Verona, Italy based metal band, Kryuhm, have announced the addition of Crimson Dawn drummer Luca Lucchini (ex-All Souls Day, Dark Ages) to the band lineup.

Kryuhm have been active on the local Verona scene since 2000 and have participated in some national festivals including Play It Doom in 2014 together with, among others, Solstice, Dark Quarterer, Black Oath, Crimson Dawn, and Epitaph.

In the fall of 2021 the band will enter the studio to record their first album.

Lineup:

Daniele "Ozzy" Laurenti - Guitar & Vocals
Luca "Lucky" Lucchini - Drums
Andrea "Fracca" Fracca - Guitar
Francesco Sterzi - Bass

Christmas has come and with it Chris Catena’s Rock City Tribe present the fourth videoc from the album Truth In Unity. The new song, "Still A Fool", is a hard rock track with an Irish flavour which pays tribute to Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynnott. The songwriter is the great Swedish guitarist, Kee Marcello, the former lead guitarist of Europe.

Chris Catena comments: "In my opinion this song is sensational. I was on tour with Kee and he played me some demos of songs that should have ended up on his new solo album. My attention was drawn by a track in Thin Lizzy style of remarkable compositional technique. I told him I envied him because I would have wanted so much a song like this on the album I was recording. A few days later he wrote me an e-mail attaching a brand new track written himself entitled ‘Still A Fool’... Due to lack of time, in the demo, Kee faked the English words because he had not been able to record the singing part with a definitive text, which he sent a few days later. I was really flattered and I will not stop thanking him for this gift."

In addition to Kee, the other musicians who took part in the recordings of the song are Janne Stark (Overdrive, Costancia, Mountain of Power, Stark / Merryweather, etc.) on second lead guitar and rhythm, Hakan Granat (Mercury Fang, Misth) on rhythm and twin guitars, Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big) on drums, Sean McNabb on bass (Quiet Riot, Lynch Mob, Dokken, Burning Rain etc) and Jimmy Bax on keyboards.

In addition to Stark and Granat featured on recordings, the video also includes Peter Hermansson (220 Volts) on drums and Robert Majd (Captain Black Beard, Metalite). The video clip was shot in Stockholm by Jack Lukas Laugeni and Denny Mecozzi.

For Christmas, Chris Catena took part in pop singer Katiuscia's new single, "Wait For You", written by the Swedes Daniel Flores and Angelica of Murder Of My Sweet. The song will be digitally released on December 30 via IMR and features Francesco Marras, Daniel Flores, Janne Stark, and Davide Spurio. In April Katiuscia released the single "Dangerous", written by Chris Catena.

Buy Truth In Unity via Bandcamp, or here.

Tracklisting:  

"Angel City"
"The Trickster"
"Down In The Black"
"Motorcycle Killers"
"The Seventh Son"
"Get Ready"
"My Angel"
"Still A Fool"
"Who Knew"
"Livin' Wreck"
"Round The Bend"
"Fall Of Our Heroes"
"Freedom"
"Theme For An Imaginary Western"
"Ridin' The Freebird Highway"

“The Trickster” video:

“Angel City” video:

Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess has released the new video below, along with the following message:

"Many years ago, I used to play this song, ICARUS, with the Paul Winter Consort. Tonight, in honor of the winter solstice, I performed this version on my Steinway piano, and GeoShred's new GeoSwan instruments, GeoCello and GeoOboe."

A previous message from Rudess states: "I haven't played with the Roland VP 550 vocal keyboard for awhile and it is an awesome keyboard. I have taken it out of storage to show you all since you might not have ever seen it before. Roland VO 550 will be joined on stage with the Korg Nautilus for a Sunday Stream."

Wardruna will continue to keep Norse traditions relevant in today’s society with their unique blend of contemporary compositions with traditional and historical instrumentation and narratives. In celebration of the Winter Solstice (12/21) - one of the most important ancient Pagan holidays - the band have today, December 22, released the third single, “Andvevarljod”, from their forthcoming 2021 album Kvitravn. A special Skaldic version of the song was premiered via a livestream on the Winter Solstice along with a speech on its importance and meaning by Wardruma founder/composer Einar Selvik.

“Andvevarljod”, translated in English to “The Song Of The Spirit-Weavers”, explores the Nordic deities of fate (also known as the Norns), the spinning of life threads and the Norse and Sámi common idea that a person´s spirit is connected to wind, both before and after birth. It features guest appearances by a small group of prominent Norwegian traditional singers including Kirsten Bråten Berg, Sigrid Berg, Unni Løvlid and Ingebjørg Reinholdt alongside Wardruna's own Lindy-Fay Hella.

“On a personal level, ‘Andvevarljod’ is a song I hold very dear and it was also my starting point on the new album,” shares Selvik. “Musically, it gives voice to very old song traditions and on top of that, it is voiced by some of the most central reasons why these traditions are being kept alive for us and the generations to come. Special thanks go out to our guest singers for lending us their talents and for the invaluable work they do for keeping our traditions alive!”

Stream “Andvevarljod” across all digital platforms, here,

Kvitravn - which translates to ‘White Raven’ - is set for release on January 22 via By Norse Music in the US and Sony Music / Columbia Records (worldwide excl. US). Throughout its 11 songs, Kvitravn discusses Northern sorcery, spirit-animals, shadows, nature and animism, the wisdom and meanings of certain myths, various Norse spiritual concepts, and the relation between sage and songs.

Pre-order options for Kvitravn are available via digital download here. The album is also available on CD and 180-gram 2LP gatefold vinyl (black or ltd. Edition white) here.

Tracklisting (with translations):

"Synkverv" (Turn-sight)
"Kvitravn" (White Raven)
"Skugge" (Shadow)
"Grá" (Grey)
"Fylgjutal" (Speech of the Fetch)
"Munin" (Memory)
"Kvit hjort" (White Stag)
"Viseveiding" (Song-hunting)
"Ni" (Nine)
"Vindavlarljod" (Song of the wind-bred)
"Andvevarljod" (Song of the Spirit-weavers)

“Kvitravn” video:

"Grá" video:

(Photo - Kim Öhrling)

Power metal lords, Wings Of Destiny, are back with their brand new original single, "City On Fire", out via Wormholedeath worldwide. A lyric video for the song can be found below.

"City On Fire" is the first single taken from the band's upcoming new album, Memento Mori. The track is available on all digital platforms here.

About the new upcoming album Memento Mori: "The album will be characterized by power-speed & heavy with neoclassical parts and very modern sound, taking the elegant production to another level and keeping our very particular sound."

