According to AZCentral, Alice Cooper and his wife have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine after previously contracting the novel coronavirus.

In a video statement, the 73-year-old singer revealed that he and Sheryl Cooper received the vaccine at a facility in Phoenix. They got their shots through Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that pairs military veterans with first responders to help in times of need.

Arizona allows people 65 and over to make appointments to get the vaccine.

Last March, Cooper told Arizona Republic that he felt "less vulnerable" in his house than he does in a different hotel every day. "You don't know who's been there, what they've touched," he explained. "When I was in Europe, I spent all day doing Purell, washing my hands. Every time you would touch something, you'd realize 'Well, how do you know that wasn't infected?'"

As to whether he was concerned about the possibility of contracting COVID-19, Cooper told Arizona Republic: "I'm not scared of this thing. ... But you've got to consider everybody. You never know what the guy next door's health problems are."

Alice's new studio album, "Detroit Stories", will be released on February 26 via earMUSIC.

Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, "Detroit Stories" follows 2019's "Breadcrumbs" EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest rock and roll scene there ever was.

"Detroit Stories" will be available on CD, CD+DVD digipak, CD box set (including CD, Blu-ray, t-shirt, face mask, torch light and 3 stickers), and 2LP gatefold.

The DVD and Blu-ray will show the live performance "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris" for the first time on vi

Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS have entered Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki to begin recording their fourteenth album. The follow-up to "Queen Of Time" is tentatively due later this year via Nuclear Blast.

"Queen Of Time" came out in May 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" included the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs. In addition, this was the first time that people were able to hear AMORPHIS lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on an album, as he contributed a speech in Finnish.

AMORPHIS recently released a shaped vinyl single, "Brother And Sister", limited to 666 copies via Nuclear Blast. The band also started the pre-order for its special 30th-anniversary vinyl box set, the "Vinyl Collection 2006 – 2020", which will contain all their albums featuring Tomi Joutsen on vocals since the 2006 classic "Eclipse". The box set will be released on May 21, 2021 via Nuclear Blast, and will also contain the exclusive double live album "Live At Helsinki Ice Hall". The concert during which the album was recorded took place on December 7, 2019, and it was also AMORPHIS's last live performance in Finland before the COVID-19 pandemic. The live album contains 15 tracks in total with a playtime of around one and a half hours. The live album will also be available digitally and on 2CD.

Two years ago, Joutsen said that "Queen Of Time" was the "highlight" of his career thus far in AMORPHIS. Joutsen joined the Finnish melancholic progressive metallers in 2004 as replacement for Pasi Koskinen and has been widely credited for the band's subsequent career rebirth that started with his first AMORPHIS album, 2006's "Eclipse". The band's latest two studio albums, 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" and "Queen Of Time" have been particularly well received, enabling the band to play in territories it had not reached on previous tour cycles.

"I think this latest album ['Queen Of Time'], I think it's been kind of the biggest highlight in a way," Joutsen said. "Of course, the first show that I played with AMORPHIS was a big moment and the first record we did, 'Eclipse', it was a big thing and the first tours in Europe and the States, but I think with this album, we have made some success. Something really good happened with this album. I can feel there's some kind of hype, if you can call it that. It's not like a hugely successful [thing]. I've been with the band for [a decade and a half] years, and now I feel like something big might happen in the future."
























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Scarlet Records has signed a multi-album deal with power/folk metal band Vexillum that is going to release the next chapter in its influential career in the spring.

Vexillum formed in 2004 in Pisa, Italy and released the first full-length album The Wandering Notes a few years later, in 2011, followed by ‘The Bivouac’ shortly after, in 2012. The band was able to attract a large following since their inception, and toured extensively with the likes of  Rhapsody of Fire, Vision of Atlantis, Orden Ogan and Freedom Call to name a few.

In 2015 Vexillum released their most ambitious project until then, the metal opera ‘Unum’, that features some very special guests such as Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian), Chris Bay (Freedom Call) and Mark Boals among others. The band promoted the album by touring with Eluveitie, Skálmöld and Freedom Call and got them to share European stages with DGM, Iron Savior, Finsterforst and many more.

With a solid line-up and renewed sound and strong image, Vexillum are proud to bring to light a thundering and thrilling new album.

Enigmatic Spanish metal extremists Altarage will be releasing their next full-length, Succumb, on April 23, 2021 via Season of Mist Underground Activists. The album artwork, tracklist, and additional details can be found below. In conjunction, Altarage has dropped the first chaotic single, "Magno Evento," which can be found along with a visualizer. Preorder here.

Altarage comment on the track: "Life’s a bitch. Get high. Succumb. Die."

Altarage deliver exactly what the underground buzz around them promised. Their fourth full-length, Succumb is bristling with black and dissonant death metal fury that immediately evokes a plethora of sinister images in the brain.

Cover art by David Jorquera:

Tracklisting:

“Negative Arrival”
“Magno Evento”
“Maneuvre”
“Foregone”
“Drainage Mechanism”
“Watcher Witness”
“Fair Warning”
“Lavath”
“Forja”
“Inwards”
“Vour Concession”
“Devorador De Mundos”

“Magno Evento”:

Svart Records has announced Vertigo, the new album from Jess ANd The Ancient Ones, to be released on May 21. First video for single for "Summer Tripping Man" is out now. Preorder Vertigo in various formats here. 

