BLACKMORE'S NIGHT has released has released the official lyric video for "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear". The song is taken from BLACKMORE'S NIGHT's upcoming EP "Here We Come A-Caroling", which will arrive on December 4 via earMUSIC, the global independent rock and contemporary music label of Edel Germany GmbH.

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT was founded in 1997 by Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night to stage their mutual love for traditional medieval and folk-rock music. Blackmore has shaped the hard rock scene for decades as one of the most influential and notorious guitarists ever, first with DEEP PURPLE and later with RAINBOW.

"Nature's Light", BLACKMORE'S NIGHT's eleventh studio album, will be released in the spring of 2021, followed by a reissue of the band's entire catalog later in the year.

To bridge the time while waiting for "Nature's Light" to be finally released, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT decided to record a new Christmas-themed EP and give their fans something special to celebrate the holy days with. "Here We Come A-Caroling" will become available on limited-edition 10-inch translucent green vinyl as well as a limited-edition CD digipak and digital.

"Nature's Light" is an honest declaration of love to the folk music of the Renaissance era, deeply inspired by myths and legends of times that are long gone and driven by the fiery relationship between the two married songwriters.

Max Vaccaro, general manager of earMUSIC, says: "We celebrate the 'homecoming' of a true music legend: BLACKMORE'S NIGHT started its wonderful musical journey with Edel in 1997. Today, decades later, it is a joyful occasion to welcome Ritchie and Candice back and to plan many years of exciting collaboration with them for their new music and a catalog that has reached the heart of millions of fans over the years."

Blackmore and Night add: "On June 2, 1997, we released our first Renaissance folk-rock debut album: 'Shadow Of The Moon'. With devotion and professionalism, our new record label, Edel, brought 'Shadow Of The Moon' to the top of the charts, where it remained for 17 weeks, earning us our first gold record as BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, a project close to our hearts and as untouched territory, a new genre for us to bring to the world.

"Our music is an escape from the stress and pressure of modern times. Journey back through time with us, to a simpler, magical time where music enters your heart and soul.

"We are honored to be 'back home again' with our friends and colleagues of Edel.

"BLACKMORE'S NIGHT has returned with our new CD, fans have been waiting for five years, and we are excited to be able to pair up again with Edel to bring it to them."

"Here We Come A-Caroling" track listing:

01. Here We Come A-Caroling (Vinyl Side A)

02. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Vinyl Side A)

03. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Vinyl Side B)

04. Silent Night (Vinyl Side B)

KILLER BE KILLED has just released its sophomore album, "Reluctant Hero", via Nuclear Blast. The animated video for the fourth single from the LP, "From A Crowded Wound", can be seen below.

The supergroup, which is comprised of Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, ex-SEPULTURA), Troy Sanders (MASTODON) Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), and drummer Ben Koller (CONVERGE, ALL PIGS MUST DIE, MUTOID MAN), previously released its self-titled debut album in 2014 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Koller said of the song: "'From A Crowded Wound' is the creeping punisher on this record, a lumbering steamroller laying a trail of sleek acid slime from beginning to end."

Costin Chioreanu, who has previously worked on videos for GHOST, NAPALM DEATH and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, created the visually stunning clip.

"Reluctant Hero" track listing:

01. Deconstructing Self-Destruction

02. Dream Gone Bad

03. Left Of Center

04. Inner Calm From Outer Storms

05. Filthy Vagabond

06. From A Crowded Wound

07. The Great Purge

08. Comfort From Nothing

09. Animus

10. Dead Limbs

11. Reluctant Hero

"This has been a long time coming. It feels great to be getting this out," said Puciato of the Josh Wilbur-produced (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA) album."

Two years ago, Max confirmed to Metal Underground that KILLER BE KILLED had begun the songwriting process for its second LP. "We already demoed for it; we got 10 songs out of it," he said at the time. "[It came out] fantastic. Troy is more involved, which is what I wanted from the beginning. So that's gonna be great."

Drummer Dave Elitch (ex-THE MARS VOLTA) played on KILLER BE KILLED's first CD but was unable to continue with the band due to scheduling conflicts with his other group, ANTEMASQUE.

For their live debut at the 2015 Soundwave festival in Australia, Cavalera, Sanders, Puciato and Koller were joined by Juan Montoya (MONSTRO, ex-TORCHE), who also performed on the KILLER BE KILLED debut album.

"Killer Be Killed" sold around 5,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 58 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in May 2014, the CD was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur, whose credits include work with GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD, HATEBREED, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ESCAPE THE FATE, P!NK and STEVE EARLE.

TRANSATLANTIC — the multinational progressive rock supergroup featuring vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse (SPOCK'S BEARD, THE NEAL MORSE BAND), drummer Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, DREAM THEATER), bassist Pete Trewavas (MARILLION) and guitarist Roine Stolt (THE FLOWER KINGS) — will release its fifth studio album, "The Absolute Universe", on February 5, 2021 via InsideOut Music. Representing the band's first new music since 2014's "Kaleidoscope", with "The Absolute Universe" the band has done something unique and created two versions of the record: "The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version)" and "The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version)".

TRANSATLANTIC has launched the video for "Overture / Reaching For The Sky", taken from "The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version)". Watch it below.

Portnoy comments: "'Reaching For The Sky' is the first single off TRANSATLANTIC's latest magnum opus 'The Absolute Universe'. It's a great introduction to this epic album as it sets the tone in traditional TRANSATLANTIC style: preceded on the album by an extended instrumental overture and then launching into this upbeat first song.

"I love that it features one of my favorite qualities of the band in the sharing of the lead vocals...in this case: Neal singing lead on Verse 1, myself singing lead on Verse 2, Pete and Neal sharing the chorus with myself and Roine on backups and Neal taking the glorious bridge... all leading to Roine's distinctive guitar solo. Also interesting is that this version exclusively appears on the Abridged 1CD Version of TA5 ('The Breath Of Life') while the Extended 2CD Version of TA5 ('Forevermore') opens with the alternate version 'Heart Like A Whirlwind' which has different lead vocals and lyrics."

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

As Portnoy explains: "We've got two versions of this album. There is a two-CD presentation, which is 90 minutes long, and a single one — that's 60 minutes. However, the single CD is NOT merely an edited version of the double CD. They each contain alternate versions and even in some cases, new recordings. We wrote fresh lyrics and have different people singing on the single CD version tracks as compared to those on the double CD. Some of the songtitles have also been changed, while others might remain the same, but compositionally, what you'll hear has been altered.

"You must appreciate that what we have done is unique. We revamped the songs to make the two versions different."

Trewavas adds: "We did write some new music for the single CD. What's more, there are also differences in the instruments used on some of the tracks across the two records."

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

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

This album also marks a return to the concept album for TRANSATLANTIC.

"Well, the idea of TRANSATLANTIC deciding to do a concept record this time around won't shock anyone, right?" laughs Portnoy. "What we have is essentially one giant composition, split into chapters. The storyline is about the struggles facing everyone in society today."

"We didn't start out with the idea of this being conceptual," admits Stolt. "The way things work with us is that we have a load of ideas, and these are developed spontaneously when we meet up. Everything happens in the moment."

So, how does this new groundbreaking album compare to TRANSATLANTIC's previous four albums?

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

For Trewavas, "The Absolute Universe" is a momentous project. "I think it is right up there with the very finest albums we've done," he says. "As the others have said, it compares very well to 'The Whirlwind', which I believe represents TRANSATLANTIC at our best. As on that album, we took our time to write and arrange everything, and that shines through. I am very excited for people to hear it."

TRANSATLANTIC formed in 1999 and released its debut album, "SMPT:e", the following year. Sophomore effort "Bridge Across Forever" followed in 2001, but the group went on an extended hiatus after Morse left SPOCK'S BEARD in 2002 to focus on his newly launched career in the Christian music industry.

The group reunited in 2009 and released third album "The Whirlwind", which consisted of a single 77-minute track, that same year. A fourth album, "Kaleidoscope", was recorded in 2013 and released the following year, when it debuted at No. 6 on the German top album charts. The band has also released several live albums and live videos, most recently 2014's "KaLIVEoscope".

Portnoy and Morse are frequent musical collaborators, having recorded more than a dozen albums together outside of TRANSATLANTIC, including three FLYING COLORS releases, three by THE NEAL MORSE BAND and seven Morse solo albums.

MSG have released a video for the new single, "Drilled To Kill", featured on the group's new album, Immortal, out January 8 via Nuclear Blast. Watch the video below, and pre-order the new album here.

MSG is a legendary name. After two phenomenal records under the guise of Michael Schenker Fest, a true guitar hero is returning to his roots. By forming Michael Schenker Group (MSG) back in 1979, Michael Schenker laid the foundations for one of hard rock’s most glorious solo careers of all times. And while nobody expected anything less from a former guitarist for Scorpions and UFO, it’s close to impossible mentioning everything Michael has built over the past 50 years, or the countless people he influenced or played with. This, truly, is the stuff that hard rocking myths are made of.

“I never looked back,” is how Michael dryly sums up an extraordinary career. Due to this mindset, he only realised much later what a huge impact his playing had made on the world of metal and hard rock. Very few guitarists can be cited as a primary influence for the likes of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrell, Slash or Kerry King. However, to understand Michael Schenker means to understand one primary thing: he’s not here to be worshipped or adored, he’s not here to get rich, he’s here to play. And at 65, he’s doing it with the same swagger, verve and dizzying artistry as always. “I’m still 16 in my head,” he laughs.

