On October 15, Relapse.com will release a DEATH "Spiritual Healing" double bobblehead.

This limited-edition, seven-inch tall, resin, hand-numbered bobblehead figure comes together with the "Spiritual Healing" LP on custom butterfly effect LP, both exclusive to this package. It is strictly limited to 500 units (both the double-bobble head and the vinyl colorway).

Originally released in 1990, "Spiritual Healing" marked a new turn in the DEATH discography, one which ushered in cleaner production, a new level of boundary pushing musicianship and songwriting skills that were previously unimaginable from a metal band. "Spiritual Healing" sets the standard for riffs, insane time changes and of course mainman Chuck Schuldiner's masterful guitar solos. Reissued in 2012 as a double CD housed in super deluxe packaging featuring brand new liner notes from DEATH players James Murphy and Terry Butler, Chuck's sister Beth Schuldiner and VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen, Disc 1 featured a completely new remaster of the original album and Disc 2 contained 16 previously unreleased rehearsal, outtakes and studio instrumentals.

In addition to the two-disc edition, a limited-edition (2000 machine-numbered copies) triple-CD digipak was made available exclusively from Relapse.com. The third CD featured a never-before-released live set recorded in 1990 featuring the "Spiritual Healing" DEATH lineup. An iTunes deluxe edition was also released containing five additional previously unreleased pre-"Human" rehearsal tracks not available on either of the CD versions.

Schuldiner died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

In recent years, DEATH's storied catalog has undergone a meticulous reissue campaign via Relapse Records.

Relapse released the first-ever fully authorized DEATH tab book, featuring 21 classic songs tabbed out for guitar from the band's entire discography. The book, which includes traditional notation as well as tablature, also comes with a digital download of all tracks.

A new five-minute video of Don Dokken discussing DOKKEN's recently released album called "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" can be seen below. In this fourth episode, Don talks Juan Croucier, "Hit And Run", "Liar", "Prisoner" and more. The LP was released on August 28 via Silver Lining Music.

It wasn't always multi-platinum sales and stadium gigs for DOKKEN. There was a first-phase and there were early days, and it is those bold first steps to stardom which are celebrated comprehensively on "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" LP.

Featuring spectacular sleeve art by renowned U.S. artist Tokyo Hiro (MOTÖRHEAD, MOTLEY CRÜE), "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" show the crackle and craft of a hungry young Don Dokken as he embarked upon a journey which started in Southern California and Northern Germany. It is a trek which is testimony to the sheer endeavor and perseverance Don Dokken showed in those few years between 1978 and 1981, starting from when he spent time at a guitar store called Drake's Music, owned by Drake Levin in Manhattan Beach, California.

A fair selection of the treasure on "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" are from these early European days. "Felony" carries a thuggish fuzz-coated riff -think early VAN HALEN in really greasy embroidered denims, while "Day After Day" showed that Don could pen a radio-slaying ballad.

The writing and creation of "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" are further tribute to enduring early days of struggle in both Germany and L.A., Don would return to L.A. for a spell after those brief European gigs, and he worked with Juan Croucier on material, including perhaps the truest view of DOKKEN's then-future "Hit And Run", which incredibly did not end up on the eventual "Breaking The Chains" release. From the sunbaked SoCal hook of "Step Into The Light" to the furious, fledgling, late-Sunset Strip sound of "Back In The Streets", "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" shows Don in his unfettered early days of balls-out attitude, qualities doubtless forged in the sheer nature of the adventures undertaken in writing, recording and deciding Europe was the place to keep cutting his teeth.

"The Lost Songs: 1979-1981" not only shares that magic with the fans, it gives them the final, vital and undeniably missing (until now) early album in the DOKKEN collection.

A year ago, Dokken spoke to the WSOU radio station about the "The Lost Songs" collection, saying that it was a "fun" release that would include "songs recorded in the '70s when I was a little pup in my early 20s. And I have 12 songs that I haven't released," he explained. "So we're gonna go in and remaster them and all that, and I might put out that record and call it something like 'Dokken: The Early Days' or 'Dokken: The Lost Tapes', or something like that. 'Cause it was just an accident. I was cleaning out my locker and I found a bunch of master tapes from '77 to '79. And I said, 'What the heck are these?' And it turns out it was all these demos I did in the early '70s, before we had a record deal… It's kind of fun record. My voice sounds a lot younger. I listen to it, and I go, 'God, I sound like I've got helium in my voice.' I was 23 years old. I sound like Mickey Mouse."

Musicians who appear on "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981":

Don Dokken - vocals, guitar

Jon Levin - guitar

BJ Zampa - drums

Juan Croucier - bass

Greg Leon - guitar

Gary Holland - drums

Mick Brown - drums

George Lynch -guitar

Rustee Allen - bass

Bill Lordan - drums

Greg Pecka - drums

"The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" track listing:

01. Step Into The Light

02. We're Going Wrong

03. Day After Day

04. Rainbows

05. Felony

06. No Answer

07. Back In The Streets

08. Hit And Run

09. Broken Heart

10. Liar

11. Prisoner

Longtime DOKKEN guitarist Jon Levin recently confirmed that the band was working on material for the follow-up to 2012's "Broken Bones" album.

DOKKEN's new LP will be released via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival.

DOKKEN's classic lineup — Dokken, drummer "Wild" Mick Brown, guitarist George Lynch and bassist Jeff Pilson — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018.

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — which also includes bassist Chris McCarvill and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

Acid doom metal band, Weird Tales, have inked a deal with Interstellar Records, and are at work on a forthcoming EP.

Weird Tales has arisen to heal mental traumas, to patch up injured minds. Pour the whole mess into the music while getting rid of it. Such a mistake. Thrilling and shivering riffs began to scratch the festering brain’s wound instead. Treacherous sonic mass has risen like a cancer, while greedily absorbing the remnants of ourselves. The black plague of our consciousness. Not everyone was able to bear it.  Those who have survived will spread the disease further.

Weird Tales is a Warsaw-based doom power trio made up of Dima (guitar, lead vocal), Kriss (bass, vocal) and Matt (drums, vocal). The band has toured Poland and neighbouring countries, sharing stages with well-known bands such as Church Of Misery, Belzebong, and Dopelord.

The band was started in the middle of 2015. They extensively played gigs from 2016. In 2017 they recorded two EP’s. In 2019 they launched their debut full-length album, Hell Services Cost A Lot. It grabbed great responses among the audience and placed 10th on Doom Charts.




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Progressive grunge rockers Gargoyl, which features guitar virtuoso Dave Davidson (Revocation) and guitarist/vocalist Luke Roberts (Ayahuasca), will be releasing their debut full-length on October 9 via Season Of Mist. The band have released an official music video for their brand new song, "Plastic Nothing". The video was created by Costin Chioreanu and can be seen below.

Guitarist/vocalist Luke Roberts comments: "Why am I so afraid that my body, my possessions, and even my mind are in a state of constant dissolution? Why am I so afraid of the idea that every atom in my body came from dirt and will soon return? Maybe the tighter I hang on to being a person, being permanent, secure, the more I suffer. Maybe the tighter I hang onto the idea of a perfect world the faster it burns. Fear is like a bully that offers you protection in exchange for obedience. Perhaps if I hang on less tightly, the sum of my short fleeting life could mean something more than just living in a constant state of fear right up until my inevitable death bed."

