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)

In a recent interview with Fox News, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan was asked how he feels about audiences making cellphones part of their concert experience. He responded: "Well, at first, it was weird. Why would someone film you at a show when they're at the show and missing out on the experience? But generations change. It became pointless to try and resist that tidal wave. We kind of got used to it. In fact, it became amusing to see everyone holding up their phones in the air when, back in the day, it was lighters. Initially, I didn't understand why everyone had to share everything and be in constant communication. But [with this pandemic], thank goodness for it. Because my phone hasn't stopped ringing thanks to friends and well-wishers from around the world. I may not always understand it, but I'm too old. [Laughs]"

A number of other musicians have come out in recent years to say that mobile technology is ruining the concert experience, including SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor. He told "Loudwire Nights" that "it's fine" if people want to take pictures of his bands' shows, but not so much if they are videotaping entire performances. "It's one thing to film it, it's another thing to just be staring at your screen while you're filming it," he said. "It's right there. Are you so terrified of real life that you can't do anything unless it's on that little four-by-four screen? Ugggh. It's very weird."

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna told "The Eddie Trunk Podcast" that there's "something really magical that happens when" you are not experiencing live performances through a "little four-inch screen." He explained: "I think sometimes you just need to allow yourself to enjoy the moment and know that you're gonna have that memory — you're always gonna have that memory. It doesn't go away. The brain is way more complex and way more powerful than the fastest computer in the world, and I think they've proven that. Because you can have a computer that can spin numbers at a million beats a second, but the brain can compute so much faster and retain so much more, and you have the elements of emotion and feeling and sense and taste and smell and all that as well. So there's just so much more. And your brain is your best computer you could ever ask for, so you have to trust in it. And plus, we build these shows for those reasons — we want you to see these moments; we want you to, in a blink of an eye, to be able to catch these great effects and things that we use on stage that we spend months and months and months designing. It's for the human body to absorb; it's not for a computer."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach in 2015 urged fans to keep their cell phones at the bottom of their pockets and just watch his performances. "Be in the moment," he said. "You're distracted and it's distracting to the performer as well. Like, put your fuckin' cell phone away, dammit! You're never even going to watch that footage."

Back in 2012, Bruce Dickinson chastised a fan for texting during an IRON MAIDEN concert, calling him a "wanker."

When Axl Rose reunited with his former GUNS N' ROSES bandmates, Duff McKagan and Slash, for the first time in 23 years at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in April 2016, the concert was phone-free.

"God, it was wonderful," McKagan told The New York Times. "It was the old-school feeling, where people were dancing and getting down. It was really cool."

On July 21, EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza spoke to Rock Immortal Productions' "Rock Talk" live interview series about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited new album.

The San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' next disc will be the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was their first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Regarding the musical direction of the new EXODUS material, Souza said (see video below): "I know what you guys know, and I've heard nothing. But I have had conversations with [guitarist Gary Holt] and [drummer] Tom Hunting, and they assure me it's really special [and] it's really crushingly heavy. People are definitely gonna be blown.

"We're gonna do it up at Lake Almanor," he continued. "Tom bought a house up in the mountains, and we are actually gonna have all the gear sent up there, I think, the last week of August. And I would say all of the month of September into October, the five of us will be in the mountains putting together — like little doctors, like scientists — making the new EXODUS.

"Talking to Tom yesterday, the songs are really, really heavy. And there's a lot of room for a lot of things to happen on those songs, from what I understand. I think it's gonna be a very special album, it looks like. I can't wait to hear it. I did hear some stuff when we were on 'The Bay Strikes Back' [European] tour [in February and March]. When we were starting soundcheck, Gary and Tom always seemed to get up first and were jamming on stuff. If that was some of the stuff… Ted [Aguilar] from DEATH ANGEL would be coming up to me, like, 'Zet, is that new EXODUS?' And I'm all, 'I'm hearing it like you guys are. So I would say, yes, it probably is.' But up till now, I haven't had anything sent to me. That usually is the process — Gary will send me stuff, and he'll also send me, like, 'Okay, I wrote the lyrics to this. It goes like this.' That has yet to come."

According to Souza, the new EXODUS album will mark the band's first time recording together in many years. "We are all gonna be up there at the same time, which we have not done in a long time," he said. "I think 'Tempo Of The Damned' [2004] was the last album, at least with me, that I remember we were all in close proximity of the recording. 'Cause when I did 'Blood In, Blood Out', Gary was on tour with SLAYER, and Jack [Gibson, bass] was tracking the record. So it was basically him, myself and Lee [Altus, guitar], or him, myself and Tom doing the vocals. This way, we're working with another guy, and everybody's gonna be there. The way Gary explained it was, [once] I've done vocals, Lee will go in the rest of the day, so we're gonna just kind of keep working. 'Cause I guess we'll all be up there at the same time; it's gonna be fun.

"I'm very excited to do it like that. I think that, honestly, when the whole band is there, that's when the best stuff comes out," he explained. "And the three records where the whole band was there, that I can remember, I would say 'Pleasures [Of The Flesh]' [1987], 'Fabulous [Disaster]' [1989] and 'Tempo'. And those three records were the records that I was a part of when the band… 'Impact [Is Imminent]' [1990] and 'Force [Of Habit]' [1992] were kind of done, this guy flew in, this guy flew out, that kind of thing — they were done like that — but 'Pleasures' and 'Fabulous' and 'Tempo', we were all there. And a lot of people think that those are some of the best records with some of the best songs on them, and I agree with that. So hopefully that same magic is gonna happen again."

EXODUS's next studio album will be the group's first since the completion of SLAYER's final tour. In 2011, Holt began filling in for Jeff Hanneman at SLAYER live shows, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS.

"I have to thank the fans for being so patient," Souza said. "We're fortunate they're being so patient, 'cause they knew what Gary was doing. Especially in the last two years — from January '18, he was locked in to finishing the world tour with SLAYER, and none of us wanted to have him try to jump back and forth doing a new record with EXODUS while he had little breaks with SLAYER. We wanted him to obviously be able to concentrate on the music fully without any distractions, and that's what the writing of this record has been — he's completely written this record with no other distractions. Not meaning that SLAYER was a distraction, but he has no commitment to going on tour or playing or having to do anything; it's just EXODUS now. So I'm way excited. I'm very happy that it's finally coming to that point. I can't wait for everybody to hear it. I know it's gonna be great."

EXODUS's next album will be released in 2021 via Nuclear Blast.

