Wolvennest are proud to announce the release of their new studio record, entitled Temple. It is going to be released on the 5th of March, 2021 as a double vinyl record, digipack CD and via the known digital channels. "Disappear" is the first official song from the upcoming effort, available for listening below.

Wolvennest commented: "Comrades, our third full length, named Temple, will be released the 5th of March via Ván Records. As always, it has been mixed at Opus Magnum Studios and benefits from the beautiful artwork made by Art of Maquenda.

"With such a long effort (double album), you can expect the typical, aetheric vibe we enjoy creating and some surprises, which is the case with the song "Disappear", featuring Déhà as lead singer, reinforced by Shazzula's choirs. "

SynlakrosS has released a new single called "The Last Day Of Eris", taken from their new album 0K4M1, which will be released internationally very soon.

The title of this new album is formed by the acronym 0M4K1, whose pronunciation in English is Zero Em Four Kei One.

"The Last Day Of Eris" is the third song on the album and talks about the last day of the planet Eris.

It’s a suicide mission to which 0K4M1 has been assigned to try to save the planet from destruction…but the mission failed and 0K4M1 felt all the pain, the suffering, all the destruction and the deaths as if they were his own. The video has been created by Patricia Pons, vocalist of the band, and the music by Facundo Novo at Novo Studios.

The band states:

“The album is a message sent by creature 0K4M1, and you are the one who receives this message to millions of light years away. Like a message in a bottle. At the end of the listening, you should choose if you want to keep it a secret, or if you want to share it with others. And who is 0K4M1? 0K4M1 is a creature created by humans from a synthetic embryo and alien DNA. Created to be a lethal weapon, the new antichrist. Before dying, he decides to record his experience vital and share it with everyone who receives this message. Because maybe your experience can alleviate the existential pain and suffering of the listener."

They have also released new merchandising targeting fans who are isolated or quarantined at home, including items such as blankets in their store. They also have advanced some elements of the presale of the album. Check out the store here.

Cuban black metal pioneers Mephisto have left their sign in the Cuban metal scene with their unique style and sound and now they are back once again to announce their new album Pentafixion that will be released via Wormholedeath Records. While waiting for the full-length album, the band will unleash the title track as first single.

A statement from Mephisto:

“On behalf of all members of Mephisto, we wish to announce that we have been offered a contract with the long established and well respected Italian label WormHoleDeath Records. 
It is our pleasure to announce that after some discussion, Mephisto have accepted the offer and now enthusiastically join the label. We can’t wait to start working with the team at WormHoleDeath after following their label and their artists for many years. To now be considered part of this family is a long awaited dream come true. We are excited to be bringing our style of Cuban black metal to the world thanks to the relationships WormHoleDeath has with its partners including Warner / Chappell Music Holland BV and The Orchard Inc. (Sony Music Ent). We look forward to our first release with Worm Hole Death which is our full-length album Pentafixion, an album that we have been working on for the best part of 2 years. Who knows, maybe the back catalogue will be released sometime on WHD too! 

“We’d like to officially thank Carlo from WHD for being so passionate about securing us to the label. The work and dedication shown by him is incredible! From finding us in Subtle Death Magazine, to reaching out to its editor (Omar Vega) to contact us, to the late night calls to our management (in Australia), all the way through to walking us through the deal. We couldn’t be happier knowing that our music and our career are in great hands with WHD. 
                                         
“So what can you expect from us now? Well just because you can see the mountain doesn’t mean the climb has finished. Now the hard work begins to reward our fans for their patience waiting on our new album and to show WHD that the new kids on the block came to kick heads and take names. 

“Look out world…. Mephisto the pioneers of black metal in Cuba have just been unleashed on the world and it’s all thanks to WormHoleDeath Records!” 

Tracklisting:

“Intro – Enter The Storm”
“Storming War Anthems”
“Pentafixion”
“The Birth”
“Rebellion”
“The Falling”
“Curse Of The Pharaoh”
“The Mighty Ring”
“From Hobbiton Toward The Mountains Of Gorgoroth”
“The Last Battle”
“The Undivine Blessing”
“Yavhe Sabbaoth (King Of Nobody)”
“Burning Fantoft”

On January 15, Atlanta-based metallers Hallows Eve will release LP and Digipak CD reissues of their classic 1985 debut album, Tales Of Terror, via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order your copies here.