Gargoyl's self-titled album is available for pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Truth Of A Tyrant"
"Plastic Nothing"
"Cursed Generation"
"Electrical Sickness"
"Wraith"
"Ophidian"
"Nightmare Conspiracy"
"Waltz Dystopia"
"Ambivalent I"
"Acid Crown"
"Asphyxia"

"Wraith":

"Electrical Sickness" visualizer:

Gargoyl is many things at once, which, automatically subjects the band to the journalistic and fan guessing game/rite of passage as to what style they actually are. Their 11-song self-titled debut is progressive, atmospheric, heavy, technical and avant-garde; a blend of sounds that ultimately coalesce into a body of work that engages and challenges. That, in itself, covers a broad spectrum, but further inroads into Gargoyl’s sound continually reveal new elements of intrigue and persuasion. It is the beauty - and purpose - of the project.

Formed in early 2018 by guitarist Dave Davidson (Revocation) and guitarist/vocalist Luke Roberts (Ayahuasca), the groundwork for Gargoyl was laid when the two men met while on tour. The pair realized they shared a musical kinship and admiration for one another and made good on their word to see the project through. Gargoyl’s two-song Asomatous demo was released in March 2019, setting the stage for their eventual signing to Season of Mist and release of their debut LP this October. The album’s drums were recorded in July 2019 with Chris Johnson at GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts; guitars were tracked with Greg Dawson at BWC Studios outside of Toronto. Vocals were recorded by Roberts at his home studio.

Gargoyl is completed by the virtuosic talents of bassist Brett Leier and drummer James Knoerl who collectively add further layers of intrigue and soul to the music. The collaboration between members opened up the creative floodgates and further expanded their sound. “The riffs were flowing out so fast,” remarks Davidson about the early stages of the writing process. “It was clear that these ideas were in the back of our minds waiting to come out.”

The music for their self-titled album was split evenly between Davidson and Roberts, with Roberts also penning the album’s lyrics and vocal melodies. “Working with someone in more of a 50/50 kind of collaborative style was new for me,” elaborates Davidson. “It’s nice having someone to split those writing duties with, someone who is just as invested in every little single intricacy and detail. It allowed me to function in a different sort of role, which was refreshing. I think that also led to more creativity because I’m writing in a different style, writing with all new members and taking on a different writing role in a band.”

The haunting and melancholic tonality of Roberts’ vocals is undoubtedly one of the primary facets of Gargoyl’s sound. Roberts’s layering, harmonies and inflection, at times, recall classic vocalists from the ’90s grunge era, but what really sold Davidson was his versatility and ability to contour his clean, distinctive vocals over unorthodox compositions.

As a result, Gargoyl’s debut successfully oscillates between unnerving, emotional segments, to progressive, Goth-tinged hard rock. Davidson and Roberts have crafted Gargoyl in such a manner that it refuses to be boxed-in. Davidson has already fielded quite a few assertions on Gargoyl’s sound - some have tagged it as grunge meets black metal, Queens of The Stone Age meets Voivod or even a jazzier version of Alice In Chains.

“Anytime a band has a lot of different influences…I think it’s important to have a clear vision and goal so that all those influences mesh together in a way that doesn’t sound forced,” says Davidson. “I wanted it to be a cohesive, artistic statement and I know that Luke does as well. I’ve always wanted to blend genres. In the truest sense of the word we’re ‘prog rock.’”

Lineup:

Luke Roberts - Guitar, Vocals
David Davidson - Guitar
Brett Leier - Bass
James Knoerl - Drums

(Photo - Samantha Carcasole)




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ReFrame will release Reaching Revery on September 25 via Luminol Records. The album features guest appearances from Corey Glover of Living Colour, Leight July, Neil Citron of Bangtower and Black Cat 6, and Jessica Pymm, as well as a guest composition from John Clancy and Philo Cramer of Fear. Pre-order the album here.

ReFrame is a progressive rock and metal band based in Memphis (TN), who attempts to combine the power and aggression of hard rock and metal with the sophistication of progressive rock and fusion while still writing catchy melodies.

ReFrame, started as a studio concept, a place for some like-minded musicians to write and record music without the typical constraints of being in a traditional band. No concerns for genre, or other limitations. As the songs started coalescing it became apparent that the chemistry and these songs needed to see the stage. Opening for Andy Timmons, Tantric, Tony MacAlpine, Collective Soul, Doug Pinnick (King's X), Michael Angelo Batio, September Mourning, Reverend Jack, Neil Zaza, and many others.

Reaching Revery tells a compelling story of great loss and redemption and the journey to reach that dream that everyone has for himself, to be something greater than what someone started as.




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NONPOINT will take its fans on a journey through some of its biggest cities, through its toughest stories and lead them to an event 20 years in the making.

On October 10, NONPOINT celebrates the 20th anniversary of its first record, "Statement", by performing it in its entirety live online, along with a conversation taking a deeper look into the band's two decades of making a statement. Follow along the four Saturdays leading up to the event with three low-dough shows in NONPOINT's most iconic cities. Also join with the band chatting along throughout and engaging in questions and conversations with fans during all the lead up shows.

* Madison, Wisconsin - August 14, 2015

Full concert streaming September 19, 2020 at 9 p.m. EST

* Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - January 20, 2017

Full concert streaming September 26, 2020 at 9 p.m. EST

* Flint, Michigan - May 18, 2018 and December 2, 2018 (two sets)

Full concert streaming October 3, 2020 at 9 p.m. EST

Get your tickets at nonpoint.com.

This past June, NONPOINT released an impassioned music video for the new version of its song "Frontlines", re-titled "Remember Me (A Frontlines Tribute)".

"Frontlines" was the second single from NONPOINT's sixth studio album, 2010's "Miracle".

NONPOINT is currently in the studio and will release new music this fall.

Although NONPOINT has never made a big commercial breakthrough, the band had a pair of Top 25 mainstream rock hits, including "The Truth" and "Bullet With A Name".

NONPOINT spent most of 2019 touring in support of its tenth album, "X", which was released in August 2018. The follow-up to 2016's "The Poison Red" was produced by Fred Archambault, who has previously worked with ATREYU and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, among others.

In this new video from Jackson Guitars, Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth) shares the first and second songs he learned on guitar.

Friedman recently unveiled the artwork for his upcoming Tokyo Jukebox 3 release.

Said Marty: "Just like everyone, I’ve had a real tough time dealing with 2020. We all suffered from a massive lack of fun this year, so I made it my mission to make feel-good, seratonin level raising music of the highest order, stuff that will hopefully kick you all in the feels, and hard. Making the album during a pandemic had its hellish challenges, but everyone is facing hardships now, so I was just thankful to have such cathartic work to do.

"Guitar fans will notice, and hopefully enjoy, some pretty cool updates to my guitar sounds. I’ve discovered that when you take off all spatial effects like reverbs and delays, your solo expressions can often live and breathe more, and have an urgency and unique attack to them, that I’m really digging.

"Enough about the album for now... the Japanese release date is October 21. The release info for the rest of the world will come soon, as well as bonus track info, events and more." Japanese details can be found here."




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Dave Mustaine spoke to New Mexico's rock radio station 94 Rock about the making of MEGADETH's iconic record "Rust In Peace", which is detailed in his new book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", available now on Hachette Books.

