Impure Wilhelmina will be releasing their seventh full-length, Antidote, on May 21 via Season Of Mist. The first new chapter “Gravel” can now be viewed, in the form of a music video below.

Impure Wilhelmina comment on the track: "'Gravel' is a hymn to human pain. It starts in a dark mood, continues with a tortuous verse and ends with a chorus that we can't help but sing along. And this is how one will fulfill one's destiny. Indeed, man's destiny is to sing his sorrow, in the howling wind, as he bends under heavy burdens, his feet in the mud, under the pale glow of sardonic stars. Directed by Steven Blatter, the video transcribes the turmoil induced by this cold fatality, in a sad, mineral and epic atmosphere."

Tracklisting:

“Solitude”
“Midlife Hollow”
“Gravel”
“Dismantling”
“Jasmines”
“Vicious”
“Torrent”
“Unpredicted Sky”
“Antidote”
“Everything Is Vain”

“Gravel”:

(Photo by: Mehdi Benkler)




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Frontiers Music Srl has announced the release of the debut single, “Mad World”, from Crowne, a new Swedish melodic hard rock supergroup whose debut album will be released this summer. The band is comprised of vocalist Alexander Strandell (Art Nation), guitarist/keyboardist/producer Jona Tee (H.E.A.T.), bassist John Levén (Europe), drummer Christian Lundqvist (The Poodles). The album also features Love Magnusson (Dynazty) providing guitar solos. Debut single, “Mad World”, is streaming below.

Crowne is hands-down the most exciting, thrilling supergroup ever created out of the Swedish melodic hard rock scene. This stellar cast of some of the most outstanding musicians from the scene have been gathered together to create this absolute beast of a debut album, the title of which will be revealed in the coming weeks. Crowne's music is the result of these amazing talents coming together and realizing a musical vision under the passionate and watchful guidance of Serafino Perugino, President of Frontiers Records. This is a melodic hard rock barnburner with enormous melodies, delivering rock 'n' roll like there is no tomorrow. Quite simply, this is going to blow you away, so prepare yourself for what's to come with your first taste of the album with the single “Mad World”.

Vocalist Alexander Strandell is known to fans of the genre for fronting Art Nation. Since 2015, Art Nation has released three successful albums in Scandinavia on Gain/Sony Music while staking their claim as up-and-comers in the melodic hard rock scene. 

Jona Tee's name is certainly one that needs no introduction for fans of the Swedish melodic rock scene and melodic hard rock in general. Jona brings not only his trademark production and keyboard skills to the proceedings here, but also provides the main guitars on the album. (Love Magnusson of Dynazty lent his skills to the solos on the album.) 

On bass, a name that surely needs no introduction, from the legendary band Europe, John Levén. John agreed to join the guys and offer his awesome talents for the realization of a killer sound and to be one half of an astounding rhythm section.

The Poodles drummer, Christian “Kicken” Lundqvist, joins the party as the backbone of the rhythm section. The Poodles have been one of the most successful acts in melodic hard rock in Sweden in the 21st century.




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If you're allergic to smiling, be afraid... be very afraid! Napalm Records has announced that New York based cover song reinventors Tragedy have inked a worldwide record deal with the premium Austrian rock and metal label.

Born out of the impenetrable divide of disco and metal, Tragedy takes disco, soft-rock and pop classics, and completely re-imagines them as glorious, red-hot heavy metal. Since the debut album, We Rock Sweet Balls and Can Do No Wrong – a glamorous bunch of Bee Gees-songs redone in heavy metal manner – these fearsome brothers have seamlessly obliterated the line between disco and metal. Their music is sure to get your head banging, your booty shaking, put a smile on your face and your fist in the air. Tragedy’s past releases have charted on the NACC Heavy Top 10, and the band was awarded 2019 Album of the Year by the Necrosexual on Metal Injection.

The six-piece consistently tours North America, the UK & continental Europe, and has headlined festival stages  such as SXSW (USA), CMJ (USA), Musikfest (USA), Bloodstock (UK), Rebellion (UK), Summer Breeze (GER), Foudrock (FR), Motocultor (FR), ParkPop (BE), Glastonbudget (UK), Legends of Rock (UK), Belladrum (UK) and Hammerfest/Hard Rock Hell (UK).

Their first release with Napalm Records will include Tragedy’s unique twist on artists such as ABBA, Donna Summer, Neil Diamond, Adele, The Weather Girls and of course, The Bee Gees. 

Tragedy on the signing: “We're thrilled that Tragedy has signed with Napalm Records! Excited, delighted and fully aroused. It's awesome to be able to give our music a proper worldwide release with a beloved, internationally renowned record label. Thus begins our scheme for world domination - death to false disco-metal!” (Mo'Royce Peterson, Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees & Beyond)

It doesn't matter if you love or hate disco metal - you will unabashedly love Tragedy and their bombastic mixture of both genres, glitter and revelry. To get a heaviness induced disco feeling for what lies ahead, watch the live video for “Hot Stuff”, featuring Alex Skolnick of Testament on lead guitar.

Tragedy is:
Disco Mountain Man - lead vocals, lead keyboards
Mo'Royce Peterson - lead vocals, lead guitar
Andy Gibbous Waning - lead bass, lead vocals
Garry Bibb - lead guitar, lead vocals
The Lord Gibbeth - lead drums

(Band photo by: Michael Blasé)




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METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was a guest on the latest episode of the "Tanya's Table" podcast hosted by Oakland, California-based celebrity chef, entrepreneur and cookbook author Tanya Holland. The one-hour discussion about music, food and where the two intersect can now be heard below.

Speaking about his Danish upbringing and how it has shaped who he is, Ulrich said: "As the world spins out of control here in many ways, I feel more and more Danish and kind of embrace my Danish roots. I love America; I love living in America. It's been an incredible 30-[plus] years, close to 40 years now [since I moved to the U.S.], but the Danishness in me still flourishes, and I'm very proud and happy about that side.

