Killer Be Killed - Max Cavalera (Soulfly/ex-Sepultura), Ben Koller (Converge/Mutoid Man), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan/The Black Queen) and Troy Sanders (Mastodon/Gone Is Gone) - have released a new video trailer for their upcoming album, Reluctant Hero.

In the new clip, the band discuss the recording process and touring for the album. Watch below:

Reluctant Hero will be released on November 20 via Nuclear Blast Records. Album pre-orders are available here, with the release available in a variety of limited edition vinyl variants, as well as on CD and a 2LP black vinyl version. Pre-save, listen and download on all digital platforms here.

Reluctant Hero tracklisting:

"Deconstructing Self-Destruction"
"Dream Gone Bad"
"Left Of Center"
"Inner Calm From Outer Storms"
"Filthy Vagabond"
"From A Crowded Wound"
"The Great Purge"
"Comfort From Nothing"
"Animus"
"Dead Limbs"
"Reluctant Hero"

“Dream Gone Bad” video:

"Deconstructing Self-Destruction" visualizer:

(Photo - Jim Louvau)




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In a new interview with NME, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young confirmed that the band's long-awaited comeback album, "Power Up", is a tribute to his late brother, founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up".

"His death was a huge blow to us," Angus said. "But I still think he's there when I'm playing. It sounds funny, but I can still feel him communicating to me when I'm playing guitar."

Singer Brian Johnson concurred, saying: "With Malcolm, you've got to go back to the beginning when he turned to Angus and said, 'C'mon, we've got to start a band. There's too much soft music around. I wanna play some rock and roll!' He was uncompromising in his ethic. If it wasn't rock and roll, Malcolm didn't care for it. He's left us — but he's still there. In the studio and in everything he did. We're all very aware of that. When your target is to pay tribute to Malcolm, you just really want to do well and you don't want to let anyone down."

Angus went on to say that music provided some of Malcolm's greatest comfort in his final days, after he was moved into full-time care in a nursing home facility in Sydney, Australia's eastern suburbs specializing in dementia.

"I'd play him a bit of guitar, and he was happy whenever we were doing that," Angus recalled. "One of the last records I ever played him was THE ROLLING STONES when they were doing a lot of old blues tracks [2016's 'Blue And Lonesome'] and he just thought it was great."

"Power Up" is due on November 13. The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust" 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 "Rock Or Bust".

Ever since AC/DC completed the tour cycle for "Rock Or Bust" four years ago — a turbulent trek that weathered the forced retirement and eventual death of Malcolm Young, plus the departures of Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams — fans had wondered whether sole remaining founding member Angus Young would keep the band going or decide it was time for AC/DC to pack it in.

The legendary hard rockers postponed the last ten dates of their North American tour in 2016 after doctors told Johnson he faced a total loss of hearing if he did not stop touring immediately. He was eventually replaced on the road by GUNS N' ROSES vocalist Axl Rose.

Johnson eventually found a specialist willing to try an experimental treatment on him and he spent three years figuring out a solution.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

Williams recently revealed that a "terrible" bout with vertigo contributed to his 2016 retirement. He also admitted the return of both Johnson and Rudd convinced him to rejoin the group.

Former Guns N' Roses manager Doug Goldstein recently joined the Appetite For Distortion podcast for a closer look into the GNR live album, Live Era '87-'93. He also answers fan-submitted questions. Check out the interview below.

On guitarist Gilby Clarke being fired in 1994

Goldstein: "Gilby still believes that Axl (Rose) was the bad guy who threw him out of the band, and all I can say is that Axl, from the beginning of Gilby being hired, said, 'Once the tour's over, guys, that's it for Gilby, because I want to take this in a different direction...' They all knew it, yet particularly Slash - and to a great extent Duff (McKagan) as well - were telling Gilby, 'We're going to keep you around, we're going to keep you around.' And Axl stayed consistent: 'I've always said it, once it's over, it's over!' It was pretty unfair to Axl that he took the heat for shitcanning Gilby when that really wasn't the case at all.

Maybe they really wanted Gilby to stay in the band, but they certainly weren't very vocal about it to Axl at all. They didn't put it this way, they didn't stick up for Gilby when it came time for Axl to say, 'That's it, we got to go in a different direction.' There was no conversation about, 'But, wait, we love him and he's got to be here.' None of that."

"Tightwad" is the new single from Gilby Clarke, and the follow up to his recent singles "The Gospel Truth" and "Rock N’ Roll Is Getting Louder". It was written around a guitar riff he came up with while trying out a new fuzz pedal. Lyrically, it was inspired by deceit, treachery and the creative extremes people will go through to get ahead. "Tightwad" features Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx on bass, and Stephen Perkins from Jane's Addiction on drums.

"This song was written around a guitar riff I discovered while trying out a new fuzz pedal. Lyrically, I was inspired by deceit, treachery and the creative extremes people will go through to get ahead. I tried to get my message through with humor, but if it hits too close to home, maybe we all should take a closer look at ourselves and make improvements," says Gilby.

"I was lucky to have some wonderful musician friends contribute to the recording of this track, Nikki Sixx and Stephen Perkins. Stephen, as always, came through with a beat that drives the song and Nikki found a cool bass groove that accentuates the feel I was looking for. I tried to get my message through with humor, but sometimes the truth hurts," admits Clarke.

Released on October 26th, be sure to add "Tightwad" to your digital library by visiting this location. Listen to the song in its entirety now:

In the world of rock, Gilby Clarke needs no introduction. From crunching legendary chords on his beloved Gibson guitar in the stadiums with Guns N’ Roses, to getting down into the Snakepit with his GN'R buddy Slash, gracing our TV screens on the widely watched rock reality show Rockstar: Supernova or creating pure, heartfelt rock music as a solo artist, Gilby Clarke has done it all.

Out now via Golden Robot Records, "The Gospel Truth" is the second single lifted from Gilby’s forthcoming album of the same title, and is about the concept of truth today. The truth is whatever someone says out loud, no one is accountable and it’s puzzling. Reflecting on an upbringing within the Catholic church, Gilby Clarke reflects on the idea that honesty shouldn’t come from fear, and encourages the listener to be brave, say what you mean, and mean what you say.

His previous single "Rock N’ Roll Is Getting Louder", released back in February, is a true stormer of a track in pure Gilby fashion - rock n’ roll doused in the influences that run through Gilby’s veins.

Secure your copy of "The Gospel Truth" here. Check out the video for "Rock N' Roll Is Getting Louder" below:




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Joyriding through stereos across the globe on November 27, via your favourite streaming platforms will be the unstoppable sound of Mascot Records’ Christmas Rocks EP. A taster of the album is streaming with songs by P.O.D. (“Christmas Lullaby”) and Crobot (“What Child Is This?”).

P.O.D.'s beautifully poignant Christmas Lullaby is a gentle acoustic reminder of love and warmth. “Christmas Lullaby inspires me, gives me hope during these uncertain times. It’s a positive, beautiful, Christmas vibration. Thought provoking and heart felt. It resonates from Southtown, San Diego, all the way to the North Pole,” says Marcos Curiel. 

