In Veil is a dance-oriented industrial metal project from Toronto, Ontario and was founded by Ady Cernea (my Frost, Dispersia) and Haysi Veil (The Voodoo Children) in the fall of 2019. By the end of 2019 the band would complete their line-up, recruiting bassist Christian Dotto (One In The Chamber) and drummer Kevin Mirtle (Red Kitty). In veil's music can be described as energetic and upbeat with musical inspirations from Rammstein, Marilyn Manson, Blondie, Gojira, Boney M and ABBA.

They have released a new single, "Lunatic", featuring guest vocals by Astaroth Incarnate frontman Sam Astaroth. Check it out below.

 Check out the official In Veil Facebook page here.

Sam Astaroth recently checked in with the following update:

"So excited to share this X Japan cover!

I originally met Derryl at Banger Shredders of Metal 1 and have been friends since. He reached out to me to work on this cover a little while back alongside Brian from Nova Scotia, and Alessio and Dario from Italy covering this Japanese classic together! We did this purely out of love for one of my all time favorite classic metal bands of all time! X Japan also helped start the whole Visual Kei movement which I have been a huge fan of the genre forever now! I took the time to translate the song and mostly sing it in English and sing a few lines in Japanese. I also kinda had to learn to sing power metal!?"

Vocals - Sam Astaroth
Guitar 1 - Derryl Vi
Guitar2 - Brian Bower
Keys - Dario Trentini
Drums - Alessio Monacelli
Bass - Brian Bower

Weekend was written and originally recorded by X-Japan.




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Six-piece progressive metal outfit Aviations will release a new EP which will see the group re-visit songs from earlier in their career. The new studio release, titled Retrospect, will see a November 20th release. Speaking about what led the band to record Retospect, Aviations lead vocalist Adam Benjamin states:

“Retrospect is our first formal release as a complete lineup that has toured and performed this music live. Since forming the band and releasing a debut in 2012 as teenagers, we wanted to revisit some tracks to see what we could do in 2020."

"Everyone in the band has put their stamp on these songs in their own way, and we thought this would be the best precursor to all the new music we have written to release in 2021. In the meantime, we didn’t want fans waiting too long between releases. Enjoy!”

With the release of Retrospect already less than 40 days away, Aviations will be releasing a slew of video content to hype the record. The first such offering is the playthrough video for "Nineties Nine Ties", which can be seen below.

Aviations is a progressive “cozy” metal band from Boston, MA that started as a passion project in 2011. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band’s hustle shifted to recording content and writing a third album which is planned for release in 2021. Before that, Aviations revisited their debut album to re-track classic tracks “Outliers” and “Nineties Nine Ties” for an EP which is scheduled for release on November 20th, 2020. With themes revolving around “holding on to your hope,” which is belted in the intro vocal line, the focus-single “Outliers” was filmed at keyboardist Richard Blumenthal’s house in Nashville, TN during quarantine.

For further details, visit Aviations on Facebook.

 

 




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Korpiklaani, Partawa and Mad Viking Finland, a charity supporting club of bearded men, have created a beard oil in collaboration. It will be sold as a limited edition of 2,000 bottles. Of the price of each sold bottle, 5€ will be given to Sylva, a charity that supports children and youth fighting cancer.

The CEO of Partawa, Mika Poikonen, is very happy with the new oil. "The oil is called Korven Kyynel (Tear of the Wilderness). It has the scent of an evergreen tree and it's straight from the "Eyes of the Forest" like a song with almost the same name by Korpiklaani. The beard oil was made in Finland and all of its ingredients are completely natural. Korven Kyynel treats the beard and the skin, and helps children and youth who are sick with cancer."

Partawa and Mad Viking Finland began charity activities last year via band collaboration with Turmion Kätilöt. Their product was a beard oil called Viimeinen voitelu (Extreme Unction). "When we asked Korpiklaani to join us this year, they said yes right away. And while Turmion Kätilöt was a great band, with Korpiklaani we have to take internationality into account" tells Sami Orava, the chairman of Mad Viking Finland.

According to Jonne Järvelä, the singer/guitarist of Korpiklaani, picking the charity was easy. "It was easy agreeing to join the beard oil project of Partawa and Mad Viking Finland. The number of beards in our band is quite big, so we are going to need the product too, along with the scent of the wilderness, of course! Picking the charity was easy as well because cancer took away my grandparents, and last year also my uncle and the sister of my mother-in-law. Cancer has a tendency to cut the victim's life short and I can only imagine how horrible it is for a family when a child gets sick with it. That's why we wanted to donate the proceeds to fight cancer of children and youth."

Welcome to the Sleeps Society.

"After 14 years as a band and in the ever-changing climate that is the music industry, we are embarking on a new chapter of our life as While She Sleeps," says the group.

"Our goal is to create a sustainable model for artists and creatives, to break from the traditional industry mold by building and developing a true interdependence between the band and fans."

"With the future of live performances uncertain, the Sleeps Society will enable a secure existence for WSS and gives us the opportunity to stay connected with our fanbase, developing new ways to provide for our supporters and fill the void left without live music. In these uncertain times, this is the difference between life and death for the future of WSS. We aren't prepared to be another band forced to give up simply be­cause the system isn't designed to support the artist."

"The idea behind the society was created after over a decade's experience of this rollercoaster ride that is the music industry. Having overcom­e mountains of hardship and financial debt, it feels important to share what we've learned along the way with those who are drawn to a similar path as ours. This model will provide a new route for upcoming artists and bands similar to us, using our knowledge and guidance to help achieve a realistic career in the cre­ative industries." 

"The society will ask a membership fee, ranging in different tiers of support. These contributions directly fund the creation and survival of WSS. The cost will be repaid to the fans with a plethora of informative, exciting and engaging videos, as well as special events to get involved with and many exclusives to members. We'll be sharing full album guitar and drum play-throughs, a tutorial series for songwrit­ing, studio production, vocal techniques, art and branding, self-management, videography, and much more. There'll be an in-depth look into making the forthcoming album and livestreamed studio sessions where members can help make decisions in the writing stages of songs. Members will get early access to tour tickets, exclusive merchandise, warehouse meet-ups, events, and secret 'members only' shows. And that's just scratching the surface of what we’ll be offering members through the Society." 

"Our aim is to deliver a 'too good to be true' level of rewards for the prices we are asking our supporters to pay, using our individual skills to develop and create entertaining and informative videos, tutorials, ideas and more for our members. This is us shar­ing our knowledge and experience in the hope that other artists can take this model and use it for their own."

"With the monthly support of our fans, the band will be able to break free from the traditional music industry method of 'cash advances,' where artists are essentially borrowing large sums of money and giving up the rights to their songs, only to spend the years that follow in debt which oftentimes becomes insurmountable and crippling."

"The Sleeps Society ensures a solid future for WSS and creates a new model of survival for artists and bands alike. We will be delivering the highest level of fan involvement and fostering a symbiotic relationship as the Sleeps Society becomes an integral part of Sleeps’ existence."

Join the Sleeps Society now at this location.

The founding of the Sleeps Society coincides with the announcement of the Sheffield metal band's fifth album, which will bear the same name. Sleeps Society is set for release April 16, 2021. The cinematic music video for its title track has just been revealed and its 'press conference'  intro lays out exactly where the band are coming from. 

For further details, visit While She Sleeps on Facebook.

