According to The Republic reporter Jordan Morey, Jon Schaffer is still awaiting extradition extradition to Washington D.C., five weeks after U.S. Magistrate for the Southern District of Indiana judge Mark Dinsmore signed an order for the ICED EARTH guitarist to appear in D.C.'s district court. Indianapolis law enforcement confirmed Schaffer was still being held by the U.S. Marshal Service at the Marion County Jail on Thursday (February 25).

The 52-year-old musician, who resides in in Edinburgh, Indiana, is facing six federal criminal charges after he was accused of spraying a police officer with a pepper-based bear repellant during the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Schaffer waived his preliminary hearing as well as his rights to an identity hearing and production of a warrant five weeks ago in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, court documents state. He will soon be transported by a United States marshal to Washington, D.C. where government lawyers and Schaffer's legal team have mutually agreed to handle all proceedings.

Schaffer is entitled to a hearing on the issue of pretrial detention upon his arrival in D.C., court documents said.

Five weeks ago, government lawyers asked the judge to not offer Schaffer a bond when he goes in front of U.S. magistrate.

Schaffer must prove to the federal magistrate that he is not a threat to himself or the public before being released on bail. Others who have been charged for insurrection at the Capitol have been given bail but ordered to surrender their firearms, avoid contact with other alleged Capitol rioters and stay away from all state capitol buildings. Some other alleged rioters have been prohibited from using social media and participating in any political rallies.

Earlier this month, a man resembling Schaffer was seen in newly released security footage from the U.S. Capitol riot that the House impeachment managers obtained and submitted as evidence for former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial.

The clip in question, which was released by CNN on February 15, shows rioters charging through a breached entrance and engaging and pushing officers. Schaffer can be seen near the front of the mob, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, a tactical vest and black leather fingerless tactical gloves, and pointing his finger while yelling at the officers.

Schaffer was photographed wearing an "Oath Keepers Lifetime Member" cap during the insurrection. The Oath Keepers describe themselves as an association of former law enforcement and military personnel dedicated to "support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." But the Anti-Defamation League describes it as "a large but loosely organized collection of right-wing anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement, which believes that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights."

Schaffer has been held in the Marion County Jail since surrendering to police on January 17. He made his first court appearance the following day.

Just hours after the insurrection, ICED EARTH fans recognized Schaffer in a photo released by federal investigators.

Schaffer is believed to be one of at least 400 people who are being investigated by FBI officials over their roles in the insurrection.

More than 230 criminal cases have been filed so far. Charges include unauthorized access, theft, damage to government property and assault on law enforcement officers.

THE END MACHINE, the new band featuring two members of the classic DOKKEN lineup — George Lynch (guitar) and Jeff Pilson (bass) — along with former LYNCH MOB and current WARRANT singer Robert Mason, will release its sophomore album, "Phase2", on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official music video for the disc's first single, "Blood And Money", can be seen below.

"Phase2" features drummer Steve Brown, younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer "Wild" Mick Brown, who played on THE END MACHINE's self-titled 2019 debut.

The new LP builds on the great bluesy hard rock music of the debut, but sees THE END MACHINE move more towards more towards a classic '80s hard rock sound and the result is a 2.0 reboot of a killer music machine.

Says Pilson: "On this record, we set out to make the very best songs possible and are more than excited with how it turned out. We also weren't afraid to let elements of the DOKKEN sound come through loud and clear. As a result, not only was it a very organic and collaborative process, but it was a helluva lot of fun as well!!! I feel these are some of the best songs we've ever written and I'm blown away by all the performances. George was on fire throughout, Robert makes it clear he's one of the very best rock vocalists around, and Steve delivered with all the passion and enthusiasm any band could ever desire. All in all, it is a musical statement we can and will stand behind for a very long time!!!"

Adds Lynch: "Jeff, Robert and I had discussions prior to pre-production and writing sessions that we would make a concerted effort to emphasize hooks and accessibility in our writing. We made sure to constantly remind ourselves of the self-induced parameters we'd created for ourselves so as not to get sidetracked and lose focus. I think that that guidance served us well. I'm very proud of what we’ve accomplished with THE END MACHINE 'Phase2'."

State Mason: "I feel that 'Phase2' is a logical progression from our debut record, and I echo Jeff's point that, in the writing process, none of us felt we had to distance ourselves from our past nor our collective roots. That hit making Lynch/Pilson chemistry and song lineage is surely powerful and present, while allowing me freedom to both embrace it and show my own musical and lyrical flavors. This record shows us solidly in each other's musical pockets and grooves, and speaking of, Steve Brown showed up to crush it on drums...and he can sing some mighty background vocals! We hope fans of all of our catalogs will embrace THE END MACHINE and 'Phase2'!"

Originally born from an idea of Frontiers Music Srl president and A&R director Serafino Perugino, who wanted to have the classic lineup of DOKKEN team up with a killer vocalist, THE END MACHINE's self-titled debut impressed mightily upon release. Far from being a simple rehash of the members resumes, THE END MACHINE proved to be a jelled unit who sounded exactly like the seasoned pros they are, while taking their hard rock past and putting a stamp of modern production on things courtesy of Pilson.

For their debut album, THE END MACHINE's sound developed through several initial songwriting sessions between Pilson and Lynch, with Mason later partnering with them. While the lineup may have had fans making assumptions about the sound of the band, things took a different turn. Said Pilson at the time: "The real truth of it is that George and I have this great songwriting partnership that's been going on for 35 years, and we love to work together. Robert really jelled with us too, thus making the process smooth."

Track listing:

01. The Rising

02. Blood And Money

03. We Walk Alone

04. Dark Divide

05. Crack The Sky

06. Prison Or Paradise

07. Plastic Heroes

08. Scars

09. Shine Your Light

10. Devil's Playground

11. Born Of Fire

12. Destiny

"Phase2" recording lineup:

George Lynch - guitar

Jeff Pilson - bass, keyboards and background vocals

Steve Brown - drums and background vocals

Robert Mason - lead and background vocals

Initially released in December 1967 and described latterly by Rolling Stone as "THE WHO's finest album," "The Who Sell Out" reflected a remarkable year in popular culture. As well as being forever immortalized as the moment when the counterculture and the "Love Generation" became a global phenomenon and "pop" began metamorphosing into "rock."

The new Super Deluxe Edition of "The Who Sell Out" features 112 tracks, 46 of which are unreleased, an 80-page, hard-back, full-color book, including rare period photos, memorabilia, track-by-track annotation and new sleeve notes by Pete Townshend with comments from the likes of Pete Drummond (Radio London DJ), Richard Evans (designer) and Roy Flynn (the Speakeasy club manager).

The Super Deluxe package also includes nine posters and inserts, including replicas of 20" x 30" original Adrian George album poster, a gig poster from The City Hall, Newcastle, a Saville Theatre show 8-page program, a business card for the Bag o' Nails club, Kingly Street, a WHO fan club photo of group, a flyer for Bath Pavilion concerts including THE WHO, a crack-back bumper sticker for Wonderful Radio London, Keith Moon's Speakeasy club membership card and a WHO fan club newsletter.

As a taster for the set an EP of Pete Townshend's previously unreleased demos has today been released on all streaming services including "Pictures Of Lily" (new remix, previously unreleased), "Kids! Do You Want Kids?" (a.k.a. "Do You Want Kids, Kids?") (previously unreleased) and "Odorono" (previously unreleased).

"The Who Sell Out" was originally planned by Pete Townshend and the band's managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, as a loose concept album including jingles and commercials linking the songs stylized as a pirate radio broadcast. This concept was born out of necessity as their label and management wanted a new album and Townshend felt that he didn't have enough songs.

