September 25th marked 25 years since Rammstein emerged from Berlin with its debut album, Herzeleid. To celebrate the anniversary, the RammWiki page on YouTube is streaming 100 Jahre Rammstein, restored from the concert VHS tape as a Christmas gift for fanclub members. This show was played two days after the one year anniversary of the release of Herzeleid, and, without counting the label showcases and TV performances, this was the 100th Rammstein show within the Herzeleid Tour. It took place on September 27th, 1996 in Berlin, Germany

Setlist:

"Rammstein"
"Herzeleid"
"Bestrafe Mich"
"Der Meister"
"Sehnsucht"
"Weißes Fleisch"
"Asche zu Asche" 
"Seemann"
"Spiel Mit Mir"
"Heirate Mich"
"Laichzeit"
"Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen?"
"Das Alte Leid"
"Du Riechst So Gut"

To celebrate Rammstein's first indelible impact on global hard rock history, the band and Vertigo/UMe will release limited, remastered editions of the band’s groundbreaking debut on December 4.

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

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

The limited editions can be pre-ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen"
"Der Meister"
"Weisses Fleisch"
"Asche zu Asche"
"Seemann"
"Du riechst so gut"
"Das alte Leid"
"Heirate mich"
"Herzeleid"
"Laichzeit"
"Rammstein"




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Earlier this week, AC/DC released "Shot In The Dark", the first single from the band's long-awaited comeback album, "Power Up", which is due on November 13. The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust" features AC/DC's reunited lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). Johnson and Williams both left in 2016 for health reasons; and Rudd was sidelined in 2015 with various legal issues.

Brian told NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" about how "Power Up" was conceived (see video below): "We all got back together. Angus had some great tunes that him and [late AC/DC rhythm guitarist] Malcolm [Young] had never finished, I guess, and there's nothing like unfinished business to finish. We went into the studio and the old magic was there and just that bond of guys that played together for 40 years. But I'm so happy it's out now, and I'm just excited for everybody to hear it."

Speaking about the LP's first single, Angus said: "'Shot In The Dark' gives you that bit of adrenaline boost, and it's something you want — you like to get the blood pumping. It's probably the same thing [with] you teams — your football team, your NFL. They want something that keeps pumped up and gets 'em in the action. So it's got a similarity — we like to get the audience pumping; they like to get the audience pumping."

"Power Up" will be available in multiple configurations, including digital, CD, and deluxe versions. The limited edition, one-of-a-kind deluxe "Power Up" box is the ultimate fan package. Hit the button on the side of the box and watch the flashing neon AC/DC logo light up while the opening bars of "Shot In The Dark" blast out of the built-in speaker. Inside the box is the full CD package in a soft-pack with a 20-page booklet that features exclusive photos and USB charging cable allowing the box to remain powered up and on display. The vinyl LP will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket. Limited-edition variants of the LP will be available at select retailers nationwide, as well as the band's online store. The album will be available on all digital platforms.

"Power Up" track listing:

01. Realize

02. Rejection

03. Shot In The Dark

04. Through The Mists Of Time

05. Kick You When You’re Down

06. Witch's Spell

07. Demon Fire

08. Wild Reputation

09. No Man’s Land

10. Systems Down

11. Money Shot

12. Code Red

Jon Bon Jovi has paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen, calling him "an incredible talent" and "an innovator."

The BON JOVI frontman offered his comments on Tuesday (October 6) — the day of the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's death — while he was a guest on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" to promote his band's new album, "2020".

Asked if he knew Eddie personally, Jon responded (see video below): "I had met Eddie a number of times over the years.

"Any kid who ever looked at the electric guitar had to think of Eddie Van Halen. He was an innovator, a genuine, unique soul, and there's a huge void there now forever. We were lucky to have had him. He was an incredible talent."

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 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.

BURNING POOLS, the rock trio led by former SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist Ginger Pooley, has released the official music video for its latest single, "Bang Bang".

BURNING POOLS has been long in the making. Ginger and husband Kristopher Pooley had been demoing songs showcasing Ginger's penchant for empowering protest lyrics clothed in pop hooks, when they decided to reach out to guitarist Max Bernstein. He promptly added some tracks with a sub-octave fuzz permanently in the "on" position. Instantly, the three decided that Kris (a keyboard player by trade) would dust off his drum kit as this was not a synth operation — and a band was born.

BURNING POOLS' three members share a long list of studio and touring credits and collectively have worked with rock legends like Tom Morello, Siouxsie Sioux, Slash, Morrissey, Liz Phair, Scott Weiland, Tegan and Sara, and bands like JANE'S ADDICTION and WEEZER. They've also had their hands in the pop world, though it is clear that its influence is positively nil. Their unique brand of noisy power-pop with doomy riffs charts a different sonic course, harkening more to the loud drum and guitar squalls that Kris and Ginger experienced as newlyweds on SMASHING PUMPKINS tours.

BURNING POOLS' debut EP is a critique of the hierarchy of our value system. Ginger says: "It's nothing new for music to be a voice of criticism of our culture. That is the purpose of a lot of art. This is just my way of expressing my frustration with the priorities of modern society. Valuing money over everything, undervaluing women and people of color. Hopefully our songs make people who are of the same accord feel heard and supported. There is so much injustice in the world, we hope to be a part of the solution in some small way.”

Bands like BURNING POOLS are supposed to play shows — and to the list of the world's upended plans of 2020, we add the dream of taking these songs beyond streaming platforms to the stage where a power trio can actually be one in real time. For now, BURNING POOLS will be releasing singles from their forthcoming EP.

TRAUMA vocalist Donny Hillier passed away on Monday (September 28) following a brief battle with an unspecified illness.

The San Francisco Bay Area musician's death was confirmed by his bandmates via social media. They wrote: "It is with immeasurable sadness that TRAUMA shares the news that our brother Donny Hillier passed away yesterday September 28, 2020 from a short illness.

"We are all grief stricken and send our deepest condolences to Donny's family and will respect their wishes for privacy at this time.

"Donny was the voice of TRAUMA since the beginning in 1981 and will be a hard act to follow."

Originally formed in 1981 in San Francisco, TRAUMA was part of the same scene that gave the world such thrash notables as EXODUS, METALLICA and TESTAMENT. And the band’s original bassist was none other than the late/legendary Cliff Burton (who would later join METALLICA). 1984 saw the release of the group's debut album, "Scratch And Scream", before the band split in 1985. But in 2013, TRAUMA reunited and has been back in business ever since.

Much like METALLICA, TRAUMA's first recorded appearance was as part of the compilation series curated by Metal Blade Records. "Metal Massacre II" (1982) featured "Such A Shame". The band shot a video for the song "The Warlock" in Santa Ana, California, not long before Burton left the group to join METALLICA.

