Blackosh, guitarist with Sweden's Nifelheim (also known from his former involvement with Root and Master's Hammer), has announced the resurrection of his project, Cales. Currently, he has prepared a 7” single, which will soon be sent to the factory and is expected to be released in early 2021 under Gothoom Productions.

Blackosh invited Per Gustasson aka Hellbutcher, his colleague from Nifelheim, to sing the song “Chants Of Steel”, while he took care of the vocals himself on the other song, “Hall Of Death”. The two-song vinyl single precedes the release of the seventh Cales album, entitled Chants Of Steel, which is planned to be released by the end of 2021.

Gothoom Productions will take care of the CD format. The audio cassette will be released by Germany's Darkness Shall Rise Prods. Of course, vinyl version will not be missing. In style, Cales continue where they finished with the sixth album ten years ago - in their epic pagan concept of metal.

Polish pagan alchemists group Varmia - who pay tribute to their Baltic roots by combining black metal with traditional instruments such as the goat horn and the tagelharpa - has unleashed a music video for their new song “Bielmo”, which also debuts today on streaming services. The track is a preview of things to come on the band's third album, Bal Lada, which will be released by M-Theory Audio in spring 2021. The music video contains hypnotic imagery from the band's home region, and can be viewed below.



"'Bielmo' means cataract or leukoma,” explains band founder Lasota. “Ancients say that the blind one sees more. It's the gifted one. And so, we cry to be blind to the lights, to the distracting glimmer. Let the sight turn inwards. This is the first song after the invocation that opens the album. The middle section invokes a northern wind. Walk into it and let your blood freeze and consciousness soar high."



Varmia was formed in 2016 by vocalist/guitarist/composer Lasota with a mission of fusing black metal with musical influences that pay tribute to the ancient Baltic tribes of the historical Warmia region of northern Poland. On vocal duties, Varmia emits harsh growls that shroud the band's music and native Polish lyrics in a visceral aura, the only breaks from this vocal assault occurring when using the traditional, ancient technique of “whitevoice” clean singing as utilized during ancient East-Central European rituals, rites of passage and festivals. Meanwhile, the power of the band's metal influences are enhanced on Bal Lada by traditional ethnic instrumentation of the Baltic Rites via sounds of tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba and krivula. The final result is a compelling mix of dark metallic sounds that channel the spirit of early Enslaved, Satyricon, and Wolves in the Throne Room and folk elements that drive acts such as Wardruna.

Varmia has released two albums to date - 2017's Z mar twych and 2018's W ciele nie. The group records all of their music in culturally significant remote locations throughout their native Poland, and Bal Lada continues that practice, as the 11 tracks of ominous and atmospheric pagan black metal contained within were recorded in a makeshift studio set up by the band in an old 19th-century manor in Northern Poland, where they recorded while playing together as a live unit with no sound editing.

With the forthcoming release of bal Lada, M-Theory Audio is set to spread the band's native sounds to a worldwide audience. Says Lasota, “With two releases so far, Varmia has shouted out the voice of our land mainly on the Polish soil - the voice of disquiet, passion and agitation. It is now time to hear it echo throughout the whole world. Varmia still has many stories to tell, and we are very excited to work with such well-respected people from overseas. We have many spirits yet to summon.”

Lineup:

Lasota - guitars, vocals
Alle - bass, backing vocals
Svarrge - drums
Piotr - percussion, tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba, krivula, backing vocals

The members of Ontario’s Duskwalker have been making their rounds in the underground metal scene for decades and their efforts culminated in the current form in 2015. Having originally started with the sole purpose of being a money-making cover band, things took a heavier turn when they morphed into a kickass metal band.

They released a full-length, Codex Mystirium, in 2016 under the name The Offering and traveled extensively to promote it, however, due to another band with the same name they took the name of one of their songs. In 2019, under the name Duskwalker, they released All They Know Is Fear via CDN Records. They released the video for the single “Shadowcreeper” and also won the 2019 Niagara Music Award for Best Heavy Metal Group.



A heavy throwback yet modern, Duskwalker's album All They Know Is Fear as a whole is made to be enjoyed from beginning to end with carefully arranged songs that provide a well-rounded listening experience. It is a monstrous sophomore album with themes of myth, conspiracy, and horror, showing that Duskwalker have conjured a diverse mix of extreme metal that's recommended for fans of Morbid Angel, Carcass, and Pantera.

Today, the band shares their next music video, for their track “The Crawling Tongue”. The song is about the H.P. Lovecraft character Nyarlothtep along with featuring super heavy riffs and vocals that sound really pissed off akin to Morbid Angel and Pantera mixed together.

The band explains the track: “We want it to take the listener somewhere dark. We have forged traditional metal, old school death, and thrash. Genres are blended creating a visceral assault that stands out from song to song with a dose of atmosphere and darkness.”



All They Know Is Fear is available on CDNRecords, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon.

Album and live band lineup:

Joey Scaringi - Vocals
John Robinson - Guitars
Cale Costello - Drums
Matt Grabon - Bass / Vocals

Swedish rockers, Creye, will return with their second studio album, II on January 22. Find pre-order options here, and listen to the new song "Find A Reason" below.

The album sees the band’s songwriting and playing jumping by leaps and bounds to put them at the forefront of the Swedish melodic rock scene.

After releasing the critically acclaimed EP Straight To The Top in early 2017, Creye signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers and released their self-titled debut album in October 2018 to much acclaim from press and fans.

After announcing that August Rauer would be the new frontman for the band in late 2018, Creye toured in Sweden and Europe in 2019, including appearing at the Melodicrock Fest, Frontiers Rock Sweden, and the Rockingham Festival.

Creye regrouped in the studio in late 2019 to start working on the follow up album to their self-titled debut. The plan was to refine and improve their songs and approach. The band’s strong determination shines through on this new record, which sounds incredibly cohesive and diverse.

Creye was started in 2015 by Andreas Gullstrand. His vision was to start a new Swedish pop/rock sensation that would take listeners on a journey back to the glory days of the eighties, both musically and visually. After spending nearly two months experimenting with the sound of the band, Andreas settled on what could best be described as a slick melodic rock sound with a touch of 80's retro in the mix.



Tracklisting:

"Broken Highway"
"Carry On"
"Find A Reason"
"Siberia"
"Face To Face"
"Can’t Stop What We Started"
"Lost Without You"
"Hold Back The Night"
"Let The World Know"
"Closer"
"The Greatest"
"War Of Love"

"Find A Reason":

Steve Riley has defended Vince Neil over disparaging comments Phil Lewis made about the MÖTLEY CRÜE singer.

After CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee said in a recent interview that he and his bandmates tried — without success — to get Vince to sing some of the John Corabi-era MÖTLEY CRÜE material, Lewis chimed in on social media, saying that Vince "has trouble singing his own songs" and calling Neil a "total hack." The L.A. GUNS singer went on to write that he he "seen Vince live so many times" and insisted that he hates "to see people getting ripped off."

A short time later, Metal Sludge published an article headlined "L.A. Guns singer on Vince Neil's singing ability: 'Vince has Trouble Singing his Own Songs – Total Hack'", prompting Lewis to elaborate on his original comments. He wrote: "Just to be clear and in context. The subject was why doesn't Vince sing the Corabi era songs? Simple. He couldn't, doesn't have the range, power or motivation but thanks for pointing out [Vince] has sold more albums and tickets than me, Has a much bigger bank account and a gorgeous trophy wife so yes given those facts Vince must be a much better singer than I could ever be. Darn! There goes another MÖTLEY tour."

He added, "While we're on the subject. Somber Anniversary VN. Fuck you for killing my friend", apparently referring to the fact that Neil caused the tragic car accident in December 1984 that killed his passenger, HANOI ROCKS drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley.