This gives way to the sound of Las Vegas hard-rockers Otherwise, ripping through Chuck Berry's “Run Rudolph Run” and then into Knoxville's “10 Years”, who create an epic and expansive version of “Silent Night”. Talking about the song they say; "Silent Night has always been one of our collective favorite Christmas songs. It's a classic, and we didn't want to stray too far from what is familiar to people, but we did try to put our own touch on it!"

Kentucky's favourite sons Black Stone Cherry channel their inner-Elvis Presley on their riotous Southern Rock take on “Blue Christmas”. Seattle punks Dragged Under show that you can do Christmas-catchy but heavy as they take on a different direction on “This Holiday”. Frontman Tony Cappocchi explains; "This Holiday is our answer to all the super happy Christmas songs that are forced on us year after year. They're all so cheery, and bubblegum, and the reality is that the holidays aren't like that for everyone. A lot of people (especially this year) don't think of the holidays as a great time. Whether they've lost someone, don't have family or money, or just don't like being around people pretending to like each other. I had skipped holidays for years while working my dead-end retail job, and I think it made me a little cold to the holidays. Especially when people come to the mall and only think about themselves while screaming at the retail worker because they didn't have the right toy. We've lost the reason for the season."

Only Crobot could turn a 19th-century hymn into a doomy Black Sabbath-esque colossus on “What Child Is This?” with the band saying; "With such a rippin' roster of awesome bands, Mascot has brought us all together to help put you in the Christmas spirit! So put a bow on it and slide it under the tree! Santa, we won't forget to leave some riffs next to your cookies. Merry Riffmas, Beardos!"

Ayreon embrace the full arsenal of festive song weaponry on “The Last Day Of War And The First Day Of Peace”; uplifting vocals, a beautifully infectious melody, bells and a Lennon-esque sentiment. Talking about the song Arjen Lucassen said, "I was asked to record a Christmas song, and my first thought was that it's not really my thing. But as I thought about it, I suddenly remembered that 27 years ago in 1993, I already recorded a sort of Christmas track, but it was never used. I re-recorded the track, Lori adapted the lyrics, I made it a bit more 'Christmassy' and of course added the obligatory sleigh-bells. The coolest thing about this track is the party sounds you hear in the background. That was actually recorded in the meeting room of the record label by the whole Mascot staff! Hope you like it, ho ho ho!"

“Christmas Lullaby”:

“What Child Is This?”:




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Wardruna—who are widely known for their ability to transcend music genres, cultures and languages while introducing innovative and genre-creating renditions of ancient Nordic traditions and using a broad selection of both traditional and historical instruments-- have revealed the monumental music video for the title track of their upcoming fifth full-length album, Kvitravn—which translates to ‘White Raven.’ The album is set for release on January 22, 2021 via By Norse Music in the U.S. and Sony Music / Columbia Records (worldwide excl. U.S.). The album continues where their Runaljod trilogy left off in 2016 with Runaljod – Ragnarok--which charted at #1 Billboard’s World Music charts in the U.S. and Canada.

They have posted a new video clip with the following update:

"Today we launch the first episode in a documentary series about Wardruna and some of the ideas behind our upcoming album, Kvitravn. Earlier this year a team from Twin V visited Einar Selvik in Norway for a chat in his studio and some walks in the area where he lives. The first episode is called Never Climb The Rootless Tree."

“Kvitravn” was released on October 16th across all digital platforms along with the exclusive premiere of its epic music video seen below. The video for “Kvitravn” was produced by Ragnarok Films--who also recorded the video for the single “Lyfjaberg” which the band wrote, recorded and filmed earlier this year amidst the pandemic. It was filmed at several locations across Norway and Russia.

“I am very excited to finally share this song with you,” states Wardruna founder/composer Einar Selvik. “‘Kvitravn’ is a song that explores traditions of animal-guides and the symbolism and legends of sacred white animals found in Nordic and other cultures all over the world. These highly regarded ghostly creatures, whether a raven, snake, bear, moose, reindeer, elephant or lion--are in animist traditions seen as prophetic, divine messengers, and guardians representing renewal, purity and a bridge between worlds.”

He continues with details on filming the “Kvitravn” music video: “Being fully aware of how rare it is to come across white ravens, we knew from the start that this would be an ambitious and challenging task to pull off. However, fate seemed to be on our side in this and the ‘impossible’ piece of the puzzle fell into place as if gifted from the divine. The video was shot in various locations in Norway and Russia and was produced by Ragnarok Film, the same team responsible for our previous video for the song ‘Lyfjaberg.’”

Selvik recently shared that he was enlisted to work on the score for the next installment of the Assassin’s Creed® franchise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (out November 17). His track “Hrafnsmál – The Words of the Raven” is included on the game’s soundtrack EP Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla—Out Of The North which is out now via Lakeshore Records.

The prestigious Egil Storbekken´S Music Prize 2020–a national honorary award that was created in memory of the Norwegian musician, composer and cultural bearer Egil Storbekken was awarded to Selvik this year due to his extraordinary efforts and works with Norwegian folk music, especially the older folk instruments.

Pre-order options for Kvitravn are available via digital download here. The album is also available on CD and 180-gram 2LP gatefold vinyl (black or ltd. Edition white) here.

Tracklisting (with translations):

"Synkverv" (Turn-sight)
"Kvitravn" (White Raven)
"Skugge" (Shadow)
"Grá" (Grey)
"Fylgjutal" (Speech of the Fetch)
"Munin" (Memory)
"Kvit hjort" (White Stag)
"Viseveiding" (Song-hunting)
"Ni" (Nine)
"Vindavlarljod" (Song of the wind-bred)
"Andvevarljod" (Song of the Spirit-weavers)

"Grá" video:

Dates:

September
23 – Charlotte, NC – Owens Auditorium
24 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
25 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
27 – Boston, MA – The Orpheum Theater
28 – Montreal, QC – M Telus
29 – Toronto, ON – Meridian Hall

October
1 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
2 – Minneapolis, MN – The State Theatre 
5 – Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee 
7 – Salem, OR – Elsinore Theatre
8 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
9 – Vancouver, BC – The Chan Centre
11 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
13 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
15 – El Cajon, CA – Magnolia
16 – Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
17 – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theatre
19 – Dallas, TX – The Majestic Theatre
21 – Denver, CO – The Paramount Theatre

(Photo - Kim Öhrling)




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"I Used To Love Medusa" is a special collaboration with guitarist Jasio Kulakowski (Kobra And The Lotus, Shadowblade), co-written and recorded with Cruel Juno founder Lowell Parker on drums and Kulakowski performing all other instruments and vocals. The track was produced and mixed by Kulakowski in his studio, and mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers Mastering in Finland. 

The artwork in the video below was done by Gray Simpson. 

Cruel Juno is a hard rock project featuring Gandolfo Ferro (vocals / Heimdall) and Lowell Parker (drummer, producer). Special guest Luca Princiotta (Doro, Luca Princiotta Band) lends his guitar to form the heart of the Cruel Juno sound.

Check out the official Cruel Juno Facebook page here.




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In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the release of ANTHRAX's second studio LP, "Spreading The Disease", the five members of the band recently came together to record a quarantine version of the album track "Gung-Ho".