Bassist Tommy Stewart checked in with the following comment about the album: "Tales Of Terror launched Hallows Eve with a bang! We were a small tribe of street kids full of passion, anger, joy, and the unbridled frustrations of youth at the same time. We wanted to channel all that energy by screaming at the world and that was Tales Of Terror."

Tales Of Terror comes newly mastered / fully restored by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony for this reissue and also features new liner notes by Hallows Eve bassist Tommy Stewart. Additionally, the LP format includes a double-sided poster and the 4-panel Digipak CD includes an expanded 16-page booklet as well as four obscure rehearsal tracks as bonus.

Available formats:

- 180g black vinyl
- "Plunging" blue / black marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- "Hangman's Private Stock" red marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies)
- "No Rules Bloody Spiked" red / black dust vinyl (limited to 100 copies, MB webshop)
- "Metal Merchant Leaded" gray marbled vinyl (US exclusive)
- Digipak CD

Tracklisting:

"Plunging To Megadeath"
"Outer Limits"
"Horrorshow"
"The Mansion"
"There Are No Rules"
"Valley Of The Dolls"
"Metal Merchants"
"Hallows Eve (Including Routine)"

CD bonus tracks:
"Scream in the Night" (Exciter Cover - Rehearsal May 1984)
"The Mansion" (Rehearsal June 1984)
"Eighteen" (Alice Cooper Cover - Rehearsal May 1984)
"Hallows Eve (Including Routine)" (Rehearsal May 1984)

Formed in 1983, Hallows Eve were one of the first thrash bands in metal history, alongside heavyweights such as Metallica, Slayer (whom they supported on their Hell Awaits tour), Exodus and Anthrax. They mixed Black Sabbath, Motörhead and Iron Maiden riffs with the energy of punk-like Dead Kennedys and added a touch of Alice Cooper's image.

Their first two-track demo caused a big buzz on the tape-trading scene and secured them a spot on the legendary Metal Massacre VI compilation (besides Possessed, Nasty Savage, Hirax, Dark Angel, etc.), released by Brian Slagel. As a natural progress, they signed to his label Metal Blade Records later on.

1985 saw the release of the genre defining thrash classic Tales Of Terror. It featured the original versions of the aforementioned demo tracks and five new shredding songs, which took the underground by storm and gained raving reviews.

Long out of print in its original version, Tales Of Terror was last reissued in 2006 as part of the History Of Terror 3CD+DVD-Boxset - which also included the following Metal Blade albums: Death & Insanity (1986) and Monument (1988), as well as rare live and rehearsal recordings - and is now finally available again in re-mastered editions on vinyl as well as in the Digipak CD format (with four rehearsal tracks as bonus). Stay tuned for further Hallows Eve reissue news coming soon.

Hallows Eve - Tales Of Terror lineup:

Stacy Anderson - Vocals
Skellator - Guitars
Tommy Stewart - Bass
David Stuart - Guitars
Ronny Appoldt - Drums
Tym Helton - Drums *

* On the songs "Metal Merchants" and "Hallows Eve (Including Routine)"

Guitarist Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) has checked in with some new old music:

"Lost track late night music post! 'Last Time' is a lost track from the Faces recording session! Jeff Plate on drums, David Z on bass. It’s just a rough mix but a pretty cool tune. I forgot all about it! Found it in a folder on an old hard drive tonite when I was looking for another session I couldn’t find!"

Caffery released the his solo debut album, Faces, in 2005. It was later released as a double CD package featuring an albums's worth of "bonus" material.

CD 1
"Alas" 
"Faces" 
"Fade Into The X" 
"Pisses Me Off" 
"Remember" 
"Fall" 
"Music Man" 
"Life Crazy Life" 
"The Mold" 
"Bag O' Bones" 
"Evil Is As Evil Does" 
"Never" 
"So Far Today" 
"Jealousy" 
"Preludio" 
"Abandoned" 

CD 2

"God Damn War" 
"Fool, Fool!" 
"Edge of Darkness"
"Saddamize" 
"I" 
"W.A.R.P.E.D."
"Fright Knights" 
"Amazing Grace"
"Piece Be with You"
"Beat Me, You'll Never Beat Me" 
"Curtains" 

Photo by Bob Carey

Spanish technical death metal masters Wormed are now streaming a brand new playthrough video for the song "Bionic Relic," which is taken from 2019's sci-fi EP, Metaportal.

