After four years of hard work, the new Morrigu album, In Turbulence, will be released on April 23, 2021. With eight strong and varied songs, the record is the implementation of a concept of collaboration between Morrigu and multiple artists. Musically, it is a cross section of all previous albums that the band has released, with Morrigu’s music appealing to fans of Amorphis, Dark Tranquility, and Evergrey.

"A Funeral Of Liberty" is the first video/single from the album. Watch the clip below:

As the band wanted the best quality for their music - and to work with real instruments instead of sampling - they asked musicians from all over the world to work with them, including Adrian Erlandsson (At The Gates, The Haunted) on drums. Together with the experience of Adrian and Jakob Herrmann (who engineered the recordings in his Top Floor Studio) they got the drum sound that they had always dreamed of.

Like with the last album, Jens Bogren (Opeth, Arch Enemy, At The Gates) was commissioned for the mastering. Various artists were also hired for the album artwork, with Niklas Sundin (Dark Tranquility, In Flames, Soilwork) drawing the phoenix on the front cover.

Morrigu lineup:
Severin Binder - Guitars Acoustic Guitars, Synths
Mirko Binder - Bass
Luca Neukom - Guitars

Additional musicians:
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums (At The Gates, The Haunted)
Ricardo Jorge Borges Rodrigues - Vocals (Clamaty Islet, Forbidden To Fly)

Guest musicians:
Moonchild Shi / Ethnic Vocals

On Saturday, January 30 at 7:15 PM, CET, an alliance of Stockholm’s finest metal acts including heavy metal legends Wolf (pictured above), epic doom lords Sorcerer, progressive death metallers Descend and the tough, gritty 70’s sound hardrockers Lugnet, will join forces during an almost 5-hour live stream called “Stream Bloody Stream”. Each band will perform a 45-minute live set from a professional stage setting in Stockholm’s famous Popskolan. The show, as well as tickets, available here.

During the change-overs, host Henrik ‘Henke’ Brannerydh - known from the Swedish podcast “Rockpodden” - will take the audience for a backstage experience and in-depth interviews with the bands.

Wolf comments: “With the pandemic putting an unimaginable halt to concerts and festivals and the realization that live music for obvious reasons cannot be brought to performing venues anytime soon, an alliance of Stockholm’s metal alliance has united to begin 2021 with a message of faith and solidarity!”

Running order (headliner on top):

Wolf
Sorcerer
Descend
Lugnet

Timing for the live stream:

CET - 7:15 PM
UK - 6:15 PM
Moscow - 9:15 PM
New York 1:15 PM
Los Angeles 10:15 AM
Tokyo 3:15 AM (January 31st)
Melbourne 5:15 AM (January 31st)

Wolf are currently busy writing new material for their upcoming album, which is scheduled for late 2021. This will be their follow-up Feeding The Machine, which was released in March 2020.

(Photo - Theres Bjork / stephansdotter.com)

Metal/heavy music band, Sidewalk Mafia, have released a new single, "This Frozen Paradise", via Germany's Blood Rite Records. Listen below, and find the single at Spotify.

The band, which is based in Helsinki, Finland, immediately signed record deal with the German record company, Blood Rite Records. Later on this spring, an EP with four more songs will be released, and a full-length album in the fall.

The band operates as a duo, but in a gig situation, the band is a trio with a guest bassist. The band describes their music as a "crushing metal experience, which crossing over genres as well if needed. Songs can be slow or fast, but guaranteed with the emotion and attitude."

Swedish band Wardenclyffe, who are influenced by the doom/thrash sound from the early 90s, are now finalizing their second album, Temple Of Solomon, in Studio Hufvudstaden with Kristian Karlsson, known from band like Cult Of Luna and PG Lost, as producer. The composer Koen van Baal, a master creator of cinematic soundscapes who has worked with bands like Scorpions, will also create an EP based on some tracks from the Temple of Solomon album.

The band, with experienced members from the likes of Captor, Misericordia, Terrorama, Griftegård, Dautha and Godhead Machinery, released the highly acclaimed album Control All Delete in 2015 and the single "The Omega Point" later the same year.

(Photo: Martin Wilson)

 

The first single track “Georgia Guidestones/Evilution” from the coming album was originally released as a soundtrack CD to the singer and scholar Dr. Jacob Nordangård’s best-selling book Den Globala Statskuppen (The Global Coup D’état), published on December 21, 2020. This single is now also available on Spotify and all other digital platforms and is one of the darkest and rawest tracks from the forthcoming album. Listen below.

The band concept is interwoven with Jacob Nordangård’s writing and research and has musically taken inspiration from the early decades of hard rock and metal but with a modern finish. The upcoming Temple Of Solomon album aims to take the listener on an adventure that warns of the horrors of a technocratic megalomaniac regime but also predicts that their sinister plan ultimately will fail.

