SEVENDUST co-founder, guitarist and vocalist Clint Lowery has released the music video for his solo song "Silver Lining". The track is taken from his debut solo album, "God Bless The Renegades", which came out in January 2020 via Rise Records.

Lowery recorded the album with producer and co-writer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE) at Studio Barbarosa in Florida. The drums on the disc were laid down by VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen.

"I had 30 or 40 ideas and frameworks for songs," Clint told Digital Journal. "I brought a lot of those to the table to Elvis, my producer. We went through all of those songs and we tried to figure out which songs best represented the material that I wanted to put out as my first solo release. It was very important to pick the right songs, and still connect with the SEVENDUST fanbase and at the same time, try to expand a little bit, and make new fans."

Regarding the recording process, Clint told Madness To Creation: "The recording process was probably the easiest part. I think coming up with the material and deciding what kind of record I wanted to make was the most tedious part. Here I wanted to do a super-heavy record. I also wanted to do a really organic, Southern singer/songwriter kind of thing, and then it just kind of changed and became this. I think with the recording process I watched Van Halen play bass and drums, and then with Elvis Baskette, which, through SEVENDUST, I already have a relationship with him. The process was just very smooth. We did the whole record in three and a half weeks. And once we decided on the songs, it was just about getting it laid down. Those guys are so pro and so quick, it was a very efficient record. And vocally, going in the booth and singing with Elvis, we talked in between takes. Him and I were just going back and forth and just talking about life between us. There were a couple of times where we would talk about our dads, and that kind of stuff. That was a very true piece of it I went through with him, and I think part of it was just the singer opening up. I left feeling lighter. I'm so glad I got that out."

In addition to SEVENDUST and CALL ME NO ONE, Lowery has been a member of, written, recorded, or performed with DARK NEW DAY, KORN, RED, Tommy Lee's METHODS OF MAYHEM, SNOT, 10 YEARS and DIGITAL SUMMER, among others.

BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch has quit his long-running project with ICED EARTH's Jon Schaffer, DEMONS & WIZARDS.

Hansi announced his departure from DEMONS & WIZARDS two weeks after Schaffer was arrested for his involvement in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The 52-year-old ICED EARTH guitarist, who resides in in Edinburgh, Indiana, is facing six federal criminal charges after he was accused of spraying a police officer with a pepper-based bear repellant.

Earlier today (Monday, February 1), Kürsch released the following statement: "I notified Jon and Century Media [DEMONS & WIZARDS' record label] on Monday that I was leaving the DEMONS & WIZARDS project with immediate effect. My collaboration with Jon in DEMONS & WIZARDS is over."

Schaffer was still being held at Marion County Jail as of Friday morning (January 29), a week after U.S. Magistrate for the Southern District of Indiana judge Mark Dinsmore signed an order for the musician to appear in D.C.'s district court.

During the insurrection, Jon was photographed wearing an "Oath Keepers Lifetime Member" cap, holding a container of bear spray and "engaging in verbal altercations with Capitol Police inside the Capitol building," according to a federal statement of facts in his case.

The Oath Keepers describe themselves as an association of former law enforcement and military personnel dedicated to "support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." But the Anti-Defamation League describes it as "a large but loosely organized collection of right-wing anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement, which believes that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights."

Two days after the insurrection, the members of BLIND GUARDIAN issued a statement distancing themselves from the violence and destruction of property at the U.S. Capitol building.

"We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased," they wrote on January 8. "We expressly distance ourselves from any kind of violence irrespective if applied against institutions or persons. The incidents will be thoroughly investigated and the responsibles will be brought to justice. We ask for your understanding that in view of the hourly news situation we will not make any further comments at present."

Schaffer has been held in the Marion County Jail since surrendering to police on January 17. He made his first court appearance the following day.

Authorities say Schaffer was photographed and seen on surveillance video carrying a pepper-based bear repellant and arguing with Capitol Police officers inside the Capitol.

Just hours after the insurrection, ICED EARTH fans recognized Schaffer in a photo released by federal investigators in which he could be seen at the front of a mob, wearing black leather fingerless tactical gloves and pointing his finger while yelling at someone out of the frame.

Schaffer is believed to be one of at least 400 people who are being investigated by FBI officials over their roles in the insurrection.

More than 150 criminal cases have been filed so far. Charges include unauthorized access, theft, damage to government property and assault on law enforcement officers.

While Schaffer has not yet said anything publicly about his involvement in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates put out a statement on Instagram and Facebook opposing the insurrection.

"We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building," they wrote. "We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions."

Earlier last month, German daily newspaper Die Welt uploaded a video interview it conducted with Schaffer last November at a Washington, D.C. demonstration supporting Trump and protesting the 2020 presidential election results. In the chat, the guitarist said that "a group of thugs and criminals hijacked this country a long time ago" and warned that "they're messing with the wrong people here. Because now we see you, and you're going down. Mark my words."

