Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend has announced a new virtual event dubbed "Empath Volume 2: By Request". Set to take place on September 5, it will see him run through the set he was due to perform at this year's edition of United Kingdom's Bloodstock Open Air festival. Townsend will be joined by drummer Samus Paulicelli, guitarist Wes Hauch and bassist Liam Wilson.

Townsend explains: "So, I was thrilled to announce my headlining of Bloodstock this year, and with an eye on doing my first 'by request' set that included my entire career, (including [STRAPPING YOUNG LAD] and all the [DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT] albums), I know there were a lot of people that were really excited as well. But then, as we all know, circumstances prevented that from happening, and that was disappointing as the show was meant to be a pivotal moment in my creative career. But every roadblock is an opportunity for something different so we have come up with a plan to bring you the show in a way I believe will be kind of revolutionary and damned exciting.

"We have been working tirelessly to bring you a 'virtual' concert of the by request set, with musicians playing together, yet all in different parts of the world. However, I wanted to do something different, not the 'Brady Bunch' type split screen visuals filmed on smartphones (they are cool, but also not really exciting in my opinion). Instead, we have opted to make a full production, filming ourselves separately, playing our instruments live, on greenscreens, with 8 cameras each (all at the same heights and distances for each of our remote shoots) and then combine these elements on a crazy virtual stage. It's ambitious, but I think the closest to a monster concert as can be achieved this summer. Considering everyone is scattered throughout the land yet not wanting to 'let the dream die' we have stumbled upon something rather amazing I think.

"The players are Samus on drums, Wes Hauch on guitar, and Liam Wilson on bass... they have been going crazy learning the material, and we are putting it all together on September 5th, for the most ambitious live stream I think I've heard of thus far. We have been dealing with StageIt to avoid any hiccups, and it's poised to be rather awesome.

"I will be live with it, and you, at this show, answering questions and talking to you throughout, to make it a totally interactive experience that acts not only as a cool way to spend a Saturday, but also as a potentially new way to do concerts entirely. The players I have hired have worked their butts off learning the material, and its going to be one of the coolest things Ive done in recent memory.

"So please consider coming to this, StageIt has allowed the show to be the full 85 minutes, so it will be the full Bloodstock set. I can't actually believe we’re managing to pull off something like this, and theres a lot involved with it, but it's worth it to me. Its not just any quarantine concert; this one is a quantum leap of sound and visuals. I cant wait for you to see this, hopefully you’ll consider it."

Tickets go on sale today (July 24) via StageIt.

Damon Johnson (Brother Cane, Alice Cooper, Black Star Riders) has released a brand new solo song called "Can't Clap Any Louder", which can only be heard on SoundCloud.

In other news, on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 8PM Eastern / 7PM Central, the Damon Johnson Power Trio will be performing his 2019 album Memoirs Of An Uprising live in its entirety online. And as always, Veeps live-streams can be viewed anytime within 48 hours after the event. Get your tickets now at this location.

Tracklist

"Shivering Shivering"
"Dallas Coulda Been a Beatdown"
"Down On Me"
"We Got A System"
"Call It A Trade"
"Rage with Me"
"So Brutal"
"The World Keeps Spinning Round"
"Making Peace with This Wicked Beast"
"Glorious"

"Shivering Shivering" video:




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Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen has launched a new online series called Floor Finds, featuring conversation with a guest that does not necessarily center on music. Check out the new episode below.

Floor: "For the second installment of Floor Finds I talked with Elize Ryd about what makes singing live so special. What is your most memorable memory of attending a live show?" 

During a conversation with Ultimate Guitar's Justin Beckner, Nightwish bassist Marko Hietala talked about the addition of singer Floor Jansen to the band, who joined the fold in 2013, while also touching on the ongoing lockdown, the band's former singer Anette Olzen, and more. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

UG: What made Floor the right choice as a singer for Nightwish?

Marko: "Well, in hindsight, I would say that we were able to get the best personal chemistry between the band and the vocalist. Now we can talk about that because it's the personal chemistry of a band. With Floor, the question was always that she was a fan of this hard music. She was always a fan of it. She wanted to be in bands and started doing it and got her feet under her in the process. So in that way, it's easier for her, therefore it's easier for all of us.

Vocally, all of the vocalists have been brilliant. But then there is this thing about who is best suited for this life on the road. The guys in the band, we're pretty much road horses. I mean, I am really hooked on doing shows - I really like to be an entertainer and I like to make music with the people that I like and when you get the big bubble going where you, your friends, and the audience are all going crazy with that same [energy], it's just brilliant. That's my life's biggest drug, so I'm happy to go on the road."

UG: We miss having you out on the road. Has there been any discussion about when and how you might be able to get back out there?

Marko: "All the festivals toppled over one by one like dominos and now they are pretty much closing the whole summer already. So we still have hope that there might be a medical breakthrough that could allow us to still do the European tour in November and December. But I cannot really be for sure about that either. The only thing I know from my personal experience is that when it happens, I will be ready to raise some goddamn serious hell."

Read more here.




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Following the recent jubilant and electrifying live performance video of "Wayne," New York rocker Des Roc has unveiled a contrasting glimpse at another layer of who he is as an artist with the film noir-tinged music video from his new track, "I Know."  The eerie and cinematically clever clip can be viewed below:

Said Des Rocs, "'I Know' is meant for anyone struggling with who they are and who they want to be.  I want people to know that they're not alone in whatever darkness they face."

Des Rocs is a 4th generation New Yorker who toured the world as a classical violinist in high school; loves Jack Kerouac, Chopin, and biographies of American Presidents; holds a law degree; walks or bikes 10 miles a day, every day; counts Elvis, Talking Heads and Queen among his major inspirations; donates time to dog rescue organizations; thinks he was born in the wrong time and should have lived in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s; in another life, would be a New York City walking tour guide; spends up to four hours a day interacting with fans on his socials; a favorite author is popular historian and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough; and Des Rocs is a person who has a completely new vision of rock'n'roll.




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Don Dokken laid out a sobering view of the current state of the world in a new interview with KNAC.COM. He said (hear audio below): "The world is a scary place right now. We've got an election [in the United States] coming up in four months. COVID viruses are spiking. People are dying all over the world. Some places worse — in Brazil, it was over a million cases [of the novel coronavirus]. It's terrible. I put a lot of blame on our government for not keeping it more under control.

"In Japan, they have, like, five or 10 deaths a month, and we're having 10 thousand cases a day," he continued. "It's because people are not wearing masks, people are not going by the rules. You see pictures in Japan — everybody's wearing a mask, everybody. And the COVID there is almost nothing.

