Better Noise Music recording artist, and critically acclaimed rapper/singer, Hyro The Hero has released his new single and music video for "Fight", featuring Chad Gray, lead singer of metal band HELLYEAH.

Hyro's dramatic and powerful single "We Believe" was released earlier this year and features DISTURBED frontman David Draiman. "Fight" is the perfect next step.

The incendiary song is an aggressive combination of metal and rap, two styles of music that Hyro has made his reputation on. Gray is featured and he and Hyro create a powerfully charged call-and-response vibe that never lets up.

The song kicks off with a distorted heavy lead guitar, followed by drums along with Gray's belted vocals providing an energetic backdrop for Hyro's infectious style of rapping. The combination feels otherworldly when they sing, "All we need is a miracle, these conditions are livable, before I turn criminal, the situation is critical." The feeling is pure energy which feels like a cry to the heavens for change. The song slows a bit as it gears up for the next vocal assault.

Hyro talks about the inspiration for this song: "'Fight' is all about motivation. That extra kick in the ass you need when the going gets tough. I wanted to be that voice that lifts you up when you are feeling down. That's what 'Fight' represents."

Chad says: "I had such a blast getting in the studio recording this song with Hyro. The verses he wrote were so compelling to me. I knew right when I heard it, that this is the track I wanted to be a part of. I'm so proud of Hyro and this track. And it's always nice when the melody and lyrics write themselves. That's always the sign of a great song."

Hyro is equally passionate about Chad being featured on the song. "Being able to share this amazing track with Chad just makes the song even more epic," he says. "He has always been a huge supporter and a great homie ever since we met in England years ago. Once he got a hold of this track, he did not hesitate to record it. He felt it, got on the mic, and killed it."

The video for this powerful track adds to the motivational aspect of the song. Hyro and Chad stalk the boxing gym, trading lines alongside the band's energetic live performance. This rap/metal tour de force song and video can be seen across all DSPs, YouTube and other platforms.

In addition to acclaim from Kerrang!, BBC, Revolver and Afropunk, Alternative Press retrospectively praised Hyro among "19 Underrated Bands From The 2010s Who Deserve Another Listen" and claimed, "You know that band who other groups flock to so they can watch from the side of the stage? That's Hyro."

After non-stop touring in support of his last album, Hyro dove right into the studio with producer Matt Good (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, FROM FIRST TO LAST). Under a flurry of inspiration, they recorded an entire album over the course of just two weeks. In the process, he expanded his sound dramatically.

"You can see and hear the growth in this album," he says. "I had to go through everything that brought me to this point and I've really learned how to focus on storylines and approach records structurally and lyrically. All of my experience built up respect to work with some of my heroes on the new material." He grins and says: "I want to have my name in this game for a lifetime."

Former DEEP PURPLE and current WHITESNAKE singer David Coverdale has dropped another $450,000 from the asking price of his Lake Tahoe estate. Coverdale put the home on the market in April 2019 for for $9.85 million, but that price came down in April 2020 to $7.65 million. The home now sits at an even lower price of $7.2 million.

Found in Incline Village, a community on the north shore, the gated residence features high ceilings with exposed beams, wood and stone accents, three fireplaces, four bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The master suite features a step-up spa tub, multiple walk-in closets and a private deck.

"Every day for over 30 years, my family and I have loved and embraced our home," Coverdale said of the property in a statement. "The stunning views from every window, the peace and tranquility, and the privacy…far away from the three-ring circus of the music business, yet a mere hours' flight away from Los Angeles when work calls."

Chase International, which holds the listing, has posted a video overview of the home on YouTube. Check it out below.

Two months ago, Coverdale spoke to Darren Paltrowitz about his decision to move out of his longtime home in Incline Village, Nevada and set up base in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

"After having 10 years of degenerative arthritis, after 12 years, or whatever the hell, having a really big house — four floors and absolutely impractical for elevators, at 7,000 feet — instead of fighting for it, as I did in my last divorce, I couldn't do it anymore; I couldn't deal with it," David said. "And it's just beautiful — postcards from God on a daily basis. It's one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world. There's no high-rise buildings. You're not allowed to build above tree level. When people would fly in from Los Angeles, they'd be standing on the deck just biting off chunks of fresh air. But, yeah, it's a glorious, glorious place."

Asked what brought him to that area in the first place, the British-born singer, who has lived in America since the mid-1980s, said: "Well, it was tax. I've been a tax exile since I was 21 years old. When the '87 album just started to go batshit, we had a seven-hour meeting in Los Angeles, and they were wooing me to Delaware or Miami. The music business, at that time, of course, was Los Angeles. So I said, 'What the closest place…' And funnily enough, at school, I'd done a school project of the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics. So I had heard of Lake Tahoe, but I was unfamiliar with the geographics of it. And the very first day I woke up — I arrived in the middle of the night. There was no streetlights — it was just pitch black. I think I finished a world tour and had a hive of wasps up my ass about something. And the next day I woke up still kind of pissed and grumpy, making a coffee. And I opened these drapes to this drop-jaw, stunning, gorgeous view, widescreen — just unbelievable. I got my coffee, and I walked down to this boat dock, and I sat there, and I felt like all this rusty armor of all the bullshit and the dramas and the soap operas that go on on tours just drop off and into the water. It was an extraordinary meeting. It was like those Hollywood moments of seeing this woman walking in slo-mo, and you suddenly, your drink's paused, slo-moed halfway to your mouth, and it's love at first sight and time stopped. That was that kind of moment, and it still is."

Earlier this year, WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel its U.S. tour with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER so that Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia. Eventually, all of the shows were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Coverdale, who turned 69 in September, had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

STYX's Todd Sucherman was among the drummers who paid tribute to Neil Peart during the Modern Drummer Festival 2020, the twentieth annual edition of the festival. The pay-per-view event took place on September 12, produced and distributed by LiveXLive.

Sucherman's contribution to Modern Drummer Festival 2020 consisted of "13 For NP", an original piece of music composed specifically for the event. He explained: "I tried my best to compose a piece that honored a man who always composed his parts, and it was an honor to be asked to participate in this tribute. As well, it was fun to compose this tribute to pay my respects. '13 for NP' is in 13/8 subdivided 2-2-3-3-3 or 2-2-3-2-2-2 or 2-2-2-2-2-3. Thanks to Modern Drummer Magazine, JR Taylor and Eric Dorris for audio & video, and to Neil."

Video of Sucherman's "13 For NP" performance can be seen below.

In addition to Sucherman, the lineup for Modern Drummer Festival 2020 included Cindy Blackman-Santana, Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), Taylor Hawkins (FOO FIGHTERS), Thomas Lang, Alex Gonzalez (MANÅ), Jim Riley (RASCAL FLATTS), Danny Seraphine, Dom Famularo, Carmine Appice, Keith Carlock, Kenny Aronoff, Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr), Ray Luzier (KORN) and Kristina Schiano. The festival also featured special appearances by Carl Palmer, Eric Singer (KISS), Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO), Eric Leiderman ("Late Night With Seth Meyers"), Les DeMerle, Brian Tichy, Jason Bittner (OVERKILL), Don Lombardi, Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), Jonathan Moffett, Wyatt Stav and 66 Samus.

Peart died on January 7 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH announced Peart's passing on January 10, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

RUSH's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.

According to TMZ, legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen was cremated on October 28 — 22 days after he died. The ashes went to Eddie's son, 29-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen.

One of Eddie's final wishes was reportedly for the ashes to be scattered off the coast of Malibu, California, and Wolfgang is expected to honor his dad's wishes.

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

The death certificate obtained by TMZ — which can be seen here — reveals Eddie's immediate cause of death was stroke. He also suffered from other health ailments, including skin cancer on his head and neck.

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.