Right in time for his 40th anniversary as a solo artist and his 50th birthday as a musician, he resurrects the immortal Michael Schenker Group. Immortal is also the name of his new album, recorded by likely the strongest line-up in his long history. Its a lightning bolt of an album that sounds fresh, bloodthirsty and agile. Immortal showcases the gargantuan vocal talents of Chilean hard rock prodigy Ronnie Romero (Rainbow), backed by singers Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Deep Purple) as well as Schenker’s brother in arms, Michael Voss (Mad Max) who again produced the record alongside Michael Schenker – flawlessly, punchy and at full steam as if their very lives depended on it.

Next to Michael Schenker caressing his iconic black and white Dean Flying V, we hear bass player Barry Sparks (Dokken), keyboard player Steve Mann as well as the three drummers Bodo Schopf, Simon Phillips (ex-Toto) and Brian Tichy (ex-Whitesnake) pumping gallons of fresh blood through the tracks. And that’s not all, keyboard wizard extraordinaire Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Black Country Communion) gives the listener a baptism of fire in the blistering, heavy hitting opener “Drilled To Kill”, powered by Ralf Scheepers’ unbelievable vocal tornado.

Michael Schenker doesn’t live to play, he plays to live, and there’s no better way of summing up his relationship to his music than this – now for half a century and counting. The most emblematic representation of this relationship is the monumental closing track “In Search Of The Peace Of Mind”, a new recording of the very first song he ever wrote. “I composed this track in my mother’s kitchen back when I was 15,” he looks back half a century and smiles broadly: “The solo is just so perfect, I wouldn’t change a single note even today. This is the most important song of the last 50 years for me. It’s what started it all.”

When it finally got released in 1972 on the Scorpions’ debut Lonesome Crow, Schenker had already moved on to UFO. What followed were several decades of pure hard rock ecstasy on and off stage, featuring a rotating cast of stellar players, always pressing the pedal to the metal. Now, in 2020, he reaps what he sowed. Alongside many of his peers, friends and contemporaries, he is celebrating 50 years of hard rock – fittingly with an album that is something like a zeitgeisty reminiscence of everything he’s ever done. The massive midtempo smasher “Don’t Die On Me Now” sees Joe Lynn Turner going all in, Ronnie Romero works his magic in “Knight Of The Dead” while Michael Voss cuts a grand figure before the microphone as well as behind the mixing desk on the furious second single “After The Rain”.

Towering above them all, Michael Schenker and his guitar prove they’re truly and utterly invincible. The celebrated icon pulls out all the stops – including his legendary “howler”, the fabled magnet he’s used on his fingerboard for a while now. And here’s yet another thing that’s just so archetypically Schenker, when bringing up his fiery and dedicated performance on “Immortal” he nonchalantly shrugs it off: “I simply played from the heart, as always.” This, dear Michael, is the understatement of the year – all the more so for a record that is already one of the top contenders for hard rock/metal album of the year.

Tracklisting:

"Drilled To Kill" (feat Ralf Scheepers)
"Don’t Die On Me Now" (feat Joe Lynn Turner)
"Knight Of The Dead" (feat Ronnie Romero)
"After The Rain" (feat Michael Voss)
"Devil’s Daughter" (feat Ralf Scheepers)
"Sail The Darkness" (Feat Ronnie Romero)
"The Queen Of Thorns And Roses" (feat Michael Voss)
"Come On Over" (feat Ronnie Romero)
"Sangria Morte" (feat Joe Lynn Turner)
"In Search Of Peace Of Mind" (feat Ronnie Romero, Gary Barden,Doogie White, Robin McAuley)

"Drilled To Kill" lyric video:

(Photo - Stephanie Cabral)




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September 25th marked 25 years since Rammstein emerged from Berlin with its debut album, Herzeleid. To celebrate the anniversary, the RammWiki page on YouTube continues to roll out rare audio and video material from the band's career. The latest installment is two early instrumental demos from the Liebe Ist Für Alle Da abum, released in 2009: "Ramm-Mix" ("Rammlied") and "Waldmann" ("Waidmanns Heil").

Liebe Ist Für Alle Da was the band's last album for nearly a decade, until the release of their self-titled follow-up album in May 2019.

Check out the final album versions below.

To celebrate Rammstein's first indelible impact on global hard rock history, the band and Vertigo/UMe will release limited, remastered editions of the band’s groundbreaking debut on December 4. They have released an official trailer for Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition - Remastered) featuring the CD and vinyl LP versions of the album.

Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition - Remastered) will feature the album’s original tracklist on a single CD, housed in a lavish, cross-shaped digipak with deluxe slipcase, and, for the first time ever, the remastered album with HD sound will be available digitally.

In addition, there will be a 2LP version with a slipcase containing two 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl discs with blue splatter effect. The creator of the original artwork, Dirk Rudolph, is also responsible for the Anniversary Edition packaging. The booklets also contain the original band portraits shot by Praler. Both the CD and vinyl editions are strictly limited.

The limited editions can be pre-ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Wollt Ihr Das Bett in Flammen Sehen"
"Der Meister"
"Weisses Fleisch"
"Asche zu Asche"
"Seemann"

"Du Riechst So Gut"
"Das Alte Leid"
"Heirate Mich"
"Herzeleid"
"Laichzeit"
"Rammstein"




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The Agonist vocalist Vicky Psarakis has recorded and shot another cover song. This time it's Amaranthe's "Boom!1", taken from the band's new album, Manifest. Check out the video below.

 

Check out Psarakis' cover of The Devin Townsend Band's "Vampira" below.

 

 

 




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New York/New Jersey metal formation, Tombs, will be releasing their new studio album, Under Sullen Skies, tomorrow (Friday, November 20) via Season Of Mist.  Pre-order the new album here, and find a full audio stream below.

"Under Sullen Skies is another step in the new era of the band," comments mainman Mike Hill. "I can't express how stoked I am to be working with the new lineup and the band is truly firing on all cylinders."

Cover art by Valnoir.

Tracklisting:

“Bone Furnace”
“Void Constellation”
“Barren”
“The Hunger”
“Secrets Of The Black Sun”
“Descensum”
“We Move Like Phantoms”
“Mordum”
“Lex Talionis”
“Angel Of Darkness”
“Sombre Ruin”
“Plague Years”

Album stream:

"The Hunger" video:

(Photo - Dan Higgins)




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Scottish folk-inspired black metal outfit, SAOR, has won a Scottish Alternative Music Award in the "Best Metal" category. The Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA’s) recognizes the best new Scottish music, shining a spotlight across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres.

Frontman Andy Marshall comments: "Thanks to everyone who voted for us, I really appreciate it. It's been a tough year, so this award means a lot. Special thanks to our manager Joe, the live band and Season of Mist for all their hard work. Cheers and hope to you guys next year!"




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SCOUR, the extreme metal supergroup featuring Philip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, EN MINOR), John Jarvis (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED), Derek Engemann (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS), Mark Kloeppel (MISERY INDEX) and Adam Jarvis (PIG DESTROYER, LOCK UP) will release its long-anticipated record "The Black EP" on Black Friday, November 27.

Forged in 2015, SCOUR made its debut with the ferocious single "Dispatched". "The Grey EP", released via Anselmo's Housecore label, dropped in 2016, followed by "The Red EP" in 2017. Faster and tighter than ever, this year's "The Black EP" serves as the final release of the EP trilogy and is inarguably the band's most ferocious effort to date. Mixed and mastered by Ryan Vincent at Apollo Audio Alternative with vocals and drums engineered by Stephen "Big Fella" Berrigan (DOWN, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, EYEHATEGOD), "The Black EP" includes guest appearances from Erik Rutan of HATE ETERNAL, Pat O'Brien of CANNIBAL CORPSE, and actor Jason Momoa ("Dune", "Game Of Thrones", "Aquaman").

"The latest SCOUR is the best SCOUR," proclaims Anselmo. Engemann adds: "This is our most fierce and ripping album to date. Completing the EP trilogy, 'The Black EP' brings a more mature musical approach without compromising the utter relentless brutality. We've got a few special gems as well that I'm stoked for people to hear."

Today the band is pleased to offer up the opening track, the crushing "Doom". It includes guest vocals from Jason Momoa and a guest guitar solo by Erik Rutan. The "Doom" video, created by Paul McGuire of Obscenery Films, can be seen below.

"The Black EP" will be released via CD, LP and digital formats via Housecore Records (North America) and Nuclear Blast (internationally).

"The Black EP" track listing:

01. Doom

02. Nail

03. Propaganda

04. Flames

05. Microbes

06. Subprime

The sound of SCOUR can best be described as a modern reimagining of what primarily became known as black metal mixed with elements of grindcore and bits of punk and thrash. Without getting too caught up in genre classification, the result is a brand of ominously-hued, punishing minimalism that pays proper homage the the originators, without the trappings of being a "throwback," reimagining the lineage from primitive punk darkness into modernity. This nuanced approach was, perhaps, made crystal clear with the 2019 release of their cover of BATHORY's "Massacre".

In its short existence, the band has graced the stages of many of the major players in both the mainstream and metal-oriented music festival circuits including Roskilde, Hellfest, Tecate Metal Festival, Maryland Deathfest, and more. As the lineage of its membership suggests, SCOUR continues to be a proverbial force with which to be reckoned both on the stage and in the studio.

SCOUR is:

Philip H. Anselmo - vocals

Derek Engemann - guitar, backing vocals

John Jarvis - bass, backing vocals

Mark Kloeppel - guitar, backing vocals

Adam Jarvis - drums

New York City’s avant-garde black metal outfit, Imperial Triumphant, have released their new music video for "Excelsior", directed by the band's very own Steve Blanco. Watch below.