"They say if everybody wore a mask, we could get this under control within a couple of months, but for some reason, people — I guess mostly younger people — think they're invincible, and they're not. I talked to Mikkey Dee from SCORPIONS a couple of weeks ago — he caught it. And he said he was sick as a dog a couple of months ago. He beat it. Him and his wife both got it, and he said it's really awful. You don't wanna get it. So I just wish people would pay more attention. This isn't the flu.

"The world's changed — with the riots, the marches, the protests, COVID," Don added. "It's a crazy time. It's given me a lot of things to write about on the new record."

DOKKEN played two "socially distanced" concerts last weekend in Virginia and Arkansas, but will likely stay off the road until a treatment for the novel coronavirus is developed. In the meantime, DOKKEN will continue to write and record material for a new studio album, tentatively due in early 2021. The follow-up to 2012's "Broken Bones" will be released via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival.

U.S. death metal legion Morta Skuld will release their new album, Suffer For Nothing, September 25 via Peaceville Records. Preorder here. New lyric, "Extreme Tolerance", is streaming below.

David Gregor explains, “The idea for behind this track was that we are living in a different world these days, and a lot of things that we used to embrace are no longer around. Compassion for others is getting harder to come by in every area of our lives And the fact that many of us are bullied in every area of our lives, whether it be work or online or in person we must be more sensitive than we ever have had to be before.”

Suffer For Nothing, the band’s sixth studio opus to date, twists the carnage up to whole new levels with a fresh serving of pulverizing death metal excellence. With flawless execution and crushing production from Belle City Sound, the quartet brutalize the senses with razor-sharp riffing and insane solos. This is no-nonsense high caliber death metal, showing that the old guard are still among the strongest, coinciding with the band’s 30th anniversary.

Cover art by SV Bell (Rotting Christ, Amorphis):

Tracklisting:

“Extreme Tolerance”
“Abyss Of The Mind”
“Dead Weight”
“Divide The Soulless”
“The Face I Hate”
“Forbidden” 
“Godlike Shell”
“Suffer For Nothing”
“Facing Mortality”
“Machines Of Hate”

"Extreme Tolerance" lyric video:




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Progressive metal act, Redemption, led by guitarist Nick van Dyk and fronted by legendary Tom S. Englund (the charismatic frontman of Swedish dark melodic metal band Evergrey), will release Alive In Color on BluRay/2CD and DVD/2CD sets on August 28 via AFM Records. An official live video for the song "Walls" can be seen below.

From AFM Records: "'Walls' is definitely a favorite song for many Redemption fans and should not be missing in their live sets – so here it is… powerful, heavy, intelligent and deeply emotional!"

Co-headlining the ProgPower USA festival, Redemption's Alive In Color captures the perfect musicianship of all members in the band, making this concert a real treat for fans of progressive metal.

Alive In Color is available for pre-order here.

BluRay/DVD tracklisting:

Intro / "Noonday Devil"
"The Suffocating Silence"
"The Echo Chamber"
"Damaged"
"Someone Else’s Problem"
"Little Men"
"Long Night’s Journey Into Day"
"Threads" (feat. Ray Alder)
"Black & White World"
"Indulge In Color" (feat. Chris Poland)
"Walls"

+ Extras

2CD tracklisting:

CD1:
Intro / "Noonday Devil"
"The Suffocating Silence"
"The Echo Chamber"
"Damaged"
"Someone Else’s Problem"
"Little Men"
"Long Night’s Journey Into Day"

CD2:
"Threads" (feat. Ray Alder)
"Black & White World"
"Indulge In Color" (feat. Chris Poland)
"Peace Sells (But Who’s Buying)" (feat. Chris Poland)
"Walls"
"Threads" (feat. Tom Englund)
"Indulge In Color" (Simone Mularoni Solo)

"Indulge In Color" video:




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On August 20, 1999, Lullacry played the second anniversary bash of Suomi Finland Perkele Magazine. The band has just shared the following video of their show that night, Live At Tavastia.

Setlist:

"Alone"
"All For Nothing"
"Downwards" (feat. Nico Hartonen)
"For Evermore"
"Children Of The Grave" (Black Sabbath cover)
"Sweet Desire"
"The Chant"
"My Dear Skinwalker" 

 




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The official music video for "Thunder Mouth", the new single from EMMURE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest studio album, "Hindsight", which was released digitally on June 26 via Sharptone Records. Physical copies are being made available today (Friday, July 24).

Producer Frankie Nasso states about the video: "We wanted to create a world that closely reflects the themes and layers of the EMMURE mythology — from gritty underground street culture to otherworldly, nightmarish possibilities.

"Frankie Palmeri is the perfect anime antihero, a complex character who deals with real emotions in a mind-bending universe where anything can happen.

"We had so much fun creating this manga-inspired video with talented artists from four different countries, and we hope to expand this story into a continuing series of animated projects in the future."

"Hindsight" continues the creative partnership between the band's singer (and sole remaining original member) Frankie Palmeri and whirlwind guitarist Joshua Travis, who injected fresh energy into 2017's "Look at Yourself". It reunites the band with producer WZRD BLD, a.k.a. Drew Fulk (DANCE GAVIN DANCE, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BAD WOLVES). But where its predecessor viciously fought through suicidal ideation, feelings of hopelessness, and failure, "Hindsight" is somehow more savage and refined.

EMMURE's confrontational spirit and irresistible hooks won them fans on Rockstar Mayhem, Warped Tour, Knotfest, countless festivals, and on tour with a diverse range of bands that includes FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING, and co-headliners WHITECHAPEL. Across eight albums — like genre classics "Speaker Of The Dead" (2011) and "Eternal Enemies" (2014) — EMMURE battled their way into the extreme music scene like uninvited but necessary guests.

EMMURE's moniker references "immurement," a particularly brutal form of execution where a person was trapped behind walls and simply left to die.

"Hindsight" track listing:

01. (F)inally (U)nderstanding (N)othing

02. Trash Folder

03. Pig's Ear

04. Gypsy Disco

05. I've Scene God

06. Persona Non Grata

07. Thunder Mouth

08. Pan's Dream

09. 203

10. Informal Butterflies

11. Action

12. Bastard Ritual

13. Uncontrollable Descent

According to the Charlotte Observer, former MANOWAR guitarist Karl Logan faces at least 25 years in prison after admitting in a federal courtroom that he downloaded and kept child pornography.

Logan, 55, was arrested in August 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina and charged with six counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. He was jailed after pleading guilty to two child-pornography counts.

Logan's alleged offenses took place between June 18, 2018 and August 2, 2018.

The arrest warrants say Karl was in possession of several videos which depicted girls between the ages of four and 12 years old engaged in a variety of sexual acts with unidentified men. Each video is described in graphic detail, including one scene where a girl age 10-12 "chokes and becomes visibly upset."

