WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale has told "The Rhino Podcast" that the band's "Red, White And Blues" trilogy was originally timed to coincide with his planned farewell tour, which was supposed to kick off this year.

"What could be a better age for the lead singer of WHITESNAKE [to retire] than 69?" he said (hear audio below). "I'd even designed really terrible t-shirts to go with it. So the plan was to do literally an appreciation and gratitude [tour] for such an extraordinary support for five decades, and then maybe go into 2021."

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

"My agents now are calling, trying to get me interested in spring, which I think is just literally… I don't have a crystal ball," David said. "I think the earliest we can look at, really — I don't even know if it will be safe enough for people get in a large group and not have worries or concerns, even late '21. I think we're more [looking at] 2022. It's very likely.

"It's affecting every job — not just musicians and people affiliated with the music business," he added. "This is affecting everyone."

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

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

The "Red, White And Blues" trilogy is a series of fresh, new collections organized by musical themes that include "Love Songs" (red), "The Rock Album" (white) and "The Blues Album" (blue). "The Rock Album" came out in June, "Love Songs" was issued on November 6, and the third and final part of the triology, "The Blues Album", will arrive next year.

Jeff Scott Soto has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying that we all "lost a little bit of ourselves" when the VAN HALEN axeman died.

The former JOURNEY and Yngwie Malmsteen singer discussed his appreciation for the groundbreaking musician in a brand new interview with MisplacedStraws.com.

He said: "I can't even put into words what Eddie meant to me as much as what he meant to the world — my peers, my colleagues, fans of mine. In general, he left more than just a game-changing legacy to all of us.

"It's weird, because when someone like that, when somebody that important to us personally, whether it's somebody that everybody knows or agrees with or feels for, when somebody like that that's so personal to you passes, there are a lot of people that don't understand why, for instance, I could be so affected by it," he continued. "I didn't have a personal relationship or a working relationship [with Eddie], so why am I so affected?

"That music and everything that Eddie gave us in terms of influence in VAN HALEN and then some is a part of us. When that person passes, a part of us passes, a part of us dies too. Even though we have these childhood memories, we have these things to draw from these experiences and influences, we lose a little something when we lose that person. And that's what Eddie meant to me and means to so many people. We all felt that loss like we lost a little bit of ourselves."

Eddie died on October 6 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California at the age of 65. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

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

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Emerging rock artist Bald Man today released the music video for his latest track, “2020 Vision". Playing alongside Bald Man, the music video features lead guitarist Phil X (Bon Jovi), bassist Dan Spree (Phil X And The Drills), drummer Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), and keyboardist and musical director Steve Ferlazzo (Avril Lavigne, Nuno Bettencourt, R.S.O). Check out the music video below.

“2020 Vision” comes as Bald Man travels across the country on his Hellbilly Hollow-ween North American Tour, a COVID-19 safe live concert and movie premiere experience. Featuring hard rock and heavy metal radio personality Eddie Trunk (select show dates), the run kicked off in Frenchtown, NJ on Friday, October 16, and includes 15 show dates.

“Nothing goes better with Halloween than serving up a new horror film with a side of in-your-face rock ‘n roll,” said Bald Man. “These projects have been years in the making and I can’t wait to hit the road and share Music for the Rest of Us and Hellbilly Hollow with fans across the country. It’s showtime.”

“It has been an honor recording with Bald Man. I’ve been having a blast, too, as I really get to stretch my legs as a guitar player,” said Bald Man lead guitarist, Phil X. “It would've been awesome to do this tour with all my bros, too, but with Bon Jovi, The Drills and other projects on my plate, it was hard to connect the dots. There is HUGE talent in the current lineup, and this is exactly what people need right now, especially after being stuck at home for the last seven months. In the end, I believe it’s ‘music’ that will bring us all back together and get us through this."

In support of Music For The Rest Of Us, Bald Man’s recently released 10-track debut studio album of original material, Hellbilly Hollow-ween North American Tour features a premiere screening of Bald Man’s new horror film, Hellbilly Hollow, which features six tracks from Music For The Rest Of Us on the film’s soundtrack, and a live concert performance of the entire album. To keep fans safe during the tour, shows will be limited to 25% occupancy, and include temperature checks, face coverings, and hand sanitizer stations for all guests. Check out Music For The Rest Of Us here.

A significant portion of proceeds from the Hellbilly Hollow-ween North American Tour will be donated by Bald Man’s L Foundation charity to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Dates:

October
22 - Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion
23 - Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion
24 -  Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion
28 - Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion
29 - Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion
30 - Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion *
31 - Middletown, OH - Land of Illusion *

November
4 - Denver, CO - The Venue
5 -  Salt Lake City, UT - Liquid Joe’s
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Backstage Bar / Freemont Street Country Club *
7 - Anaheim, CA - Decades

* date features Eddie Trunk




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton spoke to Australia's Subculture Entertainment about how he has been spending his coronavirus downtime. He said (hear audio below): "I have certainly taken advantage of the time with family and the time at home to kind of slow down a little bit. In this business that I'm in, you're always kind of jumping from one mode to the next; you don't really ever stop. People see us sort of disappear off the road and think that we're on a break or a hiatus, I guess, if they think about it. But typically, we go straight off the road right into some sort of writing mode or pre-production or that kind of thing.

"This situation, as unfortunate as it is, has provided me personally with [an opportunity] to press 'pause' a little bit and reflect on where I'm at, spend time with family and enjoy our beautiful home," he continued. "I have been writing. I'm kind of always writing, so that's not like a revolutionary development for me. I write when it comes — I don't sit down and go, 'Okay, so this week I'm gonna write.' If I have a song idea, I sit down and make a demo, and that's that. So that's not been different, but it's happened a lot in the last four, five months where I've got a lot of song ideas coming together, a lot of ideas just kind of jumping out at me, and I do have the time and the access to my studio to document that stuff and to work on it a little bit. So that's been a real positive for me.

"Writing and recording and creating new music is my favorite part out of all the things we get to do," Mark revealed. "here's a lot of elements, a lot of components about being in a band like LAMB OF GOD. Performing and touring is one of them. Writing and recording is another one of them. The writing and recording part is far and away my favorite part of what we get to do. And so I have been doing some writing. I've been writing some stuff for LAMB, some stuff for other people, some stuff for my own solo project, so there's a lot of new music jumping out of me right now."

Later this month, LAMB OF GOD will offer fans first-time-ever live performances of its latest album, "Lamb Of God", and the landmark 2004 LP "Ashes Of The Wake", both performed live in their entirety in the band's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. As standalone ticketed events, these performances will be LAMB OF GOD's only chance to perform these songs for fans this year — and the band are ready to deliver to the highest degree.

The first stream, scheduled for Friday, September 18, will see the band perform songs from its latest self-titled album live for the very first time. For the second stream, on Friday, September 25, the band will perform the ground-breaking RIAA-gold-certified album "Ashes Of The Wake", in its entirety for the first time ever. Both sets will feature encores, including fan favorites as well as songs that haven't been performed in years.

For more information including tickets and merch bundles, go to this location.

"Lamb Of God" came out in June via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.