"People [ask me], 'Oh, you're gonna move back [to Denmark]?' I'm, like, 'I'm very happy,'" he continued. "I'm very happy [living] in San Francisco. I love the Bay Area mentality and the creative energies that flow through all the different things — even tech here, obviously, where people are inventing the future. But I'm really more and more, I think, understanding and appreciative and understand what role my upbringing and the culture and the history and the Danish worldview plays in continuously shaping who I am."

While still living in Denmark as a teenager, Ulrich played tennis professionally and could have gone on to a career as a tennis star, but chose music instead.

METALLICA was formed when Ulrich, who had moved to Los Angeles, placed an ad in a local paper called the Recycler looking for other musicians to play with. The ad was answered by guitarists James Hetfield and Hugh Tanner of the band LEATHER CHARM.

METALLICA officially formed in October 1981 and the band's first recording was "Hit The Lights" for the compilation "Metal Massacre".

Bay Area DJ Ron Quintana came up with the group's name: he was debating between using "Metallica" and "Metal Mania" for the name of his radio show and Ulrich encouraged him to use "Metal Mania" so that he could use "Metallica" for his new band.

METALLICA's first full lineup — featuring Hetfield, Ulrich, guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney — played its first gig on March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, California.


























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During a new appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael spoke about his decision to get sober three years ago. He said (see video below): "I was doing blow, but I realized when I went to rehab, I was always the key bump guy. So just keeping the levels up just enough to fight any sort of depression. And then also through that time, Ivan [Moody, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] was very much the focus of the issues [with drugs and alcohol] that he was going through at that point. No surprise and no secrets there — we've all seen the stuff that happened back then. But he was the focal point for everybody. So I was kind of able to hide in the background while he was dealing with his stuff. So I got to slide under the radar most of the time.

"The real decline for me started maybe two months before I cleaned up," he continued. "Just life situations — I was going through a divorce at the time… We got divorced after I got out of rehab, but the process had kind of been started before. And honestly, my goal going into rehab was — I wrote [my then-wife] a note; she may still have it; I'm sure she probably does. It was basically, like, 'Hey, I'm going to get help' and become the guy that she married in the first place and not this person I had become. So I very much wanted to get back and get out of rehab and go back to being married and whatnot. But it changed. And it was real bad probably the last three weeks of it. I didn't get too out of control. [There were] a couple of times here and there where I would really let go and there were indications that things were getting worse for me. But I basically ended up in just like a real depressed period, and I decided, 'Fuck, man. I can't do this anymore.' I called my buddy Greg, and he took me to rehab that day. And it was the weakest I've ever felt in my life, walking into that rehab. But then once I got out of rehab, I was, like, that's the fucking strongest I've ever been, is admitting that I can't deal with this and I need to figure something else out.

According to Chris, "life is a whole lot happier" for him now. "I'm more productive," he said. "I've got more things going on. I'm able to appreciate stuff."

Kael went on to say that things got so bad for him at one point that he didn't always enjoy performing live. "When you're on stage at Wembley, sold-out show, and you're on stage going, 'Ah. Can we just get the fuck off here?', something's fucking wrong with your endorphin levels," he laughed. "My body was just so beat up. I never played fucked up on stage, but I definitely played tired from the night before many times. And that was one of those nights. My body was beat up from the night before. We probably had a day off in London. Me and my bass tech used to daydrink all day long."

Back in April 2018, Kael told the KLAQ radio station that he was "going through about an eight-ball of cocaine a week" at the height of his addiction. "That got to be the biggest problem for me," he revealed. "That and depression, the two things, were not good. I didn't realize it until I got into rehab that I was self-medicating with cocaine to get my dopamine levels up to fight the depression. I never even thought about that. And then when you come off it, you crash hard."

Kael first revealed his battle with addiction in a series of tweets, saying that his then-wife played a "major role" in helping him get clean. "Had she not busted me trying to restock after burning through $1300 in blow in two days in late January [2018], I truly believe that I would not be here today," he wrote.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's eighth album, "F8", was released in February 2020 via Better Noise Music.

Rick Nielsen spoke to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about CHEAP TRICK's upcoming 20th studio album, "In Another World", which is due on April 9 via BMG. Asked how long it took for him and his bandmates to complete the effort, the guitarist said: "It was supposed to have been out a year ago. We finished it, but then, of course, all the crap happened, so [everything] got delayed — our tours got delayed, the record got delayed. So we did it probably a year and a half ago — something like that. I don't think we really put the final touches on it until about a month ago, actually. 'Cause in the meantime, we recorded this, that and the other. We'd done [a cover of David Bowie's] 'Rebel Rebel' with [producer] Jack Douglas. We did [a cover of THE BEATLES'] 'She Said She Said' for Howard Stern [referring to Howard's tribute to the 50th anniversary of THE BEATLES' 'Revolver' album]. We had Joe Perry [of AEROSMITH guesting on it]. We were at Johnny Depp's studio doing that. And then we did a [Harry Nilsson] song for another kind of tribute record. So it just seemed like we just kept recording. So now it's time for this. I mean, we only finished the cover and all that stuff, really, about a month and a half ago."

Nielsen also talked about CHEAP TRICK's longevity and enduring influence, saying: "I don't mean to be extra humble, 'Oh, gee,' but we do what we like, and we're lucky that we had any success, and we're lucky that we had any fans, but we've got a lot of fans, and we like what we do. We're too dumb to quit, and our mistakes are real. And we're just a good band. I don't think we've ever progressed — really. I mean, we never tried to be something that we weren't. We never tried to be, 'All right, now we're gonna do this.' It's just, like, no, that's phony."

"In Another World" was produced by CHEAP TRICK's longtime associate Julian Raymond. The LP marks CHEAP TRICK's first new LP since 2017's double-header of "We're All Alright!" and "Christmas Christmas".