Riley, who played in L.A. GUNS' classic lineup with Lewis, discussed Phil's online outburst during an appearance on "The Chuck Shute Podcast". Asked for his opinion of Lewis's comments, Riley (see video below): "Terrible. That is such a band thing to do in this business. You're talking about one of the biggest bands in the world, one of the most iconic hard rock/metal bands in the world. I know those guys, and I have nothing but respect for MÖTLEY CRÜE — all the way through. It doesn't matter what they did, how they did it, when they did it, I have so much respect for those guys for what they did. They are immense in this scene — they are iconic — and to jump into a fray like that for no reason and say something like that is just another ridiculous thing to do. It's only gonna work against you. They have millions of fans that love them. So if you're gonna say something like that about Vince, who's a great guy… He's perfect for MÖTLEY CRÜE. He isn't Paul Rodgers — he never pretended to be Paul Rodgers. He is great for MÖTLEY, perfect for MÖTLEY; his voice is perfect for them. To say something bad about Vince is just uncalled for. I don't know why he would do that. If it's just to try to get attention or to try to get press, it's not good press — it's only gonna work against you."

Riley added: "I never believed in saying anything bad about anybody in this business. Even if it's somebody that isn't a favorite of mine, I just couldn't do that — I wouldn't go there."

Riley's version of L.A. GUNS released its debut album, "Renegades", on November 13 via Golden Robot Records.

Riley's version of L.A. GUNS is not to be confused with the band led by Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns, which issued two well-received albums, "The Missing Peace" and "The Devil You Know", plus the live release "Made In Milan", under the L.A. GUNS name over the last three years.

Riley is joined in his version of the group by Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS' "classic" incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin (who played bass for the band from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014).

JUDAS PRIEST producer and touring guitarist Andy Sneap says that the band's Parkinson's disease-suffering axeman Glenn Tipton will still be "a major part" of PRIEST's next studio album.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's more than six years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's latest album, "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" co-producer Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT. On the last tour, Tipton still occasionally joined PRIEST onstage for its encores, performing "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

Sneap discussed Tipton's health during an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast. He said (see video below): "It's tough, because Glenn's a good friend now, after working with him for a few years. They're all good friends, actually. But seeing what the guy is going through, and he's so determined. I'll see him sat in the studio, and he'll be struggling, if I'm honest, but he's so determined. And it must be so frustrating for him, someone who's lived his whole life for JUDAS PRIEST — 50 years. It's a rotten thing to actually happen to anyone, but to happen to a guitarist of his caliber…"

According to Sneap, Tipton is "still very much part of JUDAS PRIEST" and will be "involved with the songwriting" for the follow-up to "Firepower". "Even if we have to piece bits together, he's still gonna be a major part of it," he said. "It's just the physical aspect of him going up there and doing it. And especially with what's happening now in the world, it's just not something you can consider at the moment."

Sneap added: "I don't know where it's gonna go in the future. It's a case of just see what turns out, really."

This past June, PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said it is likely the band's next album will be once again produced by Sneap and Tom Allom.

Allom and Sneap worked on "Firepower", which was the band's second LP to feature Faulkner, who was selected to fill the void left by founding guitarist K.K. Downing following his exit in 2011.

"Firepower" entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it PRIEST's highest-charting album ever. "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.

"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's spring 2018 North American tour.

Former DEEP PURPLE and current WHITESNAKE frontman David 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."

This past April, Coverdale dropped $2.2 million 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 six months ago to $7.65 million.

Back in late March, it was announced that all of WHITESNAKE's previously announced touring activities, including this summer's U.S. trek with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER, were being canceled so that Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia.

Coverdale 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 has been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc follows the 2011 critically acclaimed studio album "Forevermore" and 2015's "The Purple Album", a reimagining of DEEP PURPLE classics from Coverdale's time in that band.

In a new interview with Toronto's 94.9 The Rock radio station, FOO FIGHTERS' Taylor Hawkins praised late RUSH drummer Neil Peart while also speculating about a possible new collaboration between RUSH's surviving members, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.

"Nobody can do it like Neil, man," Taylor said (hear audio below). "There can never be another Neil Peart. No way. He had the craziest hands, and he just had such a unique thing.

"I hope that Geddy and Al play together, and I hope they can find someone to do something with them," he continued. "But no one will ever be Neil Peart; it's just impossible. And I think Geddy and Alex know that, and they feel the same way. But I want them to play — I really, really do. I know they wanna play." He then quickly clarified: "I don't know that, like, personally, but…"

Asked if he thinks a hypothetical new Lee-Lifeson project would sound like RUSH, Taylor said: "Those are their songs. It would obviously be somewhat in the same style as RUSH, I would imagine. But I think that they would, instead of trying to get a copy of Neil Peart, probably try a different sort of style. But I don't know. Who knows? Who knows if they'll ever even do it? Maybe they've been done long enough where now they're just, like, 'It's kind of nice just to be home and chill.' … They did it for so long.

"But I know they'll wanna play on some level — I know they will," Hawkins reiterated "Geddy is such a player; he's such a musician. He's a musician's musician. And so is Alex. But I don't know Alex as well as I know Geddy. And I don't know Geddy that well. But just the few times I've gotten to really hang with him, he's a really funny guy. He's got a really dark sense of humor that you would never expect. But he's a smartass. I love it."

Hawkins and his FOO FIGHTERS bandmate Dave Grohl inducted RUSH into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013 and also performed "2112 Overture" with producer Nick Raskulinecz while dressed in up like RUSH circa 1976, complete with wigs, platform shoes and kimonos.

Back in 2016, Hawkins said that he would "get crucified" if he tried to replace Peart in RUSH after the legendary drummer made it clear he wasn't interested in touring anymore.

"Dude, I'd get fucking crucified, man," he said during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "You know how many fucking dorks would wanna kick my ass if I tried to be in RUSH? It'd be like a nation of dorks chasing me and trying to kill me. [Screaming] You're not Neil Peart! Don't even think about it!"

During his RUSH Rock Hall induction speech, Taylor praised Peart, saying: "His drumming was just as musical and melodic as anything in the band. Bringing the drums where they should be, the forefront of the band. Not only did he did the most ripping drum solos in the world, he also wrote the lyrics."

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.

The Larry King YouTube channel has uploaded the full 26-minute interview with KISS bassist Gene Simmons conducted by guest host Dennis Miller in the fall of 2019. During the chat, Simmons discussed his long career with KISS and why "End Of The Road" is the last tour the band will do together.

Speaking about the state of the rock scene and the impact of digital streaming services on the music industry, Gene said (see video below): "I've said this 10 years ago, when streaming and downloading and all that stuff was for free. RADIOHEAD, it bears noting, tried to do a brand new record and said to their fans, 'Pay whatever you will.' It's interesting to note it hasn't been done since, 'cause it doesn't work. If you leave the doors open in a supermarket and say, 'Pay whatever you want,' people will just go ahead and pay nothing. But it doesn't work, because people would rather get stuff for free.

"My heart goes out to new bands," he continued. "There's so much good talent out there that will never get a chance. Right now in the zeitgeist, they think, 'Okay, music industry. I get on 'X Factor' or 'The Voice' and I sing, and then I have a career. They have no idea what it means. The other thing is that record companies simply cannot make money.

"My daughter, Sophie, is a huge Spotify writer, singer and all that. She's written for Rick Ross and Yellow Claw and all these kinds of [artists]. She's got tons of songs that have been downloaded millions and millions of times. You can download something 10 million times and make a few hundred bucks.

"The record industry is dead for new artists," Gene added. "Rock is dead. The last great rock band was the FOO FIGHTERS, and that's 20 years ago. You can't name another rock band, because you can't make a living.

"When I first started in '73, there was still a record industry, and the record company, which we used to talk badly about, was the best friend you ever had — they gave you millions of dollars and tour support and all that, and they only took money back from the records you sold. So you sold records, and then people showed up and got all that live money and the licensing and the merchandising.

"Until legislators become well educated and understand the nature of the business, they're unqualified to talk about copyrights or the record industry."

This is not the first time Gene has painted a bleak picture of the state of rock music. Back in 2014, he told Esquire magazine that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last several years, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons's full remarks and others just glossing over the headline.

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, Paul Stanley confirmed that he has completed work on the debut LP from his R&B band SOUL STATION. "The album is done," he said (see video below). "We just shot a bunch of videos, COVID safe and under supervision."

