QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre has released the official music video for his solo song "Hellbound And Down". The clip, which was directed and filmed by Thomas Crane of killDevil Films, is a fiery visual that accompanies one of the heaviest tracks on La Torre's full-length debut, "Rejoice In The Suffering", which arrived on February 5 via Rat Pak Records. Todd's songwriting partner Craig Blackwell delivers a punishing guitar riff fronted by Todd singing and screaming as fans have not heard before.

Says Todd: "'Hellbound And Down' is about crossing a line and paying a price. Musically, it is an action-packed metal tune with relentless groove, varying vocal textures, and vocal range. This song once again showcases stellar guitar riffs and soloing by Craig Blackwell."

The idea for a solo album was always in the cards for Todd. With QUEENSRŸCHE tour dates postponed indefinitely, the world events offered Todd the opportunity to explore his ideas for the effort. Todd teamed up with Blackwell, alongside producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, to create a diverse heavy metal album that draws influence from different styles. These styles will surprise fans who only know La Torre from his previous work with QUEENSRŸCHE or CRIMSON GLORY.

From the album's opening riffs of "Dogmata" to the vocal acrobatics that drive the album closer "Apology", it is apparent that La Torre has a true love of heavy metal. With Todd playing drums and recording the vocals for the album, songs like "Darkened Majesty" and "Critical Cynic" offer an inside look into his musical mind. Blackwell's guitar playing provides the perfect musical accents to La Torre's vocals. Todd even finds vocal wails not heard from him before as showcased on the title track and the punishing "Vanguards Of The Dawn Wall". The deluxe version of the album features three bonus tracks: "Fractured", "Set It Off" and "One By One".

In a recent interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Todd stated about the differences in his songwriting approach for QUEENSRŸCHE and that for his solo project: "They're apples and oranges. They're totally separate things. I don't write guitars, really, in like a QUEENSRŸCHE way. That's not where I shine in QUEENSRŸCHE. I think my lyric writing and my vocal phrasing and delivery and that sort of thing, that's kind of my asset to the writing process for QUEENSRŸCHE music. I would never try to push this kind of style or sound into QUEENSRŸCHE music. I don't really write music — I mean, I co-write stuff with them, and I might have a guitar riff idea or something, but they're totally separate things, and I would never, never want to pollute the waters of QUEENSRŸCHE with what I'm doing."

He continued: "I think because I've been able to get this first [solo album] out, I think that my eagerness to do things with QUEENSRŸCHE definitely takes a backseat, because I have this other outlet to do those things. So, I feel less inclined to be, like, 'Oh, I need to scream here and show people what I can do on this.' I really want to just respect what QUEENSRŸCHE's sound is and not change. I don't want to change the style and sound of what QUEENSRŸCHE is and should be. I very much draw a line in the sand where, you know, I can experiment and try some things that might be fitting for a QUEENSRŸCHE song, but as far as pushing that on to them, I feel, because I got that done, I'm more relaxed doing the QUEENSRŸCHE stuff where I don't feel like I have to try to sneak in something heavier, because nobody's got to hear that from me. Now they get to hear a plethora of styles from me on this record."

"Rejoice In The Suffering" track listing:

01. Dogmata

02. Pretenders

03. Hellbound And Down

04. Darkened Majesty

05. Crossroads To Insanity

06. Critical Cynic

07. Rejoice In The Suffering

08. Vexed

09. Vanguards Of The Dawn Wall

10. Apology

Bonus tracks (deluxe version only)

11. Fractured

12. Set It Off

13. One By One

La Torre joined his first band BLACKWELL as the drummer, performing in high school talent shows and entering into the club rock music scene in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 2009, Todd was suggested to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning by a mutual friend to help with some vocal rehearsals in preparation for a CRIMSON GLORY memorial concert. This would pave the way for more collaborations with the band, eventually joining as the band’s new permanent vocalist. La Torre was the lead singer for CRIMSON GLORY from late 2010 until resigned from the band in early 2013. In 2012, Todd became a household name in the metal world when he officially became the new lead vocalist of QUEENSRŸCHE. The band immediately began touring globally and started writing new material for the self-titled 2013 album "Queensrÿche". To date, QUEENSRŸCHE has released three studio albums with La Torre: "Queensrÿche", "Condition Hüman" (2015) and "The Verdict" (2019). Currently the band is writing new material for a fourth release for Century Media Records.

Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH has launched the "Ordo Blasfemia" campaign which he says "will help fund a sustainable legal challenge to squash the existing and incoming bogus prosecutions" of artists who do "not conform to the archaic religious laws" of his country.

Nergal says in a statement: "My name is Nergal and I am an artist from Poland. For over a decade I have been confronted with numerous attempts to permanently destroy my career on the basis that I have harmed 'religious feelings'. It sounds absurd and I can assure you, it is.

"Many Polish artists, including myself, have been dragged into court rooms, at our own significant costs, to defend ourselves against nonsensical blasphemy laws made by archaic Politicans. Their intent is to censor anyone who does not conform to the archaic religious laws of our country. The time has come for Polish artists to fight back — join us in the Ordo Blasfemia.

"Your donation will help fund a sustainable legal challenge to squash the existing and incoming bogus prosecutions. Help us reach the target so we can distribute to other artists facing their own legal challenges."

Donate and find out more at this location.

Earlier this month, Nergal 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.

According to Notes From Poland, 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.

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.