During an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" last month, Wolfgang discussed his father's condition during the last few years of his life. He said: "At the end of 2017, [Eddie] was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. And the doctors were like, 'You have six weeks.'"

Wolfgang confirmed TMZ's report that Eddie had sought alternative cancer treatments in Germany, and credited those visits with helping to add years to the guitarist's life. "Whatever the fuck they do over there, it's amazing because I got three more years with him," Wolfgang said.

After Eddie's motorcycle accident, he "found out that he had a brain tumor," Wolfgang said. From there, "shit kept stacking up and stacking up. It just never let up."

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.




Eddie Van Halen Cremated, Ashes to be Scattered in Ocean Off Malibu https://t.co/wJlY1CErVu

— TMZ (@TMZ) December 13, 2020

As previously announced, New Year's Day, the legendary German thrashers Destruction will undertake a livestream concert, a bit of a turn-around for mainman Schmier, who earlier in the pandemic, vehemently came out against such ploys. As if to convince the nay-sayers, the "band" has posted the following update to their social media:

“Hey Music-lovers!  We now have an event page for our live stream. If you wanna support the band please feel free to share. 

"After 38 years of existence our future and survival will mostly depend on this event. We have received messages asking ‘why pay for a live event on the screen’? Well, to produce this event for all fans to see worldwide we need to invest a five-digit number first. If you think music art and music is for free, there will be NO FUTURE FOR THIS INDUSTRY. 

“This is an emergency solution asking for solidarity. Not everybody will understand the urgency and the need to act. Thanks for supporting to those who will, check out the event page here.”

Teutonic thrash metal legends, Destruction, are ready give the year 2020 one final, well-deserved kick in the butt with their event “Thrash Into 2021 - The Ultimate Live Stream Attack”. The live stream of the show at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland, will be broadcasted worldwide on New Year's Day via MANDOLIN.

January 1st, 2021 - 8 PM, CET (2 PM, EST/11 AM, PST in the US)

Tickets for the event, as well as more information, can be found here.

Ticket buyers around the globe will be able to watch the show on demand for 48 hours after its end!

Here's what frontman Schmier has to say: "We are excited to announce, that our MANDOLIN streaming ticket is on sale now. Also Merch Factory has two exclusive event shirts and a merch bundle ready for you. We are all new to this. At the moment an event like this is the only thing that can keep the flame burning, that gives us hope, keeps us busy and entertained and can hopefully help us to survive this crisis that paralyzed our industry and profession.

"The show itself will be filmed at the Z7, the Swiss premier concert temple in Pratteln. We will deliver you an “over the top” concert, a once in a life time event, with extra length, special setlist, some surprises and the full headliner production with top notch picture and sound quality!

"THANK YOU for being a part of this. Your support is the key for any of our future projects, we really appreciate to have such loyal fans all over the world! Hopefully see you all in the near future in person at a real live concert again, cause we all know nothing can beat the tension, the energy, the power and the experience of an attended live gig! UNITED WE STAND!!!

"Enjoy the event and stay healthy and sane!"

SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande has uploaded a video of him playing along to the classic METALLICA song "Battery". Check it out below.

In a statement accompanying the YouTube release of the video, Eloy wrote: "I played my way!!! No audio editing, no samples, no triggers. Audio recorded with the EAD10 plugged straight to my phone (using the device's camera to record the video). I believe the original song was recorded without a click track, which means that the tempo is volatile."

This past February, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande has had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined in 2011. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

Last month, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich said that he is no longer bothered by people's criticism of his drumming abilities. Speaking to METALLICA's So What! fan-club magazine, the Danish-born musician said: "I've got to tell you, 20 years later, 30 years later, it just doesn't register anymore. I am so comfortable with who I am, I'm so comfortable with who METALLICA is, I'm so comfortable with our place in all of it. I've got an incredible wife, three great kids, my dad and [his partner] Molly, incredible friends, and lots of cool acquaintances. It's all good. I've got nothing left to prove, so it just doesn't register anymore."

Back in 2016, Ulrich, who has gotten a lot of flak over the years from people who accused him of being a poor drummer, told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that he went through a period in the mid-1980s "that probably culminated in the '…[And] Justice [For All]' album where I felt sort of compelled to try to show ability."

According to Lars, part of the reason for him feeling insecure about his abilities was the increased competition from some of his peers.

"Listen, when you've got Dave Lombardo and Charlie Benante breathing down your back, it was, like, 'Okay, I've gotta…' I tried to step it up a little bit and tried to do my own thing and do all this crazy shit," he said. "I was trying really hard to push the drums kind of into the foreground. And then, after like a year or two of that, I was, like, 'Okay. Seriously? Just do your thing. Chill out. Support the riffs. Do what's best for the song.' So since around I guess the late '80s — so I guess it's been, like, 25 years now — the only thing that's really interested me is just doing the best thing for the song."

Asked in a 2008 interview with U.K.'s Rhythm magazine if he was troubled by the fact that he's gotten a lot of flak over the years from people who accused him of being a poor drummer, Lars said: "It used to, back in the day — and I spent a lot of time overcompensating for that on the early records. But then you wake up one day and you're like, whatever. It hasn't bothered me for [many] years. I'm no Joey Jordison, I'm no Mike Portnoy, and I have nothing but love and respect and admiration for all those guys. When I hear some of the young dudes, they blow my mind with what they can do with their feet and stuff — but it's not something that makes me go, 'I need to feel better about myself so I'm gonna learn how to do what they do with my feet.' I'm not a particularly accomplished drummer but I am very, very, very good at understanding the role of the drums next to James Hetfield's rhythm guitar. I guarantee you I'm the best guy in the world for that, and that's enough for me!"

Ulrich stated about his playing ability in a 2012 interview with DRUM! magazine: "I usually feel like I've regressed. [Laughs] I'm like, 'Why can't I do that anymore?'" He continued: "I can't say that I necessarily sit down to practice, like, 'I'm going to play and practice so I can get better.' What happens is that I just sit down and kind of play to just more stay in shape."

Ulrich added: "You know, METALLICA was up to two or three months off [in 2011], and I would sit down, I have an iPod next to my drums so I can play along to all kind of crazy stuff, and try to see if I can land in the same zip code of some of that stuff occasionally. But I can't say that I sit down to necessarily practice to sort of get better. For most of my stuff, it's about listening and about interpreting stuff that I'm listening to. So all the kind of sitting down and, you know, 'Now I'm going to do thirty-second-note paradiddles standing on my head — you know what I mean? I don't do that kind of stuff so much. For me it's more about the regimen of staying in shape, running every day, eating healthy, you know, being on top of that side of it."

EXODUS's "Bonded By Blood" guitar book is now available for pre-order. The book features guitar tab and notation for all nine songs from the 1985 EXODUS album release. All songs were transcribed note for note from the original recordings by EXODUS touring guitarist Kragen Lum (also of HEATHEN) and Ernie Ball's "Match The Master" award winner Evan Bradley.

Learn how to play the songs exactly as the band plays them with these 100% accurate transcriptions. Presented in a two-guitar format so you can learn to play every riff and solo just as Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt played them on the album. 170 pages. Shipping begins January 15. The digital copy is available for immediate download.

Songs included:

* Bonded By Blood

* Exodus

* And Then There Were None

* A Lesson In Violence

* Metal Command

* Piranha

* No Love

* Deliver Us To Evil

* Strike Of The Beast

EXODUS gained huge notoriety in the international underground scene as a result of the tape-trading community. Their dynamic guitar riffing, adrenaline-inducing drum work, and bloodied live shows made all the difference in the band's mission to take Bay Area thrash to a worldwide audience. The immortal, must-have, thrash classic "Bonded By Blood" was released in 1985 via Torrid Records (then re-released in 1986 on Combat Records), and inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others. To this day "Bonded By Blood" is inspiring a whole new breed of thrash metal.

