SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan spoke to Ernie Ball's "Striking A Chord" podcast about how he is dealing with the coronavirus crisis. He said (hear audio below). "It's forced us to look at things very differently, and it's shining a very big spotlight on a bunch of interesting things. The first thing, obviously, that we're looking at is we're looking at how can we still play music for fans and how can we still earn a living. So we're looking towards streaming platforms and how we can set up shows. We're setting up production here in Nashville which we can use with full-on video walls and lights and the whole deal — so kind of like it would be at a live show. So it's a new thing to look at.

"You see bands that are doing geolocating shows, where it's kind of locked to a certain area or a certain grid, and then they'll do a show in that town, so to speak," he continued. "So a virtual show in, let's say, Cincinnati, Ohio, and then the next night, you do a virtual show in Dayton, Ohio. I'm in Nashville, [so] I can't watch the Cincinnati show. That's one approach that some guys have taken. And then what we are looking at doing is we're gonna do a show right around the time, within a week or two of [the new SEETHER] album dropping, and just do an hour-and-a-half-long set and charge people, I think, 10 bucks to buy a ticket, or whatever it is, and we're gonna open it up to the world and kind of make it so there's no limit. Some other guys have also limited the shows to, say, a thousand people. So there's all these different approaches to it.

"None of us know how to navigate these stormy waters," Shaun admitted. "I think it's quite an interesting time. And then the other part is, you kind of feel a bit like a scumbag… I think I have too much empathy sometimes, but you don't really wanna take money from people in a time when they may be slightly short on money. But by the same token, we're not just half-assing the show. And we will be doing concerts on a regular basis. In fact, all the band guys are coming up to Nashville from their various geographic locations and we're gonna do a whole bunch of content in a very short amount of time. We're looking at stuff like maybe doing albums from front to back and then having that be a show. And then we're gonna maybe be looking at doing possibly a second 'One Cold Night'-type show where it's all acoustic, and it's a completely different set and a completely different vibe.

"What the spotlight has shone for me the brightest is most of my eggs are in one basket at this point, man, and most of my income, if not in fact all of it at this point, is directly from this band and this music," he added. "So if you take away the largest driver of revenue for us, which is live shows and merch sales, that really has an impact on, 'Oh, wow.' How am I prepared? What are my safety plans? Are my nets all in place? If this continues for another year, is everything gonna be good?

"You take it for granted that the cycle's just gonna repeat itself. And that for me has shown me that I haven't really… I've done some things to diversify the portfolio, so to speak, but for the most part, I haven't been very clever in creating new business opportunities up until this pandemic started. So now I've got my irons in a bunch of different little fires and I'm stoking it to see which ones will grow into flames. But that was out of sheer necessity for my own mental well-being, because I stress about everything. And when you add something this big onto the top of it for me, yeah, it's been crazy."

SEETHER will celebrate the release of its eighth studio album, "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" — its first in three years — with a global livestream event to be held Sunday, August 30 at 3 p.m. ET in an exclusive partnership with Veeps and Elite Multimedia.

Ticket packages are on sale now at Seether.Veeps.com.

"Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" was produced by Morgan and engineered and mixed by Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, AFI) in Nashville from December 2019 through January 2020.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King says that he has "more than two records' worth of music" for his upcoming project.

King is working on material for his first album since SLAYER's "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

"I've been very, very lucky with riffs in 2020," Kerry told the Dean Guitars YouTube channel in a new interview (see video below). "Maybe because I can't go anywhere — I don't know — but riffs have certainly not been a problem. And looking forward into the future, what that means for me is I'm gonna be able to cherrypick the best stuff. And it's good stuff. I've got more than two records' worth of music, but to be able to go through that and cherrypick the best 11 or 12 [songs]… That first record should be smoking."

According to Kerry, who recently partnered with Dean Guitars as a signature artist, most of the songwriting for his next project so far has been a solitary effort.

"Right now, I'm the only lyricist, because I'm the only one writing music, because I'm not positive who everybody is that's gonna be playing with me," he said. "So it's all on me at the moment. So, actually, I've actually gotta cherrypick those songs, pick my 10 or 12 favorites and actually start trying to put lyrics on them, just to move the process forward."

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour last November at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry's wife, Ayesha King, said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances.

When SLAYER first announced that it was embarking on its final tour back in January 2018, Ayesha assured fans that they would "always get music" from her husband.

King has said in previous interviews that his post-SLAYER musical efforts would not be much different from the sound fans have grown accustomed to hearing from him.

"If someone quit, I'm not going to go around with a made-up SLAYER," he told AZCentral.com back in 2010. "But my next band would sound like SLAYER, that's all I know."

King told Rolling Stone in 2015 that he had entertained the idea of working on a solo project. "There's plenty of people that I considered doing [one] with ... but I have to have SLAYER covered before I consider anything like that," he said at the time.

Ozzy Osbourne recently sat down with co-host Billy Morrison for another episode of "Ozzy Speaks" on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard. During the episode, Ozzy discussed music, talking about the story behind his "No More Tears" album, how THE BEATLES "always had great melodies" and more. Additionally, Ozzy and Billy spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic, reminding listeners to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Ozzy said (hear audio below): "Whether you like the government or whether you don't, whatever, Dr. Fauci, all these virologist people, they [tell] us what we should do: wear a mask, wash hands, social distance… I don't go anywhere. If the president says something, I do the opposite. 'Cause he changes his mind every hour. I mean, literally. I'm going, 'What?'"

Ozzy also talked about the importance of opening up to someone close to you, especially while remaining at home amid the coronavirus crisis.

"People have gotta learn to start sharing their feelings with someone they trust, because people who are locked up and worried about this pandemic and whatever need to unload, because if you don't unload, you're gonna get depressed," he said. "And if you get depressed, who knows what's gonna happen?

"If you've got a best friend or you've got someone who you trust, don't be afraid to share. Because you know what? We are all in the shithole right now. We are all in an environment that we don't wanna be in. When I'm in a room in my head on my own, it's a bad fucking place. 'Cause my head never tells me anything fucking good."

The "Ozzy Speaks" episode which aired on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard is available on demand on the SiriusXM app.

Last week, Ozzy has blasted Donald Trump's coronavirus response, saying that America's 45th president is "acting like a fool." In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said: "In my lifetime, I've never known anything like this. It's getting worse, not better. And this guy's acting like a fool. I don't really like to talk politics that much, but I've got to say what I feel with this guy. There's not much hope left. Maybe he's got a trick up his sleeve and he's going to surprise us all, and I hope he has. [Recently], over a thousand more people died in one day [in America]. That's fucking crazy. People got to get with this social distancing and mask-wearing or else it's never gonna go away."

