Four years after their Bloodwinter epic, German pagan metallers Wolfchant return with new energy and nine hotly forged irons. Their seventh studio album, Omega : Bestia, is to be released on April 9 via Reaper Entertainment. Pre-order here.

Today, the band presents the second trailer for the upcoming record and show and explain more about their studio and the recordings. Watch below:

On the new album the popular mixture of extreme metal mixed with timeless melodies, driving riffs and epic parts as well as the aggressive screams and the choral vocals were retained and expanded with a lot of flair by several nuances.

Album art by Peter Salai:

Tracklisting:

“Omega : Bestia”
“Komet”
“Into Eternal Darkness”
“Im Zeichen des Tiers”
“Der Geist und die Dunkelheit”
“Bestie”
“Jäger der Nacht”
“Out In The Dark”
“The Flame”

"Komet" video:

Wolfchant are:

Lokhi - Vocals
Nortwin - Vocals
Skaahl - Guitar
Seehb - Guitar
Ghust - Drums




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Earlier this month, BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski was convicted for offending religious feelings by a court in Warsaw. The charges stemmed from an image the Polish musician posted on social media showing a foot stamping on a picture of the Virgin Mary.

Darski was ordered to pay a fine of 15,000 złoty (approximately $4,000) and court costs of almost 3,500 zloty (approximately $942). However, since Darski has contested the judgement, the case will now go to trial.

In a new interview with The Irish Times, Nergal said he is appealing his conviction because not doing so will result in him having a criminal record and therefore not being able to tour in many countries, including the United States and Australia.

"I don't think the public know the details of the level of harassment I have been through," he said. "It is getting monstrous, and it is a growing tide of censorship and harassment. Every few weeks, I have to check myself in at the police and go for different hearings and spend a fortune on lawyers with all the costs around court cases.

"I am being the perfect target," he continued. "The Polish authorities just pick on me. It is not a secret that a prosecution officer has me as his favorite scapegoat. He follows my Instagram account. Can you imagine that? It's insane and absolutely unprecedented."

After Darski shared the image on his social media in September 2019, an ultraconservative legal group, Ordo Iuris, and an organization called the Patriotic Society (Towarzystwo Patriotyczne) notified prosecutors that Darski had "offended the religious feelings of four people," including a local politician from Poland's conservative ruling coalition, reported Notes From Poland.

Poland is a predominantly Catholic country and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party's policies are strongly in line with Catholic teachings.

"We are going backwards in time, more backward thinking," Nergal told The Irish Times. "It is a violation of the most basic human laws. It is not just me. There are different artists being harassed by police and self-proclaimed censors.

"They forget that Poland is still a pluralisatic country," he continued. "It is not a Catholic or a totalitarian state. We are a democratic and pluralistic democracy, which means we can say what we want about other religions. The authorities are trying to censor us and shut us down.

"We can't be part of the European Union if we are upholding different standards. We have a blasphemy law, and we are the only country in Europe that still holds to that law — and that is insane. That is an excuse for all of those people, all those opportunists. I must win, because we can't see my case becoming a precedent. People like myself need to be protected to freely express themselves."

Article 196 of Poland's penal code says that "Whoever offends the religious feelings of other persons by publicly insulting an object of religious worship, or a place designated for public religious ceremonies, is liable to pay a fine, have his or her liberty limited, or be deprived of his or her liberty for a period of up to two years."

Amnesty International has previously called on the Polish authorities to repeal or amend legal provisions, such as article 196 of the Criminal Code, that criminalize statements protected by the right to freedom of expression.

According to Human Rights Watch, international human rights law permits states to impose certain restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression only if such restrictions are provided by law and are demonstrably necessary and proportionate for the protection of certain specified public interests (national security, public order, protection of health or morals) or for the protection of the rights of others (including the right to protection against discrimination).

This is not the first time Nergal has encountered legal problems in Poland related to his social media activities. Back in January 2018, it was announced that Nergal was being formally charged by Polish authorities in a case involving BEHEMOTH's "Republic Of The Unfaithful" tour artwork and merchandise, which was said to be "insulting" to the national coat of arms of Poland, a stylized white eagle with a golden beak and talons, and wearing a golden crown, in a red shield. Nergal and Maciej G., who, as the band's webmaster, promoted the tour online, were accused of publicly affronting the Polish national emblem, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. Also charged was Rafał Wechterowicz, the graphic artist who worked on the BEHEMOTH artwork. Three months later, Nergal posted an update via Instagram, revealing that "all the absurd charges" against him were "dismissed."

In 2011, Nergal was acquitted in Poland on charges he insulted religious sentiment when he called the Catholic Church "the most murderous cult on the planet" during the band's September 2007 performance in Gdynia and tore up a copy of the Bible, calling it "a book of lies."
























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All aboard! The world’s favourite Pirate Metal Drinking Crew, Alestorm, are taking you on a wild, wet ride across the seven seas with their new live album/DVD/BluRay, Live In Tilburg, out May 28 via Napalm Records.