"In the course of proceedings, the aggrieved parties were questioned and they clearly stated that their religious feelings were offended," said the spokeswoman for Warsaw district prosecutor's office, Aleksandra Skrzyniarz.

Prosecutors also consulted an expert in religious studies, whose "opinion clearly concludes that treading with a shoe on the image of the Mother of God is an offence against religious feelings," Skrzyniarz added.

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."

Jon Donais (ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL) and Matt Bachand (SHADOWS FALL, ACT OF DEFIANCE) have teamed up once again in the new band LIVING WRECKAGE.

The audio onslaught brought on by Donais, Bachand, Jeff Gard (DEATH RAY VISION), Matt LeBreton (DOWNPOUR) and Jon Morency (LET US PREY) is described in a press release as "a high-energy hybrid of hard rock and metal that has been a long time coming."

Donais comments: "I have been wanting to do a band of this style for a long time — good ol' hard rock/metal that fits somewhere between SKID ROW and PANTERA. I was lucky enough to find the perfect guys for this, and it’s great to be playing original music again with my SHADOWS FALL bandmate Matt Bachand. I can't wait to share some music with everyone."

Singer Jeff Gard adds: "We have a little something for everyone. Metalheads and rock purists alike can all come together to join the party."

LIVING WRECKAGE's full-length debut will be released later in the year. The effort is being produced and engineered by Shane Frisby (UNEARTH, BURY YOUR DEAD) and mixed by Pete Rutcho (REVOCATION, FALLING IN REVERSE). Expect the first taste of music from the band to surface very soon.

LIVING WRECKAGE is:

Jeff Gard (DEATH RAY VISION) - Vocals

Jon Donais (ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL) - Guitar

Matt LeBreton - (DOWNPOUR) - Guitar

Matt Bachand (SHADOWS FALL, ACT OF DEFIANCE) - Bass

Jon Morency (LET US PREY) - Drums

For more information, visit www.livingwreckage.com

Two-time-Grammy-nominated group RIVAL SONS has announced the launch of its very own label, Sacred Tongue Recordings, with distribution through Thirty Tigers. The band recently regained the master rights to several of its early releases and will reintroduce them to the world by first remastering their independent full-length debut LP, "Before The Fire" (2009), and self-titled EP "Rival Sons" (2010), on all DSPS, CD and vinyl — for the first time — on March 26. Limited-edition vinyl variants are available for pre-order at www.sacredtonguerecordings.com. They've printed up an exclusive run of 1000 copies of both "Before The Fire" and "Rival Sons". "Before The Fire" will come in an orange splatter variant, while the EP is available in a clear with gold splatter variant. There will also be indie retailer exclusive color-ways of each release in translucent orange and crystal clear, respectively.

Regarding Sacred Tongue Recordings, the band commented: "We've talked about creating our own record label from the very beginning. It's about creating a good home for our back catalogue as the RIVAL SONS community continues to grow together worldwide. The band has always maintained a stance of independence and sole custody of our early works was the long game. Introducing Sacred Tongue Recordings, a RIVAL SONS record label."

By looking back, RIVAL SONS also leap forward again as they continue working on more music and the follow-up to 2019's "Feral Roots".

"Feral Roots" not only garnered 2020 Grammy Award nomination in the category of "Best Rock Album," but also yielded a Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Performance" for the top 10 rock track "Too Bad", as well as the No. 1 rock radio single "Do Your Worst". Produced by multi-Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb at Nashville's famed RCA Studio A, and the equally legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, "Feral Roots" is available now on all streaming platforms.

Since their emergence in 2009, RIVAL SONS have quietly reignited and recharged rock 'n' roll with towering vocals, uncompromising riffs, and thunderous grooves. Following the independent release of their full-length debut "Before The Fire", they were handpicked to perform alongside everyone from AC/DC to BLACK SABBATH. Working with longtime producer Dave Cobb, the band delivered a series of critically acclaimed albums — "Pressure & Time" (2011), "Head Down" (2012), "Great Western Valkyrie" (2014) and "Hollow Bones" (2016) — as they headlined sold-out shows on multiple continents. 2019's "Feral Roots" broke new ground for the band. "Do Your Worst" shot to No. 1 on rock radio as their first chart-topper at the format. It also scored 40 million-plus streams and counting. They delivered an electrifying performance on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" and earned acclaim from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and many m

SUNBOMB, the project featuring L.A. GUNS' Tracii Guns and STRYPER's Michael Sweet, will release its debut album, "Evil And Divine", on May 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. The lyric video for the first single, "No Tomorrows", can be seen below.

According to a press release, "Evil And Divine" is "an absolute blinder of a heavy metal album, melding influences of classic metal bands such as BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST, with Tracii's love of metal subgenres, specifically doom metal."

Initiated and conceived after Serafino Perugino, president and A&R director of Frontiers Music Srl, reached out to Tracii about working on a new musical project for the label, the idea of a classic heavy metal-sounding album was born. The music style on "Evil And Divine" is much heavier than what one would expect from these two musicians and is firmly planted in the "metal" category. While Tracii wrote the music for the album, the fact that Michael Sweet has been writing/playing in an increasingly heavier style in the latter era, and extremely well-received STRYPER albums made him a very logical choice to sing for the band. And since doom metal, often known for having powerful singers like Messiah Marcolin from CANDLEMASS, was a massive influence on Tracii's songwriting here, Sweet's ability and range were a perfect match.

Tracii says: "SUNBOMB was an idea, then an experiment. When I heard the first vocal completed, I was blown away by Michael's voice. It's an exciting album."

