Five-piece Alternative Rock band from Dundee, Scotland, To Kill Achilles proudly launched the pre-orders for their brand new upcoming album “Something To Remember Me By”, which will be available on the 5th of February 2021 via Arising Empire!

Taking lyrical inspiration from personal life experiences and musical influence from a wide variety of alternative genres has allowed them to create a piece of art which fully encapsulates the bands message:

We only exist when we exist together.

To express what this heavy and very personal record is about, the band released a brand new single called “Luna et Altum”.


Pre-order “Something To Remember Me By” HERE.
Stream, purchase HERE.

This record is the story of a man who wakes up on his twenty fifth birthday and the events that happen throughout the course of a year that lead him to take his own life exactly one year on to the date.

Each song represents a month in his life (with the exception of two moments of reflection). In each of the songs we tell a story that a member of the band had to go through over the last few years. Every song is real and is a portrayal of how we felt in that moment.

The message of the record is to highlight that these events can happen, that people can be dealing with things without anyone else being aware. In our lives, we were lucky because we have the support network of our incredible friends and families, but in the case of our character, he does not. The record is a statement which shows that without support, even the strongest of people can be driven to contemplate taking their own lives.

It’s so important to talk, it’s so important to find the people in life that you can share your lowest moments with because no one can be expected to go through that alone. Our character deals with alcoholism, a lack of direction or passion in life, the fear of growing older and losing yourself, the isolation felt by following a creative career, the idea that when you die no one will remember you, the onset of anxiety and the shame you feel about trying to tell people you’re not ok.

The pressure you put on a partner when you’re not in the right headspace, the fear of showing your emotions as a male incase you’re seen as weak, the fear of death, the moment that suicide enters your mind as an escape and the loss of a parent. A lot of these things will happen in our lifetime and it’s important to know that if they do, there’s people out there who will help you through it.

“Something To Remember Me By” is our characters suicide note, explaining why he felt he must walk that path, in a way it’s all of ours too as we all went through these things, we just had the people there to stop it from being our eventuality. The message we try to promote is that these things are normal, these feelings are normal and if you recognise any behaviour we speak of in anyone close to you, then it’s your responsibility to be the first to speak up.

A conversation can save a life, don’t let anyone end up the way our character does. In a way this record is also the solution to the problems that we speak about, we poured our emotions into this, and after we’re gone, it’ll still be there, reminding people that we once existed and that we once felt as strongly as we do. It’s just something to leave behind, a memento, a token, or just something to remember me by.

By the end of last year, Heavy Doom duo Indigo Raven announced their signing with powerhouse label Argonauta Records, who will proudly release the band’s debut album during 2021!

Indigo Raven, who formed in 2019 in Toulouse, France, emerges from the Peaceville Three’s influence with a Modern Sludge approach. The simple but not unsophisticated instrumental foundation of the duo, coloured by a shamanic sound and these occult, haunting vocals, immediately caught the attention by the Italian record label.

We are very proud and grateful to announce our recent partnership with our friends Argonauta Records!

– the band comments.

That’s the beginning of an important adventure for us, the first step promoting our raging enthusiasm to go deeper and explore new gloomy paths on the album we’re working on at the moment. It feels awesome being supported that way, having people around the world believing in our music and vision.

Now more than ever, it is crucial to support each other, share in any way we can, about art, culture, music, poetry, spirituality, to debate and question. To think and feel. To remember what is truly important, to remember who we are and what reunites us. We cannot wait to Doom further together!

To kick off the new year and Indigo Raven’s signing with one of the leading underground labels of all that is Heavy in style, the band just released a cover version of the Mazzy Star classic “Into Dust”! Listen to Indigo Raven’s Doom version of the song below.

Picking the right words to describe why we chose to make a cover of Into Dust is quite tricky, there’s a lot, and nothing to say really.

– Indigo Raven states.

Maybe just because it is a beautiful song, a haunting one, a discreet classic, in which words can be understood and felt, in a very personal and intimate way. It is talking for sure about love and death, never overrated poetic themes, universal ones that everyone can understand in his way.

The perfect balance of this song gives enough space to make you dream along with enough emotion to arouse inner melancholy. Our choice of approach is darker and heavier than the original version, but we respectfully gave it a different shade. Moreover, it was an interesting exercise to work on something really different from its original music genre.

Furthermore, Indigo Raven’s 2020 debut EP is now also available as Cassette, with a full-length album to follow through Argonauta Records later this year.

Make sure to give ear, highly recommended for fans of Windhand or Cocteau Twins.

Brisbane based Progressive Metal sensations The Stranger sign with Australia’s premier Alternative artist labels Octane Records & Wild Thing Records for their highly anticipated sophomore album “Kaleidoscope”.

Incorporating influences such as Opeth and Dream Theater, the band has forged a respected name for themselves in the Australian Metal Scene with their eclectic mix of Progressive Metal, Djent & Funk.

Following a successful release of their highly acclaimed album “The Stranger”, the band shared stages with Australian and International Progressive Metal Powerhouses such as Caligula’s Horse, Voyager, Ne Obliviscaris, Monuments and The Ocean; including festivals such as ProgFest and winning Brisbane’s Wacken Battle of the Bands.

With the imminent release of “Kaleidoscope” The Stranger are set to make a mark on the Australian Heavy Music World and beyond!

Millennial Reign will be re-releasing a limited edition four song EP from their first album Carry The Fire, which has been aptly named Carry The Fire Again” The songs are updated with new vocal tracks by their current vocalist, Tiffany Galchutt and completely remixed and remastered. New single, "Way Up High", is streaming below.

Tiffany fronted the band as they supported international acts Accept, Stryper and Y&T in late 2019 to early 2020. The new EP track list will include “Way Up High,” “Millennial Reign,” “Innocent Cry” and “Men Stand Alone.” 

The EP will be a limited run of physical CDs and downloads via Bandcamp. Preorders can also be made at the band’s website and Bandcamp. Millennial Reign is currently in the studio recording their forthcoming album, planned for a 2021 release.

