In a new interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast, EPICA guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen related a few humorous stories about his brushes with one of his favorite bands from his youth, MEGADETH.

"Dave Mustaine, being the leader [of MEGADETH], [is] maybe sometimes also quite a difficult guy to deal with; he seems a bit grumpy sometimes," Mark said (hear audio below).

"[EPICA] played at a couple of festivals with MEGADETH, and I have a couple of funny anecdotes. One of them is that MEGADETH was done playing, and they came back to their dressing rooms. And one by one [they] were climbing the stairs, and I was going downstairs, so I said 'hi' to all the guys, and everybody said 'hi' back to me. And the last in line was Dave Mustaine, so I said also 'hi.' Nothing [laughs] — no reaction whatsoever.

"Also one time with MAYAN [Mark's side project], we were playing in Mexico, and we were on the airport, and MEGADETH was going to play the same festival," he continued. "And we saw also the MEGADETH guys — they were all hanging around with everybody. And I thought, 'Where's Dave Mustaine? Maybe he has a different flight.' But then, after 10 minutes, I saw him. He was sitting with his hoodie, with a very grumpy face — like, 'Don't even dare to get closer to me. I don't wanna talk to anybody.' [Laughs]"

Mark went on to say that he doesn't "judge" Mustaine for not wanting to interact with other people. "If he doesn't want to talk to anybody, he should not do it," he reasoned. "But, to me, it gives me the impression that he's not the most easy guy to deal with."

Jansen's third and final anecdote — which he said was "the most funny one" — involved an incident that took place when EPICA and MEGADETH both played the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium. "That was a great festival with a great catering," he said. "But everybody needs this kind of food ticket to get your meal. But [Mustaine] was there, and he didn't have his meal ticket. So [the girl handling the food asked him,] 'Sir, do you have your meal ticket?' [And he said,] 'No, no. I don't have it.' [And she said,] 'But you need to have one to get your meal.' Then he was looking around over his shoulder [so] anybody could hear him, and then he said to the girl, 'I'm Dave Mustaine, the face of MEGADETH.' [Laughs] And then she replied, 'But you still need your food ticket, sir.' [Laughs]"

Offering a possible explanation for Mustaine's reaction, Mark said: "It's an ego thing, I think. When you get your food refused because you need to have a ticket, just like anybody else, and your ego is a little bit big, so to say, then you get in this defensive mood, like, 'Give me my food.' Everybody needs a ticket. Just go to get your ticket and come back. [There is no] big deal about that."

Jansen clarified that he wasn't speaking negatively about Mustaine in an attempt to denigrate MEGADETH.

"I'm a big MEGADETH fan, I must say," he explained. "My first metal album I bought was 'Rust In Peace' from MEGADETH. I'm a huge fan myself. But this guy… [Laughs]"

EPICA will release its new album, "Omega", on February 26 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2016's "The Holographic Principle" was once again produced by Joost Van Den Broek (POWERWOLF, AYREON) in part at Sandlane Recording Facilities in Rijen, Netherlands.

Lita Ford spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the progress of the recording sessions for 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.

"[Gary] and I have been working back and forth on this new record for quite a few years now," Lita said. "It's been a process. But what I do is when I have an idea, I call Gary, I call his wife Nicole, and I'm, like, 'Nicole, does Gary have a break in his schedule? When can I come over?' And she's, like, 'You can come in April. We can get you in for 10 days.' And so [I go], 'Okay. Book me in.' So I get on the plane, and I fly to Gary's house, which is on the East Coast. And Gary and I lock ourselves in his awesome studio, which has this great vibe, and we come out of there with the best stuff. And he's such a great guitar player, and he has so many great ideas, and I take my ideas to Gary. You need somebody to bounce your ideas off of. It doesn't matter what you do; you've gotta have somebody to bounce your ideas off of. Gary's the guy."

Asked if her new album is now completely done, Lita said: "Gary and I, we've been working together for quite a long time on this record. And we've encountered all kinds of experiences through this record, like death and drug addiction and hardcore illnesses — just different people involved in the project. It's just been, like, 'Woah.' And then traveling back and forth, and touring, and just trying to put together the right album with the right lyrics. And Gary and I, at the end of it all, we sat back and listened to the record and just said, 'You know, this is some of the best guitar playing I think I've heard in decades.' And I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass, but Gary and I just nailed it with the guitar playing on this record.

"I'm a huge fan of people like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from Alice Cooper's 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. I mean, there's some really great duo guitar players — [JUDAS PRIEST's] Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing… Those guitar players don't exist anymore — they just don't exist. If you wanna hear them, you have to go back in time a little bit and dig them up into your favorite library, favorite music catalog. But I think Gary and I really nailed it on this next record. It's, like, oh my God. I'm crying — I'm just, like, crying listening to this stuff. It's so badass."

As for whether she is planning to wait until the pandemic is over before releasing her new album, Ford said: "Like I said, it's been an ordeal — we've had a lot of major hurdles to jump — and the pandemic has been one of those major hurdles. Just trying to get the drum tracks recorded, because originally we were doing digital drums. And Bobby Rock, he was, like, 'Dude, we've been playing together for so long. You've gotta get that Bobby Rock vibe in there.' I'm, like, 'Yeah, we do. We need that thunderhouse, powerhouse, balls-to-the-wall drums — real drums; not the digital stuff.' And people don't do that anymore either. Just trying to find a studio to record the drums in; with the pandemic, everybody was shut down. So we finally got into a studio. Our booking agent and his son, who let us into a studio in Minneapolis. And we flew up there in September and we recorded the drums. And there's 'Black Lives Matter' [protests] everywhere that are just roaming the streets, and the studio is boarded down with plywood over the windows, and they've got shotguns and Rottweilers. And Bobby goes in there and records his drum tracks. And it's just, like, 'Yup. I like this. This is badass.' [Laughs]"

According to Lita, all the recordings for her new LP have been completed, and "my awesome engineer George Marshall has turned everything over to Max Norman, and Max Norman is mixing the record now… We're really happy to have him involved," she said. "We've just got a really great team of people working on this record. It's taken longer than we anticipated, because of the pandemic and just all kinds of bullshit involved. But we've got a great team of people. Everything feels right, everything is the right way to go with this record. And I'm just really excited for everyone to hear it."

In 2019, Lita told The Metal Voice that her new album will include a song called "Monsters", which was inspired by infamous cult leaders like Charles Manson and David Koresh. "It's just really dark and nasty stuff — brainwashing people and all the stuff [Koresh] did, and got all those people to drink Kool-Aid," she said. "But then again, it could be someone like your attorney, or it could be someone like your mom who is the monster in your life. It could be your manager. You never know who the monster in your life is gonna turn out to be."

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

THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen spoke to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about the importance of seeing her vision through to full execution while making music with her bandmates.

