US blackened death metal newcomers, Wythersake, have released a lyric video for the song "Iniquity", taken from their debut album Antiquity, set to be released on March 26 via Scarlet Records. Watch the video below, and pre-order the album here.

Says the band: "'Iniquity' touches on the belief that you are wicked and a lost sinner from the moment you are born. The process of teaching this forces people to accept this uncritically – questioning the belief itself is considered a transgression, which creates a type of echo chamber. Ultimately, breaking away from the bonds of that type of indoctrination is a very liberating and rewarding experience."

Combining the sophisticated and progressive/melodic side of the 90's Scandinavian death black masters with sheer American fierceness and frenzy, Wythersake is the band that the extreme metal scene has been craving for a long time.

Lyrically, the concept of Antiquity revolves around apostasy and Gnosticism: in the early Middle Ages, personal spiritual growth and knowledge and the eradication of ignorance became considered heretical and were replaced by salvation through unquestioning faith and piety and a focus on eradication of sin (by any means necessary). Wythersake is the much-needed antidote: an exhilarating symphony of destruction that will elevate your soul.

The evocative artwork by Alvaro Valverde/AV Ilustración beautifully depicts the themes of the album, which will be released in a 4-panel digipack.

Tracklisting:

"Prediluvian"
"Antiquity"
"The Advent"
"From A Serpent Spoken"
"Iniquity"
"Through Ritual We Manifest"
"Lamentations"
"Feast Upon The Seraph Within"
"Unto Light"
"My Profane Goddess"

"Iniquity" lyric video:

U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider has confirmed to Hardrock Haven that the band's new album will be released "after the summer." Speaking about how he and his bandmates are staying creative during the pandemic, he said: "Right now we're collecting songs — again [laughs] — even though we're nearly finished with a new U.D.O. album, but we said, 'Let's work and work and work [on this].' So we're writing songs, and in March I'm going to go to the studio again. It's better than staring at the wall. [Laughs] We just keep on going and composing."

Udo also expressed his optimism that U.D.O.'s recently announced fall 2021 "Game Over" European tour will go ahead as planned. "We hope and cross our fingers [laughs] that we can do this," he said. "At the moment, nobody knows if it really happens or not. We'll see, but at the moment it looks a bit better… It will take a while though. I think maybe after the summer — hopefully — we can start touring again. So, of course, as our promoters asked if we wanna start touring and should they start booking, we said, 'Let's do this,' but now we just cross our fingers and wait if it's gonna happen. If it happens, it will be a really, really long tour. It's Russia, then maybe Ukraine, as they're also asking, and then the whole Europe… in 2022, we'll play in the rest of Europe and then, as we canceled [shows in] America and Canada [in 2020], we have to reschedule this. We also had to cancel our South American tour, so if everything goes normal, it will be a long, long tour further into 2022."

Last year, U.D.O. collaborated with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, the military band of the German federal armed forces, on an album called "We Are One", which was released in July via AFM Records/Soulfood Music.

U.D.O.'s current lineup includes Udo's son and drummer Sven Dirkschneider, bassist Tilen Hudrap and guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Dee Dammers.

U.D.O.'s latest collection of new songs, "Steelfactory", was released in August 2018 via AFM

In a new interview with "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini was asked if the coronavirus pandemic had affected the writing and recording process for the band's upcoming follow-up to 2019's "Distance Over Time" album. He responded: "It was October [when we got together to start making the LP], so COVID had been raging, and all kinds of other things, and travel restrictions and craziness… We had protection up, and all that, we had these panels brought in with plexiglass."

Mangini also spoke in more details about the DREAM THEATER songwriting process, saying: "The normal DREAM THEATER workflow is we show up — well, for at least this one and the last one — and we just write it on the fly. People show up with ideas, but not that many — not that many; just a few. The records prior, people would show up with way more ideas, but then it was a lot less of a group thing.

"My first DREAM THEATER album, 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events' [2011], I wasn't even invited to be a part of any writing," he explained. "They sent me music. I went in and basically… They sent it ahead of time, but… It's like a 12-minute song with 83 parts that are just ridiculously complex X amount of days before a session. Something like that would take a month to configure. So I just don't bother. I write some notes and try a couple of things and show up and I literally learn it on the fly and play it on the fly and record it and move on to the next thing."

Last month, Mangini said that he had finished laying down his drum tracks for DREAM THEATER's next album. He wrote in a social media post about the effort: "I've not played on an album this energetically unrelenting, start to finish, since ANNIHILATOR. But the wild thing is the amount of vintage DREAM THEATER melody weaved on to that kind of energy.

"I've never tapped into more advanced uses of my old and new chops in musical ways because of a monumentally collaborative effort of five like-minded, organic/evolving individuals. Is it from the forced lockdown like other music I've heard released? Maybe. Is it from nobody individually or collectively trying to do anything specific musically except just play and be a daring 19-year-old again? Probably.

"I never say that any new album is better than another. It never seems to be to me after reading, 'this is our best blah blah blah.' What I'm communicating is exactly what it is about DT15 that sticks out as being significant and important to me. Better? That's pointless given so many different tastes. Who cares. However, it's really cool that the band and individuals can keep progressing at this career stage. But we're supposed to given how we're defined. Accordingly, there's all the 'familiarity' one needs in this new music, but it's definitely not the same old fills/chords/beats. Besides, what could be more boring than a defined 'progressive' musician not being creative, dynamic, and growing physically and creatively from album to album? That would be kinda like a poker machine spitting out the same hands game after game, year after year.