 

 




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Haunt have premiered their cover of Black Sabbath's "St. Vitus Dance", taken from the forthcoming MER Redux series installment, Vol. 4 [Redux], set for release on October 30th. Pre-order here, and listen to "St.Vitus Dance" below:

Haunt comment: "Black Sabbath just spoke to me instantly", recalls mastermind Trevor William Church. "I definitely wanted to steer my way musically towards Ozzy's style of singing from the second, I heard his voice. For me, the voice is what really brought everything to life in Black Sabbath. Although, I do admire everyone in the original Sabbath lineup, Ozzy pulled me in. Having already done a Sabbath worship-style band Beastmaker, I really wanted to try and do something different as Haunt, which was something of a challenge. It's a very simple guitar song with very few frills. Haunt is not like that at all. So doing some solos just seemed really fitting, but with the original, the drum style was a bit difficult for me to come up with anything creative solo wise. So, I speed it up to something, I could solo over."

Magnetic Eye bows at the Birmingham altar to celebrate Black Sabbath's 50th anniversary with an offering of an end-to-end re-imagining of Vol. 4, which still remains as one of the most acclaimed albums in the canon of these godfathers of heavy metal.

A pantheon of metal and doom heavyweights, including some of metal’s most famously Sabbath-inspired icons, pay homage to Vol. 4, which witnessed the masters expanding their minds over their weighty foundation.

Vol. 4 [Redux] features stunning takes on each song from that indisputable classic, which includes unique tributes among others by Zakk Sabbath, Matt Pike, The Obsessed, Haunt, Thou, and Spirit Adrift.

Tracklisting:

Thou - “Wheels Of Confusion”
The Obsessed - “Tomorrow’s Dream”
High Reeper - “Changes”
Matt Pike - “FX”
Spirit Adrift - “Supernaut”
Green Lung - “Snowblind”
Whores. - “Cornucopia”
Tony Reed - “Laguna Sunrise”
Haunt - “St. Vitus Dance”
Zakk Sabbath - “Under The Sun”

Spirit Adrift - “Supernaut”:

Zakk Sabbath - “Under The Sun”:




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A few weeks ago, Heathen released their new studio album, Empire Of The Blind. Today, the band announced the worldwide chart positions for the album.
        
US - Top Current Albums # 51                           
US - Billboard Top Albums #79     
UK #12 (Rock)
Germany #23
Austria #55
Switzerland #79
Japan #101
Belgium #120
France #145

Heathen comments, "Thanks to all of the Heathen fans and headbangers everywhere for your legendary patience over the last 10 years. The moment has finally arrived, and we are very proud to share our new creation with you via the best metal label on the planet, Nuclear Blast Records! Without the support of the fans, heavy metal would have no voice. So lift your fucking glasses high, grab your copy of Empire Of The Blind, and in the immortal words of Rich Burch, 'Bang that head that doesn’t bang!' Cheers!"

Empire Of The Blind was for the most part engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by Christopher “Zeuss” Harris at Planet Z Studios. Additional details — rhythm guitars, etc. — were put to digital “tape” by Kragen Lum at SubLevel Studio in Little Rock, AR. The album features guest appearances by Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer), Rick Hunolt (Exodus), and Doug Piercy (ex-Heathen). The cover art to Empire Of The Blind was once again handled by renowned artist Travis Smith (Overkill, Exhorder).

Empire Of The Blind is available in the following formats:

- CD Jewel Case
- Vinyl
  Red with Black Splatter (US exclusive)
  Red with Black Swirl (US exclusive)
  Black
  Red
  Yellow with Red Splatter
- Red Cassette (US exclusive)
- T-Shirt
- T-Shirt + CD Bundle (US exclusive)
- T-Shirt + Red with Black Splatter Vinyl Bundle (US exclusive)
- CD + Patch Bundle

Order your copy of in the format of your choice here.

Empire Of The Blind tracklisting:

"This Rotting Sphere"
"The Blight"
"Empire Of The Blind"
"Dead And Gone"
"Sun In My Hand"
"Blood To Be Let"
"In Black"
"Shrine Of Apathy"
"Devour"
"A Fine Red Mist"
"The Gods Divide"
"Monument To Ruin"

"Empire Of The Blind" lyric video:

"The Blight" lyric video:

Heathen is:

David White - Vocals
Lee Altus - Guitar
Kragen Lum - Guitar
Jason Mirza - Bass
Jim DeMaria - Drums




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In the new video below, bassist Glenn Hughes performs a playthrough of The Dead Daisies' latest single, "Bustle And Flow":

Rock bands have always used music videos to express their creativity and innovation, “Bustle And Flow” is no exception.

The Dead Daisies have collaborated with Creative Works (London), a branding and content studio (live concert graphic artists for Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith, amongst others) to provide the latest visuals for “Bustle And Flow”. Together they are forging new ground creating narrative driven real-time immersive visual and music content, that spans live, social and digital channels. This Animated Music Experience (A.M.E) uses the Unreal Engine game engine that is behind the worldwide online video game phenomenon Fortnite, amongst others.

The Dead Daisies are always looking for original ideas and providing unique experiences for their fans. This new offering taps into the gaming aesthetic that dominates the globe and enables the band to connect with audiences of all ages, whilst remaining on the cutting edge of technology.

A spellbinding animation sets the backdrop for the song from their upcoming album, Holy Ground which will be released January 22, 2021.

In this dark, fiery tale a Mysterious Woman arrives at the entrance of a foreboding Sideshow Carnival that has pitched up on the outskirts of town in the grounds of an old dilapidated church graveyard. With stealth and speed on her side, the Raven deals out her punishment outwitting her prey at every turn and subjecting her quarry to a swift demise.

“Filled with energy and vigor, 'BustleAand Flow' emerged as one of the last tracks to make the cut. It builds and builds and has great movement. The song and the video are about walking through the fear,” says vocalist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Hughes.

The Animated Music Experience can be seen below:

Lineup:

Vocals/Bass: Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion)
Guitar: Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio)
Guitar: David Lowy (Mink, Red Phoenix)
Drums/Vocals: Deen Castronovo (Journey, Bad English, Hardline)

 




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Dutch psychedelic rock formation Molassess (featuring members of The Devil's Blood), will be releasing their debut full-length, Through The Hollow, on Friday ( October 16). The record will be released via Season Of Mist, making it the band's debut to the label. A full album stream can be found below.

Featuring four musicians from The Devil's Blood, Molassess was formed upon being commissioned for a performance during the 2019 edition of Roadburn Festival. Yet, Molassess is not a continuation of a buried past, nor a celebration of a cherished collaborator, but a culmination of heartache, requisite resolution, a rediscovery of rage and the relighting of a fire that never really burned out.

Through The Hollow can be pre-ordered here.

The cover artwork, which was created by Max Rivers, can be found below along with the tracklisting.

Tracklisting:

"Through The Hollow"
"Get Out From Under"
"Formless Hands"
"Corpse Of Mind"
"The Maze Of Stagnant Time"
"I Am No Longer"
"Death Is"
"Tunnel"
"The Devil Lives"

Album stream:

"The Devil Lives" video:

"Death Is" video:

Lineup:

Oeds Beydals - guitar
Ron van Herpen - guitar
Job van de Zande - bass guitar
Bob Hogenelst - drums and percussion
Matthijs Stronks - keys
Farida Lemouchi - vocals

(Photo - Esther van Waalwijk)




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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has released the third official video from its current album, "F8", for the track "Living The Dream", which is currently climbing the rock charts. Shot in Los Angeles, California last month, the clip is rife with symbolism and implicit social commentary.