The case was transferred to federal court, where a grand jury indicted Logan last year on one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography, according to court documents.

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

Karl joined MANOWAR in 1994 as the replacement for David Shankle.

Prior to hooking up with MANOWAR, Logan played several bands in northeastern Pennsylvania, including ARC ANGEL and FALLEN ANGEL.

MANOWAR is in the middle of its "The Final Battle" world tour.

Michigan rockers POP EVIL have debuted the music video for their newest hit single, "Work", which was released earlier this spring in the midst of uncertain times. The track arrived alongside "Let The Chaos Reign", one of the heaviest songs the band has released yet, while "Work" counterbalanced it with driving guitars atop a grooving rhythm with electronic flourishes. The new animated video brings "Work" to life, tackling the angst and emotions of being stuck in a rut, the monotony of daily life juxtaposed with constant communication as technology is fused with all parts of life. As heard this summer in ESPN's UFC promotions, "Work" has jumped into the Top 10 Active Rock songs at U.S. radio charts, tying for the band's fastest Top 10 hit yet.

POP EVIL has been a staple at major festivals and in theaters and clubs for over a decade, despite the group's relative youth. As they've ruled the roost with No. 1 Billboard Rock singles like "Trenches", "Deal With The Devil", "Torn To Pieces", "Footsteps", and "Waking Lions", they've taken their inspired message to the people, on tours with modern rock titans and veteran acts alike. The band bunkered down in Los Angeles in the winter of 2019 to put the finishing touches on the yet-to-be-titled new album, due out via Entertainment One (eOne). The band also enlisted new creative teams of producers and collaborators to emphasize the uniquely varied aspects of the band's sound.

As "Let The Chaos Reign" and "Work" might suggest, the contrast and fearless genre-defying cross-cultural pollination have never been stronger than on album number six. The preproduction process yielded close to 30 songs, whittled down to the most potent 12 that represent everything POP EVIL is about. This new effort will be the highly anticipated follow-up to their self-titled album that came out two years ago to high critical praise. Collectively, the band's previous five albums account for over 600 million worldwide streams.

POP EVIL is: Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals), Nick Fuelling (lead guitar), Dave Grahs (rhythm guitar), Matt DiRito (bass), Hayley Cramer (drums)

Canadian guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer Aldo Nova has released the official music video for his latest single, "When All Is Said And Done". Directed and edited by Christian Jacques, the clip features Billy Carmassi on drums, Timothy Gaines on bass and Mike Bruno on rhythm guitar. The video features striking images that emphasize Nova's powerful lyrics that speak of the battle between Light and Dark, a battle that is endless.

"When All Is Said And Done" was released on May 29 and is taken from Aldo's forthcoming rock opera, "The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage", which will include 23 brand new original songs and nearly two hours of music.

Between 2008 to 2016, Nova wrote 142 songs for "The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage", describing the album in an interview with Best magazine as "the story of Eddie Gage, and his evolution from light, de-evolution to darkness, and climb back up to the light again." Aldo plays all the characters on the LP, changing his voice in each song.

A Montreal native, Nova was approached by a 15-year-old Celine Dion to producer her first album, and released "Blood On The Bricks" on Jon Bon Jovi's Jambco label in 1991. It stood as the culmination of a long-running friendship and, as any knowledgeable rock fan might argue, a thank-you note of sorts: the rock superstar lifting up the personal hero whose sound provided the blueprint for his own hits.

Nova provided guitar, keys and background vocals for the demo of BON JOVI's first hit, "Runaway", and ended up playing with an assemblage of session musicians throughout BON JOVI's 1984 self-titled debut. Nova's imprint is also all over Jon Bon Jovi's debut solo album, "Blaze Of Glory" — especially the chart-topping title track, on which Nova's writing and producing went uncredited but were absolutely essential.

Over the next three decades, Nova's journey would take him through great professional highs and painful personal lows, and eventually into self-discovery and spiritual contentment. He decided again to focus on his roles as a writer, producer and session musician, capitalizing on the goodwill he'd generated in the industry to put food on the table for his family.

During the '90s and 2000s, in addition to tracks for popular foreign-language artists, Nova collaborated with Carole King, Jon Bon Jovi, Faith Hill and Clay Aiken (he co-wrote his hit "This Is the Night"), and did hugely successful work with Celine Dion. In 1997, Nova won a Grammy for Dion's blockbuster album "Falling Into You" and co-produced/co-wrote later Dion singles like the global smash "A New Day Has Come" and "You And I", the latter chosen as Hillary Clinton's campaign song in 2008.

Photo credit: Sylvia Béchard

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, has released a music video for the hard-hitting track "Thee Critical Beatdown". The animation work was done by Tommy The Animator, who also created a music video for the song "The Ski Mask Way" from BODY COUNT's 2017 album "Bloodlust".

Ice-T told Metal Hammer about "Thee Critical Beatdown": "That one's a basic BODY COUNT grindhouse-style stupid fun song. You talk a lot of shit; now it's time to back it up. It's really me yelling at somebody on the Internet. So it's kind of like 'Talk Shit, Get Shot' from [2014's] 'Manslaughter'. I'm calling someone out who sends pussy texts talking mad shit but don't want to meet. It's like, it's time. Let's get it on. It has no politics. It's just a good old rumble fight song."

"Thee Critical Beatdown" is taken from BODY COUNT's seventh studio LP, "Carnivore", which was released in March via Century Media. BODY COUNT's second album for Century Media continues the path of its uncompromising and critically acclaimed predecessors, "Bloodlust" and "Manslaugther", in pairing Ice-T's impassioned and socio-critical lyrics with thick guitar riffs and nods to metal and hardcore greats like SLAYER, METALLICA, PANTERA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Bangers like "Thee Critical Beatdown", "The Hate Is Real" and the title track will please old-school BODY COUNT fans, while "Colors" is a killer metal version of Ice-T's 1988 hit single of the same name. With MOTÖRHEAD's classic "Ace Of Spades", BODY COUNT is again paying tribute to one of its major musical influences. "When I'm Gone" shows a new side of BODY COUNT and features guest vocals by Amy Lee (EVANESCENCE). Other guest musicians include Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER), Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Riley Gale (POWER TRIP).

Powerhouse newcomers Disciples Of Verity (D.O.V.) have revealed the latest video from their upcoming Pragmatic Sanction debut – a heavy, impassioned take on the X Ambassadors hit “Unsteady.”

“All the lush colors, the beautiful imagery, plus the driving groove and the heartfelt lyrics make this a very compelling video,” says Corey Glover, vocalist for the all-star band. “It makes the song so much better. I’m very proud of this. If you feel lost in the wilderness - even in the darkest of spaces - you can find the light.”

