Sebastian Bach has recorded a quarantine cover version of former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry's 1984 solo hit "Oh Sherrie".

Bach uploaded the video to his social media, saying: "Bored in my house after seven months, decided to put on a record and sing a song for you.

"For all you audiophiles out there, what you are hearing right here is my voice panned either to the left or the right or both of Steve Perry's voice which is in the center which I left alone," he explained. "So technically this is a duet, my voice is louder in the mix than the track and you can hear us both. I do not have pro tools installed on my computer, this is at the most two of my voices in the chorus only. Crank it up right from my record room to yours!"

Back in 2018, Bach credited Perry with helping him expand his vocal range.

The former SKID ROW frontman praised the the ex-JOURNEY singer after spending time with Perry at a birthday party thrown by ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell.

Bach posted a photo of him hanging out with Perry at the bash, and wrote in the accompanying note: "Got to spend the afternoon with one of my top two favorite singers on the planet, Steve Perry of JOURNEY fame. It was so great to see him again. We talked about the last time we saw each other which was way back in 1991 the day that Nikki Sixx asked me to join MÖTLEY CRÜE at their rehearsal in Hollywood, California. That day, Steve Perry was there and introduced me to his daughter, which, he told me, she still talks about to this day. Haha!

"It was incredible to see Steve who looked exactly the same as he always has and talk about how his vocals have helped me over the years.

"When I get ready to go on tour, I warm up to Steve Perry's incredible singing and it's helped me expand my range over the years, as you can hear on my last couple of studio records.

"Steve's voice is so incredible to listen to and such an inspiration to all vocalists worldwide."

Bach has spent the last few months demoing material for his next studio album. The LP is expected to include guest appearances and songwriting contributions from Orianthi, John 5, Steve Stevens, Devin Bronson, Brent Woods, Eli Santana and Jeremy Colson.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in 2014.

RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee has shot down rumors that he has died.

Earlier today (Tuesday, September 8), the Canadian rock legend's name trended on Twitter, leading many to worry he had passed away.

Well, worry not! Geddy tweeted in response to the speculation: "Even I gulped when I saw I was trending on Twitter, but I asked my dogs and apparently I'm a bit boring but otherwise fine... - #GeddyLee"

The rumors of Lee's passing came eight months after the death of Neil Peart. The iconic RUSH drummer died on January 7 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH announced Peart's passing on January 10, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

RUSH's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.

Geddy's book "Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book Of Bass" was released in December 2018.




“Even I gulped when I saw I was trending on Twitter, but I asked my dogs and apparently I’m a bit boring but otherwise fine...” - #GeddyLee

— Rush (@rushtheband) September 8, 2020

US glam rockers Wildstreet have signed a worldwide global record deal with Golden Robot Records joining Rose Tattoo, Steve Riley’s L.A. Guns, Skid Row, Kings X, to name a few.

On September 26 at 3 PM, Wildstreet will be hosting a livestream concert “Wildstreet Live From NYC" on their official YouTube page. Tickets are available on Facebook and Eventbrite. They are shooting the video for their next single, “Still Love You”, which is set to be released this fall.

Wildstreet is:

Eric Jayk – Vocals, Guitars
Jimmie Marlowe – Guitars, Vocals
Jonny D – Bass, Vocals
Dom – Lead Guitars, Vocals
Lock – Drums, Vocals




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True metal outfit, Lonewolf, will release its new and tenth studio album, entitled Division Hades, on September 25 via Massacre Records. The band has released a new single titled “Manilla Shark” and it serves as a tribute to Manilla Road frontman Mark Shelton, who died July 27, 2018 at the age of 60.

The album will be available as a 2CD Digipak, limited edition Vinyl LP in different colors as well as in digital formats, and is available for pre-order here.

Division Hades was mixed and mastered by Charles Greywolf at Studio Greywolf. Fans can expect an album full of energetic and raging metal with a pounding rhythm section, heavy riffs, fast solos, catchy hooks and gruff vocals.

Tracklisting:

CD1 - Division Hades
“The Last Goodbye”
“The Fallen Angel”
“Division Hades”
“Manilla Shark”
“Underground Warriors”
“To Hell And Back”
“Alive”
“Lackeys Of Fear”
“Silent Rage”
“Drowned In Black”

CD2 - Into The Past We Ride (Rerecorded Tracks)
“The Call (Intro)”
“Into The Battle We Ride”
“The Dark Throne”
“Towards The Light”
“Forgotten Shadows”
“The Forgotten Valleys Of Hades”
“1789”
“Witch Hunter”
“Sorcery”
“Erik The Red”

"Manilla Shark":

"Underground Warriors" lyric video:




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In the video below, Two Minutes To Late Night featuring Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, Royal Thunder’s Mlny Parsonz, Spirit Adrift’s Nate Garrett, Mutoid Man’s Ben Koller, and Jordan Olds cover Robyn’s “Ever Again” in the style of Thin Lizzy.

A description reads: “Call your girlfriend, the boys are back in town! We covered Robyn as if it were a Thin Lizzy song and Mlny's back with another fake mustache.

“This is our 21st (what the hell???) 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 at this location.”




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Southern California rock quartet Joyous Wolf released the four-song Mother Rebel EP via Roadrunner Records on September 4th. The EP features the original version of the thunderous title track, along with acoustic and live versions. The release also includes an acoustic version of "Feel The Low". The EP is available now at this location.

"The story of 'Mother Rebel' is centered around the perspectives of two young adolescents living in pre-Civil War America: one in the South and the other in the North," the band says. "They are both witnessing the growing, unruly tension of the world around them, brought on, in part, by the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. In the North, abolitionists praised her as a hero. Her honest depiction of the inhumanity of slavery boosted the public consciousness forward. In the South, however, her book was banned. She was labeled a liar and completely discredited. The adolescents are told completely opposing stories. The world around them divides and plunges into war. Using Stowe as a speaker shows the warning of man's ignorance and lust for violence and that with proper guidance we can always rise above even the darkest of times."

Joyous Wolf —  Nick Reese (vocals), Blake Allard (guitar), Greg Braccio (bass), Robert Sodaro (drums) — also shared an electromagnetic live performance video of "Mother Rebel", which was filmed during the same studio sessions in which the EP audio was recorded. The visuals are trippy while the clip crackles with the band's signature live intensity. It will make viewers feel as if they were front row center at a Joyous Wolf show. 

Mother Rebel EP artwork and tracklisting:

"Mother Rebel"
"Mother Rebel" (Acoustic)
"Mother Rebel" (Live)
"Feel The Low" (Acoustic)

"Our acoustic version of 'Feel The Low'. We are happy so share this moment with all of you during this time. We hope that it adds a little joy to your day," says Joyous Wolf. "Remember to keep your head up and to pick up the people who can't themselves. Be good to each other!"

 




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Progressive death metal titans Contrarian are set to release their fourth album, Only Time Will Tell, November 20th on Willowtip Records! Kicking things off in grand fashion, the band has premiered the official video for opening track "In A Blink Of An Eye". Check it out below.

