Mascot Records will release the 15th-anniversary limited-edition vinyl pressings of VOLBEAT's debut album, "The Strength / The Sound / The Songs", on March 26. A glow-in-the-dark pressing will be available in all shops and online, while a limited number of unique marble editions will be available through Volbeat.dk and EMP.

"The Strength / The Sound / The Songs" was first released by Mascot Records in 2005, launching the band on to the greater European music stage with bone-shaking performances at Roskilde, Download and Pinkpop. The album, which includes their first single, a cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Wanna Be With You" and fan favorites "Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza" and "Soulweeper", crashed into the Danish charts and earned the band a slew of Danish Music Awards. The album has gone on to be certified double platinum in their home country, gold in Germany and has generated over 180 million streams and (still) counting. These new limited vinyl variants celebrate both the legacy of the album and the future that will bring countless more performances of these songs to the stage.

Last August, VOLBEAT guitarist Rob Caggiano told Matt Pinfield of "Raise Your Horns" that he and his bandmates have been writing new music during the coronavirus pandemic. "Michael's [Poulsen, VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist] been writing a bunch of stuff," he said. "I've been super busy here [at home] in New York. It's really all we can do at this point — is just create and write music. There's not much else going on. So I've been super creative; they've been super creative… The past couple of months, I've just been writing music — just getting ideas out; just my own stuff. Where the stuff ends up, I'm not really sure yet. But yeah, it's been a lot of fun, just coming up with new ideas.

"Obviously, this whole coronavirus pandemic is a terrible thing, and at this point, it's gone on way too long," he added. "But I think we kind of needed a reset. I've been enjoying a lot of family time. It's nice to not be traveling all over the place for once. I haven't been idle like this in I don't even know how long — 25 years, 30 years. It's kind of crazy. But, yeah, it's a really great time to be creative and do stuff that we normally wouldn't have time to do, and things like that."

In June, Poulsen told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, that he was "very much inspired" to write new VOLBEAT songs. "I can't wait to start working on these songs in the studio when the time is right, because there's a certain energy that really, really takes me back to the beginning," he said. "There's a lot of heavy stuff in some of the new songs that I've got."

Speaking about how the new VOLBEAT music compares to 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" album, Poulsen said: "I know for sure that what I'm writing right now is not really similar. That's gonna be another different VOLBEAT album, because if I was writing an album like that again, I would be old before I want to. So right now I'm doing a lot of spontaneous VOLBEAT songs that have really a lot of… [It's] uptempo, it's heavy, it's very riffy, there's even thrash songs, but again, there's also these really huge rock songs. Right now, I'm in a place where I'm kind of revisiting some of more uptempo and more heavy stuff. So I'm very excited about my whole situation when it comes to writing for VOLBEAT."

Michael went on to discuss his songwriting process in more detail, saying: "Writing is such an emotional thing — things have to come to you very naturally and then you just have to go with the flow. You can sit down and you can ask yourself, 'Where am I going with this?' And if you try to change it, it becomes another monster, and it's not necessarily a monster you wanna work with. So you just have to go with what your heart tells you. And that's what I'm doing also right now with the stuff that I'm writing right now, because I think everybody's kind of getting crazy being locked up in their own home. We have a lot of energy we wanna burn out. Even though I run every morning, I still have a ton of energy that I need to get rid of, and I get all that energy out in the new VOLBEAT music. That's why I'm saying that what I'm writing right now is more uptempo. I's very, very, very spontaneous writing, and there's a lot of energy in it."

Last May, VOLBEAT's U.S. tour with CLUTCH and THE PICTUREBOOKS was officially canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

"Rewind, Replay, Rebound" was released in August 2019 via Republic Records. The disc was produced by longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen and co-produced by Caggiano and Poulsen. It marked VOLBEAT's the first studio album with Kaspar Boye Larsen on bass.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

In a new interview with Spain's Metal Journal, legendary German guitarist Michael Shenker was asked if he thought about approaching his former SCORPIONS bandmate Klaus Meine to contribute his vocals to a reworked version of the SCORPIONS song "In Search Of The Peace Of Mind", which appears on "Immortal", the upcoming album from MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP). Michael responded (hear audio below): "Because Klaus and I, we started COPERNICUS before we joined the SCORPIONS, I always tried to [entertain] the idea of doing something with Klaus [again]. But over the years, my brother Rudolf [Schenker, SCORPIONS guitarist] has become — he's just simply a bully."

He continued: "I'm 66; [Rudolf is] seven years older. By him not giving me the musical credit for 'In Search Of The Peace Of Mind', and then also tricking me with the 'Lovedrive' album, which I was helping them to open the doors for America for them… In 2015, when they approached me for the SCORPIONS box and I found out so many lies, I got very disappointed in Rudolf. I always supported Rudolf and said more power to him — I was so happy that he was successful. And I was happy that I was very successful in fulfilling myself as an artist. So we all got what we wanted.

