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.

Toronto-based thrash metal band Mastery is the brainchild of the Swiss-born guitarist Markus Armellini. Their debut album, the blistering instrumental thrash opus Lethal Legacy was released in 2006 on Corporate Punishment Records (run by EMP Label Group/Combat Records’ Thom Hazaert) in North America and Sanctuary/Noise Records in Europe.

For their second release, the band recruited legendary M.O.D/S.O.D vocalist Billy Milano for the hardcore-tinged epic In The Key Of Kill, self-released in 2012.

In 2020 Mastery partnered with Combat Records to prepare their first new album in 8 years, Severing the Earth, distributed by Kronic Music. Joining founding member and guitarist Markus Armellini is a new line-up of musicians, including vocalist/lyricist Carl Crosswhite (Mortifex/Six Pack Of Doom) and guitarist/bassist Oscar Rangel (Mortifex/Annihilator/Operus), along with drummer Johnny Macri (Experiment Specimen/The Unborn Dead). The album was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated and famed metal engineer Chris "Wizard" Collier (Korn, Metal Church, Fear Factory), with cover art created by Andy Pilkington at Very Metal Art.

Says Armellini, “We had a great relationship with Thom (Hazaert) from the release of Lethal Legacy, and thought it would be cool to reconnect with him at Combat for the new album, with all the cool things he and David (Ellefson) were doing. Being part of such an iconic thrash metal legacy is really an incredible honor.”

Adds Hazaert, “As long as I’ve known Markus and the Mastery guys, which is over 15 years, they have carried the torch for traditional Thrash Metal, as I have, long before it was a ‘cool’ thing to do. I have always been a fan of their approach, even as an instrumental band, they had such a reverence and understanding for classic thrash metal, and I think they took that to a whole new level on Severing The Earth.”

The album is now available on all digital outlets, as well as physical retail, and the band has released lyric videos for “Severing The Earth”, “Wake Up”, and “Revolution”.

New England-based extreme metal quintet Aversed has revealed a fourth single, “Close My Eyes,” from their upcoming third release, Impermanent, which is scheduled for release on March 19.

Showcasing vocalist Haydee Irizarry’s ability to alternate between soaring clean vocals and guttural growls, “Close My Eyes” addresses the ubiquitous desire to find purpose beyond the 9 to 5 daily grind.

Says drummer Jeff Saltzman, “This pent-up energy is compounded by our inability to confront the constant feed of inequality and injustice forced into our lives each day, beholden to a system that demands all our time and energy just to survive.”

Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Shadow Of Intent), Impermanent illustrates Aversed’s unique approach to songwriting with nine diverse compositions full of catchy hooks and vast melodies. Pre-orders for Impermanent are available now via Bandcamp. In addition to the album, a variety of bundles are also available.

Tracklisting:

"Natsukashi"  
"Close My Eyes"
"Laboratory"
"Impermanent"
"Abandoned"
"The Solar Sea"
"Malaise"
"Spiraling"
"Nightshade"

"Close My Eyes" video:

"Abandoned":

"Impermanent":

"Laboratory":

With their forthcoming 13th studio album, Portuguese dark metal giants, Moonspell, are approaching their 30th anniversary as a band more ambitiously and stronger than ever. Hermitage will see the light of day on February 26 via Napalm Records, and invites us on an entertaining and revolutionary journey through the darkest days of human existence.

"Hermitage is an open-hearted invitation to simplicity. To be humble. To be thankful. To serve you solace. Provide you comfort, entertainment,” vocalist Fernando Ribeiro recently said. "We sincerely hope this call reaches you. That you kindly accept what we offer. That you take our music with you to the place you must feel as yours. To your secret place, to your hermitage.”

Watch a drum playthrough video for the album opener, "The Greater Good", below:

Hermitage was recorded, mixed and mastered this past summer by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Primordial, Ghost, Sólstafir & many more) at the Orgone Studios in the UK. Building upon the album’s dark, revolutionary and sensitive facets, it’s a wonderfully intuitive and epic ride by one of the most distinctive dark metal bands of all time, and a testament to what they’ve always loved the most: Honest, emotional metal that binds us even in the darkest times.

Hermitage will be available in several highly limited and collectible Deluxe and Die-Hard Editions, Mediabook, and Cassette (all of them including the Candlemass cover "Darkness In Paradise") but also in Jewelcase and Digital formats. The Deluxe Box will also include an etched 7’’ Vinyl with another special bonus track, “The Great Leap Forward", as well as much more exciting additional collectible items.

Pre-order here.

Hermitage tracklisting:

"The Greater Good"
"Common Prayers"
"All Or Nothing"
"Hermitage"
"Entitlement"
"Solitarian"
"The Hermit Saints"
"Apophthegmata"
"Without Rule"
"City Quitter" (Outro)

Bonus tracks:

"Darkness In Paradise" (Candlemass Cover – LP, Box, Cassette + Mediabook)
"The Great Leap Forward" (7" Vinyl – Deluxe Box)

"All Or Nothing" video:

"Common Prayers" video:

"The Greater Good" lyric video:

(Photo - Rui Vasco)

Back in March 2019, Jason Newsted - who played bass for Metallica from 1986 to 2001 - and The Chophouse Band played a benefit show at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta, FL. Newsted has uploaded video of their performance of their original song, "Blackbird", written by Newsted and lead guitar, backing vocalist Amir Tal. Watch below:

Previously released footage of Newsted and crew covering Jason Isbell's "Cover Me Up", John Anderson's "Seminole Wind", the Johnny Cash songs "I've Been Everywhere", "Cocaine Blues", and "Big River", as well as the Neil Young classic, "Rockin' In The Free World", and Tom Waits' "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" can be seen below:

Author Martin Poppoff has announced the release of his new book, Rebel Rouser: A Sweet User Manual.

Says Popoff: Rebel Rouser: A Sweet User Manual has just arrived at the office and is ready for signing and shipping. Not at my website yet but I indeed have boxes o’ books as of a half hour ago. Messenger me with any questions or requests for a PayPal invoice (please indicate what country you are in) or just do yer usual and direct funds to martinp@inforamp.net.

"The book is 286 pages rendered in my usual format, namely every song discussed, one chapter per album, with dual tipped-in sections of colour photography, but also with black-and-white imagery lovingly marbled throughout. You’ve all been very kind in making my recent books like this on Angel, Mercyful Fate, Maiden and Priest sell good, so this one is very much a style match to those, with lots of detail and trivia nugget-mining not found amongst the almost non-existent material out there on Sweet."

As the back cover sez... “Everybody wants a piece of the action!”

They were the heaviest of the gender-bending glam bands in Britain in the ‘70s, with smash hit after smash hit and a stronghold in Germany of all places. Soon Sweet - Brian Connolly, Andy Scott, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker - would extricate themselves from their producer puppeteers and make a clutch of classic heavy metal albums still revered today.

Desolation Boulevard, Sweet Fanny Adams, Give Us A Wink and Off The Record... these records formed the core before disaster struck, with lead singer Connolly falling prey to the demon drink and dying from it slowly over the following 20 years. Mick and Steve are now gone too, with Andy Scott being the last man standing from the UK institution that brought us “Ballroom Blitz,” “Action” and “Fox On The Run.”