TRAUMA's most recent lineup consisted of Hillier, Kris Gustofson (drums), Greg Christian, Joe Fraulob (guitar) and Steve Robello (guitar). Fraulob is a former member of DANZIG; Robello plays guitar in DUBLIN DEATH PATROL (the Bay Area supergroup formed by the singers of EXODUS and TESTAMENT), and was formerly with the group HEIST; Christian, the newest addition to TRAUMA, was a member of TESTAMENT.


It is with immeasurable sadness that Trauma shares the news that our brother Donny Hillier passed away yesterday...

Posted by Trauma on Tuesday, September 29, 2020

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVIVAL, the side project of GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola, has released its fist song, titled "Can't Win For Losing".

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVIVAL was formed out of the ashes of THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE, which released its second album, "The Shape Of Blues To Come", in July 2018 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE evolved its mostly traditional sound from the debut album to the second release, and after writing a batch of six new songs, Shannon, Tony and bassist Brian Carpenter realized they had a unique and different vibe which called for a voice that would stand out stylistically and be more suited to the fresh sound they had discovered in the new writing sessions. So, they put THE REVUE on hold and tried out a new singer, Shane Hall (who sang for another project that Shannon and Tony were doing on the side for fun), and the four of them realized that the chemistry was there, with Shane's voice fitting new incarnation of THE APOCALYPSE BLUES perfectly.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVIVAL stated about "Can't Win For Losing": "We had five songs that we demoed with Shane, and of the five, this one had the most 'APOCALYPTIC' sound (Tone's RIFF!) that we felt was in the pocket and aligned us with the earlier work yet showed a grittier, more blues rock sound with a couple spots for Shane to really show his personality. It's a pretty obvious blues lyric with the underlying story being of heartache stemming from a relationship that is crumbling, the confusion, paranoia, and self blame that one feels when having to decide what is more important — music or love — and the feeling of going insane when forced to choose. The dilemma is never solved in the song... and so 'I'll keep on playin' this sweet old song to set me free...'"

The news of THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE's dissolution was broken by singer Ray "Rafer John" Cerbone, who blamed the group's breakup on scheduling conflicts.

Hall has been Larkin's drum tech for the better part of 20 years and previously played with him and Rombola in a funk band. Larkin remarked: "We did it for fun for many years, recording over 30 songs together (never released one song or did one show!)... [Hall] loves and grew up on all the same music as me, and has a style and flair that is undeniable."

Dischordia recently released Binge/Purge, an ambitious two-song EP clocking in at just over 24-minutes between two multi-part songs that stretch the band’s writing and playing to a whole new level. Drum playthrough videos for both songs can be found below.

Dischordia guitarist Keeno comments on Binge/Purge: "Binge/Purge is a modern take on Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy within our own political-cultural system. We enjoy telling stories with our music. Thanatopsis was a new level for us stylistically in searching for our sound. Binge/Purge builds on that progress and allows us to stretch our skills within a concept EP. "

Tracklisting:

“Binge”
“Purge”

“Binge” drum playthrough:

“Purge” drum playthrough:

"Binge" excerpt:

“Purge” excerpt:

Extended teaser:

Black death metal band, Impiety, descended upon earth 1990, Bedok South - Singapore, under influence from early Bathory, Possessed, Sarcofago and old extreme cult bands. 30 infernal years on and founding frontbeast Shyaithan (bass/guitars/vocals) who composes every opus the band has unleashed, continues defiantly to crush all boundaries, pushing extremity beyond limits, conjuring much success over the course of the band’s firm infernal dominion.

With such an incredible history and an uncompromising catalog of 25 releases and counting, having also toured extensively throughout the world as headliner as well as co-headliner, playing many major festivals worldwide, Impiety have gathered an immense amount of die hard followers.

Watch out for Impiety's most diabolical work to date on Listenable Records in 2021, and definitely one of the most intense and exciting death metal release of the year.

Impiety are:

Shyaithan - Bass/Vocals
Iszar - Guitars
Adzrin - Guitars
Dizazter - Drums

Spanish metallers, Lords Of Black, have released a video for "Into The Black", the new single for the upcoming album, Alchemy Of Souls, Pt. I, out November 6 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Says guitarist Tony Hernando: "'Into The Black' is a straightforward rocker with great energy that we're sure will make our fans headbang and sing along! Lyrically, again, it is a wakeup call, a call to arms if you will, about the rat race times we've been living in. To make a difference and defeat evil starts with everyone of us. A call to undo a world devoid of humanity."

Lords Of Black is a metal band originally formed by the artistic union between two world class Spanish musicians, vocalist Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Vandenberg) and renowned guitarist Tony Hernando. Their new album, Alchemy Of Souls, Pt. I showcases the band’s fondness for the legendary artists and albums that are the blueprint of the genre, while also highlighting their songwriting that incorporates modernity into the overall sound.

Alchemy Of Souls, Pt. I also represents a reunion of sorts as Romero took a hiatus from the band during 2019. Hernando auditioned several new singers and even appeared live with a lineup featuring two well respected singers, Diego Valdes (Dream Child) and Dino Jelusick (Animal Drive). Simultaneously, Hernando kept working on new songs for the next LOB album, working incredibly hard to create music that pushed him past the boundaries of anything the band had done in the past. In 2020, Hernando decided to send the music he was working on to Romero and such was the quality of the material that he immediately wanted to be part of it and agreed to come back and front LOB once again. Alchemy Of Souls, Pt. I represents a rejuvenated, inspired, and hungry Lords Of Black, who are ready to ascend to the upper tiers of European melodic metal.

Upon their formation, Lords Of Black’s vision was to form a metal band with a modern approach blended with catchy, melodic, and progressive elements. After months of intense hard work on the songs, the band independently released their acclaimed self-titled debut in 2014, which was co-produced by Roland Grapow. The band supported the release with a series of successful live shows, some of them as “very special guest” for high profile international acts.

Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore became aware of Romero and invited him to front his, at the time, newly reformed Rainbow. This brought the band to the attention of international music media and in particular, the words from Blackmore describing Romero’s voice like “a cross between Ronnie James Dio and Freddie Mercury” piqued the curiosity of journalists and fans alike.

While enjoying this new found attention, Romero and Hernando continued work on Lords Of Black and signed a worldwide deal with the Frontiers label. The first global release from the partnership was "II", an album which did and continues to blow the minds of fans of modern melodic metal! Once again co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween), the album created a stir in the scene and is still regarded as a true classic.

The band played several European shows in support of the release and then headed back to the studio to create the follow up album, "Icons of the New Days". Upon its release, the album once again set a new standard for melodic metal with outstanding epic tracks mixed with glorious power/progressive metal songs.

Alchemy Of Souls, Pt. I somehow manages to best the seemingly unbeatable predecessors it follows and is a new gold standard for melodic metal. An album not to be missed if you love bands like Masterplan and legends of the genre like Queensrÿche, DIO, Savatage, and the like. An absolute delight for the ears and another classic in the making.