"I'm fine with compromising, but I'm not fine with compromising when it comes to art," she said (see video below). "Anything that has to do with artistic expression — so from the songs to the production to the videos to the visuals — anything artistic, that has to be my way or just I'm not interested. Otherwise, what's the point? I'm expressing myself. If you want to be a part of that, then that's awesome. If you have a different vision for or you want to guide me in some other path, then I'm not the right person for you to be working with, because I'm on my own journey, I'm on my own path. So I don't compromise when it comes to art, and that's something that I've always had to fight for and stay true to my guns and my way of thinking. And luckily, I've had a really great team around me who really support that and really allow me to see my vision through, I guess. And then the way it's released. And then you look for partners who understand your vision, at least to the best of their ability, and are on the same team and the same side and wanna just kind of accentuate that and accompany it and help it along. And that's who you look for in partners — with labels and things like that — someone who really understands you as an artist to the best of their ability and just wants to help [get behind] that, instead of someone who wants to take you and turn you into something else. That's just never worked for me.

"I feel like I look at life sometimes very basically," she continued. "It's very simple — it's, like, okay, here's what I like to do. And you're telling me to do this. Well, I don't wanna do that, 'cause I don't like to do that. So, I'm gonna go back and do this, and if you wanna be a part of this, come to my side. And my bank account doesn't necessarily thank me for it. But in the long haul, it's something that makes me happy, and I can look back on my life and I can forward on my life and go, 'I'm doing the right thing.' Because I can go to sleep at night knowing I made the right decision for myself. And that's what success is — making something that you're proud of, and the rest of the world be damned."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS's new album, "Death By Rock And Roll", will be made available on February 12 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

The band's latest single "And So It Went". features a guest appearance by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.

"Death By Rock And Roll" is THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

In addition to Morello, "Death By Rock And Roll" features Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron from SOUNDGARDEN. The song with Cameron and Thayil, called "Only Love Can Save Me Now", was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.

Gene Simmons has pushed back against baseless allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, saying "60 courts in various states dismissed ALL allegations of a rigged election."

The KISS bassist/vocalist, who has been using his Twitter account in recent weeks primarily to share the latest political headlines and news about the ongoing pandemic, addressed the debunked claims that widespread election fraud denied President Donald Trump a victory in the November election while answering questions from his followers on social media.

After Gene shared an article about Goya's board of directors silencing its CEO over his unfounded claims of voter fraud, one of Simmons's followers asked him: "Isn't it possible the election was rigged?", to which the rocker replied: "60 courts in various states and 60 Judges (including Pres Trump appointed Judges) UNANIMOUSLY, and without exception, dismissed ALL allegations of a rigged election..and that Includes Trump appointed US Attorney General Bill Barr!!!"

A few minutes later, another Twitter user wrote: "Cases were dismissed on standing not evidence", to which Simmons replied: "That's correct. And what that means, (I have asked 2 law professors) is that a court 1st takes a look at the merits & if they seem far-fetched or bluntly speaking, idiotic, they dismiss it outright. Do your research. You will appear much more informed than this tweet."

Another of Gene's Twitter followers countered with: "No sir, no evidence was heard. Ultimately, SCOTUS decides these were state questions. The states, ran by ultra liberals, buried it." Simmons responded: "You are misinformed, again...Many of the judges were appointed by former President Trump. Again, I urge you to do research. You will appear much more informed than this tweet."

In December 2016, Simmons — a former contestant on Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" show — told TMZ that celebrities should keep their political opinions to themselves — especially when it comes to the results of that year's presidential election.

"Why does anybody give a squat what a guy in a band thinks about or anything like that?" he said. "The last thing I wanna do is to ask President Obama what he thinks about LED ZEPPELIN."

Prior to the 2016 election, Simmons told People magazine that he liked how Trump was shaking up the presidential race.

"The important thing about Trump, and I'm not saying whether I'm voting for him, or Hilary [Clinton], or anybody else, is that he has changed the game," Simmons said. "He doesn't want your money. This guy funds his own campaign, and he is going to say things that tens of millions of people actually say quietly because politically it's 'incorrect.'"

In a March 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons described Donald Trump as "the truest political animal I've ever seen onstage." The rocker explained: "He has no speechwriters, no editing, no nothing. He's actually on tape going 'motherfucker.' You cannot turn away."

Simmons stressed at that time that he wasn't saying he was supporting Trump. "He has said some very vile, unkind things," he said. "But don't kid yourself. He speaks off the cuff, and what you see is what you get. And he'll double down. If you ask him about building a wall [between the U.S. and Mexico] he'll say, 'Fuck you, I'm going to make it ten feet higher, just because you asked me.' He's not there to be your friend."

"He's good for the political system," Simmons added. "The middle, the centrists, they can say, 'What do you think of this?' because everybody is sick and tired of being politically correct. Secretly, tens of millions, perhaps a hundred million people may actually have some positive feelings about a wall."




Goya board silences CEO Robert Unanue after he tells Fox News the election was rigged - CNN https://t.co/hdhemQtdis

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 27, 2021








60 courts in various states and 60 Judges (including Pres Trump appointed Judges) UNANIMOUSLY, and without exception, dismissed ALL allegations of a rigged election..and that Includes Trump appointed US Attorney General Bill Barr!!! https://t.co/lMv8p2bNJx

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 27, 2021








That’s correct. And what that means, (I have asked 2 law professors) is that a court 1st takes a look at the merits & if they seem far-fetched or bluntly speaking, idiotic, they dismiss it outright. Do your research. You will appear much more informed than this tweet. https://t.co/dremImshZ6

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 27, 2021








That is correct. And, a statement of fact. Widely reported in all sorts of media. https://t.co/3nu2isajPl

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 27, 2021








NC, you are misinformed, again...Many of the judges were appointed by former President Trump. Again, I urge you to do research. You will appear much more informed than this tweet. https://t.co/VrmDulDLHE

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 27, 2021








And doesn’t it strike you as odd that President Trump appointed Judges completely dismissed all attempts question the election. In all states. Without a single exception.? https://t.co/AetvErfKeX

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 25, 2021








Not entirely correct. Over 60 Court decisions in various states, made by mostly Pres Trump appointees, all agreed without a single exception, that the election was legit. And often, with the comment that it was the most secure election...ever. You are misinformed. https://t.co/CP1ccusKNx

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 24, 2021








Agreed. Both far left and far right are extremists and I support neither. https://t.co/cH9FkPW490

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 25, 2021








I ignore all of it. I vote on individual issues and individual candidates. Political parties don’t interest me and I find all of them lacking. https://t.co/E5wDk7Wvg5

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) January 24, 2021

GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall has once again said that he holds no ill will toward the band's original lead singer, Jack Russell.

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Asked in a new chat with That Metal Interview if Russell was fired from GREAT WHITE, Kendall said (hear audio below): "No. He wasn't fired. In the almost 30 years that we worked together, I think we might have gotten in, like, two arguments. Seriously! I mean, we were blood brothers. What happened was his demons overcame him. We were out on tour. He was falling down, breaking bones. He was very sick with his addiction.

"I work with addicts daily," Mark continued. "I literally have worked one-on-one with over a hundred people in the last nine years. And there are people I've met that can get a DUI and they've got nine years sobriety today; it's, like, a DUI is plenty. And then, on the other part of the scale, there's a guy that loses his family, his job, his house, his cars — everything — and he still doesn't stop [drinking or using drugs].