The Savonian occult rock behemoth Jess And The Ancient Ones have emerged with a new album. Their brand of heavy guitar and organ-led swagger has progressed from the twin guitar metal blast of yesteryear to Jess And The Ancient Ones’ very own take on soulful late sixties garage psychedelia. 

What began on the previous record, The Horse & Other Weird Tales is taken further and deeper, towards a conclusion on Vertigo. Songwriter and guitarist Thomas Corpse comments, “To me this album sounds like a dark horse – a brother to the previous album. There’s a strange ominous feeling that hovers upon the entire album, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia that’s arising from the lyrics.” 

Wrapped in a crude tornado-adorned old school sleeve, the album’s eight tracks bubble in a boiling cauldron of vintage pop culture influence and occult-tinged paranoia. Ranging from the softly fiery opening track ‘Burning of The Velvet Fires’ to the almost heavy metal -ish nihilistic banger “Born To Kill”, Vertigo is a spiraling journey of heavy Finnish psych rock at its finest.

The first single cut “Summer Tripping Man” is a heavy hitting prophecy of doom condensed into the classic three minute garage format, and it has already become a steady part of the band’s live set long before it was captured on tape. The single comes accompanied by an animated music video, created by Giuliano Di Girolamo.

Tracklisting:

“Burning Of The Velvet Fires”
“World Paranormal”
“Talking Board”
“Love Zombi”
“Summer Tripping Man”
“What’s On Your Mind”
“Born To Kill”
“Strange Earth Illusion”

“Summer Tripping Man”:

(Photo by Jarkko Pietarinen)

On February 26, Denmark's Iotunn will release their new album, Access All Worlds, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the new single, "The Tower Of Cosmic Nihility" (by Mathayad) is streaming below.

Iotunn comments: "The widths of this song, its insistent drive and the passion and melancholy of the lyrics made us choose 'Tower' as one of the singles. It will surely become essential for coming shows. In collaboration with video artist Mathayad, we think we have gained new perspectives on the song and put it in a very strong visual context.”

Access All Worlds can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- "deep space" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- "moonscape" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red / black dust vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- "uranus" blue / white marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Formed in 2015, Iotunn (which is old Norse for "Giant") entered the scene with their acclaimed EP, The Wizard Falls (2016), which was mixed by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Blind Guardian, Rainbow) at Sweet Silence Studios. After some line-up changes, the band found their voice and narrator in March 2018: Jón Aldará (Hamferd), plus bassist Eskil Rask (Sunless Dawn) in October 2019. The quintet - completed by Jens Nicolai Gräs (guitars), Jesper Gräs (guitars), Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums) - then began work on their first full-length and Metal Blade Records debut: Access All Worlds.

Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At the Gates, Dimmu Borgir) at Fredman Studios, Access All Worlds is seven songs driven by creative curiosity and artistic honesty, that also initiate feelings and reflections. An epic, cosmic and contemplative journey of energetic beauty and ferocity, Access All Worlds reflects on human existence, set in a storyline following daring space travelers. The music is grounded in roaring, colorful drumming and crushing bass, while the sonic horizon is painted with a vast spectrum of guitar-driven expression, all overarched by narration through diverse vocals. "We wanted to make an epic, strong and atmospheric yet rocking record both musically and lyrically. Jón came with the idea based on space travelers trying to find answers to the apocalypse, which reflects many of the impressions, feelings and thoughts human life holds that originates from something vast, mysterious, chaotic and breathtakingly spectacular. Everything just went berserk regarding the album theme. Is everything occurring in the lyrics just a dream? Is the album an allegory for any individual's chapters in life? Where does the album actually start and end? Stuff like that. We find that the album can be interpreted in various ways. For us, the album is a truly exciting journey, and we hope it will be for the listener as well, on his or her own terms", says guitarist Jens Nicolai.

Visually, Access All Worlds is completed by Nicole Kantor (design and layout) and Eliran Kantor (artwork), known for their work with Testament, Atheist, Hatebreed, Soulfly, etc.

Access All Worlds tracklisting:

"Voyage Of The Garganey I"
"Access All Worlds"
"Laihem's Golden Pits"
"Waves Below"
"The Tower Of Cosmic Nihility"
"The Weaver System"
"Safe Across The Endless Night"

"The Tower Of Cosmic Nihility" video:

"Voyage Of The Garganey I" video:

Iotunn lineup:

Jón Aldará - vocals
Jens Nicolai Gräs - guitars
Jesper Gräs - guitars
Eskil Rask - bass
Bjørn Wind Andersen - drums

(Photo - Mathias Mathayad)

Italian Gothic metallers Cadaveria have released their brand new single “Divination” Stream / download the single here.

“Divination” was inspired by the art of reading Buzios, a rite from the Afro-Brazilian cult of Candomblé. It is a practice through which you get to know your Orisha and understand the reasons for certain past events, to better act in your present and future.

