DEMON HUNTER has released the official music video for the song "Lesser Gods". The track is taken from the band's latest album "War", which was made available alongside a companion LP, "Peace", in March 2019. The clip was directed and edited by Brad Hartley, with additional editing by Andy Maier.

Frontman Ryan Clark told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show that releasing two separate albums "with the polarized styles" that DEMON HUNTER is known for — "heavy and the super-melodic 'ballad'-style songs" — is something he and his bandmates have "talked about doing for a long time." He explained: "We didn't want to do it too early in our career just because it felt like a lofty sort of endeavor. So we didn't want to get carried away too early. So now kind of rounding out our albums at No. 9 and No. 10, seems like a really good time to do it."

Ryan said that DEMON HUNTER decided not to package the two LPs together because "double albums are too hard to digest. Of the ones that have been released from bands that I really like, I never really found myself diving into them and fully really soaking them in just because it's quite an undertaking," he said. "So I wanted this to almost be two autonomous things that are meant to be listened to. And I know, coming out on the same day and everything, they might as well be packaged together, but the idea of them being separate is that they… it might not be so burdensome to consume."

DEMON HUNTER formed in Seattle in 2001. The lineup features Clark alongside co-founder Jonathan Dunn (bass), drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums, since 2004), lead guitarist Patrick Judge (since 2008) and guitarist Jeremiah Scott (since 2011). Clark remains the primary songwriter, with increasing contributions from Judge.

As a headlining act, DEMON HUNTER helped introduce audiences to bands like AUGUST BURNS RED. They've done several headlining tours and toured as direct support to IN FLAMES. In recent years, they appeared at Chicago Open Air (with OZZY OSBOURNE, KISS), Heavy Montreal (MARILYN MANSON, GOJIRA), and headlined Uprise Fest and Rock The Desert.

Pride Of Lions, the revered melodic rock band featuring the legendary "Eye Of The Tiger" songwriter and The Ides Of March member Jim Peterik, together with powerhouse vocalist Toby Hitchcock, are back with their sixth studio album, Lion Heart, on October 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. Pre-order/save Lion Heart here, and watch a lyric video for the album opener, "Lion Heart", below.

Jim Peterik has never lost his verve for melodic rock, a style of music he inarguably helped forge. Pride Of Lions showcases everything that you should love about the genre: powerful vocals, thanks to Toby Hitchcock, and unforgettable melodies. And the new songs and performances truly show what a “lion heart" Peterik still is. The opening cut, the title track, blazes from the speakers gaining steam with every chorus. Future classics like “Carry Me Back” with a truly unforgettable hook, to the mesmerizing magic of “Unfinished Heart”, and the majesty of an epic song like “Rock And Roll Boomtown” illustrate why this record has everything to please all the melodic rock fans out there.

Powerhouse American vocalist Toby Hitchcock came to the attention of melodic rock fans on the now legendary debut album from Pride Of Lions. Often compared to Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), and Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hitchcock’s voice has the depth, feeling and extension of each of them, while still keeping his own trademark. His brilliant voice makes him an absolute star in the current melodic rock scene.

Since the start of Pride Of Lions, Jim Peterik wanted to take listeners back to the glory of his best, most successful songs. His name is rightfully in the pantheon of great songwriters in melodic rock due to his love for melody and driving rock. His phenomenal rise to the top was borne on the back of amazing songs he co-wrote like “Eye Of The Tiger” from the film Rocky III , “The Search Is Over”, “High On You”, and “I Can’t Hold Back”. Further hits from films followed like “Burning Heart” from Rocky IV and Jim co-wrote the theme song of the seminal animation classic Heavy Metal with Sammy Hagar. A long lasting and fruitful relationship started in 1980 between Jim and the southern-rock group .38 Special, where he co-wrote their platinum hits “Hold On Loosely”, “Caught Up In You”, “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys”, “Fantasy Girl”, and “Rockin’ Into The Night”. Their collaboration continues to this day. Jim has also written with the beloved Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Tracklisting:

"Lion Heart"
"We Play For Free"
"Heart Of The Warrior"
"Carry Me Back"
"Sleeping With A Memory"
"Good Thing Gone"
"Unfinished Heart"
"Give It Away"
"Flagship"
"Rock & Roll Boomtown"
"You’re Not A Prisoner"
"Now"

"Lion Heart" lyric video:

"Carry Me Back" video:

Lineup:

Toby Hitchcock - lead vocals
Jim Peterik - lead vocals, background vocals, keyboards, electric and acoustic guitar, percussion
Ed Breckenfeld - drums and percussion
Klem Hayes - bass
Mike Aquino - lead and rhythm guitar
Colin Peterik - drums on "Lion Heart"
Kevin Campbell - bass on "Lion Heart"
Christian Mathew Cullen - Synths & Programming




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Swiss heavy metal band Burning Witches has released a music video for their brand new single, "Circle Of Five". The ladies conquered the studio and recorded this new masterpiece accompanied by their new lead guitarrist Larissa, who joined them a few weeks ago.

Guitarist Romana comments: "We are hungry for action and are proud to present you this new song that reflects the band pretty well: it's a bit freaky - high on gain and shows that we are a strong unit again! This way we can go through good and bad times together! Larissa shows you here why she is the perfect person to play lead axe for us – please give her a warm welcome, she deserves the very best! And now enjoy this new riff-monster 'Circle of Five'!"

Watch the video below.

New Witch Larissa adds: "Today is a big day for me, yes it's out! After two productive and amazing days in the studio, here comes the first song and video I recorded with my sisters of Burning Witches. I'm heavily proud to be part of the 'Circle of Five' and the whole great metal family that belongs to the Witches. Enjoy and stay metal!!!”

Burning Witches will join the cult thrash metal legends Destruction at their upcoming show, which will take place at Junkyard, Dortmund (Germany) on September 25th. Get your tickets here.

Burning Witches manager and Destruction frontman Schmier comments: "Indeed the circle is now ccompleted with Larissa. It was amazing to see how the girls have been growing throughout the last months! This new song is a strong statement for the next album and the future of this bright shining HM diamond that the girls are! All hail to the Witches!"

Save the single on Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer here: http://nblast.de/BW-TheCircleOfFive

Burning Witches recently released their Corona Acoustic Session on most streaming platforms. The band was asked by many fans to release the acoustic set they recently recorded for a live stream, so they decided to make this magical performance available on all streaming platforms today.

So far, the Corona Acoustic Session was only available on YouTube. Now all fans get the chance to see this powerful live performance in high resolution with high-quality sound anywhere! Watch the Corona Acoustic Session here.

Burning Witches comment: “Something positive that came out of the difficult Corona times, was for sure that we made this spontaneous acoustic jam with those talented friends and guests. Your demand made this release now possible on all streaming portals, thanks a lot for that! It will remain a nice memory this way and it also marks Larissa's first appearance with the Witches! We have heard your call and maybe one day we will do another session like this but you ALL know WE LOVE IT LOUD, so watch out for our new single to come very soon!”  