EXODUS's controversial re-recording of "Bonded By Blood", "Let There Be Blood", was issued in October 2008 through Zaentz Records. At the time, Holt stated about the band's decision to revisit "Bonded By Blood" with then-EXODUS-vocalist Rob Dukes: "It is our way of paying homage to [former EXODUS singer] Paul Baloff by showing how relevant these songs we had written together still are. We aren't trying to replace the original; that's impossible anyway. We are just giving these songs the benefit of modern production. It's something we talked about before Paul's death and it's always been important to us to do. We were super-excited about entering the studio once again to record these classics."

It was nearly two decades ago — on January 31, 2002 — that Baloff suffered a major stroke and was brought to Highland General Hospital in Northern California, where he remained in a coma until he was declared brain dead. On February 2, 2002, his doctors shut off his life support, leaving him to die in his sleep. He had no previous known health problems, and the stroke was a complete surprise to everyone around him.

EXODUS 1985 promotional photo by Stanley Greene

In a new interview with the 213Rock Podcast, WINGER guitarist Reb Beach spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's new studio album. The disc, which is tentatively due next summer, will be the follow-up to 2014's "Better Days Comin'".

"We've written about seven songs for the new album," he said. 'It sounds great. It's WINGER — heavy riffs with big vocals. Very catchy songs and very heavy stuff — very progressive."

In early November, Beach told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast that he and frontman Kip Winger had written 11 songs for WINGER's next album, but that Kip "threw away six of 'em, saying that this has to be like the first BOSTON record where every song is undeniable. And he just wants it to be progressive and like nothing he's hard before," he said. "I brought him these riffs that are just straight-ahead rock riffs, and he said, 'I already know what the next three chords are gonna be after I've heard three chords.'

"We're going for something that's poppy and sing-along stuff yet cool, heavy, progressive riffs — kind of like [2009's] 'Karma'," Reb explained. "That's what we're going for."

This past spring, WINGER invited artists, friends and fans — including Alice Cooper and members of SCORPIONS, STEELHEART and WARRANT — to sing along to "Better Days Comin'", the title track of the band's sixth studio album. An official music video for the new version of the song was made available in late April.

WINGER formed in the late 1980s and soared to immediate success with its 1988 self-titled release. The album spawned the hit singles "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak" and achieved platinum sales status. "Winger" also stayed on The Billboard 200 chart for over 60 weeks where it peaked at #21. Their next album, "In The Heart Of The Young", also achieved platinum status behind the singles "Can't Get Enuff" and "Miles Away". The change in musical climate of the mid-'90s, compounded with unprovoked ridicule on MTV's popular "Beavis And Butt-Head" show, led the band to go on hiatus in 1994. In 2001, WINGER reunited and has not looked back since. Kip also earned a 2016 Grammy nomination for the classical album "C.F. Kip Winger: Conversations With Nijinsky", recorded with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.

Blind Guardian release the special 25th anniversary edition of their Imaginations From The Other Side album today (December 11th). This edition contains live recordings and other special versions of the Blind Guardian classics featured on the album.

"A brilliant album celebrates its 25th anniversary and it is great to celebrate this in such a bombastic manner. Luckily we filmed our 2016 show in Oberhausen when we performed the entire album live. This is the perfect moment for us to present this masterpiece in so many different ways. An ideal resurrection of precious memories long gone, but not forgotten. This album is made for eternity… I hope. Enjoy", says vocalist Hansi Kürsch.

Today, the band reveals a new live clip for their song "Another Holy War". 

Hansi Kürsch comments: "There are songs that carry albums and others that are seen more as a filler. At least that’s the case for most bands, so they say. But there are always exceptions to the rule; one of which is Blind Guardian and Imaginations From The Other Side is the ultimate exception. It is all killer, no filler. The thing I can say about ‚Another Holy War‘ can be said for all of the songs on the album, which is that the song is awesome. Period.

It’s funny how during the recording of Imaginations …, every band member underestimated the song in terms of its complexity - severely underestimated! We thought of 'Another Holy War' as a rather simple song, which was a typical error of judgement. At the same time, we thought of ourselves as flawless. That too was an error of judgement, at least in some parts. The price we had to pay for our juvenile arrogance was blisters on our hands, strained fingers and worn-out vocal cords. Still, we pulled it together in the end, and its thanks to Flemming Rasmussen you can’t hear our issues in the final result. I’m repeating myself here, but 'Another Holy War' is awesome. Seriously. The song isn’t only challenging because of its speed, and 25 years later not much has changed about that. But you grow with your challenges. Give us another 25 years and we’ll master it just perfectly. I promise."

Imaginations From The Other Side 25th anniversary edition will be available in the following formats:

- Earbook (40p Earbook LiveCD, RemixedCD, original instrumental/demos CD, Blu-ray - limited to 2000)
- CD-Boxset (Box incl. 40p Earbook (LiveCD, RemixedCD, original instrumental/demos CD, Blu-ray) + puzzle - limited to 1000)
- 2LP Black Vinyl
- 2LP Picture Vinyl (limited to 1000)
- 2LP Burgundy Vinyl (limited to 500)
- 2LP Pearl White Vinyl (limited to 500)
- 2LP Bronze Vinyl - Band Exclusive (limited to 300)

"Born In A Mourning Hall" video:

Due to popular demand, The Official Keith Emerson Tribute Concert, which is scheduled for March 11 release, has added the DVD format to its roster. The concert will now be available in both the DVD Digipak format and also in a Blu-Ray Hi-Def downloadable version, playable on any device, both accompanied by a bonus audio version of the concert.

To be released on Cherry Red Records, this official 3-disc set brings you the historical 2016 tribute show in Los Angeles featuring a once-in-a-lifetime lineup of musical luminaries performing music from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Nice, Emerson, Lake & Powell, The Keith Emerson Band and the Three Fates Project.

The 2 1/2 - hour concert film features many stellar performances by over two dozen prominent artists in rock, jazz and classical music as well as artist interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, tribute speeches, and a gallery of personal never-before-seen photos from the Emerson estate.

This highly-anticipated concert captures the essence of what made Keith Emerson a pioneer of prog rock, a treasure among his many fans and friends, and a legendary keyboardist and composer with the iconic supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

“Performing ‘Tarkus’ at the Keith Emerson Tribute event was incredibly meaningful. It was truly an amazing night. Having the opportunity to pay my respects to the man who changed my life by playing my favorite piece of music with incredible musicians, made it a memory that will never be forgotten. I’m so thrilled that this incredible evening of music is now going to be shared with the world.” - Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)

“It’s difficult to express what an honor it was to participate in this tribute to Keith. Surrounded by friends and heroes, it was such a privilege to be part of a group of musicians who were as affected by Keith’s life, music and friendshipas I was. Not surprisingly there’s a lot of us. To play Hammond on The Barbarian, the first song I ever saw him play live, is a cherished memory I’ll never forget. Many thanks to Marc and Mari for keeping this idea and dream alive.” - Steve Porcaro (Toto)

Roster:

The Keith Emerson Band (Marc Bonilla - Gregg Bissonette - Jonathan Sindelman - Mike Wallace - Joe Travers - Mick Mahan - Travis Davis - Troy Luccketta) with Eddie Jobson, Jordan Rudess, Brian Auger, Steve Porcaro, Philippe Saisse, Rachel Flowers, CJVanston, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Steve Lukather, Vinnie Colaiuta, Terje Mikkelsen, Rick Livingstone, Kae Matsumoto, Michael Fitzpatrick.