Nordangård has a PhD in Science and Technology Studies, is an experienced lecturer and has published five revealing books about global politics and power play. The latest book describes the ongoing effort by global elites to digitize the world and ultimately cybernetically alter the human being in order to ”save the world”. The book will be available in English in the spring of 2021 and the album Temple Of Solomon in mid 2021.

SMITH/KOTZEN, the electrifying collaboration between guitarists and vocalists Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, will release its self-titled debut album on March 26 via BMG. Part-time Los Angeles neighbors, full time friends with a healthy mutual respect. Both artists are seasoned performers on the global stage, having honed their skills throughout their careers to create their own unique musical sound.

Track listing:

01. Taking My Chances

02. Running

03. Scars

04. Some People

05. Glory Road

06. Solar Fire

07. You Don't Know Me

08. I Wanna Stay

09. 'Til Tomorrow

Debut track "Taking My Chances" sets the tone for this brand new partnership between two rock music trail-blazers. Recorded in Turks & Caicos at the start of 2020, the song is evocative of the classic rock bands of the 1970s, brought bang up to date with punchy hooks, harmonies and sheer guitar virtuosity.

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.

Adrian comments, "I think Richie and I complement each other really well. He's a virtuoso guitarist but he's got a great sense of melody — the whole thing just felt very natural."

Richie adds: "We found common ground in classic and blues-based rock — we both come from that mentality. We've been writing and recording together for the past year and I'm ecstatic with the results."

As the gloriously heavy and brilliantly catchy "Taking My Chances" shows, rock fans around the globe will be delighted at the first taste of this marriage-made-in-guitar-and-vocal heaven.

Kotzen alluded to his project with Smith during a February 2020 interview with the "Another FN Podcast". At the time, he said: "I don't like talking about things until they're finished, but if you look at the photographs [on my Instagram] and who I'm with, and that sort of thing, you could assume that there may be a collaboration in the works."

He added: "It's very surreal, because it's a band that I grew up with; it was one of my favorite bands forever, and one of my first hard rock concerts. So it's very surreal. Very cool. [I'm] very excited."

Smith is currently promoting his memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", which was released in September via Virgin Books.

Last February, Kotzen released his 22nd solo album, "50 For 50", via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc. The three-disc collection is just what the title implies: a collection of 50 previously unreleased compositions produced, performed and written by Kotzen in honor of his birthday. It's the follow-up to his critically acclaimed "Salting Earth" album, which came out in April 2017 via Headroom-Inc.

Maiden United, the acoustic Iron Maiden tribute project, have checked in with the following announcement:

"The world is in lockdown, so let’s do a worldwide livestream for all and everyone: Maiden uniteD: Live from Theater De Schalm, Veldhoven (NL)Saturday Feb 6th – 20:00 CET / 2:00pm EST / 11:00am PST.

Tickets (worldwide) are available at this location, or send an email to info@MaidenuniteD.com. You will receive one streaming link per ticket.

Maiden uniteD would like to thank you for buying a livestream ticket for this show. We definitely can use this support in hard times and hope to meet you on Feb 6th / 7th online. Keep an eye on this page and / or MaidenUnited.com for more info."

Maiden United recently released this new video, featuring a performance of "The Evil That Men Do" from Koninklijk Theater in Carre, Amsterdam on January 27, 2018.

Lineup:

Vocals: Damian Wilson, Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation)
Guitar: Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation), Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden)
Bass: Joey Bruers (Up The Irons)
Cello: Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica)
Piano: Huub van Loon (The Dirty Daddies)
Hammond: Thijs Schrijnemakers (Orgel Vreten)
Drums: Mike Coolen (Within Temptation)

Maiden United previously released a video of "Wasted Years" from the same show.

Japanese drum prodigy Yoyoka Soma, who has become a YouTube sensation and attracted the attention of KISS icon Gene Simmons, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, has posted a one-take cover of the Deep Purple classic "Speed King". Check it out below.

Yoyoka recently uploaded her cover of the Deep Purple classic "Burn". Many fans wrote to Ian Paice suggesting he check out the clip, which he did, and his reaction is below.

Watch to the end, as the last four minutes feature Paice offering his thoughts on Yoyoka's skills, saying "You see something like that and it makes you smile. It just makes you happy. It's what it's all about. There's a young persom there, she found something that she loves, and she's going for it 100%."  

Yoyoka previously teamed up with Paulie Z, bassist Koichi Terasawa (ex-SLY) and guitarist Satsuma3042 to record a lockdown cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Over The Mountain". Check it out below.

Toronto's Scarlet Sins, who called it quits in 2009 after several years together and only one album (released in 2008), performed two reunion shows in late 2019, on October 19th and November 2nd in Ottawa and Toronto respectively. Since then they have been working on new material and have checked in with the following update:

"A new year and new goals for Scarlet Sins! 

