Alice Cooper has written a song for Zak Nilsson — son of late singer Harry Nilsson — in an effort to cheer him up, as he battles end-stage colon cancer.

Cooper performed the song on a recent episode of "Coffee Talk With ADIKA Live", a YouTube Live show hosted by bassist Stefan Adika and writer and former Rolling Stone contributor Corey Levitan. According to Rolling Stone, the pair have been friends with Nilsson for years, and invited him on the show to discuss his experiences with cancer, chemotherapy and more. Adika and Leftan also reached out to members of Hollywood Vampires — Harry Nilsson's old drinking club — to see if anyone wanted to send Zak a message after he recently chose to enter hospice instead of continuing treatment. Alice, the founder of the Hollywood Vampires, responded with an original song, surprising Harry during the January 2 "Coffee Talk" episode.

After Cooper's performance, Nilsson joked that Cooper had gotten one part wrong in his lyrics. "He did say there's nothing that I lack," Nilsson said, "and I would argue the only thing I really lack is a functioning gastrointestinal tract. But other than that, spot on."

Alice will release his brand new studio album, "Detroit Stories", on February 26 via earMUSIC. Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, "Detroit Stories" follows 2019's "Breadcrumbs" EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest rock and roll scene there ever was.

Julia And The Roofers is a rock band from the Genoa area in Italy, and the lineup consists of Julia (vocals, bass), Ranza (guitar, sitar, keyboards), and Necrodeath drummer, Peso.

The debut album, The Will Of Evil, will be available digitally on January 7 via Diamonds Prod. A video for the first single "Sound Of Evil", featuring Necrodeath guitarist Pier Gonella and created by created by Morbid Vision, can be seen below.

Cover artwork inspired by “Ophelia” painting by John Everett Millais.

Tracklisting:

"River"
"Summer (Seems So Easy)"
"Sound Of Evil"
"Come To An End"
"Eros & Thanatos"
"The Rope"
"Gardens"
"Down In The Net"
"Bones"

"Sound Of Evil" video:

Dutch / Brazilian metal act, Phantom Elite, will release their sophomore album, Titanium, on January 22. Watch a visualizer for the song "Deliverance" below, and pre-order the new album here.

Phantom Elite is a relatively new metal band fronted by singer Marina La Torraca (Exit Eden, live vocalist for Avantasia) and features songwriting and production from former After Forever guitarist and producer Sander Gommans. Marina and Sander together with Max van Esch (guitars), and Joeri Warmerdam (drums) are set to unleash an incredible slice of contemporary sounding heavy metal music in their sophomore album Titanium. Sonically, the band is a perfect combination of symphonic, progressive, alternative, and heavy metal.

Marina La Torraca explains, "'Diamonds and Dark' was one of the first songs we worked on for this album. It was one of those cases where everything just magically clicked and we were wowed by it from the very start. Although it probably has more symphonic touches then the other songs, this single is a good showcase of the quality and heaviness level of the whole album. We are really proud of what we achieved in writing, producing, and developing the concept together as a band (with the contribution of some wonderful professionals like Sander Gommans, Amanda Somerville and Hannes Braun)."

Originating six years ago, the seeds of Phantom Elite sprang from Sander Gomman's HDK project. While releasing the HDK album Serenades Of The Netherworld, Gommans brought together a group of young musicians with the intent of playing HDK's songs in a live setting. The natural chemistry among these passionate musicians wound up sparking a wealth of new and exciting musical ideas and thus Phantom Elite was born. The debut album Wasteland (2018), and the accompanying well received tour of Europe, showed that Phantom Elite are ready to take flight.

"With the support of Frontiers and their decades of history in the music business, we are proud to present the release of our second album with them in 2021,” says the band. "Listeners can expect songs where modern meets symphonic and progressive, (very!) heavy riffs meet epic melodies, all overloaded with a wide spectrum of emotions and love for music. For sure, a high note in our careers!”

Tracklisting:

"Conjure Rains"
"The Race"
"Diamonds And Dark"
"Worst Part Of Me"
"Glass Crown"
"Titanium"
"Bravado"
"Silver Lining"
"Haven"
"Deliverance"
"Eyes Wide Open"

"Deliverance" visualizer:

"The Race" lyric video:

"Diamonds And Dark" video:

(Photo - Nat Enemede)

Despite less than ideal circumstances, 2020 was a rather busy year for Hollywood band Society 1, having released numerous music videos, lockdown video performances, collaborations with Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (RUN-DMC), and acoustic tracks.

Now, the band reigns in the new year with a brand new single, “Release And Demise,” available to stream below. Featuring the current band lineup of vocalist and founder Matt “The Lord” Zane, guitarist Johnny Pilz, drummer Zhenya Pro, and Jimmy Minj on bass, the track is the latest outing from Society 1, with the long-awaited Black Level Six album nearing its final release this year.

“Release And Demise” does not appear on the album tracklist revealed in the new 2021 EPK (see below), although the band is currently still deciding the final
songs that will make the final album.

"No better way than to let 2020 go with a track called 'Release And Demise'. Just let it go and wither away, onto something new and better. There is power in the act of releasing. It allows transcendance," said Zane.

Transatlantic - the prog supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas - will release their fifth studio album, The Absolute Universe, on February 5. In this new video, Portnoy performs "The World We Used To Know":

Below is a clip from The Making Of The Absolute Universe, available on the Blu-ray and the Ultimate Edition.

Representing the band’s first new music since 2014’s Kaleidoscope, with The Absolute Universe the band have done something unique and created two versions of the record: The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version) & The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version).

Each album will be available on CD, LP & digitally. But there will also be what has been called The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition, which collects both versions together in one lavish package that includes 5LPs, 3CDs & a Blu-ray that contains a 5.1 surround sound mix with visuals & a behind the scenes documentary. All editions have unique artwork created by Thomas Ewerhard featuring the airship by Pavel Zhovba.

As Mike Portnoy explains: “We've got two versions of this album. There is a two CD presentation, which is 90 minutes long, and a single one - that's 60 minutes. However, the single CD is NOT merely an edited version of the double CD. They each contain alternate versions and even in some cases, new recordings. We wrote fresh lyrics and have different people singing on the single CD version tracks as compared to those on the double CD. Some of the song titles have also been changed, while others might remain the same, but compositionally what you'll hear has been altered. You must appreciate that what we have done is unique. We revamped the songs to make the two versions different.” Pete Trewavas adds: “We did write some new music for the single CD, what's more, there are also differences in the instruments used on some of the tracks across the two records.”

The full list of formats is below, and you can pre-order here

The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version):
- Special Edition CD Digipak
- Gatefold 2LP+CD
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Overture"
"Reaching For The Sky"
"Higher Than The Morning"
"The Darkness In The Light"
"Take Now My Soul"
"Looking For The Light"
"Love Made  A Way" (Prelude)
"Owl Howl"
"Solitude"
"Belong"
"Can You Feel It"
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends"
"Love Made A Way"

The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version):
- Special Edition 2CD Digipak
- 3LP+2CD Boxset
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

Disc 1:
"Overture"
"Heart Like A Whirlwind"
"Higher Than The Morning"
"The Darkness In The Light"
"Swing High, Swing Low"
"Bully"
"Rainbow Sky"
"Looking For The Light"
"The World We Used To Know"

Disc 2:
"The Sun Comes Up Today"
"Love Made A Way" (Prelude)
"Owl Howl"
"Solitude"
"Belong"
"Lonesome Rebel"
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends"
"Love Made A Way"

The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition:
- Limited Deluxe Clear 5LP+3CD+Blu-Ray Box-set – contained within a foil-finished lift-off box with extended 16-page LP booklet & 60x60cm poster

Blu-Ray tracklisting:

"Overture" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Reaching For The Sky" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Higher Than The Morning" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The Darkness In The Light" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Take Now My Soul" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Bully" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Rainbow Sky" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Looking For The Light" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The World We Used To Know" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The Sun Comes Up Today" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Love Made A Way" (Prelude) (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Owl Howl" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Solitude" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Belong" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Lonesome Rebel" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Can You Feel It" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise) (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends "(5.1 Surround Mix)
"Love Made A Way" (5.1 Surround Mix)
The Making of The Absolute Universe (Documentary)

"The World We Used To Know" video:

"Overture / Reaching For The Sky" video:

Trailer:

Initial tracking began in September 2019 when the band met up in Sweden to write and arrange the new material. As Portnoy explains: “Over a period of 10-14 days, we mapped out the songs. Then we all went back to our home studios and did the recording. That's the way we always do it. At one point, though, it was suggested that instead of doing what was by that time going to be a double album, we should just be content to do a single CD.”

