The sound of the quintet includes elements between doom, sludge, death and post metal. Age Of Woe are already musically broadly positioned. But the band also breaks boundaries with its lineup, as members come from Sweden, Finland, and Germany.

With the addition of Keijo Niinimaa (Rotten Sound, Morbid Evils, Goatburner) the lineup has been completed prominently. Formed in the Gothenburg underground scene in the summer of 2010, the creative goal has remained the same over the past decade: Age Of Woe strive to frighten with gritty, raw heavy sounds. In doing so, the quintet looks for own solution patterns, which also let its punk and DIY ethics shine through.

Scheduled for release on February 26th, Envenom is the third full length from Age Of Woe and at the same time their Lifeforce debut. The eleven tracks reflect their genesis in the midst of the Corona pandemic with the accompanying fears and sometimes rising anger, but also the latent threat and alienation tendencies. The death metal-based style of play with its numerous widenings provides an ideal musical basis for this.

Envenom artwork and tracklisting:

"Inferno"
"Ghosts Who Hunt Alone"
"Förpestningen"
"Patriarch"
"A Feral Swarm"
"Avgrunden"
"The Twilight And The Dawn"
"Storm"
"Förbittringen"
"Envenom"
"Ljungeld"

"A Feral Swarm":

 

ESCAPE THE FATE has released the new song "Not My Problem", featuring Travis Barker on drums, from the upcoming album "Chemical Warfare", out April 16.

The collaboration with the producer, songwriter, and renowned drummer came about through the band's producer John Feldmann. Feldmann made the introduction, and Barker supplied the driving backbeat of the song.

The new single follows the releases of "Invincible" (also featured on Better Noise Films' upcoming film "The Retaliators" and its soundtrack) and "Walk On", which was featured in connection with Better Noise Films' "Sno Babies".

"Not My Problem" is an ode to self-preservation. With lyrics about not taking on the problems of others, the track fits snugly within the positive tone of "Chemical Warfare". The uplifting, encouraging themes of the album speak directly to the needs of the band's young fanbase. The work with Barker went so well that he and guitarist (and co-producer) Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft are now working together on several high-profile projects.

ESCAPE THE FATE is a three-word phrase synonymous with heavy rock 'n' roll and hooks, post-hardcore with weight, and unrelenting, genre-redefining anthems built for diverse audiences. Over a decade into their young career, they have proven to move crowds equally at major rock radio festivals, the legendary Vans Warped Tour, or on the road with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH. Craig Mabbitt, the aforementioned Gruft, TJ Bell, and Robert Ortiz have each been making music and out on the road before they were old enough to drive. It's what has made the band's message transcend any sense of "difference" in genre, all around the world, touring with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, GODSMACK, PAPA ROACH, I PREVAIL, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, HELLYEAH, ALL THAT REMAINS, and on multiple Vans Warped Tours.

With the forthcoming album "Chemical Warfare", ESCAPE THE FATE has created some of its best music to date. Made with A-list producer Feldmann (5 SECONDS OF SUMMER, THE USED), "Chemical Warfare" delivers an arsenal of driving bangers and melodic ballads that are among the best of the hard rock world. The music is still about a good time, but with a deeper meaning. Each member of the band has grown as a musician over the years, from Craig's powerful vocals to Gruft's production prowess.

The music video for the single "Lost (My Guardian)" by the late Ken Hensley can be seen below. Taken from his upcoming album "My Book Of Answers", "Lost (My Guardian)" is the first track to be released from Hensley's collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin whose poems have been turned into an album's worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book (available later this year). "My Book Of Answers" will be released on March 5 as a CD/DVD and vinyl album through Cherry Red Records.

Drawing on the strong faith of both Hensley and Emelin, "Lost (My Guardian)" is a spiritual quest, as they search for a light in the darkness: "I'm lost, out here in Neverland / I'm lost, just a man without a plan / I'm lost, I'm doing all I can / But the winds of fate are hard / And I'm lost without my guardian tonight".

The track is driven along with a strong riff, as Hensley calls on his half century of creating classic rock, while there is a vulnerability in his voice reflecting the struggle Hensley says he had to find his own identity following his departure, after 10 years, from rock legends URIAH HEEP.

For half a century, Hensley was a major influence in the rock world. An original member of URIAH HEEP, Hensley was keyboard player, guitarist, vocalist and principal song writer with URIAH HEEP for ten years. His subsequent solo career saw Hensley work with leading artists across the globe and he became known as an inspiration for encouraging other talented artists.

"My Book Of Answers" is a wonderful tribute to this rock legend. The album is the intriguing result of a collaboration with one of Hensley's fans, following a chance meeting at an airport, as he turns dreams into a reality. Over a two-year period, the collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin has seen Hensley turn Emelin's poems into an album's worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book charting the progress of each piece from Russian poem to English rock song. And all of this has been produced in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Hensley was clearly excited when speaking shortly before his death. "It's been fascinating since day one," he said. "It's somewhat miraculous how it all came together and how it's continued to grow and develop, even through the crisis, to where it's at today and where it's going tomorrow."