We are still working on our album and currently getting our website created so that we can have a merch store again since many of you have been asking. We are so excited by how we have evolved as people and it’s only natural that you will hear this in our music. 

As a fun side project, Cris (guitars) is hosting an online songwriting workshop for kids between 10 - 18 during the first week of February in response to the continued lockdown here in Canada. Sylvia (vocals) and Monica (guitars) will also be participating and sharing their knowledge and love of songwriting. As mothers, we can feel how our children are suffering and we want to give them the joy of music, the one thing that saved us many times in our lives. Stay tuned for details.
 
We are so grateful for your support after all these years. It means the world to us and the love you show us inspires us to keep creating music. We love you."

Scarlet Sins recently re-released their debut album via Bandcamp with the following message: "Time to be reborn... our album is available on BandCamp. Stream or download."

It is available for streaming and for purchase below.

Scarlet Sins by Scarlet Sins

The tracklist is as follows:

"Let Go" 
"Drown" 
"Above Ground" 
"Own Truth" 
"With You" 
"Reborn" 
"Strangelove" 
"Are You Worth It" 
"Backstabber"  
"Broken" 
"Fire Inside"  
"Entre" 
"No Arguments"

Watch the band's official Facebook page for updates here.

Disney has announced details on the US premiere of the Japanese Disney+ original special, My Music Story: Yoshiki, which will debut on Friday, February 5th.

Yoshiki is the internationally-renowned leader / drummer of X Japan, named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history." In the Disney+ original, which is subtitled in English, Yoshiki performs reimagined versions of two Disney classics: "Let It Go" from Frozen and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King, along with his own compositions. Yoshiki also gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at his recording process and how he shaped the arrangements in his Hollywood studio.

Yoshiki comments: "Regarding this film, I'm a little surprised (in a good way) that Yoshiki : My Music Story will be released in the United States, because this film is almost all Japanese language (with subtitles). Thank you to my fans!"

On October 29th, 2020 X Japan drummer Yoshiki uploaded pro-shot video of the band performing their classic single "Week End" live without an audience. This was part of a live broadcast. Check it out below, watch for more footage in the near future.

Helsinki street rockers Plastic Tears have signed with Wormholedeath Records for the worldwide release of their forthcoming album, Anthems For Misfits. The album will be distributed by The Orchard / Aural Music Group.

Plastic Tears comment: “We’re truly excited and honoured to announce Plastic Tears will be joining forces with Wormholedeath Records for the release of our next album, Anthems For Misfits. The staff at Wormholedeath have been really supportive and excited about our album with great, but realistic expectations. Worm seems to understand us and we’re looking forward to this cooperation, and hoping it will open some new doors for us and help us spread our rock’n’roll message to a wider audience. The new album is our most solid so far. The songs range from punk rock to bluesy pop, and everything in between - still sounding like the Plastic Tears. We’re known for playing rock’n’roll with a punky edge, and that’s what you get - spiced with a little bit of musical this and that.”

Anthems For Misfits cover art and tracklisting:

"Doomsday Girls"
"Riot Zone"
"Clash In The Night"
"Look Of Lies"
"Hallucinations"
"Divine"
"Radar Eyes"
"Restless Outsider"
"Nobody Likes A Crybaby"
"Candlelight Hate Affair"
"Communication"
"Imaginary Virgin Mary"

"Communication":

Plastic Tears is a rock band from Helsinki, Finland with a sleazy, dark glam, punk attitude. The band mixes classic rock with pop, punk, hard rock and glam for a unique sound. Plastic Tears' career has been colorful, and includes enough drama for a soap opera. ​Plastic Tears has signed a deal with Wormholedeath Records who will release their fourth album, Anthems For Misfits, in 2021.

The album boldly transcends genre boundaries and is Plastic Tears' most versatile release, nonetheless faithful to the band’s distinctive sound. Anthems For Misfits displays twelve songs with an appropriate proportion of attitude, character, dynamics and catchy melodies. The band sees the new release as a natural continuation to their previous album, Angels With Attitude. As the new album is even stronger than its predecessor, the band has high expectations toward it and are sure fans of rock’n’roll, and music in general, are gonna love it!

 

Rob Gravelle, guitarist of veteran Canadian heavy metal act Ivory Knight, has teamed up with Richard Fullerton, frontman extraordinaire of the Led Zeppelin tribute act Mothership, to release a cover of the classic Zeppelin track "No Quarter".

Rob Gravelle · No Quarter

In addition to playing in Ivory Knight, and recording the Knightfall CD with Annihilator's Jeff Waters in 2009, Rob has been releasing digital singles since 2008, when he covered The Police's "Synchronicity II". In addition to re-recording classic rock songs, Rob has also produced original progressive instrumental music, including a rendition of the Bugs Bunny animated classic, "The Rabbit Of Seville".

