DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci will release his second solo album, "Terminal Velocity", on August 28 via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The follow-up to 2005's "Suspended Animation" features guest musicians Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER) on drums and Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS) on bass. The effort marks the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as their first time playing together since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER.

In a new interview with Spain's Metal Hammer, Petrucci said that he is fully aware that his renewed working relationship with Portnoy will lead to speculation among DREAM THEATER fans that it's only a matter of time before Portnoy returns to the band.

"I understand where people are coming from with that," John said (see video below). "One of the concerns I had, a little bit, not musically at all, but about Mike [playing on my solo record] is I didn't want people to get the wrong idea.

"Mike Mangini has been in DREAM THEATER for 10 years now. How many albums did we do together already? Three? [And] two live albums. A lot of music and touring, and he's the drummer in DREAM THEATER, so I didn't want there to be any weirdness or misconception that, 'Oh, this means that Mike's [Portnoy] gonna come back.' It's just not the case.

"I think that, for me, in a selfish way, I get the best of both worlds, 'cause I get to play with two of the greatest drummers in the world, in DREAM THEATER and with my solo stuff," he explained. "And it's great for me as a guitar player — it's wonderful.

"I think it's really important for everybody's sake — for fans to understand this. I think it's important, out of respect for both drummers — for Mike Mangini and Mike Portnoy — that there's no misconstrued thing: 'Oh, this means something else.' This is [Portnoy] playing on my solo album, which is a really happy moment for me.

"For me, I knew that that would kind of be part of the story — I accept that — so the best I can do is try to be as clear as I can," Petrucci added. "I don't want people to get the wrong idea. I don't wanna create any drama or weirdness, because it's all positive. I made a solo album — finally, after 15 years — and I got my friend to play drums on it, who I haven't played with in 10 years. So that's the vibe."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 30 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

In a 2017 interview with Rockhok, Portnoy insisted that had "no longing to reunite" with DREAM THEATER but said that he would return to his former band "for the fans." He explained: "The ball's in their court, to be honest. I have no longing to reunite with them; it's not something I necessarily am looking to do or want to do. I'm very content with all the eighty-seven bands I currently have going, so it's something I need. But I would do it for the fans, because I'm a very sentimental person and I have a lot of great, fond memories of those guys and the times. I'm a sentimental guy, so I would never close the door on it. So, really, the ball's in their court, honestly. [But] if you're asking me the odds [of a reunion happening], I would say, don't bet on it, because I know their personalities as well and I don't think they're the type that are looking backwards."

A couple of years ago, Portnoy told Loud that he left DREAM THEATER because he wanted to expand his musical horizons. "[I didn't] want to go to my grave and just be the drummer from DREAM THEATER," he said. "I knew there was way more to what I had to offer."

Since the 2010 departure of Portnoy, Petrucci, along with keyboardist Jordan Rudess, has taken on much of the songwriting load for DREAM THEATER, including 2016's controversial double concept album, "The Astonishing", and last year's "Distance Over Time".
























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John Petrucci habla con nosotros sobre su nuevo disco “Terminal Velocity”, que se edita el próximo 28 de agosto en todo el mundo.

A post shared by Metal Hammer España (@metalhammeresp) on Aug 6, 2020 at 10:22am PDT

Chicago's hard rock band Ditchwater releases their seventh album, Never Say Never, via Pavement Entertainment. Ditchwater has recorded six independent albums over the years. With the release of Never Say Never, the band has focused on cultivating a sound all of their own with these ten tracks, while also providing a modern cover of Motörhead's "Iron Fist." Never Say Never is a guitar and vocal driven slab of pure energy and ambition.

Mike Meadows, vocalist, says, "Mark Anderson and I set out to make Never Say Never as an album for our fans. To show all of our sides: all of our fears, all of our fight, and all of our love. We wanted a record that you not only heard...but felt. I think we accomplished what we set out to do."

Ditchwater is also premiering the official music video today for "This Pain," a single from Never Say Never. 

Ditchwater has been a huge fixture in the Chicago music scene since 1993. Having endured all the changes in the music scene, they have weathered the storm and come out stronger each time. Always a band for the people, they have continued to build their brand of Heavy Rock over the course of their career.




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Italy's Lionville have released new single, "You're Not Alone", a track from their new album, Magic Is Alive, available via Frontiers Music Srl now. Order Magic Is Alive here.

Melodic rock/AOR fans have always held Lionville in high regard and Magic Is Alive will do nothing to dissuade them from this line of thinking. Pardon the pun, but a truly ‘magic’-al release, Lionville once again prove why they are one of the leaders of the melodic rock movement.

Lionville was started in 2010 by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in Genova, Italy and his brother Alessandro. Thanks to the incredible songs Stefano had managed to write, he got none other than Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art, Enbound) involved as the lead vocalist, which was a true coup for the band.

After two indie releases, in 2017 Lionville finally signed with the Frontiers label, who managed to give the band’s releases larger support and distribution for the band’s third album A World Of Fools. Lionville also appeared live at Frontiers Rock Festival in 2018 and became one of the new highest profile projects dedicated to pure AOR on the entire Frontiers roster.

The new album is certainly going to excite all the melodic rock/AOR lovers out there. With a sound that draws strong influences from classic AOR acts such as Toto, Richard Marx, Giant, Bad English, Survivor and Boulevard, Magic Is Alive shows the winning combination of strong songwriting, stellar musicianship, and of course magnificent lead vocals.

Tracklisting:

"Nothing Without You"
"You're Not Alone"
"Runaway"
"Finally You're With Me"
"Every Little Thing (Leads Back To You)"
"If You Don't Know Me"
"Living With The Truth"
"Reaching For The Sky"
"I'll Never Give My Heart Away"
"Into The Night"
"Magic Is Alive"

"I'll Never Give My Heart Away" lyric video:

"Nothing Without You" video:

Lineup:

Stefano Lionetti - Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards
Lars Säfsund - Lead & Backing vocals
Michele Cusato - Guitars
Fabrizio Caria - Piano & Keyboards
Giulio Dagnino - Bass
Martino Malacrida - Drums




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Dutch metal veterans Countess have released a new single. The song “Pagan Man” represents the band’s first original new material since 2016’s full-length Fires Of Destiny. It is also the first release to feature the band’s new guitarist Valgard, who joined the group last year.

“Pagan Man” is a raw yet melodic slab of Countess’ unique take on black metal, enshrined in an old school sound that will surely leave the fans wanting more. Currently the band are in the process of recording their as yet untitled next full-length album. More news on the new record to follow soon.

“Pagan Man” is available on all major digital platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify. It is also available as a free download from Countess’ official Bandcamp store.

(Photo by: Sidekick Photo)




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Hungarian extreme groove metal band Omega Diatribe have released the new music video for the song "Mirror Neuron" from their upcoming fourth album, Metanoia.

"'Mirror Neuron' is a hard hitting energy overdose which runs through your spine up to your pineal gland," explains the band. "If you want to get rid of all your negative energy and frustration, hit the play button and sing the words of 'Mirror Neuron'."

The guys are telling their true feelings about society right now with no compromise! The song has a unique structure with a heart-braking end. As they put it: "Making music is a part of our healing process, our songs are very therapeutic, and if it works for us it may be a help for others too".  

Metanoia will be released in Europe and The UK on September 4th, and in Japan and North America on September 11th via Metal Scrap Records. The cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

"You Can't Save Me" 
"Grinder Of Self" 
"Parallel" 
"Death Touch" 
"Isolation" 
"Global Fire" 
"Metanoia" 
"Mirror Neuron" 
"Coronal Mass Ejection" 
"Long" 

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

 




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California death metal force Skeletal Remains have unveiled the video for their new song "Congregation Of Flesh". The song appears on the band's fourth studio album The Entombment Of Chaos, out September 11 via Century Media. 

"We gave this song to our director, Dillon Vaughn, and let him have a little fun with the narrative of the video, putting his own twist on the lyrical theme," says singer / guitarist Chris Monroy. "It depicts a small cult giving a sacrificial offering to their verminous god in hopes of bringing forth the physical form of whom they praise. Big thanks to Anthony Vasquez, Max Ouweelen, and Harley Barden, who offered their time to help out, and a special thanks to the legend Dylan Carlson of Earth for lending his hand to play our Cultist Leader." 