In a new interview with Anders Bøtters Tiny TV, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young spoke about the musical inspiration for many of the band's classic early LPs. He said (see video below): "The thing is a lot of what goes in those albums, when we were younger, that's where a lot of it all goes back to, at that point — like when I was an early teenager; 13 or 14. Music excited me, still at that age. And I think back, in my time, what I liked music-wise, I had to wait up all night. I would be there all night, and then at about two o'clock in the morning, there was a man on the radio, and he would play rock music of this time. He was an American man. And I had a little radio, and I would sit there in my bed and wake up just for this guy. And there I was. And he would bang out the latest stuff. I heard [Jimi] Hendrix on there, I heard CREAM — people like this. And later on, you started to get your [LED] ZEPPELINs and bands like this. And especially when Jimi Hendrix, when I heard 'Purple Haze', boy, that was it. I was so excited. And then I thought, 'How am I gonna find out about Jimi Hendrix?' I was out walking anywhere. I went up to a magazine store, and I'm trying to look if they've got a magazine from England, 'cause I knew he was in London. And I found a little picture of this guy with a guitar, and I was going, 'Wow! I wanna look that cool.'"

According to Angus, his goal with AC/DC's new albums and live shows is to channel the same feeling that he had as a child discovering rock music for the first time.

"I'm just trying to give you the excitement of that time," he said. "I refer to that my whole life; I still think that. When I get on a stage, it's the same thing. I get on a stage and I play, I'm playing to the new kid who's 13 [or] 14 who's never seen me before. And I go, 'Okay, a lot of these older ones out there, they've seen me before. They know what you're about. But that new kid, he's not seen me before.' And I'm going, 'I'm gonna impress him. I'm gonna play for him.' And it pumps you up. That's all I need to do. I see some younger faces, and I go, 'Here I come.'"

AC/DC's comeback album, "Power Up", was released on November 13. The LP features the band's 2020 lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar).

"Power Up" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

According to Hits Daily Double, "Power Up", is expected to shift between 105,000 and 115,000 equivalent album units in the United States in its first week of release. Of that sum, between 100,000 and 110,000 are projected to be in traditional album sales.

Earlier this week, Dave Grohl spoke to Planet Rock DJ Danny Bowes about the upcoming FOO FIGHTERS album, "Medicine At Midnight". Regarding FOO FIGHTERS' musical approach this time around, Dave said (see video below): "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.'"

On the topic of why FOO FIGHTERS chose "Shame Shame" as the first single from "Medicine At Midnight", Grohl said: "It's hard to decide which song you present to the people first. You usually want something that will represent the direction or the tone of the album, but you don't necessarily wanna do something that's immediately recognizable as your band; you want something that sort of shows some kind of movement or progress or whatever it is. And when we recorded this song — it was maybe in the middle of the session — it was clear that we hadn't done something like this before, and it inspired us to keep moving in that direction for the rest of the record. I thought if it were up to me, this would be the first thing that the audience would hear. 'Cause this album is unlike anything we've done before. Though it's still the band, and it's still recognizable as the FOO FIGHTERS in some aspects, it's definitely sonically and tonally different than something we've done before."

"Medicine At Midnight" will be released on February 5, 2021 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. On Saturday, November 14 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, FOO FIGHTERS will be regrouping to mount a full-on rock invasion of your living room, when they play a full set streamed live from the Roxy in Hollywood for any and all who buy a ticket for $15 at this location. If you can't be in front of a TV, tablet, phone, laptop etc. at exactly that time, don't worry: ticket buyers will have access to replay the full stream for 48 hours from the start of the show.

FOO FIGHTERS' Roxy streaming concert event is brought to you in part by the good people at Coors Light, and will feature innovative new technology custom created for this one-of-a-kind FOO FIGHTERS show: Beer's Eye View. For 25 years, Coors Light has been on stage — and in hand — with FOO FIGHTERS. Now for the first time, Beer's Eye View will take fans behind the scenes backstage, into the thick of the action onstage, and to the best seat in the house (the VIB a.k.a. Very Important Beer section) — all from the unique perspective of a live "Can Cam" attached to Dave Grohl's own Coors Light.

A portion of proceeds from FOO FIGHTERS' Roxy streaming show will go to Sweet Relief. Founded in 1993 by Victoria Williams, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Sweet Relief is providing immediate assistance to anyone in the music industry who has been financially impacted by COVID-19.

Hot on the heels of their brilliant debut single "Alone Together" - Minefield: Todd Kerns (Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators) on vocals and bass, Brandon Fields on lead guitar, Jeremy Asbrock (Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley) on rhythm guitar and Matt Starr (Mr. Big, Ace Frehley) on drums - have have dropped their new single "Home" via Golden Robot Records.

On "Home", the band keeps the theme of big arena choruses on hand with this superb track. "Home" is ready-made hard-driven arena-rock and shows that Minefield are ready made for the big stage. Just like the first single, "Home" features the same all-star lineup, and the song was mixed and mastered by Anthony Focx.  

Minefield are already breathing new life into the hard rock scene, and the future looks very bright indeed. Check out the lyric video for "Home":

Stream and / or buy "Home" at this location. For further details, follow Minefield on Facebook.

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Collateral are back with a vengeance with their most powerfully uplifting and empowering single to date “Can’t Hold Me Down”. The new single, released by Roulette Media on Friday November 27, 2020 is now available to pre-save at this location. 

The single was recorded and produced by Collateral and mixed by Grammy nominated producer and engineer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Funeral For A Friend, Motorhead).

“Can’t Hold Me Down” is also the first piece of new material to feature Collateral’s expanded six-piece lineup which includes new members Robert Fenning (keyboards) and Louis Malagodi (guitar), alongside original members Angelo Tristan (lead vocals, guitar), Todd Winger (guitar), Jack Bentley-Smith (bass), and Ben Atkinson (drums). 

The new single symbolises hope in a world that has seen industries, businesses and even families collapse in recent months due to the pandemic. "Can’t Hold Me Down"’s message inspires individuals to always be their best, no matter what the obstacles are, no matter what is thrown at them.

Says Collateral frontman Angelo Tristan, “Many bands were struck hard at the start of the year, with Collateral being struck half way through their debut album tour that reached Top 5 in the Official UK Rock Charts. So, there is no surprise that frustration would lead to an empowering full out rock song that would hopefully inspire people across the world to keep focus on the light at the end of the tunnel… and that is exactly what they have done.”

“Can’t Hold Me Down is a song that has many layers and stories that ultimately comes back to one thing, ‘I won’t be held down’,” says Angelo. Starting with the lyric, “I used to be the one with my head in the clouds, chasing the dream to write the perfect rhyme,” to the monstrous multi-voice Queen style chorus with “You Can’t Hold Me Down.”

“We didn’t want to write a typical Covid song. What’s the point?” says Angelo. “The 6 o’clock news is doing that for you day in day out. People don’t need that right now. Some people might see this as a rebellious track. Maybe it is. Our intention is only to try and inspire people to get through the other side of this with a track that brings comfort and a hard pounding beat.”

“Can’t Hold Me Down” is different from the other singles that we have released. It’s less angry than “Lullaby”, it’s more modern than “Mr Big Shot”, it has more balls than “Midnight Queen”, and it completely contradicts “Merry Go Round”. I think our fans are beginning to see a variation starting to appear in our sound and writing which is keeping everyone on their toes, including the band.”

(Photo Credit: Rob Nankivell)

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

King Diamond has paid tribute to Ken Hensley, former URIAH HEEP vocalist songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who died peacefully on November 4 following a very short illness. He was 75 years old.

On Thursday (November 5), the Danish heavy metal singer took to his social media to write: "It is extremely sad to hear that one of my old heroes has left us. Ken Hensley, an amazing organ/keyboardist, guitar player, vocalist, & songwriter played with one of my all time favorite bands, @Uriah_Heep, for many years. Rest In Peace."

Hensley was one of the most important musicians of the past half a century. His work with URIAH HEEP in the 1970s helped to make the band hugely influential. He also collaborated with bands such as BLACKFOOT, W.A.S.P. and CINDERELLA, as well as building a very successful solo career. As a writer, he was responsible for such classics as "Lady In Black", "Easy Livin'", "July Morning" and "Look At Yourself".