Having conceptualized the tongue-in-cheek idea for the video, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory explains: "America is a beautiful idea that draws immigrants like myself from all over the world to the promised land of equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This idea is now under siege and certain events are starting to remind me of the things many of us came here to escape... It's not a 'left against right' problem but an evolutionary problem. The growing pains of a civilization that without the necessary spiritual enlightenment, arrived a bit early to a level of technology where everyone is connected. The good news is that now everyone has a voice. The bad news is that now everyone has a voice.

"So we are living in the manipulators' paradise, where liars and hypocrites run unscathed, the news are just opinions, politics are a blood sport, and facts are determined by consensus instead of the truth," he continues. "We as artists, however, have a unique opportunity to portray and ridicule the absurd to prevent it from becoming reality."

Earlier this week, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH confirmed that it officially parted ways with guitarist Jason Hook back in February 2020, during the band's sold-out European arena tour. He has since been replaced by renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who is also featured on "Broken World", one of the five previously unreleased tracks on FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's latest greatest-hits collection, "Decade Of Destruction, Volume 2".

The follow-up to 2018's "And Justice For None", "F8" capped a turbulent period for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in which singer Ivan Moody finally got sober after a near-fatal struggle with addiction, while co-founding drummer Jeremy Spencer bowed out of the band due to physical issues.

Much of "F8"'s lyrical content deals with Moody's battle with addiction, its aftermath and his recovery. The singer celebrated two years of sobriety in March.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new disc was once again helmed by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who currently lives in Las Vegas, where he works out of his private studio, The Hideout Recording Studio. The drums on the LP were laid down by Charlie "The Engine" Engen, who made his live debut with the group during its fall 2018 tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers DARK TRANQUILLITY will release their new album, "Moment", on November 20 via Century Media. The disc's second single, "Identical To None", can be streamed below.

"This one is a celebration of diversity and a condemnation of nearsighted division," the band says.

"Moment" will be available as a digipak, black LP, silver LP, and CD jewel case.

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

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

In early 2017, DARK TRANQUILLITY released a seven-inch single featuring the two songs — "The Absolute" and "Time Out Of Place" — which had previously only been released as bonus tracks of the limited-edition CD version of "Atoma". These cuts were the most experimental and daring numbers ever from the DARK TRANQUILLITY camp, featuring a very different approach to their usual brand of melodic death metal.

DARK TRANQUILLITY is:

Mikael Stanne - Vocals

Martin Brändström - Electronics

Anders Jivarp - Drums

Johan Reinholdz - Guitars

Christopher Amott - Guitars

Anders Iwers - Bass

AMAHIRU, the musical collaboration between Frédéric Leclercq (KREATOR, ex-DRAGONFORCE) and Saki (MARY'S BLOOD, NEMOPHILA), will release its self-titled debut album on November 27 via earMUSIC in Europe and the U.S. and and Ward Records in Japan.

The official music video for AMAHIRU's second single, "WTTP", can be seen below.

Frédéric and Saki's friendship started in 2015 when MARY'S BLOOD opened for DRAGONFORCE in Hong Kong. They got along very quickly and it didn't take long until they came up with the idea to collaborate on a musical project. Many ideas exchanged between them for the following few years, and finally, the time has come to release their self-titled album.

Some prominent musicians in the metal scene gathered to make this project a real band. Coen Jansen from EPICA, who helped with some keyboard works for the new DRAGONFORCE album, played keyboards on the disc. Then comes Mike Heller, who has been known as a super drummer of FEAR FACTORY and RAVEN. As AMAHIRU's vocalist, Archie Wilson was invited to join the group. This vocalist from the U.K. may be less known than other musicians involved in this band, but obviously he became the key to AMAHIRU's music. Frédéric says: "He has a powerful voice, great sense of rhythm and he is versatile, 'cause he can hit those high notes, sing in a mid register and also be both melodic and aggressive; the perfect match for AMAHIRU." Elize Ryd from AMARANTHE will also participate as a guest vocalist.

AMAHIRU's debut also includes a guest appearance by Sean Reinert from the American progressive rock band CYNIC, who, unfortunately, passed away in January. Moreover, some tracks include a shakuhachi performance played by Kifu Mitsuhashi, known for being awarded the Shiju hosho (the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon) and the Order of the Rising Sun. This is what we call a combination of occident and orient.

"Amahiru" was mixed by Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with DRAGONFORCE, KREATOR and SEPULTURA, among others. Mastering was done by Tony Lindgren, Jens's right-hand person. Cover artwork was created by Travis Smith, known for his collaborations with OPETH and KING DIAMOND.

The Japan edition will have a bonus DVD which includes two music videos, filmed in Japan.

"Amahiru" may sound like a Japanese word, but actually it is not. Oddly enough, it was coined by Frédéric himself, not by Saki. In fact, the word was born in his dream.

"We were trying to find a name and I had a dream in which someone was asking me to sign a contract for this band, AMAHIRU, and the number 13 kept appearing in the contract," Frédéric recalls. "When I woke up, I actually remembered the dream vividly and started to do my little 'thinking process.' I made the name AMAHIRU, so that it would be easier to pronounce for the Japanese people. But I wonder, does it mean anything? I type the name on the Internet, nothing. Then I tried Hamahiru just for different spelling sake, and here is the freaky thing, Hamahiru means 13 in Basquian. And I don't speak Basquian at all!"

Regarding AMAHIRU's musical direction, Leclercq says: "I'm influenced by many artists, pretty much anything I hear I can consider an influence and music should be the reflection of that. With AMAHIRU, I personally wanted to do something groovy and melodic and still metal/hard rock. We didn't want to make 12 songs sounding the same. Saki and I have a lot in common musically and it was really easy to work together in the same direction."

"Amahiru" track listing:

01. Innocent

02. WTTP

03. Hours

04. Way Out

05. Ninja No Tamashii

06. Vanguard

07. Bringing Me Down

08. Lucky Star (feat. Elize Ryd)

09. Waves

10. Samurai

11. Bringing Me Down (alternative version) (feat. Sean Reinert)

12. Zombi (bonus track)

13. Shine (Japanese bonus track)

Lineup:

Frédéric Leclercq - Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar

Saki - Lead Guitar

Archie Wilson - Vocals

Coen Janssen - Keys

Mike Heller - Drums

MACHINE HEAD has released the official music video for its acoustic version of the song "Circle The Drain". You can now watch it below.

Commented MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn: "When the pandemic hit in March, and all MACHINE HEAD tours got canceled, I started doing free Acoustic Happy Hour shows on MACHINE HEAD's Facebook page to get out the pent-up energy, entertain some friends, have some laughs, and have a few drinks every Friday. As we had just released our new song 'Circle The Drain', fans started asking for me to play it, so I started messing around with it and came up with a re-imagined version of it. It got a phenomenal response… People genuinely loved it, and were continually asking me to release it, and so I recorded it a few weeks back in my home studio, and here it is."

Originally released in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast, the anti-Valentine's Day song has racked up millions of streams and cracked the Top 50 at radio. "Circle The Drain" was inspired by Flynn's friend who served in Afghanistan and returned home only to find his relationship with his partner falling to pieces.