The Entombment Of Chaos will be released in the following formats: Gatefold LP plus CD, Limited Edition Digipak CD with patch, jewelcase CD and digital album. Pre-orders can be placed here.

Tracklisting:

"Cosmic Chasm "(Intro)
"Illusive Divinity"
"Congregation Of Flesh"
"Synthetic Impulse"
"Tombs Of Chaos"
"Enshrined In Agony" (Instrumental)
"Dissectasy"
"Torturous Ways To Obliteration"
"Eternal Hatred"
"Unfurling The Casket"
"Stench Of Paradise Burning" (Bonus Track - Disincarnate cover)

"Illusive Divinity" lyric video:

For further details, visit Skeletal Remains on Facebook.

 




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Former ENTOMBED and current ENTOMBED A.D. singer Lars-Göran Petrov has been diagnosed with cancer.

The news of the Swedish musician's health setback was broken earlier today on ENTOMBED A.D.'s social media. The band shared a photo of Petrov at what appears to be a treatment center, and included the following message: "Sad news.. LG Petrov has been struck by cancer and he is undergoing chemo treatment to try and control it. Our thoughts and and strength goes out to our brother. If you want to support him In these hard times, click on the link in the Bio and feel free to donate. #fuckcancer #fightforlifeandmetal"

In a message on his GoFundMe page, Petrov wrote: "I've been hit with uncureable cancer (gallvägscancer in Swedish), and have been battling it for some time now. It can't be removed but the doctors are trying to control it with chemo therapy. Life takes its weird turns..."

Petrov is apparently battling cancer of the bile duct (also called cholangiocarcinoma), which is extremely rare. In most patients, the tumor cannot be completely removed by surgery and is incurable. Palliative measures such as resection, radiation therapy or stenting procedures may maintain adequate biliary drainage and allow for improved quality of life.

ENTOMBED A.D. was formed in 2014 when Petrov and other members of ENTOMBED decided to change the band's name in order to avoid a legal battle with ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker.

"[ENTOMBED and ENTOMBED A.D. are] the same thing — just some minor complications on the way," Petrov told Finland's Rauta. "But we are here and playing music and headbanging, and that's the most important. But it's the same. It's the same."

Petrov added that he and his bandmates "don't think about" the slight alteration in the group's name. "We just let it roll. As long as we are out, nobody can stop us."

Asked what inspires him to make music and write lyrics these days, Petrov said: "It's boring to sit at home. [Laughs] No, you can always be productive and be out on tour and have no sleep. But that all doesn't matter when you come to the show and you see your brothers in metal. Then it's all worth it."

On the topic of ENTOMBED's musical evolution over the years, Petrov said: "As you go on in life, you experience new things, you wanna try out other things, and ENTOMBED has always tried to do that. Maybe more than for our own good sometimes, but now we're just going straightforward and we just do it again — over and over again. And as long as you don't get tired of it, you just continue. If you get tired of it, you should quit. You don't do it because… If you don't like it, step aside and let it roll."

ENTOMBED A.D.'s latest album, "Bowels Of Earth", was released in August 2019 via Century Media.


Sad news.. LG Petrov has been struck by cancer and he is undergoing chemo treatment to try and control it. Our thoughts...

Posted by Entombed A.D. on Sunday, August 9, 2020

"And Justice For None" (2018), the seventh studio album from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, was officially certified gold on July 31 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

The RIAA developed its gold and platinum awards program in 1958 to honor artists and create a standard by which to measure the commercial success of a sound recording. The program trademarked the gold record and formalized the industry practice of presenting awards to artists for music sales achievements.

Presently, the RIAA awards a gold honor for 500,000 units sold, a platinum honor for 1 million units sold and a diamond award for more than 10 million units sold.

In the streaming age, each permanent digital album or physical album sale count as 1 unit for certification purposes, 10 permanent track downloads from the album count as 1 unit for certification purposes, and 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video streams from the album count as 1 unit. For songs, 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams count as 1 unit for certification purposes.

Three other FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH albums have been certified gold — "The Way Of The Fist" (2007), "Got Your Six" (2015) and "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 2" (2013) — while "War Is The Answer" (2009), "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1" (2013) and "American Capitalist" (2011) were all certified platinum for sales in excess of a million copies.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's latest album, "F8", was released in February. The follow-up to 2018's "And Justice For None" capped a turbulent period for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in which singer Ivan Moody finally got sober after a near-fatal struggle with addiction, while co-founding drummer Jeremy Spencer bowed out of the band due to physical issues.

Much of "F8"'s lyrical content deals with Moody's battle with addiction, its aftermath and his recovery. The singer celebrated two years of sobriety in March.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new disc was once again helmed by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who currently lives in Las Vegas, where he works out of his private studio, The Hideout Recording Studio. The drums on the LP were laid down by Charlie "The Engine" Engen, who made his live debut with the group during its fall 2018 tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.

Furthering their support for raising funds and awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic, QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT are releasing special limited-edition CD and seven-inch vinyl versions of their lockdown track "You Are The Champions".

Both versions of the new formats are limited to 3000 copies each and will be numbered. They will be available to order only through QUEEN's online store from today.

Recorded in lockdown between their homes in London, Cornwall and Los Angeles, the QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT version of the classic QUEEN track was first revealed on the band's Instagram accounts.

Overwhelmed with calls for the track to be made available to download, the resulting "virtual jam" version titled "You Are The Champions" was made available on all streaming and download services at the end of April.

Proceeds of the new formats released will again go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization powered by the United Nations Foundation to support fron-tline workers.

QUEEN and Adam Lambert are waiving all of their royalties from the sales of this single and Universal Music Group are donating all revenues they receive from the sales of this single (after deductions only of actual costs, sales taxes and third party publishing payments) so that not less than £2 for every CD single sold and not returned and not less than £4 for every seven-inch vinyl single sold will be donated to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.

Quotes at the time of the track's initial release from the band read:

May: "It seems to me we should dedicate this one to all the front-line soldiers fighting for humanity against the insurgent coronavirus. Just like our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents who fought for us in two world wars, those brave warriors in the front line are our new champions. That means the doctors, nurses, cleaners, porters, drivers, tea-ladies and gentlemen, and all who are quietly risking their lives daily to save the lives of our kin. Champions all!!!”

Taylor: "As a father with a daughter in the front line, I am ultra-aware of the vital work they are doing daily to save us and our society. Their bravery and sacrifice must not be prejudiced by anything less than a one hundred percent effort by our governments to protect them. They are precious to us all and they are truly our champions."

Lambert: "It is with the deepest gratitude to all those on the front line all over the world that we dedicate our performance. Thank you for keeping us safe, we are in awe of your bravery and strength."

Elizabeth Cousens, president and CEO of the UN Foundation, said: "We are grateful to QUEEN and Adam Lambert for using their talents to support our heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Their contribution to this fight will lift spirits and raise critical funds for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization."

Supergroup Flying Colors will be releasing their brand-new live album, Third Stage: Live In London, on September 18 via Music Theories Recordings. Pre-order here, and watch "Kayla" from the album below.

Third Stage: Live In London was filmed during their 2019 US and European tour and the footage captures the exhilarating sold-out final night, on the December 14 at the iconic Grade II Listed, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London. The album will be released on several formats including, orange transparent 3LP, Blu-ray, digitally, 2CD/DVD and a 40-page Earbook which includes 5 discs; 2CD album, 2DVDs and a Blu-ray. The Blu-ray and DVDs in the Earbook also include bonus material of music videos and concert footage of their Morsefest 2019 performance in Cross Plains, Tennessee.

When you combine the calibre of supergroup musicians - guitarist Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs, ex-Kansas), drummer Mike Portnoy (Winery Dogs, ex-Dream Theater, Transatlantic), keyboardist/vocalist Neal Morse (Transatlantic, ex Spock's Beard, and a prolific solo artist in his own right), bassist Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs, ex-Joe Satriani), and powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev, The Sea Within) - the results are going to be lightning in a bottle.

