Returning Heavy / Doom giants Briton Rites have made their sophomore album, “Occulte Fantastique”, available for streaming:


Briton Rites 2020 include also Phil Swanson, the vocalist (Seamount, Sumerlands, Vestal Claret, ex-Atlantean Kodex, Hour of 13), and the rhythm section of Corbin King and John Leeson.

“Occulte Fantastique” is set to be released on December 18th, 2020 via Echoes Of Crom Records.

Tracklist “Occulte Fantastique”:
01. The Masque of Satan
02. My Will Be Thine
03. In Hell I Will Rule
04. The Demon Lover
05. Strange, But Beautiful
06. The Wizard’s Pipe
07. The Witness
08. Occulte Fantastique

Having played in most parts of the known world, Danish nomads Hexis, known for delivering a ground-breaking mixture of Hardcore and Black Metal, finally found a home. Debemur Morti Productions are delighted to announce the signing of mastermind Filip Andersen's energetic musical project.

During the last years, Hexis have been busy with touring and writing material for a coming full-length album, as Filip narrates: "We have been working on this new album since February 2019. We toured a lot in these two years as well of course, but it's still the album we have been putting most time into for sure. People were expecting us to have time off between these long tours, but we have actually still spent days together, just writing music instead of touring. Sometimes we met for almost a month straight just to sit and write music eight to ten hours a day. I feel it's a big step up from anything we have done and musically I also feel we found more of our 'own' thing."

While most of the earlier Hexis' releases were unleashed on various independent labels, the Danish Blackened Hardcore band wanted a fitting partner for their third long player: "We talked a lot back and forward about what we wanted to do with this upcoming record. We knew that we didn't want to get on a huge metal label which had a million different bands on their roster. We'd end up just getting 'lost' there. I have been following Debemur Morti Productions for many years now and I always loved the aesthetics of the label, that the whole thing seems a little more 'exclusive' and that their records always come in very high quality. It's all something we value very highly as a band. We had a good talk with Phil about how we wanted to do everything and he was up for our ideas. So, it seems like the perfect fit for us! Bands like Blut Aus Nord, Terra Tenebrosa and Ulcerate are artists I respect a lot, so I am very honored to be a part of all this now."

As soon as Covid-19 is history, Hexis will be the first to embark on a full world tour to celebrate the coming of their third album: "When this record is out, we are planning to pretty much just live on the road for the next couple of years. Playing all our favourite places again, but also hitting up the rest of the world where we haven't played yet. I usually get restless pretty fast, so being in a new town every day just feels righter and more exciting to me."

Bezerker was founded in 1988 in Adelaide, South Australia. They recorded their debut album “Lost” in December 1989 after frequent gigging. “Lost” was finally released in the Vinyl format on October 22, 1990.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of this great album, Awakening Records will officially reissue this real masterpiece. The re-issue includes a lot of unpublished band photos, posters, demos, as well as Bezerker biography, and liner notes by an original band member.

Dedicated to all maniacs obsessed with Old School Thrash Metal.

Tracklist “Lost”:
01. Take All
02. Yours Subliminally
03. Against the Grain
04. I Lost
05. Halloween
06. Dawn of the Dead
07. The Finest Cut
08. Turn from the Light
09. Fall
10. The Kill
“Laugh At The Light” [Bonus Tracks]:
11. Halloween
12. Dawn of the Dead
13. The Art of Dying
14. The Fall
15. Bucket Bong

incinnati, Ohio Doom quartet Blessed Black are excited to announce that they will be recording a new full-length album to be released in 2021.

More info will be coming in the next few months! The band will also be releasing a new single on Feb 12th.

About Blessed Black:

Does the world really need another doom band? Probably not, but that might be why Blessed Black should be the next band on your radar. Transcending genre barriers and infusing influences from the worlds of Traditional Heavy Metal, Post Punk, Grunge, while incorporating the best elements of the Doom genre, Blessed Black is primed and ready to be the new name in the crowded Stoner / Doom landscape.

Formed in October of 2017, what started as a few riffs and a casual hangout in a dirty Cincinnati band space quickly became a project of passion and determination amongst four friends.