The three songs were recorded live at Little Creek Studio in Switzerland with special guests Courtney Cox (The Iron Maidens), Larissa (the new Witch on guitar), and Noelle Dos Anjos (Nungara, Alkoholika).

Tracklisting:

"Black Magic"
"We Eat Your Children"
"Dance With The Devil"

The Burning Witches are currently in the studio recording their new single, which will be released on September 17.

Lineup:

Laura - vocals
Romana - guitars
Larissa - guitars
Jay - bass
Lala - drums

(Photo - Burning Witches Facebook)




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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.

They have released their first single / music video, "Sarcophagus Of Roses" which can be viewed below.
 
Valentina Devin and Raven Seven:

"Desperation, oppression and finally redemption. This song belongs to a desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom. A song, a melodrama, a profound cry with a theatrical quality, full of old - fashioned melancholy and depression. 'Sarcophagus Of Roses' is a strong metaphor of our inner self, a refuge along with the scent of roses inside your solitude."

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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Spanish melodic death band Æolian, who recently signed with Black Lion Records, will release their new album The Negationist on November 20th. They have unleashed a lyric video of new song, "Momentum". The band comments: 

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

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

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

Tracklist:

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

Mastered by Dan Swano at Unisound Studios




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Thou have released a cover of the classic Alice In Chains track “Them Bones”, which is featured on the forthcoming MER Redux series installment Dirt [Redux].Listen below, and pre-order Dirt (Redux) here.

Thou comment on “Them Bones”: "It seemed inevitable that we'd do another Alice in Chains song since their music was such a big part of Matthew's and my formative years", claims singer Bryan Funck about himself and guitarist Matthew Thudium. "We had covered 'No Excuses' some years ago, but it never quite got the reaction I thought it deserved, and our arrangement was a slowed-down and kind of left-field take on the song. With 'Them Bones' we had a chance to tackle a song that more directly translated to our style. The song had been on my mind anyway; I had recently listened to a podcast that dissected all the tracks on 'Dirt' and it really dawned on me that opening the album with 'Them Bones' was such a bold and cool move. No count off, no intro, just straight into the insanity."

About Alice In Chains the singer adds: "I first heard Alice In Chains when 'Rooster' came on the radio, probably not long after its release, maybe late '92 or early '93 – I was 10 years old; just a kid listening to the local rock radio station and taping the songs I liked, making these poor quality mixtapes", says Bryan. "I taped 'Rooster' and the following weekend brought it over to Matthew's house so he could hear it. I remember going into his room and he was listening to the song 'Connected' by Stereo MC's, who were a one-hit-wonder Madchester/Happy Mondays-type band. I put my 'Rooster' cassette in and his mind was completely blown. Neither of us had heard anything that heavy or dark yet – our favorite band at that point was probably Pearl Jam. Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit here, but I think that's what set him on a path of listening to heavier stuff, as it was for me."




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Live Nation today announced several initiatives to encourage civic engagement and support access to voting in the 2020 elections. These initiatives include using Live Nation-owned concert venues as polling places, providing employees with paid time off to vote, incentivizing employees to serve as poll workers, and partnering with organizations on voter access and educational efforts.

"Core to what we do at Live Nation is helping amplify voices on stage around the world, and supporting voting is another important way we want to continue making voices heard," said Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation. "We're honored to work with such incredible partners and will do everything in our power to support and empower voter engagement among our employees and the public."

Live Nation is working with local officials to examine the feasibility of using more than 100 Live Nation venues across the country as polling places. To date, The Wiltern and Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Emo's in Austin and the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta are confirmed to serve as polling sites in their respective jurisdictions, and The Fillmore has been offered with warm reception to serve its local neighborhood in Philadelphia and is in the final stages of the vetting process.

"Live Nation is going above and beyond by recognizing that elections are about more than just polling places. They're about our communities," said Al Schmidt, city commissioner of Philadelphia. "Live Nation is really stepping up to help during this challenging time — and we are grateful."

"We are proud to partner with Live Nation and announce The Hollywood Palladium and The Wiltern will be Vote Centers in the upcoming presidential general election," said Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk. "Live Nation has stepped up to the mic in providing our community safe in-person voting experiences at two iconic music venues. It is collaborations such as this that demonstrate the spirit of community engagement and the strength of our democracy."

To support these efforts, the company is partnering with More Than A Vote, a coalition of black athletes and artists dedicated to protecting voting rights, and Civic Alliance, a nonpartisan coalition of businesses working together to build a future where everyone can vote, volunteer, and take action to shape our country.

"By converting their concert venues into voting locations, Live Nation is creating a safe and convenient way for people to exercise their right to vote this fall," said Michael Tyler, EVP of public affairs, More Than A Vote. "Similar to the sports arenas, More Than A Vote has worked to convert into voting locations, many of Live Nation's venues are located in the heart of the communities that we are committed to empowering in this election and offer the same COVID protections due to their large capacity."

As it usually does, Live Nation will provide up to one half-day of paid time off to all employees on Election Day. Furthermore, in an effort to address the national shortage of poll workers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Live Nation will provide any active employee with a full day of paid time off to serve at the polls. The company is partnering with Power The Polls to track employee participation and meet the needs for poll workers in communities across the nation.

Leading up to Election Day, Live Nation has also partnered with HeadCount, a non-partisan organization to use the power of music and amplify artist voices to inspire fans to register to vote and promote participation in democracy. Citizens can visit www.headcount.org/livenation to check their voter registration status and learn how to exercise their right to vote in November.

The second single from accomplished guitarist Bobby Keller, “Light Bearer,” is available today.

“‘Light Bearer’ takes you on a non-stop, in-your-face guitar assault with intricate and technical rhythm guitar playing, infused with some infectious leads and surrounded by clever harmonic chaos,” Keller says. 

A video for “Light Bearer” was filmed with JAZEL of Black Card Films at KDS One Studios in Orlando, FL, and is also available.

After the successful release of his debut solo single “Reign In Fire,” in March of this year, Keller once again teamed up with producer/mixer/drummer Ben Johnson (New Dilemma, Miss Fortune) to write and record the song at Reverse 13 Studios in Orlando, FL. The track was mastered by Machine (Lamb Of God, Clutch, Fall Out Boy) at The Machine Shop.

Keller has been making his way up the music scene with his unique style of guitar playing since 2009. He is considered one of the top guitar players in Florida and the south east. Inspired by guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and Dimebag Darrell, Keller combines both untamed speed and euphonic rhythm into his technique to create a truly individual sound.

With the band Meka Nism, Keller has performed nationally along with numerous renowned artists from a variety of genres, from Evanescence and Stabbing Westward to Hellyeah and Gojira. In 2016, Keller was recruited to star in the Theater Works Production of Rock of Ages as the lead guitar player for the “house band” at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood, CA. Keller teamed up with drummer Ben Johnson last year to make his dream of recording a solo album a reality.

While working on his solo material, Keller has also recently joined the modern rock band New Dilemma. The band’s debut single, “Is Your Story Over,” the opening track from the EP of the same name, features a solo recorded by Keller before officially joining the band. “Is Your Story Over” has charted on the Billboard and Foundations Mainstream Radio Rock Charts. 