This unique project came about following Hensley's chance meeting with Emelin at Alicante airport in early 2018, as he explained. "Vladimir has a home up on the Costa Blanca and he's here as often as visas will permit," Hensley said. "I was flying to Moscow, he was on his way home and he saw me at the airport. I guess I'm his idol and he's been a fan since he was a kid. Well, he asked me for an autograph and a picture, which I was happy to give him, and for an e-mail address."

At a meeting in Alicante later in the year, Emelin asked if Hensley could turn a couple of his poems into songs. "I tried a couple of songs, although I didn't know if I could do it because I've never done it before," Hensley recalled. "He loved it and he wanted me to do more and more until we finally ended up with an album's worth of songs.

"I made most of the album under lockdown, coronavirus restrictions, which was easy because it was just file-sharing over the Internet with the musicians, the singers and my engineer and it was relatively easy. What we had to do was make sure we didn't compromise any quality. I popped it over to my manager Steve Weltman and typically, before I know it, he's got the guys at Cherry Red interested in it! The whole thing takes on another dimension."

Emelin also suggested a video and they would, eventually, make a video for each track together with a concert of all of the songs which was filmed, with social distancing, close to Hensley's home in Spain.

"I've never done anything like this before and, to the best of my knowledge, I don't recall anybody else who has," Hensley added. "I'm also developing a lyric book which will be a beautiful piece. Each song features the original Russian lyric, the translation by Vladimir's friend in Siberia and my notated stuff where I changed the words of the poem into a song and created verses, bridges and choruses. The fans can see all the changes I made, and understand why I made them, and then there's the final lyric that appears on the album. Alisia Vaselieva, a wonderful illustrator and friend of Vladimir's, has done an illustration for each song, so five pages for each song and it will be a deluxe hard-back package — a collectors' item.

"To begin with, it was hard to find the time to really concentrate on the project because 2019 was one of the busiest years of my career, but, as it happens, the coronavirus actually solved the problem for me, at the same time as it created terrible problems for so many others. I was forced to stay home and spend all my time on this project with Vladimir, the restrictions of the virus meant I was able to do that.

"I'm really happy with it and I have a huge yardstick to measure it by! It seems as though it was meant to happen."

Track listing:

01. Lost (My Guardian)

02. Right Here, Right Now

03. Cold Sacrifice

04. The Silent Scream

05. Cover Girl

06. Light The Fire (In My Heart)

07. Stand (Chase The Beast Away)

08. The Darkest Hour

09. Suddenly

10. The Darkest Hour (Acoustic)

Hensley was URIAH HEEP's keyboard player and principal songwriter, responsible for such classics as "Lady In Black", "Easy Livin'" and "Look At Yourself", and providing them with much of their musical direction. Leaving the band in 1980 to pursue a solo career, he also collaborated with Florida-based hard rock band BLACKFOOT, L.A. heavy metal band W.A.S.P. and CINDERELLA. "Ken Hensley wrote the rule book for heavy metal keyboards as far as I'm concerned," W.A.S.P.'s frontman Blackie Lawless is quoted as saying.

Following his departure from URIAH HEEP, Hensley lived in America where he met his wife-to-be Monica. Speaking just days before his death, Hensley said: "I lived in America for 20 years after I left URIAH HEEP and I really needed time to rediscover myself, get rid of my drug habit and see if there was anything left of a human being in there after my life had been buried in URIAH HEEP for ten and a half years. It took a long time to get there but I got there in the end. I met Monica and we lived together for a couple of years. I wanted to move back to Europe to be closer to my family."

The Hensleys settled on a farm near Alicante, Spain, and married in 2004. A very spiritual person, Hensley became an inspiration to many and known for encouraging talented artists and enjoyed the love and respect of fans the world over. "It's enduring and I'm happy that most of them are still alive," he said. "I love to meet them when I go out on the road but at the moment that's not possible."

Reflecting on 50-plus years in the music business, he added: "It's been a great career. I can't look through the (URIAH HEEP) box set without having a huge smile on my face! To be celebrating my music 50 years on is quite something. We weren't a hit with the critics but we listened to the people who bought tickets and albums and, unfortunately, the critics ignored them. It just went on and on and on. We pulled together and achieved everything we set out to do. It was a wonderful life and career. My life has been fantastic, but it's not been easy. It was a lot of hard work, but when you do what you love best it doesn't seem like hard work."

"Everything'll Be Better", the new music video from STILLWELL, the band featuring KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, vocalist/guitarist Anthony "Q-Unique" Quiles and P.O.D. drummer Noah "Wuv" Bernardo, can be seen below. The song is taken from STILLWELL's third album, "Supernatural Miracle", which was released in September.

"Supernatural Miracle" finds STILLWELL reconciling its eclectic and storied musical backgrounds, and highlighting the similarities between each member's celebrated careers.

"With this new album, STILLWELL sounds like one band instead of past albums where it feels like three or four different bands," Bernardo explains. "With Q on guitar, it enabled us to be more cohesive with sound and direction."