"No Quarter" (featuring Richard Fullerton) can be streamed on Rob's Soundcloud page and is also available as a digital single from online music stores such as Amazon and iTunes.

 

Death blues duo 20 Watt Tombstone have issued a video for their cover of "Midnight Train To Memphis" by Chris Stapleton. The track is from the band's new EP, The Year Of The Jackalope, which came out last Friday. The track was recorded by Jeff Hamilton (Violent Femmes).

The band commented, "We were unbelievably flattered that Jeff Hamilton wanted to work with us. I was a big fan of the Violent Femmes. I think he killed the track for this. Unfortunately, due to Covid and no touring, we lacked the funds to shoot a proper video. We decided to try and shoot the video for this ourselves in my basement. We had some help with edits, but we shot the whole thing ourselves with go-pros and for a first time effort we are pretty pleased. We are really excited to share it with people, the response has been a lot better than we anticipated!"

If ever there were a way to see in the new year, it’s by the arrival of the Jackalope, heralded by 20 Watt Tombstone. A self-styled ‘death-blues’ duo, they have kicked up a racket over the last few years as they’ve dragged their tour van through most of the US and several parts of Europe. While road dogging is the band’s main passion, it figures they put together some highway-worthy tunes. After proving their worth in their own material, it’s time to highlight just a couple of their wide-ranging influences on this two-punch record.

On the A-side of this record comes a feel-good rocker - the working man’s rock of ZZ Top with their underrated “Just Got Paid”. The effortless slide guitar licks carry the perfect level of twang - while everything has undoubtedly been recorded live as 20 Watt Tombstone’s previous releases, they’ve cleaned up their act and it all sounds much crisper. Mitch Ostrowski’s drumming is no slack either, as he bangs down hard on his kit in perfect synchronicity.

The flipside of the record, however, takes a darker turn; it has a thundering version of “Midnight Train To Memphis” by Chris Stapleton. The name may not mean much outside of Southern rock and Americana circles, but his influence as a songwriter reaches widely into pop, country, and rock n’ roll. As such it’s only fitting to pay tribute to a man who has done so much for music. And tribute is paid - there is a wonderful gritty tone from the voice of the tower that is Tom Jordan, as he stretches out the chorus lines detailing a prisoner’s life.

And that’s all, folks. A small teaser of 20 Watt Tombstone’s heaviness, more focused on the blues side than the death side this time. If it is indeed the Year of the Jackalope and its scary face, then it is with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that we await for further material to emerge. Long live Wisco Disco!

Get your copy now at this location.

 

 

"You know when it comes to hot sauces, no one got this game down better than Kataklysm," says vocalist Maurizio Iacono.

"We are proud to introduce two new additions as promised!"

- Focused To Destroy You registers an over 1 000 000 scoville score, is made with smokey trinidad scorpion peppers, features an amazing taste, and has an instant bite of heat

- The Killshot is full of tangy and spicy aged Jalapeno peppers, and tastes delicious on everything

Limited quantities are available now exclusively at this location.

 

Nottingham (UK) based tech death metal unit Beyond Grace officially signed deal with Prosthetic Records for the release of their next full length. The latter was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott (Abysmal Dawn frontman) at Tastemaker Audio. For a preview, give a spin to the first single "Fearmonger". Additional details coming soon.

Statement from the band: "We've been teasing something big for a while, and now we can finally announce that we've officially signed to Prosthetic Records for the release of our next album! You can get the first taste of that here via our new single/video for "Fearmonger", courtesy of ERD Visual Media and Tastemaker Audio, which can also be picked up from Bandcamp."

Frontiers Music Srl announces the debut album from Heart Healer, an ambitious new project by revered Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson. The debut album, The Metal Opera By Magnus Karlsson, will be released on March 12. Pre-order/pre-save the album here, and watch a video for "Into The Unknown" featuring Noora Louhimo, below.

Heart Healer's debut album, The Metal Opera By Magnus Karlsson, is an epic metal opera featuring seven absolutely awesome vocalists playing different characters to weave an epic tale. It's a wonderful mix of up-and-coming talent and established artists including Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires, Sascha Paeth's Masters Of Ceremony, Avantasia), Netta Laurenne (Smackbound, Laurenne/Louhimo), Youmna Jreissati (Ostura), Ailyn (Her Chariot Awaits, ex-Sirenia), Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast), Margarita Monet (Edge Of Paradise), and Anette Olzon (The Dark Element, ex-Nightwish). A series of "Meet The Singers" videos can be found below.