“What happened was that everything kept expanding and expanding,” recalls Stolt. “Therefore we decided it made sense to make it a double album. It was Pete and Neal who then came out and said they felt this would be too long, and we should reduce it to one…But we were already recording, and it didn't seem feasible to cut it back. There were so many pieces that each of us loved in what we were planning and didn't want to lose. That's when we ended up in discussions over the best way forward.”

This album also marks a return to the concept album for Transatlantic. “Well, the idea of Transatlantic deciding to do a concept record this time around won't shock anyone, right?” laughs Portnoy. “What we have is essentially one giant composition, split into chapters. The storyline is about the struggles facing everyone in society today.” “We didn't start out with the idea of this being conceptual,” admits Stolt. “The way things work with us is that we have a load of ideas, and these are developed spontaneously when we meet up. Everything happens in the moment.”

So, how does this new ground-breaking album compare to Transatlantic's previous four albums?

“I always try not to compare albums as much as possible,” insists Morse. “It’s very difficult when you’re trying to be creative, because your natural instinct is to constantly compare. But in order to create you have to kind of step away from that. Having said that, I would say this would have more in common with 'The Whirlwind' album  (the band's third, from 2009) than others that we’ve created.” For Trewavas, 'The Absolute Universe' is a momentous project.

“I think it is right up there with the very finest albums we've done. As the others have said, it compares very well to 'The Whirlwind', which I believe represents Transatlantic at our best. As on that album, we took our time to write and arrange everything, and that shines through. I am very excited for people to hear it.”

Transatlantic were originally formed in 1999, releasing their debut album SMTPe the following year as well as its follow-up Bridge Across Forever in 2001. Following a 7-year hiatus, the band reconvened to record and release the much-acclaimed epic 77-minute, single-track album The Whirlwind followed by a world tour in 2010 which included an appearance at High Voltage Festival in London where they were joined by legendary Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. The band’s fourth album Kaleidoscope arrived in 2014, going on to win ‘Album Of The Year’ at the Progressive Music Awards.

Austrian metal duo, CueStack, has revealed a new guitar playthrough for “Through The Night”, the band’s much-talked-about collaboration with TV icon David Hasselhoff. Watch guitar shredder Bernth Brodträger as he takes viewers through the recently released single in a video available below.

“The song was originally written for six-string guitars in E standard, but I chose to replace the original rhythm tracks with a seven-string tuned to A standard,” says the Vienna Music Institute graduate. “That gave the song a bit more bite without changing the arrangement completely. I couldn't go to the extreme with my shredding and progressive influences because we wanted the song to appeal to David's fans as well, but I still added a challenging solo with one of the fastest lines I recorded so far. It was a fun challenge to compose this song and to work with David - an experience I will never forget!”

Fans will recognize Brodträger from his online shred videos, which have amassed over 200,000 subscribers on YouTube and 215,000 followers on Instagram. He has also released online courses such as 10 Steps To Modern Shredding and Sweep Picking Masterclass that teach the next generation of shredders about advanced techniques and music theory.

Born in Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, Brodträger began playing guitar at the age of 13. After his first private lessons, he signed up at a local music school to start his career, then started touring with extreme metal bands like Belphegor, playing concerts and festivals around the world.  After a couple of years of only playing metal, he decided to broaden his horizon and to study Jazz guitar and instrumental pedagogics at the Vienna Music Institute. Brodträger finished both programs with honours after four busy years.

During his final years at the Vienna Music Institute, Brodträger started working with the Austrian band Seiler und Speer. They put out three number one records in Austria, four top 10 hits, and played sold-out concerts like the legendary Donauinselfest, where they performed in front of over 111,000 people. During that time, Brodträger also received two gold awards for composing and performing the soundtrack for two seasons of the successful series Horvathslos.

Brodträger was introduced to Hasselhoff by his CueStack partner Martin Kames in 2018. “I was surprised to hear about his interest in rock and metal music,” he says. “He listed Metallica, Iron Maiden, Killswitch Engage, Marilyn Manson and other bands as favorites, and we talked about making a metal song together. I recorded some demos right after this meeting, 'Through The Night' was the first idea I had back then. The song is essentially a fun over-the-top fusion of classic metal elements and David's powerful voice. He is a trained musical singer and I love the dramatic touch he added to the song. It all came together as soon as he entered the studio with us near Vienna. Hearing the song with his vocals for the first time was a surreal moment I will never forget! Our producer Daniel Fellner - who is currently finishing the production of my upcoming solo album 'Elevation' - played a big part in finding the right sound for the collaboration. Of course, we wanted it to have a retro vibe, but it also had to sound modern to fit the CueStack catalog. We achieved that with added electronic elements and experimental drum layering, going for an industrial touch.”

Tabs, guitar pro files and a backing track for “Through the Night” are available on Brodträger’s Patreon, here.

“Through The Night” is available digitally on Spotify, Amazon Music, iTunes Music and Apple Music. Fans of this unique collaboration can also get the extended “Through the Night” Box Set, a Digipak CD featuring a retro synthwave remix by Beartooth singer and mastermind Caleb Shomo, as well as an unplugged version and two additional CueStack songs. The Box Set also contains a unique poster, gym bag, autograph card and baseball cap. “Through the Night” is available for physical purchase at the official CueStack webshop, here.

The collaboration between the Austrian duo and the TV idol started in 2018 and what seemed like an impossible idea slowly turned into a reality. The ultimate goal was to create a metal project with the most-watched man on TV, showing the world his heavy side. Hasselhoff recorded the track with CueStack in 2019 in Vienna, where they also shot this epic music video together. CueStack conjured up a dystopian Sci-Fi world in the music video for “Through The Night”, continuing the cinematic style that was established with this year's first single “Transhuman Generation”.

The first full-length CueStack album, Diagnosis:Human, will be released in 2021.

(Photo - Maximilian Lottmann)

Benediction vocalist Dave Ingram, along with Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, etc.) have announced another new collaboration together.

Stygian Dark: dirty, down-tuned, old school death metal. Coming to befoul, grime and shade in 2021.

Says Ingram: “Right now, an eight track 12-inch vinyl is being recorded for Doc Records (Holland) titled Gorelords Of War with the nine track CD version out on Old Shadows Records (Brazil) plus a two track 7-inch ‘Suffering Of The Sinister'/'Casket Malediction’ planned with Slaughterhouse Records (USA). All three for later this year.”

The full lineup:

Dave Ingram (Benediction) - Vocals
Rogga Johansson (Paganizer) - Guitar
Jon Rudin (Wombbath) - Drums
Alwin Roes (Dead End) - Bass

For future updates, check out the band’s Facebook page here.

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards, originally scheduled for January 31, have been postponed due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. A new date for the ceremony has not been confirmed, but sources tell Variety the event may be moved to sometime in March.

A combination of health and travel concerns is what ultimately led to the decision to postpone this year's Grammys, with the show's planned location of Los Angeles on the verge of becoming the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 7,600 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in just Los Angeles County.