Come hear the band’s singular and bizarre start as pop tarts, their middle with one of rock’s most revered drummers in Mick, and how it all went wrong in a blizzard of booze, cocaine and busted relationships. But also, in the spirit of the book’s User Manual subtitle, come explore the band’s plethora of singles, non-LP B-sides, hard rock album classics and otherwise weirdly released songs as Martin plays DJ for you, taking you to every corner of the band’s crunchy catalogue blessed by the most angelic harmonies ever committed to virgin vinyl.

Price including shipping:

- US orders: $39.00 US funds
- Int’l orders (all books go air): $48.00 US funds
- Canadian orders: $42.00 Cdn. funds

Popoff adds: "Again, ask me if you’d like a PayPal invoice (please indicate what country you are in) or just do yer usual and direct funds to martinp@inforamp.net. Sweet postage savings to be had for multiple orders (or two of pretty much anything - long story, ask me!), for both US and Canadian orders."

UK alt-metal upstarts, Vexed, instantly turned heads and took names with the release of two recent standalone singles - including the fearsome “Elite” featuring Thy Art Is Murder’s CJ McMahon - creating a palpable underground buzz and giving fans a hefty sample of what to expect in the future. Now, the wait is over - the crushing Hertfordshire foursome have resurfaced with the announcement of their aggressive and uncompromising debut full-length, Culling Culture, out May 21 via Napalm Records.

With their devastatingly heavy first output, Vexed underline their refusal to be pigeonholed into sonically conformist categories. Their instrumental dagger is sharpened by unrelentingly adept, technical prowess, gripping you with assertive swagger and hyper-focused brutality. Moreover, for as confident as they are musically, Vexed is as poignant lyrically. The title of the album, Culling Culture, and portions of its contents deliver the band’s unfiltered response to the world’s latest social phenomena of public ostracism, “cancel culture”.

Facing very personal experiences, Culling Culture is a tribute to hate, betrayal and anger, whilst also reflecting post-modern society with strikingly honest songwriting and heavy groove. Their first single, “Hideous”, along with a captivating official music video, not only serves as a first taste and vicious wake up call, but also showcases that anger can either destroy you or provide real strength. With this offering, Vexed prove the latter.

Vexed on their first single: “It gives us great satisfaction to share with you our Grindhouse inspired music video for our debut single, 'Hideous'. Fueled by the feeling of ‘seeing red’ and having to decide how to react in moments of betrayal and rage, do you let your blood boil over or sit and wait for the killing instinct to pass?”

Watch the official music video for “Hideous” below.

Unrelenting lead vocalist Megan Targett’s vicious vocal assault blending venomously low growls, soaring cleans and razor-sharp rap-like deliveries (see “Fake” and “Weaponise”) is backed by the pure technical proficiency of bandmates Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Al Harper (bass). The warning instrumental “Ignorant” prefaces the record’s menacing atmosphere and provides a flawless basis for smashing wake up call “Hideous” and fiery, threatening tracks “Fake” and “Narcissist”. Ghostly “Aurora” and disrespectfully heavy album-closer “Lazarus” showcase Targett’s multi-faceted clean vocal delivery while clashing otherworldly auras with resonating, melodic rhythms. “Epiphany” blends both, offering a bold message of moving past self-loathing, while superciliously weighty offering “Weaponise” seethes between violent hatred and ambient darkness.

Pre-order Vexed’s debut album Culling Culture here.

Culling Culture will be available in the following formats:

- 1-CD Digipak
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Orange transparent, strictly limited to 100 copies)
- 1-CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Ignorant"
"Hideous"
"Fake"
"Epiphany"
"Misery"
"Narcissist"
"Weaponise"
"Purity"
"Drift"
"Aurora"
"Lazarus"

"Hideous" video:

Vexed are:

Megan Targett - vocals
Jay Bacon - guitar
Willem Mason-Geraghty - drums
Al Harper - bass

(Photo - Andy Ford)

Ricky Warwick recorded an acoustic version of "You Don't Love Me" for Planet Rock, live in his home. It comes from Ricky's latest solo album, When Life Was Hard And Fast, released earlier this month. Watch the performance below:

Watch Warwick perform "I Don't Feel At Home" from the same session:

Warwick's new studio album, When Life Was Hard And Fast, is available via Nuclear Blast. Order the album in various formats, including a 2CD digipack which includes the bonus covers album Stairwell Troubadour, here.

For the process of recording the album, Ricky was joined by Robert Crane (bass), Xavier Muriel (drums) and Keith Nelson (guitar) as well as a number of special guests including Def Leppard's Joe Elliott, Andy Taylor formerly of Duran Duran, Thunder's Luke Morley, Dizzy Reed of the mighty Guns 'N Roses and even Ricky's daughter Pepper. Keith also produced the new album, having previously worked with Buckcherry, Blackberry Smoke and Alice Cooper.

When Life Was Hard And Fast tracklisting:

"When Life Was Hard And Fast"
"You Don't Love Me"
"I'd Rather Be Hit"
"Gunslinger"
"Never Corner A Rat"
"Time Don't Seem To Matter"
"Fighting Heart"
"I Don't Feel At Home"
"Still Alive"
"Clown Of Misery"
"You're My Rock N Roll"

Stairwell Troubadour tracklisting:

"You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Dead Or Alive cover)
"Ooops!...I Did It Again" (Britney Spears cover)
"Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran cover)
"1000 Dollar Car" (Bottle Rockets cover)
"Cocaine Blues" (Johnny Cash cover)
"I Don't Want To Grow Up" (Ramones cover)
"I Fought The Law" (The Clash cover)
"Burning Love" (Elvis Presley cover)
"Jesus Loves You...But I Don't" (The Almighty cover)
"Wrathchild" (Iron Maiden cover)

"You're My Rock N Roll" lyric video:

"When Life Was Hard And Fast" video:

"You Don't Love Me" video:

"Fighting Heart" video:

Napalm Records is pleased to announce that Australian blues-rocking powerhouse The Ugly Kings has inked a worldwide record deal with the premium Austrian rock and metal label!

The uprising foursome offers a strong injection of energy and emotion while interweaving catchy riffs and stomping rhythms with deep reaching, soulful vocals. After releasing a first glimpse with the mini-album Of Sins in 2015, The Ugly Kings unveiled their top-notch debut, Darkness Is My Home, three years later. The band's latest offering, the two-track EP Gypsy Queen, is another high energy hard rock outburst, fanning the fires of a bright future!

Achieved in only a short time, The Ugly Kings already boast an impressive number of shows and have shared the stage with high-class bands like Airbourne, Papa Roach, 1000mods and Rival Sons. During this adventurous journey, the Melbourne based unit gathered a huge amount of fans along the way and convinced their well-known colleagues as well: “The Ugly Kings have really got their own thing going on and it rocks! I love all the dynamics, pushing and pulling and then always smashing it out. Great intensity and power," said Joel O’Keeffe (Airbourne frontman and lead guitarist).

The Ugly Kings is currently working on their second full-length album – more to be announced soon!

The Ugly Kings on the signing: "It is with great honour and excitement that we join the mighty Napalm Records family! On the brink of recording our brand new album, we feel this partnership comes at the perfect time in our career. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Napalm Records and we can't wait to release new music in 2021!"