They had only played 9 exclusive shows on the tour, culminating at the sold-out show in London, which saw Portnoy stand up mid-set and quip, “Welcome to the rarest of all sightings, rarer than a UFO sighting, rarer than a sasquatch sighting. A Flying Colors sighting, here on stage in London. This is a very sad night for us because it is the last night of the tour and we don’t get to play together enough, so we’re going to savour every moment tonight and enjoy each and every moment here on stage.”

Their latest studio album, Third Degree, had only been released two months previously, and songs from that record make up just under half to the night’s setlist with the rest of the songs coming from the 2012 self-titled Billboard Top 10 debut and 2014s worldwide Top 10, Second Nature. Backed with a HD projector screen, the five take the stage in the darkness amidst a rumble of applause and immediately groove into opener "Blue Ocean", and from the outset, their technical virtuosity, joyous melodies and reflective lyricism wash over the crowd proving to be the cornerstones of the Flying Colors sound.

Talking about walking out on the stage, McPherson recalls; “I remember how I felt right before the show in London. I was excited because my oldest daughter and her grandmother was there, whom I love dearly, and felt like I had the show, down by then. It's always a good feeling to take the stage when the material is ingrained enough to just let go and let it out!”

They flow into the melodic progressive wonderment of 'A Place In Your World', featuring guitar heroics from Steve Morse before they shift up a gear further for a duo of thunderous new songs, 'The Loss Inside', and the almost rousingly apocalyptic sounding 'More' - it’s this that makes them so special, the ability to weave through several genres simultaneously.

The sight of LaRue and Portnoy bouncing off one another is a gloriously effortless sight to behold, whilst the wizardry of Neal Morse throughout is hypnotic. The band flit nimble-fingered through complex yet musical treasure-trove of accessible and sophisticated pop songs, jazz-fusion, progressive-rock and multi-layered vocals from Macpherson, Neal Morse and Portnoy - giving the band added dimensions, many can only dream of. ‘Kayla’ lights up the room and makes the 100-year-old theatre feel like the most intimate of settings.

From its opening in 1903 as a Music Hall, hosting variety performances and revues from the likes of Charlie Chaplin the venue has been a captivating one. The Shepherd’s Bush Empire was designed by architect Frank Matchem, who also designed the world-famous Palladium, Victoria Palace Theatre and London Coliseum. Its mix of stunning Art Nouveau and Baroque style creates a luscious backdrop to the spiralling psychedelic progressive pop stylings of this supergroup. “The Shepherd's Bush Empire is a classic theatre. Little nooks and crannies backstage, and that ornate vibe in the hall. Great people to work with which always makes for a fun gig,” says McPherson.

As the camera weaves from cascading light effects and a captivating video backdrop to the view from the stage, sweeping above the crowd and along the lavish balconies, it’s visually stunning and as the band journey through their back catalogue it at times creates an almost spiritual awakening and has you hooked through further crowd favourites such as "Geronimo", "Infinite Fire" and new songs alike until it reaches its triumphant finale "Mask Machine".

“Playing in Flying Colors is like being in a movie,” says the singer. “It’s so incredibly powerful emotionally, and to think this was going to be the last show was a bittersweet feeling. I love the other guys in the band and we always have such a good time on the road together. Our Chemistry is like really good sushi. There's not one ingredient you could replace and it taste that good. It is one of the kindest and uniquely unified band's I've ever been in.”

Third Stage: Live In London captures the band in all their uncompromising glory, five musicians that when they come together prove that they have a special and breath-taking connection. In the words of Mr. Portnoy, it’s the “rarest of all sightings,” but what a sight to behold.

Tracklisting:

“Blue Ocean”
“A Place In Your World”
“The Loss Inside”
“More”
“Kayla”
“Geronimo”
“You Are Not Alone”
“Forever In A Daze”
“Love Letter”
“Peaceful Harbor”
“Crawl”
“Infinite Fire”
“Cosmic Symphony”
“The Storm”
“Mask Machine”

“Kayla” video:

"Mask Machine" video:

Trailer:

On September 18, Flying Colors will also reissue the Flying Colors and Second Nature albums on Light Blue 2LP, both limited to 1000 units.




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On the heels of the 2019 release of pioneering British blackened death metal group Hecate Enthroned's acclaimed sixth album Embrace Of The Godless Aeon, M-Theory Audio has announced that its 2013 predecessor, Virulent Rapture, will be reissued on September 25. A music video for the album's “Abyssal March” can be seen below.

Virulent Rapture – which has been out-of-print for several years, and never before available on vinyl – features artwork by Nestor Avalos (Bloodbath, The Black Dahlia Murder) and guest vocals by Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle of Filth, Mortiis, Therion), as well as newly-written liner notes by the band. Pre-orders on digipak CD and limited-edition (300) burnt orange vinyl are available now here.

Says bassist Dylan Hughes, “Virulent Rapture was our first release after a long studio hiatus, so it was a big album for us. We wanted to give our fans something meaty with depth and range, and the mix of heavy riffs and huge orchestration gave it a big and powerful sound to match the importance of the release. Now that it has a reissue through our current label M-Theory Audio with updated artwork and an incredible vinyl print, metalheads will finally have the chance to complete their Hecate collection. All we can say is enjoy, and play it at 11!”




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During a brand new interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Dee Snider was asked if thinks TWISTED SISTER will ever play live again, four years after the band completed its farewell tour. The singer responded: "Look, I know that some of my bandmembers have recently said 'never say never.' I wrote a song called 'Never Say Never' many years ago, so I'll go with that for their benefit, but I will say this: it was so hard fought to find a Dee Snider [solo] sound, to find my place in the community, the metal community. Mentally, if I do anything moving forward, I want it to be continuing on this path that I finally found.

"As I sit here thinking about, okay, I've got these movies I'm gonna make, I just wrote this novel, I'm working on a second novel, my brain is going, 'Where is the follow-up to [my latest solo album] 'For The Love Of Metal'?' That's something that I really wanna do," he explained. "So in the long line of things I've got on there, TWISTED would have to come after that, and then we'd get to be — like, what? — in our 70s. So I don't know if I see that happening — in this lifetime."

This past June, guitarist Eddie Ojeda also didn't completely rule out a TWISTED SISTER reunion, telling Talking Metal: "I never say never, because you never know. It depends on the situation. You always miss it, no matter how much you've done it.

"The whole comeback — we were back together for 14 years, and we did a lot of shows in the last 14 years, and we were headlining all the shows," he continued. "We were bigger now than we were in the '80s. So it was a great time.

"I think it just got to the point where we just felt — maybe it was like [the American sitcom] 'Seinfeld': go out on a high note. But as far as that goes, THE WHO blows everybody away — they are the biggest liars of all time. [They played their farewell tour in 1983] and they [are] still touring. Forty tours later, and they're still saying, 'We mean it this time.' So if anybody's gonna complain, they'd better talk to THE WHO first."

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, guitarist Jay Jay French, Ojeda and bassist Mark Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of TWISTED's longtime drummer A.J. Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

A year ago, French said that he was that "blissfully retired" from playing music. "I walked off stage at the last show in Mexico, and I gave all my guitars away to my crew," he told the "Neil Jones Rock Show". "I said, 'Guys, thank you. It's been great. See you later.' I never looked back. We didn't even meet in the lobby and have a drink. I was off stage in a golf cart with my wife on the way to the hotel. I was on a plane and out of here."

French said that he played nine thousand shows with TWISTED SISTER and he "loved every bit of it." But he understood when people told him that they don't believe the band is completely retired.

"I never said we weren't coming back," he explained. "We retired for a while. And I said, 'No, I'm not gonna say never.' We could. Maybe there's a charity [event that we could play at]. Maybe there's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I doubt it, but maybe. Whatever. It could happen. But at this point in my life, I don't think about it."

Veteran punk rock band BAD RELIGION has just released a radically reimagined version of its 1990 humanist anthem "Faith Alone". The re-recording uses an uncharacteristic orchestral arrangement to further accentuate the song's remarkably relevant lyrics. It is a philosophy BAD RELIGION has extolled since its very formation and has inspired songs like "The Answer", "Atheist Peace" and "American Jesus" that rail against religious hypocrisy and anti-intellectualism.