Michael says: "Hard to believe that I met Tracii for the first time just a few years ago. We hit it off right away and we obviously share the same love for metal.

"Tracii sent me a song and I loved the vibe and then he eventually asked me to sing on the entire album.

"What I love about it is it's definitely different not only for me, but for Tracii as well. I think fans will love this album, and although it's reminiscent of some of the greatest metal bands of the past, it also has a fresh spin to it. I can't wait for everyone to hear it! I'm honored to be a part of it."

Tracii leaked the news of the new project in a March 2019 tweet, where he described the project's debut LP as "the metal record I would have made when I was 17 years old." In May 2020, he mentioned on "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that "the SUNBOMB record is really kind of like [L.A. GUNS' 2019 album] 'The Devil You Know' times three. It's more on the heavy side of 'The Devil You Know' album. And Michael Sweet, he's a really fantastic metal singer."

Drums on the album were handled by Tracii's old L.A. GUNS bandmate Adam Hamilton, and bass was recorded by Mitch Davis, with the exception of the track "They Fought", which features current L.A. GUNS bassist Johnny Martin.

"Evil And Divine" track listing:

01. Life

02. Take Me Away

03. Better End

04. No Tomorrows

05. Born To Win

06. Evil And Divine

07. Been Said And Done

08. Stronger Than Before

09. Story Of The Blind

10. World Gone Wrong

11. They Fought

Recording lineup:

Tracii Guns - Guitars

Michael Sweet - Vocals

Adam Hamilton - Drums

Mitch Davis - Bass

Johnny Martin - Bass (on "We Fought")

SMITH/KOTZEN, the electrifying collaboration between guitarists and vocalists Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, will release its self-titled debut album on March 26 via BMG.

The official music video for the disc's second single, "Scars", can be seen below.

Described by Adrian as a song which "starts off with a dreamy intro then comes in heavy," "Scars" is a hark-back to '70s bluesy rock which the duo found particularly fun to work on.

As Richie explains: "I remember 'Scars' being one of the songs we wrote in the very beginning of the process. There is something moody and mysterious going on in this track that I find quite engaging. This would be a great track for us to stretch out live for some guitar improvisation between the two of us."

As well as the pair co-writing, co-producing and sharing guitars and vocals, Richie also plays bass and drums on the track. The black-and-white video was once again shot on both sides of the Atlantic. Performances from the band take place in home studios in London and Los Angeles while outdoor footage juxtaposes the rugged beauty of the British Jurassic coast with the historic Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific coastline near Malibu.

Recorded on the Turks & Caicos Islands in February 2020, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley, this nine-track opus is a consummate collaboration between these two highly respected musicians who co-wrote all the songs and also share lead vocals and trade off on guitar and bass duties throughout the record.

Exploding with powerful melodies and harmonies, the album embodies the spirited attitude of 1970s classic rock with a melting-pot of influences ranging from blues, hard rock, traditional R&B and more, blending the pair's backgrounds and life experiences to result in a thoroughly contemporary sound.

Track listing:

01. Taking My Chances

02. Running

03. Scars

04. Some People

05. Glory Road

06. Solar Fire

07. You Don't Know Me

08. I Wanna Stay

09. 'Til Tomorrow

The record features special guest performances by Adrian's IRON MAIDEN bandmate Nicko McBrain on drums for the track "Solar Fire", and Richie's longstanding friend and touring partner Tal Bergman on drums for "You Don't Know Me", "I Wanna Stay" and "'Til Tomorrow", with Richie picking up the sticks on the other five songs.

Smith comments: "Richie and I started working together a couple of years ago. We'd been jamming as we'd been friends for a few years before that. We both share a love for classic rock and bluesy rock, so we decided to get together and start writing some songs and it went from there. Pretty much everything on the album is handled between Richie and myself, including the production. We had developed a really strong idea of how we wanted it to sound, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. There's a lot of cool songs on there that we are really happy with.”

Kotzen adds: "We had a very fluid process in writing. Sometimes Adrian would send me a riff and I would immediately hear some kind of melody or a vocal idea. And sometimes it was the other way round, so it was a kind of circular motion. We'd get together whenever we could and throw some ideas around and it just evolved, which was great because there was no pressure and nothing other than just a natural course and I think the record really speaks for that."

The album will be available in these formats:

* Digipack CD

* 12" black vinyl with embossed sleeve

* Digital (streaming and download)

* Limited-edition 12" red-and-black-smoke-effect-colored vinyl

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.

Adrian comments, "I think Richie and I complement each other really well. He's a virtuoso guitarist but he's got a great sense of melody — the whole thing just felt very natural."

Richie adds: "We found common ground in classic and blues-based rock — we both come from that mentality. We've been writing and recording together for the past year and I'm ecstatic with the results."

Smith has spent the last few months promoting his memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", which was released in September via Virgin Books.

In February 2020, Kotzen released his 22nd solo album, "50 For 50", via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc. The three-disc collection is just what the title implies: a collection of 50 previously unreleased compositions produced, performed and written by Kotzen in honor of his birthday. It's the follow-up to his critically acclaimed "Salting Earth" album, which came out in April 2017 via Headroom-Inc.