The video for “Unsteady” was filmed in a remote area of New York State with noted director Dale “Rage” Resteghini and producer Kim Resteghini. “It was an extreme honor rockin’ on set with exciting new band D.O.V. and their iconic front man Corey Glover,” Resteghini says. “The whole band brought their friends and family and they enjoyed all the high wattage and fire as the band delivered an incredible visceral performance!”

Resteghini captured the song’s lyrical message of darkness and light through dark, fiery scenes juxtaposed with vibrant green landscapes. “It was an incredible day in a life that has had many, many incredible days,” says drummer Corey Pierce. “We shot an amazing video with an incredible look built by the efforts of a team full of highly motivated and energized people. The finished product is way beyond the expectations any of us had. We could not have asked for a better crew, experience and finished product.”

“Fire, chainsaws, backhoes, live music in the dirt in a remote location with beautiful scenery,” recalls bassist George Pond. “Nothing short of amazing!”

Adds guitarist Mark Monjoy, “I’ve never been around so much fire and gas in my life! It was a pleasure to work with Rage and his crew. True professionals.”

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

Pragmatic Sanction is set for digital release on August 21. Pre-sales are available today via Bandcamp at Bandcamp. Physical copies of the album will hit shelves on September 18.

Tracklisting:

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

“Unsteady”:

“The Flow”:

“Lying To Myself”:

(Photo by: @kennetteproductions)




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Isengard was the solo-project initially started in 1989 by Fenriz - one the key driving forces behind Norwegian legends Darkthrone - because he had many musical ideas to explore that didn't strictly fit in with the style and music of his main band. Under the Isengard moniker, Fenriz released two albums encapsulating doom, death, black and folk/Viking metal in the shape of 'Vinterskugge and Høstmørke, and finally the third addition to this cult project.

After a period of 25 long years since Isengard’s last studio output, and having recently unearthed a set of tracks from his own archive of material recorded back in those early glory days, this new series of tracks - which were thought to be lost - follow on from some of the metal last heard on 1994’s Vinterskugge.

Vårjevndøgn is a monumental journey of epic heavy metal mixed with an often more somber doomy rock/metal atmosphere bringing to mind bands like US heavy metal veterans Pentagram, and also includes two tracks previously only heard on the limited Traditional Doom Cult 7” Peaceville release from 2017.

Everything on Vårjevndøgn was performed and engineered by Fenriz himself. The tracks were all recorded between 1989-1993 using the infamous Necrohell Studios, notable for recording Darkthrone’s classic ‘Transilvanian Hunger and Panzerfaust albums. Vårjevndøgn was mastered by Jack control at Enormous Door.

A few words from Fenriz

“Ladies and Gentlemen metal maniacs, it's Fenriz here. It has been 25 years since the last one but finally my third solo album has materialized on this earth. All tracks in the old trusty Necrohell studio soundscape as well. How did this come to be?

“Well, since 1992 or 1993 I had been thinking about this full on HEAVY metal track I recorded to sort of show that I too could make this style and that it meant a lot to me. But I could never find it, it seemed lost forever. The first 25 years I just figured it had been deleted by accident and the last couple of years I started to think that perhaps I just dreamt it all, that I never actually made it. And this led me to delve into the vaults of dusty old cassettes and I started to find loads and loads of material I had forgotten about. And then I searched even more. And FINALLY I found the track I was originally looking for. The result is an album recorded between 1989-1993, as the other Isengard albums also were. The first full track is solid proof of my eternal love for classic broad legged heavy metal and the rest is a varied display of lost Isengard tracks from ancient times.

“Isengard as usual has a soundscape that needs cooperation from the listener to work with, it is not already chewed up and swallowed, here we all have to chip in and hack away to unearth our personal treasures. And this is one of the traits we call Cult Metal, the realm for those of us that enjoy lots of personality and authenticity.”

“I WANT TO THANK YOU (ZZ Top)”

The CD and LP includes liner notes from Fenriz explaining the origins of the release, the recording process, and some background into his influences at the time. Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“Cult Metal”
“Dragon Fly (Proceed Upon The Journey)”
“Floating With The Ancient Tide”
“The Fright”
“A Shape In The Dark”
“Slash At The Sun”
“Rockemillion”
“The Light”
“The Solar Winds Mantra”




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The five members of SCORPIONS have reunited at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany to resume work on their upcoming studio album. Tentatively due in 2021, the disc will mark the German hard rock legends' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of SCORPIONS' new and classic material.

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

Earlier today, SCORPIONS posted a short video message from Peppermint Park, letting their fans know that they have finally been able to come together as a band and work on the new LP in a more traditional way.

In the clip, which can be seen below, frontman Klaus Meine said: "Hi everybody out there. We are the SCORPIONS. Believe it or not, after all these months, we are all together here in Hannover. We're joined in the studio, at Peppermint Park. And we're very excited to be all back together in one room and to keep going with this new record. It feels great that the band finally rejoined forces.

"We just want to let you know it's all good in the SCORPIONS camp, and we're excited to make a new album. And, of course, hopefully we see all of you next year on the road, wherever it is.

"Take care of yourselves, stay well and safe, and we love you."

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

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

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

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
























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FINALLY .... the gang is back together in the studio crankin‘ it up to 11!!! ?? . . . . . #scorpions #instudio

A post shared by SCORPIONS (@scorpions) on Jul 25, 2020 at 1:59pm PDT

The debut episode of X-RL7, a pixel-art cyberpunk animated series and music project featuring the voice acting skills of numerous alternative rock, metal and electronic musicians, is available today.

For a full overview of the series, including clips from all episodes and featuring the voices of all guest musicians, check out the video below:

The series, created by Mike Evans of UK based electronic rock act MiXE1, chronicles the exploits of the fictional band X-RL7 in a mix of comedy, social commentary and original music. 

Fueled by mysterious dream-like visions, the show follows the enigmatic X-RL7 frontman Omega as he navigates the trials and tribulations of the music industry alongside guitarist/producer PJ and flamboyant larger-than-life band manager Alfie in their journey to make it to the top of the musical food chain. Featuring a myriad of colorful characters and original electronic rock tunes set against a cyberpunk-inspired futuristic backdrop.

“I'm absolutely delighted (and terrified) to launch X-RL7 at last,” Evans says. “The series has been in development for over a year and a half and represents the amalgamation of so many of my passions - my love of pixel art, music, comedy, social commentary, romance, cyberpunk and conspiratorial themes all coming together in one unique pixelated cocktail.”