Schaffer also seemingly threw his support behind Trump, saying "he's not your typical Republican" and claiming that America's 45th president is "dealing with a criminal mafia that has been in the shadows running the world, frankly, for a very long time. They wanna destroy all of our sovereignty and bring about global government," he added. "We're not having it… It will not happen. There will be a lot of blood shed, if it comes down to that — trust me. The American people will not go for that bullshit — once they understand what's actually happening. So, that's where we're at. Nobody wants this, but they're pushing us to a point where we have no choice."

DEMONS & WIZARDS released its third studio album, "III", in February 2020 via Century Media Records. The LP marked the band's first collection of new material in 15 years.

In a 2019 interview with The Greene Room Magazine, Hansi stated about how DEMONS & WIZARDS was formed: "It started with a friendship. [Jon and I] met each other for the first time in 1991 when we toured together with ICED EARTH and BLIND GUARDIAN, and an immediate friendship came to happen because we were alike — in many ways, spiritual brothers from the beginning. And that goes for the two of us, but also for the two bands in general. We had a blast, and ever since, we established a very close friendship. We were not even talking about making music together. By whatsoever reason, more or less seven years later, Jon came to visit me, and we had a hangover morning he started playing guitar. I started humming to it, and we thought, 'Well, that might be the creepy melody to work on. Let's go to the BLIND GUARDIAN rehearsal room and try to do something with it.' Then we called it a song within a short amount of time; it was maybe three, four hours. That song was 'My Last Sunrise' which ended up on the very first album. When doing this song, we just recognized that there's not only a friendship, but a strong spiritual, creative chemistry between the two of us. We said, 'We may want to use that later on for whatever reason or purpose.' We thought about it for a while, and then we said, 'Well, let's use that creativity and do an album.' Then we started working on DEMONS & WIZARDS."

Schaffer talked about his collaboration with Kürsch in a 2020 interview with Myglobalmind. He said: "This is an exercise in brotherhood first and foremost. Hansi and I were very dear friends before we realized that we could write songs together. Writing together actually happened by accident. When it happened, the next question was, what are we going to do with it? The first song we wrote was 'My Last Sunrise' and it was the last song on the first DEMONS album. Initially, we talked about BLIND GUARDIAN and ICED EARTH, each doing a version, but at some point, I just said to Hansi, 'Let's just do our own thing and write a bunch more together.' It has always been about having fun and spending time together, but we do hold the pressure to ourselves in delivering something we are happy with. Nine times out of ten, the fans will be right on board. It's all about satisfying yourself as an artist first; then we let the dice roll."

In a recent interview with The Horn 104.9 & AM 1260, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford explained why he and guitarist Glenn Tipton loved the iconic mockumentary film "This Is Spinal Tap" so much when they first saw it back in 1984.

"I love satire. Glenn loves satire," Rob said (hear audio below). "The thing about satire, you can only make satire from great things that have happened in the real world. To us, that was just what 'Spinal Tap' was all about. We could see ourselves in that movie time and time again, whether it was in hotels or losing the way to the stage or things going wrong on stage with the props and the accessories. It was like watching ourselves from the outside looking in. We roared through the whole thing. It was kind of a miscommunication, I think, that this is about a real band called SPINAL TAP and this is a documentary about their life. So some of the people that were in the movie theater that afternoon that Glenn and I went to see the movie, they were very upset. They made their feelings known as they stormed out of the movie theater."

"This Is Spinal Tap" has become a cult classic since its first theatrical run over 35 years ago. The film was produced independently on a shoestring budget of $2.25 million by a company owned by the four creators, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean. Two years in production, the film was released in 1984. It soon became a cult favorite and spawned a genre that has come to be known as "mockumentary," inspiring many subsequent filmmakers. Phrases from the film's script have entered the general lexicon, including "none more black" and "it goes to 11," the latter phrase exemplified by the Tesla car, whose audio system's volume control goes to 11, as does that on the BBC's iPlayer.

Its reputation as one of the 20th Century's most enduring comedies has increased exponentially in the ensuing years. The film has garnered international praise and acclaim, having been included in "best ever" lists such as The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made; Total Film's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list; Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time where it appeared on the "Just Too Beloved to Ignore" list; and achieving the coveted No. 1 spot on Time Out London's 100 Best Comedy Movies list.

In 2002, the film's lasting appeal led the U.S. Library of Congress (the world's largest cultural collection), to designate it as a culturally, historically or aesthetically significant film.

Although "This Is Spinal Tap" was first released in 1984 in the U.S. and U.K., the band SPINAL TAP was actually created in the late 1970s. The band's rock musician characters "Nigel Tufnel" and "David St. Hubbins" were created by Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, with Harry Shearer creating bassist "Derek Smalls." SPINAL TAP's comedic sole claim to fame was as "one of England's loudest bands." Performing as their beloved stage personae in the company of a rotating cast of percussionists willing to risk the kit (as so many of their predecessors have been accident prone), SPINAL TAP has toured the world multiple times since the film's release. Hundreds of thousands of SPINAL TAP sound recordings have been sold over the ensuing decades and the film has been released on scores of video formats through the years.

In 2019, the band's creators concluded a new agreement with Universal Music Group. The band's recording of a full-length SPINAL TAP album featuring songs from the film is still available for physical sale, download and streaming today from UMG.