A very spiritual person, Hensley became an inspiration to many and known for encouraging talented artists.

Ken had recently finished work on a new project, "My Book Of Answers", which is due for release end of February 2021.

He leaves behind a wife, Monica, and two brothers Trevor, Mark and sister Dawn, and his close friend and manager Steve Weltman.




It is extremely sad to hear that one of my old heroes has left us.

Ken Hensley, an amazing organ/keyboardist, guitar player, vocalist, & songwriter played with one of my all time favorite bands, @Uriah_Heep, for many years. Rest In Peace..

- King Diamond pic.twitter.com/RSOU9F1eZN

— King Diamond (@kingdiamond) November 5, 2020

German thrash legends Destruction have checked in with the following update:

"Dear music lovers! Because of the unacceptable conditions for all artists and the event industry, we are preparing something very special for the beginning of 2021. Something unique and once in a lifetime. A historical event for us and the fans worldwide. Please stay tuned for more news very soon!"

Destruction have started the orders for Born To Thrash – Live in Germany US versions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release had to be postponed, but now the band is proud to release their very special and limited US versions via Deko Entertainment licensed by Nuclear Blast.

Destruction comment: "Live albums are cult in metal history, they sadly came out of fashion but this one will remain special for us for sure! Released in a time with no live events. We are glad our North American fans can get the record now as well, so far it was only available as an imported version. The new edition comes with a different cover and a DVD and the double vinyl comes with the world map poster as well! In times of no concerts, a live album brings back a touch of the magic that makes the concert so special - get your magic now!”

The impressive live experience Born To Thrash – Live in Germany is available in two limited US formats: A limited blue and black splatter vinyl incl. a world map that marks the locations where fans saw their very first Destruction concert, as discovered in a previously launched campaign, and a limited CD-Digipak incl. DVD. Order here.

For North America are several bundles available, check them out here.

Singer and bassist Schmier calls it the "most spontaneous idea, we ever realized." To experience the band's actual lineup within the recent situation, Destruction's last Party.San show was recorded and perpetuated on a brand-new live-album.

The tracklist for the album is as follows:

"Curse The Gods"
"Nailed To The Cross"
"Born To Perish"
"Mad Butcher"
"Life Without Sense"
"Betrayal"
"Total Desaster"
"The Butcher Strikes Back"
"Thrash Till Death"
"Bestial Invasion"




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

DEMON HUNTER will release "Songs Of Death And Resurrection", a brand new acoustic album, on March 5, 2021 via Solid State Records. The effort features 11 newly recorded "Resurrected" versions of classic DEMON HUNTER songs from across their ten studio albums, including "I Am A Stone", "I Will Fail You", "Carry Me Down" and "The Heart Of A Graveyard", plus a brand new composition, "Praise The Void". Lush string arrangements, haunting piano, and layered vocal harmonies accompany the "reimagined" acoustic versions found on "Songs Of Death And Resurrection".

"Songs Of Death And Resurrection" features founding vocalist/songwriter Ryan Clark, lead guitarist Patrick Judge, bassist Jonathan Dunn, drummer Yogi Watts, and guitarist Jeremiah Scott, who produced and mixed the effort in Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee. Scott also produced the band's "War" (2019), "Peace" (2019), "Outlive" (2017) and "Extremist" (2014) records. Joanna Ott performed piano and additional vocals throughout. Strings were arranged and performed by Chris Carmichael. Clark's mother, Peggy, his original vocal inspiration, appears alongside her son for the first time ever, on "Dead Flowers" and "Loneliness".

DEMON HUNTER will perform the entire album, from start to finish, in an exclusive livestream performance, taped at Dark Horse Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. The livestream will air at 5 p.m. PST on November 20 and will remain available for a 48-hour period only.

Tickets to the livestream, VIP bundles, and album pre-orders for "Songs Of Death And Resurrection" are available now at this location.

Clark had this to say about "Songs Of Death And Resurrection": "The DEMON HUNTER ballad has been a defining aspect of our band since our very first album. My brother and I knew that if we wanted the freedom to pursue more somber, more melodic moments of creativity, we had to set that precedent from the beginning. What we didn't realize then was just how important these songs would become to both the band and our fans.

"The concept of an acoustic record is something we've been considering — and encouraged to pursue by fans — for many years. After ten studio albums, and a tour cycle that included a full acoustic set, it felt like the right time to actualize this idea. What we didn't want to do is something we had done before. Though we've played many of these songs in acoustic fashion over the years, we've never done so with such a level of care and attention. We hope that comes across in these recordings."

"Songs Of Death And Resurrection" track listing:

01. My Throat Is An Open Grave (Resurrected)

02. Dead Flowers (Resurrected)

03. The Heart Of A Graveyard (Resurrected)

04. Praise The Void (Resurrected)

05. Blood In The Tears (Resurrected)

06. Loneliness (Resurrected)

07. I Will Fail You (Resurrected)

08. I Am A Stone (Resurrected)

09. Deteriorate (Resurrected)

10. Carry Me Down (Resurrected)

11. The Tide Began To Rise (Resurrected)

12. My Heartstrings Come Undone (Resurrected)

The cover artwork, which can be seen below, was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

Photo credit: Jeremiah Scott

10 time Juno nominee Lee Aaron has had a lengthy and musically adventurous career that spans rock classics, jazz, opera and more, but there’s one project she’s never taken on.

A Christmas Album. It’s an idea she has considered often but the timing was never right…until now.

Lee and her band (Sean Kelly-guitar, Dave Reimer-bass, and John Cody-drums) had tossed around the notion of a Christmas album over the years, but there was always something – tours/recording/life etc. – that kept the project on the back burner. And that’s where it stayed…until 2020 brought a whole new reality. With all shows cancelled and studios shutting down, there was suddenly time available. Over the summer, they began creating a series of Rockin' From Home videos, which whetted the appetite for more, so when the Christmas idea came up again in mid-September, it was a definite go.

"Each of us had upgraded our home studios, so we thought, why not? We only had a month to get it all done, but it became a fun mission - and it kept us all from going stir crazy during Covid!" says Aaron.

Almost Christmas containsten lovingly curated tunes - from the foot-stomping excitement of the feature track "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas" (Pet Shop Boys) to the classic "Baby Please Come Home" to a sassy version of Louis Armstrong’s "Zat You Santa Claus?” - winding down with the introspective "All I Ever Get For Christmas is Blue" (Over The Rhine) and an acapella rendition of Joni Mitchell’s timeless “The Fiddle And The Drum." You've never heard Christmas done quite like this.

She also presents a brand new version of her 1991 hit “Peace On Earth” which likewise, is as relevant now as it was when it was first released.

Aaron explains, "There's a lot of passion and joy that went into these recordings. The album represented something really positive and hopeful that we could focus on during this unprecedented down-time. It was a gift that lifted our spirits and we hope it has the same effect on others."

Physical copies and fan packs available exclusively here.

Tracklisting:

“Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas”
“Baby Please Come Home”
“Run, Run, Rudolph”
“It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas”
“Zat You Santa Claus?”
“Don't Believe in Christmas”
“Merry Christmas Everybody”
“Peace On Earth”
“All I Ever Get For Christmas is Blue”
“The Fiddle and The Drum”




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Paul Allender, best known for his time with the British black metal fiends, Cradle Of Filth, and the founder of White Empress, has resurfaced with the following message.

"Hi fiends. Just a heads up that I have a new band called The UnNamed Horrors and the new album will be out soon. Orchestra and choirs are being added as we speak as well a lyrics/vox. With the album there will be some really cool things released. I'll post once we have everything in order. We are at track 7 out of 8 for the album. It's super dark!"