Napalm Records A&R Sebastian Muench states: "We are super excited to announce the signing of one of the most talented Blues Rock bands ever! The Ugly Kings, hailing from Melbourne, released an amazing album in 2018, Darkness Is My Home, and we anticipate a new hard blues rock masterpiece is just on the horizon! Welcome to the Napalm family!"

Enjoy this energizing blues rock attitude and listen to the soulful tunes of "Promised Land", taken from the debut album, Darkness Is My Home, below.

 
The Ugly Kings:

Christos Athanasias - guitar
Nicolas Dumont - bass
Joel Martin - drums
Russell Clark - vocals

Photo: Stephen Boxshall (Rag and Bone Photography)

PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix has told Germany's Rock Antenne in a new interview that the band's follow-up to 2019's "Who Do You Trust?" album will not be released until the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

"The touring is not coming back for the rest of this year," he said (see video below). "I mean, there'll be some pop-up shows here and there, but we're not gonna drop a new album and tour until 2022. We're just gonna wait it out."

According to Shaddix, PAPA ROACH has already recorded around 14 songs for its new disc, with no plans to stop the creative juices from flowing.

"Now that we're at this point in the process, it's February, and I'm, like, 'Okay. Maybe we'll just go record another record,'" he said. "So then it's, like, when we come out, we'll have just a ton of music to drop and just be lined up to rip it for a while. Because the creative process is integral to all of our sanity. My bass player, Tobin [Esperance], he writes one or two songs a day — he just rips 'em out, churns 'em out. And I've got this little space right here that I'm in — this is my little spot where I'll demo up ideas and stuff. It's important for us to maintain some element of creativity so we feel like we have purpose."

Jacoby went on to admit that he "struggled for a minute" at the end of 2020 and he "was depressed for a while." He added: "Towards the end of last year, I was really getting bummed out… That's what really got me into running. I was so fucking depressed, I started to put weight on again, I started to get fat. And I'm, like, 'Oh, I've gotta do something about this.' And I was, like, 'All right. What can I do? I can go outside.' So I started running again. And then I was, like, 'Oh, I'm not so fucking depressed.' 'Cause when I run, it fires off that good stuff in my brain — that serotonin and dopamine — and then I'm, like, 'Oh, wow. Life doesn't really suck. Life is okay.' It's just a matter of if I get out of the way of it, 'cause if I stay in my head, oh, man. It's a bad place to be."

Last month, a snippet of a brand new PAPA ROACH song called "Stand Up" was included in commercial for Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) partnership with ESPN.

On Friday, PAPA ROACH shared a brand new, remastered version of its 2015 song "Broken As Me", featuring a guest appearance by vocalist Danny Worsnop from British rock group ASKING ALEXANDRIA. The track is set to be included on PAPA ROACH's second greatest-hits collection, "Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years", due on March 19 on Better Noise Music.

"Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - The Better Noise Years" includes 12 of the band's top 10 hits released between 2010 to 2019 as well as three previously unreleased remixes and two unreleased acoustic recordings recorded live at the YouTube Studios in New York City.

"Who Do You Trust?" was released in January 2019. The disc was produced by Nick "RAS" Furlong and Colin Cunningham except for the song "Top Of The World", which is helmed by Jason Evigan.

In December, PAPA ROACH released a five-song EP, "20/20", featuring "new takes on old jams," including "Last Resort" and "Scars".

HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale has encouraged young musicians to perform live without the aid of backing tracks, calling it "the most real, pure feeling you can get in this life."

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

On Friday (February 19), Hale took to her Instagram to write: "To perform a live rock show... no tracks, no click, no lip syncing, no trickery... is the most Real, pure feeling you can get in this life. To hold the moment in your hand, to know in your bones that this could be magic or a train wreck , depending on how you've prepared and the risk you take being on stage... and then trusting in your soul to perform.. that is LIVING in its purest form. I encourage every young musician to Expose themselves in this way. Know what it's like to have the room depend on you to elevate it. Play in front of a room filled with two people and the sound guy... make it sound like u are performing to a stadium instead. It's the most beautiful way to find yourself as an artist. Because if you can do all these things and then make it to playing to stadiums and major festivals, that FEELING is an intangible void that cannot be filled with anything on this earth. Can't wait to get back to this very soon!"

This is not the first time Lzzy has spoken out against using backing tracks to enhance her band's live performances. Last June, she told "Offstage With DWP" about HALESTORM's insistence on performing completely live: "We do it more selfishly, not necessarily as a statement. But it has kind of become this interesting statement. We're very proud of that. But also, just again selfishly, I don't think I'd enjoy myself. I've guested with people — I've dueted with people and got up onstage where they have those things and I can hear it in my in-ear monitors — and some of it is, like, 'Chorus in one, two, three, four…' I'm, like, 'Oh my gosh! This would drive me nuts.' And also, I would rather have us sound imperfect than have somebody figure out that I'm miming, or a shaker goes awry — 'Where's the tambourine coming from?'

"I'm not a fan of when I find out my favorite bands do that," she continued. "And, like I said, I'm not knocking anybody who does it — you do you. But for us, that's just not our M.O. And there's nothing more fun that going out on stage and knowing that you're responsible for either we're gonna be tight, we're gonna be loose, something's gonna go wrong, we're gonna have to pull the train back onto the tracks, but that's cause we're listening to each other.

"And also, if we weren't actually playing, we would just get worse as musicians," she added. "We've been to shows where somebody's computer went down — the tracks are no longer there — and then they don't play anymore. And we're, like, 'Can't you just plug the instruments in?'

"I honestly think you would get so used to kind of like doing a music video and just miming along that maybe you can't [play live] anymore. So we've become better musicians because we challenge ourselves in that way."

Last March, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's used of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

KISS lead singer Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."
























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A post shared by LZZY HALE (@officiallzzyhale)

AEROSMITH has postponed its previously announced European tour due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The band posted on Twitter: "Due to current conditions and for the safety of our fans, the 2021 European Tour has been rescheduled to 2022. Please stay tuned for more information regarding the new dates or contact your point of purchase. All tickets will be valid for new dates."

The tour is now scheduled to kick off on May 29, 2022 in Moscow, Russia and end on July 13, 2020 in Krakow, Poland.

In April 2020, AEROSMITH's "Deuces Are Wild" Las Vegas residency performances scheduled for May and June of last year at the Park Theater were also postponed in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

AEROSMITH launched its Las Vegas residency in April 2019 and had completed several legs of the "Deuces Are Wild" concert production at Park Theater before the latest postponement.

AEROSMITH hasn't released a new studio album since 2012's "Music From Another Dimension!" That effort was released when AEROSMITH's label, Columbia Records, was reportedly going through a leadership change, and it ended up becoming a commercial disappointment.

The lackluster response to "Music From Another Dimension!" later caused two bandmembers — guitarist Joe Perry and drummer Joey Kramer — to question whether there's any point in AEROSMITH making future albums.




Due to current conditions and for the safety of our fans, the 2021 European Tour has been rescheduled to 2022. Please stay tuned for more information regarding the new dates or contact your point of purchase. All tickets will be valid for new dates. pic.twitter.com/52myo1X7Wh

— Aerosmith (@Aerosmith) February 22, 2021

THE OFFSPRING guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman has blasted Donald Trump Jr. as a "horrible human being" after the former president's son used a display of guns as the backdrop for a video attacking teachers' unions.