CHEAP TRICK's current lineup includes three of its original members: Nielsen, singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson. Drummer Bun E. Carlos stopped touring with the band in 2010 and was replaced by Nielsen's son Daxx.

Founded in 1974, CHEAP TRICK is an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe for its instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock 'n' roll. The bandmembers are true pioneers with an unparalleled streak of certifiably classic tunes, from "He's A Whore", "California Man" and "Dream Police" to "Surrender", "I Want You To Want Me" and the worldwide #1 hit single "The Flame". 2016 saw CHEAP TRICK inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, a long-overdue acknowledgement of a nearly five-decade career that has earned them more than 40 international gold and platinum certifications, myriad awards and industry honors, featured appearances on over 20 movie soundtracks, and total record sales well in excess of 20 million.

Last September, CHEAP TRICK released the aforementioned cover version of "Rebel Rebel". Back in 2018, CHEAP TRICK recorded a single called "The Summer Looks Good On You" and followed it up with 2019 updates of Harry Nilsson's "Ambush" and John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth".

Former ROUGH CUTT and QUIET RIOT frontman Paul Shortino has told the "Ouch, You're On My Hair" podcast and radio show that he is not concerned about contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. He said (hear audio below): "I'm not really afraid of it. I think [other] people are more afraid of it. I'm such a believer in the law of attraction that if you're not afraid of it, and you put out there that you're not afraid of it, I don't think you're gonna contract it. I know people that have contracted it who were so afraid of getting it. And then they just put it out there."

The singer continued: "Everything begins with a thought, and everything's on a frequency, so if you put out something there, you're gonna get it back. So you should only think about what you want, not what you don't want. [Don't think] 'I don't wanna get this. I don't wanna get the COVID.'

"I know people that have gotten the COVID, and I know people that don't care if they get it or not. And they've had it, and they've lived through it. I know people that have taken the vaccine now and have had some really bad reactions from it. And then someone sent me this whole thing on 'don't even take it at all.' Because there's a whole thing about when the government gave out vaccines for the military, and my dad was in the military — he was a marine during [the war in] Korea. She mentioned World War II, but mainly Korea and Vietnam. Those guys are sickly — they're still sickly. I've got friends that went to Vietnam, and they're very sick — not just from being over there, but from some of the vaccines they gave them. 'Cause they had to give them multiple shots. And this woman talks about it, who's been studying vaccines for over 42 years, and also viruses. And it's interesting that our immune system, the white blood cells in our immune system are the ones that beat up the bad things in our body, with our immune system."

The 67-year-old Shortino, who frequently "likes" tweets that amplify Republican talking points and that are derogatory to Democrats, added: "I just recently found out I have an allergic reaction to flu shots; I get deadly sick. Every time I've taken the flu shot, I've been sick for… [While doing the 'Raiding'] 'The Rock Vault' [Las Vegas show], I was for six to eight weeks, and I had walking pneumonia. My lungs were all filled up. I couldn't believe I could sing. The best part about it is I got probably down to 160 pounds, but I was white as a ghost. I'm performing with walking pneumonia. They're talking about COVID-19, and I'm going, 'I've survived hepatitis, I've survived walking pneumonia' and god knows what else. So I'm just not afraid of it; that's just me. If I get it, I get it."

Paul concluded: "I'm not gonna take that vaccine; I'm just not gonna do it. And if they say you can't travel outside the country if you don't take the vaccine, well, I just won't travel then. I don't trust anybody anymore."

Last month, Shortino made headlines when he criticized Twitter for permanently suspending former U.S. president Donald Trump's account, saying "denying the President and others the right to express opinions is dangerous to the nation." The rocker, who insists that he is neither a Republican nor a Democrat (he calls himself an "independent libertarian"), also claimed that the 2020 presidential was "rigged," with "fraud at its highest level of corruption". He also repeated the debunked claim that there were more votes than voters in the 2020 election, and floated the baseless allegation that "thousands" of "dead people" voted in his home state of Nevada (a claim that was also debunked).

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed almost a third of U.S. adults are undecided on whether they'll get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The poll, released earlier in the month, found that 31 percent of adults are going to "wait until it has been available for a while to see how it is working for other people" before receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

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.

QUIET RIOT's fourth album, 1988's "QR", was the band's only LP to feature Shortino. Prior to joining QUIET RIOT, Paul sang on two acclaimed studio albums from ROUGH CUTT, 1985's self-titled effort and 1986's "Wants You!"

Image courtesy of Raiding The Rock Vault

DJ Ashba spoke to Richard Allan, host of "Action Figures" on Amazon Prime, about his exit from GUNS N' ROSES in 2015 after a six-year stint with the legendary rock group.

The guitarist, who joined GUNS N' ROSES in March 2009 following the departure of Robin Finck, issued a statement in July 2015 saying that he was leaving GUNS N' ROSES "to dedicate myself to my band SIXX:A.M., my adoring wife and family, and to the many new adventures that the future holds for me." He later claimed that he was approached about being part of GN'R's "Not In This Lifetime" tour, but that he declined, citing his desire to pursue SIXX:A.M. full time.

Asked if all the people close to him were telling him he was "crazy" for leaving GUNS N' ROSES just before the launch of the band's reunion tour, Ashba said (see video below): "My thing is, it was realy cool to get that call [about staying with GUNS for the 'Not In This Lifetime' tour], but on the other hand, I knew in my heart where I wanna go.

"I've never fooled myself," he continued. "When I was in GUNS, people would be, like, 'Oh, you're in GUNS N' ROSES.' I've never been that guy that's 'formerly of' and try to cling on to an old band name that, really, I shouldn't be taking credit for — I've never been like that. If you go to any of my socials, you don't even see 'guitarist of SIXX:A.M.', because I never wanna live in the past. I'm so focused on where I'm going. There's a lot of people that do that, and there's nothing wrong with it — it's a legit credit I'll die with, but at the same time, I don't wanna live off of it. I wanna keep building. And I'm just getting started.