"I love Rudolf as a brother, but social distance is needed, so I don't get tricked into any further inconvenient situation," Michael explained. "Rudolf is a bully, and I don't connect with bullies. It creates turbulence, and it's inconvenient… I don't wanna open another can of worms. The moment I would team up with Klaus, automatically me and Rudolf would be involved some way or another.

"I don't wanna be controlled by them," Michael said. "I have established myself in a way that I don't wanna be tricked into more inconvenient situations. The moment I connect with Rudolf — you have to understand — it will carry on just the way it did when I was 15, and it will never stop. He's a trickster. And Klaus and Rudolf, of course, they are very, very close together. And there is no point. I, actually, in the end, I cannot do anything with Phil Mogg [UFO singer] anymore or with Klaus Meine, because it just opens another can of worms.

"I don't wanna be controlled by control freaks that are chasing fame just for the sake of fame, losing respect [of] the fans, et cetera, et cetera, making a last album and then another last album and another last album and another last album. It never stops. I mean, these people have no sensitivity and respect for their fans. And so, I don't wanna be involved. I'm not like that. I'm true to myself, and I enjoy being pure as an artist.

"Rudolf and I, we have been separated for 50 years," Michael said. "We have never actually spent any time together except for the tour dates in the [SCORPIONS] 'Lonesome Crow' period, but that's it. So we're used to that anyway.

"I hope for Rudolf to find his way back to understanding what true life is about. [He's] chasing something that gives you something that in the end is not gonna make you happy, which is fame and money, et cetera, et cetera. It rarely makes anybody happy. I mean, sometimes it kills people — too much fame, it kills people; they just die. And so I don't wanna be involved in that world. And I know by connecting to Phil and to Klaus [and] Rudolf, it will just be more of the same. They're always chasing the same thing, and they're addicted to it. And when you're addicted, you don't know how to stop."

Michael gave a number of interviews in the last few years in which he said that he was "disappointed" in Rudolf over the narrative he and SCORPIONS had created about the writing and recording of 1979 album "Lovedrive". Michael added that SCORPIONS took advantage of him and took credit for his songwriting efforts, particularly as it relates to the tracks "Holiday" and "Coast To Coast".

In 2019, Rudolf dismissed Michael's criticism, telling Classic Rock magazine: "Look, I love my brother. He's a fantastic guitar player but he knows nothing about business. When we made 'Lovedrive', the band was under contract to Dieter Dierks [producer and manager]. When I asked Michael to play a solo to my composition 'Coast To Coast', we agreed a half-and-half credit, but Dieter wouldn't allow it — this related to publishing and studio costs. Michael had a signed contract with Dieter that gave him one point on the song. And we agreed to pay Michael… he had the money."

He continued: "But in 1985, when [Michael] was completely smashed and had a new MSG with Robin McAuley, Michael lived with me in my house. We flew in musicians, I did all of that for nothing on the understanding that Michael would pay me when a record label came in. But he didn't pay me anything. So I took his half to cover the bills he hadn't paid. Everything is clear. All Michael has to do is ask: 'What's happening here?' But he doesn't; instead, he gives these stupid interviews."

Rudolf added: "I still love my brother but he has always hated business matters and the only person that's to blame here is himself."

Michael Schenker first appeared on SCORPIONS' 1972 album "Lonesome Crow", earned acclaim in the 1970s on classic UFO albums such as "Phenomenon" and "Lights Out" before rejoining SCORPIONS for 1979's "Lovedrive". He departed soon thereafter to launch MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. And while his sometimes-erratic behavior have derailed parts of his career, Schenker remains one of hard rock and metal's most influential axemen.

3 DOORS DOWN is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its multi-platinum debut album "The Better Life" with three opportunities to watch the bandmembers from the safety and comfort of your living room performing live from Nashville, Tennessee. The series kicks off February 5 and will feature the band playing their debut album in its entirety for the first time plus three never-before-heard songs from their vault. The February 19 show will feature "Greatest Hits Acoustic", and March 5 "Greatest Hits Live & Electric".

The "3 X LIVE" pay-per-view series will be streamed and ticketed by Mandolin. Individual show tickets are $20, and the three-show bundle is $50. The band will be offering limited and exclusive merchandise packages, including show t-shirts, exclusive posters, and more available during each show. All shows will be available to stream on-demand for 48 hours from the original date and time. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

3 DOORS DOWN frontman and celebrated songwriter Brad Arnold shares: "I think we can all safely say 2020 is a year we all want to get behind us. We jumped when presented with the opportunity to kick-off 2021 with these PPV shows. As a band, we didn't get to play together last year, so we're looking forward to rocking these shows for our fans across the world and looking forward to hitting the road later in 2021."

