in full, plus an encore of four songs, including "Ruin", "Contractor", "512" and the debut live performance of "The Death Of Us", a new song the band wrote and recorded in quarantine for the "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie and soundtrack. The DVD includes a new director's cut with bonus material. Watch the trailer for the deluxe package now below.

A trailer for "Lamb Of God - Live In Richmond, VA" is available below.

Originally, released June 19 of last year, LAMB OF GOD's first new album in five years was met with universal acclaim — not only among major rock journalists, but with all strata of metal fans around the world.

But critics, media and the industry aside, perhaps the most telling statistic is the year-end U.S. metal radio chart, where the new album dominated at #1 by a massive margin (over 2,000 more spins than the album at #2). "Lamb Of God" spent nine weeks in the #1 spot and never left the top 10 since debuting on the chart in February. Metal radio is the lifeblood of the U.S. metal world, largely staffed by college students and regional tastemakers, playing the music that they know their local metal fans want to hear. At iTunes, "Lamb Of God" landed at No. 1 on the overall Rock and Metal album chart upon release.

"Lamb Of God" deluxe edition track listing:

Disc 1: "Lamb Of God" Original Album + 2 Bonus Tracks

01. Memento Mori

02. Checkmate

03. Gears

04. Reality Bath

05. New Colossal Hate

06. Resurrection Man

07. Poison Dream (feat. Jamey Jasta)

08. Routes (feat. Chuck Billy)

09. Bloodshot Eyes

10. On The Hook

11. Ghost Shaped People

12. Hyperthermic/Accelerate

Disc 2: "Lamb Of God - Live In Richmond, VA"

01. Memento Mori (Live)

02. Checkmate (Live)

03. Gears (Live)

04. Reality Bath (Live)

05. New Colossal Hate (Live)

06. Resurrection Man (Live)

07. Poison Dream (Live)

08. Routes (Live)

09. Bloodshot Eyes (Live)

10. On The Hook (Live)

11. Contractor (Live)

12. Ruin (Live)

13. The Death Of Us (Live)

14. 512

Disc 3: "Lamb Of God - Live In Richmond, VA" DVD

01. Memento Mori

02. Checkmate

03. Gears

04. Reality Bath

05. New Colossal Hate

06. Resurrection Man

07. Poison Dream

08. Routes

09. Bloodshot Eyes

10. On The Hook

11. Contractor

12. Ruin

13. The Death of Us

14. 512

Digital copies will contain only Disc 1 and Disc 2. A separate vinyl edition of "Lamb Of God - Live In Richmond, VA" will also be available.

"Lamb Of God - Live In Richmond, VA" vinyl track listing:

Side 1

01. Memento Mori

02. Checkmate

03. Gears

04. Reality Bath

05. New Colossal Hate

Side 2

01. Resurrection Man

02. Poison Dream

03. Routes

04. Bloodshot Eyes

05. On The Hook

LAMB OF GOD eagerly awaits its return to the road to support "Lamb Of God". Their North American co-headline tour with MEGADETH and support from TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES has been rescheduled to begin in July 2021, and their headline tour in the U.K. and co-headline tour with KREATOR in the rest of Europe will take place in November and December 2021.

Canadian rocker Aldo Nova has recorded another home studio mini-concert for his fans, old and new. The clip below is a reloaded COVID - 19 version of another classic from his self-titled debut album. This is a turbocharged version of "Under the Gun" with a very special jam from his second album, Subject, called "War Suite" to end with a bang.

In November 2020 Aldo Nova announced his new band lineup, which features Aldo Nova on guitars and vocals, Jack Frost, (ex-Seven Witches, Savatage) on guitars and vocals, Tim Gaines (ex-Stryper, Of Gods And Monsters) on bass and vocals, Billy Carmassi (Aldo Nova band 1982 to 2020) on drums, and a keyboard player, whose name cannot be disclosed yet. But he also has an amazing pedigree, is extremely well known and is a monster player. His identity will be revealed when they begin touring, as soon as the COVID lockdowns are lifted and things get back to normal.

In Aldo’s words, “Between me, Tim Gaines and Billy Carmassi, we were already quite a unit, but when Jack Frost joined the band, it was as if he was the detonator that made us an Atomic Bomb of a band.” He also says that, “When Jack joined the band, I felt a completely new energy, and when Billy and Tim met him digitally, they both agreed that he was our guy and we're eager to go out and literally destroy, which is the mindset that we, as a band, have when we will play live.”

Nova also announced his plans to do a large, full-scale production virtual live show in 2021, and when he says large scale production, he means a full lighting rig over a large stage with one of the leading lighting designers in Canada, Pierre E. Roy, with video directed and edited by Christian Jacques who did Aldo’s videos for, “I’m A Survivor”, “When All Is Said And Done” and his “Monkey On Your Back", live band-livestream COVID-19 session.

Nova doesn’t really think that the drive-in shows that everybody claims to be the only way to play live is a good thing for his fans. In his words, "Who wants to go see a band with five people crammed in a car, listening to the show on their FM radios, and not being able to see anything? It's certainly not the solution, nor the future of rock. Anyway, I’m from Canada where the winters are brutal, so it’ll never work in Canada, nor will it work in the Northern States, so half of your fans can’t see you play when you’re on tour."

