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

SEETHER bassist Dale Stewart spoke to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about what it's like to be releasing and album during quarantine. The group's eighth LP, "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", is due on August 28 via Fantasy Records. So far, two tracks have been made available from the effort, "Bruised And Bloodied" and "Dangerous".

"It's frustrating to have this album that you worked really hard on and you're really proud of, and you can't wait for people to hear this thing, and you can't wait to go out there and play these songs for people," Dale said (see video below). "You can read reviews, you can talk to people, but when you see how the crowd responds live, that's really the affirmation there, that instant reponse. So we'd love to get out there and play these songs, and here we are sitting at home, and we've got this album in the can and no shows. Yeah, it's frustrating, but this too shall pass. We just need to be patient. I guess safety first. But I feel like we're getting to the end of the… The worst is behind us, let's say."

Translating to "If You Want Peace, Prepare For War", "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" features 13 new tracks, including the aforementioned "Dangerous". An animated music video for the track was created by noted Turkish director Mertcan Mertbilek (Santana, Ray Charles, Ravi Shankar, Elvis Costello).

"Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" was produced by Morgan and engineered and mixed by Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, AFI) in Nashville from December 2019 through January 2020. The band is joined on the album by newest member Corey Lowery (ex-guitarist/vocalist for SAINT ASONIA and STUCK MOJO), SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan's friend of 16 years, who also assistant-engineered the album.

Morgan and Stewart formed SEETHER in South Africa in 1999 under the name SARON GAS. The band released its first album, "Fragile", in 2000, and eventually caught the attention of American record label Wind-Up Records.

SEETHER has undergone several lineup changes over the years, with Morgan and Stewart remaining constant.

In a new interview with Eric Black Was Here's "Rockcast", KORN drummer Ray Luzier poke about how he has been dealing with the coronavirus crisis. He said (see video below): "It is what it is, man. What can we do? It's a worldwide pandemic. It's crazy, it's nuts. No one predicted this — well, some people did, but that's a whole other topic.

"It's funny, 'cause me and my wife always talk about it: 'Hey, if KORN breaks up tomorrow, do we have enough dough to make it another year or two before you find another gig?' 'Cause I've lived my whole entire life as a musician, and that's a giant roller coaster, as most people know. You don't just hit the jackpot and get this gig and you're set for life. That's the smallest miniscule of musicians on this planet. Most people are working at a coffee shop or they're bussing tables, trying to get that one gig that gets 'em…

"I was fortunate enough… I played with David Lee Roth, I played with Jake E. Lee and the DeLeo brothers in ARMY OF ANYONE — I've had some really good gigs through the years, done a ton of sessions," he continued. "I landed the KORN gig in '07. This is my 13th year with them, and it's been amazing — it's unbelievable. But if you had told me 13 years ago I'd be in KORN for 13 years, I would have laughed in your face. So you just don't know. There's no crystal ball.

"For something like this, a virus to come out, and then to stop all sporting events and all entertainment… And let's face it: music is a giant release for people. They wanna go to see shows. People come up to us after a KORN show, or they go up to Jonathan [Davis, vocals], and say, 'Man, if it wasn't for your music, I would have committed suicide.' 'You got me through a divorce.' 'You got me through a death.' It's ginormous.

"So this is very weird and unethical, but we're making the best of it. We all have home studios. We're writing and recording. We're trying to make the best of it."

KORN's latest album, "The Nothing", came out last September. The disc debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart with 33,000 equivalent album units earned (of which 29,000 were in album sales) in its first week of release.

"The Nothing" was released via Roadrunner/Elektra. The follow-up to 2016's "The Serenity Of Suffering" was once again produced by Nick Raskulinecz.

German power metal institution, Orden Ogan, will release their new album, Final Days, on August 28 via AFM Records. Check out a music video for the song "In The Dawn Of The AI" below:

Where to go from the Wild West? Singer and producer Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann explains: "Final Days is a dark-science-fiction-concept-record and it features all Orden Ogan trademarks such as fat and modern riffs, epic chorusses and melancholic orchestral arrangements. On this record you will find the best songs that we have ever written. Gunmen was a strong and important record for us, but Final Days takes it to the next level."