The first episode is streaming below:

The origins of the X-RL7 project can be traced back to 2016 in the form of an unfinished point and click adventure game developed by Evans with the concept revolving around a music journalist and other fictional bands with original music. After moving on from this, Evans formed Youtube video series Project Anything, honing his animation skills, while still creating music with his band MiXE1. Still enamored by one of the songs he penned for the game ("Apotheosis Man"), Evans picked up the remnants of the project in late 2018 and started repurposing it as a video/music series with a brand new story, focusing largely around one specific band - X-RL7.

Along the way Evans approached musical friends and past collaborators to lend their voices to various characters and songs. As the series took shape, he approached others in the alternative music scene, some of whom he has been a fan of for many years, who kindly got involved and delivered fantastic performances as their animated counter parts.

Musicians who have lent their voices to the show so far include:

Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence)
Rob "Rawrb" Kersey (Psychostick)
Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection)
Lauren Babic (Red Handed Denial, Crazy Eighty Eight)
Nyxx (Nyxx)
Erlend Eilertsen (Essence of Mind, Lights A.M.)
Mikey AlterRed (AlterRed)
Richard Kaltenhauser (Machine Rox)
Natasha Cox (AL1CE, Mankind Is Obsolete)
Sasha Travis (AL1CE)
Pete Crane (SHIV-R)
Lawrie Bayldon (Studio-X)
Bridgette Hill (Studio-X)
Mike Evans (MiXE1)
Lee Towson (MiXE1)
Chris Voigt (Greasy Tales, Sexual Lobster)
Michael Joseph (Rockstar Esoterica)

“I am very blessed that so many super talented artists have taken the time to lend their voices to the project, embracing the world of X-RL7 and the music,” says Evans.

A new episode will be released every two weeks, with episodes of the sub-series X-RL7 Backstage - which digs deeper with mini-documentaries about the making of the series - official lyric videos and more released in between. Additionally, the first musical installment of the project, the debut album Apotheosis Music is available today via all digital music providers. More music will be released throughout the year.

From the retro-inspired visual style and cyberpunk aesthetic, the comedy, the eccentric characters, the references to musician life, the original electronic-rock music, the awesome guest appearances, X-RL7 is a fun and unique project. Join X-RL7 on their journey.




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With today's release of their debut full-length Virtues Of The Vicious, the Boston-based dark melodic power/thrash group Let Us Prey have released a music video for its title track, which features a guest guitar solo by Metal Mike Chlasciak (Halford, Testament).

Says vocalist Marc Lopes (who helmed the video himself), “'Virtues Of The Vicious' in simple terms is about if we are inherently violent by nature and born this way, or if it's a learned trait and a product of our environment. I actually did a two-week study about this before writing the lyrics. The conclusion is up for endless debate, and a conversation I would only have in a personal one-on-one encounter with a person of open and sound mind. The title was inspired from an episode of 'The Punisher,' and the artwork is relief sculpture from Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo by Gustav Vigeland. When I saw this piece while visiting Oslo in 2017, I was immediately drawn and fascinated by the work, so I took a series of pictures knowing I would use them in some manner in the future. The image and title just worked for me. The music itself is chaos, mixing many styles of metal into one sitting. I wanted total mayhem for the guitar solos, so I called on Metal Mike Chlasciak, who also I jam with in another project. I could not be happier with the results, which are my personal musical to the subject matter.”

Order Virtues Of The Vicious on CD and limited-edition blood red vinyl here, and here (including bundle options).

Led by Lopes (who designed the album’s cover art and music videos) and guitarist Jon Morency, Let Us Prey incorporates numerous subgenres of metal into their style while still sounding organic. The group's adventurous music sees elements of thrash, death, power and progressive metal meld seamlessly with industrial samples and symphonic keyboards. The drumming is surgically precise and blisteringly fast without sounding mechanical; the guitars mix crushing, down-tuned brutality with dense harmonies and ripping leads; and Lopes shifts effortlessly from thrash/death metal growls to soaring melodic vocals and searing Halford-esque highs with layered harmonies.

Virtues Of The Vicious - the follow-up to Let Us Prey's 2016 EP, The Saint Of Killers - was recorded by Nick Bellmore (Hatebreed, Toxic Holocaust, Five Finger Death Punch) and Pete Rutcho (Revocation, Havok, Bury Your Dead), with the latter also handling mix and mastering. In addition to Donais, the album also includes a number of notable guest musicians, including “Metal” Mike Chlasciak (Halford), Jimi Bell (House Of Lords/Autograph) and the late Oli Herbert (All That Remains).

Tracklisting:

"Above The Vaulted Sky"
"Virtues Of The Vicious"
"In Suffering"
"Halo Crown"
"Murder Thy Maker"
"The Saint Of Killers"
"Ghost Echoes"
"The Cruel Creation Of Me"
"Prey"
"And Hell Followed With Me"

"Ghost Echoes" lyric video:

"The Saint Of Killers" lyric video:

"Halo Crown" video:

"Above The Vaulted Sky" video:




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"Death Comes In Reverse" marks the release of the last single before Violent Portraits Of Doomed Escape, the new album by US progressive death metal masterminds Black Crown Initiate, arrives on August 7. Listen here, and below:

Black Crown Initiate previously released a trio of songs from the eagerly-awaited release: "Holy Silence“, "Invitation“ and "Sun Of War“. Violent Portraits O

Violent Portraits Of Doomed Escape will be available as a limited CD Digipak, black LP+CD, three limited edition colored vinyl variants and on all digital platforms, and can be pre-ordered here.

Tracklisting:

“Invitation”
“Son Of War”
“Trauma Bonds”
“Years In Frigid Light”
“Bellow”
“Death Comes In Reverse”
“Sun Of War”
“Holy Silence”
“He Is The Path”

"Holy Silence" video:

"Invitation":

“Sun Of War” lyric video:

Lineup:

Vocals - James Dorton
Guitars - Andy Thomas
Bass - Nick Shaw
Guitars - Ethan McKenna

(Photo - Tyler Katsigiannis)




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Intronaut has released a new digital single, "Run Through The Jungle" - a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic. Listen below.

Guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable comments: "Sometime during the writing process for Fluid Existental Inversions, I had the idea to cover this song, from one of my favorite bands and songwriters of all time. The relatively simple harmonic structure of the original recording made for a great blank canvas for us to 'Intronaut' the song up quite a bit. We tracked most of the song during the 'FEI' session but didn't have time to finish until this spring."

Intronaut released their sixth full-length, Fluid Existential Inversions, this past February via Metal Blade Records. Featuring some of the most dramatic and epic sounds of their career, Fluid Existential Inversions is a unique album that stands apart from their catalogue.