Seattle punk pioneers THE LIVING, featuring iconic multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Duff McKagan, are sharing their debut recording for the first time. "The Living: 1982" is set for release on April 16, 2021 via the Seattle-based Loosegroove Records, a label owned by fellow Seattle luminaries Stone Gossard (PEARL JAM) and Regan Hagar (SATCHEL, BRAD). THE LIVING featured a 17-year-old McKagan on guitar, frontman/vocalist John Conte, Todd Fleischman on bass, and Greg Gilmore (MOTHER LOVE BONE) on drums.

The recordings were unearthed by Gilmore who spearheaded the idea of releasing the music in some fashion. It made perfect sense to take the collection to the Seattle-based label Loosegroove, who had just resurrected the imprint September 2020. As Gilmore explains: "THE LIVING was the beginning of all things Seattle for me — a turning point in my life. I joined a band and a community. These guys are still my brothers. I've cherished these recordings since the days we made them. This record is a fantastic document of a loaded moment. I love it."

Featuring seven original tracks penned by McKagan, the album will be available in three different color variants of vinyl: white, canary yellow and translucent Ruby. First single "Two-Generation Stand" is out today with pre-orders available now.

The Seattle grunge scene has been well documented, but now, for the first time we trace the spark that ignited the early punk movement in the PNW. It started in a basement, like every Seattle music story does. The future GUNS N' ROSES bassist McKagan, at 17, had already appeared on 45s by FASTBACKS and the VAINS (even penning his first song "The Fake") before starting THE LIVING with Todd Fleischman on bass, John Conte on vocals and McKagan taking on guitar duties. They found drummer Greg Gilmore after placing an ad in the local music paper The Rocket. The band channeled THE CLASH, GERMS, GENERATION X, with originals by McKagan and punk-fired covers like "Beg, Borrow And Steal" (OHIO EXPRESS) and "You're A Better Man Than I" (YARDBIRDS/SHAM 69).

They opened for DOA in Vancouver and Seattle. "DOA was basically like my KISS," McKagan recalls in awe. With the band in top gear, they went into a studio for a day, with no plans or ideas how to release it. The resulting session attests to the furious power of THE LIVING at their peak. We are left with seven McKagan originals, delivered in pure blasts of adrenaline. The killer arrangements belie the youth and relative inexperience of the members. The angst, anger and energy in protest songs like "Live By The Gun" and "Two Generation Stand" are delivered with conviction, while "A Song For You", with its tight hooks, takes a more personal approach.

But it wasn't to last. "Things happened so fast in those days," mused Gilmore. Details are sketchy to the band's demise — and likely best forgotten. McKagan and Gilmore turned to TEN MINUTE WARNING, the missing link between punk rock and proto-grunge (whatever that is), before leaving to L.A. and the fables/foibles of history. Gilmore returned quickly to Seattle and helped form MOTHER LOVE BONE and eventually established the artist-centric label First World Music. McKagan has gone on to an amazing career, a lifer with staying power. 1982 stands tall and proud among the class of early-'80s Seattle punk.

Reflecting back, McKagan wonders: "Would this even ever get out of our basement? We had something magical then, and it was ours, so who gives a fuck!" After 39 years, THE LIVING is out of the basement.

"The Living: 1982" track listing:

01. A Promise

02. Two Generation Stand

03. Live By The Gun

04. A Song For You

05. No Thanks

06. Live Is A Terror

07. I Want

Photo by Marty Perez

CANNIBAL CORPSE's David Brodsky-directed music video for the song "Inhumane Harvest" can be seen below. The track is taken from CANNIBAL CORPSE's 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", which will be released on April 16 via Metal Blade Records.

Guitarist Rob Barrett comments: "'Inhumane Harvest' takes a look inside one of organized crime's more sinister activities: the human organ trade. Desperate buyers will pay a high price for a much-needed organ transplant to either save themselves or a loved one from certain death, which makes for a lucrative business in underground crime rings."

Comprised of eleven tracks, "Violence Unimagined" is state-of-the-art death metal played with passion and breathless precision, making for another flawless addition to what is inarguably one of the premier catalogues the genre has thrown up. "It really follows the path we've been going down for a few years now," states bassist and founding member Alex Webster. "I think we approach the writing in a similar way most every time: each of us try to write the heaviest, most memorable songs we can. We want each song to have its own identifiable character. Showing my age, I like to say you can 'drop the needle' on any point of one of our albums and quickly tell which song you're listening to."

While they continue to do what they do with aplomb, the one substantial change to CANNIBAL CORPSE is the addition of guitarist Erik Rutan to their ranks, joining Webster, founding drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, guitarist Rob Barrett and vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. Known for his roles in MORBID ANGEL, RIPPING CORPSE and most notably fronting the mighty HATE ETERNAL, Rutan has long established himself as one of the most dynamic forces in contemporary death metal. Simultaneously, he has built up a reputation as one of the most in-demand producers in metal, having previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

"I think the most noticeable difference on this record will be the addition of Erik to the band. He wrote three full songs for the record, music and lyrics, and his song writing and guitar playing have added something new, and I think his musical style integrated into ours very well," Webster enthuses. This is not all that he brings to the band. "He's a great friend of ours, so on a personal level, he's been a perfect fit, as we knew he would be. Beyond that, he's one of the hardest-working people I know, in music or otherwise, and he maintains a high-energy, positive demeanor in challenging situations where other people might go in a negative direction. This energy and great attitude rubs off on the rest of us as well. That's really a perfect situation to have when you add someone to a band, or any kind of team: someone who's great at what they do, and also inspires the people around them."

Already well known for the level of extreme technicality they bring to every record, on "Violence Unimagined", CANNIBAL CORPSE has further upped their game, particularly in Mazurkiewicz's drumming.