"Earning good mechanics is a great thing as it pertains to consistency and avoiding playing poorly. But A TRUE machine is a thing that doesn't grow. That's OK unless your thing, your claim, is to be a 'progressive' musician. We strive to 'complete' who we are even though nobody can fully 'complete' everything. No creative growth truly defines and = a 'BOT' so to speak. DT15 is no such thing and I'm excited to report back with so much joy."

"Distance Over Time" marked DREAM THEATER's first album for for Sony Music's progressive imprint InsideOut Music. The group spent the past 25 years recording under various labels in the Warner Music Group system, most recently Roadrunner Records, which released five albums by the band between 2007 and 2016.

DREAM THEATER recently released its ninth career live album, "Distant Memories - Live In London". Recorded at DREAM THEATER's sold-out show at the Apollo Theatre in London, the live release documents the band's popular world tour in support of "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of their seminal concept album "Metropolis Part 2 - Scenes From A Memory".

During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian spoke about his band's inability to record a full-length follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005.

The Serj Tankian-fronted outfit has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 15 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released last November, the tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000 so far.

Discussing the overwhelmingly positive reaction to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", Shavo said (see video below): "To me, this is all bittersweet, because I think we can still do it, but because of misunderstandings [between] bandmembers, we're not doing it. Look at us — we have a common cause. We get together, we do two songs, two videos.

"I'm that member that still everyone is like the best friend of mine, but they're not best friends with each other so much," he explained. "They are, but they have differences in opinions and stuff. I have a way of understanding each member and saying, 'Dude, we can overcome this.' It's not that big of a deal — no one fucking banged anyone's wife; no one did any of those things that can really destroy a relationship. It's just a difference in opinion of things. And I think people should be [able to] work it out. But because, I think, of what we had, I think it's, like, some people are stuck in what we had and some people wanna move forward and not do what we had and do something totally different, which is wrong too. I don't think we should do something totally different; I think we should do something that both agree [on]. And we're having a hard time [agreeing on a direction], and that's where we are.

"So, to me, it's bittersweet, because I see everybody, and everyone's, like, 'We love Shavo.' And I'm, like, 'I love you,' but then they can't work together."

Shavo went on to reiterate his belief that the differences between the SYSTEM members are not insurmountable. "I don't think anything so horrible has happened," he said. "We're all alive. We're all friends. I swear, when there's conversations going on, it's very legit, very loving. No one's hating on each other. They're very polite towards each other. Serj and Daron [Malakian, guitar/vocals], when they talk, they're connected, they're nice to each other. No one's hating, no one's cussing, no one's saying 'fuck you', no one's saying 'you ruined…', 'you did this.' It's just that section that's fucked up.

"Daron brought these songs in," Shavo said, referring to "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". "And we've worked that way before. A song like 'War?' was brought in by Daron — that was a Daron song; Daron brought that in, and that happened. And then there's a song like 'Sugar', where I brought that in. And there's a song like 'Question!' where Serj brought it [in]. So we have different ways of writing songs, [and] it should be like that again. But because of what's happened, I feel like it's kind of like become this big issue now.

"I think at the end of things, when we're old and gray, we're gonna look back and be, like, 'Fuck, we were idiots,' for not taking the time and seizing the day. I believe in seizing the day in everything I do, and that's what I do — that's why I'm so busy nowadays.

"Like I said, I'm telling you here, there's nothing that's happened that can't be worked out. So I always have hope. I'm doing everything knowing that SYSTEM's not dead, and it hasn't been dead."

In 2018, Malakian publicly accused Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only band member to speak to the press.

In a recent interview with Guitar World magazine, Malakian was asked about the chances of more new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN in the near future. He responded: "Look, I never say never. We didn't even know this was going to happen. I was on my way to releasing these songs with my other band SCARS ON BROADWAY. Then the situation in Armenia happened and put our differences aside. And our differences are only within the band.

"Personally and outside of the band, everybody gets along reasonably well. There is no hate for each other in SYSTEM OF A DOWN. We're like a family. A lot of people think, 'Oh, Serj and Daron don't get along!' and no, that's not true. Serj and Daron get along just fine. But Serj and Daron, or Shavo and Serj, different people in the band will have a different idea of how they want the band to move forward. That's kinda where our disagreements are at."

Pressed about whether there's a chance new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN could happen, Daron said: "I never say never, but at the same time, I'm not expecting to do any more with SYSTEM OF A DOWN right away or immediately after this. It really does seem like our fans like these new songs. That's important to me.

"We've added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog that are on the level with everything else that we've put out and our fans have accepted it that way, which means a lot to me. That's kinda where we're gonna leave it for now. If more happens later on, then we'll talk about that, but for now I will continue doing what I'm doing and everyone else will just continue what they're doing. It's all cool though, I'm really pleased with the response we got."

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Lita Ford reflected on the experience of being married to former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes three decades ago. Lita and Chris dated for two years after getting together in 1987. After a one-year engagement, they tied the knot in June 1990 and divorced in July 1992.