"This Is Spinal Tap" was released to little fanfare with some viewers convinced the bumbling dinosaurs — who had a knack of losing drummers in freak accidents — on screen were a genuine band. But word of mouth about the smartly observed film, which took a pop at bands such as STATUS QUO, LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH, spread and it became a sleeper hit.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, McKean, Guest and Shearer prepared several scenes with Reiner but then ad-libbed. At the end of filming, they had more than 40 hours of footage, which was edited down to a more manageable form.

When "This Is Spinal Tap" was released, not everybody got that it was a "mockumentary." U2's The Edge immediately embraced it, saying: "I didn't laugh, I wept. It was so close to the truth." Ozzy Osbourne didn't understand it, saying the first time he watched it, he thought it was a real documentary. Early home video versions of the movie reportedly even had a disclaimer at the start and finish of the movie stating the band didn't really exist.

With COVID-19 plaguing the world during 2020, the international heavy metal community came screeching to a near standstill. The silence became deafening. And then one day, like a bolt of lightning, an idea came to Metalreels: What if you brought together a bunch of the heaviest hitters in the world and had them all contribute to just one song? How about, for instance, Biff Byford of SAXON on vocals, Eric Peterson of TESTAMENT on guitar, Jay Jay French of TWISTED SISTER on guitar, powerhouse drummer Hannes Van Dahl of SABATON and, finally, bassist extraordinaire Cecilia Nappo of BLACK MAMBA?

Well, as things turned out they were all happy to go along with that idea, and now Metalreels is very pleased to present the final result, the "Spin The Wheel" project.

"Spin The Wheel" will be available for streaming on all major digital platforms and as an "in the studio" video. There is also a limited-edition physical release on 12-inch gatefold-sleeve black vinyl, exclusively available through the Metalreels.com web site, featuring the following tracks:

1. "Spin The Wheel" (written by Biff Byford and recorded by the mentioned all-stars)

2. "The Devil Rides" - DEMON (taken from the "Soundtrack For The Game")

3. "March Of The Devil" - BLACK MAMBA (brand new track featuring new leadvocalist Linda Daemon)

"Last summer we did an awesome stream called Wacken World Wide," says Sweden's Sabaton. "It was live streamed from a virtual reality studio, and we think it turned out really cool. Here's 'Panzerkampf' from that stream."

"Panzerkampf" is from Sabaton's fourth album, The Art Of War, released in 2008.

 

 

Natural Born Machine is a new international melodic heavy rock band founded in 2019 by bassist and composer Alberto Rigoni (Bad As, Vivaldi Metal Project) - featuring Pink Cream 69 singer David Readman, guitarist Alessio Lex Tricarico (Bad As) and drummer Denis "Denzy" Novello (Ardityon). Just recently the band announced their debut album, Human, is set to be released by Pride & Joy Music on February 19th, 2021. 

The band has released the official lyric video for their second single, "A New Future", taken from the upcoming Human album. 

The album was recorded and mixed at AR Studio in Treviso, Italy and mixed and mastered by Alberto Rigoni. The artwork was designed by Andreas Ballnus (Disorderly Design). Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

Check out the video for the first single, "Moonchild".

 

Gypsy Pistoleros have released a brand new single and anthem for the underdog - "Lost In A Town Called Nowhere".

"Lost In A Town Called Nowhere" appears on the forthcoming full-length from Gypsy Pistoleros, The Mescalito Vampires. Described as the album they always promised to make, this release sees Gypsy Pistoleros fully embracing their fiery flamenco / rumba passion and crossover punk rock n roll leanings. 

A special limited signed edition 7" red & gold splatter vinyl edition of "Lost In A Town Called Nowhere" will be released on February 26th. Only 500 copies were pressed. Pre-order yours now at this location. 

Gypsy Pistoleros are best described as being the ideal house band for the fictitious Titty Twister bar of Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn. Between the nods to Morricone’s tense, tumbleweed atmospheres and the Gypsy Kings’ manic Mediterranean energy, a New York Dolls raw glam spark and a surplus of prime GN'R attitude, the Pistoleros‘ sonic style is captured to the full with the release of an album they have always threatened!  

Gypsy Pistoleros remain something truly unique and interesting in today’s predictable musical landscape. Combining their truly unique mix of flamenco rumba which gleefully collides with old school punk rock n roll riffs in a head on collision. In the best rock n roll tradition, with big hooks, attitude, and sleaze. Yet those flamenco breaks got into your head and refuse to leave - this hybrid rocks.  

The Mescalito Vampires was recorded in Black Tree Recording Studios, Tardebigge, Worcestershire with guitarist Mark Westwood engineering and producing (The Beat, Dogs D’Amour, Dreadzone).

Tracklisting:

"Lost In A Town Called Nowhere"  
"Viva La Revolution, Viva Zapata"  
"Mescalito Vampires (Welcome To The Hotel De La Muerta)" 
"Soho Daze, Just Another Friday Night"  
"Roses, Gallows And The Wild Preachers Daughter" 
"The Forsaken"  
"The Name's Django"  
"Cisco Kid" 
"Gonna Die With A Gun In My Hand"  
"Alone Again Or"

For further details, visit Gypsy Pistoleros on Facebook.