Through the years Keller has been endorsed by ESP Guitars, EMG Pickups, Richter Straps, Fortin Amps, SIT Strings, WB Gear, Neural DSP, Graph Tech Guitar Labs, FU-Tone, Klotz Cables and JH Audio.




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Under the title Not In This Lifetime Selects, Guns N' Roses have released a string of videos, shot on the band's Not In This Lifetime tour. Watch below:

"Sweet Child O' Mine", Download Festival:

"Slither", Download Festival:

"Attitude", Download Festival:

"Rocket Queen", Download Festival:

"Out Ta Get Me", Houston:

"Double Talkin' Jive", Salt Lake City:

"November Rain", Mexico City:

"It's So Easy", Salt Lake City:

"New Rose", Mexico City:

"My Michelle", Mexico City:

"Coma", Houston:

"You Could Be Mine", Download Festival:

"This I Love", Mexico City:




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Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have released a music video for their song "Guardians Of Earth". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Quadra", which was made available in February via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept effort created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises vocalist Derrick Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

Kisser previously stated about working with Bogren on "Quadra": "He is so full of passion, it's unbelievable, man. He's really there, he really cares about the projects he's doing. For SEPULTURA, he's like the fifth member of the band. The chemistry was so amazing, 99 percent of what we were trying do to actually worked. That was insane!"

Green added: "The experience was like no other time in the studio. I felt the preparation was key in making the recording process go as smooth as possible. We were relentless each day giving everything that we had until complete exhaustion of the mind, body, and soul. This album is a direct result of the sign of times. The music is an evolution needed to push ourselves to go further than we ever have."

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

"Quadra" is the follow-up to 2017's "Machine Messiah", which was SEPULTURA's fourteenth studio album and the eighth since Green joined the ranks.

Brazilian death metal unit The Troops Of Doom has unleashed their newest single, "The Confessional." The track comes off the band's The Rise Of Heresy debut EP, set for release October 9 via Nuclear Blast's digital subsidiary, Blood Blast Distribution.

The Troops Of Doom is led by guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz from the band The Mist and former member of Sepultura's original lineup playing author and co-author of the classic albums Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions and having also collaborated on some of Schizophrenia's compositions. The band also includes bassist/vocalist Alex Kafer (Enterro, Explicit Hate, ex-Necromancer), drummer Alexandre Oliveira (Southern Blacklist, Raising Conviction), and guitarist Marcelo Vasco (Patria, Mysteriis, acclaimed graphic artist for legendary bands such as Slayer, Kreator, Machine Head, Soulfly, and Hatebreed among many others). The Troops Of Doom's goal is to revisit the essence of '80s style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh and genuine.

Notes Guedz of "The Confessional," "This song is definitely my favorite on the EP! It means a lot to me because it was something I always wanted to do during the early days of Sepultura. It highlights a denser and heavier approach, influenced by one of my favorite metal bands -- the legendary Celtic Frost -- with more ponderous vocals, mid-tempo riffs... it's all mixed with other old inspirations that come from bands like Slayer, Voivod, and Kreator, not to mention our very own and peculiar way of playing, created by Sepultura itself. It is a track that synthesizes a very interesting balance in our debut work, along with other more speed and aggressive songs. That's why we chosen 'The Confessional' as our second single. I hope people can dig it as much as we do."

The Rise Of Heresy, which features four original songs and two cover versions of Sepultura classics, "Bestial Devastation" and "Troops Of Doom," was mastered by Øystein G. Brun (Borknagar) at Crosound Studio in Norway. In advance of the EP's release, The Troops Of Doom unleash a lyric video for first single, "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea". Watch below.

The Rise Of Heresy will be released digitally. For pre-orders, head here.

The Rise Of Heresy tracklisting:

"Whispering Dead Words"
"Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"
"The Confessional"
"The Rise Of Heresy"
"Bestial Devastation" (Sepultura Cover)
"Troops Of Doom" (Sepultura Cover)

"The Confessional" video:

"Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" lyric video:

The Troops Of Doom lineup:

Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz - guitar
Alex Kafer - bass, vocals
Marcelo Vasco - guitar
Alexandre Oliveira - drums




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On October 23, ARMORED SAINT will release its eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", via Metal Blade Records. The official music video for the disc's second single "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants", directed and produced by Costin Chioreanu, can be seen below. Additional drone footage was shot by Miluta Flueras, with band performance footage by Vince Edwards.

Leaders and stalwarts of the American heavy metal scene since the early 1980s, ARMORED SAINT's "Punching The Sky" sees them returning hard. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it's everything the band's faithful have come to expect from them while pushing their signature sound forward.

"The goal is to write really good music. I know I'm stating the obvious here but that's about the size of our agenda," says bassist Joey Vera. "We've been able to shed a lot of expectations that sometimes plague a band like ours that has been around a long time, and we've recently moved into a comfort zone with just being ourselves. We have this kind of freedom now that we didn't really have early in our career, and we can take some chances and make the kind of music that we want to hear. This record is a reflection of where we are at, right now."

Exploding to life with the crunchy, rousing "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and not letting up until the closing ruthless riff of "Never You Fret", the record is possessed of an urgency and vigor which very much places it in the right now, but could only be the work of Vera, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and vocalist John Bush.

"When you're a band that began four decades ago, you really have to push yourself harder than ever when it comes to making a new record," states Bush. "The last thing you ever want is for it to appear as though you were going through the motions or that you're just putting a product out to do some touring. The records are immortal. They'll be here long after us. Every one needs to count in its own individual way."

With Vera acting as producer, he recruited the same engineering team that worked on "Win Hands Down", with drums recorded by Josh Newell at El Dorado Studios in Burbank, California, guitars tracked by Bill Metoyer at Skullseven studios in North Hollywood, California, and vocals, bass and additional recordings by the bassist at his studio.

"I like working with people that I trust and have a good personal rapport with," Vera says. "That same reason is why I hired Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, AMON AMARTH, STONE SOUR) to mix the record. It's important to be able to work with people who understand what the end goal is."

The process of realizing the album was a lot of hard work, Vera admitting he took on too many of the tasks himself, but he states that overall it was a good experience and everyone brought their A-game to the table and the right attitude for getting things done.

"At the end of the mixing stage, I always have a hard time walking away from the project we've been working on for so long," he says. "It's hard to let it go. The end result is good though. Everyone played and sang their asses off and it shows."

"Punching The Sky" features a few guest musicians further expanding its sonic palette, the whole thing kicking off with the sound of Uilleann Pipes, Vera finding player Patrick D'Arcy in Los Angeles and recruiting him to the cause. GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed also contributes, Vera giving both him and D'Arcy some general directions and letting them loose, both of them delivering strong performances. The band's own Gonzo Sandoval plays an American Indian flute on "Never You Fret" — a first for ARMORED SAINT and their drummer. Also Jacob Ayala, the son of a childhood friend who is a drum major in high school, added some marching snare on one of the tracks, which really stands out.