ANTHRAX invites you to get the inside story behind the making and promotion of the band's fifth album, "Persistence Of Time", and its 30th-anniversary Deluxe Edition. This six-part video series is hosted by drummer Charlie Benante, who assembled and oversaw the anniversary edition. Throughout the series, he shines light on where the band was at during the writing and recording of the album, the album's songwriting process, collaborating with PUBLIC ENEMY for "Bring The Noise" track and subsequent tour, the "No Prayer On The Road" tour with IRON MAIDEN and the "Clash Of The Titans" tour with SLAYER and MEGADETH, why the album's cover art was revised for the Deluxe Edition, the week spent filming an episode of the popular TV series "Married With Children", and more. The clips also feature band members' personal photos and film/video clips from the period.

Check out episode three, "Iron Maiden", below.

Back in 1988, all of the members of ANTHRAX were big IRON MAIDEN fans. Not only did they love MAIDEN's music, but they appreciated and learned from the band's professionalism, the way they cared about their road crew and their fans, examples they apply to this day with their own crew and fanbase. In support of ANTHRAX's then-new album "Persistence Of Time", the band did two major tours with IRON MAIDEN — the 1988 European leg of "Monsters Of Rock", and the European and North American legs of MAIDEN's "No Prayer For The Dying" in 1990-91. Over the course of the two tours, Benante took over for MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain at one show, playing "The Number Of The Beast", "Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter" and the show's closer, "Sanctuary". For ANTHRAX's final show of the "No Prayer For The Dying" tour, Salt Lake City, Utah on March 19, 1991, the band joined MAIDEN on stage to perform "Sanctuary".

The "Persistence Of Time" 30th-anniversary Deluxe Edition is due on August 21 via Megaforce Records. Produced by ANTHRAX and Mark Dodson. it will be available exclusively on disc and vinyl. The CD package will include two CDs and one DVD, the vinyl edition offers four LPs, as well as revised cover art that reflects what had been the album's original visual concept.

Disc One is comprised of the 11-track album, fully-remastered by Paul Logus (who mastered ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and "For All Kings", the "Anthems" EP, and the DVDs "Kings Among Scotland" and "Chile On Hell"). Disc One also features a special "bonus B-side" version of "I'm The Man" from 1990 that leans more hip-hop than rock, and a live version of "Time" that was recorded at Michigan's Palace of Auburn Hills in 1991. The final two songs on Disc One, as well as all nine tracks on Disc Two, are special recordings from "Charlie's Stash," an incomparable wealth of ANTHRAX music from the band's rehearsals, writing sessions, preproduction, and live performances that Benante has recorded over the past 40 years and has been kept safely filed away. These recordings will put listeners "in the room" with the band, privy to the evolution of the songs on "Persistence Of Time", starting with Benante's original riffs and demos for the songs, moving on to Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna, Dan Spitz and Benante shaping the songs in rehearsal, then into preproduction, and finally into the recording studio.

Said Benante: "You'll hear parts of songs that never made it to the final recording or songs with an arrangement different from the finished song."

The 40-minute "guerilla-style" DVD was shot when ANTHRAX was on tour with IRON MAIDEN in 1991 and features live footage of Benante taking over the drums for IRON MAIDEN's Nicko McBrain, as well as backstage and dressing room footage with members of both bands. The piece wraps with Benante, Bello, and Ian joining IRON MAIDEN on stage for the final song of the night, "Sanctuary".

With revealing liner notes written by Scott Ian that pull back the curtain on some of the incidents that fueled the album's lyrical content, the artwork showcases a selection of mementos from the "Persistence Of Time" cycle: script pages from the band's 1992 "My Dinner With Anthrax" episode of the TV sitcom "Married With Children", band photos and magazine covers, backstage passes, and an assortment of vintage promo items. Also, the deluxe package's cover art has been revised.

Explained Benante, who also oversees all of ANTHRAX's artwork: "We had been a band for only about five years, but so much had been and continued to be crammed into those few years, and we realized we couldn't stop time, it was just persistent. Simultaneously, I was at the height of my Salvador Dali phase, I was just absorbed in his art, and I wanted to tie the two together — Salvador Dali and time. I loved what [artist] Don Brautigam did with the original cover, but for this deluxe edition, I wanted it the way I had originally seen the cover in my head — with the clock melting, so that's what we did."

"Recording the vocals for this album was a great experience," said vocalist Joey Belladonna. "I really liked working with Steve Thompson and Mark Barbiero. Everything came together nicely. We all became good friends. And it was great to work in Manhattan again, especially at Electric Lady Studios. That place has such an aura, recording in the same place where Jimi Hendrix, THE ROLLING STONES, David Bowie and LED ZEPPELIN did. It was a really cool experience."

"One of the things I'll never forget from the 'Persistence Of Time' tours," added Frank Bello, "was when we played the songs 'Time' and 'Got The Time' live. We had this big clock on our stage, the 'Persistence Of Time' clock, and the hands on this clock went around and around while we played the songs 'Time' and 'Got The Time'. Today, something like that would be motorized, but back in 1990, it had to be done manually using a hand crank on the back of the clock. My bass tech from that time, Troy, it was his job to keep those hands turning during those two songs, throughout the entire songs. I mean, what a workout that guy got from turning that crank."

"It was a weird time for us for a number of reasons," added Benante, "but at the same time, a lot of great things happened. We did 'Married With Children', we toured with SLAYER and MEGADETH on the 'Clash Of The Titans' tour, and we recorded 'Bring The Noise' with PUBLIC ENEMY, and that turned everything around."

"Persistence Of Time" deluxe 30th-anniversary edition vinyl track listing:

Side A

01. Time (Remastered)

02. Blood (Remastered)

03. Keep It In The Family (Remastered)

Side B

01. In My World (Remastered)

02. Gridlock (Remastered)

03. Intro To Reality (Remastered

04. Belly Of The Beast (Remastered)

Side C

01. Got The Time (Remastered)

02. H8 Red (Remastered)

03. One Man Stands (Remastered)

04. Discharge (Remastered)

Side D

01. I'm The Man (The Illest Version Ever)

02. Time (Live at The Palace of Auburn Hills)

03. Got The Time (Pre Production)

Side E

01. In My World (Pre Production - Scott Guide Vocal)

02. H8 Red (Rehearsal Room/Charlie's, Riff Tape/Pre-Production)

03. Discharge (Charlie's Riff Tape/Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)

Side F

01. Keep In In The Family (Rehearsal Room/Scott Guide Vocal)

02. Blood (Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)

Side G

01. Intro To Reality (Pre-Production)

02. Belly Of The Beast (Tracking)

03. Gridlock (Tracking)

Side H

01. One Man Stands (Pre-Production)

02. Time (Pre-Production, Scott Guide Vocal)

During an appearance on yesterday's (Wednesday, July 29) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was asked to name a song that, in his opinion, best represents what METALLICA does, both musically and lyrically. He responded: "'[Master Of] Puppets' is definitely a very, very, very close to the top choice, because, I guess, it checks a lot of boxes. Obviously, it's a longer song, it's kind of a journey, and it's got the light and the dark, the heavy and the more melodic. So it's got the many different moods. Obviously, it's also got an incredible set of lyrics. The lyrics can be whatever you want. And I've had conversations with tons of people about different meanings and so on, but when [James] Hetfield [METALLICA frontman] writes lyrics that can be interpreted in any way that the listener wants, that's when I think they are at the best. And so it's got those lyrics. And it checks a lot of those boxes. Another song that checks a lot of those boxes is 'One'. But then there's some deeper cuts. I think a song like 'Bleeding Me' has a lot of those boxes checked also. And some of the stuff from the last couple of records. To me, it's a testament to the strength of the last two records, 'Death Magnetic' and 'Hardwired[… To Self-Destruct'].