In the clip, which was posted to social media, the eldest son of former president Donald Trump and executive at the Trump Organization stood in front of what appears to be a wall lined with guns and bashed teachers whom he accused have "prevented schools from opening" because they don't want to return to class unvaccinated or without proper safety protocols in place and risk their lives.

"Teachers' unions and those representing them have definitely failed our children in terms of education and everything else... certainly failed the science they are supposed to be teaching us… it is all political," Don Jr. said in the video, which was originally posted to Canadian video-sharing platform Rumble, and then promoted by Trump Jr. in a post shared to Twitter.

On Sunday (February 21), Noodles tweeted out a portion of Don Jr.'s video, and he included the following message: "What a horrible human being. Don't be like this drug-addled, self-entitled, idiotic POS. He is an idiot son of a traitor."

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have led the charge on behalf of teachers to ensure that school districts prioritize safety as they reopen schools while the U.S struggles to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and resume some sense of normalcy.

Physically reopening schools has turned into a contentious issue between federal and state officials, who are pushing hard to get kids back in the classroom, and the teachers, parents, and unions cautioning restraint.




What a horrible human being. Don’t be like this drug-addled, self-entitled, idiotic POS. He is an idiot son of a traitor. https://t.co/to5jKNPEi1

— Noodles Believes in Democracy (@TheGnudz) February 21, 2021








The teachers unions are out of control & are destroying our kid’s futures!

A teachers Union leader was once quoted as saying almost verbatim “We’ll start worrying about the students when the students start paying union dues.”

Watch & RT My Thoughts!https://t.co/iWpEfrdRdr

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 20, 2021

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA are teaming up with Los Angeles streetwear brand The Hundreds. The Hundreds X Sepultura line will be launched on Wednesday, February 24 at 9 p.m. PST.

Formed in 1984 in Brazil, SEPULTURA has gone on to sell over 20 million records and solidify its legacy as one of the greatest metal bands of the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. Today, SEPULTURA is still going strong, 15 albums deep into one of the hardest-hitting discographies in history.

The Hundreds X Sepultura spans the band's entire career, paying tribute to both classic songs and new ones. The collection features a series of graphics across t-shirts, long-sleeves, pullover hoodies, hats and accessories, as well as a The Hundreds flip of the band's iconic spiked spine font.

Get your hands on the entire The Hundreds X Sepultura collection on Thursday, February 25 on The Hundreds app and online shop, as well as The Hundreds Los Angeles on Fairfax.

Recently, the band sat down with The Hundreds to discuss their music as well as the importance of merch. Check out the interview at this location.

Last year, SEPULTURA launched "SepulQuarta", a weekly event where the band gave insight into its colorful history, took part in question-and-answer sessions with fans and performed music while in quarantine. Some of the musical collaborations, including those with members of MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, TRIVIUM and SACRED REICH, will be released as a full-length album later this year.

SEPULTURA's latest LP, "Quadra", was released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept effort created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises vocalist Derrick Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

"Quadra" is the follow-up to "Machine Messiah", which was SEPULTURA's fourteenth studio album and the eighth since Green joined the ranks.


We are honored to work with the legendary thrash metal pioneers that helped shape the genre in the early '90s. The Hundreds X @Sepultura releases this Thursday. February 25th.

Posted by THE HUNDREDS on Sunday, February 21, 2021



Hailing from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Sepultura broke barriers for a new wave of inclusivity in the thrash metal scene...

Posted by THE HUNDREDS on Monday, February 22, 2021

Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE will release their 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Already well known for the level of extreme technicality they bring to every record, on "Violence Unimagined", the members of CANNIBAL CORPSE have further upped their game, particularly in Paul Mazurkiewicz's drumming.

Speaking to KNAC.COM, Mazurkiewicz stated about laying down his drum tracks this time around (hear audio below): "It's tough. I think it was my most intense drumming performance physically, and then mentally as well — it's not getting any easier in that way; some pretty crazy stuff to have to learn here. But it's just really about doing the daily things that you've been doing for years. Obviously, we're getting older, so it's not gonna come as natural, like when you were younger, with having the adrenaline and just that natural energy that you've got when you're 20 and 30 years old or what have you. So it was just a lot more practice, really — a lot more practice, a lot more pushing, a lot more extra work in working out a little bit, some more exercises and stuff, and, really, just trying to do all those basic things. And then what I've been doing for years anyway — try to eat right, try to eat as well as you can, get your rest, drink a lot of water; just the stuff you should be doing in general to stay healthy and fit and what have you. But, really, it comes down to just having to work more at it — put in the extra hours, put in the extra minutes, whatever it takes, because it's not getting any easier."

He continued: "So, really, I just had to kind of push myself to get it done and to learn the songs and get 'em up to par and get 'em as best as I could. Ironically enough, too, for being the hardest that it probably ever was, we actually spent a little less time writing than we normally do. Usually we give ourselves about six months or so of writing and prepping, and then we're in the studio. This time we had a little bit less time — I think it was maybe about four, four and a half, five months — so it was almost a little more compact, which makes that even more difficult. Then you realize, Jeez, that extra month was always huge having. So I think just having maybe a hair shorter of time before we went into the studio really made me have no choice but to push even extra hard as well. So, yeah, that's all you can do. You've just gotta keep pushing."

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

"I think we all pushed ourselves a bit technically on this one, with Paul probably pushing the hardest," bassist Alex Webster said. "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."

Rutan joined CANNIBAL CORPSE as the replacement for longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested in Florida more than two years ago on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault. Deputies said he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

Photo credit: Alex Morgan

HEART's Nancy Wilson will release her debut solo album, "You And Me", on May 7 via Carry On Music. The LP was recorded primarily in Wilson's California home studio, working with band members and special guests remotely.

"Being off the road last year from touring with HEART, and at home with my good guitars and amps out, I felt like I was once again able to reconnect with my pre-HEART self, my college-girl self, creating poetic, intimate and romantic songs, which pretty much is what I first brought in to HEART," she said.

Most of the tracks are originals, but Wilson decided to include a handful of covers by a few of her favorites, including a female perspective of PEARL JAM's "Daughter", a stirring turn of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Boxer" featuring Sammy Hagar, and an ethereal cover of THE CRANBERRIES' "Dreams", featuring Liv Warfield (Prince) from Nancy's previous band ROADCASE ROYALE. The first single from the album was Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising", which dropped last fall. "During this horrific time in the world, with all this enduring loss, it seemed like the right time for an aspirational song about hope and perseverance," Wilson says.

The other eight tracks are originals, mostly acoustic ballads, but there are also some rousing rockers like "Party At The Angel Ballroom" which features a superstar backing band, including Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS. The album ends with a song that captures the full spectrum of loss, love and redemption in one instrumental coda. Titled "4 Edward", it is Nancy's tribute to Eddie Van Halen, whose 2020 loss still looms large over music. Nancy came to know Eddie when HEART toured with VAN HALEN, and she once asked him why he didn't play acoustic. "I don't have one," he told her, which she immediately rectified. Eddie took the guitar she gave him and wrote a song on it that stole Nancy's heart. After his death last year, Nancy knew she had to return the favor.