The "new school of old school progressive death metal" is how Contrarian is described; creating death metal that is authentically original with a natural memory and understanding of the old. Rooted in early '90s progressive death metal, but with an unrelenting forward-thinking approach. Spearheaded by guitar player Jim Tasikas, Contrarian is a group of like-minded musicians that coincidentally converged on a vision of what a modern death metal band should sound like. Organic sounding, yet aggressive and melodically complex, Contrarian is packed with snake-like riffage and atmospheric variations that will provide a wholly enticing listen to all those willing to take in its eccentricity.

Contrarian is thinking man's metal, both musically and lyrically. The band uses methods of fantasy and escapism to convey ideas involving philosophy, theology, and science. Contrarian has been on a campaign to promote thinking man’s metal for a long time. Organic and passionate playing, dignified studio recording methods that reflects an understanding of the craft competence, evolution and succession of diverse metal history over decades.

Only Time Will Tell is Contrarian's fourth studio album. Once again, a concept album that deals with the band's familiar topics of philosophy and theology. This time, the band's mascot 'the cloaked contrarian' endeavors on an adventure of time travel for redemption and love.

Tracklisting:

"In A Blink Of An Eye"
"The Final Hour"
"Beat The Clock"
"Case Closed"
"The Mega Metropolis"
"Scarlet Babylon"
"Only Time Will Tell"
"Your Days Are Numbered"

For further details, visit Contrarian on Facebook.

 




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Emerging German power trio Old Mother Hell returns October 23rd with their sophomore album, Lord Of Demise. Eight songs of true, trend-proof metal, Lord Of Demise will be available on Cruz Del Sur Music.

Stream the opening track "Betrayal At The Sea" now:

Recorded in early 2020 at Rama Tonstudio in Mannheim with Jens Seifert, with additional vocal tracking taking place at Sculpt Sound Studios in Cologne with Laurent Teubl, Lord Of Demise perfectly captures the essence of Old Mother Hell, who consist of Bernd Wener (guitars / vocals), Ronald Senft (bass) and Michael Frölich (drums).

They are a rarity in today’s metal scene: authentic and gimmick-free, devoid of any sort of convenient retro leanings for the sake of abiding by the metal scene’s sometimes unrealistic rulebook. Their sound is pure, driven by Wener’s lead-weight and versatile riffs, Senft’s driving bass lines and Frölich’s stellar timekeeping. Tight and in lock-step with one another — the direct result of their hectic live schedule in support of their 2017 self-titled debut — Old Mother Hell took the unorthodox and now rarely-taken step of recording Lord Of Demise live, with each member in the same room at the same time. In turn, the album sounds powerful and crisp, stacked with eight songs that embrace their classic metal roots.

What you see is what you get with Old Mother Hell, a band, who, in their own words is “playing their music out of fun and dedication.” That’s a recipe that’s hard to argue with. On Lord Of Demise, Old Mother Hell prove they are the ultimate purveyors of real, handmade metal.

Tracklisting:

"Betrayal At The Sea" 
"Avenging Angel"
"Lord Of Demise"
"Estranged"
"Edge Of Time"
"Shadows Within"
"Another Fallen Savior"
"Finally Free"

(Photo credit: Oliver Stein)

 

 

 




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"Medicine Man" is the powerful new single from highly rated UK rock act Gallows Circus. Following on from the success of their well-received track "Hell’s Whiskey", the band build on that momentum with this riff-laden cut.

Kent-based ‘blues stained’ hard rock act Gallows Circus have been building quite a formidable reputation across the country with their unmissable brand of hard and heavy rock. Their influences are myriad; from the power of Zeppelin through the melodic genius of Thin Lizzy, onto the modern blues-rock of Rival Sons and the hard edge of Soundgarden, Gallows Circus manage to make a sound all of their own.

Gallows Circus will release their upcoming second EP, II, on September 25th. It sees the acclaimed quartet demonstrating a more focussed, intensely melodic, and hard-hitting sound. The band are coming out swinging!

Tracklisting:

“Hell's Whiskey”
“Medicine Man”
“Who Cares?”
“Bring Your Crucifix”
“Hunt You Down”

For further details, visit Gallows Circus on Facebook.

(Photo by Dorothy Clarke)




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On Saturday night (August 29), 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.

Attendees were able to listen to the show through their FM radio or over the faraway speakers.

"What people don't realize is that is a far clearer version of audio than the normal stacks and racks that you would see at a show," Walter Kinzie, CEO of Encore Live, told the Albuquerque Journal ahead of the event. "And so the audio will be crystal clear. It was all produced in HD stereo format so it will be an absolute perfect combo for your FM station in your truck and your car and just crank it up and get ready and I'll tell you that's part of the magic of that evening is when you're in there with a couple hundred cars and everyone has got their radios cranked up and it's all to the same station it creates this real magical kind of atmosphere that's a hell of a lot of fun and super rowdy."

According to the Sonoma Index-Tribune, less than half a dozen locals were made aware that the biggest heavy metal band in the world was set up overlooking the vineyard of the Sonoma winery secretly performing some of their biggest hits without an audience.

The band rehearsed for two weeks at their headquarters while the METALLICA crew stayed in 30 rooms at Sonoma's El Pueblo Inn for almost two weeks. Everyone was subjected to repeated COVID testing before METALLICA played the secret concert without any of their fans in attendance.

"It feels good to play again," METALLICA frontman James Hetfield said during the show. "We're not sure what everyone out there has been doing, but I know they've been listening to music and they've been praying and praying for something live they could grasp on to. Because music helps us through all things, including this."

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hardwired

02. For Whom The Bell Tolls

03. Fuel

04. Seek & Destroy

05. Creeping Death

06. One

07. Now That We're Dead

08. Sad But True

09. Moth Into Flame

10. The Unforgiven

11. Wherever I May Roam

12. Fade To Black

13. Master Of Puppets

14. Battery

15. Nothing Else Matters

16. Enter Sandman

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told Uproxx about the concert: "We filmed the actual drive-in show about two weeks ago, at a secret location in Northern California. And it was the first time that we had gotten together since [last September's] 'S&M' shows. It was really important for us to be able to come together and play that particular show, because we needed to just get some sort of semblance of, if we're going to go forward in the future, how that was going to look with the pandemic going, and all of these safety protocols. We adapted this whole safety protocol so that we were able to work at HQ, and rehearse without us having any fears of being infected, or infecting other people. What that meant was getting tested for COVID, literally every other day. That week of rehearsal, I got tested for COVID five times… It also meant that our entire crew had to have face masks on. A double face mask, which was a paper mask and an N95 mask, [plus] a face shield, and a raincoat, and gloves, and sanitize, and just spray our guitars. That was while we were rehearsing. While we were filming, we were the only people in the whole place without masks on. Everyone else had masks on. And everyone, from the crew to us, had been tested, and quarantined as well. We were able to do that, and do that successfully without any health flare-ups, or any obvious sort of potential of getting infected. So that kind of set a precedent for us moving forward. It gave us hope, knowing that with all this that’s happening right now, if we need to, we can still get together and function as a band."

