BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE (a.k.a. BIAS), the band featuring former KORN drummer David Silveria, has released a new single called "Delusional". The track was recorded at Mint Potion Studios in Santa Clarita, California and CMC21 Productions in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Chris Collier.

The "Delusional" visualizer video, which was created by Rob Cisneros, can be seen below.

David is joined in the Orange County, California-based group by bassist Chris Dorame, guitarists Joe Taback and Mike Martin and singer Rich Nguyen.

Silveria, Dorame and Taback previously played together in CORE 10, which "imploded" in 2018 after releasing a couple of singles and playing a number of local shows.

Taback said about BIAS: "We received hundreds of submissions from all over the world and heard a lot of amazingly talented people. Rich came in and we just instantly vibed. The songs flowed without a hitch. We were able to get a lot done with him in a very short span of time."

Added Dorame: "I felt that he immediately connected with what we are trying to portray musically; he fit right in. His style is unique, yet familiar enough to be the perfect voice for our music."

Silveria concurred. "Rich's work ethic drives us all to work harder in the studio; it's amazing," he said.

BIAS made a big splash with its first single, "Pity", which came out in January 2019. The track rapidly reached No. 23 on the Billboard (BDS) Indicator chart and No. 9 on the Foundations (SMR) chart.

"The lyrics that I write are both personal and abstract. Every song I write has two meanings; mine and your interpretation," Nguyen told OC Weekly. "I try to write my lyrics vague enough for people to relate to and form their own opinions. However, if you know me personally, you may be able to figure what I'm talking about, maybe."

"This band doesn't feel like work; it feels like getting together with buddies and just having fun," Silveria added. "This is how it should be."

As for the name of the band, Silveria said: "We chose BIAS because everyone has their own opinions and preferences that influence their actions in some way or the other. Whether we know it or not, we all have our own version of bias." Nguyen added: "It's also short and simple."

MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio has told Sergi Ramos of Spain's The Metal Circus that the band is using the coronavirus downtime to work on several projects.

"We are currently completing a DVD and Blu-ray of our first-ever show in Mexico with an amazing 8K video production," he said. "We're in the studio recording songs for the next EP, 'The Final Battle II', and we are already preparing the massive production for our 40th-anniversary tour that will kick off in spring 2021."

Four years after announcing its "farewell" tour, only to later clarify that MANOWAR has no plans of calling it quits, DeMaio is not ruling out a 50th-anniversary celebration in 2030.

"No one can say what the future will bring, nor can we relive the past," he said. "I only know we are here now, and we are ready and willing, and when this next tour starts, we will once again kick ass all over the world."

DeMaio went on to express his optimism that things will eventually return to normal, even if it might take some time.

"Nobody would, of course, ever ask or want a worldwide crisis, but these challenging times are what bring out the best in all of us and make us stronger as individuals and the whole of the human race," he said. "We all have to focus on the things in our control."

MANOWAR released a new EP, "The Final Battle I", in March 2019. Parts II and III of the trilogy will arrive at a later date, inspired by MANOWAR's adventures on the remainder of "The Final Battle".

Last year, MANOWAR recruited Anders Johansson as the band's new drummer.

The Swedish musician made his live debut with MANOWAR in March 2019 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Johansson can be heard on "The Final Battle I", which was initially made available in an exclusive pre-sale at the merchandise booth of the band's "The Final Battle" world tour.

Former MANOWAR guitarist Karl Logan was arrested in August 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina and charged with six counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. He was jailed after pleading guilty to two child-pornography counts.

A few days after Karl's arrest was made public, MANOWAR issued a statement saying that he would no longer perform with the group. He has since been replaced by E.V. Martel, who previously played in a MANOWAR tribute band.

Sabaton has issued a live music video for "Swedish Pagans", taken from The Art Of War: Re-Armed album (2010). The clip was filmed on stage during 2020's The Great Tour in Gothenburg, Sweden

The Sabaton History Channel has released Episode 078, "Coat Of Arms" - The Greco-Italian War. Watch below.

A message states: "Morning of October 28th, 1940. The Italian ambassador to Greece had entered the house of Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas. An unacceptable ultimatum in hand, he demanded subjugation under Italian rule. Refusal would mean war. An ardent Ochi! was the answer. No, the Greek would not bow to fascist demands, but instead fight for the defense of their country and their honor. What followed were months of bitter fighting in the harsh environment of Epirus and the Macedonian mountains. The Greco-Italian War."




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Finnish modern power metal band Dyecrest have released an official video for the acoustic version of the song "Winterblood", directed by Saara Leutola (Gallacas Films).
 
"Winterblood"'s acoustic version was recorded by Teemu Velin (Stam1na), mixed by Miitri Aaltonen (Stam1na, Mokoma) and mastered by Mika Jussila (Nightwish, Stratovarius). The song’s lyrics are based on a Finnish fantasy book "Talviverinen" ("Winterblood" in English - the book is not yet translated) by Helena Waris. The director Leutola has co-operated with Waris already earlier, when Leutola filmed a short film based on her books.
 
Dyecrest drummer Niko Takala: "I got to know Saara through Helena back in the days. As a band, we started to work with Saara on our video 'Fading/Reaching' (2018). Now we have kinda three artistic visions of the same source combined here in the video of 'Winterblood'. And this discussion was in a way the 'fire starter' to the acoustic version of 'Winterblood'. Saara and Helena asked us to 'create something out of 'Winterblood' that could be used on a soundtrack or something. Luckily, we decided to do it. The original version of the song is great, of course, but I think we managed to capture the spirit of 'Winterblood' even better in the acoustic version.

Leutola and Waris have been talking about making more short films and/or tv-series, even movies based on Waris’ books.
 
"Winterblood" was filmed completely in outdoor locations. The actors/actresses on video are Peik Carpelan, Pilvi Mäkeläinen and Minni Lilja. More than 20 people took part in the crowd funding of the video.
 
Takala: "We are enormously grateful for each and every person who were involved. This participation made the whole video – which is most of all our and Saara’s tribute to Helena’s mighty books – happen!"
 
Dyecrest is currently recording a new album, scheduled to be released in 2021. At the moment (in July 2020), six songs are done when it comes to the drums, bass and the rhythm guitars. The sessions are continuing in early September.




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Toronto headbangers Superchucker have released their new video "Cloak Of Darkness", pulled from the band’s debut album, Widespread Panic!, which was released June 1st of this year independently. The track is the third video released from their debut and was produced by Clarence Poirier. The video version of the song is a remix from band guitarist Shawn Pegg.

Widespread Panic! cover art and tracklisting:

"Widespread Panic"
"Cartoon Nation"
"Liar" (2020)
"Bullets"
"Forgotten"
"Validate"
"We Like To Rock"
"Another Day"
"The Wait"
"Cloak Of Darkness" (2020)
    
"Widespread Panic" video:

"Liar" video:

Under the current pandemic situation, no shows are planned but a CD release show of some sort could be in the works for the not so distant future.

Superchucker is:

Dave Barrett (lead vocals)
Steve Macpherson (bass, vocals)
Shawn Pegg (guitars, vocals),
Robert Hassey (drums, vocals)
Stavros Theodorakopoulos (guitars, vocals)




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Well known in their home country of Ecuador and South America for supporting bands like Judas Priest, Kreator, Firewind and more, heavy metal trio Black Sun will be releasing their new EP Silent Enemy on September 4, 2020, via Rockshots Records. The EP follows the band's three previous albums: The Pupetteer (2017), Dance Of Elders (2010), and Tyrant From A Foreign Land (2015).

