QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre has confirmed to "The Signals Of Intuition" that he and his bandmates have commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2019's "The Verdict" album. The group's next disc will apparently mark the QUEENSRŸCHE recording debut of Casey Grillo who replaced original drummer Scott Rockenfield in 2017.

Todd said (hear audio below): "Right now, Michael Wilton [guitar] is at my house [in St. Petersburg, Florida]; he's in the other room, actually, And Zeuss [producer Chris Harris] is here. And Casey lives about 35 minutes away, so he'll be here this afternoon. So we're doing just songwriting sessions and coming up with new ideas for the next QUEENSRŸCHE album.

"Michael had a little gap," La Torre explained. "He was able to break away and come down here to Florida. I said, 'Yeah, come on down.' And Zeuss was, like, 'Dude, I should come down too.' And I said, 'Yeah, just come hang here, and we can work on music. And Casey can come over and get on my drums, and we can just jam ideas.'

"Parker [Lundgren, guitar] is super busy right now in Seattle with his guitar shop, and Eddie [Jackson, bass], he's at home doing songwriting too. So instead of having a million people at my house, it was just, like, okay, Michael will come down, Zeuss will come down. If Casey wants to stop by a few days during that time period, or every day — whatever he wants to do. So he's been really awesome, contributing to all these ideas in real time."

According to Todd, the coronavirus crisis has provided him and his bandmates the perfect opportunity to work on new music while planning their return to the road once the pandemic has subsided.

"We're still shut down, so it's not like there's any touring happening right now," he explained. "So this is really kind of the ideal time to get the creativity going. For a long time, everyone was just kind of, like, 'What the hell's going on in the world?' You've gotta mask up everywhere, you can't do this, you can't do that, and just trying to understand life during that whole initial shutdown. And I think after 10 months of being bottled up, it was just, like, 'Okay, I need to see my buddies.' And when Michael decided to come down, I saw his face and I was, like, 'Oh, man. It's so good to see you. I haven't seen you in 10 months.'"

Earlier this month, Rockenfield shot down suggestions that he quit QUEENSRŸCHE or retired from playing music. The drummer, who hasn't performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in four years, took to his Facebook page to say that fans "have not been given the facts by any means" and implied that he would offer more details at a later date.

Scott's comments marked the first time he has publicly addressed his status with QUEENSRŸCHE, which has used former KAMELOT drummer Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.

When Rockenfield's absence from QUEENSRŸCHE was first announced, it was reported that he was taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born in early 2017.

The drum tracks on "The Verdict", were laid down by La Torre.

Last year, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate expressed his doubt that Rockenfield will ever play drums again, telling Metal Rules that Scott "has a lot of medical problems and things like that now." In 2019, Tate told 88.1FM WESU's weekly syndicated radio show "Noize In The Attic" that he was "pretty sure" Scott "didn't leave" QUEENSRŸCHE of his own accord. "I can tell you that there's lawsuits involved; I know that," he said. "He's in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, 'cause he's really unraveled, you know? In my opinion. It's too bad — he's an incredibly talented drummer, and unfortunately, he never was happy with that. It wasn't good enough for him."

La Torre will release his debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", on February 5 via Rat Pak Records.

During an appearance on the "No Guitar Is Safe" podcast, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal was asked to name one of the solos that he enjoyed playing the most during his time with the band. He responded (hear audio below): "There was a lot of stuff on [the] 'Chinese Democracy' [album] — just being able to play my own parts with the band, it felt good. There is something to be said about that — when you get to play something that you came up with, that you wrote, that you recorded."

He continued: "As much as I loved playing the other songs, which everybody loves, and you're there to please the audience; you wanna make them happy and you wanna deliver those songs the way they love them and not rewrite anything… I'm not gonna rewrite the solo to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' — that kind of stuff. Give them what they came there to hear. But when it came to the spots where there's a little bit of freedom, or if I got to play my own things…

"I think 'Shackler's Revenge' was the song on 'Chinese' that I loved playing the most, because I feel like I added the most to that song," Thal added. "I mean, there were a bunch. There was 'Scraped', there was 'Shackler's', there was 'Catcher In The Rye' — certain songs where I was doing a lot of the leads."

Ron never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Ron joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and played on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an album which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. He has also released a number of solo CDs.

Thal is currently a member of SONS OF APOLLO, which also features drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20), in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Joe Lynn Turner has blasted Frontiers Music Srl for continuing SUNSTORM without him, claiming that the Italian record label "never informed" him that he would be replaced in a project whose "legacy" he dedicated 14 years of his life creating.

Last week, Frontiers announced that going forward, SUNSTORM will now be a vehicle for "one of the most impressive vocal talents to emerge in recent years" in the form of RAINBOW singer Ronnie Romero. Romero's debut album with SUNSTORM, "Afterlife", will arrive on March 12. The first taste of the LP came this week with the release of the single and video for the track "Swan Song".

Earlier today (Sunday, January 17), Turner, who recorded five albums with SUNSTORM between 2006 and 2018, took to his social media to dismiss Frontiers' claim that he left the project to work on heavier music styles and to assure his fans that he has "absolutely no intention" of leaving behind his melodic rock/AOR roots.

The former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer wrote: "Dear Fans, Thank you for your attention and concern, as I felt it is necessary to release this second statement to further clarify and explain my position… I believe, the true facts of my personal decisions must be stated more directly.

"I made an original statement in December where I kindly and respectfully to all parties involved, tried to explain the reasons for my departure from the SUNSTORM Project. My statement was very clear, however, with the Frontiers official media release of the new SUNSTORM and the accompanying statements, in my opinion, I see a definite attempt to twist my words to justify the effort to promote this new release of SUNSTORM, show their autonomous power for any and all creative and business endeavours and prove the fact that no moral or ethical considerations exist as long as the corporation holds the legal trademark…

"In my view, what Frontiers is claiming about Me in their official statement has nothing to do with real cause and events. I am very agitated with my professional brand, name and likeness being used by them in the media as an excuse to validate their narrative and agenda of continuing the Project's title with a replacement singer. Trying to convince the loyal fans that I 'moved away from the original melodic rock direction of the early SUNSTORM albums' of which I was the main vocalist and imply that I did not want to continue due to my 'desire to work on heavier music styles' is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! FAKE NEWS!

"Judging by the outpour of questions from fans on social media, I am very concerned with Frontiers false claims of which they have absolutely NO first-hand knowledge of. For the record, I still have so many more AOR demo songs and could easily do an AOR style record tomorrow, so, I guess, I will take my songs to another record label and continue my AOR discography… As I must now specify again and again, I have absolutely NO INTENTION TO STOP my AOR original roots!

"[Frontiers president and A&R director Serafino] Perugino states that he brought this 6th album 'back towards the original musical style that was established with the early albums' with 'outstanding results'. In my humble opinion, after listening to the first released single from the new album, it could not be further from the truth. There seems to be a great deal of hypocrisy in this situation. I personally see absolutely no 'original musical style' about it.… No original: producer, vocalist, band members, song writers… Nothing. So, the main issue here is, why continue calling it SUNSTORM? Who do they think they are kidding?... After all, only fans can be the judge.

"To me it resembles the majority of releases on Frontiers Label as they often seem to be written, performed and produced by the same source. This being the exact reason why I was not going to continue…

"'With Alessandro Del Vecchio as usual handling the songwriting and Perugino overseeing the A&R and creative direction', as they point out in their official statement, I believe, the purpose of the original classic AOR project ceased to exist therefore, I was extremely reluctant to offer any more of my original songs due to the lack of negotiation, promotion, poor business tactics and general lack of respect for Me on their part. And I tried to express these concerns 3 years ago while recording the 5th album 'The Road to Hell' but they were never heard, acknowledged or address by Frontiers. Completely frustrating!