Tracklisting:

"Prelude To A Hope" (Featuring Kae Matsumoto)
"Karn Evil 9" (1St Impression, Pt.2) (Featuring Jonanthan Sindelman & Gregg Bissonette)
"The Barbarian" (Featuring Steve Porcaro & Rachel Flowers)
"Hoedown" (Ed Roth & Jeff “Skunk” Baxter)
"Touch And Go" (Featuring Steve Porcaro)
"A Place To Hide" (Featuring Ed Roth & Steve Lukather)
"Tribute To Keith" (Featuring Cj Vanston & Michael Fitzpatrick)
"The Endless Enigma" (Featuring Rachel Flowers & Troy Luccketta)
"Take A Pebble" (Featuring Cj Vanston, Travis Davis & Gregg Bissonette)
"Tank" (Featuring Joe Travers & Brian Auger)
"Fanfare For The Common Blue Turkey" (Featuring Brian Auger, Karma Auger & Dan Lutz)
"Ride" (Featuring Aaron Emerson)
"From The Beginning" (Featuring Philippe Saisse)
"Bitches Crystal" (Featuring Eddie Jobson)
"Nutrocker" (Featuring Philippe Saisse)
"Tarkus" (Featuring Jordan Rudess & Troy Luccketta)
"Lucky Man" (Featuring Eddie Jobson, Steve Lukather & Rick Livingstone)
"Great Gates Of Kiev" (Featuring Eddie Jobson)
"Fanfare For The Common Man" (Featuring Eddie Jobson, Steve Lukather & Maestro Terje Mikkelsen)
"Are You Ready, Eddy?" (Featuring Cj Vanston & Rick Livingstone)

All proceeds go to the The Leon Fleisher Foundation for Musicians with Dystonia. All of the artists, crew, and support personnel have kindly donated their skills and time gratis for this worthy cause, which afflicts thousands of musicians annually.

Pre-order here.

Commemorative T-Shirts and Posters designed by digital artist Jerry LoFaro are now available for pre-order at jerrylofaro@mcttelecom.com.

You can see the entire line of Keith Emerson commemorative art here.

• Pre-Shrunk, Medium Weight, 100% Cotton
• Relaxed, Classic Fit
• Hand-Dyed and Printed Using Soft, Non-Toxic Water-Based Inks
• Reinforced Double-Stitching On All Seams

Printed directly to garment, not dye-sublimation transfers.

Trailer:

Levara and Mascot Records present “Chameleon,” the second song to be revealed from the band’s debut studio album coming in 2021. View the accompanying music video below.

The recording features a special contribution from Steve Perry on background and group vocals, while the accompanying music video presents more than forty friends of the band appearing singing the song simply expressing themselves in a natural sense. Amongst those appearing are tastemaker Matt Pinfield, boxer Victor Ortiz, multiple band members of Toto, alongside many others sharing a common humanity driven by the power of song.

Singer Jules Galli offers, “The metaphor of being a chameleon in our human society is something we can all relate to in our own way. The chameleon learns to blend in as a means of survival... he’s got to stay invisible to predators while preying on his next meal. To me, the song is so deep that the meaning of the song keeps evolving through time. Within our authenticity lies our real power. Break free from this mode of survival and let yourself be seen, heard and accepted.” Drummer Josh Devine shares, “Chameleon is one of my personal favorites on our debut record. The meaning to me personally speaks to the idea that I don’t want to just be another chameleon, blending in to fit in with the worlds agenda to be liked or loved for someone I am not. It may be the path of least resistance, but at what cost? Stand out and be YOU! Loud and proud. I’d rather be hated for who I really am, then loved for who I’m not!”

Guitarist Trev Lukather reveals, “Chameleon was one of the last songs we wrote and laid down in the studio. Originally it was supposed to be a deluxe track but we knew as we were writing and starting to build it, that it was an undeniable anthem that moved its way up as a serious contender on the album. My long-time friend Steve Perry who was a huge presence on this record brought a lot to the table on this track. He brought his legendary power house vocals on the BGVs and group vocals. He and I built the epic bridge solo together. He even sang on top of the guitar solo melody. It was a spiritual experience making this song and it has such a spiritual meaning to it.”

The music video was produced and directed by Jake Hays and Olivia DeLaurentis. Trev Lukather offers, “The video we made for Chameleon shows how we all blend together. We all have our unique qualities and they are beautiful, we are beautiful. Truly showing we are one race, the human race. We had our close friends from all different backgrounds come by and sing a pass through the song. No direction other than sing along and be you. The song brought nothing but connection, happiness and love out of everyone that took the time to be a part of it. You can clearly see that in the video. Everyone shines. We all do and that’s the truth. Let’s love together, enough with the pointless hate.”

Josh Devine echoes these thoughts stating, “The video really captures the notion that we are all different and beautiful, and we should be celebrating that! I’m excited for the world to hear this!” Jules Galli adds, “I am so grateful for everyone involved in this video and thankful for Steve Perry in lending us his genius on this very special song.”

According to Noise11, AC/DC's "Power Up" has topped the Australian ARIA Albums Chart for the fourth week in a row. It has now tied Taylor Swift's "Folklore" for the longest-running chart topper for 2020.

"Power Up" hit the No. 1 spot in 18 countries, including in the U.S., where it sold over 117,000 copies in the first week.

AC/DC is the only Australian group in history to have had a No. 1 album in its home country across five decades: "Back In Black" (1980s), "Ballbreaker Live" (1990s), "Black Ice" (2000s), "Rock Or Bust" (2010s) and "Power Up" (2020s).

"Power Up" holds Germany's biggest first week of 2020 and the biggest first week for an international act in four years, as well as being the U.K.'s fastest-selling album of 2020 and the biggest first week of the year. In the U.K., it opened with first-week sales of 62,000. 52,955 units of these were on a physical format (CD, vinyl, cassette).

"Power Up" features AC/DC's 2020 lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). The LP was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

"Power Up" is a tribute to Angus's brother Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up", along with Angus.

"Power Up" is available in multiple configurations, including digital, CD, and deluxe versions. The limited edition, one-of-a-kind deluxe "Power Up" box is the ultimate fan package. Hit the button on the side of the box and watch the flashing neon AC/DC logo light up while the opening bars of "Shot In The Dark" blast out of the built-in speaker. Inside the box is the full CD package in a soft-pack with a 20-page booklet that features exclusive photos and USB charging cable allowing the box to remain powered up and on display. The vinyl LP was pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket. Limited-edition variants of the LP are available at select retailers nationwide, as well as the band's online st

Jeff Scott Soto says it "stinks" to see JOURNEY not acknowledging the time he spent fronting the band.

Soto, who previously sang with Yngwie Malmsteen, joined JOURNEY about a week and half into a six-week summer 2006 tour with DEF LEPPARD, after Steve Augeri began having vocal issues. Soto had earlier worked with JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo in the short-lived side project SOUL SIRKUS. JOURNEY named Soto its permanent lead singer in December 2016 before firing him just five months later.

Asked in a new interview with the "Rehired" Internet show (hosted by Fran Strine and Peter Clarke) how he found out his services were no longer needed by JOURNEY, Soto said (see video below): "It was a call from management, basically. And they were very cordial about it. They basically stated the band realized they wanna go a different direction.

"Without going too much into it — there might be even some legalities in talking about it — bottom line is it was cordial, but, unfortunately, there was connection with the band from there," he continued. "There was no, 'I'd at least like to be friends or come to see you guys at a show when you're in town,' that type of thing. I really wanted to wish them well. I wanted to wish them forward and give 'em all hugs and say, 'Thank you for letting me be a part of this.' But, unfortunately, it didn't get to that.