Confirmed appearances:

February 5: "The Better Life" 20th Anniversary

February 19: "Greatest Hits Acoustic"

March 5: "Greatest Hits Live & Electric"

All three performances begin at: 9 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. CST / 6 p.m. PST

Formed in 1995, Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum Mississippi rock band 3 DOORS DOWN consistently captivates audiences worldwide. The quintet's many accolades include selling 20 million albums globally, receiving a Grammy nomination, two American Music Awards, and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting, including "Songwriter Of The Year." Their debut, "The Better Life", became certified seven-times RIAA platinum and was fueled by the success of juggernaut hit "Kryptonite".

3 DOORS DOWN's sixth full-length album, "Us And The Night", came out in March 2016 via Republic Records.

Back in January 2017, Arnold defended 3 DOORS DOWN's decision to perform at then-President-elect Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration", saying that "it's all about America."

The band's manager, Angus Vail, told Vice that 3 DOORS DOWN played the event because they are conservatives.

"They come from conservative families," Vail explained. "When Obama got elected, the singer [Brad] said, 'Please don't talk to my father about Obama because he thinks the world has ended.' He was just as horrified and depressed about Obama as many are about Trump. They were, like, 'It's going to be Armageddon, the whole world is going to communism and he's going to give everything away to the welfare state.'"

Asked what 3 DOORS DOWN's political beliefs are, Vail said: "3 DOORS have that 'God, guns, and country' black-and-white sort of viewpoint, and they spend a lot of time going to Iraq, doing service, playing for the troops. They believe it, and that's just the way they see America. It's pretty hard to argue with. You say, 'What about the nuances, what about the gray areas?' and they say, 'No, no, God, guns, America is the greatest country on earth.' They stick to that viewpoint."

Multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw, who has played with KING DIAMOND, SABATON, MERCYFUL FATE, THERION, DREAM EVIL and DIMMU BORGIR, among others, has announced a special album titled "This Is Heavy Metal, Plain & Simple".

Recorded during quarantine and pandemic times as a tribute to 50 years of heavy metal, a homage to a lifestyle as well as a music style, with an underlying theme of doom and gloom, the plan for the LP is for Snowy to release one song per month digitally during 2021, and by month 12 in time for Christmas, he will issue a limited-edition double vinyl album with some extra bonus tracks and outtakes.

Snowy states: "Even before the corona pandemic, the industry has been suffering for years, with poor record sales, illegal downloading and so forth. In short, the golden age in the '80s is long gone, whether one wants to acknowledge it or not. In fact, even the nu metal trend from the turn of the millenium is now by all means considered ol' metal. So perhaps, metal is getting a little rusty? That despite all the chest-thumping shoutouts from puritans that 'metal will never die!' Is the corona crisis /new world order in fact the end of an era or ultimately the death knell? Well, let's not fucking hope so, shall we?"

For this unique album, Snowy has invited lots of his teenage heroes, living legends and former bandmates and friends to participate on guest vocals or guitar solos. The list includes musicians who have played with MANOWAR, SAXON, OZZY OSBOURNE, KING DIAMOND, LIZZY BORDEN, SABATON, DEATH SS, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, MERCYFUL FATE, SOILWORK, DREAM EVIL, ARCH ENEMY, TORCH, HAMMERFALL and DARK FUNERAL.

The first track out is "Of Hell and Fire", featuring a guest appearance by the Swedish goth girl Scarlet. It is available now on all good digital platforms.

The multi-talented Shaw has been called a "worldwide underground superstar." After more than 30 years of touring the world, he has earned himself a rock-solid reputation as one of the most hard-working, multifaceted artists, with loads of groundbreaking creativity and integrity.

In 2018, his highly acclaimed solo debut "White Is The New Black" got top-notch reviews worldwide, and was named "Best Rock/Metal Album Of The Year" in five countries.

Last year, Shaw released his autobiography, "The Book Of Heavy Metal". It featured a foreword by Shaw's longtime friend, youth idol and mentor Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD, KING DIAMOND, SCORPIONS).

A DAY TO REMEMBER held a free acoustic livestream event, "A Day To Remember: Live At The Audio Compound", on Monday, January 25. The stripped-down set was broadcast on the platinum-selling band's official YouTube channel and can now be seen below. This was notably A DAY TO REMEMBER's first livestream performance.

For "Live At The Audio Compound", A DAY TO REMEMBER delivered a very special set consisting of fan favorites from its catalog and sought-after deep cuts. Additionally, they debuted "Everything We Need", a brand-new track from their widely anticipated next album, "You're Welcome", set for release March 5.