Starting within the very first seconds of the energetic “Keelhauled”, it is crystal clear that Alestorm are one of the most creative and unique live bands out there today - and judging by Tilburg’s incredible live audience of 3,000 fans, the band’s unmatched energy leaves no one standing still. Feast your eyes on Alestorm’s exciting funfest of a live show experience - featuring everyone’s favourite giant blow-up rubber ducky and loads of alcohol - from the comfort of your own couch.

Christopher Bowes about Live In Tilburg: "Oh wow! Live concerts! Remember those? Nah, me neither. Anyway, a  couple of years ago we played a giant show at the 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands. It was a whole lot of fun. We even filmed the whole thing. And when we released the recording for free on YouTube last year, a whole bunch of you said you really liked it. And being the treasure-hungry sellout pirates that we are, it made us realize we could  probably convince a bunch of you to buy it if we wrapped it in plastic and stuck it in a big wooden box. We even added some low-effort bonus features. Enjoy!"

Excellently produced and mixed by the renowned Lasse Lammert, who has already been involved in Alestorm’s studio albums Curse Of The Crystal Coconut, No Grave But The Sea, Sunset On The Golden Age and many more, Live In Tilburg features an amazing mix of Alestorm’s most beloved hits like “Drink“, “Mexico”, “Alestorm”, “Hangover”, “The Sunk’n Norwegian” and of course, “Fucked With An Anchor”.

The live album will be available on splatter-colored double-LP with a slipmat and a patch, as well as on mint colored and golden colored vinyl. The special edition of Live In Tilburg comes in a wooden box, along with a CD+DVD, a mediabook and a 7-inch vinyl  featuring two new acoustic Alestorm cover songs! Live In Tilburg’s immersive experience is the true definition of what Alestorm is all about - an endless fountain of foot-stomping, riff-busting, piratical singalong fun. A must-have for all the filthy landlubbers out there.

Live In Tilburg will be available in the following formats:

- Deluxe Wooden Box: Mediabook, 7" Single (2 Acoustic Cover Songs), Lanyard + Pass, Alestorm Flag
- 2-LP Gatefold (Mint) + DVD
- 2-LP Gatefold (Yellow) + DVD, Slipmat & Patch
- 2-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black) + DVD
- BluRay/DVD/CD Mediabook
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"Keelhauled"
"Alestorm"
"Magnetic North"
"Mexico"
"Over The Seas"
"The Sunk'n Norwegian"
"No Grave But The Sea"
"Nancy The Tavern Wench"
"Rumpelkombo"
"1741 (The Battle Of Cartagena)"
"Drunken Sailor"
"Hangover"
"Pegleg Potion"
"Bar ünd Imbiss"
"Captain Morgan's Revenge"
"Shipwrecked"
"Drink"
"Wolves Of The Sea"
"Fucked With An Anchor"

Lineup:

Christopher Bowes - vocals, keytar
Gareth Murdock - bass
Mate Bodor - guitar
Peter Alcorn - drums
Elliot Vernon - keyboard

(Photo - Robert Zembrzycki)




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David Coverdale has offered an update on the proposed 30th-anniversary re-release of his collaboration with Jimmy Page. The well-received COVERDALE PAGE set was recorded in several studios on both sides of the Atlantic over the winter of 1991-92 before it was finally released in March 1993.

Asked during a February 18 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if there has been any progress on a possible reissue of COVERDALE PAGE's eponymously titled LP, David said: "Well, I've gotta tell you, there's been immense progress. I finally reached a very positive agreement with my former record company regarding missing assets. And I got the rights to the COVERDALE PAGE album. So, of course, my first phone call was to Jimmy, and I said, 'We've got it. We've got it back, and we can do with it what we want.' And, of course, Jimmy is in lockdown in the U.K., where it's really very heavy duty [with the pandemic]. So he's in his country estate… I literally just texted Jimmy two days ago, and I said, 'Jimmy, I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch.' But we're resuming contact starting next week to discuss. I've got a couple of ideas. I wanna see if we can write courtesy of FaceTime or Zoom. I've got a couple of ideas which I think would be good for if indeed we can get back into the studio and plan for a very big, luxurious, complete box set [for] the 30th anniversary in 2023."

As for what extra material might surface on the expanded "Coverdale Page" set, the WHITESNAKE singer said: "We've got four unreleased tracks, which just need to be mixed. But since we reconnected, I've been messing around, writing at home. And I have two ideas which could make really fun tracks — just to throw at him and 'see what you can do with this.' The way we did it before — we wrote really very potent music together.

"The other thing that I recommended to him was, 'Let's remaster the original, but I'd love you, in England, with a mixer of your choice, to do the Jimmy Page mix of the album, and I'll do the David Coverdale mix as bonus stuff,'" he continued. "And I think that'd be great. He trusts me, I trust him, and I think it would be great for the fans to get Jimmy's take on it, 'cause we did everything 50/50 on the project. It was an amazing three years together. I loved it. So, yeah, that's definitely in the pipeline."

