Swedish sea dogs, Ye Banished Privateers, return with their unique spin on a classic Christmas chant! With “Deck And Hull”, the collective releases their second holiday single off of their new EP, Drawn And Quartered, along with an animated lyric video.

Ye Banished Privateers are already well known for their singalong hymns and unmistakably folksy tunes, and now explore the less-traveled waters of yuletide tuneage! With a stiff sea breeze, a wink of the eye and a dose of bloody, dark humor, the pirates prepare for the freezing cold of winter with a few more aces up their sleeves: Ye Banished Privateers are starting a call for fans to suggest Christmas songs from all over the world! Head over to their Facebook page to send in your pick and eventually be part of the band’s upcoming project.

Ye Banished Privateers on their new single “Deck And Hull”: “With our song ‘Deck And Hull’, we wanted to really take a swing at the classic candy-coated, happy harmony singing, door-to-door carolers that are so frequent in every American feelgood Christmas movie. We imagine this song being the soundtrack to a bunch of drunken pirates breaking down your door, wrecking your home, stealing all your possessions and pissing in your eggnog. Actually, that's probably what's going to happen to you if you don’t buy the vinyl... So, merry bloody Christmas, haha!”

The two-track EP presents another stunning, adventurous, yet bloody side of Ye Banished Privateers. “Drawn And Quartered” features a dancing, dangling pirate as he experiences a curious macabre Christmas marvel, whilst “Deck And Hull” captivates with a frenetic tavern-like atmosphere and a beguiling female voice meeting raspy pirate chanting. Ye Banished Privateers tug the listener through dreary winter days and prepare them for the most eerily beautiful time of the year.

Drawn And Quartered will be available in the following formats:

- digital
- exclusive 7inch Vinyl in oxblood (strictly limited to 300 copies)

Order the Drawn And Quartered 7" here.

Watch the animated video for “Drawn And Quartered” below:




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SnakeyeS, the band started by Jose Pineda, Justi Bala and Carlos Delgado (from Sphinx, the recently reunited Spanish power metal giants) and Romanian singer Cosmin Aionita, will re-release their latest album, Evil Must Die, alongside Playing With Armageddon, a new CD full of extra content: a new song, live performances, acoustic takes and much more.

Says the band: “Playing With Armageddon is the title we chose for relaunching Evil Must Die. Re-releasing an album is unusual, but we felt it is the least we could do to give new life to a record we invested a lot of time, money, and passion in. We wish to leave behind a year everyone wants to forget and to re-release Evil Must Die, symbolically, at the very start of 2021.

"So here we are again, trying to give you the best of ourselves. We have prepared a special edition aimed at what we miss the most: the live shows, where the whole presentation and production are totally different to a studio album, giving the songs new life. An exciting, new way to enjoy the band.

"After months of writing new music, as we progress into a new stage of the band’s life, we are ready to release a first sample of our next album. This new song will be a part of a the limited Playing With Armageddon digipack, an extension of Evil Must Die, which will feature the following track list."

Esoteric Recordings has released a new remastered and expanded edition of the 1980 solo album by Jon Anderson, Song Of Seven. Order here.

Jon recently sat down with Esoteric Recordings’ Mark Powell to talk about recording Song Of Seven, and what it meant at the time. Please note there is some audio discrepancies on the recording, minimised as much as possible.

The album was recorded during Jon’s first hiatus from YES, with whom he had become an internationally known vocalist and songwriter and followed on from his 1976 solo album Olias Of Sunhillow. Working with keyboard player Ronnie Leahy, Anderson created an optimistic album of varying influences and he gathered together a fine ensemble of musicians to assist him such as celebrated bass players Jack Bruce and John Giblin, guitarists Clem Clempson and Ian Bairnson, saxophonist Johnny Dankworth and percussionists Morris Pert and Simon Phillips.

Song Of Seven was a UK top forty hit upon its release by Atlantic Records in November 1980 and spawned a solo tour which established Jon Anderson as a regarded artist in his own right. This Esoteric Recordings edition has been newly remastered from the original Atlantic Records master tapes and is expanded to include two rare US single edits previously unreleased on CD and restores the original album artwork in a digipak. The booklet also features a new essay with an exclusive interview with Jon Anderson.

“So great to listen again to where I was musically 40 years ago...still dreaming the same dreams, and in my early years of orchestration ideas...very gentle reminders to stay cool...don't hurry, all will be well, 'take your time'...wonderful bass work, and all the wonderful friends and musicians just came into my life for a couple of months...Jack Bruce even!!! Everybody Loves you, but I love you a little bit more...sweet lyric, and then the wild and crazy Song of Seven lyric..most of it was spontaneous and feeling very open about life...and the mystery of it all...still do....

“As always I'm here in my studio still juggling lyrics and music and songs... I'm excited that this can be heard again... Best wishes to everyone... be well be safe... Love and Light.” - Jon Anderson

Tracklisting:

“For You, For Me”
“Some Are Born”
“Don’t Forget (Nostalgia)”
“Heart Of The Matter”
“Hear It”
“Everybody Loves You”
“Take Your Time”
“Days”
“Song Of Seven”
“Some Are Born” (U.S. Single Promo Edited Version)
“Heart Of The Matter” (Short Version)




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Within Nostalgia announced their album Void And Decay recently with the first single “Desideratum” and now they present a second “Beneath Unworthy Presence”. The single continues the band’s proclivity towards honest and haunting music, and this release reflects a personal and unique journey. Within Nostalgia hopes that listeners can relate to the music and lyrics in a meaningful way and be able to gain their own perspective from it.

Currently, the band is a duo between founder Alyssa Broere (rhythm guitar/bass/vocals/drum programming) and Kyle Bell (lead guitar/bass/drum programming), who have been working on this album since the release of 2019’s “Conjuring A New Reality”. Now with a firm grip on the creative trajectory for the band, the sound had morphed into what is meant to be the truest form of Within Nostalgia.

“Beneath Unworthy Presence” takes the listener on a journey in the sense that there are many parts, ranging from harsh vocals, blast beats, and double bass to clean vocals and almost a “dance-y beat”. The band further explains the track:

“It was the third song written for the album and represents many different aspects of the genres that inspire us. This song goes into the concept of humans not being worthy of this earth because of the damage that we do to it on a daily basis. It talks about the natural karma that takes place here and how natural disasters happen as a way to depopulate and show us who really is in control. 'Trees shall grow beneath unworthy presence' represents the fact that nature will continue to thrive and take back what is rightfully its own.” 

Powerful and unique, Within Nostalgia is recommended for fans of Agalloch, My Dying Bride, and Nachtmystium. “Beneath Unworthy Presence” can be heard via its premiere on BraveWords below!

Void And Decay is out December 18. Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“City Of Nameless Faces”
“Beneath Unworthy Presence”
“BlackLight”
“Higher Than My Fears”
“Desideratum”

(Photo by: IsaacPaul Images)




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Black Sabbath unleashed the group’s fourth album in two years in 1972 with Vol 4. Stacked with classic tracks like “Supernaut,” “Changes,” and “Snowblind,” the record harnessed the group’s surging popularity to reach the Top 10 on the Albums Chart in the U.K. and the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 in the US, on its path to being certified platinum by the RIAA.