Drummer Charlie Benante uploaded the video to his YouTube channel and wrote in an accompanying message: "In honor of Our Spreading the Disease album having a Birthday, we decided to Thrash this one out. Hope ya dig it!"

Produced by ANTHRAX with Carl Canedy, the 44-minute "Spreading The Disease" marked the first ANTHRAX album to feature singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello (joining drummer Benante and guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian), and set into motion the core elements that would become the essence of ANTHRAX. In addition, the album also introduced the ANTHRAX writing partnership of Benante and Ian (that eventually evolved into Benante, Ian and Bello).

For Bello, "Spreading The Disease" was his full-on album recording baptism. Only 18 at the time, he hadn't yet fully realized his own style of playing, but over the course of the sessions, he developed it. "You can hear all of my influences on every song, Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, all of them." Bello said. He remembered that "Spreading The Disease" didn't quite come of age until later on, but it was definitely "simmering." "What we were doing was so fresh, so different — we had heavy songs with these great, melodic vocals — and eventually, people caught on and loved what we were doing. I think every song on 'Spreading The Disease' still stands up today," he said.

"Spreading The Disease" represented a turning point in rock. It came during a time when the landscape was transitioning from the "hair band scene" to a new composite of metal, punk and hardcore — thrash metal. The album was compelling and utterly fresh to the 1985 music fan with its speedy rhythms, savage riffs, blistering solos, punishing drum work and a killer melodic performance by Belladonna. Unlike the thrash bands sprouting up on the west coast that focused on speed, ANTHRAX's focus was on catchiness, hooks, and a hot and sweaty, New York mosh sensibility. And it wasn't just the music that was morphing, it was a whole new culture that was being birthed. And ANTHRAX, along with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, was right at its nucleus.

"Spreading The Disease" contains several ANTHRAX standouts: "A.I.R.", with its great riffs and abundance of melody, "Madhouse", a testament to the band's top-notch song-writing skills that showcased their grasp of melody, and "Armed And Dangerous", a soulful ballad with its singalong chorus and spine-tingling performance by Belladonna. "Aftershock" is probably the album's punkiest song with its blistering guitar solo, and the closer, "Gung-Ho", with its out-and-out speed-kills blitzkrieg, is a superb piece of thrash metal.

"We didn't know what we were doing, but we totally knew what we were doing," said Ian. "I know that doesn't make sense, but it's where we were at, a bunch of 21-year-old kids making our major label debut on a shoestring budget with nothing but a dream and a bunch of songs that we thought killed. We were right and our dream came true. Thank you to all the fans that put this record and ANTHRAX on the map way back when and still support us today."

The 30th-anniversary edition of "Spreading The Disease" was made available in November 2015 via Universal.

STONE SOUR guitarist Christian Martucci, who also plays in Corey Taylor's solo band and BLACK STAR RIDERS, spoke to Evan Rubinson and Josh Maloney of Dean Guitars about he has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. He said (see video below): "Well, when it first happened, everybody was freaking out, obviously. Everybody kind of thought it was only gonna be a few weeks of a lockdown and they'd get it under control, and, obviously, we're still here several months later.

"Corey, we weren't supposed to record his [solo] album until he was done with the SLIPKNOT cycle, and once everything got canceled, he decided now is as good of a time as any to do it," he continued. "So I've actually been busier, I think, in lockdown, than I was before. We ended up recording 25 songs in two and a half weeks — the music [was recorded] live — so I only had a couple of weeks to prepare what I was gonna do on all of these songs. So, obviously, that was a major time crunch to kind of get it together. Then we rehearsed for a couple of days; we spent three weeks in [Las] Vegas or whatever. And I came back.

"Corey's actually been doing things to keep us busy somehow," Christian added. "We're still writing songs, we're making videos, and we've got some special stuff lined up. I'm pretty grateful to actually have the ability to work on stuff. Plus. I'm constantly working with Ricky Warwick from BLACK STAR RIDERS on new music. So I've been really busy."

Martucci also lamented the fact that the pandemic has knocked every touring musician way off course, with playing concerts and selling merchandise as their means of survival.

"Unfortunately, artists make their living on the road — after everybody else gets paid, of course," he said. "People have a really warped perception of what this is. They don't get that, really, the only reason to put yourself through this is because you don't have a choice. You're either a musician or you're not.

"When I was a kid, everybody thought that you get a record deal and you make an album, and all of a sudden, you're Vince Neil cruising down Sunset Strip in a limo with a hot tub in the back of it, surrounded by girls," he added. "I can assure you that's not what it is — at least not in this day and age. You do it because you love it."

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

This past August, Taylor said STONE SOUR had "run its course," explaining in an interview that he and his bandmates had "decided to kind of put STONE SOUR on indefinite hiatus. We've put it on the shelf for now," he said. "Everybody's kind of going and doing their own thing."

TESLA bassist Brian Wheat spoke to Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives about his upcoming autobiography, "Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla", which will arrive on November 24 via Post Hill Press. In this 304-page hardcover book, Wheat lifts the lid on living the rock 'n' roll life while struggling with anxiety, depression and other issues seldom discussed by musicians.

Asked how the members of TESLA managed to keep their hardcore partying antics out of the press in the 1980s and early 1990s while other bands, like MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES, were notorious for their wild offstage lifestyle, Brian said: "Bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE or GUNS N' ROSES got a lot more publicity than we did. TESLA didn't have the sort of image where we were in all the magazines and on MTV all the time. We had a short period where we were on MTV a lot with 'Five Man Acoustical Jams' — 'Signs', 'Modern Day Cowboy' and 'Love Song' — but I think we were viewed as an American BAD COMPANY or a blues-based rock band. We didn't have a high-profile image. I think that is how we kept it down. We weren't throwing TVs out of windows and shit like that, but we liked our drugs and our alcohol. I really don't know how we avoided it, and I'm thankful we are all alive today. I guess it's a blessing that we somehow avoided it."

Wheat also talked about the fact that he was suffering from anxiety and depression but didn't want to take any medication to treat those conditions, preferring instead to drink and take downers.

"I didn't want to take drugs for anxiety and depression, because I was already a drug addict," he explained. "I had a short time where I dabbled in harder drugs like cocaine, but I was mucked up and depressed at the time. Unfortunately, that was my logic behind not wanting to take medicine for anxiety. If anything, the downers were contributing to the anxiety. Thank God, because that is when I met Dr. Herschkopf, who was my psychiatrist. He helped me immensely to deal with my anxiety disorder. Later in my life, I started taking Paxil for anxiety. I guess it was my mindset at 27 when this all came crashing down on me.

"I know it sounds a bit funny. The book was in my voice, and I wanted to have people get a laugh out of it. Through therapy, I learned that alcohol and downs contributed to the anxiety, so now I don't do that. [Laughs] It was not the smartest thing in the world as I could have died.

"If I get on an airplane, I'll take an Advair because I'm horrified of flying," he continued. "I'm still glad I didn't take the antidepressants at the time and went to therapy with Dr. Herschkopf; it was the best money I could have spent on my health care.

"The one thing I want people to take away from this book is that I had some shit I needed to deal with, which readers might not think a guy in a rock band has to deal with. I did it, and I'm not complaining. I came out of it okay."