"We tried everything, and Jack was just unable to perform. He was so sick, his body was just breaking down. He had a walker. We had to push him in airports in a wheelchair. He had to sit down at the shows. And it became so bad and he was so dopesick that he just could not continue. And I've been at his hospital bed, I've been at his bedside in rehab centers day after day after day, being as supportive as possible.

"We just [told him], 'Go get well. We'll get a singer to fill in. And just get yourself healthy.' And he kind of just was unable to return. He didn't wanna come back on those terms. So he just went out and found musicians that would play with him and [made] his own [version of] GREAT WHITE, which kind of turned into this lawsuit thing, which we hated.

"People that assemble together, they're called a band because it's a group of people," Mark continued. "So one guy can't just leave and just call himself the band. That was our point. So we kind of won the lawsuit, but we wanted him to have a way to make a living, because the people he worked with were accepting him the way he was. So we were fine with that. So we let him call himself JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE or whatever.

"It's unfortunate that the whole situation had to happen because he was not treating himself well. But I never have ever taken it personal, someone's addictions. They're not doing it to hurt me. Jack didn't do what he did to hurt me. He just had a difficult time, [because] the addiction is so damn powerful. Really, to get away from that, you just have to surrender — just drop to your knees and beg God. It's very difficult.

"So, that's what happened with that," Kendall added. "I think fans are a little confused. [They ask me,] 'Why don't you patch things up?' We've never even gotten in a fight before. There's nothing to patch up. He's unhealthy, and it's just that. And we're at the age now where you really don't wanna have all this drama.

"I don't know if you've ever been around somebody that's really high and you're not. It's like you're in two different worlds. 'Cause we're all sober and focused and everything. It's kind of like having a liability around. I mean, if you worked at a job, and there's people counting on you, and you've got one guy that just doesn't have it together, it just makes everything kind of crumble.

"So, that's how it was. We just said, 'Go get well, come back healthy and let's kick some ass.' And he was just not able to do that.

"We have all the love for him, and I always wish him the best of everything. I never have any ill will toward him or his addiction — nothing."

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

More than two years ago, GREAT WHITE announced the addition of new singer Mitch Malloy to the group's ranks. He replaced Terry Ilous, who was fired from the band in July 2018.

Earlier this month, Russell told "Rocking With Jam Man" that his split with GREAT WHITE "was very emotional. It still hurts a lot," he said. "Maybe it's like a divorce, 'cause you get to be brothers when you're playing in a band together, especially for many, many years. And then when that ends, it can be very traumatic on your spirit. That's what it was like when I split up with my old guys. That was really, really difficult. But what are you gonna do? You've gotta kind of go with the flow and just move on."

Asked if he thinks a band that replaces its longtime singer is essentially "just a cover band," Russell said: "Well [laughs], that's dangerous waters right there, my friend. Let me see how to answer that. You know, I hate to say it, but I do agree with you. I think the singer is the one part of the band that is unique. I mean, pretty much any guitar player that's good can play any other good guitar player's [parts] well enough to make it sound — it's indistinguishable. You go, 'Is that the original guitar player?' 'No, it's somebody else.' 'Oh, I couldn't tell.' But, obviously, each singer is gonna have his own sound that's uniquely of himself. My voice sounds different than anybody else's voice, so anything that I've done with GREAT WHITE sounds like GREAT WHITE. You take that element away, and it's a different band. So, the answer to you question — for the most part, putting it that way, yeah, I agree with you."

Former QUIET RIOT singer James Durbin says that the band has every right to continue without drummer Frankie Banali.

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", died last August after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

QUIET RIOT announced in September that it will carry on touring following Frankie's death. The band, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), played a couple of shows in October and has a string of dates booked in 2021.

Durbin, who recorded two studio albums with QUIET RIOT — 2017's "Road Rage" and 2019's "Hollywood Cowboys" — during his three-year stint with the group, spoke about his former bandmates' decision to keep playing during a new interview with Metal Express Radio.

"I wish them all the best," James said (see video below). "They're great guys. Frankie's last wish was for the band to continue, and I hope they do. If the band can continue without [original QUIET RIOT singer] Kevin [DuBrow] and [former QUIET RIOT members] Rudy [Sarzo] and Carlos [Cavazo], who's to say it can't continue without Frankie? It's a band, and it's the music, and the music lives on.

"There's cover bands that have cruises — there's cover bands that have their own cruise. FOREIGNER is a cover band, and they have tons of hits — they've got, like, 17 Number Ones and, on occasion, a single original member [when they play live] and still sell out the Hollywood Bowl.

"But, yeah, I wish them all the best. It's classic music, and if it's good — which it is — it'll continue."

According to James, very few QUIET RIOT fans "knew who any of us were" at the shows that he played with the band. "There's people when Frankie wasn't playing with us, when we had Johnny Kelly with us, who is playing with them now, from DANZIG and TYPE O NEGATIVE, my last tours with them were with Johnny Kelly and with Mike Dupke from W.A.S.P. and Dee Snider, and there were so many — not with Mike, 'cause he looks completely different — but with Johnny, there were people, like, 'What's up, Frankie? Great show tonight,'" he said. "And it's Johnny Kelly — he's, like, two feet taller and 25 years younger.

"I never tried to look like Kevin, so I never got anybody saying, 'Great show tonight, Kevin,'" he continued. "People know that Kevin passed and respect that. But just making it a point to bring that energy and that affection for what you're doing in that moment. I didn't wanna just stand up there and go through the motions; I really wanted to treat each show like it was its own moment and reach out to the fans. And if it required twirling the mic stand and catching it in your teeth or any of that stuff, if it takes another extra trip to the dentist or something, it's worth it for the show. You've gotta bring that to the music, 'cause that's what it was born and bred in."

In September 2019, QUIET RIOT parted ways with Durbin and replaced him with Jizzy Pearl. Pearl previously fronted QUIET RIOT from 2013 until October 2016, when he was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist Durbin.

Banali resurrected QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after the death of DuBrow.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before Pearl's first three-year run with the band.

QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded "Metal Health".

Durbin will release the debut album from his solo band, DURBIN, "The Beast Awakens", on February 12 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Wymer Publishing will release "Denim And Leather: Saxon's First Ten Years" on June 11.

"Denim And Leather" is 250 pages of biker metal hail after hail, with two four-page photo sections, loads of fresh interview content, all the facts and dates and even some of the hot disputes.

Now that there is no more MOTÖRHEAD, it's up to IRON MAIDEN and SAXON to uphold the fine tradition of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, something both bands have been doing for over 40 years now. Indeed, 2020 marked the 40th anniversary of SAXON's landmark "Wheels Of Steel" album, a record celebrated in this book with much reverence and many pints of ale clinked between headbangers clad in both denim and leather.