  

Vokonis will release their fourth studio album, Odyssey, in spring 2021. More dynamically diverse than ever, the six new tracks feature guest musician Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Kamchatka) on keyboard. Odyssey is Vokonis' first true prog-record. A record for the new decade.

After the success of Vokonis' third album Grasping Time (2019), Vokonis immediately went into recording more material. With the goal set to further expand the prog landscape, Vokonis crafted recordings that are more dynamically diverse and forward-thinking than ever before. The result is Odyssey, the upcoming fourth studio album by Vokonis. Ranging from full-blown doom to melodically blissful passages, the new album features guest musician Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Kamchatka) on keyboard.

With tangible prog influences combined with stand out choruses, the six tracks on Odyssey further explore the sound that Vokonis introduced on 2019’s Grasping Time. Jonte Johansson’s clean vocal lines are effectively blended with Simon Ohlsson’s aggressive bark, creating tons of depth as the sound shifts from dreamy psychedelia to face-melting sludge heaviness. The new tracks are backed up by the rhythmical patterns provided by the
band’s new drummer Peter Ottosson who, since his affiliation in early 2019, has proved to be a spark plug of inspiration for the band.

Odyssey was recorded in Studio Soundport, Sweden, by Mikael Andersson. Mastered by
Magnus Lindberg. The artwork for the album and its singles were made by Kyrre Bjurling
(Grasping Time, Olde One Ascending reissue). Odyssey will be released on The Sign Records on May 7, 2021. The album will be available on digital, vinyl, and CD format. Get ready.

(Photo courtesy of Per Wiberg's Facebook page)

 

Metallica have launched a new line of exclusive Fifth Member merch, available here.

Items include tri-blend t-shirts, distressed t-shirts, distressed tanks, full-zip hoodies, and sweatpants.

2021 kicked off with a load of new Metallica colored vinyl at Walmart stores across the US. The Black Album and Hardwired...To Self-Destruct are available alongside remastered versions of Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All in new and exclusive colours while supplies last.

All six albums hit Walmart store shelves on January 29, but stock is limited. Reserve yours today by ordering directly from Walmart.com.

Imonolith features drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). They have checked in with the following update:

"Still working on new Imonolith music at JVPsounds studios. It’s sounding absolutely monstrous. The guitar tones are massive sounding and part of the secret this time around is partly due to using the EVH Gear 3 head and mixing in the Neural DSP Archetype: Gojira plugin with it. Killer combo and tones. JVP likes very few plugins but is in love with this one. He has it dialed up big time! New music coming at you all soon..."

Check out two clips from the studio sessions below.

Guitar legend Steve Vai has checked in with the following update:

"Hey folks, my good friend Sergio Vallín is the excellent guitarist from the band Maná. He has recently released a lovely solo record called Microsinfonias and I contributed a solo to a track. 

Sergio is quite an accomplished guitarist, and this solo record has some fine use of nylon string guitar with orchestra along with his raging electric playing. It’s very difficult to compose for orchestra and guitar, and the music on this record is arranged excellently. Here’s a link if you would like to check it out.
 
In thanks for contributing, Sergio had this piece of artwork commissioned as a gift to me."

When Ibanez launched its Steve Vai PIA model at NAMM 2020, some guitarists were a little disgruntled by the four glaringly bright finishes. Ibanez seems to have taken heed; the successor to the venerable JEM now comes in a sleek new black finish for 2021.

According to Gear News, Ibanez has decided to offer the PIA3751 in a new Flat Black finish, in addition to last year’s Stallion White. Designed together with Vai, this model was introduced last year in four colours. Ibanez has retained the gold hardware for this version, which works very well with the reserved Flat Black finish, and complements the guitar well.

The PIA model incorporates a number of Steve Vai’s personal tweaks introduced with the PIA in 2020. These include a magnetic back plate for easy access to the trem springs, an Ultralite tremolo arm and his Flower Grip, which replaces the Monkey Grip of the JEM.

Death metal legends Cannibal Corpse are gearing up to release their new album, Violence Unimagined, via Metal Blade Records. The band is streaming the new song "Inhumane Harvest" and fans can check it out below along with the tracklist.

Tracklist:

"Murderous Rampage"
"Necrogenic Resurrection"
"Inhumane Harvest"
"Comdenation Contagion"
"Surround, Kill, Devour"
"Ritual Annihilation"
"Follow the Blood"
"Bound and Burned"
"Slowly Sawn"
"Overtorture"
"Cerements of the Flayed"

More album details and pre-order links will be available soon.

Ahab guitarist / founder Christian Hector recently launched a musical project called Silurian; a two-man project with Belgian-American singer Emilia Sherman. They tag their music as gloom wave, which features "elements of shoegaze, ambient, '80s music, film scores, New Wave or Dream Pop." They have checked in with the following update:

"Finally we finished our demo, Descenders! You can check it out on Bandcamp and also buy one of 75 hand-numbered and limited cassettes in two colours right here.