The title track "You And Me", as with several of the songs on the album, reunites Wilson with longtime collaborator Sue Ennis, who co-wrote many of HEART's classics with Nancy and sister Ann.

"I've known Sue since I was 12," Nancy says. "Back then she was a high school friend of Ann's. We've always worked well together." The single will be released digitally on March 8, with an album pre-order set to launch the same day.

With her band HEART, Nancy Wilson has recorded 16 albums, sold over 35 million albums worldwide and has four Grammy nominations. She had previously released one other album with just her name on it, "Live At McCabe's Guitar Shop", which captured her playing a set of covers and new songs in 1999. But considers this her first true solo album, a positive creative move amid a surreal year of loss; life during lock down.

"I don't know why it took me so long to do this," she laughs. "Maybe I was stuck in traffic, maybe I was stuck in the HEART vortex of it all." But in a year with "no traffic," Wilson finally found a place for the music she's been writing in her head for decades.

"You And Me" track listing:

01. You And Me

02. The Rising

03. I'll Find You

04. Daughter

05. Party At The Angel Ballroom (feat. Duff McKagan & Taylor Hawkins)

06. The Boxer (feat. Sammy Hagar)

07. Walk Away

08. The Inbetween

09. Dreams (feat. Liv Warfield)

10. The Dragon

11. We Meet Again

12. 4 Edward

Dee Snider says that the heavy metal genre isn't respected enough by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

On Sunday (February 21), the TWISTED SISTER frontman took to his Twitter to write: "The RnR Hall committee members are arrogant elitist assholes who look down on metal & other bands that sell millions because we're not their definition of cool. The fan vote is their 'throwing a bone' to the peasants. I want to say FU, but I want them to have to deal with us!"

When one fan suggested that the Rock Hall "caters to the masses," Snider responded: "If they were catering to the masses they would have the biggest selling bands. Corporate rock bands that sell tens of millions are ignored because they aren't 'cool'. The fact is the RnR Hall of Fame is struggling. Was it crowded when you were there? It wasn't when I went."

Dee also repeated the long-running complaint that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame subscribes to Rolling Stone magazine's canon of rock history, seeing as Jann Wenner is a co-founder of both. "Jan Werner (founder is Rolling Stone) has been the puppet master since day one," he wrote. "If it ain't in Rolling Stone it is hard pressed to get into the Hall of Fame!"

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

The Rock Hall didn't induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction last year, but failed to receive enough votes to make the class of 2020.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was previously on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.




The RnR Hall committee members are arrogant elitist assholes who look down on metal & other bands that sell millions because we’re not their definition of cool. The fan vote is their “throwing a bone” to the peasants. I want to say FU, but I want them to have to deal with us! https://t.co/mUoUbkYx3C

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 21, 2021








If they were catering to the masses they would have the biggest selling bands. Corporate rock bands that sell tens of millions are ignored because they aren’t “cool”. The fact is the RnR Hall of Fame is struggling. Was it crowded when you were there? It wasn’t when I went. https://t.co/NuxQ0EdVoh

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 21, 2021








AND THERE IS YOUR ANSWER! Jan Werner (founder is Rolling Stone) has been the puppet master since day one. If it ain’t in Rolling Stone it is hard pressed to get into the Hall of Fame! https://t.co/XFbk34ijki

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 22, 2021








If they were catering to the masses they would have the biggest selling bands. Corporate rock bands that sell tens of millions are ignored because they aren’t “cool”. The fact is the RnR Hall of Fame is struggling. Was it crowded when you were there? It wasn’t when I went. https://t.co/NuxQ0EdVoh

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 21, 2021

KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque spoke to "The Five Count" radio show about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited new album, "The Institute". The group's first studio LP in 15 years is tentatively due in 2022 via Metal Blade Records.

"Well, I don't know too much about the story yet, because most of the stuff is in King's [Diamond, vocals] mind and his ideas, of course, with the lyrics and stuff," he said. "But we've been planning on that for a very long time, and we're still composing and writing music to try to get the best out of it. Now we have a little time, and with this COVID stuff that came in between, that kind of stopped everything, even the music writing for a while. You heard one song ['Masquerade Of Madness'], hopefully, about a year and a half ago that we released, and it's gonna be in the same kind of direction. Well, not totally, but we're listening to, going back to the first albums, actually, to get back to the roots kind of a thing, and that's what we tried to do with this one. So, sound-wise, it's gonna be more organic and not so rigid, if you know what I mean. It's gonna be more organic and, well, not old school, but we're looking back a little bit to that original style we had. And, of course, the musicians we have, they're awesome, awesome guys and awesome players, so I'm sure it's gonna be really good. We have a few songs already that we're working on — mainly me and King, of course, since we write the music. And as soon as we agreed on all the ingredients in the songs, we're gonna start sending that out to the other members so they can also listen and start adding their things to it. And exactly when that's gonna be, it's really hard to say, but we're working on it — believe me, we're working on it."

Asked how it feels to be back in the studio with KING DIAMOND after such a long time, Andy said: "Well, at this point, we're still writing music, as I said, so we haven't really started recording anything serious yet except for that first song we released, which was 'Masquerade Of Madness'. But, of course, the last album we released was back in 2007, studio album we released last, so things have changed a lot since then — equipment-wise and the way you do it nowadays. You don't really have to meet nowadays; you just send files to each other. And King's got his own setup back home, so he can record all the vocals back there. And the same with the drummer, Matt [Thompson, drums] — he's got his drum studio where he records the drums. And, well, that's pretty much the same for all the musicians in the band. So, then we collect everything, get it to me and I'll mix it here to start with and see if we're happy with that. If not, we might ask someone else to do it, just to get the best product and the best mix out of it."

In December 2019, Andy told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for "Masquerade Of Madness" first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."

La Rocque, whose real name is Anders Allhage, told told The Metal Voice that the tentative plan is to release "The Institute" as "a single album" as part of a two-LP horror concept story, with the second part arriving at a later date.

In March 2019, King told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show that the next album from his namesake band will be "absolutely gruesome" with a story set in a 1920s mental institution. "I chose that because I think it's a very creepy scenario," he explained. "And some of the things that go on that we're gonna show onstage is also things that certainly was going on back then, when medicine was beginning to take a beneficial turn in history and actually being able to help human beings live longer. But there was some experimentation going on, too, that was absolutely gruesome. Some of that is involved in the story, but it's something totally different. Once you get to the second part of the story, you will begin to suddenly understand that, 'What the hell is going on here? What is this really about?' 'Cause there's a whole different story that will not come to you till second part. But in the first part, you're gonna get to know a lot people at a certain place… Some of it takes place here, this world, and some of it takes place in a parallel world. And there's a correlation between what happened to me and what happens to some people in this place and where they suddenly appear. And you will find out why they are there, how they appear there and the places down the road. I won't say too much right now, but it's gonna be very creepy."

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captures 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances feature KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and drummer Matt Thompson.

This past weekend, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian spoke to Shelli Sonstein of Q104.3's "Sonstein Sunday" about how he and his family have been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. He said (see video below): "We live between New Zealand and the U.S. I'm in the U.S. now, but we were in New Zealand the majority of the time during the pandemic in 2020. The New Zealand government handed it incredibly well, and therefore it was pretty much back to normal in a few months there. They're having a small recurrence now with a few cases, but they know what they're doing. Then [we] came back to L.A. later in the year last year.