Of course, there is more than that but not everything! Indeed, "Denim And Leather: Saxon's First Ten Years" focuses on the band's golden era, SAXON's prodigious first decade of output. "Saxon", "Wheels Of Steel", "Strong Arm Of The Law", "Denim And Leather", "Power & The Glory", "Crusader", "Innocence Is No Excuse", "Rock The Nations" and "Destiny" each are dedicated standalone chapters, inside of which Martin Popoff deconstructs every song across both sides of the original vinyl, while not forgetting bonus tracks and B-sides, as well as the live material along the way, including the beloved "The Eagle Has Landed" album.

It's a glory-bound SAXON-fest that is long overdue, and it is the hope of the author that at the end of this sometimes-critical examination that the reader returns to these records with new reflections on the NWOBHM and some of the detrimental things that came after for many bands, the heroes of our story included.

"Save Myself", the new single from FIRSTBORNE, the band featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Adler and fellow MEGADETH alum James LoMenzo, can be streamed below. The track is the third to be released following the arrival of FIRSTBORNE's self-titled debut EP, which came out last year and marked the acclaimed drummer's first dedicated band release since his departure from MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD.

Adler teamed up with longtime friend and producer Gene "Machine" Freeman to mix and master "Save Myself" — a continuation of a musical partnership forged during his LAMB OF GOD days that will be a major part of the FIRSTBORNE experience moving forward.

FIRSTBORNE features Girish Pradhan on vocals and guitar, Myrone on guitar, LoMenzo on bass, and Adler on drums.

The FIRSTBORNE self-titled EP included five songs and two lyric videos. The EP represented several years of dedicated introspection and refined effort to the idea of a heavy and positive message.

As might be expected, Adler chose his bandmates in this endeavor meticulously.

Not too long ago, Adler shared the stage across the Middle East with LoMenzo in HAIL! Prior to that, LoMenzo and Adler orbited each other for years traveling together on tours crossing the globe. The connect was inevitable.

Adler and Myrone began collaborating in early 2019 after Myrone noticed Adler's e-mail address attached to a Bandcamp sales notification email. Adler had been a fan of Myrone's talent for years prior and as soon as they connected, it was game on.

A chance meeting in India, almost a second home to Chris after eight visits, was the spark needed to form the international group FIRSTBORNE and for Chris to return to the studio. Adler met and shared the stage with Pradhan during a six-week clinic tour of India in the fall of 2019. After the first show of the clinic tour, Adler immediately called Myrone, noting he'd "struck gold" in their search for a singer for the then-unnamed project.

Girish Pradhan is the glue that united FIRSTBORNE. Pradhan on vocals represents an almost unprecedented international collaboration.

Pradhan is an established and well-known recording and touring artist in India and resides in Bengaluru. His band GIRISH AND THE CHRONICLES made international headlines earlier this year with their new album "Rock The Highway" and music videos "Rock 'N Roll Is Here to Stay", "Identity Crisis" and "Rock The Highway".

Speaking on his experience creating with FIRSTBORNE, Myrone explains: "Every single part of this experience has been extremely surreal for me. Girish is one of the best metal vocalists on the planet, Chris is one of the most influential drummers of the last 25 years, and JLO can play anything from MEGADETH to John Fogerty to Motown and everything in between. I can't believe I get to share space on a .wav with them."

Myrone is a Los Angeles-based producer/guitarist who pioneered the "soft shred" genre. In the last six years, he has released seven albums and two EPs of instrumental guitar music and racked up millions of Spotify streams. In addition to his own recordings, he has collaborated with Rivers Cuomo (WEEZER), SZA, Little Boots, Michael Christmas and Deaton Chris Anthony. Most recently, Myrone was Guitar #1 in the L.A. production of "Rock Of Ages", the 29th-longest running show in Broadway history.

LoMenzo is a veteran touring/recording musician since his multi-platinum band WHITE LION in the 1980s. Lomenzo is one of the most in-demand rock bass players in the world. His list of credits includes WHITE LION, Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY/PRIDE & GLORY, MEGADETH, Jerry Cantrell, David Lee Roth, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, LYNCH MOB, FREHEY'S COMET and more. Recently he's been the touring/recording bassist for the legendary John Fogerty and can be seen in the live concert film "John Fogerty : My Fifty Year Trip" recorded live at Red Rocks.

LoMenzo had this to say about his collaboration within his new band, FIRSTBORNE: "I first met Chris in 2006 on MEGADETH's 'Gigantour'. I was playing bass with MEGADETH at the time. Watching Chris on that tour, I recall being struck by the creativity, speed and power of his drumming with LAMB OF GOD. In contrast, I found him to be a gentle, thoughtful soul. Years later, I had the opportunity to finally play with Chris, performing in the Middle East with the all-star metal band HAIL! We had a great time. At this time, Chris mentioned he was looking forward to exploring making all kinds of music. I suggested he keep me in mind. Next thing I know I'm being introduced to Myrone through a demo that Chris forwarded to me. I was immediately drawn to the music. Myrone's guitar is uniquely untethered to any one style. He's a brilliant and capable amalgam of classic rock, new and classic metal. Girish on top of all this had me stunned! A soaring, powerful voice that while uniquely his own, conjures images of the greatest singers of metal, blues and classic rock. His voice is a powerful, emotive vehicle to inform through his heartfelt and socially conscious lyrics. To my ear, the combination of all this musical talent is wonderfully unique and perfectly familiar. I'm very proud and excited for music fans to hear this new musical collaboration."

Adler added: "I've been incredibly fortunate in my creative endeavors. From the start, I sought out the best players I could find to work alongside. It's been an incredible journey that is clearly not over. Some things have changed. This may not be exactly what people expect from me right now, and I'm aware and embrace that. It's time for something new. I'm have a platform to present something important, true and collaborative. Creating FIRSTBORNE beckons cohesiveness as a mission statement. This is not about being mad all the time, egos or fabricating polarizing drama. 'This is right' is now my alarm clock. Girish, Myrone and James have the exact locker room mentality of 'kill 'em all! but let's make sure everyone is okay and having a kick-ass time' that I try and bring to everything I do. FIRSTBONE is the result of all of my experiences, both positive and negative, and I'm proud of what we are doing together."

Adler is a Grammy-winning American metal drummer from Richmond, Virginia. Chris founded LAMB OF GOD in 1994 and helped usher in what critics have dubbed the "New Wave Of American Heavy Metal." LAMB OF GOD's discography with Chris includes multiple gold records and platinum DVDs as well as five Grammy nominations.

Chris received a Grammy for playing drums on legendary thrash metal band MEGADETH's 2016 record "Dystopia". Chris also toured with MEGADETH in support of the record while juggling and occasionally combining tour dates with LAMB OF GOD.

Chris has collaborated and contributed to records with PROTEST THE HERO, TESTAMENT, THAIKKUDAM BRIDGE, Michael Angelo Batio and Ron Jarzombek.

In 2018, Chris created an artist management firm Kintsugi Management.

FIRSTBORNE is:

Vocals: Girish Pradhan

Guitar: Myrone

Bass: James LoMenzo

Drums: Chris Adler

Ricky Warwick will be releasing his new studio album, When Life Was Hard And Fast, on February 19 via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order the album in various formats, including a 2CD digipack which includes the bonus covers album Stairwell Troubadour, here.