"I must make it very clear, I do not speak for other Artists on the Frontiers Label and never would, I have absolutely no intention to attack or malign anyone, but this is my experience and personal point of view after so many years of association… In my 50-year carrier, I have been with a lot bigger record companies and was never treated and discounted like I was with Frontiers Label.

"I have spent 14 dedicated years to create SUNSTORM's legacy… Only to be unfairly replaced… Again, I was never informed that the Label will continue the SUNSTORM brand with the replacement singer…

"In closing, I'd like to take this opportunity and thank all the incredibly loyal fans that have supported Me and SUNSTORM through out all these years… Right up to this present moment your dedication is the exact reason why I as an Artist needed to take this stand and uphold the quality and purpose of what we all love and treasure about the Music! I would never cheat You or Myself by being compromised by any dominating corporate forces! The Artists together with the Fans must preserve the integrity of the Art. For what we choose now, echoes in Eternity…

"Love and Respect… JLT".

In a statement announcing his involvement with SUNSTORM, Romero said: "For me, it's very special to join and take part in the new SUNSTORM album since it always was one of my all time favorite Frontiers projects. To accept the huge task and responsibility of replacing JLT is a challenge I just couldn't pass on. To work with Alessandro was fantastic. We have very melodic and strong songs throughout the album and I'm pretty sure the SUNSTORM fans are gonna love every track, as I do. Especially the singles, but 'Swan Song' is probably my favorite. A very melodic song, a lot of backing vocals (something that I always wanted to do, a special and different approach on the vocal production side for me), the band sounds fantastic and it will be one of the highlights on the album, guaranteed! Can't wait for the fans to listen to the album!! At this point, it's cranking in my car every day."


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Dear Fans,

Thank you for your attention and concern, as I felt it is necessary to release...

Posted by Joe Lynn Turner on Sunday, January 17, 2021

During a recent appearance on the "Hardcore Humanism With Dr. Mike" podcast, ex-STYX vocalist and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung spoke about what motivated him to keep going in his early years as a professional musician. He said: "Fear of failure. That's what drives us all. That's it. You can dress it up and be romantic about it: 'I had a quest, I had a vocation.' You were afraid to fail. That's a good motivator.

"I said in [the STYX song] 'The Grand Illusion': 'America spells competition. Join us in our blind ambition. Get yourself a brand-new motor car. But someday soon we'll stop to ponder, what on Earth's this spell we're under. We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are.'

"So, my philosophy has always been that what drives us, fear, as much as anything else, is a great motivator," he continued.

"When there's a crowd of people standing there and you jump up and down and wave your arms and demand attention and ask everybody to look at you, you'd better have something going.

"For me, our fourth album, we were going up to [the] WLS [radio station] to promote our fourth album, which was 'Man Of Miracles'. After that album was over with, we were out of business. Nobody else was gonna sign us; we had no record success. And this guy, this programmer director, Jim Smith, goes and picks 'Lady' out of thin air.

"So, for me, I always knew how close we were to complete failure. It made a big impression on me. But for me, I would have had to go back to being a school teacher; I would have been done in music if 'Lady' hadn't been a hit. I look at it and I think, 'Wow! What a pivotal moment that that happened to me.' It's unbelievable to me, when I look back on it, how close we were to failure."

Asked whether success leads to happiness, Dennis said: "Talk to any real successful person, and if they're honest, they'll tell you, you were trying to fill up a hole, a void, a need for approval. And then when you got there, despite the fact that you got the approval, it didn't feel like it was enough. It didn't feel like it did its job. Anybody who tells the truth, that has been successful, will tell you that."

Pressed about why he kept going with his music career even though his commercial success didn't give him the emotional fullfillment he was seeking, DeYoung said: "It's all you know, but [secondly], it does become who you are."

DeYoung co-founded STYX as a teenager alongside his neighbors Chuck and John Panozzo in the early 1970s. James Young joined shortly after that, with Tommy Shaw coming on board in 1975.

The voice behind such STYX classics as "Come Sail Away", "Best Of Times", "Pieces Of Eight" and "Babe", Dennis released his latest original solo album, "26 East, Vol. 1", in May 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP was originally supposed to be his last album, but he had so much material he split it up into two volumes.

"26 East" was the address where DeYoung grew up in Roseland, Illinois on the far south side of Chicago. This is where the band was formed in his basement in 1962. Across the street lived the Panozzo twins, John and Chuck, who along with DeYoung would go on to form the nucleus of STYX. The cover artwork features three locomotives traveling through space, representing the original members leaving Chicago on their journey to the stars.

Dave Lombardo was recently interviewed on "Speak N' Destroy", a podcast about all things METALLICA, hosted by longtime journalist and METALLICA fan Ryan J. Downey. During the lengthy chat, the former SLAYER drummer reflected on famously filling in for Lars Ulrich during METALLICA's performance at Download festival in England in June 2004.

He said (hear audio below): "I remember being approached by SLAYER's manager, and he just basically said, 'Hey, Dave, we have a bit of a crisis. Lars can't make the show.' And I was, like, 'Okay, what's going on?' And they asked if I'd be interested. I don't know if he said if I'm interested in doing the [full] set or a few songs — whatever — but I took one look at the setlist, and I wasn't very familiar with their later material, so I agreed to the two opening songs.

"I met up with the guys, and we hung out in their little rehearsal room, dressing room, and we jammed the two songs that I was familiar with, and then shortly after that, we went on stage," he continued. "We had a great time in the room. I love those guys. I've never had any beef with them or anything. It's always been amicable and kind. They've always been great towards me, and I have likewise. So we had a great time.

"And I've known [METALLICA bassist] Robert Trujillo since the SUICIDAL [TENDENCIES] days. And I actually performed with Trujillo on a cover of 'Battery' [for the 2001 album 'Metallic Assault: A Tribute To Metallica']. Yeah, that's out there. So we played that [at Download], and then, of course, 'The Four Horsemen' — we did that as well.

"It was a lot of fun," Dave added. "It was a moment in history, a moment in time, and I loved it — it was amazing. Especially when I went into the double-bass section in 'Battery', at the end, and James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] was, like, 'Fuck!'"

Back in 2014, Lombardo was asked during a clinic in Italy to comment on the fact that Ulrich's drumming skills are constantly questioned. He replied: "I think Lars is a good drummer. He's a good arranger. He arranges… Without Lars, there wouldn't be a METALLICA. So you have to give him credit for what he does for the band."

Lombardo continued: "It's very important... When you have a chemistry within a band. There's four members of the band. When there's chemistry, like a special interaction between musicians, if you take one musician out, it's not the same. If you take Lars out of the equation, it won't be the same."

While speaking with UK's Rhythm magazine back in 2009, Lombardo was a bit more critical of Lars's drumming abilities, saying that playing with METALLICA at Download in 2004 was a great experience, but adding that it was good to "show 'em how it's done!" Dave continued. "No disrespect to Lars, because Lars is great and he's a very nice guy, but he needs to spend a week at my house and we need to sit down and play. I could show him — 'No, Lars, like this!'… 'Let's chill, let's relax, have some coffee and let's play!' [Laughs]"

A few months later, Lombardo was asked by Noisecreep if Ulrich had ever accepted his offer of drum lessons. "Oh man, no, he hasn't," Lombardo said laughing. "Yeah, but that was all done as a joke. It's just me having fun."

Lombardo added: "Of course someone ask[ed] me about Download festival. It's like, 'Yeah, show him how it's done.' [But] I don't need to show him, he's amazing, but there's always that kind of rivalry, that fun rivalry."

Ulrich blamed his non-appearance at the 2004 Download on exhaustion, caused by an unrelenting tour schedule and the break-up of his seven-year marriage to Skylar Satenstein. He said in 2005 interview: "It was the first-ever METALLICA gig I'd ever missed."

He continued: "You wanna try laying in a hospital in Germany while Dave Lombardo — the greatest drummer on the planet — is playing with your band. That's not easy."