Regarding how how idea for SOUL STATION first came about, Stanley said: "Some people don't know, and I can understand it: before I ever saw LED ZEPPELIN or any of the great British bands, I was lucky as a kid — I saw Otis Redding; I saw Solomon Burke; I saw THE TEMPTATIONS. That's really the foundation of what I do. It's a strange brew, but it's what created what I do to this day. And to be able to go back now and have a band of 15 amazing musicians who, we're like family. Everybody has played with everyone from Smokey Robinson to Stevie Wonder to Natalie Cole to Whitney Houston, and on and on. And to be able to embrace and recreate music that somehow has been relegated to a loop in a rap song is really, really something special for us. To be able to do Motown, Philly soul, to do songs by THE SPINNERS, THE O'JAYS, TEMPTATIONS, Smokey, and to do them faithfully, and to do them with the spirit that was, I think, intended is awesome. And then to write new songs that seamlessly bridge that gap to today and into the future, I'm blessed.

"I originally did it because I love that music," he explained. "And to have three violin players, three horn players, three stellar singers with me, two keyboard players, percussion, drums, and to create this beautiful symphony of music that Ken Gamble and Leon Huff wrote and arranged for Thom Bell, or Holland-Dozier-Holland, or Norman Whitfield. The list just goes on. And for me, to hear those songs and go, 'Woah! I'm singing it,' it's pretty heavy stuff."

Stanley added: "It's very funny, because when I was chatting one day — I spend little bits of time with Rod Stewart — and I said, 'Yeah, I've got my R&B band.' He goes, 'You have an R&B band?' I said, 'Yeah.' He goes, 'Who's singing?' I said, 'Me.' And he goes, 'You can handle that stuff?' So I said, 'Okay.' And I played it for him. He spoke about it for days. It's really that good. I'm proud of it."

This past May, Stanley released a cover version of Smokey Robinson's classic song "Ooo Baby Baby", recorded by SOUL STATION. In a statement accompanying the clip, Stanley said: "These are challenging times. Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more. I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."

He added: "While it's hard to connect physically, some of SOUL STATION decided to reach out and make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, Ooo Baby Baby."

Last year, Stanley told the Real Radio 104.1 radio station that he wanted to wait for the right time to release the SOUL STATION LP. "It really deserves full attention and my full commitment," he explained. "So until we can do great live performances — the band is amazing live — and until we can promote it the way we should, it's just going to simmer."

Asked if he gets any hate from KISS fans for making an album that is stylistically far removed from the music his main band is best known for producing, Stanley said: "I'm sure there are some people who'd rather me doing a KISS album or something like that, but when you sign on with me, you understand that we're both in this together, and sometimes I have to do what I need to do. And that's part of the joy and the reward for me. So I would rather do a great SOUL STATION album right now than tamper with KISS or the KISS legacy and do something that I'm really not feeling at the moment."

Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL will release their 13th studio album, "Hermitage", on February 26, 2021 via Napalm Records. The official music video for the disc's second single, "Common Prayers", can be seen below.

Directed by Guilherme Henriques and featuring actress, singer and performer Aurora Pinho, this clip was shot 90 meters below the surface at the amazing caves of Grutas de Mira d'Aire, one of Portugal's seven natural wonders. With a classy gothic and catchy feel, MOONSPELL flexes its best songwriting skills. The lyrical content is "perverse, almost religious" and deals with the 18th-century pregnancy surge amidst Portuguese nuns. Twentieth-century demolitions and excavations unearthed the bones of hundreds of children, revealing the sad fate of Jesus's sons and daughters.

Vocalist Fernando Ribeiro states: "Political? Religious? Who the fuck cares, really? Music is, for MOONSPELL, about self-expression, and we are old enough to pick our battles. 'Common Prayers' is the kind of song we love to write, sensual, different, with a to-die-for chorus.

"'Hermitage' is coming your way. You can run, but you cannot hide. Staying safe is staying smart. Say a prayer!"

While the world is struggling in the dark, MOONSPELL's forthcoming album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K. Building upon the sensitive facets of "Hermitage", one can expect an entertaining and revolutionary, yet epic journey through the darkest days of human existence. Beautifully crafted songs such as "The Greater Good" show us the modernity of the wolves in 2021, while other tracks embrace the MOONSPELL tradition of writing a dark, gothic metal record like no other band can. The ethereal and melodic sounds of MOONSPELL, while not straying away from their metal roots — influenced by underground metal bands such as BATHORY — make "Hermitage" most likely one of the deepest, surprising and most epic albums MOONSPELL has ever written.

The first single from "Hermitage", the album opening track "The Greater Good", was released last month and can be streamed below.

Ribeiro previously stated about the song: "'The Greater Good' is a sociological concept implying the benefit of the public, of more people than oneself. To do which is better and more correct. Unfortunately, a lot of wrongdoing and pure evil actions were taken on behalf of this principle both by world leaders, and citizens. With a 'screenplay' designed by myself, and put together by director Guilherme Henriques (GAEREA, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX, SCHAMMASCH) 'The Greater Good' strikes at the deep contrast of our priorities as human beings. The plot evidenciate the daily clash between the problems we could never or never wanted to solve; and our 'first world preoccupations.' The cult of the body versus the African famine; the killing of the innocent versus the second amendment; the beauty of monuments against the ugliness of violence.

"We are all responsible for the things we see here. For the greater good, for the greatest evil. It's not a question of race, gender, class or education. It's a question of conscience. It's vital we renew our communities' ties, our humanly behavior. Only we can save us from ourselves."

Like this first couple of appetizers showcase, with "Hermitage", MOONSPELL created a wonderfully intuitive and epic journey, but also a testament to what they've always loved the most: honest, emotional metal that binds us even in the darkest times.

Fernando said: "We know that we are entering the final years of our career as musicians: the winter of our lifetime. We don't care about people saying we're still young at heart, or 'leading' wolves in a pack. We are not! But we do care about how those around us feel about us, and this album is all about how we feel, our answers to your questions. Under these circumstances, we feel our musical stakes are higher than ever. For us, it's not about likes or algorithms, reach, or opportunity of growth. We only care about the music. Music does come first on this album you will hold in your hands soon enough."

He continued: "The record is about turning our backs to the conventions of modernity. We are currently convincing ourselves that it's all about us, that we (humanity) are everything. That the world revolves around us. However, ipsi facto, we are nothing and nothing revolves around us. Moonspell's goal, on these last turns around the Sun, are to write the best music we possibly can. To tell you a few stories with our lyrics, to be close to you in these times of distancing. We wish not to tease you or to influence you or to sell you our fish. We want to sit down with you at your table and feast together upon our notes and words. Like if we were close friends, like back in the time where music matters the most. In your bedroom listening to music, without having to post our smart remarks about it, inviting the hate in.

"'Hermitage' is an open-hearted invitation to simplicity. To be humble. To be thankful. To serve you solace. Provide you comfort, entertainment. We sincerely hope this call reaches you. That you kindly accept what we offer. That you take our music with you to the place you must feel as yours. To your secret place, to your hermitage. Blessed be."

"Hermitage" will be available in several highly limited and collectable deluxe editions, mediabook, cassette, all of them including the CANDLEMASS cover "Darkness In Paradise", but also as jewelcase and digital formats. The deluxe box will also include an etched seven-inch vinyl with another special bonus track, "The Great Leap Forward", as well as much more exciting additional collectable items.

"Hermitage" track listing:

01. The Greater Good

02. Common Prayers

03. All Or Nothing

04. Hermitage

05. Entitlement

06. Solitarian

07. The Hermit Saints

08. Apophthegmata

09. Without Rule

10. City Quitter (Outro)

+ Bonus tracks:

11. Darkness In Paradise (CANDLEMASS cover; available on LP, deluxe box, MC + mediabook)

12. The Great Leap Forward (7" vinyl; available in deluxe box)

Photo credit: Rui Vasco

ILL NIÑO has released the official music video for its new single, "Máscara". The track, which features a guest appearance by AJ Channer of FIRE FROM THE GODS is taken from ILL NIÑO's upcoming album, "IllMortals", due in 2021. The group's current lineup features founding drummer Dave Chavarri and longtime bassist Laz Pina alongside recent recruits, vocalist Marcos Leal (SHATTERED SUN), lead guitarist Jes DeHoyos (SONS OF TEXAS) and rhythm guitarist Sal Dominguez (UPON A BURNING BODY).