Heart Healer's debut is a stunning piece of work, the culmination of more than 20 years of  blood, sweat, and tears put into writing and performing music by one of the most esteemed musicians and producers in the European metal scene. Karlsson's resume includes, but is not limited to, Last Tribe, Allen/Lande, Primal Fear, Kiske/Somerville, The Ferrymen, and his other project, Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall.

For this latest endeavour, Karlsson worked on his biggest and boldest production to date, enlisting some world class orchestra musicians and weaving in no less than seven outstanding singers, who appear as various characters over the course of the story told on Heart Healer's metal opera.

Musically, The Metal Opera By Magnus Karlsson can only be described with one word: grandiose. Arrangements, performances, and production, everything is over the top and while Magnus Karlsson’s signature style can easily be recognized, there is a Hans Zimmer soundtrack feeling to it all.   

The opera is about The Heart Healer, a character played by the awesome Adrienne Cowan, who wakes up with no memory and does not know who she is. She soon finds out that she can heal people with just a touch of her hand, but every time she does, she gets weaker. On her journey to find out who she really is, she meets new characters who want to help her, those who want her help, and those who are scared of her and start to hunt her.

"I have worked with so many amazing singers in my career, but mostly male singers,” says Magnus. "I have of course worked with some incredible female singers such as Noora Louhimo, Amanda Somerville, and Anette Olzon, for example. But I really wanted to write for and record with more female singers and this was a perfect opportunity. I also saw that my label Frontiers had signed a lot of awesome bands with female singers and that also got me inspired. Of course I want to have the best singers, but I also want to have different kinds of singers. They all have very unique voices and sing in different styles, which is very important for a project like this.”

While it is true there’s a lot of symphonic metal out there and metal operas have been done before, Karlsson adds, "I think this has something different. It’s not just a bunch of songs. It’s a journey with epic music and beautiful voices.”   

Tracklisting:

"Awake" ft. Adrienne Cowan
"Come Out Of The Shadows" ft. Youmna Jreissati, Margarita Monet, Netta Laurenne
"Who Can Stand All Alone" ft. Anette Olzon, Adrienne Cowan
"Back To Life" ft. Ailyn, Margarita Monet, Adrienne Cowan
"Into The Unknown" ft. Noora Louhimo
"When The Fire Burns Out" ft. Netta Laurenne, Ailyn, Youmna Jreissati
"Evil’s Around The Corner" ft. Noora Louhimo, Adrienne Cowan
"Mesmerized" ft. Anette Olzon
"Weaker" ft. Adrienne Cowan
"This Is Not The End" ft. Adrienne Cowan, Ailyn, Youmna Jreissati, Netta Laurenne, Noora Louhimo, Margarita Monet, Anette Olzon

"Into The Unknown" video:

Lineup:

Magnus Karlsson
Anders Köllerfors
Daniel Tengberg
Erika Sävström Engman

Meet The Creator: Magnus Karlsson:

Vocalists (in alphabetical order):

Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires, Sascha Paeth's Masters of Ceremony)
Ailyn Gimenez (Her Chariot Awaits, ex-Sirenia)
Youmna Jreissati (Ostura)
Netta Laurenne (Smackbound)
Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast)
Margarita Monet (Edge of Paradise)
Anette Olzon (Dark Element, Ex-Nightwish)

Meet The Singers: Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast):

Meet The Singers: Netta Laurenne (Smackbound):

Meet The Singers: Youmna Jreissati (Ostura):

Meet The Singers: Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires):

Meet The Singers: Ailyn (Her Chariot Awaits, ex-Sirenia):

Meet The Singers: Margarita Monet (Edge Of Paradise):

Meet The Singers: Anette Olzon (The Dark Element, Allen/Olzon):

Finnish heavy metal sextet BATTLE BEAST has re-signed with Nuclear Blast Records.

Bassist Eero Sipilä states: "We are thrilled to announce our continued co-operation with the metal titans Nuclear Blast Records. With 200+ million plays on the various streaming services and high chartings around the world, there's absolutely no questioning the fruit our long partnership has borne. The work for the next BATTLE BEAST opus is well under way, and we can't wait to hit the stages around the world once this disease has blown over! Here's to many more great years to come! Cheers!"

Marcus Hammer, managing director of Nuclear Blast Europe, comments: "I am very happy and proud that we were able to extend the partnership with BATTLE BEAST and can continue this success story! As we can see there are still Hollywood Endings to some stories. We are stoked to open together the next chapter for this remarkable career."

Since its 2011 debut album "Steel", BATTLE BEAST achieved over 200 million streams on digital streaming platforms. Alongside the No. 1 success of their last three albums in the album charts of their home country, Finland, 2019's "No More Hollywood Endings" reached a remarkable No. 11 in the German album chart.