According to David, it is unlikely that work on the "Coverdale Page" reissue will begin in earnest for several months while the entire world is struggling to come out of the colossal impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

"At this moment in time, at his country estate, I don't think [Jimmy] has a studio," he said. "And he certainly doesn't wanna drive into London. He and I are target ages for this dreadful virus. So I completely support him in that scenario, 'cause there isn't any rush. Nothing is gonna be going on this year. Even if we have the opportunity of recording, I can record stuff over here, send him the drive for him to do his part, and we can mix it through the technology now, which is something you couldn't do before. But I have a studio at home, and Jimmy doesn't. So I'm hoping we can get some new bits and pieces and ideas and put that into play next year when it will be safer to get around."

Upon its release, "Coverdale Page" sold strongly, peaking at No. 4 on the U.K. album chart and No. 5 in the U.S. The album eventually went platinum in the U.S., despite the fact that the project as a whole was marred by the "LED ZEPPELIN clone" tag, including from ZEPPELIN frontman Robert Plant, who openly expressed his disdain for Coverdale, referring to him as "David Cover-version." Coverdale was equally vitriolic in his response, saying about the LED ZEPPELIN singer, "There's certainly no love lost between myself and Robert… I wouldn't send him cat food if he was starving."

Coverdale later apologized to Plant, saying in a 2013 interview with TeamRock Radio's "Classic Rock Magazine Show": "I hold [Plant] in the highest esteem as a human being, and as an artist, and I really would like to, you know, sit down, buy him a drink, shake hands and say: 'I'm really sorry," you know, "Can we be friends again?' I don't hold any animosity, just disappointment in myself that I took the bait and ran with some ugly things. Because it's not appropriate for somebody I respect so much."

Evergrey will release their new album, Escape Of The Phoenix, tomorrow, Friday, February 26, via AFM Records. Pre-orders can be placed at this location.

Watch a lyric video for the song "The Beholder" (featuring James LaBrie) below:

Written and recorded during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, Escape Of The Phoenix came to life according to plans that had been laid out in 2019. Tom Englund and drummer Jonas Ekdahl began composing the songs in January, creating a foundation for the album before Evergrey gathered together and arranged the songs as a group. Unlike a typical creative process, which is often interrupted by appointments, travelling and one-off shows, lockdown requirements gave the band much needed time to work unhindered. The result is 11 songs that embody everything Evergrey fans have to expect, albeit “a more metal version of “The Atlantic”, with songs that are more direct” according to Englund and producer Jacob Hansen.

Escape Of The Phoenix continues to showcase Englund as a powerful lyricist as he once again digs deep into himself, only this time he wasn't restricted by the story developed and told over the previous three albums. With this new freedom he was able to write about whatever came to mind, with subjects ranging from intensely personal, his view of the world, mankind, and personal relationships.

“I write lyrics for myself, to get things out of my system,” says Englund. “This has been my therapy, really, for the last 25 years. I'm very certain that if we didn't do this, I would be a much more miserable person. I've got to thank music for everything, especially having the outlet to write lyrics. There's a theory that writing things to yourself is therapeutic, and I think that's very true. The composing of the lyrics is extremely important to me; just as important as writing the music. Even more, sometimes. For me it's like painting a picture with words. I see really clearly what it's about; it's a world for me.”

Escape Of The Phoenix will be available in various formats - from regular CD digipak to limited vinyls (picture, marbled, coloured), also available as an Artbook (limited to 1000 units, 36 pages, 28cm x 28cm including CD version of the album with bonus tracks, 7” picture vinyl single with exclusive bonus track "The Darkness In You", exclusive and extensive photographic footage,  and introduction written by frontman Tom S. Englund). On top of that, AFM offers a special and exclusive t-shirt print and various shirt bundles in the AFM online shop.

Tracklisting:

"Forever Outsider"
"Where August Mourn"
"Stories"
"A Dandellion Cipher"
"The Beholder" (featuring James LaBrie)
"In The Absence Of Sun"
"Eternal Nocturnal"
"Escape Of The Phoenix"
"You From You"
"Leaden Saints"
"Run"
"The Darkness In You" (Artbook Bonus Track)

"Where August Mourn" video:

"Eternal Nocturnal" video:

"Forever Outsider" lyric video:




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During a recent episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show", the MEGADETH leader offered an update on the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album. He said (hear audio beow): "Lyrics, all done. Singing, almost all done. Guitar solos, in the process. And all the other little things that go on the record — the ear candy, the background vocals, the keyboards and percussion stuff — is also going down as we speak. [We're] getting solos sent from Finland by [MEGADETH's Brazilian-born lead guitarist] Kiko [Loureiro], which is a really cool thing. And I just got a really cool lyric from [MEGADETH bassist] David Ellefson sent over. Now it's my job to finish writing his lyric and make it into a song. And then that is going to be the last lyric on the record. So I'm pretty stoked. And I can't wait to tell you what cover song we chose for this record. I'll tell you soon. I think you'll get it. I've been giving you guys hints for a while. But I haven't really let anybody know."

MEGADETH has a long history of tackling covers of tunes both popular and more obscure, including Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", SEX PISTOLS' "Anarchy In The U.K.", ALICE COOPER's "No More Mr. Nice Guy", THIN LIZZY's "Cold Sweat" and BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid". "Dystopia" included covers of FEAR's "Foreign Policy" and BUDGIE's "Melt The Ice Away" (on the Spotify edition).