"Live At The Audio Compound" setlist:

00:54 Mindreader

03:59 I Surrender

07:49 Resentment

11:56 Already Gone

16:18 If It Means A Lot Too You

20:23 Rescue Me

24:50 Take Cover

27:32 Everything We Need

30:41 Degenerates

A DAY TO REMEMBER recently heralded "You're Welcome" with the new single "Brick Wall", which is available on all streaming platforms. Inciting critical applause, Revolver declared, "['Brick Wall'] showcases the group's signature mix of post-hardcore heaviness and pop-rock hooks," while Consequence Of Sound praised the track's "melodic beginning and a crushing ending." Forbes put it simply, "It seems A DAY TO REMEMBER are only just getting started."

Pre-orders for "You're Welcome" are live now featuring exclusive merch bundles and multiple vinyl variants of the LP. All pre-orders for "You're Welcome" will unlock instant-grat downloads of "Brick Wall" as well as the previously released singles "Degenerates", "Resentment" and "Mindreader".

Largely produced by Colin "DOC" Brittain and the band's own Jeremy McKinnon, the 14 tracks on "You're Welcome" represent another major step forward for the acclaimed quintet. Highlights include "Bloodsucker" which ravages with an infectious intensity, while "F.Y.M." spouts punk energy through an unforgettable chorus. "Viva La Mexico" builds to a stadium-sized chant backed by walls of guitars, whereas "Everything We Need" closes out the album with a plaintive melody and acoustic eloquence, once more showcasing A DAY TO REMEMBER's multifaceted songwriting.

A DAY TO REMEMBER preceded "You're Welcome" with the release of "Mindreader" last year. Since then, the track has amassed over 20 million global streams while its accompanying animated music video has generated over two million views. "Mindreader" followed early standalone singles "Degenerates" and "Resentment" which have collectively amassed over 100 million global streams. Billboard praised "Degenerates" as "an anthemic hybrid of post-hardcore and pop," while Kerrang! hailed, "'Resentment' offers a taste of the musical direction the band are heading, and will certainly tide us over until more news arrives."

On January 19th, former Porcupine Tree frontman turned solo artist Steven Wilson joined The Prog Report podcast to talk about his latest album, The Future Bites, and also pick his Top 5 best sounding Audiophile Albums. He ends up covering a wide array of albums including a few from his past.  

Wilson: "I very often say to people, if you want to look at a brilliant run of work, Elton John in the '70s is almost flawless. And the rate of work is incredible. There's something like 10 albums - two of them double - between 1970 and 1976, all of which for me are borderline masterpieces, if not full-blown masterpieces. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (released in '73) is the one that has so many of the famous songs, and the production is just flawless. The songwriting, it's got lyrics that are flawless, even the artwork is iconic."

"I'm a big Trevor Horn (Yes) fan, he's one of my big guys. I grew up really wanting to be a producer so Trevor Horn, all the stuff he did in the '80s, including 90125, but also the Frankie stuff, Grace Jones' 'Slave to the Rhythm,' these were all touchstones for me, certainly growing up. 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart'... one of the greatest pop singles of all time for me."

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider will enter the studio on Monday (Janaury 25) to begin recording the vocals for his next solo album. The upcoming disc will be the follow-up to "For The Love Of Metal", which was released in July 2018 via Napalm Records. That effort, which was produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta, featured contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST), and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

On Saturday, Dee took to his Twitter to write: "Heading into the studio today to finish demos for new album. Monday I start tracking the real vocals. Maybe if I post a mime of @BernieSanders with this message it will get more RTs and likes! LOL!"

Snider previously spoke about his upcoming solo LP during an October 2020 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "[I'm] working with the same amazing team — the Bellmore brothers, Charlie [on guitar] and Nickey. Nickey plays drums, but also is the engineer and mixer — an amazing, talented guy. And Jamey Jasta is the producer and curator. He is the gatekeeper, the master. As all ideas are brought in, they're filtered through Jamey, his ears, and have to get a thumbs-up from him before it makes it to the record. But now we no longer have to do that 'Is this gonna work?' thing. And for me, it's, 'Do I trust these guys?' I mean, I trusted them in the sense that they were friends, but when Jamey challenged me to do the metal record, I had my doubts. I don't wanna say it's doubts, but [I thought], 'How is this gonna work?' So there was an initial thing where we were all feeling each other out. Now, after two years of working together, touring with the Bellmore brothers, locking in a band with Nick 'Taz' Petrino on guitar and Russ Pizzuto on bass guitar, we come in and we don't have to waste any time with that. There is trust, we do know our direction, we do know what works for Dee Snider and for this project, and we just go full steam ahead."

Snider's latest release was "For The Love Of Metal Live!", which came out in July 2020 via Napalm Records. The DVD/Blu-ray and accompanying live album (available in various formats) features audio captured from several Snider festival performances worldwide — from the United States to Europe, Australia and beyond. In addition to tracks from Snider's solo catalog, like "I Am The Hurricane" and "For The Love Of Metal", TWISTED SISTER favorites such as "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take It", and even a cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", the audio portion of "For The Love Of Metal Live!" also features a brand new original studio track, "Prove Me Wrong".