Wings Of Destiny is a power metal band originally from Costa Rica, founded at the end of 2013, influenced by such bands as Helloween, Rhapsody Of Fire, Angra and Symphony X; nevertheless through the time the band managed to develop a very particular and recognizable sound creating a cult following among fans all around the world. Wings of Destiny was originally called "Destiny", but due to the existence of another band of the same name, decided to change its name to Wings Of Destiny (known, also, as WOD) in 2014.

Italy's progressive rock-metal orchestra Ainur has unleashed the new (old) single “Fall Of Gondolin”.

Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's opus for a decade and a half, Ainur are back with a re-recorded and re-mixed version of their 2006's “Fall of Gondolin”, foreseeing the much awaited 5th full-length coming out later this year.

The band comments:  "'Fall of Gondolin' is one of our most representative song, that's the reason why we couldn't choose anything better than this to introduce the new visual and sonic identity of the band. FoG is the perfect example of what Ainur were and what they will be from now on."

The new single is a re-recorded and re-mixed version of their 2006's “Fall Of Gondolin” and will NOT be included in the new album.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Massimiliano Flak (Sound Storm, Highlord) at Evolution Studios (Torino - Italy), “Fall of Gondolin” is available for stream and download here.




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In Gibson TV's upcoming "Icons" interview, Kirk Hammett looks back on his career, including the time he was a member of EXODUS before joining METALLICA. In a preview clip below, which premiered on Rolling Stone, Hammett recalls seeing METALLICA play a gig in front of 15 people in San Francisco to headlining a packed house just a few months later.

Hammett said: "I remember we were just sitting around one day, and the singer of EXODUS, a guy named Paul Baloff, who was an absolute maniac, he walked into the rehearsal and said, 'METALLICA. So heavy. They're so heavy.' And I was, like, 'METALLICA.' And I thought, 'What a great name. It's like the best name in the world. METALLICA. That is the best name I think I've ever heard for a metal band. METALLICA.' He said, 'Yeah, they're playing The Stone tonight. We've gotta go check 'em out.' And so we went down there. And literally, there was, like, 15 people there. And I remember being at the front of the stage going, 'Wow, these guys are pretty goddamn good.' Literally, there was, like, 15 people at that show."

He continued: "A few months later, we got booked to play a 'Metal Monday', and it was EXODUS's first show at 'Metal Monday' at the Old Waldorf. We got booked on that show because we were friends with the headlining band, which was a band called LAAZ ROCKIT, and the band in the middle was METALLICA. And we were, like, 'Oh, this is cool. We're gonna be playing with METALLICA. That's great.' And I remember when we played that show, there was maybe about a hundred people in the club. And then METALLICA went on, and the place was packed. I don't know where the people came from, but all of a sudden, they just showed up. METALLICA played for, like, 45 minutes. Then, when they went off stage, the place emptied — literally emptied — and there was, like 30 people for LAAZ ROCKIT. The next night was a benefit for Metal Mania magazine, and we got asked to play with METALLICA again. And it was a better situation, because it was just us and METALLICA. I met those guys for the first time in the dressing of the Mabuhay Gardens, which wasn't much of a dressing room at all; it was like an indoor alley. That was the beginning of my relationship with them. And it's really funny, because years after that, people would ask me, 'When was the first time you ever talked to those guys?' And I would say, 'I first met 'em at the Mab.' And Lars [Ulrich; METALLICA drummer] was, like, 'Really? I don't remember that.' And James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist] was, like, 'Huh? Really?' They don't even remember."

The full interview will be available on Gibson TV's YouTube page Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.

Hammett was a member of EXODUS's original lineup before replacing Dave Mustaine in METALLICA in 1983. In fact, Hammett was not only the person who came up with the EXODUS name, but also the first from the band to meet Baloff and brought him into the group. With Hammett on guitar, METALLICA went on to record its debut album, "Kill 'Em All", later in 1983.

In a 1994 interview with Metal Hammer, Hammett said his EXODUS bandmates were less than happy about his decision to leave the band.

"It was April 1st, April Fool's Day, and I was sitting on the toilet," recalled Hammett. "I got the call from [METALLICA sound engineer] Mark Whitaker, and after I hung up, I was like, 'I can't believe I just got that phone call. Was that an April Fool's Day prank?' A couple of days later, I got this tape from them, but I already had the demo and I already knew two thirds of the songs on there.

"I told the guys in EXODUS and they were pissed," continued Hammett. "They were pissed. I remember Paul Baloff was so pissed that he poured a beer over my head. He said, 'I can't believe you're doing this, Kirk', then poured his beer over my head. I just took it, 'Yeah, yeah, I know…'"

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor spoke to Australian Guitar about his debut solo album, "CMFT", an exuberant and eclectic party-rock collection of songs which dip into a variety of styles and sounds, including folk rock, blues, hip-hop, classic metal and punk rock. Asked if it was his goal to surprise everyone with how wild and loose he gets on the record, Corey said: "I don't know if that was the goal — I think it's a byproduct, absolutely. I've always been the guy that puts it out there that if I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it wholeheartedly. So if I was going to do a solo album, I didn't want it to feel like either of my other band. There would have been no point if I was going to do that, y'know? If I was going to do a solo album, I wanted it to represent a whole different part of my musical prowess, and songwriting talent.

"And that's really where this stuff came from — most of these songs have been sitting around for almost 20 years," he explained. "I love the fact that people are so taken aback by it — that's the best compliment I've heard about this album so far, that people are, like, 'I didn't know what to expect, but it was exactly what I needed.' That fucking makes my life, man."

Taylor recorded "CMFT" 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.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world in October, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" has been garnering widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."

"CMFT" is highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie), and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped", the latter of which has racked up four million YouTube views for its star-studded music video. Furthermore, Taylor debuted the pummeling "Culture Head" during WWE's NXT broadcast on the USA network, illuminating yet another facet of "CMFT" and showcasing the broad spectrum of this fiery and fearless rock 'n' roll opus, as Taylor touches on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. 14-time world champion and EVP of global talent strategy and development at WWE, Triple H, also shared a WWE exclusive performance of Taylor and his band tearing through the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades"

In an appearance on the latest episode of the "Provoke & Inspire" podcast, KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch spoke about how he has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. He said (see video below): "It's been really amazing. 'Cause all this uncertainty happened: 'What are we gonna do?' And all these opportunities came to work on music.

"My heart goes out to the ones that are struggling right now, but as for me, it's worked out pretty well, and I'm very thankful," he continued. "I'm just praying for everyone to get through this. And God's just been showing me that he's got it. Just like last time.