During the production of Black Sun's new material, the band parted ways with their longtime lead singer. Under the guidance of the EP's producer Nino Laurenne (Hevisaurus, Amorphis, The Rasmus), Black Sun found ways to complete the EP with guest singers on all the tracks. Guests include Finnish metal legends and talents like Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Lordi, Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast), Pasi Rantanen (Thunderstone), Elias Viljanen (Sonata Arctica), Netta Laurenne (Smackbound), Jukka Pelkonen (Omnium Gatherum), Asim Searah (Wintersun/Damnation Plan), Topias Kupiainen (Arion), Henning Basse (Firewind), Petri Lindroos (Ensiferum / Norther) and JF Aguirre (JF Aguirre Project). All come together to create a powerful and catchy metal hymn.

The band adds: "This EP is a new beginning for Black Sun, the tracks were written during the touring period for the last album. However, during the production and recording sessions, the former singer was removed from the band. Consequently, the songs changed, the band had more flexibility and freedom on where to take these songs. Hence, the featuring of many different singers is what makes this EP unique. We can't tell you exactly what will happen next, but we can guarantee this is only the beginning of an exciting new chapter, a rebirth that will bring much more music soon enough."

Today, Black Sun is sharing their third single "Terror Zone" featuring guest vocals from Henning Basse (Firewind, Mayan, Sons Of Seasons). The band comments: "An aggressive Judas Priest-like beat with energetic and thundering vocals from Henning Basse. This song illustrates what one might feel during a war-zone, even if that war-zone is inside your mind."

The Silent Enemy EP is a concept release of seven tracks, three of them being special music scores (intro, interlude, outro). The EP will also have a special short-film based on its storyline out on its release day that was written by Black Sun and Topias Kupiainen.

The EP was recorded at Hi NoiZ Studios and Sonic Pump Studios, mixed by Jens Bogren (tracks 2 and 3) and Nino Laurenne (tracks 1,4-7) and mastered by Svante Forsbäck. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

Silent Enemy artwork and tracklisting:

"Moebius"
"Resist" 
"Terror Zone" 
"Dark Mirror"
"No Return"
"Still Alive" 
"Finale" 

"Resist":

"Still Alive":

 




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From Calgary, Alberta, metalcore is alive and rowdy thanks to Lost In Static. They have made a name for themselves locally and with the new single, “Jordan”, the band is continuing to entice listeners at home and abroad.

This single is going to be on Lost In Static’s debut self-titled album released later this year. The heartfelt and personal song has special meaning to the band, which they explain in their own words:

“Our new single 'Jordan' is our second track to be released from our upcoming debut record. 'Jordan' was a childhood friend who unfortunately lost his life from drinking and driving. This song was written in his honour. It's heavy, it's beautiful and we hope everyone is going to love it as much as we do!”

The combination of solid riffs and juxtaposed vocals show a somber and passionate side of Lost In Static while keeping with the heaviness that is the staple of the genre. Lost In Static takes their craft to a new level and will definitely be intriguing for heavy music lovers of all kinds.   

(Photo by: Joe Miles)




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Ron Coolen has released his new single "Paradise" and accompanying videoclip on all streaming platforms. "Paradise" is dedicated to the victims of the 2018 Camp Fire, the worst wildfire in California's history that completely destroyed the city of Paradise. 

"Paradise" features intense and emotional guest contributions from vocalist Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Kingdom Come, Montrose) and guitarist Daniël Verberk (Physical Graffiti). This single edit version of "Paradise" is different from the version that is on the album Rise, which was released March 1st on RC Music. 

The images of destruction seen in the "Paradise" video are beyond imagination. The people went through terrifying times seeing their houses destroyed and not knowing whether their friends and families survived. They should never be forgotten. 

"The purpose of the video was to show the huge impact of this disaster and the total state of despair the victims in Paradise must have gone through," says Coolen. "I feel so sorry for them."

The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The fire started on November 8, 2018, ignited by a faulty electric transmission line. The fire originated above several communities and a an urban firestorm was formed in the densely populated foothill town of Paradise. 

The fire caused at least 85 civilian fatalities, and it covered an area of almost 240 sq. miles, destroying 18,804 structures. By January 2019, the total damage was estimated at $16.5 billion, a terrible disaster. Learn more at this location

The beautiful "Paradise" artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes (Arch Enemy, Machine Head, Kamelot).

 

 




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Every band is influenced by another, and today, Seattle's Draemora is excited to share a cover version of a group that they have admired very much over the years, Deftones and their infamous song "Minerva" from the 2003 self-titled album.

When asked why they chose this Deftones track to cover, Draemora guitarist Terry Jenkins explained:

"Deftones has been the single most important band to me as an artist from childhood to adulthood. It’s been there throughout my ups and downs and shaped me as a human for better or worse. The quarantine has given me a lot of time to reflect and think, this led to creating material. I revisited this song recently and it gave me chills listening to it, just like the first time I heard it. When Draemora released our Awakening EP, it was clear to me that it was unclear to our listeners what exactly are the influences of this band, so I thought it would be best to just cover some of our very favorite songs that we felt were important to us, this is the first one. We hope you enjoy it, it was a labor of love making it."

Listen to Draemora's cover version of Deftones' "Minerva" below.

Draemora's Awakening EP is nothing short of heavy, melodic metal infused with honest and heartfelt lyrics. This combination works perfectly with the band’s mission to evoke an intense emotional and spiritual experience that brings out the raw emotions that are suppressed all day in normal day to day lives.

Terry Jenkins elaborates the story behind the writing of Awakening: "It's intense and beautiful.  It's angry, sad, and uplifting and I think it is a reflection of a human living in modern-day society.  The majority of the lyrics are a culmination of direct excerpts from letters, poems, and life experiences from the period between May 2018 and August 2019.  It was a very intense time in my life.  A relationship I had been in for 10 years was falling apart due to my addiction problems and I had just got sober at the end of April 2018.  Being sober after being intoxicated and high for 16 years was like living in a different world all together.  I had to finally face all of the things I had put off for a very long time and it was like I was learning how to do everything in my life all over again.  I used lyrics and music to channel a lot of those feelings and get it out.  When I was in the beginning, I relied on listening to a few specific metal albums to keep me from slipping into the dark, and without those pieces of music, I may not be walking the earth right now.  I was going to keep this stuff to myself but, the realization that I needed to feel like I wasn't alone by listening to music that spoke candidly about the same things that I was going through almost forced me to share my stories and others stories on this EP with someone else who is going through the same stuff."

The artwork for the Awakening EP was created by Sarah Estrella.

Tracklisting:

"Home"
"Dead Inside"
"Guilt"
"Reckoning"
"Legion Of Scum"

“Legion Of Scum” guitar playthrough video:

"Guilt":




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Guitar legend Steve Vai has uploaded two new clips to his official YouTube channel "The Animal Jam" live in Oslo, Norway, and "Mercy" live from Ukraine in 2014 during the Story of Light tour.

With regards to the "Mercy" clip, Vai says "This song was written during the Rodney King race riots in Los Angeles and was reflective of the frustration and sadness I was feeling while watching humans attack each other. I know that’s not who we really are."

Vai is featured in a new interview with Guitar.com discussing life as an artist in lockdown. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

Q: Have you shifted your focus to some other recording projects that were maybe on the back burner, things you can do at home?

Vai: "Absolutely. I’ve started working on some other things… it’s difficult for me to talk about them because my plans change. Once I let something out that I’m doing, people expect it right away. So I should preface this with, I don’t know what’s going to happen. My original plan was to record three trio-based instrumental guitar records that have no overdubs. One record was going to be all clean guitar tones. The second one was going to be my normal dirty tone. The third one was going to be this tuned-down eight-string stuff, like the heaviest of stuff I could possibly dream of. That was one project and I laid it all out, but then other things got in the way.