"We intentionally made sure to not sound like the other bands we're a part of, out of respect, integrity and just wanting to push ourselves creatively," says Arvizu. "If people want to hear KORN, P.O.D. or the 10 bands Q works with, they can just listen to those, STILLWELL is its own thing. We put together what I think is our best work yet."

Drawing on STILLWELL's past albums — "Raise It Up" (2015) and "Dirtbag" (2011) — "Supernatural Miracle" serves as the culmination of years' worth of finding their voice. With this release, these musical legends are sure to give you a fresh new look at who they are apart from their histories, but together as a collective.

"I feel like this album was a major crossroad for all of us," says Q-Unique. "Wuv and Fieldy gave me the space to step up with the guitar, and then to have the opportunity to write these songs together was extremely surreal for me. It's one of the reasons why we called the album 'Supernatural Miracle'. To make a long story short, everything fell into place, from writing, recording, schedules, videos and artwork. This album has been a smooth journey."

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Talkin' Rock With Meltdown" podcast, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony was asked when the last time was that he spoke to Eddie Van Halen before the legendary guitarist died last October. Michael responded (hear audio below): "We actually hadn't spoken [for many years], and unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to. And, you know, it kind of bothers me, because we had some issues that were never resolved. But, I mean, what can you do? We were on track [for] a reunion, which I'm really sad that it never happened. But, you know, life and the show goes on."

Anthony also talked about the first time he saw Eddie play live. He said: "We were just out of high school, and in the city where I lived, they were having a carnival on the field for the school. And on the weekends, they would have a few local bands play. And it was just the three guys — Eddie, [original VAN HALEN bassist] Mark Stone and Alex [Van Halen]. And Eddie was doing the singing also. That's the first time I ever saw him play. And I remember I was impressed because they played — they must've played the whole WHO 'Live At Leeds' or whatever, or any of the classic CREAM stuff they played, Eddie played the lead stuff note for note. And back then, when you're a kid like that, that's very impressive to see somebody playing like that."

Last November, Wolfgang Van Halen revealed that Eddie Van Halen had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

According to Wolfgang, the original plan was for him to personally contact Michael and ask him to come back to VAN HALEN. "Unfortunately, Irving hit [Michael] up before I had a chance to," he said. "The plan was for me to [reach out to him]." Wolfgang went on to say that he was also the one who called Roth in 2007 to get him to return to VAN HALEN for a reunion tour.

VAN HALEN and Anthony had not been on good terms for more than a decade, with Anthony not invited to join the reunion with Roth that began in 2007. The subsequent two tours and studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", featured Wolfgang on bass.

Anthony took a pay cut and signed away all of his rights to the band name and logo in order to participate in VAN HALEN's 2004 tour, which featured Hagar.

Eddie died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Super7 is taking orders for its new MERCYFUL FATE-era King Diamond ReAction figure.

The new 3.75" ReAction figure is based on MERCYFUL FATE's 1982 mini-tour of Europe, with King Diamond's stage costume, famous make-up and awesome gloves. It is scheduled to begin shipping later this month.

Super7 is the premier pop-culture design house and producer of lifestyle-oriented collectibles, toys and apparel based in San Francisco. Led by designer Brian Flynn, Super7 has harnessed the graphics, aesthetics and energy of his youthful obsession with science fiction, giant monsters, comic books, punk rock, skateboarding, robots and rebellion to build a unique and innovative business that crosses all categories and is not bound by traditional manufacturing boundaries. Besides its own branded products, Super7 has also designed, manufactured, and distributed officially licensed programs for "Star Wars", "Masters Of The Universe", the original "Alien" and "Planet Of The Apes" movies, as well as for music legends IRON MAIDEN, MISFITS and Lemmy.

Super7 actually started as a side project for Flynn, who also founded Hybrid-Design in 2001.

Swedish progressive metal band EVERGREY will release its 12th album, "Escape Of The Phoenix", on February 26, 2021 via AFM. The official music video for the disc's second single, "Eternal Nocturnal", can be seen below.

Written and recorded during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, "Escape Of The Phoenix" came to life according to plans that had been laid out in 2019. Vocalist/guitarist Tom Englund and drummer Jonas Ekdahl began composing the songs in January, creating a foundation for the album before EVERGREY gathered together and arranged the songs as a group. Unlike a typical creative process, which is often interrupted by appointments, travelling and one-off shows, lockdown requirements gave the band much-needed time to work unhindered. The result is 11 songs that embody everything EVERGREY fans have to expect, albeit "a more metal version of 'The Atlantic', with songs that are more direct," according to Englund and producer Jacob Hansen.

"Escape Of The Phoenix" will be available in various formats, including regular CD digipak, limited vinyls (picture, marbled, coloured), artbook (limited to 1000 units, 36 pages, 28cm x 28cm including CD version of the album with bonus tracks, 7" picture vinyl single with exclusive bonus track "The Darkness In You", exclusive and extensive photographic footage, and introduction written by Englund). On top of that, AFM is offering a special and exclusive t-shirt print and various shirt bundles in the label's online shop.