"That was a chapter in my life, and I'm starting a new chapter," DJ added. "So, to me, it's one of those things where I just wanna focus on where I'm going, and that makes me excited."

Ashba previously discussed his departure from GUNS N' ROSES in a November 2016 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He stated at the time: "Well, there [were] multiple reasons [why I left GN'R] — a couple that I won't go into — but the biggest reason was I needed to get back to my roots, back to what I really truly believed in, and that was playing songs I helped write with [SIXX:A.M. bandmates] James [Michael] and Nikki [Sixx]. We [SIXX:A.M.] have five albums out [and] we have a ten-year career together. So we did a tour, 'Modern Vintage' tour, where it was, like, nineteen shows, and that tour really changed my life and put my career back into perspective — you know, being out on the stage and connecting with the fanbase."

Ashba also once again claimed that he was asked to stay in GN'R for the "Not In This Lifetime" tour, but that he decided against it, preferring instead to pursue his own career path.

"Axl called me and he really wanted me a part of the reunion, and I turned it down," Ashba said. "I felt if Slash is coming back, that's great — that's what the fans want, and I can go off and do what I really wanna do now… And we left [off on good terms]; everything is good. And I couldn't be happier for the fans out there. I'm a fan. Half of the band reunited, which excites me, but at the same time, it's the best of both worlds — I get to do what I really love to do, and that's play in SIXX:A.M."

Only Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup are taking part in the band's current reunion. They are being joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them is second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Four years ago, former GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson said that he found it "funny" that Ashba "made such a big deal about" quitting the band at a time when "there wasn't really anything going on" with the group. Stinson, who was in GUNS N' ROSES from 1998 until 2014, told HardrockHaven.net: "[DJ] called me up on the phone and told me that he was gonna quit, you know, and this that and the other thing… [It] seemed like it was kind of inevitable that there was going to be a reunion happening, so I think he… I don't know if he [laughs] tried to get in front of the curve to, you know, drum up some extra fucking press for himself. I don't really know what the deal was, but I thought it odd. I thought it an odd time to make a big stink about quitting, you know?"

Last fall, Ashba released a couple of singles from his ASHBA project, which mixes his rock guitar with electronic music in what he previously described as the "perfect blend of rock and EDM."

Alice Cooper says that his next studio album will be the first to feature the current lineup of his solo band.

The legendary rocker spoke about his future plans just one day after the release of his latest LP. The Arizona resident's first full-fledged tribute to the city that helped shape him, "Detroit Stories" was recorded with producer Bob Ezrin, mostly in Royal Oak with Detroit musicians and featuring a mix of original material alongside covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder's DETROIT and OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY.

During an appearance on the February 27 "After-School's Out Special" episode of the "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie" video podcast, hosted by Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie, Alice revealed that he is already plotting his next move.

"['Detroit Stories' is] out now," he said (see video below). "So now we've gotta think what's next. And what's next to me is showing off this band. And I think that the only way to do that is to take it on the road, write songs now but rehearse them during soundcheck on the road, and, at some point, on the road, record the whole album live in one of the venues that we're doing.

"With this band, the whole idea is to show off how tight the band really is," he explained. "So if we write the songs, rehearse them on the road, record it on the road, and call the album 'The Road' or just 'Road', really, that would be the concept for the whole album. And stories about the road."

Cooper was joined on "In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie" by his wife Sheryl, plus all the members of his current solo band: Tommy Henriksen (guitar), Nita Strauss (guitar), Ryan Roxie (guitar), Chuck Garric (bass) and Glen Sobel (drums). Also making a special guest appearance was Ezrin.

"Detroit Stories" is the follow-up to 2017's "Paranormal", which marked Alice's first studio album in six years. Also produced by Ezrin, it featured collaborations with iconic guests such as ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons, U2's Larry Mullen, Jr. and DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover, as well Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway and Michael Bruce — the three original Alice Cooper band members. A year later, Cooper issued "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris", a recording of his December 7, 2017 concert at the world-renowned Olympia venue in France. The effort captured Cooper and his current bandmates performing a choice selection of classic Cooper hits, in addition to some highlights from "Paranormal".

Alice later said that he wanted to release a document of his band's onstage prowess because they "deserved a live album."

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

Asked what it's like working with Rock again, Noodles said: "Bob's the best. He's like a member of the family now. This is studio where we recorded the record. Bob will fly out from wherever he's at in the world and spend a few weeks with us here. We show up in the morning, have some coffee, talk about, 'Hey, how's your family? Can you believe what's going on in the world?' We do that for 15, 20 minutes, and then we get in here and we start tracking, start going over whatever we're going over that day. It's just a blast working with him. He pushes us, but he does it in a way that doesn't feel like he's mad at us or anything, or dissing us. He pushes us in ways that are just absolutely positive."

According to Dexter, working with a producer who is also a musician and knows the craft is an invaluable asset when making an album. "For sure, because sometimes you have to get into the nuts and bolts of why doesn't this work," he explained. "Is it because the guitar sounds different? Or you need a different kind of strings on a guitar, or a different model of guitar — something like that. And [Bob] really speaks that language. He knows more about guitars and guitar sounds than anybody I know — way more than us. So it's really great to be able to work with him as a musician. And also, you just feel a different kind of kinship like that, because you know that he's been where you are — he's been the guy in the band, and he wants it to succeed in the way that you do."

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

KISS frontman Paul Stanely has called for "kindness" and "justice" in the wake of an alleged attack on a Korean American man last month in the heart of Los Angeles' Koreatown in an incident that police are investigating as a hate crime.

27-year-old Denny Kim told CNN he was waiting for a friend on February 16 when he was approached by two men who started yelling racial slurs and then struck him in the face.

"All of a sudden they just started saying very terrible things," Kim said. He said he also heard the men say, "You have the Chinese Virus, go back to China," before he was attacked.