"Son Of A Milkman" features a foreword by DEF LEPPARD vocalist Joe Elliott, and was co-written with award-winning journalist and author Chris Epting, whose titles include "Adrenalized" (co-written with DEF LEPPARD's Phil Collen) and "Change Of Seasons" (co-written with John Oates).

Wheat co-founded TESLA, which became one of the biggest bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Brian owns a recording studio by the name of J Street Recorders in Sacramento, California. PAPA ROACH, TESLA, PAT TRAVERS, DEFTONES, KODIAK JACK, FLASHFIRES and many others have recorded there.

HEART's Nancy Wilson talked to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about her upcoming debut solo album, which is tentatively due in early 2021 via Carry On Music. Speaking about how she is going about putting the material together for the record, Nancy said (see video below): "I'm just [working] at home. We just recently moved up to Northern California here, and I have this space now, which I sort of never had before, where I can just leave everything out and not have to hide stuff from the kids if they come barreling through the room later. So I can leave my setup in place and just walk in there and be inspired.

"I'm just living and breathing songwriting right now," she continued. "The songwriting feels really gratifying. I wake up writing in my head, and I fall asleep writing in my head. 'Cause it's, like, 'Oh, I don't have a verse yet,' [or], 'I've gotta try to make that cooler.' And it's gotta be inspiring. It's gotta have a lot of variation. So there's some big rockers and there's some big ballads. So it's real gratifying. And I love how it's turning out."

Last month, Nancy released the first single from the upcoming LP, her stunning rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising". Asked if she is planning on putting out a bunch of singles prior to the arrival of the full record, Nancy said: "There'll be a second single, probably in early January, and then in March probably the rest of it all, all at once. Because it feels like a body of work to me. That's kind of the old-school method. I'm a fan of that method, because I'm old school."

Wilson went on to say that she doesn't have a problem with other artists preferring to focus on singles rather than full-length recordings.

"They don't build 'em like they used to, and right now one song at a time is fine — and that's a way to do it too," she said. "Maybe a song per month, or every couple of weeks. However it gets done, it needs to get done. And that's the way it should get done — the way it feels right."

A guitar virtuoso from the age of 10, Nancy and her sister Ann lead the multi-platinum rock group HEART. Nancy is revered as an ingenious guitar player, a gifted lead vocalist, and as an award-winning songwriter. Nancy has co-written a collection of indelible songs that have earned their way into the classic rock canon ("Magic Man", "Crazy On You", "Barracuda", "Straight On"). She has also earned several nominations for her film scoring work.

During an era when females in rock 'n' roll were scarce, Nancy helped to carve out a place for women to front rock bands, dominate on stage. Her icon status was cemented when HEART, who have sold 35 million albums, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012. That same year, she and her sister received a star on the Walk Of Fame in Hollywood. In 2013, the Wilson sisters celebrated another career milestone when they performed LED ZEPPELIN's "Stairway To Heaven" at the Kennedy Center Honors. Their note-perfect performance was met with rousing cheers and a standing ovation in the staid concert hall, and brought members of LED ZEPPELIN to tears. The video went viral on YouTube.

Photo credit: Kimberly Adamis / SRO

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, spoke to the "Brutally Delicious" podcast about the progress of the recording sessions for his new solo LP.

"We had the plan, two years ago, we said, 'Right, this is when we're going to do the next studio album,'" he said (hear audio below). "And in March, I did my last show — I didn't know it was my last show — in London, a sold-out show, my 'X Factor' [25th-]anniversary concert," referring to the 1995 IRON MAIDEN LP he appeared on. "[It was] absolutely fantastic. And since then, it's, 'Oh, this festival is postponed,' 'That gig is postponed.' Well, what happened is, because we were scheduled already to do our album, it meant every time something got postponed or canceled, well, that's another three days we've got for the album, which we didn't think that we would have. Something else has happened — oh, that's another week that we've got that we didn't think we would have. And so we've had a lot more of the time, which you rarely get, and it's this cooking time, where you walk away from the songs, you leave them, you come back a couple of weeks later and go, 'Now, with a fresh perspective, how do I feel? Does it still make sense to me? Or is that riff really only there because it reminds me of something METALLICA did 30 years ago?' And that's it."

Blaze went on to say that he has been writing and recording the new album with the help of his guitarist Chris Appleton.

"It's a weird way of working, because the drummer has to record himself and send the bits," he said. "We have the bass player here in the home studio, socially distanced, and then we've got our work stations, set apart, socially distanced. We've been recording, and we've made what we think is a good album that goes to mastering, and it should be out next March."

In April, Blaze released "Live In Czech", a live album and DVD recorded last fall at the Melodka venue in Brno, Czech Republic. The theme of the tour followed on from Blaze's "Infinite Entanglement" trilogy of albums and the setlist particularly featured some of the more epic songs from the trilogy which hadn't previously been included in concert setlists. The set also contained a selection of songs from his albums with IRON MAIDEN during the 1990s.

Blaze recently reissued his 2002 album "Tenth Dimension" with new packaging and upgraded artwork. There was also a vinyl version for the first time.

Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including three under the moniker BLAZE and six under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON are preparing to enter the studio to begin recording their next album. The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" will mark MASTODON's first collection of new material since the death of longtime manager Nick John and the passing of tour manager Bob Dallas.

In a new interview with the 93X radio station, MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor said (see video below): "We're drilling the new material to record mid-November. We're going for realsies mid-November, so we are just drilling it.

"For me, I have to play each song, like, a thousand times — or at least I want to," he explained. "I want to feel like I exhausted every fill possibility, every rhythmic possibility — leave no stone unturned, as far as the percussive aspects of the music. And there's also discovery, guitar-wise, 'That's not really working. We have to do this.' Before we get in there with any kind of producer, we want to have pored over it tirelessly. And then when we go to really record it, that'll be like the easy part, 'cause we're so prepared. So that's what we're doing. We're just going through that stuff at the moment."

MASTODON's new rarities collection titled "Medium Rarities", was released in September. The compilation includes a new song called "Fallen Torches" as well as a bevy of classic covers, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides, and live recordings on one complete package for the very first time.

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That LP was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

Earlier in the year, MASTODON wrote and recorded a new song called "Rufus Lives" for inclusion in the latest "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie.

"Bill & Ted Face The Music", which reunites Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in the title roles for the first time since 1991's "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", was released in August.

PEARL JAM frontman Eddie Vedder made his SiriusXM "The Howard Stern Show" solo debut today, sitting down with Howard Stern for a three-hour discussion covering everything from Vedder's childhood and his music career to his current efforts to mobilize voters ahead of Tuesday's election.

Joining in from his home studio, Vedder dazzled with a live on-air performance of Warren Zevon's tune "Keep Me In Your Heart" and revisited "Keep Me In Your Heart" for Howard and his listeners. Vedder kept the music going all throughout the morning, playing parts of "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town", which Eddie recalled writing while Stone Gossard watched on and sipped coffee. He also strummed a bit from "Sometimes" while trying to explain to Howard that playing guitar for him was as simple as making the right "shapes" with his fingers.