Warwick has released the album's title track, featuring none other than Def Leppard's Joe Elliott on backing vocals. The accompanying video depicts the County Down Ards TT Motor Race that is seen on the album's cover and ran from 1928-1936. The cover shows an accident from one of the races that happened directly in front of a field that was part of a farm owned by Ricky's grandfather, where Ricky himself lived for the first 14 years of his life.

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

When Life Was Hard And Fast tracklisting:

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

Stairwell Troubadour tracklisting:

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

"You Don't Love Me" video:

"Fighting Heart" video:

Amorphis have released a lyric video for "Brother And Sister", the title track of their shape vinyl single, available via Nuclear Blast. The single, limited to 666 copies, can be ordered here

Keyboarder Santeri Kallio recently commented: "Two great songs from Queen Of Time sessions in vinyl which is great. Atmospherical 'Brother And Sister' and majestic prog-driven 'As Mountains Crumble' were also good candidates for the Queen Of Time album final tracklist, but in the final run ended up as an album bonus tracks to give a special edge for different releases. With this release it is great to see these songs get more attention they deserve."

Tracklisting:

A-Side: "Brother And Sister"
B-Side: "As Mountains Crumble"

Amorphis recently kicked off the pre-order for their special 30th anniversary vinyl box set, Vinyl Collection 2006 - 2020, that will contain all their albums featuring Tomi Joutsen on vocals since their 2006 classic Eclipse.

The box set will be released on May 21 via Nuclear Blast, and will also contain the exclusive double live album, Live At Helsinki Ice Hall. The concert during which the album was recorded took place on December 7, 2019, and it was also Amorphis' last live performance in Finland before the COVID-19 pandemic. The live album contains 15 tracks in total with a playtime of around 1.5 hours. The live album will also be available digitally and on 2CD.

The box will contain the following albums:

Eclipse - 1LP (2006)     
Silent Waters - 2LP (2007)
Skyforger - 2LP (2009)
Magic And Mayhem - 2LP (2010)
The Beginning Of Times - 2LP (2011)
Circle - 2LP (2013)
Under The Red Cloud - 2LP (2015)                    
Queen Of Time - 2LP (2018)
Live At Helsinki Ice Hall - 2LP (2020)       

Pre-order the box set here.

(Photo - Lars Johnson)

Veteran heavy metal band, Venom Inc., performed at the 2019 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set can be seen below.

Venom Inc. has entered the studio to record their new album. The follow up to their 2017 debut release Avé will once more be released on Nuclear Blast Records. The recording is being done between England, Portugal, and America, and it will have guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn at the helm as producer once again.

During a recent appearance on the Heavy Demons Radio Show, Dunn provided a progress report on the new Venom Inc. album: "So far, we have 24 brand new songs, and they are all at the first preliminary mix stage. But we need to get the vocals done. Tony ('Demolition Man' Dolan) usually comes to Portugal to do vocals in my studio, but with all the restrictions at the moment (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), it's just not possible. So we're just gonna have to wait."

Elaborating further, Dunn said, "The tracks are sounding great. Dare I say this, it sounds better than Avé. I think it does. Obviously, we don't have any release date for it at the moment. It's pointless saying to people, 'Oh, yeah, it'll be out in the spring. Yeah, it'll be out in the summer.' We just don't know — we really don't know. At the moment, The UK looks like it's possibly locked down until March, so nobody's going anywhere. And Portugal have shut their borders to a lot of countries, so getting in and out of places is just so difficult at the moment. So it may come down to Tony having to find a studio somewhere in London or whatever. I really don't know."

"Like what we did with Avé, I had a lot of the lyrics written for that album already, and then when Tony came over, then any gaps that were there, we filled them in together. We tend to work on the vocals and the phrasing and all that kind of stuff together. So maybe it'll just be down to Tony this time. I don't know. We'll have to see how the restriction situation goes. We'll have to keep a close eye on it and see what happens."

The new, currently untitled album marks the second recording under the name Venom Inc., while guitarist Mantas and frontman Demolition Man have a long history as recording artists together in Venom, M:Pire Of Evil and Mantas solo projects. It also marks the recording debut on a major label for multi-instrumentalist, Venom Inc. drummer Jeramie “War Machine” Kling (also of Massacre) who joined the band in 2018.

Bon Jovi have released a lyric video for "Story Of Love", a track from the band's new album, 2020, out now via Island Records. Order the album here, and find the clip below.

2020 tracklisting (with songwriter credits):

"Limitless" (Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon, John Shanks)
"Do What You Can" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"American Reckoning" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"Beautiful Drug" (Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon, John Shanks)
"Story Of Love" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"Let It Rain" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"Lower The Flag" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"Blood In The Water" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"Brothers In Arms" (Jon Bon Jovi)
"Unbroken" (Jon Bon Jovi)

"Story Of Love" lyric video:

"Brothers In Arms" lyric video:

"Let It Rain" lyric video:

"Lower The Flag" lyric video:

"Do What You Can" video:

"American Reckoning" lyric video:

"Limitless" lyric video:

"Limitless" video:

"Unbroken" video:

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON have topped the U.K. chart with their latest EP, "Post Human: Survival Horror".

The first in a series of EPs to come as part of BRING ME THE HORIZON's "Post Human" project was originally released last October, but has only now been made available in various physical formats (vinyl, CD and cassette). 92% of the record's chart sales this week were physical purchases, according to the Official Charts Company.

"We really weren't expecting to get a Number One after having a record out for three months, so we're super stoked for this to happen especially after getting the Top Five last year," frontman Oli Sykes said.

"We'd like to thank all the fans for the support for getting us to this point. So much is going on with the band right now it feels like a really exciting time for us, and this is a great way to start our year. Also, I would like to give a shout out to BICEP as I'm a massive fan of the new record out this week."

Prior to hitting No. 1 on the U.K. chart with "Post Human: Survival Horror", Sykes told NME: "It's a little unexpected, but it's cool. When we released the record last year, it was just digitally, and one of the reasons for me was to avoid this whole debacle. We didn't really give a fuck about where it charts, but as soon as it becomes a possibility, then everyone wants it — management, the record label — and you can't help but want it a little bit yourself for the sheer ego of it.

"According to this game that you have to play, it doesn't matter if your last record sold more but got to Number Two, it's better to sell less records and get to Number One."

"Post Human: Survival Horror" was released via Columbia Records. The nine-song effort includes the previously released singles "Obey", "Ludens", "Parasite Eve" and "Teardrops", as well as new collaborations with NOVA TWINS, BABYMETAL and EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee.

BRING ME THE HORIZON spent the last year writing and recording new music remotely, releasing a series of videos that show how the band has managed to work on the songs during the coronavirus pandemic.

BRING ME THE HORIZON will embark on a five-date U.K. arena tour in September.

Danish death metal outfit, Baest, have released "Necro Sapiens", the third single from their upcoming album, Necro Sapiens, out March 5. The single is accompanied by a video, which can be found below.

The band comments: ""Escaping the creeping death of COVID-19, Baest decided to bring the audience along, to a cleansing real experience of the after/pre-show shenanigans (The truth may differ, intoxication-wise. No one remembers anymore…). Enjoy the title track video and watch some real necro sapiens in action - braindead and thriving."