"We pushed ourselves to be bigger and better, musically speaking, and to me that's the essence of progressive music," states Sacha Dunable. "On this album, there are drums played in ways I've never heard before. There are synths used in contexts I've never heard before. Intronaut has the most unique bass player in all of heavy metal as far as I'm concerned, and I even practiced guitar to get myself out of my comfort zone. So I think we progressed and made the best album ever."

To preview and purchase Fluid Existential Inversions, head here.




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In the new video below, Hate's Dominik "Domin" Prykiel performs a playthrough of "Seventh Manvantara", from the band's Auric Gates Of Veles album, released via Metal Blade Records in 2019.

After six years, three albums, and countless shows on almost every continent, Hate's drummer Paweł "Pavulon" Jaroszewicz recently decided to leave the band to focus on new projects.

Pavulon states: "The last 2 years were pretty difficult for me because of a relentless work schedule in all the bands and projects I worked with, resulting in constant exhaustion and eventually health problems, mainly with my wrists from all the abuse and imperfect technique. Late last year, I started rebuilding my playing from scratch and also paying more attention to my health and work ethics. I chose to take a break from my usual work routine and use the time to get back on track in the future with a brand new approach. With this in mind, I decided it would interfere with Hate's activity, and the last thing I want are my personal issues to affect others' hard work. Therefore, I decided to let go and allow my good friend Daniel to step in and carry on the legacy. He's an amazing young drummer, and I'm sure you'll be amazed by what he will bring to the band's sound and performance. I would like to thank Hate for all the years we shared for better and worse. It was definitely an important part of my life, and I will always be thankful for this journey."

Hate adds: "We would like to wish Pavulon all the best in his projects to come and thank him for his contributions to the band. With that said, we welcome the talented Daniel 'Nar-Sil' Rutkowski to the band. Nar-Sil has already sat behind the drums for Hate during the Europe Under Black Death Metal Tour Vol II and worked with many big names in the Polish metal scene such as Virgin Snatch, Neolith, Embrional, and Dira Mortis."

Nar-Sil comments: "I'm super excited about joining Hate and the new material we are hard at work on! Things have been moving quickly, but the flow is excellent, and in time, I'm sure the fruit of our labour will be powerful and monstrous Extreme Metal. I'm looking forward to showcasing what we've been working on, and of course, seeing you all on the road!"

Hate plan to return to the stage soon! In the meantime, fans can watch a new drum play-through by Daniel "Nar-Sil" Rutkowski, made in cooperation with Drummers From Hell:

(Photo - @knapikpictures)




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German hard rock band, Mad Max, have released their new digital single, "Talk To The Moon", taken from the forthcoming album, Stormchild Rising. Listen to the song below.

Whether it’s in music or in life: clarity is always the best argument if you want to convince people. Everybody knows where they stand, nobody is left in the dark, reliability and dependability are characteristics that everybody appreciates. Mad Max are musically unambiguous and have been for almost forty years. Their deeply melodic hard rock, driven by haunting guitar riffs, catchy vocals and a rhythm section with an infallible timing, has never lost its contours and honesty. Virtues that apply not only to all previous releases by the band consisting of Michael Voss (vocals/guitar), Jürgen Breforth (guitar), Axel Kruse (drums) and Thomas "Hutch" Bauer (bass), but also to their latest offering, Stormchild Rising.

Stormchild Rising celebrates a musical direction that has never lost its significance, despite all trends and short-lived fashions, and that’s also what Mad Max’s fans demand vociferously. “On our last tour we talked to fans from lots of different countries every night and found out that they don’t want us to experiment, they want to hear exactly the kind of songs that Mad Max have been known for since 1981,” says Breforth, looking back at the important insights gained during their tour supporting their previous album, Thirty 5.

Stormchild Rising will be released as a CD DigiPak, limited vinyl, CD/LP bundle with shirt (exclusively in the Steamhammer Shop) download and stream on August 21 via SPV/Steamhammer. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Hurricaned"
"Talk To The Moon"
"Eyes Of Love"
"Ladies And Gentlemen"
"Mindhunter"
"Rain Rain"
"Gemini"
"Kingdom Fall"
"The Blues Ain't No Stranger"
"Take Her"
"Busted"
"Ladies And Gentlemen" (Single Edit, Bonus Track) (Feat. Detlev Jöcker And The Rock And Roll Children)

"Hurricaned" lyric video:

(Photo - Sebastian Stumpe/Affen.Auf.Ruhr)




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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 "Tornado Of Souls", as well as the previously posted "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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West coast metal veterans, Metal Church, will release Classic Live via Reaper Entertainment on October 16 in Europe. Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof, this special edition release features nine classic METAL CHURCH songs recorded live on their 2016 tour.

Comments guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof: "This album not only commemorates the reunion between Mike and the band, but it also pays tribute to some of the more popular songs of that era. It's really cool to see so many old fans and new fans of all ages enjoying these classics as we perform them live, so it only made sense to release this."

Mike Howe adds: "It's an honor to be back and it makes me very happy to see that almost three decades later, fans are still enjoying these songs!"

This unique collector's item comes as an exclusive LP in gatefold and as a CD jewelcase.

Tracklisting:

"Beyond The Black"
"Date With Poverty"
"Gods Of A Second"
"In Mourning"
"Watch The Children"
"Start The Fire"
"No Friend Of Mine"
"Badlands"
"The Human Factor"

Born out of the West Coast Metal scene of the 80's, Metal Church quickly became one of the standout talents of the genre. After signing a deal with Elektra records, they released two critically acclaimed albums, their self-titled release Metal Church and The Dark. With the heavy metal scene starting to rise in the US, Metal Church set out on a very successful tour with label mates Metallica. They tackled political and social issues of the day with the releases of Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor. At a time when heavy metal bands moved from the underground and became part of the hair band/pop fad, Metal Church stayed true to their roots. In March of 2016 Metal Church released their eleventh studio album XI that reached #57 on the Billboard Top 200 and also landed on several other charts around the globe. Metal Church’s previous album Damned If You Do was the follow up to XI and landed on numerous charts around the globe in 2018. The album has been described as a cross between the band’s iconic Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor albums.

More info coming soon - stay tuned.

Metal Church are

Mike Howe - Vocals
Kurdt Vanderhoof - Guitars
Stet Howland - Drums
Steve Unger - Bass
Rick Van Zandt - Guitars

(Photo - Melissa Castro)




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Los Angeles natives THROWN INTO EXILE have released a new single and music video, "The Mourning". It is the first taste of what's to come as the band prepares for its sophomore release later this year.