"A lot of the earlier records, we'd make them, and then we'd kind of sit there six months later or a year later and go, 'I don't know about that mix,' or, 'I don't know what we were thinking on that outro,' or, 'I don't know what was going on in that guitar part,' or that crazy drum fill or whatever," he continued. "But both 'Death Magnetic' and 'Hardwired', to me, the shelf life of both of those records in terms of me sitting there and questioning the decisions that were made, they both come in still very, very well on my critique list, or however you phrase it.

"I think that a song like 'Moth Into Flame' or 'Halo On Fire' [from 'Hardwired'], and even going back to 'Death Magnetic'… When I was jamming along downstairs a couple two, three days ago, I was playing 'Cyanide' on drums, I was playing 'Broken, Beat & Scarred' and I was playing 'All Nightmare Long', and a couple of those tracks still sound as fresh and relevant as they did 12 years ago.

"But forced [laughs] to make a choice, I guess I would probably nominate 'Master Of Puppets' or 'One' as the ones that cover most of the bases and most of what we in METALLICA are proudest of in terms of what we do."

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.

In a new interview with the "TODDCast Podcast", MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked how good his songwriting ideas have to be in order to be to be considered for inclusion on one of the band's albums. He responded: "I think certainly you can hear, and you see it in the writing credits, the collaborative eras, especially 'Countdown To Extinction', 'Youthanasia' and 'Cryptic Writings'. And that's because that lineup was together for a few records, and we started to figure out how to work together. And that's a big part of it — being able to work together as a group.

"Everybody has strengths, everybody has weaknesses, and I think if you sort of tap everybody's strengths, you hear the best of the best, and that's always what you wanna try to get in any team setting, and certainly in a band," he continued.

"Quite honestly, with MEGADETH, Dave [Mustaine, guitar/vocals] writes amazing riffs. We don't need three riff writers. Dave writes some of the best riffs in the world. I write good riffs too, but if they sound like Dave… Dave and I always had a saying: If we both agree on everything, then one of us is unnecessary. [Laughs] Sometimes you need the conflict because it presents a different way to look at something.

"I try to bring things into MEGADETH that the other guys wouldn't do, I guess is what I'm saying here, long story short," he added. "I'll bring in some kind of clean guitar, arpeggiated thing, I'll bring in maybe a vocal idea, I'll bring in a lyric. And so I try to bring things in that traditionally aren't things maybe Dave or Kiko [Loureiro, guitar] would come up with, or Dirk [Verbeuren, drums], in this case now. Because that's a piece that MEGADETH doesn't have without me. And I think when we stay in our lane — we always say that over here in Team Ellefson: stay in your lane, do what you do and be great at what you do in your lane — then you help the group sound better by you being there."

MEGADETH is currently working on the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album, tentatively due in early 2021.

The early sessions for the LP took place last year with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

Mustaine recently told SiriusXM's Jose Mangin that the upcoming MEGADETH album will be "up there with 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Rust In Peace' and probably 'Peace Sells'" and "Dystopia".

MEGADETH's new effort will be the first to feature Verbeuren (ex-SOILWORK), who joined the band four years ago.

As previously reported, MEGADETH's North American tour with LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES has been rescheduled for 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nuclear Blast has set an October 2 release date for "The Enigma Years 1987-1990" CD box set from San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL, featuring the albums "The Ultra-Violence" (including the Kirk Hammett-produced "Kill As One" demo) , "Frolic Through The Park", "Fall From Grace" and "Rarities" in a four-CD wallet.

Hailing from the same Bay Area thrash metal scene that gave us METALLICA, EXODUS and TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL was originally formed in 1982 by lead guitarist Rob Cavestany with cousins Dennis Pepa (bass), Gus Pepa (guitar) and Andy Galeon (drums). Joined by singer Mark Osegueda, their self-explanatory 1983 tape "Heavy Metal Insanity" demonstrated the influence of the NWOBHM movement in the U.K., such as IRON MAIDEN and TYGERS OF PAN TANG, common with many of their American thrash metal peers.

Building up a loyal cult following, their "Kill As One" demo was produced by METALLICA's Kirk Hammett, and is included here as a bonus on CD One. "Kill As One" led to a record deal with Enigma Records, who released their debut album, "The Ultra-Violence", in 1987. Produced by the band along with VAIN's Davy Vain, it was called "quite possibly the finest thrash album ever made" by Kerrang! magazine's Geoff Barton. Kerrang!'s KKKK1/2 review rightly reckoned that they "play so goddamn fast, yet with a touch of METALLICA-style subtlety thrown in."

The Kerrang! review of DEATH ANGEL's second Enigma album, 1988's "Frolic Through The Park", stated that it was "an album of depth and color, with a variety of moods and textures unheard of among nearly all thrash and certainly not expected of a band on their second effort," and the album, "showcases a DEATH ANGEL that's not afraid to experiment or change what was a winning formula." That's not to say that "3rd Floor" and "Guilty Of Innocence" don't thrash along at a suitably demonic pace, but also finding room to slow down for "Confused" or enter IRON MAIDEN-esque epic territory with "Shores Of Sin". They even made space for a cover of KISS classic "Cold Gin". Bonus tracks are "Dehumanization", "Silent Killer" and "Witches Of Knave".

Jumping ship to Geffen in 1990, Enigma released the unsanctioned live show "Fall From Grace" in 1990, recorded on stage at the famed Paradiso venue in Amsterdam in 1988. A set based around DEATH ANGEL's first two albums, including "Evil Priest", "Mistress Of Pain", "Final Death" and "3rd Floor" — previously only available as a rare, Japan-only bonus track — has been included here.