Flynn stated after the original was released: "She had messed around on him, then got paranoid about him messing around on her, and drove him crazy. We had a conversation on Valentine's Day and he said to me, 'They were just circling the drain.' … The phrase struck me. A few days later I incorporated it into the song I'd been working on.

"It was a strange parallel with my life at the time, having recently had two bandmembers quit, and even more bizarrely, two long-time couple friends of my wife and I, also divorce. It was break-up season, and it played out with friends taking sides, people not being invited to certain events anymore, social and emotional pressure, and all the typical stuff that happens when a relationship goes bad.

"Watching this guy pull through it helped me pull through my own upheaval. The lyrics to 'Circle The Drain' came out of that frustrating time. It's a sad song about relationships gone bad, but accepting that it's over, and making yourself move on. It's written in a more metaphorical tone, as I didn't want it to be about my life, but to be about anybody's life who may be going through a rough time. It may not be a song that connects with everyone, especially those in a solid relationship, but if the day ever comes when your life goes awry, this song will be a lifeline for you, something to help pull you up out of that dark place."

This past June, MACHINE HEAD released "Civil Unrest", a two-song digital single featuring A-side "Stop The Bleeding" and B-side "Bulletproof". This pair of fierce protest anthems were both written days after the back-to-back murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. "Stop The Bleeding" features a guest appearance from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, with Flynn and Leach trading lyrical lines that spit anger and frustration at current events.

In July, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled 2020 tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus crisis.

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has released the official Nick Peterson-directed music video for "Caviar On A Paper Plate", the latest single from his new solo album, "Andro". The track features a guest appearance by Mickey Avalon.

"The video's ridiculous," Tommy told Kare11.com. "It's fun."

The theme of "Andro" is the male and female sides of music, equal in power and status. Androgyny is a combination of the essences of male and female genders and the album is the manifestation of the concept.

"It is a culmination of a bunch of different flavors that I love," Lee told Kare11.com. "There's some super heavy stuff on it that people would typically think from my background. There's also some EDM sounding stuff on there…There's some funky stuff. I covered a Prince song on there. It's called 'When You Were Mine', which is mind-blowing.

"I separated all the female energy tracks and I separated all the male energy tracks, and that's where the title came from, 'Andro', which is [an] abbreviation for androgyny," he added. "There's something for everybody on the record."

Lee has had a mega-popular Netflix film ("The Dirt"), starred in and produced three network TV shows ("Tommy Lee Goes To College", "Rockstar: Supernova", "Battleground Earth: Ludacris Vs Tommy Lee"), had a New York Times bestseller ("Tommyland") and has appeared on scripted and interview TV shows — most recently, a hilarious appearance as a professor on ABC's "The Goldbergs".

California metallers ATREYU have surprise-released a new song called "Save Us". It is the first taste of the band's music since last month's departure of vocalist Alex Varkatzas.

ATREYU's current lineup features drummer Brandon Saller focusing completely on singing after previously sharing lead vocals with Varkatzas for most of the band's two-decade-plus existence. Sitting behind the kit is Saller's HELL OR HIGHWATER bandmate Kyle Rosa, who had filled in for Saller on drums last year after Varkatzas bowed out of the band's European tour while dealing with serious back and hernia issues.

Speaking to "Cutter's Rockcast" about the singer change, Brandon said (hear audio below): "I think people see things on the Internet, and they assume that it just happened. When you are in a band, and you have a band that's been around for 20-plus years, obviously, it's a business as well, so you have to really go through the motions and then really think everything through and do everything properly. So this has been something that has been kind of happening for a while now. Obviously, we're putting out music, so we were in the studio [making a new album]. So there was definitely the moment of when everything sort of became present that this was going to happen. We kind of had to figure out, if this happens, what is the next move? How do we go from here? Because the four of us are nowhere near done with this yet.

"I think we were really blessed with a moment last summer, where we had to go to Europe without Al, because of his back," he continued. "The two things are completely unrelated and have nothing to do with each other, really, but we had played in Europe and felt what that was like with the lineup that we currently have, and it worked, and it felt strong. So when it came time to figure out what was gonna be, obviously, Kyle Rosa was our first choice to call to play drums. If anyone knows me in HELL OR HIGHWATER, Kyle is the drummer of HELL OR HIGHWATER. He's one of my best friends and just a phenomenal human. So we kind of started playing with him and jamming with him and going through the motions to see how it felt, and it still felt really great. So that's where we are now."

Saller went on to explain why ATREYU decided against bringing in a new vocalist to replace Varkatzas.

"A new voice, I think, would completely shatter people, whereas I think just having me — everyone knows me, every ATREYU fan knows my voice and knows what it is in the band, and it's still there," he said. "And we just integrated Porter [bassist Marc McKnight] doing a lot more of the screaming stuff. I'm doing some of the screaming stuff on [upcoming] the record, but most of it's Porter. If you know our last five records, you know his voice too. Since he's been in the band, he's been screaming on records and he's been in the mix. So it still felt really familiar. We're trying to take ourselves outside of the band and put ourselves in the fans' shoes. And this still feels so much like ATREYU, and I feel like we're stronger than ever. And it feels good, and we all are so excited for this."

Regarding the aggressive nature of "Save Us", Saller said: "I think a lot of people expected us to, for some reason, put out a pop album. It's probably the heaviest record we've made in a long time. And that's not to say there isn't some freakin' pop-style stuff on there — there is, just like every other ATREYU record. Every record we've done for the past decade-plus has had those moments, and that's always been the band we are. It's brutal, and it still feels like ATREYU to me.

"This isn't a slight on Al at all, but not everyone lives and breathes on the Internet," he added. "There's a lot of people that will hear this just on the radio and will have no idea, because it's not a crazy departure style-wise."

Earlier this year, ATREYU was working on material for its eighth album. The band was once again collaborating with producer John Feldmann, who previously helmed 2018's "In Our Wake" and 2007's breakout album "Lead Sails, Paper Anchor".

In August 2019, ATREYU released a deluxe edition of "In Our Wake" via Spinefarm Records. The new version featured the original "In Our Wake" album, along with seven additional tracks. The bonus material included B-sides from the sessions for both "In Our Wake" and 2015's "Long Live", along with alternate versions of the title track and "The Time Is Now" from "In Our Wake". The deluxe edition featured completely redesigned artwork and a total of 19 songs.



Listen to "Rockcast 207 - Brandon Saller of Atreyu Saves Us" on Spreaker.

Sharon Osbourne has exclusively confirmed to Planet Rock that Ozzy Osbourne will be back on stage and tour the UK in 2022. Promoting their work with The Prince’s Trust, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne caught up with Wyatt for a My Planet Rocks special, which aired on Planet Rock Sunday.

Naturally, the wide-ranging chat moved to Ozzy’s wellbeing following his series of health setbacks over the past two years, including a potentially deadly staph infection in his hand, pneumonia, a serious fall in his bedroom and his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

Asked by Wyatt how he’s doing health-wise, Ozzy said: “I’m having physiotherapy five days a week, I’m slowly but surely getting… ask Sharon, she can say how I’m doing better than I can.”

Sharon chipped in: “For Ozzy when everybody had to go in lockdown, it kind of set him back because he couldn’t do his physiotherapy. He had nearly five months of no physio and in those five months I think all he and I did was lie on the couch, watch TV and eat. It kind of set him back but he’s back to where he was before the pandemic. Since he's been back working with the physio and every day I see an improvement, but it's hard for Ozzy because you don't see yourself as you really are. He's getting there, he is. He will be back and be on that stage!”