Asked what fans should expect from the resulting feature-length film, Hammett said: "Full balls-out METALLICA show. We're filmed playing outside, and it's everything you should expect to see from us. We walk out on stage and play our music. It's just the 2020 version. If anything, it's a document of us playing in this time. And it's also an opportunity for us to just put something out there for the people who are bored, and for METALLICA fans who need something to do. I know I'm constantly looking for something to do. And so this is our way of going out there and just giving people something."


Thank you to everyone across North America who rolled out to their local drive-in last night. It was amazing getting...

Posted by Metallica on Sunday, August 30, 2020









@Metallica never disappoints, even at the drive-in! ?? #Pandemica pic.twitter.com/o4TGQ5X751

— Ashley (@girlonthefield) August 30, 2020








Oh Man. I love my job. Bringing people from all over AB to see #Metallica to little ‘ol Raymond on our “Drive-in” screen. What an amazing time #encorenights pic.twitter.com/oQjkxF0EoG

— MoldyACE (DJ GROB) (@MoldyAce) August 30, 2020








LOVED the Metallica concert at the drive-in tonight! Had a blast!!!

?????#MetallicaAtTheDriveIn #MetallicaDriveIn pic.twitter.com/1S0Acfb1rj

— Kimmie Schmitt (@KimmieSchmitt) August 30, 2020








Couldn't be a better night for Metallica at the Drive-In pic.twitter.com/BGHC6T0awY

— K (@KDollaMYH3492) August 30, 2020








Hangin' w/ #Metallica at the drive-in! Thanks for the #pandemic break, at least for a night. Good to see you again! pic.twitter.com/FQih0w86Pw

— J.P. Strang (@DesertFisheye) August 30, 2020








Metallica Encore drive-in night concert ???. Welcome back James Hetfield ! #MetallicaDriveIn pic.twitter.com/fK3JCKFjy7

— ramupedada (@ramupedada) August 30, 2020








Tonight I got to go to a drive-in concert of Metallica with Three Days Grace. It was great, something different than going to an actual concert but a nice thing to have in a time like this pic.twitter.com/l7ftKEEeVs

— BoredomKillr (@BoredomKillr) August 30, 2020








Metallica live at the drive-in. Great night out with the fam. ??? pic.twitter.com/brxXgX0e2J

— Mickey Cattle (@m_cattle) August 30, 2020








The @Metallica Drive-In Concert was awesome! They played a killer set. Got there early and got a great spot. I even met photographer Mark Weiss who basically captured all of rock music from the 80s and got his book signed. #MetallicaDriveIn #Pandemica ??⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Q3gAz7iMfv

— Lily Hammer (@lilyhammer0709) August 30, 2020








'tallica at the drive-in #Metallica pic.twitter.com/aRPwdi0yHq

— David Michael (@justcallmeholio) August 30, 2020








Gimme fuel,gimme fire, gimme #Metallica at the Drive-In! #SpartaDriveIn pic.twitter.com/MFOC6Rcqv2

— Eric Steele (@RealDealManOf) August 30, 2020








I hit the Metallica drive-in concert tonight. Had a head-bangin’ hell of a good time. James can actually still bring it folks. Some of my photos and my free S&M 2 disc CD given to the first 20 cars! San Diego Baby.......? pic.twitter.com/7faJNeJz2W

— Old Biff from the Future (@ChadMStevens) August 30, 2020








My 5 year old niece tonight at the #Metallica drive-in show pic.twitter.com/PrJatqd56v

— PriestMode (@stevenTpriest) August 30, 2020








Photographing tonight’s drive-in @Metallica concert at @ACFair ? story by @zackruskin to come! pic.twitter.com/njyq6Tj0oc

— Jessica Christian (@jachristian) August 30, 2020








The #Metallica Drive-In concert is a balm for my ears and my metal soul. Even the 4 year-old loved staying up for it despite his "no paparazzi" policy and his request to listen to Prince's Purple Rain on the long drive home. Thank you, @Metallica pic.twitter.com/2i9UHN9i89

— Greg Epstein (@gregmepstein) August 30, 2020








That's a wrap! A great time watching @Metallica on the drive-in screen tonight. Hope more bands follow suit until the pandemic passes. pic.twitter.com/2ZA3Tjc0oS

— 97.7 QLZ (@977WQLZ) August 30, 2020








@Metallica but socially and responsibly distanced at the Drive-In! So cool under moon finally! pic.twitter.com/DPiGJfrWrF

— Brian Henderson (@radiohenderson) August 30, 2020








This @metallica drive-in show is the happiest I’ve felt in months pic.twitter.com/jCDl66cQR1

— Michael (@michael_aaron__) August 29, 2020

"One hot summer night, on a back porch in Oklahoma, we played a private, socially distanced, acoustic show for some friends, and at the end of the night decided to do a song that we haven't done in quite a while," says Blacktop Mojo. That song is Aerosmith's "Dream On".

Blacktop Mojo originally uploaded their cover of "Dream On" by Aerosmith to YouTube in 2016. The clip, which can be seen below, has since been viewed over 18 million times.

Earlier this year, in May 2020, Blacktop Mojo released a four-song EP titled Static. Get your copy now at this location. 

"Most of these songs were written before we wrote the songs for the Under The Sun record (released in 2019), and for them to finally have a home gives me the warm and fuzzies," says vocalist Matt James. "These songs were very personal, but turning a bunch of painful times into something positive has been incredibly helpful to me. I hope that when people hear these tunes, they might not feel so alone in their struggles."

"Thank you to everyone at @the_orchard_ that helped us with this project and thank you to everyone that continues to crank up our music. I am so very thankful that I get to live the life that I live."

Tracklisting:

"The End"
"Watch Me Drown"
"Leave It Alone"
"Signal's Gone"

"Watch Me Drown":

"The End":

 




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During this pandemic, a wrench has been thrown into machinery of creativity, bands that would normally be working collectively on ideas in some jam space or garage as it were. That ain’t happening. And when you’ve got an elite and financially sound band like Metallica feeling these pressures (Lars Ulrich to NME yesterday) you know it’s serious. Not that Flotsam And Jetsam are immune to these hurdles, but they’ve always fought for their territory. The ultimate survivalists. And it’s not business as usual for the Arizonians either, but no virus is gonna take them down. Flotz Till Death indeed!

Longtime guitarist Michael Gilbert says the new album is “pretty much done,” he tells BraveWords in a preview of a major feature you’ll see next week. “It’s like an assembly line kind of thing - we try to have 10 or 12 keepers, but if something pops out that’s better, we’ll take whatever the worst one is and shuffle it away, put it on the shelf for another time. We don’t want to have any sleeper tracks on the record at all.”