"Many people flock to the big city with golden dreams in their eyes willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, like the ones they see at the top. It is the seal of approval; The medieval crest upon which the very fabric of humanity's elevation prevails. The failure and losing streak is a deceptive reality that slowly finds its way as diminishing returns, caught up in the illusory system. Ever upwards," states Imperial Triumphant bassist Steve Blanco about the music video.

"Excelsior" is lifted from the band's new album, Alphaville, available here.

Tracklisting:

"Rotted Futures"
"Excelsior"
"City Swine"
"Atomic Age"
"Transmission To Mercury"
"Alphaville"
"The Greater Good"
 
Bonus tracks:
"Experiment" (Voivod)
"Happy Home" (The Residents)

"Atomic Age" video:

"Rotted Futures" video:

Imperial Triumphant is:

Zachary Ilya Ezrin - Vocals, guitars
Steven Blanco - Bass, vocals, piano, mellotron, synths, taiko drums
Kenny Grohowski - Drums, taiko drums

(Photo - Alex Krauss)




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Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released their brand new single "The Purge", the follow-up to "Entertain You". You can now listen to it below.

"The Purge" is a high-energy rock song that shows the diversity of WITHIN TEMPTATION's musical progression. Now that all 2020 shows have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band remains productive by focusing on writing and releasing new songs. Therefore, more singles are to come.

"'The Purge' revolves around self-reflection and a search for redemption," says frontwoman Sharon Den Adel. "No one gets through life without scars or without inflicting them on others and there will always be moments in your life you start questioning your choices. You start realizing you've made mistakes, causing harm to not only others but also to yourself. To confess, to acknowledge and to accept these mistakes, can be a very painful process — however, unescapable when the burden becomes too heavy."

Speaking to Kerrang! about WITHIN TEMPTATION's plans to release three standalone singles in 2020, Sharon said: "It's something we've wanted to try for a long time already: to be able to share new music in a quicker way, instead of having wait two or three more years before an album comes out. Something sometimes feels better in the moment rather than having to wait a few years until the album comes out.”

When asked about the streaming world and if albums have perhaps lost a bit of impact these days, she said: "I think albums and streaming services are two different things; they serve a different purpose. One is more physical of course — you can read the lyrics and look at the artwork — and the other one is more direct, an easier way to access music. It doesn't have to stand in the way of each other, as it serves a different purpose in my opinion."

"Entertain You" kicked off of a series of digital single releases and exceeded all expectations. "Entertain You" was No. 1 most added on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart, with airplay on at least 40 radio stations, including Music Choice, SiriusXM Octane, WZOR and KQXR, No. 5 in the Contraband Metal chart, and at No. 18 in the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart in USA.

WITHIN TEMPTATION released the official music video for "Entertain You" in May. The song was a surprisingly quick follow-up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's seventh studio album, "Resist", which came out in February 2019.

"Resist" debuted in several Top 10 charts worldwide and was the first WITHIN TEMPTATION album to ever reach a No. 1 position on the official German chart.

"Entertain You" arrived one week after the last show of the "Worlds Collide" tour was supposed to happen. The co-headline trek with American rock band EVANESCENCE was originally planned for April, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has now been postponed to September 2021. The trek, for which an impressive 150,000 tickets were sold in eight countries, is slated to take place across venues such as the O2 Arena in London, AccorHotels Arena in Paris, Velodrom in Berlin, and Palais 12 in Brussels.

Sweaty circle pits. Screaming every lyric until your throat is raw. Jumping off a stage into a sea of strangers with whom you share such a strong, unspoken bond with that you know they've got your back. Remember live shows? Swedish metallers IN FLAMES are bringing us back to life before COVID-19 in their new video for "Stay With Me", the closing track on their 2019 album "I, The Mask" to remind us all that we must come together to support those behind the scenes in order to return to the pit. Teaming up with Save Our Stages (U.S.), Let The Music Play (U.K.), Save Live Events Now (U.S.), Stagehand (U.K.), Red Alert (DE) and more, the video brings you back to the energy a live show brings and the community each one creates. In a call to action to save live events, IN FLAMES believes that united we will mosh.

Fans can directly support IN FLAMES crew members by purchasing a limited #UnitedWeWillMosh t-shirt, which proceeds will go to the long time roadies, accompanied by new winter items available today at this location.

"I, The Mask" was released in March 2019 via Nuclear Blast (worldwide, excluding North America) and Eleven Seven Music (North America).

IN FLAMES recruited American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS, to sit behind the kit for the band for its 2018, 2019 and 2020 live appearances.

Wayne stepped into IN FLAMES following the departure of Joe Rickard, who played on "I, The Mask" and "Battles".

Tanner made his live debut with IN FLAMES in July 2018 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Longtime IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced in 2015 that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life.

IN FLAMES' current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since longtime bassist Peter Iwers's November 2016 exit.

IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin has been sitting out the band's tour dates to focus on "personal matters." Filling in for him is former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

To celebrate the release of their seventh studio album "Moment", Swedish melodic death metal pioneers DARK TRANQUILLITY have dropped a music video for the song "Eyes Of The World". The clip was shot at Gothenburg's famed venue Stora Teatern, where the band will perform "Moment" live in its entirety on Saturday, November 21 at 20:00 Central European Time.

It's been four years since DARK TRANQUILLITY's Swedish Grammis-nominated album "Atoma". But the time between was creative, innovative, and adventurous. The band welcomed two top-tier guitarists — Christopher Amott (ex-ARCH ENEMY) and Johan Reinholdz (NONEXIST) — while writing a stunning cluster of songs that not only push DARK TRANQUILLITY's boundaries outward but also strongly typify the Swedes' sonic fingerprint. Recorded at Nacksving Studios and Rogue Music by Martin Brändström and then mixed/mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, "Moment" is a riveting yet challenging journey from start to finish.

Founding DARK TRANQUILLITY guitarist Niklas Sundin announced his departure from the band in March, explaining in a statement that he "always enjoyed the creative process more than the performance aspects of being in a band, and the required extensive touring held less and less appeal with every album."

Asked in a new interview with Dead Rhetoric what it was like to write an album without Niklas, vocalist Mikael Stanne said: "It was strange. There was an absence on 'Atoma' as well, as that was when he began to focus on where he needed to be, and it was a struggle to get the album done because of that. So we had to take the reins more than usual already. So going into this album, knowing that we have Chris and Johan, we had to incorporate their talents and way of playing and thinking into it. But we also had a lot of songs ready. So we had a starting point, and knowing where things were going initially. So having Johan and Chris interpret the songs, and not having a time schedule — we were not in a hurry or rush at all. We tried things out to see how they worked and went back and forth on a lot of stuff, to leave some things open to interpretation but also remain true to what is fundamentally DARK TRANQUILLITY in sound. So it was strange and weird not having that comfort, but Martin Brändström [keyboards] has grown into this role even more with this album. He took on a lot more responsibility when it comes to making sure that everyone is on the same page, keeping the songs focused and strong. He made sure the songs kept to the rules and ideas that we are about. Credit goes to Martin for keeping it all together and keeping things focused."

Regarding what Johan and Chris bring to DARK TRANQUILLITY, Mikael said: "A kind of energy, but fresh perspective into writing the songs. They can be enthusiastic and as critical about anything as we are. It has served to make these songs different in the way that we would like them to be. Sometimes Johan would do something that we thought was fantastic but didn't fit, or sometimes Chris would do something fantastic, but it wasn't really D.T. — there's this weird policing that goes along with it. But in a positive way, to retain what we are about. But having fresh ears and hands to tackle the material has really opened up new possibilities when it comes to writing and recording going forward, as well as playing these songs live."

Ocala, Florida rock band A DAY TO REMEMBER has returned with news of its widely anticipated new album, "You're Welcome". Set for release on March 5, 2021, "You're Welcome" marks the platinum-selling band's debut album for Fueled By Ramen.

A DAY TO REMEMBER vocalist Jeremy McKinnon commented on the forthcoming collection, noting: "It's finally here — almost! To all our fans around the world, we want to say, 'Thank you!' You've waited patiently, and we can't wait for you to hear this. There's a lot of detail in everything we do from the mixes to the artwork, because it all tells a story. So, we made sure each element was perfect. Every line happens for a reason. We took what we envision modern music to be and made a hybrid of who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. It took a lot of maneuvering to get it right, but we feel like we did. We're here now and very happy to present 'You're Welcome'."

To herald the record's arrival, the band has also shared the new single "Brick Wall", which is available today on all streaming platforms.

Pre-orders for "You're Welcome" are live today featuring exclusive merch bundles and a special deluxe edition vinyl of the LP (hand numbered and limited to only 1000 units), which will be pressed on gold vinyl and feature layered artwork offering an enhanced visual journey of "You're Welcome". All pre-orders for "You're Welcome" will unlock instant-grat downloads of "Brick Wall" as well as the previously released singles "Degenerates", "Resentment" and "Mindreader".

Largely produced by Colin "DOC" Brittain and the band's own Jeremy McKinnon, the 14 tracks on "You're Welcome" represent another major step forward for the acclaimed quintet. Highlights include "Bloodsucker", which ravages with an infectious intensity, while "F.Y.M." spouts punk energy through an unforgettable chorus. "Viva La Mexico" builds to a stadium-sized chant backed by walls of guitars, whereas "Everything We Need" closes out the album with a plaintive melody and acoustic eloquence, once more showcasing A DAY TO REMEMBER's multifaceted songwriting.