Pre-order/save Alchemy Of Souls, Pt. I here.

Tracklisting:

"Dying To Live Again"
"Into The Black"
"Deliverance Lost"
"Sacrifice"
"Brightest Star"
"Closer To Your Fall"
"Shadows Kill Twice"
"Disease In Disguise"
"Tides Of Blood"
"Alchemy Of Souls"
"You Came To Me" (Piano Version)

"Dying To Live Again" video:

Lineup:

Ronnie Romero - vocals
Tony Hernando - guitars
Jo Nunez - drums
Dani Criado – bass




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British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON will release their new album, "Post Human: Survival Horror", on October 30. The nine-song effort will include the previously released singles "Obey", "Ludens" and "Parasite Eve", as well as new collaborations with NOVA TWINS, BABYMETAL and EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee.

"Post Human: Survival Horror" track listing:

01. Dear Diary

02. Parasite Eve

03. Tear Drops

04. Obey (feat. Yungblud)

05. Itch For The Cure (When We Will Be Free?)

06. IXI (feat. NOVA TWINS)

07. Kingslayer (feat. BABYMETAL)

08. Ludens

09. One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death (feat. Amy Lee)

This past June, BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes told Kerrang! magazine about the band's new music: "Like [2019's] 'Amo' [album] was very collage-y in terms of it spanning from ballads to poppy songs to heavier songs to electro, we wanted this next record to be a mood. As the pandemic unfolded and everything changed, the mood I had in mind started to not feel right. Basically, I had this idea to make some records — I didn't know how many, but more than one — that all fell under a blanket name of 'Post Human'. Each record would have its own theme and its own message. The first was going to be about compassion and self-love because I wanted to build up to a record about changing ourselves and changing our future because we need to self-evolve. We can't just say, 'We are humans. This is how it is,' because as humans, we've already stepped outside of the food chain by bringing technology into our lives. We need to continue to modify ourselves until we can be proud of what we do on this planet and live harmoniously, not just with ourselves but other creatures. That's the message I wanted to put out there, but I know the world's not ready for that on the grand scale. First, we need people to love themselves. There's too many people out there that hate themselves, and I always think, 'If you don't have compassion for yourselves, how're you going to have compassion for other people?'

"But as the pandemic unfolded, I didn't think the world was ready for that record. Just like everyone else, I'm pissed off, I'm scared, I'm angry… we need to write a record that embodies that. Before we get to compassion, we need to get out the frustration and anger. This first record's going to be battle songs, like a recruitment record — songs of anger and hope. It's not going to offer a solution, it's going to be more about asking people to come and find a solution with us. This first music is to get you back up, get your blood pumping, get you pissed off and thinking about what's going on. The record will follow a similar tone of 'Ludens' and 'Parasite Eve' and that's going to be the first record of four. We're going to release four different records over the next year, all under this name 'Post Human', and they'll all be very different. There'll be a thread, and the lyrical themes will progress as a story, but in terms of the tone, it'll be quite different."

BRING ME THE HORIZON spent the last few months writing and recording new music remotely, releasing a series of videos that show how the band has managed to work on the songs during the coronavirus pandemic.

BRING ME THE HORIZON's acclaimed sixth album, "Amo", came out nearly two years ago.




POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR

30/10/20 pic.twitter.com/etOZE1FPOw

— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) October 14, 2020

Wargaming today announced that KORN and free-to-play video game titan World Of Tanks Blitz launched a special Halloween collaboration, revealing the music video for "Finally Free", a track featured on KORN's latest studio album, "The Nothing". The exclusive video sets the stage for World Of Tanks Blitz's brand-new Halloween mode: Burning Games. Watch it below.

Fans of the band and World Of Tanks Blitz players won't want to miss out on Convergence, a five-stage event which brings KORN to the widely popular game that boasts more than 137 million downloads globally. From October 16 through October 24, all players can complete in-game challenges to uncover pieces of band artwork and extra special items.

This event also features the brand-new Burning Games mode, where players will fight for dominance on the battlefield in order to secure in-game rewards. In a Halloween-themed twist, from the time the battle clock starts, every vehicle on the battlefield will start draining health like a vampire, and players will need to deal damage to their foes in order to get their health back. The Burning Games mode is available to all vehicles Tier V and above and runs from October 16 until October 24.

"Wargaming is no stranger to musical collaborations, having teamed up with IRON MAIDEN, Swedish metallers SABATON and punk rock outfit THE OFFSPRING for previous projects," said Andrey Ryabovol, product director of World Of Tanks Blitz. "KORN is the perfect partner for our Halloween event, and we can't wait for rock fans and World Of Tanks Blitz players to experience this exciting collaboration."

KORN singer Jonathan Davis said: "I really like World Of Tanks Blitz. It's true to the era, there are a lot of great tanks in there, and you don't just jump in and start shooting. I think there is a connection between rock and video games because video games are intense and rock 'n' roll music is intense. It seems like they have always gone hand in hand."

The music video for "Finally Free" tells the story of Captain, a die-hard KORN fan (and a known character in the World Of Tanks Blitz universe) who's doing all he can to get to KORN's live performance at the "Burning Games". The problem is a crew of wasteland raiders who do all they can to keep him from his goal. Will he make it to the front row of the KORN show in time?

The Halloween extravaganza will also include The Way Of The Raider, a 60-stage event. Tankers will be able to get Credits, Free XP, days of Premium Account, several camos, a сustom player profile, and two new post-apocalyptic vehicles: The Tier V Spike and the Tier VII Annihilator. Both tanks are featured in the new video from KORN. All tankers who complete all 60 stages will be able to get their hands on the unique animated "Radioactive Glow" camo. The Way Of The Raider runs from October 16 through October 31, and is available to all vehicles Tier V and above.

And finally, from October 24 through October 31, Mad Games makes a welcome return. A true fan favorite, the game mode gives tankers unique abilities ordinary tanks could only wish for.

Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST), Biff Byford (SAXON) and Doro Pesch are among the musicians who have wished MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" album a happy 40th anniversary in a new video posted to the band's official YouTube channel. Check out the 10-and-a-half-minute clip below.

Featured artists:

0:00 Don Jamieson ("That Metal Show")

0:54 Frank Ferrer (GUNS N' ROSES)

2:19 Andi Derris (HELLOWEEN)

2:49 Wendy Dio

3:19 Ginger Wildheart (THE WILDHEARTS)

4:11 Joel O'Keefe (AIRBOURNE)

5:40 Joey Tempest (EUROPE)

6:27 Biff Byford (SAXON)

7:14 Doro Pesch

9:09 Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST)

In addition to the previously announced expanded editions of "Ace Of Spades" and the deluxe collectors box set, the album will also be released digitally in 360 Reality Audio, a new immersive music experience utilizing Sony's spatial audio technology, that will let listeners hear this behemoth like never before. The 360 Reality Audio content will be available on Deezer and Tidal and can be enjoyed on any headphones and also on Amazon Music HD, playing on the Amazon Echo Studio.