About “Necro Sapiens”: "Bred by the elite, necro sapiens roam the earth. Soulless beings dictated at the hands of the Czar. Subjects of autopsies, and Meathook Massacres for entertainment, these lifeless reprobates have only each other. They are one, they are none.”

Baest come from Aarhus in Denmark and have successfully established themselves as one of the country’s most promising metal acts in recent years. While deeply rooted in straight-forward classic death metal inspired by genre legends like Dismember, Entombed, Morbid Angel, Death, and Bolt Thrower, the 2015 formed band evolved from a Danish underground phenomenon to an internationally touring act (2018 tour with Abbath, 2019 EU/UK trek with Decapitated). Also, at festivals like Summer Breeze, Copenhell, Ruhrpott Metal Meeting, Roskilde, they left audiences impressed and begging for more. After their already praised debut album Danse Macabre, the band took it to the next level in 2019 and delivered Venenum, where they refined their already steamroller-like signature sound.

With the expectation-bar already set so high for their next record Baest truly drops their most anticipated and most important album so far.

The album is available in the following formats and can be pre-ordered here.

- CD Digipak – all outlets
- Black LP+CD – all outlets
- Digital Album – all platforms
- Glow in the dark LP+CD (limited to 500) – Official Band Shop
- Pink LP+CD (limited to 100) – CM Distro
- Olive Green LP+CD (limited to 300) – CM Distro
- Lilac LP+CD (limited to 200) – Metalvinyl.dk
- Deep Blood Red LP + CD (limited to 200) – all Danish outlets

Tracklisting:

"The Forge"
"Genesis"
"Necro Sapiens"
"Czar"
"Abattoir"
"Goregasm"
"Towers Of Suffocation"
"Purification Through Mutilation"
"Meathook Massacre"
"Sea Of Vomit"

“Meathook Massacre” video:

"Abbatoir" visualizer:

Baest will join Philip H. Anselmo & The Illigals on their summer 2021 tour.

The band comments: “Somethings are goddamn awesome, but others are GODDAMN ELECTRIC - Baest are supporting the great southern trendkiller throughout Europe and beyond. 15 shows supporting Anselmo & the Illegals, when they perform a vulgar display of fucking hostile classics! This is what life on the road is about - getcha pull.”

Tour dates:

July
24 - St. Petersburg, Russia - A2 Green Concert
25 - Moscow, Russia - Adrenaline Stadium
29 - Tolmin, Slovenia - Metal Days
30 - Saint maurice de gourdans, France - Sylak Festival
31 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli

August
1 -   Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
4 -   Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
5 -   Belgrade, Serbia - Beogradski Sajam
6 -   Sofia, Bulbaria - Yunak
7 -   Brasov, Romania - Rockstad Extreme Fest
9 -   Vienna, Austria - Simm City
10 - Krakau, Poland - Studio
11 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Festival
13 - Derbyshire, UK - Bloodstock Festival
14 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival

Baest will set sail for Europe in February 2021.

Baest are:

Simon Olsen - vocals
Svend Karlsson - guitar
Lasse Revsbech - guitar
Mattias Melchiorsen - bass
Sebastian Abildsten - drums

(Photo - Anna Marin)

Progressive heavy metal vehicle, ​Interloper, recently released their debut EP, ​A Revenant Legacy. Stream/download the EP here, and watch a drum playthrough video for "Silence" below:

A Revenant Legacy was recorded and produced in house at Sewn Shut Sounds by the band themselves, with mixing and production from producer, friend, and honorary ‘4th member’ ​Joey Virrueta. With a full length album completed and set for release in the near future, this EP serves as a stepping stone in the development of Interloper​ as a whole.

Tracklisting:

"An Emerald Flame"
"Silence"
"Wishful Thinking"
"Hand In Hand"
"Glasshouse"

"Glasshouse" drum playthrough video:

"An Emerald Flame" drum playthrough video:

"Silence" visualizer:

Interloper is:

Miles Dimitri Baker ​| Guitar
Aaron Stechauner ​| Drums
Andrew Virrueta |​ Vocals, Guitar

A previously unreleased rehearsal recording of BLACK SABBATH playing the song "Heaven And Hell" in 1979 during the pre-production sessions for the album of the same name can be streamed below. The track, which features SABBATH's longtime keyboardist Geoff Nicholls on bass, was uploaded to YouTube by Geoff's stepson and executor of his estate, Gary Rees.

Rees stated about the "Heaven And Hell" 1979 rehearsal recording: "I recently found this SONY C-90 tape cassette amongst the thousands in Geoff Nicholls' archive. On the inlay card is written ' ON & ON HEAVEN & HELL ORIGINAL VERSION GEOFF PLAYING BASS'. Inside the cassette case was a Maxell UD 90. On the A side again in blue ink ballpoint is written 'LADY EVIL (crossed out) BLUES + SLAPBACK'. The B side is written 'On + On HEAVEN HELL ORIGINAL GEOFF ON BASS' Nowhere does it say that this is BLACK SABBATH on the cassette. At the end of the uploaded song you can hear talking that sounds to me like Geoff talking then laughing.

"I have uploaded the most complete version closest to the album version. This recording, in my opinion is from July 1979 in their rented house in Bel Air, California. On And On Heaven And Hell may have been the original working title."

Lineup on the recording:

Ronnie James Dio - vocals

Tony Iommi - guitar

Geoff Nicholls - bass

Bill Ward - drums

In two separate books by the late Garry Sharpe-Young, "Black Sabbath, Never Say Die, 1979 - 1997" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, The Battle For Black Sabbath", Nicholls spoke about how he came to contribute his bass playing to the classic track.

Nicholls was originally led to believe his jaunt to Los Angeles was more by way of a favor. "Provisionally this was supposed to be just for two weeks, but very soon after I got there, Tony asked if I wanted to join the band full time," Geoff told Sharpe-Young.

Due to Geezer Butler's absence during the initial sessions, Nicholls was enlisted to play bass at first "to start getting the songs worked up. The very first song we did was 'Heaven And Hell' — not bad for a first go, eh?" he said. "Tony had a riff which he put over my bass line. I had used a very similar chugging bass line in QUARTZ for 'Mainline Riders', so I just did that. I was just messing about with this bass riff and suddenly everything started to build up from there. It was very, very simple but it really worked."

Geoff also took issue with the fact that the bass line had been later attributed to Butler.

"Nah, no way," Nicholls said. "Geezer wasn't even there. I can remember the first studio jam of that song as clear as day. It was all very spontaneous too. By the time Tony, myself, Bill and Ronnie had finished, we had this song that was eight and half minutes long. It worked and we all had some big smiles on our faces that day. Afterwards, Geezer told me he would never have played that riff on the bass because it was so simple. It was funny, though, Geezer saying that about 'Heaven And Hell', because he was right — he would never have played that bass line, which, of course, means that 'Heaven And Hell' might never have happened in the first place. It was me messing about on bass that started the whole song off."