Former MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and WHITE LION bassist James LoMenzo is the latest musician to take issue with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's suggestion that artists need to be more prolific in the streaming age.

For years, Spotify has been criticized for offering paltry payouts to musicians and songwriters, with some claiming that the service gives major-label artists an unfair advantage via playlist placement and other promotional avenues.

In an interview published last month, Ek told Music Ally: "Even today on our marketplace, there's literally millions and millions of artists. What tends to be reported are the people that are unhappy, but we very rarely see anyone who's talking about… In the entire existence [of Spotify], I don't think I've ever seen a single artist saying, 'I'm happy with all the money I'm getting from streaming,' stating that publicly. In private, they have done that many times, but in public, they have no incentive to do it. But unequivocally, from the data, there are more and more artists that are able to live off streaming income in itself.

"There is a narrative fallacy here, combined with the fact that, obviously, some artists that used to do well in the past may not do well in this future landscape, where you can't record music once every three to four years and think that's going to be enough," he continued.

"The artists today that are making it realize that it's about creating a continuous engagement with their fans. It is about putting the work in, about the storytelling around the album, and about keeping a continuous dialogue with your fans.

"I feel, really, that the ones that aren't doing well in streaming are predominantly people who want to release music the way it used to be released," he added.

A number of notable artists have since fired back at Ek over his suggestion that artists need to churn out more content if they want to the same money they used to, with many in the music community — including TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider, former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach, ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and STRYPER's Michael Sweet — saying that's just not how the creative process works.

Asked in a new interview with "That Jamieson Show With Don Jamieson" for his take on Ek's comments, LoMenzo said (hear audio below): "Fuck him! Right away. God, if he gets into a room with any one of us, man, he's not gonna be very happy about it. This is gluttonous. He should be in jail with [infamous financier and Ponzi swindler] Bernard Madoff. He's robbing us all blind. And you know what? There was no way out of it."

He continued: "I know everybody enjoys the convenience of MP3s — I do — but the point is that we used to be able to take months and months, if not a year or two years, and if it took five years, we could sit there and make a piece of art for people that would last forever. You wonder why music is turning so disposable. It's part of this consciousness of just, you know, music's just… it's for the moment.

"You and I grew up in a time where we would have an album and that would be our life for a month," James added. "And then we'd carry that with us for the rest of our lives. This kind of business model is cheating people out of that experience, and it's propelling people past the art of it, which is, sadly, where we're ending up.

"You can only rebel so much — I mean, if popular taste wants that, that's fine — but exacerbating it through greed, I don't really think that's a noble pursuit, unless you're greedy."

Last month, Spotify announced its financial results for the second quarter of this year, indicating €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion) in revenues, up 13% year-over-year. Out of the €1.9 billion, €131 million ($154 million) came from advertising while the rest came from subscriptions. Despite increasing revenues, Spotify, however, recorded a sizeable loss of €356 million ($419 million) during the quarter. In the last quarter, Spotify hit a high of 299 million monthly active users, 138 million of whom are paying subscribers via Spotify's premium tier.

Visions Of Atlantis’ long cherished dream came true: An unforgettable journey through the maritime depths of their history accompanied by the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague!

This autumn, Visions Of Atlantis will continue their entrancing symphonic journey through the maritime depths by presenting fans with their very first live album/Blu-ray/DVD, A Symphonic Journey To Remember. Recorded live at the 2019 Bang Your Head!!! Festival with the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague, the multi-format live offering is set to be released via Napalm Records on October 30.

The audiovisual voyage through the long and successful history of the band showcases their strong, manifold identity and cements their standing at the top of the scene. Alongside their bandmates, the heart-wrenching duets of Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli are underlined by the outstanding musical power of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague.

The highly energetic, enchanting live music video “Heroes Of The Dawn” catches a first visual spark of the palpable live atmosphere of the festival, and the band’s breathtaking musical delivery.

Following the release of their latest chart-breaking studio album, Wanderers (#17 UK, #30 US, #39 DE), symphonic metal alliance Visions Of Atlantis are now ready to conquer your eyes and ears with this unique, first-class live appearance.

Clémentine Delauney on A Symphonic Journey To Remember: “We are absolutely thrilled with finally releasing our very first live blu-ray/DVD, A Symphonic Journey to Remember. Our show at Bang Your Head!!! Festival in 2019 with the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague gave us the perfect point in space and time to make the dream of playing with an orchestra come true. We hope you will enjoy this audiovisual experience as much as the memory of this show is still vivid and precious to us!”

Enter the maritime depths with Visions Of Atlantis and watch the live video for “Heroes Of The Dawn” below.

In 2019, Visions Of Atlantis realized their dream of captioning their symphonic experience at the highest level. Supported by the orchestral accompaniment of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague for the very first time, the quintet captivated the audience once again with their impressive headliner set at last year’s Bang Your Head!!! festival. This unique experience is captured on Blu-ray/DVD and audio formats - 17 atmospheric tracks guide listeners and viewers through the unparalleled, powerful discography of Visions Of Atlantis. The outstanding symbiosis of Clémentine Delauney’s and Michele Guaitoli’s vocals, accompanied by the band’s breathtaking soundscapes and impressive scenery, will guide fans through the deep valleys of the untamed seas.   

This unforgettable live experience will be available as a special Blu-ray/DVD/Audio CD bundle as well as a double vinyl Gatefold, as an exclusive deluxe edition and via all audio streaming services.

This unique experience will be available in the following formats:

- Blu-ray / DVD / CD Digipak, vertical format
- Blu-ray / DVD / CD Digipak, vertical format + Shirt Bundle
- 2 LP Vinyl Gatefold Black (incl. DVD)
- 2 LP Vinyl Gatefold Splatter Blue/White (incl. DVD)
- Deluxe Fan Gym Bag (incl. Flag, blu-ray/DVD/CD Digipak Bundle + signed Booklet, VIP Pass & Laynard)
- digital via all audio platforms

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"The Deep & The Dark"
"New Dawn"
"Ritual Night"
"Lost"
"The Last Home"
"Memento"
"Release My Symphony"
"Words Of War"
"Heroes Of The Dawn"
"Wanderers"
"Seven Seas"
"A Journey To Remember"
"The Grand Illusion"
"Nothing Lasts Forever"
"Passing Dead End"
"Return To Lemuria"

"Heroes Of The Dawn" live video:

(Photo - Emilie Garcin)




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Eagle Rock Entertainment presents the first in-depth film biography of iconic musician Ronnie Wood with the release of Somebody Up There Likes Me. An official selection at both the Tribeca Film Festival 2020 and the BFI London Film Festival 2019, the film (by acclaimed director Mike Figgis) will be available in North America as a Virtual Cinema release starting September 18 at ronniewoodmovie.com, running through October. This will be followed by a DVD, Blu-ray and deluxe hardback book release on October 9.Those who purchase a ticket ($11) will also be treated to a Q&A with Wood and Figgis.