"The pandemic, like everyone else, it was devastating [for me] in many ways," he continued. "I had 22 concerts with SYSTEM, two film openings, two art installation openings — all got canceled. But I used the time to finish new music, which was good, as an artist. So we're releasing this EP called 'Elasticity' with five rock songs on March 19th as part of that. And I have some other music coming up later in the year down the line."

"Elasticity" will be released via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. The EP will arrive four months after the release of "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first new songs in 15 years. The SYSTEM tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the latter aided by Turkey and accountable for the greatest violence the region has endured in 26 years.

Within a week of their release, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz" landed at positions No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN hasn't released a full-length album since the "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005.

Earlier in the month, Tankian told Kerrang! magazine that he's got several other projects in the works, including "another EP of a different genre of rock, more electronic and mellow and beautiful. That type of music. I've got two records of cinematic music, instrumental music of stuff that I've had that I created for the sake of it, and a 24-minute modern piano concerto that I'll be releasing this year," he said.

Photo credit: George Tonikian

The surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN have responded to a lawsuit filed last week by Vicky Cornell, the widow of SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell, saying a buyout offer they made to her "has been grossly mischaracterized."

In her lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, Cornell said that Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron offered her "the villainously low figure of less than $300,000," despite having allegedly received a $16 million offer from an outside music investor for SOUNDGARDEN's master recordings.

On Saturday (February 20), Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron issued a statement, saying: "The buyout offer that was demanded by the Estate has been grossly mischaracterized and we are confident that clarity will come out in court.

"All offers to buy out our interests have been unsolicited and rejected outright.

"For more than a year, SOUNDGARDEN's social media accounts have been hijacked; misleading and confusing our fans.

"Being a band from Washington State since 1984, we are proud of SOUNDGARDEN's musical legacy, work and career. We look forward to completing the final SOUNDGARDEN album."

In a previous statement, released on February 17, a spokesman for the band said that the offer was based on a valuation determined by Gary Cohen, a forensic accountant and business manager who conducts royalty investigations. That statement said: "The band members have elected to offer multiple times more than the amount calculated by Cohen." It also said: "This dispute has never been about money for the band. This is their life's work and their legacy."

The Cornell estate's lawyer, Marty Singer, fired back in a statement of his own, saying: "The band's contention that this dispute is somehow not about the money for them is absurd and hypocritical. Of course this is about money and their greed. They received a third party offer to buy just a portion of their interests for 16 million dollars, and yet subsequently offered to buy out Chris' interest for a mere $278,000. And then Vicky offered $21 million for their shares, which they turned down — not because they wanted to preserve their life's work but because they know that they will make even more off of future exploitation of the music that Chris wrote and the legacy that he created (which has lined their pockets for years)."

Cornell was found hanged in his room at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in May 2017, following a SOUNDGARDEN show at the city's Fox Theatre. His body was found soon after he had spoken with a "slurred" voice to his wife by phone. The death was ruled a suicide.

In December 2019, Vicky filed a lawsuit against the surviving SOUNDGARDEN members, alleging the group owed Cornell's estate hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties and the rights to seven unreleased recordings made before the singer's death in May of 2017.

Responding to Vicky's lawsuit, Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd claimed that they "don't have possession" of their "own creative work," and alleged that "Vicky Cornell has possession of the only existing multi-track recordings of the last SOUNDGARDEN tracks that include Chris Cornell's instrumental parts and vocals. All of the band members jointly worked on these final tracks, Vicky now claims ownership of the final SOUNDGARDEN album."

Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron initially accused Vicky Cornell of misusing funds from the January 2019 "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" concert. After being challenged by Cornell's attorneys with the threat of sanctions, SOUNDGARDEN withdrew that portion of its countersuit, while its lawyers wrote at the time that the band believes the claims "remain well-found

A teenage girl sang a slowed-down, bluesy a cappella version of MÖTLEY CRÜE's "Live Wire" while auditioning Sunday on the TV singing competition "American Idol".

Moments after Casey Bishop's audition, one of the judges, Luke Bryan, said: "I think she's the damn winner of 'American Idol'. Period. It's evident."

He later added: "Wow, y'all. My body has been tingling for 10 minutes. She is a massive star."

In addition to "Live Wire", the 15-year-old from Estero, Florida sang the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine".

"I didn't think anybody would get close to Alejandro's audition, as far as me being just, like, dipped in Disney and sparkles and flowers and doves," Bryan said, referring to 2019 finalist Alejandro Aranda. "And that's what your audition was for me.

"I wrote 'Top 10, def' on the MÖTLEY CRÜE song, and then you just did — I don't even know what the heck just happened just then [with 'My Funny Valentine']."

Bishop, who cites NIRVANA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and SUBLIME as her favorite groups, is a sophomore at The Center for the Arts at Cypress Lake High School.

Up until her appearance on "American Idol", she had only performed with her school chorus and at school talent shows, according to USA Today.

Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy uploaded the clip below to his official YouTube channel along with the following message:

"Stephen Pearcy and his Ratt Bastards are 'Back For More' in rehearsals for upcoming...."

Pearcy's guitarist, Erik Ferentinos, recently appeared on The Classic Metal Show. During the interview, which can be heard below, Erik was asked, are there any plans in the works for the Pearcy band, or you being involved with Ratt in any way in 2021?

Ferentinos replied, "I can tell you officially that Stephen Pearcy is going to go back out and play solo shows in 2021. We're more accustomed to doing smaller stuff anyway, and that's pretty much all we're gonna hope to get involved with. Potentially maybe some drive-in stuff in the spring… But we wanna play, and people wanna see shows. We'll take whatever we can get, as far as getting out there."

"I'm just happy that (Stephen) is willing to go out at his age — he's in his 60s and he's not scared to go out there and play. He's chomping at the bit to get out, and I like that. So we're definitely planning on doing shows. We're gonna do a record... I think he may be pausing the Ratt thing this coming year. He's going to go solo. And I don't know, maybe we'll see a reunion with the real dudes, which I think they should do. They're not getting any younger."

Pearcy recently released a video for his cover of Duran Duran's 1981 hit, "Girls On Film". Check it out below:

Guitar legend Steve Vai has posted a new behind-the-scenes clip on social media along with the following message:

"Sixteen years ago today (February 22nd), I released my album Real Illusions: Reflections. Here’s a video of 'Midway Creatures' in the studio."

Real Illusions: Reflections is Vai's seventh album, released in 2005 via Epic Records. It is the first part of a three-part concept album and featured Vail's David Lee Roth bandmates Billy Sheehan on bass and drummer Gregg Bissonette guesting on percussion for four tracks.

Vai recently appeared on The Cassius Morris Show to discuss numerous topics including: details of his new solo album, the Vai Academy 6.0 Camp, an upcoming Generation Axe Live CD/DVD, his relationship with Zakk Wylde, and much more.

An excerpt, detailing what Steve Vai is working on now, has been transcribed as follows:

"I always had this desire to, one day, do an acoustic record," admits Vai. "Just me playing acoustic guitar and singing; nothing virtuosic. There's this certain melody DNA that I have. Whenever I come across a song idea that falls into that category, I kind of put it on the shelf. I had a whole bunch of these and I said, ok, now it's time to make this acoustic, vocal record with these songs. So, that's what I'm working on."  