Commenting on the surge of gigs that will potentially happen once the COVID-19 situation allows, Ozzy said: “When they do get the vaccine and people do start going (to gigs), can you imagine how many tours are going to be out at once?!”

When Wyatt said promoters will struggle to find available venues, Sharon added: “Well that’s the thing right now. No, honestly, you got it right because everybody's booking their tours again for like 2022, and to find availabilities right now, it's crazy! Agents and facilities are going nuts, trying to get everybody back. It will be exciting. I think it will be a very exciting time when bands do go back and it'll be joyous.”

“Ozzy’s tour has been rebooked,” Sharon said. “The British tour, he'll be back in (20)22. You know, we just carry on as normal. We've been doing loads of TV shows here and you've got to just keep going until Ozzy can go back live. He’s in the studio right now doing a new album!"

She continued: “We're going to do a movie of Ozzy's life story and he's got to do the soundtrack to that... so I’ll keep him busy, let's put it that way!”




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TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider spoke to Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show about the progress of the songwriting sessions for his next solo album. The upcoming disc will be the follow-up to "For The Love Of Metal", which was released in July 2018 via Napalm Records. That effort, which was produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta, featured contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST), and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

Dee said (hear audio below): "[I'm] working with the same amazing team — the Bellmore brothers, Charlie [on guitar] and Nickey. Nickey plays drums, but also is the engineer and mixer — an amazing, talented guy. And Jamey Jasta is the producer and curator. He is the gatekeeper, the master. As all ideas are brought in, they're filtered through Jamey, his ears, and have to get a thumbs-up from him before it makes it to the record. But now we no longer have to do that 'Is this gonna work?' thing. And for me, it's, 'Do I trust these guys?' I mean, I trusted them in the sense that they were friends, but when Jamey challenged me to do the metal record, I had my doubts. I don't wanna say it's doubts, but [I thought], 'How is this gonna work?' So there was an initial thing where we were all feeling each other out. Now, after two years of working together, touring with the Bellmore brothers, locking in a band with Nick 'Taz' Petrino on guitar and Russ Pizzuto on bass guitar, we come in and we don't have to waste any time with that. There is trust, we do know our direction, we do know what works for Dee Snider and for this project, and we just go full steam ahead."

Snider's latest release was "For The Love Of Metal Live!" , which came out in July via Napalm Records. The DVD/Blu-ray and accompanying live album (available in various formats) features audio captured from several Snider festival performances worldwide — from the United States to Europe, Australia and beyond. In addition to tracks from Snider's solo catalog, like "I Am The Hurricane" and "For The Love Of Metal", TWISTED SISTER favorites such as "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take It", and even a cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", the audio portion of "For The Love Of Metal Live!" also features a brand new original studio track, "Prove Me Wrong".

In an interview with Chris Annunziata of the New Jersey radio station 90.3 WMSC-FM, Snider said about "For The Love Of Metal": "This is a really exciting album I did not expect to make, especially at this point in my life. I was doing Jamey Jasta's podcast, and he challenged me to make a contemporary rock record. And I was, like, 'Who's producing?' He said, 'I am.' And so we went in the studio [with] no record deal, and people started flocking [to appear on the LP]. It just amazed me, the enthusiasm and excitement that these younger musicians — younger than me, at least — had for working with Dee Snider and being a part of this project."

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi has explained to Rolling Stone magazine how Eddie Van Halen ended up co-writing the song "Evil Eye" on the band 1994 album "Cross Purposes".

"When we were doing 'Cross Purposes', [VAN HALEN] were playing in Birmingham. Obviously, I went to see him, and we were rehearsing. I said, 'You ought to come down to rehearsal if you want.' 'Oh, can I?' I said, 'I'll pick you up from the hotel.' I said, 'Let's go and get a guitar.' We went down to the music shop in Birmingham. I said, 'Can you lend us a guitar for Eddie?' And of course, they went, 'Oh, oh, wha'?' [Laughs] So Eddie came in with me, and we got one of his guitars, his own model. And he came to rehearsal. We played some of the SABBATH stuff for him. One of his favorites was 'Into The Void', strangely enough. We played that and we went back to writing. I think it was 'Evil Eye', and I said, 'Go on, you play the solo on this.' He did and it was really great. When we recorded it, of course, I tried to duplicate that, but I couldn't. [Laughs]"

Asked if he still has a tape of Eddie's solo somewhere, Tony said: "You know what, there is. I don't know where it is amongst my lot, but there is one. I know I've got one. It was a real gem."

Reflecting on Eddie's impact on music, Tony said: "He's had probably one of the biggest influences that you could have on people, from his generation onwards. He came up with something completely different. How hard is that, to come up with something different guitar-wise? I think he's inspired so many people. There's millions of people out there all trying to do that tapping stuff and play like Eddie and play Eddie's solos. I think he's had a huge impression on millions and millions of guitar players."

Eddie died this past Tuesday (October 6) at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

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

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

OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy spoke to the "Crash Bang Boom Drumming Podcast!" about how he and his bandmates are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. He said (hear audio below): "Our plug was pulled, just like the rest of the touring world and venues, all at the same time. On March 12th, we were in the highest part of the United States — almost up into Canada; somewhere in Michigan. It was a BLACK LABEL SOCIETY tour. We knew shit was going down, and then, sure enough, the second half of the tour got canceled. We got sent home, and we've been home since March. So, yeah, obviously, you first come home and you try to stay away from the bandmembers' children and families and be smart about it, so we did that through April. And then we just kind of looked at each other and said, 'Look, we're the safest humans there are,' We take it serious. I go to my grocery store once a week and get everything I need and that's all I do. And I know my brother [OBITUARY singer John Tardy] and Trevor [Peres, OBITUARY guitarist] pretty much did the same thing. We then, obviously, just had to make the decision that we can't hide forever, so at least we are knee deep in writing new music. So I'm super excited about taking our time and just writing an album. 'Cause we're not going anywhere."

He continued: "Because [our tour] was canceled, we then sat [at home] for the last seven months. Other stuff was supposed to be… Obviously, August through November in America, that is clearly not happening. We still had stuff already booked for March and April 2021, and now that looks like it's being pushed — a Europe tour.

"Musicians, live venues and the music industry are the ones that are being punished for a horrible America right now, taking charge and getting rid of this virus instead. People are just kind of tired of talking about it and just try to forget about it, like our leader."

Last month, OBITUARY announced a three-part "live stream concert series", featuring full-album performances of "Slowly We Rot", "Cause Of Death" and rare classics. The first two streams — a "Slowly We Rot" set on Saturday, October 17; and a "Cause Of Death" set on Saturday, October 24 — will be live from the ESI Streaming Studio in Tampa, Florida. The third stream, featuring rare classics and special tracks, will be broadcasted live from OBITUARY's recording studio in Gibsonton, Florida.

Tickets are on sale, including various bundles for all three concerts and exclusive merch at obituarylive.com.

OBITUARY's latest, self-titled studio album was released in 2017 via Relapse.