A DAY TO REMEMBER preceded "You're Welcome" with release of "Mindreader" earlier this year. Since then, the track has amassed over 18 million global streams while its accompanying animated music video has generated over two million views. "Mindreader" followed early standalone singles "Degenerates" and "Resentment" which have collectively amassed over 100 million global streams. Billboard praised "Degenerates" as "an anthemic hybrid of post-hardcore and pop," while Kerrang! hailed, "'Resentment' offers a taste of the musical direction the band are heading, and will certainly tide us over until more news arrives."

"You're Welcome" track listing:

01. Brick Wall

02. Mindreader

03. Bloodsucker

04. Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)

05. F.Y.M.

06. High Diving

07. Resentment

08. Looks Like Hell

09. Viva La Mexico

10. Only Money

11. Degenerates

12. Permanent

13. Re-Entry

14. Everything We Need

Since its formation in 2003, A DAY TO REMEMBER quietly emerged as arguably the biggest underground band in the world. The Florida group affirmed this status by achieving one platinum album, one gold album, one platinum single, and four gold singles. Not to mention, each full-length record ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Rock, Indie, and/or Alternative charts, with 2016's "Bad Vibrations" bowing at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200. They've put up unprecedented numbers for a rock act in the 21st century, generating 850 million Spotify streams, 500 million YouTube views, and sales of three million-plus units. They've also packed arenas on continental tours and attracted a worldwide audience consisting of millions. Additionally, A DAY TO REMEMBER successfully launched their own Self Help Festival in 2014, which continues going strong. Plus, everyone from Marshmello to PIERCE THE VEIL has sought them out for collaborations. All of which explains why Rolling Stone called them "An Artist You Need To Know."

A DAY TO REMEMBER is: Jeremy McKinnon (vocals), Alex Shelnutt (drums), Kevin Skaff (guitar, vocals), Neil Westfall (guitar, vocals) and Joshua Woodard (bass).

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

FOO FIGHTERS performed their new single, "Shame Shame" during last night's (Thursday, November 19) episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert". The pre-taped segment saw the band joined by a choir featuring frontman Dave Grohl's daughter Violet.

"Shame Shame" is taken from FOO FIGHTERS' new album "Medicine At Midnight", which will be released on February 5, 2021 via Roswell Records/RCA Records.

Regarding the track, Grohl told Kerrang!: "When we first started recording the record, we were recording songs that were recognizable as the FOO FIGHTERS. Actually, the first song that we recorded is the first song on the record: 'Making A Fire'. And that really kind of set the tone, like, 'Okay, this is really up and really fuckin' big, and let's keep moving in that direction.'

"And after a few weeks I came in with this idea, which is originally based on a simple guitar riff and this unusual rhythm which is a drum set recorded in a stairwell, but then there's this finger-snapping and stomping and clapping loop that's behind it," Dave continued. "Those two things started coming together, and rather than load a lot of things on top of it, we kept it really simple: there's an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, a bass, a vocal, and also this keyboard part.

"It was noticeably different than anything we've ever done, and I always think that when you're releasing a song before an album, you want it to give a little bit of pretext for things to come; you want to present this to your audience as some sort of indication that we're not just making the same FOO FIGHTERS record again. And there was something about it, with the vibe and the rhythm, that just seems like new territory for us."

Earlier this month, Grohl told Planet Rock about FOO FIGHTERS' musical approach on "Medicine At Midnight": "I started thinking about the direction that we should take for the next record. And I looked at our back catalog, and I thought, okay, we've covered a lot of territory in 25 years. We've made acoustic albums; we've made noisy rock records; we've made sort of midtempo singalongs. And you look back, and you can use it as reference, but you don't necessarily wanna revisit these places that you've already been. And so of all the things that we've done, I thought the one album we haven't made yet is sort of a groove-oriented party album. I mean, if you were to hear the rest of the record, a lot of it is rooted in these grooves that come from SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE and disco and two-step shuffle sort of thing. As a drummer, I always think about that as a foundation, because that can really create the aesthetic or the vibe of an album. So I thought, okay, a lot of our favorite rock and roll bands over the years have that one record that's a rock and roll record that you can really dance to — whether it's THE ROLLING STONES' 'Tattoo You' or David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' or a POWER STATION record; things like that. I thought, 'We haven't really done that yet.' A lot of our albums are really driving and sometimes kind of morose and melancholy, introspective. I was, like, 'Fuck that! Let's have a party. Let's make that record where you can bounce around.'"

Photo credit: Danny Clinch

German thrash metal veterans SODOM have released the official music video for "Friendly Fire". The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "Genesis XIX", which is due on November 27 via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Steamhammer/SPV in Europe.

"Genesis XIX" — recorded by Siggi Bemm and mastered by Patrick W. Engel — comes shrouded in the cover art of Joe Petagno of MOTÖRHEAD fame. The record will be released as a CD digipak, exclusive 2xLP (on translucent orange with opaque silver swirls — an eOne store exclusive), and digitally.

Altenessen, Germany, a northern borough of the city of Essen and a social melting-pot deep in the heart of the Ruhr Area. From the mid-nineteenth century, the region supplied Europe's industrialization with the required raw materials, mined under back-breaking conditions below ground in coal pits named Carl, Anna, Fritz-Heinrich, Helene and the like. Altenessen is also the musical domicile of Thomas "Angelripper" Such, SODOM's vocalist/bassist, who has met for some years with his band members in a ratty rehearsal room in that part of Essen to produce tough-as-nails thrash music. To other musicians, such information may be of marginal interest; to Tom it is an important component of his recipe for success.

"I want guys from the Ruhr, who share my background, with whom I can work and rehearse consistently," explains SODOM's mastermind, who has implemented his band's philosophy together with guitarists Frank Blackfire and Yorck Segatz as well as new addition, drummer Toni Merkel. It's a philosophy that yields more impressive results in 2020 than ever before.

Following the first relaxation of the lockdown rules stemming from the 2020 pandemic, SODOM immediately returned to working creatively, which is one of the reasons why "Genesis XIX" has turned into precisely what the musicians had in mind.

"This is definitely one of the toughest and most diverse studio recordings that SODOM have ever released," notes Angelripper. "Our riff suppliers, Yorck and Frank, are totally different types of musicians. Yorck is a died-in-the-wool metalhead who grew up with thrash music. Frank, on the other hand, also integrates blues and rock elements into his style, including the occasional Frank Marino or Rory Gallagher quotation, and writes songs that could have featured in the same or a similar way on 'Agent Orange'. These are the diverse influences that make 'Genesis XIX' what it is."

In addition, there's a third level that nobody expected after the — as Angelripper expressly emphasises — amicable split with drummer Husky.

"In Toni we've gained an awesome drummer," Angelripper says. "I'd even go so far as to say he's the best drummer that nobody had on the radar before now." Especially since Merkel also has, along with his furioso style, a number of other important qualities, namely his stints with death metal act SABIENDAS and a number of other black/death metal bands, where he played drums and doubled as a producer. Thus he's been a dab hand at studio technology and recording.

"We were largely autonomous during the production of 'Genesis XIX' and were free not only to concentrate on working on new songs but also to come up with the right sounds. That was important because we use neither digital amps nor plug-ins but played all the guitar parts using proper Marshall tube amps." Following the preproduction, SODOM completed the work at the renowned Woodhouse Studio in Hagen, where sound engineer Siggi Bemm recorded Angelripper's vocals and mixed the album on an analog studio console.

From unadulterated thrash metal tracks "Euthanasia", "Dehumanized" and "Friendly Fire" to off-the-grid numbers such as "Occult Perpetrator", SODOM delivers a wide range of facets of their signature sound. This inventiveness also applies to the lyrics on "Genesis XIX", with Angelripper presenting, as usual, his very own range of subjects: "The Harpooneer" is based on Melville's "Moby Dick" novel featuring the obsessive Captain Ahab, "Glock N' Roll" is the story of a serial killer, "Waldo & Pigpen" is an homage to the same-named U.S. fighter pilots, whose radio traffic during their mission in Vietnam has survived, and "Nicht mehr mein Land" describes the condition of western society. (Tom: "We're the very first to combine real thrash music with German lyrics.") "Naturally, thrash metal stories need to be martial, but we never intend them to be nasty or disrespectful," he stresses, explaining his lyrical approach: "I simply sing about things that weigh on my mind." A thrash metal recipe for success in true SODOM style!

"Genesis XIX" track listing:

01. Blind Superstition (1:02)

02. Sodom & Gomorrah (4:06)

03. Euthanasia (3:54)

04. Genesis XIX (7:09)

05. Nicht Mehr Mein Land (4:29)

06. Glock N' Roll (5:02)

07. The Harponeer (7:10)

08. Dehumanized (3:53)

09. Occult Perpetrator (4:53)

10. Waldo & Pigpen (6:26)

11. Indoctrination (3:10)

12. Friendly Fire (3:36)

Photo by Moritz "Mumpi" Künster

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has shared a live performance of his single "Samantha's Gone", which was captured during his groundbreaking "Forum Or Against 'Em" global streaming event at the iconic Los Angeles venue The Forum. Originally broadcasted on October 2, "Forum Or Against 'Em" saw Taylor and crew blaze through a 23-song setlist, including every track on his debut solo album, "CMFT", songs from the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR catalogues, and several covers.