Frontman and guitarist Joshua Murphy brings a plethora of experience to the table as a member of the accomplished Thrash Metal band War Curse, complimented by the creativity of fellow guitarist and long time friend Chris Emerson, the seasoned chops of drummer Ray Bates, and powerhouse bassist Brad Bellamy.

Blessed Black unleashed their debut album titled “Beyond The Crimson Throne” in January 2020.

The band said of this seven-song offering,

“Beyond The Crimson Throne” is a representation of the journey we took together as musicians, finding our sound and learning to become a band.

The result is better than we could have imagined and we hope you all enjoy it.

Tracklist “Beyond The Crimson Throne”:
01. The White Wolf
02. The Black Gate
03. Heavy is The Crown
04. The Shadows
05. Arioch’s Bargain
06. Finding The Limits
07. Stormbringer

isbane Progressive Metallers Therein released a visualiser video for the latest single “ALH84001” from their recently released album “Aramitama”.

Talking about the video , singer Cameron states:

“ALH84001” tells the (technically true) story of a meteorite’s journey to Earth from the perspective of the meteorite. Torn from it’s home on Mars, thrown into space for millions of years, and ultimately colliding with Earth.

This song was composed by band guitarist Ryan Boyd, inspired by the events surrounding the real life meteorite known as ALH84001.

The Martian meteorite was the center of controversy when it was discovered as it was initially believed to contain signs of extraterrestrial life – however the song focuses on it’s last moments hurtling through space, burning up in the atmosphere, and finally smashing into the ground.

The painting, titled “Four Souls” by Nagashima, also holds the inspiration for the name of the album – “Aramitama” – which loosely translates to “rude soul” and is part of the “Mitama” or four souls.

Legendary Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson has recently formed a new band, Heart Healer. Today he reveals details for debut record, featuring several well-known female metal singers. The Metal Opera By Magnus Karlsson is the title of the album and is set to be out on March 12, 2021 via Frontier Music Srl.

Statement as follows: ''This album is epic in scope and execution and features seven stunning singers: Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires, Avantasia), Ailyn (Her Chariot Awaits ex-Sirenia), Netta Laurenne (Smackbound, Laurenne/Louhimo), Youmna Jreissati (Ostura), Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast), Margarita Monet (Edge Of Paradise), and Anette Olzon (The Dark Element, ex-Nightwish). First single coming on January 25th.''

Matt Sorum has wished Lars Ulrich a happy 57th birthday, saying that the METALLICA drummer "has always been there as a friend."

On Saturday (December 26), the former GUNS N' ROSES drummer took to his Instagram to share a personal snapshot of him and Ulrich, and he included the following message: "Happy Birthday to my pal of 31 years Lars Ulrich.. We met when THE CULT opened the Justice For All tour and spent many nights on the road together living the life of Rock N Roll. THE CULT did close to 6 months on that tour and the adventures were insane and are still with me to this day. After that we remained close as Lars was the one that gave Slash my phone number to get in GNR. Of course the Epic GNR , METALLICA Stadium tour was legendary. Besides all of the musical accolades most importantly he has always been there as a friend . @larsulrich @metallica".

Sorum joined THE CULT in 1989 to tour in support of the band's fourth studio album, "Sonic Temple". After replacing Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, he recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Matt has said in the past that a GUNS reunion tour should have included both him and Adler, with each playing the songs they recorded with the group. Sorum was inducted as a member of the band into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012.

Sorum's autobiography, "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver", will now arrive in April 2021 after being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
























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A post shared by Matt Sorum (@mattsorum)

Paul Stanley has once again blasted people who are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying they are posing a risk to themselves and to all those around them. On Thursday (December 24), the KISS frontman took to his Twitter to write: "Frankly, I've had enough of the self-serving & politically motivated mask misinformation & BS about this pandemic. I don't want to hear about 'my freedom' & 'my rights' that then infringe on so many other's. Those 'rights' & choosing to gather at Thanksgiving got us here. Wake up".

Stanley's KISS bandmate Gene Simmons concurred, tweeting out a photo of him and fellow musicians wearing masks as they arrived in Dubai ahead of their New Year's concert there. He wrote: "Wear your masks. Even if it's only as a courtesy. If you yawn, or sneeze, you don't think twice about covering your mouth. Do the rest of us a favor! Mask Up! ..Besides, it looks cool."