As an artist, musician, producer and author, Ronnie Wood has made countless contributions to the cultural zeitgeist. Yet, there is so much more to know about the man himself. This intimate portrait traces the many lives and careers of one of the most important guitarists in music, capturing what it means to be a rock ‘n’ roll icon.

Somebody Up There Likes Me traces Wood’s 50-year musical history, from The Birds, The Jeff Beck Group, The Faces (with Rod Stewart), and The New Barbarians, to becoming a permanent member of The Rolling Stones. Additionally, Mike Figgis captures Wood’s charismatic warmth, energy and honesty as he speaks openly about his battles with drink and drugs. The film takes its title from a conversation with Wood about surviving his chronic smoking habit: “When they operated on my cancer, they took away my emphysema. They said my lungs were as if I’d never smoked. I thought: ‘How’s that for a Get Out Of Jail Free card?’ Somebody up there likes me, and somebody down here likes me too.”

The documentary features brand new interviews with Wood’s Rolling Stones bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, as well as his Faces bandmate, Rod Stewart. Other interviewees include Wood’s wife Sally Wood, singer Imelda May and artist Damien Hirst, alongside both present-day performances and archive footage from Wood's stellar multi-band career.

These interviews and performance segments blend with footage of Wood playing guitar and harmonica (a reminder of his talents as a versatile instrumentalist), as well as quiet, personal moments while he paints in his studio. It climaxes with Wood giving a beautiful, intimate performance of “Breathe On Me” from his 1975 solo album New Look.

Somebody Up There Likes Me is a fresh look at Ronnie Wood - a rewarding and compelling insight into one of music’s most likable, successful and complex key players.

Ronnie describes the film as summing up “the essence of survival” in a life he continues to live to the fullest, without regrets, “I wouldn’t change anything except I’d do it with my eyes open a bit more,” he says, “I was in the hands of destiny all my life…and being in the right place at the right time”.




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US heavy metal outfit, Spirit Adrift, will release their new record, Enlightened In Eternity, via Century Media Records outside of North America on October 16. The band have released this guitar tutorial video for the the song “Harmony Of The Spheres”:

With the release of the first single, “Harmony Of The Spheres”, the band are giving the world a first taste on what to expect on the band’s fourth studio album - nothing but a monument to the timelessness of heavy metal.

Nathan Garrett comments: “Making a Spirit Adrift album is always intense. But Chained And Curse dealt with issues from my past, and Divided dealt with external issues, from more of a philosophical perspective. So there was a bit of a protective layer of detachment between the material and myself. On the other hand, when Marcus and I recorded Enlightened In Eternity, we were smack in the middle of a lot of intense emotional upheaval.  Hour to hour, minute to minute. Some days it took everything I had to keep working, particularly when it was time to record vocals. From a technical standpoint, things couldn’t have gone smoother. But from an emotional standpoint, it was brutal. The silver lining is that our hearts and souls are embedded into this record with a raw immediacy and urgency that’s unmatched by our previous material. I wrote the songs on Enlightened In Eternity before my life fell apart, and from the beginning I set out to make this our most uplifting and empowering album. I’m glad I did that, because ironically enough, these songs helped me keep going when things got bad. I’m proud of the work Marcus put in, I’m proud of these songs, and I’m proud of how we navigated the entire experience. This is the most challenging record I’ve ever made, and it’s my favorite record I’ve ever made. I hope it helps others the way it helped me.”

Enlightened In Eternity formats:

-CD Digipak - all outlets
-Gatefold black LP - all outlets
-100x Gatefold transparent orange LP - Evil Greed shop
-100x Gatefold transparent magenta LP - CM Mailorder Shop
-200x Gatefold light blue LP - CM Distro

Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“Ride Into The Light”
“Astral Levitation”
“Cosmic Conquest”
“Screaming From Beyond”
“Harmony Of The Spheres”
“Battle High”
“Stronger Than Your Pain”
“Reunited In The Void”

“Harmony Of The Spheres” lyric video:




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Firewind's Gus G. has released a guitar playthrough video for "Break Away", a track from the band's new self-titled album. Watch below:

Firewind's new self-titled album is out now via AFM Records. Get it here.

“Firewind” boasts 11 prime examples of melodic metal songs. The skill, craftsmanship and power bleeds through every note, a passion you can almost taste, with hymnal melodies as a particularly outstanding feature.

Tracklisting:

"Welcome To The Empire"
"Devour"
"Rising Fire"
"Break Away"
"Orbitual Sunrise"
"Longing To Know You"
"Perfect Stranger"
"Overdrive"
"All My Life"
"Space Cowboy"
"Kill The Pain"

"Break Away" lyric video:

"Welcome To The Empire" video:

"Rising Fire" video:

EPK:




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Canada’s Red Cain is finishing their “Kindred” saga with the release of Kindred: Act II this coming October. So far the band has unleashed two singles off the forthcoming full length “Sunshine (Blood Sun Empire)” and “Demons”. Today, they are excited to give a deeper glimpse into the world of their sophomore album with their third single “Kindred”.

Vocalist Evgeniy Zayarny explains the story behind the song in further detail:

"'Kindred', the title track of our saga, is a song we have spent 3 long years waiting to release. Written before the songs on Kindred: Act I, and debuted live in subsequent shows, this song in many ways defined and created the concept for the tracks that followed. Haunting, powerful, challenging, and lyrically intense - it is still one of the songs we are most proud of. And it is time for it to be revealed. 

“‘Kindred’ places us behind the burning eyes of the secondary antagonist of the saga, the Nameless Exarch - the high priest of the malign entity seeking to remake the world in its image. His past forgotten and irrelevant, the Nameless Exarch rises as the herald and prophet of this Lovecraftian force and rallies the disenfranchised, disillusioned, and discontent under his aberrant banner - triggering a tidal wave of chaos engulfing the globe. 