In an interview with Chris Annunziata of the New Jersey radio station 90.3 WMSC-FM, Snider said about "For The Love Of Metal": "This is a really exciting album I did not expect to make, especially at this point in my life. I was doing Jamey Jasta's podcast, and he challenged me to make a contemporary rock record. And I was, like, 'Who's producing?' He said, 'I am.' And so we went in the studio [with] no record deal, and people started flocking [to appear on the LP]. It just amazed me, the enthusiasm and excitement that these younger musicians — younger than me, at least — had for working with Dee Snider and being a part of this project."

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.




Heading into the studio today to finish demos for new album. Monday I start tracking the real vocals. Maybe if I post a mime of @BernieSanders with this message it will get more RTs and likes! LOL!

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) January 23, 2021

BUTCHER BABIES have released the official music video for their latest single, "Sleeping With The Enemy". The song is the second taste of the band's forthcoming EP, tentatively due later this year via an as-yet-undisclosed record label.

BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Carla Harvey comments: "'Sleeping With The Enemy' is one of the most vulnerable songs we've ever written. The song is the ultimate 'own your own bullshit' song… because the first step in change is always admitting there's a problem, right?"

Singer Heidi Shepherd adds: "When face to face with what you presume as your enemy; who is it? Is it you? In 'Sleeping With The Enemy', the devil and angel on my shoulders met. This song is about hypocrisy and self realization. We can get so caught up in the rat race of life, as humans we tend to lose track of ourselves and our core values along the way. There comes a point where you look at the perceived problems in your life and realize there is one common denominator; yourself! Whether it's in the lens you look at life through or an overall attitude, there comes a point where we must turn a negative into a positive. This song is that for me."

Guitarist Henry Flury expresses: "And just when you thought we weren't going to be heavy anymore… BOOM! This is definitely a song for the stage. Can you sing and circle pit at the same time?"

Asked in a recent interview with Syfy Wire's "Metal Crush" how BUTCHER BABIES' new material differs from 2017's "Lilith", Shepherd said: "It differs a lot. You still have the classic BUTCHER BABIES metal behind us, but I found myself wanting to sing more.

"When I first started BUTCHER BABIES, I was an angry young girl, and I had a lot to scream about. I'm a happy 35-year-old woman now, so I have a lot that I wanna sing about."

BUTCHER BABIES next album will be the band's first since its split with Century Media over a year ago.

Last April, Shepherd told ELUVEITIE's "Corona Talk" that "it was a hard decision to part ways with Century Media." She explained: "Here in the U.S., the label doesn't exactly exist much here anymore. And so it was a really difficult decision. We were with them for our entire career; we've been a band for 10 years. It just wasn't working here in the States. But we do love our Century Media family."

"Lilith" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked BUTCHER BABIES' recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.

Grammy-nominated band CODE ORANGE has shared the official music video for "Autumn And Carbine". The animated clip, which was directed and animated by the band's own Eric "Shade" Balderose and Jami Morgan (NOWHERE2RUN Productions), follows CODE ORANGE into a dystopian wasteland as they confront the thieving overlords of a ruined future society. The band also utilized DIY motion capture techniques to animate the various performance scenes in the video which is streaming now on their official YouTube channel. Furthermore, CODE ORANGE has launched a limited-edition "Autumn And Carbine" shirt in its webstore, featuring 3D incarnates of each member as seen in the animated video.

CODE ORANGE's latest album, "Underneath", was released in March 2020 via Roadrunner Records. Produced by Morgan and Nick Raskulinecz with co-producer Will Yip, the LP features additional programming from Chris Vrenna, and was mixed by Yip and Balderose.

"Underneath" is available on all streaming platforms, and features the singles "Swallowing The Rabbit Whole", "Underneath" and "Sulfur Surrounding". In its wake, the band performed multiple livestream experiences, including "Back Inside The Glass" an all-immersive environmental experience placing CODE ORANGE's live show at the center of awe-inspiring virtual landscapes. It marked CODE ORANGE's third livestream of 2020, following their empty-venue record-release show "Last Ones Left: In Fear Of The End" and "Under The Skin", their first-ever stripped down performance, which is available now as a digital album on all streaming platforms. Additionally, CODE ORANGE has continued to reach fans across the globe through its "You And You Alone" livestream series, which features collaborative performances, playthroughs, and in-depth discussions and fan question-and-answer sessions broadcasting regularly on the band's official Twitch channel.