Nova plans on doing his virtual live show with a 3 and ½ hour set, playing his albums in their entirety and in the sequence of the album, so as he says. "While most bands play their shows then walk off without playing their hits, and waiting for the audience to cheer and clap til they come back to do their hit," which he calls the “cheap shot”, he does things in an entirely different way because as he says, "We on the other hand, we’ll start the show with 'Fantasy' because it’s the first track on side one of the first album." He intends to play songs from all his albums, even six songs from his rare and obscure instrumental album, Nova’s Dream, which is considered to be one of his best albums, and ending finally with his new Rock Opera, The Life And Times of Eddie Gage.

Also, his virtual show is modeled after Dana White’s UFC fight cards, which is, you pay one price of admission and you can have as many people watching it as you want, as he puts it, "Turn it into a party or a family night, sitting in front of your big screen TV with the sound system as loud as you want, with everybody having a front-row seat, get a beer, play air guitar, dance, and jokingly he says when we play 'Ball And Chain', you can even make out."

Watch out because 2021 is going to be a year full of surprises with new cutting edge ways to entertain fans from Aldo Nova.




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Alice Cooper has commented on the abuse allegations leveled against his onetime tourmate Marilyn Manson, saying that he has "never noticed" a violent "streak" in him.

A month ago, "Westworld" actress Evan Rachel Wood named Manson as the previously anonymous abuser she referenced while testifying before the California Senate in relation to the state's Phoenix Act, which extends the statute of limitations on domestic violence from three years to five. On February 1, Wood claimed in a social media post that Manson "groomed" and "horrifically" abused her for years. After she shared her accusations, at least half a dozen other women came forward with their own allegations against the singer. The women claimed to have endured "sexual assault, psychological abuse, and/or various forms of coercion, violence, and intimidation" at the hands of Manson.

Asked in a new interview with NME for his opinion on the allegations against Manson, Alice said (see video below): "It's funny about Marilyn in that I know Marilyn — when we toured together, we got along very well. I never noticed that streak in him, if it's there. I always believe in the word — still allegations are still allegations.

"First of all, here's a prime example: Johnny Depp," Cooper continued, referencing the actor and his HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES bandmate whose ex-wife Amber Heard wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post which implied he was violent towards her. "Johnny Depp and I are best friends. I've never seen him lift a finger against anybody. He's one of the most gentle people. And all of his former girlfriends and wives say the same thing. So it's really hard to believe that all of a sudden he's gonna turn into this monster. And I know the guy — I'm with the guy on tour all the time. He's one of the most gentle, harmless people I've ever met. Now I don't know Marilyn, though, as well as I know Johnny. So what happens in the bedroom is entirely a mystery to me for what's going on with Marilyn. [Laughs]"

Last month, the 52-year-old Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, released a statement denying the abuse allegations leveled against him, writing on Instagram: "Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."

In the days since Wood came forward with her allegations, Manson was dropped by his longtime manager Tony Ciulla, his label, Loma Vista Recordings, as well as the talent agency CAA, which provides representation for individuals across various mediums. Future scenes of "American Gods" and "Creepshow" featuring Manson have also been pulled.

Vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of Florida death metal veterans CANNIBAL CORPSE spoke to the "RRBG Podcast" about what the concert industry might look like post-pandemic. He said (hear audio below): "I just think that people are gonna throw caution to the wind and say, 'Fuck it.' I cannot see [if we play] 'Hammer Smashed Face' that people are gonna just stand there like zombies. They're not gonna do it. There's no way. People are gonna start slamming. They're not gonna care.

"We've gotta get back to the way it was," he continued. "And who knows if it's ever gonna be that way? I think maybe people are gonna be more cautious about washing their hands and coughing. Trust me — that's a pet peeve of mine. Before this [pandemic] ever happened, when people were just sitting on our bus [and coughing], I'm, like, 'Dude, I don't want your shit.' 'Well, you can't get it through that.' Well, you know what? I'm sorry — when you cough, you spit. You don't even see it. Go look online. There's [been] experiments. When you cough, you don't even know it. I probably spit on my [computer] screen about five thousand times while I'm talking to you, and I don't even know. So I don't like that anyway. And I'm not like some germaphobe or nothing.

"I just really want it to go back to normal," Fisher added. "I'm sure I've been singing and I spit by accident into the mic and it went over and maybe hit some kid in the head. And I can imagine that people will be thinking about that now.

"I'm not a scientist, I'm not anybody in the know, but I just hope it can come back to normal. I think mentally we're never gonna be normal again. Everybody's gonna be thinking about it in some way or another."

CANNIBAL CORPSE will release its 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

In a new chat with Ray Shasho of BBS Radio's "Interviewing The Legends", MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked which artist — dead or alive — he would like to perform or collaborate with if he got the chance. He responded (hear audio below): "Probably Eddie Van Halen. And I don't say that just because [he recently] passed. [VAN HALEN is] a band that MEGADETH never played with. And they were such an influential band for me. And even as a bass player, Eddie was an influence on me. And I don't play guitar like him at all. When I play guitar, I probably play more like Rudy Schenker [SCORPIONS] or Malcolm Young [AC/DC] or something. I'm not a lead guitar player — I admit that. I just love his approach to things — just kind of shoot from the hip, play from the heart.