"Going back to what I was saying earlier about letting your anger get the better of you, I got angry about that," he admitted. "And especially because I was inducted as their permanent lead singer, I felt I had to make more of a statement about being let go, and not just being basically thrown away like yesterday's newspaper. I had to start a lawsuit against them in terms of — and this is just on the business side; I wasn't trying to teach any lessons or show, 'Hey, you've messed with the wrong guy.' It was more so, like, I'm trying to be, 'Please, guys. Here's another olive branch I'm putting out to you. Please, let's discuss this and shake hands and be gentlemen about it.' But, unfortunately, that didn't come to pass, and it sucks."

Soto went on to say that he doesn't want any animosity between him and any of the JOURNEY members. "I would love nothing more in this world than to be able to handshake or a hug or be friends with Neal and Jon [Jonathan Cain] and that whole scenario," he said. "That's part of my history now — it's part of my life. I wanna be able to generate nothing but positivity for the rest of my life.

"Whatever the situation, whatever got me to being fired, it's being held on to, and I guess they're just not interested in hearing my side, for whatever that reason is," he continued. "If you tell me what the situation was about, of course I can tell you — or I can say, 'Oh my God. I didn't realize it was that. I'm so sorry.' But I don't even know what to apologize for. So therefore it just lingers. And here we are 13 years later, and it's still kind of like it happened, and it just went away."

Asked if he went into "defense mode" once he was fired by JOURNEY, Jeff responded : "I don't really go into defense mode unless I'm being attacked where it's not justified. I went more into warrior mode, kind of survivor mode — what do I do next, kind of thing. And to be honest with you, I was just more hurt about the situation and only hurt in the sense of, everything on their social media, web site, whatever, anything that had to do with me being in the band was removed. There was no photo of me; my name was gone. It literally went from Steve Perry to Steve Augeri to Arnel Pineda. And it stinks. It stinks to feel like I didn't matter. That validation, to be able to front that band, to be able to sing those songs and to front them, and the trust and respect they gave me to be able to do that is completely washed away, because I can't even be part of their history.

"I didn't expect an invitation to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I didn't expect my name to be dropped, but even just to be able to see some level of positivity of my time with them, and to not have any of it, that's the part that hurt."

Jeff's musical career spans over 35 years. He first burst on to the scene as the vocalist for guitar hero Yngwie Malmsteen's iconic first two solo albums, before going on to front acclaimed hard rock band TALISMAN. Currently, while maintaining his solo career, he is busy singing for the wildly popular TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the awesome melodic hard rock band W.E.T., his own metal project SOTO, and the prog metal supergroup SONS OF APOLLO.

Jeff will release his new solo album, "Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)", before the end of the year.

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted's official YouTube channel has just shared a video of him and his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND performing a cover version of the Neil Young classic "Rockin' In The Free World" in March 2019 at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta, Florida. Check it out below.

Named after Jason's four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND began in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is led by Newsted, playing acoustic guitars and performing lead vocal, accompanied by 
close friends/musicians of all walks and styles, sharing some great American songs from familiar and unfamiliar heroes.

Jason told the Palm Beach Florida Weekly about THE CHOPHOUSE BAND: "We all get along great because there's not money involved. They've got their own bands, their own families, their own gigs. We do benefit gigs, six a year, and that's it. I record and write and play songs the whole rest of the time. They could all run circles around me musical theory-wise. They could tell you everything they're playing, and all the relating chords. I surround myself with the bad-asses, and they make me look really good. I'm playing cowboy chords the whole time, and they're doing their fancy shit to make me look good. I just concentrate on singing, and getting across the things I want people to hear."

Asked by Boca magazine how deep his song archive is with THE CHOPHOUSE BAND, Newsted said: "I keep two bibles — heroes, and my songs. I try to stay at about 100 in the bible of heroes — everything from [LED] ZEPPELIN to John Prine to Dolly Parton. My [personal] song bible is probably between 24 and 32, most of them in the last 10 months. The band's favorite band collectively is JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT. I've become friends with [Isbell] over the past couple of years, and taken time to learn 20 of his songs. We always perform at least one in the set, trying to make it my own — kind of the idea with all of them."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001, but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Six years ago, Jason shelved NEWSTED, the heavy metal project he operated between 2012 and 2014, saying that it cost him "an awful lot of money — hundreds of thousands of dollars." He added: "I couldn't continue because the business is such a harsh thing now and so different than what I had known."

SOEN, the progressive heavy rock group featuring world-renowned drummer Martin Lopez (formerly of AMON AMARTH and OPETH), will release its fifth album, "Imperial", on January 29, 2021 via Silver Lining Music. The official music video for the latest single, "Monarch", can be seen below.

"'Monarch' is an epic, dynamic song about the traditional attributes of mankind. The belief that showing compassion and kindness is a sign of weakness," explains Lopez. "The lack of direction and guidance in society is turning younger generations into violent and destructive creatures," adds vocalist Joel Ekelöf, "because they are living in an age where bullies are kings and the rest are prey."

On the making of the video, Lopez comments: "Making videos is a difficult task because it means that you need to hand over the control of your music to someone on the outside. You want to make a video that not only represents the lyrical content but that also captures the atmosphere and emotion of the song and for that you need to find a producer that has the capability of understanding and transforming all these words and notes into images and I think we found the right person in Daniele Berretta… It was a pleasure to work with him and we're very happy with how the video turned out."

"Imperial" continues SOEN's unique journey through the psyche of our species and the conundrum of our times. Founding members Ekelöf and Lopez, along with Lars Enok Åhlund (keyboards and guitar), Oleksii "Zlatoyar" Kobel (bass) and Cody Ford (lead guitar) have never shied away from challenging perceptions of life and humanity and have conjured eight crisp and supremely constructed songs spanning themes of frustration, reflection and hope. "Imperial" is the most fierce and dynamic release of SOEN's journey, one which continues to be deeply therapeutic for both the group's dedicated followers and the band themselves.

Lopez states: "In my life, I try to be as real as possible, but I think that the music, and nature, of SOEN are the only place that I really, really feel I can be myself. When you're home, doing music, writing lyrics, that is where you really get to express yourself without any judgement and with total freedom."

Produced by Iñaki Marconi and the band, "Imperial" was mixed and mastered by Kane Churko, who has worked with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Bob Dylan, giving songs such as "Illusion", "Modesty" and the epic closer "Fortune" a dimension and richness which will reach yet more ears and minds. The power and poetry of SOEN's dynamics are honed more now than ever, something which is perversely a product of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It has obviously been a crazy, terrible thing for everyone, and for us as a band it has been really frustrating not being able to play shows," says Martin, "but also it has given us a clear window of opportunity to realize this album completely. We were able to spend 12 hours a day for many months bringing 'Imperial' to the place we truly wanted, mainly working on the groove and flow of the album."

Lead single "Antagonist" storms through the gates with a massive heavy riff of intent, followed by an epic blend of strength, beauty and defiance of all the world's darkest power mongers, captured in the lyrics "Dependency dampens the wild / Inequity weighs down the motion of progress / Life isn't just to survive."

"We will always be a band that has the old will to fight for freedom and all the important things in life, the people, the underdog," says Lopez. "You have to take on the big question marks such as what the fuck are we doing with our lives and where's the empathy. Why do we keep on testing and crushing ourselves as a species?"

"Imperial" track listing:

01. Lumerian

02. Deceiver

03. Monarch

04. Illusion

05. Antagonist

06. Modesty

07. Dissident

08. Fortune

"Imperial" is an album which will engage the listener immediately and sustain long after this crazy time has passed, its rich details destined to make it a classic metal album of this era.

"As we continue, we find inspiration in the sad fact that the world is getting more and more polarized, that it's more complex and it's not consensus or people getting along" says Ekelöf. "We continue to try and understand why and how that will affect us all."

Signum Regis are releasing a new EP, Flag Of Hope, together with a video for the title track.