Cadaveria was formed in 2001 by Cadaveria herself (vocals), one of the first women to hit the metal scene in the early '90s, and Marçelo Santos – aka Flegias – (drums), with the intent to create a virtual space where to freely express themselves as musicians and extreme artists. 

The video below is set to "Free Spirit", from Cadaveria's Silence album, released in 2014. 

In November 2020, Cadaveria, released their single, "Matryoshcada", to all digital platforms. A video for the track, produced by Morbid Vision, can be seen below. Download/stream the single here.

Says Cadaveria: "This video is dedicated to all the metalheads who have been close to me during my illness. It is also an opportunity for everybody to say goodbye to the 'previous me' and welcome the creature that I have become."

"Matryoshcada" concept in the singer's words: "Fragments of the past are recomposed for a moment... then they dissolve, giving light to a new creature, to a new powerful energy."

Ontario’s Phear have announced the addition of former Annihilator / Mastery drummer, Mike Harshaw.

The band states: “There has been an empty drum stool in our studio for quite some time. We couldn’t be happier that Mike decided to sit his ass down and take up the position! Mike had already been a friend and musical brother to all of us for many years, so when we decided it was time to get to work, in the fall of 2020, he was the obvious choice to help us out with the drum tracks. In a very short period of time, Mike put everything he had into our new material, and he completely blew our minds by literally transforming our songs, and taking them to a whole new level! As soon as we heard him in the studio, we instantly knew that we wanted him as our new, permanent drummer! Now that Mike is officially part of the team, we are continuing on with writing/recording sessions for our third (and heaviest!) album thus far, as well as plans to unleash the new Phear to the world in 2021! Keep your eyes peeled to our social media for news and updates … and spread the phear!”

In November 2020, Phear introduced new guitiarist Alex Zubair.

"Guess what family, friends and others?" asks guitarist Alex Zubair. "I’m an official member of Phear!"

"I’m extremely excited to be part of this family and amazing people who bleed Metal," continues Zubair. "Currently in recording our new EP at Woodward Studios with the amazing multi-talented producer / engineer and a brother Jon Howard (Immonith / Threat Signal) coming soon and I promise you, it will melt your faces! Check us out and Spread the Phear." 

Phear has issued the following statement about their new guitarist:

"Attention all Phearmongers! Phriends and phamily, brothers and sisters... the time has finally come, and we are beyond excited to officially announce our new guitarist... a true shred master... Mr. Alex Zubair."

"Alex lives, breathes, and bleeds Phear! He has been with us since June, and literally within seconds of joining, he sunk his teeth into our new material, and has worked so hard to help elevate us to a whole new level! His contributions have already had a huge impact on Phear’s music... evidenced by the first solo he laid down in the studio for 'Save Our Souls'... a truly unique sound and style that left all of our minds blown! One of Alex’s most notable musical accomplishments is making the finals in Shredders Of Metal season one. And now he is ours to do our bidding! Bwahahahahaha... welcome to the phamily brother!"

For further details, visit phearband.com.

 

Swedish heavy metal titans SABATON have announced a new partnership with Nuclear Blast, re-signing with their longtime label home for a new single and much more to come.

"Livgardet", the band's first new music since 2019's "The Great War" (which cracked the Top 10 in 11 countries, including No. 1 positions in Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden), will arrive on February 26. The Swedish-language song honors the Swedish Royal Guards first established in the year 1521.

"It feels good to continue our collaboration with the world's biggest heavy metal label, Nuclear Blast," said SABATON bassist and co-founder Pär Sundström, who also serves as the band's manager. "We have been working with Nuclear Blast for more than a decade, and at the end of last year, we signed the contract for the upcoming releases, and we will continue to write metal history together."

The Nuclear Blast relationship with SABATON dates back to 2010's World War II-themed "Coat Of Arms". Its follow-up, 2012's "Carolus Rex", was released in both English and Swedish language editions. "Livgardet" marks a return to the band's native language. As SABATON's frontman, co-founder, and principal songwriter Joakim Brodén declared: "Damn, it feels good to be singing in Swedish again!"

As proclaimed by Kerrang! magazine, SABATON put the "(fire)power back into metal" and deliver bombastic, anthems of sacrifice, heroism, and determination, across nine studio albums and two decades of unforgettable performances. The songs "To Hell and Back", "The Last Stand" and "Primo Victoria" have been streamed more than 200 million times on Spotify alone, where SABATON boasts more than two million monthly listeners. Over a million YouTube subscribers share in the band's dual passions for hard rock and history. This precision combination propelled them to the top of the bills at the world's largest metal festivals, like Wacken Open Air (Germany) and Bloodstock Open Air (U.K.).

SABATON is arguably one of the most important bands to emerge from the modern metal scene, journeying forth with confidence on a steady ascendence that's rewarded them with five Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards (including "Best Live Band" three different years) and multiple nominations for the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards, the Grammis. In 2016, "The Last Stand" debuted at No. 1 in three different European countries and cracked the Top 3 in four others. Brodén, Sundström, Chris Rörland (guitars), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Tommy Johansson (guitars) curate a festival of their own, Sabaton Open Air, that started back in 2008, as well as their own forward-thinking Sabaton Cruise, that is being held since 2009.