On Saturday, Stanley took to his Twitter to share a CNN article about the incident, and he included the following message: "SO DEMORALIZING. We share so much in common and there is so little below the surface that differentiates us. NO ONE should fear violence or persecution for what they look like, where they were born or how they choose to live. KINDNESS.... AND JUSTICE."

A spokesman with the LAPD confirmed to Fox News on Thursday that detectives are investigating the assault on Kim as a possible hate crime,

The two suspects, described by police as Hispanic males in their 30s, have not been found.

Two months ago, Stanley defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that he voices his opinions as a "proud citizen" of a country he loves deeply. A few days earlier, he expounded on his reasons for being so vocal on social media, writing: "My profession should't disallow that as we all have that right so many have fought & died protecting. I also understand that the people who would like me to stay quiet are those who don't share my views. Sorry."




SO DEMORALIZING. We share so much in common and there is so little below the surface that differentiates us. NO ONE should fear violence or persecution for what they look like, where they were born or how they choose to live. KINDNESS.... AND JUSTICE. https://t.co/ie4Aumup9T

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) February 27, 2021

In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Wolf Hoffmann admitted that he became disillusioned with the heavy metal scene more than 20 years ago and pursued other interests until the band's eventual reformation. "There was a time when actually ACCEPT didn't exist — from about '97 to 2009 or whatever," the guitarist said (see video below). "That's over 10 years when we didn't exist, and I basically walked away from the music business for a long time. I became a photographer. And then music got me back. And here I am, full force, in music again, the last 10 years nothing but touring, recording — all that kind of stuff. But there definitely was a time when I thought metal is over, and I kind of lost interest there for a while in the late '90s."

Asked what brought him back to music, Wolf said: "Well, the fact that we met [current ACCEPT singer] Mark Tornillo. All of a sudden, we had an awesome singer at our hands, which we didn't have before, because for the longest time, the band didn't exist because we didn't have a lead singer. Our [original] lead singer, Udo [Dirkschneider], had his own project and wasn't interested in working with us. So, there was really no perspective whatsoever. And, you know, other interests take over in life. But, like I say, once a musician, always a musician. So when it calls you back, then you're right there."

ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", was released on January 29 via Nuclear Blast. The LP is the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH), who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

ACCEPT's previous album, 2017's "The Rise Of Chaos", marked the band's first release with Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectively.

Five years after announcing that he would embark on a special tour during which he would perform ACCEPT songs one last time under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner before closing that chapter for good, former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider is continuing to play ACCEPT material at select shows, including at the September 18, 2020 U.D.O. concert in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which will be released on DVD and Blu-ray later this month. Asked in a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice why the ACCEPT tracks are still finding their way into the U.D.O. setlist, Udo said (see video below): "In the beginning, I said, 'With U.D.O., I don't play any ACCEPT songs.' But for this concert [in Plovdiv], the promoter was really begging: 'Is it possible to play some ACCEPT songs?' And we said, 'Okay.' And in the end, we did five songs — the classic stuff, of course. It's the same with the [upcoming U.D.O.] tour in America. The tour in American and Canada was confirmed already. Now we have to wait for new dates, and I think it will happen in 2022. The promoter in America, he said, 'You don't play any ACCEPT songs with U.D.O.?' And I said, 'Yeah, normally we don't do it.' [And he said] 'But you cannot do a tour in America and Canada without [playing] 'Balls To The Wall'.' I said, 'Yes, I can do that. No problem.' He said, 'Why not? It's not a big deal. People wanna hear that.' I mean, I don't have a problem to play 'Balls' and maybe two more other ACCEPT songs.

"After three years of DIRKSCHNEIDER, playing every night only ACCEPT stuff, and on the other side, I have 16 U.D.O. albums, and the seventeenth is coming up," he explained. "So that was the point to say the people heard enough now of ACCEPT, it's done, and now I concentrate on U.D.O. and I don't need to play any ACCEPT songs; there's another band that can play ACCEPT songs.

"I was just talking also in another interview today, and they said, 'Who gives a fuck about this? The people wanna [some ACCEPT songs].' Not 50 percent of the setlist, but they wanna hear the classic stuff, like 'Metal Heart', 'Balls', 'Fast As A Shark' — stuff like that. And I said, 'Yeah. We will see. I don't know yet.' But at the moment, I don't have to think about it, so at the moment, there's nothing going on."

Udo went on to confirm that U.D.O. will "definitely" play some ACCEPT songs if the band's North American tour materializes in 2021 or 2022.

When he first announced the DIRKSCHNEIDER tour, Udo said that had "to make a clear break for myself — close the book and this is it. And I have the problem that people come to me and ask me to play more ACCEPT songs," he explained. "Other people ask me why I play ACCEPT songs at all, because there are [more than] fifteen U.D.O. records. I want to avoid such things and avoid the repeating questions concerning ACCEPT. I just can't stand that anymore. There is nothing more to be said. U.D.O. exists longer than ACCEPT. We have more records than ACCEPT."

While acknowledging that some ACCEPT fans want to hear the band's classic songs performed by the group's original singer, Dirkschneider explained that "you always have these comparisons [between how these songs are played by ACCEPT and U.D.O.]. I don't want this anymore either. [The current lineup of ACCEPT] also play 'Metal Heart', they play 'Balls To The Wall' and 'Princess Of The Dawn'. And then some people tell me, 'Oh, [current ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo] is doing it better than you.' And I go, 'That's fine. Enjoy yourself.' But I don't want this anymore. And to avoid all of this in the future, I said, 'We are doing this one more time.'"

Dirkschneider said that his vow to never play ACCEPT material again came with one caveat. "If the band ACCEPT dissolves one day in the near future and I am still around with U.D.O., then there is a chance that I put ACCEPT songs back in the setlist," he said. "But currently there is ACCEPT, so go see them [if you want to see those songs performed live]. They are playing these songs."

Udo previously said the original plan was for DIRKSCHNEIDER to only "a few shows," and "then [the tour] got bigger and bigger [due to demand]." But, he added, "I don't want to complain about that."