"I think we all pushed ourselves a bit technically on this one, with Paul probably pushing the hardest," Webster says. "This album is probably the most drum-intense album we've done yet. Part of that could be a result of Erik joining the band. His songwriting style often features technically challenging drumming, probably owing to his years of experience in high-speed death metal." And with typically dark and warped lyrical content, Mazurkiewicz came up with the fitting title of the record, "summing up what the band is about in every facet, and taking violence to another level of extremity."

With Rutan in the band, having him produce the record was a no-brainer at Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida — his central base of operation. Using the studio for pre-production, rather than their rehearsal space as usual, was a great benefit early on, allowing them to come into the actual recording process better prepared than ever before. However, their plans to record the album entirely together were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Webster forced to record his bass tracks in his home studio.

"I live on the other side of the country now, and that hadn't been an issue prior to the pandemic, I was still able to go to Florida whenever I needed to," Webster says. "So, I was scheduled to fly down for the recording in early April 2020, and of course that was at the very beginning of all of the lockdowns and travel restrictions in the USA, so I didn't go. Fortunately, I have a lot of experience recording bass tracks at home, so it didn't affect the sound of the album at all. I stayed in close contact with Erik and the other guys throughout the process, and it actually wound up being quite smooth. Of course, I'm looking forward to tracking in the big studio with the guys for the next album, but I'm glad this option worked well for us." And it would not be a CANNIBAL CORPSE album without striking artwork from Vince Locke, and "Violence Unimagined" is no different — this time, the cover featuring a mother eating her own baby, though Webster concedes that for censorship reasons, they have had Locke do a complementary piece that will be more widely released.

Now in CANNIBAL CORPSE's thirty-second year of existence, Webster still has the same hunger to tour, and though unable to do so while the COVID-19 crisis continues, the bassist hopes that not too much more time passes before they are able to get back on the road. Regardless, he is looking ahead and not to the band's past.

"We're very excited to continue this new chapter of the band with Erik on board," he says. "I think that a band should always be working to improve and trying to make whatever they're currently doing the best thing they've done, so that's what we'll do."

"Violence Unimagined" track listing

01. Murderous Rampage

02. Necrogenic Resurrection

03. Inhumane Harvest

04. Condemnation Contagion

05. Surround, Kill, Devour

06. Ritual Annihilation

07. Follow The Blood

08. Bound And Burned

09. Slowly Sawn

10. Overtorture

11. Cerements Of The Flayed

CANNIBAL CORPSE is:

Alex Webster – bass

Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher - vocals

Rob Barrett - guitar

Erik Rutan - guitar

Photo credit: Alex Morgan

Southern California rockers THE OFFSPRING will release their tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

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

The official lyric video for the "Let The Bad Times Roll" title track can be seen below.

"Let The Bad Times Roll" track listing:

01. This Is Not Utopia (2:38)

02. Let The Bad Times Roll (3:18)

03. Behind Your Walls (3:21)

04. Army Of One (3:11)

05. Breaking These Bones (2:46)

06. Coming For You (3:48 )

07. We Never Have Sex Anymore (3:30)

08. In The Hall Of The Mountain King (1:00)

09. The Opioid Diaries (3:01)

10. Hassan Chop (2:20)

11. Gone Away (3:16)

12. Lullaby (1:12)

In the summer of 2019, Noodles talked to Finland's Kaaos TV about the musical direction of the new OFFSPRING material. He said: "It's definitely an OFFSPRING record. There's songs that you're gonna hear that are gonna be easily recognizable as vintage-sounding OFFSPRING, for sure. One of the songs on there is gonna be 'Coming For You', which we released [in 2015], and that song is a good indication."

Speaking about THE OFFSPRING's working relationship with Rock, Noodles said: "We hit it off with him immediately. It's been a real comfortable relationship. He makes us work and he makes us try harder to be as best as we can, but he does it in a way that's cool — he's not being a dick about it. He makes us feel like we can do it. Rather than making us feel like, 'Oh, man, we're not playing good enough,' or whatever, or, 'We're not coming up with the best parts for this,' he makes us feel like we've got more in us and we can bring more to the table. So it's great working with Bob. We love that guy."

THE OFFSPRING's last single, the aforementioned "Coming For You", dropped in January 2015.

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

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

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

Iggy Pop has just released a music video for the song "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". The track is taken from his latest album, "Free", which was originally made available in September 2019 by Loma Vista Recordings. Featuring collaborators Leron Thomas (trumpet/keys/songwriting/producer) and Noveller (guitar/vocals/producer), the album holds a singular place in Iggy's canon — and has generated suitably unique praise: The New York Times called the title track "atmospheric and elusive' and praised the song "Sonali" as "a rushing, fluttering, quasi-waltz that hurries toward an undisclosed destination, whimsical but driven." Rolling Stone regaled Iggy's performance on the new record, "Pop flexes his baritone, expressing himself more clearly than perhaps ever before." And The Washington Post noted "Iggy haunts these new songs like a dignified spirit — which might make 'Free' an exposition on death, or transcendence, or both."

This past December, Iggy released a COVID-19-inspired song called "Dirty Little Virus". The vocals for the track were recorded at Safe And Sound Mobile Studio in Miami by Luis Gomez, while Chris Berry (drums) and Ari Teitel (guitar and bass) recorded their instruments at their respective home studios.