In 2005, DEATH ANGEL allowed their personal archive of master tapes, and even cassettes to be raided for a collection of unreleased demos and rehearsals that go right back to their earliest recordings; collected here on CD 4 as "Rarities".

The success of "Frolic Through The Park" led to a more lucrative offer from Geffen, then enjoying huge commercial success with WHITESNAKE and GUNS N' ROSES, soon to be followed by NIRVANA. But a near-fatal crash while on tour leaving Galeon seriously injured, directly led to the band's split in 1991. They reformed ten years later in 2001, touring and recording new albums from thereon to the present day.

CD 1:

"The Ultra-Violence" (1987)

01. Thrashers

02. Evil Priest

03. Voracious Souls

04. Kill As One

05. The Ultra-Violence

06. Mistress Of Pain

07. Final Death

08. I.P.F.S.

Bonus tracks

"Kill As One" demo

09. Thrashers

10. Kill As One

11. The Ultra-Violence

CD 2:

"Frolic Through The Park" (1988)

01. 3rd Floor

02. Road Mutants

03. Why You Do This

04. Bored

05. Devil’s Metal

06. Confused

07. Guilty Of Innocence

08. Open Up

09. Shores Of Sin

10. Cold Gin

11. Mind Rape

Bonus tracks

12. Dehumanization

13. Silent Killer

14. Witches Of Knave

CD 3:

"Fall From Grace" (1990)

01. Evil Priest

02. Why You Do This

03. Mistress Of Pain

04. Road Mutants

05. Voracious Souls

06. Confused

07. Bored

08. Kill As One

09. Guilty Of Innocence

10. Shores Of Sin

11. Final Death

Bonus track

12. 3rd Floor

CD 4:

"Rarities" (2005)

01. Vulture's Nest

02. The Hurt

03. Conflict Of Interest

04. A Passing Thought

05. Elergy

06. Aspirations

07. Dismal

08. The Morrows Memoirs

09. Samson

10. Frolic Through The Park

11. Betrayed

U.D.O. and the Musikkorps der Bundeswehr/Band of the German Armed Forces have released their third single and video, "Pandemonium", from their album, We Are One. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Pandemonium"
"We Are One"
"Love And Sin"
"Future Is The Reason Why"
"Children Of The World"
"Blindfold (The Last Defender)"
"Blackout"
"Mother Earth"
"Rebel Town"
"Natural Forces"
"Neon Diamond"
"Beyond Gravity"
"Here We Go Again"
"We Strike Back"
"Beyond Good And Evil"

“Pandemonium” video:

"Neon Diamond" video:

"We Are One" video:




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THE PRETTY RECKLESS's "Heaven Knows" single was certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) on July 15 for accumulating 1 million certified units. According to the RIAA, one equivalent song unit is equal to a single digital song sale, or 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams.

"Heaven Knows" originally appeared on THE PRETTY RECKLESS's second album, "Going To Hell", which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart back in 2014 with more than 35,000 copies sold in its first week of release.

Earlier this week, THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest smash single, "Death By Rock And Roll", became the No. 1 rock song in the country. The track has ascended into the top spot on the Mediabase and BDS (Billboard) Rock charts.

The song marks the THE PRETTY RECKLESS's fifth No. 1 single of its career. The band also has the incredible distinction of being the first female-fronted band to have back-to-back No. 1 singles at the active rock format.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS's fourth album, "Death By Rock And Roll", will be released in early 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world. The title track was made available in May.

"'Death By Rock And Roll' signifies the start of a new era for the band and we couldn't be more thankful at the reaction from all the fans and support we've seen over the last few months," says singer Taylor Momsen. "This is only the beginning and we can't wait for everyone to hear the new album. I think people will be surprised..."

Momsen confirmed in an interview that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello guests on "Death By Rock And Roll". Morello appears on a track called "And So It Went".

Morello joins previously announced guests Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron from SOUNDGARDEN. The song with Cameron and Thayil, called "Only Love Can Save Me Now", was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.




“Heaven Knows” is officially platinum! Thanks to everyone who’s been listening over the years. pic.twitter.com/ONdCJbgvv5

— The Pretty Reckless (@TPROfficial) July 29, 2020

Blue Öyster Cult founding member, Joe Bouchard, has release a video for "The African Queen", the lead track of his new solo album, Strange Legends, out now.

Joe had this to say about the latest single and video, “'The African Queen' was inspired by the classic movie from 1951 starring Humphrey Bogart. This song did not take long to write, and the excitement of the boat scenes reminded me of the river where I grew up. This was the first song finished for the album, and the rest followed pretty easily. This is one of my favorite new songs.”

Joe Bouchard is best known as a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult. The original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, “Burning For You”. Contributing to songwriting, and lead vocals on some of their greatest songs, such as “Hot Rails To Hell”.

Joe releases his sixth solo album Strange Legends though his and his brother’s (Albert Bouchard) new imprint RockHeart Records / Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group).

Also, to celebrate the launch of RockHeart Records and the release of Strange Legends, the Bouchard brothers are offering a limited amount of the official RockHeart Records Cowbell autographed personally by both Joe and Albert.

Albert’s infamous cowbell part in “Don’t Fear The Reaper” was the basis of the classic Will Ferrell skit on SNL, which also starred Christopher Walken. With “The Reaper,” an all-time classic on YouTube and every other digital platform, with zillions of views, the Bouchard brothers are forever cemented in pop culture.

There are limited edition “Cowbell” bundles (while supplies last), which can be ordered here.

Strange Legends tracklisting:

"The African Queen"
"Forget About Love"
"Walk Of Fame"
"Hit And Run"
"Racin' Thru The Desert"
"She's A Legend"
"All Day And All Of The Night"
"Once Upon A Time At The Border"
"Bottom For The Bottomless"
"Strangely In Love"
"Winter"

“She’s A Legend” video:

"She's A Legend" lyric video:

"Forget About Love" video:

"Forget About Love" lyric video:




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Sweden’s Pain Of Salvation move another step closer to the release of their upcoming new studio album, Panther, due out August 28th, 2020 worldwide via InsideOutMusic. Today, the progressive metal / rock innovators launch their new single "Restless Boy", to be checked out in stunning video scripted/directing by Lars Ardarve and Daniel Gildenlöw and filmed/edited by Lars Ardarve.

Daniel Gildenlöw commented about the song and video:

"We are happy and proud to present to you our newest video, for the song 'Restless Boy', our second single from the upcoming album, Panther. Once again, we have worked together with the wonderful and skilful Lars Ardarve, and we had a great time, as always. It’s so rewarding to work together with someone who you know so well since way back and with whom you share a similar mindset and creative drive, and we are all so happy with the result. 
 