"I really admire how [VAN HALEN bassist] Michael Anthony played bass to Eddie's guitar playing," he continued. "There was a simplicity that anchored it. Eddie used to really sing Michael's praises back in the day about just being such a great solid bass player. And while that doesn't get a lot of spotlight, it doesn't get headlines… While Eddie was getting the headlines, I always admired that he spoke highly about Michael and his ability to just sort of anchor the band down.

"That would be a fun experience, to have played with [Eddie], even just for an afternoon."

MEGADETH is continuing to record its 16th studio album for a tentative late 2021 or early 2022 release.

The early sessions for the LP took place in 2019 with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

"Dystopia", whose title track was honored in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2017 Grammy Awards, marked Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro's recording debut with MEGADETH.

MEGADETH's current lineup is rounded out by founding guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and 46-year-old Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who had played with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH.

Ellefson's solo band released its covers album, "No Cover", last November via earMUSIC (Europe) and Ward Records (Japan)

Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate took part in an intimate acoustic performance on February 13 at the Everett Theatre in Everett, Washington. The socially distanced event operated at 25% capacity which equated to about 100 people in total watching the show inside the venue.

Professionally filmed video of Tate performing the QUEENSRŸCHE song "Around The World" at the Everett concert can be seen below.

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. All tickets will go on sale this Friday, February 26 at 10:00 local time.

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).

In 2019, Geoff released the debut album from SWEET OBLIVION via Frontiers Music Srl. The project saw Tate teaming up with a stellar cast of Italian musicians led by Simone Mularoni, the mastermind of prog metal masters DGM. The second SWEET OBLIVION album, "Relentless", will arrive on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. This time the production was handled by Italian metal maestro Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, ARCHON ANGEL).

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

During a recent appearance on "The Dan Chan Show", MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson offered an update on the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album. He said (hear audio below): "The new MEGADETH album is almost done — rounding the corners into the 'final final.' It's funny, 'cause we'd kind of been working on it for four years. Look, COVID, of course, last year changed the course of everything, and Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] went through throat cancer treatments the year before that, 2019. So, there have been some diversions. But at the same time, the record's always been being worked on."

He continued: "It's funny — my view is that it's probably kind of been in the works similar to 'Dystopia'; we're almost on the exact same timeline of when it's gonna be finished, mixed [and] delivered. And, of course, as the world keeps attempting to open and then was shutting back down again, especially with live music, you always wanna try to release things around touring opportunities and promotional opportunities. So the fact that we've been able to work diligently on it and not sort of be boxed into a tour that would then get canceled or postponed, it's actually been good. In hindsight, it's all working out just fine."

Asked if he would agree with Mustaine's recent claim that the new MEGADETH album will probably end up being one of the top four records of the band's career, Ellefson said: "Yeah, I think so. I mean, look, these records go through these different phases. It's hard to talk about something until it's done. It's, like, [you say] 'These are the best cookies ever,' and they haven't been in the oven yet. In fact, it's funny — my wife made some cookies from some gluten-free dough, and they tasted God-awful, the dough. I'm a big cookie-dough guy — that's one of my faults. And [I thought], 'These are terrible.' And then she baked them, and they tasted amazing. So apparently the flour in its unbaked version was not good, but once it was baked, it was delicious. So as recent as this weekend, I had that experience. So, again, to sit here and talk about what's it gonna be like… Dave and I used to always say 'nothing's final until it's vinyl' back in the old days. So when something's a work in the progress, I'd rather not boast about it — I'd rather just let the music do the talking. With that said, I'm confident it's gonna be great 'cause we don't usually put things out unless they're [as good as they can be]."

Earlier this month, Mustaine said during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that he was "almost done" recording the vocals for the new MEGADETH LP. He also said that he had just received "a really cool lyric" from Ellefson that he was planning to turn into a song. In addition, he revealed that the album will include an as-yet-undisclosed cover track.

Last month, Ellefson told the "Rock 'N' Roll Icons With Bode James" podcast the recently announced working title for MEGADETH's upcoming album, "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead", will likely end up getting changed before the LP is released.

The early sessions for the LP took place in 2019 with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

"Dystopia", whose title track was honored in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2017 Grammy Awards, marked Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro's recording debut with MEGADETH.

MEGADETH's current lineup is rounded out by 46-year-old Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who had played with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH.

In a new interview with Greg Prato of Songfacts, legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was asked to name the definitive song from the band's Ozzy Osbourne era. He responded: "I always relate to 'Black Sabbath'. And 'Iron Man'. A lot of people say 'Paranoid', but the song was written as a filler for the album — it was never intended on being anything else. But it became a single because it was a short song, and because it became what it did, most people knew us because of 'Paranoid' in them days."