In 2019, CODE ORANGE made headlines in the professional wrestling world with the release of "Let Me In", their official entrance theme for WWE superstar "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. CODE ORANGE previously featured at WWE's NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III performing a rendition of wrestler Aleister Black's entrance theme alongside Incendiary's Brendan Garrone. "Let Me In" followed CODE ORANGE's 2018 release of "The Hurt Will Go On", a digital EP featuring "3 Knives" and "The Hunt" featuring Corey Taylor, as well as "The Hurt Will Go On" (Shade Remix), an official remix of CODE ORANGE's "Hurt Goes On" helmed by the band's guitarist and vocalist Shade.

In 2017, CODE ORANGE flipped the heavy music world on its head with their breakthrough album "Forever", a collection that masterfully mixed hardcore aggression with urgent industrial textures, earning the band a breakthrough Grammy nomination and top placement on several "Best of 2017" lists, including Rolling Stone's "20 Best Metal Albums of 2017", Revolver's "20 Best Albums of 2017" and The Independent's "Top 20 Rock & Metal Albums of 2017."

Nuclear Blast Records has announced the signing of SILVER LAKE, the solo project of AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen.

Esa made good use of his coronavirus downtime in 2020 and fulfilled an old dream of his by recording his first solo album at the Sonic Pump studios.

"As some of you might have noticed, I've been working on my first solo album," he says. "Well, actually, I'd rather call this a project which I'm leading as it includes different musicians and vocalists that I've had great privilege to meet during these years.

"I've had this idea in the back of my head for years and now that COVID-19 hit hard on all of us, it was time to be creative and start this project.

"The project is titled SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen and I am really happy to announce that SILVER LAKE is now signed to Nuclear Blast, which was a very obvious choice as NB is also AMORPHIS's record label and I know all the label personnel super well. Another natural move is that Grey Beard Concerts & Management is managing my solo stuff as well.

"I look forward to revealing more news about the artists who are collaborating with me in SILVER LAKE."

Markus Staiger, owner and CEO of Nuclear Blast Tonträger Produktion und Vertriebs GmbH, adds: "An old friendship of almost three decades that goes back to the very beginnings of AMORPHIS connects me to Esa Holopainen. Back then we just licenced the band from Relapse for the European market.

"Esa Holopainen is a remarkable guitarist, whose innovative way of playing is super recognizable. You can hear it right away if he's involved, and it was just natural for us to work together in releasing his solo album.

"I was so surprised of how diverse the final product sounded and how Esa keeps revealing hidden sides of his music. The fact that many friends worked on the album as guests just makes this fantastic record complete and I'm convinced that not only fans of AMORPHIS will love it.

"I want to thank Esa for his loyalty and this truly beautiful jewel of an album."

AMORPHIS's latest album, "Queen Of Time", was released in May 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" included the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs. In addition, this was the first time that people were able to hear AMORPHIS lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on the album, as he contributed a speech in Finn

Chris Jericho has responded to Sebastian Bach over allegations that the FOZZY frontman uses pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances.

The former SKID ROW vocalist initially accused Jericho of "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post last July. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".

In the months that ensued, Bach brought up Jericho's alleged lip syncing on several occasions, most recently earlier this month in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly. Asked specifically about his feud with Chris, Sebastian said: "I have an open mind about everyone. If I read on Blabbermouth.com [sic] that some band says, 'We're the future of rock 'n' roll and we are the next thing after THE ROLLING STONES,' I think, this must be incredible! What have I been missing out on? So, I checked out one video during which the singer was 100% miming to a tape on stage at The Rockpile in Toronto. I thought to myself, 'That's weird, that's not the next ROLLING STONES.' So, I watch another video where he was opening up for NICKELBACK in an arena and, again, he's miming to a tape. You can go watch it for yourself. Then someone said, 'Here's a clip of him singing live. Legit, bro.' And it's him miming to a tape again. It's crazy obvious. It is not my opinion, it's fact. It is not me starting a fight. But don't tell me what singing live is, 'cause I have never used tape. I don't even know how to do that."

Bach also addressed the fact that Jericho accused him of having a less-than-original stage name after Sebastian slammed Jericho for copying the name of a SKID ROW tour for FOZZY.

"I switched a couple of letters of my legal last name [Bierk]. Who's Mongoose McQueen?" Bach asked, referring to Jericho's original FOZZY stage name. "What kind of a stage name is that?

"How about this: professional wrestling sucks," he added. "Everyone wishes they were a rock star. It hilarious. Evidently, all you have to do is [record] a tape, go on stage, and jump around. You can jump off the drum riser and do jumping jacks. It doesn't matter if you are miming to tape."

Earlier today (Monday, January 25), Chris took to his Twitter to write: "I've been told that @sebastianbach continues to go out of his way to bury me. My response is this...be my guest! You are entitled to ur opinion & it doesn't affect me either way. I still dig ur work on the first 3 @OfficialSkidRow albums & look forward to ur new record."

When Bach first went public with his Jericho accusation, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward called Sebastian "universally disliked" and said that seeing Bach "publicly go after the only guy that I have ever witness utter a nice word about him is sad."