Millennial Reign is:

Tiffany Galchutt - Lead Vocals
Dave Harvey - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Neil Bertrand - Bass, Backing Vocals
Steve Nichols - Drums

Las Cruces Drummer Paul De Leon has died due to Covid on January 6. Las Cruces guitarist George Trevino wrote on the band's Facebook page, "This is the hardest post I’ve had to post on this page but I’m saddened to report the passing of our drummer and brother Paul De Leon. He passed away today after battling Covid. Rest In Peace my dear friend and Metal Brother. You will never be forgotten. We love you. RIP."  

Trevino founded Las Cruces back in 1994 in San Antonio, Texas and has since made his mark across The Lone Star State and the American doom-metal scene. Daniel Bukszpan, author of The Encyclopedia Of Heavy Metal, acknowledges Las Cruces as "one of the genre's leading proponents."

 

Caravan is the Acid Mammoth's upcoming third full-length album, which has been set for March 5th, 2021 official release via Heavy Psych Sounds. It was recorded, mixed and mastered with Dionysis Dimitrakos of Descent Studio in Athens (Greece), while drums were recorded at Ignite Studio. Alongside revealed album details, you can also listen to the opening track "Berseker".

Says the band of the song: "Berserker" is the opening song of our brand new album Caravan. It is a wicked new track that foretells the doom that is to come with this album. More up-tempo than the traditional Acid Mammoth song, "Berserker" is a song with crushing fuzzy guitars and deadly drumming, mesmerizing vocals and bass lines straight from the witchiest of covens."

Almost 8 years after the release of Doomain, Swedish doom veterans Memory Garden now reveal that the work on the follow-up is underway. New album is currently in the mixing stage, handled by the legendary Dan Swanö. Hopefully the new music officially arrives later this year.

States the band: "Cheers friends! 2020 has been a shitty year to say the least...We all need to find the small positive things in our everyday lives, which can be really tough sometimes.

"One positive thing for us, and hopefully for you as well, is that our new album finally is in the mixing state! Once again masterly handled by Dan Swanö! We have no release date yet, but wanted to let you know that 2021 will be at least a little bit better."

Joe Bouchard has released a video for his cover of The Kinks classic, "All Day And All Of The Night", featured on his Strange Legends album. Watch below:

Bouchard is best known as a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult. The original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, “Burning For You”. Contributing to songwriting, and lead vocals on some of their greatest songs, such as “Hot Rails To Hell”.

Joe released his sixth solo album, Strange Legends, on July 31 though he and his brother’s (Albert Bouchard) new imprint RockHeart Records / Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group). The album has been receiving a tremendous response around the globe and has sold out of its initial pressing.

When Deko Entertainment decided to do a repressing, they wanted to do something a little bit different to commemorate this accomplishment by issuing a slightly different version.

Joe comments, “I am overwhelmed by the response to my album Strange Legends. I knew it was good, but the fan reactions from all over the world have been tremendous. After years of sweat and effort doing my solo albums, this one has really risen above the pack. With this second pressing of Strange Legends we have varied the artwork on the tray holder. My artist, Logan Cummings, created 11 different thumbnails for each song on the album. The first edition had the frogman that was the art for 'Bottom For The Bottomless'. The second edition has the sailboat which is the art for 'Strangely In Love', one of my personal favorites. The team at Deko Entertainment have gone the extra mile with promotions, and it’s been an incredible ride. Hope to play these new songs in person as soon as touring returns.”

Bouchard’s manager, Jeff Keller, added, “We have been so pleased with the fan and critic response for this album. I feel that it is Joe’s best solo work to date, and the people are loving it."

This new pressing and additional bundles (while supplies last), can be ordered here.

Bundle Includes:

- One (1) Joe Bouchard - Strange Legends (Autographed) CD
- One (1) Joe Bouchard - Signature Guitar Pick
- One (1) Joe Bouchard - Strange Legend (Autographed) Poster
- One (1) Joe Bouchard - Strange Legends Shirt
- One (1) RockHeart Records - Cowbell (Autographed)

Joe has also recorded a series of videos giving you a song by song look at Strange Legends, stop by and check out “The Stories Behind The Songs” on the Deko Entertainment YouTube channel, here.

Strange Legends tracklisting:

"The African Queen"
"Forget About Love"
"Walk Of Fame"
"Hit And Run"
"Racin' Thru The Desert"
"She's A Legend"
"All Day And All Of The Night"
"Once Upon A Time At The Border"
"Bottom For The Bottomless"
"Strangely In Love"
"Winter"

"Hit And Run" video:

"The African Queen" video:

“She’s A Legend” video:

"Forget About Love" video:

Wild and Heavy Brittany-based Rockers Appalooza unleash their demons and present their cathartic Grunge-infused video for “Distress” today! The band will release their new album “The Holy Of Holies” on February 5th through Ripple Music.


Appalooza is a long-gone stallion speeding after a lost freedom. Exuding confidence and firepower from the get-go, the French trio takes its cue from the Alt–Heavy firepower of the likes of Alice in Chains, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Them Crooked Vultures, propelling themselves with a creativity and sense of direction that are the essence of great bands.
This song denounces the lack of assistance to a person in psychological and physical distress. People prefer to close their eyes and be silent rather than help. It deals with the taboos of our society about physical and psychological violences of all sorts.
There is a lot of rage, tiredness, uncertainty during the album recording, and that’s what makes it so violent and intense. At some point, when we had just finished recording the song, we got drunk, positioned ourselves around the microphone and unloaded all our madness… And it worked!
– comment Appalooza

Watch Appalooza unleash their demons on “Distress” video here:


New album “The Holy Of Holies” set the tone for a powerful 9-tracker with thick riffs and aggressive, punk-infused rhythms combined to Sylvain Morel’s Stanley-esque vocals , providing an intense and immediate feeling of freedom to anyone listening. In the background, spirituality and ancient myths color a spacious sound that nonetheless worships at the altar of modern and unwaveringly hard-hitting Heavy Rock.

“The Holy Of Holies” will be released on February 5th through Ripple Music and available on 2xLP Deluxe Edition (Hot Pink / Grey vinyl), CD and Digital.

Watch the visualizer for debut single “Conquest” here:


New album “The Holy Of Holies”
Out February 5th on Ripple Music
European preorder – US preorder
Tracklist “The Holy Of Holies”:
01. Storm
02. Snake Charmer
03. Reincarnation
04. Nazareth
05. Conquest
06. Azazael
07. Distress
08. Thousand Years After
09. Canis Majoris

Appalooza-The-Holy-of-Holies
Appalooza released their first two demos “Squamata” and “Chameleon” respectively in 2013 and 2014, further to which they embarked across the pond for their first ever US tour, taking them to Colorado, Nevada and California. Fired up by a brand new energy ensuing from this successful experience, the band officially released their eponymous debut in 2018, quickly followed by a second North American taking them from the Midwest lands to the Pacific Coast.