He said: "God, it was so terrible, our lifestyle at the time. We didn't have a place we were living at. We would stay at one place for a little while, and then we'd go someplace else. We were doing a lot of squatting and stuff like that. I know that it really made a lot of people concerned for us. But I know what I wanted to do. I had my plans. I was gonna make 'Rust In Peace' no matter what. And I didn't think it was gonna be that great, because we went into SBK studios and we recorded it once there, and then we went into EMI studios and we recorded it once there, and then we finally got in to do it. We did at [pop duo] CAPTAIN & TENNILLE's studio [Rumbo Recorders] out in Canoga Park."

"Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece" was released on September 8. Co-written with music journalist Joel Selvin, the 208-page book boasts a foreword from GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash.

The book is described in a press release as "a story of perseverance, of scraping off the rust off that builds over time on everything: ourselves, our relationships, pop culture, art, and music."

In his foreword, Slash wrote in part: "'Rust In Peace' put the band on the map…It made MEGADETH a household name…I certainly understand why every important 'Rust In Peace' anniversary is celebrated as a pivotal moment for both MEGADETH and for heavy metal."

MEGADETH performed "Rust In Peace" in full on its 2010 tour. Two songs from the LP, "Hangar 18" and "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" have became staples of the group's concerts over the years, and Mustaine included both in his Rolling Stone interview "My Life In 15 Songs", in which he picked the defining songs of his life.

Mustaine's first book was an autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", which came out in August 2010. It landed at position No. 15 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list.

During a September 8 Facebook Live chat. ICED EARTH founder, songwriter, guitarist and producer Jon Schaffer was asked if he has any intention of ever going into politics. He responded (see video below): "I'm too much of a rabble-rouser. I'm not politics material. I'm not politically correct. I'm never gonna say things that I don't believe in because somebody's lining my pockets. I have no interest in that garbage. And I think there's a few people out there like that, but they're few and far between. But still, it's really not a thing that I'm interested in."

He continued: "I spend a lot of time and energy trying to get people to do some research. I'm not trying to convince somebody of anything. I'm just saying just check it out. Use your own power of discernment. But don't make judgments based on mainstream media manipulation. These people lie all the fucking time; it's what they do. They're feckless traitors. That's what Congress is. They deceive all of us. I don't care if it's Parliament or whatever system you have — it's a joke. They're criminals, and they're owned by criminal bankers, and that's just the reality of it.

"I would rather be a guy that inspires people to get fired up about this. This is a big deal. This is about the future of the human race. This is no joke by any stretch. We have to educate ourselves.

"People think they don't have any power, but they have a tremendous amount of power — I mean, an unbelievable amount of power," Schaffer added. "The system and the control grid wants to make you feel like you have no power and they enforce their rule through fear, intimidation and psychological warfare. It's all garbage.

"I think part of it is the currency system and the way they just print money out of thin air, and it's not backed by anything, it's allowed people to have this illusion of wealth, which tends to keep people soft. But at the end of the day, it's all debt based, so that's another form of slavery. And if you're living in that kind of system, it's a way to keep people calm, because they think everything is okay. It's not okay. It hasn't been okay for a very long time. It's just now you're starting to see everything come to a head.

"I'm not a left-or-right guy. I'm an American — that's my country; that's where I live. I don't trust my government. I don't give a shit if it's an 'R' or a 'D' next to the name of the person. I try to understand the bigger picture. I've done a lot of reading and a lot of studying. I'm a man of my convictions, and I don't say stuff that I don't truly believe. And I have changed my position a few times through the years, because I've learned more — not because I was trying to be politically correct or trying to kowtow to somebody's opinion.

"I don't really care if people like my view," he said. "I really don't care. It is what I feel, and I'm being honest about it based on the research that I've done, and I've done shitloads of it. I can make these claims and back it up.

"I feel like I can have more of an effect through the music than I ever could trying to get into that arena, which is just full of trash. And it is up to all of the people to turn that around. You can't put your hope into one president or one person, or a mayor or a governor or whatever. You've gotta be out there and actively put pressure on these people, let 'em know you're paying attention. If you're not paying attention, they're gonna rob you and steal everything. Your freedom too. Not just your money. They're gonna steal your fucking freedom. 'Cause they're a bunch of sick control freaks."

This past July, Schaffer raised eyebrows when he voiced his controversial views on the coronavirus crisis during an interview with MetalSucks's "The Quarantinecast", claiming that COVID-19 is "a psychological warfare campaign on the people more than it is a serious pandemic." Implying that a shadowy cabal of elites is using a global crisis as a cover to profiteer and entrench their power, Schaffer said: "I think there's a lot more going on than meets the eye here — in fact, I know there is. Legitimate doctors and scientists are being censored and banned on YouTube constantly. It's unbelievable levels of fraud."

Schaffer and former ICED EARTH vocalist Matt Barlow announced last month that they were reuniting as the SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT.

SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT will release its debut EP, "Winter Nights", in November. The effort sees the two musicians putting their unique spin on five Christmas classics and two ICED EARTH songs. The EP features holiday classics like "Silent Night" and "Little Drummer Boy", as well as new interpretations of the ICED EARTH tracks "Watching Over Me" and "I Died For You".

In a brand new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT frontman John Bush was asked whether he is still open to the idea of embarking on a special tour during which he would perform material from his time as the singer of ANTHRAX. He responded (see video below): "The first time I talked to my booking agent about it was probably several years ago now. We talked about it, and I think he sniffed around for some feelers to see what people would think. And I don't think we got the response that we really wanted to. It wasn't like we were looking for millions of dollars or anything, but we wanted to make it worthwhile to do it, and do the proper shows. It's not like something I wanna go out and do six months of touring with. It'd be fun to do some sporadic shows. I'd have to put a band together to do it. I'm probably a little lazy about that, quite honestly. But that's what would be involved in doing it. And I don't think we were pleased enough with the response that we tried to push it ahead and make it happen."

Bush went on to say that he was "caught by surprise" by ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian's recent comment that was not opposed to taking part in a special concert featuring most of the singers that have fronted the band over the course of its nearly four-decade existence. "I was, like, 'Wow. Okay.' And I thought that's a great idea. That would be really cool," Bush said. "I think that would be an amazing thing for the fanbase. But what I keep saying is that Joey Belladonna is the singer of ANTHRAX, and Joey should be the singer of ANTHRAX, as far as I'm concerned. And if this happens, it needs to have his approval, really, quite honestly. Because I wouldn't want him to feel like, 'Well, this is not my idea, and I don't wanna do this,' because he is the singer who'd be sharing the stage [with the rest of us], quite honestly. So I think it would be something that Joey would have to give endorsement to, for that to happen, if that's an idea. And again, I think it would be a fun thing to do a couple of handful of shows, sporadic stuff."

Back in 2018, Bush said he wanted former ANTHRAX guitarist Paul Crook on to be involved in a hypothetical tour during which he would perform material from his time as the singer of ANTHRAX. "Paul actually recorded on 'Stomp [442]' [1995], and he also recorded on 'Volume 8 [The Threat Is Real]', and he co-produced 'Volume 8', actually, 'cause he engineered it," he told Hablas ROCKas at the time. "And I love Paul — I've always been a really big fan of his as a human being. He's an incredible player and I know he has a connection to it — a personal connection. So I like the idea of doing it with Paul. And we've had some discussions [about it]."

ANTHRAX has had a number of vocalists — including Bush, Belladonna, Neil Turbin and Dan Nelson — over the last 39 years, with Ian and drummer Charlie Benante remaining the sole bandmembers who have appeared on every one of the group's studio albums.