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS guitarist John Frusciante, who rejoined the band last December, says that the band is continuing to work on new music amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We were rehearsing for a couple months, then the quarantine started, and we stopped rehearsing for a couple months, then we went back to rehearsing," he told Double J, the Australian digital radio station owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "We're moving ahead with what we're doing, writing new music."

Speaking about what it's like to play with his RHCP bandmates Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Chad Smith once again, Frusciante said: "It's just returning to family. I'm extremely comfortable with those people. It was as if no time had gone by at all when we started playing, pretty much, with a couple of minor exceptions, like how Chad and I gradually got our communication together in a new way. Basically, we're all just as comfortable with each other as we ever were, and it just felt like that right off the bat."

Frusciante has just released a new solo instrumental album, "Maya", via Aaron Funk's Timesig label. The record is dedicated to his cat Maya, who recently passed away, and is inspired by his favorite music: '91 to'96 U.K. breakbeat hardcore and jungle.

Asked whether his electronic influences would also guide material he is currently writing with CHILI PEPPERS, the guitarist said: "That's what I do on my own. I've tried to do some of that kind of thing myself, breakbeats but with a rock music chord progression or whatever. I just think it's kind of cheesy, and that's not what I'm trying to do with the CHILI PEPPERS."

Frusciante rejoined RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS after the dismissal of Josh Klinghoffer, who had been in the band for 10 years.

Klinghoffer, who took over for Frusciante in 2010, told Rolling Stone that he received the news from his bandmates during a meeting at bassist Flea's house. Klinghoffer said he suspected the seeds for Frusciante's return had been planted far earlier, with the guitarist reaching out to singer Anthony Kiedis and their tour manager as much as 18 months prior.

He explained: "[John] was definitely showing his face in CHILI PEPPER world a little bit just with emails and apologizing about past behavior. So every time I would hear a story about that, I thought, 'What is he doing? Does he want to come back?'"

Klinghoffer said his firing was "a total blindside" as the band were "so far into the writing of a new record," adding, "Here was an album that was more than half written, but I guess I let my guard down because I thought we had done so much work." Klinghoffer said he expected the band to scrap the music they worked on and start over. The guitarist also said that he was "not particularly fond of the two records" he wrote and recorded on — 2011's "I'm With You" and 2016's "The Getaway".

Prior to WATAIN's performance at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 7, vocalist Erik Danielsson spoke with WDR's "Rockpalast". The full conversation can be viewed at this location. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the origins of his passion for music:

Erik: "I definitely have early memories of being drawn to music... I was obsessed, really, with not only the songs of the albums that my parents played, but also the record covers. I just remember staring at BEATLES albums for hours — like the 'Revolver' cover, which, funnily enough, was one of my first favorite record covers that I could stare at for hours, and it still looks like something that I would create myself today. It has this black-and-white, kind of DIY, fancy kind of look. I think it was that early, like [age] 4, 5 or 6 — BEATLES and THE [ROLLING] STONES, those two bands pretty much that my parents played a lot at home."

On whether he often drew during his youth:

Erik: "I really wanted to, I think, but I never really got around to [it]. I was a bit too restless. I couldn't sit down and focus on a thing for such a long time, but I remember being a bit envious of people who had that talent – other people in the classroom. I didn't start to develop my graphic design stuff and so on until we had formed WATAIN. I did a few things for the bands I played in before, but they were very [minor]. WATAIN was definitely the first time that I started to delve into the whole graphic side of things and see what could be done with it."

On his attraction to extreme metal:

Erik: "There were several moments that led up to that decision. My first concert was METALLICA in '93. They were everything to me. That was, like, my whole world. When I realized that there death metal and black metal, and especially that there was this community around it that was very underground and very secretive and you really had to know the right people and say the right key words in order to get access to this kind of stuff, this idea — combined with how the music sounded — for me was, like, the perfect setup. It was something more than just the music — it was a movement, with a lot of strong, radical ideas. Things that transcended the idea of just ordinary rock n' roll. There was a spiritual side to it, really, and the feeling of being a part of an underground movement — almost like a forbidden brotherhood. I'm still talking about when I'm 13 years old. These kind of things attracted me, and becoming a part of it and contributing to it and getting to know it up close, that happened over the course of a few years, but it changed my entire life. That's the reason I'm standing here."

On using blood during the band's live performances:

Erik: "We use a few different ingredients when we perform live, and have been doing so for quite many years now. There is a difference between how we perceive it and the reasons why we personally choose to do this and the fact that there is an audience that perceive it and get their own experience out of it. When it comes to our own personal reason, that's a private thing, and I can just say that all of these ingredients are chosen for a reason. They are very important elements in the show, but talking about what they create — the kind of setting they create — that, I think, is the more relevant part in this context... I like to think about the fact that, 'How often is it that a person is confronted with a sea of flames and barbarian people covered in blood just a few meters away from them in a sweaty crowd with loud, booming drums and hypnotic, ceremonial music. The totality of that is interesting, I think, and I prefer people to focus on the totality rather than the exact reasons. The exact reasons, they do exist, but that's more for our own private concern."

On whether he worries about getting the necessary approval to use blood during the band's concerts:

Erik: "Our whole lives are like that. Everything that we do. If we choose to do something that is outside of the box and 'against the rules' — something that is forbidden, or something that is good for you but maybe not good for everyone else — then you have to... leave room for disaster. There cannot always be a safety net for everything. WATAIN encourages chaotic circumstances and unpredictable scenarios. It's no safe-zone."

"Trident Wolf Eclipse", WATAIN's sixth full-length album, was released in January 2018 via Century Media.

Former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin says that it was "a pleasure and an honor" to front the band for nearly a decade after joining guitarist Tony Iommi at SABBATH's "low point."

BLACK SABBATH released six albums with Martin on vocals: "The Eternal Idol" (1987), "Headless Cross" (1989), "Tyr" (1990), "Cross Purposes" (1994), "Cross Purposes Live" (1995) and "Forbidden" (1995). Eventually, Martin and his "Forbidden"-era bandmates were ousted when Iommi reunited with SABBATH's fellow original members.

"It was a pleasure and an honor to be part of the band's history," Martin wrote in response to an Ultimate Guitar Facebook post about a feature on his era. "Most bands have gone through changes... pun intended… but SABBATH was one that did more than most...

"The era that I was involved in was after the band had been mostly exhausted — financially, credibly and territorially — there had already been five singers associated with the band BEFORE I even got there! It was a low point and when I joined them, it really was a challenge!

"What we were able to do was capture territories that were not normally strong for SABBATH. We opened up Russia and Asia and Europe where SABBS had never been before... the Eastern Bloc was opening and South America and Korea...

"We worked hard to get the name back up and did some great works. 'Headless Cross' was significant in that we had Cozy Powell (drums) and that was an honor, too. We did lift the band again, to the point where it was set for a reunion with the original members, which is the only other place they could go!

"Thanks for honoring this era; it was important in the band's history."

In a 2012 interview with Über Röck, Martin said that he was "surprised" to see Iommi criticizing him in the guitarist's "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" book (referring to the Martin period, especially the touring phase following the release of "Cross Purposes" in 1994, Iommi lambasted his former singer as "unprofessional" and having "no stage presence"). Martin said: "I mean, they never said anything to me. Surely, if you've got a problem, the first person you should say something to is the person that's in the band with you... It sounds like a really stupid thing to say, as they didn't say anything to my face — and, if that's the case, then more fool them for not saying anything, because, you know, we could have fixed it. I said to them, endlessly, that if there was anything they wanted changed, done differently, just to say and we could fix it, but clearly, they didn't, they hadn't got the guts to, obviously, and to write about it in a book afterwards seems a bit daft to me. I'm not bitter about it, but it is surprising... It seems a bit stupid to say that after the event."