Taylor recently made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

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

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

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

"CMFT" has been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. Recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and his band — Christian Martucci (guitar), Zach Throne (guitar), Jason Christopher (bass), and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums) — the album traces a wild and exhilarating roadmap through Taylor's musical psyche.

When DIAMOND HEAD first released "Lightning To The Nations" four decades ago in 1980, few could have predicted the importance it would carry with regards to heavy metal's new wave and sound. Stacked and packed with riffs, "Lightning To The Nations" would be one of the prime catalysts for a movement known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM).

Reimagined, rerecorded, and reborn in 2020, DIAMOND HEAD's forthcoming 40-year celebration of their genre-defining debut album is a scintillating shot of fresh metal energy. With "Lightning To The Nations 2020" nearing release, listeners will soon experience not only the rare phenomenon of crisp, fresh, and new sounding songs with very little of the obvious original elements altered, they will also be treated to four supreme cover tracks, including songs from LED ZEPPELIN, JUDAS PRIEST, DEEP PURPLE... And in prime position stands METALLICA's "No Remorse".

With DIAMOND HEAD having featured so heavily in METALLICA's early career, the cover of "No Remorse" seems especially appropriate. Accompanying the release of this monumental track, DIAMOND HEAD also unveil their thought-provoking animated video, created and directed by Costin Chioreanu.

"I wanted to cover a song from METALLICA's debut album, 'Kill 'Em All'," explains founding member Brian Tatler, "partly because METALLICA covered songs from DIAMOND HEAD's debut album 'Lightning To The Nations' and it felt like things have come full circle to me. None of the band members knew how to play any of the songs from 'Kill 'Em All', and I eventually decided we should all learn 'No Remorse'. Then when we got into the rehearsal room, we played 'No Remorse' and immediately it just sounded great; it was very 'DIAMOND HEAD' and it really suited us as a band. Of the four covers we ended up doing, 'No Remorse' sounded the best straight away. I've seen METALLICA live over twenty times and they don't play 'No Remorse' very often, but it's always great when they do!"

"Of all the four covers, we almost didn't have to work on 'No Remorse'," furthers singer and producer Rasmus Bom Andersen. "We all had to learn the parts, and it's very difficult to play, but in rehearsal it did sound fantastic and we thought: 'yeah, yeah, it's gonna be mega.' It was almost surreal when we did it because it just felt incredibly familiar."

"Lightning To The Nations 2020" is being released today (Friday, November 20) via Silver Lining Music in CD digipak, double gatefold vinyl, and digital formats as well as special D2C bundles.

As the fortieth anniversary loomed, "Lightning To The Nations"' resonance and importance are since long-established, which meant a celebration was in order and Tatler, alongside Andersen, knew exactly what they wanted to do. "We thought it'd be great to re-record the debut album with this lineup and the modern technology available," says Tatler. "The original album was recorded and mixed in a week, and we were very young; still 19-20 years old when it was recorded, so there's a lot of that youthful energy. But we didn't have the technique, time, or craftsmanship to record it with the sort of power that we could now. So that was a real thing to savor: the opportunity to go in the studio and record these songs fresh and vibrant."

"Lightning To The Nations 2020" is an achievement along those lines and then some. It is, quite simply, a scintillating shot of fresh metal energy, with DIAMOND HEAD utilizing all their skill, experience, and revitalized energy to breathe so much new life into these freshly recorded takes that it feels like experiencing the earth shaking all over again.

Recorded over several sessions between various locations from France to band member home studios, "Lightning To The Nations 2020"'s central hub was Andersen's Raw Sound Studios in London. It's where Tatler and Andrew "Abbz" Abberley did the guitars in February and March of this year. With the COVID-19 chaos striking, Andersen worked on the album between April and July, with Tatler's watchful ear inspecting final mixes and tweaks in early August before sending off to mastering at Metropolis Studios. It is, however, fair to say that the crunch, scream, and crackle of the production is yet another feather in Andersen's producer hat.

"Lightning To The Nations" 2020 track listing:

01. Lightning To The Nations

02. The Prince

03. Sucking My Love

04. Am I Evil?

05. Sweet And Innocent

06. It's Electric

07. Helpless

08. No Remorse

09. Immigrant Song

10. Sinner

11. Rat Bat Blue

DIAMOND HEAD is:

Brian Tatler - lead, rhythm guitars

Rasmus Bom Andersen - vocals, orchestration, additional guitars

Karl Wilcox - drums

Andrew "Abbz" Abberley - rhythm, lead guitars

Dean Ashton - bass, organ

Photo credit: Nic Gaunt

According to Billboard, SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first new tracks in nearly 15 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", have landed at positions No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. "Land" topped the chart with 2.7 million U.S. streams and 5,000 downloads sold in the week ending November 12, while "Humanoidz" garnered 1.8 million streams and 5,000 downloads.

As a result of renewed interest in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's music, the band's 2001 album "Toxicity" re-entered the Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 10 (5,000 equivalent album units; up 32%) while 1998's "System Of A Down" has shot back up to No. 11 (5,000 units; up 308%).

"Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz" were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the latter aided by Turkey and accountable for the greatest violence the region has endured in 26 years. Produced by guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian, who also wrote the music and lyrics, both songs are streaming now on all DSPs and are available for purchase on Bandcamp with band royalties earmarked for the Armenia Fund.

"Protect The Land" a was originally written by Malakian for the next album by his other group, SCARS ON BROADWAY, while "Genocidal Humanoidz" was penned three or four years ago when Malakian, drummer John Dolmayan and bassist Shavo Odadjian convened for a jam session that produced several songs, only to abandon them when singer Serj Tankian wouldn't commit to an album.

The music video for "Protect The Land" incorporates recent footage of the protests and on-the-ground fighting in Artsakh, but in a very personal and aesthetic way. As he did for all previous SYSTEM OF A DOWN releases, Odadjian executive-produced the music video and curated the cover and brand art for the project.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Malakian stated: "If we don't do this, there isn't any other huge Armenian rock band out there that's gonna do this. There aren't that many big Armenian celebrities out there that are going to do this. It's kind of a duty. We came together because our country needed us, not necessarily because we're so amped to do a brand-new SYSTEM OF A DOWN song. Our people needed us to do this."

For the time being, there are no plans for SYSTEM OF A DOWN to record any more new material.

"If it was up to me, we'd have a new album every three years," Dolmayan said. "But things aren't up to me. I'm at the mercy of my team, and although I fought for it for many years with band members, I've accepted that it is what it is. We do have five albums and [now] two songs. We've accomplished a lot in our careers. If it ends at that, so be it."

Photo credit: Clemente Ruiz

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Wolfgang Van Halen dicussed his recent revelation that his father, legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen, had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with the band on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

Asked if he thinks he could have gotten Roth to take part in such a tour, Wolfgang said: "I would have loved to see it happen. Unfortunately, we'll never know the answer to that. I think at a certain point you would have just had to get everybody in a room and just be like, 'Come on, how awesome would this be?'"

Wolfgang also confirmed that he was "pretty much" ready to retire from VAN HALEN and leve the door open for Anthony to reclaim his rightful place in the band. "Other than maybe [me] jumping on stage for a song or two, because Dad would be like, 'You got to be on stage at least a couple times,'" Wolfgang explained. "He kept trying to pull me back in. Not that I didn't want to be there. Playing with my father was the best thing I ever did. It was my favorite thing to do."

Asked if he ever had a personal conversation with Anthony about Michael returning to VAN HALEN, Wolfgang said: "Never had too much of an opportunity. That's kind of what that whole tour was supposed to be. And then it never panned out. I was really looking forward to speaking with him, and that hasn't happened yet. I'm looking forward to the opportunity that I have in the future to speak with him.

Wolfgang added that he doesn't think Michael has had any ill feelings toward him regarding his involvement with VAN HALEN. "I've seen things he's said," Wolfgang said. "He's always been an amazing guy."

In early 2019, a rumor surfaced that the classic VAN HALEN lineup would reunite that summer for a run of stadium shows. This would have been the first time that Michael, Eddie, David and Alex Van Halen performed together since 1984.

The rumors originally started with Roth, who hinted to Vulture that VAN HALEN would be playing stadiums with Anthony back in the lineup.

VAN HALEN and Anthony had not been on good terms for more than a decade, with Anthony not invited to join the reunion with Roth that began in 2007. The subsequent two tours and studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", featured Wolfgang on bass.

Anthony's THE CIRCLE bandmate Hagar — himself a former VH member — was the first to publicly confirm that Michael was contacted in 2018 by VAN HALEN's management about reuniting with the group for a tour.

Anthony took a pay cut and signed away all of his rights to the band name and logo in order to participate in VAN HALEN's 2004 tour, which featured Hagar.

During a June 2019 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", the former VAN HALEN bassist — who spent much of the last few years on the road with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE — confirmed that he was approached by VAN HALEN's management two years ago about re-teaming with the group.

"I spoke with Irving Azoff [in] October [2018] — that's when I first heard from him — and he asked if I would be interested in any kind of a reunion, and I told him, I said, 'Yeah.' I was finishing up a couple of shows with Sammy and I said, 'Yeah, I'd be interested to hear what you guys have going on," Michael recalled. "I've got these few dates left, and give me a call.' And I never heard a call back. And then, right after the first of the year, I got… David Lee Roth's, Dave's business manager or lawyer, or something, got ahold of me about a meeting or something. And so at that point, I gave it over to our manager, because I didn't wanna start getting in this whole thing — I wanted to do it the correct way, especially after the way things went for me in 2004.