Wormed comment: "We're not fans of playthroughs, but since this world is changing and we haven't played anywhere for a year (!!!) we thought you would like to enjoy a display of a Metaportal track, 'Bionic Relic' with the full band. This was recorded on different planets. We live light years from each other and it's quite hard to be all together for recording any footage. Become a 'Bionic Relic' with us!"

Metaportal was released on July 19, 2019 and can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered here.

"Cryptoubiquity" lyric video:

"Remote Void":

Lineup:

Phlegeton: vocals
Migueloud: guitars
Guillemoth: bass
V-Kazar: drums

Veteran Arizona thrashers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are putting the finishing touches on their new album for a tentative late spring/early summer release. Over the weekend, guitarist Michael Gilbert told The Metal Voice about the upcoming follow-up to "The End Of Chaos" (see video below): "It was supposed to come out in January [2021]; that was what the plan was. It's done — everything's done except for the artwork at this point, because we knew we weren't gonna be able to do a January release, and it got pushed back to June. So we stopped doing the white-knuckle recording and just kind of started taking our time with the mixes and stuff like that. It's completed, except for a couple of artwork things that we're gonna do. I think we're gonna be releasing a video here pretty soon — a lyric video for the first single. So, maybe February — look for that in February, or maybe March."

Asked about the musical direction of the new FLOTSAM AND JETSAM material, Gilbert said: "Well, this is the absolute perfect follow-up to 'Chaos'. We couldn't have planned it any better. We all basically put on our work boots, or whatever, and we started writing, and it ended up coming out… It's like 'The End Of Chaos' on steroids, basically. I think you guys are gonna love it, man."

Last November, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM announced Bill Bodily (CONTRARIAN, ex-INHUMATUS, ex-TOXIK) as the band's new bass player. Before joining FLOTSAM AND JETSAM on a permanent basis, Bodily filled in for former bassist Michael Spencer during many shows of the group's "Tour Of Chaos" in 2019.

Commented Bodily: "Joining FLOTSAM AND JETSAM is an honor as well as a huge step up in my musical journey. I've been friends with the guys for many years, and I'm a lifelong FLOTSAM fan. I look forward to the many adventures ahead and getting more acquainted with the legendary Flotzilla fans!"

The band added: "First and foremost, we would like to thank Michael Spencer for his time in FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. He joined us back in 2014, and we have accomplished so much together. We sincerely wish him the best in his future endeavors!

"A new chapter for FLOTSAM AND JETSAM beckons; Bill Bodily embodies a new focus and hunger within FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and we're extremely excited to have him as part of the Flotzilla family. He's not only a brilliant musician who has established himself in the thrash and death metal scene, but also a great human being, which made the decision to have him join the band a very natural one. Bill brings an amazing work ethic and a fervent desire to continue to learn, grow and develop his musical voice. He knows music talent alone isn't enough, and that hard work, perseverance and a sense of humor goes a long way to sustaining a successful musical career. We welcome him with open arms!

"We've been working very hard on the follow‐up for 'The End Of Chaos'. The new material is very heavy, and we've taken the sound and approach that we've had for the last two studio albums and amped up the aggressiveness without toning down any other elements. Everyone has done a superb job in the studio — even more so considering the unprecedented circumstances we are living in at this time. We are very excited about the music, and we hope and believe the new album will live up to everyone's expectations."

"The End Of Chaos" was released in January 2019 via AFM Records.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen was recently interviewed for "The French Connection: The Music Business And Beyond", the new podcast hosted by TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked to name the best piece of advice he ever got, Collen said: "I get great advice all the time. Ian Hunter… When Mick Ronson died, we had a benefit at Hammersmith Odeon. And it was Roger Taylor from QUEEN, it was a bunch of guys. Mick Jones from THE CLASH — lots of different bands. Me and Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD] had a band called the CYBERNAUTS, which was [David] Bowie's Trevor Bolder, Woody Woodmansey on drums, and we'd done all these Bowie songs. When we did that, I was rehearsing with Ian, and Ian said, 'When you're at 55, you stop caring, you stop worrying about things as a man.' I said, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'You don't worry if you're being judged by a 16- or a 20-year-old, no matter how hip they are. You really don't care.' And I said, 'Oh, really? Okay.' And around 50, or whenever it was, absolutely, you stop worrying about it, and it's such a brilliant thing. I wish I would have known earlier, because you're worried, you're concerned about things that are not really worth worrying about. Obviously, the band's gotta be great, you've gotta keep writing songs, you've gotta keep this level of excellence, but I'm talking about things that put you off, that you'd go, 'I don't feel good about it.' If someone thought it was uncool, fuck them — it really doesn't matter. And I thought it was a great bit of advice."