The groundbreaking original plan for "Sell Out" was to sell advertising space on the album but instead the band opted for writing their own jingles paying tribute to pirate radio stations and to parody an increasingly consumerist society.

The homage to pop-art is evident in both the advertising jingles and the iconic sleeve design created by David King who was the art director at the Sunday Times, and Roger Law who invented the "Spitting Image" TV show. The sleeve features four advertising images, taken by the renowned photographer David Montgomery, of each band member Odorono deodorant (Pete Townshend), Medac spot cream (Keith Moon), Charles Atlas (John Entwistle) and Roger Daltrey and Heinz baked beans. The story goes that Roger Daltrey caught pneumonia from sitting in the cold beans for too long.

"The Who Sell Out" is a bold depiction of the period in which it was made, the tail-end of the "swinging-'60s" meets pop-art mixed with psychedelia and straight-ahead pop. It's a glorious blend of classic powerful WHO instrumentation, melodic harmonies, satirical lyrical imagery crystallized for what was only the group's third album. The album's ambition and scope is unrivalled by THE WHO, or any other act from that period.

Within the bold concept, were a batch of fabulous and diverse songs. "I Can See For Miles", a Top 10 hit at the time, is a WHO classic. "Rael", a Townshend "mini-opera" with musical motifs that reappeared in "Tommy" and the psychedelic blast of "Armenia City In The Sky" and "Relax" are among the very best material anyone wrote during the 1960s

One of the most extraordinary albums of any era, "The Who Sell Out" is THE WHO's last "pop" album. Two years later came "Tommy" — a double concept album about a deaf, dumb and blind kid.

"The Who Sell Out" Super Deluxe Edition

Disc 1 - Original mono mix, mono As & Bs and unreleased mono mixes

Disc 2 - Original stereo mix and stereo bonus tracks

Disc 3 - Studio outtakes, "fly-on-the-wall" versions of early takes of songs from the album sessions, "studio chat" etc.

Disc 4 – "The Road To Tommy" will contain stereo mixes of the studio tracks recorded in 1968 — some previously unreleased — plus 1968 As and Bs mono mixes (all tracks remixed from original 4 and 8-track session tapes in THE WHO vault)

Disc 5 - 14 of Pete Townshend's original demos, previously unreleased and exclusive to this set

Bonus 7" discs:

1. Track U.K. 45 repro "I Can See For Miles" (early mono mix with single-tracked vocal) and "Someone's Coming" (original U.K. track single mix with single-tracked vocal)

2. Decca U.S.A. 45 repro "Magic Bus" (U.S./U.K. mono) and "Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde" (original U.S. Decca single mix)

80-page, hard-back full-color book, including rare period photos, memorabilia and track annotation and new liner notes by Pete Townshend with comments from from Pete Drummond (Radio Caroline DJ), Chris Huston (Talentmasters Studio), Richard Evans (designer), Roy Flynn (Speakeasy Club manager), Arnold Schwartzman (designer) and Andy Neill (WHO biographer)

Memorabilia:

Nine posters and inserts, including replicas of 20" x 30" original Adrian George poster; Gig poster — City Hall, Newcastle: THE WHO, TRAFFIC and THE TREMELOES; Saville Theatre 8-page program; Business card for the Bag o' Nails club, Kingly Street; fan club photo of group; flyer for Bath Pavilion concerts including THE WHO; crack-back bumper sticker for Wonderful Radio London; Keith Moon's Speakeasy club membership card; WHO fan club newsletter.

Other "The Who Sell Out" formats:

* 2LP deluxe (stereo) vinyl version, featuring the original album and extras highlights from box set.

* D2C 2LP deluxe (mono) vinyl version featuring the original album and extras highlights from box set pressed on colored vinyl; disc 1 "Odorono" red / disc 2 "Baked Bean" orange.

* 2-CD edition six-panel digi-pak with a 16-page booklet.

Also available in a variety of digital formats

Matthew Kiichi Heafy, the Japanese-American musician best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated heavy metal band TRIVIUM, has released the "In Waves" acoustic EP, featuring reworked versions of six songs from the group's 2011 album of the same name. You can now listen to it in the YouTube clip below.

Featured songs:

00:00 In Waves

04:50 Built To Fall

07:58 Caustic Are The Ties That Bind

13:16 Of All These Yesterdays

17:16 A Grey So Dark

19:48 Shattering The Skies Above

According to Heafy, there will be an acoustic EP for every record except 2020's "What The Dead Men Say".

Heafy is also an avid gamer who steadily built his Twitch profile to massive success in the past few years. His Twitch efforts have been featured by Microsoft, TechCrunch, Forbes and beyond. He is also a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a food connoisseur. Heafy streams daily on his Twitch channel "matthewkheafy," displaying the behind-the-scenes work it takes to stay in shape to play guitars and do vocals. He plays TRIVIUM songs by request and every day is a new show made by the fans, for the fans.

Some of Heafy's notable accomplishments include hosting the first-ever full metal gaming village at Wacken Open Air, competing against Ninja in the Twitch Rivals Summer Skirmish, competing and celebrating the opening of Full Sail's esports arena, creating Shroud's theme song, being Streamlab's top streamer merch seller of all time, being in the top 100 most subscribed to channels on Twitch, leading the charge as the pioneer of music streaming on Twitch (also partnering with Twitch to make the official how-to guides on streaming music on Twitch's help page), and co-founding the Metal & Honey Foundation, which supports the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for children. 100% of the proceeds directly benefit the music therapy program.

Heafy also recently appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show", where he surprised a fan and gifted him with a guitar.

TRIVIUM's ninth full-length album, "What The Dead Men Say", is available now via Roadrunner Records.

Singer Ronnie James Dio joined BLACK SABBATH in 1979 which resulted in two back-to-back classic albums: "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules". On those memorable albums, Dio's soaring tenor and gothic songwriting were the perfect foil for the band's bone-crushing mix of razor-sharp riffs, intense grooves, and dark imagery.

Rhino salutes the long shadow cast by this short-lived lineup with newly remastered versions of both albums expanded with rare and unreleased music. "Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition" and "Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" will be released separately on March 5. Each album will be available on 2-CDs ($19.98), or a 2-LPs ($31.98). Due to space constraints, both vinyl editions include a selection of bonus material from the CDs. The music will also be available via digital download and streaming services the same day.

"Lady Evil" (7" Mono Edit) from "Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition", and "Die Young" (Live B-Side) from "Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" can be streamed below.

Dio joined BLACK SABBATH for the first time in 1979 and quickly found kindred spirits in guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. When "Heaven And Hell" was released in April 1980, the album was met with effusive reviews for the band's return to form on metal masterpieces like "Neon Knights" and the title track. The album reached #9 in the U.K. and #28 in the U.S., where it was also certified platinum.

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

To follow up "Heaven And Hell", the group returned to the studio in 1981 to begin recording "Mob Rules", with drummer Vinny Appice joining the band for the first time. Released in October 1981 and certified gold, the album was another SABBATH classic, including standouts like "The Sign Of The Southern Cross", "Turn Up The Night" and the title track.

"Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" boasts an expansive selection of rare and unreleased recordings. Along with additional tracks from "Live At Hammersmith Odeon", the collection also includes a newly mixed version of "The Mob Rules". The cherry on top is an entire concert recorded in 1982 in Portland, Oregon. Highlights include stellar performances of "Neon Knights", "Heaven And Hell" and "Voodoo".

The Dio-fronted lineup disbanded in 1982 but reunited a decade later to record "Dehumanizer" and tour before going on hiatus again. The group came together again in 2006 to record three new songs for Rhino's era-spanning collection "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years". The collaboration led to a highly anticipated world tour in 2007 where the group was billed as HEAVEN & HELL. Their final album of new material, 2009's "The Devil You Know", again demonstrated the musical bond between the band members was unparalleled.

"Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition" 2-CD track listing

Disc One: Original Album (2021 Remaster)

01. Neon Knights

02. Children Of The Sea

03. Lady Evil

04. Heaven And Hell

05. Wishing Well

06. Die Young

07. Walk Away

08. Lonely Is The Word

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks

01. Children Of The Sea – Live B-Side Of "Neon Knights" *

02. Heaven And Hell – Live B-Side Of "Die Young" *

03. Lady Evil – 7" Mono Edit (unreleased on CD)

Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (August 10, 1980)

04. Neon Knights *

05. Children Of The Sea *

06. Heaven And Hell *

07. Die Young *

Hammersmith Odeon, London (Dec 31, 1981- Jan 2, 1982)

08. E5150

09. Neon Knights

10. Children Of The Sea

11. Heaven And Hell

2-LP Track Listing

Side One

01. Neon Knights

02. Children Of The Sea

03. Lady Evil

04. Heaven And Hell

Side Two

01. Wishing Well

02. Die Young

03. Walk Away

04. Lonely Is The Word

Side Three

01. Children Of The Sea – Live B-Side Of "Neon Knights" *

02. Heaven And Hell – Live B-Side Of "Die Young" *

03. Lady Evil – 7" Mono Edit (unreleased on CD)

04. Neon Knights – Live 1980 *

Side Four

01. Children Of The Sea – Live 1980 *

02. Heaven And Hell – Live 1980 *

03. Die Young – Live 1980 *

"Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" 2-CD track listing

Disc One: Original Album (2021 Remaster)

01. Turn Up The Night

02. Voodoo

03. The Sign Of The Southern Cross

04. E5150

05. The Mob Rules

06. Country Girl

07. Slipping Away

08. Falling Off The Edge Of The World

09. Over And Over

Bonus Tracks

10. The Mob Rules – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version

11. Die Young – Live B-Side Of "Mob Rules" 7" *

12. The Mob Rules – New 2021 Mix **

Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 - 2/1/82)

13. Country Girl

14. Slipping Away

15. The Mob Rules

16. Voodoo

Live At Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, April 22, 1982

17. Intro **

18. Neon Knights **

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks

Live At Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, April 22, 1982

01. N.I.B. **

02. Children Of The Sea **

03. Voodoo **

04. Black Sabbath **

05. War Pigs **

06. Drum Solo **

07. Iron Man **

08. The Mob Rules **

09. Heaven And Hell **

10. Guitar Solo **

11. Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell – Reprise **

12. Paranoid **

13. Children Of The Grave **

2-LP Track Listing

Side One

01. Turn Up The Night

02. Voodoo

03. The Sign Of The Southern Cross

04. E5150

05. The Mob Rules

Side Two

01. Country Girl

02. Slipping Away

03. Falling Off The Edge Of The World

04. Over And Over

Side Three

01. The Mob Rules – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version

02. Die Young – Live B-Side Of "Mob Rules" 7" *

03. The Mob Rules – New 2021 Mix **

04. Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell – Reprise **

Side Four

Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 - 2/1/82)

01. Country Girl

02. Slipping Away

03. The Mob Rules

04. Voodoo

* previously unreleased in North America

** previously unreleased

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor is featured in "Live The Madness", the new music video from MOONSHINE BANDITS, the American country rap group composed of Dusty "Tex" Dahlgren and Brett "Bird" Brooks. The clip, which will make its online debut on Monday, March 1, also features Corey's wife Alicia Taylor, a professional dancer and a member of the all-girl dance group CHERRY BOMBS.

"Live The Madness", featuring Corey on guest vocals, is taken from MOONSHINE BANDITS' latest album, "Fire", which came out in 2020.

Since their formation in Los Banos California in 2003, the MOONSHINE BANDITS have continued a campaign of crossover genre-bending musical mayhem that appeals to the eclectic, color-outside-the-lines tastes of listeners, a.k.a. The Shiners, and they fiercely refuse to have their tastes confined and filed into categories.

The MOONSHINE BANDITS have crisscrossed the country performing hundreds of shows a year, ventured into branding their own beef jerky and moonshine, collaborated with some of the music business’s most prolific artists, outshined in the face of record industry roadblocks, earned a fiercely loyal fan following, and embrace the unconventional. It's all part of a journey filled with good, bad and even some ugly, but ultimately the MOONSHINE BANDITS philosophy is summed up by Tex and Bird's joint statement: "We always felt there aren’' stops or boundaries if you pave your own lane."




CT and I were asked to team up with Moonshine Bandits for a fun track/video. “Live The Madness” premieres March 1st! ? pic.twitter.com/g7mKodvRhf

— uh-lee-see-yuh Taylor (@AliciaETaylor) February 26, 2021

LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice spoke to Metal From The Inside about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's third album. The follow-up to 2019's "II" is tentatively due next year via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

"We were able to get together a number of times in Las Vegas [prior to the pandemic]," Vinny said (see video below). "When DEF LEPPARD played in Las Vegas, Viv [LAST IN LINE and DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell] would have a couple of days off, so we were there. Our singer, Andrew Freeman, he lives there. Now Phil [Soussan] lives there, the bassist. So two of them are there. So we were able to hook up in Vegas, hang out, and then when Viv finished the gigs, we were able to write and rehearse. And then, at the beginning of [last] year, we went to the studio here in L.A. and recorded six songs. So we've still got half of it to do. We haven't done a file exchange, really, 'cause we don't work that way. We're trying to finish up what we've got, and then we'll continue."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with Metal Godz Radio, former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch was asked if ever got a chance to bond and hang out with Eddie Van Halen at all. He responded (hear audio below): "Absolutely. I mean, we kind of came up through the ranks together. We were both [in] SoCal bands and played the same bills and same clubs and hung out a little bit and have common connections and friends and different things and acquaintances. But the time that we spent the most together was on the 'Monsters Of Rock' tour [in 1988, where DOKKEN and VAN HALEN shared the bill with SCORPIONS, METALLICA and KINGDOM COME]. Eddie and I would spend a lot of time in the hotel rooms just jamming and staying up all night drinking beers and smoking and playing guitar. So that was a really cool hang."

Lynch previously talked about Eddie's influence in a 2009 interview with Guitar Player magazine. Asked if he was jealous of VAN HALEN's success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, George said: "We were jealous and we were all trying to play catch up. We thought, 'Oh boy, we better get on board. This guy's going to change the world.' I remember my reaction when I first heard Eddie. I had been hearing about this guy with the weird European name. He's got a torpedo onstage, the bass player wears clogs, they have bombs onstage, and the guy's unbelievable. I saw him and it blew my mind. They were still doing covers at the time — RAINBOW, MONTROSE — and their original stuff was as good or better than their cover stuff, which was pretty exceptional. After their show, I went back to our band room and played my guitar until the sun came up. I thought, 'Man, how can I get that tone?'"

Asked if he tried to copy Eddie, George said: "What I really did was sort of bounce off his stuff rather than emulate it. I've done that with a lot of players. Instead of copying them, I react to them. I'll think, 'Well, Di Meola does this thing. I can do some alternate picking, so I won't copy it but I'll embed that a little bit into my toolbox and do it my own way.' I've tried to do that with any player who has influenced me: Clapton, Hendrix, Schenker, Eddie, Holdsworth. I couldn't play any of their stuff note for note to save my life, but I can capture the gist of what they're doing by being exposed to it. I can get the essence."