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

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

The "Ace Of Spades" deluxe anniversary editions will be made available on October 30.

Punk rock icons BAD RELIGION have released "What Are We Standing For", an outtake from the band's critically acclaimed 2019 album "Age Of Unreason". The song is one of support and compassion for professional athletes, and others, who have taken a knee to protest police brutality and racism.

BAD RELIGION has always advocated for humanism, reason, and individualism, which in our current political climate is a message that has never been more essential.

"In this time of tribal nationalism, dissent, as a form of political speech, is vital to democracy," says BAD RELIGION co-songwriter and guitarist Brett Gurewitz.

In August, BAD RELIGION released its autobiography, "Do What You Want: The Story Of Bad Religion", written with the group's full cooperation and support. It reveals the ups and downs of the band's 40-year career, from their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed "The Hell Hole" to headlining major music festivals around the world. The book predominantly features the four principal voices of BAD RELIGION in a hybrid oral history/narrative format: Gurewitz, Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley and Brian Baker. It also includes rare photos and never-before-seen material from their archives.

Last month, Graffin spoke to "The Five Count" radio show about what keeps him inspired to make new music four decades into the veteran punk band's career.

"That's the thing that's unique about BAD RELIGION, is our long catalog, our extensive catalog of songs and albums," he said. "Even though a lot of bands are 40 years old, most of them are playing songs or hits from 30 years ago, because they don't put out new music.

"When BAD RELIGION decides to put out new music, it's not just because the world is in turmoil; I don't think that's very inspiring as a songwriter," he explained.

"We write music that we hope speaks to some kind of a sentiment of optimism, even though our music is rather pessimistic. [Laughs]"

He added: "It's funny, 'cause a lot of fans say, 'Your music is about such serious stuff. A lot of it is tragic stuff about the human condition. But it always makes me feel so good.' [Laughs] And these are not dark people — they're not negative, nihilistic people.

"There's something hopeful and uplifting about our music, and that's something that I do feel a great sense of artistic satisfaction about."

Former AC/DC bassist Paul Matters has died. The news of his passing was revealed by his friend Rod Wescombe as well as AC/DC biographer Jesse Fink, author of the book "Bon: The Last Highway".

According to Wikipedia, Matters joined AC/DC in 1975 after the recording of the band's debut album, "High Voltage". Several weeks later, he was reportedly fired by AC/DC singer Bon Scott, and was replaced by Mark Evans.

Prior to joining AC/DC, Matters played bass for Newcastle band ARMAGGEDON which he exited in 1974 over what drummer Les Gully described to Fink as "musical differences". He was then fired from AC/DC, according to Gully, "because he didn't fit the values of the Young [brothers] oligarchy. Too pretty, for a start. He didn't really fit, had strong opinions and sensitivity, and played just what he liked."

A recluse, Matters has only ever given one press interview since his dismissal from AC/DC, to Fink for "Bon: The Last Highway", in which he claimed he was "a bit lazy" and "a bit cranky" but did not have enough money to eat: "I didn't have any food in my stomach. They [management] didn't give us any money to buy food or anything."

In "Bon: The Last Highway", Fink called Matters "an uncommonly handsome sight in AC/DC, a kind of hard-rock Chris Hemsworth who could play."

Matters performed live with AC/DC on a national tour in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, promoting the band's debut album, but did not record in the studio, where bass duties were performed by George Young.

Matters quit music after his departure from AC/DC in 1975 and sold his bass guitar.

Earlier today, Wescombe wrote: "Shocked and sad to hear of the passing of Paul Matters.

"I first met Paul in 1973 when he was playing bass in 'Armageddon' at a gig in Hamilton, Newcastle N.S.W.

"When I was living in Toronto he would drop into the house in the late hours to party and he loved to party.

"In late '75 after he departed AC/DC we played together in a one off band called 'Miss Australia Band' at a gig on a ferry on Lake Macquarie.

"I moved to Sunshine on the lake further south and Paul would drop in to chill whenever he was in the area. I recall he could always make me laugh when he was in the mood.

"After leaving New South Wales I lost contact with him as did many other people over the years.

"From all reports he lived a reclusive life in his later years and his early rock n' roll life style led to ailing health.

"He will be missed by all who knew him."

Fink tweeted simply: "Another former AC/DC musician has died: bassist Paul Matters. RIP, mate #acdc".


Shocked and sad to hear of the passing of Paul Matters.

I first met Paul in 1973 when he was playing bass in "Armageddon...

Posted by Rod Wescombe on Wednesday, October 14, 2020





R.I.P. Paul Matters @acdc pic.twitter.com/YPCP1shNvP

— acdc.se (@AcdcSe) October 14, 2020








Another former AC/DC musician has died: bassist Paul Matters. RIP, mate #acdc pic.twitter.com/N9ZNAlvTfK

— Jesse Fink (@JesseFink) October 14, 2020

Napalm Records has announced the signing of Andrew W.K. to an exclusive worldwide recording contract.

The label said in a statement: "We at Napalm Records are thrilled to propel Andrew W.K. to new heights, having been longtime fans of the work since the beginning. To say partnering (and partying) with the team at Andrew W.K. has been exciting and enlightening is an understatement. We've got our seat belts on and secured tightly, and we're ready to party party party our way into the future of Andrew W.K.!"

Kristine Williams shared these words on behalf of the entire Andrew W.K. company: "Everyone at Andrew W.K. and The Louise Harland Corporation is very pleased to have this opportunity to work with Napalm Records. We look forward to partying harder than ever before!"

Frank Vierti, longtime creative director for Andrew W.K., added: "I've worked on Andrew W.K. since the late '90s, and it's been a wild ride since day one. Still, after all the twists and turns, I have an uncanny feeling that the most twisted turns are about to take place, and I'm confident the good people at Napalm Records will hold on tight while we navigate the next loop in this never-ending rollercoaster ride.

"It's rare to find a group of music industry veterans that not only grasp the core of what we've been doing for the past two decades, but also have a shared vision that will take us forward and over the edges. They've seen through the big picture, they've accepted what's going on in the background, and they've agreed on what's to come. Most importantly, they're not afraid to push this next chapter and reconnect the dots from 1999, 2001, 2005, 2009, and the tears spanning 2011 and 2018. O praise the Party Gods!"

Andrew W.K. got his start in southeastern Michigan, before moving to New York City and officially launching in 1999. Now, entering the new decade having already conquered the worlds of music, television, radio, and motivational speaking (even receiving the American Association of Suicidology's "Person" Of The Year Award in 2018), the inimitable God Of Partying is more determined than ever to reach euphoric levels of positive perfection. Having released five larger-than-life albums, including the revered chart-topping full-length debut "I Get Wet" (2001), Andrew W.K. is hard at work (for two years and counting) on crafting an LP of brand new music, guaranteed to pressurize the power of partying into diamond levels of hardness.