"But I also have all the songs put aside and ready to record for an instrumental guitar record, that I'm hoping will be the next record I work on. Then, a tour. Like every other artist, I'm itching to get back on tour. I've got a huge tour booked, we just don't know when we can start... about 250 shows in about 52 countries. I have the itinerary, but it just keeps moving."

"The other project I'm working on that I'm very excited about is, I'm recording a bunch of my orchestra music. I've got about four hours of orchestra music that I've had performed and I've had recorded, but I wasn't really crazy with the recordings. It's for a series of records I'm releasing called Sound Theories. I've released Sound Theories One and Two. Now, with this music, once it's recorded, I'll have enough, I think, probably up to Volume Six, maybe Seven. I'm really excited about that."

Word has come down that Chicago's Repentance, who released their debut album God For A Day in September 200, have splintered. The following statement has been issued by the band:

"Markus, Mike, Kanky and Robby are unfortunately no longer a part of Repentance. We will all continue creating music and performing together, under the name Divinity Plague.

We would have preferred to have kept certain details private amongst ourselves, but due to Shaun Glass utilizing social media and podcast platforms to spread false information and unjustly slander the members of our band, we believed it necessary to release a statement immediately. 

Repentance will continue as Shaun Glass’s project, with a brand new lineup. We have ceased all ties with him since the beginning of 2021. We do not know the reason he has not made an official announcement on the social media pages. While he continues to produce merch items and promote the release and band under false pretenses, we felt it was important for the fans to know what is actually going on. We have decided to avoid any potential legal battles with him and start fresh under a brand new name and identity.

Since 2018, we have put our hearts and souls into Repentance. From our live performances to the songwriting and recording of our debut album, God FOr A Day. This decision has weighed heavy on us, but comes as a natural result of ongoing disagreements and conflicts with Shaun Glass, both from a business perspective, but also on a personal level.

Upon joining, we were all led to believe that we would function as a band. A band that makes decisions as a unit, after discussing and weighing all options. A band that gets fairly compensated for their efforts. Over the years, none of this proved to be true.
 
Shaun Glass essentially treated us as session players; session players that he took advantage of without any compensation whatsoever. He conducted business without consulting any of us. He signed record deals on his own, made merch items without our approval, booked gigs and gave us wrong information regarding guarantees, all so he could pocket extra money for himself. He would not be transparent about any of this and would email everyone separately with different narratives, which would then lead to many internal conflicts and disputes. Whenever someone would disagree with him, he would threaten to fire / replace that person.

We tolerated his behavior until the release of our debut album. All so that our efforts would not be in vain. We hoped the positive reaction to the record would bring some changes within the dynamics of the band. However, shortly after he rushed to sign a record deal with a new label without informing us and proceeded to write the music by himself with the help of an outside producer. He also fired our drummer Kanky and neglected to inform him that he was no longer in the band. The final straw was when he refused to openly songwrite with Markus, which led to Markus’s exit and the rest of us followed suit.

We all contributed to the music, imagery and brand that made Repentance what it is today:

- Markus came up with the name Repentance. He also found the artist that designed the album artwork.
- Markus, Kanky and Mike all contributed key musical elements to every single song on the album. Markus was the primary songwriter for tracks 'Where Vultures Gather' and 'Deliverance'.
- Robby wrote ALL the lyrics and vocal patterns on the entire album.
- Robby handled ALL the band’s merch sales at shows and our online store.
- We personally contributed in funding the recording for God For A Day.

Unfortunately, Shaun is in control of the band’s email, social media accounts and music distribution platforms. He is also the only one with access to the God For A Day masters and the band’s logo.

While this chapter has come to an end, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us and our album, God For A Day, and encourage you to keep listening to it as we are very proud of what we created together. Moving forward, we are pleased to announce the addition of guitarist Nick Shabatura and welcome him to Divinity Plague.

As you can understand, we are still in the beginning phase of bringing this new chapter to life. If you are a fan of God For A Day, then we’re certain you’ll appreciate the music that will come out of Divibity Plague.

Thank you for your ongoing support and we can’t wait to bring new music to your ears!

Stay tuned..."

Check out the official Divinity Plague Facebook page here.

Repentance came together in 2018 when Shaun Glass, a veteran guitarist of Broken Hope and Dirge Within, recruited Mike Sylvester on bass and began songwriting with lead guitarist Markus Johansson of the group Them. Robb Rivera of Nonpoint introduced Stuck Mojo frontman Robby J. Fonts and from there... Repentance was born.

The band made their live stage debut by opening up for Trivium. Within their short time together the band would go on to share the stage with Devildriver, Jinjer, Skull Fist, Toxic Holocaust and Sacred Reich.

In October 2018 the band released their debut single, “Enter The Gallows" and by the end of the year, Kanky Lora, of Soulfly and Straight Line Stitch fame, would join the band on drums, thus solidifying this powerhouse lineup.

In 2019, the band signed with Art Is War Records and released the single, “Only The Damned Die Young” which was recorded at Electroworks Recording with Chuck Macack (Born Of Osiris / Oceano) as well as mixed and mastered by engineer Chris Collier (Prong / Whitesnake).

God For A Day tracklisting:

"Repentance" (Intro)
"Only The Damned Die Young"
"Clarity"
"God For A Day"
"Snake-Oil Humanitarian"
"Enter The Gallows"
"Where Vultures Gather"
"Born To Choose"
"Deliverance"

"God For A Day":

In one of music's most unexpected match-ups, industrial rock mainstays HEALTH have remixed "Broken Dreams, Inc.", the fast and furious song by the socially outspoken, multi-gold and platinum punk rock band RISE AGAINST. You can check out the remix below.

Musically, the original version is an aggressive and pointed musical diatribe, while the HEALTH remix is the sonic antithesis, with its hypnotic, dark and moody tones and Tim McIlrath's urgent vocals cloaked in a sense of foreboding.

"Broken Dreams, Inc." speaks to today's changing landscape of American society, the opportunities that are available to some but not to others, the people who are able to benefit versus those who get left behind, who suffer and end up as casualties. How do we level the playing field to everyone can have a real chance at attaining the American Dream?

"We didn't really know what to expect," said McIlrath, of the remix, "but were all blown away by it. I was super impressed by the way they made the song their own. They found melodies in it that I didn't anticipate, and they found some of the bone, the skeleton, and rearranged it; it worked and was really cool."

RISE AGAINST — rhythm guitarist/vocalist McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, guitarist Zach Blair and drummer Brandon Barnes — is known for its explosive live shows, and its outspoken, socially conscious lyrics that speak to the mood of our times: the environment, economic injustice, forced displacement, political corruption, voter registration, animal rights, and interpersonal relationships, all delivered with big, chunky riffs and melodic post-grunge hooks. RISE AGAINST has amassed five top 10 albums on Billboard's Top 200 chart, and six top ten singles on its Hot 100 chart. The band's gold-certified single "Savior" alone has accumulated nearly half a billion streams.

Suzi Quatro, the 70-year-old pioneering female rocker who burst on to the scene in the 1970s, will release a new studio album, "The Devil In Me", on March 26 through SPV/Steamhammer. The official music video for the disc's first single, the title track, can be seen below. The artwork for the single was created by famous Brazilian neo-pop artist Romero Britto.