"In 2008, I lost everything — I lost vehicles, I went into bankruptcy, all that stuff. And I feel like this time, I was given a lot of gifts instead of falling with all the crap that's going on.

"I know how to be in a lot of trials and [go through] hard times like this, and I know both ways God provides what you need," Welch added. "Last time, I didn't end up in jail; I didn't end up on the streets — He provided for me. And this time I'm doing really well. So it's all about trust. So I think that's what He's teaching me even more this year — just trusting Him in everything. It's like Philippians 4:13: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' and that's preceded by Paul saying that 'I've learned to live in lack, and I've learned to live in plenty.' So that's what we're doing here — we're learning to trust Him in both of those scenarios."

Welch left KORN in early 2005, at the same time announcing that he kicked his addictions to drugs and alcohol by becoming a born-again Christian. He rejoined the band in 2013.

Both Welch and KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have had highly public, though separate, conversion experiences, ones that have been greeted with a certain amount of skepticism.

KORN's latest album, "The Nothing", was released in September 2019 via Roadrunner/Elektra. The follow-up to 2016's "The Serenity Of Suffering" was once again produced by Nick Raskulinecz.

Welch's LOVE AND DEATH project will release its second album, "Perfectly Preserved", on February 12 via Earache Records.

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer spoke to Bandbond about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting. Asked if the popularity of bands like NIRVANA affected ICED EARTH when they first emerged, Schaffer said: "Well, I think the whole heavy music industry was, so I'm sure on some small level that we were.

"You know, trends are a thing in the music business — whether it's trends that are pushed by the major labels or whether it's trends that are pushed by the indie labels, which, I mean, how many indie labels are there now, really? It's all Sony and Universal buying up everything."

He continued: "I think that more of our battle was being from Florida and being a melodic, straight-up heavy metal band where everybody around us was playing death metal. And I think that was a difficult hurdle for us to cross, because every band from Florida was getting pigeonholed, even though you had SAVATAGE and CRIMSON GLORY and ICED EARTH, and I think that we were probably about it in terms of melodic bands. NASTY SAVAGE also was still doing stuff then, even though they were probably more active in the '80s. And they were more in the thrash direction, but they still had melody. We were good friends with them in the '80s, and I still am, if I see 'em. I saw Dave Austin not that long ago. But I would say that was a bigger hurdle than anything to do with NIRVANA, because ICED EARTH was never in the mainstream; we were always — and even still to this day — are more of a strong, independent, underground brand. I mean, we're not really underground, but we're certainly not in IRON MAIDEN/METALLICA league."

The 30th-anniversary edition of ICED EARTH's self-titled debut album will arrive on December 18 via Century Media Records. The new version of the 1990 LP features a remix by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with ICED EARTH on the group's latest effort, 2017's "Incorruptible", and brand new artwork.

"Iced Earth (30th Anniversary Edition)" is available as 180-gram vinyl, limited CD digipak and digital album.

This past July, Schaffer said that there were no plans for ICED EARTH to work on the follow-up to "Incorruptible". "There is no way we can plan," he said during a Facebook Live chat. "You guys should be able to understand that, if you watch the news. I have an international band, and I can't even travel to Europe right now [because of coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions]. There's no point in trying to put together a plan, because I guarantee you they're gonna launch the second wave of this shit and lock us all down again. To what degree, nobody really knows yet, but they were fielding that as soon as all this nonsense started, so it's definitely expected to be the case. So making plans for touring and putting all that together just to have it all derailed is costly and naïve at best. So I don't know.

"I'm gonna definitely plan on working on some new material later this year, early next year," he explained. "But again, that depends on how things roll out. So that's the way it is. We're just gonna have to see what happens with the global situation. There are several things that could take place. Hopefully some good things will happen to turn this mess around, but I'm not feeling super confident about that at the moment."

More than two years ago, Schaffer teamed up with his old pals in PURGATORY, the band that he originally founded in 1985, then later became ICED EARTH, to record five tracks that were written between 1985 and 1987. The resulting "Purgatory" EP was released in December 2018 through Century Media. The EP includes liner notes and comments by Schaffer, Gene Adam, Greg Seymour and Bill Owen, and fitting cover artwork by David Newman Stump and Roy Young, known from their excellent work on "Incorruptible".

In a new interview with Bringin' it Backwards, Michael Sweet of openly Christian rockers STRYPER was asked what piece of advice he would give to young artists looking to make it in the music business. He responded (see video below): "My advice is always to tell artists, and sometimes this gets me in trouble, 'cause it gets them in trouble, but to tell artists to be themselves. Follow your dreams, follow your heart, not what someone else tells you your dreams and your heart should be. Now, that's not to say that you shouldn't take direction, but you need to really stick to your guns on what you feel convicted about and what you feel led to do, musically speaking, because you know you better than anybody else. So that's something that I live by, and I've always stuck to my guns. I've said 'no' to labels before, 'cause they wanted me to do something that wasn't me, and I said, 'Sorry. I've gotta pass.' And that's a tough decision to make, but one you have to make sometimes. So just really stay true to who you are."

Sweet credited his fierce determination with pushing him and his bandmates to make a place for themselves in the music world.

"I've always been a rebel, and I'll always be a rebel," he said. "If 10 people are going that way [points in one direction], I'm going that way [points in opposite direction]. It's how I'm built. And that applies to my style, my music — everything that I do. I like to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing."

Sweet recently announced his fifth annual Christmas concert and new partnership with VenueNet, a brand new premier social platform for concert live streaming. This fully interactive concert experience brings the spirit of Christmas and the music you love right to your laptop or mobile device. Michael's Christmas show has been a success for years in the Massachusetts area but now fans across the globe will have an opportunity like never before to be a part of this yearly celebration. Featuring original music and Christmas classics (with a twist) this once-in-a-lifetime experience is an opportunity for fans to see Michael like never before as he streams directly from the newly opened state of the art Bank Of New Hampshire Stage in Concord, New Hampshire on Saturday, December 19.

STRYPER's latest album, "Even The Devil Believes", was released in September via Frontiers Music Srl.

Most of the recording sessions for STRYPER's new LP took place at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts with engineer Danny Bernini.

Formed 37 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and "God Damn Evil".

**UPDATE** A couple of hours after this article was published, Mike Portnoy took to his Twitter to address Mark Zonder's comments. He wrote: "Well I had a busy week: Started that week recording BIGELF's album, then flew to TX for a gig w [ADRENALINE MOB], back to LA for Metal Masters 3 and then flew down to Brazil to end the week w @fateswarning Sorry Mark Zonder if I didn't have time to learn all of your drum parts perfectly".