Back in 2018, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann declined to comment on Dirkschneider's decision to embark on one final tour during which the singer would perform nothing but ACCEPT songs. "I have lots of thoughts about that, but I'm not gonna share 'em with you," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'd rather not comment on that, because that seems so much 'back and forth,' and I think I should stay away from it… You can draw your own conclusions all day long, but I'm not gonna get into it; it's just not worth it.

"I get asked [about Udo] so many times, and, man, it's been so many years — it's such an old story by now," Wolf continued. "We've moved on way past that, and we've had 10 brilliant years [with Mark Tornillo], we're making cool albums; I think we're doing fine. So I don't spend any time thinking about it.

"I'm very proud of the history we have together and all that, but I'm just not gonna get into the current 'he said, she said' whatever — it's not worth it," Hoffmann concluded.

Alice Cooper's new studio album, Detroit Stories, was released last Friday, February 26, via earMUSIC. Join Alice as he goes behind the scenes into the inspiration and recording of his new record in About Detroit Stories, Part 5: Resurgence In Rock:

About Detroit Stories - Part 1: Hard Rock Capital:

About Detroit Stories - Part 2: Where's The Party?:

About Detroit Stories, Part 3: The Myth:

About Detroit Stories, Part 4: 2020:

Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, Detroit Stories follows last year’s Breadcrumbs EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest Rock n Roll scene there ever was.

In 1970, fledgling producer Bob Ezrin walked into a farmhouse on the outskirts of Detroit to work with the Alice Cooper band. Abandoning flower power Los Angeles, because they were the opposite of the hippie peace and love ideal, Alice had brought his decidedly darker gang back to his birthplace to the legendary rock scene that gave birth to hard rock, garage rock, soul, funk, punk…and more.

Ezrin drilled the band for 10 hours a day to define their signature sound. Whenever they nailed a song, the inmates at the hospital for the criminally insane across the road cheered and thus the classic Alice Cooper sound was born.

“Detroit was Heavy Rock central then,” explains Alice, “You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your ass kicked.”

“Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield,” he says, “San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground. But Detroit was the birthplace of angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image wise) Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar driven, hard rock sound and our crazy stage show. Detroit was a haven for the outcasts. And when they found out I was born in East Detroit… we were home.”

50 years later Alice and Ezrin gathered some legendary Detroit musicians in a Detroit studio to record Detroit Stories, Alice Cooper’s new album that celebrates that spirit for a new era. If 2019’s “Breadcrumbs” EP laid down the trail to the city, Detroit Stories drives like a muscle car right down Woodward Ave.

“We recorded with Wayne Kramer (guitarist and writer from the MC5), Johnny “Bee” Badanjek (drums - from the legendary Detroit Wheels), Paul Randolph (legendary Detroit jazz and R&B bassist) as well as the Motor City Horns and other local musicians,” explains Ezrin, “We had musical ideas and encouragement from John Varvatos, the support of the folks at Shinola, and we recorded at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak. This was Made In Detroit for Detroit by Detroit denizens!”

Discover Detroit Stories as they were meant to be told.

Detroit Stories is available on CD, CD+DVD Digipak, CD Box Set (including CD, Blu-ray, T-shirt, face mask, torch light and 3 stickers), and 2LP Gatefold on February 26th 2021 on earMUSIC.

The DVD and Blu-ray show the incredible live performance “A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris” for the first time on video. With the whole concert culture being shut down due to covid-19, Alice Cooper felt the need to share one of his latest shows with his fans as he cannot wait to get back on the road - better than ever.

Order Detroit Stories here.

Tracklisting:

"Rock ‘N’ Roll"
"Go Man Go" (Album Version)
"Our Love Will Change The World"
"Social Debris"
"$1000 High Heel Shoes"
"Hail Mary"
"Detroit City 2021" (Album Version)
"Drunk And In Love"
"Independence Dave"
"I Hate You"
"Wonderful World"
"Sister Anne" (Album Version)
"Hanging On By A Thread (Don’t Give Up)"
"Shut Up And Rock"
"East Side Story" (Album Version)

Full album preview:

"Social Debris" video:

“Our Love Will Change The World” lyric video:

"Rock 'N' Roll" visualizer:

Just one day after the release of Alice Cooper’s newest album, Detroit Stories, he’s already planning his next. The legendary rocker says that his next album will feature the current lineup of his touring band.

Alice, his wife Sheryl, and all the members of his current touring band, Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henriksen, Chuck Garric and Glen Sobel, met up online Saturday, February 27 and gave fans a sneak peek at one of their band meetings. The Band Meeting or After-School’s Out Special was a unique episode of In the Trenches, Ryan Roxie’s weekly podcast, and streamed on YouTube and Facebook.

Coop’s new release Detroit Stories, his 21st solo album, is a first full-fledged tribute to the city that helped shape him. The album’s producer Bob Ezrin even popped on the show to tout the accolades that have already been bestowed upon the album by critics and fans alike. The album includes Detroit musicians like Mark Farner, members of the original Alice Cooper Band, some original tunes as well as covers of songs by Bob Seger, the MC5, Mitch Ryder’s Detroit and Outrageous Cherry.

“So now we’ve gotta think what’s next. And what’s next to me is showing off this band. And I think that the only way to do that is to take it on the road, write songs now but rehearse them during soundcheck on the road, and, at some point, on the road, record the whole album live in one of the venues that we’re doing.”

“With this band, the whole idea is to show off how tight the band really is, so we’ll write the songs, rehearse them on the road, record it on the road, and call the album The Road or just Road. That would be the concept for the whole album; stories about the road.”

Missing the road was a big part of the band’s discussion, but Coop is optimistic that they will all be back out on tour this year. Let’s hope!