"Escape Of The Phoenix" track listing:

01. Forever Outsider

02. Where August Mourns

03. Stories

04. A Dandellion Cipher

05. The Beholder

06. In The Absence Of Sun

07. Eternal Nocturnal

08. Escape Of The Phoenix

09. You From You

10. Leaden Saints

11. Run

12. The Darkness In You (artbook bonus track)

EVERGREY's last studio album, "The Atlantic", was released in January 2019 via AFM Records.

SCOUR, the extreme metal supergroup featuring Philip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, EN MINOR), John Jarvis (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED), Derek Engemann (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS), Mark Kloeppel (MISERY INDEX) and Adam Jarvis (PIG DESTROYER, LOCK UP), will kick off 2021 with an exclusive livestream performance later this month.

The multi-camera livestream event will take place on January 29 at Anselmo's renowned Nodferatu's Lair studio and find the band performing its EP trilogy in its scathing entirety. The livestream will also include an opening set by Housecore recording artists/Detroit grind ensemble SHOCK NARCOTIC featuring current and former members of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, BATTLECROSS and CHILD BITE.

Comments Anselmo: "I'm excited to have another Housecore Records stream, this time featuring SCOUR and SHOCK NARCOTIC. Buy the stream and let's jam!"

Find livestream tickets, packages, and exclusive merch at this location.

SCOUR's latest release was "The Black EP", which came out in November.

Forged in 2015, SCOUR made its debut with the ferocious single "Dispatched". "The Grey EP", released via Anselmo's Housecore label, dropped in 2016, followed by "The Red EP" in 2017. Faster and tighter than ever, this year's "The Black EP" serves as the final release of the EP trilogy and is inarguably the band's most ferocious effort to date. Mixed and mastered by Ryan Vincent at Apollo Audio Alternative with vocals and drums engineered by Stephen "Big Fella" Berrigan (DOWN, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, EYEHATEGOD), "The Black EP" includes guest appearances from Erik Rutan of HATE ETERNAL, Pat O'Brien of CANNIBAL CORPSE, and actor Jason Momoa ("Dune", "Game Of Thrones", "Aquaman").

"The Black EP" was released via CD, LP and digital formats via Housecore Records (North America) and Nuclear Blast (internationally).

The sound of SCOUR can best be described as a modern reimagining of what primarily became known as black metal mixed with elements of grindcore and bits of punk and thrash. Without getting too caught up in genre classification, the result is a brand of ominously-hued, punishing minimalism that pays proper homage the the originators, without the trappings of being a "throwback," reimagining the lineage from primitive punk darkness into modernity. This nuanced approach was, perhaps, made crystal clear with the 2019 release of their cover of BATHORY's "Massacre".

In its short existence, the band has graced the stages of many of the major players in both the mainstream and metal-oriented music festival circuits including Roskilde, Hellfest, Tecate Metal Festival, Maryland Deathfest, and more. As the lineage of its membership suggests, SCOUR continues to be a proverbial force with which to be reckoned both on the stage and in the studio.

SCOUR is:

Philip H. Anselmo - vocals

Derek Engemann - guitar, backing vocals

John Jarvis - bass, backing vocals

Mark Kloeppel - guitar, backing vocals

Adam Jarvis - drums

Graham Bonnet has announced that he is currently recording a new studio album with bandmates Beth-Ami Heavenstone (bass), Conrad Pesinato (guitar) and Mark Zonder (drums). In addition to the core band, some special guests will be lending their talents to the album, including legendary keyboardist Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW). The names of more guests will be revealed in the coming weeks, so be sure to tune into Graham's social media to see those announcements.

Explains Bonnet: "Similar to the first two albums, it will reflect different eras of my career, but with a contemporary twist. Also, we have some heavy hitting guests including Don Airey and others yet to be announced. I'm very excited to be playing on an album with Don again. Aside from being my longtime friend and former bandmate, he is one of the most incredible musicians I have ever had the pleasure to play with. He's a 'real' keyboard player… a classically trained pianist. I'm also delighted to be playing with the original members of the GRAHAM BONNET BAND: Beth-Ami Heavenstone who has been my constant partner (on and off stage) since meeting back in 2012, guitarist Conrado Pesinato, whose innate musical style elicits some of my best songwriting, and the iconic Mark Zonder (FATES WARNING, WARLORD) on drums."

The album is anticipated to be released in summer 2021. Fans can follow Graham's social media for regular updates on the recording of the album.

Bonnet is a hard rock legend with a pedigree to back that statement up. His stints with RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ and IMPELLITTERI prove he is one of the finest rock vocalists of his generation. The upcoming album will be the GRAHAM BONNET BAND's third release with Frontiers Music Srl, following the well-received and critically praised "The Book" and "Meanwhile, Back In The Garage".

Two years ago, Bonnet told Japanese journalist Masa Ito that he was glad to still be fit enough to survive the rigors of the road.

"Everybody's a baby compared to me," he said. "I will be 72 soon — a very old man. I'm okay — I'm doing good. I'm very happy to be in good health. A lot of my friends have died — a lot of people I've known have died over the past two or three years. I'm glad I'm still walking and smiling."