"I'm very stoked to introduce 'Máscara' as a great addition to the ILL NIÑO legacy, and a highlight of my vocal career," commented Leal. "I'm honored to have collaborated with our very good friend and one of my favorite vocalists in the game, AJ Channer of FIRE FROM THE GODS.

"As someone who's grown up as a fan of ILL NIÑO, and growing up as a musician inspired by the band, I take pride and honor in crafting the vocals for the next generation. Something fans new and old will appreciate, and look forward to throwing some chingasos in the pit with our NIÑO Familia in 2021!"

Channer added: "ILL NIÑO are a band that will leave a strong lasting legacy on heavy music. Some of my earliest show experiences were ILL NIÑO shows. To be able to lend my voice to one of their songs includes me in that legacy. I was more than honored to sing on 'Máscara'. 'Nuff love to those dudes."

"IllMortals" will feature additional guest appearances by Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.), Benji Webbe (SKINDRED) and Max Georgiev (FALLING IN REVERSE).

ILL NIÑO's new LP will mark the band's first release since the departure of vocalist Cristian Machado, lead guitarist Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre and rhythm guitarist Diego Verduzco. Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco, along with Chavarri and Pina, announced in March that they had "reached a mutual, amicable and binding agreement" that will allow Chavarri and Pina to continue with ILL NIÑO while Machado, Verduzco and Ilustre will move on with new projects. According to a joint statement release by the five musicians, "No party has admitted fault and there has been no court judgment on the merits. The parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement."

During a November 15 Facebook Live chat with The New York Hardcore Chronicles, Chavarri stated about ILL NIÑO's recent lineup changes: "When all this went down, Laz and I had taken the high road and been classy about it and not really spoken out. We think it's weak to go out there and badmouth somebody and spread half-truths and play the victim and try to get attention. That's not what we wanna do. We wanna keep it positive. The band is doing better than ever. We have a full album that's recorded. We're in the process of mixing right now. We're shooting multiple videos from the new album. We're shopping a deal. We have about three to four label deals that our lawyer is actually going through at the moment."

Regarding ILL NIÑO's new members, Dave said: "We were very fortunate to get the best guys in the band. We've got Marcos Leal, who also sings for a band called SHATTERED SUN. A great kid, man. Fucking hungry as fuck to get shit done. But very, very on top of his game. He's a fucking star from beginning to end. But the best part of it all is that he's such an easy guy to work with. He's so into the music, and he's so passionate about the business, and that's half the fucking battle. When you lose your passion… I can't work with people that aren't passionate about what they do anymore, and that was one of the biggest reasons for the lineup change. We've got Jes DeHoyos on lead guitar, who also plays in another band called SONS OF TEXAS, and Sal Dominguez, who used to be in UPON A BURNING BODY. We had the pleasure of hanging out with him on Mayhem festival when we toured with those guys, and it was fucking hilarious. We had a lot of fun with those guys. We love UPON A BURNING BODY — a great fucking band. And we revamped the lineup, man. This is the new lineup."

He continued: "The one thing about this lineup is that we're here to elevate each other. We're not here to put each other down or point fingers. This band elevates each other. Every single member in this band is so important to the puzzle right now, because we all feed off each other. We all speak on a daily basis. I talk to every bandmember practically every single day, and that's something that was missing — the disconnection that I had with the last lineup. It was a disconnection that actually started about seven years ago, and it just got progressively worse.

"Listen, sometimes you have to go through shit like that to be able to step into a positive light and into a better situation," Chavarri added. "And that's the way life is, right? It throws you some fucking fucked up shit along the way so you can come out and blast it off with what you've got going on now."

Back in January 2019, Chavarri and Pina announced the new version of ILL NIÑO and issued a new single, "Sangre". A day later, Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco dismissed reports that they had left ILL NIÑO and vowed to continue with their own version of the band. Two months later, the trio filed a lawsuit against Chavarri and Pina, accusing the drummer and bassist of failing to pay the band's tour rental company and engineers, slandering Machado by spreading rumors that he has a drug problem, collecting and spending the band's money without consulting in all of the members and refusing the members access to the group's financial records.

Last month, Machado commented on "Sangre" in an interview with Hablas Rockas, saying that "it doesn't sound like" ILL NIÑO's new lineup has found its way yet. "I hope they find their way," he continued. "That's all I can say. And that's not to say that they won't. All it takes is great songwriting talent. That's the first thing that it takes. Well, technically, first you are a musician, and you have to have some kind of understanding of songwriting. If you can understand what connects with you, then you can understand what connects with people. And they might find their way; they might not.

"I wish them luck," Cristian added. "I don't like being resentful. I don't wanna be a person that is, like, 'Oh, I'm uspet because of this.' Did I learn my lesson? Yeah, I learned my lesson. Do I know what to look out for? Yeah, I know what to look out for. Am I ever gonna be involved with people like that? No. But I'm not gonna be resentful. I'm just gonna do my thing. And I really have nothing to really be resentful about, man. I had an amazing career, and the fans really were the thing that was the most powerful for me — was the fans; the people that listen to the music. It wasn't the business element of this or that, or who said this or who said that or any drama; it was just the fans. Luckily, we had a label that was awesome, and that pretty much just opened the door. But as far as going back to what made that name special, I suppose they could reinvent it — reinvent what made the name special. Maybe. I don't know."

Machado recently confirmed that he is working with Ilustre and Verduzco on a new project. The as-yet-unnamed group has already completed an album's worth of material for a tentative 2021 release.

Machado's debut solo album, "Hollywood y Sycamore", was released in September on Chesky Records' sub-label Coconut Bay.

Photo credit: Tom Barbee

GRETA VAN FLEET will release its second album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", on April 16, 2021 via Lava/Republic Records. The official music video for the disc's latest single, "Age Of Machine", can be seen below. The clip, which was co-directed by GRETA VAN FLEET and Matthew Daniel Siskin, creates a new universe filled with symbolism and open to interpretation, with whispers of reflections on modernism. It is a response, a tiny piece of art in a very large conversation — four brothers and friends who spend very little time online, filled with questions: where is technology taking us, what does it all mean, and what are we trading in exchange? The video addresses the crumbling beauty around us, but leaves the final significance to the viewer — whether that narrative be focused on climate, industrialism, intimacy, self-confidence, tradition, humanity itself, or otherwise. The only clear concept in the video is that the band chooses life.

A bold evolution from the band's 2018 full-length debut "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", "The Battle At Garden's Gate" came together primarily on the road or while in the studio after the runaway success of 2017's "Highway Tune" led to the band packing up, leaving home, and eagerly soaking up new experiences on an extended road trip around the world.

Over the past three years, GRETA VAN FLEET — vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner — played to hundreds of thousands of people across North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and New Zealand. While driving to gigs, the first-time world travelers passed many unfamiliar sights, from the favelas in Sao Paulo to the Gold Coast of Australia and everywhere in between, meeting and enjoying conversations with fans and other musicians that opened up new worlds to them. To cap off the change-filled era, the quartet moved from Michigan to Nashville, immersing themselves in Music City's rich history. The melding of all these experiences opened their eyes to amazing new worlds of culture, history, philosophy and spirituality — and ushered in an entirely new way of looking at life and the approach to their music.

Accordingly, GRETA VAN FLEET poured everything they experienced into these new songs - the music reflects their spiritual and intellectual growth, increased awareness of the inequalities plaguing the modern world, and deep empathy for what other people are going through.

"We realized that while growing up, we had been shielded by many things, and we were unaware of a lot of things," says Wagner. "And then we were thrown out into this huge world, and it was a bit of a culture shock at first. But as we started to travel a lot, meet new and different people and experience different cultures, our definition of 'normal' changed."

"I suppose that everything has changed except what got us here in the first place," adds Sam Kiszka. "Everything — our perception of the world, perception of life itself, what it means to be an artist, what it means to be part of a beautiful, gorgeous society. We've gained a larger understanding of why we're all here."