"From what I've heard, and I haven't spoken to any of the guys, they were gonna try to plan a thing for [that] summer," Anthony added. "And for whatever reason… I was never… My people were never… They never got in touch with us about any kind of a contract or any kind of a meeting to discuss or whatever. And the next thing I knew, the plug got pulled on it."

Eddie died on October 6 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman died from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Steven Wilson (ex-Porcupine Tree) recently guested on Scars & Guitars to discuss his forthcoming album, The Future Bites, his current stance on guitars, working with Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt and metal artists in general, and more.

On working with Opeth and co-producing Blackwater Park (2001), Deliverance (2002), and Damnation (2003):

"At the time, I think myself and Mike were in a very similar situation to each other, but coming from different directions. He was coming from a background as a death metal performer but wanting to broaden his creativity; at the same time, I was coming from psychedelic and progressive music, but becoming more interested in the possibilities of the heavy, heavier sound. So it's interesting how we both kind of met at a similar... we were almost like passing trains that were coming from different directions but arrived at a similar point."

"For me, working with Opeth was a way to give them a perhaps more of a sophisticated production, more layers in the sound, more subtlety in the sound, and also to be able to learn a little bit more about the world of extreme brutal metal music, which I then took away and incorporated into my band at the time Porcupine Tree. So it was a very mutually beneficial experience I'm still very pleased and proud to be a part of for sure."

On metal bands approaching him about working together following the Opeth collaborations:

"They did and I said no to all of them because none of them were as good as Opeth. I think that's part of the problem that when you were with Opeth, you're kind of spoiled in a way, just the sophistication and the musicality that Mikael has is really quite exceptional."

Check out the interview here.




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Just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Z2 gives music fans something to celebrate with news of one of the publisher's most ambitious projects yet. The "Among The Living" graphic novel pulls together a who's who of names from around comics and music for a track-by-track storyline inspired by one of heavy metal's most iconic albums. Today's announcement brings news that ANTHRAX has teamed with the leading publisher of music tie-in graphic novels to assemble an all-star cast of famous fans to bring the band's breakthrough album to the printed page for the first time.

"Doing a comic book has always been a huge goal for me," said ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante. "I've tried for years, but something always comes up and sidetracks me. I was ecstatic when Josh Bernstein brought the idea to us to do a graphic novel based on our album 'Among The Living'. I felt that it was the perfect time and opportunity to fulfill that dream. I am a lifelong artist and have been drawing during the pandemic more than ever, so I had the idea to bring my own artwork to this project. As a fan of the Judge Dredd series since the '80s, it was an honor to create cover art based off of Dredd and Judge Death. The amount of talent that is going into this project is astounding, I scratch my head just thinking about it!"

"Comics are one of the two things (the other thing being horror) that I've been into longer than music," said ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. Comics were/are my constant. Music joined the party and became my constant as well. I started a band. I wrote lyrics about comics and horror and they connected with people all over the world. And now for the 40th (40!!!) anniversary of ANTHRAX, I get to cross the streams and merge my constants with a graphic novel (comic) celebrating the album that made such a mark on the planet — 'Among The Living'. Getting to be a part of this process — choosing writers and artists to express what these songs mean to them — has been incredible. I made a wish list of writers/artists/musicians that I would love to be a part of this, not really thinking we'd get them. I was aiming high, the list had Grant Morrison's name at the top — and Grant said yes. Brian Azzarello said yes. Eric Powell, J.G. Jones, Greg Nicotero, Corey Taylor, Rob Zombie, Brian Posehn, Rick Remender, Joe Trohman, Gerard and Mikey Way — they all said yes. Holy crap!"

An anthology narrated by longtime mascot "The Not Man", newly designed by Greg Nicotero ("The Walking Dead"), "Among The Living" unites Benante and Ian with writers Brian Azzarello, Grant Morrison, Jimmy Palmiotti, Brian Posehn, Rick Remender, Corey Taylor, Joseph Trohman, Gerard and Mikey Way and Rob Zombie, with more to be announced. Artists include Roland Boschi, Maan House, Dave Johnson, Scott Koblish, Darrick Robertson, and Erik Rodriguez, and more, with covers by Benante, JG Jones and Eric Powell. Bandmembers Benante and Ian will collaborate on an original story inspired by the fan favorite anthem "I Am The Law", featuring the legendary comic book antihero Judge Dredd, in partnership with 2000 AD. This will make official the decades long connection between the character and the band, rewarding comic book fans and metalheads alike.

Ian concludes: "I pitched a Judge Dredd story for 'I Am The Law' that I'd been thinking about for a while. It was an idea I actually talked to Grant about one night after an ANTHRAX show in Glasgow over a few drinks. This idea has stayed with me, I'd never written it down, it was one of those ideas that would smack me in the face every few months demanding to be recognized, I just didn't have an outlet for it. And then I did have an outlet with this project but, we didn't have the rights to use Dredd in our book. You have to ask right? So we sent my idea to the kind folks at Rebellion and they green-lit my story. And there, my friends, is the moment where everything came full circle for me as a life-long comic nerd and the as the guy in ANTHRAX. Thank you 'Among The Living' for making it all happen."

ANTHRAX's landmark 1987 album influenced an entire generation of metalheads, cementing the New York band's place in the "Big Four" of thrash alongside METALLICA, MEGADETH and SLAYER. The first in a string of gold-certified ANTHRAX albums amounting to millions of records sold in North America alone, "Among The Living" ranks high in "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time" (Rolling Stone), "The 50 Best Metal Albums of the Last 50 Years (Metal Hammer), and "The 25 Greatest Thrash Metal Albums Ever" (Kerrang!). As recently as March 2020, Loudwire noted that the Decibel Hall Of Fame inductee is "now widely regarded as one of the best thrash metal albums of all time."

This extensive project will be offered in multiple formats, with deluxe and super deluxe editions inclusive of special picture disc vinyl, an exclusive MadBalls toy, art prints, and even a gold record plaque. All editions are available to order directly from Z2's web site now, with Benante's Judge Dredd variant exclusive to preorders of the standard edition.

In a brand new interview with Australia's Riff Crew, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee was asked about the band's 1994 self-titled album which featured John Corabi on lead vocals instead of Vince Neil. Speaking about the fact that CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars considers the LP to be one of his favoties from the band's career, Lee said (see video below): "The sounds on that record, dude. I still listen back and go, 'My God! Fuck!' And it is one of my favorite albums too. I'm with Mick on that one. Fuck, what a great record — really, really great record. The songs, the sound…"

On the topic of whether CRÜE would ever perform any material from "Mötley Crüe" live, with Vince on vocals, Lee said: "We've tried, trust me. And I get it — it's hard for somebody to sing [songs] somebody else sang. I get that. It would like, I guess, doing a cover — singing other people's shit. I don't know. I get it. That's a tough one."

Corabi originally joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for Neil, who was fired due to personal differences. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top-Ten placing on the album chart. When Neil returned to the fold in 1997, Corabi was left on his own and formed the band UNION with ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

"A lot of fans said, 'No way I was buying that record when it came out,'" Corabi told CantonRep.com about the "Mötley Crüe" record. "I think we had kind of a die-hard fan base when it came out, but a lot of the people were angry with MÖTLEY for getting rid of Vince, or Vince leaving or whatever happened. But a lot of fans, once Vince came back, saw it, picked it up and ended up really enjoying it. It's still trudging along and selling and doing its thing. The best thing to me is that it still sounds as relevant now as it did when it came out."

In a 2012 interview, Mars stated about CRÜE's sole Corabi-era album: "I thought that was probably — to me, and I can only speak for me, I think that was probably the best album we've done. Musical-wise, the songs, I felt, were strong. And just musically, to me, it was, I guess, my BEATLES 'White Album'; that's kind of how I feel about that one. I'm not saying that any of my other albums are crummy or anything like that — I love every album that we did — but that one just has a special thing for me."

Back in 2015, Lee told Australia's Beat about "Mötley Crüe": "It's huge. Honestly, dude, it's one of my favorite CRÜE records. Sonically, the songs and the playing on that record is gnarly. We worked our arses off on that record. We had so much to prove: Vince was gone, we had a new singer who also plays guitar and writes and he brought a whole new element to this. But once fans are used to a certain thing, they just didn't want to know about any other version of MÖTLEY CRÜE. That's understandable, but when you break it down, that record still sounds rad today."

In a 2016 interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said that writing the "Mötley Crüe" LP with Corabi was a prolonged and difficult experience. He went to call it "a very unfocused record" that was "painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work."

Corabi initially responded to Sixx's comments by saying that he didn't "give a shit" about what his ex-bandmate had to say, but later told an interviewer, when asked about it again, "I have no idea why Nikki feels that I'm the biggest piece of shit to roam the Earth." He then proceeded to take to his Facebook page to claim that he would "officially have nothing to say about any member of MÖTLEY CRÜE ever again," adding that he was "not backing this bullshit stirring that is happening to start a feud."

In February 2018, Corabi released a live album of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 self-titled album, recorded on October 27, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. "Live '94: One Night In Nashville" documents the album in its entirety along with the bonus track "10,000 Miles", which was originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the "Quaternary" EP.

MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" 40th-anniversary celebration releases have taken the world by storm once more, establishing this landmark album as being of eternal importance to music culture. With a centerpiece deluxe edition box set, comprising the original album, two previously unreleased live albums from the "Ace Up Your Sleeve" tour, a DVD compilation, 40-page book, poker dice, tour program and other treasures, "Ace Of Spades" crashed the German chart at No. 10 (the same position the original album hit on initial release in 1980), No. 4 in Sweden and stormed into the U.K. rock and metal chart at No. 4, and hit the Top 100 in the U.S.