Last month, Ellefson told the "Rock 'N' Roll Icons With Bode James" podcast the recently announced working title for MEGADETH's upcoming album, "The Sick, The Dying And The Dead", will likely end up getting changed before the LP is released. "Like Dave said when he announced it, he goes, 'We usually end up changing the title four or five times before it [comes out],'" he said. "We had a saying back in the old days: 'Nothing's final until it's on vinyl.' So everything can change. Probably short of the name of the band, everything can change. It's all just a work in progress, and I think that's the beauty of the creative world. People wanna know answers, like, 'What does it sound like? Does it sound like this album? Does it sound like that album?' And it's, like, 'Hey, man, I can't really tell you.' It's a work in progress until it's done. And then once it's done, you'll hear it, and then we'll all have a little talk about it."

Ellefson also addressed Mustaine's claim that the upcoming MEGADETH album will be "up there with 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Rust In Peace' and probably 'Peace Sells' and 'Dystopia'." "I would very much agree," Ellefson said. "Look, MEGADETH has done a lot of stuff over the years. Some fans go, 'Oh, dude, make it thrash, thrash.' And we do — 'Dystopia' proved that. But you can't just be a one-trick pony. We've never been a one-trick pony. Even on the earlier records — 'Killing Is My Business' started with a piano. 'Peace Sells' had a song on it called 'Good Mourning', which went into 'Black Friday'; it was basically kind of an acoustic guitar bit. We've done a lot of different stuff over the years. So with MEGADETH, you get a lot of diversity. And the musicians that are in the group, I think we challenge each other; we raise the bar for each other. And it inspires us to keep creating next-level stuff. So I think that's kind of the beauty of what you get with MEGADETH — is you get a lot. You get a pretty big bang for your buck, I think."

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

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

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

Drummer Hans Rutten of Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING has confirmed that he and his bandmates are working their first studio album in almost a decade. "We have recorded a lot, we can say," he told Portugal's Underground's Voice in a new interview (see video below). "We have quite a lot of material. And we decided to work with Attie Bauw — he's the producer of the new album. And he also worked on 'Home' [2006] and 'How To Measure A Planet?' [1998]. We know Attie quite well — he's a friend of ours. With this material, we really [thought] that it would be good to have a producer, to not do everything on our own, but this time to use the magic of Attie.

"We recorded almost everything," he continued. "We still have to record vocals and some things, so we're not finished yet. But what can I say about it? It's a big trip. It's a big adventure."

Regarding the musical direction of the new THE GATHERING material, Hans said: "It's difficult for me to get a hold on how it sounds, to put it in words, really. You can hear that Attie is working with us; that's for sure. And, yeah, I'm very enthusiastic about it, but every musician is always enthusiastic about his new album. I find it quite difficult to say something about it. I think people have to listen to it. So we hope to finish it soon, and then we can show the world, in fact, how it sounds."

Asked if the new THE GATHERING album will be released in 2021, Hans said: "The virus is going on — everybody knows — but we really want to release it this year. So we are aiming after the summer, but it depends on recordings. We want to record with Silje [Wergeland, THE GATHERING's Norwegian singer], of course. It's difficult to travel right now. It's the idea that she's coming to Holland to record vocals, but it's difficult because of the virus. So we're looking for maybe other possibilities. But the main thing is we really want to have a new album this year."

Rutten also talked about what it is like to be working on THE GATHERING's first album since 2013's "Afterwords". He said: "We don't see 'Afterwords' as the last studio album. We all see 'Disclosure' [2012] as our last studio album, and 'Afterwords' was more or less a 'Disclosure' after-party. Frank [Boeijen, keyboards] and René [Rutten, guitar] really wanted to do some extra things — to make remixes. We had some sounds going on and some ideas, so we devoped into a sort of — it's a mini album, maybe, but it's a long album. But that said, we don't see it as a full-length album of THE GATHERING, more as sort of an EP kind of thing."

According to Hans, the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic afforded him and his bandmates the perfect opportunity to focus on making a new album.

"It's strange, because touring is really impossible," he said. "Everything is unsure, especially this year, and I'm afraid it will take a while [before we can go back on the road]; it will become difficult to tour. On the other hand, what we can do is make new music, and you can do it at a distance, of course — send files, send ideas to each other. And that's the thing we can do, and that's what we did the last year, 2020. [We] bounced back e-mails with files, and that's what we did. So we tried really to focus on making new material — writing new material, talking about it. So that's what we did. The main focus was really writing. And, yeah, the virus, what can we do? What can we say about it? Did it influence the new music. I think so, but on other hand, it's difficult to say because we're still into it. It's difficult to say something about it. I think we have to wait after the whole thing. When it's totally over, maybe we can say what was the influence. But it's difficult to say about it right now."

Released in September 2013, "Afterwords" contained three songs that originally appeared on the "Afterlights" EP in 2012, two "Disclosure" remakes, three brand new THE GATHERING tracks and a cover version of a song called "Areas".

"Disclosure" arrived in September 2012 via THE GATHERING's own Psychonaut Records.




Work in progress!