Three years ago, Iommi told I Heart Guitar that "it's a shame" that "it took a lot for people to accept" Martin as SABBATH's vocalist. "It's taken all these years later for people to say, 'Oh blimey, that was a good band with good singing.' So it took a long time to get people to really realize how good it was."

Last year, Iommi spent time in the studio remixing "Forbidden" for a 2019 release. The LP, which features Martin, Powell and bassist Neil Murray, is often regarded as SABBATH's worst studio recording.

Martin's last solo album, "Scream", was released in November 2005 via MTM Music.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania's AUGUST BURNS RED is starting 2021 off strong by dropping the animated video for a brand new song called "Standing In The Storm".

"'Standing in the Storm' is a song about fighting for something important to you, and enduring the hardships that come with that fight," says guitarist JB Brubaker. "We had a lot of fun with this track and I'm pumped on how it came out."

ABR's latest full-length, "Guardians", is out now through Fearless Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Music Albums chart, the Rock Albums chart, and the Vinyl Albums chart upon release. ABR also graced the cover of the spring 2020 issue of Revolver.

Asked who AUGUST BURNS RED's "guardians" are, vocalist Jake Luhrs told Revolver: "For the band, our guardians would be our fans. When you think of guardians, they help, right? Or they nurture or they provide. Our fans definitely do that for us. When we're coming out with a new record, they're buying actual copies or they're getting all the vinyl. They come to all of our shows. We have people who have gone to 40 shows. I don't know that I've ever gone to 40 shows outside of my band to go see anybody, ever. So we have these just diehard fans. They support the band. They give us a place to exist and continue our work. They genuinely care about us.

"For myself, personally? I mean, it's going to sound really cliché and really, really stupid and cheesy, but it is Jesus. God has just been through all of it with me — when everybody else was gone or no one came to help me. Who do you think I was talking to when I was drinking 18 drinks a night? When I woke up at three p.m. in the afternoon, who do you think was I talking to? I was talking to God. He just got me through it all. That's my guardian and it's the truth."

Last year, Brubaker told Billboard that he and his bandmates have grown more comfortable with the "metalcore" tag in recent years.

"The word metalcore became a little bit taboo for us in like, 2013," he said. "There was just this enormous boom of bands playing metalcore and it was just so watered-down and predictable and boring. And at this point now in 2020, I feel like so much of that heap of bands that were active seven years ago, so many of them have come and gone now that I'm not as embarrassed by the term 'metalcore' anymore. Because I feel like the bands who are left standing from that boom, it's sort of like the cream rose to the top. And while I much prefer just calling AUGUST BURNS RED a metal band, I get why people would call us a metalcore band. I mean, we play a ton of breakdowns. So if you want to get quite literal about it, the 'core' is obvious."

MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn and Jared MacEachern held the first "Electric Happy Hour" of 2021 on Friday, January 15 during which they performed around a dozen and a half songs, including MH tunes "Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones", "Struck A Nerve" and "Blood For Blood", plus covers of IRON MAIDEN's "Hallowed Be Thy Name", METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" and SYSTEM OF A DOWN's "Aerials". You can now watch the session below.

Featured songs:

3:00 Master Of Puppets

12:00 Blood For Blood

17:13 Beyond The Pale

22:40 Now We Die

29:55 Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones

36:02 Struck A Nerve

41:36 The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears (BEERS UP!)

46:01 This Is The End

52:50 Summer Of '69 (snippet)

55:32 Hallowed Be Thy Name

1:07:43 Behind A Mask (acoustic) (intro)

1:11:06 Behind A Mask (acoustic)

1:17:43 Bastards (acoustic) (intro)

1:18:25 Bastards (acoustic)

1:25:00 Aerials

1:28:42 Locust

1:36:25 Now I Lay Thee Down

1:42:04 Halo

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Flynn has been staging "Acoustic Happy Hour" solo sessions every Friday, during which he has performed a number of MH tunes as well as covers of other artists' songs.

Flynn told Kerrang! magazine about "Acoustic Happy Hour": "It's just basically a free show on Facebook. I try to learn two new songs every Friday. I take requests, and I try to play MACHINE HEAD songs that have never been played live acoustic. Last week I covered MUSE, TOOL and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. It's been fucking awesome. The first three or four were horrible — I knew they were — but I knew that if I kept sucking for six weeks I would get past it.

"For the first 20 years of my career, I never took singing lessons," he continued. "Then I did some about 10 years ago. With these acoustic shows, I've been back in contact with my old singing teacher to try and figure out why I can do a three-and-a-half hour MACHINE HEAD show, but this clean singing is kicking my ass. It's been an opportunity to un-learn all the wrong shit and get an opportunity to do things right."

In November, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was the latest in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

In July, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled 2020 tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Each show on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour consisted of two parts: part one saw Flynn and MacEachern performing alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT); while part two featured "Burn My Eyes" played in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and Mader joining in.

Former METALLICA bassist Ron McGovney has shared a photo of the business card he used to promote the band during his time with the influential metal legends.

On Sunday (January 17), McGovney tweeted out the picture featuring the classic METALLICA logo along with the phrase "Power Metal" and what was apparently Ron's then-phone number, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Original METALLICA business card. The phone number was the one I had in my bedroom in 1979. I moved to our rental house two doors down in 1981 and took the number with me. That house was where METALLICA started. I lived in a condo 1983-1987 and had that same number."

A couple of decades ago, McGovney told Shockwaves that he made the original METALLICA business card "to send to the club promoters along with our demo. The card was supposed to just have the METALLICA logo and a contact number," he explained. "But I thought it looked too plain and decided it should say something under the logo. I didn't want to put 'hard rock' or 'heavy metal,' so I coined the term power metal. I thought it had a nice ring to it. No band had used that term before as far as I knew. I remember bringing the business cards to the band, and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] got so pissed off at me. He said, 'What did you do? What the hell is power metal? I can't believe you did such a stupid thing. We can't use these cards with the words power metal on it.'"

McGovney was a member of METALLICA during 1982 and appeared on the band's early demos. Tension between McGovney and then-METALLICA guitarist Dave Mustaine led to the bassist quitting the band and being replaced by Cliff Burton. He later told "Talk Is Jericho" that his exit from METALLICA wasn't upsetting to him because he was less into the band's thrash style, plus he was interested in being a motorcycle mechanic.

In a 2004 interview with AllMetallica.com, McGovney stated about his time with METALLICA: "All of the songs that are found on [METALLICA's debut album] 'Kill 'Em All' were written in my garage and we played all of them when I was in the band. We also did DIAMOND HEAD covers: 'The Prince', 'Sucking My Love', 'Am I Evil', and 'Helpless'. We covered 'Blitzkrieg' by BLITZKRIEG, 'Let It Loose' by SAVAGE and 'Killing Time' by SWEET SAVAGE. All of those songs can be found on bootlegs, but I have a practice tape of us doing some of those songs. I did do some arranging of the songs, but I was never credited with anything. I played at least 28 gigs with the band in the first year."

During the aforementioned "Talk Is Jericho" interview, McGovney said that Burton was always "really respectful of me for my tenure in the band" in the years after Ron left METALLICA.

"I remember at that Palladium show in '84, I had a pass but it was just like a sticker pass," McGovney shared. "And I wanted to go in the back and talk to them but [security] wouldn't let me in. Cliff saw me [and] he gave me his laminate. I walked back there and their tour manager said, 'Why did you give him that?' And Cliff said, 'He was the first bass player for METALLICA.'"




Original Metallica business card. The phone number was the one I had in my bedroom in 1979. I moved to our rental house two doors down in 1981 and took the number with me. That house was where Metallica started. I lived in a condo 1983-1987 and had that same number. pic.twitter.com/0pvaZVxEtp

— Ron McGovney (@RonMcGovney) January 17, 2021

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VENOM INC., the band featuring original VENOM guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and ex-VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, is continuing to work on its new album. The follow-up to 2017's "Avé" will once again be released on Nuclear Blast Records. The recording is being done between England, Portugal and America and it will have Dunn at the helm as producer once again.