Photo by Michael R.C.

Baol Bardot Bulsara, the Spanish-born lead singer of the veteran Norwegian rock band TNT, has released an acoustic cover of a classic VAN HALEN song in tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who died on October 6 after a long battle with cancer. His choice was "Dreams", a track from VAN HALEN's "5150" album, which was the first music he heard from the legendary Southern California rock act as a teenager. Baol arranged and recorded all instruments and vocals at his studio in Madrid, Spain.

Bulsara states: "Well, as much as I love this song since forever, I wish I didn't ever have a 'reason' to record it now.

"This is a simplified recording, quite basic, since I have no firework-guitar skills at all. But that was neither the intention for it.

"Eddie was not only a terrific and pioneer guitarist, it was also about the songs! And this one, in my ears, is THE song. So my rendition is to your music.

"Thank you, Edward..."

Due to the fact that TNT is unable to play shows amid the coronavirus pandemic, Bulsara is currently working on his new solo project, which he plans to release before the end of the year. This will be an international project, featuring musicians from the U.K. and Norway. It is being recorded, mixed and co-produced by LEGADO DE UNA TRAGEDIA's Joaquín Padilla at Estudios Espartanos in Madrid.

Baol made his recorded debut with TNT on the band's latest album, "XIII", which was released in June 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The band's 13th studio album to date features founding members Ronni Le Tekrø (guitar) and Diesel Dahl (drums) alongside bassist Ove Husemoen and Bulsara.

In a 2018 interview with Tom Leu of "Sound Matters", Le Tekrø stated about Bulsara: "What a find! We wanted an unknown singer and really went into the underground to try to find this guy that could sing the classics, like [former vocalist] Tony Harnell sang them, yet be a part of the creative process and create new, modern TNT music.

"Let me tell you, I'm really impressed by the personality. And he acts like a true star, too, offstage, so I like that. So this guy is cocky and he's got all the elements."

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones released "Led Zeppelin III" 50 years ago in the U.S., on October 5, 1970, with the U.K. and other countries following a few weeks later. The band's third album in less than two years, it would top the charts in several countries — including the U.S. and the U.K. — on its way to selling more than 13 million copies worldwide. Beyond its overwhelming commercial success, the album also represented a turning point musically for LED ZEPPELIN as the group expanded its hard-hitting sound to embrace a wider range of styles on acoustic-based songs like "That's The Way", "Tangerine" and "Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp".

In celebration of the record's 50th anniversary, the band will reissue the Japanese version of the album's only single — "Immigrant Song" backed with the non-album track "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" — on seven-inch vinyl. Limited to 19,700 copies, it comes in a sleeve that replicates the original artwork. The single will be released on January 15, 2021 and can be pre-ordered at www.ledzeppelin.com.

You can now listen to "Immigrant Song" and "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" in the YouTube clip below.

"Immigrant Song" was a Top 20 hit in the U.S. and has gone on to become one of the band's most popular and enduring songs, currently ranking as their second most-streamed track worldwide. It's also had an enduring impact on pop culture thanks to several memorable appearances in blockbuster motion pictures such as "School Of Rock" and, most recently, in Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok".

"Immigrant Song" and its lyrical references to Norse mythology were inspired by the band's concert in Reykjavik, Iceland on June 22, 1970. Six days later, the song made its live debut in England at the Bath Festival Of Blues And Progressive Music. That fall, it would appear as the lead-off track on "Led Zeppelin III".

Following the whirlwind success of the band's first two albums and near constant touring, there was an initial rehearsal with Plant and Bonham where Page presented "Immigrant Song", "Friends" and what became "Out On The Tiles". Page and Plant then took to the now famous Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales in 1970 to have a musical sabbatical. The remote 18th-century cottage — which lacked electricity and running water — became home to "That's The Way".

Page and Plant later convened with Bonham and Jones for rehearsals before recording began in earnest that May with engineer Andy Johns. The band recorded the album in several locations, including London's Olympic Studios and Island Studios. Following the recording sessions, Page, who produced the album, took the mixed master tapes to Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, to make the cut for vinyl. Fueled by classic tracks such as "Since I've Been Loving You", "Out On The Tiles" and "Celebration Day", "Led Zeppelin III" has been certified six times platinum in the U.S. alone while also achieving multi-platinum status in many other countries.

Beyond the music, the album is noteworthy for another reason — its innovative artwork. When it was originally released on vinyl, "Led Zeppelin III" came packaged in a gatefold sleeve, conceived by Page and designed by multi-media artist Zacron (a.k.a. Richard Drew), whom Page had met in the early 1960s when Drew was attending Kingston College Of Art. For his design, Zacron created a surreal collection of images (planes, birds and butterflies) surrounding several cutout holes. Behind the cover, he placed a rotating disc (volvelle or wheel chart) that featured more images, including photos of all four bandmembers. When the disc was turned by hand, different images would appear in the openings to create an interactive visual experience.

In a new interview with the "Rockum" radio show, KAMELOT's Thomas Youngblood confirmed that the band is preparing to enter the studio to record the follow-up to 2018's "The Shadow Theory" album. The guitarist said (hear audio below): "We have pretty much narrowed it down to 12 songs for the new album. We're gonna be working with Sascha Paeth again on production. And we're very excited. It's probably gonna come out the middle of next year."

This past August, Youngblood told A&P Reacts that KAMELOT had 25 songs to pick from for the new LP. Regarding the musical direction of the new material, he said: "I think [there will be] a lot of what fans expect, but also a lot of cool new surprises."

He continued: "Having Tommy [Karevik, vocals] now as one of the songwriters has been killer; he's coming out with really cool stuff. And then, of course, Oliver [Palotai, keyboards] and myself, and having Alex [Landenburg] now as our drummer; he's got a lot of cool ideas. What a cool guy Alex is. So, yeah, it's gonna be exciting."

KAMELOT's new DVD and Blu-ray, "I Am The Empire - Live From The 013", was released in August via Napalm Records. The 21-song set was recorded at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands and includes more than 100 minutes of live music and multiple exclusive extras, including backstage interviews of all guests, bandmembers and fans. Featured guest musicians include Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN) and Lauren Hart (ONCE HUMAN).

"The Shadow Theory" was released in April 2018 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Haven" was helmed by acclaimed music producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Guests on the album include Hart, Jennifer Haben (BEYOND THE BLACK) and Sascha Paeth. The cover artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

The first official book by and about KAMELOT, "Veritas: A Kamelot Legacy", marking the 30th anniversary of the founding of the band, will be released later this year via Rocket 88.

Sombria is a dark, melancholic metal project formed by singer / songwriter Dimi De San, who works under the name Valentina Devin, and guitarist / composer Raven Seven. The band has an international line-up featuring members from Norway, Greece and Mexico. They are set to release their debut album, Chirographon Dei, on November 27th via Inverse Records.