The innovators of heavy metal revisit Vol 4 on a new collection that includes a newly remastered version of the original album along with a trove of 20 unreleased studio and live recordings. Vol 4: Super Deluxe Edition will be available on February 12 as a 4CD set and a 5LP set pressed on 180-gram vinyl, Both versions come with extensive booklets featuring liner notes with quotes from the era from all four band members, rare photos, and a poster with previously unpublished early artwork of the album using the working title Snowblind. Both the 4CD and 5LP versions are available for pre-order now, here.

The newly remastered version of the original album will also be available on digital download and streaming services on the same day. Click here to listen to the newly remastered version of “Tomorrow’s Dream,” available today digitally.

Bolstered by a fresh remastering, Vol 4’s ambitious arrangements and complex grooves have never sounded more inspired and menacing. Originally released in September 1972, the album marked two major changes for the members of Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. While their previous albums – Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality – were produced by Rodger Bain and recorded in England, they instead chose to produce Vol 4 themselves and record it at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

The generous addition of bonus material on Vol 4: Super Deluxe Edition begins with six previously unreleased studio outtakes from the original sessions for the album. Each one has been newly mixed by Steven Wilson using the analog multi-tracks. Highlights include outtakes for “Supernaut” and “Changes,” as well an instrumental version of “Under The Sun.”

The set also features 11 additional studio recordings (also newly mixed by Wilson from the analog multi-tracks) that spotlight alternative takes, false starts and snippets of studio dialogue. These tracks transport listeners into the studio with the band and offer some insight into the making of the album. Along with several alternative takes for “Wheels Of Confusion,” these recordings also include outtakes for “The Straightener” and “Snowblind.”

The collection concludes with a searing collection of live performances that re-create a typical setlist from Black Sabbath’s tour for Vol 4. Recorded in March 1973 at various stops along the band’s UK tour. The recordings were originally slated for a live album that was ultimately shelved. Although some of these performances have been previously available in various states, the release marks the first time that a full 1973 live Sabbath show has been recreated. The live audio has been newly mixed by Richard Digby Smith using the original 16-track analog tapes to achieve a level of fidelity not heard on any previous incarnations. Included here are thrilling live versions of Vol 4 tracks (“Tomorrow’s Dream” and “Cornucopia”) and fan favorites (“Paranoid” and “War Pigs.”)

CD tracklisting:

Disc One: Original Album Remastered
“Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener”
“Tomorrow’s Dream”
“Changes”
“FX”
“Supernaut”
“Snowblind”
“Cornucopia”
“Laguna Sunrise”
“St. Vitus Dance”
“Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes”

Disc Two: Outtakes - New Mixes
“Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener” *
“Changes” *
“Supernaut” *
“Snowblind” *
“Laguna Sunrise” *
“Under The Sun” (Instrumental) *

Disc Three: Alternative Takes, False Starts & Studio Dialogue
“Wheels Of Confusion” (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 1) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 2) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 3) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 4) *
“The Straightener” (Outtake) *
“Supernaut” (Outtake) *
“Supernaut” (Alternative Takes with False Starts) *
“Snowblind” (Alternative Take 1 - Incomplete) *
“Under The Sun” (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
“Under The Sun” (Alternative Take with Guide Vocal) *

Disc Four: Live In The UK 1973
“Tomorrow’s Dream” *
“Sweet Leaf” *
“War Pigs”
“Snowblind” *
“Killing Yourself To Live”
“Cornucopia”
“Wicked World” (Includes excerpts of:)
  i. Guitar Solo
  ii. “Orchid”
  iii. “Into The Void”
  iv. “Sometimes I’m Happy”
“Supernaut” / Drum Solo
“Wicked World” (Reprise)
“Embryo”
“Children Of The Grave”
“Paranoid”

LP tracklisting:

LP One: Original Album Remastered

Side One
“Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener”
“Tomorrow’s Dream”
“Changes”
“FX”
“Supernaut”

Side Two
“Snowblind”
“Cornucopia”
“Laguna Sunrise”
“St. Vitus Dance”
“Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes”

LP Two: Outtakes - New Mixes

Side Three
“Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener” *
“Changes” *
“Supernaut” *
“Snowblind” *

Side Four
“Laguna Sunrise” *
“Under The Sun” (Instrumental) *

Alternative Takes, False Starts & Studio Dialogue
“Wheels Of Confusion” (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 1) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 2) *
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 3) *

LP Three: Alternative Takes, False Starts & Studio Dialogue

Side Five
“Wheels Of Confusion” (Alternative Take 4) *
“The Straightener” (Outtake) *
“Snowblind” (Alternative Take 1 - Incomplete) *
“Supernaut” (Outtake) *

Side Six
“Supernaut” (Alternative Takes with False Starts) *
“Under The Sun” (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
“Under The Sun” (Alternative Take with Guide Vocal) *

LP Four: Live In The UK 1973

Side Seven
“Tomorrow’s Dream” *
“Sweet Leaf” *
“War Pigs”

Side Eight
“Snowblind” *
“Killing Yourself To Live”
“Cornucopia”

LP Five: Live In The UK 1973

Side Nine
“Wicked World” (Includes excerpts of:)
  i. Guitar Solo
  ii. “Orchid”
  iii. “Into The Void”
  iv. “Sometimes I’m Happy”

Side Ten

“Supernaut” / Drum Solo
“Wicked World” (Reprise)
“Embryo”
“Children Of The Grave”
“Paranoid”

* previously unreleased

(Top photo - Duffy © Duffy Archive, Insert photo - Avalon.Red)




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Toronto headbangers, Superchucker, have released their new seasonal single, "Tanked And Wasted". Listen via Spotify or YouTube (below), and get the song at Bandcamp.

The track is a tongue and cheek story about Santa coming to the family dinner but isn't exactly welcome because he's had a little too much to drink this year!

"Tanked And Wasted" comes on the heels of the band's debut album, Widespread Panic, released back in June. It will be the first release with Exalted Piledriver guitarist
Steve Macpherson on guitar (previously on bass), as Shawn Pegg has left the band for health reasons (Tinnitus). Shawn is still involved doing the mix and masters.
The role of bassist has yet to be filled, so Steve continues to fill that for recordings.

With a lot of down time due to COVID-19 essentially killing the live music industry, the band has decided to focus on writing and recording.  In fact, there is a brand new album coming likely in the first half of 2021. Details will be released in the coming months.

Superchucker lineup:

Dave Barrett - Lead Vocals
Steve Macpherson - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Stavros Theodorakopoulos - Guitar, Vocals
Robert Hassey - Drums, Vocals




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Darkened death metal supergroup Unblessed Divine - featuring former members of Malevolent Creation and Sinister - are set to release their debut EP, entitled The Coming Darkness, on December 4th on all streaming platforms. Today the band has unleashed a lyric video "Reborn Enlightened" from the EP. 

As unique as Unblessed Divine music is also the band itself. Hailing from such legends as Malevolent Creation and Sinister, based in Poland and South Africa, Unblessed Divine is now ready to bring new standard to darkened death metal. With it's massive riffing, hellish vocals, disturbing industrial atmosphere and insane drumming, Unblessed Divine sounds as no other death metal band, giving a new meaning to darkness itself.