Flotsam And Jetsam’s last studio album, The End Of Chaos, was released in January 2019, and most certainly didn’t signal a grand finale like the title might have suggested. The mighty Flotzilla still roars. 

“We’re trying to maintain consistency with our records now,” Gilbert adds about the musical direction. “We’ve been all over the map for so many years, and now we’re starting to write, ever since the self-titled record, from The End Of Chaos to the next one, they’re going to have titles that are kind of related. Drift was kind of an experiment for us, we were all over the map, it was so different from our very first record Doomsday For The Deceiver. If you listen to them both next to each other you would say it isn’t even the same band. So if you listen to these three, including the one we’re writing right now, the most current records, you’re gonna say this is definitely all the same band. Even though all the songs are different, you can tell. We’re not sticking to the same formula or anything like that - a lot of bands have a formula that they stick to and they always sound the same - and they’re always successful and they never let their fans down. For me, that’s kind of boring. 

When asked where he finds the zone of ultimate creation during these troubled times, Gilbert’s answer is calm and cool like the man himself. 

“Man, that’s one of the best questions right there. It’s nothing you can force, it has to happen naturally. You don’t know where inspiration is going to come from. Sometimes I’ll just sit in my studio and listen to music, and the next thing you know I’ve got a guitar in my hand because I’m inspired by something, by a player, or I’ll want to learn a riff from somebody. Then that riff, I’ll change it around, and next thing you know I’ve got a song. Other times I’ll just sit down and play and it’ll suck and I’ll say man I should go get a job! So, the inspiration can happen anytime, but whenever I get that buzz, something happens. I’m supposed to do guitar solos today and every time I open up my Pro Tools set, I’m getting the spinning wheel of death, I can’t open any of my sessions. I’m ready to go, I’m like a horse that’s just ready at the gate, but the gate’s failing.” 

Stay tuned for BraveWords’ chat with founding Flotsam And Jetsam guitarist Michael Gilbert in the coming days.

 

2021 Demolition Of North America tour dates:

April
30 - Club Red ,Tempe, AZ

May
1 - Encore, Tucson, AZ
3 - Liquid Joe’s, SLC, UT
4 - Herman’s Hideaway, Denver, CO
6 - Scout Bar, Houston, TX
7 - Come and Take It Live, Austin, TX
8 - Trees, Dallas, TX
10 - Crowbar, Ybor City, FL
11 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
12 - Canal Club, Richmond, VA
13 - Kingsland, Brooklyn, NY
14 - Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
15 - The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
16 - Upstate Concert Hall, Albany, NY
17 - Dingbats, Clifton, NJ
18 - The Vault, New Bedford, MA
19 - Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
20 - The Crafthouse, Pitt, PA
21 - Diesel, Chesterfield, MI
22 - Crucible, Madison, WI
23 - The Forge, Joliet, IL
25 - Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA
26 - The Cabooze, Minneapolis, MN
27 - Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
28 - The Exchange, Regina, SK
29 - Dickens, Calgary, AB
30 - The Starlite Room, Edmonton, AB
31 - Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, BC

June
1 - El Corazon, Seattle, WA
2 - Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
3 - Holy Diver, Sacramento, CA
4 - Whiskey a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA
5 - Malones, Santa Ana, CA
6 - Brick by Brick, San Diego, CA




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Speaking to Antihero Magazine, Rik Emmett revealed he didn’t talk to his Triumph bandmates, Gil Moore and Mike Levine, after leaving the band in 1988. 

Asked how he views his time with Triumph and whether he tires of being asked about it rather than being focused on the present, Emmett says, “Yeah. Well, I suppose everyone faces that dilemma in their life. If you’re someone who has a certain amount of success or popularity, a commercial sort of thing that existed in your past, that’s going to loom even larger and become more of an ongoing thing that you deal with. But I’ve never really had the … Here’s how to put it in perspective. In 1988, I quit Triumph, and I left and I didn’t talk to those guys for 20 years. If anything’s going to give you a perspective, something like will be able to put it into perspective. I think I went on to do a lot of work on my own, more albums than Triumph ever made. I wrote more songs. I tried more styles. I did all of the things that I wanted to do. So now that I’ve come back full circle and here I am talking about Triumph’s life and its legacy and the fact that Round Hill Records has put out their stuff, at the same time, Round Hill picked up all of my stuff and they put all my stuff out. I’ve still got a website, and I’ve still got 24 new tracks that are on my website. So I’ve still got a currency here in the present that occupies me creatively and is my focus and is my priority. Having said all that, everybody chooses what their priorities are. My family has always been my priority. So my marriage, my family, my grandkids now, that’s always going to be the thing that keeps me in the present and looking forward.”

Rik Emmett of Triumph fame recently joined Anne Erickson to talk about his solo music becoming available digitally, the upcoming Triumph documentary,  and much more. 

Anne: Something that people are looking forward to is this Triumph documentary. Have you seen the whole thing yet?

Rik: "I saw a rough cut — well, I wouldn’t say rough cut, I think I saw the final edit – just a couple of days ago. There are still a few little things they’ve got to clean up, some titling that goes at the bottom, and they have some animation sequences that sort of get you from one thing to another, and they’re not quite finished up yet. But, it’s exceptional. It’s really something. It’s very surreal. It’s like, this is your life, Rik. But, it’s one person’s — well, two people, really — the editor Mark and Sam Dunn, who’s the Banger Films guy. He’s really smart, and he really knows his stuff. He’s told the stories of so many other bands, that now, he sort of realizes, I’ve got to focus this down and figure out what is the story that I want to tell about this band.

It’s only going be the one story. It’s not going to be my story, and it’s not going to be Michael Levine’s story or Gil Moore’s story. It’s going to be what Sam has decided he’s going to tell from the research that he’s done and the stuff that he’s garnered and the footage that’s available. It’s a compelling story, and it’s kind of weird to see it, sort of the rise, the fall, the rise again, and then the end, all the Walk of Fame and all of the lovely things, and now, the making of this documentary. We did a fan fest, which was a thing where they could shoot fans seeing the band, and we rehearsed, and the band actually played three songs live for these fans that they flew in from all over the world. That was unbelievable. That was just an insane kind of emotional thing for us to reunite and play that. It was kind of like the capper of all the story, coming back around full circle and finishing in a really good, positive, solid way. The documentary crew captured it all on two dozen cameras from every angle. So, it’s something, for sure."

Anne: When you were first starting out with Triumph, did you have any idea that you guys would have the kind of success that you did?