Some hundred shows later, Appalooza signed to Californian powerhouse Ripple Music for the release of their sophomore album “The Holy Of Holies” in early 2021. The beginning of a new era driven by an album that perfectly embodies the trio’s musical and visual reincarnation, through an intense sonic escape and ultimately, freedom.

Paul Stanley has praised Eddie Van Halen as a "real hero."

The KISS frontman spoke out about the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist after viewing a recently released video of a 1996 meeting between Eddie and Jason Becker, former axeman in David Lee Roth's band. At the time, Jason had been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, and was not in good shape. Van Halen came to Jason's house to give love and support — as well as a guitar — to his friend and to film an ALS awareness promotional video. During their time together, Eddie told stories, talked about his creative process, and played amazing music, instantly sounding exactly like Eddie Van Halen even when playing Jason's guitar through a small practice amp.

Earlier today, Stanley tweeted out a link to the YouTube video and included the following message: "Some just have this empathy, deep kindness & love to give. Humbling to see & a reminder of the real hero we lost.These sharings of spirit can lift someone else to a higher place. When we do something kind for others we can find giving is also a gift to us."

Stanley, who was born with Level 3 Microtia and is deaf in his right ear, is known for his philanthropy, including raising funds for Make-A-Wish, the foundation that creates life-changing wishes for minors with a critical illness.

Back in 2015, Stanley spoke about his philanthropic efforts, saying in an interview: "I think that in life, we need to realize that charity is never an option, it's always an obligation. It's something we can all do in one way or another. Everybody can't give the same, but everybody can all give. And this old adage that you give until it hurts is a distortion of the truth. You give until it feels good. Everybody knows what they're capable of giving, and that's what you should give."

A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo CACOPHONY, with his friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on Roth's third solo album, "A Little Ain't Enough", and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, the same condition Stephen Hawking lived with for over five decades. Jason lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own.

Eddie died on October 6 at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California after a long battle with cancer.




https://t.co/guNRbMZ1wB Some just have this empathy, deep kindness & love to give. Humbling to see & a reminder of the real hero we lost.These sharings of spirit can lift someone else to a higher place. When we do something kind for others we can find giving is also a gift to us.

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) December 29, 2020

The 2019 Download festival took place June 14 - 16 at Donington Park, UK. Amon Amarth performed on Sunday (June 16) and have since released this recap video:

Amon Amarth are set to crash onto European shores this November and December to raid the continent with their biggest and most ambitious, must-see full production tour to date. This epic tour comes on the heels of the victorious worldwide release of the band’s 11th studio album, Berserker.

Berserker smashed into the top echelons of sales charts around the world, including debuting at #1 in Germany and Switzerland, and #2 in Austria, earning the band some of their highest chart positions to date, including in the UK.

Joining Amon Amarth for the three show UK rampage will be special guests Arch Enemy, touring in support of their 2017 critically acclaimed album Will To Power, and legendary Swedish death metal squad Hypocrisy. Additional guests in other countries are to be announced at a later date.

Amon Amarth: “We cannot wait to return to Europe and tour the UK with our fellow Swedish Berserkers Arch Enemy and Hypocrisy. We will be bringing our biggest headlining show yet and this truly is going to be an epic heavy metal party that is not to be missed!”

Arch Enemy's Michael Amott: “I can’t think of a better way to wrap up an intense and exciting 2019 Arch Enemy touring year than heading back to the UK with our Swedish friends Amon Amarth and Hypocrisy! This will be a celebration of everything that is awesome about Heavy Metal, the Scandinavian way! Skål!”

Hypocrisy's Peter Tägtgren: "Hypocrisy are very much looking forward to this UK run and to share the stage with Amon Amarth and Arch Enemy. This will be epic!”

The confirmed UK dates are as follows:

November
28- Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy
29- Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo
30- London, UK - O2 Brixton Academy

Check out the band's complete tour schedule here.




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Hollywood-based heavy rock & roll outfit, Budderside, have shared the second single, “Pardon Me”, featuring Motörhead's Phil Campbell, from their upcoming sophomore album Spiritual Violence, out March 26 via Motörhead Music/Silver Lining Music. Available now across all digital platforms here, “Pardon Me” was inspired by none other than the late late Motörhead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister who personally signed them to his label before his passing and previously enlisted front man and vocalist Patrick Stone (ex-Adler’s Appetite) from his famous “road crew.”

The animated video for “Pardon Me” was, as Stone reveals, “inspired by my experience of meeting, being taken in by, working for and ultimately Budderside being signed to Motörhead Music by Lemmy Kilmister.”

Stone explains that “’Pardon Me’ is an oath. A look at life from the perspective that only our hero Lemmy had. It’s a promise to live up to, declared to the greatest man that ever lived.”

Campbell has lauded the group, sharing, “Check out Budderside for a slice of real modern Rock N Roll pie…Brilliant!”

Spiritual Violence was recorded with legendary producer Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Godsmack, Papa Roach) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage). Its 10 tracks careen through Stone's journey of overcoming addiction, loss and heartbreak to discovering resurrection with patience, perseverance and meditation set over soaring melodies and catchy refrains.

Pre-order Spiritual Violence here.

Tracklisting:

"Wide Awake"
"Zen"
"Amber Alert" (feat. Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies)
"Pardon Me" (feat. Phil Campbell of Motörhead)
"I’m A Man"
"Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash cover)
"Things We Do" (feat. Musyca Children’s Choir)
"Feels So Good"
"Soul Searches"
"Daygobah"

"Zen" video:

Asthma Castle - featuring drummer Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Scour), the twin guitar attack of Justin Ethem (Integrity touring guitarist) and Cameron Smith (Passage Between, Crawler), vocalist Zach Westphal (ex-J. Roddy Walston And The Business), and bassist Jeff Davis (Damnation Audio effects pedals) - will release their Mount Crushmore full-length via Hellmistress Records this March.