IN THIS MOMENT, BODY COUNT, CODE ORANGE and POWER TRIP are among the "Best Metal Performance" nominees at the 2021 Grammy Awards, which are due to be hosted by "The Daily Show"'s Trevor Noah. It will mark his first time hosting the awards show.

Last year, it was announced that the 63rd annual Grammys would not be delayed despite the pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

"The amount of music released has actually increased during the pandemic, so we would not want to delay our date with so much great music coming out," the Recording Academy's interim president and CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told Variety in June. "I also think it's important and helpful to have shows like this, when there's been so much uncertainty and unrest — to have something you know is coming around every year and to know there's a time when we all sit down together and watch great entertainment and art."

In September, Mason teased to Variety, that the upcoming ceremony is "going to be a spectacular show." "Obviously, this is a very unique year. We've been looking at all of the shows really closely and I've been talking with some of the people who put them together — the creative and also the business side," he said. "I think there have been some great examples of how to present music and awards at these shows, and I think there's some other things that we're gonna do pretty differently."

Last year, TOOL was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, which was held on January 26, 2020 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. TOOL was nominated for "7empest", a track from its 2019 album "Fear Inoculum".

In the fall of 2018, Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, Steve Perry, made his long-awaited return with the release of Traces, the legendary musician’s first new album in 25 years. The album’s personal expression of love, inspiration and renewal resonated with both critics and fans around the world, thrilled to have their voice of a generation making new music once again.

Now, on Traces (Alternative Versions & Sketches), available now via Fantasy Records, Perry revisits several of his favourite tracks, stripping away the grand production touches, taking the songs down to their essence. Presented acoustic and raw, (including some in sketch form) tracks like "Sun Shines Gray", "No Erasin’, No More Cryin’", and "Most Of All" take on new and richer meaning. In this setting, Perry’s iconic soulful voice glides out-front vibrant, clear and warm while the lyrics take on greater significance as well, even more intimate than before.

Produced by Perry and his longtime collaborator and friend, Thom Flowers, Traces (Alternative Versions & Sketches) offers a fascinating glimpse into Perry’s creative process and a deeper understanding into an already treasured album.

“When writing these songs, the original inspiration is always my first compass – where the songs should go,” stated Perry. “Alternate Versions & Sketches is exactly that, and I’m very excited to have you hear the original seeds of these songs.”

Brand-new, special edition merchandise is now available exclusively on Perry’s online store. Order Traces (Alternative Versions & Sketches) here.

Listen to "Most Of All" (Radio Mix) from the release below.

Tracklisting:

"Most Of All" (Radio Mix)
"No Erasin’" (Acoustic)
"I Need You" (Acoustic)
"No More Cryin’" (Acoustic)
"Most Of All" (Stripped)
"We’re Still Here" (Acoustic)
"You Belong To Me" (Stripped)
"Sun Shines Gray" (Acoustic)

"Most Of All" (Radio Mix):

"I Need You":

"No Erasin’" (Acoustic):

"Most Of All" (Stripped) visualizer:

"Most Of All" performance video:

(Photo - Myriam Santos)

On January 15, Dread Sovereign will release their third full-length, Alchemical Warfare, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the new single, "The Great Beast We Serve", can be found below.

Alchemical Warfare can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- slate blue / grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- raisin rouge marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 150 copies)
- gold / black dust vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- white / black marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Dread Sovereign was formed in Dublin, Ireland in 2013 by Primordial vocalist Nemtheanga to give praise to filthy cult old doom, black and heavy metal. Their first EP, 2013's Pray To The Devil In Man, came out on Roadburn/Burning World Records to coincide with the band's live debut. Soon after, two full-lengths were released by Van Records: All Hell's Martyrs (2014) and For Doom The Bell Tolls (2017). And now, in early 2021, the band will release their new album, Alchemical Warfare, through Metal Blade Records.

"Our motto when we started was 'The World is Doomed'…and it seems life is imitating art…as we are looking like filthy prophets!" says vocalist/bassist Nemtheanga. "Several years in the making, the new Dread Sovereign is ready for the End of the World, which might be next year in case you didn't know! A bit more reckless and up-tempo than the previous releases, yet the template remains doom, Alchemical Warfare just has a bit more Venom and Motörhead thrown into the mix. If it's the end of days we might as well go out with middle fingers raised right?"

Alchemical Warfare tracklisting:

"A Curse On Men"
"She Wolves Of The Savage Season"
"The Great Beast We Serve"
"Nature Is The Devil's Church"
"Her Master's Voice"
"Viral Tomb"
"Devil's Bane"
"Ruin Upon The Temple Mount"
"You Don't Move Me (I Don't Give A Fuck)" * CD+digital bonus track only

"The Great Beast We Serve" video:

"Nature Is The Devil's Church" video:

Dread Sovereign lineup:

Nemtheanga - vocals/bass
Bones - guitars
JK - drums

Since the pandemic began, Alan/Nemtheanga has also started a podcast, entitled Agitators Anonymous. Well over 30 episodes with almost 75,000 listens, Agitators Anonymous is a mixture of tour stories, politics, the occult, culture, history, travel, black humour, special guests, deep dives into books, events, writers, and characters from the past - and of course, metal.

Fans can listen at the below links and across all podcast platforms:

- Spotify
- shows.acast.com
- YouTube

Finnish melodic metal band, Evil Drive, strikes back again. On their upcoming third album they present themselves more powerful and with major musical and technical improvements.

Evil Drive has published 2 full-length albums so far: The Land of The Dead (2016) and Ragemaker (2018) both receiving excellent feedback from the media and fans alike.  The much awaited third album, Demons Within, will be launched and distributed worldwide on April 2 via Reaper Entertainment Europe.

Evil Drive also revealed the new cover artwork, created by artist Jarkko Vanhalakka.

The band states: "The long wait has ended! We proudly present the cover art for our upcoming album Demons Within, which will be released 2.4.2021 on CD and digital formats worldwide! Hopefully this year we get to play you the new songs live! Stay tuned for more updates!"

Tracklisting:

"Payback"
"Breaking The Chains"
"Demons Within"
"Rising From The Revenge"
"We Are One"
"Too Wild To Live Too Rare To Die"
"Lord Of Chaos"
"Bringer Of Darkness"
"In The End"
"Ghost Dimension"

The first digital single will be released this Friday. Pre-save here.

Evil Drive are:

Viktoria Viren - vocals
J-P Pusa - guitar
Ville Viren - guitar
Antti Tani - drums
Matti Sorsa - bass

HighVolMusic has announced that A Rising Force has signed with the label for the release of their debut, titled Undertow.

A Rising Force is an all original Minnesota rock act featuring Mark Westlund (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Brian Lorenson (Bass, Vocals), Lane Allen (Drums, Vocals, Percussion), and Leni DiMancari (Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards). The band collectively have had multiple albums released, MMA nominations & awards, along with national and international touring backgrounds.

No strangers to the recording industry, guitarist Leni DiMancari (founding member of Hurricane Alice who changed their name to Hericane Alice for Atlantic Records) has recorded with members of Y&T, Le Mans, Cacophony, and Montrose.

Bass player Brian Lorenson and drummer Lane Allen were members of Dare Force. DiMancari, Allen, and Lorenson were all part of the last incarnation of the band prior to A Rising Force.

Their motto is “Old school rock with a new world attitude” and the album definitely shows it on every track of the debut of A Rising Force. The music is guitar-driven commercial hard rock combined with 4-part harmonies, and all fronted by an arena rock lead vocalist. The songs are all real-life experiences and stories about life, love, loss, heartache, and the world around us.

Release date details are forthcoming.