Prior to the world being put on pause, 2020 was shaping up to be a great year for the five-piece, with an active 2019 playing festivals from the Mexico Metal Fest to Psycho Las Vegas and supporting some of today's metal heavyweights, including IN FLAMES, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ARCH ENEMY and AT THE GATES.

Guitarist and main songwriter Mario Rubio says: "While 'The Mourning' is a step in a more aggressive direction for THROWN INTO EXILE, the song has a very somber atmosphere to it musically and lyrically that anyone can relate to at any point and sets the mood for what's come."

THROWN INTO EXILE's music has been described as aggressive, fast and moody. Drawing influences from such bands as SLAYER, FEAR FACTORY, SOILWORK and MACHINE HEAD, the band's name comes from the members' belief that, at some point in life, everyone has felt singled out based on their views or opinions, hence being thrown into exile.

THROWN INTO EXILE's lyrics tap into feelings of pain and loneliness.

Veteran Maryland rockers KIX played their first "socially distanced" concert Friday night (July 24) at a private party in front of 50 people. The show took place at Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, a town in Northern Virginia, which entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan on July 8, and is allowing performing arts venues to reopen with half capacity indoors.

On Saturday, KIX took to its social media to share video of the performance, and it included the following message: "Our first social distancing gig! We haven't played in four months. Private party at Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg VA. The venue did an outstanding job adhering to state guidelines. Temperature checks AT THE DOOR, no more than 50 people allowed, all venue staff wearing masks at all times, KIX crew wearing masks, KIX band wearing masks when not performing, hand sanitizer everywhere, stand up tall tables six feet or more apart with no more than four at each table, all patrons wearing masks, catering for the band was no contact, and we had a great time being able to play again and the fans had a great time! This was a dot your I's and cross your T's way to conduct a live show in the post COVID, pre-vaccine world and we are proud to be a part of it!"

As states across the country enter the next phases of reopening, nightclubs and music venues are near the end of the list of places allowed to resume normal operation. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of concerts and festivals have either been postponed or canceled, as social distancing and self-quarantining make performing live music and attending live shows all but impossible.

KIX was founded in 1977 and released its first, self-titled album on Atlantic Records nearly 40 years ago. Their breakthrough came with 1988's "Blow My Fuse", which sold nearly a million copies, thanks to "Don't Close Your Eyes". The band continued to ride the hard-rock wave until 1995, when KIX took a hiatus. Nearly 10 years later, KIX reunited and started touring regionally. A 2008 performance at the Rocklahoma festival led to more gigs and the release of a live DVD/CD called "Live In Baltimore" in 2012.

In 2014, KIX released its seventh full-length album, "Rock Your Face Off" (Loud & Proud Records), the band's first studio effort since 1995's "Show Business".




Last night - Kix Band Top Down! Tally Ho

Posted by Debbie Dauer-Levitt on Saturday, July 25, 2020

Mississippi rock band 3 DOORS DOWN has recorded a new song called "Wicked Man", with plans to release it by the end of July.

"Wicked Man" marks the first new music from 3 DOORS DOWN since the arrival of the band's sixth full-length album, "Us And The Night", which came out in March 2016 via Republic Records.

3 DOORS DOWN frontman Brad Arnold spoke about the new track during an interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. He said: "Greg [Upchurch], our drummer, he sent me a guitar part not long ago… And a line came into my head of just about the idea of… It's not a song that's meant to be political or anything like that, it's just that we can all see, with everything going on in the world right now, that there are some hands at work that don't necessarily have the common man and woman's best interests in mind. And that idea has kind of been in my head for a little while, and I think that a lot of people kind of feel the same way."

The singer, who currently resides in Nashville, continued: "I just wrote these lyrics down. They weren't hard to write. They're kind of simple, but they say a lot — to me. And they just went right along with that guitar part that Greg wrote. And I said, 'I just wanna record this song.' 'Cause we have a little studio — nothing fancy. But you don't need a fancy studio to make music. So we went up there. And I said, 'Man, I just wanna record it and put it out.' I wanna put it out in a week. It's really simple anyway — it's just a guitar, a vocal, and we're getting a guy to put a cello part on it. There's just really gonna be, like, three parts."

According to Arnold, "Wicked Man" is a track that a lot of people will be able to relate to.

"It kind of makes you wanna get up and dance, but it's a song that you can listen to and be, like, 'Damn, man. I get what he's saying right there,'" he explained. "So I'm excited for people to hear it. I think we're just gonna put it out. The dude that engineered it is a friend of ours, and he mixed it. And we're just gonna try to make maybe a really quick little lyric video of it and just put out a song. I just want people to hear it."

Brad went on to say that he doesn't necessarily have high expectations for "Wicked Man"'s commercial success, explaining: "By the grace of God, I can say that we do this because we love it, not because we need to. So I don't care if it's a hit — I just want people to hear it. And that's how I love to look at music lately — I just wanna write something that somebody will be, like, 'Yeah, man.' Not to mention this is the first stinkin' new song that we've recorded in five years. [Laughs]"

Back in January 2017, Arnold defended 3 DOORS DOWN's decision to perform at then-President-elect Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration", saying that "it's all about America."
























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I can’t wait for y’all to hear what we’re makin’ today. #verysoon. - @brad3doorsdown #repost

A post shared by 3doorsdown (@3doorsdown) on Jul 22, 2020 at 1:24pm PDT

As part of HardDrive Radio's latest "Roundtable", MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Jesse Leach joined Lou Brutus to talk about what they've been up to during quarantine and their thoughts on the current state of politics in the U.S., as well as their collaboration on MACHINE HEAD's latest single, "Stop The Bleeding". The protest anthem was written days after back-to-back deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Speaking about the weeks-long civil unrest that resulted in Jesse and Robb's collaboration, Flynn said: "This is a powerful time in history. It's not gonna be the same after this. This is a moment of change. We're going on five weeks of protests here. This stuff usually dies down after five days. We're on the fifth week of worldwide, nationwide protests. And I just felt that everything that needed to be said, and then just Jesse coming back with the vocals that he did was just amazing — it just added this whole incredible layer to the song. And I was, like, 'We've gotta film a video for this and put this out right now. We don't need to worry about setting it up for this or getting the press ready or whatever. This is about the streets; the streets needs to hear this right now.'"

Adding Jesse: "[It was important] having us represent the metal community. And not everyone may agree with it for whatever reason, 'cause there's always discussion about it. But to me, it was, like, 'Where's the voice coming from the metal community? There's no one speaking out about it. This is a really fucked up thing that happened.' And it was just all quiet. So when I saw Robb, I was, like, 'Yo, this is what we need to do' — hopefully spark people to start discussing it, 'cause it was just crickets."