Unfortunately, Geoff never got any credit for his alleged writing contribution to the song "Heaven And Hell" or any other BLACK SABBATH songs from the early to mid-1980s.

Nicholls died in January 2017 after a long battle with lung cancer.

Geoff, who played keyboards on all of SABBATH's albums between 1980 and 1995 and toured with them, was reportedly in remission from cancer at the time of his death but succumbed to the side effects of chemotherapy.

Nicholls's first appearance on a SABBATH album was on "Heaven And Hell". Although his main role with SABBATH was on the keyboard, Nicholls also played some rhythm guitar at concerts. In addition to not always being credited as a full member of the band, Nicholls rarely appeared on stage during SABBATH shows and would instead play on the side of the stage or backstage.

Nicholls's involvement with the band ended when Adam Wakeman (a member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band) was chosen to play keyboards during SABBATH's 2004 and 2005 tours as part of Ozzfest.

Four years ago, Ward described the songwriting process for the "Heaven And Hell" title track during an episode of his radio show "Rock 50". He said: "I can remember when we actually got that part of the song, when we actually got 'Heaven And Hell'. Things had been slow all week. We had been writing, but we hadn't really connected with anything that I can remember; we hadn't really connected too much. But it was a Friday afternoon. I was hanging outside, and Geezer was somewhere, and Geoff was in the living room, and Tony was in the living room. And I heard that famous riff [hums the main riff of the song], and [I was], like, 'Oh my God!' and I just came walking into the living room immediately and I sat down behind my drums. At the time, actually, they were Bev Bevan's [ex-BLACK SABBATH drummer] drums. They ended up in the house somewhere, and they were Bev's drums. And a nice kit too. Anyway, I started playing, and I just went into the backbeat behind Tony's riff, and Geoff was already starting to… getting grooving — he was already on top of that as well. And Ronnie was either in the kitchen or he had just appeared out of nowhere, like a flash of lightning or something, and Ronnie showed up and immediately he started jamming on some lyrics. And literally, about thirty minutes later, we had pretty much 'Heaven And Hell'… not literally as you hear it, because we did change just a couple of things around, but it was there on that Friday afternoon. I remember actually coming back down here into Orange County. We were up in Beverly Hills when we first wrote the song. And I remember coming back down and going, 'Oh my God! We've got one in the bag.' It was a great feeling. It just kept around my head, like, 'Oh, wow! This is very nice.'"

CHEVELLE has released its new single, "Peach". The track, which can be streamed below, is taken from CHEVELLE's upcoming follow-up to 2016's "The North Corridor", "Niratias", which is due on March 5.

"Niratias" stands out as CHEVELLE's most pummeling and provocative record yet. Teaming with longtime producer Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), CHEVELLE recorded throughout 2019 and 2020 and pieced together an intriguing and inimitable body of work, with themes that will reveal themselves soon. The album artwork is by Boris Vallejo. The famed and award-winning artist is responsible for the posters used for films like "Knightriders" and "National Lampoon's Vacation", as well as iconic 1970s and 1980s science fiction novel covers and magazines (such as Heavy Metal).

"Niratias" track listing:

01. Verruckt

02. So Long, Mother Earth

03. Mars Simula

04. Sleep The Deep

05. Self Destructor

06. Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)

07. Vvurmhole

08. Peach

09. Test Test...Enough

10. Endlessly

11. Remember When

12. Ghost And Razor

13. Lost In Digital Woods

CHEVELLE frontman Pete Loeffler told "Loudwire Nights"' about the overall lyrical direction of "Niratias": "It has a lot of space to it, a lot of interstellar travel to it. You've got Elon Musk trying to get to Mars and that was completely fascinating to me so when I write lyrics, it's just kind of made its way in there. As you'll see with the cover, it's sort of space themed as well.

He added: "I love the idea of the cosmos and I love Carl Sagan and Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson and all these people that look beyond and look to the future. Getting off this planet is part of that future if we can do it. It's funny when you started to delve into it how difficult that really is. How are you gonna deal with radiation out in a spaceship for nine months or longer than that? It's fascinating. It just made its way into the music."

Back in 2018, Pete said that he wrote "about 25 songs" for the band's next disc, but that only eight had been recorded at that point at Joe's House Of Compression studio in Pasadena, California with Barresi.

In December 2018, Pete explained to the Rock 100.5 The KATT radio station that "things take longer than we thought" and that the band would take a few more months to make sure the record came out "that much better."

Pete also spoke about his previous comment that CHEVELLE's next album was turning out to be a more melodic affair than "The North Corridor".

"I mean, that's the thing," he said. "You wake up… Everyone has to choose. You're, like, 'Am I gonna be in a good or a bad mood today?' At least in my family, we do… So, on the last two albums, it's been, like, I woke up and I was, like, 'I wanna play heavy shit.' And that's where we've been. But, honestly, the music is way more melodic on this one."

"The North Corridor" debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart and produced a No. 1 Mainstream Rock single, "Joyride (Omen)".

The band's album of rarities from 2002-2016, "12 Bloody Spies: B-Sides And Rarities", was released in October 2018 via Epic.

In September 2019, CHEVELLE bassist Dean Bernardini announced that he would "take a break from the road" after completing that year's shows with his bandmates. He added that he would "continue to work" in music in some form or another while also putting time into his art and furniture business at home.

Bernardini had been with CHEVELLE since 2005, even though 2007's "Vena Sera" marked his first studio recording with the band.

Rock icon Rob Zombie has just released "The Eternal Struggles Of The Howling Man", the second single from his seventh studio album, "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy". You can now listen to the track below.

Due on March 12 via Nuclear Blast, "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" marks Rob's first new album in nearly five years. The follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" is a classic Zombie album to its core, with high-energy rages like "The Eternal Struggles Of The Howling Man" and "Get Loose" to heavy-groove thumpers like "Shadow Of The Cemetery Man" and "Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass". The new album is produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris.

In November, Rob released an exclusive seven-inch, featuring the new single and B-side "The Serenity Of Witches". Order the new single and pre-order "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" here.

"The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" track listing:

01. Expanding The Head Of Zed

02. The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)

03. The Ballad Of Sleazy Rider

04. Hovering Over The Dull Earth

05. Shadow Of The Cemetery Man

06. A Brief Static Hum And Then The Radio Blared

07. 18th Century Cannibals, Excitable Morlocks And A One-Way Ticket On The Ghost Train

08. The Eternal Struggles Of The Howling Man

09. The Much Talked Of Metamorphosis

10. The Satanic Rites Of Blacula

11. Shower Of Stones

12. Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass

13. Boom-Boom-Boom

14. What You Gonna Do With That Gun Mama

15. Get Loose

16. The Serenity Of Witches

17. Crow Killer Blues

In September 2019, Rob told NME that his new LP was "the best record" he had ever made. It's a very big, crazy and complex record that I'm really excited to finally be able to release," he said.

Asked if this is his favorite of ZOMBIE's records that he has played on, guitarist John 5 told told Revolver: "Well, this is definitely the most musical — meaning there are a lot of different changes, and it's very unorthodox how the structure is, you know? I have to be careful because I know people will take a little snippet of what I'm saying. So we'll go with a very heavy, hooky ROB ZOMBIE record."