Cheers, Silje/Frank/René/Hugo/Hans

#newalbum #thegatheringband #thegathering #tg2021

Posted by theGathering on Friday, January 15, 2021

Obscure Fate was initially formed in 2008 as a solo project by guitarist / songwriter Kaleva Kovalainen in Paltamo, Finland. The band has released a new single, "Black Moon", taken from their forthcoming Raven's Call EP. It is set to be released on April 1st via Inverse Records.

The band comments: "'Black Moon' handles death and the feelings regarding to it. One can anyway interpret the lyrics in its own way. This track represents the newer productions for the oldest track from the EP is already composed over ten years ago. 'Black Moon' has appropriate amount of different elements combined that are established on Obscure Fate's music." 

Tracklist:

"Black Moon"
"Ancient Evil"
"Lucid Dream"
"Raven’s Call"

EP cover art work by Jarno Lahti. Pre-save the EP here. 

Line-up:

Kaleva Kovalainen - guitars
Tapio Härkönen - vocals
Jari Keränen - drums
Joni Moisanen - guitars, backing vocals
Antti Möttönen - bass

Photo by Tiia Jefremoff




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Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Messiahvore have issued their self-titled album via Coffin & Bolt / Golden Robot Records. To celebrate the release, the band have also unveiled a new video for the track "Cult Worship".

Messiahvore's first album features nine tracks. All the music was recorded live in studio, and then the vocals were added after the fact. "We were stoked to have tracked all in the same room with one another and bring the music with the natural energy, feedback and volume of our live performances," says the band.

"The recording was done in Denver in our own commercially run studio known as The Crash Pad. Bart, the guitarist and singer engineered the recording. We simply set up and test tracked, locked in the tones and let it rip. The results speak for themselves. We are proud of our first effort and are looking forward to sharing it with all the heavy music fans of the world."

"Lots of density on this debut release. Thick guitars and bass combined with saturated vocals. Catchy hooks but not overly commercial. 'The Last Word' is an epic instrumental that supplies ambient vibe for days. 'Betrothed' hits hard and is either about overbearing control or Vampires - You can make the call. 'Cult Worship' is one of our favourites and 'Doublecross' starts out with some Sabbath vibe then moves into desert rock territory. Messiahvore mixes elements of groove metal, doom, stoner rock and a bit of industrial to complete the sound."

For further details, visit Messiahvore on Facebook.

 




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Phil X needs no introduction, having been an integral full-time member of Bon Jovi since 2016. Phil and his band The Drills released "Right On The Money" in June 2020. Now they are back with a brand new single, "'I Love You' On Her Lips", out now via Golden Robot Records.

"'I Love You' On Her Lips" features Phil X on guitars and lead vocals, Daniel Spree on bass and backing vocals, as well as Gary Novak on drums. Gang Vocals by Steve Ferlazzo, Joe Lester, Matt Starr (Ace Frehley) and Marq Torien (BulletBoys). Check out the newly released lyric video:

According to Phil X, "'I Love You' On Her Lips" is TOTAL Drills. A hooky, energetic, big guitar punch in the face with wit and a little silliness. Everyone knows someone who says one thing and feels another. This is that with a twist." 

Phil X & The Drills have finished their fifth album, Stupid Good Lookings Vol. 2, which will be released in the near future on Golden Robot Records. Featuring a different drummer on every song, which reads like a who’s who with the likes of Tommy Lee, Liberty Devitto, Kenny Aronoff and Ray Luzier, the music promises to be extremely diverse. 

Phil X and his band, The Drills have been enjoying a rapidly growing international fan base supported by the release of five strong albums: Kick Your Ass In 17 Minutes (2009), We Bring The Rock N Roll (2011), We Play Instruments N Sh!t (2012), This House Is Not For Sale (2016) with Bon Jovi and Stupid Good Lookings Vol. 1 (2019).

First a prolific session guitar staple in Los Angeles, California, recording with the likes of Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Cornell among many others (and even extends to playing with Canadian rock royalty such as Triumph, Aldo Nova, Our Lady Peace, Avril Lavigne, Theory Of A Deadman and more), Phil X became known for hosting the Fretted Americana web show that boasted over 50 million collective views!

In March of 2016, Phil was invited to Electric Lady Studios in New York to record guitars and background vocals on the Bon Jovi record, This House Is Not for Sale. The album was released later that year reaching #1 on the charts with the album artwork including Phil in the band shots, confirming his position in the band as an official member.  

Phil X & The Drills are looking forward to delivering their "energetic guitar-driven rock that infects your senses with addictively great anthems" to the global masses!

 




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Blackened industrial doom collective, Culted, will be releasing their brand new full-length, Nous, on Friday, February 26. The band is streaming the album in full ahead of tomorrow's release. Listen below.

Nous is available for pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Lowest Class"
"Lifers"
"One Last Smoke"
"Ankle Deep"
"Black Bird"
"Opiate the Hounds"
"Maze"
"Crown of Lies"
"The Grid"
"Crush My Soul" (Godflesh cover)

Album stream:

"Culted" video:

"Black Bird" video:

From the icy expanse of the Canadian prairies to the Nordic coast of Sweden, industrial blackened doom collective Culted have long been innovators of creating music remotely, transcending both literal and metaphorical boundaries for over a decade. Michael Klassen and Matthew Friesen were first approached by Daniel Jansson to collaborate on an international project and come 2008, these ideas began to coalesce, with fellow Canadian Kevin Stevenson joining the cult. The band soon recorded and unveiled their first LP, Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep (2009), as well as the EP Of Death and Ritual (2010.)
 