Rik: "Hope springs eternal, right? I think when you start off anything, I think everybody starts off and you have the best intentions. You dream big. Then the reality sets in, and the hard work starts, but then little things will happen along the way. In the first few years of the band, it would be enough that it was like, let’s keep this going. Then, around the four or five year mark, some really good things started to happen. Then you start to go, 'Wow, this could really happen.' The dream that you had is now it’s altering, but it’s also getting fueled, so that now you feel like, this is within reach. I think I always had a positive attitude. The band was called Triumph! (Laughs)

One of the things the documentary will make very clear to everybody is that Gil Moore has this tremendous resource. He’s extremely persistent. He’s very, very focused and ambitious and driven, even more than I am. I feel like I’m a fairly focused, ambitious kind of guy, but it’s more about creativity for me. I would fight to the death about a song of mine, whereas Gil would fight to the death to get on a billing and a show in San Diego on a Thursday night. He just was really, really strong willed. I think that’s a part of it, that he never lost sight of, I’m going for this. We are going for it. He was the guy that picked the name! So, the band reflected a great deal of his steely resolve."

Read the complete transcript of the interview below here.




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Ozzy, Sharon and Jack Osbourne recently sat down with SiriusXM's Jim Norton for a virtual Town Hall special on Ozzy's exclusive SiriusXM channel, Ozzy's Boneyard. The Osbournes spoke with SiriusXM host Jim Norton about their new documentary "Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne", which will premiere this Monday (September 7) at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on A&E.

Speaking about how "Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne" manages to unveil so much new information on the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer, Jack said: "Honestly, I can't take credit for that. It was our director, Greg Johnston. He just did a fantastic job. He worked with us since 'The Osbournes'; he was one of the original executive producers of the show. So he knows us so well; he knows the sensibility.

"Any time in the past when I've done screenings for mum on 'God Bless Ozzy' or anything kind of Osbourne-related, there's often notes [that she would give me]. And the first time mum came into the office to watch, it wasn't even a complete cut — it was probably like two-thirds done — I think the one note was that picture is out of place and you need to move that picture to this time frame.

"They killed it," Jack added. "For me, and I kind of tell people when they watch it, I think the last act and kind of what it all means, I guess what we were trying to put across, I just love that last act of the doc. It's so moody. And you've got [producer] Rick Rubin really kind of talking about dad's legacy and things like that. It's a moving, moving last [act] to kind of tail-end it."

"Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne" traces Ozzy's life from his childhood in poverty and time in prison, to fronting legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees BLACK SABBATH and successful Grammy Award-winning solo career, to one of rock's elder statesman and a loveable 21st century television dad. The two-hour documentary explores how Ozzy has continually reinvented himself and his career to propel himself toward greater success. As Ozzy turns 70, he reflects on the intimate details of his successes, failures, and his unique ability for survival and perseverance —including never-before-seen interviews about his recent Parkinson's diagnosis. The documentary, a selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, also features interviews with Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne as well as friends and fellow musicians, including Rick Rubin, Ice-T, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Jonathan Davis, Post Malone and more.

"Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne" is produced by Osbourne Media and Critical Content for A&E Network. The documentary is produced and directed by R. Greg Johnston. Executive producers for Osbourne Media are Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne and Peter Glowski. Executive producer for Critical Content is Jenny Daly. LB Horschler is a co-executive producer. Executive producers for A&E Network are Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for "Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne".

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus recently spoke to Premier Guitar about how he brings his own style to the band's classic catalog when performing it live, especially in the years since Slash rejoined the group.

"It's a tricky thing, 'cause you obviously wanna bring your own character to the role, to those songs, but you have to really have some reverence for the song and the original parts," Richard explained (hear audio below). "So it's a fine line, it's a delicate balance that you walk between your own personality and honoring the originality of the song to begin with. And especially with GUNS, because fans are so attached to the 'Appetite [For Destruction]' album — there's not a lot of room for bringing your own thing. But especially since Slash's come back, there's a lot more openness and room for me to inject myself in."

Fortus also talked about how his musical contributions to GUNS have evolved in the two decades since he joined the band.

"It's been very interesting, because, as different players come and go, my parts morph and change to cover different parts," he explained. "So it's constantly evolving. Obviously, when Slash came [back] in, the parts of his that I was playing I wasn't gonna be playing anymore. [Laughs] But he's been incredibly gracious with me as a player.

"When [Slash] first was coming back, mutual friends of ours were, like, 'Man, good luck getting to be on the fifth fret.' [Laughs] But I have not experienced that at all. He's been incredibly gracious and really an inspiration to play with. It's very competitive in a very, very friendly, same-team type of way — always pushing each other — which I am flattered to be in that role, and for him to welcome it."

Fortus got his big break when his band PALE DIVINE opened for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS. This led to Fortus forming the band LOVE SPIT LOVE with PSYCHEDELIC FURS frontman Richard Butler and drummer Frank Ferrer. In 2000, Fortus and Ferrer became touring members of the reformed PSYCHEDELIC FURS before Fortus hooked up with GUNS N' ROSES. Ferrer himself joined GN'R in 2006.

GUNS N' ROSES is now reportedly working on a new studio album — the first under the GUNS banner since 2008's "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Slash, singer Axl Rose and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.

Bassist Sean McNabb has played in bands such as Quiet Riot, Great White and Dokken. he is also an actor and has appeared in TV shows including Sons of Anarchy, as well as moves like Four Christmases and Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynrd Plane Crash. He recently guested on the Chuck Shute Podcast for a career spanning interview. During the chat, found here, McNabb remembers Frankie Banali, talks working with Don Dokken and George Lynch, and the Great White Station Nightclub fire. 

Following is an excerpt from the transcript.

On Frankie Banali: "I owe Frankie a lot; basically getting my first job nationally in Quiet Riot. I was 20 years old. So, he basically gave me my start in the business. I had been in L.A. for two weeks and went out to the CatHouse - Rikki (Rachtman) and Taime's (Downe) Cathouse - one night and was introduced to Frankie. And he goes, 'Hey, come on. We're auditioning bass players. Come over to the valley tomorrow, and let's see. Let's meet you and maybe record a track and see how goes...' and it worked out for me. He taught me a lot about how to play in the pocket. I learned a lot from him. And I did a lot of things that - stupid stuff kids do when they're kids - and he checked me on a lot of that. And I was I was thankful for it, because I needed to be checked at that time."

McNabb was with Quiet Riot from 1987 – 1989 and appears on the band's QR (1988) and Live In Japan (1989)




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JUDAS PRIEST and Rufus Publications have announced the publication of the first-ever official JUDAS PRIEST book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews.

This huge, 648-page coffee table book chronicles the history of the world’s foremost heavy metal band using hundreds of previously unseen, unpublished photographs from rock's greatest photographers including Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Mark Weiss, Fin Costello, Oliver Halfin and many more. With a linking text by renowned journalist Mark Blake, the book explores the bands exciting history on stage and off in a unique photo documentary designed to excite fans and devotees of true heavy metal the world over. Current bandmembers have all contributed to the book, with written pieces detailing their love and passion for the band, making this an extraordinary artefact for their legions of followers. The book features an exclusive cover by Mark Wilkinson, who has worked with the band for many years now.

Halfin says: "I've photographed JUDAS PRIEST from 1978 until now, and of all the bands I've worked with, they are one of the most enjoyable to me. You have to love the mighty PRIEST."

PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton comments: "We spearheaded the visual image of metal, breathing new life into it, and it has been captured forever in the pages of this book."

Rufus Publications is making four editions of the book available, including an edition designed to raise money for the Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation and a giant 410mm square edition supplied in a beautiful black metal slipcase. The book will ship in early December in time for Christmas.

* The Standard Edition: 648-page book, 12" square printed on art paper - supplied in a cloth slipcase with red foil.

* The Deluxe Edition: 500 numbered copies, 12" square, bound in black leather with a 3D lenticular to the front, gold foil and an exclusive fold-out poster. Each copy is personally signed by Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Richie Faulkner and Scott Travis.

* The Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation Charity Edition: 100 numbered copies, 12" square, printed on art paper with a special blue cover supplied in a cloth slipcase with blue foil. Each copy is personally signed by Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Richie Faulkner and Scott Travis. All proceeds from this edition will go to the Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation.

* The Epic Leather and Metal Edition: 100 numbered copies, 16" square, bound in luxurious padded black leather with a 3D lenticular to the front, gold foil and an exclusive fold-out poster. The book comes in a die cut black metal slipcase. Each copy is personally signed by Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Richie Faulkner and Scott Travis.

"Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years" can be exclusively pre-ordered at www.rufuspublications.com. The pre-order starts on September 11 at 3 p.m. U.K. time on a first-come-first-served basis. Special priced bundle editions will also be available to pre-order and a 10% pre-order discount can be used at the online checkout with the code PRIEST50.

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford's autobiography, "Confess", will arrive on September 29 via Hachette Books.

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing released his autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", in September 2018 via Da Capo Press.

Original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins says that he "couldn't believe what happened" to former PRIEST drummer Dave Holland.

Holland died in January 2018 in Lugo, Spain, where the 69-year-old had reportedly been residing after spending several years in a British jail for attempting to rape a teenage boy. The drummer was sentenced in January 2004 of trying to assault the 17-year-old in his cottage in Northamptonshire, England, while giving him drumming lessons. The abuse was revealed in a letter written by the teenager to his parents. Holland always denied any involvement in the attempted rape of the special-needs student and was at one point said to be planning to write a tell-all biography of his life and career.

Speaking to Bathory metal digital magazine, Atkins said: "To be honest, I couldn't believe what happened to Dave. We go back a long way back to his time in TRAPEZE. My album with him on drums [1998's 'Victim Of Changes'] was selling really well, and so we decided to stick together and had big plans for more recordings. Dave had an offer from a large record company to record an album with all top musicians he had played and recorded with over the years, like Glenn Hughes and Rob Halford, and he asked me to be on it too, so I was well up for that. We also had another deal offered us to work together again and we met with various people in London."

He continued: "He rang me one morning to say if the press gets on to me say no comment and put the phone down on them. I asked him what was happening, and he told me someone was trying to get money from him by making false accusations about him. I never saw him again and lost contact. I heard he was going to write a book about his life in JUDAS PRIEST while banged up in jail, and he later moved to Northern Spain on his release but sadly died of cancer."

According to the El Progreso newspaper, Dave lived discreetly in a secluded part of Spain and was described by the neighbors who knew him as "very kind and polite."

Dave joined PRIEST in 1979 and stayed in the band for a decade, playing on such classic albums as "British Steel" (1980), "Point Of Entry" (1981), "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982), "Defenders Of The Faith" (1984), "Turbo" (1986) and "Ram It Down" (1988). He exited the band in 1989 and was replaced by Scott Travis. Holland was also a founding member of TRAPEZE alongside Hughes and Mel Galley, his bandmates from a previous group named FINDERS KEEPERS.

Atkins formed JUDAS PRIEST in 1969 in Birmingham, England, naming it after the Bob Dylan tune "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest". In 1973, Atkins stepped out to land a "real job" to support his family and the band moved forward with Halford.

Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band's first two albums, "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings Of Destiny", both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic "Victim Of Changes", which was a combination of Halford's song "Red Light Lady" and Atkins's own "Whiskey Woman". He also co-wrote "Winter", "Never Satisfied", "Dreamer Deceiver" and "Caviar And Meths".

Spirit Adrift have premiered “Supernaut” as the first track from the forthcoming MER Redux series installment Vol. 4 [Redux]. Preorder here.

Sprit Adrift founder Nate Garrett shares his thoughts on Black Sabbath and Vol. 4: "Black Sabbath is the reason that I am in a band," declares the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. "They are my favorite band, and I love every era. I saw the video for 'Paranoid' when I was about 12 years old, and it was game over. Vol. 4 in particular contains quite a few of my favorite moments from the Sabbath catalogue. Many of my tried and true approaches to guitars were inspired by songs on Vol. 4. The music is classic, but still fresh and groundbreaking all these years later.

“With covers, it is crucial to capture every element that makes the original special, while allowing your own identity to shine through. I have heard Sabbath covers, even recently, where the band isn't even aware of the subtleties of the guitar riff, and they're straight up playing it wrong. So rule #1, I guess, would be to play the riff right. You don't want to neuter the song and lose the excitement. We stayed pretty true to the original because it is such an incredible song. However, a lot of our trademarks are there... extra guitar harmonies, crazy moog whooshes... all sorts of things we love to do. We are thrilled for this opportunity to pay our respects."

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

“Supernaut”:




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HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale teamed up with LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton to perform a quarantine acoustic cover version of THE BLACK CROWES' "She Talks To Angels" during an appearance on this past Friday's (September 4) "Raise Your Horns" Internet TV show. Check out video below.

Morton previously recorded a cover of "She Talks To Angels" for his "Ether" EP, which came out in January. Hale also appeared on the track, which Morton said he tackled because it "would really change the angle of it a little bit, having a woman sing it."

A primarily acoustic EP, "Ether" is comprised of three original tracks and two covers that showcase Morton's diversity as a musician.

As with Morton's solo debut, "Anesthetic", released last year, the guitarist enlisted the talents of various musicians and vocalists to bring his songs to life. "Ether" features additional appearances by Howard Jones (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, LIGHT THE TORCH), John Carbone (MOON TOOTH) and Mark Morales.

"Ether" was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM).

LAMB OF GOD's latest, self-titled album was released in June via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. The follow-up to "VII: Sturm Und Drang" marks LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

SHADOWS has signed a deal with Agonia Records. The band's debut EP was produced at Rhawn Street Studios in the U.S. and mastered by Tore Stjerna (MAYHEM, WATAIN) at Necromorbus Studio in Sweden. It's expected to be released in 2021.

SHADOWS is a new dark avant-garde metal group from IMMOLATION and ex-GOREAPHOBIA guitarist Alex Bouks, who brought other former GOREAPHOBIA members to the table, including Henny Piotrowski (guitar) and Jake G (vocals), alongside multi-instrumentalist Lance Walter of Philadelphia unit DOMINANCE.