“The composition of the track follows the path of the Exarch, starting with his call: “something reached and woke me up - and all is crumbling”, and is meant to oscillate between the last moments of introspection of the man who will become the entity’s vessel - “another lonely pilgrim to watch the world burn”, and his capture and dissolution in the maelstrom of fanaticism and madness. The soft vocal interludes play on the pervasive cult mentality of reality being but a dream, with the man that will be the Exarch begging his newfound master to “bring me awake...I need it”. The introspective sections quickly give way to the massive, heavy, and djenty main riff with spiraling leads - his transformation - toward an elevated, haunting chorus that shows the Nameless Exarch finally assuming his mantle with the anthemic ‘I dream of Kindred mine - across the world, we are the night.’

“So don your robe, find a secluded, gothic cavern, light one red candle - and listen to the Exarch’s call with us. This is ‘Kindred’.”

(Photo by: Ravenkin Photography)




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Swedish melodic progressive metal band Darkwater have released a guitar playthrough video for "Burdens", taken from their new album Human.

Human is available now via Ulterium Records on CD, 2LP and digital.

"In Front Of You" bass playthrough video:

“In Front Of You” lyric video:

"A New Beginning" lyric video:

"Alive (Pt. II)" video:




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Helion Prime has released the second single for their upcoming album Question Everything, out October 5, 2020. A lyric video for the track was created by John W. Yelland (Vocalist of Judicator, Dire Peril, and Principium).

The single "Madame Mercury" is based on NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson. Johnson studied how to use geometry for space travel. She figured out the paths for the spacecraft to orbit (go around) Earth and to land on the Moon. NASA used Johnson's math, and it worked! NASA sent astronauts into orbit around Earth. Later, her math helped send astronauts to the Moon and back. NASA could not have done these things without Katherine Johnson and her love for math.

Today would have been Johnson's 102nd birthday had she not passed away earlier this year. There was no better way to release this song than with a video honoring her life's achievements on her birthday!

Guitarist Jason Ashcraft adds:

"When researching everyone for this album each story was inspiring in their own way, but Katherine's was one that really spoke to me. I admit I didn't know much about her before starting this album, but I can confidently say after learning all I did about her she's definitely a hero of mine. She was an amazing person and I hope this song can in some small way honor everything she's done."

It's been about two years since the band's sophomore release Terror Of The Cybernetic Space Monster, and Sacramento sci-fi power metallers Helion Prime return with their third effort and the much shorter title, Question Everything, set for release on Monday, October 5 via their label Saibot Reigns.

This is Helion Prime's first album with new vocalist Mary Zimmer, who has also accompanied the band on two separate tours of the United States. It also sees the band's original singer, Heather Michele, returning in a writing capacity and contributing all lyrics and melodies. Heather Michele also along with other former Helion Prime vocalist Sozos Michael and with John Yelland (Judicator/Dire Peril) add their guest vocals on the full length.

The third record is a concept album, with each song revolving around different figures throughout human history who had the courage to question the status quo of their respective worlds/societies, in some cases even dealing with harsh persecution as a result. Those Helion Prime chose to write about-faced prejudice, mockery, ex-communication, and persecution - yet through it all, they held true to their beliefs and ideas. Time would be their greatest ally as their ideas and identities were eventually validated, oftentimes not until after their passing. They serve as an inspiration for all minds to continue thinking outside the box and staying true to themselves.

Jason speaks on the album itself: "This album has truly been amazing to work on. The idea behind it is something I've been holding on to since around the time I started the band. Aside from writing some of what I consider to be Prime's best work it was a great experience getting to work with Heather again on an album as she once again contributed her talents for the lyrics."

Question Everything was mixed by Chris Collier and mastered by Brett Caldas-Lima with additional mixing/drum edits/reamping by Alex Nasla of Gear Gods Studio. Guitar/Bass edits by Michael Goodrich and cover art by Marc Whisnant.

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"The Final Theory"
"Madame Mercury"
"Prof"
"The Gadfly"
"Photo 51"
"E Pur Si Muove"
"Words of The Abbot" ft. guest vocals John Yelland (Judicator, Dire Peril)
"The Forbidden Zone"
"Question Everything" ft. Heather Michele (ex-Graveshadow, ex-Helion Prime) and Sozos Michael (ex-Helion Prime, Planeswalker)
"Reawakening"
"Kong at the Gates" (Misfits Cover)

"Madame Mercury" lyric video:

"The Forbidden Zone" lyric video:

Helion Prime lineup:

Jason Ashcraft - Guitar
Chad Bill Anderson - Guitar
Mary Zimmer - Vocals
Alex Bosson - Drums
Jeremy Steinhouse - Bass

(Photo - Casey Frederick)




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Funko will release the official Freddie Mercury Vinyl Soda Figure in September.

Your favorite character is joining Funko's Vinyl Soda line! This Queen Freddie Mercury Vinyl Soda Figure measures approximately 4 1/4-inches tall. Packaged inside a collectible soda can, it includes a "POG" shaped collector card. The limited edition item even includes a Chase figure to hunt and collect!

Pre-order here.




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With very heavy hearts, BraveWords sadly must report the passing of Brighton Rock singer Gerald Damian "Gerry" McGhee, who found more worldwide success with Isotope Music Canada, Isotope Music UK and the recent major resurgence of vinyl, launching Precision Record Pressing that was located in Toronto and Burlington, Ontario. More information will be available soon, but Gerry succumbed to cancer last night (August 25th).

Brighton Rock released four albums throughout their career including Brighton Rock (1985), Young, Wild and Free (1986), Take a Deep Breath (1988), Love Machine (1991) and hits including “Can’t Wait For The Night” and "One More Try”.

 

A number of BraveWords staff had worked with McGhee in some capacity and we are truly stunned. Gerry leaves his wife Carla and their two daughters behind. Deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans. Please respect the family's wishes for privacy. 




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Stone Sour have released a demo version of "RU486", which is available for streaming below.

Guitarist Josh Rand states: "'RU486': Flat-out scream therapy. This is the anger of indecision, where all the various ‘Personality Voices’ plot rebellion and compulsive disgust."




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German heavy metal hope, Neck Cemetery, will release of their debut album, Born In A Coffin, on October 9 via Reaper Entertainment. Pre-order here.

Today, the band presents the first album trailer. Check it out below and find out more about the band's founding, the first songs and the first show:

The band previously released the first digital single ,"King Of The Dead". The song is available on all major streaming platforms. The rustic music video for the song can be found below.

Born In A Coffin was produced in February and March 2020 in the German "Gernhart" studios in collaboration with producer Martin Buchwalter who is known in the hard & heavy scene for his work with Tankard, Destruction, Tom Angelripper, Paul Di´Anno, Suidakra and many more. For guest contributions the band was able to win scene veteran Chris Boltendahl (Grave Digger), as well as guitarist Michael Koch (ex-Altantean Kodex).