Unblessed Divine are:

Lee Wollenschlaeger - vocals and guitars (ex-Malevolent Creation)
Michal Grall - guitars, synths and fx (ex-Sinister, ex-Trauma, Manslaughter, The Black Disorder, Dreamsabyss)
Riaan Ondier Els – drums
Irmin Dusse – bass
Rehan De Kock - guitar

Unblessed Divine debut EP is an introduction to the album that will sum up all the darkest that one could bring to the death metal genre in XXI century Behold Darkness Is Coming.  

The Coming Darkness tracklist:

"The Exalted One"
"Reborn Enlighted"
"The Glowing Darkness"
"True Sight"

More information on Facebook here.




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BLUE ÖYSTER CULT guitarist Buck Dharma says that he is aware that many rock fans have compared GHOST's music to that of his own band. "I've also read interviews with the leader of that band where he says he's not really trying to sound like BLUE ÖYSTER CULT," Buck tells Ultimate Guitar in a new interview. "But I don't think that they really do sound like BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, but I guess you could see some similarities."

GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge addressed the BLUE ÖYSTER CULT comparisons during a recent interview with Loudwire. He said: "I love BLUE ÖYSTER CULT. They are nowhere near as much of an influence as people think they are for me. Especially not back [in GHOST's early days]. I'd say I probably listen to them more nowadays than I did back then. But never, ever were they as much of a big influence as… I can list so many more things that would be way more obvious, where I can say, 'That riff is from that. That riff is from that. That riff is from that. That vocal bit is from that.' It's just that the combination of, basically, slightly more confrontational rock and sort of AOR vocals that makes everybody think that it's, 'Oh, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT.' Just because a lot of the other, sort of, 'occult rock' bands usually have just one singer, like all the TROUBLEs and all the SAINT VITUSes and all those — it's just one singer, so you don't have that sort of multi-layered vocals."

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT is hard at work on new material for a studio album that will be released next year.

With a history spanning almost five decades, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT has sold more than 24 million records worldwide, including seven million in the United States alone. Songs like "Burnin' For You", "Godzilla", "Astronomy" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" are true classics and staples of the classic rock genre. Often cited as a major influence by some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal (including IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA), BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's sound has evolved through the decades, touching hard rock, heavy metal, progressive, and psychedelic rock. BLUE ÖYSTER CULT is sometimes referred to as "the thinking man's heavy metal band," due to its often cryptic lyrics, literate songwriting, and links to famous authors.

Earlier in the month, Forge revealed to Finland's Kaaos TV that he will record one new song in January before getting to work on GHOST's fifth album.

Forge did not reveal where the standalone song will surface, but he added that he''ll continue writing through May, with plans to enter the studio on June 1.

The new GHOST album will be out in early 2021 and will follow up 2018's "Prequelle", which contained the rock radio hits "Rats" and "Dance Macabre".

Multiple Juno-nominated Canadian metal heavyweights, Cancer Bats announce the release of You’ll Never Break Us: Separation Sessions Vol. 1; a six-song EP that features acoustic renditions of classic Cancer Bats tracks including a stripped-down version of Hail Destroyer fan favourite “Deathsmarch” now aptly titled “Deathsmarch To A New Acoustic Beat”.

The focus track, which features guest vocals from long-time friend of the band, Ojibway singer-songwriter Nick Sherman, sees lead vocalist Liam Cormier’s snarling growl replaced with a steady croon, Scott Middleton and Jaye Schwarzer both setting the right mood on guitar and drummer Mike Peters’ percussion carrying the whole track effortlessly. “Deathsmarch To A New Acoustic Beat” premiered last night via The Strombo Show on CBC Music in Canada and is now available via all DSP’s here.



You’ll Never Break Us: Separation Sessions Vol. 1 will be released exclusively via the band’s Bandcamp on December 16th with all proceeds raised to be donated to Water First NGO, an organization that helps to train interns in water purification in order to help their communities have access to clean drinking water. “While we are excited for fans to hear and enjoy these new renditions, the other goal for this project is to raise funds and awareness for the clean water crisis that still exists within Canada for many Indigenous communities,” shares Cormier. Fans that purchase the record via Bandcamp will also receive bonus track “Bastards Waltz Recorded Live From TV”.

From start to finish, You’ll Never Break Us: Separation Sessions Vol. 1 sees the band moving in a brave new direction; experimenting with different vocal melodies, guitar variations and new rhythms that breathe new life into these classic Bats songs. Along with a different approach musically, the artwork itself takes another twist, where the album art is a t-shirt. As this EP will only exist digitally, it gives fans a chance to still have a physical representation of the album, with the whole concept masterfully put together by the Mi’kmaq design team Born In The North. All prints in North America will be made by The Rezonance Screen Printing Studio a group that supports Indigenous youth through their paid apprenticeship programs.

On releasing the EP, Cormier had this to say, “After having our road dog existence of constant touring over the past 15 years halted due to the pandemic, and with all four band members, now spread across Canada in separate cities, towns and Provinces, we haven’t been in the same room since March. While separated from each other, we thought what better time to re-examine and record new versions of six classic Bats tracks.”

Cormier continues, “With the end of 2020 just around the corner, the optimistic lyrics to 'Deathsmarch' seem to ring truer now than when first shouted in 2008, 'Hey World You’ll Never Break Us, try your hardest, try your hardest.'”



Tracklisting:

"Deathsmarch To A New Acoustic Beat"
"Road Sick Sick Sick So Stay Home"
"Black Metal Bicycle My Blues Riffs Away"
"Darkness Lite"
"Bed Of Nails Dreams Of Tambourines"
"Lucifer’s Slightly Less Rocking Chair"
"Bastards Waltz Recorded Live From TV" (Bonus track exclusive to Bandcamp)

The Harps vocalist Andry Lagiou has become an ubiquitous presence in her home country of Greece - quickly rising as one of the most promising metal vocalists of her generation. The Harps could best be described as a hard rocking, riff filled exploration of the classic metal tapestry; not content to rest in exactly one segment of the genre. The group meshes influences from Lagious' prodigious history as a vocalist (including stints as a classical singer and as a successful competitor on the Greek edition of The Voice) with the contributions of fellow luminaries: bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X), guitarist Stephen Platt (Collibus), keyboardist Corvin Bahn (Uli John Roth), producer Mike Exeter (Judas Priest, Dio, Black Sabbath) and live drummer Matt Thompson (King Diamond) to create something entirely new.

Their latest single and video "Mistress Of The Night" shows the group at its fantastical best - taking the listener on a heavy metal voyage to a cinematic universe of their own creation. Lagiou proves her star power with a soaring vocal performance that meshes perfectly with the riff filled composition of the song. A breakneck tempo doesn't hinder the band from performing as a tight unit; the intensity of the music only seems to push each of them to greater heights. An explosive guitar solo from Platt brings the tune to an apex that's sure to please even the most cynical headbangers.

"The Harps' metal sound hearkens back to the days of Rainbow and Sabbath. Andry refuses to follow the trends of operatic female fronted bands. She delivers a powerful, in your face vocal that will ignite your senses," says LePond.



"This video is about standing for women and equality" explains Lagiou (who co-directed). "It's against sexism and racism in job opportunities, personal relationships, etc... things that women experience everyday from men in their lives. This has been going on since the ancient and medieval times till present times and nothing has really changed... BUT the women WILL rise up, right now!"