Asked by The Rockpit how he manages to keep his voice in such good shape, Bonnet said: "Keep smoking, keep drinking. No, no…. I quit drinking a while ago — well, a long time ago; about 15 years ago, something like that. I don't smoke, don't drink at all now, and I don't eat foods that will necessarily poison my body, irritate my throat. I try as hard as I can to be careful with what I do, but it isn't always there. Some days it's not always there, like today. I've just come off tour and I'm tired. I surprised myself in rehearsal yesterday, I thought I'd better go out and sing with the band, I'd just got off a plane, we're all rehearsing at the house here, and so I decided to go in and sing some songs and I kept on singing, and I thought, 'Blimey! My voice is still there after all this travelling and sleepless nights.' I've just been very lucky, I think. There's a lot of people at my age [who have] lost the lung power, and that's what it is. You really rely on your lungs to produce the notes. [It's] pretty obvious, but to hit the higher notes, to have the flexibility in the voice, [it] has to come through the air that goes through your body into the vocal cords, and if that's gone, you don't have the control. I've been very lucky in that I have my grandad's lungs. He had a huge chest, like a greyhound, and that's my build, pretty much. So, you just have to be careful not to stress, because sometimes stress can ruin the performances, we all know, and that's why people drink. 'Oh, God, I can't go on tonight. I can't face it.' But I've got past that, and I say, 'I think I can do this,' and I do, usual

"White Flag", a new song from KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's LOVE AND DEATH project, can be streamed below. The track, features special guest Ryan Hayes, is taken LOVE AND DEATH's upcoming album, "Perfectly Preserved", which will arrive on February 12 via Earache Records. The disc is described in a press release as "a blistering but accessible full-length follow-up, driven by the spiritual resilience inherent in the first record, combined with an even starker depiction of real-life struggle." Anger, broken relationships, lowered self-worth, and the collision of optimistic values with oppressive systems are all on display, from the arresting refrains of "Tragedy", "Death Of Us" and "Affliction" to the bold, conqueror driven anthem of "White Flag".

To coincide with "Perfectly Preserved"'s release, LOVE AND DEATH will play a livestreamed concert on February 12. Tickets for the show, along with album merchandise bundles, are available at this location.

LOVE AND DEATH harness soaring melodies and crushing riffs, weaponizing them like a supernatural dagger to strike at the blackened heart of disillusionment from both within and without. With an instantly recognizable relatability, for anyone who has felt discarded or without value, the band crafts invigorating anthems filled with earnest pleas for mercy and certainty amidst the chaos of an uncertain world. This is heavy music to vigorously confront depression, heartbreak, and pain.

The band began with similar raw, authentic emotional honesty to what drove Welch to multiplatinum and Grammy Award-winning heights as a co-founder of genre trailblazers KORN. Forged as an outlet for recovery and redemption in a season of change, the creation of LOVE AND DEATH resulted in the powerful and dynamic 2013 debut "Between Here & Lost". The album spoke plainly to the hearts of similarly disenfranchised fans all across the world.

"Perfectly Preserved" marks the introduction of guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter Jasen Rauch as a full-fledged member of the band, as well as second time producer for LOVE AND DEATH (co-produced by Joe Rickard). Jasen, best known as an integral part of chart-topping rockers BREAKING BENJAMIN, produced LOVE AND DEATH's first album in 2013. The duo first met a year or two after the release of Head's solo album, "Save Me From Myself" (2008). As Head experimented with synthesizers, it was Rauch who encouraged him to pick up his guitar and churn out new riffs.

"Jasen and I started writing together. I was trying to do new things, writing music on a keyboard at my house," Welch recalls. "I credit him with the rediscovery of my love for the guitar."

LOVE AND DEATH charge into this new chapter with a definitive lineup, which sees Head and Jasen side by side with the band's original guitarist, JR Bareis, also on vocals and guitar, and powerhouse drummer Isaiah Perez. It was a perfect storm of friendship and creativity, as they all worked on the album in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Chicago, over several years.

Like A PERFECT CIRCLE or STONE SOUR, LOVE AND DEATH isn't a "side project" or replacement for the guys' respective bands. It's an extension and companion, offering each of them a unique outlet to explore different aspects of their creative passions. "There are certain things we can do melodically in LOVE AND DEATH that might not work in KORN," Rauch explains. "For me, there are certain creative risks I can take with the arrangements and production that wouldn't fit with BREAKING BENJAMIN. In this band, we don't worry about how long a song might be, for example."

It's also an opportunity for further collaboration with their friends from other bands. "The Hunter" features Jasen's BREAKING BENJAMIN bandmate (and solo artist) Keith Wallen, who was also a major co-writer on the project. And Longtime comrade Lacey Sturm, formerly of FLYLEAF, sings on a metallic rendition of a surprising pop cover.