In general, the album's arrangements are spacious and leisurely, giving the music pleasing dynamics, as the band touches on all manners of rock 'n' roll. "The Battle At Garden's Gate" is cinematic, capturing the breathtaking energy of an exciting fight scene or the smoldering passion of a brooding, heroic protagonist saving the day. The new music also illustrates that the members of GRETA VAN FLEET are paving the way for a new generation of musicians — ones that use rock 'n' roll's foundational elements to build an entirely new sonic blueprint.

Sonically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" also feels bracingly modern, an embodiment of genre-blended musical freedom. Recorded in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin (FOO FIGHTERS, PAUL MCCARTNEY), the album is ambitious and expansive, marked by epic journeys such as the second single, "Age Of Machine", released today, and the Top 5 rock hit "My Way, Soon", which boasts a towering chorus hook and rip-it-up-and-start-again lyrics.

Josh explains: "It's very dynamic, lyrically speaking. And that's the human experience. It's much more than pain or fear; it's also beauty. People need people, and love is important." Lyrically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" muses about the influence of technology on modern life; the role conflict plays in the global sphere; the deceptive fulfillment of tangible riches; and philosophical questions about life, love and power.

"There was a lot of self-evolution happening during the writing of this album that was prompted by experiences I had, experiences we all had, so a lot of contemplation occurred," Josh says, while Jake adds, "It's reflecting a lot of the world that we've seen, and I think that it's reflecting a lot of personal truth. What Josh does very well with the lyrics is telling ancient tales with a contemporary application."

For Josh, working with Kurstin provided the confidence he needed to push his songwriting into these vivid dimensions. "I'm always a little bit hesitant about my abilities as an artist; I think a lot of artists feel that way," he says. "But Greg hovering over me while I'm on the piano, taking an interest in what I was doing — that was really important for me."

That added confidence is obvious. Josh sounds commanding on each song, stretching his already-acrobatic voice to newer heights, while the instrumentalists fearlessly push themselves into new territory. Easy going organ and acoustic folk-rock riffs drive one song, while another ends in a torrent of guitar noise that rivals Neil Young's onstage guitar freakouts with CRAZY HORSE. "For all of us, the performances — and the aspects of them that are captured — preserve where we're at musically in time right now," Jake says.

The future is unwritten, and the sky's the limit for these curious travelers and truth-seekers. Josh says, "certainly after this, we've grown in so many ways. This album has taught us a lot, about life in general, about ourselves, about all of us, about the world we live in."

Photo credit: Alyssa Gafkjen

MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren has released a new song from his long-running BENT SEA project.

"Anger Mgmt", a collaboration with Keijo Niinimaa (ROTTEN SOUND) on vocals and Jesper Liveröd (NASUM) on bass, is the fifth in a series of songs Dirk has dubbed "Instagrind".

Seven months ago, Verbeuren released the first "Instagrind" song from BENT SEA, "Grind To A Halt", a collaboration with MIDNIGHT mastermind Athenar on vocals. It was followed by "Sycophant Legions", a collaboration with FEASTEM's Petri Eskelinen on vocals and Liveröd on bass; "Nothing Blasts Forever", a collaboration with DRUGS OF FAITH's Richard Johnson on vocals; and "Quietus", a collaboration with Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) on vocals and Liveröd on bass.

In a 2016 interview with All About The Rock, Dirk stated about BENT SEA: "BENT SEA is a spur-of-the-moment type thing without any business plan. The idea from the get-go was basically 'no pressure' and I intend to keep it that way."

Back in 2012, Dirk told PureGrainAudio about BENT SEA's formation: "It just sort of happened. I used to play guitar, but in recent years my focus was exclusively on drums. My wife had been encouraging me to write my own music, so I decided to give it a shot. The result turned out to be BENT SEA."

Regarding the project's name, the 45-year-old Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based musician said: "It's taken from a song by British experimental duo ENDVRA which I accidentally came across in my tape-trading days. Their music has absolutely nothing to do with grindcore, but somehow BENT SEA popped up in my mind. I like that it's atypical, and that it conjures apocalyptic images echoing the intensity of my music."

Verbeuren had been playing with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH in 2016 as the replacement for Chris Adler (LAMB OF GOD), who called Dirk "probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world."

In interview with the KATT Rock 100.5 FM radio station, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine described Dirk as "one of the most pleasant, easy-to-get-along-with guys I've ever met in my life. I'll walk up to him and he'll smile and lean forward and pat me on the back. He goes [adopts thin accent], 'How's it going, buddy?' I could say, 'Oh, man…'… anything. 'Oh, okay, buddy.' [He] smiles and pats me, 'cause he's just a happy guy. I've never, ever, ever seen him not smile."

In a recent interview with Brazil's Heavy Culture, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy was asked what his biggest regret is from the early years of the band. He responded (see video below): "I don't know if there's a lot of regrets. I look back now, [and] as far as the business goes, maybe we weren't paying attention close enough with labels, management, lawyers — the whole thing.

"When we signed [our first] record contract, we thought it was 'sex, drugs and rock and roll — let's go on tour,'" he continued. "And we didn't think about the rest of the business. I think we were very lucky to have a guy like Jonny Z [executive producer of METALLICA's debut LP, 'Kill 'Em All', and founder of Megaforce Records] sign the band and me continue being friends with him, because Jonny actually made us do something when the band broke up and our Atlantic deal ended. He made us start a record company — me and Eric [Peterson, guitar] — so we've been licensing our TESTAMENT music every since then. And that's always been the best thing [that's] ever happened to this band as far as business goes. Maybe we lost the past, but we're still here in business to make stuff in the future."

Billy added: "So you've gotta watch your business, always try to save your publishing, retain your rights to your music. We've had a couple of situations where we signed record deals — even [for] 'The Gathering' record, which was a very good record, the label we signed with went bankrupt. So, if we did not own those masters, that record would have been gone — nobody would have ever seen it again. So, fortunately, we own that master, and we're able to take it to Nuclear Blast and everybody else and keep it out there."

This past summer, Peterson told Guitar World that the "darkest" period of TESTAMENT's career probably took place around the time of the 1992 album "The Ritual".

"I remember Atlantic Records telling us that we had only sold around 250,000 records that year — which would be amazing now [laughs] — and we were down about that," he said.

"We lost our management around that time, Alex [Skolnick, guitar] told us that this was going to be his last tour with TESTAMENT, and Lou [drummer Louie Clemente] left — so everything was kind of falling apart around then, but we were still hopeful.

"So we changed some things around, changed how we did business and formed our own record company and things like that — and just when it seemed that we had gotten a hold of things again, that was when Chuck [Billy, vocals] got sick. [In 2001, Billy was diagnosed with a cancerous condition known as germ cell seminoma.]

"But even after all that, we kept it going, and we got heavy again, and I think that was the start of the new TESTAMENT. We developed a more modern sound and had more of a black and death metal influence, even though we were still very much a thrash band. We just weren't trying to be politically correct with our lyrics and all that — I mean, come on, we put out a record called 'Demonic'. [Laughs]

"By that point, we had gone through a couple of different guitar players, a lot of drummers, we were having problems with our original bass player [Greg Christian] — and we weren't really sure what we were going to do. So we ended up doing a record called 'First Strike Still Deadly' [2001], which contained re-recorded versions of some of our older songs.

"When I go back and listen to 'The Legacy' [1987] or 'The New Order' [1988], I'm not blown away by the production, but the songs sound modern when we play them today — they sound great, and that was what we were going for with 'First Strike Still Deadly'."

TESTAMENT's latest album, "Titans Of Creation", came out in April via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by Peterson and singer Chuck Billy, while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Andy Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create new artwork for the cover of this release.

Earlier in the year, TESTAMENT completed "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" European tour with EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL.

David Lee Roth spoke to Richard Bienstock of Variety about his recent decision to launch The Roth Project, a new online comic narrated by the legendary VAN HALEN singer, with music from John 5 on guitar and bass, Greg Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percussion. The 17-chapter comic also includes five songs Roth co-wrote with John 5 and recorded several years ago at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California: "Giddy Up", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Alligator Pants", "Lo-Rez Sunset" and "Manda Bala".