(Photo - Mark Walentiny)

Sacred Oath have announced the “waterfall release plan” for their brand new album, Return Of The Dragon, available on April 2. The band is going to stream five album tracks at regular intervals along with original artwork, lyrics and video content.

The band will release the first single, “Return Of The Dragon”, on January 15 for streaming and download on all digital platforms, including a lyric video. The single features cover artwork by drummer Kenny “Thundarr” Evans, who has previously designed covers for the band, as well as several of the band’s logos.

Subsequently, Sacred Oath will release four more singles on January 29, February 12, February 26, and March 19. Each piece will feature a new and unique cover painted by Evans. Platforms like Spotify and YouTube will also feature each art piece on video and canvas.

Pre-order for both the deluxe CD and double LP editions will begin on January 29 exclusively on the band’s website. These editions will be limited-edition pressings of 500 copies and LPs will be hand-numbered and signed. The CD will contain a 24-page booklet including all 11 original art pieces, lyrics, and photos.

Digital pre-order will begin on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music on March 19, with instant delivery of all five singles.

Return Of The Dragon is the first studio album to feature the newly officially added fifth band member - guitar and keyboard phenom Damiano Christian. Christian joined the band during the Twelve Bells At Midnight tour in 2017 and appears on the live album that followed in 2019, Thunder Underground – Live from NYC.

Sacred Oath is best-known for releasing A Crystal Vision in 1988, an album that evolved into a cult-classic of the powerthrash-metal genre. It was followed by six more critically acclaimed studio albums, including fan-favorites World On Fire, Sacred Oath, Darkness Visible, and Ravensong. The single “Counting Zeros” from their eponymous 2009 release was chosen as iTunes “Discovery Download of the Week”, and their first live album Till Death Do Us Part (2008) was listed as a Top Ten Metal Album of the year by Apple Music in its year of release. The band appeared on MTV2 Headbangers Ball in its last televised season with a featured interview.

The Slayerking is a unique entity brought to life by Efthimis Karadimas and Kostas Kyriakopoulos, both known from the legendary Greek band Nightfall. They are true veterans in our scene, which becomes immediately clear when listening to this masterpiece: unconventionally occult, varied, catchy, well-structured and with a superficially unintelligible layered rawness.

Tetragrammaton, set for release on February 20, is The Slayerking’s sophomore album, presented to you not only as quality but also quantity, as the album features about 45 minutes of obscure metal, skillfully played, masterfully composed and produced to sheer perfection.

The technical team behind it all was carefully hand-picked and thus Tetragrammaton was produced by Marcus Jidell (Candlemass, Avatarium, etc.), recorded/mixed at Soundflakes Studios, mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More etc) and the artwork exclusively made by the well-known Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu.

Dramatic, melancholic, timeless… Tetragrammaton is a perfect blend between dark, doom and back metal art that will bring even the most selective and stubborn metalheads to their knees.

The limited LP-version (ltd. 300) comes on ‘Blood of Mary’ red vinyl and with an 8-page full-color booklet; the six-panel digipak (ltd. 350) comes with an 8-page full-color booklet plus an exclusive previously unreleased bonus track.

Tracklisting:

"Intro To Your Darkness"
"Bless Those Motherfuckers"
"We Crucified Your Pilgrims"
"The Slayerking Loves Her Throat"
"The Slayerking My Love Is Alive"
"Revelation Baby"
"Queen Of Sheba Wants You"
"Evil Eye On Them All"
"Under The Spell We Dance"
"Out Of Your Darkness"

Lineup:

Efthimis Karadimas: Bass / vocals
Kostas Kyriakopoulos: Guitars
George Karlis: Drums

Tempe, Arizona-based technical melodic death metallers Dead World Reclamation will release their new album, Aura Of Iniquity, on April 23rd.

The cover art for Aura Of Iniquity was expertly crafted by Mark Erskine (Symbolik, Fractal Generator) and the album was tracked, mixed, and mastered by Jeremy Davis of Metasonic Studios. 

Tracklisting:

"Ripped From The Grave"
"Embrace The Hive"
"The Everlasting Hunt"
"Pantheon Of Shadows"
"Heralds Of The Formless One"
"Arachnocratic Assemblage"
"Whispers Of The Evergloom"
"The Void Bargain"
"Those Born Of Suffering"
"Plaguemaster’s Legacy"

Although still a melodic death metal band at heart, Dead World Reclamation's current form is greatly enhanced by technically inclined playing and orchestral layers paired with streamlined catchy songwriting. As always, they continue to stay true to their roots by infusing their complex take on melodic death metal with a metric ton of impenetrable heaviness and skull splintering brutality added in throughout Aura Of Iniquity.

Dead World Reclamation comments: "We’re five guys who love both death metal and a good story, therefore Aura Of Iniquity is a series of short stories told in death metal format. Roaming through tales of dark bargains with otherworldly beings made for power untold, forests where gargantuan spiders dictate the law of the land, to necromancy told from the viewpoint of the body possessed. While our musical influences are definitely reflected in our songs, we tried to approach this album with the mindset of just creating music we’d love to listen to. We feel we’ve grown immensely since our first release, Sentient, and hope you all enjoy the album as much as we enjoyed creating it."

Revel in the following Aura Of Iniquity album teaser:

(Photo courtesy of Michael Alvarez)

 

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

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"

Inhumation sees Unflesh guitarist / vocalist Ryan Beevers (Solium Fatalis) aided by two new members: bassist Orion Hubbard (Excrecor) and drummer Jeff Saltzman (Aversed, Allegaeon, Continuum, Solium Fatalis).

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."

"Inhumation delves into the concept of desensitization and losing one's soul or losing one's humanity so to speak," continues Beevers. "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."

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

For further details, visit Unflesh on Facebook.

With "The Five Horsemen", Germany's Burn Down Eden share a brand new song from their upcoming third album, Burn Down Eden, set for release on March 26th via Kernkraftritter Records.

With their self-titled third album, Burn Down Eden pick up where they left off with their second album, Liberticidal, and even put a shovel on it again. The band continues to focus on the catchy choruses and melodies, brute, fiddly riffs and modulations, as well as rapid solos and classical elements. Nevertheless, all in all the third album seems to be more mature. And yet they also like to leave the genre and play happily with all elements from black to prog metal.

With Burn Down Eden, the guys make it crystal clear, that they are THE next big thing in the matter of melo-death from Germany. Kernkraftritter Records is convinced, "We will welcome Burn Down Eden to lots of festival stages in the post-corona times."

Prior to the release of "The Five Horsemen", Burn Down Eden unveiled an official video for "A Prepper's Prophecy", which can be seen below. With "A Prepper's Prophecy" the quintet put salt in the wounds of everybody who was convinced that such a nearly apocalyptic scene like in the year 2020 could possibly happen and who prepared themselves for it. Burn Down Eden are backbiting conspiracy theorists, tinfoil hats and all the prepper out there. The guys kicking off their album with literally a big bang!

Burn Down Eden artwork and tracklisting:

"Sadomasochists From Beyond The Grave"
"A Prepper's Prophecy"
"Bizarre Circus"
"A Bloody Pool Of Angels"
"Witch's Scorn"
"Abducted Reality"
"Hurricane Of Greed"
"Law Enforcement Ubermensch"
"The Five Horsemen"
"Encounters Of The Unkind"

Pre-order your copy of Burn Down Eden now at this location.

 

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has blasted President Donald Trump for reportedly pressuring Georgia Secretary Of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" votes to overturn the election results after his loss to President-elect Joe Biden.

Earlier today, the Washington Post released an audio recording of a January 2 phone call between Trump and Raffensperger in which Trump criticized his fellow Republican for refusing to falsely say that he won the election in Georgia and repeatedly floated baseless claims of election fraud.

"The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry. And there's nothing wrong with saying that, you know, um, that you've recalculated," Trump said. Raffensperger responded, "Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong."