With the band's place in the metal scene firmly re-established with "Punching The Sky", they are staring down their four decade anniversary, which Vera reflects on.

"Part of me feels like I can't believe we've been doing this for that long. It's kind of incredible," Vera says. "So I feel pretty damn lucky really, that we've been able to have the support from fans and our record company for all these years. Without this support, we really couldn't do any of this. So this is the big part of what has kept us going, and when I stop and look around, I am humbled that we've had this opportunity to make music and tour for such a long time. That's what our initial goal was back when we were just 18 years old."

"Punching The Sky" track listing:

01. Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants

02. End Of The Attention Span

03. Bubble

04. My Jurisdiction

05. Do Wrong To None

06. Lone Wolf

07. Missile To Gun

08. Fly In The Ointment

09. Bark, No Bite

10. Unfair

11. Never You Fret

Chastain have released the video below, along with the following message:

"Chastain - featuring Leather Leone on vocals, David T. Chastain on guitar, Mike Skimmerhorn on bass, Les Sharp on drums and special guest Pat O'Brien on guitar - toured the United States in support of their The 7th Of Never album. The last night of the tour they played Harpo's in Detroit. Unbeknown to the band someone was shooting an unsanctioned video of the band. That tape was traded and sold in the metal underground for years. We decided to take that tape, remaster it and put it in HD so it could be officially available for viewing. 'The Wicked Are Restless' is a track off The 7th Of Never."

Divebomb Records recently released the 30th Anniversary edition of For Those Who Dare, adhering to Chastain's original intent by restoring Steve Fontano's (Prairie Sun Studios) more balanced mix - as well as additional background vocals, ad libs, and "ear candy" that have long been missing from the Roadrunner release in 1990.

As usual, the disc has also been remastered by Jamie King Audio, and is packaged alongside a detailed booklet - revised and expanded from Divebomb's initial 2010 reissue to include additional photographs and a retrospective interview with David T. Chastain and Leather Leone. For the fans, by the fans!

Order the CD here.

Tracklisting:

"For Those Who Dare"
"Night Of Anger"
"I Am The Rain"
"Please Set Us Free"
"Secrets Of The Damned"
"Light In The Dark"
"The Mountain Whispers"
"Barracuda"
"Not Much Breathing"
"Once Before"

Bonus Demo Tracks
"Play Their Games"
"I Cast No Shadows"




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Stone Sour have released a demo version of "Influence Of A Drowsy God", which is available for streaming below.

Guitarist Josh Rand states: "'Influence Of A Drowsy God': the search for common ground becomes desperate, threatening a deal that could unleash darkness."




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On September 25, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release ZZ Top: Live From Texas - a reissue of the 2 LP set, originally released in 2010. Now, a decade later, this classic concert will be available as a special limited run of 1,000 copies, pressed on white vinyl.

ZZ Top: Live From Texas features audio from the certified double-platinum 2008 Live From Texas DVD / Blu-ray / CD release. Additionally, “Heard It On The X” is included as a vinyl-exclusive track, an extra bonus to the original CD release. Watch a video for the track below.

Live From Texas captures ZZ Top performing a stacked setlist of their celebrated songs, including tracks from their 10x platinum 1983 masterpiece Eliminator. “Tush,” “La Grange,” “Legs,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Sharp Dressed Man”.. .these songs go beyond the title of “hits” - they are classic anthems, woven into the fabric of both rock and roll and American culture. Recorded in Texas in 2007, this 2 LP sonically showcases Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard delivering their songs with the sound, spirit, and swagger, establishing them as international superstars.

Five decades following their inception, the “Little Ol’ Band From Texas” continues to inspire and thrill fans worldwide. One of the most instantly recognizable music outfits in history, their rhythm-driven, big brand of blues-rock and distinct image made them inimitable entertainers and cemented their legacy in the Rock and Roll zeitgeist. ZZ Top: Live From Texas proves that prowess in spades.

Tracklisting:

Side A:
"Got Me Under Pressure"
"Waitin’ For The Bus"
"Jesus Just Left Chicago"
"I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide"
"Cheap Sunglasses"

Side B:
"Pearl Necklace"
"Heard It On The X"
"Just Got Paid"
"Rough Boy"

Side C:
"Blues Intro"
"Blue Jean Blues"
"Gimme All Your Lovin’"
"Sharp Dressed Man"

Side D:
"Legs"
"Tube Snake Boogie"
"La Grange"
"Tush"

"Heard It On The X" live video:




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On Friday, September 11, Californian death metal band Skeletal Remains celebrated the release of their fourth studio album, The Entombment Of Chaos. Now, the band introduces its new lineup by performing several songs live in their rehearsal studio.

The band comments: “We’d like to announce that we now have a complete line up again, please help us give a warm welcoming to our new drummer Pierce Williams (Ænigmatum, Torture Rack). We are all very excited to get out there and play this new material for you as soon this pandemic is all over! We would like to send a big thanks to our good friend Charlie Koryn who helped us out in the last couple of months with the new album.”

Footage of Skeletal Remains blasting through "Congregation Of Flesh", "Dissectasy" and "Beyond Cremation" with Pierce on drums has been captured by Allen Falcon at Birdcage Studios, and can be viewed below:

Furthermore, the band’s back catalogue, originally released through FDA Rekotz, is back up on digital platforms and will be reissued in 2021 physically through Century Media Records.

Says the band: “We’ve been working on represses for our first two albums Beyond The Flesh and Condemned To Misery and those will come sometime next year! Both records have been remastered by Lasse Lammert (www.LSD-Studio.de) from Germany and you can already check them out on all streaming services, so go give them a spin!”

Order The Entombment Of Chaos here.

Skeletal Remains are:

Chris Monroy - Vocals/guitars
Mike De La O - Guitars
Noah Young - Bass
Charlie Koryn - Drums




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Today, the wolves of Varg  are once again howling the origins of true Pagan metal, continuing their story of the legendary Viking era. The band has unveiled the third single, "Fara Til Ránar", from their upcoming full-length, Zeichen, to be released on September 18 via Napalm Records.

"Fara Til Ránar” starts off with a captivating chorus, offering a new facet of Varg: The additional vigorous female vocals by Fylgja mirror a perfectly-fitting contrast to Freki’s shattering screams. The third single is a mournful metal ballad featuring the melancholic, captivating saga of the Nordic goddess of the sea, Rán, who uses her net to pull wandering sailors down into her watery grave. The wolves' third audio-visual creates a mystical surrounding in the trademark Varg style, but also includes some additional atmospheric elements.

Singer Freki about the single: "To us, 'Fára Til Ránar' is one of the songs that represent the "new" Varg the best way. All eyes here are definitely on Fylgja, our official new band member. She has already appeared on Wolfszeit II, took part as a singer on our last tour and made a huge impact on our development and direction. It felt absolutely right and just like a natural process to officially welcome her into the band. In 'Fara Til Ránar' her singing embodies the tempting calls of the sea goddess Rán. With every note, you can feel our heart and soul as well as common dedication for our music. We’ve finally arrived, and 'Fara Til Ránar' and Zeichen as a whole are the best proof for that.”