This is not the first time Stanley has blasted people who refuse to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection. Back in September, he took to his Twitter to share a CNN article about an Idaho pastor who was hospitalized with COVID-19 after calling himself a "no-masker" during a service and repeatedly questioning the veracity of coronavirus case reporting. Stanley added in a message: "YOU figure this one out. I can't. A hoax and non-existent virus has put this guy in the ICU. If you're so concerned with a loss of your freedom , Why do you stop at red lights? Don't let the government control you!! Drive right through!!! PUT YOUR MASK ON."

In early July, Stanley shared a photo of him and his eight-year-old daughter Emily wearing masks, and he included the following message: "Sunset at the beach with Emily. WEAR YOUR MASK! Don't listen to conspiracy theorists or graduates of The Internet University Of Medicine. While the credible authorities and experts continue to learn more about Covid 19 they remain in agreement about safety protocols. End of story".

Earlier this month, Simmons also criticized ongoing complaints about having to wear masks in the middle of a deadly pandemic, telling the "Jeremy White Podcast": "Believe what you want, but don't hang out around me. Okay? If you're a denier, stay in the shadows. I don't wanna be around you. 'Cause I don't wanna catch what you've got. It's not about you. It's not whether you believe it or not."

He added: "When you sneeze, you put your hand over your mouth. If your dog poops on the ground, you'll pick it up. But you won't pick up a mask?"

While 332,000 Americans have died so far as a result of COVID-19, a number of people have come out against COVID-19 response measures, including lockdowns, physical distancing and mandatory mask policies, saying that they violate constitutional rights.

More than 63,000 Americans died of COVID-19 in December alone. In comparison, the entire month of November saw about 36,964 deaths.




Frankly, I’ve had enough of the self-serving & politically motivated mask misinformation & BS about this pandemic. I don’t want to hear about “my freedom” & “my rights” that then infringe on so many other’s. Those “rights” & choosing to gather at Thanksgiving got us here. Wake up

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) December 25, 2020








Wear your masks. Even if it’s only as a courtesy. If you yawn, or sneeze, you don’t think twice about covering your mouth. Do the rest of us a favor! Mask Up! ..Besides, it looks cool ??. pic.twitter.com/6PzOUxsrsH

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) December 27, 2020

Guitar icon Joe Bonamassa has shared security camera footage from his apartment in Nashville capturing the explosion of a recreational vehicle on Christmas morning which damaged dozens of buildings, injured three people and knocked out AT&T wireless service in and around the city.

On Friday (December 25), Bonamassa — who splits his time between Nashville and Los Angeles — tweeted out the 12-second clip, and wrote in an accompanying message: "A message of love and support to my friends and family in Nashville on this Christmas Day. This was taken by my security cameras three blocks away from the bombing at 6:30am central time this morning."

Authorities have identified 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner as the Nashville bomber after matching his DNA to remains found at the scene of the explosion.

"He was present when the bomb went off and he perished in the bombing," Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, told reporters earlier today.

Metro Nashville police chief John Drake added: "I cannot truly describe all the hard work that has gone into this investigation since Friday's explosion. Nashville is considered safe."

Warner, a self-employed computer guru, reportedly blared evacuation warnings before the bomb detonated on Second Avenue.

"Evacuate now," a digitized female voice broadcast from the RV warned. "There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode."

A song was also heard playing from the RV, with an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identifying it as Petula Clark's "Downtown", a 1965 hit tune about going to the city to seek refuge from sadness.




A message of love and support to my friends and family in Nashville on this Christmas Day. This was taken by my security cameras three blocks away from the bombing at 6:30am central time this morning. pic.twitter.com/zhaIApW9Gr

— Joe Bonamassa (Official) (@JBONAMASSA) December 25, 2020

Slated for release in 2021, “Inverted Illusions” is the first full-length album from Colorado natives Scepter Of Eligos. The first single “Reabsorbed” is a fresh look at the band who were more sludgy in the early days, and gradually have become more psychedelic, aggressive, and dark.