In another part of the call, Trump said, "So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state."

"You should want to have an accurate election. And you're a Republican," Trump said.

"We believe that we do have an accurate election," Raffensperger responded, after which Trump replied, "No, no you don't. Not even close. You're off by hundreds of thousands of votes."

Despite the fact that Georgia has conducted multiple recounts and audits of the vote since November, Trump said: "There's no way I lost Georgia. There's no way. We won by hundreds of thousands of votes."

Earlier today, Stanley shared a link to the original Washington Post report on Trump's call with Raffensperger, and he included the following message: "This is ABHORRENT. A true danger to our democracy. The issue isn't that it WON'T work. It's Mob Boss behavior and politicians putting party over audits, investigations, court rulings & COUNTRY in an effort to overrule the will of American voters".

Congress is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, January 6 to certify Biden's victory in 2020 election. However, around a dozen Republican lawmakers have announced their intention to oppose the Electoral College certification, citing allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election for which they provided no evidence and which have been rejected repeatedly by courts around the country.




This is ABHORRENT. A true danger to our democracy. The issue isn’t that it WON’T work. It’s Mob Boss behavior and politicians putting party over audits, investigations, court rulings & COUNTRY in an effort to overrule the will of American votershttps://t.co/EmCrqYzaFd was a sass

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) January 3, 2021








I’m with you Becky! So after numerous audits, debunked claims of rampant voter tampering, dead people voting & the countless cases thrown out by Trump appointed judges & others... When is not getting the hoped for result accepted?? Biden won. https://t.co/z1KqZ738JI

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) January 4, 2021








Thank you to the Washington Post for providing the tape of Trump’s secret threatening call to the Georgia Secretary of State. For anyone who wants to listen, here it is:https://t.co/bU63s3s90F

— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 3, 2021








Here’s the audio of Trump‘s call with #Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

The phone call took place yesterday, and the recorded audio doesn’t back up Trump’s claims about the conversation that he tweeted this morning.pic.twitter.com/DUVjcFbYyQ

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) January 3, 2021








Listening to the entire phone call is like discovering a long-lost episode of The Sopranos. https://t.co/bKK7TYtKUQ

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) January 3, 2021








In @MelBrooks’ “The Producers,” (1968), Max (Zero Mostel) begs his accountant Leo (Gene Wilder) to “Move a few decimal points” to balance the books. Same thing here, but not funny. They end up in jail and so should he. At one point can authorities arrest a sitting US President? https://t.co/o9BBQohdWY

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) January 3, 2021








The #TrumpTapes are far beyond #Watergate. Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre now looks more like a Saturday Morning Cartoon https://t.co/ESgeZN7nsO

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) January 3, 2021








Just heard more #TrumpTapes. Wow. @MarkMeadows is Luca Brasi to #VetoCorleone. #ImpeachTrump https://t.co/Y2xYRQxQsb pic.twitter.com/X9jiWvw5dx

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) January 3, 2021

Recent The Artisan Era signees Stortregn have announced the upcoming release of their fifth full-length, Impermanence, scheduled for March 12th. Famed Italian painter Paolo Girardi (Power Trip, Artificial Brain, Chthe'ilist) lends his masterful touch to the fantastic artwork adorning Impermanence. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Conatus Studio, Switzerland by Vladimir Cochet (Mirrorthrone, Weeping Birth).

Tracklisting:

"Ghosts Of The Past"
"Moon, Sun, Stars"
"Cosmos Eater" 
"Impermanence"
"Grand Nexion Abyss"
"Multilayered Chaos"
"Timeless Splendor"
"Nénie" 

The time has come for Stortregn to take their next leap forward, a sentiment Impermanence embodies and embraces with unorthodox yet graceful conviction from start to finish. Impermanence draws inspiration from a large array of influences including progressive tech-death to '90s Swedish black metal, old-school heavy metal, and jazz in order to craft a unique style of melodic black metal intertwined with a variety of death metal influences.

Pre-orders can be placed now via Bandcamp or The Artisan Era Store. Check out the lyric video for "Cosmos Eater":

 

"North Star", a song from Grimmreaper’s debut album, The Tragedy Of Being, can be heard below.

The Tragedy Of Being resulted from personal events in Logan Grimm’s life in which he saw his mind being blown to the cosmos, and found that he was drifting. In that drifting, this initial record was created. The drive to carry on against all odd is the theme for the single, as he explains: “You need to rekindle yourself to move forward in life. Aim toward the highest thing you can conceptualize. You will not get it right the first time, but you must have an aim. You may think of aiming yourself towards a guide in the sky, the north star. But you’re not smart enough to know where the north star is, so you’ll aim for the south because of your ignorance. This is still a good path moving forward because you have decided to move. Your aim will come more into focus as you move.”

It has been a long process to get this solo record ready, and Grimm couldn’t be more excited to finally get it into the ears of metal fans everywhere. The album is a concept album that goes through the default conditions of life, tragedy, and suffering, and the options they present, nihilism and resentment, or transcendence and courage.

The Tragedy Of Being is Grimmreaper’s debut album, and the solo project has been described as mixing technical styles like those of Dragonforce and Meshuggah with mainstream styles like Bullet For My Valentine and Five Finger Death Punch. It’s a dark record with many twists and turns, but never boring. The album is a journey through different tastes of metal, and while it’s meant to be enjoyed from start to finish, each song stands strong on its own.

The planetary and abstract album art represents the chaotic nature of the psyche, unknowable. Recommended for fans of Meshuggah, Dragonforce, and Devin Townsend.

The full release of The Tragedy Of Being is out in March 2021.

Tracklisting:

"Mind’s Mirrors Meshing Together"
"North Star"
"Prison"
"Resent"
"The Land I Will Show You"
"Catastrophe Of The Tragic Melancholies"
"Road Of Resistance"
"Happy Times"
"The Tragedy Of Being"

"North Star":

“Catastrophe Of The Tragic Melancholies”:

“Resent” video:

On Monday's (January 4) episode of her talk show "The Talk", Sharon Osbourne discussed her recent battle with COVID-19.

"I'm feeling really fine now, except that I'm still very tired," she said, less than a month after she announced her positive coronavirus diagnosis. "I nod off at ridiculous times of the day. And I'm good.

"I went through all the symptoms — headache, eye ache, body ache, dizziness, sickness; all of it," Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager explained. "But there's people who are much worse than I got it; they have it much worse. And I just think I came out very lucky.

"By the way, I still can't smell very much or taste very much," Sharon added.

When the Emmy-winning host of "The Talk" first revealed her positive diagnosis on December 14, she said she was hospitalized for the infectious disease for a short time and was isolating away from Ozzy, who had tested negative.

In November, Ozzy told GQ magazine that he suffers from a respiratory disease which puts him at an increased risk of severe pneumonia and poor outcomes if he was to develop COVID-19.

"I've got emphysema, so if I get this virus, I'm fucked," he said, referring to the type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and gets worse over time.

Less than two months ago, Sharon announced that she was self-quarantining after being in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Just three months earlier, Sharon revealed that two of her and Ozzy's granddaughters, five-year-old Andy Rose and three-year-old Minnie, had been infected with the novel coronavirus. At the time, Sharon said that Minnie contracted the virus "from somebody who works for my son." She said her granddaughter's diagnosis "just goes to show you … that children can get COVID."

In September, Ozzy said he won't have a coronavirus vaccine despite his Parkinson's disease putting him at greater risk. Speaking on Rock Classics Radio on Apple Music Hits, he said: "I'm trying to recover so I can get... The only good thing about this pandemic, I couldn't work anyway because of my injuries. I'm hoping that I'll be booking 2022, I think.

"To be honest with you, I don't think it's gonna get ship shape until the end of next year. I think this winter is gonna be fucking bad, because you're gonna have the flu. People are, 'I'm not taking the flu shot.' You know what?