"The excitement level at Nuclear Blast is of the highest proportion due to the fact that today, we announce and celebrate the extension of our relationship with one of the most successful metal bands in history, the mighty SABATON!" proclaimed the global Nuclear Blast team collectively. "Here's to many more years of success and domination together!"

"Believe is ecstatic at the prospect of helping extend the relationship between the two top metal entities, SABATON and Nuclear Blast Records, for years to come," added Thorsten Freese, managing director of Believe (Germany), the Paris-based label services and distribution provider. "We understand how important the two brands are, and there's more than 100% full support and understanding of their leading markets. Here's to many more years of continuous success!"

SABATON's ninth album centered on World War I, often referred to as "The Great War." "The Last Stand" delved into various "last stands" throughout history. "Livgardet" strengthens the band's well-known reputation as experts, aficionados, and storytellers regarding the triumph and tragedy of battle.

"Since 2012 and 'Carolus Rex', we have been looking forward to writing more songs in Swedish, and we felt that we were not done with the history of our fatherland," Sundström explained. "Over the past years, we have been discussing around topics until something obvious came up. One of the oldest military regiments in the world, the Swedish Royal Guard (Livgardet), was formed in the SABATON home region in Sweden, Dalecarlia, in 1521 by the legendary Swedish king Gustav Vasa. For the past 500 years, they have evolved with the times and served under various kings and queens around the world and are still active today. We felt that such an anniversary would be worth a song, and we aimed at writing a respectful tribute, an anthem for this Swedish regiment and its legacy. The rich 500 years of history is, needless to say, extremely hard to fit into one song, and that is why we mainly focused on the parts and battles that happened during the age of the Swedish Empire. We aimed to write a respectful tribute, a powerful anthem, for this Swedish regiment and its remarkable legacy."

SABATON headlined London's Wembley Arena in February 2020. JUDAS PRIEST chose them as main support on their "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour of North America, scheduled for September and October 2021. The group will kick off 2022 with an unprecedented 29-city tour of their home country.

Sweden’s Tribulation latest album Where The Gloom Becomes Sound has achieved chart entries in several European countries:

#12 in German Album Charts
#08 in UK Official Rock & Metal Charts
#01 in Swedish Vinyl Charts
#27 in Swedish Official Charts
#09 Finnish Physical Charts
#38 in Swiss Album Charts
#65 in Austrian Album Charts

The band comments: “We are very grateful for all the support in spreading our gloom around the world, a kind of glistening gloom that might be needed for some in these grey and dull times! Stay resilient, be patient and keep the creative fires burning!"

Where The Gloom Becomes Sound is available to order here.

Tribulation entered Linus Björklund's Studio Ryssviken in April and exited (informally) nearly two months later. The group - guitarists Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hultén, Johannes Andersson (vocals/bass), and Oscar Leander (drums) - used the first 10 days of their studio time to rehearse. Once the bone-oil had sufficiently run its course, the group and co-producer Jamie Elton started to hammer into the rudiments of the recording process. Elton, who also serves as Tribulation's soundman and is a long-time friend, took the reins from Martin Ehrencrona, who helmed the 2018 Down Below sessions. Together, they crafted a well-appointed production, one that's luxuriously grim and auricularly inviting. Where The Gloom Becomes Sound”was then given to Grammy-nominated producer Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein) to mix at Psalm Studios. Once the mixing was finished - Dalgety would send over versions from his studio in Wales - Tribulation re-enlisted Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios in Stockholm to master.

The band's resulting fifth full-length indisputably elevates the Swedes to the highest echelons. The source of their glinting darkness: a yawning, bottomless rift deep within. "We immersed ourselves in the world of myth and magic," says Zaars. "With a specific focus on elemental magic, and the elements, in general, from both the Western and Indian esoteric traditions, not the Buddhist four elements but the five elements. Myth and magic are obviously not something new in the world of Tribulation, but it got a bit more specific on this album. We just present it from a slightly different perspective."

Where The Gloom Becomes Sound isn't representative of monumental change, but rather the accrual of ambition over time in conjunction with continued exposure to and profound experiments with crossroads devilry. Being their most expressive and inventive album to-date, where it will take them is only to greatness and with reverence.

Where The Gloom Becomes Sound tracklisting:

"In Remembrance"
"Hour Of The Wolf"
"Leviathans"
"Dirge Of A Dying Soul"
"Lethe"
"Daughter Of The Djinn"
"Elementals"
"Inanna"
"Funeral Pyre"
"The Wilderness"

Bonus tracks:

"The Dhampir, Pt. I" *
"The Dhampir" **
"Månvisan" ***

* Bonus on Ltd. CD Mediabook, First chapter of the song
** Bonus on Ltd. Deluxe LP Artbook, Complete version of the 18-minute song
*** Bonus on Ltd. Deluxe LP Artbook, Instrumental song

"Funeral Pyre" video:

"Hour Of The Wolf" video:

"Leviathans" video:

Album teaser:

As previously announced, guitarist Jonathan Hultén has amicably parted ways with Tribulation, and Joseph Tholl has taken his place. This new lineup (Johannes Andersson, Adam Zaars, Joseph Tholl, Oscar Leander) will hit the road in support of Where the Gloom Becomes Sound later next year.