During the interview, Vedder also remembered his friendship with Chris Cornell and told Howard about the grief he still feels over the death of the SOUNDGARDEN frontman.

"I've had to be somewhat in denial," Eddie admitted (see video below). "I don't even feel like I had a choice. I was just terrified where I would go if I allowed myself to feel what I needed to feel or what I was instinctively wanting to feel or how dark I felt like I was gonna go. And because I didn't see him that often in the last 10 years — probably only, like, four or five times, and usually at a gig or something — I still haven't quite dealt with it. I'll get stronger as time goes.

"We were close," Vedder continued. "And it wasn't just because we were playing music. We were neighbors. I would hang out with him outside of the band more than even the other band guys, and I didn't know that many people in Seattle. So we would go on crazy hiking adventures, or we would go mountain biking, or we would chase the dog in the rain while drinking shitty beer— and it was cool. And it had nothing to do with anything like being around other music people or being around some kind of L.A. life. It was just cool. Like, wow, this is what a quote-unquote legit rock star, this is what he's doing — he's chasing a dog in the rain with his buddy on a Saturday night with a 12-pack of Schmidt?"

Cornell was found hanged in his room at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in May 2017, following a SOUNDGARDEN show at the city's Fox Theatre. His body was found soon after he had spoken with a "slurred" voice to his wife, Vicky Cornell, by phone. The death was ruled a suicide.

But his family has questioned the medical examiner's ruling, saying that he had a prescription for Ativan and that a higher than recommended dosage may have caused him to experience suicidal thoughts.

Cornell was honored at a tribute concert called "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" in January 2019 at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell found success with other projects, including AUDIOSLAVE, TEMPLE OF THE DOG as well as solo albums.

METALLICA's "Live & Acoustic From HQ: Helping Hands Concert & Auction" will be streamed live from the band's headquarters in San Rafael, California on Saturday, November 14.

A preview clip, featuring METALLICA's performance of the song "All Within My Hands", is available below.

Says METALLICA: "This special acoustic show marks our second concert benefitting All Within My Hands and will include an auction with some awesome items! The best part? 100% of money raised from this event will go directly to help someone in need.

"The show kicks off at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, but don't worry if you can't catch it live. There are four ticket options available and each one allows you to watch the show as many times as you like within a 48-hour period once you start the stream."

VIP Virtual Fan Ticket Bundle - $95 per ticket + shipping

Includes presence on Virtual Fan Wall for one song during the performance, one event t-shirt by fan favorite artist WolfSkullJack, the audio digital download of the show (MP3), and the ability to watch live as well as during an on-demand window following the event.

Audio & T-Shirt Ticket Bundle - $55 per ticket + shipping

Includes one event t-shirt by fan favorite artist WolfSkullJack, the audio digital download of the show (MP3), and the ability to watch live as well as during an on-demand window following the event.

Audio Ticket Bundle - $25 per ticket

Includes the audio digital download of the show (MP3), and the ability to watch live as well as during an on-demand window following the event.

Standard Ticket - $15 per ticket

Includes the ability to watch live as well as during an on-demand window following the event.

All Within My Hands is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation established in 2017 as a way for the METALLICA family to give back to communities that have supported the band. Just this year, AWMH has donated $645,000 to COVID-19-related relief funds including Feeding America, Direct Relief, as well as to charities assisting those in the entertainment and hospitality industries suddenly without work. More recently the foundation donated $350,000 to aid those affected by the West Coast wildfires. Finally, the foundation's Metallica Scholars Initiative is now in its second year, supported by a $1.5 million grant benefiting 15 community colleges across the country.

METALLICA and All Within My Hands are committed to running an organization of the highest integrity where expenses are kept to a minimum and are paid for entirely by the band, the board, and friends who have worked with the band over many years and are excited to help in this mission. As always, 100% of proceeds from this year's "Helping Hands" event — tickets, fees and auction items — will go directly to help those in need, with METALLICA and the foundation covering all production costs and expenses.

In early May, the four members of METALLICA overcame social distancing to record a new version of their song "Blackened", with each member separated in his own home. The split-screen video was posted to the band's social media channels. That same month, Ulrich told Swedish talk show host Fredrik Skavlan that he and his bandmates were "sending ideas to each other via e-mail and via Zoom and [trying to] make music in these unusual situations."

In August, METALLICA broadcast a show to hundreds of drive-in and outdoor theaters across the U.S. and Canada, as part of the "Encore Drive-In Nights" series. The concert was filmed nearly three weeks earlier, on August 10, at the Gundlach Bundschu winery, about a 30-minute car ride from the band's headquarters in San Rafael, California, and was subsequently edited and mixed by the band's award-winning production team to the highest standards possible.




We're getting closer to the Helping Hands Concert & Auction! The show streams worldwide on Saturday, Nov 14 and all proceeds from ticket sales benefit @AWMHFoundation! #HelpingHands2020

Get Your Ticket ➡️ https://t.co/2go2Bcb5O9

Helping Hands FAQ ➡️ https://t.co/EXVwec8Ft5 pic.twitter.com/qB7DyH1hbG

— Metallica (@Metallica) October 30, 2020

L.A. GUNS, featuring singer Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns, will perform its second album, 1989's "Cocked & Loaded", in its entirety on November 28 at the Fremont Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tickets for the pay-per-view livestream go on sale on Friday, November 6 at 10:00 a.m. PST from laguns.veeps.com.

This past May, L.A. GUNS released a new single, "Let You Down". The song was written and recorded while the band was in the midst of working on its next studio album.

L.A. GUNS' next LP is tentatively due in early 2021 via Frontiers Music Srl. This will be the third studio album since the much welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It will follow the well received studio albums "The Missing Peace" and "The Devil You Know", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

L.A. GUNS is:

Phil Lewis - vocals

Tracii Guns - guitars

Ace Von Johnson - guitars

Johnny Martin - bass

Scot Coogan - drums

This band is not to be confused with drummer Steve Riley's version of L.A. GUNS, which will release its first album, "Renegades", later this month via Golden Robot Records.

Riley's version of L.A. GUNS made its live debut in May 2019 at the M3 Rock Festival. The drummer is joined in the group by Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS' "classic" incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin (who played bass for the band from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014).

This past January, Riley was sued by Lewis and Guns in California District Court. Joining Riley as defendants in the case are the three musicians who perform in his recently launched rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group's manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Golden Robot Records.

The complaint, which requests a trial by jury, alleges that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as "the infringing L.A. GUNS") is creating "unfair competition" through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis are seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

Photo by Dustin Jack Photography


A very special ⭐️PAY PER VIEW LIVESTREAM⭐️ event: Celebrating 31 years of "Cocked and Loaded".

Tickets on sale Friday,...

Posted by L.A. GUNS on Wednesday, November 4, 2020

GONE IS GONE, the project featuring MASTODON's Troy Sanders, AT THE DRIVE-IN's Tony Hajjar, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Troy Van Leeuwen and guitarist-keyboardist Mike Zarin, will release its new album, "If Everything Happens For A Reason…Then Nothing Really Matters At All", on December 4 via Clouds Hill. The LP was produced by Hajjar and Van Leeuwen and is the culmination of ideas and seeds of songs that the band has been working on over the last three years. Lockdown has allowed the band to hone in on these cinematic, dark but also uplifting songs and led to them releasing a number of singles throughout 2020, ahead of this release.