Stay tuned for updates.

Allender's previous sign of life was in early 2019 when he joined the theatrical production of the epic musical, DiAmorte's The Red Opera. Watch the lyric video for "The Everlasting Night" below.

Allender was with Cradle Of Filth from 1993 – 1995, and then from 2000 – 2014.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Joe Satriani has released the new video below, along with the following message:

"Doug Doppler soars over 'If I Could Fly'. With an emphasis on tone, vibrato and melodic phrasing, Doug delivers the goods on this track and shows us his unique blend of techniques and styles." 

Doppler is one of Satriani's former students.

"At the heart of it is my love for composing unique and moving music for the electric guitar. I love the journey as much as the end result. With this compilation of backing tracks you get to peak behind the curtain a bit and experience that journey as I built the songs in the studio. And, of course, you can play along!" - Joe Satriani

Stripped x Three features full backing tracks from the complete Shapeshifting, Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards and"Is There Love in Space? albums, a special digital compilation booklet with original liner notes and credits and it is all packaged within a replica Joe Satriani Ibanez signature guitar USB stick and custom case. Pre-order here.

Satriani on Stripped x Three: "This collection represents three albums of backing tracks released years apart from each other spanning 16 years: Is There Love In Space? from 2004, Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards from 2010, and 2020's Shapeshifting. Three remarkably different albums recorded and mixed in remarkably different locations. At the heart of it is my love for composing unique and moving music for the electric guitar. Each album project I undertake pushes me to discover new ways to write , play, produce and record. I love the journey as much as the end result. With this compilation of backing tracks you get to peak behind the curtain a bit and experience that journey as I built the songs in the studio. And, of course, you can play along!"

 

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Canadian rocker Aldo Nova announces his new band lineup, which features Aldo Nova on guitars and vocals, Jack Frost, (ex-Seven Witches, Savatage) on guitars and vocals, Tim Gaines (ex-Stryper, Of Gods And Monsters) on bass and vocals, Billy Carmassi (Aldo Nova band 1982 to 2020) on drums, and a keyboard player, whose name cannot be disclosed yet. But he also has an amazing pedigree, is extremely well known and is a monster player. His identity will be revealed when they begin touring, as soon as the COVID lockdowns are lifted and things get back to normal.

In Aldo’s words, “Between me, Tim Gaines and Billy Carmassi, we were already quite a unit, but when Jack Frost joined the band, it was as if he was the detonator that made us an Atomic Bomb of a band.” He also says that, “When Jack joined the band, I felt a completely new energy, and when Billy and Tim met him digitally, they both agreed that he was our guy and we're eager to go out and literally destroy, which is the mindset that we, as a band, have when we will play live.”

Nova also announced his plans to do a large, full-scale production virtual live show in 2021, and when he says large scale production, he means a full lighting rig over a large stage with one of the leading lighting designers in Canada, Pierre E. Roy, with video directed and edited by Christian Jacques who did Aldo’s videos for, “I’m A Survivor”, “When All Is Said And Done” and his “Monkey On Your Back", live band-livestream COVID-19 session.

Nova doesn’t really think that the drive-in shows that everybody claims to be the only way to play live is a good thing for his fans. In his words, "Who wants to go see a band with five people crammed in a car, listening to the show on their FM radios, and not being able to see anything? It's certainly not the solution, nor the future of rock. Anyway, I’m from Canada where the winters are brutal, so it’ll never work in Canada, nor will it work in the Northern States, so half of your fans can’t see you play when you’re on tour."

Nova plans on doing his virtual live show with a 3 and ½ hour set, playing his albums in their entirety and in the sequence of the album, so as he says. "While most bands play their shows then walk off without playing their hits, and waiting for the audience to cheer and clap til they come back to do their hit," which he calls the “cheap shot”, he does things in an entirely different way because as he says, "We on the other hand, we’ll start the show with 'Fantasy' because it’s the first track on side one of the first album." He intends to play songs from all his albums, even six songs from his rare and obscure instrumental album, Nova’s Dream, which is considered to be one of his best albums, and ending finally with his new Rock Opera, The Life And Times of Eddie Gage.

Also, his virtual show is modeled after Dana White’s UFC fight cards, which is, you pay one price of admission and you can have as many people watching it as you want, as he puts it, "Turn it into a party or a family night, sitting in front of your big screen TV with the sound system as loud as you want, with everybody having a front-row seat, get a beer, play air guitar, dance, and jokingly he says when we play 'Ball And Chain', you can even make out."

Watch out because 2021 is going to be a year full of surprises with new cutting edge ways to entertain fans from Aldo Nova.

(Photo by Sylvia Bechard)

 

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

ICED EARTH founder, songwriter, guitarist and producer Jon Schaffer recently reunited with former ICED EARTH vocalist Matt Barlow to celebrate the holiday season as only they can. The duo returns as the SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT and this time are putting their unique spin on five Christmas classics and two ICED EARTH songs.

"Winter Nights" was born out of a long-standing desire between Schaffer and Barlow to work together again. The idea to work on holiday songs was interesting to both guys. The EP features their unique spin on five Christmas classics, including "Silent Night", "Little Drummer Boy" and "We Three Kings", the latter of which can be streamed below, as well as new interpretations of two ICED EARTH songs, "Watching Over Me" and "I Died For You".

"Winter Nights" is available in numerous configurations on Kickstarter and every CD purchase comes with a second bonus 5.1 Surround Sound mix of the EP. The artwork was created by Sun Khamunaki. The SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT plan to release all versions of the EP in time for the holiday season barring any delays due to recent global events. Regardless of the global situation, backers of the campaign will receive their album in 24-bit digital audio as a download on November 15.

Schaffer and Barlow's first collaborative recording since 2008 will feature the following songs:

01. We Three Kings

02. Silent Night

03. Do You Hear What I Hear?

04. Little Drummer Boy

05. I Died For You (Winter 2020)

06. Watching Over Me (Winter 2020)

07. Silent Night (Traditional)

In a video message announcing the project, Barlow said: "This is something that Jon and I had been talking about for many years. It just so happens that it's the right time. These are some Christmas classics that we've decided to do, and also add some reimaginings of some ICED EARTH songs in there with it. So it's really gonna be pretty damn cool, man."

Schaffer added: "The idea, for whatever reason, popped in my head, and I called Matt. And I was in the middle of another production, so we had this short window of time; we couldn't bring you, really, a full-length album at this moment. But if you guys are into the idea, we definitely would like to do more of this in the future. There's other classic songs that we can rework from our past and from holiday songs and new originals and whatever. So, basically, everything's on the table; we just wanna see if you guys are into where we're going with this. And as weird as this year has been, hopefully it will give you guys some hope. So it's gonna be really awesome.

"We're taking some classic big holiday songs and doing our thing with it — making it very theatrical and epic sounding, and heavy in some parts and spooky in others, beautiful," he continued. "We have two versions of 'Silent Night' — one more traditional and one very much something we would do, kind of what you would expect from us."

ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Barlow announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.

Current ICED EARTH singer Stu Block (formerly of INTO ETERNITY) made his live debut with the band in November 2011.

ICED EARTH's latest album, "Incorruptible", came out in June 2017 via Century Media.

Lyrically, and musically, the award-winning Dutch artist lays her soul bare with the most evocative record of her career - captivating song-stories told with acoustic guitars, strings, horns, percussion, and Anneke's hypnotic vocal harmonies.

The new album's title, The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest, refers to the idea that, when facing personal challenges, we are forced to find answers to life's biggest questions. But, at this point in her near-three-decade-long music career, this solo album - and, crucially, the heartbreak that inspired it - was not something Anneke van Giersbergen ever anticipated writing.