The cover artwork was created by Besil Wrathbone, who has already drawn for Sodom and the skateboard brand "Koloss", among others.

Tracklisting:

"L.F.I.R.S."
"King Of The Dead"
"Castle Of Fear"
"The Fall Of A Realm"
"Banging In The Grave"
"Feed The Night"
"The Creed"
"Sisters Of Battle"

"King Of The Dead" video:

(Photo - Moritz "Mumpi" Künster)




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"The Lost Ones", the latest single from powerhouse newcomers, Disciples Of Verity (D.O.V.)'s Pragmatic Sanction debut, is available today. A lyric video for the track can be seen below.

“We all feel like we're the only ones suffering,” says vocalist Corey Glover says of the poignant new single. “Like you are the only ones that getting the shitty end of the deal. You’re not. We all are. The world ain't no paradise. At least we're in it together.”

Bassist George Pond adds, “The world has changed. Now is the time to look inside to change with it. To adapt. We are all ‘The Lost Ones’ trying to find our way.”

“The Lost Ones” is available for download here.

Fueled by an insatiable urge to create and collaborate, D.O.V. combines the broad range of talent of its all-star lineup - which also includes drummer Corey Pierce (God Forbid) and George Pond (Negative Sky) - to forge a new breed of crossover metal. The band’s debut, scheduled for a late summer/early fall release via The Label Group, features guest performances from numerous Platinum-selling and Grammy-winning artists including Morgan Rose (Sevendust), Phil Demmel (Machine Head), Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy), Tara McLeod (Kittie), JJ Sammataro (Negative Sky) and solo artist Joe Gareri.

Pragmatic Sanction is scheduled for release on October 16 via The Label Group. The album was produced by George Pond and Charlie Berezansky, co-produced by Corey Pierce and Jay Muench, mixed by Charlie Berezansky at Rival Sound, and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side. Pre-orders are available here.

Tracklisting:

“Lying To Myself” (feat. Phil Demmel)
“The Flow” (feat. Morgan Rose)
“Worthy” (feat. Jeff Loomis)
“The Lost Ones” (feat. JJ Sammataro)
“Confiding In Shadows” (feat. Joe Garen)
“Remember The Living” (feat. Tara McLeod)
“Unsteady” (X Ambassadors cover)
“I AM I” (feat. Joe Garen)

“Unsteady”:

“The Flow”:

“Lying To Myself”:

(Photo by: @kennetteproductions)




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WoR, the groove metal band hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, have released a video for "Caged", a track from their debut album, Prisoners, out now via Bungalo Records/Universal.

With their music focusing on various current events, the theme of the debut full length speaks to the idea that people are prisoners in a system that is failing them. The song "Caged" specifically engages on this issue in a variety of literal and figurative ways.

The band states: "This is the last song we wrote and it almost didn’t make it onto the album, because it was written so late in the pre-production process. 'Caged' was our second single released. This track is straight-up groovy, heavy, and even just plain nasty at points."

Groovy, raw, and old school, WoR is suitable for all fans of metal especially those with an interest in Machine Head, Sepultura and Gojira.

Prisoners artwork and tracklisting:

"Kill You"
"Caged"
"VI Kings"
"Sirens"
"A Place To Die"
"Predator"
"T.G.S.O.A.T"
"Come Out And Play"
"Hiraeth"
"Freedom Suicide"

"VI Kings" video:

"Predator" video:

(Photo - Matthew Wonderly)




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TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skonlick recently teamed up with the four members of SEPULTURA to record a quarantine version of the SEPULTURA song "Vandals Nest". Check out video below. The original version of the track appeared on SEPULTURA's 2017 album "Machine Messiah".

SEPULTURA's latest LP, "Quadra", was released on February 7 via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept effort created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

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

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

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

Deep Purple tribute act, Purpendicular, are back with a new single featuring Paul Morris and Ernesto Ghezzi as well as a live version of "Somebody Done It" featuring Ian Paice on drums.

The single, "Sex & Money", is the first release from the upcoming new album, which will hit the shops in early 2021. The new track continues the musical path which was defined by the previous two longplayers, This Is The Thing No.1 and Venus To Volcanus: classic rock, inspired by bands like Deep Purple with a modern touch. Straight to the point, but also playful with a catchy groove as well as the charismatic voice of singer Robby Thomas Walsh. In addition, the new song features Paul Morris (ex-Rainbow) and Ernesto Ghezzi (Gotthard) as guest musicians.

Purpendicular is a well established live band playing classic Deep Purple and their own songs, also featuring Ian Paice on drums. So the B-Side of this new single is a Purpendicular song called "Somebody Done It", which was recorded with Ian during a show in Herne back in 2019.

After the single release a lyric video will be published at the end of August and the live video for the B-Side coming up in September.

Currently the band is about to finish the new album and is scheduling a tour to start in a couple of months, which will hopefully bring the band back on stage again.

(Photo - Chris Bogie)




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Japanese drum prodigy Yoyoka, who has become a YouTube sensation and has attracted the attention of KISS icon Gene Simmons and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, recently teamed up with ZO2 vocalist Paulie Z, bassist Koichi Terasawa (ex-SLY) and guitarist Satsuma3042 to record a lockdown cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Over The Mountain". Check it out below.

Yoyoka recently recorded a cover of the Rush classic "YYZ", saying "I have a lot of respect for Neil Peart. I am sorry he has gone to heaven, but I would like to dedicate a cover of this wonderful song to him. R.I.P."




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Deep Purple recently released their new album, Whoosh!, and in an exclusive interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, drummer Ian Paice reveals that this might not be the band's final album after all.

“There was every chance when we went in to start recording the Whoosh! album that it would probably be the last record,” Paice explains. “(Producer Bob Ezrin's) idea was to do a musical full circle, to take the first track off the first record and then end it with the last track on what would have been, in our minds, probably the last record."

Then the pandemic created the potential for another chapter in the Deep Purple story.

“It might not be the last record,” Paice says now, with a chuckle. “We’ve got all of this dead time. We know we can’t do any concerts until sometime next year. Now, 10 or 11 months, is a long time for musicians to sit around doing nothing when they could do something.

"So, it wouldn’t surprise me - and I know there’s little mutterings going on - that we might get together towards the end of this year and see if we can write some more stuff," Paice adds. "If we can, if we’ve got some ideas that we like, then there’s no reason at all why there shouldn’t be another record.”

Read the complete interview with Ian Paice at Ultimate Classic Rock.