During the same chat, Iommi also talked about how he came up with the classic "Iron Man" guitar riff. He said: "I was in a rehearsal room, and Bill [Ward, drums] started playing this boom, boom, boom. He started doing it, and I just went [sings bending string bit before the song's riff] and came up with this thing and thought, 'That's cool.' Bill kept playing it, and I just went to this riff.

"Most of the riffs I've done I've come up with on the spot, and that was one of them — it just came up. It went with the drum, what Bill was playing. I just saw this thing in my mind of someone creeping up on you, and it just sounded like the riff. In my head, I could hear it as a monster, so I came up with that riff there and then."

The 73-year-old Iommi, who was diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma more than nine years ago, revealed last month that he received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Tony is the third member of BLACK SABBATH to get a COVID-19 vaccine, after singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler.

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

Tony revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Osbourne, Iommi and Butler all playing together.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi can no longer travel for extended amounts of t

THE OFFSPRING singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman spoke to the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X about the band's upcoming tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", which will arrive on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

Asked if they think the "Let The Bad Times Roll" title track is the "most outwardly political song" in THE OFFSPRING's discography, Dexter said: "I don't consider us a political band, I'll say that first. And when you're talking about 'Let The Bad Times Roll', there really is a personal side of this [coronavirus crisis] — there's a personal cost to people that can't work or have gotten sick or have lost relatives and all that stuff. So it affects different people in different ways."

Added Noodles: "We try to ask questions. It could be about society, about personal relationships, or it could be about what we see happening in the world. In this case, it's what we see happening in the world on both the political stage and on the personal stage. So it's more kind of an expression of ideas that pose a question. At least that's what we're hoping for — rather than try to tell people what to think."

Continued Dexter: "When you say the word 'political,' that sounds like you're gonna try to force your opinion about something on someone, and that's not what we're trying to do at all. We're making observations and leaving it up to you to make your own conclusions."

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit:: Daveed Benito

Long-running California rockers BUCKCHERRY have set "Breaking Down The Barricade" as the title of their new album, tentatively due this summer. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded last fall in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Speaking to Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, BUCKCHERRY guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) stated about "Breaking Down The Barricade" (see video below): "We worked on this one with Marti Frederiksen, who's like the sixth member of AEROSMITH. So the feel is gonna be a little bit different as well [compared to previous BUCKHERRY albums].

"We banged one out in no time," he continued. "Josh [Todd, BUCKCHERRY singer] and I had been, since quarantine, we started writing. And by the time September came around, we were ready to start tracking another album. But what we did is we went to Nashville and we wrote another batch of songs with Marti Frederiksen, and we were all ready to go by October, to record. We were so ready that it literally took us less than 10 days to record the whole thing."

According to Steve, BUCKCHERRY wrote over 25 songs this time around but ended up recording only 10. "We thought about [releasing a double album], but right now, a lot of people aren't releasing full-length albums — a lot of people just release singles and videos," he explained. "So, we decided to cull the whole thing down to 10. The Japan release, we're gonna release two extras.

"I was talking with Josh, 'Which [songs] do you wanna give up? Which ones do you wanna keep for the next album to work on?'

"I just keep going," he said. "At some point in the writing process, you hit a brick wall, and that's when it's good to have these.

"We have a new process now with Marti that really works for us and that we really like."

As for a possible release date for "Breaking Down The Barricade", Steve said: "If the numbers go down — the cases of COVID, let's say — then we'll be able to kind of work backwards from a release date or summer touring or spring touring. We've got some shows booked in February. But if the numbers start going down now, then they're gonna say, 'Well, we're gonna start booking shows for spring moving forward.' And if we can tour, then we'll put out the album. So we'll set a release date and then a book a tour from there."

Last November, Todd told Audio Ink Radio about about the musical direction of the new BUCKCHERRY material: "Well, it's not gonna change from a BUCKCHERRY rock record. Alls I can say is that we've just come leaps and bounds from the first record, as far as songwriting and how we put everything together. And just as far as the quality of songs, song to song, it's just so powerful. I can't wait for everybody to hear it. Marti Frederiksen is producing it. He produced a few records of ours back in the day. And it's been really great to be reunited with him, and he's a super talented guy. It's like having a sixth band member. So, it's been a lot of fun."

Last summer, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July 2020.

Roentgen, who joined the California-based band in 2017, made his exit official in a social media post. He wrote: "Bottom line, I made this decision to come off the road and spend more time with my family. The guys understood this, and for that I'm thankful. Though my wife and daughter always one hundred percent supported me in this gig, they are quite happy now to have me home."

Roentgen joined BUCKCHERRY as the replacement for original guitarist Keith Nelson. Roentgen can be heard on "Warpaint", which was released in March 2019 via Century Media/RED Music. The 12-song record was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose previous collaboration with the band was BUCKCHERRY's multi-platinum third album, 2005's "15".

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY recruited Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

DragonForce guitarist Herman Li recently invited guitarists Miku Kobato and Kanami Tōno of Japan's Band-Maid to guest on his Twitch livestream. This included his unoffcial "audition" to join Band-Maid. Check it out below. 

Band-Maid formed in July 2013. Guitarist / vocalist Miku Kobato, formerly an employee of a Japanese maid café, envisioned forming a band that juxtaposed the maid image with rock music. They have released seven albums since 2014, their latest being Unseen World, which was issued in January 2021 through Pony Canyon.