In 2018, Anneke began working on new material for her metal band, VUUR. Although their debut album, In This Moment We Are Free - Cities, was met with a mixed reception, fans were warming up to their heavy, progressive sound. Therefore, a rapid follow-up album would surely establish Anneke's return to fronting a metal band. However, behind the scenes, these were troubled times.

Anneke shares, ”My belief in VUUR saw me spend all my savings on recording VUUR's debut album and taking the band on the road. After completing our first touring cycle, I realized that more VUUR would mean yet more, huge financial risks.”

To make matters worse, in 2018, her long-lasting marriage, which had always been wonderful, unexpectedly saw a storm approaching.
Anneke adds, “I instantly knew I needed to write music about fixing my life. This creative endeavour would be far too personal for a VUUR album. And it would also require solitude.”

With just her acoustic guitar and basic recording gear, Anneke retreated to a small house near the woods, just outside her hometown of Eindhoven. She let go of the pressures of what VUUR's future might be, and fell into the meditative process of writing a solo album. In 2019, work continued on the new songs. In 2020, Anneke asked her friend and producer, Gijs Coolen, to help finish the album.

Throughout the completion of the album, Anneke's fragile, acoustic song-stories were fused together with an alchemy of panoramic strings, horns, and percussion. The resulting 11-track record has all the intimacy of Anneke serenading an audience of one, combined with surprising departures into swampier, foot-stomping grooves.
The Japanese art of kintsugi has inspired Anneke to use a repaired heart as the album's symbol. Kintsugi teaches that bringing together the pieces of a broken object - with the use of a precious metal - adds value and uniqueness to it. And, instead of giving up on their marriage, Anneke and her husband decided to take the time to mend their bond. They now cherish the repaired heartbreak as something profoundly valuable.
Their journey through this personal storm, and the album that Anneke created in the eye of it, proves that the darkest skies truly are the brightest.

The album will be available as CD Digipak, Gatefold LP + CD & as digital album.

Tracklisting:

"Agape"
"Hurricane"
"My Promise"
"I Saw A Car"
"The Soul Knows"
"The End"
"Keep It Simple"
"Lo And Behold"
"Losing You"
"Survive"
"Love You Like I Love You"

The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest is Anneke's 23rd career album. It proves, once again, that the award-winning Dutch artist defies being pigeonholed by any genre.

After thirteen years as the front woman for melancholic metallers, The Gathering, she struck out on her own in 2007. Since then, her creativity has known no bounds. Anneke quickly solidified a successful solo career (initially under the moniker Agua de Annique), and has recorded and performed with Canadian metal genius Devin Townsend multiple times. She has also lent her serene yet powerful voice to the likes of: Anathema, Icelandic folk group Árstíðir, Within Temptation, Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, Amorphis, and prog legend John Wetton.

2012's Everything Is Changing was something of a milestone in Anneke's solo career. The album, which was the first to be released under her own name, received two Edison Award nominations - Holland's most prestigious music prize - in the categories 'Best Female Artist' and 'Best Album'.

In 2015, Anneke van Giersbergen and Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) released their collaborative album The Diary under the name The Gentle Storm. In October 2017, Anneke's progressive metal outfit VUUR released their much-anticipated debut album. In This Moment We Are Free - Cities entered the Dutch Album Top 100 at number 2, Anneke's highest-ever chart position.

Forever the unpredictable artist, in late 2018, Anneke released 'Symphonized', an 11-track live orchestral album. It was recorded at two career-spanning concerts alongside Residentie Orkest The Hague, and features rearrangements of songs from her entire back catalogue.

2019 saw Dutch music copyright organisation Buma Cultuur honor Anneke with the Buma ROCKS! Export Award. This is their award for the Most Successful Dutch Artist Abroad in Heavy Music. In 2021, the release of her new solo album The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest will see Anneke surprise her fans all over again.

(Photo - Mark Uyl)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Joel Hoekstra, best known to rock fans as the current guitarist for Whitesnake and Trans-Siberian Orchestra (and also known for his work with Night Ranger and the Broadway show Rock Of Ages), returns with his second album, Running Games from his electrifying solo project, Joel Hoekstra’s 13 on February 12. Joined by Russell Allen (vocals), Tony Franklin (bass), Vinny Appice (drums), and Derek Sherinian (keyboards), Joel and company pick up where his debut, Dying To Live left off.

Fans can get their first taste of the album with the newly released single, "Hard To Say Goodbye", available on all streaming platforms and streaming below. Pre-order/save the album here.

Hoekstra once again handles the bulk of the creative process, overseeing production, songwriting and arranging (music and lyrics), and crafting his vision for this powerful hard rock gem. Add Chris Collier’s masterful mixing and the result is ‘70s/’80s classic hard rock with 2020’s muscle. As with the debut, Running Games features an all-star cast of musicians including none other than Russell Allen (vocals), Tony Franklin (bass), Vinny Appice (drums), and Derek Sherinian (keyboards). The amazing Jeff Scott Soto also lends a helping hand with background vocals.

Says Joel, “Years ago, I released three solo albums that were mainly instrumental guitar music. With Joel Hoekstra's 13, I have started to work on something that showcases my production, writing, and playing in the genre that I'm known for, which is melodic hard rock.”

Like Dying To Live, Running Games can be described as Dio’ish at it’s heaviest, but is also influenced by the blues- based sound of Whitesnake as well as melodic bands like Foreigner, Journey, and the like.

Hoekstra says, "‘Hard To Say Goodbye’ definitely represents the more melodic sound of the album, but rock fans can also look forward to some aggressive tracks."

On Running Games, lyrically Joel focuses on escaping problems both past and present by providing playful, imaginary, and serious takes on the situations.

Long hailed for his fiery, tasteful guitar playing, Hoekstra’s playing here raises the bar to a new level.

Tracklisting:

"Finish Line"
"I’m Gonna Lose It"
"Hard To Say Goodbye"
"How Do You"
"Heart Attack"
"Fantasy"
"Lonely Days"
"Reach The Sky"
"Cried Enough For You"
"Take What’s Mine"
"Running Games"
"Lay Down Your Love" (Bonus Track - Digital)

"Hard To Say Goodbye":

Lineup:

Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake/Trans-Siberian Orchestra) - guitars
Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) - lead vocals, backing vocals
Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath, DIO) - drums
Tony Franklin (ex-The Firm, Blue Murder) - bass
Derek Sherinian (Sons Of Apollo, Dream Theater, Black Country Communion) - keyboards
Jeff Scott Soto (Sons Of Appollo, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) - backing vocals

Special Guests:

Lenny Castro (Toto) - percussion
Chloe Lowery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) - backing vocals
Dave Eggar (Evanescence, Coldplay) - cello
Katie Kresek (Adele, Five For Fighting) - violin, viola




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

German speed metallers Stallion, who made some noise in 2014 with their debut album Rise And Ride, have checked in with a new message and video teaser.

"We know we have been silent for a while, but we haven't been lazy. There is something cooking... sooner than you might think..."

Check out the Rise And Ride album below, which was released om September 12th, 2014 via High Roller Records. For fans of Skull Fist, Striker and Oliver Magnum. 

"Rise and Ride"
"Wild Stallions"
"Streets of Sin"
"Stigmatized"
"Canadian Steele"
"Bills to Pay"
"Watch Out"
"The Right One"
"The Devil Never Sleeps"
"Wooden Horse"




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen played a piano-driven version of the band's latest single, "25", on this past Friday's (November 13) episode of Fox 5's "Good Day New York". You can now watch her performance below.