Pop's songs have been covered by the likes of GUNS N' ROSES, R.E.M., RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and SEX PISTOLS, among others. His 1990 album "Brick By Brick" sold more than 500,000 copies, and his 2003 LP "Skull Ring" featured the likes of GREEN DAY, SUM 41 and PEACHES.

Although his solo records were more commercial than those of his 1960s/1970 band THE STOOGES, he never broke through into the mainstream.

A reformed STOOGES recorded the album "The Weirdness" in 2007.

TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP, the newly formed hard rock outfit led by renowned drummer Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE, TED NUGENT, ALICE COOPER), will release its debut album, "Beat Up By Rock N' Roll", on May 7 via Frontiers Srl. The first single and video will arrive on March 11

"Beat Up By Rock N' Roll" track listing:

01. Heavy Load

02. Welcome To The Show

03. You Got The Cash, I Got The Flash

04. Make Me Smile

05. Do It Again

06. Kid Blood

07. Don't Be Afraid

08. Beat Up By Rock N' Roll

09. Got To Play Some Rock N' Roll

10. The Longevity

11. Power Of Three

Clufetos worked with such rock icons as Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 2010. That led to a spot as the drummer on BLACK SABBATH's last two world tours.

Earlier this month during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" show, Clufetos was asked why he did not record the drum tracks on BLACK SABBATH's final album, 2013's "13", on which the drums were played by Brad Wilk of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. "That's show business," he said. "That's all you can say. Not everything works out, but in the end, it works out. I'm glad I got to do the tours, and I think I made a good dent, and I was very proud of what I did on stage with those guys. I can't think about what I didn't do. They made a great record, they had a Number One record, and you can't argue with that either. So there you go."

Asked if ever had any pinch-me, "holy shit" moments while performing with BLACK SABBATH during "The End" tour, Tommy said: "Yes and no. Meaning, the best thing about playing with those guys, it's not that it was BLACK SABBATH, it's that all three of those guys, they may have their differences, but when they go on stage, they are a hundred and ten percent into being a group together, more so than anybody I've ever played with. It's a unit up there — that's what makes them so great. Tony [Iommi, guitar] may lead a certain part of the set somewhere, or a song, Geezer [Butler, bass] may lead a part, and this guy may step back, and that guy may step forward. And they're backstage getting ready for the show. They're not worried about Instagram or meeting people. Everybody on that stage, myself included, was a hundred and ten percent. That's what made it so great. On top of that, playing amazing, legendary, iconic music with the guys who wrote it and created it was undeniably awesome, and it was a privilege, and it made me a better musician playing with those three guys together. And that was an honor — more so than it being BLACK SABBATH, if that makes sense, because that's a special thing, that's a rarity, and that's what makes them BLACK SABBATH."

He added: "You can't have a career that all of these guys have had — it's no mistake for any of them, why they're still successful and people wanna hear their music. It's no mistake why Ozzy [Osbourne, vocals] is still successful. It's 'cause he's awesome. Tony is awesome, [and] Geezer is awesome."

Back in 2013, Ozzy told Billboard that the way Clufetos's exclusion from the "13" album was dealt with "wasn't very fair on Tommy. [Producer] Rick Rubin just didn't want to work with him for reasons I don't know," Osbourne said. "He's a great drummer, and he's been with me for awhile now and I just felt that nobody discussed the decision about Brad to me, and it's not fair to Tommy. Tommy was promised the album... It's not because he was my drummer and my ego wanted him. It was just the fact the way it was dealt with. It just got me a bit, it got me pissed off about it. It's all right now. He's a great drummer. I don't know what the problem was."

As for Wilk, Osbourne said he "did a good job. I don't have anything bad to say. He's a very nice guy."

In an e-mail to Billboard, Rubin explained that "Brad is a muscular drummer with great feel and understands the groovy nature of their music — RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is a groovy rock band, not a metal band — so it was worth a try. When they played together the first time, it was obvious he would do a great job in the seat [original SABBATH drummer] Bill [Ward] left vacated. Bill's a great drummer and I'm sure it would have been an amazing album with him. We all wanted him to participate."

Asked what happened with Bill Ward, who was announced as part of the band's reunion in late 2011 but bowed out a few months later, Ozzy told Spin, "To be absolutely truthful with you, I can't really remember. It was such a long time ago. There was the business side of it and the money side of it. We just didn't have the time to keep the people waiting another fucking ten years . . . We would have loved Bill Ward to step up to the plate, but it never worked out."

Ward claimed that he sat out the reunion because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

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

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

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

In a 2018 interview with The Oakland Press, Clufetos stated about playing with SABBATH: "All four of those original SABBATH guys have a very unique way of playing, four unique individuals creating a sound. You can't copy them. You've just got to get into the heartbeat of the music and do it justice. Hopefully I did it justice. I tried my best."

As for Osbourne, Tommy said: "He's a special guy. He has a special talent and a unique charisma unto himself that I've never seen before. He's just entertainment, all the way around. He's a master at what he does, and he knows how to entertain a crowd and give them what they want. He sets the tone, and you want to go to war with him. It's a great feeling being behind him."

According to Rolling Stone, GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose will star as an animated version of himself on a new episode of "Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?" The episode airs Thursday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST on Boomerang, and will subsequently be available to stream on Boomerang OTT.

Episode synopsis, as per Rolling Stone: "When Fred, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby take a road trip down historic Route 66, they encounter a mysterious group of mud men who steal the Mystery Machine. While stranded in the desert, they check out an abandoned diner 'to see if they have Wi-Fi inside' — Daphne's priorities — where they discover Axl, who turns out to already be buddies with Shaggy and Scooby. As the gang dives deeper into the case, each member begins to disappear, and it's eventually up to Shaggy, Scooby, and Axl to find their friends and solve the mystery."