"My intention was to release the rest of the songs Drake-style, single by single," Roth said. "That affords a great focus on the individualized tracks, most of which get lost in the shuffle when you release an album. Doesn't matter if you're Paul McCartney or METALLICA; put out 12, 14 songs and we're just engineered as primates to go, 'I like this one and that one… now what's for dinner?'"

Roth also confirmed that "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", which was made available as a standalone single in late October, serves as something of a tribute to legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen and their shared history.

"I don't usually write autobiographically," he said, "but this was a specific effort to replicate a time and a place."

Pointing to the lyric about the "smell of fresh sawdust" on the floor of the venues that hosted VAN HALEN gigs in the band's early days, Roth explained how the song relates to his late bandmate. "There are two kinds of burials in show business," he said. "One's very quiet, behind the scenes, nobody attends. And then there's a 'show biz' approach, where you have a solemn ceremony and it's followed by a reception where everybody gets up and tells stories. They can be off-color, they can be tear-jerkers, they can be of any nature. When my dad passed, the reception was at a Mexican restaurant around the corner. Everybody was eating and drinking and then the speeches become more colorful and much more energetic. Sometimes that's the most heartfelt, heartbreaking, best material ever. And so I thought, if that occurred for Ed — which it did not — and everybody was going to get up and tell a story, when it got to my turn I would start with, 'The smell of fresh sawdust on the floor…' And go from there."

He continued: "That's the beginning of the story, at least for me. Because that was everywhere we played — the smell of fresh sawdust on the floor. And we were famous for breaking drinking records. Still are! And solo, too!"

Last year, Roth was asked by Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF if his LP with John 5 will be made available at some point. He responded: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."

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

Roth performed as the opening act for the February/March North American leg of KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour. The remaining dates of that trek have been pushed back to 2021.

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has told Terry "Beez" Bezer of Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez" that he and his bandmates "have some exciting things coming in 2021." The 50-year-old musician, who left KORN in 2005 and continued as a solo artist before rejoining in 2013, added (see video below): "Me and my KORN brothers, man, that's been the best thing in my life — to be back with them and to walk through the good and the bad times with them and create art together. We just have such exciting things to come next year, and I'm so excited for that. 2021 is gonna be a year of greatness. It's gonna be so, so amazing. Please let the shows happen — please."

Asked why KORN hasn't taken part in any live streams, like so many other artists have during the coronavirus pandemic, Welch said: "Well, we actually were talking about it, and we were doing this and that with management. These [other] guys [in KORN] got young kids running around. And what are they gonna do? Just leave their wives with the home school stuff? I'm impressed with my KORN brothers; they're stepping up and doing school with their kids.

"KORN has toured for 25 years," he explained. "I left KORN for eight years and got to chill at home. These guys are taking this time to be family men, to be great fathers. Who's to say we won't do something soon, or early next year? I don't know. But I'm telling you, they are the best fathers, and I'm proud of them. So that's probably the reason — family first."

When Welch left KORN in early 2005, he simultaneously announced that he kicked his addictions to drugs and alcohol by becoming a born-again Christian.

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.

In October, KORN and free-to-play video game titan World Of Tanks Blitz launched a special Halloween collaboration, revealing the music video for "Finally Free", a track featured on KORN's latest studio album, "The Nothing". Thee months earlier, KORN released a cover of THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND classic "The Devil Went Down To Georgia", featuring a guest appearance by rapper YelaWolf, exclusively via Bandcamp. All proceeds from the track were donated to Awakening Youth, a nonprofit organization devoted to young people faced with the loss of a parent due to divorce, addiction, death, being surrendered for adoption, or other reasons.

"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.

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album. He said: "[MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine] is in vocal land now. And guitars are being put down. Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] and I did our stuff back in May and June, and then Dave and Kiko [Loureiro, guitar] were laying guitars down, and then over to vocals, and et cetera, et cetera. So it's moving along well, actually.

"We were originally planning to be in Nashville in March, so we had only a couple of months of a setback," he continued. "We were itching to go, and I know Dave was itching to get us down to Nashville. And quite honestly, I was ready to go. By the end of May, I was, like, 'Let's get going.' So we masked up and went and did it and got it going.

"As much as we had [looked forward to doing] the big 'Metal Tour Of The Year' this year [with LAMB OF GOD], in a way, that it got pushed back to next year [due to the coronavirus pandemic] was helpful for getting the record done — to just focus on that now. So, whatever 2021 holds, as far as touring and all that, I'd like to think that we'll probably see some new MEGADETH music [released]. It is a full-length album — it's not a couple of singles — so there's always a strategy of how you start popping out the singles and dropping a full-length record around touring. So my hunch is keeping an eye on how the touring goes will dictate the date and time that the new record drops as well."

Asked if Mustaine has had any issues with singing in the studio following his nearly six-month battle with throat cancer last year, Ellefson said: "No, that's not come up. It's interesting. We were on the Megacruise exactly a year ago. Dave was not able to be on that cruise, because his treatments were finished up, and he just needed to rest and obviously not be around a lot of people at that time. But then we turned the corner into 2020, and we went over and we did the FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH / MEGADETH / BAD WOLVES tour, which was a big sports arena tour all across Europe. Dave took it easy at rehearsal in Nashville for the first week, and then we got on the stage up in Helsinki and moved across Europe and the U.K. and did the shows. And every show got a little better, a little stronger as far as his voice and him wanting to be a little more adventurous to trying different songs. And I think that really helped. I think it naturally helped him kind of open his voice up and be comfortable with it. He had to take it easy and not push it too hard.

"MEGADETH is one of these bands where we can go out and we can thrash with the hardest and the fastest of 'em, yet we also have this other era of the '90s where there's sort of this midtempo, dare I call it radio rock heavy metal — 'Trust', 'Symphony Of Destruction', 'Angry Again', that stuff. And that really helped. And that tour called for a bit more of that, that we can do some of that material. And we pulled a few things out we haven't played. This lineup had never played 'Angry Again'. Dave and I hadn't played the song 'Dread And The Figitive Mind' in almost 20 years. So it was fun to dip back into the catalog and pull a few gems out that we probably hadn't considered in a long time."

In October, Mustaine told "The Five Count" radio show that MEGADETH's new LP will "probably" be "one of the most ferocious records we've done since 'Rust In Peace'. David Ellefson, he's a pretty good barometer of things, and when he did his bass parts, he [went], 'Man, my arm is killing me. I can't believe this.'"

In a separate interview with SiriusXM, Mustaine said that the upcoming MEGADETH album will be "up there with 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Rust In Peace' and probably 'Peace Sells' and 'Dystopia'."

The early sessions for the LP took place last year with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

Loureiro made his recording debut with MEGADETH on "Dystopia", whose title track was honored in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2017 Grammy Awards

SCORPIONS recently entered Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany to begin recording their upcoming studio album. Tentatively due in 2021, the disc will mark the German hard rock legends' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of SCORPIONS' new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, most of the work so far has been done remotely, with Fidelman taking part via Zoom.

In a new interview with VintageRock Pod, SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine stated about the progress of the recording sessions for the new disc (see video below): "When we started thinking about this album, which was actually last year — in the spring of 2019 — we said, 'We want to go make an album with lots of attitude [and] power.' And that was one of the reasons we picked Greg Fidelman, who used to work with METALLICA or SLIPKNOT. We wanted to make a harder-edged record. There might be one or two ballads on the record as well, since this is so much part of the SCORPIONS DNA, but the focus was really on the harder songs, uptempo songs. And so far, it's been a good ride.