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KAMELOT's Tommy Karevik spoke to #MetalTalk about what it was like to replace Roy Khan nearly a decade ago. The Swedish singer has appared on the band's last three studio albums, 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven" and 2018's "The Shadow Theory".

"I never thought about it as, 'I'm gonna replace someone,' to be honest," Tommy said (see video below). "I thought about it as I wanna honor the legacy that was already there but bring something new into the fold as well. I thought of it as a huge challenge, of course. But my view on it was never, 'I'm gonna go in and replace this guy,' because I know he was loved, and he is still loved, in the metal community, and he will always be loved because of his talent and what he brought to the table with [Roy's pre-KAMELOT band] CONCEPTION and KAMELOT. I never thought that that was my job to go in and replace him. I just wanted to take on what he had going for the band and just bring me — my personality and my energy.

"In many ways, it's a different band," he continued. "It's a little bit of a different energy now. But still, people have all these albums that they can listen to from the beginning, and they have new albums, and they will continue to have new albums with great songs. That's kind of my take on it."

Karevik also talked about the KAMELOT fans' response to his addition to the band. "I have to say, it's never an easy thing, especially coming in after someone that was so renowned," he said. "Thinking back, in hindsight, it couldn't have gone any better, to be honest. I'm so happy that the fans were so accepting and really welcomed me with open arms. So I have only positive things to say about that. I thought it was gonna be more stressful, with the metal community often maybe living in the past a little bit, here and there.

"If I think about my favorite albums, for example, of my favorite bands, I also live in the past," he admitted. "Let's just be real — I glorify some of the stuff in the past. And I think, 'Ah, it's never gonna be the same again.'

"If my favorite band had to replace its singer, I don't know what I would do. So I come from the same thought. So that's why I'm so happy that everyone, or most of the people, were so welcoming."

Khan announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout."

After his departure from KAMELOT, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway. He has since reformed his pre-KAMELOT band CONCEPTION and released an EP, 2018's "My Dark Symphony", and a full-length album, 2020's "State Of Deception".

In a 2018 interview with Italy's SpazioRock, Roy called leaving KAMELOT "the best decision I have ever made" and praised Karevik, saying he "really" liked some of KAMELOT's newer material with Tommy on vocals. "Sounds classical KAMELOT in my ears, and Tommy is a great singer," Roy said.

Karevik currenty resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his wife, KOBRA AND THE LOTUS lead vocalist and songwriter Kobra Paige.

Karevik and Paige got engaged in June 2019 when he popped the question in his former hometown of Stockholm, Sweden.

Tommy and Paige apparently met when KOBRA AND THE LOTUS supported KAMELOT on a European tour in 2015. Since then, Kobra has frequently appeared as a guest vocalist at KAMELOT shows.




Roy Khan and Tommy Karevik pt 2 ?

Posted by Roy Khan Fan-Page on Sunday, June 16, 2019

Former MORBID ANGEL drummer Pedro "Pete" Sandoval has released an Instagram video in which he addresses some of the most commonly asked questions regarding his time with the legendary extreme metal outfit.

In the two-minute clip, which can be seen below, Sandoval — who was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc — says: "I'm here to ask you for a very special favor. I have received many questions, and I have been tagged in many posts and videos, MORBID ANGEL photos and stuff, and I've been asked about who's my favorite singer or which era is my favorite one — the era with David Vincent or with Steve Tucker. Well, I wanna tell you that I love both eras. I had fun. I had a great time working with David Vincent, and I had a great time working with Steve Tucker as well. So, from 'Altars Of Madness' [1989] to 'Heretic' [2003], they're all masterpieces for me. We worked hard [on] those albums. So I'm telling you my answer that I don't have a favorite album, I don't have a favorite era, I don't have a favorite singer — I love 'em all. I had a great time in both eras with every album.

"[On] this site, please, I don't wanna promote hate, arguments," he continued. "This site is to promote my music, the things that I use for my music and help animals and stuff."

Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, added: "And as far as the album released in 2011" — referring to MORBID ANGEL's controversial "Illud Divinum Insanus" LP — "please don't ask me any questions about it, because I have no comments about it — no comments at all, man. I stay what I am, I did what I did, and I am so happy and grateful that I did what I did with these guys."

Former MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist David Vincent told Invisible Oranges in a December 2013 interview that "Pete has found Jesus," which meant that Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL were no longer "compatible."

Sandoval is continuing to record and tour with TERRORIZER, whose latest studio album, "Caustic Attack", was released in October 2018 via The End Records.

In a 2011 e-mail chat with Brazil's Som Extremo, Sandoval was asked for his opinion of "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into MORBID ANGEL traditional death metal sound. "No comment! I don't play on that album," he wrote. He was then questioned about what he thought he would have done different on "Illud Divinum Insanus" had he played on the record. "More exreme deathgrind metal and less DJ, boring awful typical I care less industrial experimental same as everybody boring bull!" he said. "This is not what MORBID has been all about! ...Hmmmmmm, and I really care less...!"
