While the original "Faith Alone" was delivered as a propulsive guitar fueled punk track on the band's album "Against The Grain", the new interpretation begins with singer and co-songwriter Greg Graffin's plaintive vocals accompanied on acoustic piano, before building to an unabashedly symphonic crescendo complete with sophisticated string arrangement. The result is a startling sonic departure from the band's patented melodic punk sound and only serves to emphasize the song's emotional power and intensely relevant message that, in times like these, "faith alone won't sustain us anymore."

As the band's singer and co-songwriter Greg Graffin explains: "I have always written songs on piano. Some of our earliest songs were written on my mom's piano. I've been home a lot and so I started recording a bunch of our songs that way. Brett [Gurewitz] thought 'Faith Alone' was particularly relevant for this moment. For me, it exemplifies what's special about the band, which is that we write songs that go to the spiritual and intellectual aspects of human existence."

The recording of the song was done remotely. Graffin's initial vocal and piano tracks augmented by the band's co-songwriter Brett Gurewitz who added additional instrumentation including guitar. The strings were added by Stevie Blacke (BECK, LADY GAGA, GARBAGE) and the drums played by BAD RELIGION drummer Jamie Miller while producer Carlos de la Garza added additional production and a mix.

Gurewitz explains: "I think the message of 'Faith Alone' really resonates with everything that's happening right now. Racial injustice, Trump, the COVID pandemic, the rejection of science, none of these things can be solved by burying our heads in the sand. We've always believed problems can be solved through reason and action, not faith and prayer. It's what we've been writing about since the band started."

With this release, BAD RELIGION has added yet one more powerful work to an already formidable canon of intellectually provocative protest songs. Since forming as leather clad intellectual teens amidst the raucous Southern California punk scene, the group has served as unflinching advocates for reason and humanism. It is a message that has never been more necessary.

Greg M. Epstein, humanist chaplain at both Harvard and MIT, as well as The New York Times best-selling author of "Good Without God", offers: "If I could take the frustration, grief, longing, and moral outrage rattling around in my brain these past few months and somehow turn it all into a single rock track that could help me stay human in this mess, that track would be 'Faith Alone' by BAD RELIGION. Sure, it's a stylistic departure for one of the greatest punk bands of all time. But the message is as true to the band's core ethic as anything in their decades-long catalog. It might just be the anthem we need to maintain our faith — not in religion, but in each other — as we try to get through the rest of this year."

On August 18, BAD RELIGION will release its autobiography, "Do What You Want: The Story Of Bad Religion", written with their full cooperation and support. It reveals the ups and downs of the band's 40-year career, from their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed "The Hell Hole" to headlining major music festivals around the world. The book predominantly features the four principal voices of BAD RELIGION in a hybrid oral history/narrative format: Greg Graffin, Brett Gurewitz, Jay Bentley and Brian Baker. It also includes rare photos and never-before-seen material from their archives.

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers VICIOUS RUMORS will release their new album, "Celebration Decay", on August 21 via SPV/Steamhammer. The official video for the disc's second single, "Pulse Of The Dead", can be seen below.

Every new album has its own history, and the latest recording by VICIOUS RUMORS has a pretty unusual one at that. Originally, the band had planned only twenty concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1988 classic "Digital Dictator". "The reactions were so enthusiastic that the twenty shows turned into an amazing 108 gigs in the end," remembers band mastermind Geoff Thorpe, still a little awed. "We really hadn't expected that. Of course, this jumbled the original time schedule for our current album a little."

The release date may have suffered a slight delay due to the extended anniversary tour, but at the end of the day, few other VICIOUS RUMORS releases have benefited so much from a prior tour. Because, as Thorpe points out: "On the one hand, the new VICIOUS RUMORS studio lineup had an opportunity to grow into a really tight unit during that long tour, which is one of the reasons why 'Celebration Decay' sounds as dynamic and vibrant as any other of our best recordings in our long career. On the other hand, the 'Digital Dictator' shows ensured that we came into contact with our early influences again and again. Both factors together have resulted in an album that sounds like typical VICIOUS RUMORS and oozes lots of energy and momentum. I must admit, I couldn't be prouder."

It's obvious that 41 years into the band's history, Thorpe is still brim-full of zest and artistic enthusiasm. "Celebration Decay" is a kind of best-of-both-worlds recording, he beams: "There are classic VICIOUS RUMORS numbers such as 'Pulse Of The Dead', 'Arrival Of Desolation', 'Death Eternal' and 'Collision Course Disaster'. And then there's a song like 'Darkness Devine' with a structure that's very unusual for us."

Along with Thorpe and his long-standing drummer Larry Howe, two new discoveries were instrumental in the recording of "Celebration Decay": lead vocalist Nick Courtney and guitarist Gunnar Dügrey, who passed their baptism of fire with distinction during the "Digital Dictator" tour.

Says Thorpe: "Nick delivered some awesome performances during the gigs and was celebrated by our fans. Gunnar is a real virtuoso. I enlisted him as an 18-year-old, straight out of high school. Today he's 21 and already an absolute world-class musician. VICIOUS RUMORS now has a guitar team on caliber with the times of the legendary Mark McGee. Of course, in this context Greg Christian (TESTAMENT, TRAUMA) was a special guest. Greg is a longtime friend; it was a pleasure to work with him. He really contributed to a thundering rhythm section with Larry." Guitarist Cody Green, who contributed two haunting solos on "Long Way Home" and "Any Last Words", also deserve a mention. Green also helped out on bass during the tour.

Says Thorpe: "Cody will always be part of the VICIOUS RUMORS family. Robin Utbult from Sweden will be handling the bass on the 'Celebration Decay' tour."

"Celebration Decay" was recorded and mixed between November 2019 and February 2020 at the Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Thorpe and Juan Urteaga.

"There's no other VICIOUS RUMORS release that I worked as hard on as I did on 'Celebration Decay'," says Thorpe. "After all, when you get the opportunity to bring out a new album, you really have to give it your best shot. Of course, that's what I did with all other VICIOUS RUMORS cuts, but with a perfectly oiled metal machine like our current lineup, it was even more fun than usual."

Track listing:

01. Celebration Decay

02. Pulse Of The Dead

03. Arrival Of Desolation

04. Any Last Words

05. Asylum Of Blood

06. Darkness Divine

07. Long Way Home

08. Cold Blooded

09. Death Eternal

10. Collision Course Disaster

11. Masquerade Of Good Intentions

Photo credit: Heike Saß

Paul Stanley says that voting for a third, no-hope candidate in the upcoming presidential election is akin to throwing your vote away.

Earlier today, the KISS frontman shared a New York Daily News article from self-proclaimed "staunch conservative" S.E. Cupp in which she wrote she is "very seriously considering voting for Joe Biden," rather than writing someone in, as she did in 2016, but that her choice hinges on whom the presumptive Democratic nominee picks as his running mate.

Stanley wrote in a tweet: "There are TWO 'viable' candidates, one of which will be our president for the coming 4 years. Why would ANYONE waste a vote that so many have fought for only to throw it away making a 'statement' that no one will hear? Make a vote that counts and work towards future alternatives."

This is not the first time Stanley has weighed in on the current political landscape. Last month, he urged his social media followers to vote in November, saying that "we have a responsibility to our past and to our future." In April, Stanley blamed a shifting media environment for sharpening partisan divides, saying that Fox News and CNN viewers and live in "different realities."

"Any conversation I've had with somebody who feels contrary to [a particular point of view], they stick to their guns because their reality is based on information that they're getting from a source that has their own agenda," Stanley said during an appearance on Richard Marx's "Social Distancing" talk show. "I'm not saying that CNN is guiltless. It's really become the network of the Democrats versus the network of the Republicans, and your reality and what you see as the truth, not coincidentally, is based upon which network you watch. And that's terrible. We're living in separate universes. If you go from one channel to the other, you think you're in a different time.

"If I were to watch whatever network I watch that's called 'The News,' it's going to feed me what I believe to be reality," he added. "That's the basic truth of it. And, unfortunately, there seems to be different realities, alternate realities… There's gotta be a truth."




There are TWO “viable” candidates, one of which will be our president for the coming 4 years. Why would ANYONE waste a vote that so many have fought for only to throw it away making a “statement” that no one will hear? Make a vote that counts and work towards future alternatives. https://t.co/OgEVngLoO6

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) August 6, 2020








It’ll never cease to amaze me that a good number of rock musicians are considerably better political analysts than paid political commentators. Which is no slight to rock musicians, just a criticism of the pundit class.