Eddie died in October at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Video of KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's LOVE AND DEATH project performing the song "Down" during its February 12 livestreamed concert can be seen below. The track is taken LOVE AND DEATH's latest album, "Perfectly Preserved", which arrived on the same day via Earache Records.

"Perfectly Preserved" is described in a press release as "a blistering but accessible full-length follow-up, driven by the spiritual resilience inherent in the first record, combined with an even starker depiction of real-life struggle." Anger, broken relationships, lowered self-worth, and the collision of optimistic values with oppressive systems are all on display, from the arresting refrains of "Tragedy", "Death Of Us" and "Affliction" to the bold, conqueror driven anthem of "White Flag".

LOVE AND DEATH harness soaring melodies and crushing riffs, weaponizing them like a supernatural dagger to strike at the blackened heart of disillusionment from both within and without. With an instantly recognizable relatability, for anyone who has felt discarded or without value, the band crafts invigorating anthems filled with earnest pleas for mercy and certainty amidst the chaos of an uncertain world. This is heavy music to vigorously confront depression, heartbreak, and pain.

The band began with similar raw, authentic emotional honesty to what drove Welch to multiplatinum and Grammy Award-winning heights as a co-founder of genre trailblazers KORN. Forged as an outlet for recovery and redemption in a season of change, the creation of LOVE AND DEATH resulted in the powerful and dynamic 2013 debut "Between Here & Lost". The album spoke plainly to the hearts of similarly disenfranchised fans all across the world.

"Perfectly Preserved" marks the introduction of guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter Jasen Rauch as a full-fledged member of the band, as well as second time producer for LOVE AND DEATH (co-produced by Joe Rickard). Jasen, best known as an integral part of chart-topping rockers BREAKING BENJAMIN, produced LOVE AND DEATH's first album in 2013. The duo first met a year or two after the release of Head's solo album, "Save Me From Myself" (2008). As Head experimented with synthesizers, it was Rauch who encouraged him to pick up his guitar and churn out new riffs.

"Jasen and I started writing together. I was trying to do new things, writing music on a keyboard at my house," Welch recalls. "I credit him with the rediscovery of my love for the guitar."

LOVE AND DEATH charge into this new chapter with a definitive lineup, which sees Head and Jasen side by side with the band's original guitarist, JR Bareis, also on vocals and guitar, and powerhouse drummer Isaiah Perez. It was a perfect storm of friendship and creativity, as they all worked on the album in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Chicago, over several years.

Like A PERFECT CIRCLE or STONE SOUR, LOVE AND DEATH isn't a "side project" or replacement for the guys' respective bands. It's an extension and companion, offering each of them a unique outlet to explore different aspects of their creative passions. "There are certain things we can do melodically in LOVE AND DEATH that might not work in KORN," Rauch explains. "For me, there are certain creative risks I can take with the arrangements and production that wouldn't fit with BREAKING BENJAMIN. In this band, we don't worry about how long a song might be, for example."

It's also an opportunity for further collaboration with their friends from other bands. "The Hunter" features Jasen's BREAKING BENJAMIN bandmate (and solo artist) Keith Wallen, who was also a major co-writer on the project. And Longtime comrade Lacey Sturm, formerly of FLYLEAF, sings on a metallic rendition of a surprising pop cover.

As with the "Lo Lamento" single released in 2016, Bareis steps up vocally, sharing frontman duties with Welch, whose own delivery draws on jaw-dropping life experience. From the heights of rock stardom to the depths of addiction, through an exciting resurrection to the daily battle to stay above water, every moment of truth is evident in his brutally honest screams. Bareis, by contrast, delivers anthemic and even haunting melodic vocals.

"Everybody knows my foundation," says Welch, regarding the contrast in lyrical themes between "Perfectly Preserved" and the first LOVE AND DEATH album. "I feel like what our world needs most in this very unique moment in time are real storiesabout overcoming struggle. These are honest songs co-written by our group of friends targeting depression/mental health, challenging relationships, trauma, loneliness, and related issues."

As their fans have learned to expect, LOVE AND DEATH is fearless in its open examination of contradictions and failure, making confessional music with an underlying anchor of purpose and hope. Like the band's very moniker suggests, both "Love" and "Death" are very present in all that they do.

Track listing:

01. Slow Fire

02. Infamy

03. Down

04. Death Of Us

05. Lo Lamento

06. The Hunter (feat. Keith Wallen)

07. Tragedy

08. Let Me Love You (feat. Lacey Sturm)

09. Affliction

10. White Flag (feat. Ryan Hayes)

LOVE AND DEATH is:

Brian "Head" Welch - Vocals, Guitar

Jasen Rauch - Bass

JR Bareis - Guitar, Vocals

Isaiah Perez - Drums

"Eleventeen", the debut solo album from late OZZY OSBOURNE and URIAH HEEP drummer Lee Kerslake, has just received a posthumous release via HNE Recordings, the hard rock and heavy metal arm of Cherry Red Records.

"Eleventeen" is a collection of eight songs, seven of them written or co-written by Lee. Lee offers notes and insights for each track, saying "Take Nothing For Granted" "is based around my wife and then some," evidently with tongue firmly in cheek. Elsewhere, "Where Do We Go From Here", according to Lee, is about how "ot's all too late to realize… where do we go from here? I've had to many argumentative girls in my life!!!" "You May Be By Yourself (But You're Never Alone)" was written "when Bob Daisley gave such a loving look to Squish, his daughter. It moved me all those years ago." According to URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box's dedication on the album, "The song 'Port And A Brandy' made me smile as we have shared many of them together over the years." Next up is a heartfelt rendition of Carole King's timeless "You've Got A Friend", which Lee dedicates to "all of my friends past and present who I have loved through music." "Eleventeen" concludes with the instrumental "Mom", which Lee wrote for "all the mums in the world who we should never take for granted."

Standing down from drumming full-time for URIAH HEEP in 2007 due to ill health, Kerslake commenced his debut solo album in 2015 with Jake Libretto, completing the album in 2019. At the time, Lee stated about the effort: "WOW, I have to say now the album is finished, there is a great sense of achievement. It's been a little over three years to record and finish it. It took so long because I could only manage two days a week and sometimes nothing for a period of time as the chemotherapy without my permission kept me away. Never mind, it's done, and I am very proud of the songs."

With a career that goes back to the 1960s, Kerslake's first step into the rock limelight was with THE GODS, recording "Genesis" in 1968 and "To Samuel A Son" in 1969. Joining TOE FAT for their self-titled debut in 1970, via 1970's "Orgasm" by HEAD MACHINE, so far Lee had shared his musical journey with multi-instrumentalist and song writer Ken Hensley. This musical connection and friendship would be further cemented in 1972 when Lee joined Ken in URIAH HEEP for the classic "Demons & Wizards" LP, remaining behind HEEP's drum kit for the best part of 30-plus years. Lee also found time to make cameos drumming for Ken Hensley and David Byron solo records along the way, and most notably as a founder member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band, drumming on the multi-platinum "Blizzard Of Ozz" in 1980 and "Diary Of A Madman" in 1981. He also appeared with supergroup LIVING LOUD, a band featuring bassist Bob Daisley, guitarist Steve Morse, singer Jimmy Barnes and keyboard player Don Airey.

Lee sadly passed away in September 2020 at the age of 73. Box said of his longtime bandmate: "It fills me with great pride that he achieved this as his last final musical legacy."