Hajjar says: "I definitely had some strong ideas coming into this record. My idea was to make a record that could be played by all of us in a certain fashion or even just one of us with some electronics. I really wanted the record to live in many forms. We feel that we accomplished that… It is a record that pushed us creatively. We expressed ourselves fully without any barriers or fear of what people would think."

Sanders adds: "I feel it is our most solid and interesting release to date. As musicians, we always seek to explore new sounds and push ourselves to create unique moods and atmospheres. In our eyes and ears, we have achieved this."

"If Everything Happens For A Reason…Then Nothing Really Matters At All" track listing:

01. Resfeber

02. Say Nothing

03. Everything Is Wonderfall

04. Wings Of Hope

05. Sometimes I Feel

06. No One Ever Walked On Water

07. Death Of A Dream

08. Crimson, Chaos and You

09. Breaks

10. Payoff

11. Force Of A Feather

12. Dirge For Delusions

The official music video for "Breaks" can be seen below.

GONE IS GONE's debut album, "Echolocation", entered Billboard's Heatseekers Chart at No. 3 back in January 2017.

Hailed by Clash as "a crisp, compact document, one laced with energy and sweeping songwriting," "Echolocation" was produced by the band and mixed by Ken Andrews (BECK, A PERFECT CIRCLE).

GONE IS GONE was formed by multi-instrumentalist Zarin and Hajjar, who previously collaborated on various film trailer projects for Sencit, Zarin's music production, licensing and supervision company. Together they've put together a wildly diverse sound production resume that includes trailers for the Internet-breaking television series "Stranger Things", Christopher Nolan's 2010 sci-fi thriller "Inception", multi-Emmy-winning television series "Game Of Thrones" and the Marvel Comics blockbuster film "X-Men Apocalypse", to name but a few. They brought in Troy Van Leeuwen, known for his work with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FAILURE, A PERFECT CIRCLE, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and SWEETHEAD, who, in turn, brought in Troy Sanders from multi-Grammy nominees MASTODON.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello has just released a new solo EP, "Comandante". The five-track affair includes a guest appearance by GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash on the song "Interstate 80", while another cut, "Secretariat", is a tribute to late VAN HALEN axeman Eddie Van Halen.

"Comandante" track listing:

01. Voodoo Child

02. Interstate 80 (feat. Slash)

03. Secretariat (for Eddie Van Halen)

04. Suburban Guerrilla

05. Cato Stedman & Neptune Frost

"Comandante" is Morello's first solo release following the July 2020 arrival of the "You Belong To Me" single.

Tom's latest solo LP, "The Atlas Underground", came out in 2018.

Genesis recently releases Morello's photographic memoir, "Whatever It Takes".

As the cofounder and guitarist of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE and PROPHETS OF RAGE, and as a solo artist and collaborator with artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen and WU-TANG CLAN, few musicians have been as groundbreaking as Morello. In "Whatever It Takes", he tells his story through original commentary, handwritten notes, set lists and a wealth of photographs, to make this jam-packed photographic memoir fascinating, honest, and completely unique.

"I'm both blessed and cursed to be a guitar player," Morello said. "I didn't choose it, it chose me. The challenge was to find a way to weave my convictions into my music in a meaningful way."

Finnish doom cultists Hooded Menace are entering the studio to record their sixth full length, which will be released in 2021 via Season of Mist. The record will be mixed and mastered by King Diamond guitarst Andy LaRocque.

Guitarist Lasse Pyykkö comments: "We're excited to announce that we're entering the studio in November to record our sixth full-length album! As usual, we're recording in various locations, but when it comes to the drums, we chose to go to SF Sound Studio in Kontiolahti, Finland again, where we have tracked drums for our previous albums, Effigies Of Evil, and the latest, Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed. Being longtime, massive King Diamond fans, we're beyond thrilled to have King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque handling the mixing and mastering of the album at his Sonic Train Studios in Sweden! Stay tuned, stay doomed!"

For further details, follow Hooded Menace on Facebook.

 




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Season Of Ghosts vocalist / founder Sophia and guitarist Zombie Sam returned on Saturday, October 31st for yet another round of bickering. As predicted by Sophia, Sam decided to be petty for most of the stream. Enjoy.

Back in 2013, Season Of Ghosts vocalist Sophia released a cover of "Sarah's Theme" - created with bandmate Zombie Sam - from the '90s Walt Disney film Hocus Pocus. It was originally released via Soundcloud, but it is now available on most digital platforms. Check it out below.




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Big Big Train recently announced the release on November 27, 2020 of Empire, a live Blu-ray film/2CD set recorded on November 2, 2019 at the Hackney Empire in London. The 12 song set runs to just under 2 hours and includes material from the English Electric, Folklore, Grimspound and Grand Tour studio albums. It was directed and edited by Tim Sidwell of Toward Infinity (who has previously worked with Marillion, Status Quo, Thunder, Magnum, Lisa Stansfield and Steps), with audio mixed by BBT’s sound engineer Rob Aubrey.

Today, the band has shared the video for "The Florentine" taken from the live set.

"When I wrote ‘The Florentine’, it was written as a song that would enable Nick to step out from behind his drum kit and join me, singing together in close harmony at the front of the stage,” David Longdon says. “BBT has several singers within the ranks and I was keen to write layered harmony vocal sections too. Here we are performing The Florentine live at the final concert of our first UK tour."

“The Florentine is yet another reason why I just love being in Big Big Train!” Nick D’Virgilio adds. “Not only did David write a beautiful vocal that allowed me to come forwards and sing alongside him, but he also wrote a cracking second half of the song that is a total blast to play drums on - the best of both worlds in my humble opinion. We all had so much fun at the gig at the Hackney Empire and everyone in the band was on fire that night.”

Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

Blu-ray
“Novum Organum”
“Alive”
“Hedgerow”
“Theodora In Green And Gold”
“Winkie”
“The Florentine”
“Brave Captain”
“Voyager”
“Homesong”
“Wassail”
“Engines And Men”
“East Coast Racer”

CD1
“Novum Organum”
“Alive”
“Hedgerow”
“Theodora In Green And Gold”
“Winkie”
“The Florentine”
“Brave Captain”

CD2
“Voyager”
“Homesong”
“Wassail”
“Engines And Men”
“East Coast Racer”

“The Florentine”:




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Pre-order and preview Minefield's new single “Home” on the iTunes Store. Out November 16th on Golden Robot Records. 

On “Home”, the band keeps the theme of big arena choruses on hand with this superb track. “Home” is 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 was founded in 2020 by Brandon Fields. It's more of a musical collective than a band or a solo project. For the debut album, Fields (vocals / guitar) is accompanied by Todd Kerns (vocals / bass), Jeremy Asbrock (vocals / guitar) and Matt Starr (drums).

Brandon Fields has spent the last several years touring as a solo artist. He is also the lead guitarist in Guns N' Roses tribute band, Pretty Tied Up.