"For this song, we invited our good friends, singers, who are all somehow connected to Signum Regis," begins a statement from the band. "Göran Edman was the lead singer in the early days and recorded the first and second albums with us. Mayo Petranin (Castaway, Symphonity) was our lead singer from 2014 to 2018, Matt Smith (Theocracy) and Samuel Nyman (Manimal) were our special guests on the Exodus album (2013), David Åkesson has been working with us externally since our 2019 release, The Seal Of A New World. Of course, our current lead singer, Jota Fortinho, is there too!"

"We are very happy that this little reunion took place and that we were able to make some music together again. It brought back a lot of good memories. On top of that all, we have André Hernandes  (Andre Matos band) playing tasty additional lead guitar."

It's quite clear already, that the year 2020 has not been a great one, we all know that. That's why we believe a song about hope and not giving up is exactly what we all need to hear."

 

Last Temptation brings together guitarist Peter Scheithauer (Killing Machine, Belladonna, Temple Of Brutality), vocalist Butcho Vukovic (Watcha), bassist Julien Rimaire (Los Dissidentes Del Sucio Hotel), and drummer Vince Brisach (Mitch Ryder) all under the watchful eye of former Guns N' Roses Manager Doug Goldstein.

Just announced, Last Temptation have signed a world-wide deal with Crusader Records (part of the Golden Robot Global Entertainment Group). "We are beyond excited to be a part of Crusader Records / Golden Robot Records family," says the band. "After a few talks, it was clear that GRR would be Last Temptation's home. A label and a team that understand what rock 'n roll is all about, and mostly understand our needs. We can't wait to share the new songs we have been polishing during those down times! And once we get a green light, the roads are calling us to meet with our fans and get that party rolling."

To celebrate the announcement, Last Temptation have released a sample of their upcoming single, "Main Attraction".

Last Temptation delivers a riff-drenched '80s hard rock sound mixed with the best traditional metal elements. They released their self-titled debut album in 2019 via earMusic. It included guest appearances from Bob Daisley, Vinny Appice, Don Airey, James Lomenzo, and Rudy Sarzo.

The new album has been recorded and includes guests such as Kenny Aronoff among others and will be released in mid-2021.

(Photo - Benjamin Hincker - Photographie)

 

L.A.-based indie giant Cleopatra Records and Big Paul Ferguson, the British percussionist for proto-industrial post-punk legends Killing Joke, have announced their new partnership, which was officially cemented this year. 

Ferguson founded Killing Joke, along with vocalist Jaz Coleman, in London 1978 and the two quickly expanded to a four-piece guitarist Geordie Walker and bassist Youth. The band then proceeded to completely remake the musical landscape, incorporating elements of punk rock, noise rock, dub, and industrial to create a body of work that’s as visceral as it is sophisticated. Ferguson’s tribal-style of drumming became the backbone for some of KJ’s biggest songs including “Wardance” from their 1980 debut album as well as “Eighties” and “Love Like Blood” from the classic 1985 album Night Time. After stepping away from the group in 1987, a reunited Killing Joke came roaring back in 2008 with Ferguson on drums for some of their most brilliant work to date, including the band’s most recent album 2015’s Pylon, which Ferguson co-wrote. Meanwhile on this side of the pond, Cleopatra Records, founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, had earned a reputation as the go-to label for dark gothic and industrial music throughout the ‘90s and has since built a roster of incomparable size and diversity that includes everyone from Todd Rundgren to Glenn Danzig to Judy Collins under its roof. 

And now Ferguson joins the ranks with an exclusive solo project due in 2021, his first official solo album to be released commercially. The album has been long in gestation so both the label and artist are thrilled to soon share the project with fans.

Ferguson says, “I’m super excited to be working now with Cleopatra and to have the support of such an amazing team. It’s an honor for me to join their roster of influential artists and am looking forward to working with them.”

Cleopatra owner Perera proclaims, “One listen to this record and instantly we knew we had something very special. Paul is absolutely a creative force to be reckoned with!”

An amazing meeting took place on August 31, 1996. That's when Eddie Van Halen spent the day with a guy who had followed in his footsteps playing alongside David Lee Roth — Jason Becker. Jason had been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, and was not in good shape. Van Halen came to Jason's house to give love and support — as well as a guitar — to his friend and to film an ALS awareness promotional video. During that time, Eddie told stories, talked about his creative process, and played amazing music, instantly sounding exactly like Eddie Van Halen even when playing Jason's guitar through a small practice amp.

The never-before-seen footage below shows a side of Eddie Van Halen that goes far beyond his brilliant musicianship: a sweet, caring, generous personality, devoid of the trappings of fame or rock stardom. The video also documents the incredible strength of Jason Becker, who had been deprived of his shot at fame as well as his genius guitar skills, but still found the courage and the will to battle a debilitating disease.

"Eddie was such a beautiful person," says Becker. "He was incredibly kind to me and my family. Not only was he my biggest influence, he had such a huge heart. He honestly saved my life."

This video is a must-see piece of history, not just for guitarists but for everyone. It truly shows the magic of kindness, and a depth of emotion that we can all use more of.

Becker's story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo CACOPHONY, with his great friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on Roth's third solo album, "A Little Ain't Enough", and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, the same condition Stephen Hawking lived with for over five decades. It is a fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. Maybe.

That was 30 years ago. He lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles and magazine cover stories.

Becker's latest album, "Triumphant Hearts", was released in December 2018 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. The disc features guest appearances by a who's who of six-string gods, including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert and Joe Bonamassa.

SEETHER has released an animated lyric video for its song "Wasteland". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If You Want Peace, Prepare For War"), which came out in August via Fantasy Records.

Two months ago, SEETHER claimed the No. 1 spot at rock radio with "Dangerous", the lead single off "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum". The milestone marked the multi-platinum rock band's 16th No. 1 song and 20th Top 5 hit over the course of its impressive 20-year career.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, SEETHER released three of its classic albums — "Disclaimer II", "Karma And Effect" and "Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces" — on vinyl for the very first time in November via Craft Recordings. Released early in the band's remarkable run, these three albums exemplify the distinctive musicianship and songcraft for which SEETHER is best known and helped solidify them as one of the most successful hard rock bands in the world.

Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, SEETHER has amassed a global fan base that has grown organically with the quartet's sense of purpose and commitment spreading outwards, offering their fans around the world camaraderie, comfort and a sense of personal power. While others of their ilk faded away, SEETHER maintains a strong sense of self, ignoring trends and critics in favor of a consummate devotion to their craft. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 16 No. 1 singles (including 2017's "Let You Down", 2014's "Words As Weapons" and 2011's "Tonight"); 20 Top 5 multi-format hits, with U.S. singles sales topping 17 million and over 1.5 billion streams worldwide across all platforms.

They are also creators of the Rise Above Fest, founded in 2012 to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental illness. Past headliners of the annual gathering include Slash, GODSMACK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, PAPA ROACH and many more. Since conception, the Rise Above Fest has turned into a broader movement, expanding its presence at additional music festivals around the globe. All SEETHER shows donate $1 of ticket sales to benefit the SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices Of Education) organization.

Tomorrow, December 11th, British rockers Lionheart will release the 7" single "Mary Did You Know" as strictly limited edition white vinyl. The video for the song can be seen below.

The single is not only a high quality collector's item for all melodic rock fans: 100% of the proceeds will go to the children's hospice Little Havens.

Little Havens Hospice offers palliative care and supportive care for babies, children, and teenagers with complex or incurable diseases. The hospice also offers overnight accommodation, emergency stays, symptom management, and loving care at the end of a child's life.

Little Havens must raise over £81,000 each week to help these children. Any gift, no matter how big or small, means a lot to the families Little Havens cares for. More info can be found here.

In addition to the vinyl single, the song will also be released digitally. Both versions can be ordered at this location.