"Eleventeen" track listing:

01. Celia Sienna

02. Take Nothing For Granted

03. Where Do We Go From Here

04. You May Be By Yourself (But You're Never Alone)

05. Port And A Brandy

06. You've Got A Friend

07. Home Is Where The Heart Is

08. Mom (Instrumental)

Steve Von Till has made a life's work out of seeking the elemental. With a solo discography that stretches back more than two decades, he has toiled in a shadow realm, peeling back layers of reality in a never-ending search for true meaning and raw emotion. Due on April 30, "A Deep Voiceless Wilderness" strips back the veil even further. An achingly beautiful ambient work with neo-classical leanings, the album is a hallucinatory and elegant rumination on our disconnect from the natural world, each other, and ultimately ourselves.

For some listeners, the album may recall the work of modern composers like Jóhann Jóhannsson, Brian Eno or Gavin Bryars. For Von Till, it's about surrendering to the spirit of place — and to the original intent behind his 2020 solo album, "No Wilderness Deep Enough". That album marked a significant first for Von Till: It was his first solo record without a guitar in hand. Instead, Von Till intoned powerful and thought-provoking lyrics over piano, cello, mellotron and analog synthesizers. "A Deep Voiceless Wilderness" is that same album without Von Till's words.

"This is how I originally heard this piece of music," he says. "Without the voice as an anchor or earthbound narrative, these pieces have a broader wingspan. They become something else entirely and unfold in a more expansive way. The depth of the synths, juxtaposed with the strings and French horn, have space to develop and allow the listener to imagine their own story."

"A Deep Voiceless Wilderness" track listing:

01. Called From The Wind

02. We'll Always Have The Sea

03. The Emptiness Swallows Us All

04. Shelter In Surrender

05. Nightshade High Country

06. The Spiraling Away

Also a first for Von Till was "Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems And Collected Lyrics", his first book of poetry. Published by the University of South Dakota's AstrophilPress, the book established Von Till as a formidable and thoughtful author of verse — a fact that NEUROSIS fans knew all along, but the wider world was only just becoming aware of.

"There is a depth of hope, acceptance and loss that permeates these poems," Joseph Haeger said in his review for The Inlander. "Like any great piece of art, 'Harvestman' contains multitudes, and that's exactly what I was hoping for when I cracked it open. Von Till has already established himself as a great musician, and he's about to put his stake into the ground proving himself to be a damn good writer."

For 2021, Von Till has reimagined "Harvestman" in a new format, delivering an intimate and captivating reading of the collection with sound enhancements.

"Being a constant sound-seeker, I thought it would be more interesting to have some textures and treatments to break up the intimate voice recordings," Von Till says of his decision to add some atmosphere to the spoken-word version of "Harvestman". "The background sounds used on some of the tracks were pieces related to 'No Wilderness Deep Enough' that were either not used or repurposed to interweave further connections between my artistic output at this time of my life."

Photo by James Rexroad

The music video for the single "Cold Sacrifice" by the late Ken Hensley can be seen below. Taken from his upcoming album "My Book Of Answers", "Cold Sacrifice" is the third track to be released from Hensley's collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin whose poems have been turned into an album's worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book (available later this year). "My Book Of Answers" will be released on March 5 as a CD/DVD and vinyl album through Cherry Red Records.

For half a century, Hensley was a major influence in the rock world. An original member of URIAH HEEP, Hensley was keyboard player, guitarist, vocalist and principal song writer with URIAH HEEP for ten years. His subsequent solo career saw Hensley work with leading artists across the globe and he became known as an inspiration for encouraging other talented artists.

"My Book Of Answers" is a wonderful tribute to this rock legend. The album is the intriguing result of a collaboration with one of Hensley's fans, following a chance meeting at an airport, as he turns dreams into a reality. Over a two-year period, the collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin has seen Hensley turn Emelin's poems into an album's worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book charting the progress of each piece from Russian poem to English rock song. And all of this has been produced in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Hensley was clearly excited when speaking shortly before his death. "It's been fascinating since day one," he said. "It's somewhat miraculous how it all came together and how it's continued to grow and develop, even through the crisis, to where it's at today and where it's going tomorrow."

This unique project came about following Hensley's chance meeting with Emelin at Alicante airport in early 2018, as he explained. "Vladimir has a home up on the Costa Blanca and he's here as often as visas will permit," Hensley said. "I was flying to Moscow, he was on his way home and he saw me at the airport. I guess I'm his idol and he's been a fan since he was a kid. Well, he asked me for an autograph and a picture, which I was happy to give him, and for an e-mail address."

At a meeting in Alicante later in the year, Emelin asked if Hensley could turn a couple of his poems into songs. "I tried a couple of songs, although I didn't know if I could do it because I've never done it before," Hensley recalled. "He loved it and he wanted me to do more and more until we finally ended up with an album's worth of songs.

"I made most of the album under lockdown, coronavirus restrictions, which was easy because it was just file-sharing over the Internet with the musicians, the singers and my engineer and it was relatively easy. What we had to do was make sure we didn't compromise any quality. I popped it over to my manager Steve Weltman and typically, before I know it, he's got the guys at Cherry Red interested in it! The whole thing takes on another dimension."

Emelin also suggested a video and they would, eventually, make a video for each track together with a concert of all of the songs which was filmed, with social distancing, close to Hensley's home in Spain.

"I've never done anything like this before and, to the best of my knowledge, I don't recall anybody else who has," Hensley added. "I'm also developing a lyric book which will be a beautiful piece. Each song features the original Russian lyric, the translation by Vladimir's friend in Siberia and my notated stuff where I changed the words of the poem into a song and created verses, bridges and choruses. The fans can see all the changes I made, and understand why I made them, and then there's the final lyric that appears on the album. Alisia Vaselieva, a wonderful illustrator and friend of Vladimir's, has done an illustration for each song, so five pages for each song and it will be a deluxe hard-back package — a collectors' item.

"To begin with, it was hard to find the time to really concentrate on the project because 2019 was one of the busiest years of my career, but, as it happens, the coronavirus actually solved the problem for me, at the same time as it created terrible problems for so many others. I was forced to stay home and spend all my time on this project with Vladimir, the restrictions of the virus meant I was able to do that.

"I'm really happy with it and I have a huge yardstick to measure it by! It seems as though it was meant to happen."

Track listing:

01. Lost (My Guardian)

02. Right Here, Right Now

03. Cold Sacrifice

04. The Silent Scream

05. Cover Girl

06. Light The Fire (In My Heart)

07. Stand (Chase The Beast Away)

08. The Darkest Hour

09. Suddenly

10. The Darkest Hour (Acoustic)

Hensley was URIAH HEEP's keyboard player and principal songwriter, responsible for such classics as "Lady In Black", "Easy Livin'" and "Look At Yourself", and providing them with much of their musical direction. Leaving the band in 1980 to pursue a solo career, he also collaborated with Florida-based hard rock band BLACKFOOT, L.A. heavy metal band W.A.S.P. and CINDERELLA. "Ken Hensley wrote the rule book for heavy metal keyboards as far as I'm concerned," W.A.S.P.'s frontman Blackie Lawless is quoted as saying.

Following his departure from URIAH HEEP, Hensley lived in America where he met his wife-to-be Monica. Speaking just days before his death, Hensley said: "I lived in America for 20 years after I left URIAH HEEP and I really needed time to rediscover myself, get rid of my drug habit and see if there was anything left of a human being in there after my life had been buried in URIAH HEEP for ten and a half years. It took a long time to get there but I got there in the end. I met Monica and we lived together for a couple of years. I wanted to move back to Europe to be closer to my family."

The Hensleys settled on a farm near Alicante, Spain, and married in 2004. A very spiritual person, Hensley became an inspiration to many and known for encouraging talented artists and enjoyed the love and respect of fans the world over. "It's enduring and I'm happy that most of them are still alive," he said. "I love to meet them when I go out on the road but at the moment that's not possible."