"25" is taken from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's upcoming album, "Death By Rock And Roll", which will be released on February 12, 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Momsen stated about the track: "'25' is an interesting song that came from a lot of different places. It was the first song we recorded for the record in early 2019. I had just turned 25 when we wrote it. In a way, it's an autobiography and hopefully shows that this album really ventures out into new territory with the music."

"Death By Rock And Roll" is THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

A few months ago, Momsen confirmed that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello guests on "Death By Rock And Roll". Morello appears on a track called "And So It Went".

Morello joins previously announced guests Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron from SOUNDGARDEN. The song with Cameron and Thayil, called "Only Love Can Save Me Now", was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.

Momsen told Forbes about "Death By Rock And Roll": "We worked really hard on this album and we went through a lot of loss, a lot of tragedy, and we really poured our hearts and souls into it and in a way I can't express verbally. It's all there in the music, so that's why I say it feels like a rebirth. It almost feels like the first record in a sense, because we really had to go back to the beginning after losing Kato, our producer. I'm just really excited for people to hear it because, in my opinion, it's the best album we've ever made so it's hard to sit on this music.

"We talked about holding the song 'Death By Rock And Roll' for longer too, and I was, like, 'I can't do this. I can't just sit on this album forever.' The world needs music and music has such a healing thing to it, and it saved my life, time and time again. If we put out a song and if it can put a smile on some people's faces, great, we'll take it from there. That's kind of what we're doing — we're riding the wave. This is just such an unprecedented time so we're trying to take it step by step, and see where things go. Everything is still up in the air, but we are planning on releasing more singles before the full album is out. There's going to be more music to come."

Track listing

01. Death By Rock And Roll

02. Only Love Can Save Me Now (feat. Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron)

03. And So It Went (feat. Tom Morello)

04. 25

05. My Bones

06. Got So High

07. Broomsticks

08. Witches Burn

09. Standing At The Wall

10. Turning Gold

11. Rock And Roll Heaven

12. Harley Darling

Guitarist Brian Tatler of NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) legends DIAMOND HEAD spoke to Michael Francisco of Metal Temple about theprogress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to last year's "The Coffin Train" album. "I have been writing [the entire time] while I've been in lockdown," he said (hear audio below). "We haven't been able to get together. Our last gig was March the 8th. So all I've done is write. I just thought, 'Now is the perfect opportunity. We'll never get this again, to just focus completely on new material. No gigs coming up; nothing on the horizon.' So I thought, 'Right, I'm gonna write the next album.'

"We haven't been able to get together to try the songs out in rehearsal at all, but I think I've come up with some really good material," he added. "And I'm still working on it now. I do a little bit each day and try to move it forward. I think it's gonna be great."

Two months ago, Tatler told MetalAsylum.net about the musical direction of the new DIAMOND HEAD material: "We've done the same thing — it's 'stick to the brief.' We're trying to make a DIAMOND HEAD album and not go too far in any weird direction. We always use that brief as a way of just keeping it together and not offending anybody."

Added singer Rasmus Bom Andersen: "We're not trying to go out on any tangents; we're just trying to make sure that we echo what is the core part of DIAMOND HEAD and the DIAMOND HEAD sound. Although we are trying to push things a little bit more. It's 2020, so we're trying to move things along a little bit without pushing it too much."

Continued Brian: "The last album was very well received, so we think, okay, well, we can go slightly further. But also, I wanna do an even more powerful album than 'The Coffin Train'. I've got it in mind the sort of record we should make. So I think it's in hand."

Asked if fans should expect to see a new DIAMOND HEAD album in 2021, Rasmus said: "We'll see what the story is gonna be with lockdown. We don't know when we can get together and actually function as a band again in a writing scenario. So we have to wait and see what happens. But we're doing all the legwork that we can to get most of the pre-production on the go before we start to work together and we can go outside again and it's not a nuclear holocaust and all that."

"The Coffin Train" was recorded at Vigo Studios in Walsall, Circle Studios in Birmingham and Raw Sound Studio in London, and is the second DIAMOND HEAD album to feature Rasmus Bom Andersen, who joined the band in 2014.

Formed in 1976 under the riff-rolling leadership of Tatler, DIAMOND HEAD would quickly establish themselves as a vanguard of the exploding New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene. With their genre-defining debut album "Lightning To The Nations", DIAMOND HEAD has influenced and opened gates for many metal bands.

Tatler has repeatedly expressed his gratitude over the years to METALLICA, who have covered four DIAMOND HEAD songs and kept the band in the spotlight.

He said in a 2011 interview: "Without METALLICA, we wouldn't be going now. We split in 1985 when everything dried up, and we wouldn't have reformed without them. They're like DIAMOND HEAD's support system — they breathed new life into the band by namechecking us hundreds of times and covering our songs."

The publishing royalties generated from METALLICA's versions of DIAMOND HEAD tracks like "Am I Evil" have kept Tatler afloat. "I don't know what I would have done without that," he said. "We never made money in the early days. I was on the dole after we finished — I had nothing left and I was living at home with my parents. I probably wouldn't have my own house now."

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box was asked why his band has not yet been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded: "Funny enough, we did a European tour with THE ZOMBIES supporting us. And then they got nominated, and they got in the Hall Of Fame. So I don't think there's any particular rules. I think they've got their own agenda, and I think they only choose a small amount of people each year. Our industry is full of people that deserve to be there, and it's nice that people include us in that deserving place. But if it happens, it happens; and if it doesn't, we'll carry on with life. But if we do get in the Hall Of Fame, it will just be a tick in the box that we'll be very proud of getting there. But you can't rely on it; as I say, they've got their own agenda. And if we do get chosen, then we'll be very happy puppies."

URIAH HEEP's 25th studio album, "Living The Dream", was released in September 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc was helmed by the widely respected Canadian producer Jay Ruston, known for his work with STONE SOUR, ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

Box is the original guitarist and sole remaining founding member of URIAH HEEP. He, vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist/vocalist Phil Lanzon have formed the nucleus of the band for more than 34 years and released 17 albums together.

URIAH HEEP debuted in 1970 with the release of one of hard rock's milestones, "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", and has since sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide. They constantly tour the world, playing up to 125 shows a year to more than 500,000 fans. The band's live set features the classic tracks from the '70s and is a musical journey from the band's beginnings to the present day.

Along with LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE, URIAH HEEP helped invent a decorative and uniquely British form of heavy metal with "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", offered as a self-titled on American shores, but whatever the titling, historically massive in the invention of a music format that would rule the '70s and only intensify in the '80s.

Violent Life Violent Death's new video for "Grave Walk" can be seen below. The track is found on the Charlotte, North Carolina-based metallic hardcore act's fourth EP, The Color Of Bone, which just saw release at the end of October through Innerstrength Records.

The "Grave Walk" video was filmed by Justin Beasley. With its premiere, VLVD vocalist Scott Cohen offers, "'Grave Walk' is about the deafening silence in graveyards and what that silence is saying - the memories and emotions that are left behind in the ground, trapped in stone and dirt."

Since their formation in 2016, Violent Life Violent Death has delivered a blistering, damaging brand of brutal metallic hardcore, having been on a constant mission to deliver the most aggressive, hardest-hitting, yet straightforward music the genre has to offer, drawing comparisons and influence from the likes of Zao, Converge, Hatebreed, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Everytime I Die.

The Color Of Bone sees Violent Life Violent Death continue to explore the darker and more eerie sounds the band started experimenting with on their previous release, 2019's Sadness Rains. With five new tracks recorded, mixed, and mastered by Kyle Dameron at Rareform Recordings in Hickory, North Carolina, the record was completed with photos by Justin Driscoll, art by Justin Campbell, and layout by Mark De Gruchy.