I recorded one track, 'Candle Power', and that’s for the clean records. It’s on YouTube. It’s got this cool technique I was fooling around with that I call 'joint shifting.' It’s where you bend notes in different directions while you’re pulling off and fretting other notes. I discovered the only way to really do it accurately is to use the tip of your finger and then bend the joint at the tip, as opposed to conventional bending. I looked at it and thought, 'This is like joint shifting.' There are some pretty bizarre things in that piece. I wanted to challenge myself for my 60th birthday. I used a Strat-style guitar, which is not what I usually play. It’s a clean tone with no whammy – that’s like removing one of my limbs – and no pick.

I never developed my finger picking, but I thought, 'OK, let me try it. Something will come out of it.' It was an idea that I had in the back of my mind for this weird bending thing. It sounds almost like country bending. I did Alien Guitar Secrets Episode Eight, and that’s about an hour and a half where I play the video and I also explain the whole approach to the song.

I had never seen this technique being used quite this way, but I assumed it was done before by perhaps many players. After the track came out, some people had mentioned that Jerry Donahue did things like this, so I checked him out, and yes, he was doing similar-type things decades ago, although it was new for me.

There’s also the Real Illusions trilogy – I’ve already released two records, so I decided that I should do the third one. I’ve started to pull that together. On one of my Alien Guitar Secrets, I did an acoustic and vocal version for a song, 'The Moon And I'. The response was so great that I thought, 'You know what? I’m going to make an acoustic record.' Just solo acoustic guitar and vocals. But as mentioned, who knows how it will all turn out? That’s the surprise and delight.”

Read more here.

"Candle Power" is a new track Vai composed in celebration of his 60th birthday (on June 6th). He explains:

"I wanted to challenge myself for my 60th birthday and decided to record a simple trio track. I gave myself some parameters to work within. I told myself I would use a Strat style guitar (tougher for me to play then a Jem), use a very clean tone (not conventional for me), no whammy bar (that’s like losing a body part for me), and no pick, just fingers (way out of my comfort zone).

I also had this idea for a particular type of riff that can only really be played on a guitar with no whammy bar. It’s a technique that I call 'joint shifting'. This is where you bend a note while fretting another, but I wanted to do this technique with a combination of double and triple stop single note bends while fretting other notes and releasing bends. After considerable experimenting, I discovered it created a unique sounding passage. You can hear this technique on a few sections of the song. I certainly hope other ambitious guitar player see the potential in this technique and take it to the moon!

We shot this quick little video of me performing the track at my Harmony Hut studio.

During this period, the world is slowly starting to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people are still facing challenges and are eager to find entertainment on the internet. I have seen the best come out in many people during this challenging time. When people join together with a common positive intention, the power surge they create within the collective is the healing element that is most needed. Like many little candles coming together to burn as bright as a star.

I needed a title for the song, and with the above in mind, and the fact that it’s my 60th, I choose the title 'Candle Power'. We are even issuing a limited edition commemorative 'Candle Power' candle in the new vai.com merch store that also comes with a high-quality download of the song:

Enjoy!"




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Swedish modern metal force, Amaranthe, announce their new album, Manifest. With this new album, Amaranthe set their mark with a vibrant, epic masterpiece to be released on October 2 via Nuclear Blast. They have posted a new trailer for the album featuring an introduction to the band members. Check it out below.

Pre-order Manifest here. Pre-save it for your DSPs here. A video for the song "Viral" can be found below.

"Manifest is the latest step in the evolution of Amaranthe, and across the board it is the boldest statement: We are here to stay, we are utterly passionate about what we do and we will take no prisoners in our strive for musical excellence! An all-out metal rollercoaster, Manifest does not hold back in any regard - from the first second to the last, it is brimful with some of the heaviest Amaranthe riffs to date, soaring and emotional vocals and unrelenting metallic fury. We hope you will enjoy this album as much as we enjoyed making it!"

Manifest is available in the following formats:

- CD
- Media Book With Four Bonus Tracks
- Media Book Bundle With Patch (Limited to 250 units)
- Vinyl
  Gold Vinyl (Limited to 300 units)
  Blue/Black Marbled Vinyl (Limited to 300 units)
  Cyan Vinyl (Limited to 1000 units)
  Band Exclusive Vinyl (Limited to 150 units per color)
    Red w/ Gold Splatter - Olof
    Clear w/ Red Splatter - Elize
    Green w/ Black Splatter - GG6
    White w/ Blue Splatter - Nils
    Pink w/ Green Splatter - Johan
    Orange w/ Black Splatter - Morten

Each band exclusive vinyl color was personally selected by the single band members and is a bold statement for which value is the most important to them: Creativity, independence, prudence, cleverness, single-mindedness and composure. All together, these values are the foundation to overcome obstacles and face difficult and uncertain situations. To symbolize that, every vinyl comes with a 5x7 "hero card" corresponding with the band member and their personally picked value. When all six cards are united, they form the album cover for Manifest.

Tracklisting:

"Fearless"
"Make It Better"
"Scream My Name"
"Viral"
"Adrenaline"
"Strong" (feat. Noora Louhimo)
"The Game"
"Crystalline"
"Archangel"
"BOOM!1"
"Wake Up And Die"
"Do Or Die"

Bonus tracks:
"82nd All The Way"
"Do Or Die" (feat. Angela Gossow)
"Adrenalina" (Acoustic)
"Crystalline" (Orchestral)

"Viral" video:

Amaranthe lineup:

Elize Ryd - vocals
Olof Mörck - guitars, keyboards
Henrik "GG6" Englund Wilhelmsson - vocals
Johan Andreassen - bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums
Nils Molin - vocals

(Photo - Johan Carlén)




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German metal core giants Heaven Shall Burn were the very first band to play Wacken World Wide's XR-Stage. Check out the clip below featuring "Endzeit", "Hunters Will Be Hunted" and "Combat".

Heaven Shall Burn’s new double album, Of Truth And Sacrifice, was released back in March via Century Media. Order the album here, and watch a guitar playthrough video for the song "Thoughts And Prayers" below:

On Of Truth And Sacrifice you can look forward to their trademark sound, more unusual tunes and atmospheric strings that the band fleshed out with Sven Helbig and recorded with conductor Wilhelm Keitel in Minsk. On top of roughly 100 minutes of music on the regular album the limited editions come with a 80min documentary, “Mein grünes Herz in dunklen Zeiten“ (“My Green Heart In Dark Times“), by renown producer Ingo Schmoll who followed the band for almost a year in order to get to the bottom of the phenomenon Heaven Shall Burn.

Tracklisting:

CD1
"March Of Retribution"
"Thoughts And Prayers"
"Eradicate"
"Protector"
"Übermacht"
"My Heart And The Ocean"
"Expatriate"
"What War Means"
"Terminate The Unconcern"
"The Ashes Of My Enemies"

CD2
"Children Of A Lesser God"
"La Résistance"
"The Sorrows Of Victory"
"Stateless"
"Tirpitz"
"Truther"
"Critical Mass"
"Eagles Among Vultures"
"Weakness Leaving My Heart"

"Übermacht" video:

“Eradicate” video:

“My Heart And The Ocean” video:

“Protector” / “Weakness Leaving My Heart” video:

Heaven Shall Burn lineup:

Guitar: Maik Weichert
Bass: Eric Bischoff
Guitar: Alexander Dietz
Vocals: Marcus Bischoff

New Jersey-based rock n' roll trio, The Atomic Bitchwax, will release their new studio album, Scorpio, on August 28 release via Tee Pee Records.

The group, which originally formed in the mid-90s, consists of lead vocalist/bassist Chris Kosnik, drummer Bob Pantella, and guitarist Garrett Sweeny, all of whom are past or present members of the band Monster Magnet. Scorpio is the follow up to the group's 2017 full-length Force Field, and their eighth studio LP overall spanning more than two decades.

Watch the video for the second single, "You Got It", below. Pre-order Scorpio here.

Scorpio acknowledges the two-decades milestone in its opening revamp of the first song the band ever wrote with vocals, “Hope You Die,” the crash-in of which will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s seen them live. A generation later, it still gets the message across.