Reflecting on 50-plus years in the music business, he added: "It's been a great career. I can't look through the (URIAH HEEP) box set without having a huge smile on my face! To be celebrating my music 50 years on is quite something. We weren't a hit with the critics but we listened to the people who bought tickets and albums and, unfortunately, the critics ignored them. It just went on and on and on. We pulled together and achieved everything we set out to do. It was a wonderful life and career. My life has been fantastic, but it's not been easy. It was a lot of hard work, but when you do what you love best it doesn't seem like hard work."

Venom Inc. frontman Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan has checked in with the following announcement:

"BMG have re-released Prime Evil, Tear Your Soul Apart, Temples Of Ice and The Wastelands albums (from Venom) all on digital media. In the following months will be coming a new and exclusive box set of all my era materials. Exciting times after almost 30 years!!! AVE! Enjoy your weekend and eyes peeled for the coming tsunami!"

Dolan fronted UK extreme metallers Venom from 1988 - 1992, replacing original vocalist / bassist Cronos. He appears on Prime Evil (1989), Temples Of Ice (1991), The Waste Lands (1992), and the Tear Your Soul Apart EP (1990).

In April 2015, in anticipation of an M-pire Of Evil show - the new band featuring Dolan and original Venom guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn - at the Keep It True Festival in Germany, the organizers asked the duo if they would play some Venom songs with original drummer Abaddon. Mantas and Abaddon hadn't spoken since 1998. They agreed to do an unrehearsed set, which was the relaunch of the 1988–1992 Venom line-up under the name Venom Inc. 

It was reported in January that Venom Inc. has entered the studio to record their new album. The follow up to their 2017 debut release Avé will once more be released on Nuclear Blast Records. The recording is being done between England, Portugal, and America, and it will have guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn at the helm as producer once again.

During a recent appearance on the Heavy Demons Radio Show, Dunn provided a progress report on the new Venom Inc. album: "So far, we have 24 brand new songs, and they are all at the first preliminary mix stage. But we need to get the vocals done. Tony ('Demolition Man' Dolan) usually comes to Portugal to do vocals in my studio, but with all the restrictions at the moment (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), it's just not possible. So we're just gonna have to wait."

Elaborating further, Dunn said, "The tracks are sounding great. Dare I say this, it sounds better than Avé. I think it does. Obviously, we don't have any release date for it at the moment. It's pointless saying to people, 'Oh, yeah, it'll be out in the spring. Yeah, it'll be out in the summer.' We just don't know — we really don't know. At the moment, The UK looks like it's possibly locked down until March, so nobody's going anywhere. And Portugal have shut their borders to a lot of countries, so getting in and out of places is just so difficult at the moment. So it may come down to Tony having to find a studio somewhere in London or whatever. I really don't know."

"Like what we did with Avé, I had a lot of the lyrics written for that album already, and then when Tony came over, then any gaps that were there, we filled them in together. We tend to work on the vocals and the phrasing and all that kind of stuff together. So maybe it'll just be down to Tony this time. I don't know. We'll have to see how the restriction situation goes. We'll have to keep a close eye on it and see what happens."

The new, currently untitled album marks the second recording under the name Venom Inc., while guitarist Mantas and frontman Demolition Man have a long history as recording artists together in Venom, M:Pire Of Evil and Mantas solo projects. It also marks the recording debut on a major label for multi-instrumentalist, Venom Inc. drummer Jeramie “War Machine” Kling (also of Massacre) who joined the band in 2018.




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Moribund Records will release Toby Knapp's new solo album, From The Aether, on June 11. The record will be out worldwide on CD, as well as all digital and streaming platforms.

"I hope to play some regional shows (possibly more) this summer to support the album," says Knapp. "Of course in these times it is too difficult to say for sure. Artwork unveiled soon."

"The Where Evil Follows album is coming along quickly with five songs already finished. If I can compete it within a month or two, it will most likely be out this fall. Where Evil Follows will also be released on Moribund Records and I will seek a vinyl license deal as well." 

"Mathias Kamijo of Swedish black metal band, Algaion, has begun a side project and I will be contributing guitar work to that as well. Mathias has already sent me three songs to start work on. I discovered Algaion twenty-six years ago and have been a huge fan ever since. I can only think of a small number of musicians I would actively seek to work with and Kamijo is one of them!"

For further details, follow Toby Knapp on Facebook.

 




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Orpharion is female fronted symphonic metal band from Istanbul, Turkey. After the release of their first single "Revival" in 2016, Orpharion is back with their new single "The Broken Seal" from their debut album A Faraway World, which brings symphonic metal and progressive elements together. The album was supposed to be released in 2020, but the band delayed its release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Faraway World will be a concept album with lyrics written by the band’s singer Ariane Imtholiel. A Faraway World is produced, mixed and mastered and released by Kublai Kapsalis.(Rec-Cat Records) The world of Orpharion is home to many epic adventures and secrets. The songs bring together the stories from different characters and events around the world. The new single "The Broken Seal" foreshadows the future dangers threatening Orpharion. More details and the tracklist of the album will be revealed soon.






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Oceanhoarse, the four-piece heavy metal outfit from Helsinki, Finland, has been operating for a couple of years with a relentless self-made attitude releasing a bunch of singles, an EP Voluntary Bends in 2019 and a live album The Damage is Done - LIVE! in 2020. The year 2021 sees the band moving up a gear with the German label Noble Demon. The brand new single "One With The Gun" displays the band’s love for vocal harmonies and crushing riffs accompanied with a strong message.

"’One With The Gun’ is about the twisted power trip some people seem to be on once they get a piece. There are constantly horrific news about the consequences of that 'I Am The Law' attitude happening all over the world way too often. So the statement the song makes is clearly really anti-violent even though the title sounds pretty menacing when you first look at it," bass player Jyri Helko comments and continues:

"We are really thrilled to start working with Noble Demon! The German label is a new player in the game, but the people behind it have a strong background in the industry and they’ve already managed to build quite an impressive roster around the up-and-coming acts like Mercury Circle and the newly activated Dawn Of Solace. We are currently starting the recordings of our first full-length studio album scheduled to be released this fall, so get ready for some Heavy F*cking Metal from Finland!"

The as yet untitled debut studio album is scheduled to be released in August 2021 via Noble Demon. "One With The Gun", the brand new single by Oceanhoarse, is now available on all digital platforms.

 




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Roman Empire-inspired epic death metal band Ex Deo - featuring mastermind Maurizio Iacono of Kataklysm - plans to release their new album, The Thirteen Years Of Nero, this summer. Iacono has checked in with a new update:

"Listening to the first Ex Deo mixes for the new album The Thirteen Years Of Nero. I'm blown away by this record ,you can tell it was spawned from a dark place. J-F Dagenais has created one of his best productions ever, the record gives chills down your spine... this IS one of the most evil , twisted and dark albums to come in quite some time. I'm unearthing the true Antichrist (as he was remembered) Emperor Nero was someone who really walked the earth and tested all limitations, he lives in infamy in today's modern world , it's REAL and I can't wait to share it with you all and if your feelings are senstive about history... too bad."

A previous progress report from Iacono reads: "Ex Deo once again commissions the one and only Seth Siro Anton (Septicflesh, Paradise Lost, Kamelot) to put to life the visionary and artistic cover artwork for the new album, The Thirteen Years Of Nero. Seth, who created the artwork for the now classic album, Caligvla, was the clear choice for this album according to the General of the XIII Legion Maurizio Iacono: 'Like any good strategy for battles, one must chose the right commanders in order to win the war.' The new pinnacle is coming your way soon via the champions of Ancoent Roman Metal, Ex Deo, on Napalm Records!"