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:

(Photo - Ben Wolf)




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EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee spoke to SiriusXM's "Debatable" on the Volume channel about the band's upcoming album, "The Bitter Truth" (BMG). The band's first collection of new original music in nine years, "The Bitter Truth" is being made available incrementally throughout 2020.

"We're still writing, but we're also recording," she said (see video below). "We got four songs down, and then we really had to just be apart. And that was kind of good, but kind of hard — we just worked remotely for a while. We got the American bandmembers back together. After getting COVID tests and tour buses brought guys from both coasts, we all holed up in Nick Raskulinecz, our producer, his private studio, so we were quarantining together for a little over a month.

"Let me tell you — after not having the option of being together when we had wanted to so much and having so much isolation before that, the fact that we had created a safe way to get together just totally made it more meaningful and more passionate and lit a bigger fire under us to make it our best," she continued. "So we were able to get together and finish some writing, do some more writing together, and then record the band parts. The guys have gone home now. And we're working with Jen [Majura, guitar] remotely. But now I'm still here, finishing lyrics, working on keyboards, working on vocals. So we're still ongoing."

According to Amy, it is still unclear as to when "The Bitter Truth" will be made available in its entirety. "We don't have a release date, but I kind of like to look at it like it's happening now," she explained. "The idea behind this whole thing was always to just go one at a time, release it a little at a time, in real time with the fans while it's still going on and it's still fresh, and just live in the moment more. So in my mind, it is being released — this is part of it. We live in a new world where it's not all about just dropping a big pile of music all at once. People don't always consume music that way — I don't. So I still wanna make an album — that's part of who we are, and I think that's important to our fans, that we're doing that — and we'll drop the back half, or whatever, soon. But I don't have a date, 'cause I never wanna put a date down while I'm still writing, 'cause I don't wanna get to the last minute and be, like, 'Anything. Just put some words down.' I can't do that. It has to be right, and sometimes it takes a minute."

Lee went on to say that the musical direction of the new EVANESCENCE material is substantially different from 2017's "Synthesis", which contained some of the band's best-loved songs — as well as a couple of new ones — reinvented with full orchestra over a deep electronic landscape.

"It's definitely not orchestral," Amy said. "We haven't put a single string down yet. There's a lot of guitars. We're kind of letting the pendulum swing back. We went that way, and that was beautiful, and God, that was special — that experience with 'Synthesis' — but that's all really just been setting us up to come back in full force with the more rock side of who we are. So I'm honestly enjoying sound design and programming and synthesizers a lot more than the idea of a live orchestra right now. It doesn't mean that we won't find something where we're, like, 'We need a little string section on this,' or whatever, but we haven't reached that point yet."

Earlier this month, EVANESCENCE released a new single, "Use My Voice", which was written to celebrate the power of speaking out in order to promote more justice in the world. The track, featuring contributions from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's Taylor Momsen and HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale, was chosen by HeadCount in the USA to encourage voters to register, check their registration, or find out about their remote voting options amid the COVID-19 pandemic at UseMyVoice.org.

Norwegian high-octane metallers, Fight The Fight, have released a new track, "Ritual" - the fourth single off their sophomore album Deliverance, to be released on September 18 via Blacklight Media Records (North America) and Indie Recordings (worldwide excluding North America). Listen to "Ritual" here, and below.

This heavy-metal anthem comes in like a horde of elephants with its stomping beats. The "Ritual" Fight The Fight are celebrating is a fast and dynamic one, which smashes directly in your face. Punchy like Rammstein, aggressive as Slipknot and catchy as Parkway Drive - this song captivates you with its straight, heavy and "easy-to-follow" approach.

Furthermore, these Norwegians are no band that takes themselves too seriously, commenting about the track: "We present to you 'Ritual' - a straight-up rock/metal song that will make your balls and tits swing!"

Fight The Fight once again delivers well-structured songs and mischievously captivating, irresistible refrains on their new album, Deliverance. Pre-order here.

Deliverance tracklisting:

"Deliverance"
"Ritual"
"Triggerfinger"
"Calling You Back"
"Pacemaker"
"Dying"
"Pitbull"
"Love"
"Turbo Sex"
"Paradigm"

"Dying" video:

"Pacemaker"  video:

"Triggerfinger" video:

(Photo - Therese V. Wangberg)




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Grindcore / hardcore punk veterans Venomous Concept, featuring band members of Brutal Truth and Napalm Death, are streaming their entire new album, Politics Versus The Erection, ahead of it's August 28 release via Season Of Mist. Listen below.

Band mascot Ook! comments: "Ook dislike politician and division. Ook smash political stimulation. Your politics are a bore. VOTE CLOWN PARTY!"

Kevin Sharp comments: "We wanted to do a record that sounded reactionary. We went into a studio wrote and recorded PVE in four days, in the age of digital thinking, records full of edits. Politics Versus the Erection is perfectly imperfect."

Politics Versus The Erection can be pre-ordered here.

If the state of today’s society is reflected in music, Venomous Concept have returned to the stage with a fitting soundtrack. The band’s fourth full-length frontal assault, Politics Versus The Erection, manifests a no-nonsense and outspoken voice, resonating with the chaos that reigns over the world today.  

Tracklisting:

"Simian Flu"
"Hole In The Ground"
"Eliminate"
"Lemonade"
"Colossal Failure"
"Promise"
"Septic Mind"
"Dementia Degeneration"
"Carrion"
"Broken Teeth"
"Shadows"
"Mantis Toboggan"
"Politics Versus The Erection"

Album stream:

"Simian Flu" lyric video:

Starting out in 2004, the band was conceived as something like a grind punk supergroup - if that term can even be applied to a bunch of people with clear counterculture preferences. The name was chosen to pay homage to the legendary Poison Idea.

At the core of Venomous Concept you will find Brutal Truth vocalist Kevin Sharp and Shane Embury, the iconic bass player of Napalm Death. The two musicians had bonded over beer and pizza as well as their mutual love of punk heroes such as Black Flag, Systematic Death, GBH, Siege, and of course Poison Idea.

The duo soon set about plotting its own assault on the style. Armed with bucketloads of coffee, the pair roped in Danny Herrera of Napalm Death on drums, as well as Melvins guitarist Buzz Osborne. A record deal was signed with Mike Patton and Venomous Concept's first album, Retroactive Abortion (2004) was followed by a split-CD with Japanese grind band 324 (2006) and another in 2008 with Blood Duster.

Buzz Osborne eventually went on a hiatus, but he never really left and there is always a chance for his return - schedules permitting. Shane switched to guitar when longtime friend Dan Lilker (Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault, ex-Anthrax) joined on bass. Next, Venomous Concept brought in John Cooke of Corrupt Moral Altar on second guitar for touring. Sophomore full-length Poisoned Apple hit the stores in 2008.