Tribulation lineup (from left to right at top):

Johannes Andersson - vocals, bass
Adam Zaars - guitars
Joseph Tholl - guitars
Oscar Leander - drums

(Photo - Ester Segarra)

Guitarist Doug Aldrich, who was a member of DIO for a short period between 2002 and 2006, recently spoke to Danny Stoakes about what it was like to work with Ronnie James Dio.

"For me, [he was] the best heavy metal singer ever, Ronnie," Doug said (head audio below). "There's a lot of great ones — Rob Halford [JUDAS PRIEST] and Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN]. All these guys — Biff Byford [SAXON] — they're all killer, but Ronnie, for me, that's the guy that… That [BLACK] SABBATH album was so incredible, the 'Heaven And Hell' album."

Asked what it was like to play classic songs from RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO with Ronnie, Doug said: "It was great. I actually could find really comfort in playing both Vivian's [Campbell] stuff and Tony Iommi's. My style is based a little bit on guys like Tony Iommi and also another guy called Gary Moore, who you know. Viv was influenced by Gary, so some of his stuff came a little more natural for me. And Tony was a heavy pentatonic player, and I love the pentatonic scale. So that was always fun. But playing those riffs, like 'Children Of The Sea' — oh, man. And then the [Ritchie] Blackmore stuff, I would do my best to not… I'm a completely different player than Ritchie Blackmore. I guess everyone does their own thing. I love Ritchie — I love how he approached the guitar. He reminded me of all the good things from [Jimi] Hendrix and Jeff Beck combined, and he was putting his original [spin on it]. So, playing his stuff, I would use a Strat.'

He continued: "One of the scariest parts of that [2005 tour where we recorded the] 'Holy Diver - Live' [album] is that we were doing 'Gates Of Babylon' — it's off the 'Long Live Rock 'N' Roll' album — and, man, that solo scared the shit out of me. I did a pretty good version on that night — it was pretty good; it wasn't perfect. I was just, like, 'I've just gotta get through… Once I get through that solo, if I do it halfway decent, I'm gonna be totally confident.' And then I got through that solo, and it was a great show."

In a 2015 interview with CrypticRock.com, Aldrich said that he was "only really in [DIO] for about a year, but in that year, we did do the 'Killing The Dragon' record. I got to contribute to that record with a couple of songs also, which was nice," he said. "We did a lot in that first year. We did that record, a bunch of touring, and a live DVD called 'Evil Or Divine - Live In New York City' [2005]. Then I joined WHITESNAKE, but I kept coming back to DIO. There was a couple of tours in 2005. Ronnie said, 'Would you come on tour with me?' I said, 'Absolutely, I just have to speak to David about it.' David said, 'Cool, just make sure you come back,' because we had talked about some new music and he did not want me to split."

Having also played with LION, HOUSE OF LORDS, BAD MOON RISING, HURRICANE and Glenn Hughes, Aldrich joined THE DEAD DAISIES in 2016 and can be heard on that band's last three albums, 2016's "Make Some Noise", 2018's "Burn It Down" and 2021's "Holy Ground".

Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and DIO, died of stomach cancer in May 2010 at the age of 67.

Matthew Kiichi Heafy, the Japanese-American musician best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated heavy metal band TRIVIUM, has just released more solo material. This time, he offers his creative take on a popular and enduring sea shanty.

The three-track "Wellerman" bundle is available today on all streaming platforms. Listen to and get it here.

"I didn't pick 'Wellerman' as a cover to do something 'viral,'" Heafy says. "It was one of those songs — when you hear it, 'it sounds like something Matt Heafy would cover.' It was suggested by a close pal who thought exactly that."

The bundle features three versions of the famous whaling song "Soon May The Wellerman Come", which originated in the 1860s in New Zealand, and includes guest vocals by Livia Zita, best known as the wife of Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond. There is a standard version, as well as both a folk and a cappella version.

Track listing:

01. Wellerman (featuring Livia Zita)

02. Wellerman (featuring Livia Zita - folk)

03. Wellerman (featuring Livia Zita - a cappella)

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

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

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

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

Grammy-winning band GRETA VAN FLEET has announced a new single, "Heat Above". It is the third track released from their forthcoming sophomore studio album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", produced by Greg Kurstin (Paul McCartney, FOO FIGHTERS, Adele) and due out April 16 (Lava/Republic Records). "Heat Above" is an ethereal track that opens with a Hammond B3 seeping in slowly to set the tone for a triumphant sonic build.

"There's plenty of love left in this world, even though it may not seem like it," said Sam Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist for GRETA VAN FLEET. "And that's what 'Heat Above' is about, rising to the stars together."