After conquering Europe on several tours and all major festivals, BATTLE BEAST first toured North America in 2017, supporting SABATON. The band also inked a deal with Artist Group International (METALLICA, GHOST, SABATON) for their North American booking and their European joint venture partner K2 for the European booking (excluding Finland).

BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo singer recently completed work on her debut solo album, "Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space", under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner. The LP will be released in March, to be preceded by a single on January 29.

Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012, with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo.

"No More Hollywood Endings" was released in March 2019. The album was recorded by Janne Björkroth, Viktor Gullichsen and Joona Björkroth at JKB Studio. The production and mixing duties were handled by Janne. The cover artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (KORPIKLAANI, MANOWAR), who previously worked with BATTLE BEAST on 2017's "Bringer Of Pain"

During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked if there was ever a rivalry between his band and legendary German hard rockers SCORPIONS, especially in the early 1980s when both ACCEPT and SCORPIONS were still on the rise. He responded (see video below): "The SCORPIONS were already up. When we got started, the SCORPIONS were already big. They had already released 'Tokyo Tapes' and then it was 'Lovedrive', and they were huge in our minds. They were touring America, and they were always way ahead of us. So we always looked at them as our goal or our hero — maybe one day we could be half as good as they are. And they never mentioned us, oddly enough, and they never talked about us, they never acknowledged us in a way, or so it felt. And we always felt it a little odd that they almost were a little afraid of our competition. It almost felt like they maybe wanted to be the only German successful band, and they resented the fact that we were even recording at the same studio with the same producer. We always had this idea that they were thinking, like, 'Who's this other band? Who do they think they are?' They wanna be the only ones… I don't know. This might be total speculating on my part, but it felt a little bit, like, why are they so…? They don't have to be afraid of us. We're doing something completely [different]. And they are huge. Why are they afraid of this little other German band in their footsteps?"

Asked if he ever got a chance to meet the SCORPIONS and question them personally about the perceived animosity between the two bands, Wolf said: "I tried to at one point, because eventually we played one show with them, and this is only recently — I'd say four or five years ago. We played one show with them. And I never got a clear answer out of them, because they are always very friendly on the surface and they're great guys, and I like them, but there's never any deep conversations like that. They always stick to themselves, and they never hang around and open up and have a beer or two. They're always a little bit distant, and they're the stars, and they're in their own little world. I have probably the best connection to [guitarist] Matthias Jabs, and, of course, I admire [guitarist] Rudolf [Schenker] — he's my hero; he's amazing. But they never come down to our level — or so it seems. [Laughs]"

He continued: "The cool thing is now we're all a little bit older and we can chuckle about it and have a good laugh about this stuff. They probably might open up a little bit more — if we ever had a little bit of a sitdown or whatever, they might tell me a little more of the truth. But they always kept their distance, and they never spilled the beans. They never were the talking kind. I don't know why. It's always been that way."

ACCEPT's new album, "Too Mean To Die", will be released on January 29 via Nuclear Blast. The LP will be the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH), who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

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.

BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE (a.k.a. BIAS), the band featuring former KORN drummer David Silveria, has released a six-song EP called "Acronym".

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Pity

02. Hesitation

03. Change Your Mind

04. Midlife Crisis (FAITH NO MORE cover)

05. Anything But Right

06. Delusional

"Acronym" is available on Spotify and Apple Music.

David is joined in the Orange County, California-based group by bassist Chris Dorame, guitarists Joe Taback and Mike Martin and singer Rich Nguyen.

Silveria, Dorame and Taback previously played together in CORE 10, which "imploded" in 2018 after releasing a couple of singles and playing a number of local shows.

Taback said about BIAS: "We received hundreds of submissions from all over the world and heard a lot of amazingly talented people. Rich came in and we just instantly vibed. The songs flowed without a hitch. We were able to get a lot done with him in a very short span of time."

Added Dorame: "I felt that he immediately connected with what we are trying to portray musically; he fit right in. His style is unique, yet familiar enough to be the perfect voice for our music."

Silveria concurred. "Rich's work ethic drives us all to work harder in the studio; it's amazing," he said.

BIAS made a big splash with its first single, "Pity", which came out in January 2019. The track rapidly reached No. 23 on the Billboard (BDS) Indicator chart and No. 9 on the Foundations (SMR) chart.

"The lyrics that I write are both personal and abstract. Every song I write has two meanings; mine and your interpretation," Nguyen told OC Weekly. "I try to write my lyrics vague enough for people to relate to and form their own opinions. However, if you know me personally, you may be able to figure what I'm talking about, maybe."

"This band doesn't feel like work; it feels like getting together with buddies and just having fun," Silveria added. "This is how it should be."

As for the name of the band, Silveria said: "We chose BIAS because everyone has their own opinions and preferences that influence their actions in some way or the other. Whether we know it or not, we all have our own version of bias." Nguyen added: "It's also short and simple."