"You can give me anything, but I'm not gonna be number one on that fucking new vaccine. I don't know want to be the first one to wake up with a set of fucking antlers in the morning."

Last July, Ozzy said that he was still "not back to 100 percent" after suffering from several medical issues last year, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. Ozzy also said that he was looking forward to performing again once he has regained his health and the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

In August, Ozzy blasted Donald Trump's coronavirus response, saying that America's 45th president is "acting like a fool." In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ozzy said: "In my lifetime, I've never known anything like this. It's getting worse, not better. And this guy's acting like a fool. I don't really like to talk politics that much, but I've got to say what I feel with this guy. There's not much hope left. Maybe he's got a trick up his sleeve and he's going to surprise us all, and I hope he has. [Recently], over a thousand more people died in one day [in America]. That's fucking crazy. People got to get with this social distancing and mask-wearing or else it's never gonna go away."

When the pandemic struck, Ozzy had just released his first solo album in a decade, "Ordinary Man", which he recorded in 2019 while recovering from surgery and related illnesses. The BLACK SABBATH singer had previously canceled all his 2019 tour plans, and the rescheduled 2020 shows were also scrapped.

Eddie Van Halen's ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli says that "it's been rough" dealing with his death.

The iconic guitarist passed away in October at the age of 65. His death was announced by Eddie and Valerie's son, VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen.

Valerie discussed her ex-husband during an appearance on the "Today" show. Asked how she and Wolfgang are doing three months after Eddie's passing, Bertinelli said (see video below): "It's been rough. Very bittersweet. We're doing okay. We spent the holidays together. I'll see him later today. We've been spending a lot of time together.

"Yeah, it's hard," she continued. "I've gone to text [Eddie] a few dozen times. And it's, like, 'Oh, no, I can't text him right now.'"

On the day of the VAN HALEN guitarist's passing, Valerie shared a photo of her, Eddie and Wolfgang, taken while Wolfgang was was still toddler, and she included the following message: "40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you. You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang. Through all your challenging treatments for lung cancer, you kept your gorgeous spirit and that impish grin. I'm so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments. I will see you in our next life my love."

Bertinelli split with Van Halen in 2002 after 21 years of marriage. They officially divorced in 2007. Eddie then went on to marry Janie Liszewski in 2009.

"One of the many reasons that Ed and I split up is to give Wolfie a better vision of what two people who are supposedly in love treat each other like," Valerie told Oprah.com. "Ed and I weren't treating each other like two people that loved each other, and that's what Wolfie was seeing. So I'm hoping that when he does get married and start a life for himself, that he takes his time and marries a friend and not just someone that he can't keep his hands off."

Valerie went on to say that leaving Eddie wasn't an easy choice. "We were all very raw from 9/11, and you heard all these stories of people coming together," she said. "They hated each other and they were back together and divorces weren't happening anymore. And I'm, like, 'Am I the only one in the world that wants out now because of 9/11? I'm not going to live my life if it's that tenuous. That's not how I want to live my life anymore.'"

Eddie died on October 6 at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Following his death, fans left flowers at his childhood home on Las Lunas Street in Pasadena, California. Additional flowers, candles and fan mementos were placed on Allen Avenue where Eddie and his brother, VAN HALEN drummer Alex, scratched their band's name into the wet cement of a sidewalk when they were teenagers.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.




“It’s been rough.” -Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) on the death of her late ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen pic.twitter.com/Vw5QTEmDJu

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 4, 2021

Marty Friedman (MEGADETH), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE), Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY), Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS), Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY) and SONATA ARCTICA are amont the heavy metal musicians who have reacted on social media to the passing of former CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho. The Finnish guitarist/vocalist 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, 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 God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

The talented guitarist and musician relished his role as stepdad in his 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 CHILDREN OF BODOM bandmates Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä (bass) and Janne Wirman (keyboards) said in a statement: "More than 25 years of friendship. We lost a brother. The world lost a phenomenal songwriter and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Memories and Alexi's music will live forever. Our thoughts are with Alexi's family during this difficult time."

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT made its live debut on October 23 at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, Finland. The 17-song show consisted entirely of CHILDREN OF BODOM material.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman announced their departures from CHILDREN OF BODOM in October 2019. Two months later, they confirmed that they were the rightful owners of the CHILDREN OF BODOM brand.

CHILDREN OF BODOM's last album, "Hexed", came out in March 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records.




Absolutely gutted about Alexi Laiho`s very untimely passing. He had a lot more to left to say with his music.

— Marty Friedman (@marty_friedman) January 4, 2021








Alexi Laiho was a monumental talent & a genuine, caring & thoughtful person.

He will be greatly missed.

Rest In Peace Alexi

— Mark Morton ?? (@MarkDuaneMorton) January 4, 2021








I always wanted to meet Alexi Laiho.

We were brought together by @marty_friedman and shared the mic on a track from the Inferno album.

Hard way to start the week.

R.I.P. Alexi Laiho pic.twitter.com/QI468qY83l

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) January 4, 2021








RIP Alexi Laiho ? pic.twitter.com/EDDZBjSg6R

— Revocation (@Revocation) January 4, 2021








We had the privilege to share the stage together. Incredible talent and brilliant guitar player.

You will be missed.

R.I.P. Alexi Laiho https://t.co/AGCYZYAhKm

— Decapitated (@decapitated) January 4, 2021








COB were at a high point in 2005 and this tour was totally sold out at just about every date. They absolutely shredded and sounded incredible night after night. This tour was tough for us after riding high on Ozzfest, the audience wasn’t really sure about the hype around us... pic.twitter.com/auYosbkObh

— Paolo Gregoletto (@TriviumPaolo) January 4, 2021








Rest In Peace Alexi ? Gone too soon. pic.twitter.com/QRqIuyedX1

— Nightwish (@NightwishBand) January 4, 2021








Alexi is a modern day guitar hero and rightly deserves the praise he is getting today for the music he left us with. #RIPAlexi

— Paolo Gregoletto (@TriviumPaolo) January 4, 2021








Dammit. Do yourself a favor and jam some Bodom today. https://t.co/FnDEy0aLGc

— Aaron Pauley (@aaronpauley) January 4, 2021








Waking up to the news of my friend Alexi Laiho passing ?. The talent from this amazing Soul will live on forever. We had so much more Music to make together. Rest In Peace brother. ❤️? pic.twitter.com/fCCiXsVV3J

— wednesday 13 (@officialwed13) January 4, 2021








Very sad news for the guitar community. https://t.co/piKG4yNUQg

— Joe Bonamassa (Official) (@JBONAMASSA) January 4, 2021








Alexi Laiho was one of my all-time favorite guitar players. I remember my father flying me up to Chicago as a teenager to see Children of Bodom & then a year later meeting alexi @DeanGuitars when he offered me a cig at 14 & my mom yelled at him haha #RIP #alexilaiho #guitarist

— Evan Rubinson (@EvanRubinson) January 4, 2021








RIP https://t.co/QNSJTyXi4a

— Alex Bent (@AlexBentDrums) January 4, 2021








A hero of my generation! Such a talent. He will be missed! RIP Alexi ?

? by @BeckflashAndrea pic.twitter.com/xkTWhf8uUi

— Floor Jansen (@FloorJansen_) January 4, 2021








Rest in Peace, Alexi Laiho. 41 is way too young. A lovely guy whose talent stood out from our generation of Metal musicians. I will always have the utmost respect for him, he will be sorely missed in the Metal world. My condolences and prayers go out to his family. pic.twitter.com/cEy4NnnVzJ

— Tobias Sammet (@tobiassammet) January 4, 2021








Rest In Peace to another musical hero.

Without Children Of Bodom’s Something Wild, Hatebreeder, and Follow The Reaper - Trivium likely wouldn’t be here.