(Photo - Victor Chalfant - @VicChalfant)




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Lead guitarist and co-founder of the legendary AC/DC, Angus Young spoke with Matt Pinfield for the latest installment of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" series. Virtually connecting from his Australian studio, Angus took some time to speak on the newest AC/DC offering, "Power Up", the 45th anniversary of "High Voltage", the impact Malcolm Young left on the legacy of AC/DC, and much more. He also recalled how late AC/DC singer Bon Scott first met Brian Johnson in the early 1970s.

"Bon had been in a band that had toured in Britain, and they were opening for the band Brian was in, which was a band called GEORDIE," Angus said (see video below). "Anyhow, they were gigging away, and as Bon told the story, he was saying he was listening to GEORDIE performing and listening to Brian, and then he heard this screaming. He said it sounded great — he said it sounded like Little Richard was on the stage. He said this guy [was] howling and yelling. And then he said then he saw the guy on the floor. Bon thought it was great — it was the best act he had seen, and a singer, in a long time. But what he didn't know, afterwards he found out, Brian had an attack of appendicitis. But Bon thought it was part of the act. He thought, 'This guy is incredible.' 'And he was still hittin' these high notes.'"

Brian previously spoke about crossing paths with Bon in a 2011 interview with New York Post. He said: "I met Bon in 1973 or 1974. His band was supporting my band, GEORDIE. I had a terrible case of appendicitis and I went down on my side, kicking and going, 'Ooh!' But I kept on singing. Apparently, he told the boys when he joined AC/DC, 'I saw this guy Brian Johnson sing, and he was great. He was on the floor, kicking and screaming — what an act!' Of course, it wasn't an act. I was really ill."

Scott was invited to join AC/DC by Malcolm and Angus Young in 1974, and achieved international stardom before his death at the age of 33 from alcohol poisoning.

He sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums, including "High Voltage", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock" and "Highway To Hell".

Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking at a club in London, just days after attending a session with Malcolm and Angus Young where they began working on music for what became the "Back In Black" album.

According to the AC/DC FAQ web site, Bon and the friend, a musician named Alisdair Kinnear, had been drinking the evening of February 19, 1980 and Bon apparently fell asleep during the ride home. Kinnear could not wake Bon, so he left him in the car to sleep. Kinnear awoke early in the evening on February 20, checked on Bon, and found him unconscious in the car. Bon could not be revived, and was pronounced dead.

In a new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, Todd La Torre, who has fronted QUEENSRŸCHE for nearly a decade, was asked how his appreciation of the band's music has changed now that his is also one of its curators. He responded (hear audio below): "I don't know that it has changed. I think that I have a unique perspective in that as a fan of the band before I joined the band, I think I have a good gauge for what the audience appreciates and really wants to hear from QUEENSRŸCHE. There were many years where the band's sound changed, and so being in the band, I really appreciate the greatness of especially those first five records that the band did and getting to know the people and the personalities that were behind those creations. But I don't know that I appreciate it much more, because just good music is good music. I just think I have a different perspective, moving forward, as to what QUEENSRŸCHE fans love and wanna hear as we create new music."

The original lineup of QUEENSRŸCHE — singer Geoff Tate, guitarists Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield — achieved multi-platinum success with its 1990 album "Empire", which included the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit "Silent Lucidity". QUEENSRŸCHE underwent several lineup changes in the last 25 years, the most notable one being when then-CRIMSON GLORY vocalist Todd La Torre replaced Tate in 2012.

To date, QUEENSRŸCHE has released three studio albums with La Torre: "Queensrÿche" (2013), "Condition Hüman" (2015) and "The Verdict" (2019). Currently the band is writing new material for a fourth release for Century Media Records.

Todd's debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", was released on February 5 via Rat Pak Records. Todd created the LP with his songwriting partner Craig Blackwell and producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris.

La Torre joined his first band BLACKWELL as the drummer, performing in high school talent shows and entering into the club rock music scene in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 2009, Todd was suggested to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning by a mutual friend to help with some vocal rehearsals in preparation for a CRIMSON GLORY memorial concert. This would pave the way for more collaborations with the band, with Toddeventually joining CRIMSON GLORY as the group's new vocalist. La Torre was the lead singer for CRIMSON GLORY from late 2010 until resigned from the band in early 2013.

September 25th, 2020 marked 25 years since Rammstein emerged from Berlin with its debut album, Herzeleid. To celebrate the anniversary, the RammWiki page on YouTube continues to roll out rare audio and video material from the band's career. The clip below features a spokesman for RammWiki discussing the origins and mystery surrounding the legendary unreleased Rammstein song known as "Tier '94", so as not to be confused with the song "Tier" that appears on the band's 1997 album, Sehnsucht.

"Tier '94" was reportedly only played live and never recorded in a studio as far as anyone knows. The only proof of its existence are bootleg live recordings, one of which is available below. No actual video footage of a "Tier '94" performance has ever been released.

In October 2020, Rammstein surprised their fans with an Instagram update saying they were back in the studio (see below). The band rented a studio in La Fabrique in September 2020, located at a former 19th farm century in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. It was unexpected news given the band had hinted that their 2019, dubbed Untitled, could very well be their last. Rammstein's previous album, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, was released in 2009.

In a recent interview with Motor.de, keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz commented on the buzz that a new Rammstein album has been recorded:

"The fact that we couldn't perform live (due to the pandemic) increased our creativity. We had more time to think of new things and less distraction. As a result, we recorded a record that we hadn't planned on."

No further information is available at this time. Stay tuned for updates.

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Rammstein (@rammsteinofficial)

 




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The At The Movies project - launched by Pretty Maids guitarist Chris Laney due to the COVID-19 pandemic - caught fire over the course of 2020, and project has now moved on to movie soundtrack covers from the '90s. Check out "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" by the Cutting Crew, taken from the 1999 movie Never Been Kissed starring Drew Barrymore.

The core At The Movies players are:

Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) - lead / backing vocals
Linnéa Vikström Egg (Therion) - lead / backing vocals
Chris Laney (Pretty Maids) - guitars
Allan Sørensen (Royal Hunt, Pretty Maids) - drums
Morten Sandager (Pretty Maids) - keyboards
Pontus Norgren (HammerFall) - guitars
Pontus Egberg (King Diamond) - bass

Stay tuned for more.