On the album you'll find four songs, three of them inspired by science fiction or horror films/books (The Gate, The Tripods, The War Of The Worlds) and the fourth is a tribute to '80s superstar Phil Collins (by the way: Happy 70th birthday, Mr. Collins!)."

Photo by Heilemania

SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian will release the music video for the title track of his previously announced solo collection of rock songs, "Elasticity", on Thursday, February 4 at 9:00 p.m. PST / 12:00 a.m. EST. A teaser for the clip, which was directed by Vlad Kaptur, is available below. The video will arrive three months after the release of "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first new songs in 15 years. The SYSTEM tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the latter aided by Turkey and accountable for the greatest violence the region has endured in 26 years.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about how "Elasticity" came about, Serj said: "'Elasticity', the songs on that EP were written many years back. When I wrote them, the original concept, for me, was, 'What rock songs can come out of me right now that I can possibly work with SYSTEM on?' So the intention was, actually, to sit down, and I've played them for the [other] guys [in SYSTEM], and we even kind of messed around with some of 'em, and whatnot. And, obviously, we were unable to see eye-to-eye on continuing the future recordings of SYSTEM, except for, obviously, these two songs for the cause that we've done, and that was before — obviously, a couple of years before. So these songs, I decided to finish them myself and release them. And they are really interesting and beautiful songs — going from really heavy type of SYSTEM-esque type of music to really beautiful, ballady — including pianos and string arrangements and stuff like that. So, it's quite diverse for just five songs. And thematically, it's quite diverse as well — a song about terrorism; a song about protests in Armenia years ago; a song about my son Rumi, kind of also cut with the poet Rumi, in a way — it's an homage to the poet Rumi and his namesake, basically, in a way. And a few other pieces. So it's kind of all around the place, as everything I do is."

Serj went on to say that "Elasticity" "was supposed to come out in October, but when the war started, and when we decided to put out two songs with SYSTEM, that took priority for me. And I just called the record company that we're working with and just said, 'We need to push this. Can we make this work?' And they were very cool about it," he explained.

"Elasticity"'s title is a play on SYSTEM's massive 2001 album "Toxicity". Serj told SPIN: "I'm gonna call it 'Elasticity' just because I wanted to do it with SYSTEM and it didn't happen. For me, it's not 'Toxicity' but it is 'Toxicity'. [Laughs]"

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

In 2018, guitarist Daron 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.

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
























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Legendary hard rock vocalist Joe Lynn Turner spoke to Metal From The Inside about his collaboration with Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren on a new album, tentatively due before the end of the year.

"I don't wanna talk too much about it, because it is a project we're trying to keep under wraps until we release it and keep some mystery about it — only because nowadays most mystery is gone," Joe said (see video below).

"What happened was I played a gig for Tommy, [Peter's] brother — he's a big fan of mine — in Sweden. And we got to be friends, Peter and I. And driving back to the train to go back down to Stockholm, he gave me a cassette with a track on it that he wasn't using, and he said, 'Why don't you write something to this?' I said, 'Okay.' So, about a month later, I sent something back, and he just went, 'Woah! Really?' And I went, 'Yeah. I think this is good stuff.' And it's gonna be the lead-off track — it's incredible. So anyway, we said, 'Let's do something.'

"Meanwhile, he's touring like crazy with two bands, I'm touring. We were writing a track here and so on and so forth," he continued. "I finally got up to Borlänge [in Sweden] again, and we got in the studio and the chemistry was unbelievable. We just wrote two or three tracks in two days — I mean, soup to nuts; just as you're gonna hear them on the record is the way we did them. So we knew we had something."

Regarding the musical direction of his project with Tägtgren, Joe said: "I think it's exciting. It's different. It doesn't sound like anyone else. I really mean that. Just because of the input where Peter comes as a writer, artist and producer. And, of course, it's still melodic, because I make sure that I've got those melodies and choruses. When I say 'heavier' or 'darker,' [it's] mostly because of the times we live in, [so there were] all these subjects [to write about]. So it is a real piece of art, in a sense of the word, because art should always be a reflection of its time; this is exactly what all great art has been through the ages.

"All I can say is that we're very excited about it," he added. "We think people are gonna absolutely love it, because it has all of the building blocks. It's got a bit of industrial metal, it's got a bit of classic rock vocals, it's got subject matter. It's darker, it's deeper, it's broader. So, we think it's gonna raise some eyebrows."

As for a possible release date for the album, Joe said: "What we probably will do is… Say we release a single in April or May — when I say a single, [I mean] a track. Let's release it then. Because we don't know what this year's gonna be like for touring, for anything. We really don't know if concerts are coming back. And we talked the other day about it and said, 'Look, we're not gonna miss out on the touring schedule with a great album like this,' that I really believe is perfect for festivals and what people are gonna wanna see and hear. So, let's release something, say, May, let's release something in June — let's do it piece by piece till finally we say, 'Okay, here's the album. We got promoters interested. We got fans interested. Let's go out there and actually play it in front of them live.' So we're just trying to be smart about it. We're not trying to be smug about it or anything. It's just smart. Because who knows when we're gonna get back on stage? And, really, an artist's calling card is the record; that's your calling card. Here's our sound. Come and see it, come and hear it for yourself."