The original article follows below.

Former FATES WARNING drummer Mark Zonder has praised Bobby Jarzombek, saying Bobby is "the only drummer that FATES WARNING ever had that really paid attention" to how the band's classic songs were originally played.

Zonder played drums with FATES WARNING for eight albums starting in 1989. His drumming approach was once described by Modern Drummer magazine as "deliberate, dynamic, poly-rhythmic and completely unpredictable." He left FATES WARNING in 2005 and was temporarily replaced by SPOCK'S BEARD drummer Nick D'Virgilio before Jarzombek stepped into the position permanently in 2007.

In a new interview with the "ProgRock Digital" podcast, Zonder said: "The only drummer that FATES WARNING ever had that really paid attention to previous songs was Bobby. I actually had him at my studio before he went out on tour in the very beginning, and he learned my stuff note for note. And I tip my hat to him, because all those other guys that came in and filled in, they didn't cop it — whether they couldn't cop it, they didn't wanna spend the time, or they just couldn't physically do it and figure it out. Whatever the case may be, Bobby does it."

When interviewer Nicholas Georgakopoulos spoke glowingly about Zonder's playing, saying that there is "definitely a mathematical brain working overtime," Mark responded: "I definitely appreciate that, even though [former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike] Portnoy used to call it robotic, but okay, whatever. But then again, if you want a good laugh, go watch [Portnoy] play 'Point Of View' and 'Eleventh Hour' in São Paulo, or wherever it is, with FATES WARNING, if you wanna see someone butcher up a track," he said, referring to a drum-cam YouTube video (see below) of FATES WARNING's April 14, 2012 show in Brazil, which featured Portnoy on drums. Mike played the gig as the temporary replacement for Jarzombek, who was unable to make the concert due to scheduling conflicts. Prior to the São Paulo show, Mike previously played with FATES WARNING in 2005 at the Headway festival in Holland.

One of the most influential drummers in metal history, Zonder burst onto the scene with WARLORD in 1982 and went on to play drums with FATES WARNING. With periodic WARLORD shows on the European festival circuit, involvement in the bands SLAVIOR and SPIRITS OF FIRE and stints with artists like Graham Bonnet and ARCH/MATHEOS, Zonder maintains a steady presence in the metal world.




Well I had a busy week: Started that week recording Bigelf’s album, then flew to TX for a gig w AMOB, back to LA for Metal Masters 3 and then flew down to Brazil to end the week w @fateswarning Sorry Mark Zonder if I didn’t have time to learn all of your drum parts perfectly ?

— Mike Portnoy ? (@MikePortnoy) December 21, 2020

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford recently donned a Santa Claus outfit as he shared a Christmas photo for his fans and showed off some new stocking stuffers, including "Celestial", his second collection of holiday music. Released in 2019, "Celestial" followed 2009's "Halford III: Winter Songs".

Regarding how he came to find himself covering such classics as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing", Halford told AZCentral.com: "In its simplest terms, we love music at Christmas. We always play music around that time of year. And we have the great standards to listen to and enjoy, from these great Christmas carols, some of them hundreds of years old, to more recent songs from various contemporary artists of all styles. But there's never really been that much in the metal scene, so to speak."

Issued under the moniker ROB HALFORD WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS, "Celestial" mixes holiday classics with all-new compositions. It features Rob's brother Nigel on drums, his nephew Alex (son of PRIEST bassist Ian Hill) on bass, his sister Sue on bells, and twin guitar tandem of Robert Jones and Jon Blakey.

"The great thing about heavy metal is it's got these kinds of multiple dimensions," Halford explained. "I think when you look at it from an outside point of view — if you're not really familiar with the metal scene — it can look pretty intimidating. And it is a very strong, powerful experience. But it comes at different levels. I think the music that we've made on 'Celestial', for example, gives a display of that. Metal maniacs — as we call ourselves — are just as ready for the holidays as everybody else. And what we've tried to do with this music is to reach out to as many of those metal dimensions as we possibly can."

Last year, Halford told Revolver that making an album with his immediate family was "one of the most wonderful experiences" that he could have had as a musician. "It was a tremendous sense of adventure and a little bit of the unknown, which I think for a lot of musicians is generally the case," he said.

"When you're creating music, it's an open book. You can literally go anywhere — anything can happen. You don't know what's going to happen in rock and roll. I've always loved that. I've always loved the chaos elements of music — that it should be free and liberated and anything can kind of come together.

"So there was this sense of 'What's going to happen?' when the record was being created. The cool thing for me was that I was kind of out of the loop because I was busy working with PRIEST on the 'Firepower' record, so my brother and nephew, along with their friends on guitars, really put this record together by their own merit, by their own skills, and by their own professionalism. They would send me stuff along the way, and I'd be blown away with the demos! Like, 'Great guys, wonderful job. You don't need my fingers all over it.'

"So the whole experience was a very unusual one for me as a musician. The way I've generally made records — almost 50 years now —there was a whole different flavor and texture to making the music on 'Celestial'. The only thing that it had any connectivity to was the previous kind-of Christmas record I made called 'Winter Songs', and that was a decade ago. That was the only linkage there.

"All of this was just a wonderful adventure and the end result was nothing short of spectacular from my point of view. I couldn't have been happier when it was my turn to go in and do the vocals. Wonderful stuff, wonderful stuff."

"Halford III - Winter Songs" was a collection of new Halford-penned tracks plus traditional holiday favorites presented with original arrangements by the HALFORD band (Halford on vocals, Roy Z. on guitar, Metal Mike Chlasciak on guitar, Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums).

"What's great about this season," Halford told AZCentral.com, "is that we tend to be more open than ever, more accepting and more welcoming to different experiences. That's just the nature of what the holiday season represents – a very loving, caring, sharing time of year. So there's an opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer from a different dimension in music."
























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In the new issue of People magazine, Richie Sambora opened up about his controversial decision to leave BON JOVI in 2013, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his daughter Ava, now 23.

"It wasn't a popular decision by any means, obviously, but there was really almost no choice about it. I had a lot of conscious work to do around [my personal life]," the 61-year-old guitarist said.

"We've been through a lot of things together. That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family. You know, I ain't no angel. But I realized, Ava needed me to be around at that point in time. Family had to come first, and that's what happened."

Sambora, who spent time in rehab in 2007 and 2011 for alcohol and prescription drug abuse, added that the rock and roll lifestyle eventually took its toll.

"My lord, when I look back and start to list the tours ... 18-and-a-half months of being on the road, 52 countries," he said. "It's like, Wow. It was really time for a break. We did that 14 times over a 31-year period."