Back in 2018, John 5 compared ROB ZOMBIE's upcoming album to THE BEATLES' groundbreaking LP "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", saying that it is "by far the best Zombie record that he's ever done." He added: "A lot of people say, 'Oh, it's just our greatest record,' and I don't say that. Whatever I say is so honest when I'm doing interviews. So I think it's our best record."

"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was the second consecutive effort to feature Zombie and John 5 alongside bassist Piggy D. and drummer Ginger Fish.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll has confirmed to EXODUS frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza's YouTube channel, Zetro's Toxic Vault, that he and his bandmates have spent part of their coronavirus downtime putting together material for the follow-up to the Grammy-nominated "Humanicide" album.

"We're gonna record a new album this year, for sure," he said (see video below). "We're working on new songs right now. We've got a couple of new tunes in the works, and they sound good, and we're moving forward with that… We're gonna hopefully hit the studio by the end of summer. I think that's a reasonable amount of time to get an album written. But, yeah, things are sounding awesome. Rob's [Cavestany, guitar] coming up with some killer shit."

Last October, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

Last March, Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

Thrash metal maniacs from Poland, Terrordome, have revealed the artwork and tracklisting for their upcoming album, Straight Outta Smogtown, out on February 5 on CD/MC via Selfmadegod Record. A vinyl edition will follow later. Pre-order the album here.

The 14-song album includes lots of guests, including Frank Blackfire (Sodom, ex-Assassin), Manu Joker (Uganga, ex-Sarcofago), Jairo Vaz (Chaos Synopsis), Friggi Mad Beats (Chaos Synopsis, ex-Attomica) as well as Konrad Ramotowski (Untervoid, ex-Hate). Watch a video for the first single, "Possessed By Blyat", below.

The cover art was drawn by long time friend Marcin Bialkowski.

Tracklisting:

"Terrorizing The Nation As The Best Way To Thwart Shameful Schemes"
"Possessed By Blyat"
"Worried Again"
"Steel On The Road"
"Plastic Death"
"Your Personal Comfort Versus The Global Disaster"
"Desordem E Regresso"
"Into The Void"
"Ego-boost Downfall"
"Money Kills"
"Demolition"
"I Don't Care"
"Conspiracy"
"The Day They Left Their Graves"

"Possessed By Blyat" video:

Mongolia is to honour its best-known rock band, The Hu, with the release of a special Bank Of Mongolia commemorative silver and gold coin featuring the fast-rising Ulan Bator folk-metal quartet.

The Hu have been ear marked as one of the bands taking metal into a new era, The Hu are enjoying a high profile start to their 2021, and the minting of this new coin, scheduled for release next month, can only boost the quartet’s profile further.

Speaking in this month’s Metal Hammer, the group are keenly aware that they’re now being looked at as trailblazers for the Mongolian music scene, and indeed the global metal scene, but are relishing the challenge of reaching a wider audience.

“It’s not easy to be the ice-breaker”, admits multi-instrumentalist Jaya.“Following in someone’s footsteps is easier most of the time. We work hard and we are proud to be the one to pave the way for other bands who will come after us. The satisfying thing is that other young people are coming up after us in Mongolia. We’re inspiring these people. If you work hard, anything is possible. If you really love it and picture it, and work for it, things will happen. This is the most satisfying thing for us.”

“This pandemic has given us so many perspectives and shown us the world is one family,” says Enkush, the quartet’s Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle) player. “We’re in it together regardless of our age, our race, our country. We’re going to cherish the lessons we’ve learned from this experience and we should work together to save this world.”

“This is a very important message in our music, too. Our band’s name is The Hu, meaning ‘human being’. We chose this name because of the inclusive nature of the word; this music is for every human being. We want to unite people through our music so we can stand together and fight against our challenges. When we’re together, we’re powerful. When we get the vaccine and get our normal lives back, that will be the biggest event of 2021.”

In late 2020, The Hu released a cover version of Metallica’s "Sad But True". The video already has over 7 million views. The track is a unique take on the beloved classic that has over 142 million streams on Spotify alone.

The band are currently in the studio, recording their sophomore release.

The Design Abstract, from Ontario, Canada are now streaming their new album Technotheism. The album invokes the futuristic sounds of science fiction, as the band takes a step away from the traditional use of orchestral writing, by making it the soundtrack for anything space or cyberpunk related. Preorder Technotheism on Bandcamp. BraveWords is hosting a stream of the album; listen below!

Technotheism by The Design Abstract

Still, in the experimental age for the band, each song is written completely differently and by different members of the band. Technotheism' is purely a science fiction story told as such in a monumental thirteen track work of symphonic melodic death metal. It tells a cyberpunk story of a group of rebels fighting to regain control of Earth. It ranges from technical guitar work to atmospheric electronic passages, and just about everything in between. The band explains the album:

“We incorporate a blend of metal, orchestra, and industrial music that hasn’t been done in this way. Nobody can top the orchestral metal masterpieces like Death Cult Armageddon by Dimmu Borgir or Codex Omega by Speticflesh, however, we push this genre into the distant future, with the sounds of a cyberpunk dystopia punctuating every release.

This album is the absolute pinnacle of what the band is currently capable of, which speaks volumes to the fact that most of it was written so long ago. Most metal bands who incorporate orchestral writing do so in a pointedly antiquated way: the goal is to sound a bit archaic. The sound of The Design Abstract is rooted in futuristic science fiction. It's a classically scored orchestra, but it sounds anything but old fashioned."

The dramatic, grandiose music is presented in an articulate but extreme wall of sound suitable for fans of science fiction, and melodic death metal and bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse, Machina, and Dimmu Borgir.

Tracklisting:

“Relentless”
“Deus Est Machina”
“The Apotheosis”
“Among The Stars”
“The Resistance”
“Voidwalkers”
“The Omnisphere”
“Data Shield Attack”
“The Return”
“Elucidate”
“Parallel Projection”
“Annihilation”
“A World Of One”

(Photo – Tami Martin)

Finnish melodic metal band Evil Drive strikes back again! On their upcoming third album, they present themselves as more powerful, and with major musical and technical improvements. Demons Within will be launched and distributed worldwide on April 2nd, 2021 by Reaper Entertainment Europe. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

The band has released a new album trailer, which can be viewed below.

Available currently is the first digital single, "Rising From The Revenge". Check out the official music video below. The band states: "Choosing the first video from such a strong album was difficult this time. 'Rising From The Revenge' was chosen because it reflects the overall heaviness, melody and technicality of the new album."

Demons Within artwork and tracklisting:

"Payback"
"Breaking The Chains"
"Demons Within"
"Rising From The Revenge"
"We Are One"
"Too Wild To Live Too Rare To Die"
"Lord Of Chaos"
"Bringer Of Darkness"
"In The End"
"Ghost Dimension"

Evil Drive are:

Viktoria Viren - vocals
J-P Pusa - guitar
Ville Viren - guitar
Antti Tani - drums
Matti Sorsa - bass

 

For further details, visit Evil Drive on Facebook.