"He was a handful," Lita said. "I had to pick him out of the street a few times. You know, he's six-foot-six, so it's not like I can just walk over and, 'Hey, dude, I think I'll just carry you home.' We would walk down the street to the local pub, the local bar, and he couldn't make it home; he would just pass out. And I would have to pick him up and carry him back up the hill."

Ford also related a "pretty cool" story about a domestic incident involving her and Chris which apparently summed up their volatile relationship.

"One time [Chris] got the notion that he wanted to beat my brand new washer and dryer up with a baseball bat," Lita said. "I think he was drunk and he just thought, 'Well, screw her and her washer and dryer. I think I'll just take the baseball bat to [her] washer and dryer and beat the hell out of it.' So I came home, and our side door into the house was right next to the laundry room where you walk past the washer and dryer. And I walked in, and I'm, like, 'What the hell happened to my washer and dryer?' [Laughs] 'Who the hell beat the hell out of my washer and dryer, Chris?' [Laughs] So, I thought, 'Okay. An eye for an eye here, buddy. I'm gonna take your favorite guitar and I'm gonna go out into the street, onto the double yellow line in the street, on the black pavement — of course, I won't miss the double yellow line — and I'm gonna smash up your favorite guitar.'"

Asked if she actually destroyed the guitar, Lita said: "Yeah, of course. And Chris's response to that was, 'Well, are the pickups still okay?'"

Lita has spent the last couple of years writing and recording her long-awaited new solo album. The follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" is once again being helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc, alongside the rest of Ford's backing band, which continues to consist of guitarist Patrick Kennison, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Marty O'Brien.

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Five years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Gene Simmons has once again said that rock is dead, insisting that newer artists will never get the chance at success that bands like KISS did.

While rock 'n' roll has been king of the music world for decades, in the past few years, it's been unseated by the growing popularity of hip-hop. This has caused many pundits to proclaim the genre "dead" from an industry perspective, noting that it has been eclipsed in all measures by pop, hip-hop, and EDM.

Simmons spoke about rock's supposed diminishing status during a new interview with Jonathan Clarke of New York's Q104.3 radio station. Asked if he meant his original "rock is dead" comment in terms of radio airplay or streaming numbers, Gene said: "In all ways. And the culprits are the young fans. You killed the thing that you love. Because as soon as streaming came in, you took away a chance for the new great bands who are there in the shadows, who can't quit their day job 'cause you can't make a dime putting your music out there, because when you download stuff, it's one-hundredth or one-thousandth of one penny. And so you've gotta have millions to millions, and even billions of downloads before you can make a few grand. And the fans have killed that thing. So the business is dead. And that means that the next BEATLES or the next whoever is never gonna get the chance that we did. We had record companies that gave us millions of dollars so we can make records and tour, and not worry about a nine-to-five [job]. Because when you're worried about nine-to-five, you don't have the time to sit there and devote to your art, whatever that is."

He continued: "So, we're gonna play a game. 1958 until 1988 — that's 30 years. During that time, you got Elvis Presley, THE BEATLES, [Jimi] Hendrix, THE [ROLLING] STONES, just thousands of bands. You had [David] Bowie, you had Prince, U2, maybe us [KISS] in the '70s, AC/DC, METALLICA, and on and on and on. And disco, you had Madonna and Motown — great black music — forever. From 1988 until today, who's the new BEATLES? That's more than 30 years. That's around the time when Napster and all that [illegal downloading] stuff started to [happen]. The fox goes in and steals that first egg from the chicken coop, and when the fox isn't killed, all the other foxes say, 'Hey, we can get eggs for free.' Before you know it, the farmer's out of business, and there are no more eggs in the grocery stores. The grocery store goes out of business, the trucks that deliver the chickens and the eggs go out of business, just 'cause you didn't kill that first fox that came in to steal the eggs."

He then repeated: "Who's the new BEATLES?"

The "rock is dead" argument has popped up again and again throughout the years, including in 2018 after MAROON 5 lead singer Adam Levine told Variety magazine that "rock music is nowhere, really. I don't know where it is," he said. "If it's around, no one's invited me to the party. All of the innovation and the incredible things happening in music are in hip-hop. It's better than everything else. Hip-hop is weird and avant-garde and flawed and real, and that's why people love it."

A few years ago, Simmons told Esquire magazine that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last several years, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons's full remarks and others just glossing over the headline.

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. Smith picked Paul Rodgers and stated about his choice: "FREE were probably my favorite band when I was growing up. I loved, and still love, that swaggering '70s bluesy rock.

"I met Paul Rodgers once," he continued. "I had arranged for my father to see a doctor up in town. He was having a few health problems; this was back in the '90s. I was late getting to the doctor, as usual, and my dad was in the waiting room. And when I got there, my dad was in conversation with none other than Paul Rodgers. My dad turned to me and said, 'Oh, Adrian, late as usual. But I've been talking to this nice young man here. He reckons he's a bit of a singer.' And my dad's favorite singer was Perry Como, so he had no idea who Paul Rodgers was. And I just thought that was lovely."

Smith's memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", arrived last September via Virgin Books.

Adrian's collaboration with Richie Kotzen, SMITH/KOTZEN, will release its self-titled debut album on March 26 via BMG.

Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. He joined IRON MAIDEN at the end of 1980. Adrian is the bandmember who has collaborated on the most side projects outside of IRON MAIDEN, as well as writing and recording a series of albums in the early '90s, before rejoining the band. IRON MAIDEN has sold 100 million albums, and tour the world playing to millions of fans. Onstage, Adrian uses Jackson and Gibson guitars. Offstage, he is an avid tennis player. However, his main hobby is fish

The campaign to erect a statue of Gary Moore in the guitar legend's native Belfast has received a boost ahead of the tenth anniversary of his passing (February 6).

The Wild Frontier Memorial Project, led by members of Gary's family, and fans, has gained support from the Green Party and The Alliance Party in Belfast and has been warmly welcomed after initial discussions.

Indeed, a statue recognizing Gary Moore in Belfast could become a feature of the city's plans for a major cultural celebration in 2023.

Last year, Belfast bid to be approved as a UNESCO European City of Music by 2023. While the European Commission has ruled that U.K. cities can no longer bid for the title, the Belfast City Council is understood to be planning a major cultural attraction for 2023, and Patricia Moore, Gary's youngest sister, said a statue of "Belfast's greatest guitarist" would be a perfect fit for the city's future ambitions.

A co-founder of the Wild Frontier Memorial Project, Patricia Moore added: "Belfast is steeped in musical history and has produced its fair share of legendary figures, and songs. I know Gary is an idol to many people all over Ireland, and all over the world.

"He loved his city and although his career would take him everywhere, his music was always influenced by the nature and beauty of Belfast, and indeed all of Ireland. Gary was very, very proud to be from Belfast, he loved to tell people that was his home."

Raised in the east of the city, Gary Moore enjoyed a spectacular career with bands such as SKID ROW, THIN LIZZY and G-FORCE, and predominately as a solo artist during which time he effortlessly switched from heavy rock to blues, taking his denim-clad fans along for what would be a hugely successful journey.

Moore's guitar mastery saw him collaborate with stars like B.B. King and Albert King, Peter Green, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton.

Gary Moore died on February 6, 2011 after suffering a heart attack in his sleep, aged just 58.

Fans have raised almost £5,000 for the statue project. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fund-raising tribute gigs in Belfast and Dublin had to be shelved last year.

The Green Party's Belfast city councillor Brian Smyth said: "On the tenth anniversary of the untimely passing of Gary Moore, I welcome the moves being made by his family to build a business case to have a statue put up in the city of birth, Belfast.

"Gary was one of the greatest musical sons this city has produced and has left a lasting legacy not only in Belfast, but across the planet. This is also a timely reminder of how important music is and how we value our musicians, when there is a real challenge to the Arts Sector in Northern Ireland."

Members of VIO-LENCE, TYKETTO, U.D.O. and BONFIRE recently teamed up to record a quarantine cover version of the SCORPIONS classic "Blackout". You can watch the video below.

Recording lineup:

Vocals - Danny Vaughn (TYKETTO)

Guitar - Phil Demmel (ex-MACHINE HEAD/VIO-LENCE)

Guitar - Dee Dammers (U.D.O.)

Bass - Michael "Mülli" Müller (JADED HEART)

Drums - André Hilgers (BONFIRE)

Backing Vocals - Peter Östros (JADED HEART)

Demmel announced his exit from MACHINE HEAD in October 2018, explaining at the time that he wanted "to step away and do something else musically."

Two years ago, Demmel told the "In The Pitts Of Metal And Motor Chaos" podcast that MACHINE HEAD ended up becoming a Robb Flynn solo project toward the end of his time with the group. Demmel also said that the musical side of MACHINE HEAD took a sharp turn for the worse during the writing stage for "Catharsis", an album that he said he hated.

Last month, VIO-LENCE entered Trident Studios in Pacheco, California to begin recording its new EP, tentatively due in late summer via Metal Blade Records. Helming the sessions is producer Juan Urteaga, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD and EXODUS, among many others.

Vaughn's first solo album in eleven years, "Myths, Legends & Lies", came out in June 2019. Danny described the effort as "the music I make when left to my own devices."

TYKETTO's debut album, "Don't Come Easy", is considered a landmark release amongst melodic hard rock albums of the late '80s/early '90s. While the band has continuously put out quality recordings over the years, fans and critics alike hold the debut album in especially high regard.

THE OFFSPRING frontman Bryan "Dexter" Holland and and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman have confirmed that the band's long-awaited tenth album will arrive soon. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs. "

In a short announcement on THE OFFSPRING's socials, Dexter said (hear audio below): "We're putting out a record.

"It's finished, it's done, it's in the can, as they say. We've got songs, we've got titles, we've got a label, we've got an album title, we've got a cover, we've got artwork and stuff. It's ready to go. We're putting this out."

As for when the album might see the light of day, Dexter said: "We have a release date, and we're going to talk about all that stuff when the label lets us."

In the summer of 2019, Noodles talked to Finland's Kaaos TV about the musical direction of the new OFFSPRING material. He said: "It's definitely an OFFSPRING record. There's songs that you're gonna hear that are gonna be easily recognizable as vintage-sounding OFFSPRING, for sure. We're doing a song live every night called 'It Won't Get Better'. We would like to do more of the stuff live, but we want the fans to hear the songs the way we recorded them, the way we want them to hear it rather than a shitty cellphone recording…. One of the songs on there is gonna be 'Coming For You', which we released [in 2015], and that song is a good indication as well. Both those songs are pretty much dead center in what this record's gonna be like."