You will be missed Alexi.

Favorite Bodom song of all time?

-

Streams: 9am - 1pm, M-F https://t.co/YgoiEcsxT0 pic.twitter.com/umQ9frWGZc

— Matthew kiichichaos Heafy (@matthewkheafy) January 4, 2021








NO!!! Alexi was such an incredible soul. Always so much fun to be around. They took shads on our 2nd tour of Europe and it was one of the most memorable runs we ever did. I am truly heartbroken by this. Shred on in the beyond Alexi. Blessing to his family + friends #RIPAlexiLaiho https://t.co/uKzcn3bbHQ

— Brian Fair (@brianshadfall) January 4, 2021








RIP Alexi Laiho pic.twitter.com/WslAcAENrY

— The Black Dahlia Murder (@bdmmetal) January 4, 2021








R.I.P. Alexi Laiho. It’s devastating to hear the news. One of the greatest guitarists of my generation is gone way too soon. This photo is from the day we met. It was in Tokyo summer 2003, for the cover of Young Guitar magazine. It was my first major cover shoot, so... pic.twitter.com/4lMTOL2My6

— Gus G. (@gusgofficial) January 4, 2021








...I’ll always remember that. Since then, we ran into each other a few times at the ESP guitars signings at Namm and Messe, and was always nice to hang out for a bit. Such a loss for the Metal world and for the guitar community. My condolences to his family and loved ones. ?

— Gus G. (@gusgofficial) January 4, 2021








Sad news. #AlexiLaiho created new possibilities in extreme metal with technically sophisticated solos that held their own alongside the best in more popularized metal genres. Didn’t know him well, but we had appearances together over the years. A good guy, far too young to go

RIP https://t.co/Njxdpclrko pic.twitter.com/hUz45dClu1

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) January 4, 2021








R.I.P. Alexi Laiho

We are sad to hear of Alexi Laiho passing. You were a great musician and a real guitar hero. You will be remembered. Our thoughts are with you and your family.

Sonata Arctica pic.twitter.com/d4InQEMtXH

— Sonata Arctica (@SonataArctica) January 4, 2021








Devastated to hear of Alexi Laiho's passing. We toured together many times throughout the years. What an incredible talent and all round super great dude. He will be missed. #alexilaiho

— Mikael Stanne (@MiklStne) January 4, 2021






Beyond fucked up. 41 years old ...

Posted by Jens Johansson on Monday, January 4, 2021



I’m speechless... R.I.P. Alexi Laiho.

#ripalexilaiho #alexilaiho

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Such devastating news to hear of Alexi Laiho’s passing. Alexi was one of my BIGGEST inspirations when I got serious...

Posted by Nita Strauss on Monday, January 4, 2021

Frontiers Music Srl announces the signing of Icon Of Sin, a new project centered around the vocal talents of popular Brazilian YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes. Two other stellar Brazilian musicians, Sergio Mazul (Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall) helped Raphael in the songwriting of the album and helmed the production. Listeners can expect a full-on traditional heavy metal assault.

Raphael Mendes has become a very popular figure in the YouTube world due to his jaw dropping vocal covers. His recognition as one of the hottest new talents in metal started in 2016 when he was invited by guitarist Fabio Lima to record a YouTube video that wound up going viral. Encouraged by the reaction, Mendes launched his own YouTube channel to create more videos for fans to enjoy. As more and more fans around the world started to discover him, he was invited to join other musical projects, including Marius Danielsen's Legend Of Valley Doom Part 2, which also featured Michael Kiske, Vinny Appice, Mark Boals, Michele Luppi, and Diego Valdez, among others.

One of the things that made Mendes' reputation grow considerably happened earlier this year, when a video series called “What if Bruce Dickinson sang in other bands” was launched. With Mendes Dickinson-esque singing style being used to cover songs by Megadeth and more, these versions impressed fans worldwide and word quickly spread in the metal community. Collaborative versions are now being made with some emerging rock artists and also musicians from the global metal scene, such as drummer Aquiles Priester (ex-Angra, Primal Fear, W.A.S.P.).

Raphael's videos ended up reaching the eyes and ears of Frontiers, a label known for signing and nurturing the most promising new names of the next generation of rock and metal. Frontiers has recently started to work more and more with South American based talent and had the thought to pair Raphael with two outstanding musicians of the Curitiba metal scene, both of whom have already unveiled their musical talents through the label: Sergio Mazul, singer of Semblant and Marcelo Gelbcke, guitarist of Landfall. While the music of their respective bands are quite dissimilar, both have a passion for traditional heavy metal and knew they could craft amazing music for Mendes to put his vocals to. They have already set to work with Raphael in the creation of a no-nonsense, straight ahead classic pure heavy metal album.

The record was recorded in studios in Curitiba, Brazil and the material that was recorded is absolutely breathtaking. This is going to blow fans of Iron Maiden and classic Dio-era Sabbath away.

"Music is my passion, a way of life!” says Raphael Mendes. "It’s really been and continues to be a fantastic experience, working on the Icon Of Sin album. The songs are so powerful and it has awakened something in me that I haven’t felt for a long time from a heavy metal album!”

Stay tuned for more news.

US-based pure and dirty rock n' roll band, The Straddlerz, have announced the release of their self-titled debut album, on January 29. The album was produced & mixed by Lase Salgado, and masteredy by Steve Corrao. Album artwork by Giulia Pattarozzi.

Tracklisting:

"No Changes"
"Streets Of Love"
"Addiction"
"Circle Insanity"
"Open Your Eyes"
"Don't Go Away"
"I'm Alive"
"Without You"
"Junkie Bastard"

The Straddlerz main lineup:

Linda Filippin - Vocals
Michael Reynal - Guitars

Guest lineup:

Robert Abrams, Santiago Rensonnet, Jimmy Falawine - Drums
Gary Hewes, Alex Zanel, Luke Lazy, Edward - Bass
Pablo Schmidt - Guitar

It was July 17th, 2018 when a friend of Linda Filippin & Michael Reynal booked them a gig in NY. Regardless of their nameless status they headed towards the show zigzaggin’ down the Bowery. As they straddled closer to the venue, the name stumbled out of their mouths just in time, they were to be called The Straddlerz. Hailing from their respective countries Italy and Argentina, Linda and Michael formed the band out of a mutual appreciation for fun, loud, dirty hard rock and their relatable frustrations with the world around them.

During these chaotic years the band has moved around both in lineups and locations eventually setting up camp in Italy where they'll prepare a sonic attack to support their debut album out January 2021.

AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis says that his "man parts" were spared when he sustained burns to 25 percent of his body in a freak accident last month.

On December 16, the 40-year-old singer revealed that he had been pouring gas into a bonfire when the top slipped off and the liquid ended up getting all over his clothes, setting him on fire.

On Sunday (January 3), Lambesis posted a new video update to his Instagram in which he revealed that some crucial parts of his anatomy were unaffected in the incident.

"Hey everybody, I wanted to give a recovery update," Tim said. "Today actually marks the first day in a little over three weeks that I've been out of bed for most of the day. And yesterday was actually the first day they changed my dressings without having to scrub my wounds. That's a huge relief because scrubbing my wounds is by far the most painful part of the recovery process."

He continued: "I'm very, very thankful my face did not get burned. And for whatever reason — it's a very common question, so I should let you know — my man parts did not get burned. I did lose 20 pounds from being stuck in bed for three weeks. And I do have shakes, as you can kind of see, from my nerves reconnecting. It's not really something I can control quite yet, but I will get it all back together. And I just am very, very thankful for everybody that wrote me."

Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

In September 2019, AS I LAY DYING released its seventh full-length album, "Shaped By Fire", via Nuclear Blast.