Watch the video for “Fara Til Ránar”:

On their authentic masterpiece Zeichen, the wolves of Varg return to their roots and embark on a journey further down a new road. Within the first seconds of the album opener breaking loose, Varg draws the listener into the year “793” that heralded the ferocious era of the Vikings. In contrast, "Fara Til Ranar", including additional female vocals, is a melancholic, captivating saga about the Nordic sea goddess Rán, who pulls wandering sailors down into her wet grave. "Verräter", on the other hand, emphasizes the suffering and vengeance towards former allies with rapid guitar leads, and ultimately, the album culminates in the mighty title hymn “Zeichen”.

In addition to the ten new tracks, the mediabook contains a bonus CD featuring alternate versions of each song the band recorded with renowned guest musicians from Eluveitie, Nachtblut and Equilibrium among others. Looking at the final opus, it's not surprising why Varg took four years after the publication of Das Ende Aller Lügen (which hit number 17 on the German charts) to regather their forces, and today, Zeichen shows that Freki, Fenrier, Morkai and Garm consciously took their time to realign their inner compass and are not afraid of musical and intellectual freedom.

Singer Freki states: "In Norse mythology, the earth cleanses itself in fire and rises from the ashes - Zeichen is the rebirth of Varg. Based on our pagan metal roots, we have lyrically discarded all modern elements and simultaneously lifted vocals, melody and musical hardness to a whole new level. The path we walk on Zeichen is raw, pagan, authentic and completely dedicated to the Viking cult, runes and the old gods. Can you hear the murmuring? The runes have awakened!"

Zeichen will be available in the following formats:

- 2-CD mediabook
- 1-CD jewelcase
- 1 LP gatefold black
- 1 LP gold/black spotted (Napalm shop exclusive)
- wooden box set (Napalm shop exclusive)
- digital

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"793"
"Schildwall"
"Auf die Götter"
"Rán"
"Fara Til Ranâr"
"Wildes Heer "
"Feld der Ehre"
"Wanderer"
"Verräter  "
"Zeichen"

"Auf die Götter" video:

"Zeichen" video:

   

Varg lineup:

Freki - vocals, guitar
Fenrier - drums
Garm - rhythm guitar
Morkai - lead guitar

(Photo - Oliver König)




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British thrash metal unit, Evile, has signed a worldwide contract with Napalm Records.

Since their formation in 2004, Evile has been turning heads and taking names - delivering four pure thrash offerings blended with an uncompromising death metal attack. Evile are known for explosive and captivating live shows, having performed at Wacken Open Air, Bloodstock Festival and Hellfest and with bands like Megadeth, Kreator and Amon Amarth. With their current discography, the four-piece have been tearing up the scene with a raucous new take on the classic thrash metal sound.

Since recently announcing some exciting new lineup changes with the talented Ol Drake on vocals/guitar and new member Adam Smith of RipTide as rhythm guitarist, they are now more than ready to drop some new material. Evile are currently in the studio recording the long awaited follow up to their 2013 release Skull. More exciting news to come in early 2021.

Ol Drake, Evile, on the signing: "We're extremely excited to announce our signing to Napalm Records! We'd heard a lot of great things about Napalm over the years and it's an honor to join the ranks of some excellent bands. Evile haven't released any music since 2013 so we promise to deliver a crushing thrash metal classic which I believe will surprise everyone; even the die-hard "Grave" fans. As previously announced, Matt is unfortunately no longer a part of the band, so I've taken over on vocal duties while remaining on lead guitar too. Also, please welcome our newest member, Adam Smith of RipTide, on rhythm guitar. We begin recording with producer and engineer Chris Clancy on September 17 at Andy Sneap's Backstage Studios. We can't wait for you to hear what we have in store!"

Sebastian Münch, A&R and Product Manager Napalm Records: "I am super excited to work with Ol Drake and my favorite British thrash metal band Evile. I've been a fan since Enter The Grave, and the new demos I've already listened to sound simply amazing! Expect a monster of an album in 2021! Welcome to the Napalm family!"

Evile are:

Ol Drake - Vocals & Lead Guitar
Ben Carter – Drums
Joel Graham – Bass
Adam Smith - Rhythm Guitar




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Norwegian trio Communic, will release their new album, Hiding From The World, on November 20 via AFM Records. The album is another skillfully crafted combination of progressive, power, thrash and a bit of doom metal. A great mix up of traditional Communic power and emotional depth.

Communic are one of the household names in the European metal scene and have been so from the beginning. The musical style of Communic is rich in both emotional depth and musical broadness and includes many elements from various metal genres. Catchy vocal melodies, thrilling bass and guitar lines colliding with power, thrash, progressive and a bit of doom and groovy metal. The music has a progressive touch in some experimental form, yet easy to listen to, quite moody, mellow and emotional.

Tracklisting:

"Plunder Of Thoughts"
"Hiding From The World"
"My Temple Of Pride "             
"Face In The Crowd"
"Born Without A Heart"
"Scavengers Await"
"Soon To Be"
"Forgotten"

(Photo - Morten Fasseland)




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In a new interview with Jason Rockman of Canada's iHeart Radio, Ace Frehley spoke about "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to Ace's 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist. The new LP will be released on September 18 via eOne.

"These albums are becoming fun," he said (see video below). "I just re-signed with eOne, and they want an 'Origins Vol. 3' after the next studio record, which I've already started writing songs for. But it's become a really fun process. It's much easier than doing a studio record where you have to write the material yourself. I'm basically just taking other people's material that influenced me as a kid and putting my stamp on it."

Frehley also talked about the status of his next all-original album. The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.

"I've only written about three songs, and they're not finished," he said. "My studio's not gonna be done for another month. Now that I'm [living] on the East Coast [after moving to New Jersey from Southern California], my engineer only lives an hour from me, Alex Salzman, who worked with me extensively on this last record, and he played a lot of bass guitar as well, So it's gonna be even easier, 'Origins Vol. 3' and the next [original] record."

Frehley has released two songs from "Origins Vol. 2" thus far: a cover of the classic THE BEATLES track "I'm Down", featuring a guest appearance by ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, and a rendition of DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'".

"Origins Vol. 2" also features cover versions of LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appears as a bonus track. Guests on the set include CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.

In a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz (host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" podcast), MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke about his new book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the band's iconic record "Rust In Peace". Asked if he got to present his commentary first before the other people involved in the making of the record offered their point of view, or if it was the other way around, Mustaine said (hear audio below): "We kind of went along as the book took shape. I talked with [co-author] Joel [Selvin] regularly, and he spoke with a lot of the other contributors to the book, and we just started to piece everything together. It was much like the Tower of Babel — it just continued to grow.