Deen Castronovo has officially left THE DEAD DAISIES.

The drummer announced his exit from the group two days after THE DEAD DAISIES' publicist revealed that Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE, TED NUGENT, ALICE COOPER) will rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES when they hit the road in support of their new album, "Holy Ground". Clufetos previously toured with THE DEAD DAISIES in 2015.

Earlier today (Saturday, January 23), Deen released the following statement via social media: "Hi All! As some of you may have heard, I have officially left THE DEAD DAISIES. My decision to leave was not an easy one as I have great respect for my former band members and a tremendous amount of love and appreciation for all the fans who supported us. This decision will ultimately give me time to spend with my family after touring extensively and schedule a minor back surgery to ensure that I am able get back on the road playing music and doing what I love! Rest assured I will be back and playing soon! I love you all. Stay healthy, stay safe and look for great things to come in the future! Stay tuned!"

Deen Castronovo laid down the drums on "Holy Ground" as well as on 2018's "Burn It Down" LP.

"Holy Ground" was released on January 22. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse, the LP is the band's first to feature Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

Clufetos worked with such rock icons as Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 2010. That led to a spot as the drummer on BLACK SABBATH's last two world tours.

Castronovo's 17-year tenure with JOURNEY ended in 2015 when the group fired him after his arrest for a variety of charges involving his now-wife (including physical abuse, coercion, and unlawful use of a weapon).

In 2019, Castronovo, who had recorded and toured with THE DEAD DAISIES for the past three years, played several shows with JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner. Joining them were founding JOURNEY and SANTANA singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, bassist Marco Mendoza of THE DEAD DAISIES and THIN LIZZY, a musician named Chris Collins (on guitar and keyboards) and super-producer Marti Frederiksen (multi-instrumentalist, vocals).


Hi All!

As some of you may have heard, I have officially left The Dead Daisies. My decision to leave was not an easy...

Posted by Deen Castronovo on Saturday, January 23, 2021

Texas metallers PISSING RAZORS have returned with their latest single and video, "Wasting Away" — a blistering interpretation of the NAILBOMB classic, featuring SKINLAB frontman Steev Esquivel on vocals. Clocking in at just under three minutes, the track is a continuation of the group's raucous experimentation across the landscape of thrash, punk and metal. Crushing guest vocals courtesy of Esquivel are supported by angular, mean-sounding guitars from Mat Lynch — underscored by an explosive performance from rhythm section monsters Geo Gomez (bass) and Eddy Garcia (drums) that hurtles the song forward at breakneck speed. Joe Rodriguez steps up to the plate as the frontman PISSING RAZORS fans have been waiting for; equal parts pissed off lunatic and menacing vocalist able to inject a special kind of anger into each lyric.

Commented Lynch: "Shortly after NAILBOMB's 1994 'Point Blank' release, we added 'Wasting Away' to our live set simply for its sheer intensity, brutally honest approach, and blatant raw attack. There's no smoke and mirrors, no fancy production tricks there. The track demands attention, commands respect, and we are proud to revisit its place in the early development of our own musical pursuits and sound. The pure cut-throat approach to its sonic foundation is what we have consistently strived to ingrain into our own body of work and it still holds true today. We hope we do it justice."

PISSING RAZORS is a name synonymous with American groove-metal; albeit one that you might not be as familiar with as you should. Formed in the early '90s, the band is best known for 1996 album "Psycho Punko Metal Groove" — an introduction to their unique blend of metal, punk and hardcore influences with a healthy dose of heavy metal swagger. In the years since, the band has unleashed five more releases, toured relentlessly, drawn comparisons to (and praise from) acts like SKINLAB, EXHORDER, PANTERA and SEPULTURA and gone through a constant change of personnel. The 2021 incarnation of the band sees original members Garcia and Lynch joined by Rodriguez and Gomez.

"Wasting Away" will appear on PISSING RAZORS' forthcoming seventh studio album, "Eulogy Death March", due out this spring.

New Hampshire-based blackened melodic death metallers Unflesh will release their second full-length, Inhumation, on April 2nd. 

Inhumation comes a mere two years after the launch of their well-received 2018 debut album Savior, yet it showcases an incredible amount of new growth from a group already brimming with abundant talent. The group's new album Inhumation also sees guitarist / vocalist Ryan Beevers (Solium Fatalis) aided by two new members: bassist Orion Hubbard (Excrecor) and drummer Jeff Saltzman (Aversed).

Regarding the musical direction on Inhumation, Ryan Beevers says: "For this album, there was a lot more focus on developing a lingering dark atmosphere throughout the record with the music and lyrics to create a more immersive listening experience. The album is a lot more dynamic and introduces some new elements into the Unflesh sound, all to enhance the mood within the album."