— Dave von Ebers (@DavefromTR1) August 6, 2020








I disagree, strongly, it isnt about a statement, its about voting FOR something vs taking whatever you get.

Its their job to give me a reason to support them, not mine to accept whatever im given.

THEY need to do better, i dont need to settle.

— Floplag (@floplag) August 6, 2020








Disagree, excercise your right to vote for whoever you feel would be the best President of the United States. ??????

— Old Guy ?????? (@Theoldness) August 6, 2020








Unless Biden’s VP pick is Ivanka, I’m voting for him. He could pick an open jar of peanut butter, and I’d still confidently vote for Biden.

— Sydney Dunn (@yendysnnud) August 6, 2020








Trump 2020!

— Bryan Lantis (@Truckerdude777) August 6, 2020








If Biden Picked Satan (a.k.a. Lucifer) To Be His VP...

It Would Still Be Much Better Than Another 4 Years Of A Uneducated Reality Show Host.

No?

— ?????????? (@KISSopolis) August 6, 2020

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY will release their seventh studio album, "The Human Condition", on October 30 via Mascot Label Group. The collection will be available in digital, deluxe CD and vinyl formats, with an array of music and merch bundle options and a U.K.-exclusive purple vinyl, which you can pre-order now at this location. The band has also unveiled "Again", the first single from the collection.

"The Human Condition" was produced by the bandmembers themselves and tracked in BSC bassist Jon Lawhon's recording facility, Monocle Studios. The release was completed mere days before the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed and as events progressed, it became apparent that the album the band was completing featured lyrics that were eerily prescient.

"There was a real urgency and fear of the unknown during those sessions — it was a scary time," recalls drummer, John Fred Young. "Every song on this album tells a story of the experiences we all go through — our happiness, our struggles, and how we have to adapt."

Guitarist Ben Wells says: "With this one, we cranked up the amps, the drums are in your face, and there are some really heavy riffs. After 19 years and seven albums, we wanted to prove that we still kick ass. This album feels like a rebirth."

Adds Lawhon: "When I listen back to this record, I feel all these different emotions. We started when we were teens, and life has taken its course, especially now. Through it all, your heart and your perspectives change, but one thing that hasn't changed is our connection as friends."

BLACK STONE CHERRY vocalist/guitarist Chris Robertson discussed the band's new disc during an episode of "Cherry Chat", also featuring SHINEDOWN. Speaking about the making of the new LP, Chris said: "We were literally finishing [the] record right when all the stay-at-home stuff came down [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. We were scheduled to go back in on a Monday, 'cause we were taking weekends off. We worked through the weekend and finished everything up, because come Monday, you couldn't do shit anymore, man. We got really lucky that it came down that close. But now we're sitting here with a record, finishing to get it mixed, and you can't go tour, you can't do shit."

He continued: "Our monitor engineer, Jordan [Westfall], came down and engineered the whole record, and we decided to have him mix the thing, man. He took the record home with him to his studio to mix and fucking killed it, man."

Robertson also talked about the inspiration for BLACK STONE CHERRY's new album, saying: "The last record we did, 'Family Tree', it was way more 'jam band'-y and kind of classic rock-oriented, to where the new record is nothing like that. The new record, it's funny — when Jordan was mixing it, we were, like, 'Hey, man, when you reference it, make sure you reference your all's last record" — referring to SHINEDOWN's "Attention Attention" — "and a bunch of other records, man, because the last couple of records we've done haven't been necessarily in the same kind of genre, per se, as what you guys do. We haven't been in that heavy rock category on the last couple of releases we've done; we've done more of a blues-oriented thing. And it's been a lot of fun, man. But with the new record, we decided to kick the shit back up a notch again. And it's awesome, man. We're excited for people to hear it."

"The Human Condition" track listing:

01. Ringin' In My Head

02. Again

03. Push Down & Turn

04. When Angels Learn To Fly

05. Live This Way

06. In Love With The Pain

07. The Chain

08. Ride

09. If My Heart Had Wings

10. Don't Bring Me Down

11. Some Stories

12. Devil In Your Eyes

13. Keep On Keepin' On

Last month, BLACK STONE CHERRY had to postpone its massive 16-date U.K. tour, which was set to begin in September. The shows have been rescheduled for September 2021 and culminate with a date at London's legendary Royal Albert Hall. Tickets for all original shows remain valid for the new dates.

Platinum-selling recording artist and world-class guitarist, Orianthi, has signed an exclusive record deal with the well regarded independent rock label, Frontiers Music Srl. Frontiers will handle the release of her upcoming new studio album globally.

This will be Orianthi's first new studio album in seven years and her first new music as a solo artist in six years. It is expected to be released this fall. Stay tuned for more details and the first single in the coming weeks.

“I am thrilled about this new chapter with Frontiers! Their passion and enthusiasm for music is such a great reminder of why I love creating music. I couldn’t be more excited to release my upcoming album with them,” Orianthi says.

“We are absolutely honored to have Orianthi on the label! Since we first heard talk that she was working on new music, we knew we had to be involved. She is at the forefront of new, meaningful talent in the current rock scene and we look forward to unleashing her music to her fans and the rest of the world,” adds Frontiers President Serafino Perugino.

Orianthi’s first major solo artist success, as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, was with the Geffen Records release of According To You, which is now RIAA-Certified Platinum and has over 17 million streams on Spotify. Her music’s ability to transcend time and remain relevant cannot be more clear than it’s recent resurgence on TikTok. There are over 83 million views on the “According to You” hashtag making it a viral trend that is introducing Gen Z to Orianthi for the first time in a big way. Career-long fans are used to seeing their favorite world-class guitarist playing arenas with rock royalty and global superstars like Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, Carrie Underwood, Alice Cooper, and more. The juxtaposition of her newly arrived online popularity and her lifelong pursuit of artistic credibility is the nebulous of this shining star.

In addition to her album release with Frontiers this fall, she also has a signature acoustic guitar being released in partnership with Gibson Guitars with first-of-its-kind engineering that will be revealed later this year.




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Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick spoke to Max1on1 about how he is dealing with the coronavirus crisis and what the touring circuit might look like post-pandemic. He said (see video below): "I think once we're kind of past this, and I'm not a scientist to explain it — I don't know if the scientists completely know when it ends… But people love entertainment. I mean, I feel really bad that I can't hug a neighbor; it's really tragic. But overall, music still always means something, and then when we get to the other side of this, I think people are really gonna embrace everything that it was before, certainly. Maybe people will be more hygienic. And it won't last forever. But it has been a very, very big strain on the whole world and everybody — individually and collectively. It's really been a crazy time — absolutely."

Concerts around the world have been canceled and postponed in efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, with no clear date as to when they might resume.

Entertainers, crew and other workers in the industry have lost billions of dollars as a result of COVID-19-related cancelations, representing only a small fraction of the financial devastation that will be experienced by workers in the sector as cancelations continue to roll in.

In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for more than a decade, accompanying the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning KISS's historic 45-year career.

Kulick joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2000 and continues to perform with the group to this day.

METALLICA has posted another video as part of its new concert series, "#MetallicaMondays", where the band is streaming a complete live show for fans on the group's YouTube channel and on Facebook every week. The latest concert to be shared was recorded exactly 20 years ago, on frontman James Hetfield's 37th birthday, on August 3, 2000 at Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas, Texas.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death

02. For Whom The Bell Tolls

03. Seek And Destroy

04. Fade To Black

05. Fuel

06. Sad But True

07. No Leaf Clover

08. King Nothing

09. Mastertarium

10. Battery

Encore 1:

11. Nothing Else Matters

12. I Disapper

13. One

Encore 2:

14. Turn The Page (Bob Seger cover)

15. Enter Sandman

Encore 3:

16. Last Caress (MISFITS cover)

17. So What (ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE cover)

18. Die, Die My Darling

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

Hetfield made his first major public appearance since entering rehab on January 30, when an exhibit featuring 10 of his classic custom cars opened at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

In March, METALLICA announced that its South American tour, which was originally planned for April, has been postponed until December. In addition, the band's appearances at five Danny Wimmer Presents-produced festivals in May, September and October have been canceled: Epicenter in Charlotte, Welcome To Rockville in Daytona, Sonic Temple in Columbus, Louder Than Life in Louisville and Aftershock in Sacramento.