The media has not been shy in singing its praises either, with publications from Rolling Stone to Classic Rock extolling its virtues (and volume), and cover stories on 11 publications throughout the Europe, including Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Rock Hard and Sweden Rock magazines. SiriusXM held a special MOTÖRHEAD celebration, with WWE superstar Triple H hosting a show which included the likes of Slash and Duff McKagan from GUNS N' ROSES, Ozzy Osbourne and, of course, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee explaining why "Ace Of Spades" remains one of the greatest rock albums of all time.

The box-set, deluxe box-set, 2 CD edition and 3 LP editions are still available in very limited quantities at certain retailers and outlets, and reinforcements are being manufactured to hopefully arrive and meet the demand in late January 2021.

In 1980, off the back of two essential albums, "Overkill" and "Bomber" the previous year, MOTÖRHEAD continued to get bigger, better, louder and faster by the second. This time, on "Ace Of Spades" they teamed up with producer Vic Maile and came up with twelve songs; each and every one of which crams a regular band's ten minutes of playing into an average of three. The songtitles alone made ears bleed; "Love Me Like A Reptile", "Shoot You In The Back", "The Chase Is Better Than The Catch" and "The Hammer" were a few examples. This landmark album saw the three amigos of Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Taylor at the helm of the juggernaut that was MOTÖRHEAD, gaining phenomenal growth in popularity as they forged onward. The band's and fans ideas, wants and inspirations, converged at a perfect tangent. Anyone disputing this fact need look no further than any heavy metal gig of the time and play "spot the MOTÖRHEAD T-shirt and jacket." They outnumbered anyone else by at least five to one. A statistic that is still accurate some forty-five years since they first began!

The "Ace Of Spades" album release was a magical moment in rock 'n' roll history, an album which had enormous global impact and continues to resonate and inspire people worldwide. Fans to this day still remember where they were when they first heard it, and it immediately inspired bands worldwide to absorb the album's energy, speed, and attitude into their own work. "Ace Of Spades" is ground zero for thrash, speed metal, and punk/metal crossover.

Courtney Love, who relocated to London from Los Angeles last year, spoke to NME about the possibility of a HOLE reunion, saying: "Before I came [to the U.K.], I actually had Melissa [Auf Der Maur, bass] and Patty [Schemel, drums] come with our tech to this old-world rehearsal studio. We had a good session, but it takes a bit of time to get back into the rhythm of it all. It's something I'd love to do, and [I've] been taking guitar lessons over Zoom during lockdown and I'm writing again, so we'll see."

Love went on to say that the decision to relocate to the U.K. was rooted in a desire to reconnect with the guitar, as well as finish her long-awaited memoir, which has been in the works for almost a decade.

"I've lived here at several points in my life, and every time I left the U.K., I'd get sad," she said. "And on top of that, you know, for a while I actually did not pick up my guitar. I stopped having the kind of relationship that you need to have with the guitar to write good guitar songs. So, I came here to focus on writing my book and my record."

Regarding the status of her new solo music, Love said: "It's early days, and I've recorded several new songs while I've been in London. I've also taken this time to enjoy rediscovering really good songwriters like Aimee Mann who's from L.A. but went to Juliard and is a genius and overlooked. Frances [Bean, Courtney's daughter] sends me playlists, which are fantastic and full of artists that I hadn't come across before too.

"I also feel like the luckiest motherfucker in the history of rock and roll because, finally, after 26 years, myself and my family have an honest and ethical manager with great ears in Jonathan Daniel (JD) and Crush Music. We've been together since 2009. He started managing me in the middle of me making a self-funded [HOLE] album called 'Nobody's Daughter', which had some really amazing songs that I'm so proud of. He's been instrumental in working with me on the new material too."

In May 2019, Love said in an interview with The Guardian that HOLE was considering a reunion to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band's 1994 sophomore album "Live Through This".

According to The Pulse Of Radio, there has been talk of a HOLE reunion before, most notably in 2014, when rumors that the band — Love, guitarist Eric Erlandson, Schemel and Auf der Maur — would reunite were eventually shot down by Love herself.

Auf Der Maur discussed a possible HOLE reunion, saying she had a positive meeting with Schemel and Erlandson about reconnecting with Love.

"We've all grown older, have become more gentle, and I have the feeling that now would be the right point in time to reactivate the band once again," she said. "We did a few little gigs over the years but nothing substantial... HOLE was a great band, and it's important to remember them properly."

HOLE has been largely on hiatus since 2002, although Love released the aforementioned album called "Nobody's Daughter" in 2010. The quartet reunited to perform for the first time in 15 years at a party in April 2012.

KREATOR bassist Frédéric Leclercq has confirmed to Moshpit Passion webzine that the band has entered a studio in Essen, Germany to begin writing, arranging and recording demos for its next album. The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence" will mark KREATOR's first album with Leclercq, who joined the group last year.

"That's what we've been doing this summer — just working on new songs," Leclercq said (see video below). "But there's not much to say about it. We're just working, and the vibe is great. That's what matters the most. If you follow Mille [Petrozza, KREATOR guitarist/vocalist] on the Internet or myself, you can tell that there's good energy, and the songs are great. I'm a fan of the band, so I want something violent and evil, so that's cool."

This past September, KREATOR guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö described the sessions for the band's new album to Italy's Poisoned Rock as "a lot of fun," adding that the "mood" in the band "is great. And the general vibe and the atmosphere is very good," he said. "[These are] creative times for KREATOR at the moment."

Speaking about the KREATOR songwriting process, Sami said: "The main composer for KREATOR is for sure Mille. And then he likes to send us some demos over. But then we all arrange them together and bring new ideas to it and try to enhance them and sometimes bring our own ideas, of course, as well. That's what we're doing right now, and just try to make the best possible result imaginable, because we really want to work hard on the next album."

On the topic of KREATOR's musical evolution, Yli-Sirniö said: "I like to think that there's a progression all the time and we're always looking for something new. That's always what you become most afraid of, with an older band like us, after doing so many albums together — is to find a new angle and a new perspective for every album. And that is the difficult part, but it's also the challenging part and the part that I like the most. And now that we have a new member in the band, Fred, he brings a lot of new ideas and a different angle, and it's fantastic. He's also an amazing guitar player."

According to Sami, there is no set release date for KREATOR's new album, which is not expected to arrive before next summer at the earliest.

"I wish that the time tables would be more clear, because of these COVID times and so on, but it's also giving us a chance to reinvent ourselves and make the best music possible and give it all we've got," he said.

This past March, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios in Berlin, Germany.

The music video for "666 - World Divided" was created under the direction of Jörn Heitmann, who was responsible for the music videos for "Radio" and "Ausländer" by RAMMSTEIN.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.

KREATOR's previously announced "State Of Unrest" European tour with LAMB OF GOD has been rescheduled for 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

KREATOR released a new live set, "London Apocalypticon - Live At The Roundhouse", in February via Nuclear Blast. The effort was professionally filmed and recorded on December 16, 2018 at the Roundhouse in London, England.

Leclercq's AMAHIRU project will release its self-titled debut album on November 27 via earMUSIC in Europe and the U.S. and and Ward Records in Japan.

Primary Wave Music Publishing, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world, continues their steady stream of acquisitions, announcing today they have acquired the music publishing catalog and master royalty stream of the multi-platinum band DISTURBED. The multi-million-dollar deal encompasses the Grammy-nominated band's publishing and master income stream for their compositions and masters across their entire career to date. Titles include "Indestructible", "The Vengeful One" and "Stricken", which Billboard called a "monstrous modern metal jam that compels you to stand up and scream."

Also included in the deal is DISTURBED's massive hit "Down With The Sickness", their first single to be certified platinum in the United States, as well as their 2015 cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's classic hit "The Sound Of Silence". Their version of the song, which has been streamed nearly a half billion times, became an instant classic, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Songs and Mainstream Rock charts, ultimately landing a Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Performance" in 2017.

Terms of the deal also include access to the publishing firm's marketing team and publishing infrastructure, which includes digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities and film and TV production. Primary Wave will additionally work with the band to market their name and likeness.

"Over the past twenty years, DISTURBED's genre-defining music has broken down barriers with their iconic sound, instantly-recognizable melodies and uncanny ability to reimagine songs with an aggressive swagger all their own," states Robert Dippold, partner and president, digital strategy for Primary Wave Music Publishing. He continues: "The band has done a tremendous job building a rabid community and brand around their music, as evidenced by their five consecutive number one albums and sold out world tours. We are thrilled to welcome them to our family and cannot wait to jump in and do what we do best — build upon their legacy and continue to position DISTURBED as one of the premiere hard rock acts."

DISTURBED is one of the most successful rock bands in modern history. The multiplatinum-selling quartet accomplished the rare feat of achieving five consecutive number one debuts on the Billboard 200. That accolade historically elevated them to rarified air alongside METALLICA, the only other hard rock group to do so in the history of the chart. "Immortalized" (2015) received a platinum certification and spawned the triple-platinum crossover smash "The Sound Of Silence", which garnered a nomination at the 2017 Grammy Awards in the category of "Best Rock Performance." Since their formation in 1996, the band has sold 16 million albums globally and scored twelve No. 1 singles at Active Rock Radio. Their quadruple-platinum 2000 debut, "The Sickness", formally announced their arrival as hard rock leaders, with that status solidified by subsequent Grammy Award nominations as well as gold-, platinum- and double platinum-certified records, as well as countless sold-out shows around the globe. Named "Best Rock Artist" during the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards, DISTURBED continues to boldly forge ahead with the release of its aptly titled seventh offering, "Evolution".