Turbin sang on ANTHRAX's debut LP, 1984's "Fistful Of Metal", before getting booted and being replaced by Belladonna. Belladonna performed on four ANTHRAX albums, including the fan favorite "Among The Living" (1987) before he himself was fired over creative and stylistic differences. Bush fronted ANTHRAX between 1992 and 2005 but was sidelined when the band reunited with Belladonna for a 20th-anniversary tour. When that collapsed, and relationships disintegrated with next frontman Nelson, Bush returned for a time before Belladonna took the job back in 2010.

In a brand new interview with the Philadelphia radio station 93.3 WMMR, Maria Brink spoke about the possibility of IN THIS MOMENT hosting a special livestreamed concert for fans amid the coronavirus pandemic. The singer said (hear audio below): "We are talking about [it]. We're all separated, though, throughout the country — we don't live in the same place — so we're just trying to figure out how's the best way to do this. But we definitely are gonna do that, and we're talking about it.

"I'm investigating all these new worlds and new things — even this Twitch world," she continued. "I'm just learning about Twitch right now. To me, every time I go into Twitch, I feel like I'm in a 'Black Mirror' episode. It's so surreal to me. But I'm just kind of learning what are the different routes, and I'm considering doing my own. I don't play video games, so mine would be more with my own type of thing — probably dance or singing or performing; I don't know what yet. But I'm definitely looking at things and exploring avenues that I've never explored before."

IN THIS MOMENT's latest album, "Mother", came out in March. Recorded, once again, at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko, the disc contains three covers, including the STEVE MILLER BAND's "Fly Like An Eagle" and QUEEN's "We Will Rock You", which features vocal backup from HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale and THE PRETTY RECKLESS's Taylor Momsen.

Originally formed by Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT released its debut album, "Beautiful Tragedy", in 2007. Their 2014 album "Black Widow" landed at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Hard Rock Albums chart.

German pioneers of European gothic metal, Crematory, have released a heart-wrenching version of the 90s ballad “Like The Tides” along with an atmospherically arranged music video.

With the cover version of this !distain classic, Crematory showcases another aspect of their musical expertise. The accompanying audio-visual features original !distain shots leading up to a vigorous symbiosis of expressive Crematory ambience and Connie Andreszka’s vocals.

Crematory is well known for their harsh wave of industrial metal and gothic dimness - but this cover version proves that they are maintaining versatility in the latest stage of their long career. The music video presents both their passion for music and the melodic side of Crematory’s musical identity. Their latest release, Unbroken, connects all shades - on the one hand underlining the significance of strength and determination, while on the other, remaining faithful to the darker and existential roots of the scene the band was born in in the 90s. Crematory pursue their conquest towards the dark Parnassus of gothic metal finesse, their spirit unbroken ready to face the challenges of life.

Markus Jüllich, Crematory, on the new single: "This song has been a part of my life since the nineties and symbolizes an emotionally charged ballad, which is perfectly fitting for Crematory. I would say it’s like the 2.0 version of our ballad 'Perils Of The Wind'!”

Order Unbroken here.

Unbroken tracklisting:

"Unbroken"
"Awaits Me"
"Rise And Fall"
"Behind The Wall"
"The Kingdom"
"Inside My Heart"
"The Downfall"
"My Dreams Have Died"
"I Am"
"Broken Heroes"
"A Piece Of Time"
"Voices"
"Abduction"
"As Darkness Calls"
"Like The Tides"

“When The Children Cry” video:

"Rise And Fall" video:

“Unbroken” video:

"The Downfall" lyric video:

Lineup:

Felix Stass - Lead Vocals
Markus Jüllich - Drums
Katrin Jüllich - Keyboards
Rolf Munkes - Lead Guitar
Connie Andreszka - Guitars, Vocals
Jason Matthias - Bass

(Photo - Stefan Heilemann)




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"Two Minutes To Late Night", which bills itself as the world's only heavy metal-themed talk show, has uploaded a cover version of the FLEETWOOD MAC song "You Make Loving Fun" recorded in quarantine by members of MASTODON, BARONESS and LUCIFER, along with former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman.

Featured musicians:

* Marty Friedman (MEGADETH)

* Bill Kelliher (MASTODON)

* Johanna Sadonis (LUCIFER)

* Nicke Andersson (LUCIFER, THE HELLACOPTERS, ENTOMBED)

* Nick Jost (BARONESS, HORSE TORSO)

* Stephen Brodsky (MUTOID MAN, CAVE IN, OLD MAN GLOOM)

* Emily Panic (a.k.a. Hard Melissa)

* Jordan Olds (a.k.a. Gwarsenio Hall)

Says "Two Minutes To Late Night": "ooh ooh witchy womxn! We covered your mom's favorite FLEETWOOD MAC Song and frankly our's too. Also, Marty Friedman lives in Japan plus Johanna and Nicke live in Sweden so there are all kinds of international spookiness in this video.

"This is our 22nd bedroom cover made with the support of Patreon. With so many musicians stuck at home with no outlets, we're going to keep producing these style videos and use the Patreon to give some money to everyone who has a part in them. Please support our friends by donating to our newly redone Patreon."

Best known for being the frontwoman of the cinematic metal band The Murder Of My Sweet, Angelica Rylin is also an accomplished solo artist. After her debut album, Thrive, which was released in 2013, she has finally decided the time is now for a follow-up.

All I Am will be released on November 6 via Frontiers Music Srl. The first single and video, "Calling" is out today. Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save All I Am here.

"This is my second solo album, and as with my previous album, Thrive, I've worked with a great team of songwriters. David Fremberg, Kanata Okajima, and Anders Wrethov, to name a few. As a singer and a lyricist, it's important for me to connect with the songs I'm recording. And I really think we hit home with this album. It's very personal and that's the reason behind the title All I Am, says Angelica.

Angelica's The Murder of My Sweet bandmate and partner in crime, Daniel Flores sit in the producer’s chair for a superb final result, which is reflected in the stunning album, All I Am. If you are a fan of the classic sounds of Bryan Adams or more modern rock sounds like Daughtry and Pink, then this album brings forth the elements that delights fans of those artists, while putting Angelica’s own unique stamp on the proceedings.

Tracklisting:

"Calling"
"Beat Them All"
"Addicted To You"
"I’m Sorry"
"Time And Space"
"Don’t Say Goodbye"
"Still Bleeding"
"Living On High Hopes"
"A Pounding Heart"
"Angel"
"Time To Go Home"

"Calling" video:

Lineup:

Angelica Rylin, Lead vocals
Michael Palace, Guitars and bass
Pedro Cecar Camargo, Acoustic guitars and strings production on "Time To Go Home"
Daniel Flores, keyboards, backing vocals and drums




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Professionally filmed video of James Hetfield performing live at a tribute to Eddie Money in February can be seen below. The METALLICA frontman played an acoustic rendition of Money's "Baby Hold On" at The Canyon at The Saban in Beverly Hills, California.

Hetfield wasn't among the announced guests at "A Star-Studded Tribute To Eddie Money", proceeds from which benefited MusiCares and the USC Eddie Money Cancer Research Fund.

Hetfield and Money were friends, with the METALLICA guitarist/vocalist recalling how he first connected with the late singer.

"So I got to hang out with Eddie the last probably three years of his life," James said before playing the song. "I saw the cleaned-up version of Eddie.

He explained that he first met Money at an Oakland Raiders football game where Eddie was performing the national anthem. "I met him before he went out there, and he kinda blew me off," Hetfield recalled. "I thought, 'Who is is this pompous ass?' And if you spot it, you've got it, is what I'm saying. So it was like two big dogs going in a circle around each other, which was kind of funny. I saw through it. I saw through that ego, and he saw through mine, and we got to be friends, 'cause I think our egos matched the size or our insecurities."