Since the video also includes a stage setup, we got to hook up with our amazing crew for the first time in way too long, so it was in many ways the closest we have come to touring this year. Just as with the 'Accelerator' video, we shot parts of this video in Skjulstahallen (Eskilstuna), and want to send lots of love and kudos to Lotta Nilsson at IKEG for helping us to arrange this! 
 
'Restless Boy'  may not be the most expected or given second single, but it felt important to give it that space, because of all that it is. And despite it’s few components, it is a grower. Live with it for a while and you’ll see. Also, it was a song for which a video idea just came to me so naturally. A video where every scene would be a play with time and speed. Experienced time versus reality. That feeling that has been with me through my entire life – that time is emotionally flexible and suddenly just bends around your mind and thoughts.
 
You see, 'Restless Boy',  is about myself and everyone else out there who feel that we are going through life at a different speed than our contexts and surroundings. Passion oriented people who daydream and shift pace depending on situation. F1 cars failing to meet the expectations of our small suburban community. Goal rationalists in a method rationalistic system. Panthers in a dog’s world. 
 
This song grew out of the song ‘Full Throttle Tribe’, just like the entire Panther album did in many ways. The tribe that fills every page of every history book that you have ever read. The spectrum people. The brilliant, the crazy, the fools, the gifted and the troubled. The beautiful restless boys and girls!
 
The filming was intense and a lot of fun. Long hours and very little sleep. I specifically remember the second day of filming, when we shot all the scenes in the car with Léo driving. I had edited a version of the song that went to half speed between every vocal phrase, so that we could speed up the video between phrases. I heard that odd version of the song so many times that it increasingly started to feel like the normal version. (Lars actually got very hooked on that version, so I might have to make him a special mix.) Anyway, after a long day of sitting in the car and singing while we passed by the different scenes we had set up with Sandrian and Gabriel in dog masks outside the car window (they likely did not feel all that comfortable standing in dog masks in central Eskilstuna, holding an umbrella, but they were troopers), we needed some city night shots, so we headed for Stockholm. I still wonder what that one pedestrian was thinking, looking into our car as we stopped at a red-light well past midnight and I was throwing myself back and forth in the backseat wearing a german shepherd rubber mask that I was apparently trying to get off. Whatever he was thinking, he is probably still thinking it. That’s simply not one of those images you can get off your retinas easily. :)
 
We really hope you like this video – we do, and we are very proud of it. We can’t wait for the world to ease back into something close enough to normality for touring to be possible again. Meanwhile, find comfort in these videos/singles and the upcoming album, and know that due to the lack of touring, a silver lining is that we can keep writing and recording even more new music for you all. Until we meet the next time!"

Firmly at the forefront of the progressive rock and metal scenes for nearly three decades now and one of modern rock’s most acclaimed live acts, Sweden’s Pain Of Salvation return with a new studio album, entitled Panther, due out August 28 worldwide via InsideOutMusic.

A first single and video (directed by Lars Ardarve) is being debuted today. Check out the clip for the album’s opening track “Accelerator” below.

Daniel Gildenlöw checked in with the following comment about the song/video: "It has been brilliant to work with Lars for a video, after all these years of photographing. We think alike and always have a blast when we work together. We had three very long days of shooting it, only Lars and us in the band in Skjulstahallen, a large gymnastics hall kindly provided by IKEG. As per usual, I found myself in weird situations, like making high flips and jumps over Lars' head. We are very happy with this video and think it's the perfect kickoff for the Panther album."

Panther, the follow-up release to 2017’s In The Passing Light Of Day album, was recorded, mixed and produced by Daniel Gildenlöw with Daniel Bergstrand (In Flames, Meshuggah, Devin Townsend) and comes with a comprehensive artwork-theme with illustrations made by André Meister.

Daniel Gildenlöw: "The making of Panther has taken over 2 years. I have felt the need to push boundaries, both musically and sonically. Approaching the music from more diverse angles, yet without losing the core identity of the band. Lyrically it coincidently fits more than ever into current times. When I look at the great artwork drawings that went into the concept, I can only say that I am extremely happy how everything turned out. I can't wait to share this album with everybody."

Next to the standard CD and the digital album formats, Panther will also be available as limited 2CD Mediabook (Including expanded artwork and the following 4 bonus tracks on a separate disc: "Panther" (demo), “Keen To A Fault" (demo)”, “Fifi Gruffi” and “Unforever”, and as 180g. Gatefold 2LP (Including the 4 bonus tracks on Side D and album on CD as bonus), in the following variations:

- Black vinyl – Unlimited
- Deep blood red vinyl – 100x copies from IOM Webshop Europe
- Transparent blue vinyl – 300x copies from CM Distro
- Transparent green vinyl – 200x copies from EMP
- - Lilac vinyl – 200x copies from JPC
White vinyl – 200x copies from Pain of Salvation
- Transparent yellow vinyl – 100x copies from Pain of Salvation

Pre-order here.

Panther tracklisting:

"Accelerator"
"Unfuture"
"Restless Boy"
"Wait"
"Keen To A Fault"
"Fur"
"Panther"
"Species"
"Icon"

Trailer:

Pain of Salvation lineup:

Daniel Gildenlöw - lead vocals and lots of stuff
Johan Hallgren - guitar and vocals
Léo Margarit - drums and vocals
Daniel Karlsson - keyboards, guitars and vocals
Gustaf Hielm - bass and vocals




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Austin, Texas heavy riff masters, The Sword, have unveiled "Winter's Wolves", the second instalment of their 3-song Conquest Of Quarantine lockdown session. "Winter's Wolves" was originally released in 2006, on The Sword's Age Of Winters debut album.

Frontman JD Cronise comments, "The original demo title of this song was 'A Druid’s Curse', and the lyrics are in fact intended to be a literal curse. Although it was written in the early 2000’s, I find it to be even more relevant today."

Bassist Bryan Richie adds, "Envision large plumes of cannabis smoke or get DIY on it and create your own as you listen to this quarantine rendition of our classic track Winter's Wolves. It was just as fun and lively as the original version we cranked out in my bedroom some 15 years ago now! Hope y'all enjoy!"  

The lockdown session marks The Sword's first live performance together since the band went on hiatus in 2018. The first track shared, which premiered last week, showed the band putting their own inimitable spin on the T-Rex classic, "Children Of The Revolution". Watch that below and stay tuned for the final instalment soon.

The Sword's triumphant live return from hiatus was scheduled to be with Primus this summer as part of their mammoth A Tribute To Kings US trek. But the pandemic had other plans. Not wishing to deprive fans of the live performances they've been waiting so long to see, The Sword got creative and hatched the Conquest Of Quarantine lockdown session.