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Drummer Mike Terrana, known for his work with Yngwie Malmsteen, Artension, Axel Rudie Pell and Tarja to name a few, has posted a playthrough video of the Pantera classic "Walk". It is accompanied by a sinple message:

"God Bless Dimebag & Vinnie"

In July 2020, Norway’s Gaia Epicus announced the addition of Terrana for their new album, Seventh Rising.

Mainman Thomas Chr. Hansen commented: "I am very honored and proud to annouce that Mike Terrana is the drummer for the new Gaia Epicus album, Seventh Rising. Mike has done a great job in making this album come to life. It's also a great honor to announce that Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth) Is making a guest performance on the track called 'Gods Of Metal'."

Seventh Rising is the follow-up to the band’s Alpha & Omega album, which was released in December 2018. The new album is the seventh studio album from Gaia Epicus.

Tracklisting:

“Like A Phoenix”
“Rising”
“Nothing To Lose”
“From Ashes To Fire”
“The Dream”
“Invisible Enemy”
“Dr. Madman”
“Number One”
“Gods Of Metal”
“We Are The Ones”
“Eye Of RA”

Album lineup:

Thomas Chr. Hansen - guitars, bass and vocals
Lukky Sparxx - lead guitars
Mike Terrana - drums

Special guest:

Tim "Ripper" Owens - vocals




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Ghosts Of Atlantis — featuring current and former members of Devilment and Extreme Noise Terror — announces the release of the band's fourth and final single "Gardens Of Athena," now streaming on all digital outlets.

"'Gardens Of Athena' is the story of souls taking the final journey on their path to the afterlife," says vocalist Phil Primmer. "For me, this track is about uniting with all people around you, finding peace together, and moving to a better world. I feel the diversity in the song Colin created suits this message perfectly."

Hailing from deepest, darkest Suffolk, UK's newest and most promising extreme metal act Ghosts Of Atlantis build lore around ancient Greece and the lost city of Atlantis while delivering their own story, weaving historical findings and fantasy storytelling into one epic journey. Like both Cradle Of Filth and Devilment before it, the band continues the tradition and staple of the Witch County trademark sound, encompassing all that is dark, brooding, and macabre.

Led by Primmer and guitarist Colin Parks (Devilment), Ghosts Of Atlantis have performed in various bands together for the past nine years and have been part of legendary labels like Nuclear Blast and Candlelight Records. Appearing on festivals like Waken Open Air and Bloodstock, to name a few, these English extreme metallers are eager to hit the stage and captivate fans, new and old, as soon as its safe to do so.

3.6.2.4 artwork and tracklisting:

"The Third Pillar"
"Halls Of Lemuria"
"False Prophet"
"The Curse Of Man"
"When Tridents Fail"
"Poseidon's Bow"
"Gardens Of Athena"
"The Lost Compass"

3.6.2.4 will be released March 26th via Black Lion Records. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

"Halls Of Lemuria":

"The Lost Compass":

"The Third Pillar":

Official Trailer:

 




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As The Beast Of Nod draws closer to the release of their second album, Multiversal, on March 29th, a new single called "The Latent Threat" has been released to showcase what's in store. 

The Beast Of Nod comments: "A mysterious tear in space has appeared, and the Guardians of the Multiverse respond! We know that we inhabit but one universe among many in a diverse multiverse, but now it seems that a new foe which resides in the indescribable gaps between the universes has revealed itself."

The universe’s favorite “intergalactic death metal” entity The Beast Of Nod is back with another sci-fi odyssey steeped in tongue-in-cheek absurdity entitled Multiversal. Multiversal is set for release on Earth and other worlds on March 29th. 

Active since 2015, the (now relocated to) San Francisco Bay Area, California-based technical/progressive death metal project has released two EPs, a full-length, one compilation release, and a collaborative chiptunes release prior to the upcoming release of Multiversal. The Beast Of Nod came out of nowhere and blew the whole world away upon the release of Vampira: Disciple Of Chaos in 2018. 

Now in 2021, The Beast Of Nod takes a galactic leap forward for humankind and non-humankind alike with the impending launch of Multiversal. Never one to be lacking in ambition, the album furthers the intense storytelling lore behind the band’s fictional The Land Of Nod sci-fi universe while expanding the full scope of what Multiversal has to offer with ambitious release plan ideas that will extend far beyond its initial release date. As usual, the group offers up an intense take on progressive/technical death metal with a strong emphasis on massive grooves and catchy melodies.

Jaw-dropping guest spots from musicians such as" Joe Satriani, Michael Angelo Batio, Abiotic guitarist John Matos, Wormhole guitarist Sanjay Kumar, Equipoise guitarist Nick Padovani, and Bleak Flesh guitarist Matias Quiroz are simply icing on the cake of an album overloaded in talent as is by the group’s core members.

Tracklisting:

"Flight Of The Quetzalcoatlus"
"Contemporary Calamity"
"Intergalactic War!"
"Call Of The Squirrel" (Featuring Joe Satriani)
"Unleashing Chaos" (Featuring Nick Padovani of Equipoise)
"The Plan For Multiversal Creation"
"Guardians Of The Multiverse" (Featuring John Matos of Abiotic)
"The Latent Threat"
"Shredding Of The Cosmos" (Featuring Sanjay Kumar of Wormhole, Matias Quiroz of Bleak Flesh, and Michael Angelo Batio)

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

The Beast Of Nod - Multiversal Lineup:

Dr. Görebläster Körpse-härvest Lunden - Guitars and Composition (Mimesis, Pariahblaster)
Brendan Burdick - Bass
Paul Buckley - Loremaster, Vocals (Cryptid Mythos)
Lord Marco - Drums (Rings Of Saturn, Brain Drill, Six Feet Under)

 




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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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