AXS TV's "Eddie Money Tribute Concert" premiered in March. Hosted by Eddie's good friend, comedian and award-winning actor Louie Anderson, the two-hour "Eddie Money Tribute Concert" is a heartfelt celebration of the man whose trademark vocals fueled chart-topping favorites such as "Shakin'", "Take Me Home Tonight", "Think I'm in Love", "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On", among many others, and provided the soundtrack for a generation of music lovers. The evening featured unforgettable appearances and performances by Eddie's family and fellow music legends. The concert included powerhouse performances of Eddie's classic hits such as "Shakin'" by Sammy Hagar, "Save A Little Room" by John Waite, and "Think I'm In Love" by Kevin Cronin and Dave Amato. Additionally, there were heartfelt renditions of "Baby Hold On" and "Wanna Go Back" by Eddie's children Jesse, Dez and Julian Money who made their dad proud as they commanded the stage with one of the night's most memorable moments.

The tribute also featured a collection of moving video tributes from world-class artists Huey Lewis, Joan Jett, Steve Miller, LOVERBOY, BOSTON and Dennis DeYoung, as well as funnyman Kevin James who fondly recalled Eddie's performance at his wedding and shared rare footage from the special day. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also took the stage, regaling the crowd with anecdotes from Eddie's set at the historic US Festival in 1982.

"We are grateful to the incredible artists and industry friends who dedicated their time and talents and came together to make this celebration of his life possible," said Laurie Money, Eddie's wife of 30-plus years. "Their combined energy and efforts helped our family give Eddie a uniquely spectacular sendoff, worthy of the great husband, father, friend and artist that he truly was. Every performance of the concert is a must see and is undeniably straight from the heart. The concert is a testimony that exemplifies how deeply he was loved by the music community."

"Eddie Money Tribute Concert" setlist:

* "Baby Hold On" - Jesse, Dez and Julian Money

* "Trinidad" - Tommy Tutone

* "Walk On Water" - Mickey Thomas

* "Save A Little Room" - John Waite

* "No Control" - Greg Kihn

* "Money (That's What I Want)" - George Thorogood

* "Think I'm in Love" - Kevin Cronin and Dave Amato

* "Wanna Go Back" - Jesse and Dez Money

* "Baby Hold On" - James Hetfield

* "Shakin" - Sammy Hagar with Jesse, Dez and Julian Money

* "Take Me Home Tonight" - Dez and Jesse Money

* "Two Tickets To Paradise" - All

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the release of "Rise", the second album by Tom Keifer's #keiferband — Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Kendra Chantelle, Jarred Pope and Kory Myers. Since they're not able to celebrate the momentous occasion with their legions of loyal fans in person, they're bringing the rockin' concert party home with the new video for the album's latest single, "All Amped Up".

The video for "All Amped Up" (written by Tom Keifer and Savannah Keifer) features live and behind-the-scenes footage shot over several years including their last round of 2019 and 2020 tour dates, which kicked off in Nashville, Tennessee at The Cowan on July 30, 2019. The clip — filmed, produced and edited by Tammy Vega, with additional footage provided by Ryan Azevedo — can now be viewed below.

"The song 'All Amped Up' was inspired by and written to describe the reckless abandon and rush of a loud rock show," explains Tom. "With all the concerts being cancelled this year, I think everyone is starving for that feeling. We've filmed so much footage of #keiferband over the last few years and thought since we can't all be together during this pandemic, we would make a video that brings the show to you. The energy and lyrics of 'All Amped Up' felt like the perfect song for a video that would capture that concert energy as well as the feeling of being on tour. We are really missing all of you and looking forward to seeing you out there in 2021! In the meantime, here's a little 'Supersonic slam and tonic...all amped up."

Produced by Tom, Savannah and Kyle O'Connor, "Rise" scales renewed sonic heights. From the tasty slide work that stamps "Touching The Divine", the non-traditionally arranged, heavy, dark jam of "Untitled", the breakneck thrust of "All Amped Up" to the tender coda of "You Believe In Me", "Rise" signifies the ongoing evolution of the CINDERELLA frontman as a person, songwriter, and bandleader. It's the aural portrait of an artist who, to borrow a phrase, is still climbing

"When this band came together, we all felt a bit like broken souls, each with our own unique story," Tom explains. "If you ask anyone in the band, they would all say this band came along at just the right time. Every human who walks this planet faces challenges and extreme adversity they have to overcome. As a band, we feel fortunate to be able to face those things together. There is a piece of every band member in the 'The Death Of Me' as well as throughout the entire 'Rise' album."

The common thread to each song on "Rise" is the intuitive interplay between each member of #keiferband, a tight but loose collective that's spent the last six-plus years on the road honing their live craft together in support of Keifer's critically acclaimed 2013 solo debut, "The Way Life Goes". "Rise" is the studio-bred equivalent of a band just now realizing the full scope of its powers.

"We were trying to capture the feeling of what people have witnessed live with this band," Keifer explains. "There's an off-the-rails, real live feel to 'Rise' — and that's what we were going for. It shows a real kind of angst and reckless abandon that we tried not to polish too much. And when we pull it back on the ballads, it's more about the emotion, the soul, and making people feel something in a different way."

"To me, the perfect rock and roll record is perfectly fucked up," Keifer says with a hearty laugh. "You try to make each record interesting and different. I don't ever want to make the same record twice, even though there's a common thread between them. Everything doesn't have to be perfectly in place, but there is a balance you try to strike. Sometimes there may be something about it that's technically not 'right,' but there's a vibe, an energy and an attitude to it that I always try to preserve."

Tom was scheduled to join forces with RATT, SKID ROW and SLAUGHTER for "The Big Rock Summer Tour" this summer, but the trek was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer has toured as a solo artist.

Photo credit: Tammy Vega

On October 2, death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER will release their 17th full-length album, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed", via Metal Blade Records. The official lyric video for the disc's second single, "Zodiac" can be seen below.

Vocalist Chris Barnes comments: "Working again after 25 years writing an album with my old bandmate from CANNIBAL CORPSE, Jack Owen [guitar], was like coming home...To a room full of dead bodies. Jack's writing and riff work on this album gave me the fuel to write some disturbing lyrics and really set my creative mind on fire."

Comprised of 12 tracks, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed" is a defining statement, making it very clear that more than twenty-five years into their career, SIX FEET UNDER remain at the forefront of the genre. Dynamic, heavy as hell, catchy, and uncompromising, it is everything that the band's longtime faithful have come to expect from the deadly unit, and is clearly the product of a lot of hard work by Barnes, guitarists Owen and Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell and drummer Marco Pitruzzella.

Tracked at various studios, including Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, which over the years has played host to the likes of AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and AEROSMITH, among others, it was produced, engineered and mixed by Chris Carroll, who has given it a full and chunky feel. The album's mastering was handled by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The finished product comes packaged in artwork by Luke Hunter and is packed with songs that will sound great live, and will sit comfortably alongside the classics already filling out their set lists, helping to drive the band ever closer to their fourth decade of existence.