Turner's career spans more than 40 years and includes collaborations with the likes of RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Tägtgren is the founder and co-founder of PAIN, HYPOCRISY and LINDEMANN, as well as the owner of a successful recording studio in Sweden. Most of his time is devoted to The Abyss studio, where has worked on many classic albums, including those by DIMMU BORGIR, IMMORTAL, ENSLAVED, DARK FUNERAL and CHILDREN OF BODOM.


























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Former MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover has launched a new project with his brother, and fellow ex-MEGADETH member, Glen Drover. The as-yet-unnamed band also features former FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase and German singer Henning Basse, who has previously played with FIREWIND, METALIUM and MAYAN.

In a new interview with the "Nothing Shocking" podcast, Shawn stated about the new project: "We started working on some music probably a couple of months ago now. It's been a couple of months. We've been talking about doing something. Glen owns his own studio up in Canada, so why not utilize the fact that we don't have to go and pay huge studio costs and et cetera, et cetera, and get some friends together that we admire and that we respect and work on a record. And that's exactly what we're doing.

"We have Glen and myself, of course, and we have a bass player named Joe DiBiase, who was in a band called FATES WARNING out of Connecticut for years and years and years," he continued. "A great player; a friend of ours. So he's gonna play bass on it. And we have a singer from Germany who was in a band called METALIUM for a number of years, and his name is Henning Basse, who is a fantastic melodic singer. So that's what we're doing currently.

"It's a slow process, because life gets in the way," Shawn added. "We all have things that we deal with, so we do that. But when we have the time, we work on it, and so far it's turning out to be really exciting. We're pretty happy with the material we've done so far."

Asked how the new band is different and similar to his previous collaborations with Glen, Shawn said: "It's been really similar to the first band that Glen and I did years ago, which was a band called EIDOLON. We released, actually, five records on Metal Blade in the early 2000s, right before we both got into MEGADETH. And the dynamic of that was that I write most of the material. Although Glen does contribute to some of it, I usually have the main germ of ideas, and, of course, he records all that stuff. So he's kind of a studio guy. He's the guitar player, but he handles all of the studio recording affairs, and I just kind of take on the job of creating most of the music. And we finetune it — he tweaks it and kind of makes it his own in a way. But that's kind of the working relationship we have with that. Because if Glen wrote all the music, I'd basically be doing nothing, and he would have to tackle all the work on his own. So we made a decision years ago — that was back in the mid-'90s, actually, when we put out our first bit of music, before we got signed to Metal Blade — that's always been the working dynamic, is I create most of the material, and he handles all the recording affairs with that. And it's worked out quite well. So that's what we're doing this time as well. At this point, we're on song four. I think we're gonna do eight or nine songs, and so far I've written all of them. It's just kind of how it worked out."

Shawn also talked about the status of ACT OF DEFIANCE, which he formed in late 2014 with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick, former SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass).

"It's certainly in limbo," Drover said. "Chris joined IN FLAMES a couple of years back, which is a great gig for him. They're great guys, a great band, and he fits with those guys like a glove. So he's quite happy and content to be doing that. With that said, he was so busy — he basically was gone for pretty much a year touring in support of their latest record they put out — and now with what happened in March of last year," referring to the coronavirus pandemic, "everything came to a screeching halt.

"Honestly, I don't know what the [other] guys are doing," he continued. "I talk to Henry and Matt a little bit here and there, but it's more just, like, 'How are you? I hope you're doing well.' We really don't talk about music a whole lot; none of us do. But we're all still friendly. Actually, Henry has released a couple of things — different kinds of music — on his own, which makes him happy, so more power to him. For me, I wanted to do something with my brother again and create some new music. And, like I said before, with the situation we are in, why not utilize that and create some music. So that's what we're doing."

Shawn joined MEGADETH in 2004 as the replacement for Nick Menza, who had only just rejoined the group. Drover performed on four MEGADETH studio records: 2007's "United Abominations", 2009's "Endgame", 2011's "TH1RT3EN" and 2013's "Super Collider".

Glen Drover left MEGADETH at the end of 2007 and was replaced by Broderick, who previously played with NEVERMORE and JAG PANZER.

Brass Against is a New York City-based rock brass band, and they have teamed up woth vocalist Sophia Urista for a cover of the Soundgarden classic "Rusty Cage". Check out the official video below.  

The song is taken from Soundgarden's 1991 album, Badmotorfinger.

Sophia Urista is an American singer, songwriter and musician best known for appearing on The Voice US (season 11), where she was chosen by Miley Cyrus and competed for several episodes until the elimination round. She has performed on numerous recordings including John Wick: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the seasonal anthology from her appearance on The Voice, and more.

For information and updates on Brass Against check out their official Facebook page here. Sophia Urista's official website can be found here.