"I really enjoyed working on this track and also to be working with someone who has a great voice alongside such talented people. I like how this song stands up to certain issues such as sexism, especially because these issues are still present in the music industry," adds Platt.

Expect more from The Harps and Andry Lagiou throughout the winter, with forthcoming USA tour dates and festival appearances TBA. Further details can be found on Facebook.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody has reacted to the news that two of his former bandmates, Jeremy Spencer and Jason Hook, worked together on the new EP from Spencer's theatrical rock band PSYCHOSEXUAL.

On Friday, PSYCHOSEXUAL surprise-released a covers EP, "Songs To Stalk You By", featuring a guest appearance by Hook on two songs: the KISS classic "Watchin' You" and QUEENSRŸCHE's "Gonna Get Close To You". The recordings mark the first time Spencer and Hook have collaborated since they parted ways with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

Moody, who is active on Instagram, took to the social media platform on Saturday to share a two-minute video message in which "congratulated" Spencer and Hook for reuniting on the PSYCHOSEXUAL EP while also "accepting" a non-existent "challenge" from his onetime bandmates to make a great new album.

Moody said (see video below): "As I'm driving home, my phone kept blowing up. I was like, 'Fuck.' So I pulled over to check it. And I got, like, a hundred different news feeds. And they all read something… I thought it was a joke at first, but it's very real. And it read: 'Jason Hook joins forces with Jeremy Spencer.'"

Ivan went on to say that he was "excited" to see Hook and Spencer play together again. "I'm not patronizing — I'm not," he insisted. "This comes from my heart.

"Jason and Jeremy, congratulations. I know you two have waited to do something together for years, and now you have the platform to do it, man. So let's see what you got," he said.

"Now, I could take this one of two ways. I could take this as a spit in the face, saying that you're going to do bigger and better. And the quote I heard was — and forgive me if I'm wrong on this — was that someone said the sex appeal has left FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH. Sound familiar?

"I didn't know we were out for Calvin Klein ads," Ivan added. "But if you're gonna be out there, then reach for the top, man — Drakkar Noir, Playgirl. Fuck it, right?

"I hope the two of you write the greatest fucking album you can muster. Challenge accepted. I'll be your huckleberry. Because as of today, I am personally gonna make sure that this new DEATH PUNCH album is like nothing you've ever fucking heard before."

Moody concluded the video by saying: "To all of our fans, thank you for sticking with us through all these years. Keep your ear to the ground. It's about to get real fucking interesting."

It should be noted that there is no indication that Hook has joined PSYCHOSEXUAL or that he and Spencer will collaborate on any new original music.

Jeremy, who co-founded FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with guitarist Zoltan Bathory, left the band so that he could undergo back surgery in the fall of 2018 that required a significant recovery period.

Spencer's replacement in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is Charlie "The Engine" Engen. Engen made his recording debut with the band on the "F8" album, which came out in February.

Hook exited FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in February 2020 during the band's sold-out European arena tour. He later said that it was "time to pass the baton and move on to new challenges."

Jason was replaced by renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who is also featured on "Broken World", one of the five previously unreleased tracks on FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's latest greatest-hits compilation "Decade Of Destruction, Volume 2".
























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TesseracT presents P O R T A L S - a cinematic live experience. As mysterious, monolithic structures appear across continents, it is perhaps not a complete coincidence that TesseracT chose such an artwork before the first news reports came in from Utah. A portal offers a gateway for its passenger to travel amongst realms; through five acts, TesseracT have designed a gateway into their world.  

Fans will have access to stream P O R T A L S live from December 12 on their dedicated website and tickets are on sale now.

Amos Williams, TesseracT's bass player and the show's producer, explains more about the event and the concept behind it, saying, "P O R T A L S is a celebration of our love of performing. Each act is a still from an ever-evolving musical personality. Each song is the conversation you have with old friends when you meet up for the first time in ages and you pick up exactly where you left off. This year has presented us all with an unusual set of barriers to surmount. The limitations of not being able to tour and the absence of shows has focused us towards the concept of creating the ultimate tour production, within the ultimate TesseracT show. Where we explore every facet of our music, and every story we have told, and in doing so create new stories and in some cases commit evolved versions to a medium that will outlast the moment."

Schedule:

* Premiere - Saturday, December 12 at 7 PM, GMT/2 PM, EST here
* Pre-Show - Saturday, December 12 at 6 PM, GMT/1 PM, EST here featuring behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with band + crew, rehearsals + more
* Ticket holders have three days to watch on demand after the initial broadcast (until December 15)

Tickets:

* Tickets are now on sale here
* Early bird ticket prices available until Monday, December 7
* Early bird ticket price: £12.99/$17 USD  
* Standard ticket price: £14.99/$20 USD

Merch:

Exclusive event merch is now on sale and available for pre-order, including P O R T A L S Event T-Shirt, a premium, heavy-weight print, and a double-foil laminate (bundle exclusive). Fans can take a psychometric test to add a custom laminate to merch bundles.

Amongst the various challenges TesseracT faced to deliver this event — drummer Jay Postones (who now lives in Austin, Texas) was unable to make it to the UK for the performance. However, the highly revered and long-time friend of the band Mike Malyan was able to fill-in to add another layer to this unconventional event.




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Italian metallers, Labyrinth, return with their new studio album, Welcome To The Absurd Circus, in 2021. Once again, speedy power metal songs with unforgettable hooks, epic prog infused metal songs, and some great melodic numbers constitute a record which is going to become another milestone for the Italian metal masters.

Welcome To The Absurd Circus follows the band’s well-received 2017 comeback album, Architecture Of A God. Today, fans can get another taste of the album with the new song, "Live Today". Listen below, and pre-order/save Welcome To The Absurd Circus here.

In the spring of 2016, the band’s founding members Andrea Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen received a call from Frontiers, asking them to discuss with singer Roberto Tiranti the possibility of a comeback for the band. After much thought, the guys agreed to get back together and round out the line-up with John Macaluso (now replaced by Mattia Peruzzi), Oleg Smirnoff (Vision Divine, Eldritch) on keyboards, and Nik Mazzucconi (Hardline, Edge Of Forever) on bass, Labÿrinth’s comeback album Architecture Of A God (2017) was a definite and true return to form.

With the release of Return To Heaven Denied in 1998, Labÿrinth had a “classic” album on their hands, which was embraced by fans and metal scribes alike and gave a strong push not only to the band’s career, but also to the Italian metal scene as a whole. More albums followed, but after the release of Return To Heaven Denied, Pt. 2 - A Midnight Autumn Dream in 2010 the band went on an indefinite hiatus.

Their return in 2017 was greeted with open arms by metal fans from around the globe. Their upcoming release sees the band continuing the reinvigoration they showed on Architecture Of A God and pushing it even further.

A must hear for not only fans of the band, but progressive and power metal fans in general.