Tracklisting:

"Grave Walk"
"Dead With Me"
"Roseblade"
"Linger"
"The Color Of Bone"

"Roseblade" lyric video:

(Photo by Justin Driscoll)

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Finnish doom metal prodigy Infirmum has signed a deal with Wormholedeath for the physical CD release of the album Walls Of Sorrow, set for December 18th, 2020. Walls Of Sorrow is already available on Spotify.

Timo Solonen from Infirmum stated, "I am happy to announce a distribution contract between Wormholedeath and Infirmum. Wormholedeath will distribute Infirmum’s debut album, Walls Of Sorrow, in physical format around the globe continent by continent. I believe Wormholedeath is an excellent partner and will help Infirmum to be heard around the globe and gain more fans for this dark but beautiful journey through life. And by the way, soon Infirmum will release another new lyric video from Walls Of Sorrow. Stay dark, stay safe, stay tuned."

Walls Of Sorrow artwork and tracklisting:

"To Darkness" 
"Cause Of Sorrow" 
"Shadows Of The Past" 
"Silence" 
"Doomed" 
"Wake Me" 
"Automn Breeze" 
"Sail Away" 
"Fearless" 
"Trust" 

"Sail Away" lyric video:

Infirmum is a doom metal project founded by Finnish artist Timo Solonen in early 2019.

Timo stated, "I guess this is all about my love for music and it is the healthiest way to express myself. So, Infirmum will guide you through fears and pains and will drag you to darkness, just to lift you back alive. Now, Infirmum is evolving with Anna Rose as female vocalist and me being the man behind the growls and guitars. To the darkness and back! Stay dark and stay safe."

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

In support of their upcoming livestream event, Trans-Siberian Orchestra have released a new visualizer featuring "Christmas Canon" from The Christmas Attic (1998) with narration. Watch below:

In August, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) was forced to make the heartbreaking announcement that, for the first time in more than 20 years, the group will not be able to tour during the holiday season. The multi-platinum, critically acclaimed, progressive rock group, is proud to make an exciting announcement today - to keep its rock holiday tradition alive, TSO will bring a performance right into fans' homes with the world premiere of its first-ever livestream event, Christmas Eve And Other Stories Live In Concert, on Friday, December 18.

TSO performing an all-new staging of its beloved album Christmas Eve And Other Stories, means that fans, despite missing so much in 2020, won't have to miss their favorite holiday tradition. This electrifying livestream will bring some much-needed rockin’ Christmas spirit to fans everywhere. In addition to the full album concert, fans will view special pre-show content including behind-the-scenes footage and classic interview segments.

General public on sale begins today. Keeping the TSO tradition of offering huge entertainment value for a low ticket price, advance tickets for TSO’s “Christmas Eve and Other Stories Live In Concert'' will be offered as a family-friendly $30 all-in ticket. For fans unable to view the livestream’s debut on Fri., Dec. 18, TSO will make the performance available for streaming on demand through midnight on Sun., Dec. 20.  In addition to purchasing the stream, fans will have the option to purchase gift packages, including T-shirts, ornaments, and masks, plus livestream tickets can be sent digitally to friends and family as presents. For more details and to purchase tickets and packages, visit trans-siberian.com.

TSO’s Music Director & lead guitarist Al Pitrelli said, “So many things have changed in 2020. Masks, social distancing, home schooling, and of course live entertainment. What will not change is all of us being able to celebrate the holidays together. It will just be in a different way.  For 21 years we’ve had the privilege of bringing our tours, including Christmas Eve And Other Stories, to hundreds of cities and millions of people. This year we will bring this timeless story to your living rooms. We will miss seeing all of you in person, but like Paul O’Neill always said, ‘adapt, overcome, and improvise.’ That’s exactly what we are going to do. This will be an opportunity to see your favorite holiday story up close and personal. We can’t wait to share this with all of you. In the meantime... Stay safe. Stay healthy. We’re on our way!”

This special event will bring together members of both the East and West bands for the first time since 2000 when TSO first began touring with two full groups. For the livestream, Bryan Hicks will narrate and Al Pitrelli (guitar) and Derek Wieland (keyboards) will serve as musical directors. The band will feature Chris Caffery (guitar), Mee Eun Kim (keyboards), Johnny Lee Middleton (bass), Asha Mevlana (violin), and Jeff Plate (drums). Vocalists will be Russell Allen, Nate Amor, John Brink, Erika Jerry, Chloe Lowery, Georgia Napolitano, and Jeff Scott Soto.

A product of the vision and imagination of TSO’s late founder, composer, and lyricist Paul O’Neill, Christmas Eve And Other Stories gave birth to the unique format O’Neill called “Rock Theater.” The story is set on Christmas Eve when a young angel is sent to Earth to bring back what is best representative of humanity.  Following favorite TSO themes of “strangers helping strangers” and “the kindness of others,” “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” takes listeners all over the world to help reunite a young girl with her distraught father. The album features such fan-favorites as both of which have not been performed live in recent years. The rock opera also features such TSO classics as "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," "O’ Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy," "Promises To Keep," "This Christmas Day," “Ornament,” and the epic “Old City Bar.”

The debut studio album of Christmas Eve And Other Stories is available as a part of "The Christmas Trilogy," a three-album collection that also includes definitive TSO albums The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas Eve. "The Trilogy," which has been out of print for several years, will be available on November 20, and is available for pre-order now.

Since its historic touring debut, TSO has played approximately 2,100 concert dates for more than 17 million fans and has sold in excess of 12 million albums and DVDs.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Lizzy Borden released a new greatest hits collection for fans: Best Of Lizzy Borden, Vol. 2., on November 13th. It picks up where 1994's Best of Lizzy Borden leaves off, containing 12 tracks that showcase the Deal With The Devil (2000), Appointment With Death (2007) and My Midnight Things (2018) albums. Additionally, the collection features two new cover songs recorded in the summer of 2020 (the first recordings by Lizzy's latest live show line-p): Blue Oyster Cult's "Burnin’ For You" and Ramones' "Pet Sematary" - both mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Stone Sour).

The album is now available for streaming in full below.

Best of Lizzy Borden, Vol. 2 tracklisting:

"My Midnight Things"
"Long May They Haunt Us"
"Tomorrow Never Comes"
"Obsessed With You"
"(This Ain't) The Summer Of Love"
"Under Your Skin"
"Lovin' You Is Murder"
"The Scar Across My Heart"
"There Will Be Blood Tonight"
"We Only Come Out At Night"
"Abnormal"
"Live Forever"
"Pet Sematary"
"Burnin' for You"

"Pet Sematary":




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Spanish melodic death band Æolian, who are signed to Black Lion Records, have unleashed an official video for "Bleeding Garbage", the fourth single off their new album, The Negationist. Check it out below.

This is what the band had to say about the track:

"The melodies of 'Bleeding Garbage' resound to denounce a problem that is becoming too relevant and that we can no longer ignore... everyone today finds the seas full of waste, mountains of garbage in the midst of nature, and clouds of pollution that make our cities invisible in the distance. The planet vomits our irresponsibility and gives it back to us with every breath, with every heartbeat, we have screwed it up so much that the planet bleeds and gives us back our waste through every hole... that blood is the garbage that could bury our civilization forever..."

Æolian will release their new album The Negationist on November 20th. They recently unleashed a lyric video for the song "Momentum". The band comments:

"'Momentum' is a call to action, a warning for those who still do not realize the seriousness of this environmental situation. It talks about the last chance to mend all the damage we have done to our planet and how our behavior begins to affect our own survival too. Corporations, governments and our sometimes greedy selfish way of life have put us to sleep while 'Momentum' tries to remind us that sadly for we people... it's now or never."