"Nightmares Of The Decomposed" track listing:

01. Amputator

02. Zodiac

03. The Rotting

04. Death Will Follow

05. Migraine

06. The Noose

07. Blood Of The Zombie

08. Self Imposed Death Sentence

09. Dead Girls Don't Scream

10. Drink Blood Get High

11. Labyrinth Of Insanity

12. Without Your Life

SIX FEET UNDER is:

Chris Barnes - vocals

Jack Owen - rhythm and lead guitar

Ray Suhy - lead guitar

Jeff Hughell - bass

Marco Pitruzzella - drums

Photo credit: Gustavo Abdiel Torres

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has confirmed that she is working on the long-awaited follow-up to her debut solo LP, "Shine", which was released in March 2014 via earMUSIC.

"This album will be very different from 'Shine', both in terms of the music style but also in my lyrics," she wrote on her social media earlier today. "This album will [be] harder and faster. It won't be as in 'Shine' mostly lyrics about my life and my feelings. This time I write lyrics about other things. I have a co-producer who helps me with the music and songwriting."

She continued: "Since we have done quite some songs already, I'm entering the studio to do vocals for the first ones next weekend. I still have some months to finalize the whole album, but since I also work full-time as a nurse, I want to be far ahead to avoid stressing the process."

Olzon originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio albums with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER singer Floor Jansen.

Since the end of her five-year stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon released a solo album, the aforementioned "Shine", and formed THE DARK ELEMENT with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out last November.

Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" this past March via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON.


Hi all and the biggest of thanks to all of you for your lovely heartwarming comments and likes on my Amaranth a cappella...

Posted by Anette Olzon on Sunday, September 13, 2020

Sidney McCray, a.k.a. "SidMac", the original lead singer and co-founder of the legendary punk rock band BAD BRAINS, passed away on September 9. No cause of death has been revealed.

According to Wikipedia, BAD BRAINS was formed in 1976 as a jazz fusion ensemble called MIND POWER in the mold of bands such as Chick Corea's RETURN TO FOREVER and John McLaughlin's MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA as well as R&B musician Stevie Wonder. In 1977, McCray introduced his bandmates, who were already interested in acts such as BLACK SABBATH, to punk rock, including the DICKIES, THE DEAD BOYS, and the SEX PISTOLS. MIND POWER became obsessed with punk and changed its name to BAD BRAINS after the RAMONES song "Bad Brain". Despite its developing punk sound, the early BAD BRAINS, after seeing Bob Marley in concert, also delved deep into reggae music and the Rastafari movement. McCray became BAD BRAINS' first singer but left in the early days of the group's hardcore era, and then-guitarist H.R. (a.k.a. Paul D. Hudson) became the band's new singer.

Sid stayed in close contact with BAD BRAINS over the past four decades and occasionally performed with the group, such as in June 2017 when the BAD BRAINS played a surprise set at the opening of an art gallery curated by the band's bassist, Darryl Jenifer (see video below).

McCray is remembered and loved by seven children, family, friends, his former band members and a host of loyal fans.

Sidney's children would like to have a memorial service for their father and are gratefully in acceptance of donations. Contributions will solely go towards the last honors for SidMac.


R.I.P to the Don, my brother - sail on

Posted by Bad Brains on Saturday, September 12, 2020

Danko Jones (DANKO JONES) has teamed up with Daniel Dekay (EXCITER) and Ted Aguilar (DEATH ANGEL) to record a quarantine cover version of the SLAYER classic "Mandatory Suicide". Check out the video below.

Credits:

Danko Jones (DANKO JONES) - Vocals

Daniel Dekay (EXCITER) - Lead Guitar

Ted Aguilar (DEATH ANGEL) - Rhythm Guitar

Cory Holfing (CRIMSON SHADOWS) - Drums

Michael Amaral (Crusty Media) - Bass

Music mixed by Michael Amaral

Mastered by Scott Middleton at School House Studios

Music video by Crusty Media

In a 2013 column for the Huffington Post, Danko said that DEATH ANGEL was one of his favorite bands of all time. He wrote: "I remember seeing people around Toronto wearing their shirts, not sure of who they were and yet intuitively knowing that was my band, kinda like when you see someone across a crowded room and sparks fly. I went and bought their only album out at the time, 1987's 'Ultra-Violence'. METALLICA was epic; SLAYER was evil; but this was the rawest most obnoxious piece of metal I had ever heard up 'til then. It remains in my top 10 metal albums of all time. Through countless listens, it has the unshakable ability to be as fresh and bone-crushing as the day I first heard it, despite them laughing at my sorry ass when I first met them at 16 years old."

Drummer Jeramie Kling (VENOM INC., THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) and guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, GOREGÄNG) have announced their departure from the veteran Florida death metal band MASSACRE. The duo had joined the group less than a year ago and were said to be working on MASSACRE's fourth studio album at Kling/Nordberg's own Smoke & Mirrors Productions in Spring Hill, Florida.

Kling and Nordberg said in a statement: "It is with both regret and relief that we announce our departure from MASSACRE.

"To everyone who warned us a year ago when we joined the band: you were right.

"It has been a year of severe ups and downs and unfortunately it has become a working environment we cannot be a part of any longer.

"What was presented as a democracy turned out to be a dictatorship with an excruciating lack of communication.

"We will not stand by and have our reputations meddled with by childish behavior.

"We present ourselves as professionals and bring 110% of our beings into all of the projects we have.

"We wrote and presented 14 songs for the band's new album, provided our contacts in the industry which we have naturally/organically procured through our years of touring, only to be accused of trying to take over the band, which is a paranoid delusion. It is also unfortunate that a certain individual refused to speak on the phone to us to discuss any issue of the band, but we have no choice but to bow out of this unhealthy relationship.

"We apologize to our fans and the MASSACRE fans that they will not get to hear the new album we wrote for the band... at least not as a MASSACRE album.

"We cherish our time spent with Michael Borders and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."

MASSACRE's forthcoming album was supposed to be the first to feature original bassist Michael Borders, as well as the band's first recording in 24 years to feature original vocalist Kam Lee (ex-DEATH, ex-MANTAS).

When Kling and Nordberg's addition to MASSACRE was first announced last December, Lee said that the duo brought "a sensibility and professional mindset that the band was lacking before and so urgently needed." Borders concurred, saying that he and Lee were "giving these guys free rein to be themselves, do their thing, not clone sounds and styles of past members."

MASSACRE parted ways with guitarist Rick Rozz and drummer Mike Mazzonetto in September 2019. At the time, Lee and Borders blamed the split on "contract infringement violations," "poor performance, incompetence, and lack of professionalism."

MASSACRE's latest album, 2014's "Back From Beyond", featured Rozz and Mazzonetto alongside bassist Terry Butler and vocalist Ed Webb.

In early 2017, Butler — who is now playing bass for OBITUARY — told Metal Wani that Rozz and Mazzonetto "destroyed" MASSACRE with their "behind-the-scenes backtalking and backstabbing." He went on to make it clear that Rozz and Lee's then-collaboration could not be called MASSACRE. He said: "They can do all they want and write all the songs in the world they want, but it's not gonna be called MASSACRE."

Photo by Deidra Kling at Relic Imagery

At the invitation of DC, RISE AGAINST will see its brand new song "Broken Dreams, Inc." as the lead-off track on "Dark Nights: Death Metal The Original Soundtrack", the companion to DC's recently launched seven-issue comic book series "Dark Nights: Death Metal". Executive produced by composer Tyler Bates ("Guardians Of The Galaxy", the "John Wick" franchise, "Dawn Of The Dead" reboot), who is also penning music for the score, the album's songs were written and performed by some of rock and metal's finest, all inspired by the comic series' storyline. "Broken Dreams, Inc." will be released next Wednesday, September 16 on Loma Vista Recordings, while the soundtrack's confirmed release date, complete artist lineup, and full track listing will be announced shortly. Check out the teaser below.