A new video message from IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson in which he unboxes the band's upcoming double live album, "Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City", can be seen below.

"I'm really excited," Bruce previously said about the effort. "I was at the mix with Steve [Harris, MAIDEN bassist] and had a listen to some of the tracks. Brilliant. 'Sign Of The Cross' — oh, yeah! Nicko's [McBrain] drumming on it is nothing short of earth-shaking. I mean, solid, solid, solid. Really, really, really good. I was blown away. 'For The Greater Good Of God' — nobody has ever heard that on a [live] MAIDEN album before. It's a great thing.

"In this mad world at the moment, the best we can do is give you some new live MAIDEN to listen to," he continued. "And [we] hope you don't drool too much, because when we do get back out on tour, it's gonna be even better. Oh, yes!"

"Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City" will be released on November 20 via BMG. Containing over 100 minutes of classic MAIDEN music and available in multiple formats, including a limited edition Mexican Flag, triple colored (180g) vinyl and a limited-edition deluxe two-CD book format, "Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City" was recorded during the band's three sold-out arena shows there in September 2019 and is a celebration of their "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour which began in 2018 and will finish next summer in Europe.

The track listing is:

01. Churchill's Speech

02. Aces High

03. Where Eagles Dare

04. 2 Minutes To Midnight

05. The Clansman

06. The Trooper

07. Revelations

08. For The Greater Good Of God

09. The Wicker Man

10. Sign Of The Cross

11. Flight Of Icarus

12. Fear Of The Dark

13. Iron Maiden

14. The Number Of The Beast

15. The Evil That Men Do

16. Hallowed Be Thy Name

17. Run To The Hills

The song "Sign Of The Cross", taken from "Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City", can be streamed below.

Harris comments: "When the final leg of our 2020 'Legacy' tour this summer had to be cancelled due to the COVID pandemic, the whole band was very disappointed and deflated and we know our fans felt the same. We'd been really looking forward to bringing the show to even more countries and although we've been able to reschedule most of our European own-shows for 2021, we thought we'd take a listen to the recordings from the tour so far and see if we could create a definitive live album souvenir that everyone, everywhere could enjoy. I'm very pleased with the results, especially as this set list includes songs which have never made it to a live CD before, such as 'For The Greater Good Of God' and other older songs like 'Where Eagles Dare', 'Flight Of Icarus', 'The Clansman' and 'Sign Of The Cross', which haven't been included in our live set releases for many years.

"We've never released a live album from Mexico before and I think this recording does justice to the passion and joy of our Mexican fans who always give us such a fantastic welcome whenever we play there."

MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood adds: "All the shows on the tour so far have been amazing and our fans have loved the whole 'Legacy' extravaganza with the elaborately themed stages, props and drapes, not to mention the killer setlist!

"When our 2020 tour got cancelled, putting together a live album seemed the obvious thing to do and I think Steve, along with co-producer Tony Newton, has perfectly captured the essence of the 70,000-strong crowd across these three nights in Mexico City.

"The album serves both as a celebration of this tour, which almost two million fans have already seen, and as a taster for, hopefully, next year's final run for anyone who hasn't yet experienced the show."

The album will be available in these formats:

* 2-CD digipak

* Limited-edition deluxe 2-CD book format

* Heavyweight 180g triple black vinyl

* Limited-edition heavyweight 180g Mexican flag triple colored vinyl

* Digital (streaming and download).

Last year, it was rumored that IRON MAIDEN had completed work on a new studio album. The group hasn't issued any fresh music since 2015's "The Book Of Souls" LP, which was recorded in late 2014 in Paris, France with longtime producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley.

If the reports of a new MAIDEN album are true, it will mark the band's 17th studio effort and the sixth to be produced by Shirley, who has worked with MAIDEN for the past two decades.

"The Book Of Souls" was the longest MAIDEN album, clocking in at 92 minutes, with lyrics heavily based in the themes of death, reincarnation, the soul and mortality.

Dallas craft brewery Texas Ale Project has announced a new beer collaboration with legendary Texas music icons PANTERA. Pantera Golden Ale, 5.4% ABV, the first beer to bear the PANTERA name, will be available March 2021.

"We love creating fine ales and enjoy all kinds of music," says Brent Thompson, founder and brewmaster of Texas Ale Project. "We’re very excited to unite these two passions together under our roof, this time in partnership with the almighty PANTERA. I couldn’t be more pumped about this project."

PANTERA started its incredible and sometimes over-the-top metal journey just outside of Dallas, delivering its jaw-dropping, intense new sound that changed the path of metal. PANTERA brought a "new level" of excitement and inspiration to the metal genre. Their party reputation was a side of the band they were proud of. They were known to throw back a few beers.

Texas Ale Project, the family and veteran-owned brewery, opened in Dallas in 2014, is known for their passion and ability to handcraft some of the best beers in Texas. Fire Ant Funeral Amber Ale, 50 FT Jackrabbit IPA, and 100 Million Angels Singing Double IPA are all gold medal-winning brews. This year, the brewery also launched a line of new craft hard seltzers under the brand TAPWTR.

Pantera Golden Ale will be crushable with a clean finish and brewed with Cascade and Citra hops. The scheduled release is March 1, 2021 (from Dallas) and will be available at fine retailers across Texas as well as through Tavour for direct-to-consumer shipping in the United States. More information on release events and product availability will be published in January.

Drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott and his brother, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, formed PANTERA in the mid-eighties in Texas. The band recorded four independent albums before its 1990 major label debut, "Cowboys From Hell", introduced a heavier sound and made them a favorite with metal fans. 1994's "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 without benefit of a commercial hit single.

When PANTERA broke up in the early 2000s due to tensions between the Abbotts and singer Philip Anselmo, the brothers started a new band called DAMAGEPLAN. But that came to an end on December 8, 2004, when Darrell Abbott was shot dead onstage at the age of 38 by a deranged gunman as the band performed at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. Vinnie never spoke with Anselmo again after his brother's death, reportedly feeling that some things Anselmo said about Darrell in the press may have set the killer off.

In the summer of 2019, Weathermaker Music began to release digital-only CLUTCH covers and re-recorded songs from their vast catalog as a way to stay active and give fans a regular dose of CLUTCH every six or so weeks. The campaign is called "The Weathermaker Vault Series", and it has been successful so far with the digital release of nine singles. Weathermaker Music is now releasing a ten-track physical album on CD and 12-inch vinyl as "The Weathermaker Vault Series Vol. I". The album will contain one previously unreleased track, a Spanish-language cover version of "Algo Ha Cambiado", a hard-rocking shuffle written by the legendary blues-rock guitarist Norberto Napolitano affectionately known as Pappo of the pioneering Argentinean blues metal band PAPPOS BLUES. The CD and the digital album version will be released on November 27. A 12-inch colored vinyl (Opaque White) LP version will be available in the new year.

"This CLUTCH release is unique in that we chose to record some of our favorite songs by artists that have provided us with inspiration over the years as well as re-record some CLUTCH classics," states drummer Jean-Paul Gaster. "Hitting the studio this way was great to keep our recording chops up as well as celebrate some music that has meant so much to us as fans and musicians."

"The Weathermaker Vault Series Vol. I" track listing:

01. Passive Restraints

02. Electric Worry

03. Run, John Barleycorn, Run

04. Evil

05. Fortunate Son

06. Algo Ha Cambiado

07. Spacegrass

08. Precious And Grace

09. Smoke Banshee

10. Willie Nelson

This past September, Gaster confirmed to the "Cobras & Fire" podcast that he and his bandmates have slowly commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2018's "Book Of Bad Decisions" album.

"On paper, you would think that this would be a creative time for artists, and maybe there are artists out there who are doing some of their best work ever right now, writing their best songs," he said. "I can tell you, for us, we've concentrated mostly on trying to figure out how to stream shows and figure out that technology. And while we have started to write, we are not living in very inspiring times. So it's difficult to get those wheels turning. Not only that, but also knowing that once we have this recording done, it's difficult to say when we're gonna be able to get out there and play these songs."

He continued: "We've always been a band that writes songs and immediately puts these songs into the set. That gives us the opportunity to play these things, and the songs take shape. We really rely on that live environment to bring those songs to life, because oftentimes what sounds great in the jam room does not translate to the live setting. And you can tell that within the first 10 seconds of playing that song; you know right away if something works or not. And so I think we're missing that element. That's not to say that we will not record. But I think for us the challenge is gonna be how do we try to emulate that with this new dynamic. And we're gonna figure that out, no doubt."

Asked if Vance Powell, who produced "Book Of Bad Decisions", will be back to helm the next effort, Gaster said: "[It's] too early to say. We very much enjoyed our time with Vance Powell. I think Vance Powell is probably one of the most talented engineers we've ever worked with. I was continually blown away by the tones that he was able to pull out of the band. And for that reason, that record in particular is one of my favorites. But it's hard to say. We have to really get a collection of songs, we have to sort of get a vibe going of where this material might head before we start making decisions about who [will produce the album] and where we're gonna record."

"Book Of Bad Decisions" was recorded at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The record sold 26,000 copies in America during its first week of availability, giving the group its third consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200.

In April, CLUTCH released "Monsters, Machines, And Mythological Beasts", a themed digital-only compilation of songs from the band's vast catalog.