In a new interview with the "Heavy Demons" radio show, Dunn stated about the making of the new VENOM INC. LP: "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 usually comes to Portugal to do vocals in my studio, but with all the restrictions at the moment [due to the coronavirus pandemic], it's just not possible. So we're just gonna have to wait."

According to Dunn, the new VENOM INC. material is "sounding great. Dare I say this, it sounds better than 'Avé'," he said. "I think it does."

Jeff went on to say that there is no release date yet for the new VENOM INC. disc. "It's pointless saying to people, 'Oh, yeah, it'll be out in the spring,' 'Yeah, it'll be out in the summer,'" he explained. "We just don't know — we really don't know. At the moment, the U.K. 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," he continued. "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 album marks the second recording under the name VENOM INC., while Dunn and Dolan have a long history as recording artists together in VENOM, M:PIRE OF EVIL and Mantas solo projects. It also marks the VENOM INC. recording debut of drummer Jeramie Kling (also of MASSACRE), who joined the band in 2018.

Back in 2018, VENOM INC. recruited Kling to fill in for drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter. VENOM INC. has since completed several tours with Kling without making any official announcements about Bray's possible return to the group.

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989), "Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Conrad "Cronos" Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

BEATALLICA, a satirical mashup act whose hilarious schtick marries the songwriting prowess ofn THE BEATLES to the deep-throated rock growl of METALLICA, has signed with Metal Assault Records. The band's fourth full-length album — and its first in more than seven years — will be released later in 2021.

Metal Assault first got introduced to BEATALLICA in 2010 when the band toured the West Coast and performed at the now-defunct Key Club in West Hollywood, putting on the kind of performance only they can. Subsequently, Metal Assault interviewed BEATALLICA and kept track of the band's progress over the years, as they took their show on the road all over the world, garnering a global fanbase, to go with heaps of praise from members of METALLICA and the like, as well as from journalists everywhere.

While we wait for the new album to get ready for release, Metal Assault Records has added BEATALLICA's three existing full-length albums for purchase at the band's new Bandcamp store.

BEATALLICA's third full-length album, "Abbey Load", was released in April 2013 via Oglio Records.

Back in 2005, the members of BEATALLICA received help from METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich in their dispute with Sony Music over BEATALLICA's "unlawful use" of the group's compositions "without authorization or license." Sony Music accused BEATALLICA of violating copyright laws, demanded that their webmaster pay "unspecified damages," and forced the band's ISP to shut down their web site. Thanks to Ulrich's efforts, BEATALLICA was soon back online, and the legal debacle was over.

"The Internet is a swamp of piracy, so you send out cease-and-desist letters all the time," METALLICA lawyer Peter Paterno said at the time. "Someone at Sony probably saw this site and sent out a letter and once they realized what was on it they decided it was not something worth picking a fight over. They got that this is different from someone selling BEATLES CDs and not paying royalties."

BEATALLICA frontman Jaymz Lennfield (a.k.a. Michael "Tinker" Tierney) later told River Cities' Reader that he believed his band's music had the legal protection of parody. "We think we're making something new, especially lyrically," he said. "It's definitely a creative process... Legally and creatively, stuff like this hasn't been done befo

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:

"Here’s some sneak peek footage of Ryan Van Poederooyen laying down brand new Imonolith music at Hipposonic Music Studios in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Expect brand new music from Imonolith and other news to be announced very soon." 

A video update from Huppunen is also available below.

The collective of heavy-hitting players is at the top of their game, recently releasing their debut album, State Of Being. The album features special guest appearances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and famed Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström and is made up of 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks that center around the theme of how people deal with various stages of life.

Tracklisting:

"State Of Being" (intro)
"Becoming The Enemy" (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
"Instinct"
"Dig"
"The Mourning"
"Forgone"
"Breathe"
"The Reign" (feat. Jens Kidman)
"We Never Forget"
"Hollow"
"Persevere"

"Hollow" video:

NERVOSA's music video for the song "Under Ruins" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Perpetual Chaos", which will arrive on January 22 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded in Malaga at Artesonao Casa de Grabación Studio by Martin Furia, who also produced the new full-length with founding guitarist Prika Amaral. The LP was mastered by Yarne Heylen.

NERVOSA's new lineup consists of Amaral alongside Diva Satanica on vocals, Mia Wallace on bass and Eleni Nota on drums.

"Perpetual Chaos" is described in a press release as "a heavy, incontrollable vortex" which "strikes with inexorable full femme power, showcasing [NERVOSA's] ability for critical and straightforward lyricism mixed with an intoxicating blend of thrash spiced with remarkable death metal assaults."

Amaral commented: "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."

Diva Satanica commented on the album recording: "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 marvelous 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) while 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.

"Perpetual Chaos" track listing:

01. Venomous

02. Guided By Evil

03. People Of The Abyss

04. Perpetual Chaos

05. Until The Very End

06. Genocidal Command

07. Kings Of Domination

08. Time To Fight

09. Godless Prisoner

10. Blood Eagle

11. Rebel Soul

12. Pursued By Judgement

13. Under Ruins

NERVOSA is:

Diva Satanica (Vocals)

Prika Amaral (Guitar)

Mia Wallace (Bass)

Eleni Nota (Drums)

Photo credit: Barbara Ciravegna

GRETA VAN FLEET has released a new live/performance music video for its latest single, "Age Of Machine". The track is taken from the band's second album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", which will be made available on April 16 via Lava/Republic Records.

A bold evolution from the band's 2018 full-length debut "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", "The Battle At Garden's Gate" came together primarily on the road or while in the studio after the runaway success of 2017's "Highway Tune" led to the band packing up, leaving home, and eagerly soaking up new experiences on an extended road trip around the world.

Over the past three years, GRETA VAN FLEET — vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner — played to hundreds of thousands of people across North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and New Zealand. While driving to gigs, the first-time world travelers passed many unfamiliar sights, from the favelas in Sao Paulo to the Gold Coast of Australia and everywhere in between, meeting and enjoying conversations with fans and other musicians that opened up new worlds to them. To cap off the change-filled era, the quartet moved from Michigan to Nashville, immersing themselves in Music City's rich history. The melding of all these experiences opened their eyes to amazing new worlds of culture, history, philosophy and spirituality — and ushered in an entirely new way of looking at life and the approach to their music.

Accordingly, GRETA VAN FLEET poured everything they experienced into these new songs - the music reflects their spiritual and intellectual growth, increased awareness of the inequalities plaguing the modern world, and deep empathy for what other people are going through.

"We realized that while growing up, we had been shielded by many things, and we were unaware of a lot of things," says Wagner. "And then we were thrown out into this huge world, and it was a bit of a culture shock at first. But as we started to travel a lot, meet new and different people and experience different cultures, our definition of 'normal' changed."

"I suppose that everything has changed except what got us here in the first place," adds Sam Kiszka. "Everything — our perception of the world, perception of life itself, what it means to be an artist, what it means to be part of a beautiful, gorgeous society. We've gained a larger understanding of why we're all here."

In general, the album's arrangements are spacious and leisurely, giving the music pleasing dynamics, as the band touches on all manners of rock 'n' roll. "The Battle At Garden's Gate" is cinematic, capturing the breathtaking energy of an exciting fight scene or the smoldering passion of a brooding, heroic protagonist saving the day. The new music also illustrates that the members of GRETA VAN FLEET are paving the way for a new generation of musicians — ones that use rock 'n' roll's foundational elements to build an entirely new sonic blueprint.

Sonically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" also feels bracingly modern, an embodiment of genre-blended musical freedom. Recorded in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin (FOO FIGHTERS, PAUL MCCARTNEY), the album is ambitious and expansive, marked by epic journeys such as the second single, "Age Of Machine", released today, and the Top 5 rock hit "My Way, Soon", which boasts a towering chorus hook and rip-it-up-and-start-again lyrics.