Explains bassist Bryan Richie, “It was a lot of fun getting together with Kyle and Jimmy to record these tracks, and thanks to the miracles of modern technology we were able to lay down a wicked session with JD all the way from North Carolina. Crank this from the comforts of your couch, Conquest of Quarantine brought to you with minimal overdubs and maximum rocking.”

Thankfully, fans will still be able to catch the The Sword in person with Primus on the rescheduled A Tribute To Kings tour in 2021. Details and tickets here.




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ELLEFSON, the solo band of Grammy-winning MEGADETH bassist/co-founder David Ellefson, will release "No Cover", an LP featuring more than 13 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, on October 2 via Combat Records. The LP once again features cover art by Melody Myers, who has previously worked with ALTITUDES AND ATTITUDE and ESCAPE THE FATE, among others.

ELLEFSON's cover version of the DEF LEPPARD song "Wasted", taken from "No Cover", can be streamed below.

"Wasted" recording lineup:

David Ellefson - Bass

Thom Hazaert - Lead Vocals

Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars, LYNAM) - Vocals

Frank Hannon (TESLA) - Guitar

Andy Martongelli - Guitar

Dave McClain (SACRED REICH, MACHINE HEAD) - Drums

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES) - Additional Vocals

"No Cover" sees ELLEFSON, featuring Ellefson, Hazaert, guitarists Andy Martongelli and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and drummer Paolo Caridi, joined by a laundry list of legendary guests, including:

* Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX)

* Eddie Ojeda (TWISTED SISTER)

* Brandon Yeagley (CROBOT)

* Dirk Verbeuren (MEGADETH)

* Frank Hannon and Troy Lucketta (TESLA)

* Mark Slaughter (SLAUGHTER)

* Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, ex-WATCHTOWER, EVIL UNITED)

* Greg Handevidt (KUBLAI KHAN, ex-MEGADETH)

* Chuck Behler (ex-MEGADETH)

* Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE)

* John Aquilino (ICON)

* Doro Pesch

* Dave McClain (SACRED REICH, ex-MACHINE HEAD)

* Dave Alvin (WHITE TRASH)

* Todd Kerns (SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS)

* Jimmy DeGrasso (ex-MEGADETH, ex-Y&T, ex-SUICIDAL TENDENCIES)

* Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE)

* Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars)

* DEAD BY WEDNESDAY

Produced by Ellefson and Hazaert, with Martongelli, and engineers Alessio Garavello, Matt LaPlant (NONPOINT, LIL' JON, SKINDRED), and John Aquilino, and mixed by Alessio Garavello, Randy Burns, and more, the process is described by Ellefson as a collaborative tribute, and a loving homage, to some of his favorite artists.

You can pre-order now on CD, LP and cassette, or in a deluxe bundle with an exclusive t-shirt.

Ellefson says: "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, especially when, ironically, many of those artists have now become peers and friends.

"During the process of recording some covers for B-sides and bonus tracks for the upcoming ELLEFSON solo LP, Thom and I just said, 'This is a blast. Let's just do a whole album of covers.' Literally, within two weeks, we had the songs recorded, and began calling our friends to join us, many of whom we had just performed with on the Megacruise back in October. From there, the album just fell into place."

He continues: "A lot of our buddies have been playing covers and quarantine jams on the Internet during the pandemic, so this is 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, who are kick-ass players, and many legends in their own right, which is the whole reason we got into this in the first place."

Says 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. What's funny, as there's a bit of an age gap, we were sometimes more influenced by different eras of the same bands. But it was really him saying, 'Let's do this song,' and me saying, 'Yes!!! And let's do this song.' And before we knew it, we had over 15 songs. And it's a lot of album tracks, deep cuts, early tracks, stuff people might not expect, which was what was so fun."

He adds: "It was also great that 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 L.A. (which we wrote about in 'More Life With Deth'), and Randy Burns is going to mix a track or two. As a singer, these are literally bands I've listened to, and covered all my life, and for me, getting to play with Eddie Ojeda, the TESLA guys, Charlie Benante, Jason McMaster, Mark Slaughter, etc, and sing these songs that mean so much to me. I mean, literally, the entire record is my bucket list of people I'd love to play with, and some of my favorite bands. 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, an homage to what made us, musically, who we are today."

2019 saw the release of Ellefson's "More Life With Deth" memoir, co-written with Hazaert, which led to the pair collaborating on the ELLEFSON compilation release "Sleeping Giants", released as a companion album to the book. Ellefson and Hazaert followed up the release of "Sleeping Giants" with an extensive U.S. and European tour, dubbed "More Live With Deth", with HATCHET guitarist Clayton Cagle, as well as FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's Steve Conley, stepping in on second guitar in the U.S., including several now-legendary shows featuring MEGADETH alumni Chuck Behler and Chris Poland.

The European "More Live With Deth" tour saw the permanent addition of guitarist Andy Martongelli and drummer Paolo Caridi into the recording lineup, as well as the return of Bumblefoot to the fold, and ELLEFSON was born. March 2020 brought the release of the single "Simple Truth", which was premiered on SiriusXM by Eddie Trunk, followed in May by the release of their re-imagined Post Malone cover "Over Now", both of which garnered national airplay.

ELLEFSON is set to tentatively release its debut full-length studio LP in spring 2021.

Los Angeles quintet HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD has dropped a blazing new track, "Idol", featuring a guest appearance from rapper Tech N9ne. Continuing to push the boundaries of ingenuity, "Idol" sees HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD effortlessly blend heavy riffs, huge hooks, dubstep tinged industrial bombast and impassioned lyrical dexterity into a hard hitting sonic canvas that is uniquely and undeniably their own. "Idol" is out now via BMG/Dove & Grenade Media.

"Idol" is the first track to be released from the upcoming "Vol. 2" of HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's two-part opus "New Empire", produced by Matt Good (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS). The first part, "New Empire Vol. 1", was released back in February of this year and spawned hits "Already Dead", "Time Bomb", "Heart Of A Champion" and "Nightmare". They hit the road for a mammoth European tour with PAPA ROACH and ICE NINE KILLS in support of "Vol. 1", but it was unfortunately cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Since the release of HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's RIAA-platinum-certified 2008 debut album, "Swan Songs", their distinctive and infectious music has incited a cult audience of millions of fans, resulting in sold out shows across the globe and huge festival appearances at Reading and Leeds, Rock Am Ring, Rock On The Range, and more. The band has shared the stage with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, KORN, STONE SOUR and CYPRESS HILL, in addition to receiving nods in the press from the likes of Consequence Of Sound, Billboard, Alternative Press, Rolling Stone and Revolver. The quintet has also garnered massive mainstream appeal, with its 2011 sophomore record, "American Tragedy", going gold and hitting No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Their 2013 full-length, "Notes From The Underground", seized the #2 spot, and in 2018, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD crossed one billion total global streams across its catalog.