Guitarist Kirk Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that METALLICA has to be in better than average shape to play its music live. "There's a physicality to our music that we cannot ignore, so we just kind of have to keep ourselves in a certain sort of physical sort of state where that we can't let ourselves get to a point where we can't play these songs," he said. "That's just not allowed. When we write this music, we have to make sure that we can play it and play it when we need to play it."

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci will release his second all-instrumental solo album, "Terminal Velocity", on all digital and streaming platforms on August 28 and on CD and vinyl on October 30 through The Orchard Music on his Sound Mind Music record label.

"Terminal Velocity" was written and produced by Petrucci, recorded by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ARCH ENEMY). The artwork was created by Sean M. Smith at Echo Designlab (STONE SOUR, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, IN THIS MOMENT).

The album sees the return of bassist Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS, FLYING COLORS), who played on John's debut solo album and subsequent G3 tours, as well as, an eagerly anticipated reunion with former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy (TRANSATLANTIC, THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO).

"It was awesome bringing Dave back to play bass on this album," said Petrucci. "He is just such a monster player who can handle anything you throw at him with tastefulness and unmatched musicality. His melodic approach to bass lines along with impeccable technique and groove for days really stands out on these tunes."

Portnoy's appearance on "Terminal Velocity" marks the first recording of the guitarist and his former bandmate in over a decade and the first since Portnoy left the band in 2010.

"Having Mike play drums on this record was really special for me and he did an absolutely incredible job navigating the various styles and technical challenges my music presented in the way that only he can do," Petrucci said. "It was very cathartic for the both of us, I think, to be playing music together again after all these years and it really felt great! Mike's spirited, intuitive and energetic playing truly helped to elevate these new songs to a level that I couldn't be happier with."

The official music video for the "Terminal Velocity" title track can be seen below.

Petrucci said about the track and video: "'Terminal Velocity' was actually the first new song that I wrote for the album when I entered the studio in March of this year. It stemmed from one of the many ideas and seeds that I had collected over the past several years. I literally began with the opening motif and built the rest of song from there. I think it's a great lead-off single and nicely represents a few of the different stylistic sides of this record that I wanted to explore as a guitar player; The melodic/thematic side, the riffing side, and the shred side. Mike and Dave both did an amazing job bringing this song to life as well, with all of the energy that they injected when recording their performances.

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

In the beginning of March 2020 while the COVID-19 global pandemic was unrelentingly wreaking its havoc on the world and especially New York, John started working on the music that would make up "Terminal Velocity" at the DREAM THEATER headquarters on Long Island with engineer Jimmy T at the helm.

"All DT touring for the rest of the year was either being canceled or postponed and even though I had already planned on starting the project this spring, I suddenly found myself with many unanticipated months at home," Petrucci said. "Jimmy T and I would head into the DTHQ five days week for about two and a half months and, as I wrote and constructed the new tunes, he was right there capturing it all and turning it into a record. Initially, we programmed drums and shared bass playing responsibilities just to get the ideas to a place where they sounded like completed and cohesive songs but we always anticipating that 'work in progress' drums and bass would eventually be replaced."

The nine songs on "Terminal Velocity" showcase John's affinity for writing tightly weaved guitar instrumental powerhouses that feature everything from monster riff breaks to passion-filled melodic themes worthy of film soundtracks, to all-out shred extravaganzas that leave the listener feeling like they just stepped off of a thrilling musical roller coaster ride.

"Much like the songs on my first solo album, 'Suspended Animation', I wanted the new tunes to really showcase what I'm all about as a player and to give an up-to-date depiction of where I am musically and how I like to express myself on the instrument," Petrucci said. "It's about capturing the attitude of the performances and of course as always, very much about capturing the tone that I've worked so hard over the years to develop and refine."

Although a few of the songs that make up "Terminal Velocity" were actually written quite a long time ago and even played live but never properly recorded, over half the album's content is new music that John created while in the studio during the quarantine.

"I believe that making this record when I did really helped me to maintain a sense of stability and normalcy during such a crazy time in our history," Petrucci said. "It was encouraging for me and my family to embrace something so hopeful and positive as we faced a very uncertain future in the music industry and in the world and for that, I am truly grateful for having music be such a big part of my life."

"Terminal Velocity" track listing:

01. Terminal Velocity

02. The Oddfather

03. Happy Song

04. Gemini

05. Out Of The Blue

06. Glassy-Eyed Zombies

07. The Way Things Fall

08. Snake In My Boot

09. Temple Of Circadia

Petrucci's debut solo album, "Suspended Animation", originally released in 2005 on his Sound Mind Music label, was recently made available on all digital and streaming platforms for the first time through The Orchard Music. The album features Dave LaRue on bass and Dave DiCenso and Tony Verderosa on drums.

Photo by Larry DiMarzio

FOZZY's Chris Jericho says that he doesn't know if he is still friends with Sebastian Bach, less than a month after the former SKID ROW frontman accused him of using pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances.

On July 16, Jericho challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit" in response to Sebastian's allegation that Chris "mimes to a tape" during FOZZY's live shows. "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better," Chris wrote on Twitter." The wrestler-turned-singer added: "I've never mimed anything ever! I will fucking sing in your face anytime, anyplace dude. I've been a fan & a defender of u since day one...but don't u ever question my rock abilities!" Bach fired back: " You're full of s*** bro. Every clip on the Internet is you miming to a tape. I will sing in your f****** face anytime. Wrestling is not rock and roll. I will show you f****** rock and roll. Check your texts set up The Sing-Off I am ready when you are".

Asked in a new interview with Loudwire if there is anything he wants to say about his feud with Bach, Jericho replied: "Yeah, I really don't know if we're friends anymore, but I wish nothing but the best for him, and that's basically all I want to say."

When Bach first went public with his Jericho accusation last week, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward called Sebastian "universally disliked" and said that seeing Bach "publicly go after the only guy that I have ever witness utter a nice word about him is sad."

Sebastian, who has been outspoken about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live shows, later tried to explain his outburst, writing: "I'm not trying to beat anybody at anything. I'm actually trying to say hey Chris maybe you're right maybe I'll stop singing live and prance around while the tape is playing just like you do Chris. I'm tired of trying so hard it's like beating my head against the wall."

After a self-proclaimed Bach fan called Sebastian "an asshat" on Twitter for firing "the first shots" in his war of words with Jericho, Bach came back with: "Hey man f*** you. I have spent my life learning how to sing live on stage. When someone comes along and mimes to a tape it sucks for all of the rest of us that don't. You want to go see a wrestling match good. Don't call it rock and roll"

Jericho has long been suspected of relying on backing tapes during FOZZY's live performances. When the band played in Canada in November 2018, several concert-goers accused Jericho of singing along to pre-recorded tracks. After a video of FOZZY's Toronto gig surfaced online, Bach weighed in, writing from his personal Facebook account: "Wow he mimes to a tape very well".

URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box and bassist Davey Rimmer have confirmed to Sea Of Tranquility that the legendary progressive rockers will enter the studio in early 2021 to begin recording their 26th album.

"With this downtime [due to the coronavirus pandemic], I think it's given us all a chance to think about the next album," Davey said (see video below). "I think 'Living The Dream' was such fun to make, and it went so well, and, as Mick will tell you, was a great experience to make. Now I'm really looking forward to going in and starting the next one, which I think we're gonna start it early next year."

Mick added: "I think we're planning to go in in February. Pre-production in January, recording in February."

Asked if fans can expect a mid-summer 2021 release for URIAH HEEP's next LP, Box said: "I think release is all down to the record company, I've gotta be honest. We never get a shout on that. They always seem to have some reason to release it at this time, that time, whatever time. But the good news is there will be a new album, and it will be released [laughs], which is great."

"Living The Dream" was released in September 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP was helmed by famed Canadian producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER, among others.

Box is the original guitarist and sole remaining founding member of URIAH HEEP. He, vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist/vocalist Phil Lanzon have formed the nucleus of the band for more than 34 years and released 17 albums together.