Josh explains: "It's very dynamic, lyrically speaking. And that's the human experience. It's much more than pain or fear; it's also beauty. People need people, and love is important." Lyrically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" muses about the influence of technology on modern life; the role conflict plays in the global sphere; the deceptive fulfillment of tangible riches; and philosophical questions about life, love and power.

"There was a lot of self-evolution happening during the writing of this album that was prompted by experiences I had, experiences we all had, so a lot of contemplation occurred," Josh says, while Jake adds, "It's reflecting a lot of the world that we've seen, and I think that it's reflecting a lot of personal truth. What Josh does very well with the lyrics is telling ancient tales with a contemporary application."

For Josh, working with Kurstin provided the confidence he needed to push his songwriting into these vivid dimensions. "I'm always a little bit hesitant about my abilities as an artist; I think a lot of artists feel that way," he says. "But Greg hovering over me while I'm on the piano, taking an interest in what I was doing — that was really important for me."

That added confidence is obvious. Josh sounds commanding on each song, stretching his already-acrobatic voice to newer heights, while the instrumentalists fearlessly push themselves into new territory. Easy going organ and acoustic folk-rock riffs drive one song, while another ends in a torrent of guitar noise that rivals Neil Young's onstage guitar freakouts with CRAZY HORSE. "For all of us, the performances — and the aspects of them that are captured — preserve where we're at musically in time right now," Jake says.

The future is unwritten, and the sky's the limit for these curious travelers and truth-seekers. Josh says, "certainly after this, we've grown in so many ways. This album has taught us a lot, about life in general, about ourselves, about all of us, about the world we live in."

Photo credit: Alyssa Gafkjen

According to WISH-TV, ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer made his first court appearance today and will remain in jail until at least Friday (January 22) in connection with his role in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Schaffer turned himself in to police in Hamilton County and has since been moved to the Marion County Jail. In the coming days, he will go in front of U.S. magistrate, who could release him on bail.

The musician, who resides in Columbus, Indiana, turned himself in to authorities around 3 p.m. Sunday (January 17), Chris Bavender, public affairs specialist for the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, said.

According to the FBI, Schaffer was among the rioters who sprayed United States Capitol police officers with "bear spray," a form of capsaicin pepper spray sold by many outdoors retailers, as part of their efforts to push the officers back inside the Capitol and breach the Capitol building themselves.

Schaffer was photographed and captured on surveillance video carrying "bear spray" and engaging in verbal altercations with Capitol police officers inside the Capitol building. Schaffer is seen holding what the FBI describes as "clear sunglasses" in one photograph, and "bear spray in other photographs."

These are the six charges Schaffer is facing, according to the FBI:

1) Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority

2) Disrupting the Orderly Conduct of Government Business

3) Knowingly Engages in an Act of Physical Violence Against any Person or Property in any Restricted Building or Grounds

4) Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building

5) Engage in an Act of Physical Violence in a Capitol Building

6) Parade, Demonstrate, or Picket in a Capitol Building

On January 8, the FBI's Washington Field Office released 40 photos of people who were suspected of unlawful entry during a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol carried out on January 6 during the final Congressional vote recording for the 2020 general election. Among them was a picture of Schaffer taken by Roberto Schmidt of AFP. In the photo, Schaffer could be seen at the front of a mob, sporting a hat from Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia group, 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 200 people who are being investigated by FBI officials over their roles in the insurrection. Additionally, the FBI has received roughly 140,000 digital media tips from the public.

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 in the 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 52-year-old musician 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."

Finnish news publication Ilta-Sanomat is reporting that Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho, who passed away in late December due to ongoing  health issues, was still married to former Sinergy bandmate Kimberly Goss at the time of his death. According to Finnish law Laiho was not officially married to Australian Kelli Wright-Laiho, although she has appeared in public in Finnish and international media as well as on social media.

Laiho married Goss on February 1st, 2002, and according to the IS report the couple never officially divorced. Goss confirmed this information directly with IS

The news of the continuation of the marriage, which took place 19 years ago until the death of Laiho, is surprising, as the guitarist has been in the public eye in recent years together with the Australian Kelli Wright-Laiho. Wright-Laiho has made it clear through her social media updates, that she has been married to Laiho since 2017.

Goss and Laiho were still close after the end of their romantic relationship, Laiho's close circle told IS. Goss agrees:

"During his last ten months, we talked almost daily. Nothing went unsaid," Goss tells IS. "It means a lot to me."

They were still in contact in December on the day Laiho died. He passed away in Helsinki, while Goss was in her current home in Chicago, IL. Kelli Wright-Laiho, who appeared in public as the wife of Laiho in recent years, was in Australia at the end of December.

The Finnish Marriage Act states: "Before the marriage, it must be ascertained that there are no obstacles to the marriage. An obstacle to marriage is defined as, among other things, a previous, valid union. No one is allowed to marry if his or her previous marriage is still valid. Nor may a person whose registered partnership is valid enter into marriage. ”

According to Finnish law, Laiho had not been able to marry Kelli Wright, as Laiho and Goss had not officially divorced. The wedding photos published by Kelli Wright-Laiho on Instagram in December 2017 are therefore not images of an official marriage from the point of view of Finnish law.

Goss lived in Finland during and after Sinergy's active career. She did not move back to the United States until 2012. According to official documents, the marriage ended about eight months after the wedding: Alexi Laiho filed for divorce alone in November 2002. However, he quickly withdrew the application. There was no time to give the divorce a reflection period, but it was only at the notification stage in the direction of Goss. The decision on the canceled divorce application was registered in the Helsinki District Court in March 2003. The couple remained together until 2004 and Laiho made no subsequent divorce applications, therefore the marriage was thus in force when he died at the end of December 2020.

Laiho spent the last ten months of his life in Finland.

According to IS, Kimberly Goss and Kelli Wright-Laiho do not know each other. However, Goss has a message for Wright-Laiho:

"For those in Australia who knew him during the times he visited there, I wish you nothing but peace and light. I’m not looking for a public feud. Let’s not taint his legacy with nastiness. He would not want a spectacle made of this and anyone who truly knew him would know this." 

Goss posted the following tribute to Laiho when news of his passing became public:

"My first true love, my bandmate and my best friend. The silver lining throughout this entire pandemic is that we were given the gift of having so much quality time together. Our marathon FaceTime calls, the endless text messages and phone calls at all hours of the day and night will stay with me forever. I am so comforted by the fact that we were able to reflect on our lives together both on and off the stage and to cherish our continued friendship that has remained in tact for all these years. Allu, my heart is both full and broken at the same time. Not many people are able to have nothing left unsaid with someone whom they had such a long, rich history with. You gave me peace and left me with zero regrets in the months and weeks before your tired body finally gave out. I thank you so very much and I’ll love you forever and always.

You and Tommi are together again and I can hear the joy and laughter coming from the two of you, as if it were yesterday. You will always remain in the hearts of us who knew and loved you and your legacy will live on forever in the music you blessed the world with. Close your eyes my darling. You’re asleep now and finally at rest."

As expected, fans have taken to social media to express their condolences to Laiho's family and friends. Anyone who would like to see photos Goss has posted along with her written tribute, or offer their condolences, prayers and well-wishes is asked to go to the Instagram page that has been set up specifically for that purpose.

Please direct all messages, public or private, and friend requests to Instagram.com/kimvoxrox.

Alexi Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded Children of Bodom in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year Alexi Laiho put together Bodom After Midnight, who recorded three songs and shot one music video, which will be released later on posthumously.

Besides Children of Bodom, Laiho was known for acts such as Warmen, Sinergy, Kylähullut and The Local Band. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden Gods and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at Helsinki Festival in 2015 in 100 Guitars From Hel – a massive concert piece he composed.