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD is:

Johnny 3 Tears - vocals, bass guitar

J-Dog - vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, programming

Charlie Scene - vocals, guitar

Funny Man - vocals

Danny - vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass

The official lyric video for "Make Love Great Again", the new single from openly Christian hard rockers STRYPER, can be seem below. The song is taken from the band's forthcoming album, "Even The Devil Believes", which will be released on September 4 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Filled with the band's signature riffs, harmony-laden melodies and positive themes, the 11-track project is STRYPER's first studio album with Perry Richardson (FIREHOUSE) on bass and background vocals.

"We're incredibly happy to write a new chapter in the book of STRYPER," says vocalist/guitarist Michael Sweet, who has served as the band's primary songwriter since its inception in 1983. "This album was recorded during the pandemic, and I believe the message pertains to the times we are living in so perfectly. It's a recording of hope and inspiration and a light in the darkest of times."

Sweet, who also produced the new album, revealed that the band members delivered focused determination, a collaborative spirit and spot-on execution for the new record. The result is a collection of remarkable songs that will leave a strong impact on listeners.

"It has an energy unlike any other album we've done," he asserts. "We even pulled a song from the past that has never been heard or released, and by doing so we brought a little bit of 1989 back into the mix."

Standout tracks include "Blood From Above", "Make Love Great Again", "Do Unto Others", "How To Fly", "Divider" and the heart-stirring ballad "This I Pray".

"The music and lyrics are rock-solid," says Sweet. "God really blessed this one and hopefully it will bless everyone who hears it as well."

"Even The Devil Believes" track listing:

01. Blood From Above

02. Make Love Great Again

03. Let Him In

04. Do Unto Others

05. Even The Devil Believes

06. How To Fly

07. Divider

08. This I Pray

09. Invitation Only

10. For God & Rock 'N' Roll

11. Middle Finger Messiah

Most of the recording sessions for STRYPER's new LP took place at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts with engineer Danny Bernini.

Formed 37 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and "God Damn Evil".

Sweet's tenth solo album, "Ten", was released in October via Rat Pak Records in North America and Frontiers Music Srl in Europe.

Robert Plant has unveiled the first of three previously unreleased songs from his upcoming career-spanning new two-CD set "Digging Deep: Subterranea". "Charlie Patton Highway (Turn It Up - Part 1)", taken from the soon-to-be-released album "Band Of Joy Volume 2", is available now at all digital service providers. The limited-edition collection — also available for streaming and digital download — gathers 30 extraordinary songs spanning four decades, including three previously unreleased new tracks. "Digging Deep: Subterranea" will be available worldwide via Plant's own Es Paranza label on Friday, October 2.

Plant said: "I spent time in the hill country of north Mississippi around Como, dropping back to Clarksdale, the incredible center of black music talent over the years. I weaved my car through the Delta back roads, listening to the remarkable protestations of Mississippi AM radio. I was looking at my world and my times from this unfamiliar place and found myself exposed to a nightmare world of half-truths."

"Digging Deep: Subterranea" showcases landmark tracks from each of the eight-times-Grammy Award-winner's 11 masterful solo albums, including a number of songs featured on "Digging Deep With Robert Plant". Highlights include the No. 1 rock hit "Hurting Kind" and the Grammy Award-nominated "Shine It All Around", alongside the previously unreleased exclusives, "Nothing Takes The Place Of You" (written by New Orleans musician Toussaint McCall and recorded for the acclaimed 2013 film "Winter In The Blood"), and a spectacular duet rendition of Charley Feathers's rockabilly classic "Too Much Alike", featuring Patty Griffin.

Plant is accompanied throughout "Digging Deep: Subterranea" by a truly remarkable lineup of musicians, including Jimmy Page, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Phil Collins, Nigel Kennedy, Richard Thompson and his brothers, STRANGE SENSATION/THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS.

"Digging Deep: Subterranea" track listing:

CD1

01. Rainbow

02. Hurting Kind

03. Shine It All Around

04. Ship Of Fools

05. Nothing Takes The Place Of You *

06. Darkness, Darkness

07. Heaven Knows

08. In The Mood

09. Charlie Patton Highway (Turn It Up - Part 1) *

10. New World

11. Like I've Never Been Gone

12. I Believe

13. Dance With You Tonight

14. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down

15. Great Spirit (acoustic)

CD2

01. Angel Dance

02. Takamba

03. Anniversary

04. Wreckless Love

05. White Clean & Neat

06. Silver Rider

07. Fat Lip

08. 29 Palms

09. Last Time I Saw Her

10. Embrace Another Fall

11. Too Much Alike (feat. Patty Griffin) *

12. Big Log

13. Falling In Love Again

14. Memory Song (Hello Hello)

15. Promised Land

* previously unreleased

SEVENDUST has set "Blood & Stone" as the title of its 13th studio album, due on October 23 via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2018's "All I See Is War" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

From the pulsating intro of opener "Dying To Live" to the album-closing cover of SOUNDGARDEN's "The Day I Tried To Live", SEVENDUST continues to push the sound it has made their own for more than 25 years. Tracks like "Love", "Blood From A Stone", "Kill Me" and "Against The World" showcases why the band has been adored by fans and critics alike. Lajon Witherspoon, Clint Lowery, John Connolly, Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose have raised the bar with "Blood & Stone". The new music fits perfectly alongside with the bands most seminal tracks that have become the cornerstone of the band's live performances.

Lowery spoke about the new SEVENDUST LP in an interview with Front Row Entertainment Live. The guitarist/vocalist said: "I think this is one of our strongest records in a while. I'm proud of all the music we do. Every band likes to say, 'Oh, yeah, the new record is the best one we've ever done.' I think it's a very reflective record for where we're at musically, where we're at as a band. So that's always a goal. I think we just wanna be genuine. We don't wanna put out a dud record. Not everyone's gonna like it; we understand that. We just try to do what we do best. We're not the heaviest band in the world; we're not a pop-rock band at all either. We're just this aggressive band that has our own thing, and we stay true to that."

"Blood & Stone" track listing:

01. Dying To Live

02. Love

03. Blood From A Stone

04. Feel Like Going On

05. What You've Become

06. Kill Me

07. Nothing Left To See Here Anymore

08. Desperation

09. Criminal

10. Against The World

11. Alone

12. Wish You Well

13. The Day I Tried To Live

"All I See Is War" was released in May 2018. It marked the group's first album for Rise Records, the Oregon-based metal and hard rock label which was purchased by BMG in 2015.