Japan's Unlucky Morpheus have released a cover album entitled Loud Playing Workshop, which includes violinist Jill paying tribute to Eddie Van Halen with a cover of the guitar legend's signature instrumental, "Eruption". Check it out below.

Loud Playing Workshop also includes covers of instrumentals from Steve Vai, Dream Theater, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen  and more.

Tracklist:

"Far Beyond The Sun" (Yngwie Malmsteen)
"The Dance of Eternity" (Dream Theater)
"Into the Arena" (Michael Schenker)
"Hundreds Of Thousands" (Tony MacAlpine)
"Scarified" (Racer X)
"Eruption" (Eddie Van Halen)
"For the Love of God" (Steve Vai)
"Technical Difficulties" (Racer X)
"17th Century Chicken Pickin'" (Chris Impellitteri)

Nervosa vocalist Diva Satanica was recently interviewed by Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People. During their chat, which can be seen in the video below, Diva Satanica talks about helping people through both her music, and her job as a psychiatric nurse.

According to Diva Satanica, "For me, it's been like two different worlds because nobody in my job really knew about my passion for music until I was on a TV show as a participant some years ago. And then everybody knew about my passion for metal and that I was trying to become a vocalist some day. So, until then, I felt guilty because that was something like a stigma here in Spain; being a fan of extreme metal is something weird, not everybody really loves that kind of music. 'Girl, something's wrong with you. Why do you like that kind of music?' But it felt like a relief in a way when everybody knew about this. I really think that psychiatry and the metal scene are very connected because we are very sensitive and emotional. We really think about our feelings. Music, for me, has been like therapy. It allows me to express my emotions and to talk about deep stuff that probably I can't do it through words... it's a good way of helping people to connect both parts, inside with the outside, and just feeling more free."

Nervosa have released the third single, “Under Ruins”, from their new full-length album, Perpetual Chaos, available now via Napalm Records.

As a harbinger of their new record, Diva Satanica’s powerful and aggressive vocals draw the listener into the heavy vortex of Nervosa's pure energy. Along with an official music video, the new track highlights the difficult topic of a homeless child left to survive on the streets.

Perpetual Chaos marks the beginning of a new era whilst also underlining their straight-forward lyricism and style: From political grievances and amplifying the voices of minorities to protesting against factory farming, capitalism and succumbing to the ill-informed musings of social elites - these commanding women do not mince words. Enter a thrashing world of destruction and be a part of the next generation of Nervosa!

Guitarist Prika Amaral comments: "It was a wonderful experience with these girls, they are all very talented and did an excellent job, I have never been so happy with the final result of a record. I chose Artesonao studio in Malaga, because it is isolated and in an extremely beautiful place, we worked hard but we had the best vibe between us.”

Watch the official music video for “Under Ruins”:

Vocalist Diva Satanica on the album process: “It was undoubtedly a very intense process in every way. Not only did we learn to work together, but also to get to know each other and live together. I am very lucky to be able to be part of a project like this and I am sure that with the release of this album, Nervosa will take a very important step in its career. Working with Martin Furia was incredible, he helped me to find nuances in my voice that I didn't know I had. Get ready, for a new era more powerful than ever!”

Guided by a marvellous force of uncompromising thrash and death metal, the raw power of Perpetual Chaos has its finger on the pulse of time: lyrically, Nervosa does not hesitate to tackle issues that impact the very core of society as we know it. From political grievances and amplifying the voices of minorities to protesting against factory farming, capitalism and succumbing to the ill-informed musings of social elites - these commanding women do not mince words. Tracks like the airtight opener “Venomous”, the fast-twitching “Until The Very End” and “Time To Fight” prove that Nervosa’s revitalized identity experiments with both fresh new elements and crucial auditory foundations without succumbing to any clichés. “Genocidal Command” perks ears with Diva Satanica’s vocal eloquence, accented by the outstanding range of Schmier (Destruction) whilst mirroring a rousing thrash metal manifest. A tremendous outcome awaits with brawl-brushed guitar lines, blisteringly fast drums and critical lyricism - striking the listener in a way only Nervosa could. Viva Perpetual Chaos.

Perpetual Chaos is available in the following formats:

- Deluxe Edition: LP Gatefold Vinyl Splatter Blue/Red + 7 Inch incl. Bonustrack, Sticker and Patch - strictly limited to 300 copies  
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Red Transparent - limited to 500 copies
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Blue Transparent
- CD Digipack
- CD Digipack + Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Order yours here.

Tracklisting:

"Venomous"
"Guided By Evil"
"People Of The Abyss"
"Perpetual Chaos"
"Until The Very End"
"Genocidal Command"
"Kings Of Domination"
"Time To Fight"
"Godless Prisoner"
"Blood Eagle"
"Rebel Soul"
"Pursued By Judgement"
"Under Ruins"

"Guided By Evil" video:

“Perpetual Chaos” lyric video:

Perpetual Chaos documentary series:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Nervosa lineup:

Diva Satanica (Vocals)
Prika Amaral (Guitar)
Mia Wallace (Bass)
Eleni Nota (Drums)

(Photo - Barbara Ciravegna)

 

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo recently spoke to Kendall Toole, fitness influencer and ambassador for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about the importance of bringing issues surrounding mental illness to the forefront.