Sebastian, who has been outspoken about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live shows, later tried to explain his outburst, writing: "I'm not trying to beat anybody at anything. I'm actually trying to say hey Chris maybe you're right maybe I'll stop singing live and prance around while the tape is playing just like you do Chris. I'm tired of trying so hard it's like beating my head against the wall."

After a self-proclaimed Bach fan called Sebastian "an asshat" on Twitter for firing "the first shots" in his war of words with Jericho, Bach came back with: "Hey man f*** you. I have spent my life learning how to sing live on stage. When someone comes along and mimes to a tape it sucks for all of the rest of us that don't. You want to go see a wrestling match good. Don't call it rock and roll".




I’ve been told that @sebastianbach continues to go out of his way to bury me. My response is this...be my guest! You are entitled to ur opinion & it doesn’t affect me either way. I still dig ur work on the first 3 @OfficialSkidRow albums & look forward to ur new record.

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) January 25, 2021

Drumtalk, the video podcast by German drummer and videographer Philipp Koch, has released a one-hour video tribute to late CYNIC drummer Sean Reinert, who passed away a year ago. Included in the tribute are interviews with some of Reinert's colleagues and bandmates, among them Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL, DEATH), Tomas Haake (MESHUGGAH), Dirk Verbeuren (MEGADETH) and Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, DEATH), as well as a lot of previously unreleased footage.

Reinert was found unresponsive at his San Bernardino, California home on January 24, 2020. According to TMZ, he was transported to a hospital, but after life-saving measures proved ineffective, he was pronounced dead upon arriving.

Reinert was a founding member of CYNIC, along with guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal, and he remained in the group until September 2015.

In 1991, Reinert and Masvidal joined the legendary Florida band DEATH to record the "Human" album. After touring with DEATH, they returned to CYNIC.

1993 saw the release of CYNIC's debut album, "Focus", which is regarded as a landmark LP in the field of technical/progressive metal. After CYNIC's initial split, Reinert and Masvidal relocated to Los Angeles, where they continued working with music by writing and performing for television shows and motion pictures.

In 1999, Reinert helped Masvidal form ÆON SPOKE, which was described as an "ethereal rock" band. In 2007, CYNIC reformed for a tour and recorded a new album, "Traced In Air", which was released in 2008 and followed by more touring. After "Traced In Air", CYNIC issued two conceptual EPs, "Re-Traced" (2010) and "Carbon-Based Anatomy" (2011). Sean's final recorded appearance with CYNIC was "Kindly Bent To Free Us", which came out in February 2014 via Season Of Mist.

Reinert played his last shows with CYNIC in September 2015 in Japan. He later said that the "performances were not up to par" and blamed the band's lack of preparation on "the accumulation of differences in musical directions and business practices."

After his exit from CYNIC, Sean was involved with the Los Angeles progressive rock group PERFECT BEINGS, whose latest album, "Vier", was released in January 2018 via InsideOut Music.

Tuscany, Italy-based metallers, Angel Martyr, will release their new studio album on February 19. It will be available on CD and on all digital platforms via Iron Shield Records.

The album, titled Nothing Louder Than Silence, offers 10 tracks made of a pure heavy metal sound, on which dark atmospheres stand out thanks to the contents dealt by the lyrics: ranging from theology, to psychology, to investigating the meanderings of the human soul.

Frontman Tiziano “Hammerhead” Sbaragli: "This album will be more mature than our previous one. I'm not only talking about the riffs and the songwriting but, above all, it’s about the sound and the vocal interpretation of each song. When it comes to the style, we stay true to ourselves: it’s still a pure heavy metal sound with no compromise."

Tracklisting:

"Black Rose On A Frozen Grave" (intro)
"The Legion Of The Black Angels"
"Forgotten Metal"
"Black Twin Rising"
"Climbing The Walls Of The Abyss"
"Marked By The Woodblade"
"Reckless Master"
"Nothing Louder Than Silence"
"The Arrival In Geresenes’ Land"
"My Name Is Legion"

Ten Years After are best known for their Platinum selling album A Space In Time, which featured the Top 40 hit "I'd Love To Change The World", and their prodigious performance appearance at the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York, August 1969. Their rendition of "I'm Going Home" was featured in both the subsequent film and soundtrack album and catapulted them to star status.

Original members Ric Lee and Chick Churchill have continued this legacy and are now rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Marcus Bonfanti and bass icon Colin Hodgkinson. A Sting In The Tale was engineered and produced by Bonfanti at his ‘Cricklewood Green’ Studios in Cricklewood, North London and mixed by acclaimed Canadian mix engineer Doug Organ in Edmonton, Canada. The four bonus live tracks, including “I’d Love To Change The World” were recorded during a subsequent tour in Erfurt, Germany.