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Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate was a guest on a recent episode of the "Hangin' & Bangin': Artists On Lockdown" online show, where he was joined by Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO), Carmine Appice (OZZY OSBOURNE, VANILLA FUDGE) and Denny Seiwell, a founding member of PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS. You can now watch the discussion below.

Asked which musicians — other than the members of his current band and the drummers on the "Hangin' & Bangin'" panel — he would pick for his "all-star band", Tate responded: "I played an acoustic show a couple of years ago, just me and Bumblefoot [former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron Thal]. And he is incredible. I love his guitar playing, and as a person, he's just a gentleman. I really, really enjoyed playing with him. So I'd pick him on guitar. [Instead of a bass player] I'd probably take a keyboard bass, actually. So I'd probably take somebody like Claude Schnell [DIO]. 'Cause Claude could play a mean left hand and take care of the bass parts and also do cool keyboard stuff too… Drummers… probably… What's that kid that plays for DREAM THEATER? What's his name?" When the rest of the panel said, "Mike Portnoy," Geoff countered with, "No. The other guy." Tate then added: "I'd probably take Portnoy, 'cause he's so flamboyant. I like that about him."

Last week, 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).

In 2019, Geoff released the debut album from SWEET OBLIVION via Frontiers Music Srl. The project saw Tate teaming up with a stellar cast of Italian musicians led by Simone Mularoni, the mastermind of prog metal masters DGM. The second SWEET OBLIVION album, "Relentless", will arrive on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. This time the production was handled by Italian metal maestro Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, ARCHON ANGEL).

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Ex-AMON AMARTH drummer Fredrik Andersson has apologized to his former bandmates for "the grievance" he has caused by publicly pleading for them to hand over what he believes is his "rightful share of the rights and publishing" to the AMON AMARTH recordings he appears on.

Andersson was fired from AMON AMARTH in March 2015, just as the band was preparing to enter the studio to begin work on its 2016 album "Jomsviking". AMON AMARTH opted to enlist a session drummer, Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY, CUT UP), during the recording sessions for the disc, but hired Jocke Wallgren to join them on the road. Wallgren was named a permanent member of AMON AMARTH in September 2016.

On Wednesday (February 24), Andersson took to his social media to write: "This will be my final post on the AMON AMARTH issue, and it's a positive one for me as I have come to a realization. I wrote to the members (got no reply) but want to close the book also publicly. As Einstein said, if you expect a different result you have to try a different approach.

"And for the longest time I expected the guys would change their minds or regret their decision. I have now come to terms that they won't. They already made up their minds that they are right and are hell-bent on their position. It's pointless to try to change their minds.

"Backstory: After [AMON AMARTH's second full-length album, 1999's] 'The Avenger' we had a deal that we would share everything equally. We shared all money equally so that it would never be a fight about who would have their songs on the album (on the avenger the split was 100% music to Olli [guitarist Olavi Mikkonen] and 100% lyrics to [singer Johan] Hegg). The idea was that the best material would always end up on the albums no matter who wrote it. Unfortunately most (not all) of my riffs and ideas were rejected, but with this deal it didn't matter so much to me, and they were obviously rejected cause they were not good enough.

"Five years ago, after a year of fighting about royalty shares, publishing, rights and them asking for a non-disclosure, we sat down with our lawyers trying to come to an agreement. I tried to claim my 20%, but I could not prove which songs I had actually written - the drums are not legally part of the music -hence I lost my share of the rights and had my name removed as songwriter. They did offer me to keep my share of the songs I had written riffs for but being so few I told them to keep them too. I don't regret that, but I have to confess I never expected them to actually go through with removing me. They did.

"Why I felt entitled to my share: I was never 'hired', I was asked to join the band when there was no income. There was no business. In fact the first five or so years in the band there was no income. The years 1999-2008 my average yearly income was $15000/year due to low income and lost income from my day-job because of time off for tours etc. No one in the band made big cash. This was the reason we could not record fate of norns together as a band; no one of us could afford to take three weeks off from work if we wanted to also tour on the album.

"In 2007 we registerred our business, and started 'making it' around 2008. (With an average $30.000 yearly income) The band progressively got bigger from there on bit we kept a rather low payout and invested alot of our earnings back into the band. One could argue that the shares I claimed would be compensation for lost income/lost pension during the early years. And one could argue that my share from those albums are pretty small compared to what the band makes now. But me and the other members obviously have different opinions about this. Their standpoint is that we never actually said that any member would get to keep their shares of the music rights if they are no longer in the band. This is true, we never did.

We also never said we WOULDN'T get to keep the shares after a departure. This is something I assumed. Both these facts are true, but they can't co-exist. So, I will back down now.

"At one point I will know for sure as they will have to adjust their shares too if anyone else of the four members leaves the band or when they collectively retire. If they don't it will be obvious that they just wanted to rip me off of my share. But time will tell if they will get to keep their 25% each -for life- (and 70 years after death). Being the youngest I guess I'll outlive them. Until then, I give them the benefit of the doubt.

"So, with all that being said and my final airing of the issues; I apologize to the members and to the fans for the grievance I have caused fighting a lost case. It was wrong of me to assume I should get to keep my share. I'm now closing the book and I wish the band a continued great success.