The band first debuted the song with Zane Lowe on "The Zane Lowe Show" via Apple Music 1 in an interview where they discussed what it was like to work with a new producer, the personal growth they've seen over the last three years, and where in the world they've been in the extended downtime away from touring. In addition, they are the featured artist on New Music Daily on Apple Music today.

"The Battle At Garden's Gate" is a reflection of GRETA VAN FLEET's journey into the present. With string orchestras, explorative songs, and the band building a visual story with every track, it has an elevated elegance unseen yet from the young band. It explores the boundaries of the group's artistry, with physical copies of the record featuring a stunning 16-page booklet full of mythical, transcendent visuals and metaphysical symbols for each track.

In three years, GRETA VAN FLEET (Josh Kiszka on vocals, Jake Kiszka on guitars, Sam Kiszka on bass and keyboards, and Danny Wagner on drums) went from touring the grimy rock bars of Detroit and Saginaw to headlining shows on five continents with audiences triple their hometown’s population. The band that once attracted crowds of teens to improvised forest concerts, have now sold over one million tickets worldwide.

The twelve songs and symbols on "The Battle At Garden's Gate" were revealed this week and touch upon themes of freedom, self-empowerment, power in community, and respect for Mother Earth.

"The Battle At Garden's Gate" track listing:

01. Heat Above

02. My Way, Soon

03. Broken Bells

04. Built by Nations

05. Age of Machine

06. Tears of Rain

07. Stardust Chords

08. Light My Love

09. Caravel

10. The Barbarians

11. Trip the Light Fantastic

12. The Weight of Dreams

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has mourned the passing of Mary Wilson, saying that he spoke to her only days earlier.

THE SUPREMES co-founder died Monday (February 8). She was 76.

Wilson "passed away suddenly" at her Henderson, Nevada home, the singer's longtime friend and publicist Jay Schwartz said in a statement. No cause of death was given.

Late Monday night, Paul tweeted: "OMG! Mary Wilson of THE SUPREMES has died suddenly. I was just on a Zoom call with her Wednesday for about an hour & never could have imagined this. So full of life & great stories. Absolutely shocked. Rest In Supreme Peace Mary."

In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock conducted on Tuesday, Stanley said about Wilson's death: "It shows how fragile life is. She was vibrant and totally alive, telling me all kinds of great stories and anecdotes. … Last night, I was just stunned. Not to get too philosophical, but nobody knows what the next minute holds."

Paul said that he spoke to Wilson about the upcoming debut album from his R&B band SOUL STATION, "Now And Then". Due on March 19, it is a collection of nine classic soul covers and five original tracks, including versions of THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS' "O-o-h Child" and THE SPINNERS' "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love".

"The response has been more than I could have hoped for — just amazing, amazing compliments," he said.

"Whether or not it's somebody's taste — whether or not somebody has their own preconceived ideas of what I should or shouldn't do — the magnitude of the album is a great reflection of the past, and it also brings the music into the present."

Stanley's SOUL STATION bandmembers include Rafael "Hoffa" Moreira (guitar and backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (musical director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums and backing vocals), RayYslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).

Along with Wilson, THE SUPREMES included members Diana Ross and Florence Ballard.

The group's 1960s hits — songs like "Stop! In The Name Of Love", "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Baby Love" — are still recognized today.




OMG! Mary Wilson of the Supremes has died suddenly. I was just on a Zoom call with her Wednesday for about an hour & never could have imagined this. So full of life & great stories. Absolutely shocked. Rest In Supreme Peace Mary. https://t.co/E9CmwF1Hum

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) February 9, 2021

Sacred Oath will release a third advance single “Empires Fall” on February 12 for streaming/download on all digital platforms. The single and video features original cover artwork by drummer Kenny “Thundarr” Evans. BraveWords is hosting the premiere of the new, raging single; check out the lyric video below!

The band has already issued two singles and videos “Return Of The Dragon” and “Hammer Of An Angry God” for streaming and download.

Sacred Oath will follow “Empires Fall” with the release of two more singles on February 26, and March 19. Each single features a new and unique cover painted by Evans. Platforms like Spotify and YouTube will also feature each art piece on video and canvas.

According to Evans, “Musically, lyrically, artistically – ‘Empires Fall’ is about how fortunate we are to have been acolytes of one of the most amazing cultural points of time in human history and how important it is to appreciate these things, because it can all be gone before you know it.”

Preorder for both the deluxe CD and double LP editions began on January 29 exclusively on the band’s website. These editions will be limited-edition pressings of 500 copies and LPs will be hand-numbered and signed. The CD will contain a 24-page booklet including all 11 original art pieces, lyrics, and photos.

Digital preorder will begin on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music on March 19 with instant delivery of all five singles.

Return Of The Dragon is the first studio album to feature the newly officially added 5th band member - guitar and keyboard phenom Damiano Christian. Christian joined the band during the Twelve Bells At Midnight tour in 2017 and appears on the live album that followed in 2019, Thunder Underground – Live from NYC.