Photo credit: Stefan Schippe

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford has once again reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

Asked in a new video interview with SiriusXM's Volume if he had any personal memories of Eddie to share with the viewers, Rob said (see video below): "When VAN HALEN's first album came out, JUDAS PRIEST's manager at the time, Dave Corke, comes over to my place, bangs on the door and he goes, 'You've gotta come listen to this band. I've just been sent this cassette. It's this band called VAN HALEN. You've gotta listen to this cassette.' And I didn't have a cassette player at home — I had a record player, but not a cassette player. So I went and sat in his car, and we put the cassette on, the very first VAN HALEN album, and I was just stunned. I was stunned by, first, the guitar virtuosity of Eddie, but just the whole expression of this band VAN HALEN. And we sat there in the dark in his car and we listened to the whole record. So that was my introduction to the great Eddie Van Halen. Fast forward some years, and JUDAS PRIEST opens for VAN HALEN at the Santa Monica Civic. And, again, beautiful, gracious guys. I was hanging out with David Lee Roth for the first time. So that's a second great memory.

"Eddie would come to PRIEST shows," he continued. "I believe Eddie and Glenn [Tipton, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist] were very strong friends. So there is that connection on a personal level.

"It's absolutely horrible that we've lost yet another incredibly talented musician," Rob added. "And I'm still trying to process it, because I've been a VAN HALEN fan since day one. And again, all we can do is pray for the family and the bandmembers and the fans and everybody, as we process the grief. And like we always do — like I did when I lost Ronnie [James Dio] and when I lost Lemmy — put the music on and turn the music up, because that's the greatest way you can celebrate these incredible musicians and, in this case, the legendary Eddie Van Halen."

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

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

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

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

BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd has commented on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, who died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

Speaking to Ned of the Waterloo, Iowa radio station Rock 108, Todd stated about the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist (hear audio below): "What an extraordinary talent. A guy like that doesn't come around except once a century, once a decade, or however you wanna say it. Guys like that are extraordinary. He innovated so many things with the guitar. And [he was] just an amazing, amazing force.

"It's very sad. I had no idea he was battling that for a while. He kind of did it real quietly, and it was really abrupt.

"So, very sad. But we've all gotta go at some point, and he had a really good run. That being said, he had an amazing life and has influenced a lot of people."

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

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

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

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

During an October 7 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 discussed the passing of Eddie Van Halen. The legendary VAN HALEN axeman died on Tuesday (October 6) at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

"We all knew that Eddie was not well, but he's like our Superman," John 5 said. "[We all thought] 'Eddie's gonna be fine. We saw him at the TOOL concert. He's gonna beat this. Everything's gonna be fine. He's our Superman.' And when that news hit, I was talking to Fred Coury [CINDERELLA], and I said, 'I've gotta go.' I just hung up and I had to pull over on the freeway. I just couldn't believe it. I was just shocked. It's just the worst news — the worst. Because we listened to him every day; we saw his picture every day; he's been a part of our lives since the late '70s, and now he's gone. But he changed the world forever, that's for sure."

John 5, who got his first big break playing on David Lee Roth's solo album, "DLR Band", before landing stints with Manson and now Zombie, says that he first learned of Eddie's declining health from the VAN HALEN singer.

"I talked to Roth a while ago, and he was, like, 'Yeah, Eddie's not doing well,'" John 5 recalled. "And I remember I'm sitting there at his place, and I started to well up, I was starting to tear up. I was, like, 'Okay, get ahold of yourself.' Because that's you hearing it from someone that's close to Ed. I was, like, 'All right. Keep it together.' Because I was shocked. I was, like, 'Oh my God. This can't be.'"

John 5 confirmed that he knew Eddie personally after first meeting the VAN HALEN guitarist nearly three decades ago.

"I didn't really talk about it that much," he said. "But I talked to Ed on the phone quite a bit. We would just sit on the phone for a long time. I don't really talk about this, but we'd sit on the phone and chit-chat for a long time, and tell stories and talk about guitars and talk about bands, and it was always positive."

"I think I met him the first time in '93 through Robert Knight, the photographer. It was kind of nice contact — 'Hello, how are you?' — at events and stuff. But then it got a little closer when I started playing with Dave and Manson and everything. But yeah, he gave me a guitar; I gave him one of mine. We were pretty close — not super, super close like I am with Dave or Mike [Anthony] or something like that. But he knew — I would just always tell him how much he meant to me and how much he meant to a zillion other guitar players."

Elaborating on what made Eddie's guitar playing so special, John said: "The thing about Ed is — which people that don't play guitar don't understand this — he looked at the instrument different, just like [Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs would look at a computer different or anything else; [American inventor Thomas] Edison would look at something different. And that's what was so special, and that's why we have lost such a giant, such an important figure in music.

"I would go down to the VAN HALEN rehearsal and I would pick up his guitar and play through his rig, and I would sound nothing like Eddie Van Halen even if I played a VAN HALEN song," he explained. "And that's the difference, because it's what's inside you. It's those hands; it's that feel. It's like trying to describe the color blue. It's a feeling, and it's something you have. And I don't know if we'll ever have that again — ever."

A previously unreleased video of John 5 performing a cover of VAN HALEN's version of "You Really Got Me", featuring VAN HALEN's Michael Anthony on bass, SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor on vocals and CINDERELLA's Fred Coury on drums, can be seen below.

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

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

Eddie and Alex formed VAN HALEN in 1972 in Pasadena, California, with Roth on lead vocals and Anthony on bass.

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

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

After undergoing hip replacement surgery in 1999 due to a chronic joint problem, Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had to have part of his tongue surgically removed. He later battled throat cancer and reportedly had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany.


























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We lost our modern day Mozart today Eddie Van Halen. There’s no one that changed my life or influenced me more than Eddie, he was an inventor an amazing songwriter and the greatest guitar player that ever lived. R.I.P my friend. #eddievanhalen #rip

A post shared by john5official (@john5official) on Oct 6, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT

In an October 8 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis, who often performs acoustic cover versions of classic rock songs during his solo shows, was asked if he was considering adding any VAN HALEN songs to his setlist in honor of Eddie Van Halen, who died two days earlier. He responded: "Not at all. Who is going to play the guitar for Eddie Van Halen? I can't pay homage to that man except saying how much of a loss it was for the music industry.

"I was one of those kids that picked up a guitar to be able to sing over it, and never, ever, ever had aspirations of being Eddie Van Halen," he continued. "I knew that that wasn't my calling; that wasn't what I was supposed to do.

"Eddie Van Halen is a guitar god that created stuff with a guitar that other people had never done before," Aaron added. "And I am a guitar hack that has fooled a lot of people for many, many, many years. So I have no business at all trying to musically pay homage to Eddie Van Halen."

Earlier in the month, Lewis and GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna kicked off "The American Drive-In Tour". It's one of the first live rock concerts as a part of a drive-in series in 2020, put together by independent festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents.

Lewis has sold 17 million albums worldwide and has enjoyed four consecutive top three debuts on the Billboard 200. STAIND's single "It's Been Awhile" remains the most played rock song of its decade. His solo material includes the platinum-selling hit "Country Boy" and four albums of tried-and-true, twang-heavy outlaw country tunes, including his most recent album, "State I'm In".

Eddie Van Halen was among the music icons who were honored at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards in Los Angeles last night (October 14). The show played a clip of VAN HALEN performing the smash hit "Panama" at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, followed by a single shot of a a lone Frankenstrat guitar on stage in a spotlight.