Tracklisting:

"The Absurd Circus"
"Live Today"
"One More Last Chance"
"As Long As It Lasts"
"Den Of Snakes"
"Word’s Minefield"
"The Unexpected"
"Dancing With Tears In My Eyes"
"Sleepwalker"
"A Reason To Survive"
"Finally Free"

"Live Today":

"The Absurd Circus" video:

Lineup:

Roberto Tiranti - Vocals
Olaf Thorsen - Guitars
Andrea Cantarelli - Guitars
Oleg Smirnoff - Keyboards
Nik Mazzucconi - Bass
Mattia Peruzzi - Drums




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In a new video, Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale wishes you a Merry Christmas Holiday. Watch below:

Whitesnake brings together some of the most-passionate music of its multi-platinum career on Love Songs, a new collection that contains remixed and remastered versions of the group’s best love songs. It’s the second release in the band’s Red, White and Blues Trilogy, a series of compilations organized by musical themes that began this summer with The Rock Album (white) and will conclude next year with The Blues Album (blue).

David Coverdale unboxes Love Songs below:

The new collection includes a mix of hits and deep tracks that were originally released between 1987 and 2011 on five Whitesnake studio albums and David Coverdale’s third solo album, Into The Light.

Love Songs is available here as a CD , as a double-LP set pressed on 180-gram red vinyl, and digitally.

Love Songs tracklisting:

CD:

“Love Will Set You Free”
“The Deeper the Love”
“All I Want, All I Need”
“Too Many Tears”
“Can’t Go On”
“Is This Love”
“With All of My Heart” *
“Summer Rain”
“Your Precious Love”
“Now You’re Gone”
“Don’t You Cry”
“Midnight Blue”
“Easier Said Than Done”
“Yours For The Asking” *
“Let’s Talk It Over” *

LP:

Side One
“Love Will Set You Free”
“The Deeper the Love”
“All I Want, All I Need”
“Too Many Tears”

Side Two
“Can’t Go On”
“Is This Love”
“With All of My Heart” *
“Summer Rain”

Side Three
“Your Precious Love”
“Now You’re Gone”
“Don’t You Cry”
“Midnight Blue”

Side Four
“Easier Said Than Done”
“Yours For The Asking” *
“Let’s Talk It Over” *

* previously unreleased

"Love Will Set You Free" (2020 Remix) video:

"The Deeper The Love" (2020 Remix) video:

"Now You're Gone" (2020 Remix) video:

"Easier Said Than Done" (2020 Remix) video:

"Is This Love" (2020 Remix) video:




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The At The Movies project - launched by Pretty Maids guitarist Chris Laney due to the COVID-19 lockdown - caught fire over the course of the year, with many fans asking that the '80s soundtrack covers be made available as digital platform streams, or on CD and vinyl. That has since been made a reality, and the project has fired up once again for a cover of the Wham! hit "Last Chtistmas". It is now available on most digital platforms.

The core At The Movies players are as follows:

Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) - lead vocals
Linnéa Vikström Egg (Therion) - backing vocals
Chris Laney (Pretty Maids) - guitars
Allan Sørensen (Royal Hunt, Pretty Maids) - drums
Morten Sandager (Pretty Maids) - keyboards
Pontus Norgren (HammerFall) - guitars
Pontus Egberg (King Diamond) - bass

Stay tuned for updates.




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Sweden-based melodic death/doom metal band, Coldbound, recently announced that Liv Kristine (solo, ex-Theatre Of Tragedy, ex-Leaves Eyes), Markus Riihimäki (KanteleScape), and Meiju Enho (Mamyth, Mythrian, Greenrose Faire, ex-Ensiferum) have joined the ranks of Coldbound as full members. They have issued the following update:

"A great friend from the past and a fantastic musician has just recorded his parts for a guest appearance on the upcoming Coldbound album. ICS Vortex, better known for his work with Arcturus, Borknagar, ICS Vortex, Lamented Souls and ex- Dimmu Borgir, has decorated a song with his iconic and one of a kind vocal capacity. The result is spectacular and we so are looking forward to present to you the outcome!"

Coldbound recently posted the following message along with a brief trailer featuring new music, found below.

"Since the birth of this project, 8 years ago, everything was uncertain. Expanding the project into a full band seemed so distant and yet again utopic; at least impossible.

As some of you have noticed lately, Coldbound is currently preparing a new work that has engaged a big amount of respectable guest appearances so far. Some of these guest appearances became real friends. Friends that one can rely on, friends that one can express all the worries and wishes, friends that somehow appear in your life the right time. Throughout the music, which we use a channel to transcript our dreams, hopes, fears and worries; we found the missing ingredient to form a musical quintessence.

As melodies and ideas are flowing endlessly, we already start planning our future journey. The passport is already claimed. One would ask; how?

Well. there is recorded music from all of us that will be presented to you very soon in our new album. Once the music was written and recorded, we start thinking and talking about it in the most realistic way possible. At the point that we all realised that this is as real as it gets. Eventually, it all became reality in the most unexpected and beautiful way. While carving a new sound and a new approach, skilled people are required; no doubt. But what we got here is the vision that we all share. This is the vision that will lead our path. A very own creation of ours."

Coldbound's line-up:

Liv Kristine (vocals)
Markus Riihimäki (kantele)
Meiju Enho (orchestration, keyboards, vocals)
Pauli Souka (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, programming")

Pauli Suoka comments: "Liv Kristine, the voice of my adolescence. A real angel down on earth with a heart of pure gold. A fantastic friend that shares the same visions. The perfect balance of all frequencies.

Markus Riihimäki, fiery presence. A hell of a composer and a hard working professional with clear vision and zero sign of procrastination when it comes to music production. The person that will ring me anytime to hit me up with new ideas that he will actually put down on paper right away. The brother that I never had.

Meiju Enho... if forests had a sound, Meiju would have been the conductor. An extremely charismatic composer with a great ability to create unique soundscapes. The voice of reason. A true blessing to be in the same musical project with! With visions and frequencies perfectly aligned.

As our times face a dramatic swift and things around us change, so we also change; minute by minute, day by day. But changing towards a more complete entity, throughout all the hardships that we might face and through every single obstacle we succesfully pass, losing ourselves, losing our passion of what we love doing, would be an absolute devastation.

Here we are; to create enchanting melodies.Here we are; to share our vision. We are Coldbound, The Band!"

SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green says that the comments he made earlier this year about a possible reunion with founding guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera were "completely" misinterpreted.

SEPULTURA's classic lineup fell apart in 1996 with the exit of Max after the rest of the band split with his wife, Gloria, as their manager. His brother, drummer Igor Cavalera, stuck around with the group for another 10 years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's three-and-a-half-decade-plus history, Max-era albums "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

When he was asked in a January 2020 interview with the "Scars And Guitars" podcast why he thinks SEPULTURA still gets asked about a possible reunion with Max, Derrick said: "I think for some people, it's hard for them to really move on. It's hard for people to change in general — for the fact that they're fearful of change, because of the unexpected when changing. It's hard for certain people, but that's okay. It's not where we're at musically, and thank god that we were able to move forward and not only rely on the past. I think it's natural for certain people that they gravitate to something that they've known from the past, and maybe that's just where they like to have their heads."

He continued: "I never wanted to be in that position, just because I'm an artist and, for me, it's important to really explore and to evolve, and change is actually necessary. And that's something that's happening in all of our lives, so I accept it and go with it and living within the moments that are happening now."