Todd Kerns has served as the bassist in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators since 2010. Kerns also fronted Canadian rock groups The Age Of Electric and Static In Stereo, he presently serves as the singer / guitarist in Toque.

Jeremy Asbrock is currently the guitarist in former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s solo band. Before this, Asbrock was in Gene Simmons’ solo band as well.

Matt Starr has been a staple in Ace Frehley’s solo band for the last decade while also playing with the supergroup Mr. Big.

Minefield released their debut single, "Alone Together", earlier this year. Check out the lyric video:

For further details, visit Minefield on Facebook.

 




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Stars Unhinged, featuring Bif Naked drummer Chiko Misomali has released their debut single and video, “Fall In Line”, from the forthcoming album Rise.

The lead-off album track was produced by Misomali at Rancho Relaxo Studios in Vancouver, BC. It was mixed by Doug Fury (Bif Naked, Nim Vind) at Fortissimo Sound and mastered by Jamie Sitar (D.O.A., Swollen Members, Bif Naked) at Outta Town Sound.

As with many artists facing similar travel challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the video for "Fall In Line" was filmed in two locations with Misomali, vocalist JB Mason and guitarist Mike Federici shooting in Vancouver, BC; whilst bassist Frank Cusenza shot his scenes across the country in Toronto, ON. The compiled footage was edited by frontman JB Mason.

Formed in 2018, Stars Unhinged began as a song writing project by Misomali, and quickly became a full-fledged recording act with the inclusion of Cusenza, Mason and Federici.

Each member brings a wealth of varied musical experience and influence which gives Stars Unhinged its fresh yet familiar rock ‘n’ roll sound. Though often compared to artists like Stone Sour, Sixx:A.M. and Velvet Revolver, it's their ability to creatively fuse many different elements of the genre that make them unique.

Stars Unhinged’s debut album, Rise, is scheduled for release in spring 2021. "Fall In Line" is currently available to download and stream on all music platforms.

For further details, follow Stars Unhinged on Facebook.

 




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Months before the entire world had been shaken to the core by the still raging COVID-19 pandemic, Powerwolf had gone back to the drawing board to work on ideas for the successor of their album, The Sacrament Of Sin (2018). Today, the band issued an update about the ongoing songwriting sessions.

"It‘s been an intense and wild ride in these troubled times, but no moonless night can hold back the wolves from hunting & howling: As of now, we have finished the songwriting and pre-production for the upcoming album and we‘re quite sure of having crafted a wild and adventurous piece of wolfish metal music, with plenty of tunes eagerly howling to be celebrated together with you all! Attila and Matthew have just recorded the last bits of the demos and we can hardly hold back our enthusiasm about the new stuff.

"We will enter the studio starting in December, once again teaming up with both Joost van den Broek and Jens Bogren to carve this wolfish manifest in stone.
Expect the album to be released in summer 2021."

More details to be revealed soon.

(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)




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After the first retrospective The Chronicles Of Eden (2007), Edenbridge, one of the most unique bands in their genre, deliver their second "Best Of" album, right on time to their 20th anniversary.

The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2 is the quintessence of the studio albums 5-10 and again it was up to the fans to vote for their favourite tracks of each album.

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

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

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

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

The atmospheric artwork was inspired by a vision, singer Sabine had, linking the spiritual awakening to an Aurora Borealis.

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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




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

"From Prague, Geoff Tyson gives us a beautiful, improvised excursion into the song 'Tumble'. Check out his mix of relaxed legato and right hand picking as works through the Lydian mode keeping funky and melodic at the same time."

"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!"




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The release date of MACHINE HEAD's new single, "My Hands Are Empty", has been pushed back to November 13 from the previously announced November 6. According to the band, the delay is "due to COVID-19."

A new teaser for the song's official music video is available below.

"My Hands Are Empty" is the latest in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

This past June, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn said that there is no pressure for the band to release a full-length album anytime soon. "I'm all about dropping singles right now," he told Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez". "I think an album will definitely show up, and some of these songs may end up on that album, but, to me, it's all about just a constant stream of music dropping all the time.

"We're pretty slow with albums — it's already been two and a half years since our last album [2018's 'Catharsis'] — so I just don't wanna wait another year to get music out. The music's here, the music's done; a lot of the lyrics that I've written are very much now, and they need to be heard now, in this moment.

"I do a podcast, and I can record a podcast and have it up an hour later. That's fucking crazy to me. I can finish a song and have it up six hours later on all the fucking digital service providers," he said. "That's fucking amazing. Never in history have we been able to do something like that. And we need to do more of that, especially with songs that are written about this moment and these times. It's important to put 'em out now, not a year and a half from now."

This past July, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled 2020 tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Each show on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour consisted of two parts: part one saw Flynn and bassist Jared MacEachern performing alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT); while part two featured "Burn My Eyes" played in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and guitarist Logan Mader joining in.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen is officially starting the festive season with the first single of her upcoming live album "Christmas Together: Live At Olomouc And Hradec Králové 2019". It arrives November 6 via earMUSIC.

With "Together", Tarja has chosen a very special song to start the countdown to the new release. Not only is this the song on the album, which is packed with Christmas-classics, it is also the perfect outlook on "Christmas Live".

This previously unreleased live album takes Tarja's fans back to an atmospheric celebration and invites them to be a part of her always-successful Christmas tours. Tarja is bringing the festive season early with the reissue of her 2017 holiday album "From Spirits And Ghosts (Score For A Dark Christmas)".

Tarja utilizes her classically trained voice and meshes it with darker, gothic influences. Utilizing the sound of a grand orchestra, the successful Finnish solo artist puts a sinister spin on traditional holiday songs.

The album was produced by Tarja, the American Emmy Award-winning film score composer Jim Dooley and British producer Tim Palmer, known for his work with PEARL JAM, U2, David Bowie and THE CURE, among others, who also mixed the album at '62 Studio in Texas. The album was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York.

"Christmas Together: Live At Olomouc And Hradec Králové 2019" track listing:

CD1:

01. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

02. Together

03. We Three Kings

04. Deck The Halls

05. Pie Jesu

06. Amazing Grace

07. O Tannenbaum

08. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

09. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

10. Feliz Navidad

11. What Child Is This

12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

13. Sublime Gracia

14. Ô Viens, Ô Viens, Emmanuel

15. O Christmas Tree

16. Feliz Navidad (Barbuda Relief And Recovery Charity Version)

CD 2:

Christmas Together: Live at Olomouc and Hradec Králové 2019

01. Sydämeeni Joulun Teen

02. What Child Is This

03. Tonttu

04. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

05. Varpunen Jouluaamuna

06. You Would Have Loved This

07. Ave Maria (Paolo Tosti)

08. Ave Maria (Michael Hoppé)

09. Ave Maria (Giulio Caccini)

10. Ave Maria (Tarja Turunen)

11. Together

12. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

13. The Christmas Song

14. Walking in the Air

15. Silent Night

During a conversation with Ultimate Guitar's David Slavković, Dream Theater bassist John Myung discussed guitarist John Petrucci's plans to add an eight-string guitar to the band's music, while also touching on Liquid Tension Experiment, his practice routine, and more.