"One of the things I thought was really funny is how the content changed, not only in what it was, but how it was presented," he continued. "You're listening to one guy, and then, a couple of paragraphs later, the same dude totally [ended up] contradicting himself. So that was really fun and very rewarding for me, because it shows you that some people forget. It's not the end of the world, as they do. And the other thing is that I'm not as bad as they make me out to be. And you can see that — where they say stuff, and then, later on in the book, they'll say something totally different. Which I appreciate them telling the truth. I think it's great, 'cause I wanted everybody to know how truly talented those guys were."

Mustaine went on to single out former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, who famously sued Dave over the 2004 reissue of "Rust In Peace", which contained demos on which Poland performed.

"Chris Poland, as much as I don't really like the guy, he was a great guitar player, and I wanted to give him a shot when we did the 2004 reissues for 'Peace Sells' and 'Rust In Peace', and I wanted to put that song out on the 'Rust In Peace' reissue," Dave said. "He got involved in a nuisance lawsuit, I think it was, and we just ended our friendship. And I thought, 'God, that was such a waste.'

"There was a little teeny mountain that was right out by where we live, and I said I could have just as soon bought that piece of dirt there than sell Chris's friendship, and I'm so bummed that this happened," Mustaine added. "'Cause I thought it would have been terrific to have him on the record. [When] people say, 'Hey, this sounds like Marty Friedman.' No, Marty Friedman sounded like this, because Chris played it first."

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. According to MEGADETH's webmaster, Mustaine included the demos because he thought Chris would be "thankful for the promotion, the tipping of the hat, and showing the fans how Marty [Friedman, MEGADETH's guitarist during some of the post-Poland years] had actually been influenced by some of Chris's solo selections for those songs." Chris also allegedly tried to sue Dave for defamation of character because Dave called him a "thief," but Chris's attorney "dropped that after he found out that Chris had actually taken the band's gear and sold it for drugs," according to MEGADETH's webmaster. "Remember, there is a confession in the VH1 'Behind the Music' on MEGADETH," the webmaster said.

Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

Poland discussed the legal issues surrounding the 2004 reissue of "Rust In Peace" in a 2018 interview with the As The Story Grows podcast. He said: "When I did 'The System Has Failed', [Dave] was working on adding the demos to a re-release of 'Rust In Peace'. And I wasn't going to get paid, but I didn't realize that until it came out. I was like, 'Wait a minute — I'm not getting paid for this.' And I tried to call Dave at least a dozen times, and I never heard back from him. Then I called Dave's manager a dozen times, and he wouldn't get back to me. The last time I called him, I said, 'Hey, man. If you don't call me back, I'm going to call [my lawyer], and we're going to have to get into it.' [The manager] calls me back and totally insults me, saying, 'You played a couple solos. So what?' And I'm like, 'What do you mean, 'So what?'' 'Well, Dave thought that you would do it for the fans.' I said, 'Okay. Is everybody else that played on that demo doing it for the fans? Are they getting paid?' He said, 'Chris, that's not the point.' I said, 'Listen, man, we have to do something here. I'm not just going to walk away. I love the fans, but I'm just not going to do it. If everybody else is getting a performance royalty for this, I want one.' I want everybody to know that it wasn't a nuisance suit, it wasn't anything like that. I made every attempt to work it out, and they just ignored me."

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.

"Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece" is due on September 8 via Hachette Books.

Rob Halford says that he once tried to seduce former IRON MAIDEN frontman Paul Di'Anno.

The JUDAS PRIEST singer made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, "Confess", which has already been described by the U.K.'s The Telegraph as "one of the most candid and surprising memoirs of the year."

In the book, Halford recalls inviting Di'Anno back to his hotel room when MAIDEN supported PRIEST on a 1980 tour. Just prior to the trek, Di'Anno was quoted in a music paper as saying that that MAIDEN was going to "blow the bollocks off PRIEST" on the trek, a statement which irked then-PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing enough to want to remove MAIDEN from the bill.

Halford writes, according to Metal Hammer: "We didn't really hang out and banter with MAIDEN much on that tour, but maybe I took Di'Anno's comment that he would blow PRIEST off stage too literally… because the one night we got drunk together, I tried to seduce him! We went to my room to carry on drinking, but I was too pissed to try anything, and he was too pissed to even know what I wanted to try.

"I think that was definitely for the best."

Halford publicly declared his homosexuality back in 1998 during an appearance on MTV News.

A few years ago, Rob told The Press Of Atlantic City that he expected metal fans to alienate him when he first spoke about his sexual orientation. "I probably deluded myself into thinking I would get rejection," he said. "Nothing could have been further from the truth."

He continued: "When you make that choice of stepping out and facing the issue of disclosure, you do create this kind of self-imposed negative fear. It's unfortunate it still happens today. 'Do I step out and say I'm a gay guy?' But you have got to do it and live your life on your terms and no one else's terms. Don't say you can't do this and you are worried about people being offended. If they push you away, then they push you away. Grab life by the horns and tell them, 'Take me for what I am and who I am and if you don't like it, that's your thing. Not my thing.'"

He added: "If I had been in the band at the time … I think when it happened was a good moment. The fans were amazing."

"Confess" will arrive on September 29 via Hachette Books.

METALLICA's Lars Ulrich recently joined Zane Lowe on Apple Music to run through his "At Home With" playlist. During the chat, the drummer was asked how the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" album are coming along. He responded (see video below): "Between you and I and nobody else, we have a call at two o'clock today, the four of us, to talk about what's next, after spending the two weeks in the bubble [rehearsing for the METALLICA drive-in concert] and having the best time ever reconnecting. We're looking forward to what's next.

"We've spent a few of the summer months trading riffs, trading ideas, throwing creative thoughts back and forth through Zoom calls and through other technologies," he continued. "And we're looking forward to getting to it. [There is] lots of material to share with the world. And it's just a matter of the practicals and being able to sort of figure out how to get it going as quick as possible."

Ulrich added: "We are trying to find any possible ways to connect with our fans and with the METALLICA family. And I think that a positive coming out of these five dark months is that it's forcing you to just rethink what you know and what we're so used to. So a new world order calls for new experimental times and shenanigans. So let's see how it plays out."

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

Asked what the differences would be between making a "normal" METALLICA album and a quarantine album, Ulrich told Skavlan: "So far, at least the sonic side of it and the practical elements are in surprisingly good shape, actually. So now we've just gotta figure out how much we can create without being in the same space. The difference, obviously, between bands like ourselves and people that are still bands, like the U2s of the world or the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS or COLDPLAY or IRON MAIDEN or whatever is that you really are bands, and you rely on the group format to really move everything forward. So unlike if you're a solo artist and it's just you and your guitar or whatever. So it's a different thing."

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

METALLICA has been largely out of the public eye since last fall when the band canceled an Australian tour and announced that frontman James Hetfield was returning to rehab for the first time since 2002 to battle his addictions.

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

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

Yli-Sirniö described the sessions for the new LP as "a lot of fun," adding that the "mood" in the band "is great. And the general vibe and the atmosphere is very good," he said (see video below). "[These are] creative times for KREATOR at the moment."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corey Taylor has blasted people who are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying they are posing a risk to themselves and to all those around them.

The SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman made the comment during an appearance on the latest episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast.