Derrick added: "I don't worry too much about other people and them being trapped in the past. It's just something I don't wanna be a part of or be near that. [Laughs]"

A couple of days later, Gloria reacted to Derrick's comments in a public post on her personal Facebook page. Addressing Green directly, she wrote: "Hey I have a shout out! Fuck You! Max and Iggor never ever talk about a reunion. Why do you think they left? Lol. You're needing to talk about Max and Iggor to get some press?? Yeah it is hard for YOU to move on! Max and Igor can Return to their Roots and all you can do is sing lyrics my husband wrote!"

When one person commented under Gloria's post that he thought Derrick "was fair" in his remarks, she fired back: "fair? Jesus Christ save us." Another person then asked Gloria why the remaining members of SEPULTURA didn't change the name of the band after Max's exit. She replied: "Well I could speculate but the truth pisses people off. We all know why they can't change the name. The question is ...if Max is the person they insist he is, why sing his lyrics? I didn't see anyone sitting at the kitchen table writing lyrics except Max and one time he was with [Max's late stepson] Dana."

Green was asked about the response his original remarks generated during a recent appearance on "Talking Bollocks", the monthly metal podcast hosted by ACID REIGN frontman-turned-stand-up-comedian Howard H. Smith.

"The interpretation of whoever was reading or listening to whatever interview I did, they got the completely wrong impression," Derrick said (hear audio below). "But that's okay; that happens all the time. And so that's why I didn't dive into a response, but it was obviously not what I meant. I'm not gonna go and try to defend it."

Green also spoke in general terms about the challenges in stepping into an established and successful band, particularly when it comes to replacing someone who was a focal point in the group for nearly a decade and a half.

"Joining a band, replacing a person, especially the front person, is one of the most difficult things — switches or changes that can happen in a band," Derrick said. "And I wasn't expecting anything to happen overnight. I knew it would take years for people to get past the actual change and start to really listen to what's happening in that moment. I felt that we had to really work on that; we had to earn that. I think the band itself had spent so many years getting to a position where they earned the level of respect that they got. So I felt the same way. We had a new combination of people in the band, and I felt that we were earning this respect again. And it's taken us to where we're at now, where now people can look back and say, 'Oh, I see it here. Oh, man. This is better. Oh, this got better.' Or some people are, like, 'This is my favorite.' And I realize everyone has their own opinions, but for me personally, I feel fantastic at the position that we're at. It's a complete battle and struggle, but it's something that I love doing. So there's no negativity drawn from that, being a battle and a struggle. It was something that was really important and needed in order to make it very real and very truthful, the music."

Earlier this year, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. said that he has had "zero" contact with Max, adding that a reunion with the band's original frontman would have to happen "naturally."

Back in 2017, Igor Cavalera told The Salt Lake Tribune that he and Max "believe SEPULTURA doesn't really make sense nowadays, to do what they're doing." The drummer also downplayed the possibility of a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, saying: "Unless it's something really solid — and we haven't seen that from their part — of doing something totally professional and coming together, trying to do something like that. At the end of the day, it would be special for the fans, so it's not like a closed door, but at the same time, we have no time to spend energy with this kind of thing. So we just move forward."

Max echoed his brother's sentiments, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't even think about his former bandmates much. "For a time — for a long time — there was a war in the press, like, 'He'll talk this, I'll talk that,'" he explained. "I got really tired of it, honestly. I'm not gonna do that anymore. So let them go their way and do their thing, and we're gonna do our thing, and I think that's the best for everybody."

While stopping short of completely ruling out a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, Max said: "Right now, we don't even need it. It's been so much of that kind of bad vibes through the years that I don't even know how that would even really work out. I think what [Igor and I] are doing is the closest thing to that, and it works great, it works like a charm. It's amazing."

Igor and Max have spent much of the last five years celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise", respectively, on tour all over the world.

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Quadra", was released in February via Nuclear Blast Records.

Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD will release a new live album, "Lost Machine - Live", on November 27 via Century Media Records. The disc was recorded in Québec City during the worldwide touring cycle for the band's latest studio LP, "The Wake".

Asked in a new interview with Bandbond why now is the right time to release a VOIVOD live album, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin said (see video below): "For the album 'The Wake', we toured a lot, and we had many plans put aside. Now that we are sort of confined at home, this year was a good year to catch up with these plans. We had shows recorded from last year, when we played festivals here in the province of Quebec, so we released in July an EP with a performance at the Montréal Jazz Fest. And then in November, we will release a full-on show from the Summer Fest in Québec City. So we had the time to mix it and master it and everything. I had time to do the art. We also took the opportunity this summer to work on a VOIVOD movie. We did a couple of videos. And we also sort of synced up with Logic Pro online where we can write a new album. So we try to keep busy as much as we can. Also, we did that online show that went really well, so we're thinking of maybe performing albums — specific albums — in the future. We actually had a world tour planned this year that was postponed to next year, but who knows? So we're trying to cope with the situation. It's the perfect timing to release a live album before the holidays. And then we'll see next year about [a new] studio album."

"Lost Machine - Live" consists of 13 tracks across 74 packed minutes of playing time.

"Lost Machine - Live" will be available as limited CD with O-Card packaging (in its first European pressing), as digital album and as gatefold 2LP on 180-gram vinyl in the following variations and limitations:

* Black vinyl: Unlimited
* Sky Blue vinyl: 100x copies via CM Webshop Europe
* Transparent Magenta vinyl: 200x copies via CM Distro Europe
* Creamy White vinyl: 200x copies via Nuclear Blast
* Deep Blood Red vinyl: 200x copies via Band
* Neon Green vinyl: 200x copies via Band

"Lost Machine - Live" can be pre-ordered in its various editions at this location.

This past summer, VOIVOD released a new three-track 12-inch vinyl and digital EP titled "The End Of Dormancy" via Century Media Records. The EP is centered around a special "Metal Section" version of the title track (off VOIVOD's latest album, "The Wake") with added trumpets, saxophone and trombones. The complementary songs on this release are exclusive live versions of "The End Of Dormancy (Metal Section)" and the group's classic "The Unknown Knows", recorded at Montreal Jazz Fest 2019.

"The End Of Dormancy" EP comes with artwork by Langevin and is available on 180-fram 12-inch vinyl.

In March 2019, VOIVOD was honored with a Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Award) in the "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" category. VOIVOD won the award for "The Wake", which was released in September 2018 via Century Media Records. The disc was recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Recording Studio in Canada. The album's artwork was once again created by Away.

In a new interview with Misplaced Straws, Richard Black of Shark Island talks about the current band and record, and gives a great history of what it was like for bands in the 80's L.A. scene. He gets into great detail about how Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose "stole" his stage persona and didn't try to help the band once GN'R got signed. An excerpt follows:

On the rumors that Axl Rose stole Richard's stage act:

"At first, I avoided it and didn't want to talk about it. And there was a reason for that because if you look at it from my perspective, if I say anything at all, it is perceived as sour grapes... 'Well, you're just jealous because that happened and that happened, you know?' So I had to keep quiet. Couldn't really say anything. Now, with so much dirty water under the bridge, it doesn't really even matter. And frankly, as far as what I see Axl Rose doing is not very attractive at all. It doesn't look good to me.