As founding member of the Philadelphia death metal band GOREAPHOBIA, Bouks has been involved in the extreme underground music scene since the late '80s. His technical style of aggressive, melodic guitar work has resulted in worldwide recognition being a member of such acclaimed acts as IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, MASTER, RUINOUS and FUNEBRARUM. Now Alex has returned to his musical roots in SHADOWS, with classic influences and musicians he always felt chemistry with.

Bouks says: "SHADOWS is a personal project that has lasted with myself and Henny Piotrowski for over thirty years. He is one of the first people I started playing music with and there has always been a magical chemistry that had never gone away. This year the universe spoke and said the truth shall be unveiled."

SHADOWS is:

Alex Bouks - Lead Guitar

Henny Piotrowski - Guitar

Jake G - Vocals

Lance Walter - Drums, Bass, Lead Guitar

Photo credit: Verrecchio Photography

Iron Maiden Trooper beer fans can rejoice as the Limited Edition Trooper Collection Box is now available in Newfound and Labrador, as Universal Exports/Iron Maiden Beer Canada slowly rolls out across Canada. Available for online purchase here, the Limited Edition Trooper Collection Box (12x330ml) is the ideal gift for the Trooper fan and collector.

The Limited Edition Trooper Collection Box contains two bottles each of:

Trooper – 4.7% - Premium British Beer (first released in 2013)
Trooper 666 – 6.6% Premium British Beer brewed at a higher gravity (first released in 2015)
Trooper Red ‘N’ Black – 6.8% British porter (first released in 2016)
Trooper Hallowed – 6.0% Belgium style hybrid ale (first released in 2017)
Trooper Light Brigade – 4.1% golden beer in collaboration with Help for Heroes (first released in 2018)
Trooper Sun and Steel – 4.8% sake infused pilsner (first released in 2019)

For more details visit Iron Maiden Beer Canada on Facebook.




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GARDNER*JAMES, former VIXEN singer Janet Gardner's collaborative project with her husband, guitarist/producer Justin James, has released the official music video for the song "Rise Up". The track is taken from GARDNER*JAMES's latest album "Synergy", which which was made available via Pavement Entertainment.

Janet and Justin produced the entire video on their own during the pandemic. Justin says: "We turned our living room into a giant green screen, and Janet edited the video on our computer at home." The result is some eye-popping effects to complement this powerful song.

"Synergy" is the first Gardner/James album to be released under the GARDNER*JAMES banner. The couple previously collaborated on Janet's first two solo albums, 2018's "Janet Gardner" and 2019's "Your Place In The Sun".

Janet announced her departure from VIXEN in January 2019, saying in a statement that it was time for her to step aside and let drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross "pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

In January 2018, Gardner underwent surgery to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma.

While Gardner was recovering from her surgery, VIXEN played a show in Durant, Oklahoma in March 2018 with a fill-in singer, Lorraine Lewis of FEMME FATALE. In January 2019, Lewis was announced as Gardner's official replacement.

James had previously worked as a guitarist/songwriter/producer with members of STAIND, COLLECTIVE SOUL and TYKETTO.

Spanish melodic death band Æolian, who recently signed with Black Lion Records, will release their new album The Negationist on November 20th.

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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This month, Devin Townsend is featured on Nail The Mix, breaking down his mixing process for the song "Genesis" from his most recent album, Empath. Check out the trailer below, go to the Nail The Mix website here for information on how the forum works.

Devin Townsend will release Order Of Magnitude - Empath Live Volume 1 on October 23, a document of his Winter 2019 European tour that saw him taking on possibly his most ambitious live show to date.

August 28th saw the launch of the first clip from the release, and you can watch Devin and the Empath Volume 1 live band performing the track "Genesis"  below.

Devin comments: “Here is the first song we’ve chosen to release from the upcoming DVD concert, Order Of Magnitude, which was the first volume of my Empath touring band cycle.

This particular band consisted of ten people onstage, all without click tracks or backing tracks, with the aim of reproducing my work in a new and creative way. A lot of what I’ve done in the past has been very structured, and the opportunity to interpret the music with high degrees of improvisation and flow was a fantastic experience.

This song, 'Genesis' from my latest album Empath seemed an appropriate way to introduce this concert to the audience. It’s kind of an example of ‘musical anarchy’ in some ways- as the song is all over the place structurally to begin with.  But to have a chaotic piece of music, played by these extraordinary musicians I had the honour of being with, in a no-holds-barred production, was really cathartic. It was about being free to do whatever we wanted in a time where rigid ideas of what is acceptable or not are stronger than ever.

I hope you enjoy it. Volume 2 is next, and is in a lot of ways the polar opposite to this, but on my journey of musical exploration, I am grateful for all of it, so thanks again for the support."

Recorded in December 2019 in London, UK on the penultimate night of the tour in support of his latest album Empath, this run of shows saw Devin joined by an incredible lineup of musicians. The band was made up of guitarists Mike Kenneally (ex-Frank Zappa) and Markus Reuter (Stick Men, The Crimson Project), drummer Morgen Agren (Kaipa, Mats & Morgan, Frank Zappa), bassist Nathan Navarro, Haken keyboard player Diego Tejeida, and guitarist/vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval, as well as vocalists Samantha & Anne Preis and Arabella Packford.

Devin’s plan for the Empath touring cycle was to divide it up into three ‘Volumes’, and this was Volume 1. The idea behind the shows was a simple one: none of the backing tapes or click tracks that had long been necessary to bring the kaleidoscopic cacophony in his head and on his records to life in the flesh. This would just be Devin Townsend and a band of genius-level musicians getting up there and trying to keep it from spinning off into outer space. Or maybe just letting it spin-off into outer space for the sheer hell of it.

“The whole objective was that I wanted to make that statement: This is by the seat our pants,” he says. “Because it's important to me to represent this hyper anal-retentive music that I've made over the years, but in a human way. Rather than it just being, ‘Well, here it is, perfectly done.’”

“I was overwhelmed by the fact that all these brilliant people that I have so much respect for were willing to come together and play this weird shit with me,” says Devin. “I had these unique players and this interesting instrumentation that allowed us to interpret the music in different ways. It was clear to me that I could just have fun and be me and know that they would be effortlessly be able to follow that.”

That sense of fun and freedom was evident to anyone who was there on the night. Visually, it was an assault on the senses in the best possible way. A digital screen projected vivid images throughout the show. A giant gleaming mirrorball hung from the ceiling. There were multiple costume changes and a tiki bar onstage (a tiki bar!).

Order Of Magnitude - Empath Live Volume 1 will be released as a Limited Deluxe 2CD+Blu-Ray+DVD Artbook (including expanded artwork & photos), Limited 2CD+DVD Digipak, Standalone Blu-Ray, Gatefold 3LP+2CD vinyl box-set & as a Digital Album. The Blu-Ray disc includes a bonus behind the scenes documentary, and both DVD & Blu-Ray feature a 5.1 surround sound mix.