"We've been working at a studio here in Hannover," he continued. "We couldn't go to L.A., like it was planned, in May, so we found our way into a studio here [nearby], which is not too far away, like L.A., so it's just next door, which was not so bad at all. And so the Plan B turned into a Plan A. We went through lots of rehearsals for the songs, where Mikkey [Dee, drums] and Paweł [Mąciwoda, bass] came in. There were also travel restrictions — Mikkey lives in Gothenburg, in Sweden, and Paweł in Poland, in Krakow — and there were travel restrictions, and we had to wait for the moment until the restrictions were gone and they could travel and come here. And then we had another session. And Greg joined us every evening our time and every morning L.A. time via Zoom, and we went through the songs, went through the arrangements and all that, and it's been working out very well so far. Right now, we're [at the] point where we take it to the next step, where we are actually into recordings. And here it will become more difficult when your producer is not in the same room like the band. It's not so easy, but on the other side, we have to make a compromise and find ways to get the job done, because we have a lot of great songs, [and] we're very motivated [to] nail 'em down.

"With Mikkey in the band, the band is in one room and we're playing all together and really like in the old days — we really give it a go," Klaus said. "And there's really some rockers. And Mikkey is such a great drummer, it's so much fun to play with him.

"We use this time, in the lockdown, and I work on my lyrics, and go back to them, and say, 'Ah, maybe I can say this a little better. Maybe I can work on this and that.' And I work also right here in my own studio, where I can record myself. I check out things.

"Right now, Matthias [Jabs] is doing guitar overdubs, so we're moving."

Regarding a possible release date for SCORPIONS' new album, Klaus said: "Hopefully sometime next year — hopefully in the spring, or maybe later. Who knows. It's very difficult to make plans these days. But once we know that we can come to [Las] Vegas, once we know we have a chance to tour here in Europe, or to tour in the U.S., once this plan comes together, then we come closer to making the decision, 'Okay, then the new album should be released exactly then.' But nobody knows right now. All we know is we are very, very motivated. It's a lot of fun, even in this kind of very difficult situation to work on new songs and really to hopefully come up with something where our fans go, 'Yes! C'mon, SCORPIONS.'"

Asked if SCORPIONS already have a title for the new album, Klaus said: "Yeah, there are a few ideas, but it's way too early to say, 'This will be the title.' Because with album titles, it's like the very last minute, and everybody comes with ideas, putting some ideas on the table. But I think, yeah, we might have a good title. But it's a little too early to talk about songs and titles."

Meine then circled back to SCORPIONS' desire to really take the necessary time to make one of the best albums of the band's career.

"Even in this weird pandemic situation, we're excited, because we planned for 2020 to make a new album, and before corona started, we wanted to [take a break], because we'd been touring so much over the last years, over the last 10 years, that we went all over the world and we played every continent you can think of," he explained. "So we said, if we wanna make a record, it's quite a challenge after all these years, but if we do it, we have to take our time and really be serious about it. And that means no touring in 2020. So the Vegas thing was something we wanted to do, because it was nine shows, like a residency, and we said, 'This will be fun. It will be cool to come back to the U.S.' Fortunately, we didn't have to cancel or to postpone too many shows this year, because it was planned to focus on the record."

Meine recently told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce the new LP is to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."

According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP will feature "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

Fidelman began his career as the guitarist and songwriter for RHINO BUCKET before launching his career as a producer, engineer and mixer, finding an early mentor in Rick Rubin.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

In a new interview with Sweden's RockSverige, ACCEPT's Wolf Hoffmann was asked what Eddie Van Halen meant to him as a guitar player. He responded: "Well, I guess that when he came on to the scene, it was, like, 'What the hell's going on? Where did this guy come from?' I remember that very vividly, and I remember everybody wanting to be like him and play like Eddie for a while. Everybody started doing the tapping thing, me included, but I realized I can't do that stuff. It's not in my hands somehow, so I found another way of playing.

"I grew up being inspired by other people like Ritchie Blackmore and Uli Jon Roth and other people, but not so much Eddie Van Halen," he continued. "I would say he was giant, but you just have to listen to me playing, and it's completely different. But it doesn't mean I have a hell of a respect for him, because he's probably right up there with Jimi Hendrix and some of those ultra-legends. He was really somebody who transformed everything when they came along."

Wolf was also asked what it feels like to have people like METALLICA's Kirk Hammett citing him as an influence. He said: "Well, first let me say that I think it's ultra cool and makes me very humbled to hear that from a band like METALLICA, because they're huge, and that's amazing in itself. Then I would say that that's the way it's supposed to be. Everybody growing up listens to certain people, and it's your influence, and then you take a little part of this and that and make your own style eventually. That's what we did. We grew up listening to DEEP PURPLE and AC/DC and, of course, JUDAS PRIEST, and there are certain elements in all that that we really, really like, and I liked it and kind of built my own, or the ACCEPT style, out of that. The way we write songs and the way we sound and now if people take a little bit of that from us and take us as an influence, we're just basically passing the torch to other guys. It's amazing, and it's the way it's supposed to work, and it's the way it has worked for centuries. Nobody comes to this earth and invents everything at once; it's all bit by bit, and it's how the times move on. I think it's amazing."

ACCEPT's new studio album, "Too Mean To Die", will be released on January 15, 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP will be the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during last year's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

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

ACCEPT's last album, 2017's "The Rise Of Chaos", marked the band's first release with guitarist Uwe Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectiv

Guesting on the Jeremy White Podcast, KISS icon Gene Simmons offered his thoughts on guitar legend Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th following a long battle with cancer.

"When Eddie came along, nobody played like that," the KISS bassist/vocalist said (see video below). "And I'm not even talking about the quality of the songs, or Dave's completely taking the frontman to the nth level. I mean, at that time, Dave was the king. There was nobody. If Mick Jagger stood next to him, it would be like a sixth-grader. And he really took it all the way. The whole band — the musicianship, the songwriting. But when Edward would get in front of that stage and start tapping and stuff — which I'd never seen before; apparently it had been done by jazz musicians and everything — your jaw drops. Clearly, no one since [Jimi] Hendrix had that kind of impact."

Simmons added: "The [Van Halen] brothers, Alex and Edward, many people don't know actually started off playing on each other's instrument. Originally, Alex was the guitar player; Edward was the drummer. And imagine the talent in that family that they switched and Edward actually was an accomplished keyboard player. The 'Jump' keyboards and stuff, that's Edward."

Guitar Interactive Magazine has released the new video below, along with the following message:

"As part of our special feature on the history and legacy of Eddie Van Halen, Nick Jennison explores the incredible intricacies of EVH's elusive, and in many ways incomparable, guitar style in this awesome performance and lesson dedicated to Ed.

"The most impactful electric guitar player of the past 40 years - arguably filling even more column inches than even Hendrix. Van Halen was a one of a kind, a master of his art, but more than that he was an innovator."

Learn this track here.

Just in time for Halloween, the Godfather of shock rock himself Alice Cooper has partnered with FITZ Games to launch HorrorBox, a first-of-its-kind, haunted comedy card game with a focus on all things horror. Co-written by a team of horror fanatics, with help from the rock legend himself, the game prompts players to select from question cards like "Pennywise tricked me by…" and "The tenth circle of hell is for…" Entertaining answer cards such as "Setting up my haunted house as an Airbnb" provide countless pairings for endless laughter. To kick things up a notch, dare cards are sprinkled into the question cards, cueing players to "drink something that looks like blood” or "knock on your neighbors door and say you're next."

Says Alice: "This is 2020, which means all things are upside down and backwards. You're going to be staying home a lot, so why not play HorrorBox. It's something totally new, fun for everyone. I helped write a lot of the stuff in it. You will become The Addams Family, if that's a goal in your life."

The game is now available for an 14+ audience and is perfect for playing together with friends in real life as well as virtually over video chat. The base game retails for $25 and includes 420 cards. When fans purchase the initial game, they have the option to add on the Alice Cooper "expansion pack" — featuring 40 additional cards written entirely by Cooper. The HorrorBox collection can be completed with an additional seven expansion packs to give fans even more to choose from so they can play this game for hours on end with friends and family.

For more information and to purchase the game, visit FITZgames.com.

SUGAR RAY lead singer Mark McGrath has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying he was "a great songwriter" who "redefined" guitar playing.

McGrath discussed his appreciation for the innovative VAN HALEN guitarist, who died from cancer on October 6 at age 65, during a short interview with The Hollywood Fix, conducted on October 21 at the Crossroads restaurant in Hollywood.