Stealing souls and packing bowls since 2008, Asthma Castle manifests a unique and seamless, riff-heavy blend of stoner metal/rock, heavy metal, prog, and sludge that takes its cues from the likes of Weedeater, Church Of Misery, Mastodon, Lowrider, Dozer, and Clutch without ever seeming derivative. Their fittingly-titled Mount Crushmore full-length was recorded and mixed at Wrightway Studios (Dying Fetus, Misery Index), mastered by Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer at his own Visceral Sound Studios and features killer cover art by Gary Ronaldson of Bite Radius Designs (Napalm Death, Kreator).

Mount Crushmore will be released on March 15th on CD, digital and limited vinyl formats via Hellmistress Records. The vinyl edition will be limited to five-hundred in three color variants: 175 x heavy black splatter on gold, 175 x white splatter on black, and 150 copies x gold, white, and black tri-color bleed.

Recently off a brief but successful East Coast US tour, Asthma Castle has played alongside numerous national acts as well as Maryland Deathfest and Days Of Darkness. The band will play a special hometown show this weekend with more performances to be announced the in the weeks to come.




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Coined as Blackened Thrash Metal F. of Maudiir takes advantage of complete creative control and effortlessly moves between styles, adding infusions of Punk, focused guitar solos, and clean production to the Classic Black Metal vocals and chunky bass riffs.

The first single “The Slumber” off Maudiir forthcoming 2021 EP “La Part du Diable” starts on a big bass riff flirting with drone guitars and explodes into an Epic Instrumental Black Metal section. The song is about the worst personality traits we have seen awaken in some people, and that might have stayed dormant if not for the current situation.

Maudiir comments on the EP as a whole:

I had great reviews for the first EP “Le Temps Peste”. I think the new EP “La Part du Diable” expands on the first one and brings more progressive elements to the songs.

I also managed to get the bass guitar at the forefront of the songs, which is not so common in modern metal, so I’m really happy about that. All in all, it’s a pretty interesting and unique listen.

Creating an intensely dark sound, “La Part du Diable” was inspired by reactions from people to the health crisis created by Covid, the political climate in the US, and conspiracy theories.

This second offering from the band goes in a slightly more progressive and thrash direction than the first, F has also added distortion to the bass guitar giving a Voïvod-esque feel to the songs.

It’s a riff-driven EP with big bass grooves and corrosive vocals, mixing Thrash Metal and Black Metal with Progressive elements, giving it a unique sound and feel.

Recommended for fans of Skeletonwitch, Darkthrone, and Voivod, “The Slumber” can be heard via its premiere on NoCleanSinging HERE.


The single will be available on all digital platforms on January 8, 2021 and the full EP “La Part du Diable” is out on February 19, 2021.

Tracklist “La Part du Diable”:
01. Fracture
02. The Slumber
03. The Fortunate Few
04. Spirit of Sulfur
05. The Crowning Hour

Veteran U.S. metal outfit HELSTAR will release its new album, "Clad In Black", on February 26 via Massacre Records.

HELSTAR already gave you a first glimpse at this new release with the "Black Wings Of Solitude" seven-inch single, which was made available in October 2020.

The digipak version of "Clad In Black" includes two CDs: The first CD includes both songs from the already released single as well as two more new songs and additional killer cover versions to sink your teeth into. All songs on the first CD were mixed by Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer at Redhead Studios, and mastered by Stefan Kaufmann at ROXX Studio.

The second CD includes the band's previous studio album "Vampiro" in its entirety, which was mixed and mastered by Bill Metoyer at Skull Seven Studios.

All songs from the first CD will also be available on vinyl in different colors.

The cover artwork — created by John Fossum — is available below, along with the track listing.

The first single from "Clad in Black" will drop next week.

2-CD Digipak / Digital

CD 1 - "Clad In Black"

01. Dark Incarnation (Mother Of The Night)

02. Black Wings Of Solitude

03. Across The Raging Seas

04. Restless And Wild *

05. After All (The Dead) **

06. Sinner ***

CD 2 - "Vampiro"

01. Awaken Unto Darkness

02. Blood Lust

03. To Dust You Will Become

04. Off With His Head

05. From The Pulpit To The Pit

06. To Their Death Beds They Fell

07. Malediction

08. Repent In Fire

09. Abolish The Sun

10. Black Cathedral

11. Dreamless Sleep

Limited Vinyl LP

Side A

01. Dark Incarnation (Mother Of The Night)

02. Black Wings Of Solitude

03. Across The Raging Seas

Side B

01. Restless And Wild *

02. After All (The Dead) **

03. Sinner ***

* ACCEPT cover

** BLACK SABBATH Cover

*** JUDAS PRIEST cover

January 15th will see Voodoo Circle release their highly anticipated new album, Locked & Loaded, via AFM Records. They have released an official video for the title track, which can be viewed below. 

The band features Primal Fear members Alex Beyrodt (guitars, vocals) and Mat Sinner (bass), as well as Davd Readman (vocals) and Markus Kullmann (drums).

 

A lyric video for the album's first single, "Devil With An Angel Smile", can be found below.

 

 

Locked & Loaded will be available as digipak & ltd. colored vinyl. Pre-order here.

 

 

 

 

Tracklisting:

 

 

"Flesh & Bone"
"Wasting Time"
"Magic Woman Chile"
"Locked & Loaded"
"Devil With An Angel Smile"
"Straight For The Heart"
"Eyes Full Of Tears"
"Devil’s Cross"
"Trouble In The Moonlight"
"This Song Is For You"
"Children Of The Revolution"

 

 

"Devil With An Angel Smile" lyric video:

 

 

 

 

Voodoo Circle is:

 

 

Alex Beyrodt - guitar & vocals

David Readmann - vocals

Mat Sinner - bass & vocals

Markus Kullmann - drums

 

Infinite Visions, launched by former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki, has called it quits only a year into their existence. Following is the official statement announcing the disbanding:

"Unfortunately, as Infinite Visions did not meet its crowdfunding goal there will be no album and the band will not continue. As a farewell to the fans, Infinite Visions are posting the five songs that were recorded for their demo, including two unreleased songs, 'Dangerous' and 'Voice Of Tomorrow' (Erik Kraemer pre-production vocal demo). Some 'bonus tracks' are also included: the keyboard demo by Jimmy Pitts for 'Dangerous' and the unmixed drum tracks by Pawel Jaroszewicz for 'Voice Of Tomorrow'. A video has been made with these songs and can be found below. The audio can be streamed until the end of January here."