Tracklisting:

"Borderlands"
"Evermore"
"War"
"Sprite"
"Gigpig Jam"
"Coast"
"Gato"
"Heavens End"
"Ain’t Never Gonna Win"
"Deadhead"
"Why?"
"Lucky Animals"
"Castaway/Genesis"
"Spirits Will Collide"
"Disco Inferno"
"Kingdom"




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On September 4, Iceland's Cult Of Lilith released their debut full-length, Mara, via Metal Blade Records. A full album stream is available below.

A frantic collision of death metal, prog, complex classical structures and more, Mara is a restless, constantly shifting collection that is as imaginative as it is compulsive. The album can be pre-ordered here. A guitar and bass playthrough video of their most recent single, "Purple Tide", is streaming below.

A video for the new single, "Purple Tide" (directed by Dániel Puskás / Valhallartworks) featuring a guest keyboard solo by Lucy In Blue's Arnaldur Ingi Jónsson was recently released. The band has followed it up with a Making Of video clip, Check them both out below.

Cult Of Lilith's Mario Infantes Ávalos (vocals) comments: "'Purple Tide' is a hymn to justice. One that brings balance to our kind, gives rest to the afflicted, empowers them and beheads the tyrants. When justice fails, hope fades away in our hearts and leaves nothing but a thirst for vengeance. May all rapists meet the same fate as the wretched sailors in this video."

Founded in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2015 by guitarist Daniel Þór Hannesson as the sole member, he hired a session drummer and singer to create the Arkanum EP (2016), going on to put together a full band that was cemented in 2018 with the addition of vocalist Mario Infantes Ávalos. "Stylistically, Mara is way more diverse and refined than Arkanum, but still retains some of the essential ideas of composition. There was another vocalist at the time and since their styles are so different, it has made a big impact on the progression of the band. Mario has great range, so he fits very well with our diverse music. There is also a big difference in sound: Mara is much heavier, in your face and beefier than Arkanum, thanks to the amazing Dave Otero, who mixed and mastered the album."

Tracking was done at two studios: drums laid down at Dutch Ice Productions with renowned engineer Chris van der Valk (Hail of Bullets) with everything else recorded at guitarist Kristján Jóhann Júlíusson's Krummafótur Studio. "Tracking guitars was grueling, as it always is for this type of music. Both of our guitarists are perfectionists and achieving a perfect result requires going overboard with tracking until execution is flawless. The whole process was challenging and difficult, but that is kind of the whole point. It makes it more gratifying when it all comes together," says Júlíusson. The results speak for themselves, and open a thrilling new chapter for a band helping establish Iceland's place on the extreme metal map.

Mara tracklisting:

"Cosmic Maelstrom"
"Purple Tide"
"Enter the Mancubus"
"Atlas"
"Comatose"
"Profeta Paloma"
"Zángano"
"Le Soupir du Fantôme"

"Cosmic Maelstrom":

Cult of Lilith lineup:

Mario Infantes Ávalos - Vocals
Daniel Þór Hannesson - Guitar, Composition and arrangements
Kristján Jóhann Júlíusson - Guitar, Composition and arrangements
Samúel Örn Böðvarsson - Bass
Kjartan Harðarson - Drums

(Photo - Void Revelations)




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In the video below, Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro can be seen performing a playthrough clip for his new song, "Running With The Bulls":

Get the album here, and find a full audio stream below.

A recent message from Kiko states: "By definition, 'open source' is related to softwares which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. It brings us a higher sense of community, enhances our creativity and creates new possibilities. So why not take this concept to our art, our music? How much richer a song could be if others had access to its source code? What if the song's original composition wasn't the final product? What if it was just the beginning? Something that could be constantly updated and evolve over time. And as well as a machine, we as humans are also minded to enhancements, being an open source ourselves, constantly moving and growing, through technology, science, spirituality… and art. This is the mindset which I bring now to my fifth solo album, that was named... guess what? OPEN SOURCE!"

Tracklisting:

"Overflow
"EDM (e-Dependent Mind)"
"Imminent Threat"
"Liquid Times"
"Sertão"
"Vital Signs"
"Dreamlike"
"Black Ice"
"In Motion"
"Running With The Bulls"
"Du Monde"

Album stream:




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The Scorpions have uploaded some classic professionally shot footage of them performing “Bad Boys Running Wild” live at Deutschlandhalle, Berlin in November 1991.

Scorpions drummer, Mikkey Dee, recently shared the video below, revealing that the band have completed the "first block of session" for their new studio album, and will reconvene in October.

The video was shot inside a Greek restaurant in Hannover, Germany, where the band had been working at Peppermint Park Studios. Watch the clip below, and stay tuned for further updates from the band.

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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"So... after our first show in seven months and one to remember, we are insanely excited to announce yet another member," says UK rockers Collateral. "On the keyboards... Mr Rob Fenning."

Rob Fenning (pictured above) is also the lead vocalist for London-based melodic rock band Shaft Of Steel. The group released their debut album, Steel Heartbeat, in 2020. 

Just last month, Collateral introduced Louis Malagodi as their second guitarist. 

Collateral released their self-titled, debut full-length album (recorded as a four piece) in February 2020 via Roulette Media Records / Cargo Records UK. Check out the video for the single "Merry Go Round":




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Swedish deathrash upstarts Sarcator have revealed their new track "The Hour Of Torment". The song is the first to be revealed from the band's self-titled debut album, Sarcator, set for international release on October 30th via Redefining Darkness Records. Hear Sarcator's "The Hour Of Torment" in its entirety at Bandcamp, where all formats can be pre-ordered, as well as on Spotify.

Upon listening to this album blindly, one would imagine a band of 30- or 40-something long-hairs that have been stalwarts of the metal scene since the early '90s and have been doing it so long, they have the formula down to a pointed science. This is melodic Swedish death leaning heavy on its Teutonic German thrash origins so much so that it would make any Sodom fan smile from horn to horn...

But there's just one catch: the rippin' guitars you hear are being manhandled by a mere 16 year old, while the eldest ranks in at a ripe old 20! We should also mention that it is no ordinary 16 year old: it just happens to be the son of guitarist Marko Tervonen of Swedish death greats The Crown! Now is this all beginning to make sense? While the other members fill the gap between the youngest and eldest at just 20 years old, this band has loads of promise... if they can just make it to graduation first!

Redefining Darkness is proud to bring you the debut album from Swedish death/thrash legends in-the-making, Sarcator! So pick your chin up off the floor, crank the stereo to 11, and let this band of Goonies take you on a thrash metal ride to Swedish death heaven!

Sarcator artwork and tracklisting:

"Abyssal Angel"
"Manic Rapture"
"Deicidal"
"Midnight Witchery"
"The Hour Of Torment"
"Circle Of Impurity"
"Heretic's Domain"
"Desolate Visions"
"Demonstrike"
"Purgatory Unleashed"
"Cryptic Pain" (CD-only bonus)

For further details, visit Sarcator on Facebook.

 




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