Asked how his hometown of Las Vegas has handled the coronavirus pandemic, Taylor said: "It burned up again, because our mayor is a dipshit. This thing is gonna fucking — it's gonna keep doing that until it evens out, man. It's gonna keep doing it until we get a vaccine, to be honest, or at least something that can prevent.

"Vegas, it's up and down. There are still a bunch of fucking mooks with no masks on at the casinos," he continued. "And, actually, the people who were there — tourists or visitors or whatever — were giving shit to people who were wearing masks. That was enough for me to just go, 'You know what, man? Fuck you!'

"It's, like, not everything has to be a political fucking statement. It's better to just be cautious. It's better to be smart. You wanna walk around with no fucking mask on, you go ahead and spin the barrel, and let's see how many times you can click it. But these people who are actually trying to be preventive, there's no reason for you to give them a rash of shit — they weren't fucking saying anything to you. It's just ridiculous, man.

"That's the shit that people aren't talking about — the fact that some people are just minding their own fucking business, and a bunch of garbage fucking falls out of people's faces, and it just keeps the fucking wheel spinning," Taylor added. "Maybe if we all just kind of kept some shit to ourselves, maybe shit would fucking quiet down."

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

Guitarist Patrick Mameli of long-running Dutch progressive death metallers PESTILENCE spoke to Heavy Culture about the lyrical inspiration for the band's upcoming album, "Exitivm", which is tentatively due in early 2021 through Agonia Records.

He said (see video below): "Most of the time I have a concept for an album, and I just roll with that concept. I always try to be as rational and realistic about it when I study the topics. This time, the topics have to do with mental illness and the way society has been created in the last few years to brainwash people and have people not being individuals anymore but having to think [more like] herds of sheep.

"I mean with this, for example, what is happening right now with the coronavirus," he continued. "There is a state of mass hypnosis where people are just scared — more scared of what is on TV. And if you don't wear the mask, you can contaminate someone else. And you see that the stress level of humanity is becoming very, very high.

"I think that since this corona thing has happened, there is a shift in reality of what is real and what is not real, especially when the media is being used as being the total truth and people eat it like it is the reality.

"When you see kids growing up, they only communicate through their phones; everybody's just watching their phone," Mameli added. "I remember when I was growing up, I was still climbing trees. People don't do that anymore. Now they just look at the screen all the time and they try to find the truth in the screen.

"The new god is technology. And what is behind technology are people that are trying to hypnotize humanity. Look at Facebook. For me, Facebook is nothing but a tool to get PESTILENCE out there. But for people that don't have a band or [something else to promote], it can be more like propaganda and mass hypnosis.

"When you look at Facebook and [Facebook CEO] Mark Zuckerberg, he has been going to trial many, many times where they say he has breached the people's privilege of being private. I mean, just look at it — when you are talking to your girlfriend, to your friend, to your wife about a certain topic, now you open your phone and you see pictures of the topic you have been discussing. That means that this device is nothing more than a spying tool. But if people start to believe that spying tool, we lose the essence of using our eyes, our nose and our mouths for communication.

"[PESTILENCE's 2011 album 'Doctrine'] is the album where I started talking about, 'In manipulation we trust.' This is the reason why I came up with 'Doctrine'. It's a hidden way of telling people, 'Listen up, you have to use your own mind, use your own brain and don't trust platforms like Facebook that use your location to track down where you are.' And even if you turn it off, they still can track you down, they still can use your microphone. And that's when I started to think how the society works nowadays, and this was how my topics started to evolve into what I'm going to talk about on 'Exitivm'. Because 'exitium' is the Latin word for total destruction, and total destruction means the total destruction of society as we know it.

"Our children are going to be living in a world where as the new normal, you accept to wear masks, you accept that what they say on TV is the truth," Patrick said. "So I am really scared for the truth for the youngsters and what's happening. So I think that those things are very important for me to vocalize myself about and express myself in 'Exitivm', because the total destruction is happening right now, and it's happening, and this is a reality.

"I have never been a band talking about zombies, talking about guts and gore and all this stupid, stupid stuff, man. I mean, c'mon. I know the music has to be powerful and the music sometimes is violent, but that's just the music. The mind is the most powerful tool there is, and our mind is being used by an external force that is invisible."

Mameli, who has had a number of his coronavirus-related posts flagged as part of Facebook's efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its platform, also touched upon the subject of cancel culture, saying "everything you say can be used against you."

He said: "The stuff that is happening right now, where the focus is on stuff like 'Black Lives Matter' and Antifa fighting each other, the Trump-Joe Biden rally and all these things that are happening right now, it seems like we know what is happening, but there is nothing we can do about it. And that is the problem — most of the people don't care to get out there anymore and raise their voice because of what other people are gonna say or are gonna do to you. Mankind has become like a political thing. Everything you say can be used against you. So you can't say white person, black person, Hispanic, without people using the racial card. You have to watch out what you say with everything you do, and because the Internet is there, people get banned. I get banned for what I say on Facebook. They take away my pictures, they take away what I say. Some people get scared with this and then they stop protesting what they think is right."

He continued: "I don't know how long we can take this before people don't want this anymore. And then when the racial card is done, then comes the next coronavirus, and if that doesn't work anymore, they're gonna take away your money, because that's what's gonna happen. Everybody's gonna have to take a COVID test. With this test, you can show that you have been vaccinated, and if you are not vaccinated, you cannot travel outside your country. They're wanting total control. And when I say this, people think I'm a conspiracy theorist, which is bullshit. I just see what is happening around us. I see what is happening in not only my country… When my prime minister says I cannot be close to one person — one-and-a-half-meter distance we have to make — and then when I see him with the minister from France, they are practically kissing each other. So what is happening here? Why are we being treated like we are not worth anything, whereas for me now, I'm in a very difficult time, because I'm not allowed to travel and do shows. I'm not allowed to do shows. That means that I can't generate money and live. So, at this point, half a year without money. And this is not just me — a lot of bands have the same problems."

"Exitivm" will be the first PESTILENCE album to feature new drummer Michiel Van Der Plicht (CARACH ANGREN) and bassist Joost Van Der Graaf (CREEP MIME, I CHAOS, DEW-SCENTED).




The only mask Mr. Pestilence will wear???

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Saturday, September 12, 2020



Thanks fact checkers. You ruin democracy for a few bucks from a crook???

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Friday, September 11, 2020



Stop wearing masks!!!

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Sunday, September 6, 2020



Open your eyes

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Monday, August 31, 2020



Pestilence destroyed Czech Republic. ???No Covid bs here!!! I would like to thank all the guys in the band for this...

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Saturday, August 29, 2020



On our way to Czech Republic??? Betty Chan, Rutger van Noordenburg, Michiel van der Plicht and Joost van der Graaf???

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Saturday, August 29, 2020



SO WHY DO THE RUSSIANS HAVE A VACCINE AND THE REST HAS NOT? WHY ISN'T EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER? What vaccin will be legal for us??? ALL BS.