The Negationist marks the sophomore release by the Spanish quintet. Picking up where they left off on the critically acclaimed Silent Witness, the band bring a blistering attack to bear. Through ten tracks, the band weave a dynamic spell of melodic death metal, with threads of black, folk, and occasionally thrash metal threads to sew it all together. Variations in pacing, excellent mixing, a cohesive and rock solid rhythm section, and memorable riffing all combine to draw in the listener to the albums earnest beauty. Passionate vocals rest comfortably in the fabric of the mix, steering the album with lyrical content from an environmentalist perspective. The Negationist provides the type of fist pumping soundtrack sure to energize any listener.

With their second album titled ‘The Negationist’ where darkness and hope merge in an introspective trip marked by the damage we are doing to our own planet and how this is affecting us severely. This album has been mixed and produced by Miquel A. Riutort (Mega) (The Unity, Cryptosy, The Agonist, Vltimas) at Psychosomatic Recording Studio and mastered by Dan Swano at Unisound Studios. The cover artwork has been done by Juanjo Castellano Rosado (The Black Dahlia Murder, Gates of Ishtar, Trident).

Tracklist:

"Momentum"
"We Humans"
"Animals Burned"
"Unseen Enemy"
"Blackout"
"Golden Cage"
"Bleeding Garbage"
"The Flood"
"Children Of Mud"
"Ghosts Anthem"
"Reborn"

Mastered by Dan Swano at Unisound Studios




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

German legends Scorpions continue to roll out the classic footage - this time a performance of "Big City Nights" live in Berlin, 1990. Check it out below.

Scorpions are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their Crazy World album, released on November 6, 1990. The band have released the Fact Video below.

Says the band: "30 years and it's still a Crazy World. Thank you for helping to make this record so special."




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

On November 13th, Accuser released their new self-titled album via Metal Blade Records. A full album stream is available below.

Since they began flying the flag for German thrash in the '80s, Accuser have gone on to prove themselves one of the most enduring forces in global metal. With eleven full-lengths behind them, they return in 2020 with their latest masterwork: a blistering collection that captures everything that makes the band so vital, produced by longtime collaborator Martin Buchwalter (who has worked on five Accuser albums) and mastered by Dan Swanö.

"You stay fresh through curiosity," states vocalist/guitarist Frank Thoms. "Writing new songs keeps you fresh, and it is always exciting how things develop and how the listener reacts to them afterwards. This process never gets boring. It is always exciting and invites you to try new things."

The result is a dynamic album that is very much rooted in thrash, but still takes the listener through various moods and styles, further cementing Accuser's status as leaders, not followers.

The return of lead guitarist René Schütz to the band's ranks - who appeared on multiple Accuser records prior to 2011 - only served to up the ante on Accuser.

"We are very, very happy to have him back in the band, and as you will be able to hear, his leads are definitely over the top. From my perspective, he is one of the very, very few thrash metal guitarists who are able to combine technique and feeling in a proper way."

With writing for the new record commencing as soon as 2018's The Mastery was completed, Thoms pushed himself until he was in "100% concentration mode", knowing he is on the right path when he forgets his daily routine and normal life falls away. With no structure or plan envisaged, the songs came together naturally, as they always have.

"The Accuser sound is in our DNA, and at the end of the day, it is our own blend of thrash metal. To be honest, that's what I like best during the process of making a record, seeing how the music develops and how the album is taking shape."

The shape Accuser took is definitely versatile, and perhaps sounds simpler than it actually is.

"We managed to make well thought-out songs sound simple. Crazy things don't seem like a disturbance or a foreign body. In addition, we have inconspicuously processed various genres of metal. Ultimately, we just tried to offer the essence of the band, the groove from 'Repent' (1992), the riffs in the veins of Who Dominates Who (1989), plus structures that could be found on the first album The Conviction (1987) and stylistics that could be from Reflections (1994) or Taken By The Throat (1995) - everything put together in catchy songs."

The combination of these elements that shout back to earlier Accuser releases - without repeating or copying themselves - alongside the return of Schütz, led Thoms to believe this album "must be called Accuser".

Accuser tracklisting:

"Misled Obedience"
"Phantom Graves"
"Temple Of All"
"Lux in Tenebris"
"Be None The Wiser"
"Rethink"
"Psychocision"
"Contamination"
"The Eliminator"
"Seven Lives"
"A Cycle's End"

"Phantom Graves" video:

"Misled Obedience"

Accuser lineup:

Frank Thoms - vocals/guitars
René Schütz - guitars
Frank Kimpel - bass
Olli Fechner - drums




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

"Perfectly Preserved", the upcoming second album from LOVE AND DEATH, the project led by KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, will include a cover version of "Let Me Love You", a song originally recorded by French DJ and electronic music producer DJ Snake and featuring vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber.

During an appearance on the "Earache Podcast", Welch stated about LOVE AND DEATH's decision to cover "Let Me Love You" (see video below): "DJ Snake actually wrote that song. Justin Bieber is only a guest.

"I have always loved that song, and JR Bareis, the other singer in LOVE NAD DEATH, he brought it. He did a demo of it, and I was, like, 'One hundred percent, we're doing that song.' Just the heavy riff, you're, like, 'Oh, this is a cool heavy riff,' and then it goes into that, and you're just, like, 'What?' And I got some good screams on it and everything. And I was, like, 'We need to get Lacey Sturm on this song.' And I hit her and her husband Josh up, and it was like an instant 'yes.' It was just fun, man. We thought it was a fun thing to do.

"The last record, we did DEVO 'Whip It' cover, so we wanted to do [another] cover," Welch continued. "We actually did a Post Malone cover as well, but I don't know if we finished it or whatnot. But the Bieber cover just felt more fun; it was like just totally take a pop song and crush it heavy. It just sounds way more fun to us."

Brian went on to say that he and his LOVE AND DEATH bandmates will "probably get mixed reactions" from their cover of "Let Me Love You", "but we loved doing it, and it was fun to us, and it's crushing. There's a cool story that goes along with it too that I really can't talk about it," he hinted. "But we're gonna release probably a video for it and everything and talk more about it. But there's a cool story that goes along with it with kind of a mental health angle. But I love it, man. It's a fun moment on the record."

"Perfectly Preserved" will arrive on February 12 via Earache Records. The album marks the introduction of guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter Jasen Rauch as a full-fledged member of the band, as well as second-time producer for LOVE AND DEATH (co-produced by Joe Rickard). Jasen, best known as an integral part of chart-topping rockers BREAKING BENJAMIN, produced LOVE AND DEATH's first LP in 2013. The duo first met a year or two after the release of Head's solo album, "Save Me From Myself" (2008).

"Perfectly Preserved" sees Head and Jasen side by side with the band's original guitarist, JR Bareis, also on vocals and guitar, and powerhouse drummer Isaiah Perez. It was a perfect storm of friendship and creativity, as they all worked on the album in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Chicago, over several years.

Track listing:

01. Slow Fire

02. Infamy

03. Down

04. Death Of Us

05. Lo Lamento

06. The Hunter (feat. Keith Wallen)

07. Tragedy

08. Let Me Love You (feat. Lacey Sturm)

09. Affliction

10. White Flag (feat. Ryan Hayes)

KORN's latest album, "The Nothing", was released in September 2019 via Roadrunner/Elektra.

LOVE AND DEATH is:

Brian "Head" Welch - Vocals, Guitar

Jasen Rauch - Bass

JR Bareis - Guitar, Vocals

Isaiah Perez - Drums