DC has premiered the "Dark Nights: Death Metal" soundtrack trailer at DC FanDome, a mega, 24-hour, immersive, self-guided, virtual experience with on-demand panels, presentations and reveals — think ComicCon, but all online and from the comfort of home. The premiere took place during the "Take A Tour Of DC's Death Metal Metalverse" panel. FanDome runs through Sunday, September 13, ending at 10 a.m. PT.

Said Tyler Bates: "In 'Dark Nights: Death Metal', Loma Vista Recordings and I saw an opportunity to bring artists together to create a diverse soundtrack that is inspired directly by this incredible comic series. Our intent is not to literally create a death metal soundtrack, but instead, to illuminate the darkest corners of each character's psyche from an authentic perspective that is thematically inherent in death metal music. But a soundtrack is merely a collection of songs unless it is holistically intertwined with the story teller's original work. With the support of DC and Loma Vista Recordings, and with the help of several artists, I'm creating a short-form animatic film series derived from Greg Capullo's original artwork for 'Dark Nights: Death Metal'. I've invited artists on the soundtrack, and pop-culture personalities alike, to voice the characters illustrated in Scott and Greg's masterful take on classic DC characters. This has possibly never been more relevant to real life than the challenging time the world is currently experiencing."

"Broken Dreams, Inc." is RISE AGAINST's first new song in three years and its first for the Loma Vista Recordings label. Produced by Bill Stevenson, Jason Livermore, Andrew Berlin and Chris Beeble, "Broken Dreams, Inc." exhibits the band's socially conscious ethos, with scathing lyrics and raging punk rock.

"Personally, being involved with this soundtrack is really fantastic," said RISE AGAINST's Tim McIlrath. "Growing up, my little brother and I would ride our bikes to the newsstand near our house and spend all our money on the latest comic books, and Batman was a favorite. Also, Zach, our guitarist, is probably the biggest comic book geek in our band. He's talked about how, along with his brother and father, they were all big DC fans — Batman, Robin, Superman, Aquaman, all the comic book series, the TV shows, and feature films. So, yes, we're all very excited about being part of this." It is also a fitting musical choice for "Dark Nights: Heavy Metal". In the series, Earth is enveloped by the Dark Multiverse, and the Justice League is at the mercy of the Batman Who Laughs. Humanity struggles to survive in a hellish landscape twisted beyond recognition, while Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman have all been separated and fight to survive. Consistent with this narrative, "Broken Dreams, Inc." is a call-to-arms to enact disruption, aimed at the restoration of an equal, self-determined society and a level playing field.

"Dark Nights: Death Metal" is the sequel to DC's wildly popular 2017-18 series "Dark Nights: Metal" that brought widespread changes to the DC universe and introduced fans to the Dark Multiverse, and a runaway-hit villain, the Batman Who Laughs. The series provides an encore for the original creative team consisting of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, along with inker Jonathan Glapion and colorist FCO Plascenia. Issues One, Two, and Three are available now at your local comics shop and digitally.

Photo credit: Jason Siegel

Scorpions' official fan-club Crazyscorps (Facebook) recently conducted an interview with former Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell. In th eclip below Herman talks about his new project, The Seeing Tree, memories of the late UFO bassist Pete Way, his 'Scorpions symphonic' project, as well as other subjects.

The Seeing Tree is an alternative rock band led by the legendary Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell who wrote many of their most popular hits, including "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Blackout", "Arizona" and "Another Piece Of Meat". 

The Seeing Tree was formed as the world hit lockdown and have been creating there debut album across borders and despite the global pandemic. Herman believes in the John Lennon adage write a song one day, record it the next, release it the day after. His vision and determination has knocked his co-writers and fellow performers in the band into shape. The Seeing Tree are Brighton-based singer and performance artist Eugenie Arrowsmith (who had a solo deal with Virgin and worked with Steve Hillage and Glen Nightingale) and producer Pepper (who has worked with Creation 23, Geffen, BBE, Warner, EMI), both of whom had a mass of songs that Herman has helped them finish and get out there. 

First single / video "I Can See The Signs" was released in August 2020. Check it out below.

Check out The Seeing Tree via Facebook here.




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Nightwish founder / keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen recently checked in with the following news:

"Peculiar times spawn peculiar ideas, and that's exactly what our beloved Crew has been up to lately!

"Crewish - Unemployed Blacksmiths features their interpretations of five Nightwish songs, everything played, sung and recorded by them, and it's something guaranteed to put a big smile on your face.

"Our branch of industry has been struck hard by the recent events, and if you wish to support our Crew in a tangible way, please join us and get your copy of this once-in-a-lifetime album now. Available only from Nightwish Shop. All the profits from this album will go directly to our technicians, the band or the record label will not touch a cent. Thanks, and stay safe everybody."

The Crew has released an official video for their take on the Nightwish song "Sleeping Sun", which was released as a single in 1999 and later added to the Oceanborn album (1998) as a bonus track. Check it out below.

Check out a trailer below, and find more details here.

Tracklisting:

"Sleeping Sun"
"Wish I Had An Angel"
"Amaranth"
"Nemo"
"Elan"

‍




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Metal Wani's Carl O' Rourke caught up with Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci to discuss his new solo album, Terminal Velocity, songwriting, the  impact of COVID-19, a new Dream Theater record, reconnecting with his musical partner in crime, former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy.

On a new Dream Theater album

Petrucci: "This will be new music from scratch, yeah. As We sort of shifted our schedule because touring realistically may not happen until this time next year or later. Everything could change if there's a vaccine, and when it does change we're not really sure what state things will be in, so with all that in mind... I've been super busy with all this (Terminal Velocity), but as far as Dream Theater is concerned, let's not sit around and let's be creative together and make new music, even if it won't come out until 2021 at some point, probably later in the year, let's get together and do this. So yeah, we're going to do that, we kind of pivoted our schedule and if things in the world change, then we can make another change, and that's how we're playing it."

Terminal Velocity is the first solo album by the Dream Theater guitarist to be released in 15 years. The album was released through The Orchard Music on his Sound Mind Music record label on all digital and streaming platforms on August 28th. It will be available on CD and Vinyl on October 30.

Terminal Velocity was written and produced by John Petrucci, recorded by James ‘Jimmy T’ Meslin and mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Killswitch Engage, Arch Enemy). The artwork was created by Sean M. Smith at Echo Designlab (Stone Sour, Hollywood Undead, In This Moment).

The album sees the return of bassist Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs, Flying Colors) who played on John’s debut solo album and subsequent G3 tours, as well as, an eagerly anticipated reunion with former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic, Winery Dogs, Sons Of Apollo). “It was awesome bringing Dave back to play bass on this album. He is just such a monster player who can handle anything you throw at him with tastefulness and unmatched musicality. His melodic approach to bass lines along with impeccable technique and groove for days really stands out on these tunes.”

Portnoy’s appearance on Terminal Velocity marks the first recording of the guitarist and his former bandmate in over a decade and the first since Portnoy left the band in 2010. “Having Mike play drums on this record was really special for me and he did an absolutely incredible job navigating the various styles and technical challenges my music presented in the way that only he can do. It was very cathartic for the both of us, I think, to be playing music together again after all these years and it really felt great! Mike’s spirited, intuitive and energetic playing truly helped to elevate these new songs to a level that I couldn’t be happier with.”