As with the "Lo Lamento" single released in 2016, Bareis steps up vocally, sharing frontman duties with Welch, whose own delivery draws on jaw-dropping life experience. From the heights of rock stardom to the depths of addiction, through an exciting resurrection to the daily battle to stay above water, every moment of truth is evident in his brutally honest screams. Bareis, by contrast, delivers anthemic and even haunting melodic vocals.

"Everybody knows my foundation," says Welch, regarding the contrast in lyrical themes between "Perfectly Preserved" and the first LOVE AND DEATH album. "I feel like what our world needs most in this very unique moment in time are real storiesabout overcoming struggle. These are honest songs co-written by our group of friends targeting depression/mental health, challenging relationships, trauma, loneliness, and related issues."

As their fans have learned to expect, LOVE AND DEATH is fearless in its open examination of contradictions and failure, making confessional music with an underlying anchor of purpose and hope. Like the band's very moniker suggests, both "Love" and "Death" are very present in all that they do.

Track listing:

01. Slow Fire

02. Infamy

03. Down

04. Death Of Us

05. Lo Lamento

06. The Hunter (feat. Keith Wallen)

07. Tragedy

08. Let Me Love You (feat. Lacey Sturm)

09. Affliction

10. White Flag (feat. Ryan Hayes)

KORN's latest album, "The Nothing", was released in September 2019 via Roadrunner/Elektra. The follow-up to 2016's "The Serenity Of Suffering" was once again produced by Nick Raskulinecz.

LOVE AND DEATH is:

Brian "Head" Welch - Vocals, Guitar

Jasen Rauch - Bass

JR Bareis - Guitar, Vocals

Isaiah Perez - Drums

THE PRETTY RECKLESS has shared its new single "And So It Went". The track, which features a guest appearance by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, is taken from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's upcoming album, "Death By Rock And Roll", which will be released on February 12 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

"The world has been in such a state of civil unrest," says THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen. "'And So It Went' basically comes from that vision. As a songwriter, I feel like I'm not here to preach. I use music to observe and communicate what I see around me. This song felt like the perfect storm for Tom Morello to join in and rip the sound waves apart with his guitar. It was more than a pleasure having him add his unique and defining sound to the song."

"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.

Morello joins previously announced guests 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.

Momsen told Forbes about "Death By Rock And Roll": "We worked really hard on this album and we went through a lot of loss, a lot of tragedy, and we really poured our hearts and souls into it and in a way I can't express verbally. It's all there in the music, so that's why I say it feels like a rebirth. It almost feels like the first record in a sense, because we really had to go back to the beginning after losing Kato, our producer. I'm just really excited for people to hear it because, in my opinion, it's the best album we've ever made so it's hard to sit on this music.

"We talked about holding the song 'Death By Rock And Roll' for longer too, and I was, like, 'I can't do this. I can't just sit on this album forever.' The world needs music and music has such a healing thing to it, and it saved my life, time and time again. If we put out a song and if it can put a smile on some people's faces, great, we'll take it from there. That's kind of what we're doing — we're riding the wave. This is just such an unprecedented time so we're trying to take it step by step, and see where things go. Everything is still up in the air, but we are planning on releasing more singles before the full album is out. There's going to be more music to come."

Track listing

01. Death By Rock And Roll

02. Only Love Can Save Me Now (feat. Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron)

03. And So It Went (feat. Tom Morello)

04. 25

05. My Bones

06. Got So High

07. Broomsticks

08. Witches Burn

09. Standing At The Wall

10. Turning Gold

11. Rock And Roll Heaven

12. Harley Darling

"Shake Your Money Maker", the multi-platinum debut by the seminal rock 'n' roll band THE BLACK CROWES, is being re-released in multi-formats sets on February 26 through UMe/American Recordings. Band founders brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, with original producer George Drakoulias, oversaw the creation of the re-release. Most exciting are the 4LP and 3CD Super Deluxe versions, which includes the original album, remastered; three never-before-heard studio recordings; two previously unreleased demos from the band's early incarnation as MR. CROWE'S GARDEN; B-sides; a spectacular, high-energy 14-song unreleased concert recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia in December 1990; reproductions of an early MR. CROWE'S GARDEN show flyer, setlist and tour laminate; a four-inch CROWES patch; and a 20-page book with liner notes by David Fricke.

One of the previously unheard studio songs, "Charming Mess", which was originally slated to be the band's first single, but was ultimately left off of the album entirely, is available today.

A 2CD Deluxe version has the remastered album along with the unreleased studio songs, demos, and b-sides. There are also standard 1CD and 1LP versions that are the mastered version of the original.

"Shake Your Money Maker" was released originally in 1990 when rock was dominated by cheesy pop and hair metal. THE BLACK CROWES gave the genre a much-needed swift kick in the ass with their debut album. That album, fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels" and a rollicking cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", the band immediately took the music world by storm, selling over five million records and topping Rolling Stone's "Best New American Band Readers Poll" in late 1990.

THE BLACK CROWES plan to hit the road this summer on "The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker" tour and will play "Shake Your Money Maker" in its entirety, plus all of their hits.