The band has released their second single and music video, "Voyage Into Lethe". Check it out below.
 
"'Voyage Into Lethe' is a piece that regards to a very desperate and suffocating struggle to release one's self and emerge into oblivion and freedom after a terrible experience. This is the first song we wrote as Sombria which signifies our entrance into a whole different era as musicians and as individuals. A new blood -stained beginning that a soul can make, leading to a road of infinite possibilities and even uncanny secrets."

 

Pre-save Sombria's Chirographon Dei album on Spotify here.

Dimi De San’s music path started on 2012 with the formation of the band Caelestia which had been leading up to 2019. Then she decided to leave and join forces with Raven Seven creating Sombria .

Both musicians have worked with big names of the metal industry like Toni Lindgren from Fascination Street Studios and Fredrik Nordström, Bjorn "Speed" Strid of Soilwork, drummer Markus ‘’Makka’’ Freiwald of Sodom, and collaborated with big artists and directors like Seth Siro Anthon (Septicflesh, Paradise Lost, Moonspell) , Gogo Melone (Aeonian Sorrow) and Matthias Kolleg (Kreator, Lacrimosa).

Their live appearances are numerous appearing with important bands like Katatonia, Arch Enemy, Insomnium, Draconian among others, including Raven Seven's very succesfull collaborations at big metal festivals. Dimi's successful tour in 2019 with Norwegian Vulture Industries, Hellheim and Madder Mortem marked the beginning of Sombria as a life project.

Its main purpose apart from featuring music, acting and dancing is aiming to raise awareness - through their music, lyrics and performances - over many sensitive subjects like child poverty, environmental issues, equality, and also focusing on helping people in need as much as possible.

Chirographon Dei is Sombria's debut full length album consisting of nine songs, recorded, mixed and mastered by Raven Seven in his studio. All songs were composed by Raven Seven, the lyrics were written by Dimi De San.

Tracklist:

"Voyage Into Lethe"
"Black December"
"Sarcophagus Of Roses"
"Mirror Of God"
"Ballet Of Sadness"
"The Soul's Manuscript"
"Wine Of Lunacy"
"Penitence"
"Poem From The Dark Gardens"




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Vocalist Liv Kristine (ex-Leaves' Eyes, ex-Theatre of Tragedy) has revealed that her forthcoming EP, which is currently in the works, will feature four brand new songs written with Theatre Of Tragedy bandmate Tommy Olsson, and five live tracks from her 2019 performance in Nagold, Germany. More details will be revealed this coming weekend.

On April 15th, 2016, fans of Leaves’ Eyes were shocked to learn the band had parted ways with vocalist and namesake Liv Kristine Espenæs. In the same breath, the band announced that Finnish singer Elina Siirala of the band EnkElination would take Liv’s place. Given that Leaves’ Eyes had centered around Liv Kristine and her husband / Atrocity frontman Alexander Krull since the band’s inception in 2003 – in the wake of Liv being fired from Theater of Tragedy – it was clear the issues leading to the split were personal as well as professional. It would take some time for the dust to settle, as both sides shared different accounts of what led to the split, but Leaves’ Eyes forged onward with Siirala up front and a significant wave of fan discontent on their tails. For her part, Liv gradually went quiet, making guest appearances on Cradle Of Filth’s “Vengeful Spirit”, Orden Ogan’s “Come With Me To The Other Side” in 2017, and Midnattsol’s album The Aftermath in 2018, but otherwise stayed away from putting out new music. In December 2019, however, she released a new solo single, “Skylight”, which was reminiscent of her Vervain solo record from 2014 and Theatre of Tragedy’s classic third album, Aegis.

“After a few ups and down – a few roller-coaster rides to put it mildly, since I moved to Germany 20 years ago – I decided to start all anew,” Liv says of her comeback. “I practically left everything, cleared all relationships, situations, or ended them. In 2019, I felt the spirit again to continue working on my own music. It was Tommy Olsson (guitarist / ex-Theatre of Tragedy) who reached out in 2016 with a handful of songs that really blew me away. He’s been very patient and supportive throughout my journey, and I have the best composer by my side. I just want to do the music which I love, which I am fully in alignment with. My upcoming solo album is a collaboration with Tommy. It’s in the veins of Vervain, but not at all like it. It is inspired by Tommy’s masterpiece, Aegis.”

Liv has always been a live performer and she makes it clear she will continue to do so as things get back on track. This begs the question as to whether any Leaves’ Eyes material will make it into her set. It’s a painful subject to be sure, but she left behind a legacy of six studio albums that would not exist without her vision.

“My setlist consists of two thirds solo songs, one third Theatre of Tragedy songs,” Liv reveals. “I could play Leaves’ Eyes songs since the band carries my name, but it feels strange, like a loss, which I feel really sorry about. I was thrown out of my own band, period, and that is just not right, especially because I never received any compensation, nor did anybody ask me about name rights. I wish the remaining two members would change the band’s name and do their own thing. None of them ever created a concept and wrote lyrics based on their personal history and birthplace, passion for Norway, and Norse writings. That part was mine, and it was passion, heritage and so much of me in there. The latest brilliant idea the band’s manager had was sending my family a bill of thousands of euros for Christmas. Well, I wish them good luck. Karma is great, by the way. What you give is what will return to you. But, I can’t tell you how endlessly happy I am with what I have today. Everything was and is meant to be.”

Read the complete story here.




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My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy has released another EP under his Neanderthal moniker, entitled Quarantunes II. He has checked in with the following:

"Surprise! Here’s a new Neanderthal digital EP for y’all to check out. Four brand new songs written and recorded over the past few months. You can download it for FREE (with option to donate).

Dedicated to the memory of Edward Van Halen. Thank you for your amazing contributions to guitar playing, rock music and gear. You're the king and you'll go down in history as a true innovator, and the greatest rock player of all time. Riff In Power." 

Quarantunes II by NEANDERTHAL

Tracklist:

"South East Lightning"
"Birthday Jam"
"The Healer II"
"Shit Show Theme Song"

All songs, guitar, bass, drums, recording & mixing by Mick Murphy. Recorded at The Magick Room in Knoxville, TN - 2020. Cover artwork by Tairrie B. Murphy. 

My Ruin vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy recently checked in with the following update:

"My Ruin originally recorded our cover of the Mudhoney classic 'Touch Me I'm Sick' for our album, The Brutal Language, in 2005. With the 2020 release of our new, old school covers album Rock Love & Red Lipstick, which we debuted on Valentines Day to celebrate the 20 year Anniversary of our band, Mick and I decided it was finally time to create a video to accompany it.

This song has always been one of our favorite covers by one of our favorite bands! We loved putting our violently sexy spin on the original and playing it live on many of our tours over the years. We've included some never before seen footage from our last U.K. tour and the rest we had fun filming at home while we've been in lock down due to the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic.