From then on, it’s all-go on nine fresh-made burners, founding bassist/vocalist Chris Kosnik, guitarist Garrett Sweeny, and drummer Bob Pantella toying with tempo subtly to lace songs like “Betting Man” and “Easy Action” and “Energy” with signature-style memorable hooks amid instrumentals “Ninja,” “Crash” and “Instant Death,” the head-spinning turns of which push ahead in the aggressive stance The Bitchwax began to present in 2015’s Gravitron while still remaining imbued with new character and the loyalty to classic heavy rock that underlies all their work.

Tracked in January 2020 at Sound Spa in Edison, NJ, with Stephen DeAcutis engineering, Scorpio is a righteous next stage of the momentum The Atomic Bitchwax have been building through hard touring and release after release of gauntlet-throwing-down rock and roll. This is a band that never stops moving, and only ever moves forward.

Tracklisting:

"Hope You Die"
"Energy"
"Ninja"
"Scorpio"
"Easy Action"
"Crash"
"Super Sonic"
"You Got It"
"Betting Man"
"Instant Death"

"You Got It" video:

"Scorpio" video:




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Stockholm’s Dead Lord has unleashed the third single from their upcoming fourth studio album, Surrender, called “Messin’ Up”.

The band comments: ”Here’s a lil’ rocknug o’suaveness for all us up-messers, wrong-steppers and hopeless cases. Remember, Rock now, cry later. Turn it up!”

Surrender (out worldwide on September 4 via Century Media Records) can be pre-ordered here and will be available in the following formats:

-CD Digipak (incl. 3 bonus tracks)
-Black LP
-Dark Green LP (200x, via Century Media EU & US Online Shops)
-Creamy White LP (300x, via Century Media EU Online Shop & other mailorders)
-Deep Blood Red LP (200x, via EMP & Nuclear Blast)
-Transparent Petrol Green LP (100x, via Dead Lord Webshop)
-Digital Album

Surrender is a one-stop shop of everything from sweet licks and stylish solos, to simply remarkable catchy songs that hit you in the feels and fill the gas tank to the brim.
Stellar guitar rock, fresh and unleashed, as Dead Lord reinvigorates and rewires a long-lost style, rocketing it into a new era with stone-cold future studio classics. Surrender conveys the sense, palpable at the shows, of the magnetic chemistry and rolling thunder the Dead Lord live extravaganza always floors you with. You can hear the fun and fever, feel the crackle and burn of the reels as they capture a rare rock and roll lightning strike, as if you were standing in the wings with the drug-dealers and crazed leather rebels of days gone by.

Humbucking their way into the mixing desk of Robert Pehrsson’s Studio Humbucker in Stockholm, Dead Lord couldn’t have found a more fitting sparring partner for their live burst of untamed rawk. Pehrsson has helped hone Dead Lord’s classy riffs and King Kong energy into a diamond-cut crystal of top-drawer rhythm and blues.

Tracklisting:

“Distance Over Time”
“Letter From Allen St.”
“Authority”
“Evil Always Wins”
“Messin’ Up”
“Dark End Of The Rainbow”
“Bridges”
“The Loner’s Way”
“Gonna Get Me”
“Dystopia”
“Hands Down” (Moon Martin cover)*
“Moonchild” (Rory Gallagher cover)*
“I staden som aldrig slumrar till” (“Letter From Allen St.” with Swedish lyrics)*

*Ltd. CD Digipak bonus tracks

“Distance Over Time” video:

“Evil Always Wins” video:




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Ellefson, the eponymous solo band of Grammy-winning Megadeth bassist/co-founder David Ellefson, has announced the tentative tracklisting for No Cover, out October 2 via Combat Records, featuring 17+ cover songs including classic tracks from Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Queen, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, Fastway, Fight, Dead Kennedys, and more, with cover art by Melody Myers (Ellefson, Altitudes and Attitude, Escape The Fate), an homage to the legendary Def Leppard debut, On Through The Night.

Ellefson have also released the first single, an updated interpretation of the On Through The Night classic “Wasted”, featuring Frank Hannon (Tesla), Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars, Lynam), and Dave McClain (Sacred Reich, Ex-Machine Head). Listen below.

Ellefson, featuring Ellefson on bass, vocalist Thom Hazaert, guitarists Andy Martongelli and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons Of Apollo, YES, ex-Guns N’ Roses), and drummer Paolo Caridi, will be joined by a laundry list of legendary guests including Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies), Brandon Yeagley (Crobot), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), Frank Hannon and Troy Lucketta (Tesla), Mark Slaughter, Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, ex-Watchtower, Evil United), Greg Handevidt (Kublai Khan, ex-Megadeth), Chuck Behler (ex-Megadeth), Gus G, John Aquilino (Icon), Doro Pesch, Dave McClain (Sacred Reich, ex-Machine Head), Dave Alvin (White Trash), Todd Kerns (Slash & The Conspirators), Andrew Freeman (Last In Line), Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Russ Parrish (Fight, Steel Panther), Dead By Wednesday, and more TBA.

Tracklisting:

"Freewheel Burning" (Judas Priest) ft. Jason McMaster, Gus G, Andy James, Dave McClain
"Tear It Loose" (Twisted Sister) ft. Eddie Ojeda, Dave McClain
"Love Me Like A Reptile" (Motorhead) ft. Doro Pesch, Greg Handevidt, Chuck Behler
"Holiday In Cambodia" (Dead Kennedys) ft. Charlie Benante
"Rebel Yell" (Billy Idol)
"Wasted" (Def Leppard) ft. Frank Hannon, Jacob Bunton, Dave McClain, Bumblefoot
"Riff Raff" (AC/DC) ft. Jason McMaster, Dave Lombardo
"Nailed To The Gun" (Fight) ft. Andrew Freeman, Russ Parrish, Jimmy DeGrasso
"Not Fragile" (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) ft. John Aquilino
"Say What You Will" (Fastway) ft. Troy Lucketta, Mark Slaughter
"LOVE Machine" (W.A.S.P.) ft. Dirk Verbeuren, Dave Alvin
"Love Hurts" (Nazareth) ft. Brandon Yeagley, Chuck Behler, Tyson Leslie
"Sheer Heart Attack" (Queen) ft. Bumblefoot, Doro Pesch, Charlie Benante
"Sweet FA" (Sweet) ft. Todd Kerns, Bumblefoot, Shani Kimelman
"TBA"
"TBA"
"Auf Wiedersehen" (Cheap Trick) ft. Al Jourgensen, Brandon Yeagley, Charlie Benante

Bonus Tracks
18. Eat The Rich (Krokus) ft. Dead By Wednesday

"Wasted":

Produced by Ellefson and Hazaert, with guitarist Andy Martongelli, and engineers Alessio Garavello, Matt LaPlant (Nonpoint, Lil’ Jon, Skindred), and John Aquilino, and mixed by Alessio Garavello, Randy Burns, and more, Ellefson describes the process as a collaborative tribute, and a loving homage, to some of his favorite artists.

You can pre-order exclusive merchandise, experiences, and gear via Indiegogo here.

"Before any of us started writing our own songs, we all began playing cover songs by our heroes during our formative years as musicians. So, it’s fun to go back in time and revisit those songs which helped us to become the artists we are today, when, ironically, many of those artists have now become peers and friends.”

Ellefson continues, “A lot of our buddies have been playing covers and quarantine jams on the Internet during the pandemic, so this was really just an extension of that, but we took it the next level and actually recorded a full studio album. We’ve been working remotely anyway, as we’re all over the Globe, so it was easy to incorporate some guests jumping in with some outstanding performances of their own. It’s been a really fun nod to making great music with our friends, which is the whole reason we got into this in the first place!”

Says vocalist, and co-producer, Hazaert, “It’s all songs and artists that really mutually influenced both myself and David, especially a lot of early “Metal” and harder Classic Rock. Some stuff I picked, some stuff he picked, but for the most part is was all artists that we both loved."