The last DEF LEPPARD studio album, a self-titled affair, came out in 2015.

DEF LEPPARD released a box set, "The Early Years 79-81", on March 20 via UMC/Virgin. "The Early Years 79-81" box set represents the band's first two albums, "On Through The Night" (1980) and "High 'N' Dry" (1981), and was prepared in conjunction with Elliott who acted as executive producer on the set. The mastering was done by the band's long-serving sound engineer Ronan McHugh.

Eagle Rock Entertainment released DEF LEPPARD's "London To Vegas" on May 29. This limited edition 2Blu-ray+4CD, 2DVD+4CD, DVD/Blu-ray+2CD and digital format release features two concert films: "Hysteria At The O2" and "Hits Vegas, Live At Planet Hollywood".

DEF LEPPARD's latest greatest-hits collection, titled "The Story So Far - The Best Of", was released in November 2018.

Oakland-Bay Area based metal/heavy rock outfit DRESS THE DEAD has released "Knives Out", its first single on Blood Blast, a digital subsidiary of Nuclear Blast Records.

DRESS THE DEAD first announced the signing in December, along with a plan to release one new track per month for the first eight months of 2021. After the eight tracks are all released, they will become available in full album format as well.

DRESS THE DEAD said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be part of the Blood Blast family. The time has finally come to release a plethora of new music to the world and we wouldn’t want to do it any other way.

"Blood Blast is the perfect home for us in these uncertain times in the music industry because we can control the flow of our content. This appeals to us more than the other way around in 2021."

DRESS THE DEAD was formed in 2016 and has been playing live since the end of that year — first with vocalist Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED), and then with Kayla Dixon fronting the band since 2018.

DRESS THE DEAD features Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADE GOD, SPIRALARMS) on guitar, alongside Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, RE:IGNITION) on drums, Mikey Rowan (INSOLENCE) on guitar, and James Walker (MANMADE GOD) on bass — all seasoned musicians with independent and major label experiences.

Dixon is not only an enigmatic front woman with a powerful presence, she's an accomplished theatrical singer and actor. Her vocal qualities help give DRESS THE DEAD a unique sound that no other band possesses. Together they all complete the musical unit that cannot fall under any one category or genre.

DRESS THE DEAD will make its European live debut at the Dynamo Metal Fest in Eindhoven in the summer of 2021. This will be followed up by a full tour — COVID-19 permitting.

BLACK SABBATH drumming legend, poet and artist Bill Ward will unveil his first art piece in nearly five years, "Lays The Burden, Dead", on January 25.

A gripping and multi-faceted work crafted during an unprecedented year, "Lays The Burden, Dead" is more than a massive offering of visual art. It is a unique and highly limited package that features a complementary poem printed on an archival paper stock complete with the SceneFour chop. All canvases are numbered and individually signed by Ward. Each ships with a certificate of authenticity.

Sign up today for details and to receive pre-release access.

2015's "The Absence Of Corners" art collection was a career first for Bill. Ward was one of the pioneers in bringing the new medium of rhythm-on-canvas to the world. Three years later, he offered a comprehensive look at the collection and expanding on each of the pieces with poetry, both in writing and spoken word.

Following the creation, release, and various exhibitions of the collection, Ward began crafting poetry to bring readers into the work in a much more personal way. The result was 19 works, each associated with his entire fine art debut collection. To add a new dimension to the experience of reading and viewing the art within the book, Ward recorded an album of spoken-word poetry to round out this experience.

Working with SceneFour, Ward utilized a sophisticated formula to create the collection's visuals, using an array of drumsticks and rhythmic accessories that produce light, much like a painter utilizing brushes and oils. The movements featured within the captured rhythms are then studied and developed into abstract artwork that showcases a dimension not normally seen by the human eye.