While band members have come and gone, at the core, My Ruin has always been the two of us. The heart and soul of our rock and roll. To help us celebrate this special milestone, you can download our new album FREE as our gift to you at this location.

Stay safe and smart, be kind to each other and create art."

Rock Love & Red Lipstick by MY RUIN

Tracklist:

"My War"
"Trouble"
"Touch Me I'm Sick"
"Have A Drink On Me"
"Tainted Love"
"Mean Street"
"Do You Love Me"
"Turned Out"
"I Ain't No Joke"
"Slide You The Horn"
"Rid Of Me"
"Stoopid"
"War Machine"
"Sex Junkie"
"Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo"
"My Way"




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TraiLight mastermind Omer Cordell has checked in with the following update:

"I am very excited to announce that the new album - now simply titled Sophia - is on a trajectory to see the light of day November 27, 2020. Dave Padden (ex-Annihilator) has been at the helm working relentlessly on mixing the album and doing a phenomenal job. I am very grateful for his incredible talent, fine-tuned ear and creative vision in helping me get the most out of this project. 

There's still work to be done, but we're almost there. Stay tuned!"

Cordell recently posted a clip from the studio featuring some more vocal tracking:

BraveWords spoke with Cordell about Padden's involvement on the new album, and he offered the following:

"I'm basically doing everything again. I am having Dave mix it with me; he's mixed one of the songs and it's really banging! It's too early to say if he'll sing on it, but I may have him do a vocal or two. Not sure yet. But mixing, yes!"

Padden sang on the TraiLight debut, The Primitive Mountain, released in 2015. Check out "Open Doors" below.




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Hard rock band, Fire Follows, released their new single "Black and White" off of their sophomore EP Glass Grenade that will release via The Label Goup/INgrooves in early 2021. In addition, the band released the official music video for "Black And White".

Make no mistake; the Colorado based Fire Follows is here on business. Founded, crafted, and led by vocalist, musician, producer, and writer Chris Watt, the band delivers a melodic, yet heavy rock sound that is defined by anthemic choruses, beautiful piano interludes, and the perfect blend of rap/scream/sing vocals. In an effort to build a dynamic band that is capable of touring in 2021, Chris brought in seasoned musicians Tim Yunker (sing/rap), Emily Gould (drums), and his brother Tyler Watt (harmony/scream). Their influence can be immediately felt on the newest “Glass Gre-nade” release, showcasing Tim’s gospel/soul inspired vocal stylings, Emily’s dynamic and precise drumming techniques, and Tyler’s rich harmony/backing vocals. Fire Follows gained tremendous industry attention with the If It’s War You Want EP release in 2019, and expects that trend to continue with the five song Glass Grenade release in 2021. The songs demonstrate Chris’s ever evolving writing style, and with a radio ready production quality, are sure to cut through the indus-try noise. The sophomore release utilizes more scream vocals than its predecessor, and the addition of Tim, Emily, and Tyler has taken the overall sound to a whole new level. The hooky choruses are sure to produce multiple hits, and will be enjoyed by fans from pop, classical, and country genres, in addition to traditional hard-rock/meal fans.

The group is already writing for the next album, and actively rehearsing in preparation of touring once the industry gets back on the rails. 




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In time for Halloween, Heaven And Hell Records has resurrected the Morticia catalogue.

Morticia came to life in 1985. The band was conceived by founder keyboards/vocalist Jodie Tanaka and drummer/vocalist Matt Bachelor. The duo would set out to create dark, moody and romantic music combined with their sense of camp and tongue-in-cheek humour. The band would be the premier goth/deathrock band in the Twin Cities and be able to walk the realms of punk, alternative and heavy metal being, embraced by a variety of scenes. Sharing the stage with local heavy metal heroes such as Impaler and Slave Raider, opening for punk icons like Wendy O Williams or sharing bills with deathrock giants as Alien Sex Fiend and Sex Gang Children, Morticia proved they could hold their own in any arena.

The two would recruit bassist Chrystopher Winter to create a solid trio foundation that would last throughout most of the band’s existence. Along with the addition of guitarist Therese Rita Langevin, the first line-up of Morticia would record and self-release a 5-song EP containing covers of The Doors “Crystal Ship” and Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wildside”. The humble release would prove to be a small sample of what was yet to come. In 1986, Morticia would record a 2-song 7” single with the song “Zombie Love” and “Scare Me To Death”.

In the wake of the departure of Langevin, Morticia would recruit new guitarist Carmilla Casquette and the following year would release their full-length debut Mortal Fear with guest musicians Ross Willmert, and Brian Bart from the melodic metal band Dare Force, providing additional guitar. Additional backing vocals provided by Betsy McComber. Recorded at Logic Studios in Minneapolis and produced by Bart, Tanaka, Batchelor and engineered by Bart. Released by Channel 83 Records on both vinyl and cassette, the 9-song album would come to life as a monster of deathrock that evoked the spirits of the genre’s heavyweights such as 45 Grave, Skeletal Family and Christian Death.

In 1988, Morticia would release their follow-up LP D.O.A, with the title track an unlikely cover of ‘70 psychedelic/progressive rock band Bloodrock. The cover-song choice would be a testament to the various influences in the band that would contribute to their unique brand of Goth and deathrock.

The 8-song album released on Channel 83 Records on vinyl would see the band's sound evolving even further branching into several directions creating their style and approach to the deathrock subgenre. To accompany the progressively theatrical sound and direction Morticia would begin to focus more than ever before on the visual aspect of the band’s performance by using props and parlour tricks to enhance the experience of their live shows.

A line-up change would occur once again seeing the departure of bassist Winter. With only the original founding duo of Tanaka and Bachelor remaining, bassist Timm Farrlor and guitarists Marko Nostrada and Dave Majerus, and later, Tim Kletti would join the band.

In 1991, Morticia would release their final album to date, 13 Nightmares. Released on Channel 83 Records on both CD and cassette containing 13-tracks, one of which a cover of “Bela Lugosi's Dead” by gothic rock legends Bauhaus. The album would show the band bringing in more commercial heavy metal influence while holding on to the dark Goth aesthetic that the band had created that would only add to the band’s distinct identity of one of the most interesting bands of the scene.

In the sub-genres of deathrock, Goth rock, horror rock or whatever one chooses to refer to it as there has never been a band like Morticia. As difficult as it is to imagine influences of deathrock, Goth, glam, heavy metal, psychedelic, prog with some campy poppiness can all be found within. This is Morticia, there is only one.

Scheduled for release on Hallow’s Eve (October 30) Heaven And Hell Records will be releasing all three Morticia albums, each remastered. These will be limited to 500 copies each.

Mortal Fear tracklisting:

“Mortal Fear”
“Tell Tale Heart”
“The Devil’s Road”
“I’m Your Trash (Throw Me Away)”
“Darksider”
“Deadlier Than The Male”
“And Now The Screaming Starts”
“Christian Vices”
“Graverocker”
“Zombie Love” (bonus track)
“You Scare Me To Death” (bonus track)

D.O.A. tracklisting:

“Cabaret Of Death”
“Voyeur”
“Lovely Shadows”
“Pennies Upon My Eyes”
“Rotting Corpse”
“Black Market Body Parts”
“Burn Witch Burn”
“D.O.A.”