Guitarist Timo Tolkki comments: "Now my plan is to release Union Magnetica as my solo album perhaps with names like Elize Ryd, Sharon Den Adel, Russel Allen, Rob Rock, etc. My plan is to release this solo album next autumn and tour it worldwide."

The remaining members of Infinite Visions have formed a new, yet-to-be-named band, and have added two guitarists, Nils Courbaron (Sirenia / Think Of A New Kind) and Dani G (Last Days Of Eden / Darksun). Dani will also serve as a second vocalist. The lineup is completed by Erik Kraemer (lead vocals / Simulacrum), Pawel Jaroszewicz (drums / ex-Hate, Vader), Pierre-Emmanuel Pélisson (bass / Asylum Pyre, ex-Heavenly), and Jimmy Pitts (keyboards / Eternity's End, NorthTale). The band's sound will be a mixture of the vast musical backgrounds of the members, ranging from heavy/power metal through prog, all the way to death metal rooted sounds. More information to follow.

Video tracklisting:

"Dangerous" (0:00-4:38)
"Sonata Black" - instrumental version (4:41-9:47)
"You Rock My World" (9:50-14:23)
"Infinite Visions" (14:25-19:58)
"Voice Of Tomorrow" - Erik Kraemer pre-production vocal demo (20:00-23:42)
"Voice Of Tomorrow" - Pawel Jaroszewiczraw's raw drum tracks with guitars, no vocals (23:48-27:31)
"Dangerous" - Jimmy Pitts' original keyboard demo (27:33-32:10) 

Canada’s Plague Weaver embodies the frigid national landscape in their upcoming album Ascendant Blasphemy due to be unleashed in early 2021.

The first single from this formidable black metal act is the album opener, “Nothing Is Sacred”. This song starts off with a low-mid tempo, as it attempts to welcome the listener. The track quickly explodes into the verse sections with a faster tempo and more energetic vocals. The bridge introduces some extra guitar leads, and prepares the listener for the repetitive outro vocals, repeating the phrase ‘Nothing is Sacred’. Let it be done.’ Plague Weaver shares their expectations for the record’s reception: 

“We think fans who have heard the previous EP will enjoy this album. Ascendant Blasphemy is an evolution, no doubt. Definitely more aggressive, and more riff-driven overall, without abandoning Plague Weaver’s doom-inspired roots on songs like ‘In Exitium Caeli’ and ‘Of Quivering Doves’.”

Ascendant Blasphemy is a sure shot in its musical direction. It’s a journey from start to finish that is not without its own heaps and valleys. Vocalist JC explains that the lyrics are a loose concept that follows a series of Satanic philosophies or questions considered from a Satanic perspective, illustrated to a loose fictional idea he has been throwing around for a while. 

Punishing and grim, Plague Weaver is ideal for old school black metal fans and those who are particularly fond of  Dissection, Rotting Christ, and (old) Samael. Preorder the EP on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Nothing Is Sacred”
“Lay Fire”
“Blood Runs Not”
“Seek To Betray”
“Upheaval And Arson”
“Of Quivering Doves”
“Deicidal Usurper”
“In Exitium Caeli”

“Nothing Is Sacred”:

Aftershocks TV recently spoke with Meliah Rage guitarist Anthony Nichols about his new band Mexican Ape Lord, and he admitted that his more famed band, Meliah Rage, is officially on hiatus with his focus being on Mexican Ape Lord.

Says Nichols: "Meliah Rage is on hold for now. The candle hit the water. Never say never, but right now I'm focused on Mexican Ape Lord. We work well together, and I like it. I like John's unique vocals."

Nichols on Mexican Ape Lord vocalist Jon Hardy: "We're talking about how with Survival Cannibalism, people would look at the video and decipher what the lyrics are going to be about. With the first record, I'm scratching my head going "What is he talking about?" Jon's a brilliant guy. I'm telling you. He went to Georgetown. He's not a dumb guy. He's one of those guys where you walk into his house and his living room is nothing but shelves of books, and a little TV in the corner that he never watches. He's almost an intellectual. We've got stuff that we're working on, and he's going to come up with some stuff."

Mexican Ape-Lord - featuring Nichols, The Bags vocalist/bassist Jon Hardy, drummer named Steve Fry (Crotalus, Graveheart) and lead guitarist Dan Dykes (Triphammer), released their new album, Survival Cannibalism, via Unable Records. A profile page where you can connect with them on Spotify, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, as well as offering up merch for the new album can be found at this location.

The album is inspired by a true story of the Nottingham Galley shipwreck and the cannibalism that took place on Boon Island, Maine in 1710.

"I wanted to get inside the heads of these tormented guys, whose suffering drove them to do the unthinkable," says singer Jon Hardy. "It’s a grim subject, obviously, but a great one for Tony, Dan, and Steve, because they are masterful at covering the full range, musically - from utter darkness to the thrill of cheating death."

Survival Cannibalism tracklisting:

"Black Cloud"
"Situation"
"No Deliverance"
"So Much Wasted Rope"
"The Devil Does Divide Us"
"Stinkin’ Drunk On Blood"
"Dereliction"
"Mezzick And Drakelord"

"Black Cloud":

"The Devil Does Divide Us":

"No Deliverance":

"Stinkin’ Drunk On Blood":

"So Much Wasted Rope":

"Situation" video:

The Sonic Overlords are the latest carriers of the heavy metal/hard rock flag to come out of the country of Sweden, and M-Theory Audio has announced the worldwide signing of the band to its roster.

The group will unleash their debut album later this year, but the first taste of their combination of melodic rock majesty and thunderous doom can be experienced today with their debut single, “In My Darkest Room”. The song is available now on all digital streaming and download platforms here, while its music video can be viewed below.

“We are very happy to share the news about this worldwide record deal,” says the band. “We find that M-Theory Audio has done a great job of building up an impressive roster despite being a relatively new label, and we are very excited to now be a part of that! 'In My Darkest Room' deals with the theme of the struggle against your inner demons – something that might be even more relevant than usual in these current times. Musically, it is not so much a conventional single, but rather an introduction of the musical scope of the band. Keep your eyes and ears open for more news!”