Lionheart lineup:

Dennis Stratton (formerly guitarist with Iron Maiden)
Steve Mann (currently guitarist and keyboardist with Michael Schenker)
Rocky Newton (formerly bass player and backing vocalist with McAuley Schenker Group)
Clive Edwards (formerly drummer with UFO, Wild Horses, and Uli Roth)
Lee Small (formerly lead vocalist with Shy and Phenomena)

 

2020 has been one helluva productive year for Alan Davey. Not only did Mr. Davey, best known as the former bass player for British space rock legends Hawkwind, launch a new album by his Hawkwind supergroup Hawkestrel, the adventurous Pioneers Of Space, but he also saw the release of a 4CD set of demos called Four-Track Mind as well as a 3CD set from Davey’s prog rock side project Pre-Med and even joined Danny B. Harvey’s rockabilly project Headcat 13 for an album!

And now to top it all off, Davey has returned with a sleigh full of superb musical guests on an all-new Hawkestrel Christmas album! SpaceXmas includes performances by former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes, keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, The Doors’ Robby Krieger plus Hawkwind alums Huw Lloyd-Langton, Nik Turner, and lots more who blaze their way through revamped versions of holiday favorites such as “We Three Kings,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night” next to original compositions such as “It’s A Wonderful (Funny Old) Life” and the hilarious “Twelve Daze Of Drinxmas.”

Davey had this to share about the album, “My goal with this album was to turn Xmas songs into non-cheesy space rock pieces anyone could enjoy listening to. That was difficult enough, but in 110 degrees Fahrenheit in July/August and in the Californian high desert was kind of surreal. It turned out better than I expected... Happy SpaceXmas!”

SpaceXmas is available now digitally as well as on CD and in a very special limited edition Christmas color splattered vinyl. Order the CD here.

Tracklisting:

"Oh Holy Night"
"We Three Kings"
"It's A Wonderful (Funny Old) Life"
"Silent Night"
"Seasons"
"Little Drummer Boy"
"Für Kirsty"
"Ein Weihnachliches Lustobjekt"
"O Come All Ye Faithful"
"Jingle Bells"
"Hallelujah"
"Twelve Daze Of Drinxmas"

Australia's Victoria K will be releasing their first official DVD, Live Isolation Concert, on January 29, 2021 via Rockshots Records. The top-notch live DVD experience was recorded during the pandemic crisis and includes all the songs from the debut album, Essentia, unleashed during April 2020.

The DVD is available for pre-order here. The live show will be also released as a digital album on the major online stores.

Tracklisting:

"The Haunting"
"Mist Filled Sky"
"Forsaken"
"Humanity"
"Surreal"
"Freaks"
"Shroud Of Solitude"
"Lacuna"
"Freedom Uncharted"
"Matrix"

For further details, visit Victoria K on Facebook.

 

On March 12, Blackmore’s Night will release Nature’s Light, their eleventh studio album and the first in six years. Today, the band, founded in 1997 by award-winning vocalist Candice Night and legendary guitar icon Ritchie Blackmore, reveal the first single and lyric video, "Once Upon December", a foretaste of the highly anticipated new album.

"Once Upon December" is available for immediate streaming and download here. Watch the video below.

The ten new tracks make for a quintessential Blackmore’s Night album. Once again, Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night successfully mix the tradition of Folk music and their love for the Renaissance era, inspired by the myths and legends of ancient times.

“The story of Nature’s Light is the story of nature being the true queen and the simplicity and magic of everyday miracles that happen right before your eyes”, says Candice Night. “If you feel stagnant or repressed in your surroundings, it is important to take a break from the mundane and go where your heart leads you. It allows you to recharge and begin again with fresh and renewed energy. For some it is the ocean, for some the woods, for some feeling the sun on your face. Our music is an escape from the stress and pressure of modern times. Journey back through time with us, to a simpler, magical time where music enters your heart and soul.”

Transcend time with Blackmore's Night to a world with no stress, just the beauty of nature, and fairy tales, sunsets and moonlit skies. Welcome to the Blackmore's Night experience.

While the album is rooted in a traditional approach, fans of Ritchie Blackmore’s unique style will not be disappointed. Heartfelt ballads, such as a brand-new version of "Wish You Were Here", set the scene for the magical tales on "Four Winds" and "The Twisted Oak". On the two instrumental tracks - "Darker Shade Of Black" and "Der letzte Musketier" – Ritchie’s guitar brilliance shines through.

Nature’s Light will be released on multiple formats via earMUSIC. Among these is a Strictly Limited 2CD Hardcover Mediabook Edition including a bonus CD featuring a carefully selected set of Blackmore’s Night’s masterpieces from their extensive back catalogue. Furthermore, the album will become available as a CD Digipak Edition, a Strictly Limited Heavyweight 1LP Gatefold Edition on Yellow Vinyl, a 180g 1LP Gatefold Edition on Black Vinyl as well as Digital.

Nature’s Light is available for pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Once Upon December"
"Four Winds"
"Feather In The Wind"
"Darker Shade Of Black" (Instrumental)
"The Twisted Oak"
"Nature’s Light"
"Der Letzte Musketier" (Instrumental)
"Wish You Were Here" (2021)
"Going To The Faire"
"Second Element"

"Once Upon December" lyric video:

Hookers & Blow, the now legendary project formed by longtime Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed and Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi, have completed recording the band's upcoming covers record, set for a 2021 release via Golden Robot Records.

"Happy to announce that I just finished the final guitar track for the new Hookers & Blow cover album," says guitarist Alex Grossi. "Stay tuned for an official release date and tracklisting in the coming weeks, as well as pre-order info, info on the fan bundles and limited edition vinyl etc. Huge thanks to everyone who has been involved in making this thing we can't wait for you all to hear it."

To date, the band has released four singles off the forthcoming release including covers of Eddie Money's "Shakin'" and The Rolling Stones classic "Rocks Off".

For the recording, Hookers & Blow has tapped producer Alistair James, who recently worked with Joe Perry, Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp on the latest Hollywood Vampires record.

In addition to Reed and Grossi, Hookers & Blow's current lineup includes Johnny Kelly (Danzig, Type O Negative), Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.), and Nadja Reed.

AniMaze X is a project started by the members of best selling D-Metal Stars / AniMetal USA, featuring Michael Vescera (vocals / Obsession, ex-Loudness), John Bruno (guitars / Obsession), Rudy Sarzo (bass / The Guess Who, ex.Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Quiet Riot) and BJ Zampa (drums / House Of Lords). The project focuses on a wider variety of music themes such as superheros,  popular cartoons, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, as well as the D-Metal Stars “classics”. 

They have released a new album, AniMazing Xmas, which is avaiulable via Amazon and most digital platforms.

The tracklist is as follows:

"AniMazing Xmas"
"The Grinch"
"Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer"
"Just Like Christmas"
"Jingle Bell Rock"
"Let It Go"
"Snow Miser/Heat Miser"
"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
"Teddy Bears Picnic"
"Ain’t We Got Fun"

 

After the first retrospective The Chronicles Of Eden (2007), Edenbridge, one of the most unique bands in their genre, deliver their second "Best Of" album, right on time to their 20th anniversary. The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2 is the quintessence of the studio albums 5-10 and again it was up to the fans to vote for their favourite tracks of each album.

Creative mastermind/multi-instrumentalist Lanvall: "The voting was not a major surprise and is more or less identical to the songs, we would also have chosen. Therefore 4 tracks of each album could be covered along with some older all out of print bonus tracks."

As a surprise, there are two new recorded acoustic versions of the hits "Higher" (over 4 million views on YouTube) and "Paramount" featured, among the Easter Version 2020 of the song "Dynamind", re-recorded by Sabine Edelsbacher.