Unflesh has premiered their new album's debut single, "To Renounce Flesh And Blood", with the following lyric video:

Unflesh vocalist/guitarist Ryan Beevers comments: "Inhumation delves into the concept of desensitization and losing one's soul or losing one's humanity so to speak. The title itself is used in a metaphorical sense, as the actual definition of the word 'Inhumation' is the action or practice of burying the dead. For album purposes, the title is used on a more spiritual and emotional level. Each track on the album is a bit of a meditation on different aspects of the primary concept. When the listener gets to the last song on the album, the totality of the album will have taken form." 

"I was extremely focused on binding together the riffs and lyrics to channel a certain atmosphere I had in my head initially when writing the songs. The goal was to create a more immersive listening experience. I think this goal is also reflected in how the album sounds and in the artwork. Everyone involved worked very hard on this record. We are looking forward to sharing this album with the world and to finally document the next step in the Unflesh sound with this second full-length album."

The band partnered with artist Junki Sakuraba (Seven Spires) once again to create the killer album cover for Inhumation. The album was mixed and mastered by renowned musician and engineer V. Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress) at Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany.

Tracklisting:

"Behold Nightfall"
"Vast Forest Of Impaled Cadavers" 
"To Renounce Flesh And Blood"
"Inhumation" 
"Holocaust Of Stars"
"The Sepulchral Depths"
"Amongst Horrors Must I Dwell"
"Dehumanized Legion"

Check out a two-minute teaser for the new Unflesh album, Inhumation:

For further details, visit Unflesh on Facebook.

 

The latest issue of Total Guitar features a reader's poll voting on The 50 Greatest Solos Of All Time. Taking the #1 spot in the rundown  is Queen icon Brian May for his solo in "Bohemian Rhapsody". May posted a response to the news via Instagram, which can be viewed below.

The Total Guitar issue is available for purchase here.

 

 

 

 



Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Brian Harold May (@brianmayforreal)

 

The UK's Midnite City have launched an uptempo rocker rammed full of riffs, hooks and harmonies - "Crawlin' In The Dirt" shows a tougher, edgier side to the band not seen or heard before. Midnite City kicks the doors off 2021 with a vengeance!

"Crawlin' In The Dirt" is the first single to be taken from the band's upcoming album, Itch You Can't Scratch, which is set for release in May on Roulette Media Records.

Buy / stream "Crawlin' In The Dirt" here.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2017, Midnite City have taken on the world and hustled themselves to the top of the hair metal pile. Following on from the release of their sophomore album There Goes The Neighbourhood in late 2018, the band have gone from strength to strength and proven to be one hell of a force to be reckoned with in the live arena.

Midnite City have headlined two consecutive UK tours, played shows all over Europe, Australia and also played two sold out shows in Japan and continue to dazzle a legion of growing and devoted fans around the world with their high energy, feel good, party rock.
Hot on the heels of two highly acclaimed albums, Midnite City return in 2021 with their third album. With new label Roulette Media in tow, as well as new management and booking agent, the band are back looking and sounding better than ever with a new array of songs, so strap yourselves in for the ride of your life. It’s all about the good times!

The cover art for Itch You Can't Scratch, available May 28th via Roulette Media Records, is available to view below. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location. 

For further details, visit Midnite City on Facebook.

(Photo - Rob Billingham)

From the streets of Hollywood, alternative metal outfit Revelry Gang is back with their biggest banger to date, "Transcend". The riff-laden track, mixed and mastered by Matt Good (Asking Alexandria, Sleeping With Sirens, The Word Alive), combines dueling guitar leads and lush production with huge choruses filled with titanic vocals.

For Revelry Gang, the themes of "Transcend" are universal, but come from a personal place. “It’s autobiographical, but it can apply to literally anybody. It’s all about the come up,” explains vocalist Austin Jaser. “For us, it’s rising from the streets of Los Angeles and trying to become the biggest band in the world. For someone else it could be about crushing goals and just ruling at life.”

Revelry Gang has released a video, filmed and directed by Sergey Sandul and Frank Kerrigan of Kerrigan Productions, to accompany the single. The video combines a neon-washed live performance with the band having fun in their city. “Our overall message in our music is just to live life however you want and not give a fuck what anyone else does. Just have fun and kill it,” says Jaser. “We tried to tie that into the video and the artwork with contrasting scenes and colors. It’s definitely a vibe anyone can relate to.”

Revelry Gang is a multi-dimensional band that seeks to break genre barriers and rewrite the rules of what it means to be a band in the modern era. Formed by frontman Austin Jaser and lead guitarist Tommy Bradley, they are rounded out by the powerhouse rhythm section of drummer Michael Fechter and bassist Mitch McCracken. Revelry Gang bring their own unique blend of raw attitude and technical finesse to the forefront of modern music.

For further details, visit Revelry Gang on Facebook.