Although most AS I LAY DYING fans have welcomed the group's return, some resistance remains; in late 2018, the band was dropped from the lineup of Spain's Resurrection Fest, and in early 2019, a venue in Memphis, Tennessee called off AS I LAY DYING's performance after it faced online backlash.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since guitarist Nick Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.
























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Italian metal band, Secret Rule, announces the release of their brand new track, "Mother Earth" - the band’s first material as a preview of the upcoming new album in 2021. "Mother Earth" will be out digitally on January 29 and can be pre-saved here.

Secret Rule vocalist Angela Di Vincenzo says: “Even if we already released two albums in 2020 (one of them is a whole cover's album), since this pandemic period has been very long, we had a lot of time to think and create new material. We had some tours planned and jump them gave us all the time to be creative and here we are with another album ready. I love the new songs, they are exactly what we wanted to play. I think our fans will be really happy to listen to them. At the same time, having more time meant to change our ideas continuously and it was hard to choose the first single because we like all our songs LOL but now we are sure to have done the right choice”.

Even though their album Against only launched last year, Secret Rule has plans to share new music at regular intervals.

Guitarist Andy Menario explains: “We are going to release new songs from the end of January and we'll continue to do it for the whole year. Every month you'll have a new song from us. In this way, we could push every song as it deserves. This time, more than last time, we are super satisfied with the new songs, and we really think we have 9 single in our hands, all songs on the same level. So, we wanna give the right space to each song. In addition, there will be a lot of new music videos, so stay tuned!"

Angela adds: “It’s more about giving our fans something new every 30/45 days. We think the music industry changed and the concept of "album" is going to disappear to let a place to single songs. But don't worry, anyway, we'll give you something to have in your hands as well to add to your album collection.”

Secret Rule is a rock-metal band, formed at the beginning of 2014. The sound is a mix of powerful rhythms and catchy melodies with a little touch of electronic and symphonic inserts. In six years, Secret Rule conquered their space in the Worldwide metal scene. The band is fronted by the powerful and crystal clear vocals from  Angela Di Vincenzo, masterminded by lead guitarist Andy Menario, with accurate bass playing by Michele Raspanti and the powerful drumming from Sebastiano Dolzani. Their shows offer a lot of energy and a total impact between metal music and awesome melodies.

Transatlantic - the prog supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas - will release their fifth studio album, The Absolute Universe, on February 5. Here is a clip from The Making Of The Absolute Universe, available on the Blu-ray and the Ultimate Edition.

Representing the band’s first new music since 2014’s Kaleidoscope, with The Absolute Universe the band have done something unique and created two versions of the record: The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version) & The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version).

Each album will be available on CD, LP & digitally. But there will also be what has been called The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition, which collects both versions together in one lavish package that includes 5LPs, 3CDs & a Blu-ray that contains a 5.1 surround sound mix with visuals & a behind the scenes documentary. All editions have unique artwork created by Thomas Ewerhard featuring the airship by Pavel Zhovba.

As Mike Portnoy explains: “We've got two versions of this album. There is a two CD presentation, which is 90 minutes long, and a single one - that's 60 minutes. However, the single CD is NOT merely an edited version of the double CD. They each contain alternate versions and even in some cases, new recordings. We wrote fresh lyrics and have different people singing on the single CD version tracks as compared to those on the double CD. Some of the song titles have also been changed, while others might remain the same, but compositionally what you'll hear has been altered. You must appreciate that what we have done is unique. We revamped the songs to make the two versions different.” Pete Trewavas adds: “We did write some new music for the single CD, what's more, there are also differences in the instruments used on some of the tracks across the two records.”

The full list of formats is below, and you can pre-order here

The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version):
- Special Edition CD Digipak
- Gatefold 2LP+CD
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Overture"
"Reaching For The Sky"
"Higher Than The Morning"
"The Darkness In The Light"
"Take Now My Soul"
"Looking For The Light"
"Love Made  A Way" (Prelude)
"Owl Howl"
"Solitude"
"Belong"
"Can You Feel It"
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends"
"Love Made A Way"

The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version):
- Special Edition 2CD Digipak
- 3LP+2CD Boxset
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

Disc 1:
"Overture"
"Heart Like A Whirlwind"
"Higher Than The Morning"
"The Darkness In The Light"
"Swing High, Swing Low"
"Bully"
"Rainbow Sky"
"Looking For The Light"
"The World We Used To Know"

Disc 2:
"The Sun Comes Up Today"
"Love Made A Way" (Prelude)
"Owl Howl"
"Solitude"
"Belong"
"Lonesome Rebel"
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends"
"Love Made A Way"

The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition:
- Limited Deluxe Clear 5LP+3CD+Blu-Ray Box-set – contained within a foil-finished lift-off box with extended 16-page LP booklet & 60x60cm poster

Blu-Ray tracklisting:

"Overture" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Reaching For The Sky" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Higher Than The Morning" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The Darkness In The Light" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Take Now My Soul" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Bully" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Rainbow Sky" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Looking For The Light" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The World We Used To Know" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The Sun Comes Up Today" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Love Made A Way" (Prelude) (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Owl Howl" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Solitude" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Belong" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Lonesome Rebel" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Can You Feel It" (5.1 Surround Mix)
"Looking For The Light" (Reprise) (5.1 Surround Mix)
"The Greatest Story Never Ends "(5.1 Surround Mix)
"Love Made A Way" (5.1 Surround Mix)
The Making of The Absolute Universe (Documentary)

"The World We Used To Know" video:

"Overture / Reaching For The Sky" video:

Trailer:

Initial tracking began in September 2019 when the band met up in Sweden to write and arrange the new material. As Portnoy explains: “Over a period of 10-14 days, we mapped out the songs. Then we all went back to our home studios and did the recording. That's the way we always do it. At one point, though, it was suggested that instead of doing what was by that time going to be a double album, we should just be content to do a single CD.”

“What happened was that everything kept expanding and expanding,” recalls Stolt. “Therefore we decided it made sense to make it a double album. It was Pete and Neal who then came out and said they felt this would be too long, and we should reduce it to one…But we were already recording, and it didn't seem feasible to cut it back. There were so many pieces that each of us loved in what we were planning and didn't want to lose. That's when we ended up in discussions over the best way forward.”

This album also marks a return to the concept album for Transatlantic. “Well, the idea of Transatlantic deciding to do a concept record this time around won't shock anyone, right?” laughs Portnoy. “What we have is essentially one giant composition, split into chapters. The storyline is about the struggles facing everyone in society today.” “We didn't start out with the idea of this being conceptual,” admits Stolt. “The way things work with us is that we have a load of ideas, and these are developed spontaneously when we meet up. Everything happens in the moment.”

So, how does this new ground-breaking album compare to Transatlantic's previous four albums?

“I always try not to compare albums as much as possible,” insists Morse. “It’s very difficult when you’re trying to be creative, because your natural instinct is to constantly compare. But in order to create you have to kind of step away from that. Having said that, I would say this would have more in common with 'The Whirlwind' album  (the band's third, from 2009) than others that we’ve created.” For Trewavas, 'The Absolute Universe' is a momentous project.

“I think it is right up there with the very finest albums we've done. As the others have said, it compares very well to 'The Whirlwind', which I believe represents Transatlantic at our best. As on that album, we took our time to write and arrange everything, and that shines through. I am very excited for people to hear it.”

Transatlantic were originally formed in 1999, releasing their debut album SMTPe the following year as well as its follow-up Bridge Across Forever in 2001. Following a 7-year hiatus, the band reconvened to record and release the much-acclaimed epic 77-minute, single-track album The Whirlwind followed by a world tour in 2010 which included an appearance at High Voltage Festival in London where they were joined by legendary Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. The band’s fourth album Kaleidoscope arrived in 2014, going on to win ‘Album Of The Year’ at the Progressive Music Awards.