The video for “Terminal Velocity” can be seen below. John Petrucci on the track and video: “Terminal Velocity was actually the first new song that I wrote for the album when I entered the studio in March of this year. It stemmed from one of the many ideas and seeds that I had collected over the past several years. I literally began with the opening motif and built the rest of song from there. I think it’s a great lead-off single and nicely represents a few of the different stylistic sides of this record that I wanted to explore as a guitar player; The melodic/thematic side, the riffing side, and the shred side.

“Mike and Dave both did an amazing job bringing this song to life as well, with all of the energy that they injected when recording their performances.

“The video was created by Wayne Joyner who made all of the promotional videos for Dream Theater’s Distance Over Time album as well as all of the 2019/2020 DT live tour visuals including all of the updated Scenes From A Memory video content. The tracking footage of me, Dave and Mike in the studio has a play-through sort of vibe while Wayne did his magic adding amazing 3-D graphics and special visual effects to help tell a story. I think the end result is a really unique and engaging video that captures the song's energy and definitely does the first single justice. Really excited for people to see and hear this!”

In the beginning of March 2020 while the COVID-19 global pandemic was unrelentingly reeking it’s havoc on the world and especially NY, John started working on the music that would make up Terminal Velocity at the DT Headquarters on Long Island with engineer Jimmy T at the helm. “All DT touring for the rest of the year was either being cancelled or postponed and even though I had already planned on starting the project this Spring, I suddenly found myself with many unanticipated months at home. Jimmy T and I would head into the DTHQ 5 days week for about 2 and a half months and, as I wrote and constructed the new tunes, he was right there capturing it all and turning it into a record. Initially, we programmed drums and shared bass playing responsibilities just to get the ideas to a place where they sounded like completed and cohesive songs but we always anticipating that ‘work in progress’ drums and bass would eventually be replaced.”

The nine songs on Terminal Velocity showcase John’s affinity for writing tightly-weaved guitar instrumental powerhouses that feature everything from monster riff breaks to passion-filled melodic themes worthy of film soundtracks, to all-out shred extravaganzas that leave the listener feeling like they just stepped off of a thrilling musical roller coaster ride. “Much like the songs on my first solo album, Suspended Animation, I wanted the new tunes to really showcase what I’m all about as a player and to give an up-to-date depiction of where I am musically and how I like to express myself on the instrument. It’s about capturing the attitude of the performances and of course as always, very much about capturing the tone that I’ve worked so hard over the years to develop and refine.”

Although a few of the songs that make up Terminal Velocity were actually written quite a long time ago and even played live but never properly recorded, over half the album’s content is new music that John created while in the studio during the quarantine. “I believe that making this record when I did really helped me to maintain a sense of stability and normalcy during such a crazy time in our history.” “It was encouraging for me and my family to embrace something so hopeful and positive as we faced a very uncertain future in the music industry and in the world and for that, I am truly grateful for having music be such a big part of my life.”

Limited colored 2LP vinyl (clear & black metallic and metallic silver & black) signed by John Petrucci, as well as signed CD digipaks (limited to 200 copies) will be exclusively available at Newbury Comics and can be ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Terminal Velocity"
"The Oddfather"
"Happy Song"
"Gemini"
"Out Of The Blue"
"Glassy-Eyed Zombies"
"The Way Things Fall"
"Snake In My Boot"
"Temple Of Circadia"




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The triumphant return of Deep Purple Mark 2 to global concert stages in December 1984 was a huge success. In the newly uploaded clip below, the band storms through "Lazy" in Sydney, Australia featuring the immense talents of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord.

"Lazy" is taken from the band's classic 1972 album, Machine Head.

"Nothing At All" is one of 13 tracks that comprise Deep Purple's new album, Whoosh! A video for the song has just been released.

According to Darker Than Blue, Deep Purple's new album, Whoosh!, has reached the Top 10 in 12 countries worldwide - with more to come.

Germany - #1
Finland - #1
Belgium (Wallonia) - #1
Scotland - #1
Czech Republic - #2
Sweden - #3
Norway - #3
UK - #4 (highest chart entry in 46 years)
Japan (International) - #4
Italy - #6
Belgium (Flanders) - #7
Netherlands - #7
France - #8

Whoosh! is available as a Standard CD, a Digital Album, a Limited Edition CD+DVD Mediabook (including the 1 hour feature “Roger Glover And Bob Ezrin In Conversation” and, for the first time, the full live performance at Hellfest 2017 video), and a Vinyl 2LP+DVD edition (earMUSIC). Order here.

Whoosh! marks Deep Purple’s third album produced by Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd). The first - 2013’s Now What?! - charted at #1 in five European countries, as well as Top 10 in over 15 countries worldwide. Cementing itself as one of their most successful albums, inFinite, released in 2017, broke chart records the band accumulated over their 50+year history. With chemistry this electric, it only made sense for Deep Purple and Ezrin to collaborate a third time.

Whoosh! tracklisting:

"Throw My Bones"
"Drop The Weapon"
"We're All The Same In The Dark"
"Nothing At All"
"No Need To Shout"
"Step By Step"
"What The What"
"The Long Way Around"
"The Power Of The Moon"
"Remission Possible"
"Man Alive"
"And The Address"
"Dancing In My Sleep"

"Man Alive" video:

"Throw My Bones" video:




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Atheist vocalist Kelly Shaefer has launched a new band, Till The Dirt. Check out a teaser video below, and stay tuned for further details.

Atheist was set to return to Europe and the UK for the first time since 2011 with the Enthralled In Europe Tour in September of 2020. Due to the pandemic the tour has been rescheduled for February/March 2021. The lineup remains as Atheist with support from Cadaver, Svart Crown and From Hell.

Tour dates:

February
16 - TBA
17 - Kassel, Germany - Goldgrube *
18 - Cottbus, Germany - Gladhouse *
19 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmelnice *
20 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Randall *
21 - Brasov, Romania - Club Rockstadt *
22 - Bucharest, Romania - Quantic Club *
23 - Sofia, Bulgaria - MIxtape 5 *
24 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra *
25 - TBA *
26 - Venice, Italy - Revolver Club +
27 - Rome, Italy - Orion Club +
28 - Milan, Italy - Slaughter Club +

March
1 - Marseille, France - Jas Rod +
2 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Upload +
3 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Caracol +
4 - Lisbon, Portugal - RCA Club +
5 - Porto, Portugal - Metalpoint +
6 - Zaragoza, Spain - C.C. Valdefierro +
7 - Toulouse, France - L’usine A Musique º
8 - Paris, France - Petit Bain º
9 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion º
10 - Oberhausen, Germany - Kulttempel º
11 - Apeldoorn, Netherlands - Gigant º
12 - TBD º
13 - London, England - Underworld º

* With Critical Mess
º With Typhus
+ Opening act TBA




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Season Of Ghosts vocalist / founder Sophia and guitarist Zombie Sam returned on Saturday, September 12th for another round of bickering. This time out the offer updates from the Season Of Ghosts camp, talk about upcoming videos, announce thier giveaway winner for August, and more. Sam is happy to be back in the UK and keeps singing about it while throwing shade on Sophia. They alos attempted putting together an acoustic version of 'Time Travellers' and it...worked (?)."

Season Of Ghosts recently posted a video teaser for "How The Story Ends", taken from their second album, A Leap Of Faith, released on October 23rd, 2018. Check it out below.




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