Check out Seth Siro Anton's work here.

After three years since the release of their latest acclaimed full-length, The Immortal Wars, Ex Deo returned in March 2020 with a new single, entitled "The Philosopher King". The track features very special guest Francesco Ferrini of Italian symphonic metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse.

Ferrini provided the stunning orchestral score for the colossal track, which tells the tale of one of Rome’s greatest emperors, Marcus Aurelius - an important historical figure that Maurizio Iacono feels a deep connection with. The track also features pummeling production by Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Machine Head, Bullet For My Valentine) and Chris Clancy (Mutiny Within).

Iacono offers: “It’s been three years since the release of The Immortal Wars - an album that propelled Ex Deo to a new level. This time, we didn’t want to wait another five years to release new material, so we decided to release a standalone new single called, 'The Philosopher King' while we wait for the follow up album to The Immortal Wars. For this track, we asked our brother, the talented Francesco Ferrini, for his contribution on the orchestral score.

"The song is based on the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It’s a song that strikes a chord with me personally, exploring my life experiences and tribulations. I find myself very close to this man’s philosophical ideals - some I have struggled to understand, some I have adopted. He is the author of the famous book “Meditations” (now you know the influence behind the recent Kataklysm album). Stoicism is something I have been applying more and more to my life in recent years - self-control, discipline. Marcus Aurelius, while commanding the world’s largest army and the most advanced society in ancient times, was perceived as one of the most regarded and prosperous emperors not only economically, but also in military and social triumphs. This is an homage to one of Rome’s greatest, The Philosopher King!”

Francesco Ferrini adds, “When Maurizio suggested to join forces on a brand new Ex Deo release, he had me bought in straight away! This song was incredibly inspiring to work on, being such a powerful combination of drama and epicness. I’m sure everyone will love it as much as we do.”

 




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TOMAHAWK, the band featuring Duane Denison (THE JESUS LIZARD, UNSEMBLE), Trevor Dunn (MR. BUNGLE, FANTÔMAS), Mike Patton (FAITH NO MORE, MR. BUNGLE) and John Stanier (HELMET, BATTLES), will release its first full-length album in eight years, "Tonic Immobility", on March 26 via Ipecac Recordings. The official music video for the disc's second single, "Dog Eat Dog", can be seen below.

"It's a statement about competition, oppression, and unity — served up with a healthy dose of slapstick humor," said Denison of the Eric Livingston-directed clip. Patton added: "Dogs patiently wait, obediently, for humans to snuff each other out… so they can take over the world. Dogs rule!!!!"

Pre-orders for "Tonic Immobility" are live now, with the album available in the following formats: digital, CD digipak, and 180-gram LP in textured gatefold packaging. Vinyl variants include standard black, coke bottle clear (indie retail exclusive — 5,000 available), opaque metallic silver (Ipecac webstore exclusive — 2000 available), and crystal clear (Newbury Comics exclusive — 1,000 available).

"'Tonic Immobility' could just be something in the air we're feeling," said Denison. "It's been a rough year between the pandemic and everything else. A lot of people feel somewhat powerless and stuck as they're not able to make a move without second guessing themselves or worrying about the outcomes. For as much as the record possibly reflects that, it's also an escape from the realities of the world. We're not wallowing in negativity or getting political. For me, rock has always been an alternate reality to everything else. I feel like this is yet another example."

"Tonic Immobility" track listing:

01. SHHH!

02. Valentine Shine

03. Predators and Scavengers

04. Doomsday Fatigue

05. Business Casual

06. Tattoo Zero

07. Fatback

08. Howlie

09. Eureka

10. Sidewinder

11. Recoil

12. Dog Eat Dog

2013's "Oddfellows" was TOMAHAWK's first CD in over six years.

TOMAHAWK was dormant for five years after releasing a trio of albums: "Tomahawk" in 2001, "Mit Gas" in 2003 and "Anonymous" in 2007.

New York City's Broadway theatres have been out of commission for almost a year now. This prolonged pause has not stopped world-renowned opera singer Alyson Cambridge and guitar virtuoso Tony Bruno from creating a new show: "Rock Me Amadeus". After first announcing the upcoming show last fall, they are releasing their newest music video, "Love Hurts Uninvited", as part of a series of videos to build anticipation for the show. Arranged by Tony Bruno, the song is an original mashup that combines '80s rock of NAZARETH's "Love Hurts", '90s angst of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited" and the classical strings of Tchaikovsky's iconic theme to "Romeo And Juliet". Rock vocalists Dee Snider, Kia Warren and Chloe Lowery co-star in the video, showing off their vocal and acting chops.

The three co-stars portray individuals who are dealing with the complexities of love: loss of it, memories of it, and the hurt and joy that come from it. Each character clings to a token of that love lost — a scarf, a locket or a letter — each a reminder of happier times.

Directed by Matthew Stiller, the video was shot by Tyler Ribble and Pierre Tsigaridis, and edited by Simon K. Wheeldon in a neo-noir film style, in black and white with evocative pops of color, representing the show's classic-meets-modern ambiance. Filmed from both sides of the U.S., the video shows Snider from a downtown L.A. hotel room, while Warren and Lowery are seen on the abandoned streets of New York City and inside Flux Studios.

"Rock Me Amadeus" co-producer Tony Bruno says about their new video: "As in 'Romeo And Juliet', there's always more to love than the attraction. It's complicated, frustrating and painful at times. Some endure and some don't. This mashup was born out of that feeling which we have all experienced at one time or another."

More video teasers and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage will be released via the show's web site, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube every month through the summer to give fans a preview of the exciting experience to come. With the videos, Cambridge and Bruno aim to evoke the excitement of their live show as they move closer to announcing the show's opening dates.

"Rock Me Amadeus" is a new show that combines classics from different centuries. It brings the grandeur of classical music, the opulence of opera and the powerful emotions of classic rock and pop songs into one electrifying concert experience. Internationally acclaimed opera soprano Alyson Cambridge and rock guitar virtuoso/composer Tony Bruno join forces to create and co-produce "Rock Me Amadeus", blending an all-star cast of rock, pop and classical vocalists and instrumentalists with a full rock band, symphony orchestra and choir. The show is currently slated to open in fall 2021 in New York City.

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.

 

 

 

 



Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Rammstein (@rammsteinofficial)

 




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Apocalyptica is streaming a clip of their performance of "Inquisition Symphony" at Pol'and'Rock Festival 2016. CHeck it out below.

It is with great regret, but obvious and necessary compliance, that Apocalyptica has had to postpone their upcoming North American tour a second time to August/September 2021 due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that all tickets bought will remain valid for the rescheduled dates and tickets remain on sale.

Apocalyptica's performances will be comprised of new songs from most recent full-length Cell-0 as well as from the band's rich catalog. Lacuna Coil, who was scheduled to support on all North American dates, remain confirmed for the California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and Canadian shows. Support on the remainder of the tour is yet to be announced.

To keep the band's fans and everyone else involved with the tour safe at this time, the shows have been postponed to the following dates. Additionally, the Toronto show will now take place at Rebel.  