A quiet spell followed, but the band returned fully charged and ready for attack with their third record Kick Me Silly - VC III in 2016, which saw Venomous Concept continue in their trademark grindcore punk style. Following a European tour with Brujeria in 2019 and several festivals shows, the musicians headed back into the studio to write and record their fourth album.

With over 30 minutes of short, sharp musical blasts, venomous lyrics, satirical animations, and by offering their candid views, Venomous Concept have again created a record that breathes a true hardcore punk spirit.

Lineup:

Kevin Sharp - Vocals
Shane Embury - Bass
John Cooke - Guitar
Danny Herrera - Drums




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New Zealand's speed metal overlords, Stälker, are returning with yet another lesson in raw and in-your-face heavy metal, breathing the spirit and danger of the glorious 80s. Following 2019's globally acclaimed Powermad EP, the band's impatiently awaited second full-length album, Black Majik Terror, will be released on October 30 via Napalm Records.

Coinciding with the album's announcement and the pre-order, Stälker have also released the first single off Black Majik Terror, "Of Steel And Fire" - a track that immediately calls to mind epic anthems of tried and true heavy metal like Judas Priest's "Painkiller" but swiftly forges on its own path of blistering speed and precision that serves as an indicator of what is to come on the album. It becomes readily apparent that Stälker have not lost any of their magic and have quickly discarded the chains of the dreaded sophomore slump.

Commented the band: "Time to unshackle the first cut 'Of Steel And Fire' from our new album, Black Majik Terror... The album takes you through a near future hellscape where unseen evil entities have invaded this reality through human folly... prepare to die... tonight!!!"

Watch the music video for "Of Steel And Fire" below.

Black Majik Terror will available in various formats/editions - pre-order your copy here.

Formats:

- CD Jewelcase
- CD Jewelcase + T-Shirt Bundle (Napalm Mailorder only)
- Gatefold Vinyl (Black)
- Gatefold Vinyl (Black) + T-Shirt Bundle (Napalm North American Mailorder only)
- Gatefold Vinyl (Yellow/Orange Swirl)
- Gatefold Vinyl (Yellow/Orange Swirl) + T-Shirt Bundle (Napalm North American Mailorder only)
- T-Shirt

Tracklisting:

"Of Steel And Fire"
"Black Majik Terror"
"Sentenced To Death"
"Stalker"
"Holocene's End"
"Demolition"
"The Cross"
"Iron Genocide"
"Intruder"

"Of Steel And Fire" video:

(Photo - Michael Mahne Lamb)




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Eclipse have announced their first ever official live release, Viva La VicTOURia, which follows the tremendous success of their last studio release, Paradigm. Available on 2CD/DVD, Blu-ray, and 3xLP on November 6, Viva La VicTOURia showcases the band’s performance in Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden on December 21, 2019 during their tour in support of the aforementioned album. See below for details on the bonus material included on the release.

Watch a performance of their hit single, "Viva La Victoria" below, pre-order/save Viva La VicTOURia here.

"We've talked about properly documenting a live show for ages. Well, if anything good came out of the pandemic that brought touring to a halt, this is it. Thanks to this record, Viva La VicTOURia will live forever although it ended up being our shortest tour," says vocalist/guitarist Erik Mårtensson.

"Fans have asked us for a live album and video for a long time now. Well, here it is. Eclipse live, raw, and naked. Enjoy!" adds Magnus Henriksson.

Bonus material on the CD and LP versions of Viva La VicTOURia include the studio track “Driving One Of Your Cars” (a Lisa Miskovsky cover), acoustic versions of "The Downfall Of Eden" and "When The Winter Ends", as well as three live tracks from the band's Live From The Quarantine pay-per-view special, which was recorded at Studio Grondahl in Stockholm, Sweden on April 1, 2010. The 3xLP version also includes the exclusive bonus tracks "Hurt" and "Mary Leigh".

Bonus footage on the DVD and Blu-ray features interviews with the band around the creation of Paradigm and Viva La VicTOURia, additional footage from the Paradigm Tour (backstage, tour bus, behind the scenes, etc.), and some interviews with the band around the development of Eclipse, from the early days up until now, including some historic footage.

Live in Göteborg (Gothenburg) was recorded live at Tradgarn, Goteborg on December 21, 2019. Live from the Quarantine was recorded at Studio Grondahl in Stockholm, Sweden on April 1, 2020.

This first official live product from the band closes out the Paradigm album cycle and serves as a document of this very successful, but at the same time, super weird period in time for the band (and all of us).

Tracklisting:

CD1
"Viva La Victoria"
"Mary Leigh"
"Blood Wants Blood"
"The Storm"
"Vertigo"
"Jaded"
"Shelter Me"
"United"
"The Downfall Of Eden"
"When The Winter Ends"
"Take Me Home"
"Battlegrounds"

CD2
"Black Rain"
"Blood Enemies"
"Stand On Your Feet"
"Runaways"
"I Don't Wanna Say I'm Sorry"
"Never Look Back"
"Driving One Of Your Cars" (Studio Version)
"The Downfall Of Eden" (Acoustic Version)
"When The Winter Ends" (Acoustic Version)
"Battlegrounds" (Quarantine Live)
"Driving One Of Your Cars" (Quarantine Live)
"Delirious" (Quarantine Live)

LP bonus tracks:
"Mary Leigh" (Quarantine Live)
"Hurt" (Quarantine Live)

DVD / BR bonus contents:
- Documentary

"Viva La Victoria" live video:

Lineup:

Erik Mårtensson - Vocals
Magnus Henriksson - Guitars
Philip Crusner - Drums
Victor Crusner – Bass




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Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery has released his new single, "Sick Of This Shit". Check out his comments below.

"Okay... since I have absolutely no patience and was not doing this through a label anyway I decided to say f$&#* it and just release the song! I uploaded the song to Bandcamp. To my Covid choir...I think I have everyone who sent me vocals on this credit list. My tracks had no names! Here are the names I credited!

Additional Background Vocals by the Covid Choir: 

Daniel Butch, Karen Kaiser, Roland Verschuur, Katrina Bullock, Belinda Russell, Marissa Richute, Charles Alfinito, Tamma Ocain, Jenn Sheppard, Laura Donnelly, Adam Slone, Dario Delta, Chris Szkup, Steve Leavitt, Jo Ann Schappert, Michael Bazzinotti, Sylvia Papadopoulou, Eileen Linton, Claudia Bow, Ron Zabrocki, Samuel Pare, Marek David, John Bashaw, Carrie Gazda, Kimberly Nash, Chris Bowen

If I missed your name please comment; I can update. Also, if I spelled your name wrong let me know. I’m old and blind shit happens! Your vocal will be there I just may not have found the message when I did the credits

Please like and share to the world! I think everyone needs this song in their life at the moment!!!