"Shake Your Money Maker" 30th-anniversary 4LP box track listing:

LP 1: Shake Your Money Maker (2020 Remaster)

Side One:

01. Twice As Hard

02. Jealous Again

03. Sister Luck

04. Could I've Been So Blind

05. Seeing Things

Side Two:

01. Hard To Handle

02. Thick N' Thin

03. She Talks To Angels

04. Struttin' Blues

05. Stare It Cold

06. Mercy, Sweet Moan

LP 2: More Money Maker: Unreleased Songs and B-Sides

Side One:

01. Charming Mess

02. 30 Days In The Hole

03. Don't Wake Me

04. Jealous Guy

05. Waitin' Guilty

Side Two:

01. Hard To Handle (With Horns Remix)

02. Jealous Again (Acoustic Version)

03. She Talks To Angels (Acoustic Version)

04. She Talks To Angels (MR. CROWE'S GARDEN Demo)

05. Front Porch Sermon (MR. CROWE'S GARDEN Demo)

LP3 and 4 The Homecoming Concert: Atlanta, GA December 1990

Side One:

01. Introduction

02. Thick N' Thin

03. You're Wrong

04. Twice As Hard

05. Could I've Been So Blind

06. Seeing Things For The First Time

Side Two:

01. She Talks To Angels

02. Sister Luck

03. Hard To Handle

04. Shake 'Em On Down/Get Back

Side Three:

01. Struttin' Blues

02. Words You Throw Away

Side Four:

01. Stare It Cold

02. Jealous Again

The new lineup of THE BLACK CROWES played two concerts in November 2019 — in West Hollywood, California and in New York City.

Joining Chris and Rich Robinson in THE BLACK CROWES's current incarnation are EARTHLESS guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, former TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND bassist Tim Lefebvre along with ONCE AND FUTURE BAND members Joel Robinow on keyboards and Raj Ojha on drums.

Last April, Chris and Rich admitted that they were in no rush to jump back into the studio to make a new BLACK CROWES album.

Rich told Classic Rock: "I have a bunch of stuff, but we want to make sure we do this properly. We want to make sure we can do this before we get into a studio and make a record. That would be cool, but right now this is what we're focused on."

Asked if he wants to make a new CROWES album, Chris said: "I don't know. Yeah. Maybe. I definitely think Rich and I will write songs together in our future. I don't know how, when and where. But if Rich has songs, I'm down to hear them and do what I do. But I don't think we can do that until we see how this [tour] goes."

Chris and Rich met for the first time in six years over breakfast at L.A.'s famed Chateau Marmont hotel in the early summer of 2019. The brothers brought their respective kids, marking their first time some of the cousins had ever met each other. "They're, like, 'Holy shit. We're having breakfast with Uncle Rich and my cousins. This has never happened in our lives,'" Chris recalled. "Shit like that will open your heart."

Chris went on to explain why the brothers decided to move ahead without any of the previous members of the CROWES in the band. "It was the first thing on the table," he said. "Rich and I agreed on it. We just want to start with a clean slate. I'm not putting the blame on anyone else, I'm responsible for my own negative interactions with the rest of the band. But we didn't want to trigger anything. One little thing, and you're back to fighting on the bus in 2006, you know what I mean?"

Rich also dismissed accusations that this reunion tour is nothing more than a cynical cash grab.

"If it was just about money, we'd have done it years ago when people were calling and saying, 'There's a lot of money on the table.'" Rich said. "I'm far more interested in having a relationship with my brother again."

Michael Schenker will release a new MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) album "Immortal", on January 29, 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The album title is a perfect statement describing Schenker's legacy and to celebrate his 50th anniversary as a musician. Today, the band has released the official lyric video for its latest single, "Sail The Darkness".

Vocalist Ronnie Romero said: "Since I listened the demo, I got the feeling that this would become in a great song, because it sounds like the great old hard rock songs and the riff is just Michael Schenker at his best. And to me, it's even more special because I had the chance to write the lyrics. I'm pretty sure the fans gonna love this one."

"Immortal" track listing:

01. Drilled To Kill

02. Don't Die On Me Now

03. Knight Of The Dead

04. After The Rain

05. Devil's Daughter

06. Sail The Darkness

07. The Queen Of Thorns And Roses

08. Come On Over

09. Sangria Morte

10. In Search Of The Peace Of Mind

"Immortal" was predominantly recorded at the Kidroom Studio in Germany, with Michael's long time partner Michael Voss, who co-produced the album and also sings on two tracks.

"It is always a pleasure to work with Michael Voss, who works around the clock and is a phenomenal musician and producer," Schenker says. "He was composing the melody and lyrics for a power ballad I had written the music for, and he ended up singing along. It turned out so amazing, I did not think anyone else could have done a better job for this song. Truly great."

"Immortal" will continue the tradition of the previous two MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST records "Resurrection" and "Revelation" and feature a big list of friends and guests. The album's main vocalist will be uprising Chilean-born talent Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW), along with Michael Voss (MAD MAX), Scheepers and Joe Lynn Turner (ex-DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW) singing on two tracks each. Besides Michael Schenker himself, the album was recorded with Steve Mann (keyboards), Barry Sparks (bass, DOKKEN), as well as the three drummers, Bodo Schopf, Simon Philipps (ex-TOTO) and Brian Tichy (ex-WHITESNAKE).