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

THE OFFSPRING debuted "It Won't Get Better" live in concert in June 2018 and has been performing it ever since. Noodles described the track as "kind of like a straight-forward OFFSPRING song."

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

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

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

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




A special announcement from Dexter & Noodles. pic.twitter.com/lSTggpjbvG

— The Offspring (@offspring) February 8, 2021

The official music video for "The Vertical Labyrinth" from DARK SKY BURIAL, the new musical venture from NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury, can be seen below. The song is taken from DARK SKY BURIAL's second album, "Quod Me Nutrit Me Destruit", which came out on Friday, February 5.

"The new album title roughly translates into 'what nourishes me will destroy me'," Embury explains. "A year into this pandemic, I have channelled myself into making as much music as I can. A needed distraction but at the same time and now there's lately an oppressive feeling that this pandemic may go on much longer than people envision. Within the hypnotic loops and fractured harmonies that reside on the new album especially with tracks like 'The Vertical Labyrinth'.

"I am sensing salvation but it was always there with my family. To balance the light with the darkness is always the struggle but worth it."

While it's largely true that creativity is not a tap that can be turned on and off, some musicians simply can't stop generating brilliant new ideas. Best known as a member of grindcore gods NAPALM DEATH, Embury has been one of the underground rock and metal scenes' most prolific and inventive figures over the last 30-plus years, with countless intriguing (and generally deafening) bands and projects to his name. But a new decade brings a new perspective and a brand new musical venture that takes the revered noisemonger into uncharted territory.

DARK SKY BURIAL marks the moment in Embury's artistic life where all restrictions and boundaries are obliterated forever. It is described in a press release as "a vivid and immersive trek through dark ambient soundscapes, unsettling industrial noise textures and wild, disorientating electronics."

"Even though my roots were rock and metal based, I've always consciously been on the lookout for new sounds and bands," said Shane. "As a very young kid, I was obsessed with recording TV themes on my tape recorder, which always baffled my friends. Since the early '90s, I've wanted to get into making loop-based stuff — soundtrack-inspired music, I guess."

DARK SKY BURIAL's debut album, last year's "De Omnibus Dubitandum Es", was pieced together steadily over the last 20 years. It was described as "a deep, dark and diverse beast that flows beautifully from spine-tingling start to emotionally devastating finish, via some of the most curiously evocative sounds, noises and — perhaps most surprisingly — melodies that Shane has ever conjured."

Swedish rock band PRINS SVART has just released the lyric video for "Vargtimmen" (English-language translation: "Wolf's Hour"), the second single from its upcoming album "Sanning Och Makt" ("Truth And Power"). The LP marks the group's first recorded output with its new lead singer, Mats Levén, a veteran of the Swedish hard rock scene who has previously played with CANDLEMASS, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, THERION and SKYBLOOD, among others.

"Mats is Sweden's best singer and we're very proud to welcome him to the band," PRINS SVART said in a statement. "[2020 was] surreal in many ways. Still we've had the chance to get to know each other both musically and personally on the road and in the studio. What started as a colleague doing us a favor soon turned into four guys becoming close friends and now we aim higher than we've ever done before, starting with the new album in 2021!"

Mats said: "Finally! After more than 30 years in the business, I get to sing in Swedish with three amazing musicians and friends in PRINS SVART! I'm more than excited about the new album and we're working our asses off as we speak to give you something very special in 2021!"

Based in Stockholm, PRINS SVART mixes classic rock and heavy metal with Swedish lyrics. The band's unique profile has been shaped by musical experiences from playing with such greats as Michael Schenker, Glenn Hughes and Yngwie Malmsteen, and touring and recording with bands like CANDLEMASS, GRAND MAGUS and TIAMAT. The music is rooted in the 1970s and bands like LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH, but with influences from the early 1980s and bands such as DIO, RAINBOW and OZZY OSBOURNE. The lyrics deal with existential topics such as death, transformation, and love, with production by Dino Medanhodzic (HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, SMASH INTO PIECES, SKYBLOOD).

PRINS SVART has released three full-length albums to date on its own label, Musica Ex Machina. These have received great acclaim from reviewers and listeners alike.

"Sanning Och Makt" is scheduled for release on April 23.

Sensory Records have released Cleopatra, the epic Dan Swanö-mastered second album from New Jersey-based symphonic metal quintet, Everdawn.

Formerly known as Midnight Eternal, Everdawn is embodied by lead vocalist Alina Gavrilenko, guitarist/vocalist Richard Fischer, bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X), drummer Dan Prestup, and keyboardist Boris Zaks. Through the course of eleven epic new songs, the band delivers forty-eight minutes of epic, progressive, symphonic metal on Cleopatra.

The vocals for Cleopatra were recorded at Soundmine Recording, the guitars were recorded at Frightbox Recording with engineer Bobby Torres, the bass, drums, and keyboards recorded at RMF Recording Studios, the bass engineered by Richard Fischer and additional editing by Bobby Torres. Upon completion, the album was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound (Opeth, Riverside, Katatonia), and is completed with cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák of Hjules Illustration and Design, and photography by Alexandra Hassan and Northern Luna. Additionally, Therion vocalist Thomas Vikström provides additional vocals to the track "Your Majesty Sadness".