Two months ago, Sambora told U.K.'s Daily Mail that he wasn't opposed to one day rejoining BON JOVI, provided that the circumstances were right. "It would have to be a special situation for me to go back, but I'm certainly not counting it out," he said. "I have no malice toward that band."

Richie's comments came just a couple of weeks after Jon Bon Jovi told Germany's Rock Antenne that "there's not a day that goes by that I don't wish that Richie had his life together and was still in the band. And yet, in a weird way, it's because of his inability to get it together anymore that we went on and wrote 'This House Is Not For Sale'."

Addressing Jon's remarks directly, Richie told Daily Mail: "When people say I don't have my life together — are you kidding me? I'm the happiest dude on the block."

Sambora, who joined BON JOVI in 1983 and co-wrote most of the group's iconic hits over the following three decades, hasn't performed a full show with the band since he left the "Because We Can" tour seven years ago. He later said he thought BON JOVI "should have made more strides to become a band" and not turn into "Jon being the front guy and nothing else." Jon, in turn, claimed Sambora's "choices" had "led him astray."

Sambora rejoined BON JOVI on stage in April 2018 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, marking his first performance with the band in five years. Also appearing with the group was bassist Alec John Such, who hadn't played with BON JOVI since a one-off performance in 2001. They performed several crowd favorites, including "Livin' On A Prayer", "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "It's My Life".

BON JOVI's new album, "2020", was released in October via Island Records.




Richie Sambora Opens Up About Controversial Decision to Leave Bon Jovi: 'My Daughter Needed Me Around' https://t.co/5utEq3Wiyl

— People (@people) December 21, 2020

During a recent appearance on "Vox&Hops", the podcast hosted by Matt McGachy, frontman of extreme metal band CRYPTOPSY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach reflected on the experience of undergoing surgery in April 2018 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to remove polyps from his vocal cords. Speaking about how he found out the needed to have an operation in the first place, Jesse said (see video below): "We just played a sold-out show [in Los Angeles], and the crowd was incredible. And when your adrenaline's going, you tend to push, and you've gotta be really careful, whether you're a drummer or a vocalist, especially, that push can be really fucking dangerous. And I was pushing — I was feeling it. I was, like, 'This is fucking awesome.' I got off stage, and I immediately went in the bathroom, and I was, like, "Something's not right.' I felt something off. And it wasn't the usual, 'Oh, I'm fatigued.' And I hocked a loogie, and it was blood-red. And then as I'm in there, they're, like, 'Are you all right?' I'm, like, 'Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.' And then I hocked a dark loogie — so it was internal bleeding. I was not okay. But I carried such guilt from quitting KILLSWITCH in 2002 and then rejoining in 2012, the last thing in the world I wanted to do was cancel shows and be a burden. So I just rode it out and I didn't talk for the next day, next two days, and the blood didn't show up."

He continued: "We ended the tour, [then went on] the next tour. Every once in a while, this blood would just come up, and I'd pretend like I couldn't see it, or I would just drink tequila and numb it, and be, like, 'We'll get through this. We'll get through this.' On my days off, I didn't talk to anyone. I was just hyper, hyper resting, thinking that I could compensate. And then, yeah, it just got to the point where we were in the studio, and I was singing a line from one of the songs on [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album] 'Atonement', and Adam [Dutkiewicz], our [guitarist and] producer, was, like, 'Dude, you can hit this note. I've heard you hit this note thousands of times. You're not hitting it. You're flat, you're sharp, you're flat. We've been at this for a half hour. This is ridiculous. Something's wrong.' And that led me to fly home from San Diego, cancel the rest of the [studio] sessions, and go to my doctor. I had been going to this [doctor] religiously for five or six years, and he's, like, 'You've gotta be careful.' And he would put me on prednisone, and fix me up, and I would be good, and I would go off on another tour, and I'd damage it. So it was coming — I knew in the back of my mind it was coming. And he looked at me, and he was, like, 'I've never seen you this bad. This is bad. I wanna put you on vocal rest.' So pretty I was on vocal rest for about three months in total. And I couldn't speak to anyone. When they [saw] that it wasn't healing after a few weeks, they referred me to a surgeon. And he looked at my voice, and he was, like, 'You voice looks to me like an 80-year-old's neck skin when they crouch down. It's bad.' He was, like, 'I can't even guarantee you that you're gonna be able to continue doing what you do. It's that bad.' He was, like, 'We can do the surgery, but I can't guarantee you're gonna be able to do what you do anymore. And I recommend you don't do what you do anymore, if you continue all this shit.'"

According to Jesse, working with vocal coach Melissa Cross to learn how to speak and sing differently made all the difference in the world by the time he returned to the stage several weeks later.

"When the voice came back finally, I said my first word, and I started my rehabilitation after the surgery, it was, like, 'This is fucking amazing. I can still do this,'" he recalled. "And that first show back was in Talinn, Estonia opening up for IRON MAIDEN in front of 11,000 people, and I did vibrato for the first time in my career, and I started hitting notes. And I remember Adam, who is one of the guys that complain all the time, was, like, 'Dude, you did vibrato. Dude, you did good. Holy shit! You were hitting these notes that you don't really hit. You weren't sharp; you weren't flat. Wow!' So that was it. And the rest of that IRON MAIDEN tour, I was on top of the fucking world, man."

"Atonement" was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world. The disc features guest appearances by the band's former lead singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marks the band's third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

Don Dokken has thrown shade at his former bandmates George Lynch and Jeff Pilson over their recently released collection of studio recordings that turn pop music classics into metal anthems. Released on December 18, "Heavy Hitters" includes cover versions of such tracks as Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move", Prince's "Kiss", OASIS's "Champagne Supernova", Madonna's "Music" and R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)".

Dokken discussed the LP during a December 19 appearance on "The Classic Metal Show". After co-host Chris Akin named some of the songs which were reimagined by Pilson and Lynch, Don said: "But those are not heavy hitters. No offense, they are good songs, but those are vanilla tunes. [Sings 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)'] Did they rock 'em up or put some shredding guitar solos [in them]?

"They must be really bored," Dokken continued. "But, you know, everybody's got their mantra; everybody's got their financial things, I guess. If a record company is willing to give you money to put out pablum, then put out the pablum. But I hope my standards as a songwriter are a little higher than that. If I'm gonna do a remake, I'm gonna do something that was super cool, like 'Paint It Black' by THE [ROLLING] STONES or 'Revolution' by THE BEATLES or something that's awesome and do something like that. I'm not gonna do Carole King.