The Sonic Overlords were founded in 2017 by Swedish rock guitarist Morgan Zocek. He began jamming with various musicians and writing songs inspired by classic hard rock of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but with a more modern approach to the production and sonics. The full sound of The Sonic Overlords began to solidify with the addition of Per Soläng on drums in 2018. This was followed by the addition in 2020 of vocalist Marcus Zachrisson Rubin, who had been playing with Zocek in an Ozzy Osbourne cover band for many years, and the rumbles of new bassist Daniel Ramírez.

The group self-released their debut single “In My Darkest Room” in October 2020, accompanied by a music video directed by Per Andersson. The song soon gained rock radio airplay throughout Scandinavia and spread through mainland Europe, the US and Australia as DJs and programmers were drawn to the group's combination of powerful doom riffs and the epic and melodic majesty of 'late '70s/early '80s heavy rock with influences from the likes of Dio/Martin-era Black Sabbath, Rainbow, early Candlemass, Yngwie J. Malmsteen/Rising Force, Scorpions and MSG. That blend of power, darkness, and musicality was recognized by former Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin via a recent shout-out to “In My Darkest Room” on his social media channels.

The Sonic Overlords are currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album, set for release later this year. More news will be unveiled in the weeks ahead.

Lineup:

Marcus Zachrisson Rubin - Lead Vocals
Morgan Zocek - Guitars/Backing Vocals
Per Soläng - Drums
Daniel Ramírez - Bass/Backing Vocals

(Photo - ziyu yu)

Unleashing the latest slab of their patented “bastardized” grindcore with their new album Pleine Noirceur this past November, Fuck The Facts have a new music video for the track "Dropping Like Flies". The song is a face-punching, fist-pumping smorgasbord of 90’s death metal, crust punk, and weirdness. Lyrically, the track was written by vocalist Mel Mongeon to tackle the reality of drug addiction and the opioid epidemic in certain parts of Canada pre-COVID times.

"The infection is spreading
Like a field infested with insects, with pests that multiply
Unable to treat the infection, it’s becoming larger...

...We hear you say you’re concerned, that you understand
But nothing is done
State of emergency; where are the resources?
It’s all talk
Help isn’t on the way

Communities will remain under strain
Pushed to the breaking point
Everyone is scrambling to save lives
As long as you feel their lives do not matter, they will keep dying"

Fuck The Facts has once again teamed up with director David Hall, who has been making videos for each of their albums since the release of Stigmata High-Five back in 2006.

"His unique approach to making videos has always been inspiring to us and we've always given him carte blanche (just watch our video for 'Everywhere Yet Nowhere''). For the 'Dropping Like Flies' video Dave manages to give the viewer an uncomfortable and satirical look at the devastating opioid epidemic. Highlighting just how much this issue is not taken seriously enough." says FTF's Topon Das.

Director David Hall adds: "The main inspiration for the video for 'Dropping Like Flies' came directly from Mel’s lyrics. She eloquently sings about addiction as an epidemic and society’s response: “help isn’t on the way.” I wanted to present a vision of hopelessness, the brutal ravaging of addiction, the pervasiveness of prescription meds, the economic forces that conspire, and show some faces not commonly presented as addicts: white people, senior citizens, the middle and upper class. Addiction transcends all demographics. God sends flies to wounds he should heal. Pills rain down from heaven."   

Pleine Noirceur is available via the band's very own label Noise Salvation. Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Doubt, Fear Neglect"
"Ailleurs"
"Pleine Noirceur"
"Aube"
"Sans Lumiere"
"Sans Racines"
"Everything I Love Is Ending"
"A Dying Light"
"Dropping Like Flies"
"L’abandon"
"An Ending"
"_cide"

"An Ending":

"Everything I Love Is Ending":

"Dropping Like Flies":

"Pleine Noirceur" video:

(Photo - Anndy Negative)

CHEVELLE has released its new single, "Self Destructor". The track, which can be streamed below, is taken from CHEVELLE's upcoming follow-up to 2016's "The North Corridor", "Niratias" (Nothing Is Real And This Is A Simulation), which is due on March 5.

CHEVELLE frontman Pete Loeffler told "Loudwire Nights"' Kevin Vargas about "Self Destructor": "The song was actually written in 2019 so it's just strangely coincidental that it fits so well with 2020 being what it was. It's hard not to find that in everything now. I'll give you one thing though. It focuses on science deniers, and you guys can run with that. Go delve into the lyrics and check it out. It's aggressive and I've had to learn how to play it all over again this past year with Sam [Loeffler], so fingers crossed that we can do that live too."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ICED EARTH leader Jon Schaffer is among dozens of people wanted by the FBI for storming Capitol Hill earlier this week.

The FBI's Washington Field Office early Friday morning released 40 photos of people who are suspected of unlawful entry during a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol carried out on Wednesday (January 6) during the final Congressional vote recording for the 2020 general election. Among them is a picture of Schaffer taken by Roberto Schmidt of AFP. In the photo (photograph #25 below), Schaffer can be seen at the front of a mob, sporting a hat from Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia group, and pointing his finger while yelling at someone out of the frame.

On Thursday, acting United States attorney Daniel P. Bubar and FBI special agent in charge David W. Archey jointly announced their condemnation of violence during Wednesday's events in Washington D.C. and requested information regarding individuals involved in potential criminal acts of violence.

"We strongly condemn the violence carried out by rioters yesterday at the U.S. Capitol, which was a reprehensible attack on our democracy," Bubar said. "Here in the Western District of Virginia, we are quite familiar with the use of the federal Anti-Riot Act, and are working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute any individuals that traveled from the Western District of Virginia to Washington, D.C. to commit violent criminal acts in furtherance of these riots. We will continue to carry out our mission to support and defend the Constitution and the rule of law, undeterred."

The FBI is asking anyone who recognizes someone from the wanted posters or who witnessed any of Wednesday's activity to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit information online here.