URIAH HEEP debuted in 1970 with the release of one of hard rock's milestones, "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", and has since sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide. They constantly tour the world, playing up to 125 shows a year to more than 500,000 fans. The band's live set features the classic tracks from the '70s and is a musical journey from the band's beginnings to the present day.

URIAH HEEP is:

Mick Box - Lead Guitar/Vocals

Phil Lanzon - Keyboards/Vocals

Bernie Shaw - Lead Vocals

Dave Rimmer - Bass Guitar/Vocals

Russell Gilbrook - Drums, Percussion

REPENTANCE, the band featuring former SOIL and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass and STUCK MOJO frontman Robby J. Fonts, has released the official lyric video for a new song called "Only the Damned Die Young". The track is available now on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon via Art Is War Records. The new single follows last year's release of "Enter The Gallows", calling on listeners to reflect on their own mortality.

"'Only The Damned Die Young' is a play on words of the classic adage," explains Fonts. "Some people take their lives for granted, forgetting that it's precious and can end in an instant. Although we live in a dangerous world, we can't let it stop us from living our lives to the fullest. I don't believe that the good die young… only the damned do."

"Only The Damned Die Young" was recorded at Electrowerks Recording with Chuck Macack (BORN OF OSIRIS, OCEANO) engineering. The track was mixed and mastered by Chris Collier (PRONG, LAST IN LINE, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) of CMC21 Productions.

REPENTANCE will perform in support of SACRED REICH and TOXIC HOLOCAUST at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago on September 17.

Founded in 2018, REPENTANCE's current lineup is rounded out by lead guitarist Markus Johansson, drummer Kanky Lora and bassist Mike Sylvester.

SCORPIONS drummer Mikkey Dee has posted a short video update from Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany, where he and his bandmates are rehearsing and doing pre-production for their upcoming studio album. Tentatively due in 2021, the disc will mark the German hard rock legends' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of SCORPIONS' new and classic material.

In the video, which can be seen below, Mikkey says in part: "Hi everyone. Just a quick update from the studio. Today is Tuesday, and we are done for today. We worked very hard… We're doing really well and we're getting forward one day at a time, but it sounds great. And, well, we'll be back tomorrow."

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, most of the work so far had been done remotely, with Fidelman taking part via Zoom.

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine recently told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce the new LP is to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."

According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP will feature "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

Fidelman began his career as the guitarist and songwriter for RHINO BUCKET before launching his career as a producer, engineer and mixer, finding an early mentor in Rick Rubin.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.
























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Studio update! Rehearsal and pre production. #mikkeydee #scorpions

A post shared by Mikkey Dee (@mikkeydeeofficial) on Aug 4, 2020 at 11:27am PDT

Concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. has released financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. The touring giant posted net revenue of $74.1 million — 98% lower than the $3.16 billion a year earlier — and an adjusted operating loss of $431.9 million.

Live Nation had just 24 concerts in North America compared to 7,213 in last year's second quarter. 8,000 fans attended the show compared to 15.84 million in Q2 2019. In Europe, there were a total of 131 concerts, down from 3,309 last year, and 41,000 fans.

In announcing the results, Live Nation said: "Over the past three months, our top priority has been strengthening our financial position to ensure that we have the liquidity and flexibility to get through an extended period with no live events. Our expectation is that live events will return at scale in the summer of 2021, with ticket sales ramping up in the quarters leading up to these shows.

"Importantly, we remain confident that fans will return to live events when it is safe to do so. Our strongest indicator of demand is that fans are holding on to their tickets, even when given the option of a refund. Through the end of the second quarter, 86% of concert fans are keeping their tickets for rescheduled shows, demonstrating their continued desire to attend concerts in the future despite the current uncertainty.

"Our expectations for a robust outdoor summer season in 2021 are also reinforced by the two-thirds of fans keeping their tickets for canceled festivals so they can go to next year's show, along with strong early ticket sales for festivals in the UK next summer — for example, Download and Isle Of Wight are pacing well ahead of last year.

"Between the tickets held by fans for rescheduled shows and these festival onsales, we have already sold 19 million tickets to more than four thousand concerts and festivals scheduled for 2021, creating a strong baseload of demand that is pacing well ahead of this point last year. At the same time, surveys continue to show that concerts remain fans' highest priority social event when it is safe to gather, with almost 90% of fans globally planning on attending concerts again.

"Understanding that it will be some time before we put on concerts at scale, we are innovating to find new and creative ways to help keep artists and fans connected in the meantime. Virtual concerts have proven to be in huge demand with fans, so we established the 'Live From Home' platform to provide a convenient place for fans of all types to find performances from their favorite artists.

"In the second quarter, we had 67 million fans view over 18 thousand concerts and festivals globally. Among our highlights, this past weekend we streamed 150 performances for our Virtual Lollapalooza Festival. Given the tremendous popularity of these shows, we are seeing the potential for live streaming to become an additional long-term component of our concert business, allowing fans in other cities, or those who can't attend, to enjoy the concert as well.

"At the same time, recognizing fans want to get back to attending concerts in person as soon as possible, we've launched socially distanced shows when and where permitted, including New Zealand, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Finland, as well as several cities across the United States.

"While this is a challenging time for everyone — the live events business in particular — there are a few things that I am confident about: we are well positioned to weather this crisis, and we will get through this; when it is safe to return, we will have an abundance of fans and artists ready to enjoy live music again; and Live Nation will do everything in its power to meet our responsibilities to artists, fans, our employees and everyone else affected by this shutdown by bringing back as much live music as fast as possible when it is responsible to do so."

Billboard reported in May that Live Nation furloughed about 2,100 of its 10,500 employees as part of an effort to reduce costs during the COVID-19 crisis.

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna spoke to the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast about the progress of the songwriting sessions for 2018's "When Legends Rise" album. He said (hear audio below): "We're starting to get ready to write some more music now for the GODSMACK record. We're gonna try to maybe even do two albums next year, so there's an acoustic EP and a full-length rock record. And I might even work with the solo band and do some solo stuff. So I've got a lot going on. It's better to stay busy, I believe, than stay bored. Bored gets you in trouble."

Erna's latest comments echo those he made last month, when he told "Offstage With DWP": "My main priority is to spend the rest of this year with my band, writing, rehearsing, recording, mixing, mastering, getting new GODSMACK ready to go for the top of '21. And I'm really hoping to be able to get even a solo record done this year. So I'm gonna try to get very aggressive with my creativity and get two records done before the holidays. So that's gonna be challenging. Once I'm in that creative space, though, it usually starts going quick. It's just getting that wound open again and trying to get that vessel to work, that instrument to work. Because when it's closed off for a while and you're just being dad, and you're being the guy who's trying to set up a new business, and you're installing new hardwood floors at your house or something — you're just that dude, right? And you're not playing the guitar and getting artsy. So I've gotta shut off that to become this again. Once I get into that open space, then I think I should be able to get a couple of records done this year. So as far as content goes, that's one of my missions to accomplish in 2020 while the world is rehabbing."

GODSMACK has been off the road since the coronavirus pandemic shut the touring industry down.

Last year, GODSMACK landed three No. 1 singles from "When Legends Rise". The group's latest track, "Under Your Scars", topped the rock radio chart in July 2019, joining previous chart-toppers "Bulletproof" and the title cut. "Bulletproof" was also the most-played song at rock radio in 2018.

"When Legends Rise" was released in April 2018. The disc followed up 2014's "1000hp" and was GODSMACK's first release through BMG after splitting with its longtime home, Republic/Universal.

GODSMACK spent more than a year and half on the road, both in North America and throughout Europe, in support of "When Legends Rise".

In a new interview with Guitar World, LIFE OF AGONY guitarist Joseph Zampella, a.k.a. Joey Z. spoke about the fact that album sales are continuing to fall as the music business inches closer to an access-over-ownership model.

"Music has lost a lot of mystery now with YouTube and the Internet," he said. "At one time, the only way you knew what a band was like was to see them yourself or buy the home video. What got you excited was the mystery. The newer generation has lost that, and music has lost its value.

"People will spend $15 on a lunch that lasts half an hour, but they wouldn’t spend that on an album that will last them a lifetime," he continued.

"The value of music has to return — or else there'll be no music business."