Based in Los Angeles, SceneFour specializes in working with music visionaries on the creation of fine artwork. SceneFour's previous art collaborations have included releases with including Dave Lombardo (SLAYER), Rick Allen (DEF LEPPARD), Mike Mangini (DREAM THEATER), Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS, Nick Menza (MEGADETH) and Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT)..

Ward stated about the project: "When I'm working on new ideas, musically much of what's played is guided by a visual appearance or shape. Since my early childhood, I've played drums in visuals as well as sound. When I write, there's always an image, sometimes a color attached to what's being created... I am delighted with the captured expressions — from my head and my heart. Their arrival onto canvas is beautiful."

Ashmedi, frontman and founder of MELECHESH, received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine 13 days ago in Jerusalem and is scheduled to get the second dose in eight days.

He says: "Due to a preexisting respiratory condition, I was eligible and given the vaccine. I'm now at 50% immunity... After the next one, it will climb to 95%.

"I'd rather get the vaccine than the disease, as I personally know several people who have passed away. I also know many who got COVID-19 and survived. Some suffered; some had very mild symptoms.

"I had no side effects from the vaccine aside the expected sore arm," he continued. "Nurse asked, 'Which arm [do] you use more — leftie or right handed? So we give you the jab on the other hand.' I said, 'I'm a guitar player. I use both simultaneously.'

"I have very close scientist friends biology and chemistry PhDs working in the pharmacological research... And they assured me science is sound. My longtime family physician and his daughter, who is a doctor as well, were there and took it too right before I did.

"Let's hope this will offer some relief to everyone very soon," he added.

As of January 1, more than 10 percent of Israel's population had received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, making the tiny country a world leader in coronavirus vaccinations.

Americans received just over three million initial doses of coronavirus vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech in the 19 days following first shipments. About 14 million doses have been distributed to states, the CDC reports.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the Trump administration's Coronavirus Task Force and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the country will need to reach a 80-85% rate immunity to achieve so-called herd immunity.

MELECHESH is working on the follow-up to its latest album, "Enki", which was released in early 2015 via Nuclear Blast

Sebastian Bach has paid tribute to Alexi Laiho, calling the former CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman "an incredible guitar player" who "rocked it hard."

On Monday (January 4), Bach shared a few backstage photos of him and his wife hanging out with members of CHILDREN OF BODOM, including Laiho, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Another day, another death.

"I just don't understand how somebody can die at the age of 41. I just don't understand how.

"These pictures were taken at our last show in Europe where we shared the stage with CHILDREN OF BODOM at the Barcelona Rock Fest July 7th 2019. Not only did we share the stage but we shared a dressing room with @cobhc on one side and @testamentofficial on the other.

"I've known Alexi for years. One of the first times we ever hung out in Hollywood he went into great detail explaining to me that one of his earliest memories of loving rock n' roll was when his big sister went to see SKID ROW at the arena in Helsinki Finland & he was too young to go. He explained to me how it drove him completely insane that we were playing a show in his hometown and he couldn't go, he begged and pleaded with his parents but they would not let him go to the show. He told me that he decided right there and then what he wanted to do for a living.

"Well I just want to thank Alexi for all the talent what an incredible guitar player. I was lucky enough to jam with Alexi at the House of Blues in Hollywood (RIP) when his band members told me to go tap him on the shoulder in the middle of a guitar solo, he was not amused! But then he turned around and saw it was me and gave me a big hug on stage, right in the middle of the song.

"We had a great time backstage in Spain last year. My very last memory of Alexi is making him laugh, to tears, when I mistakenly called Janne the keyboard player 'Yay-Hoo' . Alexi turned to me and said 'What did you call him??? Yayhoo???' he laughed so f****** hard he was crying, repeating the name Yayhoo over and over again.

"Thank you for the talent and thank you for the laughs Alexi. You are gone way way too soon. My thoughts go out to my co-Manager Kristen Mulderig @sassys8n who loved Alexi and CHILDREN OF BODOM for years, like everybody else who met him. My sincerest condolences go out to the band, and also his new band, and more than anything to his big sister and his family. My heart is with all of you.

"We will all miss you Alexi!!!! You f****** rocked it hard man!!!! Just like you said you would in Finland all those years ago!!!!!!!"