Keyboardist Boris Zaks offers on Cleopatra, "In times of uncertainty we all search for the little things that we can rely on - on the little moments that do offer us security, comfort and strength. Music, in its encapsulating and deeply moving way, has always been a haven for those who wish to put melody behind what they feel. And this has been a year of feeling. We at Everdawn have been relentlessly at work, crafting Cleopatra and shaping it up to perfection. Our intent was to let Cleopatra speak to the audience and blend with the world around us as well as its history, in the most fragile of times."

Stream Cleopatra via Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and all other digital service providers.

"Ghost Shadow Requiem"
"Stranded In Bangalore"
"Cleopatra"
"Your Majesty Sadness"
"Infinity Divine"
"Pariah's Revenge"
"Lucid Dream"
"Heart Of A Lion"
"Toledo 712 A.D."
"Rider Of The Storm"
"The Last Eden"

"Your Majesty Sadness" lyric video:

(Photo - Aleks Hassan)

Undertow the debut album from A Rising Force, the band featuring Mark Westlund (vocals, guitar), Brian Lorenson (bass, vocals), Lane Allen (drums, vocals), and Leni DiMancari (guitars, vocals), is set for release on May 7 via HighVolMusic.

The album was written in the fall of 2019 through the summer of 2020 and recorded in in the fall of 2020. Undertow features 10 tracks including a cover of the Warrant hit,"Uncle Tom's Cabin". A Rising Force recently signed with HighVolMusic and are putting the final touches on the first video for the single "Love And War".

Tracklisting:

"Undertow"
"Love And War"
"Crushed"
"Freaks"
"Black Eyed Suzy"
"Yesterdaze Hell"
"Giza"
"War Machine"
"Uncle Tom's Cabin"
"Retribution"

A Rising Force is also part of the 'Rock  Across America Tour' featuring Ron Keel Band and Every Mother's Nightmare. "Like everyone else we are hopeful that we can get out and play some dates to support the new album, we will see. We are excited about the new album and possibilities," says Leni DiMancari.

(Photo - Mark Walentiny)

One of today’s top blues-rock-psych bands, Radio Moscow, has dug into their archives and unearthed the recently released Live At Rockpalast 2015. Featuring members singer/guitarist Parker Griggs, bassist Anthony Meier, and drummer Paul Marrone, the 15-track release (filmed on May 18, 2015) includes fully-cranked versions of all the Radio Moscow classics fans have come to expect hearing on the concert stage - “I Just Don’t Know,” “250 Miles,” “Broke Down,” “Brain Cycles,” “No Good Woman,” etc.

According to the group’s manager, Bruce Duff, the idea behind issuing the performance was a simple one. “MIG licensed it from the Rockpalast company, it’s a big reissue campaign involving numerous artists.” And the result is extraordinary – “Live its louder, more direct, and more open to free-form improvisation.”

Formed in 2003 by Griggs in Ames, Iowa, the band has been based in San Diego county, California, for several years now. Radio Moscow has released four studio albums to date: 2007’s self-titled debut - produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, who introduced the band to Alive Natural Sound records, the label that has released the band’s next three albums – 2009’s Brain Cycles, 2011’s The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz, and 2014’s Magical Dirt (the last title being the one that the trio was supporting at the time of this performance’s taping). And in 2017, the group offered up New Beginnings – their first for Century Media Records.

And as Bruce points out, there are quite a few standout performances to be witnessed throughout Crossroads Festival 2015. “I like a lot of the songs that were from Magical Dirt, which was new at the time this was recorded, such as ‘Rancho Tehama Airport,’ ‘Gypsy Fast Woman’ and ‘Death of a Queen.’  I also was surprised by the acoustic bonuses which I’d not heard before, the Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac cover ‘World Keep on Turning,’ and Radio Moscow standard ‘250 Miles’.”

Radio Moscow has toured and performed throughout the world with the likes of Graveyard, Witchcraft, Joe Bonamassa, Pentagram, the Sheepdogs, Nebula, and Bang, to name but a few. In addition to performing at the Crossroads Festival, they have played the Ride Festival, Desert Daze, Electric Funeral, End Hip End It, the Psycho California festival, and as is only appropriate, have headlined shows in both St. Petersburg and Moscow in Russia.

To experience Radio Moscow in all their high-energy, sweaty, and amplified glory, you have made a very wise selection…Crossroads Festival 2015 is a definitive, must-see/must-hear live document of the trio. Or as their manager describes it, “Electrifying transcendence.”

Order here, and watch a trailer below:

Greek melodic metal masters, Nightfall, will be releasing their new full-length, At Night We Prey, on March 5 via Season Of Mist, making it the band's debut to the label. The band has shared "Giants Of Anger", the new single from the offering. Watch a lyric video below below.

Vocalist Efthimis comments on the track: "'Giants Of Anger' is about Wilhelm's II (the last German emperor) struggle with Erb's palsy, and the mental challenges he underwent to overcome it in a world where royal blood ought to be healthy. The song is carrying the frustration and reminds us all that mental disorders make no discrimination."

At Night We Prey will be available in the following formats:

- CD Digipak
- LP in various colours
- Digital

Pre-order here.

The album artwork for At Night We Prey was created by Travis Smith.