"I don't get it. I don't know what's going on with those guys," Don added. "I don't really talk to them much. Lynch and I, we talk once in a while, 'cause he always wanted to move to Santa Fe; that's his dream. He's always wanted to come to New Mexico. And I said, 'Hey, you're welcome to come on up and stay in the casita' — as they call 'em up here, a casita, the guest house — 'and if you wanna go hike'… He hikes; he's a hiker. So, I've got 13 acres. He can get lost very easily. I'm not going looking for him."

DOKKEN's classic lineup — Pilson, singer Don Dokken, guitarist George Lynch and drummer "Wild" Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018.

DOKKEN is currently working on material on a new studio album, tentatively due in 2021 via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. It will mark the group's first disc since 2012's "Broken Bones"

Every year for more than a decade, The National Guitar Museum has given its "Lifetime Achievement Award" to a living guitarist who has contributed to the legacy of the guitar. The guidelines are straightforward: the person must have been a performing or recording artist whose talents had an effect on guitar playing — and whose career inspired and influenced other guitar players.

This year, the year of the pandemic, has given The National Guitar Museum reason to make an exception to its annual presentation.

For 2020, The National Guitar Museum is recognizing Eddie Van Halen as the recipient of its "Lifetime Achievement Award." It is being awarded, for the first time, in memoriam.

The National Guitar Museum says: "It is perhaps fitting that we don't need to explain why Eddie is deserving of such an honor everyone who has ever heard his guitar playing knows. Eddie certainly would have received this award at some point in the future, as it seemed that he still had a lifetime of guitar greatness to give.

"Several of the people we've honored over the past decade have left us in the years since we presented them with the award. In this case, however, the sadness of Eddie Van Halen's passing is somehow harder to accept.

"Thanks, Eddie. We only wish we could deliver this in person."

The National Guitar Museum was founded to promote and preserve the legacy of the guitar. It is the world's first museum dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar.

The goal of The National Guitar Museum is to create the first institution devoted exclusively to the evolution, history, science, and cultural impact of the guitar.

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 guitari

SAXON frontman Biff Byford has commented on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying that "you couldn't go and see VAN HALEN and not like them."

Byford discussed his appreciation for the groundbreaking musician in a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice.

Speaking about Eddie's death, Biff said: "Terrible news, really. He went through [a cancer battle] once, and then we thought he was cured. And then it came back again.

"I saw VAN HALEN a few times," he continued. "First time I saw them was at the Rainbow in — it must have been 1978, '79, [on their] first album. I think they just toured with [BLACK] SABBATH, and then they came back a did a one-off show at the Rainbow in London, and I saw that. And then I saw them again on the [1980] tour in Manchester.

"I loved the band," Biff added. "They were total good-time rock/metal, definitely. You couldn't really go and see VAN HALEN and not like them, actually."

Biff went on to say that SAXON was contemplating covering a VAN HALEN track on its upcoming covers album, "Inspirations", which is due on March 19, 2021 via Silver Lining Music.

"We did consider a VAN HALEN song," he said. "I wanted to do 'Runnin' With The Devil'. I love that [song]. But you've gotta be careful.

"I suppose [VAN HALEN's music] did influence the [SAXON] guitarists in a way, because that style — when people saw Eddie play in that style — particularly Paul [Quinn] started [incorporating hammer-ons].

"We are signed up to do another album, actually. So they do have an option. We could do a massively heavy version Of 'Running With The Devil' — it would be great. [We could] make it more like a SABBATH version of 'Running With The Devil'."

"Inspirations" is an 11-track effort containing some of the classic rock songs that influenced Byford and the rest of SAXON, including THE ROLLING STONES' "Paint It Black", THE BEATLES' "Paperback Writer", Jimi Hendrix's "Stone Free", MOTÖRHEAD's "Bomber", AC/DC's "Problem Child", BLACK SABBATH's "Evil Woman" and DEEP PURPLE's "Speed King".

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.

In a brand new interview with "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin recalled how he first decided to become a musician. He said (hear audio below): "I played soccer my whole life. I was gonna get signed by a really big European football/soccer team. But I picked up the guitar a few years before that, and I was, like, 'Nah. I'd rather do this.' 'Cause I went to [see] VAN HALEN [on] the '1984' tour when I was, like, 12, and I was, like, 'I wanna do that."

Wes also paid tribute to legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who died in October following a long battle with cancer.

"Eddie Van Halen's gone, but I'll tell you what: he is never gonna be forgotten, and I love him and I miss him," Scantlin said. "And I was super, super bummed out when he passed.

"[VAN HALEN] was just really good, cool music," Wes continued. "And Eddie Van Halen, I don't know he played like that, but I guess he just got some gift from God, and God just said, 'Here, you're gonna be the best guitar player ever.' So he's probably up in heaven playing little awesome songs for God."

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band.

The group's first studio album in ten years, "Welcome To Galvania", was released in September 2019 via Pavement Entertainment.

Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before finally getting sober in 2017. After changing his life around and getting the band back in order, Wes and PUDDLE OF MUDD rebuilt a touring base, which paved the way to new music and a new album.

PUDDLE OF MUDD broke into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

GRETA VAN FLEET drummer Danny Wagner and guitarist Jake Kiszka spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the recent passing of iconic VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

"That was a rough day, rough week," Jake said (see video below). "[Me and] a lot of guitar friends, [we were] texting back and forth. [Eddie] was an influence for every guitar player. Who didn't wanna play 'Eruption' and stuff like that? I remember growing up, he was such an influence to me. I remember a couple of years where I listened to VAN HALEN constantly. But it was pretty brutal. We mourned his loss for, like, a week."

Added Danny: "We were also in the studio recording one of the songs for [the new GRETA VAN FLEET] album that day too. We were in L.A. So you woke up, you found out the news, and then you had to go record a song. There was this weird energy."

Eddie died on October 6 at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son Wolfgang and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

After undergoing hip replacement surgery in 1999 due to a chronic joint problem, Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had to have part of his tongue surgically removed. Declared "cancer-free" in 2002, he subsequently had to intermittently have "cancer cells scraped out of his throat after they migrated there." He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.

Following Eddie's 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 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.

GRETA VAN FLEET will release its second album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", on April 16, 2021 via Lava/Republic Records. A bold evolution from the band's 2018 full-length debut "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", the new LP came together primarily on the road or while in the studio after the runaway success of 2017's "Highway Tune" led to GRETA VAN FLEET packing up, leaving home, and eagerly soaking up new experiences on an extended road trip around the world.

Congessional leaders announced on Sunday a new COVID-19 relief bill that will include funding for independent music venues that have been closed throughout the pandemic.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement saying the long-overdue $900 billion stimulus deal bill includes "$15 billion in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions."