SEVENDUST released four singles and videos from "All I See Is War": "Dirty", "Not Original", "Medicated" and "Risen".

In 2016, SEVENDUST received its first-ever Grammy nomination after two decades together as a band. "Thank You", the debut single from 2015's "Kill The Flaw", got the nod for "Best Metal Performance".

Photo credit: Travis Shinn / Chuck Brueckmann

British/American metal trio RAVEN released a new single and lyric video for the song "Top Of The Mountain" today. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Metal City", due on September 18 via SPV/Steamhammer as a CD digipak, LP, bundle version with shirt (only at the Steamhammer shop), download and stream.

It's often small things that can give powerful impetus to a musician's creativity. In the case of USA-based metal trio RAVEN, featuring the English brothers John (bass, vocals) and Mark Gallagher (guitar), it was the unanimously positive reactions to their 2015 release "ExtermiNation", and, of course, the arrival of drummer Mike Heller (he joined the fold in summer 2017 to replace Joe Hasselvander, who had left the band due to health issues), which has resulted in an awesome new album.

"Our initial goal was just to raise the bar once more. We did a good job on 'ExtermiNation' and decided we just wanted more of everything next time," John Gallagher says. "However, things changed once we got Mike on board. Attitude and tempos got revved up a lot! Mike is a ball of energy. He has a good ear and is a big fan of the early albums, especially the crazy feel. He's kicked us into a higher gear where we feel that we can play anything and everything we write with no restrictions."

"Metal City" track listing:

01. The Power

02. Top of the Mountain

03. Human Race

04. Metal City

05. Battlescarred

06. Cybertron

07. Motorheadin'

08. Not So Easy

09. Break

10. When Worlds Collide

This past May, John Gallagher told The Metal Voice about "Metal City": "We have had this pain-in-the-ass process of getting the new album. Just about every hurdle or impediments that you can invent got put in the way of it. I think it's gonna blow a lot of people's minds. We've got Mike Heller on drums, who's phenomenal, as people who have seen us over the last couple of years can testify. I guess you can take the live album we put out last year ['Screaming Murder Death From Above: Live In Aalborg'], and that is a good introduction as to what we're gonna be dealing on this new studio album. It's fast, it's crazy, there's a lot of insane playing on it, and we really just went balls out all the way through. We're incredibly happy with it. And so far, the people who have heard stuff are, like, 'Are you fucking kidding me?' [Laughs] So, it's a good reaction to get."

Asked which previous RAVEN album the upcoming effort will be musically closest to, John said: "It's basically as if we time traveled back to 1982 and were doing the album after 'Wiped Out', continuing in that vein. It's got a lot of that sensibility. There's a couple of really, really fast songs. It opens up with a killer one called 'The Power', and then there's a fast one called 'Human Race'. And there's an epic one called 'When Worlds Collide', and some good rock and roll RAVEN-style as well.

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Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early '80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.

RAVEN's albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.

On September 25, GUNS N' ROSES' 2004, multi-platinum best-of compilation "Greatest Hits" (Geffen/UMe) will be released on vinyl for the first time. Previously only available digitally and on CD, "Greatest Hits" will be pressed as a 2LP set on 180gram audiophile black vinyl, a 2LP set on silver colored vinyl with red and white splatter, plus a 2LP picture disc available exclusively through the band's official store. The vinyl edition of "Greatest Hits" will also feature the band's single "Shadow Of Your Love", which hit No. 5 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Originally recorded in December 1986, "Shadow of Your Love" made its debut on the 2018 box set "Appetite For Destruction".

All three versions can each be pre-ordered here.

In 2004, "Greatest Hits" reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and in 2007 hit No. 1 on the Catalog Albums chart. Featuring all eight of the band's Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 tracks (six of them RIAA-certified "gold," i.e., sales of more than 500,000 units), "Greatest Hits" spans the group's five album releases, including their cover of THE ROLLING STONES' "Sympathy For The Devil" for the 1995 film "Interview With The Vampire".

The first full-length album from GUNS N' ROSES, 1987's "Appetite For Destruction", is one of the most popular hard rock albums in history and has been on the Billboard Top 200 albums or Top Pop Catalog chart for a total of 746 weeks. Certified 18 times platinum in the U.S., "Appetite For Destruction" charted No. 1 for five weeks and includes three Top 10s: the anthem "Welcome To The Jungle" (No. 7), the frenzied rocker "Paradise City" (No. 5) plus their platinum selling No. 1 single "Sweet Child O' Mine". The video for "Sweet Child O' Mine" recently hit over 1 billion views on YouTube.

1988's "GN'R Lies", comprised of songs from the group's independently released 1986 EP "Live?!*@Like A Suicide" plus new studio recordings, followed "Appetite For Destruction" up the charts, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The Grammy-nominated album (for "Best Hard Rock Performance") was five times platinum (each platinum level connotes sales of more than one million units) and claimed the gold No. 4-charting ballad "Patience".

Then, on September 17, 1991, with one of the most anticipated releases ever in music, both "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" debuted. "Use Your Illusion I" featured two gold singles with "November Rain" (No. 3) and "Don't Cry" (No. 10) plus another Top 40 with "Live And Let Die" (No. 33). "Use Your Illusion II" boasted another gold hit with the previously released single "You Could Be Mine" (No. 29), heard in the film "Terminator II: Judgement Day". Each of the "Use Your Illusion" albums went seven times platinum, with "Use Your Illusion I" going to No. 2 and "Use Your Illusion II" hitting No. 1. "Use Your Illusion I" was Grammy nominated for "Best Hard Rock Performance" as was the WINGS cover "Live And Let Die". "Greatest Hits" also culls from "II" "Yesterdays", "Civil War" and GN'R's take on Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".

A collection of GUNS N' ROSES covers of classic, mainly punk, songs that had influenced the bandmembers since their early days, 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident?" hit No. 4 and is certified platinum. Included on "Greatest Hits" are its renditions of THE DEAD BOYS' 1978 track "Ain't It Fun" and an unlikely cover of THE SKYLINERS' '50s doo-wop gem "Since I Don't Have You".

Track listing:

LP1 - Side G

01. Welcome To The Jungle

02. Sweet Child O' Mine

03. Shadow Of Your Love

04. Patience

LP1 - Side N

01. Paradise City

02. Knockin' On Heaven's Door

03. Civil War

LP2 - Side F'N

01. You Could Be Mine

02. Don't Cry (Original Version)

03. November Rain

04. Live And Let Die

LP2 - Side R

01. Yesterdays

02. Ain't It Fun

03. Since I Don't Have You

04. Sympathy For The Devil