"Brian was thrilled to be part of it," Schenker says. "He is a master of groove and ended up playing on six songs. I could not believe it: This man is something else. He is a true natural and very original. With his input, it made the album very solid and complete. So guess what — I am very happy."

The newest addition to the record is keyboard player Derek Sherinian (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, SONS OF APOLLO, DREAM THEATER), who plays on the album's opening track, featuring German power machine Ralf Scheepers on vocals. "Derek and myself trading solos, it sounds unexpected and beyond my expectation," Michael says. "Absolutely fantastic!"

"Immortal" will feature ten tracks, including the magnum opus "In Search Of The Peace Of Mind".

"I wrote this song when I was 15 years old," Michael says. "It was my first-ever written piece of music which I recorded with SCORPIONS on our first studio album, 'Lonesome Crow', in 1970, getting released in 1972 — when I had already left SCORPIONS to join the British rock band UFO in June of 1972 — when I was 17. We re-recorded this song for my 50th anniversary as a celebration and it turned out to be an epic; with an extra extension at the end of the song, which turned out absolutely fantastic with Simon Phillips on drums, doing his usual amazing stuff." The result is a true highlight and features even more surprises. "Gary Barden sings the first verse, continued by Ronnie Romero — and in the end, we have Ronnie, Doogie White and Robin McAuley screaming their heads off, as a tribute to my 50th anniversary," Michael says. "Absolute amazing. Thanks to the guys for doing this!"

The limited first edition of this upcoming MSG album will feature another unique extra. "We have the MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST 'Bang Your Head' Blu-ray, recorded during our headline show in Balingen, Germany two years ago: unfixed, raw, pure and great!" Michael says. "There's a couple of small mistakes, but because the show and recording went so well, I decided to keep it the way it went on the night. It's live, magic and pure."

Italian female fronted Metal band Souls Of Diotima will release their fourth studio album, titled “Janas”, on January 29th 2021 via Diotima Records / Rockshots Records.

Today Souls Of Diotima unleash the lyric video for the title track “Janas”.


Stream / purchase the single here: http://spoti.fi/2XidviD

Commenting on the new single the founder member, lyricist and drummer Giorgio Pinna says:

Along with “The Black Mask”, this song best represents the essence of the entire album. It tells the story of the Janas, fictional fairy creatures found around our island, who are depicted on the album cover. They lived inside small caves carved into the rock and only came out on full moon nights.

They are portrayed as small, winged fairies, with a beautiful, delicate appearance. They are also described by Grazia Deledda, a Sardinian writer and Nobel prize winner in literature, as “largely evil little creatures”, because despite their deceptive appearance, they were not angelic in the slightest.

They were enchantresses who bewitched with their beauty, with the power to decide the fate of human beings, often choosing an unfortunate destiny. According to many stories, the Janas kidnapped humans, especially males, to suck their blood. They also stole from their victims and kept their treasures hidden inside their caves.

“Janas” was recorded, mixed and mastered by Oscar Nilsson at Crehate Studios in Mölndal (Sweden).

The album “Janas” is a concept, the second chapter of a journey that began with the previous album, “The Sorceress Reveals – Atlantis”. “Janas” tells the stories and legends of band’s land, Sardinia. Their island is full of wonderful mythological tales and characters, of esoteric stories that are often macabre, but which portray a truly fascinating historical and cultural journey.

We have a shared interest in the history and culture of the peoples of the sea, of the Mediterranean, and we are one of them. Much of Western history is rooted in the tales of the peoples of the sea, skilled conquerors who crossed the seas to conquer new lands or to defend their own.

But there is more. Within Sardinia there are places that often remain undiscovered. Far from the more accessible touristic locations, these places are steeped in stories both true and fictitious, which we were often told during our childhood, and which probably formed the basis of our personality and the way we see the world. In brief, “Janas” talks about these stories, about us, and about the Earth we have been walking on since we were born.

– enthuses Pinna.

Indian technical / progressive death metal trio Dead Exaltation has released the lyric video for "The Transformation", from their new album Despondent, set for release on February 5th. 

Despondent features the absolute finest of South Asian extreme metal musicianship and songwriting, balancing a progressive approach with old school atmosphere. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

Lyrically, the band chooses to add a bit of spice to the usual death metal fare by creating a conceptual story that continues with every song. It revolves around a psychopath warden who runs a prison holding innocent people picked up from the streets. The prison guards are cannibal psychopaths who do not refrain themselves from torturing, killing, and eating people. Like every good tale, this story is divided into three acts: the incidents, the psychology of the warden, and an investigation leading to a brutal and bloody end of the story.

Tracklisting:

"Gloom"
"Involuntary Emasculation"
"Coerced Sewer Ingest" 
"The Conversation"
"The Psychology"
"The Transformation" 
"Omnia Mors Aequat"
"In Pursuit Of"
"Despondent" 

"Coerced Sewer Ingest":