Laiho died in his home in Helsinki last week. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues in the years leading up to his death.

Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, to be released posthumously.
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by sebastianbach (@sebastianbach)

Steve Vai has paid tribute to Alexi Laiho, calling the former CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman "a fiercely confident and monstrous guitar commander of the highest order."

On Monday (January 4), Vai took to his social media to write: "So sorry to hear of the passing of Alexi Laiho of CHILDREN OF BODOM. With his band he was part of a powerful movement that ushered in hi octane, intense Metal at its most brutal and beautiful. I had the good fortune of meeting him several times and being a part of this Guitar World story with him. He was always respectful, personable, quiet and unassuming, but then you'd hear him play and you realize that embodied in that delicate frame was a fiercely confident and monstrous guitar commander of the highest order. Rock on young brother."

In a 2005 interview with Fourteeng, Laiho said that Vai was "probably like one of my all-time favorite guitar players ever. I mean, he's the reason why I started playing guitar anyway."

Laiho died in his home in Helsinki last week. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues in the years leading up to his death.

Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, to be released posthumously.


So sorry to hear of the passing of Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom. With his band he was part of a powerful movement...

Posted by Steve Vai on Monday, January 4, 2021

Today, the metal world was shattered with the news that Children Of Bodom / Bodom After Midnight frontman Alexi Laiho has passed away. He died in his home in Helsinki, Finland, last week. Laiho had suffered from long-term health issues over the past couple years.

Former Sinergy bandmate Kimberly Goss has posted the following tribute to Laiho:

"My first true love, my bandmate and my best friend. The silver lining throughout this entire pandemic is that we were given the gift of having so much quality time together. Our marathon FaceTime calls, the endless text messages and phone calls at all hours of the day and night will stay with me forever. I am so comforted by the fact that we were able to reflect on our lives together both on and off the stage and to cherish our continued friendship that has remained in tact for all these years. Allu, my heart is both full and broken at the same time. Not many people are able to have nothing left unsaid with someone whom they had such a long, rich history with. You gave me peace and left me with zero regrets in the months and weeks before your tired body finally gave out. I thank you so very much and I’ll love you forever and always. 

You and Tommi are together again and I can hear the joy and laughter coming from the two of you, as if it were yesterday. You will always remain in the hearts of us who knew and loved you and your legacy will live on forever in the music you blessed the world with. Close your eyes my darling. You’re asleep now and finally at rest."

As expected, fans have taken to social media to express their condolences to Laiho's family and friends. Anyone who would like to see photos Goss has posted along with her written tribute, or offer their condolences, prayers and well-wishes is asked to go to the Instagram page that has been set up specifically for that purpose.

Please direct all messages, public or private, and friend requests to Instagram.com/kimvoxrox.

Alexi Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded Children of Bodom in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year Alexi Laiho put together Bodom After Midnight, who recorded three songs and shot one music video, which will be released later on posthumously.

Besides Children of Bodom, Laiho was known for acts such as Warmen, Sinergy, Kylähullut and The Local Band. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden Gods and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at Helsinki Festival in 2015 in 100 Guitars From Hel – a massive concert piece he composed.

"We are crushed by the sudden passing of our dear friend and band member. Words cannot describe this shock and the profound sadness that we feel", Daniel Freyberg, Mitja Toivonen and Waltteri Väyrynen from Bodom After Midnight state.

The talented guitarist and musician relished his roles as stepdad in his patchwork family, and as uncle and godfather. Especially during the last years, the important family ties brought a welcomed balance to his life and the active touring. Laiho was particularly close with his big sister, parents and his sister's daughter. Laiho's sister says:

"We are all absolutely shocked and devastated. We ask for privacy and understanding during these hard times. My little brother's funeral will take place privately."

Alexi Laiho will also be deeply missed by his family in Australia.

"Alexi was the most loving and magnificent husband and father. Our hearts are eternally broken", Kelli Wright-Laiho says.

Laiho recently completed work on the debut album for Bodom After Midnight, the band launched following Children Of Bodom's demise in 2019.

His death comes as a devastating blow to the metal world and the BraveWords family, as some of us knew Alexi personally. Rest in peace, Wild Child.

Alexi Laiho's CHILDREN OF BODOM and BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT bandmate Daniel Freyberg has paid tribute to the late guitarist/vocalist, calling him "a legend who created magic and raised the bar to the next level."