Tracklisting:

"She Loved The Twilight"
"Killing Moon"
"Darkness Forever"
"Witches"
"Giants Of Anger"
"Temenos"
"Meteor Gods"
"Martyrs Of The Cult Of The Dead (Agita)"
"At Night We Prey  "         
"Wolves in Thy Head"

"Killing Moon" lyric video:

"Darkness Forever" lyric video:

Lineup:

Efthimis Karadimas - Bass, vocals
Mike Galiatsos - Guitar
Kostas Kyriakopoulos - Guitar
Fotis Benardo - Drums

Saille have released a video for "Empty Expanse", a track from their upcoming fifth album, V, out April 9 on CD/digital formats via Black Lion Records. Watch the video below.

Playing blackened death metal, Saille built a firm reputation for their impressive live performances on festivals all over Europe in the past years. Saille is a five-piece, with members residing in The Netherlands, Spain and Belgium.

The fifth full-length album from Saille, entitled V, is another landmark in the band’s existence. After a rough period of time, Saille felt the need for a dramatic make-over, seeking a deeper darkness, both live and in the studio. Visually and sound wise Saille improved immensely and a new frontman from the Netherlands was announced. Jesse Peetoom is two metres of charisma, musical talent and vocal power.

The artwork for V, which can be seen below, was drawn by French artist Vincent Fouquet of Above Chaos (Inquisition, Tsjuder, Kataklysm).

Lyrically, Saille deals with "The fearful, the uncanny and the weird. Therefore, the album contains eight creepy tales, sarcastic stories with somewhat funny twists. It will make the listener quiver and shiver, with a grin on their face."

Tracklisting:

"Suffering Sanctuary" (Parts 1, 2, 3)
"Fetid Flesh"
"Charnel Chamber"
"Loathsome Legacy"
"Empty Expanse"
"Baleful Beauty"
"Terror Tapestry"
"Mirror Motions"

"Empty Expanse" video:

Video teaser:

Italian ex-parody metal outfit Nanowar Of SteelL, formerly known for viral hits such as “Valhallelujah” and “Uranus”, has recently announced its retirement from their multi-faceted, comedic power metal sound, to pursue its newly found love for emotional pop music. Today, they reveal a first taste of what they have been cooking up.

Nanowar Of Steel don’t shy away from reinventing themselves on this stripped down, slow-tempo ballad: With stirring piano chords and tender female guest vocals, “Formia” will get you teared up. Watch the official music video below.

Singer/Bassist Gatto Panceri 666 says about “Formia”: "Just like life itself, emerged from the sea and gradually moved to the earth, we are symbolically from the shores of Formia to the dry land on the Italian peninsula with new life and new music. We are the amphibious species of music: we are metal but pop at the same time. So, unless you are a creationist, join us and enjoy the evolution of Nanowar Of Steel."

Nanowar Of Steel are:

Gatto Panceri 666 - Bass
Potowotominimak - Vocals
Mr. Baffo - Vocals
Abdul - Guitar
Uinona Raider - Drums

Napalm Records welcomes an outstanding new post rock discovery to its growing roster. Germany’s There's A Light has just inked a worldwide record deal with the premier rock and metal label.

After releasing their first EP, Khartoum, in 2012, the five-piece from the German black forest area set another milestone in their yet young career when unveiling their debut album, A Long Lost Silence, in July 2018. Followed by an adventurous touring ride through China, where they performed ten shows at some sold out venues, There's A Light have already proven that the world is ready for these highly talented musicians to be heard.

With their symbiosis of post rock and ambient music, There's A Light creates a layer of sonic soundscapes leading to an inimitable state of mind that comes close to an out-of-body experience. Everything physical seems to fade away as their hauntingly beautiful tunes fill the void with their all-consuming atmosphere, while showcasing that even in the darkest times, there's still a light somewhere out there that inspires us to keep going.

There's A Light is currently working on their second full-length album - more to be announced soon.

There's A Light states: "We are happy and proud to be a part of the Napalm Records family now. This is a big step for us as a band and we are excited to conquer new horizons with this deal. Currently, we are writing on our second album and cannot wait to record and release it via Napalm this year."

Napalm Records A&R Sebastian Muench states: “The band’s 2018 debut, A Long Lost Silence is, in my opinion, one of the best post rock albums that has ever been released! There's A Light have the talent to be the next God Is An Astronaut, Russian Circles or Sigur Ros. We are truly excited and proud to be in a position to work with such an inspiring band in the future!”

Dive into hypnotizing post rock spheres and check out the captivating debut album, A Long Lost Silence, below:

There's A Light is:

David Christmann - guitars
Jonas Obermüller - keys
Markus Dold - guitars
Andreas Richau – vocals/bass
Jan Lüftner - drums

(Photo - Nicolas Kuri)

Fierce Heart have premiered the music video for "Lost Inside Your Love". The clip was filmed in "Painted Canyon" Mecca California and was shot and directed by Stefano Milla who directed films for Sony and Lionsgate including: Richard The Lionheart.

"Lost Inside Your Love" is a return to the 80's ballads and has been set to be released right before Valentines Day. The song  has also been released as a second single to radio, following the first single "Out For Blood", which made the Top 200 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator Charts.