Mark said (see video below): "Who wasn't a fan of Eddie Van Halen? You can't tell greatness by what came before, but what came after it. Jimi Hendrix, and you had Eddie Van Halen. He just redefined how you play the instrument, and made it palatable — the tapping… And I think he's such a great songwriter. A huge loss. You think 2020 can't get any worse, and it's just been terrible. It just hurt my soul, losing someone like Eddie Van Halen. When you lose a Frank Sinatra, when you lose an athlete, someone that meant so much to you, it's truly heartbreaking. So that one hit hard. I'm still processing it."

Asked if he and his friends used to "party to VAN HALEN back in the day," Mark said: "Party to VAN HALEN? Of course. How else do you listen to VAN HALEN, man? Of course we did."

Eddie died at St. John's Hospital 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.

The iconic VAN HALEN axeman died from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

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.

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. He later battled throat cancer and reportedly had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. It is believed that his heavy smoking over the years led to his long battle with cancer.

BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying he was a sweetheart and a "virtuoso" who put "decades" into his guitar playing. The legendary VAN HALEN axeman died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

Speaking to Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, Gavin said (hear audio below): "I only had the pleasure of his company one time. I went for dinner at someone's house, and he was there at dinner, and I sat next to him. And he was a sweetheart. And he had his guitar with an amp in there and basically soloed through most of dinner. He stopped playing guitar when we were talking, but generally, he practiced a lot. He was a virtuoso, but a really good thing for people to know [is] that outside of his musical genius, he just put hours in, years, decades into playing, and that's how he got so good. And it's sort of a lesson for all of us, really, that our craft should be something that we tend to most of the time."

Noting that Eddie was an "unbelievable talent," Gavin continued: "What I do like about it is that the general consensus you get from him across the board of people was [everyone] saying what a kind and beautiful spirit [he was]. I mean, even his ex-wife was saying great things about him. Now, that's an achievement. If I die tomorrow, don't be counting on that shit. [Laughs]"

Eddie died at St. John's Hospital 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.

The iconic VAN HALEN axeman died from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

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.

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. He later battled throat cancer and reportedly had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. It is believed that his heavy smoking over the years led to his long battle with cancer.

The official music video for "Soul Suffer Payment", the first single from SOMETHING ON 11, the project featuring EVANESCENCE's Jen Majura and fellow guitarist Alen Brentini, can be seen below.

Blending different influences from QUEEN to TESTAMENT, SOMETHING ON 11 manages to create its very own sound, which was captured on the group's self-titled debut album, due on November 13.

SOMETHING ON 11 bills itself as a middle finger to all the mainstream rules, which is reflected in the first single just perfectly. "Soul Suffer Payment" deals with the burden of a regular 9-to-5 worklife by utilizing the bulletproof corset of a shatter-resistant modern rock song, combined with sharp vocals contributed by Majura, and Brentini's punchy guitar riff.

After being formed in spring of 2018, it took SOMETHING ON 11 a fair while to complete the first LP. The album was produced by the duo itself and features eight ass-kicking metal influenced songs that will appeal to fans of modern hard rock and vigorous instrumentals.

Majura, a self-described "half-Asian living in Germany," joined EVANESCENCE in August 2015 as the replacement for Terry Balsamo.

Last year, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee said she was happy to have Majura in the band. "She has added a lot to our live shows because she's a singer. It has been a really awesome thing to have live background vocals for the first time. I am such a fan of layered vocals, and to have that better represented at our show has been a cool breakthrough for me. And also, she's just rad energy. She's got a great attitude, fun personality, very engaging, killer onstage, so she has been a fun addition to our family. And of course, it's awesome having another girl in the band for the first time."

Majura has released two solo albums thus far, 2014's "Jen Majura" and 2017's "InZENity".

SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose released his debut solo EP, "Controlled Chaos", on November 27 via Rise Records. Morgan co-wrote the EP with SEVENDUST bandmate Clint Lowery. With Clint on guitar and Jason Christopher (COREY TAYLOR, PRONG) on bass, Morgan tracked six songs in less than ten days at The Lair in Culver City, California.

Asked in a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio if it was nerve-racking releasing his first solo EP and doing all the vocals himself, Morgan said (hear audio below): "Yeah. I'm pleasantly surprised that people really liked the first [single from the EP, 'The Answer']. It was so not a big deal to me. It's like the Internet to me. I'll get a thought in my mind, and I've gotten better at this, but I used to get thoughts in my mind, and I would say something on Twitter, and then, all of a sudden, it's, like, people are just coming after me left and right. And I'm, like, these people don't even follow me. Who are these people? You think that you're just kind of thinking out loud, or thinking to yourself, and really, it's coming out, and people are hearing it. So, that was the same thing with this record. I was, like, 'I'm just gonna do the record for me. No big deal.' And then, I was, like, 'Oh, wait a minute.'"

He continued: "There's gonna be plenty of people that hate it, because that's just the way society is these days anyway. If they hated it before, they could hate it in their house. Now they're going to tell me they hate it on the Internet. So, you're gonna have to deal with the criticism, which really doesn't bother me at all. I mean, the whole idea from the start was I'm not a singer; I'm a drummer. But I do write — I write vocals, and I write melodies and lyrics and stuff. So, I was able to do it on my own in that aspect. And it is a little nerve-racking, but it is what it is. People will love it; people will hate it. And I know that the people that are loyal to this band will appreciate it, I'm sure."

Rose began his career over 25 years ago as a founding member of the Atlanta-based metal band SEVENDUST. Morgan's stickwork with the band has been nationally recognized, being named the number one metal drummer by Modern Drummer magazine, as well as one of the top 100 drummers of all time by Drum magazine, Hit Parader and Drummerworld. Rose, in addition to his work with SEVENDUST, is known for his contributions to projects CALL ME NO ONE with Clint Lowery of SEVENDUST and METHODS OF MAYHEM with Tommy Lee of MÖTLEY CRÜE. With an impressive three million albums sold, Rose has proved a powerhouse alongside SEVENDUST, helping the band earn four RIAA gold-certified albums.

SEVENDUST's 13th studio album, "Blood & Stone", was released on October 23 via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2018's "All I See Is War" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

In a recent interview with "Bertcast" host Bert Kreischer, Corey Taylor spoke what it was like in SLIPKNOT's early days when he and his bandmates had avoided being photographed without their masks.

"The first couple of years was rad," he said. "But then the more success we got, obviously, it's human nature, man — the ego starts to come out.

"As much as people think it was the reason I put STONE SOUR back together, it's not," he continued, referring to his other band, which he actually started before joining SLIPKNOT. "For me, that was about writing music again, 'cause I just wasn't being able to write music in SLIPKNOT, 'cause I'm just not that good; I'm not as good as those guys are at intricate riffs and shit. I've gotten better, but at the time, I wasn't getting to write music, [and] I just felt unfulfilled. So I put that back together. But the by-product of [performing unmasked with STONE SOUR] was now all of a sudden people know [what] I look like."

Taylor went on to say that he is still able to take part in most normal activities without being recognized or harassed.

"I get the benefits of fame without the TMZ shit," he explained. "I don't get any of that shit. I get to play in front of thousands, millions of people. I get to do cool shit like this, and I can still chill at home. Nobody's camping outside my fucking house. All my kids are taken care of. My bills are paid. I have no fucking worries. I love it. It's the best."

With every album cycle, the members of SLIPKNOT unveil brand-new masks to coincide with the release of their latest collection of songs.

For his latest SLIPKNOT mask, Taylor worked with special effects legend Tom Savini, whose extensive career in the film industry and especially the horror genre dates back to the late 1970s, including such films as "Friday The 13th", "Dawn Of The Dead", "From Dusk 'Til Dawn" and many others.

SLIPKNOT's new costumes were unveiled in May 2019 to coincide with the band's appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Corey's debut solo album, "CMFT", was released on October 2 via Roadrunner Records. Taylor recorded the effort with his band consisting of Jason Christopher on bass, Dustin Schoenhofer on drums, and Zach Throne and Christian Martucci (STONE SOUR) on guitar. The LP was completed at Kevin Churko's The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and STONE SOUR, among others.