Dates:

August
16 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
17 - Plaza - Orlando, FL
19 - House Of Blues - Houston, TX
21 - Emos - Austin, TX
23 - Sunshine - Albuquerque, NM
24 - Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
25 - Mayan - Los Angeles, CA (with Lacuna Coil)
26 - The Regency - San Francisco, CA (with Lacuna Coil)
27 - Crystal - Portland, OR (with Lacuna Coil)
28 - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA (with Lacuna Coil)
29 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC (with Lacuna Coil)
30 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC (with Lacuna Coil)

September
1 - Midway - Edmonton, AB (with Lacuna Coil)
2 - The Palace - Calgary, AB (with Lacuna Coil)
4 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN (with Lacuna Coil)
5 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL (with Lacuna Coil)
6 - Rebel - Toronto, ON (with Lacuna Coil)
7 - Mtelus - Montreal, QC (with Lacuna Coil)
8 - Big Night Live - Boston, MA
9 - Webster Theatre - Hartford, CT
11 - Webster Hall - New York, NY




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Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, organizers behind Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting have been forced to issue the following unfortunate statement:

"We must announce that the 25th edition of Graspop Metal Meeting will not take place this year, and will now be hosted from 16 to 19 June 2022.

We would love nothing more than to welcome metalheads from all across the globe to Dessel this June but unfortunately that won’t be possible. The safety of visitors, crew and artists is always our primary concern. And we look forward to bringing GMM back better and stronger than ever in 2022! We will do our utmost to roll over as many bands as possible from the GMM 2021 line-up to our 2022 edition. The full line-up will be announced at a later time.

Ticket holders will be contacted by Ticketmaster shortly. More details will follow as soon as they become available. All purchased tickets for GMM 2021 will roll over to GMM 2022. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all you fans out there who rolled over their ticket(s) from 2020 to 2021! Your unwavering loyalty and incredible support in these times are what keeps us going. We’ll get through this together and we hope you’ll join us in 2022.

We are still hoping to give you a taste of the GMM atmosphere in 2021 – and will share more details once we have clarity on the form this concept will be able to take on as the year progresses.

In the meantime, stay metal, stay safe & take care!"

Visit Graspop Metal Meeting's official website for further details.

 




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Wacken TV has uploaded pro-shot video of As I Lay Dying performing "Anodyne Sea" and "Confined" at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air. Check it out below.

It was reported in December 2020 that As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis had been hospitalized after burning 25% of his body in a bonfire accident.

In a statement on Instagram, the singer said, “Keep your head up no matter what! I’m doing the best I can to make a thumps up on my way to surgery (in about 30 minutes).

“I apologize to my friends that I have not had the time to fill in yet on what happened. The entire gas cap fell off when trying to use a little from the trickle tip to get a bonfire started. Gas got all over my clothes and I ended up burning 25% of my body.

“I’ve been in the hospital since Saturday night, and I will be here for a couple more weeks most likely. Today’s surgery is to remove the remaining dead skin that we were unable to scrub off during dressing changes this week. It will be for the best so that we won’t have to scrub so hard during dressing changes, and that is a big relief for me. I am extremely thankful for the Burns center workers who are taking care of me.

“I will try to update on my recovery. It will be a long road, but I will get back to full strength eventually.”

 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 
View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Tim Lambesis (@timlambesis)

 




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Dragonforce guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman recently took a shot at writing what they have dubbed the "wimpiest" Amon Amarth song in 10 minutes during one of Li's recent Twitch livestreams. Check out the attempt below.

Li and Totman recently took a shot at writing an Amaranthe song. The end result was a song called "Cyber Sausage World". The guys took things one step further and invited Amaranthe vocalist Elize Ryd to sing on the track, which she did. Check out the stream below.




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Scorpions have uploaded pro-shot video of “Make It Real” live from Brooklyn in 2015 as part of their Return To Forever Tour.

The band previously uploaded video of "Going Out With A Bang" from the same show. Check it out below.




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Finnish prog metal band Wheel have announced their new album Resident Human.  The follow-up to their 2019 album Moving Backwards will be released on March 26, 2021. Third single, “Fugue,” is streaming below. Preorder Resident Human here.

"Fugue's title was inspired by a form of long-distance space travel in the Dan Simmon's series Hyperion Cantos. In the books, cryogenic fugue allows individuals to enter a form of stasis that enables them to cross vast cosmic distances; the convenience of this suspended state presents major risks however, such as brain damage. 

“Over the last year, many of us have been confined to our homes as the pandemic has continued to spread through our societies; alcohol consumption has increased and current data indicates that the mental well-being of many has suffered. Broad trends like these made me think of how despite the risks, many would choose to take a gamble with something as risky as cryogenic fugue, rather than continue to endure the radical changes Covid-19 restrictions have imposed upon all of us. In lieu of the possibility of suspended animation, many of us are choosing to sedate ourselves at home with substances and distract ourselves with the media at our disposal; to weather the storm as best we can and to wait for whatever is to come next.

“The events of the past year are likely to be generation-defining and honestly, I don't think it will only be in a bad way - there is some promising global action to address the detection of future pandemics, hygiene has improved and working from home seems likely to be a possibility for employees in a range of sectors that were previously unwilling to adopt it. Unfortunately, despite this positivity, it is exhausting to read about Covid every day and the constant media bombardment of speculation, fear and hopelessness is taking a toll - I openly admit that it has affected me too. 

“Our social separation and the fear of either spreading or contracting Covid, has left many of us feeling isolated and disconnected from each other, but this is an illusion - we all want the same thing; to get back to a point where our lives are not dictated by this virus and however bleak things may look, this, (like everything else), will eventually pass. It is easy to forget we are interconnected and that we stand together; if we can endure this clamour, there is going to be one hell of a party on the other side. For now however, wine and Netflix will have to do." – James

Tracklisting:

“Dissipating”
“Movement”
“Ascend”
“Hyperion”
“Fugue”
“Resident Human”
“Old Earth”

"Fugue":

“Hyperion”:

“Movement” video:

(Photo by: Ville Juurikkala)




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New Orleans band Cane Hill have delivered the gloriously devilish and sanguine video for the new song "God Is the Enemy."

The track completes their Krewe De La Mort song collection. It began with "Power Of The High," which dominated the Devil's Dozen on SiriusXM's Liquid Metal for weeks on end, and "Kill Me”.

"'God Is the Enemy' is an honest comment on contemporary Christians and their skewed views of living Christ-like," says vocalist Elijah Witt. "From the hypocrisy of the church shielding its abusive history (and their present) to the blatant racism, control of women's bodily autonomy using the bible as a scapegoat — it's obvious that the followers of Christ have gone astray. 'GITE' implores you to imagine how the religious world would react if someone claimed to be the son of God again."

"Kill Me":




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Veteran metal band Images Of Eden announces its fifth studio album, entitled Angel Born. The album is the follow-up to the band's 2018 album, Soulrise, which was produced by the legendary Bill Metoyer. Angel Born will be released on March 26, 2021, via Pavement Entertainment. The instant grat tracks "Where Dreams Begin" and "Fight The Good Fight" are available to stream now on all digital platforms.

Stream the tracks and pre-save Angel Born here.

Images Of Eden is a fearless concept band that brings together familiar, well-loved elements of metal and rock combined with their own unique vision, message and delivery. The result is a distinct musical hybrid that speaks directly to the struggles and tribulations of the listener.

Singer Gordon Tittsworth and drummer Steve Dorssom say, "In the midst of the most trying times the world has faced, Images of Eden’s Angel Born is a beacon of light in a dark world that anyone can relate to. The album is a universal message of hope and inspiration conveyed through real-life struggles of hardship and pain that we all face. These inspired songs bring a real healing power to the soul and ignite all of the strength, passion and courage needed to face the harsh realities of the world today. It is said that 'music heals the soul' but you can truly feel the change inside as the music speaks to you. This is the very comfort and resilience we all need right now!"

Tracklisting:

“Autumn Is Burning”
“Angel Born”
“My Promise”
“Where Dreams Begin”
“If?”
“Killing God”
“Fight The Good Fight”
“War Room”
“Serenity Reign”
“Animation In A Still World”
“Marigold Sun”
“In Memory Of Me”




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