"Please remember that my anger was never about losing my spot in the band, that has never been the case. I'm glad to not be in the band anymore, and I will gladly never be a part of it again. (Sorry to any fans wanting otherwise, but I think Jocke deserves all the attention he gets and I wish him all the best!)

"I'm only disappointed it ended the way it did, and realize it could have ended differently if I had admitted being wrong earlier. Albeit that would've been to an even greater economic loss for me.

"I will not, however, apologize for calling Johan Hegg a liar. The things he said about me in Sweden Rock Magazine are not true, and he has yet to apologize to me about it."

In 2019, Andersson spoke to Greece's The Gallery about the circumstances that led to his departure from AMON AMARTH, Fredrik said: "There had been some friction between me and the other members for quite some time. It seemed to me like they were ganging up on me, even if they never really truly let me in to be 'one of them,' not even in the early years. But at least back then we could hang out together and we called each other friends. In later years, and I can only guess, but perhaps they started to feel that since we were splitting all money equally, either I should be more grateful and do what they told me to or they simply started to think it was wrong that I should get equally paid. I don't know. But in the end, whatever I did or say — it was wrong."

He continued: "I specifically remember one of the last times I played in Greece. It was the last day of the tour, and we were flying home the next day. While I was warming up for the show, Olli came up to me and said my snare hits were not consistent enough. He said I played too soft during soundcheck and too loud during the show, or more specifically, he said the individual hits were either low or loud. Since I know for a fact this is bullshit, I got really pissed off. I might not be the most technical drummer, but if something, at least I'm consistent. I thought it was really untactical to come with these complaints five minutes before show, and it ruined the whole show for me. And there were lots of other occasions like this where they would just say I'm wrong about something, that my opinion were wrong or simply silly. It got very frustrating, and it built up to really strong friction."

In a 2016 interview with Brazil's "Wikimetal" podcast, Mikkonen stated about AMON AMARTH's split with Andersson: "I don't really wanna go into details regarding Fredrik, but, basically, we just separated. It's kind of like a marriage that doesn't work, and you get divorced. And that's kind of what happened to our band."

AMON AMARTH bassist Ted Lundström described Wallgren as "a super-solid drummer" who is "very professional" and "very on-the-spot all the time." He added: "It is much easier to play if you have a drummer who is [tight]. It makes our lives easier."


This will be my final post on the Amon Amarth issue, and it's a positive one for me as I have come to a realization. I...

Posted by Fredrik Andersson on Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper has revealed to showbiz reporter Richard Arnold on Friday's (February 26) episode of "Good Morning Britain" that he is scheduled to receive his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this coming Tuesday, March 2.

"I can't wait," Alice said (see video below). "To me, I hate shots more than anything in the world. But this is one I'll gladly get, just to get rid of [the virus].

"They do a lot of press on me getting my shot, because it encourages people to go ahead and do it," he added. "I don't know what they'd be afraid of. The shot doesn't even hurt."

Earlier in the month, AZCentral reported that Alice and his wife got the first COVID-19 vaccine after previously contracting the novel coronavirus.

In a video statement, the 73-year-old singer revealed that he and Sheryl Cooper received the vaccine at a facility in Phoenix. They got their shots through Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that pairs military veterans with first responders to help in times of need.

Arizona allows people 65 and over to make appointments to get the vaccine.

Last March, Cooper told Arizona Republic that he felt "less vulnerable" in his house than he does in a different hotel every day. "You don't know who's been there, what they've touched," he explained. "When I was in Europe, I spent all day doing Purell, washing my hands. Every time you would touch something, you'd realize 'Well, how do you know that wasn't infected?'"

As to whether he was concerned about the possibility of contracting COVID-19, Cooper told Arizona Republic: "I'm not scared of this thing. ... But you've got to consider everybody. You never know what the guy next door's health problems are."

Alice's new studio album, "Detroit Stories", was released on February 26 via earMUSIC.

Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, "Detroit Stories" follows 2019's "Breadcrumbs" EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest rock and roll scene there ever was.

Former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson says that he doesn't understand why so many people are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing.

While more than 500,000 Americans have died so far as a result of COVID-19, a number of people have come out against COVID-19 response measures, including lockdowns, physical distancing and mandatory mask policies, saying that they violate constitutional rights. Former president Donald Trump's own skepticism of mask wearing contributed to a politicization of the issue, causing many of his followers to see mask mandates as an attack on individual freedom.

Asked in a new interview with Jamie Rodriguez where he stands on the issue of mask wearing, Pilson said (see video below): "I'm pretty cautious. I don't understand the thinking of not wearing a mask at all. Even if you were unsure, wouldn't you err on the side of caution? That's kind of the way I look at it. If you really don't believe this stuff, okay, but do your neighbors a favor. Do a little team thinking here, 'cause certainly all the evidence and science points to the fact that it helps. So I don't understand why you wouldn't. So I'm pretty cautious.

"My wife's parents live down the street, and they're in their 70s and 80s," he continued. "So we try to be really careful around 'em, but we are around 'em without masks, 'cause we're family. And that's about it. We're really good beside that."