Back in 2017, Zampella told Rock Arena that the music industry has changed drastically since the early days of LIFE OF AGONY. "Things move so much faster now than they did in the '90s," he said. "The human attention span is very short now. Everyone is getting everything whenever they want it or need it. It's much harder to break a new band because there is just so much on everyone's face from all sorts of media. You could say the world has turned into one big distraction. You have to be really unique to stand out. That's why I believe we've seen so many bands trying different things to grab your attention. As far as the shows go, Europe still brings in a certain old school vibe. I still feel a lot of excitement in the air when we go over there. The U.S. crowds are okay most of the time, but as far as the old-school vibe, it's mostly gone here. People used to live and breathe music here too… Now it feels like they're into the 'flavor of the week.'"

LIFE OF AGONY's latest concept record, "The Sound Of Scars", was released last October via Napalm. The disc acts as a "chapter two" to LIFE OF AGONY's iconic debut, "River Runs Red", which came out in 1993.

Hailed by Rolling Stone as "one of the greatest metal records of all time," "River Runs Red" was an emotional concept album that focused on a troubled teenager's inability to cope with what seemed to be the worst week of his life. The album connected to a broken generation in a visceral way through its cathartic message and hard-hitting approach, and the band developed a cult-following in the process.

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci has confirmed to Spain's Metal Hammer magazine that the band is planning to use some of its coronavirus downtime to work on the follow-up to last year's "Distance Over Time" album.

"There's a lot going on musically this year," Petrucci said (see video below). "Obviously, everybody's trying to be creative.

"The DREAM THEATER schedule is different now. We would have been touring in the spring, we would have been touring now, and then we probably would have been off for the fall and winter. But now that that's all changed, we'll go back in the studio, because nobody wants to sit around and do nothing.

"We're musicians, we're creative people, so we're gonna make music," he continued. "So, yeah, our schedule has been sort of shifted, I guess, because of the pandemic… We're gonna do what we do, which is make music. So we're not gonna sit around, and we're gonna move our schedule up and start working on new music in the fall."

"Distance Over Time" marked DREAM THEATER's first album for for Sony Music's progressive imprint InsideOut Music. The group spent the past 25 years recording under various labels in the Warner Music Group system, most recently Roadrunner Records, which released five albums by the band between 2007 and 2016.

The "Distance Over Time" artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). The disc was produced by Petrucci, mixed by Ben Grosse and mastered by Tom Baker.

Petrucci will release his second all-instrumental solo album, "Terminal Velocity", on all digital and streaming platforms on August 28 and on CD and vinyl on October 30 through The Orchard Music on his Sound Mind Music record label.

"Terminal Velocity" was written and produced by Petrucci, recorded by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ARCH ENEMY). The artwork was created by Sean M. Smith at Echo Designlab (STONE SOUR, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, IN THIS MOMENT).

The album sees the return of bassist Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS, FLYING COLORS), who played on John's debut solo album and subsequent G3 tours, as well as, an eagerly anticipated reunion with former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy (TRANSATLANTIC, THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO).
























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John Petrucci habla con nosotros sobre su nuevo disco “Terminal Velocity”, que se edita el próximo 28 de agosto en todo el mundo.

A post shared by Metal Hammer España (@metalhammeresp) on Aug 6, 2020 at 10:22am PDT

Chris Jericho (FOZZY), Nita Strauss (ALICE COOPER), Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD), Johnny Christ (AVENGED SEVENFOLD) and Nita's longtime boyfriend Josh Villalta, who also plays drums in her solo band and manages her career, have formed a new "supergroup" called THE WHEELBLOCKS. The official music video for the band's first recording, a cover version of the IRON MAIDEN classic "Aces High", can be seen below.

Jericho said: "Once again in the middle of a pandemic, I had the honor of getting together with some amazing musicians to play a cover of one of my favorite bands best songs! 'Aces High' is not only one of the hardest vocals I've ever had the pleasure of singing in a studio, they were even harder to record while I was flying a fighter plane! As a result, I think the power (slave) of this song fits perfectly into the hard rock world of today and I'm excited to see 'Aces High' fly as high up the charts as the protagonist of the song itself! So head up the runway, let off a shot burst and UP THE WHEELBLOCKS!"

Asked by Loudwire if there are any plans for THE WHEELBLOCKS to record more material beyond "Aces High", Jericho said: "Absolutely. The idea was one and done, record it, put it online. It was mixed by Kile Odell, who did the last FOZZY Top 10. I wanted it mixed properly and I told him the same thing I told him when I did the KUARANTINE songs. I said, 'Pretend IRON MAIDEN is a brand new band and this is their song in 2020. I don't want it mixed like it's 1985. Let's take the song and mix it like it's now.' It's going to sound great on the radio as our song. Same with the video, it was edited by a great editor out of Seattle called Dima Levanchuk. I wanted it done professionally and to make something out of this and I think that's why it's going to go further than just your regular supergroup-Instagram-YouTube thing. We're going to take it to radio and put a little bit of steam behind it and see how far that goes. If we end up with a hit like we did with KUARANTINE, I’d love to do more with WHEELBLOCKS. It's a great collection of people and musicians, for sure."

Jericho is also a member of another rock "supergroup", the aforementioned KUARANTINE, which performs cover versions of songs from the non-makeup era of KISS. That band has released two singles so far, "Heart Of Chrome" and "No No No", via Madison Records with distribution by The Orchard. Jericho is joined in KUARANTINE by drummer Kent Slucher (LUKE BRYAN), guitarist Joe McGinness (KLASSIK '78) and bassist PJ Farley (TRIXTER).

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans HEATHEN will release their fourth studio album, "Empire Of the Blind", on September 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyric video for the second single, the title track, can be seen below.

HEATHEN comments: "We are very proud to announce the second single, title track from our new album 'Empire Of The Blind'. This song refers to the ongoing manipulation of people through political and social propaganda in the mass media. Behold the rising empire!"

"Empire Of the Blind" was for the most part engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by Christopher "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z Studios. Additional details — rhythm guitars, etc. — were put to digital "tape" by Kragen Lum at SubLevel Studio in Little Rock, Arkansas. The album features guest appearances by Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER), Rick Hunolt (ex-EXODUS) and Doug Piercy (ex-HEATHEN). The cover art to "Empire Of the Blind" was once again handled by renowned artist Travis Smith (OVERKILL, EXHORDER).

The band commented: "It's been another 10 years but we are finally back with a new HEATHEN album. Fine wine takes time! Everyone in the band worked their asses off on this record. Zeuss absolutely nailed it and more than realized our vision for the sound. Travis Smith perfectly captured the bleak atmosphere that we imagined for the artwork. It was a year in the making and we couldn't be more proud of the outcome."

"Empire Of the Blind" track listing:

01. This Rotting Sphere

02. The Blight

03. Empire Of The Blind

04. Dead And Gone

05. Sun In My Hand

06. Blood To Be Let

07. In Black

08. Shrine Of Apathy

09. Devour

10. A Fine Red Mist

11. The Gods Divide

12. Monument To Ruin

"Empire Of The Blind" is the follow-up to "The Evolution Of Chaos", which was released as a 10th-anniversary remastered reissue on January 31 via Mascot Records. The effort was made available on CD/DVD, 2LP and digitally with a previously unreleased bonus track, "Seasons Of Purgatory". The CD/DVD was accompanied by a two-hour "making-of" documentary on the album as well as a live performance from 2009's Thrash Domination in Japan.

When "The Evolution Of Chaos" was originally released back in January 2010, it was HEATHEN's first full-length collection of new material in 18 years and saw them ride a wave of the resurgent thrash scene.

HEATHEN is often credited — alongside EXODUS, TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN, DEATH ANGEL and VIO-LENCE — with being one of the leaders of the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s.

Since its 1984 inception, HEATHEN has gone through several lineup changes, leaving Altus as the only constant member.

To date, HEATHEN has released three studio albums: 1987's "Breaking the Silence", 1991's "Victims Of Deception" and the aforementioned "The Evolution Of Chaos".

HEATHEN in 2012 inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records.

Altus has been a member of EXODUS since 2005. He joined the group as the replacement for Rick Hunolt, who left EXODUS to concentrate on his family life.

HEATHEN is:

David White - Vocals

Lee Altus - Guitar

Kragen Lum - Guitar

Jason Mirza - Bass

Jim DeMaria - Drums