"We are crushed by the sudden passing of our dear friend and band member. Words cannot describe this shock and the profound sadness that we feel", Daniel Freyberg, Mitja Toivonen and Waltteri Väyrynen from Bodom After Midnight state.

Laiho recently completed work on the debut album for Bodom After Midnight, the band launched following Children Of Bodom's demise in 2019.

His death comes as a devastating blow to the metal world and the BraveWords family, as some of us knew Alexi personally. Rest in peace, Wildchild.

According to PUBLIC tax information, Alexi Laiho earned his music well in the last years of his life. In the past decade, his taxable income peaked in 2013, when the Bodom bowler earned an annual income of more than 200,000 euros. In the most recent completed taxation for 2019, Laiho's total earnings were EUR 89,683.

FOO FIGHTERS have released the official music video for their latest single, "Waiting On A War". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Medicine At Midnight", which will be released on February 5 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. The nine-song, 37-minute effort was produced by the FOO FIGHTERS and Greg Kurstin.

If "Waiting On A War" seems to have an especially emotional heft to its lyrics, well, that's because it does. Dave Grohl recounts the personal anecdote that inspired the song: "Last fall, as I was driving my daughter to school, she turned to me and asked, 'Daddy, is there going to be a war?' My heart sank as I realized that she was now living under the same dark cloud that I had felt 40 years ago.

"I wrote 'Waiting On A War' that day.

"Every day waiting for the sky to fall. Is there more to this than that? Is there more to this than just waiting on a war? Because I need more. We all do.

"This song was written for my daughter, Harper, who deserves a future, just as every child does."

"Medicine At Midnight" track listing:

01. Making A Fire

02. Shame Shame

03. Cloudspotter

04. Waiting On A War

05. Medicine At Midnight

06. No Son Of Mine

07. Holding Poison

08. Chasing Birds

09. Love Dies Young

The first single from the disc, "Shame Shame", was released in November. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Paola Kudacki and co-stars Grohl and Sofia Boutella. "Shame Shame" renders in stunning black and white an interpretation of a recurring dream that's haunted Grohl since his childhood days.

Grohl told SiriusXM's Alt Nation about the "Medicine At Midnight" musical approach: "It's our 10th album, and it's our 25th anniversary. We're. like, okay, let's look back at all the stuff that we've done before. We've made that loud sort of noisy punk rock fast stuff. We've made the sleepy acoustic kind of gentle acoustic record stuff. We've done the three- or four-minute-long bubblegum rock and roll, pop, single thing before. And it was, like, well, what haven't we done? And we had never really made a groove-oriented sort of party record.

"It's hard to put the words 'dance' or 'funk' or 'disco' in the same sentence as the FOO FIGHTERS; it scares the shit out of me," Dave admitted. "But all of us grew up loving rock and roll records that you could like bounce around to, like THE CARS. Like, oh my God, we love THE CARS. Or David Bowie's 'Let's Dance'. Or POWER STATION. Or THE [ROLLING] STONES' 'Tattoo You' — things like that. We're, like, 'All right. We've never really explored that territory before. Let's do it.

"We're lucky in that everybody in the band has diverse influences and everybody loves different kinds of music, but I honestly think we're capable of doing almost anything," he said. "So if we put our minds to it, we can kind of chameleon and turn into a death metal band, or we could be like THE CARPENTERS. So we just have to come together and make the decision, like, 'All right, which way do we wanna go? Which way are we gonna turn the wheel?' And this time we did it to make this party record."

Progressive / power metal quartet Immortal Guardian has filmed a new sing-through / lyric video showcasing vocalist Carlos Zema as he performs the song “Read Between The Lines” from their upcoming new album, Psychosomatic.

The band urges fans to visit their online shop to pre-order their new album, Psychosomatic, which will be released on February 12th via M-Theory Audio. 

Immortal Guardian previously unveiled a music video for “Lockdown”, the second single from their forthcoming concept album, Psychosomatic. The clip, which showcases the group cleverly adapting to the same stay-at-home conditions that are affecting millions of people around the world at this moment can be viewed below.

"Rich or poor, it doesn't matter, every human this year experienced some kind of lockdown/isolation during this insane year,” says guitarist / keyboardist Gabriel Guardian. “We couldn't even just meet up because our borders were on lockdown for international travel. Thank god for the internet, as we were able to still create music and keep each other company online even with thousands of miles between each member. 'Lockdown' talks about all of the same questions we all have been asking ourselves since the start of the pandemic. Where did this all come from? Who's to blame? Is the lockdown saving more lives than it's destroying? We can only keep making music through these crazy times and hope for a better tomorrow."

Tracklisting:

"Psychosomatic"
"Read Between The Lines"
"Lockdown"
"Phobia"
"Clocks"
"Self-Isolation"
"Goodbye To Farewells"
"Candlelight"
"Find The Reason"
"New Day Rising"

After winning over new audiences with their acclaimed 2018 debut full-length Age of Revolution and touring relentlessly alongside fellow shredders such as Marty Friedman, Powerglove, and Exmortus, Immortal Guardian gathered in Las Vegas earlier this year to begin recording their second album. As the spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent pandemic began to ensue, each member of the band retreated to their respective hometowns. With shutdowns around the world being enforced, the band completely scrapped the record that they had been working on and were heavily inspired to write and create a new thematic record about their emotions surrounding current events.

The video for “Read Between The Lines” - produced and directed by SBLGA - also saw the members of Immortal Guardian contributing remotely from their respective homes, and shows off the continued refinement of their full-frontal assault of anthemic melodies, technical rhythms, furious shred and high-flying vocals.

Psychosomatic is the next step in Immortal Guardian’s evolution while still capturing the band’s exhilarating trademark melding of melodic power metal with progressive / shred tendencies.

Immortal Guardian is:

Gabriel Guardian – guitars / keyboards
Carlos Zema – vocals
Justin Piedimonte – drums
Josh Lopez – bass

 

Ferocious riffs set the metalcore sound on fire for Seasons and their latest video / single "Killing Season". The vicious lyrics and scorching performance give "Killing Season" its complete story. "Killing Season" was written from the perspective of Jason of the Friday The 13th franchise. The latest installment, Friday The 13th: Vengence 2, will be released in the fall of 2021. "Killing Season" is sliced and ready to make you scream!

"This song was written from the perspective of the fictional masked murderer Jason Voorhees from the Friday The 13th franchise." says Seasons. "The song is loaded with references to different aspects of Jason and events that happen to the character throughout the movie franchise. We are very excited and proud to say that the song will be featured on the soundtrack for the movie Friday The 13th: Vengeance 2. This movie is expected to be released in the fall of 2021."

For further details, visit Seasons on Facebook.

 

L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns has checked in with a brief update bound to please fans. It reads: "Happy New Year to everyone. Hang tight as we are trying to get the new record finished and out before summer. Rock n Roll!!!"

The as yet untitled effort will be the follow-up to The Devil You Know, released in 2019 via Frontiers Music.

In 2020,  L.A. Guns, featuring Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns, released a new single, "Let You Down". The song was written and recorded while the band is in the midst of work on their next studio album. LAG was so struck by the song that they felt the need to release it immediately, rather than sit on it for the next studio album. It may or may not appear on said album.

Of the song, Phil Lewis says, "This is our new single, 'Let You Down,' a deep haunting work and words from a tormented soul. It was recorded during quarantine, so Tracii laid down his guitar tracks in Denmark, I did my vocals at home in Las Vegas, and Adam Hamilton played drums and mixed it in LA. Under normal circumstances, it would have been recorded in a more traditional way, but somehow the isolation adds to the atmosphere of this very cool song. I’m sure you’re going to love it. Cheers."

Tracii Guns adds, "This song just appeared at the right time, while we were writing and recording on different continents. Also, we won’t be performing anytime soon and it seems like the type of song that our fans can hold on to for awhile."