"I was a trained modern dancer, you know? I did that, too. I mean, I was a singer, a songwriter, a dancer. I spent a considerable amount of time training and doing all this and thousands of hours on stage. And then here comes a couple of people off the turnip truck and show up in town, and it's pretty obvious that my kind of stick was appropriated.

"I'll tell you one of the things that really got me was we were there at Gazzarri's, like I said, every week, and at the time everybody didn't have cell phones and video cameras with them all the time. People were sneaking in camcorders with VHS tapes. I mean, I don't know how you could, I don't know how they managed to do that. There were people in the back. The places were packed. I mean, the shows were packed shoulder to shoulder, and if it was wintertime, you had a big jacket, you throw it under you. Anyway, I went over to Axl's pad one time, like some kind of an after-party or something. And he had a TV going in the living room area and on top of the TV, there was I don't know, 8 or 10 VHS tapes, all marked with "Shark Island". He taped some shows verbatim, boom, and one playing as I walked in on TV, no bones about it, nothing was hidden. Well, you know, my heart sank when I saw that. Because I already knew at that time that Guns N' Roses were getting down with David Geffen and that whole thing. And I knew that the person with the biggest mouthpiece is going to be able to claim whatever, so what can I do? You know, what can I do?

"He wasn't able to do anything nearly as good as what I was doing. I'm not trying to boast or anything, but truly. So what happened is the first song that came out is 'Welcome To The Jungle', right. The video of 'Welcome To The Jungle', even by Guns N' Roses standard, is largely different than what came after that for them. For Axl, for everybody. It was very much a different vibe, he was dressed differently, more glamour, after that and they decided to try to look like Hell's Angels or something. They kind of shifted gears to that. And we weren't that I was never into that. I was more into, like, elegance and decadence and a trifle raunchy. That's what I kind of tried to be. That was like what my intent was.

"So if you look, if one were to look at 'Welcome To The Jungle' and one were to remember the Gazzari's-era time, then the whole similarity is very obvious. But in the grand scheme of things, he ended up at best, getting kind of a jump start for some kind of image. Image is very important then, it is even now, but no one wants to admit it, but image is very important. How how do you want to be perceived? So it ended after that. I mean, and then when you see him now, you know there's virtually no similarity. But maybe there's little things that you can't maybe put a finger on.

"So I hate for it to sound like, again, like sour grapes. And it's not, because good for him, you know? But I would have hoped... if it was me and something like that would happen, even inadvertently, I would've thrown somebody a bone at that point. I mean, I had I didn't have a record deal for several years after that, and by that time, grunge was already knocking on my door and things were changing. So it was, like, too late, but he could have at any time, any of them, said, 'Hey, I got this friend of mine', or said something in an interview or did something because he knows how desperate it was. He didn't have to cut his teeth as bad as I did for such a long time, because he was able to appropriate something and kind of move ahead of the line, so to speak. I don't have to do all that. All that spadework, dig that ditch. I've already dug the ditch, you know? So that's what that is. And I don't frankly care. My life came out in the grand scheme of things a lot different than I had planned, but I think it's probably, if I really look at it, it's probably a good thing because I think I might have been dead."

Read the full interview at Misplaced Straws.

Shark Island was once the house band at the world famous Gazzaris on the Sunset Strip. Signed to Epic Records in 1989 the band released their debut album, Law Of The Order, and also saw the tracks "Dangerous" and "Father Time" featured in the movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, as well as the song "My City" from the movie Point Break.

Richard Black would go on to be part of the short lived supergroup Contraband which also featured Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO), and members of L.A. Guns, Ratt and Vixen. They released one album in 1991 before disbanding.

In 2018 the band started work on Bloodline which was recorded in Croatia and Los Angeles. It was limited to self release before being picked up by Deko Entertainment, and fans and critics are liking what they hear.

Richard states this about the new video and song, “Written as a companion song to ‘On And On’, ‘Someday’ is a song about procrastination and our fleeting life as it passes before our eyes.”

View the video for "Someday' below.

Bloodline 2.020 is out now and features the unreleased extended version of “Rocks on the Rocks” and the newly recorded “Someday”.

As part of this deluxe 2.020 version, they are making available limited edition Mega-Bundles (while supplies last), which can be ordered here.

This bundle includes the following items:

- One (1) Shark Island Bloodline 2.020 CD
- One (1) Shark Island Fandana
- One (1) Shark Island T-Shirt
- One (1) Shark Island Signed Poster
- One (1) Shark Island Sticker
- One (1) Shark Island Bracelet

Bloodline 2.020 tracklisting:

"Make A Move"
"Fire In the House"
"Policy Of Truth"
"Aktion Is"
"7 Tears"
"Crazy 8’s"
"Rocks On The Rocks"
"Butterfly"
"When She Cries"
"Law Of The Order"
"On And On"
"Someday"
"Rocks On The Rocks" (Producer’s Cut)

"Someday" video:




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In a candid interview with "The Jasta Show", LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia — who grew up Roman Catholic in Italy — opened up about her views on religion. She said (see video below): "I have nothing against religion. I think that every person can decide for their lives if religion brings you comfort in a tough moment of your life. If you have lost, for example, someone that you love and you need comfort and you want to believe that this person will be in a different place, in a better place, I will not be the one to tell you what's wrong. What I don't understand is when religion literally leads your life and you don't question some things that are not logical, and you are following rules just because someone told you to follow, but they are making no sense. Even in the context of the religion, even if you read the Bible, and it's just, like, the Bible [doesn't] say this. The Bible itself [doesn't] say this. The Bible says that you don't have to gather to celebrate Jesus; the Bible is saying it. Why organized religions by men are deciding this? I try to observe different points of view every time, and that is why I'm more on the skeptical side."

Asked if she is atheist or agnostic, Cristina said: "Maybe more agnostic, because, to be honest with you, I would love to know that there is another place beside earth and behind us being living humans. I would love to reunite with my parents when I will be gone and to all the ones that I have lost. But to be honest, I don't know. I can only speculate; I can only hope that there's something like this. But I don't have any proof. I don't have a single proof."

Last year, Scabbia told Revolver magazine she was raised to "live with good principles," yet in adolescence, she became disenchanted by the hypocrisy of the Church. "I know so many people who would go to church and then leave and act like the worst Christians," she explained. "That's what turned me off. I was searching for answers, and I didn't get the answers I was expecting."

In a separate interview with NME, Cristina was asked if she was "team science" or "team theology." She replied: "Science. 100%. Actually, let's call it 80%. I still understand the spiritual part and I do hope there is something in us that lasts. I want to believe my loved ones are still around me in the form of energy, but I don't have any proof. That stops me from blindly believing.

"Obviously, Italy is a very religious country," she continued. "We have the Pope. But while I grew up going to church — my parents were believers — I never did believe. I used to just be confused why I had to go to church every week. I didn't understand why people didn't behave like they said they did in church. I always thought it was more important to be a good human being, to be a respectful human being, without any fear of God attached to it."

This past September, LACUNA COIL took part in "Black Anima: Live From The Apocalypse", an exclusive streaming show featuring a full performance of the band's latest album, "Black Anima", for the very first time, including songs never performed live, plus special backstage/off-camera moments and more. The Italian heavy rockers played the concert from the Alcatraz Club in Milan. "Black Anima: Live From The Apocalypse" was hosted on A-Live.