Check out a trailer for the episode at Rolling Stone.

In July, GUNS N' ROSES announced the rescheduled dates for its North American stadium tour.

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" is the No. 3 highest-grossing tour in the history of Billboard Boxscore.

"Not in This Lifetime" featured classic-lineup members Slash, Duff McKagan and Rose backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

The band is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, Slash and McKagan since 1993.

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

Ljubljana’s underground legends Noctiferia have signed with Blood Blast Distribution for the digital release of their Reforma album, set to be unleashed on May 28th. The first single / video “Now You Will Pay” featuring David Vincent is coming on March 5th. In addition, Noctiferia have announced their livestream show due to take place on March 18th.

The band has issued the following statement:

"It is with great pleasure that we announce the signing of a worldwide deal with Blood Blast Distribution for the digital release of the upcoming album Reforma. We are looking forward to working with such a professional and experienced team!

"It’s with great pleasure that we can announce the release date for Reforma – tribute to Laibach. It was never a secret that we are fond of Laibach, their avant-garde approach to musical and visual art. And now we finally have the the whole package ready with killer songs, amazing guest musicians, top-notch production and visual presentation!"

Tracklist:

"Barbarians Are Coming"
"Now You Will Pay" (feat. David Vincent)
"No History"  
"Tanz Mit Laibach" (feat. Attila Csihar) 
"Eurovision"
"Smrt Za Smrt"
"Das Spiel Ist Aus"  
"Slovenska Akropola" (feat. Jørgen Munkeby)

Reforma is new studio album by Noctiferia, a tribute to the legendary and world-renowned avant-garde band Laibach featuring three big and legendary names of metal scene; David Vincent - ex-Morbid Angel, Vltimas, Attila Csihar - Mayhem, and Jørgen Munkeby - Shining. It was mixed and mastered by the award-winning producer Henrik Udd (Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, At The Gates, etc.). The artwork concept and design is the work of Jean-Emmanuel "Valnoir" Simoulin from French design studio Metastazis, known for their work with Ghost, Behemoth, At the Gates and Amorphis. The album can be described as a "crushing sounding mix of extreme metal and avant-garde music," with some very special and legendary guests!

Furthermore, Noctiferia will hold a livestream show, Noctiferia Plays Reforma - Tribute Zo Laibach at Kino Šiška' set to take place on March 18th. Get more information here. Tickets at this location.

Photo: Simon Pelko

Ex-TNT singer Tony Harnell, who has been in and out of the group several times throughout its four-decade existence, has told That Metal Interview that he still keeps in touch with his former bandmates. "[Guitarist Ronni Le Tekrø and I] just spoke the other day," he said. "So, yeah, we're gonna be old together someplace on the planet. We're brothers for life, and I expect that we will do some more music together at some point soon."

Asked if there is any chance of him making another studio album with TNT at some point in the future, Harnell said: "Yeah, I think there is hope for that. And Ronni and I have always also wanted to do music together outside of that, so I think both things are possible. It just depends on… Right now, we're trying to make some early, very tentative plans, but it's very hard with COVID going on at the moment."

Tony also talked about the regrets he has about how he and the other members of TNT handled their success back in the late 1980s and whether he wishes they could have done things differently. He said: "Oh, gosh, yeah. We made a lot of terrible decisions along the way, like most young musicians do. I think probably the main thing, if I were to talk to a young musician today, I'd have quite a lot to say, but I think the main thing would be, 'Just stay focused on the business as much as the music and the creative part.' We had people, of course — top-notch people — working with us, but we put a lot of faith in them and put a little too much faith in a lot of people. And I think that had we been a little bit more on top of that, things would have gone quite differently for us. But I think we were having a lot of fun, and I think we were really focused on the music. So, for the most part, I don't look back. I mean, I can clearly see things that we did that, had we done 'em differently, could have changed the course of our career, but I don't sit and dwell on those things and get upset about it. It's not worth it. But I'm really proud of what we did."

Harnell's most recent split with TNT took place in October 2017, less than a year and a half after he rejoined the group. He later described his relationship with TNT in an "Unphiltered" interview as "a very long marriage. I'm here [in New York], they're there [in Norway] — they're across the pond really far away. It's a very difficult situation to be in without having a very unified business organization, and no matter what I did, I could not get the thing unified. We were just on two totally separate not only continents physically, but mentally, psychologically, we were on two different continents as well."

Harnell said that he "really, really wanted" his latest collaboration with TNT to work out. "In my opinion, this was gonna be it — we were gonna stay together until I didn't feel like singing anymore," he said. 'I was gonna do other things and do other projects and so forth, but my goal was that TNT woud be my band for at least another five years, maybe 10 years or whatever, until it ran its course. So this was kind of an unexpected thing."

In a 2019 interview with "80's Glam Metalcast", Le Tekrø said that he was still on good terms with Harnell. "Definitely," he said. "We talk regularly and we're even discussing making a kind of Page/Plant album, a Harnell/Le Tekrø album, which could maybe lead into something in the future. But I think me and Tony Harnell — I'm speaking not on behalf of him, but on behalf of myself — we need a different playground to do more extensive hard rock with other ideas, whereas TNT is more limited to a [specific] sound. You see what I mean? So, we're definitely buddies, and that will last forever. We don't hate each other, and we never did. That was never the [case]."