Asked why he thinks the metal community was so quiet after the Floyd killing, Jesse said: "My personal opinion is there's a weird sort of split with people where the moment you start to criticize the police or you criticize something that someone firmly believes in, a.k.a. Trump. Some people, when you start to criticize Trump, they get on this crazy tirade, this crazy defensiveness that is ingrained in them, I believe, from whether the way they were raised or what they're reading in the media.

"My whole take on it is this: I'm not left; I'm not right," he continued. "I don't care about that stuff. I care about what's right and what's wrong. And to me, what I'm seeing is happening is wrong. I don't care how you wanna paint it. You wanna talk about, 'Well, white people are being killed too.' Black people are saying, 'Leave that alone.' Right now, we need to give black people [an opportunity] to speak. 'Cause it's not just this one thing. We're talking about decades, we're talking about centuries of oppression. This is a huge, large, deep issue, and this just sparked it off. I mean, look, the rioting, the protesting is still happening. This is a deep-rooted wound that needs to be addressed. And if it's not gonna be addressed and people are gonna continue to try and silence it and change the subject, you're gonna make it worse — you're just gonna make it worse. And we need to figure out a common ground to stand on to discuss these things and hopefully create some kind of a change that can help with this situation. It's not just gonna go away."

Robb chimed in, saying: "I was [listening] to this comedian, and he was talking about… He's, like, 'Man, this country is so messed up, we can't agree on anything. We can't agree on this, we can't agree on that.' He's, like, 'We can't even agree that black lives matter. We're not trying to say we're superior; we're just trying to say we matter. And we can't even agree on that.' He's, like, 'And you wonder why we're such a mess.' That's right. It's sad to say that. That's the point. They're just trying to say that they matter.

"There's this weird thing now — people make these identities out of a political belief, this fucking team mentality that drives me up the freakin' wall. Everybody's gotta be on a team now — it's Team Trump or it's team this or Team Hillary. It's, like, no, man.

"My manager is a total Trumper — voted for Trump, got his 'MAGA' hat and everything," Robb added. "And we'll sit there and debate it, and we'll debate things. And it's crazy. You think because he's, like, 'I love Trump and I wear a 'MAGA' hat,' but then you start talking about, 'Would you hire a gay person?' 'Of course I'd hire a gay person.' 'Okay, would you be okay with somebody having an abortion?' 'Of course I'd be okay with somebody…' But wait, that's not what…

"People get these weird identities built around them, and especially with social media, it's amplified, because they can reinvent themselves as these things."

The "Stop The Bleeding" performance video was directed and edited by Mike Sloat, shot on location on the streets of Oakland, California, with Jesse's part filmed in Kingston, New York with David Brodsky.

MACHINE HEAD is donating a significant portion of the streaming proceeds from "Stop The Bleeding" to Grassroots Law Project, the organization representing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

"Stop The Bleeding" and B-side "Bulletproof" were produced by Flynn and engineered by Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California, with the mix being handled by longtime MACHINE HEAD collaborator and producer extraordinaire Colin Richardson, together with Chris Clancy at Audioworks Productions UK. The tracks were mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced the Save Our Stages Act, which would provide Small Business Administration grants for independent live music venue operators affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. These grants would provide six months of financial support to keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector for communities across America.

"Minnesota's concert halls, theatres, and places of entertainment, like First Avenue in Minneapolis, where Prince famously performed, have inspired generations with the best of local music, art, and education," Klobuchar said. "This legislation would help ensure that small entertainment venues can continue to operate, and serve our communities for generations to come."

"Texas is home to a number of historic and world-class small entertainment venues, many of which remain shuttered after being the first businesses to close," Cornyn said. "The culture around Texas dance halls and live music has shaped generations, and this legislation would give them the resources to reopen their doors and continue educating and inspiring Texans beyond the coronavirus pandemic."

Small live music and entertainment venues have been hard-hit during the coronavirus pandemic, with 90 percent of venue owners, promoters, and bookers reporting they are at risk of closing without additional financial assistance and an estimated $9 billion in losses should ticket sales not resume until 2021. The Save Our Stages Act would:

* Narrowly define independent live venue operators, promoters, and talent representatives to prevent large, international corporations from receiving federal grant funding

* Direct the SBA to make grants to eligible venues equal to the lesser of either 45 percent of operation costs from calendar year 2019 or $12 million

* Allow the Small Business Administrator to issue supplemental grants in the future if funding remains available and applicants can demonstrate need

* Permit recipients to use grants for costs incurred during the COVID pandemic

* Require recipients to return remaining funding after one year from the date of disbursement

* Permit recipients to use grants for rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, PPE procurement, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases, and capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines

* Authorize the appropriation of $10 billion for the grant program

The Save Our Stages Act is endorsed by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO).

Co-chair of NIVA's Advocacy Committee and president of Hartke Presents Adam Hartke said in a statement: "On behalf of our more than 2,000 member venues, promoters and festivals, as well as their employees, artists and local communities who are facing an existential crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we're incredibly grateful to Senators Cornyn and Klobuchar.

"While existing government assistance programs have helped other industries, they weren't tailored to meet the needs of small businesses like ours that have zero revenue, enormous overhead and no visibility into when we can fully re-open," he continued. "The Save Our Stages Act will provide the assistance we need to get through the shutdown until we can reopen safely and once again become the economic generators for our communities that we've always been."

MESHUGGAH has canceled its plans to reschedule the band's 2020 festival appearances for next year.

Although the Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers were hoping to play the same festivals in 2021 that ended up being canceled this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduling conflicts have forced them to scrap the shows altogether.

Earlier today, MESHUGGAH issued the following statement via social media: "As previously communicated our intent was to keep our commitment to all festivals and shows planned for summer 2020, that couldn't take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, by re-confirming them for the same dates in summer 2021. Full Force Festival is one of these festivals that has already been re-confirmed and re-announced. However, after seeing some of the other festivals move to completely different weekends in 2021, we eventually found it impossible to go ahead with the tour next summer due to logistical reasons. Which also means that MESHUGGAH have to cancel their planned appearance at Full Force 2021.

"Another influential part of the decision to not tour in summer 2021 is that Covid-19 restrictions have also affected MESHUGGAH's progress with a new studio album, to a point where we now see the need to keep summer 2021 clear to put finishing touches to the album.

"MESHUGGAH and their management would like to apologize to all fans and promoters being affected by this.

"Some good news is to be found in here though: there is a new MESHUGGAH album coming..."

MESHUGGAH's last disc, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", came out in 2016 and resulted in a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy nomination for the song "Clockworks".

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.


As previously communicated our intent was to keep our commitment to all festivals and shows planned for summer 2020,...

Posted by Meshuggah on Tuesday, July 21, 2020