In 2013, sophomore full-length Oblique to All Paths was released upon being written, recorded, and produced in various closets, basements, dens, and domiciles. After forming a union with Season of Mist,  Culted continued their down-tempo exploration of blackened and industrial soundscapes with 2019’s mini-album, Vespertina Synaxis; A Prayer for Union and Emptiness, which was inspired by the isolation, alienation, and damnation that dominates the rime-encrusted lands Culted inhabit. Now, the band is ready to unleash their most devastating and personal opus yet, Nous.

Nous was born in turmoil after members of the band endured a period of extreme personal experiences, both psychological and physical. The creation process was informed by disease, death, and the resulting existential crises. Instead of predetermining the direction Culted would take with their third full-length, the band allowed the music to speak for itself as it came together organically. Nous was a result of its creators attempting to destroy or ignore the egoic (that chatter and everything outside of pure consciousness that attempts to sabotage you of peace and rob you of the moment) and instead, opening themselves up to the unidentifiable and nameless muse of sound.

Culted further explores their relationship with doom, black metal, and industrial on yet another experimental effort in which the band’s collective agony is translated into something both nihilistic and tangible through dissonant soundscapes. Each song is a nightmare in the abyss, dragging the listener through caverns of inexplicable darkness and suffering.

Exemplifying the themes, meditations, and diatribes of the human condition, Nous, which roughly translates to “common sense” or “practical intelligence,” explores both the religious and conspiratorial processes of the mind within the framework of critical thought. According to biblical scripture, Satan convinced Eve that the most powerful of conspirators - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - were secretly trying to keep the first humans shrouded in a veil of ignorance, preventing them from becoming “like God” and “knowing good and evil.” Eve became the first in a long line, from Gnostics to flat-earthers, to believe powerful forces were withholding secret information. Nous attempts to know God or the inner essence or principles of created things by means of direct perception. Nous must be carefully distinguished from reason as it does not formulate abstract concepts or argue them using deductive reasoning, but rather, it understands divine truth by means of immediate experience. Thelema of the gods.

To further solidify these introspective concepts, the cover art is an interpretation of the Temptation of St. Anthony who was one of the first monks to retire to the desert to devote himself to fasting and prayer, which is an often-repeated subject in the history of art and literature, especially concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert. The art encapsulates both the music and lyrical concept, visually.

Culted is now inviting you to open your mind, abandon your religion, and to join the cult on this existential and devastating journey.

Lineup:

Matthew Friesen - guitar, bass, keyboards, noise and percussion
Michael Klassen - guitar, bass keyboards, noise and percussion
Kevin Stevenson - drums and percussion
Daniel Jansson - Vocals and noise




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Sleek yet hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll rooted in blues soul, The Dust Coda, clutch the echoes of rock’s most beloved household names, from the pure, raw poetry of Led Zeppelin to the nasty muscle of Guns N’ Roses, and bring them kicking and screaming into the 21st century with enticingly unforgettable riffs, gravel-soaked vocal soul and sheer swagger. Earache Records capped off 2020 by signing the band to a worldwide deal.

The band's forthcoming album, Mojo Skyline, will be released worldwide on March 26. Pre-order Mojo Skyline here on a range of great formats, including limited edition coloured and signed vinyl. A video for the song "Jimmy 2 Times" can be seen below.

The vivid album cover is extracted from the mind of artist Nick Dwyer, who is best known for his eye-catching designs for Beavertown Brewery's beloved brews such as Neck Oil and Gamma Ray. "I was trying to put across how these guys, who live and breathe destruction, dirt and chaos through their music might also spend their 'down time' inhaling weirdness from other not-so-obvious places," says Nick of the artwork. "They are on some sort of Natural Born Killers-esque trip, making a quick stop to watch a horror movie in the desert as the city disappears behind them.  It's a peyote sandwich washed down with whiskey and desert dust."

Tracklisting:

"Demon"
"Breakdown"
"Limbo Man"
"Dream Alight"
"Jimmy 2 Times"
"Rolling"
"Bourbon Pouring"
"I've Been Waiting"
"She's Gone"
"They Don't Know Rock N Roll"
"Best Believe It"
"It's A Jam"

"Jimmy 2 Times" video:

"Limbo Man" video:

"Breakdown" video:




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Disbeliever are coming back with their ability to take and twist words and sounds into their captivating gothic metal. The fivesome delivers a strong dark injection of emotion as it weaves catchy riffs and punchy rhythms with deep, soulful vocals.

Their dark and energetic new single, "Wherever Soul" is out on March 26. Pre-save here, and listen to a preview here.

The band comment: "'Wherever Soul' is the link between who we were on the Dark Days album and who we are today. a prelude to our evolution."