He adds, “And we were able to work in a lot of nods to David’s history, getting Chuck Behler to play with us, bringing in original Megadeth guitarist Greg Handevidt to play on “Love Me Like A Reptile”, a song they used to play in cover bands together before they moved to LA (which we wrote about in MORE LIFE WITH DETH). These are literally all of my favorite bands, and as a vocalist, these are literally artists and songs I’ve covered all my life, so, it’s truly an honor to put together something so fun, and really as effortless as this was. It truly is a love letter to Rock N’ Roll.”




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US prog metal outfit, Oceans Of Slumber, will release their new and self-titled album, Oceans Of Slumber, on September 4, via Century Media Records worldwide. To give their fans another glimpse on the album, the band unveil the ballad “The Colors Of Grace”, a duet featuring Mike Moss of Antimatter. Watch the video below:

 

Oceans Of Slumber is available as Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold black 2LP+CD, Digital album and can be pre-ordered here.

Oceans Of Slumber tracklisting:

"Soundtrack To My Last Day"
"Pray For Fire"
"A Return To The Earth Below"
"Imperfect Divinity"
"The Adorned Fathomless Creation"
"To The Sea"
"The Colors Of Grace"
"I Mourn These Yellow Leaves"
"September (Those Who Come Before)"
"Total Failure Apparatus"
"The Red Flower"
"Wolf Moon"

"The Adorned Fathomless Creation":

"A Return To The Earth Below" video:

Lineup:

Cammie Gilbert - Vocals
Jessie Santos - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Alexander Lucian - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Semir Ozerkan - Bass
Dobber - Drums, Piano/Synths
Mat Aleman - Keyboards




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Dynamic rock band, Weapons Of Anew, has announced the addition of Chad Szeliga (Breaking Benjamin, Black Label Society) as the band’s new drummer.

“We left no stone unturned, we auditioned a ton of great drummers but we had to make certain that whoever we decided on was the perfect fit,” said guitarist Freddy Ordine, “They needed to be the total package. Chad brings an incredible amount of experience and his musicianship is so much deeper than just his drumming, which speaks volumes in itself. Chad is true talent. We look forward to showing the world what we’ve created.”

Szeliga aded, “When I first heard the music, I knew this band had a tremendous amount of talent, song writing, and creativity. We have the drive to play the best music that we possibly can.”

Szeliga replaces drummer Chris Manfre, who played on the band's debut, The Collision Of Love And Hate, who is parting on good terms to focus on his family. "All is good,” Ordine said. “We love Chris.”

Weapons of Anew is currently in the studio with Mike Ferretti (producer) and David Benedeth (mixer) working on a sophomore release, tentatively scheduled for 2021.




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A big congrats to Primal Fear as they have achieved the highest chart entry ever in Germany with their 13th studio album, Metal Commando!

Bassist Mats Sinner comments: "Position #7 in the German Album Charts is simply overwhelming (Media Control on #6) and it’s our highest chart entry ever in Germany! Especially in a very difficult release week with many mainstream & German Schlager releases, we placed ourselves on a top position and sold the most albums in the first week in our sales history. A huge ‘Thank You’ from the band to our fans for the great support and the fantastic feedback! Thanks to Markus Staiger, Markus Wosgien, Nuclear Blast and everyone who helped to realize this album and believed in us!”

The title of the album is self-explainatory - Metal Commando contains 110% Primal Fear and is full to the brim with their signature power and energy.

In celebration of the release, last week the band has issued the new single and video "Hear Me Calling". Watch the clip below.

Bassist Matt Sinner comments: "The special thing about 'Hear Me Calling' is, that we are combining the vibes of the first PF albums with the new Primnal Fear of 2020. It's great, because Tom (Naumann) was a part of the song-writing and the basis of the song was made in my studio. Ralf (Scheepers) made the lyrics, perfectly interpreting all the emotions and with a really strong chorus. Far away from home, in a shady plane somewhere between Peru and Bolivia, thinking about home... a strong combination of powerful guitar riffs, awesome melodies, groove and a great hook!"

Metal Commando was produced by Mat Sinner and mixed by Jacob Hansen - an experienced dream-team. The album will contain 11 tracks.

Tracklisting:

“I Am Alive”
“Along Came The Devil”
“Halo”
“Hear Me Calling”                                     
“The Lost & The Forgotten”
“My Name Is Fear”
“I Will Be Gone”
“Raise Your Fists”
“Howl Of The Banshee”
“Afterlife”
“Infinity”

Bonus CD (Ltd. Edition 2-CD Digipak):

“Rising Fear”
“Leave Me Alone”
“Second To None”
“Crucify Me”

"I Am Alive" video:

"Along Came The Devil" lyric video:

Lineup:

Ralf Scheepers - Lead & Backing Vocals
Tom Naumann - Guitars
Alexander Beyrodt - Guitars
Magnus Karlsson - Guitars
Michael Ehré - Drums
Mat Sinner - Bass & Vocals

(Photo - Heiko Roith)




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With over 100 million streams and views of "Vodka" racked up, making this arguably the most popular song about vodka, it comes as no surprise that Korpiklaani is launching their own unique Finnish spruce flavored craft Vodka. They'll be collaborating with one of Finland’s largest independent breweries and distilleries, Pyynikin who also produced the Korpiklaani Lager.

Korpiklaani Vodka is a premium grain-based vodka from the land of a thousand lakes. Distilled, handpicked spruce, together with the purest water in the world, form a product with a unique forest aroma and perfect smoothness. No other word would describe it better: refreshing.

Samuli Peltonummi, the head distiller of Pyynikin Distilling Company is excited and proud of being able to distill Korpiklaani Vodka into an actual vodka. In his opinion, spruce gives a powerful and authentic Finnish flavor that fits well with Korpiklaani's music and spirit.

To celebrate, Korpiklaani will fulfill everyone’s dream of having a “piss up in a brewery” and will perform live from inside the brewery on Saturday, August, 29 at 8 PM, CEST.

Bringing along with them a full production, stage, lights, and LED screens all built in front of the Beer tanks, this will be the event of the year. The livestream will stay available on the website for an unlimited time, so you can even watch a year later!

Today, the band releases a trailer for the live stream spicing up the waiting time until late August:

Tickets can be bought from their new website, korpiklaani.live where you can also get exclusive merch and also pre-order the Vodka.

The new website is designed for the new world we live in and will host more live streaming events and other live content in the future.

(Photo - Jani Mahkonen)




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Lucy Burns is the fresh project from Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski, frontman of Polish death metal band, Decapitated, and his friend Mr. G - electronic music maker.

The beginning of Lucy Burns reaches back to 2019. The idea was to create something totally different from what both members of the band used to do in past projects. Their aim was to experiment with music genres as much as possible.

The band is about to release their first music video and single, " Occoltica", on August 7. The song is a mixture of dirty electronic sounds, hip hop, tribal rhythms and melodic rock attitude.

"Ocooltica" tells the story about powerful hex of music, music that has the ability to pierce through hearts, possess minds, and take the listener on a freaky trip through the oneiric world of Lucy Burns. The tale of Lucy Burns will gradually continue to develop in the next single releases, which will ultimately lead you to the full-length album.

Watch a first trailer below, and stay tuned for updates.




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Swedish rock band, Thundermother, have released their new album, Heat Wave, via AFM Records. A music video for the song, "Dog From Hell", can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Loud And Alive”
“Dog From Hell”
“Back In ‘76”
“Into The Mud”
“Heat Wave”
“Sleep”
“Driving In Style”
“Free Ourselves”
“Mexico”
“Purple Sky”
“Ghosts”
“Somebody Love Me”
“Bad Habits”

“Dog From Hell” video:

“Sleep”:

“Driving In Style”:




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Alcatrazz have released their brand new full-length, Born Innocent, via Silver Lining Music. Order here, and watch a video for the title track below.