According to the latest scientific brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), face coverings can reduce the risk of coronavirus infection by more than 70%. Some people have even started "double-masking" to increase their odds of staying COVID-free, although very little scientific data points to any benefits or drawbacks of wearing more than one face mask.

Pilson and the rest of FOREIGNER are next scheduled to perform at the Frontyard Festival at Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida on March 23 and March 24. The new purpose-built, live entertainment event is designed to re-engage artists and guests in a safe, socially distanced setting.

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. today released financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2020. The company's concert revenue plunged to $1.46 billion for 2020 from $9.43 billion the previous year, and ticketing dropped to $188.4 million from $1.54 billion in the same period, and sponsorship and advertising was down to $203.7 million from $590.3 million. Live Nation ended 2020 with $1.86 billion in revenue, down 84% from from the previous year, with a 92% drop in revenue in the fourth quarter.

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement: "Over the last year, leaders across all our business lines of concerts, ticketing and sponsorship have been analyzing ways to improve their businesses. Some of our key initiatives include: re-organizing to become more nimble while also reducing our cost structure by $200 million; Building concert streaming and direct to consumer businesses to expand our revenue streams; Advancing our technology initiatives globally while accelerating the shift to digital tickets to meet changing needs of fans, venues and artists; and reinforcing our balance sheet to endure this period, while maintaining a strong position to build our business for the future and act on opportunities as we identify them, such as our recent acquisition of the streaming platform Veeps and a continued pipeline of bolt-on acquisitions throughout the globe.

"So while this past year has been challenging for the company, our employees, fans, artists and so many others globally impacted by COVID, I have never been more excited about the opportunities in front of us.

"We continue to have a substantial tailwind in the live event industry, as consumers more than ever are looking to spend on experiences. The supply-demand fundamentals of the concerts business remain strong, with artists ready to get back on the road and fans eager to reconnect at events. All our data continues to show that there is substantial pent-up demand for concerts on the consumer demand side. The $2.4 trillion projected surplus in savings in the U.S. alone by June is a key indicator of consumer spending potential. At the same time, surveys demonstrate the high demand for concerts globally, with 95% of fans likely to attend a show when restrictions are lifted. This is proving out in fan behavior as well, with 83% of fans continuing to hold onto their tickets for rescheduled shows.

"On the artist side, there is a broad desire to get back on stage — to connect with their fans and to provide economic support to their bands, crew, and the hundreds of others employed each night putting on the show. Given the limited touring activity in 2020 and 2021, the pipeline for 2022 is much stronger than usual, with almost twice as many major touring artists on cycle in 2022 than a typical year — about 45 artists versus the usual 25. And there remains plenty of scheduling availability at arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums to accommodate these additional tours, with over two-thirds of these venues' nights unused by sporting events or major concerts in a typical year.

"It appears that the timing to release the pent-up supply and demand is now approaching. Vaccine distribution is accelerating and declines in Covid cases throughout most of the world gives us even more confidence that a safe and meaningful return to shows will soon be possible. For both the U.S. and U.K., projections indicate that everyone who wants to get vaccinated will be able to do so by May or June, with Europe and most other markets following a few months later. Given the massive social and economic toll that the lockdown has had on the public, we believe there will be strong momentum to reopen society swiftly as soon as vaccines are readily available. And we believe outdoor activities will be the first to happen.

"So while the timing of our return to live will continue to vary across global markets, every sign points to it beginning safely in many countries sometime this summer and scaling further from there."

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, Live Nation had total cash and cash equivalents of $2.5 billion, which includes $643 million of free cash. This free cash, along with $962 million of available debt capacity and taking into account the additional $417 million of net cash added to the balance sheet with the debt raise in early January, gives the company $2.0 billion of available liquidity. The company believes this level of liquidity provides it with the ability to fund operations until the expected return of concerts in the summer of 2021, preceded by ticket sales earlier in the year.

The global refund rate for the company's concerts that are rescheduled and are in or have gone through a refund window is 17% through the end of the fourth quarter of 2020. Festivals have generally canceled this year's event, but for festivals where fans can retain their tickets for next year's show, approximately 63% of fans are keeping their tickets.

Across both concerts and festivals, since March the company has refunded $282 million for rescheduled Live Nation shows and $842 million for canceled Live Nation shows. Of this $1.1 billion total, $460 million was from funds held by third-party venues and $663 million was from Live Nation-held funds.

The company still has some shows in the process of rescheduling, or that are rescheduled but not yet offering refunds. In addition, refunds may occur in the future for additional cancelations or rescheduled events resulting from the global shutdown of our live events. Based on current and estimated future impacted events and fan behavior, Live Nation has recorded $102 million in additional fan refunds from Live Nation-held funds. As a result, the company has reclassified these funds from deferred revenue to accrued ticket refunds as of the fourth quarter of 2020.

The company's deferred revenue for events over the next 12 months was $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2020 as compared to $1.4 billion as of September 30, 2020. This increase was due to ticket sales for future events, sales for events scheduled for Q4 2021 shifting from long-term to current deferred revenue as well as currency impacts on Live Nation's international deferred revenue balan