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Former Soulfly / Borknagar drummer Dave Kinkade has announced the debut album from his new project, The Monarch. He has issued the following statement:

"I've wanted to release this album for 20 years but I’ve always placed it on the back burner to play for other bands. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs during the ride to get here but it was completely worth it. When I left Soulfly in 2012, I had no intention of ever making music again. Between my lower back being destroyed and wanting to properly provide for my family, I couldn’t justify being a drummer and touring anymore. Since then, people always came out of the woodwork asking me to get back to playing and making music again: 'Don’t you at least want to do something small or play in a garage band?' After you’ve played massive festivals like Wacken, Sonisphere and all of those, playing in the garage again is extremely humbling.. but completely what I needed in life. 

I know it sounds completely cliché but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that in order to really be happy in life you have to do what you want to do. Don’t let yourself become completely consumed by the cycle of a 9-5 job that you don’t enjoy. Working just to die eventually... what the hell kind of life is that? 

So, this record is me 100%. It’s my take on human emotion and what’s wrong with human beings. It’s completely self-financed as I didn’t have a label to pay for any of this stuff. Not only did I write most of the music and all of the lyrics but I designed all the artwork, the CD cover and booklet. I’m literally selling CDs out of my basement. Even though I would love to have a label involved especially for the promotional reach aspect, I’ve been able to do all of this on my own thus far and it’s working. 

We’re making two music videos next month, again completely financed by the band... and it feels great. I’m really happy making this music with the guys that are involved with it. Each person is an important contribution to making it happen. The next effort is already underway and I plan on touring and taking The Monarch as far as I possibly can so everyone can experience this music. Also important for this age in music... there’s no politics. All of that shit has been completely worn out. We’re musicians, not political commentators.

If you like the music, share and support it. Our debut album, All The World’s Pain, is available worldwide today via Blood Blast Distribution." 

The album is available digitally on Apple Music and Spotify. Physical CDs can be purchased via Bandcamp here.

Tracklist:

"Tell"
"The Grand Scheme"
"Through These Eyes"
"Mundane"
"Last Dose"
"Seeing Through The Hate"
"All The World's Pain"
"Ending Civilization"
"Ouliving The Ashes"

The Monarch is:

Jarrett Roberts - vocals 
Tony DePaulo - guitars 
Justin Kellerman - guitars 
Jim Flynn - guitars 
Steve Doman - bass 
Dave Kinkade - drums




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Swedish heavy stoner rock favorites Greenleaf are about to draw their listeners deeper into their maelstrom of buzzing guitars and hallucinogenic vocals: The four-piece have just released their second single, “Love Undone”, along with an artful lyric video cut from their upcoming album, Echoes From A Mass, out March 26 via Napalm Records. Their new track delivers an uncompromisingly heavy soundtrack to a tragic past love story, drenched in the hypnotizing Greenleaf trademark sound and shrouded in a sludgy, heavy journey of extended riffage.

On Echoes From A Mass, Greenleaf boil over with stoner metal’s finest ingredients: Their main influences are rich with prog and psychedelic impact, adding a rousing vortex to the Swedes’ sonic offering. Heavy desert riffs, sprawling drum parts, catchy melodies and grooving rhythms make their new record an absolute must-listen.

Greenleaf on the new album: “2020 was a shitty year for sure but there was at least a little bit of light in the darkness, Echoes From A Mass was written and recorded! This is an album that we are extremely proud of and we hope you will like it as much as we do.”

Once again, Greenleaf prove that they dare to think outside the box and deliver a heavy roller comprised of Sebastian Olsson’s rumbling drumming performance, fuzzy guitars, Fröhlich’s haunting bass lines, Arvid Hällagård’s powerful yet ghoulish vocals and undeniable heavy stoner, southern desert and blues vibes. Echoes From A Mass was recorded at Studio Gröndahl in October 2020 by former band member Karl Daniel Lidén, who also mixed and mastered the record at Tri-Lamb Studios. Lidén is recognized for his work with well-known acts such as Katatonia, Bloodbath, Lowrider and Crippled Black Phoenix, to name a few.

Echoes From A Mass will be available in the following formats:

- 1 CD Digipak
- 1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- 1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Cream/Black
- 1 CD Digipak + Patch Bundle  
- 1 CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle

Pre-order Echoes From A Mass here.

Echoes From A Mass tracklisting:

"Tides"
"Good God I Better Run Away"
"Needle in My Eye"
"Love Undone"
"Bury Me My Son"
"A Hand Of Might"
"March On Higher Grounds"
"Hang On"
"On Wings Of Gold"
"What Have We Become"

"Love Undone" lyric video:

"Tides" video:

Greenleaf are:

Arvid Hällagård - vocals
Tommi Holappa - guitar
Hans Fröhlich - bass
Sebastian Olsson- drums

(Photo - Peder Bergstrand)

Alice Cooper's new studio album, Detroit Stories, will be released this 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 3: The Myth:

About Detroit Stories - Part 1: Hard Rock Capital:

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

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 will be 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 will 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.

Pre-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:

On Saturday, February 27 (check your local times), the entire Alice Cooper Band invites you to sit in on their livestream 'Band Meeting' as they catch up on what each of them have been up to, and quite possibly drop some 'easter eggs' of what's coming up in 2021. You can tune in here. Make sure to hit subscribe so you can receive a reminder... this is one meeting you DO NOT want to be late for!