"We're thrilled that Congress has heard the call of shuttered independent venues across the country and provided us a crucial lifeline by including the Save Our Stages Act in the COVID-19 Relief Bill," Dayna Frank, owner and chief executive of First Avenue Productions and board president of the National Independent Venue Association, said in a statement. "We're also incredibly grateful that this bill provides Pandemic Unemployment Assistance which will help the millions of people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own during this economic crisis. We urge swift passage of this legislation, which will assist those in the greatest need and ensure the music lives on for generations to come."

Small live music and entertainment venues have been hard-hit during the coronavirus pandemic, with 90 percent of venue owners, promoters, and bookers previously reporting they were at risk of closing without additional financial assistance and an estimated $9 billion in losses.

On Tuesday, a group of representatives from the live event industry testified at a Congressional hearing. Among those speaking was Michael Strickland, owner of the lighting company Bandit Lites in Knoxville, Tennessee, who told the members of the committee: "We're here before you with our hats in our hands. Thirty percent of the industry is gone now, and if nothing done by February, sixty percent will be gone." Adam Hartke, who owns two independent venues in Wichita, Kansas, added: "Please don't let the music die. Please save our stages."

In July, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Save Our Stages Act, which would provide Small Business Administration grants for independent live music venue operators affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. These grants would provide six months of financial support to keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector for communities across America.

"Minnesota's concert halls, theatres, and places of entertainment, like First Avenue in Minneapolis, where Prince famously performed, have inspired generations with the best of local music, art, and education," Klobuchar said. "This legislation would help ensure that small entertainment venues can continue to operate, and serve our communities for generations to come."

"Texas is home to a number of historic and world-class small entertainment venues, many of which remain shuttered after being the first businesses to close," Cornyn said. "The culture around Texas dance halls and live music has shaped generations, and this legislation would give them the resources to reopen their doors and continue educating and inspiring Texans beyond the coronavirus pandem

Right in time for Christmas, German symphonic/melodic metallers BEYOND THE BLACK gifted their fans with a really special treat: their new EP, "W:O:A Acoustic Clash - The Lockdown Session", available digitally via Napalm Records.

The "W:O:A Acoustic Clash" began as a bet between BEYOND THE BLACK and Thomas Jensen (Wacken Open Air): In the course of 48 hours, the quartet had to arrange and record acoustic cover versions of four different all-time rock and metal favorites, chosen by the Wacken community. All tracks now culminate in an extraordinary EP featuring four covers of undeniable rock and metal hits, presented in a stunning yet tranquil manner: SABATON's "To Hell And Back", DISTURBED's "Down With The Sickness", VOLBEAT's "A Warrior's Call" and IRON MAIDEN's "The Trooper". Jennifer Haben's remarkable, bold voice weaves throughout every cover version and elevates them to genuine, unique stunners. The soft, acoustic cover versions of these all-time mainstays showcase the band's musical talent while also emphasizing their soft and melodious side.

Track listing:

01. SABATON - To Hell and Back

02. DISTURBED - Down With The Sickness

03. VOLBEAT - Warrior’s Call

04. IRON MAIDEN - The Trooper

BEYOND THE BLACK's latest album, "Hørizøns", was released in June via Napalm Records.

Photo credit: Peter Leukhardt

Austrian glam/sleaze rockers, Mädhouse, have signed with ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records.

Ain’t no crazy like Mädhouse! Their debut album Money Talks, Bullshit Walks is straight outta glam. Mädhouse's smokin’ hot shredding will remind you why hair metal still reigns supreme among rock genres.

A gritty group of misfits from Vienna, Austria, Mädhouse  pumps out the real deal every. single. time. When 18 random rockers got together at the end of 2017 to put on a show called Hard N’ Heavy just for kicks, nobody thought a new band would be born. That gig ended up being such a blast that eight of them decided to keep jamming together.

A few weeks later, they wrote their first song - appropriately “Hard N’ Heavy” - inspired by the epic night that brought them together. At that point they didn’t have a masterplan, or even a name for themselves, but they knew without a doubt they had all the parts to make a great RnR band. More importantly, they had that spark and just enough crazy among them to know it was legit.

It took a few more months with some growing pains along the way to get it together and solidify a band of five. They may not have set out to become Mädhouse, but here we are. Whether it was hair metal destiny or some other twist of glam fate is hard to say. What is clear is that for them; it’s about the music and their

Info on the band’s second full-length album release date and details coming soon.

Mädhouse is:

Τommy Lovelace - Vocals
Mikky Stixx - Guitars
Freddie Heart - Guitars
Rickey Dee - Bass
Ken Shuri - Drums

Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes is coming to Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on January 15. Pre-order here, and watch a new teaser video below:

Iconic W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes has lived a life of highs and lows. This musical journey draws parallel stories of his rise, fall, and rebirth with live performance, interview, behind-the-scenes, and archival footage.

Written and directed by French filmmakers Antoine de Montremy and Laurent Hart (whose Music production career includes televised interviews with Scorpions, Deep Purple, Slayer, Guns N' Roses and more), Mean Man: The Story of Chris Holmes was a project that was born in 2014 after they had an opportunity to meet and direct Holmes in a music video for the Holmes-penned song "Let It Roar" in Cannes, France. At that time, the former W.A.S.P. guitarist had more or less disappeared from the music scene, leaving his home in the US to seek a new beginning with his wife Sarah in France. Not content with merely directing a music video for the re-born Holmes, de Montremy pursued his bigger dream of writing and directing a documentary film about this iconic metal guitar legend and for the next several years shadowed him throughout Europe while filming everything from band rehearsals, to recording sessions to live performances.

By creatively combining archival footage, interviews with past and present band members and musical peers, family members and childhood friends - interspersed with beautifully filmed concert performances of Holmes' current solo band - Director de Montremy skillfully portrays the story of an iconic guitar player who has lived a life of extreme highs and lows. After losing the publishing rights of his own songs and combating dangerous addictions, the legendary W.A.S.P. guitarist is shown starting over from scratch while living at his mother-in-law's in Cannes, France as he puts together with his wife a brand new band and a brand new musical role as not only the main guitarist, but now as the actual lead singer of this newly-born musical project aptly named Mean Man.  

Montremy said: "Over the last five years, I've had the privilege to establish a true relationship with Chris Holmes and to follow him throughout Europe. I was impressed by his charisma, his approach towards life, his multiple experiences and taste for simplicity which have actually altered my own vision of existence. In fact, he has almost become a spiritual father to me, in the way that he inspired me in many of my own decisions."