What awaits with “Reabsorbed” is a chunky battering of grimey Sludge twisted together with Death Metal vocals, churning guitar work, and endless echoes of pulverizing bass tones that ripple through your ears like the tentacles of an angry old god that seeks its revenge through the means of festering Doom.

The band explains the single in their own words:

“Reabsorbed” is a descent into a dark crypt which is reflected lyrically as death being a passage to oneness with the earth and soil.

Taking inspiration from an assortment of Heavy acts, ranging from Death Metal, Doom Metal, and Heavy Rock, they write lyrics that come from vocalist Andrew’s occult practice and readings

Formed in 2012, they are no strangers to playing in bands, the vast amount of experience they have is proven with their musicianship and cohesiveness that is evident in the music.

Listeners who are looking for Metal that blurs genre lines will enjoy Scepter Of Eligos especially those who like Incantation, Weedeater, and Disfear.

“Reabsorbed” can be heard via its exclusive stream premiere on NoCleanSinging HERE.


“Inverted Illusions” comes out on January 29, 2021 and available for pre-order on Scepterofeligos.bandcamp.com.

Tracklist “Inverted Illusions”:
01. Reabsorbed
02. Biological Possession
03. Starless Chasms
04. Inverted Illusion
05. Procession of Spectres

Yoth Iria have premiered a lyric video for the song "Yoth Iria", taken from their upcoming debut album, As The Flame Withers. The record is set to drop on January 25th, 2021, via Pagan Records, and is available for pre-order here.

The band commented: "The song 'Yoth Iria' is dedicated to the entity who is our main inspiration. It is the embodiment of the dark side of pre-Christian civilisations and a reference to the dark self and the Luciferian spirit. High-priest and king, demon and angel. The music itself is in essence a hymn to him who defined the musical and lyrical direction of our band.

Swedish heavy metal band Lion's Share has made its tribute to Lemmy and Motörhead available on streaming services and digital service providers here on the fifth anniversary of Lemmy's death, December 28th, to celebrate his memory and music.

Lion's Share singer Nils Patrik Johansson says: "Lemmy is truly the definition of rock 'n' roll - and even though Lion's Share is more heavy metal than rock 'n' roll, Motörhead and Lemmy has been a great inspiration over the years. We've been talking about giving our friends and fans a surprise, and when I came up with the idea to cover 'Killed By Death', Lars (Chriss / guitarist) was all in and made a great arrangement that just didn't copy the original, which would have been pointless."

Chriss adds: "We had the pleasure of supporting Motörhead, Dio and Manowar on the Monsters Of The Millennium tour, and all the bands treated us so extremely well. Lemmy was such a great and funny person to be around. I have so many great memories from that tour. Very cool to have fellow Swede Mikkey Dee (Motörhead, Scorpions) doing the introduction to our video for the song as well. Plus, of course, the inclusion of all the great photos that Lemmy fans from all over the world sent in."

In late 2018, Lion's Share released a new five-track EP, plus its complete catalog - remastered with new artwork - on streaming services and digital service providers for the first time. The band have since released a few more digital singles, some of which will and some of which won't end up on the forthcoming full-length album.

September 25th marked 25 years since Rammstein emerged from Berlin with its debut album, Herzeleid. To celebrate the anniversary, the RammWiki page on YouTube continues to roll out rare audio and video material from the band's career. 

The latest installment is two drum play-along tracks for the songs "Waidmanns Heil" and "Bückstabü". Both original tracks are taken from Rammstein's 2009 album, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da.   

"Waidmanns Heil" includes a click-track and released via DrumHeads in June 2010. 

"Bückstabü" (better known as "B********") without drums is taken from Vic Firth Artist Series Vol. 3 - Hard + Heavy 2.

To celebrate Rammstein's first indelible impact on global hard rock history, the band and Vertigo/UMe will release limited, remastered editions of the band’s groundbreaking debut on December 4. They have released an official trailer for Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition - Remastered) featuring the CD and vinyl LP versions of the album.

Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition - Remastered) will feature the album’s original tracklist on a single CD, housed in a lavish, cross-shaped digipak with deluxe slipcase, and, for the first time ever, the remastered album with HD sound will be available digitally.