The Alice Cooper 'Band Meeting' featuring: Alice Cooper, Nurse Sheryl, Tommy Henriksen, Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric, and Glen Sobel.

KISS have launched a new official “bootleg” live series, Off The Soundboard. Starting the series will be their epic performance at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on March 13, 2001. This show comes from the band’s vault of soundboard recordings, features Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Ace Frehley.

Off The Soundboard: Tokyo Dome - Tokyo, Japan 3/13/2001 will be released on triple vinyl via UMC - Mercury on June 11. The release is currently listed for pre-order via Amazon UK, and Amazon US.

Check out the tracklisting below, and stay tuned for further details.

Tracklisting:

Side One
"Detroit Rock City"
"Deuce"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Talk To Me"

Side Two
"I Love It Loud"
"Firehouse"
"Do You Love Me"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Heaven’s On Fire"

Side Three
"Let Me Go Rock & Roll"
"Shock Me" / Guitar Solo

Side Four                                     
"Psycho Circus"
"Lick It Up" / Bass Solo
"God Of Thunder" / Drum Solo

Side Five
"Cold Gin"
"100,000 Years"
"Love Gun"

Side Six
"I Still Love You"
"Black Diamond"
"I Was Made For Lovin’ You"
"Rock And Roll All Nite"

French-Norwegian symphonic metal institution, Sirenia, have released a solo playthrough video for "This Curse Is Mine", a track from their tenth studio album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, out now via Napalm Records. Watch below:

On Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, Sirenia remain as true to their album title word-play as they do to their dedication to symphonic soundscapes, drawing the listener into a pounding narrative about the darkest aspects of life. All eleven songs accumulate step by step to an integral sound artwork, where the versatile mezzo soprano voice of singer Emmanuelle Zoldan always shines in high-profile. In addition, there are many enchanting, instrumental surprises lurking on the way that absolutely need to be discovered: With the opening "Addiction No. 1" the formation delivers an immense and catchy tune that will have fans of bands like Beyond The Black and Amaranthe falling in love immediately. "We Come To Ruins" is directed at all the headbangers out there and offers a contrast of harshness. With "Downwards Spiral", Emmanuelle is supported by the remarkable voice of long-time friend Joakim Næss on clean vocals, who has joined the band on previous releases.

Most parts of Riddles, Ruins & Revelations were recorded at Audio Avenue Studios in Stavanger, Norway, and mixed and mastered entirely by Morten Veland himself.

Morten Veland on the album: "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is Sirenia's tenth studio album. The album is very diverse, as a Sirenia album should be. There's a lot of material that shows the band from a new side, and there is lots of material that is to be expected from the band musically. All in all the album will take the listeners through a journey that will cover both familiar and unexplored musical landscapes. We hope that you will enjoy the journey.”

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations will be available in North America in the following formats:

- CD Digipack
- Digital Album

Order Riddles, Ruins & Revelations here.

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations tracklisting:

"Addiction No. 1"
"Towards An Early Grave"
"Into Infinity"
"Passing Seasons"
"We Come To Ruins"
"Downwards Spiral"
"Beneath The Midnight Sun"
"The Timeless Waning"
"December Snow"
"This Curse Of Mine"
"Voyage Voyage"

“Voyage Voyage” video:

"We Come To Ruins":

"Addiction No. 1" video:

Sirenia is:

Morten Veland - guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming
Nils Courbaron - lead guitar
Emmanuelle Zoldan - vocals
Michael Brush - drums

(Photo - Richelle ter Heege)

In the video below, Black Stone Cherry performs "Again" live for SiriusXM as part of Unleaded on Octane.

Watch a performance of the song "In Love With The Pain" from the same session:

"Again" and "In Love With The Pain" are from Black Stone Cherry's 2020 album, The Human Condition. It was self-produced and tracked in BSC bassist Jon Lawhon's recording facility, Monocle Studios.

Tracklisting:

“Ringin’ In My Head”
“Again”
“Push Down & Turn”
“When Angels Learn To Fly”
“Live This Way”
“In Love With The Pain”
“The Chain”
“Ride”
“If My Heart Had Wings”
“Don’t Bring Me Down”
“Some Stories”
“The Devil In Your Eyes”
“Keep On Keepin’ On”

"Ringin' In My Head" lyric video:

"In Love With The Pain" video:

"Again" video:

London, UK rock outfit Black Orchid Empire will release Live In The Studio on April 16th via Long Branch Records. The live EP includes one song from each of their critically acclaimed full-length albums. These ferocious performances showcase the band's huge sound and machine-like tightness as the three-piece thrives in their natural environment - the recording and rehearsal space that gave birth to so many of their monstrous riffs. 

Pre-order / pre-save Live In The Studio here. Fans can check out the music video for the first single, "Pray To The Creature", below.

Black Orchid Empire guitarist and singer Paul Visser about the new EP: "Playing live in front of an audience is always an incredible experience, but much of our music was created in a more personal and isolated place. Filming three of our favorite songs in the room in which so many of them were written, thrashed out, and recorded was an amazing experience which we can't wait to share!"

Tracklist:

"Pray To The Creature"
"Come In"
"Motorcade"