Freyberg, who played with NAILDOWN and NORTHER before joining CHILDREN OF BODOM in 2016, took to his Instagram earlier today (Monday, January 4) to write: "'We'll play together until the grave.' Your words to me not that long ago. I just never thought that the day would come this soon...

"It was an honour to play alongside you Alexi. You were one helluva talent, a legend who created magic and raised the bar to the next level.

"I feel grateful and privileged that our paths crossed and we became friends and eventually ended up playing together. An adventure that gave me so much and will always stay in my memories.

"It's so devastating to write this because every time I try to type something I start crying...

"I know there won't be a single day that goes by where I wouldn't miss you.

"My heart goes out to your family and loved ones.

"Sleep well brother, see you on the other side."

Laiho died in his home in Helsinki last week. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues in the years leading up to his death.

Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, to be released posthumously.
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by ??ℕ??? ?ℝ????ℝ? (@danielfreyberg)

The metal world was shattered this week with the news that Children Of Bodom / Bodom After Midnight frontman Alexi Laiho has passed away. He died in his home in Helsinki, Finland, last week. Laiho had suffered from long-term health issues over the past couple years.

Annihilator frontman / founder Jeff Waters has posted the following message followed with more thoughts from Waters in the clip below.

"The world lost another lead guitar giant and a good person. So much I could write... he was a friend and was in contact with me often since 2006; often with the same question: 'How did you quit drinking and stay quit?' Many of you know our legendary 70k Tons of Metal cruise karaoke jams... that would be all I need to remember him by! 

But in the last week, I posted a vid of us singing away, then thought of him two days ago, then this morning, I was mixing some stems for a re-release surprise. I sat down this morning to work on the next song... it was Annihilator's 'Downright Dominate' featuring Alexi Laiho and I shredding a trade-off solo thing. Then a facebook message came in saying he passed away.
 
Uggghhhh... please, musicians... take care of your health. Eddie then Alexi? Stop it."

 

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has told Kerrang! magazine that he hopes to give up sugar in 2021.

"That's my resolution — to try and get back to zero," he said when asked about his New Year's Resolution. "I'll tell you what: it's been the one thing that's been the hardest for me to really let go of. I've quit smoking, I've quit drinking, I've quit drugs; I've quit all that stuff. But this is the one that's kind of hanging around."

Elaborating on why it's been so difficult for him to give up all things sweet, Corey said: "Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by it because I have kids — it makes it a little tougher. Plus my sweet tooth is also just so ridiculous: I once filled a red Solo cup with peanut butter and a half bag of M&Ms and ate it like it was a bowl of cereal… this is the kind of person you're dealing with. [Laughs] I'm not amateur — I'm a professional fat-ass!"

Last year, Corey told Rock Feed that he was planning to start a plant-based taco food truck with his wife, dancer Alicia Taylor, but that the venture had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

"It was basically a [plant-based] taco food truck," he said. "We can't say vegan. 'Cause there will be some dairy in there, some stuff in there. But the main focus was flavor, not just content. 'Cause when people talk about vegan, they can become very pretentious… This was a way for us to combine [our love of food] with a healthier [lifestyle]."

Alicia then explained that they both cut meat out of their diets two summers ago. "A lot of people don't know this, but we went plant-based in August [2019], September-ish, and we saw the benefits immediately," she said. Corey concurred, saying: "My cholesterol dropped, like, 80 points… I was even trying to eat better, and yet my cholesterol wasn't going anywhere. And as soon as I [went plant-based], [the change in my cholesterol level was immediate]. It was pretty rad."

Taylor's debut solo album, "CMFT", was released in October. Corey recorded the effort with his band consisting of Jason Christopher on bass, Dustin Schoenhofer on drums, and Zach Throne and Christian Martucci (STONE SOUR) on guitar. The LP was completed at Kevin Churko's The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and STONE SOUR, among others.

In November, Corey told "Good Company" that SLIPKNOT is "thinking about putting another album out maybe [in 2021]. But I don't know," he said. "I don't know what the plan is yet. But I know that we were talking about doing it, 'cause we only have one album left on our contract [with our record labe

David Lee Roth has shared a new piece of original artwork which was inspired by the COVID-19 crisis.