As Drummer Ric Lee states, “The creative process of the studio album was a joy. Writing and recording together, being able to construct songs that reflect the personalities, memories and experiences of each of the members was extremely satisfying. We’re very happy that Deko suggested adding four ‘live’ bonus tracks to make this the DeLuxe Edition."

The title A Sting In The Tale reflects the same sentiment Ric & Chick wished to convey in the 2015 live album The Name Remains The Same. Through the new lineup the music continues to evolve and grow fifty years on. The sound of the band will always be heavily rooted in the way they paved the way during the late sixties and early seventies and will never forget its incredible heritage. This new record is the ‘Sting’ in the continuing Tale of Ten Years After.

Deko Entertainment Bruce Pucciarello on Ten Years After joining the Deko family, “Their story is legend and working with these guys at DEKO has been a privilege. The album, classic organic contemporary, forward, it just rocks. You put it on…you can’t just listen once.”

The subject material on the album ranges from childhood memories of growing up in post war Britain, songs of love lost to the rock n roll lifestyle as well as sincere odes to a life well lived. They pay homage to the steam train drivers of the past and guitar heroes of the future as well as other interesting characters the band have encountered since they embarked on this journey over fifty years ago. Featuring tracks like “Land of Vandals”, “Suranne Suranne”, and “Up in Smoke” this album has critics raving.

Watch a video for "Suranne Suranne" below.

There are limited edition bundles (while supplies last), which can be ordered here.

Product Includes:

- One (1) Ten Years After - A Sting In The Tale (Deluxe Edition) CD
- One (1) Ten Years After Tee
- One (1) Ten Years After Tote Bag
- One (1) Ten Years After Autographed Photo

A Sting In The Tale (Deluxe Edition) tracklisting:

"Land Of The Vandals"
"Iron Horse"
"Miss Constable"
"Up In Smoke"
"Retired Hurt"
"Suranne Suranne"
"Stoned Alone"
"Two Lost Souls"
"Diamond Girl"
"Last Night Of The Bottle"
"Guitar Hero"
"Silverspoon Lady"
"Land Of The Vandals" (live)
"Last Night Of The Bottle" (live)
"Silverspoon Lady" (live)
"I’d Love To Change The World" (live)

"Suranne Suranne" video:

Maryland's melodic shredtastic twisted triumvirate known as Book Of The Dead just dropped a brief snippet of brand new material taken from their forthcoming as-yet-untitled debut full length release.

Book Of The Dead are currently in the studio working through the recording process, and while the upcoming album does not have a concrete street date, tentative plans are leaning toward a summer 2021 release time frame.

 

 

 

 



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Book Of The Dead also teased some brand new artwork:

The 3-piece death metal troupe features members of Visceral Disgorge, and Whisteria Cottage, along with an infusion of fresh blood to complete the triumvir. The band's debut EP, Bound In Flesh, Inked In Blood, was released last April via Rebel Pyro Musick, with an exclusive limited edition run of physical copies which quickly sold out. The EP is still available as a digital download, as well as streaming, on all platforms.

Bound In Flesh, Inked In Blood was produced by Robert Polanco at Espaiatt Studios in Baltimore, MD, with mixing and mastering handled by the one and only Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, CA. The brutal artwork for the album was created by Blackdotx.

Book Of The Dead is:

Charlie Marvel - Lead/Rhythm Guitar/Bass/Drums
Wes Walker - Lead/Rhythm Guitar
Mike Comegys - Vocals

SLAUGHTER frontman Mark Slaughter recently spoke to 80's Metal Recycle Bin about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting.

"The grunge thing, I think, was a natural course of many events," he explained (see video below). "A lot of people are, like, 'Grunge killed this.' It wasn't that. I think there was a lot of bands that became a lot of industry that was creating these bands that was not what the bands were. I mean, it was, like, they'd sign the band, then they'd get get a writer, a producer, and these people, and those songwriters and those people, and those hair stylists and those people, and by the time they were done, the band they signed was not even the band that they really signed. They had created a whole different monster, which is the monster of music business. And I think that a lot of bands lost their way and really were not able to do that.

"In the grunge scene, they say that grunge killed our style of music. No — it was people in the business that killed this music," Mark insisted. "What happened is the largest radio station in the world, MTV, had a new president, who was a programmer of KROQ in California, and he said to Billboard magazine, 'I will never play MÖTLEY CRÜE, SLAUGHTER, POISON…' — he named all the bands that were right on top at the time. And the next week, we were off all the playlists. It's, like, the tide just completely turned. And everybody was, like, 'What happened?' Well, the industry made a change.

"In mid-'90s, we were running around on a tour bus barely keeping the gas going. It was a very rough time. But the thing is for us, music is art, music is life, and that's what we did."

Slaughter's second solo album, "Halfway There", was released in 2017 via EMP Label Group.

SLAUGHTER has not released a studio album since 1999's "Back To Reality".