Sacred Oath is best-known for releasing A Crystal Vision in 1988, an album that evolved into a cult-classic of the powerthrash-metal genre. It was followed by six more critically acclaimed studio albums, including fan-favorites World On Fire, Sacred Oath, Darkness Visible, and Ravensong. The single “Counting Zeros” from their eponymous 2009 release was chosen as iTunes “Discovery Download of the Week”, and their first live album Till Death Do Us Part (2008) was listed as a Top Ten Metal Album of the year by Apple Music in its year of release. The band appeared on MTV2 Headbangers Ball in its last televised season with a featured interview.

Tracklisting:

“Cthulhu Wakes”
“Last Ride Of The Wicked Dead”
“Return Of The Dragon”
“At The Gates”
“Empires Fall”
“Hammer Of An Angry God”
“The Next Pharaoh”
“Primeval”
“Into The Drink”
“Root Of All Evil”

"Hammer Of An Angry God" lyric video:

"Return Of The Dragon" lyric video:

Melodic doom heavyweights Red Moon Architect have shared a brand new, haunting live performance video for the track "Journey". As much as the band from Kouvola, Finland, would rather love to be on tour but since shows are currently put on hold for obvious reasons, they are now inviting their fans on a trip into their very own world full of deep emotions and atmosphere. Watch the official, new live video clip for "Journey", a heavy yet beautiful melancholic doom anthem, below.

Saku Moilanen comments: "'Journey' is one of my all time favourites that has only been played live for a few times. We’re happy to share this clip from our special stream gig and hope we can play this live for you all soon!"

Red Moon Architect's latest, critically acclaimed album, Emptiness Weighs The Most, was released on October 23rd, 2020 through German label Noble Demon. 

Tracklist:

"Hidden"
"Chained"
"Rise"
"Dethrone The Darkness"
"One Shines Brighter"
"Muse"
"Into The Light"
"Reform"
"My Beloved"

Finnish modern melodic metal band Everture is set to release their debut album Emerge on March 19th, 2021 via Inverse Records. The band released their new single, "Closure". Watch the official music video below.

Guitarist Matti Hautakangas comments: "'Closure' is an instant boost to the listeners day. Be it shining or raining, you'd want to hear it from the radio. The upbeat rhythm makes the song perfect for a party or an exercise. Having it's breathers and full blasting parts, 'Closure' is a one a listener can give their one hundred percent! And that is also what the people did who participated in making the music video of 'Closure'. A big thanks!

The lyrics tell an aftermath where so much has been experienced and you need some kind of closure. This makes the song a perfect fit for the closing song of the Emerge album. It's the understanding of things in the end of all that has happened. It's about the fact that from the chaos we undergo, beautiful things are born but nothing will ever be perfect. And eventually all things must end and still you can be okay with that."

Tracklist:

"In Between"
"For Tomorrow"
"Undersky"
"The River Flows"
"Promises"
"Ivory Tower"
"The Unfortunate End"
"White Lies, Black Skies"
"My 52 Shades"
"Closure"

Photo by Henri Korhonen

Ohio natives Plaguewielder are back with their third album, Covenant Death. Expanding on the sounds captured on previous releases, the band has formed into a pulverizing force. Covenant Death is the expressions of sadness through suffering and the anger that follows closely behind. The album's cover art, a brief teaser, and more have been issued.

Hailing from the economic wasteland in the Southeastern sector of their home state, Plaguewielder is an extreme metal power duo. With a sound that embodies the misery of our times, the band has been an underground force that has taken them all over the East Coast spreading filth and grime to anyone brave enough to bear witness.

Released in 2015, the debut LP Succumb To The Ash captures the bleakness and grime of the decaying mill towns they hail from. Their second album Surrender To The Void was released three years later on Fragile Branch Records. Departing from the doom-laden influences, Plaguewielder took the self-destructiveness and self-harming behavior to another level. In June 2019, the band released the Suffering From Self Inflicted Wounds EP, easily their most visceral, pummeling, and pissed off release.

Now, 2021 sees Plaguewielder delivering their third full-length album, Covenant Death. Expanding on the sounds captured on previous releases, the album blends black metal, post-rock, goth, and death metal into an original and pulverizing force not to be fucked with. Covenant Death is the expressions of sadness through suffering and the anger that follows closely behind.

Covenant Death was engineered, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeff Wilson (Chrome Waves, Deeper Graves), who also joins vocalist/guitarist Bryce Seditz and drummer Tim Roberts on the record, providing bass, additional guitars, and synth, along with Steve Lehocky (Cryptic Abuse) who provides additional guitars. The cover art was painted by Jef Whitehead (Leviathan, Lurker Of Chalice) and the layout handled by Wilson.

Covenant Death will see release on CD and digital via Disorder Recordings on April 2. Stand by for audio premieres, preorders, and more to be issued over the weeks ahead.

Tracklisting:

“To Dance With Wolves”
“At Night They Roam”
“A Death That Knows No End”
“One With The Shadows”
“Covenant Death”
“CRGP”
“Black Mysticism”
“Forever We Shall Be”

This spring, Transcending Records will issue first time ever vinyl editions of Escapexstacy and Lust Stained Despair full-lengths from now-defunct Finnish gothic metal unit, Poisonblack.