He said in part (see video below): "I started SKID ROW in 1986, but I've been dealing with mental health and mental illness issues since my early teens. And so throughout the ups and downs of my professional career and my personal life, it's been something that's been riding right next to me, on my shoulder, the whole time — and still does to this day; it's not something that just — boom! — goes away.

"I always felt that music was my purest form of expression, and now I'm happy to see that we're having more of a dialogue regarding mental health and mental illness," he continued. "So not only am I able to express myself through music, but I'm able to express what I go through and what I've gone through verbally. And hopefully it offers some — not only insight, but maybe some solace for people who are struggling with the same issues that we struggle with. And I'm just thankful that we're able to do something like this, because this didn't exist five, 10 years ago — this openness regarding mental health and mental illness."

Sabo added: "The perception of what mental illness was for so long, it terrified me to expose myself in any sort of public forum, because being in a band and being a quote-unquote public figure or whatever and being out there, the last thing I wanted to do was do anything that would diminish the popularity of the band or have the band looked at in a negative way because I was going through a depression, anxiety, panic attacks — all these things that were overwhelming. And so I put on a brave face and I hid it forever — up until my mid-30s."

SKID ROW is currently working on the final chapter of the band's "United World Rebellion" trilogy. The disc was tracked in part at a Nashville, Tennessee studio with producer Michael Wagener, who also helmed the group's 1989 self-titled debut and 1991's "Slave To The Grind".

SKID ROW's new LP will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

Photo credit: Kramer

HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale hosted the ninth annual She Rocks Awards, which was streamed live on January 22 on Believeinmusic.TV, Parade.com and AXS.TV.

During the She Rocks Awards "red carpet" portion of the event, Hale was asked by John Stapleton from M.A.C Cosmetics what she has learned about herself this last year while being in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. She responded (see video below): "I think I've learned a lot about myself both in a negative and positive and everywhere in the spectrum way this year. I think that both the good things about my life, the brilliant, happy parts that reflect my joy, but also the darker side of whatever comes with me, both of those things have been put under a magnifying glass this year, because you're in this kind of time that's ongoing — there's no real plan.

"It's probably been over 22 years since I've gone this long without a live show — meaning before the band started," she continued. "'Cause at least we had a bowling alley gig once a month [in the beginning] — I mean, I'll take it. But overall, I think that, for me, I've been looking at it like it's a gift, because I don't have the distractions, I don't have this mission, which is touring 250 dates a year. Then you go in and you make a record — everything's deadline, everybody has a plan, there's a future. So I've really had to look at myself and say, 'Well, who am I without all of that?' And I've realized some really amazing things about myself that I didn't know that I was capable of during this time, and I've also realized a lot of things that I'm, like, 'Oh, I've gotta change that.' [Laughs] So it's been a lot of self-discovery. [Laughs]"

Asked if there were any skills that she developed or acquired in the past year that she didn't know she had, Lzzy said: "It's actually been more on the technical side this year. It's funny, 'cause I just had a call with my producer the other day that wraps all of this up in a nice little bow.

"For the past year and a half that we've been off the road and we haven't been in the studio for a little bit, I've had probably about 10 or so collaborations this year that I've all had to do from home. So literally I learned how to produce my own vocals in a professional sense. I have an amazing vocal chain.

"It's really funny, 'cause I had a conversation with my producer the other day. He's, like, 'Yeah, I really want you to take a stab at all of these vocal takes that we've been doing professionally in the studio, but do them at home, 'cause there's a different personality that comes with that.' So I'm, like, 'Oh, interesting.' Am I gonna be able to beat what we can do in the studio? Yes. So, that's been fun.

"Also, I feel like just in general, as a songwriter, I've had to trust myself above everything else this year. There isn't anybody giving me advice, there isn't anybody there that I would unknowingly take as the be-all-end-all advisor — it's had to be me this year. So it's been nice to make those decisions, and be confident in what you're creating and following and chasing — whatever gets you excited. So, yeah, it's a lot of my truth this year. [Laughs]"

Last month, Lzzy confirmed to "The MetalSucks Podcast" that HALESTORM has begun recording the follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" album.

In September, Lzzy told U.K.'s Rock Sound that she has been "writing some of the best songs" of her career during her coronavirus downtime. "I've just had the time, and there isn't any deadline and nobody's breathing down my neck, saying, 'Hey, where are those demos?'," she said. "I'm writing from such a position of joy right now, literally just getting excited about some small piece of music. And I'm taking more risks now, because I have the space and the time and I've settled into something. And I'm not even quite sure what that is, and I feel like it's gonna reveal itself maybe later, but right now, I'm in it, and it's exciting."

"Halestorm Reimagined", a collection of reworked HALESTORM original songs as well as a cover of "I Will Always Love You", the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton, was made available in August.

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable".

In 2012, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)". According to the Grammy web site, Lzzy became the first woman to earn a Grammy in the category.