I will also be putting this on Tune Core, which will sell it through iTunes! For now this is the one way to hear it before the iTunes release or anything on YouTube. Wilbur sez be cool and purchase the tune. We spent a lot of time on this!"

Lead, background vocals and all guitars - Chris Caffery 
Drums - John Macaluso 
Bass - Tony Dickenson 

S.O.T.S. (Sick Of This Shit) by Chris Caffery




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Ahab guitarist / founder Christian Hector has checked in with the following update:

"I've been quite busy lately with my family, friends and beside that with my new little musical project called Silurian; a two-man project with a new musical friend, Emilia Sherman - a very young and talented singer. With her I plan to fullfill my dream of some '80s inspired music - a decade I cherish very much as this is the soundtrack of my childhood. You know, elderly men tend to get nostalgic. For whatever reason, I'm only able to create melancholic music and story-telling lyrics. So no, it's not another typical synth wave band - I call it gloom wave. 

When I first heard the lower levels of Emilia's voice, I immediately fell in love with the sound. For the first fast test recording, I chose a song from my childhood in 1985. It's a gloomy duet from Phil Collins and Sting called 'Long Long Way To Go'. Still love it!"

We'll record a proper demo in Milberg Studios early September. Thank you all!"

Ahab recently released the first single, “Old Thunder”, off their first live album, Live Prey, which was released on June 26 via Napalm Records.

Originally released in 2006 on the band's pathbreaking full length, The Call Of The Wretched Sea, this blackened doom anthem will take you on a thunderous journey between slow-motion grooves, big riffs, haunting melodies accented by the guttural vocals of Daniel Droste, and an apocalyptic sound as you would experience it front row at an Ahab show. “Old Thunder” is accompanied by a music video that contains loads of live and off stage footage, as well as touring snapshots, highlighting the bands message: It's a big “thank you” to all of their fans and supporters worldwide who have joined the band in their funeral doom journey throughout the past 15 years.

Drummer Cornelius Althammer on “Old Thunder”: "Throughout the last 15 years, we’ve gained a lot of experience, on and off stage, to create the incomparable Ahab sound and feeling. 'The Hunt' is probably one of our most classic picks to choose, but with a length of nearly 17 minutes, it simply blows up the playtime of a regular single even more than other songs. So, here you go! Except the length, 'Old Thunder' is in no way inferior to 'The Hunt' - thank you all for so many years of loyalty. Without YOU, we wouldn't be the same band now!”

For Live Prey, Ahab chose the finest selection of live tracks - originally released on their pathbreaking 2006 album, The Call Of The Wretched Sea! Gracefully nestled in between slow-motion grooves, rampant riffs, and haunting melodies, and accented by the angelic but guttural vocals of Daniel Droste, the listener will experience an apocalyptic live sound as if they are standing in the front row at the band’s unforgettable show.

Featuring five extreme doom anthems such as “Below The Sun”, the majestic beast “Old Thunder”, or the almost 17-minute long magnum opus “The Hunt”, Live Prey is the ultimate live record by the undisputed sailors of slow heaviness. An indispensable must-have album that belongs in every well-sorted doom and especially Ahab record collection.

Cornelius Althammer: "We are pretty proud to present our first live album: These songs were written a long time ago, even before we became a proper band. Over the years and with a bunch of new live experiences, the songs have evolved and we were finally given the chance to capture them in a way they deserve. The days you have seen us perform them live, the way the songs have developed - you were able to witness the process on how we became Ahab."

Live Prey will be available in the following formats:

- CD Digipak
- 2 LP Gatefold White (ltd. to 100 copies)
- 2 LP Gatefold Black (ltd. to 300 copies)
- 2 LP Gatefold Black and White swirl
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Below The Sun"
"The Pacific"
"Old Thunder"
"Ahab's Oath"
"The Hunt"

Teaser:

Lineup:

Daniel Droste - guitar, vocal
Christian Hector - guitar
Stephan Wandernoth - bass
Cornelius Althammer - drums




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Trailight mastermind Omer Cordell is working on new music and has posted a clip from the studio featuring some more vocal tracking: 

"This is the chorus of the track 'Aftershock' from the forthcoming TraiLight album, Sophia - Eon, due fall 2020."

Cordell recently posted a teaser for a song called "Truth", which can be heard below.

He also followed up with a new update:

"I'm pretty excited that I'll be collaborating with the one and only Dave Padden (ex-Annihilator) on this project. We will be mixing the album together when the time comes."

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

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

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




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FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins spoke to Australia's Triple M radio station about how he is dealing with the coronavirus crisis. He said (hear audio below): "It's definitely been a weird half a year, at least. At this point, I guess we're six months into it. I feel guilty saying I'm fine. We're able to kind of ride the storm out right now. There's lots of people right now in America who are absolutely fucked. And I'm not just talking about getting sick or any of that; I'm talking about, 'How am I gonna feed my kids?', kind of thing. I'm so fortunate that's not my problem at all. My problem is just, 'Okay, do I lay out in the sun today, or maybe go surf or go mountain bike?' Or whatever.

"Relative to my life, I'm fine," he reiterated. "I have my family with me and stuff, so I'm good. Am I a little stir crazy? Yeah. Sure. Definitely. Everyone is. But at the same time, you have to kind of turn that [around and go], 'Okay, but look how fortunate I am.'"

Earlier this month, FOO FIGHTERS canceled their "Van Tour". The trek, which was originally scheduled to take place in April and May, was postponed two months ago to this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading across the globe.

"Van Tour" was supposed to see FOO FIGHTERS playing at the same cities as during the band's 1995 tour when Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel and Pat Smear hit the road in a Dodge van.

Seven of FOO FIGHTERS' albums have landed in the Billboard top 10, including 2014's "Sonic Highways", which debuted and peaked at No. 2.

Grohl recently told U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine that FOO FIGHTERS have completed work on the follow-up to 2017's "Concrete And Gold" album. He said: "I'm so fucking proud of it. It's unlike anything we've ever done. I'm fucking excited for people to hear it and I can't wait to jump on that fucking stage to play it. There are choruses on this record that 50 fucking thousand people are gonna sing, and it's gonna bring everyone's fucking hearts together in that moment. And that's what it's all about."