 

UG: You're one of the most technically proficient musicians on the current music scene. How much do you practice at this point in your career?

Myung: "That's a good question - because I found that I really enjoy playing every day. Mainly because I feel better after having played because it's been such a big part of my life. If I don't play, I feel like I haven't done something. So, the first thing I do in the mornings when I'm home is - spend as much time playing as possible before the rest of the day and the other responsibilities in my life. So, it's very important.

I think, if you can get at least three hours playing every day, that's very good because it prevents you from being too far away from your instrument. Because if you're too far away, then it's gonna take some work to get back. And I've heard the same story from other musicians too - as a musician, that's something you really have to stay close to or else you lose the ability very quickly. So, it is very important, it's just a way of life for me right now. But I'm fortunate enough that my place in life is that of a professional musician. It's a blessing that I have the time to do it."

Read more here.

Dream Theater are back with the latest live instalment to their impressive thirty-one-year catalogue of releases. Scheduled for release on November 27, the band is set to unleash their ninth career live album, Distant Memories - Live In London.

Recorded at their sold-out show at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Hammersmith, London, the live release documents the band’s popular world tour in support of their latest critically acclaimed studio album Distance Over Time and the 20-year anniversary of their seminal concept album Metropolis Part 2 - Scenes From A Memory.

Fans can check out the live version of “Pale Blue Dot” from Distant Memories - Live In London below.

“Whether you had a chance to see this tour in person and want to relive what was hopefully an awesome concert experience or enjoying the performance on video for the first time, 'Distant Memories - Live In London' very accurately and very beautifully captures the energy and excitement we all felt together at the Apollo this past February,” explains guitarist John Petrucci.

Distant Memories - Live In London is the band’s first live album since 2014’s Breaking The Fourth Wall. The new release will be available in various configurations including digital only, a 3-CD and 2 DVD multibox, a 3-CD and 2 Blu-Ray digipak with slipcase, a limited deluxe 3-CD + 2 Blu-Ray + 2 DVD Artbook and a limited 4-LP and 3-CD box set. The video components will also feature a Behind The Scenes look at the band as they get ready for the shows.

All formats of Distant Memories - Live In London are now available for pre-order here.

Distant Memories - Live In London tracklisting:

"Untethered Angel"
"A Nightmare To Remember"
"Fall Into The Light"
"Barstool Warrior"
"In The Presence Of Enemies - Part 1"
"Pale Blue Dot"
"Scenes Live Intro"
"Scene One: Regression"
"Scene Two: I. Overture 1928"
"Scene Two: II. Strange Déjà Vu"
"Scene Three: I. Through My Words"
"Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy"
"Scene Four: Beyond This Life"
"Scene Five: Through Her Eyes"
"Scene Six: Home"
"Scene Seven: I. The Dance Of Eternity"
"Scene Seven: II. One Last Time"
"Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On"
"Scene Nine: Finally Free"
"At Wit’s End"
"Paralyzed" (Bonus Track)

"Pale Blue Dot" live video:




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Canadian rock icon Lee Aaron has checked in with the following announcement:

"Yes!! We made a Christmas album! Our love letter of rock n’ roll fun and hope to to elevate your hearts and minds this season. You haven’t heard Christmas done quite like this! Exclusive fan packs available starting November 7th only at LeeAaron.com!"

Lee Aaron's first official live album, Power, Soul, Rock N' Roll - Live in Germany, is available now via Metalville Records.

A special CD/DVD set, Power, Soul, Rock N' Roll – Live in Germany features a career-spanning set that highlights the vocal power, hit songcraft, and dynamic stage presence that has defined Lee Aaron as one of the world's great rock 'n' roll performers. Recorded live over two nights on the Fire and Gasoline German tour, Power, Soul, and Rock N' Roll captures both the intimate setting of a packed music hall in Nuremberg, as well as her killer open-air performance in 2017 for 20,000 fans at the famed Bang Your Head festival in Balingen.

The set includes Lee's classic anthems like "Metal Queen", "Barely Holdin’ On", "Powerline", "Hot To Be Rocked", and "Whatcha Do To My Body." Fans are treated to a stunning version of Deep Purple's "Mistreated" along with new fan favorites from Aaron's "return to rock" offerings on 2016's Fire and Gasoline and 2018's Diamond Baby Blues.

With Sean Kelly on guitar, Dave Reimer on bass, and John Cody on drums - a band whose resume includes work with Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, and BTO to name but a few - Lee and her band inspire the spirit of great "live" classic rock albums of the '70s with performances that move and live and breathe, putting the listener in the center of the concert magic. Power, Soul, Rock N' Roll is a "no fixes and no tricks" off-the-floor recording of two incredible performances in front of Lee's much-loved German fans, beautifully recorded and expertly mixed by legendary Canadian producer John Webster, with the striking DVD visuals rendered by Frank Gryner (Def Leppard).

Tracklisting:

CD
"Mistreated"
"Tomboy"
"Rock Candy"
"Metal Queen"
"Fire And Gasoline"
"Powerline"
"I'm A Woman"
"Some Girls Do"
"Sex With Love"
"Barely Holdin' On"
"Whatcha Do To My Body"
"Diamond Baby"
"Hot To Be Rocked"

DVD
"Mistreated"
"Tomboy"
"Rock Candy"
"Metal Queen"
"Fire And Gasoline"
"Powerline"
"I'm A Woman"
"Some Girls Do"
"Sex With Love"
"Barely Holdin' On"

Southern influenced hard rockers, Scattered Hamlet, have dropped their new single and video, “Black Flag (I Like It)”, ahead of their upcoming EP, Wishing Well, available November 20th.

According to frontman Adam “The Appalachian Apostle” Joad, the band was set to release a full-length album, but COVID-19 forced them to shelve it due to their entire touring schedule getting cancelled for the summer.

Joad explained, “2020 was like a giant kick in the balls to the entire industry… we decided to shelve the full-length for a later date and put out an EP with some new tracks I had been writing during the lockdown.”

In regard to the single, "Black Flag (I Like It)", Joad stated, “With everything crazy going on in the world, I wanted to write a song about just getting in your car, cranking the tunes, and forgetting about your troubles. It was summer time, I was listening to the radio and I thought about all the bands that influenced our sound, and I wanted to give a few some shout outs…shout outs are common in Outlaw Country and classic Hip Hop but not so much in the rock world. I figured why not, but it also had to have some slide and talkbox - then I was happy.”

Scattered Hamlet describes themselves as the truck nutz of rock and roll. The band is fueled by an equal love of: Smokey And The Bandit, The Dukes Of Hazzard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motörhead, and Outlaw Country. 

Wishing Well marks the first official release from Scattered Hamlet since the tragic accident that left drummer, Jake Delling Le Bas, in a coma for nearly two years, prompting them to release their version of the Twisted Sister classic, “Stay Hungry” (which can be heard below) in his honor.

Tracklisting:

"Black Flag (I Like It)"
"Wishing Well"
"I'm Alright"
"Legends Don't Die"
"Friends" (2020 Anniversary)
"Stay Hungry" (Twisted Sister Cover)

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

For further details, visit Scattered Hamlet on Facebook.

 

 

 

 




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