The DVD and Blu-ray are full of extras not available on the VOD version, which will follow the physical release. A west coast theatrical premiere is being discussed as well, pending the revision and/or relaxation of the current local State Government's restrictions on movie theaters operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neal Morse has released a video for “Caroling, Caroling!”, the first single from the just released Last Minute Christmas Album. Download the album from Radiant Records or stream it on waterfallstreaming.com.

Says Neal: "Merry Christmas, everyone! I’ve been writing Christmas songs over the last two weeks and thought maybe I could make a last minute Christmas album... here it is! We’ve literally just finished mixing it and it’s exclusively available to download right now from Radiant Records or you can stream it on www.waterfallstreaming.com. I hope you enjoy it and it brings some of the holiday spirit to your home this Christmas!"

Tracklisting:

"Caroling, Caroling!"
"All You Need Is Love On Christmas"
"Worldwide Sleigh Ride"
"It’s Christmas Time At Last"
"Silver Bells And Promises"
"On This Most Holy Night"
"Mrs. Claus"
"Everything I Want For Christmas"
"‘Tis The Season To Be Blue"
"Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming"
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"

"Caroling, Caroling!” video:

Alter Bridge have released a series of videos, in which the band members give you a run down of their current touring rigs. Watch all four clips below:

Myles Kennedy:

Mark Tremonti:

Scott Phillips:

Brian Marshall:

Alter Bridge recently released their Walk The Sky 2.0 EP. All versions of Walk The Sky 2.0 can be ordered here.

Walk The Sky 2.0 tracklisting:

"Last Rites"
"Wouldn’t You Rather" (Live)
"Pay No Mind" (Live)
"Native Son" (Live)
"Godspeed" (Live)
"In The Deep" (Live)
"Dying Light" (Live)

“Last Rites” lyric video:

Two Minutes To Late Night is back with a parody of Elton John's 1973 stand-alone single, "Step Into Christmas".

A message states: "The most ambitious crossover event in metal since KISS was on Scooby Doo! Gwar and Gwarsenio Hall together at last with a full blessing from their lawyer, Subpoenis Maximus, plus Mutoid Man, too!

"This is our 35th bedroom cover made with the support of Patreon. With so many musicians stuck at home with no outlets, we're going to keep producing these style videos and use the Patreon to give some money to everyone who has a part in them. Please support our friends by donating to our newly redone Patreon at honorableswords.com."

This cover features: GWAR's Blöthar the Berserker, Balsac (The Jaws Of Death), and Pustulus Maximus, Stephen Brodsky (Mutoid Man, Cave In, Old Man Gloom, New Idea Society), Ben Koller (Mutoid Man, Converge, All Pigs Must Die, Killer Be Killed), Kyle Kinane as Subpoenis Maximus, plus a special cameo from PUP.

Docker's Guild has announced the lineup for its upcoming third album, The Mystic Technocracy - Season 2: The Age of Entropy.

The lineup is split in two halves:

International Artists:

Douglas R. Docker (Biloxi, Vivaldi Metal Project, Chronomaster Project): bass, keyboards, vocals, spoken voice
Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, TSO, Cher): guitars
Sascha Paeth (Avantasia): guitars
Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper): guitars
Mio Jaeger (Frantic Amber): guitars
Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering, Devin Townsend): vocals
Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Trillium): vocals
Elizabeth Andrews (Frantic Amber): extreme vocals

Italian Artists:

Helly (Killin' Beaudelaire): drums
Stefano Aglì: drums
Anna Portalupi (Hardline, Tarja Turunen): bass
Luca Pisu (I Fasti, Dirty Set): bass
Roby Salvai (Roby Salvai Quintet): bass
Giorgio Novarino (The Chronomaster Project): bass
Toni Urzì (La Quadrilla): guitars
Luigi Iamundo (The Chronomaster Project): guitars
Valentina Procopio: vocals
Anna Petracca: vocals
Serena Moine: operatic vocals

- Alberto Macerata: recording engineer
- Mixed by Neil Kernon
- Produced by Douglas R. Docker

- Artwork and booklet design by CA Beckston

A message states: "The Docker's Guild's Christmas Store is up! Everything goes for €10 or less. CDs, vinyls, even cassettes, t-shirts, posters, stickers, pins and much more. All profits will go towards the financing of the new album. Let's call it a pre-crowdfunding for a from the fans! Thank you so much for your amazing support :) Merry Christmas everybody!" - Douglas R. Docker

(Nita Strauss photo - HDK Media)

Sinner’s Blood have released the new video below, featuring an acoustic performance of "Remember Me", the track from their debut album, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.

Sinner's Blood is a powerful new melodic metal band from Chile featuring a soon to be household name in James Robledo on lead vocals and producer and multi-instrumentalist Nasson (Chaos Magic) crafting the songs and playing guitar. Their debut album, The Mirror Star, is a must hear for fans of epic, powerful, heavy metal.

Order The Mirror Star here.

The songs on The Mirror Star are a mixture of all of the band’s hard rock favorites with a touch of modern vertigo. Every song Nasson wrote for this album is a different beast and with James’s voice, they are truly brought to life. With lyrics that are honest and emotional and superb production, Nasson has presented some of his most powerful songs via Sinner’s Blood.

James Robledo is a Chilean vocalist who has performed with several bands including Renegade (Chile) and Thabu (Argentina). Always bringing a powerful and emotional performance rooted in the vein of heavy metal singers like Ronnie James Dio, Jorn Lande, and Russell Allen, he now joins Sinner’s Blood, where he showcases the full potential of his voice.

Nasson is a Chilean producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. With more than 15 years of work in the metal scene collaborating with several world renowned artists, he is one of the most prolific names in the Chilean scene. His most recent collaborations with Caterina Nix on the last two Chaos Magic releases received international acclaim and showcased the breadth of his talents.

Rounding out the line up, is bassist Nicolás Fischer, who has been performing for years as a singer and guitarist for a variety of progressive music acts and Guillermo Pereira, a world-class drummer known in the Chilean scene for his work with extreme metal bands such as Recrucide and VPS and as a session player for various different projects.

Tracklisting:

"The Mirror"
"Phoenix Rise"
"Never Again"
"Remember Me"
"The Path Of Fear"
"Forever"
"Kill Or Die"
"Never Resting Soul"
"Who I Am"
"The Hunting"
"Awakening"

"Remember Me" video:

"The Mirror" video:

"Kill Or Die" video:

Lineup:

James Robledo - Vocals
Nasson - Guitar, vocals, keys
Nicolas Fischer - Bass, vocals
Guillermo Pereira - Drums