"This beautiful song tells a timeless story of love from the point of view of a rock musician on tour. For all the romantics out there like myself, we are pleased to bring you this brand new video from Fierce Heart. 'Lost Inside Your Love' is a song that’s written for lovers everywhere - so turn down the lights, turn up the music, and have a happy, romantic Valentine’s day! - Rex Carroll

Fierce Heart's "War For The World" album is available here.

Tracklisting:

"Into The Sun"
"Built For Speed"
"Out For Blood"
"Just Got Lucky"
"Lost Inside Your Love"
"Power To Rock"
"Bad Child"
"Rest My Bones"
"Long Time"
"War For The World"
"Road To Nowhere"

"Out For Blood" video:

"Built For Speed":

Fierce Heart is:

Robert Reynolds
Rex Carroll
Antonio Acevedo
Nick Forchione

Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen has uploaded another instalment of her ongoing Masterclass series, offering tips and tricks for aspiring singer.

Floor: "It's been a little while but it doesn't mean we are stopping the Masterclasses. We've talked about breathing techniques, jaw position, warming up and this time we are going to cover different singing techniques. In particular today we will look at belting, curbing & overdrive. We will link this to my latest cover of 'Ave Maria'. Most of this I have learned from Cathrine Sadolin's Complete Vocal Technique book!"

The interactive An Evening With Nightwish In a Virtual World concert experiences that will kick off the Human. :II: Nature. World Tour has been rescheduled from March to May due to changes in the band’s touring schedule. The new dates are Friday, May 28th and Saturday, May 29th.

Tickets purchased for the original dates are automatically valid for the new dates, or can be returned by March 12th. More details below. Two day tickets will be on sale for the current price until February 14th, 22:59 CET. After this the price will go up.

VIP packages will go on sale at the same time. The VIP package includes a virtual session with the yet unrevealed bass player of Nightwish’s Human. :II: Nature. tour, among other perks. The identity of the bass player will be revealed on the live virtual session included in the VIP package on Friday, May 28th.

Nightwish will perform in a tavern called The Islanders Arms built in a virtual world for two nights in May. On both nights, the fans will experience an unforgettable 1.5-hour performance, hearing songs live off the latest album, Human. :II: Nature. for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

- Friday, May 28th: Europe: 8pm CET / 7pm GMT, duration approx. 90min
- Saturday, May 29th: North and South America: 8pm ET (UTC-5) / 5pm PT (UTC -8) / 10pm BRT (UTC-3) / 7pm CST (UTC -6), duration approx. 90min

Virtual VIP sessions with the bass player will be held on both dates before the show (schedule to be confirmed later).

The live events to be experienced at Burst.fi. A recording of the concert will be available for 48 hours after the event for all the ticket holders. More details and tickets at Nightwish.com.

Tickets purchased for the original March dates are automatically valid for the new May dates and do not need to be exchanged.

If you have purchased a two evening ticket and would like to upgrade to a VIP package:

Choose the addition option VIP Europe upgrade or VIP World upgrade on www.nightwish.com. Customers in Europe can choose either one of the options. VIP packages will go on sale February 15th. Limited quantity.

If you have purchased a two evening ticket + t-shirt bundle and would like to upgrade to a VIP package:

The t-shirt sold with the VIP package is different from the one in the prior ticket + t-shirt bundle (additional print on the back). It is not possible to cancel or exchange a previously purchased t-shirt for the shirt sold with the VIP Europe package. You can complement your order by choosing the addition option VIP Europe upgrade (in addition to a two evening ticket and a virtual session, you will receive 2 different shirts and a VIP pass) or VIP World upgrade (you will receive a two evening ticket and a virtual session, but not the VIP shirt or a VIP pass) on www.nightwish.com. Customers living in Europe can purchase either one of the options. VIP packages on sale February 15th. Limited quantity.

The t-shirts and VIP passes will be mailed during the spring.

Depths Of Hatred have released "Illusive Obsession", the third single from their upcoming new album, Inheritance, due out on March 19. "Illusive Obsession" is packed full of razor sharp technicality and premier death metal musicianship, whilst simultaneously continuing to showcase the dynamic melodicism found on the previously released singles, "Fastidious Imitation" and "Sadistic Trials".

Talking about "Illusive Obsession", the band comment, "'Illusive Obsession' is the halfway point in the story of Inheritance. Regret sinks in as manipulation from the leader becomes clearer by the day. Our protagonist is given the gift of consciousness and must choose his own path through enslavement."

Keeping production duties in house and allowing themselves to work at their own pace has resulted in a polished, mature sounding collection of songs, which was then mixed and mastered at The Grid Studio by Christian Donaldson (Beneath The Massacre, Shadow Of Intent). 

A progressive slant to their rejuvenated sound means that they have stayed true to their definitive death metal roots, yet allowed themselves the opportunity to open up and explore metalcore and beyond. With ambitions to take their new material on the road as soon as they are able to do so, Depths Of Hatred have every intention of making this fresh start really count.

Inheritance artwork and tracklisting:

"Enslaved Through Lineage"
"Sadistic Trials"
"Pulsating Rhythm"
"Fastidious Imitation"
"Drop Of Red"
"Illusive Obsession"
"The Gift Of Consciousness"
"Shivers"
"Inheritance"
"The End Of Ourselves"
"Emerging As One"

Pre-order your copy of Inheritance now at this location.

"Sadistic Trials":

"Fastidious Imitation":

(Photo credit: Dominic D.D.)