Earlier today, 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 two-minute chat with Die Welt, which can be seen at this location, the 52-year-old musician told journalist Carolina Drüten: "My name is Jon Schaffer. I'm from Indiana. A group of thugs and criminals hijacked this country a long time ago. Now they're making their big move, and it's not gonna happen. And that's what it is. These are globalists. These are the scum of the earth. These are the criminals that are behind all the fraudulent fee on currency, they're behind all the wars, they're behind all the shit, they're behind divide-and-conquer tactics, behind the racial divide. It's all nonsense, it's all garbage. People need to wake up and snap out of the matrix, because they're going down. They've made the move. They're messing with the wrong people here — trust me on that. And we needed it to be open like this — open fraud, open theft. Because now we see you, and you're going down. Mark my words."

Asked if he was expecting some sort of violence or a clash with some other groups at the November event, Schaffer said: "If somebody wants to bring violence, I think there's a lot of us here that are ready for it. We don't want that, but if they bring it, we're gonna respond to that — trust me.

"I think this goes beyond President Trump," Jon continued. "President Trump is a populist. He's not your typical Republican. He's not establishment. He's not going out starting wars all over the place, like they do. Which is funny — where are all the Democrats that were anti-war? There's so much hatred for Trump, it's just ridiculous. He's 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. We're not having it. We can still do business together, the countries can still be at peace, but we're not gonna merge into some globalist, communist system. 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."

Back in 2009, Schaffer raised eyebrows when he launched his SONS OF LIBERTY project via an appearance on a radio show hosted by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

More recently, Schaffer voiced his controversial views on the coronavirus crisis during an interview with MetalSucks's "The Quarantinecast", claiming that COVID-19 is "a psychological warfare campaign on the people more than it is a serious pandemic." Implying that a shadowy cabal of elites is using a global crisis as a cover to profiteer and entrench their power, Schaffer said: "I think there's a lot more going on than meets the eye here — in fact, I know there is. Legitimate doctors and scientists are being censored and banned on YouTube constantly. It's unbelievable levels of fraud."

In a September 2020 Facebook Live chat, Schaffer said that he didn't trust his government. "I don't give a shit if it's an 'R' or a 'D' next to the name of the person," he explained. "You can't put your hope into one president or one person, or a mayor or a governor or whatever. You've gotta be out there and actively put pressure on these people, let 'em know you're paying attention. If you're not paying attention, they're gonna rob you and steal everything. Your freedom too. Not just your money. They're gonna steal your fucking freedom. 'Cause they're a bunch of sick control freaks."




#FBIWFO is seeking the public's assistance in identifying those who made unlawful entry into U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6. If you witnessed unlawful violent actions contact the #FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos/videos at https://t.co/NNj84wkNJP. https://t.co/iSeA3UMeyz pic.twitter.com/TW7fma4QDE

— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) January 8, 2021








#FBIWFO is seeking the public's assistance in identifying those who made unlawful entry into U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6. If you witnessed unlawful violent actions contact the #FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos/videos at https://t.co/NNj84wkNJP. https://t.co/aXKkUra3Se pic.twitter.com/mGj4Zx8C0L

— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) January 8, 2021








#FBIWFO is seeking the public's assistance in identifying those who made unlawful entry into U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6. If you witnessed unlawful violent actions contact the #FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos/videos at https://t.co/NNj84wkNJP. https://t.co/ZmM6SRHP1I pic.twitter.com/vJQnUBmvRI

— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) January 8, 2021








#FBIWFO is seeking the public's assistance in identifying those who made unlawful entry into U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6. If you witnessed unlawful violent actions contact the #FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos/videos at https://t.co/NNj84wkNJP. https://t.co/KSUpFHyZZG pic.twitter.com/qS6cW0DX32

— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) January 8, 2021

German metallers BLIND GUARDIAN — whose frontman, Hansi Kürsch, shares a long-running project with ICED EARTH's Jon Schaffer, DEMONS & WIZARDS — have released the following statement regarding the violence and destruction of property at the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday (January 6):

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

As previously reported, Schaffer is among dozens of people wanted by the FBI for storming Capitol Hill. The FBI's Washington Field Office early Friday morning released 40 photos of people who are suspected of unlawful entry during a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol carried out on Wednesday during the final Congressional vote recording for the 2020 general election. Among them is a picture of Schaffer taken by Roberto Schmidt of AFP. In the photo, Schaffer can be seen at the front of a mob, sporting a hat from Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia group, and pointing his finger while yelling at someone out of the frame.

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

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

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

Former ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens says that he "never talked politics" with Jon Schaffer while he was a member of the band.

Owens, who joined ICED EARTH in 2003 and stayed in the group for four years before being fired in December 2007, addressed his time with the band in an Instagram exchange with a fan.

Asked by the fan what it was like "working with a terrorist," a reference to the fact that Schaffer is suspected of being part of the pro-Trump mob that breached the U.S. Capitol earlier this week, Owens said: "crazy what he did wasn't if. All I can say is wow. See we never talked politics while I was in ICED EARTH because at that time we where on totally opposite sides. LOL. But I gotta say could of been way worse for me I could of been in a Band with Sebastian Bach".

When the fan expressed his incredulity over the fact that Owens and Schaffer never talked politics, especially considering the fact that Tim's first album with ICED EARTH, "The Glorious Burden", was a concept album exploring various moments in military history, the ex-JUDAS PRIEST frontman replied: "yea that was more of history and I actually learned a lot More then I did in school. Taking about politics at the time wasn't something I would get into. Opposite sides of the fence and I was working! I got fired anyways so it didn't matter. Haha".

In a 2012 interview with Australia's Loud, Owens said that his departure from ICED EARTH wasn't executed properly. 'It was handled poorly, I think, the situation," he said. "It could've been handled good and everybody could've looked good in the situation. But it was handled poorly, I think… I started getting all the blame when things weren't the same. Or things weren't what Jon thought they could be. And then, of course, it all came down on me. None of the blame ever came down on Jon. I'm fine with that, but the funny thing is that nothing really changed when I left anyway. I read numbers and I talk to agents, and the crowds are the same or smaller now. I think it was also me wandering a bit, knowing that ICED EARTH was kind of like a solo project. It's really Schaffer's band, and I knew that. And I started having my own: I started doing BEYOND FEAR, and pushing BEYOND FEAR when probably I should have been talking about ICED EARTH. I think Jon read a lot of that and he read into it that my heart and soul wasn't into ICED EARTH."