In addition, there will be a 2LP version with a slipcase containing two 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl discs with blue splatter effect. The creator of the original artwork, Dirk Rudolph, is also responsible for the Anniversary Edition packaging. The booklets also contain the original band portraits shot by Praler. Both the CD and vinyl editions are strictly limited.

Tracklisting:

"Wollt Ihr Das Bett in Flammen Sehen"
"Der Meister"
"Weisses Fleisch"
"Asche zu Asche"
"Seemann"
"Du Riechst So Gut"
"Das Alte Leid"
"Heirate Mich"
"Herzeleid"
"Laichzeit"
"Rammstein"

Last year at this time, drum legend Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, Sons Of Apollo, The Winery Dogs, The Neal Morse Band...) faced off against his daughter Melody Portnoy in a Beatles: Name That Tune challenge. Melody kicked her father's ass in 2019; watch what happened this year.

Mike Portnoy: "Forget about Ali / Frazier 2 or Tyson / Holyfield 2.... Ladies & Gentlemen, THIS is THE REMATCH we’ve all been waiting for! After Melody wiped the floor with me last year, the reigning Queen granted me a rematch this Christmas! Will she retain her title as Beatles Name That Tune Champion? Or will King Portnoy reclaim his rightful crown?" 

Check out the carnage from last year below.

Italian death metallers, Across The Swarm, have shared a bass video playthrough for the song "Own Life", taken from their latest album, Projections, available via Time To Kill Records. Check it out below.

The album was produced by Simone Mularoni and Simone Bertozzi at Domination Studios (Rhapsody, Labyrinth, Gory Blister) and mixed by Steve Wright (Dying Fetus, Misery Index). All songs feature Raphael Saini (Iced Earth, Cripple Bastards) on drums.

Tracklisting:

"Monito"
"Knowing Became Doing"
"Projections"
"Own Life"
"The Friction"
"Waiting For The Hyenas"
"Motionless"

"Knowing Became Doing" lyric video:

In a recent interview with The Metal Mixtape, KAMELOT's Thomas Youngblood spoke about the band's songwriting approach the follow-up to 2018's "The Shadow Theory" album. Expressing the need to create something engagingly familiar yet altogether unique, the guitarist said (hear audio below): "Obviously, there's a balance between making an album that fans expect but then doing things slightly different so you're not repeating yourself. And we're pretty good at that, I think. The team that I have with me are really good at going, 'Hey, we've kind of done this. Let's do something different.'

"When it comes to music, especially metal, people expect a certain thing," he continued. "So we always try to have this sort of DNA with each record, but also kind of make them different. This new album is gonna have that same kind of approach — we have a lot of different, new kind of elements or influences, but then there's gonna be stuff that people really expect and that they're, like, 'Okay, this is KAMELOT.' So it's a little bit of a balance. You don't wanna be redundant. That's definitely not our goal. We wanna have every record be different."

This past October, Youngblood told the "Rockum" radio show that he and his bandmates had "pretty much narrowed it down to 12 songs" that will be recorded for KAMELOT's new album. "We're gonna be working with Sascha Paeth again on production," he said. "And we're very excited. It's probably gonna come out the middle of next year."

In August, Youngblood told A&P Reacts that KAMELOT had 25 songs to pick from for the new LP. He said: "Having Tommy [Karevik, vocals] now as one of the songwriters has been killer; he's coming out with really cool stuff. And then, of course, Oliver [Palotai, keyboards] and myself, and having Alex [Landenburg] now as our drummer; he's got a lot of cool ideas. What a cool guy Alex is. So, yeah, it's gonna be exciting."

KAMELOT's new DVD and Blu-ray, "I Am The Empire - Live From The 013", was released in August via Napalm Records. The 21-song set was recorded at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands and includes more than 100 minutes of live music and multiple exclusive extras, including backstage interviews of all guests, bandmembers and fans. Featured guest musicians include Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN) and Lauren Hart (ONCE HUMAN).

"The Shadow Theory" was released in April 2018 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Haven" was helmed by Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Guests on the album include Hart, Jennifer Haben (BEYOND THE BLACK) and Paeth. The cover artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's "In The Light", JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked what heavy metal means to him. He responded (see video below): "Oh, it's a lot of things, but I think just to kind of coalesce it and get it down, for me, it's always been about the dynamic expression of the music. And that's the way that the basic elements of any band — the bass, the drums, guitars and vocals — they're all at this really strong, potent place with so much power and, for the most part, with so much volume that it almost defines itself.