Led by singer and guitarist Ville Laihiala of Sentenced, Poisonblack was a musical outlet for songs that were not suitable for Laihiala's primary band. Charon singer Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto was hired to sing on the band's debut album Escapexstacy, after which Laihiala took over vocals. From then on, Poisonblack's sound began to shift towards more traditional heavy metal/hard rock territory. Following Sentenced's disbanding in 2005, Poisonblack became Laihiala's main band. They released six albums from 2003-2013 before going on an indefinite hiatus in August of 2015.

Escapexstacy was initially released in 2003 via Century Media. The song "Exciter" was featured in an episode of Viva la Bam, entitled "Where's Vito?", during a scene where Vito Margera destroys Bam Margera's beloved Hummer via being pushed into a quarry.

Transcending's pressing of Escapexstacy is limited to 1000 copies, with 500 already sold out. Remaining color variants available are transparent red and red with black splatter. Find preorders at this location.

Lust Stained Despair is Poisonblack's second album. Provisionally titled The Music For The Junkies by Laihiala, the album was initially released in 2006 via Century Media after a three-year hiatus due to the search for a new singer following the departure of Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto. Lust Stained Despair reached number two on the Finnish albums chart upon its first week of release. 

Transcending's pressing of Lust Stained Despair is limited to 500 copies and comes in three color variants: standard black, marble, and splatter. Find preorders here.

Obliveon guitarist Pierre Rémillard recently told 'The Metal Crypt' that the band is considering working on new material for their first full length studio album since 1999's Carnivore Mothermouth, which might be recorded at his studio (Wild Studio) in Canada.

When asked when was the last time Obliveon had been in the studio all together, Rémillard replied: "Actually, at the beginning of 2002, or 2003, we played there a couple of times and started thinking about maybe writing new songs, but we were in between things, we weren't sure, and afterwards I went on the road with the studio and that took a lot of time in my life. We worked with Obliveon a couple of times but in the beginnings of my time with the studio and then the band split, so we didn't get to enjoy that studio much. But that time will come because we are working on a new record right now and trying to put all this together. I think we're going to go to the Wild Studio - I hope so!

"We've all kept more or less in touch. We all have a good vibe together. We saw each other a couple of times lately because we're working on new songs, but we're taking it as a big project. We don't see it as something we want to rush, we don't want to have a deadline. Right now, we're getting to the point where we have a lot of songs written and we need to figure out how we're going to record the album and see what's possible for us because everybody's got their own lives. We want to invest time in the project, and we really want to do the best we can. We know that'll take time.

"We're now at a point where we need to figure out how we're going to do the recording. Everybody has a lot of ideas. Martin writes a lot of songs. I also write some parts and so does Stéphane. He writes the lyrics.

"I would say the band is not very active, but it's not like nothing is happening. We really want to work on the new album, and everybody is having a lot of fun working on the songs. We're taking the time we need, and we enjoy it very much."

METALLICA has secured the top five positions on Billboard's vinyl sales chart, thanks to six new vinyl reissues of the band's albums at Walmart. This makes METALLICA the first artist to claim all top 5 slots of the vinyl sales chart since the chart's debut in 2011.

The five METALLICA LPs on the chart are as follows:

01. "Ride The Lightning" (1984)

02. "Metallica" (1991)

03. "...And Justice For All" (1988)

04. "Kill 'Em All" (1983)

05. "Master Of Puppets" (1986)

These five albums, plus "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", hit Walmart store shelves on January 29.

In 2014, METALLICA remastered and re-released its back catalog on its own Blackened Recordings label.

In a 2018 interview with Classic Rock, drummer Lars Ulrich opened up about why vinyl mattered so much to him. "I still have all of my old records," he said. "I still occasionally take them out. I would be lying to you if I said there was no nostalgic undertone to the whole thing. It’s just nice to be able to sit down and listen to music for no other reason than to sit down and listen to music."

In a 2017 interview with Red Bull, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield also talked about his appreciation for vinyl. "We grew up with and love vinyl," he said. "It's an experience, an event. It's tangible: you hold the record, take it from the sleeve; place the needle in the groove.

"About six months ago, I was in L.A., visiting some old high-school buddies and we just sat around listening to vinyl… stuff like KANSAS," he continued. "Just the act of flicking through the boxes, smelling the cardboard, reading the sleeve notes, and listening to that warm sound — it's very immersive."

Last year, METALLICA introduced its own Vinyl Club. The subscription-based service provides fans with vinyl versions of rare cuts, demos and rough mixes, live rarities and other cool stuff. And none of it had been offered on vinyl before.

"As huge music fans, the band has been super excited to experience the resurgence of vinyl and the enjoyment of collecting, exploring and connecting with other fans mining for lost treasures," the band said in a pres release. "Those who love the look, feel and sonic warmth of vinyl are already in an exclusive club of sorts."




This week's top-selling vinyl albums:

1. @Metallica Ride The Lightning

2. @Metallica Metallica

3. @Metallica ...And Justice For All

4. @Metallica Kill 'Em All

5. @Metallica Master of Puppets

— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) February 8, 2021