Schaffer discussed Owens's exit from ICED EARTH in a 2008 interview with Metal Exiles. At the time, he said: "Tim was great to work with in the studio, and from a standpoint of performing live, he was great as far as being an incredible vocalist, but he was not a true believer in this band. It was a job for him, and ICED EARTH is not about that… He was more interested in doing his solo thing — that was where his head was at — and it was becoming more and more obvious. This band was a means to an end for him."

As previously reported, Schaffer is among dozens of people wanted by the FBI for storming Capitol Hill earlier this week. The FBI's Washington Field Office early Friday morning released 40 photos of people who are suspected of unlawful entry during a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol carried out on Wednesday (January 6) during the final Congressional vote recording for the 2020 general election. Among them is a picture of Schaffer taken by Roberto Schmidt of AFP. In the photo, Schaffer can be seen at the front of a mob, sporting a hat from Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia group, and pointing his finger while yelling at someone out of the frame.


























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A post shared by Tim Ripper Owens?? (@timripperowensofficial)

Sebastian Bach has called out Ace Frehley and Tim "Ripper" Owens over their support for President Donald Trump.

The former SKID ROW singer made his comments on the day that hundreds of pro-Trump rioters swarmed the U.S. Capitol Hill, leaving four people dead. Earlier that day, the president had urged his supporters at a rally outside the White House to march on Congress, while pushing unfounded claims of electoral fraud.

On Wednesday, Bach took to his Twitter to write: "yo @ace_frehley you've been my hero my whole life & have been blowing my phone up telling me how much you love Donald Trump and hate Joe Biden. Just want to know as a lifelong fan do you support what happened today in the USA? Sure am glad there were no cell phones in the 70s".

In a separate tweet, he added: "hey @TimRipperOwens love your voice man and I've had some great times with you. As a fan and a friend I just have to know are you still a Donald Trump supporter after what happened today in the United States of America? All of your fans are wondering thanks man".

Bach has frequently criticized Trump's policies in interviews and on Twitter. Last July, he told Esquire that he missed "smarts" in the White House. "I can't watch footage of JFK from 1962," he said. "I can't even watch that shit because I'll cry. Because motherfucker is so cool and so smart and hates racism. And then we have this fucking jackass. And it's just not fair to the country. I put Barack Obama in the same category. When I watch him speak, it rips my heart out because he makes you feel safe."

Last September, Frehley called Trump "the strongest leader that we've got." Two years earlier, the original KISS guitarist also expressed his support for America's 45th president during an appearance on the "Juliet: Unexpected" podcast. At the time, he said about Trump: "Whether you love him or hate him, if you're an American and you're a patriot, you should get behind your president. He was elected. We live under the Constitution of the United States, and you're supposed to support your president. Love him or hate him, you're supposed to support him, or go move to another country.

"Being American, we have the right to free speech, and I'm all for everybody putting their two cents in on everything," he added. "But when musicians or actors get really verbal and jump on a bandwagon against our government, I don't agree with that."

Owens weighed in on the U.S. presidential race back in 2016, saying that Trump was perhaps what America needed to move the country forward. Claiming that he wasn't a Democrat or a Republican ("I'm in the middle," he said), the former JUDAS PRIEST singer explained that he couldn't vote for Hillary Clinton because of "the way they tax people." He went on to say that America "had eight years of really bad" under President Barack Obama and opined that "a lot of American people" were "just trying to figure out something other than what [Obama] was doing."

Back in 2012, Owens revealed in an interview that he was voting for Mitt Romney in that year's election.




yo @ace_frehley you've been my hero my whole life & have been blowing my phone up telling me how much you love Donald Trump and hate Joe Biden. Just want to know as a lifelong fan do you support what happened today in the USA? Sure am glad there were no cell phones in the 70s ?

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) January 7, 2021








hey @TimRipperOwens love your voice man and I've had some great times with you. As a fan and a friend I just have to know are you still a Donald Trump supporter after what happened today in the United States of America? All of your fans are wondering thanks man ??

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) January 7, 2021

ICED EARTH singer Stu Block has responded to fans who are outraged over the fact that the band's leader Jon Schaffer is suspected of unlawful entry during a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol carried out on Wednesday (January 6) during the final Congressional vote recording for the 2020 general election.

A photo of Schaffer storming the Capitol building was posted online and he is now among the "persons of interest" sought for "unrest-related offenses" by the Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C. In the photo, Schaffer can be seen at the front of a mob, sporting a hat from Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia group, and pointing his finger pointed while yelling at someone out of the frame.

Stu, the Canadian-born vocalist who has fronted ICED EARTH since 2011, shared an image of a red heart on his Instagram on Wednesday, along with the simple caption: "Nuff said #love". This led a number of his social media followers to weigh in on yesterday's events, with one person writing: "I unfortunately can no longer support the band you are in. Much love and respect for you as a person and a great singer but Jon no longer gets a dime from me. I will follow and support you in all future endeavors . I hope Jon realizes that being self centered and ideological does not just affect him but his extended family. God Bless you and your family." Block responded: "t[h]is is your decision and how you feel and I must absolutely respect that."

Back in 2009, Schaffer raised eyebrows when he launched his SONS OF LIBERTY project via an appearance on a radio show hosted by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

More recently, Schaffer voiced his controversial views on the coronavirus crisis during an interview with MetalSucks's "The Quarantinecast", claiming that COVID-19 is "a psychological warfare campaign on the people more than it is a serious pandemic." Implying that a shadowy cabal of elites is using a global crisis as a cover to profiteer and entrench their power, Schaffer said: "I think there's a lot more going on than meets the eye here — in fact, I know there is. Legitimate doctors and scientists are being censored and banned on YouTube constantly. It's unbelievable levels of fraud."

In a September 2020 Facebook Live chat, Schaffer said that he didn't trust his government. "I don't give a shit if it's an 'R' or a 'D' next to the name of the person," he explained. "You can't put your hope into one president or one person, or a mayor or a governor or whatever. You've gotta be out there and actively put pressure on these people, let 'em know you're paying attention. If you're not paying attention, they're gonna rob you and steal everything. Your freedom too. Not just your money. They're gonna steal your fucking freedom. 'Cause they're a bunch of sick control freaks."

Block — formerly of INTO ETERNITY — made his live debut with ICED EARTH in November 2011.

ICED EARTH's latest album, "Incorruptible", came out in June 2017 via Century Media.


























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