In a new interview with Heavy Culture, former TROUBLE singer Eric Wagner revealed that he has been working on his debut solo album for the last few years. "[It's completely] written [and I'm] just getting ready to record it," he said (see video below). "I always wanted to do something like that. Friends that I grew up with [will] play on it, and [I will get some] guest guitar players to do the solos, [people] that I respect and consider friends for all these years. So it should be fun. And I've been looking forward to doing this. Like I said, that one's written, and I'm just kind of waiting to record it. It's [something] I've been wanting to do for a long time. It's just me — it's just me."

Wagner went on to say that he is "getting real close" to beginning the recording process for the solo LP. "Whether it happens still this year or not, I'm not positive," he said. "But that one will be out next year sometime… But I've been working on it for a few years. It's finally finished. The thing's done — the cover, all of it. It's just sitting there waiting to get recorded. So I'm working out the contract stuff, so I should start recording pretty soon."

During the same chat, Eric said that his band THE SKULL has written about five songs for its next studio LP. He is joined in the group by another former member of TROUBLE — bassist Ron Holzner — along with guitarist Lothar Keller (SACRED DAWN).

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Wagner left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.

In a 2016 interview with Oldschool Metal Maniac, Eric stated about his split with TROUBLE: "I was tired of everything. Tired of touring, playing same songs every night. I wanted to do more things, and I didn't see us doing anything new. I had a bunch of new songs, that I've been working on, which appeared on BLACKFINGER records and THE SKULL records."

Eric was one of the guest singers on Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) heavy metal side project PROBOT, whose 2004 album featured heavy metal vocalists from the '80s and '90s.

Earlier this year, TROUBLE partnered with Hammerheart Records to re-release the legendary doom legends' entire musical catalog, in addition to their upcoming album. This partnership that will see the distribution of the band's entire library of music that spans over three decades.

In a new interview with the "Good Company" show hosted by Scott Bowling, Corey Taylor was asked about SLIPKNOT's plans for the coming months once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. He said (see video below): "The plan right now with SLIPKNOT is to try and a) finish up the touring next year, and b) we're thinking about kind of putting another album out maybe next year. But I don't know. I don't know what the plan is yet. I just know that we all kind of feel like there's unfinished business and we wanna finish that out before we do anything. But I know that we were talking about doing it, 'cause we only have one album left on our contract [with our record label]."

Last month, SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan confirmed that the band has been using some of the downtime during the pandemic to work on material for the follow-up to last year's "We Are Not Your Kind" album.

"Since everybody's taken a lot of time off, we thought we'd utilize it by getting together and do what we probably do best, which is write music," Crahan explained during a bottle-signing session for SLIPKNOT's No. 9 Iowa Whiskey. "So it's been good, because there's no pressure. It's not like we have to. We're doing it 'cause we want to. And it's just been a blessing, because boredom can set in. And I know all of us in the world are going crazy, so we're really lucky to be able to be together and do what we love most."

Asked if he thinks the coronavirus crisis will influence the lyrical themes covered on the next SLIPKNOT album, Crahan said: "We don't usually speak for Corey, or whatever, but I can imagine that anything that affects him and affects us and affects you will be included. To the extent, I don't know how blatant it will be, I don't know, but we are all living this, and everybody's involved. I wouldn't really know what what road [Corey] is gonna be going down or information that he wants to spread. I'm not sure. We're not quite there yet."

"We Are Not Your Kind" came out in August 2019. The disc sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

"We Are Not Your Kind"'s sales in the U.S. were boosted by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with SLIPKNOT's summer 2019 tour.

Earlier this year, Crahan said that a set of 11 previously unreleased songs recorded by four members of SLIPKNOT during the sessions for its 2008 LP "All Hope Is Gone" will arrive at some point during the "We Are Not Your Kind" touring cycle.

Crahan revealed the existence of the music in 2018, saying that he, Taylor, guitarist Jim Root and DJ Sid Wilson wrote and laid down the more psychedelic-flavored tunes at a separate studio during an impasse in the recording of "All Hope Is Gone".

The latest episode of the 80’s Glam Metalcast features original Savatage drummer, Steve “Doc” Wacholz (left in the photo). He does through his history with the band and discusses his current band, Reverence. 

On jamming with the Oliva brothers in the early days

Steve: "The first time I met with them and played with them was 1977. I was a kid. In all fairness, Criss was already a guitar god back then at age 14. It was a lot of fun and a learning experience for sure. I had to hone my craft to keep up with those guys. Both Oliva's are very talented, so I had to practice some more to keep up. By 1979 it was a full time gig for us. There was brotherly love and brotherly fights between them. Creatively, you couldn't put two better people in the room together."

On the Edge Of Thorns era

Steve: "Here I am, a longtime member a 1/4 owner of the band Savatage.... I show up to practice one day and I'm introduced to our new singer, Zak Stevens. It was a surprise. Zak is great individual and singer but it just wasn't feeling the same to me. Jon was the voice of Savatage. Zak was a little more poppy if you will. At that time, I had a business going and it was doing very well. I did the album Edge Of Thorns but I decided not to do the tour. Yeah, I was Dr. Killpad on that album.... I played an electric kit!" 

On the death of Criss Oliva and the Handful Of Rain album

Steve: "I probably would still be making music with those guys if Criss was still here. We were pretty tight, it just sucks that he's been gone now for 27 years. At Criss' funeral, we said it was over, that the band couldn't continue without Criss. He was the center point of the band and a guitar god in my eyes. Then 8-10 months later I hear Savatage is recording and I'm like 'Huh?' I didn't play on it, but my picture is on the inside cover and I did the video. I think they did it because I had been there since the beginning. I gave some credibility to the name at the time I guess. I don't really know." 

On the idea of ever playing in Savatage again

Steve: "I would do the whole damn album! I just texted Jon today because I read something that said he was writing. He knows I want to play again. It was Paul's idea like 10-15 years ago to bring all the past member together for a show, bringing them out as you progress in the catalog and timeline of the band. I could take a month out of my life and tour Europe. I don't think I would want to do the States. I'd love to do it. It's not like we are getting any younger."

On his favorite Savatage album

Steve: "It's the one I haven't played on yet! You know the early stuff was a lot of fun. I didn't really know what I was doing, I was just playing." 




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NIGHTWISH's Floor Jansen has released her cover version of the HEART classic "Alone". A video of her rendition, featuring music by Joost Van Den Broek, can be seen below.

In a statement accompanying the YouTube release of her "Alone" video, the Dutch-born vocalist wrote: "Picking Alone from @thebandheart (HEART) as my second cover on YouTube felt like the right decision. I have performed this song with NIGHTWISH, AFTER FOREVER and even at the Christmas Metal Symphony! So when I saw many of you requesting this song, I got to work! Hope you enjoy it!"

Earlier in the month, Jansen released her cover version of the song "Let It Go" from the Disney movie "Frozen". She revealed that she got the inspiration to record the track through her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Freja, who had been listening to it and singing it "for months."

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013 and made her recording debut with the group on 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album.

NIGHTWISH's ninth studio album, "Human. :II: Nature." , was released in April via Nuclear Blast. The effort is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.