Lanvall: "It was extremely fun to turn 'Higher' into a nearly jazzy piano/vocal version showing a different side of us, formerly unknown. 'Paramount' was one of the absolute fan favourites and so it was near to transform that song too and let it shine in a new light."

The 150 minutes of the double album cover the big range of the symphonic metal sound and the compositional substance and consistency, Edenbridge has been standing for 20 years. Atmospherically dense compositions, directed mainly by Lanvall and vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher, which combine melodies and grooves, toughness and sensitivity, emotions and intellect, spirit and the subconscious mind in a unique way.

The band has released an official lyric video for "Tauerngold", taken from the album. Check it out below.

The atmospheric artwork for The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2 was inspired by a vision, singer Sabine had, linking the spiritual awakening to an Aurora Borealis.

Sabine: "After an own spiritual experience a couple of years ago and without an explainable reason, I felt a deep connection to the name Aurora. Subsequently I concerned myself with what the name stands for and relating it now to a heart quality, which might lead us to higher consciousness. Especially when there is a lot of negativity in the room, a possibility for transformation exists, through recognition and acceptance, respectively the self-responsibility for one's own feelings. Edenbridge always followed this path and especially now it is even more important to get into the own truthfulness."

The graphic direction of the cover artwork was again in the hands of drummer Johannes Jungreithmeier, who developed into the creative visual pole of the band since his entrance into the band in 2016. All tracks were produced by Lanvall and mixed by Threshold mastermind Karl Groom, with whom the band has been collaborating for 15 years now.

The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2 will be released worldwide through Steamhammer/SPV on January 15 as 2CD digipak version, download and stream. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

CD1
"Higher"
"On The Other Side"
"Shiantara"
"Alight A New Tomorrow"
"Until The End Of Time"
"Shadowplay"
"The Greatest Gift Of All"
"Dynamind (Easter 2020 Version) *Previously Unreleased
"Brothers On Diamir"
"Paramount (Acoustic Version 2020) *Previously Unreleased
"Tauerngold"
"The Bonding"

CD2
"Live And Let Go"
"Mystic River"
"Myearthdream Suite (For Guitar And Orchestra)"
"The Moment Is Now"
"Skyline's End (Solitaire)
"The Memory Hunter"
"Remember Me"
"Inward Passage"
"Paramount"
"Higher (Acoustic Version 2020)" *Previously Unreleased

Alice Cooper has released the second single from his upcoming new studio album, Detroit Stories, which will be released on February 26 via earMUSIC. The song is accompanied by a lyric video.

“Our Love Will Change The World” comes with innocent and hopeful melodies and joyous up-beat tempo and an overall happy atmosphere. But is that really what the lyrics are telling us about?

Alice himself explains: “I think 'Our Love Will Change The World' is one of the oddest songs I’ve ever done and it was one that came to us by somebody else, another Detroit writer. And it was so strange, because it was happy and what it was saying was anything but happy – it was simply a great juxtaposition. And I got it immediately and said 'okay, this is going to be great'. The music saying one thing and the lyrics saying something else, I love that song. It is totally different from anything else on the album.”

Listen to the single here.

Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, Detroit Stories follows last year’s Breadcrumbs EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest Rock n Roll scene there ever was.

In 1970, fledgling producer Bob Ezrin walked into a farmhouse on the outskirts of Detroit to work with the Alice Cooper band. Abandoning flower power Los Angeles, because they were the opposite of the hippie peace and love ideal, Alice had brought his decidedly darker gang back to his birthplace to the legendary rock scene that gave birth to hard rock, garage rock, soul, funk, punk…and more.

Ezrin drilled the band for 10 hours a day to define their signature sound. Whenever they nailed a song, the inmates at the hospital for the criminally insane across the road cheered and thus the classic Alice Cooper sound was born.

“Detroit was Heavy Rock central then,” explains Alice, “You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your ass kicked.”

“Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield,” he says, “San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground. But Detroit was the birthplace of angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image wise) Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar driven, hard rock sound and our crazy stage show. Detroit was a haven for the outcasts. And when they found out I was born in East Detroit… we were home.”

50 years later Alice and Ezrin gathered some legendary Detroit musicians in a Detroit studio to record Detroit Stories, Alice Cooper’s new album that celebrates that spirit for a new era. If 2019’s “Breadcrumbs” EP laid down the trail to the city, Detroit Stories drives like a muscle car right down Woodward Ave.

“We recorded with Wayne Kramer (guitarist and writer from the MC5), Johnny “Bee” Badanjek (drums - from the legendary Detroit Wheels), Paul Randolph (legendary Detroit jazz and R&B bassist) as well as the Motor City Horns and other local musicians,” explains Ezrin, “We had musical ideas and encouragement from John Varvatos, the support of the folks at Shinola, and we recorded at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak. This was Made In Detroit for Detroit by Detroit denizens!”

Discover Detroit Stories as they were meant to be told.

Detroit Stories will be available on CD, CD+DVD Digipak, CD Box Set (including CD, Blu-ray, T-shirt, face mask, torch light and 3 stickers), and 2LP Gatefold on February 26th 2021 on earMUSIC.

The DVD and Blu-ray will show the incredible live performance “A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris” for the first time on video. With the whole concert culture being shut down due to covid-19, Alice Cooper felt the need to share one of his latest shows with his fans as he cannot wait to get back on the road - better than ever.

Pre-order Detroit Stories here.

Tracklisting:

"Rock ‘N’ Roll"
"Go Man Go" (Album Version)
"Our Love Will Change The World"
"Social Debris"
"$1000 High Heel Shoes"
"Hail Mary"
"Detroit City 2021" (Album Version)
"Drunk And In Love"
"Independence Dave"
"I Hate You"
"Wonderful World"
"Sister Anne" (Album Version)
"Hanging On By A Thread (Don’t Give Up)"
"Shut Up And Rock"
"East Side Story" (Album Version)

"Rock 'N' Roll" visualizer:

(Photo - Jenny Risher)

Canadian rockers Storm Force - featuring Brighton Rock guitarist Greg Fraser - are streaming their cover of "Last Christmas".

Says the band: "We thought it might be fun to jam out a Christmas song to maybe help put a little positivity back in this world. Picking the song was the tough part. Our bass player Mike insisted it should be Wham's 'Last Christmas' because no one's really ever rocked that one up before. We literally banged this song out (drums, guitars, bass & vocals) in less than 2 hours. Our attitude was, "if it sucks, we won't release it!" We're quite happy with the results. So here it is, we hope you enjoy it &  we wish you all a Merry Christmas!"

Puscifer, whose new album, Existential Reckoning (Alchemy Recordings/Puscifer Entertainment/BMG), arrives on physical formats (vinyl/CD/cassette) today, have released a video for “Bedlamite”.

“Sometimes wisdom can come to us from the most unexpected places,” says Maynard James Keenan. “Occasionally we find the simple reassuring words of the Buddha flowing through the mouth of a child or an old drunk uncle. Just gotta be ready to hear them. #wibble”

The clip features performance footage from the band’s recent record-breaking livestream event, Existential Reckoning: Live at Arcosanti. The outing, which debuted on Octoer 30 and was available for the following week, found Puscifer in the heart of the Arizona dessert, surrounded by the uniquely “utopian metropolis” that Architectural Digest described as looking like “the sublime set of a big-budget sci-fi movie.”

Order Existential Reckoning here.

Existential Reckoning tracklisting:

"Bread And Circus"
"Apocalyptical"
"The Underwhelming"
"Grey Area 5.1"
"Theorem"
"UPGrade"
"Bullet Train To Iowa"
"Personal Prometheus"
"A Singularity
"Postulous""
"Fake Affront"
"Bedlamite"

“Fake Affront” video:

“Theorem” video:

"The Underwhelming" visualizer:

"Apocalyptical" video:

(Photo - Travis Shinn)