"It's very difficult to say what is metal, because you have to really be able to absorb and experience it without slicing it and dicing it, without super-analyzing the components of a metal song or a metal band or a metal experience," he continued. "By definition, you can say the same thing about what is it about country music? What is country music? Well, country music is a lot of things, and in today's world in metal, so is metal. Where I'm from, the roots of heavy metal — the people often reference JUDAS PRIEST as being one of the originators of the heavy metal sound — it was just that moment where everything got louder. As I often say, in the '[This Is] Spinal Tap' moment, everything went to 11, you know. Everything went to 11."

Halford's autobiography, "Confess", arrived on September 29 via Hachette Books. It was written with Ian Gittins, co-writer of "The Heroin Diaries" by Nikki Sixx. In the book, Halford discusses in detail what it was like becoming the first metal icon to announce he is gay in 1998 during an MTV interview, despite knowing about his sexuality since he was 10. Although his bandmates and their management knew he was gay and were accepting, he was advised to be discreet given the macho hetero nature of the metal world. He also opens up about surviving sexual abuse, as well as his struggles with depression, substance abuse, sobriety, and the suicide of one of his former partners. He also talks about how his own suicide attempt in 1986 led him to the rehab program that saved his life.

In September, JUDAS PRIEST and Rufus Publications announced the publication of the first-ever official JUDAS PRIEST book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews.

Prior to being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, JUDAS PRIEST's spring/summer 2020 European tour was scheduled to kick off on May 30 in Helsinki, Finland and conclude on July 28 in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The band was also slated to headline the U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air festival on August 9 at Catton Park, Derbyshire.

The U.S. leg of PRIEST's "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour was due to launch September 9 in Oxon Hill, Maryland and wrap up on October 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.




What does metal mean to @judaspriest's Rob Halford? Hear the full interview on 'In the Light' on @siriusxmvolume: https://t.co/O9GiAHRBNG pic.twitter.com/cnyHCffNbW

— SiriusXM (@SIRIUSXM) December 19, 2020

On December 8, ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo was interviewed on "That Jamieson Show". You can now watch the chat below.

Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010), "Stalingrad" (2012), "Blind Rage" (2014), "The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and the upcoming "Too Mean To Die" (2021).

Asked about ACCEPT's overall approach since he came into the group, Tornillo said: "Basically, [we went] back to what we did in the '80s — what everybody did back in the day. The whole thing was, when I joined the band, Wolf [Hoffmann, guitar] did not want the band to rest on its laurels and only go out and play the classics. He wanted a real band. So we've been album-tour, album-tour — like it always was."

Mark also talked about his musical personal chemistry with Hoffmann, who is the sole remaining member from ACCEPT's classic lineup.

"It's grown quite a bit, actually," he said. "We've got a great mutual respect for each other and for our talents. This album ['Too Mean To Die'] was a total collaboration. This is the first ACCEPT album without Peter [Baltes, bass], so that was a big gap to fill. But everybody stepped up. Our [new] bass player Martin Motnik contributed quite a bit to this album."

Earlier in the month, Hoffmann told Sweden's RockSverige about his relationship with Tornillo: "Well, we've found a way to accept each other and work together, but, to be totally honest, we're not the biggest buddies in the world and probably never will be. I don't know. There's something… He grew up in New Jersey and I grew up in Germany, and maybe that has something to do with it. At least we work together really well and we respect each other, and he's a fucking brilliant singer, so it seems to work whatever recipe we've found. I'm not trying to really analyze it too much, but I can definitely say that we have different views on a lot of things, and that's okay. It seems to be working and the common ground is our music and the metal we make."

"Too Mean To Die" will be released on January 15, 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH), who has been responsible for the magnificent studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

ACCEPT's lineup has been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during last year's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

ACCEPT's last album, 2017's "The Rise Of Chaos", marked the band's first release with Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectively.

ACCEPT's latest release was "Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017", featuring the band's performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.