Pop singer Kelly Clarkson, who hosted the program, paid tribute to Eddie at the ceremony, saying (see video below): "Just a few days ago, a true giant was taken from us: Eddie Van Halen. He was a legendary guitarist, an amazing musician and an incredible songwriter." After the performance of "Panama", she added: "That moment is one that all who saw will always remember."

Billboard Music Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood without an audience in attendance. The show was rescheduled from its original date of April 29 due to the pandemic.

VAN HALEN's appearance at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards — which aired live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas via ABC — marked the first time that the most recent lineup of the band (including David Lee Roth on vocals and Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang on bass) had performed at an awards show.

The rock act was introduced by pop superstar Taylor Swift, a move which got mixed reviews on social media.

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

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

Eddie and Alex formed VAN HALEN in 1972 in Pasadena, California, with Roth on lead vocals and Michael Anthony on bass.

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.


Kelly Clarkson honors Eddie Van Halen at the 2020 BBMAs

A true giant was taken from us... Eddie Van Halen. He was a legendary guitarist, an amazing musician, and an incredible songwriter. He will never be forgotten. ❤️ #BBMAs

Posted by Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday, October 14, 2020

In a new interview with GQ magazine (see video below), SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor was asked if he would ever consider getting a face tattoo. He responded "never," before adding: "I get it, you know. A face tattoo is no different than a nipple piercing from 20 years ago — 30 years ago anyway. You end up looking like a shitty notebook from high school."

While notable figures like Mike Tyson and Tekashi 6ix9ine have sported face tats in the past, recent months have seen more stars than ever tatting their cheeks and foreheads, including MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee, rapper Post Malone and model Amber Rose.

Ozzy Osbourne also recently said he would "never" get a face tattoo, explaining: "Anything above the collar should be stopped. To be honest, it makes you look dirty."

Last year, SLAYER and EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt said that he was alarmed by the number of younger rap artists having face tattoos. "That's what dudes looked like when they passed out on the bus — we'd Sharpie the fuck out of you," Gary said. "And now that's what they look like on purpose. It's crazy. They're all fucking Sharpied up."

A few months ago, Post Malone added a new inking of a buzzsaw dripping with blood. He also has the phrase "Always Tired" tattooed under each of his eyes.

Earlier this year, Malone opened up about his many face tattoos, telling GQ Style that there's more to it than aesthetics.

"I'm a ugly-ass motherfucker," he said. "[The face tattoos do] maybe come from a place of insecurity, to where I don't like how I look, so I'm going to put something cool on there so I can look at myself and say, 'You look cool, kid,' and have a modicum of self-confidence, when it comes to my appearance."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frontman Ivan Moody sports a couple of tattoos on his head: a mohawk tattoo made to look like reptilian scales and feathers on his scalp, and a phoenix in flight, which marks his first year sober.

Back in 2014, Moody's FIVE FINGER's then-bandmate Jason Hook got the word "Driven" added to his right temple.

KORN bassist Fieldy has a couple of face tattoos: a crucifix on the left side of his face, and the word "love" in Hebrew on the right side. KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch also has several symbols on his face, including stars, teardrops, music notes and a cross.

Sweet Amber Distilling Co. has announced the launch of Blackened American Whiskey's Batch 106 expression, which has been sonically enhanced to a METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony "S&M²" playlist. The "S&M²" live album, which was recorded in September 2019 during a two-night grand opening event at San Francisco's new Chase Center, recently debuted at No. 1 across Billboard's Rock, Hard Rock and Classical Albums charts.

The new Blackened batch is sold in a limited-edition box featuring a unique, original design by artist Squindo that is a rendition of the sonic-enhancement process, making it the perfect gift or collector's item. It can be purchased through Caskers.com or found at local retailers by visiting Blackened's web site.

In 2018 METALLICA and late master distiller Dave Pickerell launched Blackened, a blend of the finest North American bourbons and ryes that have been individually aged for an average of 8+ years. The blend is finished in black brandy casks while being pummeled with the low hertz frequencies of METALLICA's music. The proprietary sonic-enhancement process called Black Noise uses the movement from the sound waves to extract more flavors from the wood. The band members have normally selected the playlist used during this stage, but Blackened recently branched out to incorporate other members into the process. Namely, Blackened's Batch 100 expression was released as a commemorative box set with the playlist selected by the brand's master distiller/blender Rob Dietrich, available on two 12-inch vinyl picture discs along with the first-ever Blackened Zine. The "S&M²"-infused Batch 106 continues in this vein, allowing fans, music enthusiasts and whiskey aficionados to interact with other aspects of METALLICA's legendary career and enjoy the whiskey that is literally shaped by their music.

Batch 106 is sold both in stores and online in a commemorative box featuring original, Blackened x "S&M²" Squindo artwork to celebrate the use of the "S&M²" playlist in the sonic-enhancement process. Squindo has been working with METALLICA since 1999 creating an assortment of graphics, from posters to tour merchandise and much more. Further, those who purchase Batch 106 will have the opportunity to enter to win a limited-edition t-shirt featuring Squindo's art from the "S&M²" specialty pack. The contest begins October 14, 2020 and runs through November 14, 2020 with multiple winners selected daily.

"The 'S&M²' performances were a challenge for us," said Kirk Hammett, METALLICA's lead guitarist. "The first 'S&M' shows in 1999 were such a pivotal part of METALLICA's evolution. We knew we had to mark their 20th anniversary on an even bigger scale, but without sacrificing any of the intimacy of those shows. The reaction has been incredible, to the shows and the album, and we're thrilled to be able to bring those same 'S&M²' vibes to Blackened."

"I was actually at the arena for both nights of the 'S&M²' concert," said Dietrich. "The insane energy that exuded from both the fans and performers is unforgettable. It's amazing to bring that spirit and passion to Blackened."

The playlist features 17 songs from the world-renowned two-night event, including:

01. The Call Of Ktulu

02. For Whom The Bell Tolls

03. The Day That Never Comes

04. The Memory Remains

05. Confusion

06. Moth Into Flame

07. The Outlaw Torn

08. No Leaf Clover

09. Halo On Fire

10. The Unforgiven III

11. All Within My Hands

12. (Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth

13. Wherever I May Roam

14. One

15. Master Of Puppets

16. Nothing Else Matters

17. Enter Sandman

Batch 106 also marks the beginning of Blackened's Cask Strength program. A portion of the batch will be available as a Cask Strength version — the first time ever in Blackened's history. It will only be available at select Kroger Supermarket locations in Kentucky and Luekens Wine & Spirits in Florida. The brand will continue to roll out premium, limited-edition Cask Strength Blackened with each upcoming batch for the rest of 2020 and into 2021.

Metal Blade Records welcomes Pangaea to its worldwide roster.

Hailing from Wisconsin, the five-piece progressive metal band has strived to guide heavy music in a new direction. Since the release of Pangaea's first EP, Unified (2014), the band has aimed to push boundaries and further navigate musical possibilities rather than settling into one "sound". Their debut full-length, Roots (2015), features unconventional harmony/structure alongside euphoric moments, conveying the balance between the ever-present experiential joys and dissolutions. Their sophomore album, VESPR, was released on September 20, 2019 to critical acclaim. Derived from exhausted emptiness, VESPR, takes a dark turn into the failures of humanity to process the digital age, and the immeasurable damage yet to be realized.

Pangaea's Metal Blade Records debut promises to be another stunning chapter in this up-and-coming band's history. The band plans to begin the writing process for their third studio album at the backend of 2020. Stay tuned for more news coming soon.