Posted by Patrizio Mameli on Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Joe Bonamassa spoke to Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station about the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought many businesses across the globe to a screeching halt.

The acclaimed guitarist, who was calling from Nashville, where he has a home, stated about the way the crisis is treated in the Tennessee capital (hear audio below): "You've got 50 percent of people thinking that there's no pandemic and then 50 percent of the people taking it seriously. So it's a lovely mix."

Asked where he stands on the issue, Joe said: "I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I think you have to take it seriously. I mean, I have a place in L.A. And to lock down a city of three million people indefinitely, you're not gonna have a city to come back to. There has to be some sort of commerce. You can't let just everything go out of business.

"Survival is not the question," he elaborated. "It's what does the city look like in 18 months. Is it an empty store front? Is it just complete 'Blade Runner' disaster scenario? That's the problem. It just seems like they're putting these incredibly difficult watermarks or standards… We have an extra case in a county of 20 million people, [so] we shut it all back down again. It's not gonna work."

Asked if he thinks there will be a second wave of COVID-19 infections, Joe said: "I think it's just like anything else. In the United States Of America, there are 15 reported and confirmed cases of bubonic plague every year, and that thing started in the 1500s. So I think there will be a second wave. You'll be hearing about COVID-19 for the next 10 or 20 years, because you still get SARS, people still get swine flu. It's just the amount of people that get it and the amount of people that are actually gonna choose to take a vaccine or not, that's gonna determine the second wave or a third wave or a fifth wave or this is the way we all roll."

As previously reported, Bonamassa will perform a special livestreamed pay-per-view concert from the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on September 20. This concert will feature the songs from his new album, "Royal Tea", before the official release on October 23.

The pay-per-view tickets and packages for "Joe Bonamassa Live in Concert Worldwide" presented by Keeping The Blues Alive are available for purchase at this location.

This one-of-a-kind concert is presented by Bonamassa's non-profit, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation (KTBA). Each ticket purchase will include a $1 donation to Joe's Fueling Musicians Program, which to date has raised over $300,000 and has supported more than 163 musicians in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBITUARY bassist Terry Butler spoke to Heavy Culture about how he and his family are coping with the coronavirus crisis in their home state of Florida. He said (see video below): "We're still practicing social distancing. And here at our house, we don't really go out unless we need to get food or something. We're still being as safe as possible.

"It's horrible," he continued. "The whole world is experiencing this. It's shut down a lot of stuff, but the music industry has been completely shut down. And I just hope soon we can get a vaccine or something and get back to some kind of normalcy on the planet.

"Everything we had scheduled for this year has been postponed, and it's gonna be rescheduled for 2021. So hopefully that will go through — festival dates and some tours we had lined up."

Asked how things are going with OBITUARY at the moment, Butler said: "Things are going good. Things are starting to kind of move along a little bit. We actually started writing some new material for a new album. We have a handful of songs kind of written — a lot of rhythms getting kicked around. We're gonna start practicing soon.

"We're gonna be doing something really cool," he added. "I can't announce it yet. We're gonna announce it in about a week. I don't wanna say it at the moment, because I don't wanna be the one to get in trouble. But it's gonna be cool, and we'll blast it out over all the social sites.

"For about three or four months, we kind of didn't do anything, just because the world was crazy. I mean, it's still crazy. So we're kind of starting to pick the instruments up right now and do some stuff and get the blood flowing again.

"Our hope is in 2021, maybe in the first half of the year, put a new record out."

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

QUIET RIOT guitarist Alex Grossi has thanked fans for their support following the announcement that the band was planning to carry on after drummer Frankie Banali's death. The group, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), will play a couple of shows in October as well as and a string of dates in 2021.

Earlier today, Grossi wrote on social media: "So great to see the outpouring of support from all over the world with regard to QUIET RIOT's anouncement to continue.

"Since meeting Kevin DuBrow, Frankie Banali and Chuck Wright when I joined the band in 2004, I have experienced both the amazingly great and the horribly tragic. No matter what, we always forged ahead.

"While I am still devastated from the loss of one of the most important people in my life, I take comfort in knowing that Frankie Banali's legacy could not be in better hands and will carry on as he wanted.

"Whether you like it or not — QUIET RIOT isn't going anywhere. Neither is the rock n' roll spirit that Kevin DuBrow, Randy Rhoads and Frankie Banali embodied.

"Looking forward to seeing you out on the road soon...!"

Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", the first heavy metal LP to top Billboard's album chart, died in August after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Th surviving members of QUIET RIOT said it was "Frankie Banali's wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive."

At some of QUIET RIOT's 2019 and 2020 shows, Banali was replaced by Kelly or Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.), depending on each musician's availability.

QUIET RIOT's shows last year with Kelly and Dupke marked the first time ever that the band performed without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.

QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded "Metal Health".

Bassist Chuck Wright has been a part of QUIET RIOT, on and off, since 1982, having initially been involved in the "Metal Health" recordings (he played bass on the tracks "Metal Health" and "Don't Wanna Let You Go"). Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before Kevin passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.




pic.twitter.com/SYuiixRECD

— Alex Grossi (@AlexGrossi) September 11, 2020

Video footage of Scorpions performing "Hit Between The Eyes" live at Deutschlandhalle in Berlin, Germany in November 1991 has surfaced. Watch the clip below:

Previously posted footage of the band performing “Bad Boys Running Wild” during the same show is available below:

Scorpions are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first release of “Wind Of Change” with an exclusive box set, out October 3. Pre-order here.

Wind Of Change: The Iconic Song includes an 84-page hardcover book with rare and previously unseen photographs, vocal and piano arrangements and five versions of the song - including one unreleased - on CD and 12" LP.

Heart and centrepiece of the box set is a handcrafted unique piece of the Berlin Wall, customized with the red “Wind Of Change” star and a handwritten lyric by Klaus Meine.

Deluxe box set includes:

- 12“LP & CD
- 84-pages hardcover book with story written by Dr. Edgar Klüsener former editor-in-chief of Metal Hammer and close confidant of the band
- Rare und exclusive photographs by Didi Zill, band photographer during that period
- Interview with Klaus Meine
- Material from Klaus Meine‘s private archive
- Vocal and piano arrangement
- Handcrafted unique piece of the Berlin Wall customized with the red “Wind Of Change” star and a handwritten lyric by Klaus Meine.

Tracklisting:

CD
"Wind Of Change" (Crazy World Version)
"Wind Of Change" (Scorpions & Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Version)
"Ветер перемен" (Russian Version)
"Viento de Cambio" (Spanish Version)
"Wind Of Change" (Unreleased Demo Version by Klaus Meine)

LP
Side A
"Wind Of Change" (Crazy World Version)
"Wind Of Change" (Scorpions & Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Version)

Side B
"Ветер перемен" (Russian Version)
"Viento de Cambio" (Spanish Version)
"Wind Of Change" (Unreleased Demo Version by Klaus Meine)

A worldwide retail version of the box will be available in an altered form in November 2020, 30 years after the release of the album"Crazy World with an 84-page book, vocal and piano arrangement and Vinyl & CD.




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