L.A. Guns lineup:

Phil Lewis - vocals
Tracii Guns - guitars
Ace Von Johnson - guitars
Johnny Martin - bass
Scot Coogan - drums

(Photo - Dustin Jack)

 

On January 29, Demon Head will release their new album, Viscera, via Metal Blade Records. In the new video below, vocalist Marcus Ferreira Larsen and bassist Mikkel Fuglsang discuss the music, art, and creative process for the album.

Viscera can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- hardcover digisleeve-CD
- 180g clear deluxe edition vinyl w/ o-card, backpatch, and poster (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- clear ash grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- dark red / black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- clear / black dust vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- clear brown marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Demon Head is comprised of five internationally based and widely acclaimed musicians; Mikkel Sander Fuglsang, Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen, Marcus Ferreira Larsen, Thor Gjerlufsen Nielsen and Jeppe Wittus. Though hesitant to compromise the description of the music they perform through generalizing terms of genre, they've coined the term "diabolic rock" as an appropriate presentation.

Their fourth full-length - Viscera - is a new beginning for Demon Head. Recorded during the first months of 2020 between the legendary Sweet Silence Studios by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Rainbow) and a remote country house in Sweden, the album was mixed by Martin 'Konie' Ehrencrona (In Solitude, Tribulation, Nifelheim). The production shows the impeccable qualities of joined forces, where old techniques meet new aesthetics, and major label possibilities meet underground, uncompromising DIY dedication. The resulting 10 songs showcase acoustic instruments, flourishing mellotron strings, brass instruments, tape manipulation and church organ - displayed in equal measure to the sound of the crushing drums of J.W, cryptic guitars of brothers B.G.N and T.G.N, pounding bass lines of M.S.F, and the vocals of M.F.L combined with the eerily captivating falsetto and baryton of B.G.N.

Demon Head comments: "We are now ready to offer You 'Viscera'. It contains more of us than any album we have made before, and we hope that You will welcome it as sincerely as it will welcome You."

Viscera tracklisting:

"Tooth And Nail"
"The Feline Smile"
"Arrows"
"Magical Death"
"The Lupine Choir"
"A Long, Groaning Descent"
"In Adamantine Chains"
"Black Torches"
"Wreath"
"The Triumphal Chariot Of Antimony"

"The Feline Smile" video:

"The Triumphal Chariot Of Antimony" video:

Demon Head will play a release show on January 30 at Pumpehuset in Copenhagen. "A release ceremony will take place in Copenhagen when this year is newly dead. Tokens for the passage are available here."

Demon Head lineup:

Mikkel Sander Fuglsang - bass
Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen - guitars
Marcus Ferreira Larsen - vocals
Thor Gjerlufsen Nielsen - guitars
Jeppe Wittus - drums

(Photo - Adrian Utzon)

UK metal band, Sorceress Of Sin, have released a lyric video for "Empyre of Stones", the track is taken from their debut album Mirrored Revenge, which was released on November 27, 2020. Watch the video below.

Sorceress Of Sin is an up-tempo, fast paced melodic power metal band of original and constantly morphing quality material up to that of a world class standard. The music capitalizes on dynamic tempo changes, searing guitar riffs, dynamic bass lines and animalistic vocals. Sorceress Of Sin deliver emotion and meaning with every track and writing music together is the sole passion of each member of this exciting and driven band.

Mirrored Revenge was produced and mixed by Tom Maclean (Haken, To-Mera, Psion) at Twelve Tone Studios. The artwork was made by GazJackson of Sinister Arts.

Tracklisting:

"Vixen Of Virtue"
"Multifaceted Survival"
"Mirrored Revenge"
"Wicked Distortion"
"Splintered Shard"
"Aradia"
"Echoes Of Existence"
"Parallel Lies"
"Cold Carnality"
"Empyre Of Stones"

"Empyre Of Stones" lyric video:

Sorceress Of Sin is:

Lisa Skinner – Vocals
Constantine Kanakis – Guitars
Paul Skinner – Drums
Topher O’Meagher – Bass (ex Gehitka)
Tom Maclean – Bass, Orchestral Backing

Nervosa have released an unboxing video for the vinyl edition of their upcoming new album, Perpetual Chaos, out January 22 via Napalm Records. Watch  below:

The band's talented new lineup - featuring founding guitarist Prika Amaral and talented new members Diva Satanica on vocals, Mia Wallace on bass and Eleni Nota on drums - strike with inexorable full femme power, showcasing their ability for critical and straightforward lyricism mixed with an intoxicating blend of thrash spiced with remarkable death metal assaults.

Perpetual Chaos was recorded in Malaga at Artesonao Casa de Grabación Studio by Martin Furia, who also produced the new full-length with Prika Amaral - the explosive outcome is mastered by Yarne Heylen.

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 will be 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

Pre-order 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:

Lineup:

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

Norwegian old school heavy metallers, The Cult Of Destiny, featuring members of The Carburetors and Chrome Division, have released a video for the track, "Rock Europe Rock". Watch below.

Says the band: "This video is our contribution to the Red Alert Moment and our way to try to bring us all together in this situation. This whole situation has really fucked up our lives. The single I'm coming out with is called 'Rock Europe Rock'."

The Cult Of Destiny recently released a lyric video for "Coming From The North", featured on the band's self-titled debut album, available via The Cult Of Destiny Records. Find the new clip below.

The album was recorded by Arslan Qureshi and Jørgen Henriksen at Laidback Studios. Mixed and mastered by Robert Hauge at Badabing Studio.

Tracklisting:

"So It Begins"
"The Armageddon Is Here"
"Suman The Council"
"Into The Armageddon"
"Coming From The North"
"Brother"
"The Cult Of Destiny"
"Stand With Me"
"Set The Demon Free"
"Welcome To The End"
"Exit Armageddon"
"I Was Made For Lovin' You" (Bonus - KISS Cover)

"Coming From The North" lyric video:

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" video:

The Cult Of Destiny is:

Eddie Guz - Vocals (The Carburetors, Chrome Division)
Chris Marchand - Guitars (The Carburetors, Shot At Dawn)
Mr. Damage Karlsen - Guitars (Chrome Division, Breed)
Mads Mowinkel - Bass (Chrome Division, Breed)
Jon Erik Bokn - Drums (Chrome Division, Breed)

Heavy metal act, Crystal Viper, have released a lyric video for "Asenath Waite", which can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's forthcoming studio album, The Cult, which will be released on January 29 in Europe, and on February 12 in North America, via Listenable Records.

The CD and digital version of The Cult will include an exclusive bonus cover version of King Diamond classic "Welcome Home" (recorded with special guest, King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque), while the vinyl bonus track will be a cover version of legendary UK act Satan's ultimate classic, "Trial By Fire". Preorders are available here.

The Listenable mail-order exclusive bundle (available with either CD or vinyl LP), includes additional instrumental CD, with the "Shred Version" of the album.

"It is NOT a karaoke version of the album, where we simply muted the vocals" says frontwoman, Marta Gabriel. "We officially have 3 guitarists in the band right now, and our drummer Ced is a brilliant guitarist as well, so we decided to play that card, and we did alternate versions of all new songs, with lots and lots of extra lead guitar parts, solos and harmonies" she adds.

Tracklisting:

"Providence"
"The Cult"
"Whispers From Beyond"
"Down In The Crypt"
"Sleeping Giants"
"Forgotten Land"
"Asenath Waite"
"The Calling"
"Flaring Madness"
"Lost In The Dark"
"Welcome Home" (King Diamond cover - CD bonus)
"Trial By Fire" (Satan cover - vinyl bonus)

"The Cult" lyric video:

Crystal Viper are:

Marta Gabriel - vocals, guitars
Andy Wave - guitars
Eric Juris - guitars
Blaze Grygiel - bass
Cederick Forsberg - drums