TNT's latest studio album, "XIII", came out in June 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The band's thirteenth LP was TNT's first to feature new vocalist Baol Bardot Bulsara, who replaced Harnell. Baol is a Spanish singer whose debut with TNT happened in front of 8,000 fans in November 2017 when the band opened for German hard rock legends the SCORPIONS in Oslo, Norway.

Polish progressive rock masters Riverside have released their legendary Out Of Myself debut album from 2003 for the first time ever via InsideOut Music worldwide (outside of Poland). In order to promote the much overdue re-issue and at the same time remind about the recent Lost’n’Found - Live In Tilburg release, the live-version of "The Same River" - the epic opening track of Out Of Myself - from said retrospective live-album has been released.

Check out the live-clip for “The Same River" - live in Tiburg - below.

Riverside's Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment:

"During the pandemic, Riverside have clearly given in to retromania, reissuing some older releases every now and again. The reissue of our first album, Out Of Myself, is perfectly justified though, as this year we are celebrating our 20th anniversary and we wanted to start the celebrations on a high note. We played our first song, 'The Same River', also at the concert in Tilburg in 2015. Today we can smile at the infamous slip-up with the guitar which stopped working at the beginning of the song, making the intro last what seemed like forever. It was a good time. I hope that the reissue of Out Of Myself, this time on InsideOutMusic, will also be symbolic. Retuning to good memories is a much needed reflection these days, and it may as well herald the beginning of changes for the better."
 
Out Of Myself is available as Special Edition CD Digipak & Sticker and as LP on 180g vinyl, with the entire album on CD as bonus. This re-issue comes with artwork by Travis Smith (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Psychotic Waltz, etc.) and its vinyl version was re-mastered by Dan Swanö / Unisound (Katatonia, Opeth, Nightingale, etc.).

Get the Out Of Myself re-issue here.

Tracklist:

"The Same River"
"Out Of Myself"
"I Believe"
"Reality Dream"
"Loose Heart"
"Reality Dream II"
"In Two Minds"
"The Curtain Falls"
"OK"
 
The vinyl-re-issue of “Out Of Myself” is available in the following versions:
 
- Black LP+CD - unlimited
- Orange LP+CD - 100x copies from IOM webshop Europe (Sold out!)
- Clear LP+CD - 200x copies from IOM webshop Europe (Sold out!)
- Grey LP+CD - 400x copies from CM Distro Europe (Sold out!)
- Bright gold LP+CD - 200x copies from JPC
- Yellow LP+CD - 200x copies from Burning Shed
- Transp. petrol green LP+CD - 300x copies from Just For Kicks
- Light pink LP+CD - 200x copies from Nuclear Blast
- Transp. red LP+CD - 100x copies from Riverside
- Creamy white LP+CD - 300x copies from IOM USA

Stryper frontman Michael Sweet recently revealed he is releasing the original solo version of the band's 2005 reunion album, Reborn, entitled Reborn Again. He has checked in with the following update: 

"The story of Reborn Again...

After the 2003 Stryper Celebration Tour, I came home and immediately started working on a new solo album. I recorded 10 songs/demos at my home studio and then booked time at Blue Jay and Mixed Emotions to record the album. Once it was complete, I started shopping to a number of labels. I was about to sign a deal when I wound up performing with Stryper in FL in 2004, and I played the music for the guys while we were there. They loved what they heard and we ultimately decided to reform and head back into the studio to make it a Stryper album and to officially reunite. The arrangements of the original songs did not change at all. It was re-recorded and released on 8/16/2005 and titled Reborn under the Stryper name.

After years of requests and a lot of thought, I decided to release the original versions / tracks and add some things that I felt were always missing: guitar solos, high vocal notes, more rhythm guitars, synth parts and an alternate version of 'Passion'. The original drums and bass are clean and punchy and Derek and Lou did an outstanding job laying down the foundation. I’ve always wanted everyone to hear what these guys did and how well they did it!

So, here we are! Kenny Lewis and I decided to make those changes and reproduce the original version for all of you to hear. I couldn’t be more pleased. 
It was always a dream of mine to be able to offer this version to all of you and I really believe that you’re gonna love it! I’m so excited to finally be able to bring you Reborn Again!

Available now for preorder at this location. I’ll be autographing every copy, CD & Vinyl. Reserve your copy now!"

Tracklist:

"Open Your Eyes"
"Reborn"
"When Did I See You Cry" 
"Make You Mine" 
"Passion" 
"Live Again" 
"If I Die" 
"Wait for You" 
"Rain" 
"10,000 Years" 
"I.G.W.T."

Sweet recently released an acoustic cover of the Stryper song, "Passion", the original version of which appears on Reborn. Check it out below.

Sweet: "'Passion' has always been one of my favorite songs. It’s powerful yet simple and its message is so timely right now. I wanted to release a brand new version of this song hoping that it will shine brightly in a darkened world. I pray that it speaks to you during these troubled times."

German heavy metal band Bloody Times have released a new music video for “Memorial”, featuring Oddleif Stensland (Communic) on vocals. The track is taken from the last EP, By Metal, We Send You To Hell, which was released in late 2019. The song is rather tender and melodic compared to the previous songs by the band. It’s dedicated to all who died too early.

Order the EP on Bandcamp. “By Metal, We Send You To Hell” features former Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens and is the one and only song by Bloody Times glorifying the might and power of metal.