The hard-hitting, melodic heavy metal band Alcatrazz unleash Born Innocent, their first studio venture since 1986’s Dangerous Games. Alongside the unique vocal prowess and range of star frontman and founding member Graham Bonnet, Born Innocent also features fellow founding members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea. Debuting on Born Innocent is the latest of the illustrious Alcatrazz guitarists to bring their extreme six-string talents to the band, with Boston-based Berklee College of Music Assistant Professor of Guitar, and one-man metal impresario Joe Stump.

Mixed and mastered by Andy Haller, Born Innocent also sees former stars from Bonnet's long career making guest appearances, from Chris Impellitteri, who wrote the music and played all guitars on the arpeggio-powered "Born Innocent" with Bonnet's vocals soaring to old-school heights, and Bob Kulick who wrote and laid down guitar for "I Am The King". Virtuoso Japanese guitar maestro Nozomu Wakai - a new invitee to the party- similarly wrote and played guitars on the double-kick steel-plated Irish warrior ode "Finn McCool", while Steve Vai wrote "Dirty Like The City". Meanwhile, "Something That I Am Missing" and "Warth Lane" were written by - and feature the guitar work of- Italian six-string hero Dario Mollo, with Riot bassist Don Van Stavern playing bass on the title track, "Polar Bear", "Finn McCool", "London 1666", "Dirty Like The City" and "Paper Flags". Add D. Kendall Jones’ writing and guitar work on "We Still Remember" and even a quick solo by another new invitee to the Alcatrazz mega-sound, Annihilator's Jeff Waters on "Paper Flags" (the second one to be precise), and it’s clear that studio Alcatrazz 2020 is one giant piece of rock for sure.

Tracklisting:

"Born Innocent"
"Polar Bear"
"Finn McCool"
"We Still Remember"
"London 1666"
"Dirty Like The City"
"I Am The King"
"Something That I Am Missing"
"Paper Flags"
"The Wound Is Open"
"Body Beautiful"
"Warth Lane"
"For Tony"

"Dirty Like The City" video:

"London 1666" video:

"Polar Bear" lyric video:

- Produced by Giles Lavery and Jimmy Waldo
- Mixed, mastered and edited by Andy Haller

Alcatrazz is:

Graham Bonnet - Vocals
Joe Stump - Guitars
Jimmy Waldo - Keyboards
Gary Shea - Bass
Mark Benquechea - Drums




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This month, Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen took on a 30-Day Fitness Challenge. Tune in below for the final days of Phil’s challenge - including recap, final results, and health advice from Phil.

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4, Part 1:




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Former The Rods, Picture and Guardians Of The Flame singer Sammy Shmoulik Avigal sadly lost his battle with cancer yesterday (July 30th) at the age of 65. Sammy’s wife writes on Facebook :

“I wanted to let you all know that at 4:58 he lost his battle and passed away. Please celebrate the man, the legend. Goodbye my love — we all love you.”

According to Encyclopedia Metalium, Sammy "Shmoulik" made his name with Dutch bands Picture, Horizon and Hammerhead. He later moved to the United States and recorded the album Heavier Than Thou with The Rods. In 2003, Sammy moved to Florida to record the album Under a Savage Sky under the banner of Jack Starr's Guardians of the Flame. After recording that album, he started his own band called Avigal. 

Picture has issued the following statement:

“Needless to say we are heartbroken by this terrible news. Sammy was a great friend, a great performer and vocalist. We are very proud that he was the singer in our band in 1982 with whom we recorded one of the best Dutch metal albums ever: Diamond Dreamer. We will miss you and would have really wanted to do some tours with you to celebrate this album but it wasn’t to be. Our thoughts and prayers go to your wife and next of kin. Godspeed Sammy Shmoulik Avigal!”

The Rods drummer Carl Canedy:

“Sad news today about losing our friend and former bandmate Shmoulik Avigal.  David Rock Feinstein and I met Shmoulik when Jack Starr brought him to my house in Cortland. Smoulik and I proceeded to start working with Craig Gruber, Andrew Duck Mac Donald and Tom Inamorato. David loved Shmouliks voice as much as I did so we decided that he would be the lead singer for The Rods on the Heavier Than Thou album. He was an amazing talent and brilliant man who will be missed by those of us who knew him. The link below is for a song I wrote, that he really loved, called ‘Heat of the Night’. He did the song with another band he was in called Harpo, with John Hahn. I saw them live and they played this song. It was a huge honor to hear him sing one of my songs live. RIP Shmoulik! Condolences to his family.”

Guardians Of The Flame guitarist Jack Starr (also Virgin Steele, Burning Starr):

“It with sadness that I learned today that Shmoulik Avigal former singer of the Rods and Picture and our former band Guardians Of The Flame passed away. Shmoulik was a great singer who really was one of the best in the world of metal. Ned Meloni and I will always be proud of the great album we did with Shmoulik and have nothing but love and respect for this talented person who was taken away from us Sammy Shmoulik Avigal just passed away. One of the greatest vocalists in history, recorded one of the top 10 records ever made. Shone on Picture, The Rods, Horizon, Guardians of the Flames.... legend of legend. R.I.P.”




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Conflict is far from picture perfect, it is harsh, relentless and some even say treacherous. One thing is certain though, those who have been tasting the true foundation of heavy metal, have the ability to tell its awful tales and lessons to be learned.  Who are those veterans you ask? The answer is right here, hanging over your face - The Heroes.

Today, RFL Records announces the signing of the Philadelphian warmongers, Corners Of Sanctuary, and the upcoming release of the band's seventh album, Heroes Never Die, to be released on October 3.

Heroes Never Die is where the building blocks of heavy mtal meet, melodies and hard hitting riffs, ol' US metal merged with European metal, Riot meets Judas Priest & Satan, Malice meets Accept & Blitzkrieg and the list goes on and on.

RFL Records' CEO, Jon Marchewka, commented: “I am personally thrilled to have Corners Of Sanctuary as part of the RFL family. Our goal is to be a diverse label that appreciates the different styles in the hard rock / metal genres and with Corners Of Sanctuary we have a band that delivers an amazing, classic metal style. We want to bring the very best to our fans and with us being such big Corners Of Sanctuary fans, we fully believe that these guys are going to be a major player in the industry for many years to come.”  

Corners Of Sanctuary's guitarist & founder, Mick Michaels commented: "We are thrilled to be working with RFL Records for the release of our next album, Heroes Never Die. From the beginning, the connection has been undeniable... their support of our particular style and sound has been overwhelming and we could not have asked for more. The band is confident this partnering will produce nothing but positive results."

Heroes Never Die was produced by Mick Michaels, recorded & Mixed at Magic Ears Studios, PA. The album was mastered by Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Fates Warning, W.A.S.P., Armored Saint, Sacred Reich) at SkullSeven Studio, CA

Tracklisting:

"We Never"
"Someone Else's War"
"The Truth In Lies"
"Combat Shock"
"Heroes Never Die"
"Into The Fight"
"I Will"
"We Won't Back Down (Do Or Die)"
"Best Of The Best"
"We Are The Dead (Dead Man Walking)"
"Remember The Dawn"
"Fight The Good Fight"

Lineup:

Stacey Lee - Vocals
Mad T - Drums
James Pera - Bass & Backing Vocals
Mick Michaels - Guitars & Keyboards




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More video of Vic And The Rattleheads, aka Megadeth, performing at a secret show at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY on December 12, 2016, has been released. Watch the band perform "Sweating Bullets", as well as the previously posted "Tornado Of Souls", "Rattlehead" and “Hangar 18”, below:

Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece, by Dave Mustaine with Joel Selvin, will be released on September 8. Pre-order in a variety of limited edition autographed bundles here, and watch a short video trailer below.