13 Nightmares tracklisting:

“Mausoleum/Toccata And Fugue”
“Fatal Attraction”
“The Black Carriage”
“Darksider”
“Chemical Cocktail”
“Crimson Tears”
“86 For Life”
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
“Lady Nightmare”
“Exposure To Sunlight”
“The Blood Club”
“Victims”
“Bloody Gore Baby”
“Lady Nightmare” (Paisley Park version)




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Combichrist guitarist Eric13 has revealed a new video for his latest solo track, “Black Lipstick,” the first in a series of singles over the next six months.

The video for “Black Lipstick” was created while in lockdown, across three cities in two different countries. Directed and edited by Eric13’s former Sex Slaves bandmate Del Cheetah in Las Vegas, actress Tink’s parts were filmed in Reading, England, while Eric13 himself was at home in Philadelphia.

“It was definitely a challenge to plan and execute a video when none of us could be together,” Eric13 says. “It required a lot of trust to bring together our different artistic elements. I’ve never met Tink, but she has this incredible magic that jumps off the screen. Photos of her inspired the entire video and artwork for the song itself. She is like no one or anything I’ve ever seen. The recording was already complete, yet she is the song, and the song is her.”

The independently released single and video were financed completely with the assistance of Eric13’s Patreon supporters.

(Photo by: Jeff Cohn)

The video will be followed by a limited edition 7” vinyl single from Swedish label Bad Mofo Records. A “Black Lipstick” remix EP featuring wildly different remix reimaginations from Erk Aicrag of Hocico and Rabia Sorda, Dave Parley of Prayers, guitar god Andee Blacksugar, Chemical Sweet Kid and a death metal version by Nidbild will available via all digital platforms on November 13.

The digital “Black Lipstick” single, which was written and performed by Eric13 with former Filter guitarist and producer Oumi Kapila, is available now here.

“I was basically on tour for five years straight,” Eric13 says. As a member of Combichrist since 2014, the guitarist has played nearly 500 shows in 35 countries, with solo acoustic rock shows in Europe and the United States wedged in between tours. “I’ve been writing new songs steadily the entire time, but I was playing live so much that I never had time to properly record and release my new music.  ‘Black Lipstick’ is step one. Now I wanna open the flood gates.”




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Detroit-based crossover death thrashers Plague Years has unleashed a guitar playthrough for "Incantation." The crushing track comes by way of the band's Circle Of Darkness full-length recently released via Entertainment One ("eOne").

Mining the subterranean depths once unearthed on classic Sepultura albums like Beneath The Remains and Arise, with the vicious bite of Germanic slabs like In The Sign Of Evil by Sodom and the Hall of Fame ‘80s output of Slayer, the devilish and down-tuned death worship within Plague Years serves as a demonic calling card for the foursome; a brutal counterbalance to their otherwise likeminded thrash revivalists. On Circle Of Darkness, the band’s full-length debut, Plague Years reunites with engineer Arthur Rizk, whose work with Power Trip, Tomb Mold, Candy, and Cavalera Conspiracy has propelled him to the front of the horde amidst the resurgence of crossover thrash.

Plague Years pays homage to Detroit forebearers Negative Approach and modern contemporaries Hellmouth in equal measure, while infusing the proceedings with a brutal spin of their own design. In terms of lyrical aggression, songs like "Play The Victim" and "Paradox Of Death" blend traditional death metal blood-and-gore fantasy with the unrestrained bravado of Detroit’s grittier contributions to rap, like LOM Rambo and Motown upstart Icewear Vezzo.

Like an icepick to the face, Plague Years arrives with an electric surge of sudden pain. An unrelenting end of the world assault of the cataclysmic convergence of thrash and hardcore, with bits of blackened death and midtempo madness to spare, the band summons the primitive spirit of the singular moment when the heaviest of metal first smashed into a circle pit. Plague Years reignites that flame with sharp fury.

Circle Of Darkness tracklisting:

"Play The Victim"
"Witness Hell"
"Paradox Of Death"
"Eternal Fire"
"Circle Of Darkness"
"Evil One"
"Incantation"
"Nrftl"
"World In Blood"
"Urge To Kill"

"Play The Victim" video:

"Incantation" lyric video:

(Photo - Rian Staber)

 




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Hailing from deepest, darkest Suffolk, Ghosts Of Atlantis are a metal band that carry a wealth of experience and professionalism. Like both Cradle Of Filth, and Devilment before it. 

Ghosts Of Atlantis continues the tradition and staple of the witch county trademark sound. The sound is dark and aggressive, sinister and twisted, yet universally appealing due to big chorus lines, emotive orchestration and massive hooks, debut album 3.6.2.4 coming out via Swedish Black Lion Records early 2021 on CD/LP/Digital.

Founder Colin Park describes "Halls Of Lemuria": The road ahead is long and the elements ruthless. The Atlantean people embark on a pilgrimage to reach the great halls of Lemuria. For it is within these sacred walls, that the power to turn the tide of battle resides. The power to summon the Ghosts Of Atlantis and give hope to the people of Atlantis.




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Swedish folk rock pioneers, Garmarna, have released a video for "Dagen Flyr", a track from their upcoming record, Förbundet, available on November 6 via Season Of Mist. Watch the clip below:

The visionary folk sounds of Garmarna marry the past to the present on their captivating new album Förbundet. Förbundet (Swedish for connected) is an especially apt title as their songs, inspired by traditional Swedish folk music and Scandinavian ballads, are played by acoustic instruments but accented by a flourish of modern electronics (beats, loops and samples). The album, led by Emma Härdelin's spellbinding vocals and aided by the rich production of Christopher Juul (Heilung), see the Grammis (Swedish Grammy) winning group operating at the heights of their powers. Garmarna has persevered for nigh on four decades now, and Förbundet further secures their legacy as one of the worldwide leaders of traditional Scandinavian folk music.

Tracklisting:

“Ramunder”
“Två Systrar”
“Dagen Flyr”
“Sven i Rosengård”
“Ur världen att gå”
“Vägskäl”
“Lussi Lilla”
“Avskedet”
“Din Grav”

“Två Systrar”:




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The CJSS track, "Destiny", was always one of the fans' favorite tracks from the band's debutlalbum, World Gone Mad. The rare video below features a live version recorded at Bogart's in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Band lineup:

David T. Chastain - guitar
Russell Jinkens - vocals
Mike Skimmerhorn - bass
Les Sharp - drums

Previously released live videos for the CJSS tracks, "Welcome To Damnation" and "Praise The Lourd", also recorded at Bogart's in Cincinnati, can be seen below:




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