The reasons for Suzi's remarkable creative explosion: on the one hand, the lockdown, which kept her from her usual touring life in spring 2020, and on the other another collaboration with her son Richard Tuckey, which had already worked out extremely well on her predecessor album "No Control".

Says Suzi: "Starting spring 2020, almost one hundred of my shows were canceled, and Richard would also have been on tour with his band had not all concerts been canceled or postponed. So I said to him, 'We should make the most of our free time, write new material and allow ourselves to be inspired by the things that are currently going on in the world.'

"I already knew that Richard and I make a brilliant team; after all, 'No Control' had been a major success and a very special recording for us. Although I would never have thought that we'd be able to surpass it. But everybody who's heard 'The Devil In Me' and all the people who had worked on the previous album have told us, 'This album is even stronger.'"

"The Devil In Me" presents Suzi's full range of musical diversity plus a number of surprises. From rock tracks such as "The Devil In Me", "Get Outta Jail", "Motorcity Riders" and "Hey Queenie" to fairly unusual numbers such as the pub atmosphere-inspired "Loves Gone Bad", with its intimate mood, or "In The Dark", which is accompanied by elegant piano and provocative saxophone sounds, Suzi presents herself from a whole range of different aspects.

Suzi says: "Richard wanted this album to have a through line, so that you could put any track on, and it just fit… He also said he wanted this album to be as important and groundbreaking as my first one. So that is how we approached this project, and that is what we accomplished."

Track listing:

CD Version

01. The Devil In Me

02. Hey Queenie

03. Betty Who?

04. You Can‘t Dream It

05. My Heart And Soul (long version)

06. Get Outta Jail

07. Do Ya Dance

08. Isolation Blues

09. I Sold My Soul Today

10. Love‘s Gone Bad

11. In The Dark

12. Motor City Riders

2 LP Version:

Side A:

01. The Devil In Me

02. Hey Queenie

03. Betty Who?

04. You Can‘t Dream It

Side B:

01. My Heart And Soul (long version)

02. Get Outta Jail

03. Do Ya Dance

04. Isolation Blues

Side C:

01. I Sold My Soul Today

02. Love‘s Gone Bad

03. In The Dark

04. Motor City Riders

Side D:

01. Can I Be Your Girl (bonus track)

02. Desperado (bonus track)

Listenable Records will reissue the ultimate and gloriously uncompromising Strapping Young Lad studio catalog on vinyl this year for the World. Every reissue has been remastered for the vinyl format and comes with exclusive bonuses. Some tracks have never been issued in Europe and on vinyl.

The first batch Alien (2005) and The New Black (2006) comes out on April 30th in Europe and on May 14th in North America.

Alien will be reissued as double gatefold vinyl (colours tbc).

Side A 
"Imperial"   
"Skeksis"    
"Shitstorm"    
"Love?" 

Side B    
"Shine"    
"We Ride"    
"Possessions"    
"Two Weeks"  
"Thalamus"   

Side C     
"Zen"    
"Info Dump"  

Side D 
"Zodiac"  
"Love?" (extended version) 

The New Black will be reissued as single vinyl (colours tbc).

Side A
"Decimator"    
"You Suck"           
"Anti Product"    
"Monument"    
"Wrong Side"    
"Hope"           

Side B
"Far Beyond Metal"   
"Fucker"                 
"Almost Again"       
"Polyphony"       
"The New Black"    
"The Long Pig"      
"C:Enter:###"  

The next batch will be the City (1997) and SYL (2003) albums, and then Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing (1995). More info coming soon. 

(Photo: Omer Cordel)

 

Calyces, the hotly-tipped new Greek prog / groove metal quartet, have unveiled a new live in-studio session. It features three tracks from their 2020 debut LP Impulse To Soar: "False Awakening", "Ego Dries Up the Ocean", and "Those Flames Are Dancing Wild".

The band comment: "It was about time to shake the dust off our shoulders, after a long period of stay at home due to the pandemic. We are happy to present you our first live performance after the release of Impulse To Soar. From the familiar setting of Studio U217, an 18 minute live set, featuring material from the debut, showcasing the on-stage dynamic of the band and filling the gap until the circumstances allow for a proper live show. Κeep the faith!"

Impulse To Soar blends prog metal in the way it was shaped through the 2000s, with the finest elements of classic progressive rock from the 1970s, but all with a very 2020 twist. Low-tuned heavy riffs meld with a barrage of polyrhythmic attacks, atmospheric passages, and full-on groove, melody, and energy. A scintillating and invigorating first step onto the scene. 

Additional flair and artistry was provided by Jørgen Munkeby (Shining) with a saxophone solo on "Unfair Labour" and of Chrysa Tsaltampasi (Spineless, Bella Fuzz) with vocals on "Beyond Sight". Mastered by Grammy award-winning engineer, Alan Douches (Mastodon, Kvelertak, The Dillinger Escape Plan) Impulse To Soar was recorded in various studios around Athens with these carefully selected collaborators in order to achieve the band's desired natural, organic sound. Human substance intertwines with artistic complexity to create a thrilling and exhilaratingly impressive debut full-length.

A new vehicle has formed; a metaphor for rebirth and new shape of life. Calyces - the sepals that form a protective layer around a budding flower - is a fitting name for this most exquisite and yet powerful of groups. Forming in 2018, the quartet is comprised of ex-Tardive Dyskinesia vocalist Manthos Stergiou, drummer Alexis Stavropoulos, guitarist Giannis Golfis, and bassist Stelios Tragos, all of them already key members in the bands Insect Radio and Revenge Of The Giant Face.

The stunning artwork for Impulse To Soar was painted by Maria Stergiou, the vocalist's sister.

Tracklisting:

"False Awakening"
"Ego Dries Up The Ocean"
"Those Flames Are Dancing Wild"
"Parasites"
"The Great Void"
"Wired Crown"
"Unfair Labor"
"Home"
"Beyond Sight"
"Uneven Loops" (Bonus Track)
"We're Lost, But It's OK" (Bonus Track)

"The Great Void" video:

 

Mother Of All are set to release their debut album, Age Of Solipsist - featuring bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Testament, Death, Sadus) - on April 23rd via Black Lion Records. Now the band has released the first single and lyric video from the album, “Autumn”. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

Black Lion Records commented: "It is a well-crafted melodic death metal anthem. The song is about the inescapable decay of our bodies and minds as we turn older. Cathartic, with a pinch of tragedy, Mother Of All's singer and drummer Martin Haumann (Myrkur, Afsky) is joined by world renowned bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Testamant, Sadus), who gives a stunning performance. The song also features solos by the rising Danish talent Frederik Jensen on guitar." 

The artwork for Age Of The Solipsist has been created by American graphic artist, Travis Smith, whose impressive work has graced the covers of albums by numeorus bands including: Opeth, Nevermore, Avenged Sevenfold and King Diamond. Age Of The Solipsist was mixed by Hannes Grossmann (Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid) at Mordor Sounds.

Tracklisting:

"Autumn"
"We Don’t Agree"
"Curators Of Our World Scope"
"Age Of The Solipsist"
"At The Edge Of A Dream"
"Blood Still Owed"
"Feel The Pain"

Check out the album teaser:

For further details, visit Mother Of All on Facebook.