A new book by the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of Megadeth, the original lead guitarist of Metallica, and the author of the New York Times bestseller, Mustaine.

Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece details the making of Megadeth’s iconic record, Rust In Peace, which was released in 1990, at an incredible time of flux and creativity in the rock world. Relayed by Dave Mustaine, the book covers the process of hiring the band and supporting cast, of trying to handle the ensuing success, and ultimately the pressure of fame and fortune - which caused the band to finally break-up. In short, it’s a true story of groundbreaking anti-pop that was moving toward the mainstream (or the mainstream that was moving toward the band), at a time of great cultural change, power, ego, drugs, and other vices that went hand-in-hand with rock n' roll, circa the late eighties-early nineties.

Little did Mustaine know that the birth pangs of the record were nothing compared to the oncoming pain and torment that would surround it. Alcohol, drugs, sex, money, power, property, prestige, the lies the band was told by the industry - and the lies they told each other - were just beginning, and much like rust in real life, these factors would ultimately eat away at the band’s bond until only the music survived.

Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece is a story of perseverance, of scraping off the rust off that builds over time on everything: ourselves, our relationships, pop culture, art, and music.

Megadeth recently announced the rescheduled dates for The Metal Tour Of The Year with Lamb Of God, Trivium, and In Flames. All tickets will be honored with the rescheduled dates, postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A joint statement from all bands state: “We are excited to share the new 2021 dates for The Metal Tour Of The Year. All tickets from the summer and fall legs of the tour will be honored for the new rescheduled dates in 2021. If you are a ticket holder and cannot make the new show, you will receive an email directly allowing you to request a refund. For more details, please visit Livenation.com/refund. We can’t wait to get back on stage and get this tour kicked off.”

Rescheduled dates:

July
9 - Detroit, MI
10 - Mt. Pleasant, MI
11 - Toronto, ON
13 - Burgettstown, PA
14 - Cincinnati, OH
16 - Bristow, VA
17 - Charlotte, NC
18 - Raleigh, NC
20 - Boston, MA
21 - Wantagh, NY
23 - Darien Center, NY
25 - Holmdel, NJ
26 - Camden, NJ
27 - Cleveland, OH
28 - Indianapolis, IN
30 - Laval, QC
31 - Quebec City, QC

August
3 - Green Bay, WI
4 - Minneapolis, MN
6 - Chicago, IL
7 - Kansas City, MO
8 - Rogers, AR
10 - St. Louis, MO
11 - Nashville, TN
12 - Atlanta, GA
14 - West Palm Beach, FL
18 - Corpus Christi, TX
20 - Austin, TX
21 - Irving, TX
22 - Houston, TX
24 - El Paso, TX
25 - Albuquerque, NM
27 - Denver, CO
29 - Phoenix, AZ
31 - Reno, NV

September
1 - Irvine, CA
2 - Concord, CA
4 - Portland, OR
5 - Auburn, WA
7 - Pocatello, ID
8 - Salt Lake City, UT
10 - Las Vegas, NV

 




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PEARL JAM, THE ROLLING STONES' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry are among the dozens of high-profile musicians in pop, rock and hip-hop who have partnered with the Artist Rights Alliance in an open letter demanding that politicians get clearance on the music they play at campaign rallies and other public events.

The ARA, a not-for-profit advocate for songwriters and musicians, is calling for the major U.S. national political party committees to "establish clear policies requiring campaigns to seek consent of featured recording artists, songwriters, and copyright owners before publicly using their music in a political or campaign setting."

The letter is addressed to the Democratic and Republican National, Congressional, and Senatorial committees.

Signees have requested the parties respond by August 10 on how they plan to "accomplish these changes."

Read the letter in full below.

"Dear Campaign Committees:

"As artists, activists, and citizens, we ask you to pledge that all candidates you support will seek consent from featured recording artists and songwriters before using their music in campaign and political settings. This is the only way to effectively protect your candidates from legal risk, unnecessary public controversy, and the moral quagmire that comes from falsely claiming or implying an artist's support or distorting an artists' expression in such a high stakes public way.

"This is not a new problem. Or a partisan one. Every election cycle brings stories of artists and songwriters frustrated to find their work being used in settings that suggest endorsement or support of political candidates without their permission or consent.

"Being dragged unwillingly into politics in this way can compromise an artist's personal values while disappointing and alienating fans – with great moral and economic cost. For artists that do choose to engage politically in campaigns or other contexts, this kind of unauthorized public use confuses their message and undermines their effectiveness. Music tells powerful stories and drives emotional connection and engagement – that's why campaigns use it, after all! But doing so without permission siphons away that value.

"The legal risks are clear. Campaign uses of music can violate federal and (in some cases) state copyrights in both sound recordings and musical compositions. Depending on the technology used to copy and broadcast these works, multiple exclusive copyrights, including both performance and reproduction, could be infringed. In addition, these uses impact creators' rights of publicity and branding, potentially creating exposure for trademark infringement, dilution, or tarnishment under the Lanham Act and giving rise to claims for false endorsement, conversion, and other common law and statutory torts. When campaign commercials or advertisements are involved, a whole additional host of rules and regulations regarding campaign fundraising (including undisclosed and potentially unlawful 'in-kind' contributions), finance, and communications could also potentially be breached.

"More importantly, falsely implying support or endorsement from an artist or songwriter is dishonest and immoral. It undermines the campaign process, confuses the voting public, and ultimately distorts elections. It should be anathema to any honest candidate to play off this kind of uncertainty or falsely leave the impression of an artist's or songwriter's support.

"Like all other citizens, artists have the fundamental right to control their work and make free choices regarding their political expression and participation. Using their work for political purposes without their consent fundamentally breaches those rights – an invasion of the most hallowed, even sacred personal interests.

"No politician benefits from forcing a popular artist to publicly disown and reject them. Yet these unnecessary controversies inevitably draw even the most reluctant or apolitical artists off the sidelines, compelling them to explain the ways they disagree with candidates wrongfully using their music. And on social media and in the culture at large, it's the politicians that typically end up on the wrong side of those stories.

"For all these reasons, we urge you to establish clear policies requiring campaigns supported by your committees to seek the consent of featured recording artists, songwriters, and copyright owners before publicly using their music in a political or campaign setting. Funding, logistical support, and participation in committee programs, operations, and events should be contingent on this pledge, and its terms should be clearly stated in writing in your bylaws, operating guidelines, campaign manuals, or where you establish any other relevant rules, requirements, or conditions of support.

"Please let us know by August 10th how you plan to accomplish these changes."

Steven Tyler, Neil Young and R.E.M. have all publicly slammed President Donald Trump for using their music at his events.

Just last month, THE ROLLING STONES threatened legal action against Trump if he continues to use the band's music at his campaign rallies.

Four years ago, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider found himself in the middle of controversy when he asked Trump to stop using the band's 1984 anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" in his campaign. The singer, who got to know Trump personally after appearing more than once on "The Celebrity Apprentice", said at the time that Trump was very gracious about the request.

In a new interview with Esquire, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked if he feels like the past four years under President Donald Trump have inspired him to be more political. He responded: "It's never made sense to me that people would vote for a guy who hosted a reality TV show to run the country. People are, like, 'What about Ronald Reagan?' Ronald Reagan was the fucking governor of California. He actually tried to do this once. It's like being in a band and you book your first show at Shea Stadium. It doesn't work like that! It doesn't make any sense to me that someone would say, 'That's the guy.' Like, what was the episode of 'The Apprentice' where you said, 'You should run the country.' Was it the one with Coolio? Was that your favorite fucking episode? Go watch 'Vanderpump Rules'. Maybe Stassi [Schroeder] could run this shit. She's pretty good, right? Where is the fucking qualification? Get Stassi. She seems really good to me.