For most of the last year, the VAN HALEN singer has been posting paintings on his Twitter account that reflect the times and channel the mass anxiety around the novel coronavirus. His latest work of art is commentary on the news that COVID-19 vaccines are starting to be given to the public.

"The first of the two vaccines launched in the winter of '21," a message in the painting reads. "We knew two things for sure First: We couldn't stop the virus from coming. Second: We could damn well arrange for it to limp home. Everyone volunteered.."

This is not the first time Roth has shared some of his visual art with the public. Back in 2009, Roth released dozens of his own drawings and artwork, which he called at the time "authentic originals and incompetent imitations." He offered them up as "an official answer to the question 'what do you do in your spare time?'"

According to the Van Halen News Desk, the VAN HALEN frontman always been into art. Throughout his whole life, while touring the world, you could find him doodling on just about anything — setlists, tour riders, female body parts, etc. He was always a major part of the visual side of VAN HALEN, and always tried to make the stage show "look like the music sounds." He designed stage clothes, orchestrated photo shoots, came up with the stage choreography, etc. He also had a hand in designing VAN HALEN's early tourbooks and a few of their t-shirts.

Last March, Roth postponed the final six shows of his Las Vegas residency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Roth performed as the opening act for the February/March 2020 North American leg of KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen died of cancer in October at age 65.

Roth, who performed with VAN HALEN for the last time in 2015, tweeted shortly after Eddie's death: "What a long great trip it's been."




#SoggyBottom #DLR #DavidLeeRoth #DiamondDave pic.twitter.com/0IzlMleCp5

— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) January 4, 2021

I AM MORBID, the band featuring former MORBID ANGEL members David Vincent (vocals, bass) and Tim Yeung (drums) alongside guitarists Bill Hudson (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Kelly McLauchlin, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of MORBID ANGEL's second album, "Blessed Are The Sick", with a European tour in September/October. Support on the trek will come from GRAVE, GRUESOME and PYREXIA. A complete list of tour dates can be found in the poster below.

In a May 2019 interview with Jorge Botas of the "Metal Global" radio show, which airs on the Portuguese public TV and radio broadcaster RTP, Vincent said that he had every right to perform MORBID ANGEL's classic songs with I AM MORBID.

"Times come and life works the way that it does," Vincent said. "And there are times when… It's like a marriage — sometimes they don't always work forever. But that doesn't mean that the children that we've had together, that I don't still love my children. Although Trey [Azagthoth, MORBID ANGEL guitarist and sole remaining original member] and I have some irreconcilable differences, that doesn't in any way preclude me from still having the love and the passion for all of my children."

Asked what he has to say to people who insist that he should not play MORBID ANGEL's early material without any other members of the group's classic lineup, David said: "There's examples of this very situation… I mean, when Ozzy [Osbourne] left BLACK SABBATH, that didn't stop him from playing 'Paranoid' every night, even though he didn't write the song. All of the songs that I'm singing I wrote. So I don't really understand that. But different people become attached to different things. And they have their opinion and I have mine. And I don't really consider this kind of negativity. I don't have it in my life."

Vincent also spoke about the mostly negative fan reaction to MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which marked the group's first CD to feature David since "Domination".

"Listen, I'll be the first person to admit and agree with you that there is some very weird stuff on 'Illud'," he said. "But when you are in a band scenario and there's things that are included, then you make the best of them, and that's what I attempted to do. Now, I think there's some fantastic material on that record, but some of the more… well, I guess, 'techno' stuff, that seems to be what some people were most annoyed about. And yeah, it's weird. I agree it's weird. But when a song is presented to me, it's my job to do the best I can with it, and that's what I did.

"I think there's a lot of good stuff on that record, and then, yes, there is some weird stuff on that record, but, well, it is what it is. And on we march," he continued.

"Everybody has the things that they like and don't like, and I'm the same, and you're the same, and everyone's the same when it comes to preferences. We like who we like. Is everything gonna have the same reaction as the last thing? No. Of course not. But, there you go."

In 2019, Vincent released "Something Wicked Marches In", the debut album from his supergroup VLTIMAS, also featuring guitarist Rune Eriksen (formerly of MAYHEM) and CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier. Two years earlier, Vincent issued his debut country single, "Drinkin' With The Devil".

Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL's "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh", "Gateways To Annihilation" and "Heretic" LPs.