Pangaea comments: "We are honored to announce our signing with Metal Blade Records. We've all grown up listening to Metal Blade releases and are thrilled to now be a part of their phenomenal roster. The idea for the Bachelor parody announcement video came from us wanting to do something unique that highlighted our sense of humor and the fact that we don't take ourselves too seriously. We are looking forward to starting this new chapter in the band's story and we can't think of a better label to join forces with to share our musical vision with the world."

Watch Pangaea' signing announcement:

(Photo - Chris Lotten, Frank Productions)




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BBC Radio One has unearthed a years-old audio clip of QUEEN's Brian May speaking about his memories of watching Eddie Van Halen perform in London in 1978.

"There hadn't been anything so shocking since Jimi Hendrix," Brian said (hear audio below). "I saw VAN HALEN support BLACK SABBATH. Tony Iommi was a very good friend, even by that time. And the pair of us watched Eddie Van Halen do his stuff, and it was just glorious — almost too glorious to take in, to see this guy romping around a guitar like a kitten, just running and taking it to places undreamed of. I love his playing, and I always will."

When Eddie's death was first announced on October 6, May took to his Instagram to write: "Completely gutted to hear the sad news. This wonderful man was way too young to be taken. What a talent - what a legacy - probably the most original and dazzling rock guitarist in History. I think of him as a boy - an innocent prodigy - always full of joy, always modest - and those truly magical fingers opened a door to a new kind of playing. I treasure the moments we shared. His passing leaves a giant hole in my heart. RIP Ed Van Halen."

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

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

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

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


























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Completely gutted to hear the sad news. This wonderful man was way too young to be taken. What a talent - what a legacy - probably the most original and dazzling rock guitarist in History. I think of him as a boy - an innocent prodigy - always full of joy, always modest - and those truly magical fingers opened a door to a new kind of playing. I treasure the moments we shared. His passing leaves a giant hole in my heart. RIP Ed Van Halen. Bri

A post shared by Brian Harold May (@brianmayforreal) on Oct 6, 2020 at 3:08pm PDT

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper is gearing up for the 2020 presidential election in the only way he knows how — by running for president, something he has done satirically every four years since releasing the song "Elected" back in 1972.

The Godfather of Shock Rock released a new "campaign" video for the classic track. The clip takes a lighthearted look at the process and positions Cooper as the best candidate. Running on the Wild Party ticket, Cooper's campaign platform speaks volumes: "I can do nothing as well as they can do nothing."

The new video features call-backs to the original 1972 music video, in which Cooper first announced his "candidacy" and the formation of the Wild Party.

Since all eyes and ears are on this year's heated election, Cooper's video administers just the right dose of levity that we all need. The song remains a tried and true anthem for modern times.

"Elected" was the first single from Cooper's iconic sixth studio album, "Billion Dollar Babies". The record reached No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K. and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Cooper said that he keeps his political opinions to himself. "I don't like to mix politics and rock 'n' roll," he said. "I don't look at Bono, Sting and Bruce Springsteen as political. I look at them as being humanitarian. I'll contribute to anything humanitarian. Helping people who can't help themselves. But when musicians are telling people who to vote for, I think that's an abuse of power. You're telling your fans not to think for themselves, just to think like you. Rock 'n' roll is about freedom — and that's not freedom."

Four years ago, Cooper said that rock stars offering their political opinions is "the worst idea ever." "First of all, why do people think rock stars know more than they do?" he said. "That is the biggest fallacy in the world — if anything, we're dumber. We're not smarter than anybody else. I mean, why do you think we're rock stars?

"Trust me, we don't read magazines you don't read. Nobody calls us up and gives us as inside information on politics. We know less than you do. If I watch TV, it's 'Family Guy'.

"Rock 'n' roll was built to go as far away from politics as you could get. When my mom and dad talked about who to vote for, I'd go in the other room and put on THE BEATLES or ROLLING STONES — and I'm still like that."

Cooper, who considers himself a humanitarian, said that he had no problem with artists using their platform to highlight global issues if it benefited others.

He said: "I think what Bono does and what [Bruce] Springsteen does, Sting and all the people that raise money for others — that's humanitarian, and I'm all for that. But I don't think that's political."

In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Cooper stated about then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump: "He's an interesting character. It seems like he shoots himself in the foot every single day and gets more popular by doing it. It's the weirdest. It's like [Kurt] Vonnegut: Everything that shouldn't happen is happening."

Cooper previously said that he would even go so far as to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing just to make a point. During the 2004 election season, he said: "When I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasn't already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. Linda Ronstadt? Don Henley? Geez, that's a good reason right there to vote for Bush."

He also mused about sitting between such political rocker icons as John Lennon and Harry Nilsson while they argued politics and thinking, "I don't care."

George Lynch has explained his decision to retire the LYNCH MOB band name.

This past August, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB, apparently due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he will no longer record or perform under that name.

In a new interview with "BODS Mayhem Hour", George spoke about "Wicked Sensation Reimagined", the recently released reworking of LYNCH MOB's 1990 debut album, and addressed questions about why it took him three decades to call it quits with LYNCH MOB.

"There's always been a problem with the name from day one," George said (hear audio below). "I remember doing an interview with The Village Voice the first year LYNCH MOB were formed and we decided to use that [band] name. And the interviewer was a young black woman who was very bothered by the fact that I used that name and I had to try to explain it. And I found myself not really being able to explain myself very well — I knew my argument was disingenuous.

"I can make the argument that, yeah, it's my last name," he continued. "I know that that's not what most people think about, 'cause I know what the word represents. So, in the younger, younger days, I was able to just sort of rationalize it. It seemed to be less of a topical hot-potato issue. And I thought, 'Well, I'm gonna be okay. Most people understand that it has nothing to do with what it's normally known as. It's my name, and we've got this kind of desert, Western vibe. They strung up cattle rustlers too.' There's that argument. It's all silly argument — I don't buy it myself. I wouldn't use it these days. I found myself really scrambling for a logical way out of that interview, and she really had me pinned down. And I felt bad — not bad enough to get rid of the name. So I held on to it, obviously, for 30 years.

"I've gotta say, in all the years that I've had that name, it's gotten more and more uncomfortable, and, of course, now, recently to the point of not being able to rationalize it any longer," George added. "In addition to that, though, there's some other things at play here. We finished this record right under the wire before the pandemic hit, and once the pandemic shut down touring for at least a whole year or more — who knows if we'll ever tour again — LYNCH MOB being, basically, my only touring act, the band scattered to the four winds, so I really didn't, in essence, have a band any longer. And then I finished this 30th-anniversary record and really loved the way it came out and thought, 'You know, actually, this makes a lot of sense. I should end this chapter of my musical career now.' This should be the last LYNCH MOB record, because it mirrors the first one — it's a nice bookend. I can retire the name on a high note, going out with what I think is a good record. Kind of wrap it all in a nice, neat package and put the bow on it. And I felt like the time was right to do that. Everything sort of triangulated and events all just coordinated to come together at this point to make it pretty obvious it would probably be a good time to go ahead and move on."

Singer Oni Logan first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the outfit in the late 2000s.

Logan is featured on five of LYNCH MOB's eight albums, including "Wicked Sensation", as well as 2009's "Smoke And Mirrors", 2014's "Sun Red Sun", 2015's "Rebel" and 2017's "The Brotherhood".