"I just — I just miss smarts," he added. "I can't watch footage of JFK from 1962. I can't even watch that shit because I'll cry. Because motherfucker is so cool and so smart and hates racism. And then we have this fucking jackass. And it's just not fair to the country. I put Barack Obama in the same category. When I watch him speak, it rips my heart out because he makes you feel safe. And then [Trump] says 'Sleepy Joe.' I can't think of something I'd rather do more than get a good night's fucking sleep. If Joe Biden will bring us a good night's sleep after four fucking years, who won't vote for that? Bring on the sleep, man."

Bach frequently criticizes Trump's policies on Twitter. Last August, he lambasted America's 45th president, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Vice President Mike Pence and other Republican leaders for their inaction on gun regulation. A month earlier, Bach made headlines when he said that he "would do a better job" running the county than Trump.

In a 2018 interview with TheRecord.com, Sebastian revealed that he voted for Hilary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Three years ago, Bach told Music Injection that things had gotten particularly bleak in the first few months after Trump took office.

"Well, since Donald Trump became president, Facebook became not fun for me," he said. "Every headline sucks, everything sucks and I get to the point where I can't take it! All of that news, constantly, day after day, week after week, it gets me down and it gets me in a bad mood.

"I don't know about everybody else, but when I read about nuclear war, I find it hard to get on with my day," he added. "I thought we got rid of that nuclear war conversation in the '70s! It gets [me] very sad and angry at the same time. Climate change makes me angry. It makes me mad that people deny that when the world is fucked. It makes me furious."

Sebastian recently confirmed that he was in the process of making the follow-up to his 2014 album "Give 'Em Hell".

Guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett of the legendary Canadian power trio TRIUMPH spoke to The Metal Voice about the forthcoming first-ever feature documentary about the band's dramatic career.

Produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning Banger Films, "Triumph: Lay It On The Line" is a Crave original documentary that's a celebratory, exhilarating thrill ride through the history of one of rock's most unsung acts. Slated for release in the coming months, the film covers TRIUMPH's humble beginnings as staples of the GTA circuit in the mid-'70s to their heyday as touring juggernauts, selling out arenas and stadiums all across North America with their legendary spectacular live shows — and way beyond.

Emmett said (see video below): "Banger, they're very good at what they do. And they've done so many [documentaries on other bands] — everybody from IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA and RUSH to… They've got one that's on Netflix right now; it's a ZZ TOP one. These guys are consummate pros, and they know what they're doing when they're telling a story. When somebody's digging around in your life… They come to my house and they do an interview, and then they come back a few months later and do another one, and then they come back another couple of weeks later and do another one, because they're going deep. And you're going, 'What are they gonna find? I'm a little bit concerned.'

"There's a surreal nature to it — you're going back in your life, and they're reminding you of things that you'd completely forgotten," he continued. "And you're going, 'Oh, yeah.' And then they're digging deeper, and they're going, 'So, when the band broke up…' And you're going, 'Okay, this hurts, actually.' I don't wanna have to go back to that, because the rise and the fall and the rise again, it's the fall that hurts. I don't wanna go there. I thought I'd put all this behind me. It was ugly, heavy baggage."

Emmett said that he has seen a "rough cut" of "Triumph: Lay It On The Line", which is produced by Banger Films in association with Revolver Films, Bell Media's Crave, Live Nation Productions and NBC Universal Canada.

"[Banger] did a really extraordinary thing," he said. "I hope I'm not giving too much away here. They flew in fans from all over the world. They created an event. And the fans didn't know that we were gonna actually play three songs. So, they brought 'em all to the warehouse, and they're wandering, and they're looking at this TRIUMPH museum-y kind of thing. They've got dummies with my old spandex jumpsuits on. And then they send them down and they were gonna show them a few little clips on a scrim. The scrim drops and there we are and we play. And these are the people that love us the most. And there was only a couple of hundred of 'em. But it was so intense; it was so amazing. And, of course, they've got, like, 15 cameras around the room capturing every angle of this. And then you go, 'Oh my God. This is heavy duty.'

"So it's really good," Rik added. "It really gets to the heart of, you're a band, you create some music, you make a connection to people, and then here's these people, you're the soundtrack to their lives, and it matters to them. So they love you. I could get up there and fart, and they would go, 'Yeah! Great!'"

The aforementioned invite-only event was held last November in front of 300 "superfans" at MetalWorks studio in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto), Ontario, Canada. Emmett, drummer Gil Moore and bassist Mike Levine played a three-song set that marked TRIUMPH's first performance in 11 years, as well as its first as a pure three-piece power trio in 31 years. The tracks played were "When The Lights Go Down", "Lay It On The Line" and "Magic Power".

Moore, Levine, and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

KILL THE LIGHTS, the band featuring former members of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, STILL REMAINS and THROW THE FIGHT, will release its debut album, "The Sinner", on August 21 via Fearless Records.

The official music video for the new track "Through The Night" can be seen below.

"The song very personally hits home for me," shares singer James Clark. "I have struggled for the longest time with anxiety and depression and 'Through the Night' is a snapshot of what is going through the mind of someone struggling with these types of mental health issues. The song takes you on a roller coaster ride and captures the ups and downs of someone carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, going from happy and energetic one minute to being paralyzed by fear and worry the next."

Clark continues: "Luckily, I found just enough strength to speak up and get some help. I will be the first person to admit I still find it hard to share feelings and talk about my problems. Sharing my struggles through my lyrics is a form of rehab for me — it allows me to be honest and open while still being able to hide behind the music. I hope that this song truly connects with listeners who feel trapped and alone with these types of feelings and that it empowers them to reach out and get the help they might need."

As a founding member of Welsh metal titans BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, Michael "Moose" Thomas lived a rock'n'roll dream that few ever get to see with their own eyes — winning awards, selling millions of albums, touring with his idols, and playing numerous sold-out headline shows, becoming one of the biggest metal exports in U.K. history. After parting ways with the band he formed to focus on his family four years ago, 2020 sees the drummer extraordinaire back where he belongs in international new band KILL THE LIGHTS.

"I'm super grateful and excited to be back. I can't wait for everyone to hear this," grins Moose, of the new project completed by Clark (THROW THE FIGHT), guitarists Jordan Whelan (STILL REMAINS) and Travis Montgomery (THREAT SIGNAL).

"When I parted company with the old band, musically I was just sitting around doing fuck-all and realized I had worked too hard and come too far to turn around," continued Moose. "I thought I'd get in touch with Jordan and sent him a text asking, 'Got any riffs or what?!' Before I knew it, he had sent me 30 or 40 songs. I was like, 'Erm, okay!' I couldn't believe it."

"I'm a hobby songwriter," explained Jordan, "which means I'm writing every day, whether it's for a band or not. I've known Moose since I was a 19-year-old kid. Funnily enough, his first tour in the States was opening up for my band, then he said we should jump on a tour with them through the U.K. — which ended up being the Kerrang! Tour of 2006. The chemistry was there right off the bat and I knew right away this could be something that takes over the world."

Frontman James Clark joined after auditioning on a demo of what would become the group's debut single, "The Faceless".

"We all want to do something fresh, and for me it was about exploring some of the throwback metal more like [IRON] MAIDEN or [JUDAS] PRIEST that I felt had gotten lost over the years, but in a new way," said the singer.

KILL THE LIGHTS is:

James Clark (ex-THROW THE FIGHT) - Vocals

Jordan Whelan (ex-STILL REMAINS) - Guitar

Michael "Moose" Thomas (ex-BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) - Drums

Travis Montgomery (ex-THREAT SIGNAL) - Guitar

"The Sinner" track listing

01. Shed My Skin

02. The Faceless

03. Watch You Fall

04. Through The Night

05. Open Your Eyes

06. Plagues

07. Tear Me Apart

08. The Enemy

09. Sober

10. Rest

11. Unmoved

12. Chasing Shadows (available on CD version only)