Speaking about the next level: the package for the Final Days Tour 2020 features heavy metal legends Grave Digger as main support. The second support act will not be announced until February 23 due to contractual obligations.

Orden Ogan will bring a whole new show for the Final Day Tour. From today there is a special exclusive pre-sale for the new album on CD digipak (+ Live DVD) in a bundle with the ticket of your choice, ONLY in the AFM Records webshop. CD, CD digipak, ltd. box set and limited colored vinyl can be pre-ordered as well. Head here.
 
The regular pre-sale for tickets on all known platforms starts on January 1.

Confirmed tour dates:

September
24 - Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
25 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 1
26 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
29 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
30 - Wien, Austria - Szene

October
1 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
2 - Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
3 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA
4 - Sarnen, Switzerland - Urrock Festival
6 - Paris, France - La Machine
7 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
8 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Doornroosje
9 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
10 - Geiselwind, Germany - Musichall
11 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

French heavy/power metallers, Nightmare, are back with new album, Aeternam, set for release October 2 via AFM Records. Watch a music video for the album's title track below.

2020 sees Nightmare back, unbowed, unbreakable and inspired, ready to take their music to a whole new level. They return with hugely talented female vocalist, Madie (Faith In Agony) on the mic, and have recorded their most ambitious album to date.

Tracklisting:

“Temple Of Acheron”
“Divine Nemesis”
“The Passenger”
“Downfall Of A Tyrant”
“Crystal Lake”
“Lights On”
“Aeternam”
“Under The Ice”
“Black September”
“Anneliese”

“Aeternam” video:




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

FLEETWOOD MAC co-founder Peter Green has died at the age of 73.

His family confirmed his death in a statement released by solicitors Swan Turton, who are acting on their behalf.

"It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep," the statement reads. "A further statement will be provided in the coming days."

Green co-founded FLEETWOOD MAC with Mick Fleetwood and Jeremy Spencer in 1967 and wrote one of the band's biggest hits, "Albatross". He left FLEETWOOD MAC in 1970 and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.

This past February, a number of artists, including METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett and AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler, performed at an all-star tribute concert to Green at the London Palladium. The show took place just a few weeks after it was announced that Hammett was collaborating with Green on a book and music project for Rufus Publications. Hammett was at Abbey Road Studios in London in January to record "something very special" for the project, which will feature guest appearances by several other artists. In addition, Hammett posted a couple of photographs with Green, including one image where Peter can be seen holding a vinyl copy of METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" album and another where they are both holding Green's legendary 1959 Les Paul guitar — known as "Greeny" — which Hammett now owns.

Green, along with seven other members of FLEETWOOD MAC — Fleetwood, Spencer, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie, Christine McVie and Danny Kirwan — was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.




An Artist I Truly Loved & Admired…From The First Time I Heard Him…I Supported The Original Fleetwood Mac At Redcar Jazz Club When I Was In A Local Band…He Was A Breathtaking Singer, Guitarist & Composer…

I know Who I Will Be Listening To Today…RIP https://t.co/VvkGaY6ZMf

— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) July 25, 2020








RIP Peter Green. One of the absolute hierarchy of the original British Blues Greats. Clapton, Page, Beck and Green. https://t.co/nKBHLcjcwu

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) July 25, 2020








What a sad day. #PeterGreen has passed away. When he replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall's #Bluesbreakers you knew he was special. #FleetwoodMac album #thenplayon was a revelation. So glad I saw his last ever show with FM at the #fillmoreeast June 1971! A true legend.

— Jay Jay French (@jayjayfrench) July 25, 2020








Most sadly have lost one of the most tasteful guitar players ever I have always been a huge admirer of the great Peter Green may he rest in peace.

— Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) July 25, 2020








Sad to hear of Peter Green passing- one of the greats. RIP. pic.twitter.com/OUHg3KwnNy

— Geezer Butler (@geezerbutler) July 25, 2020








Sad loss: RIP Peter Allen Greenbaum, better known as Peter Green. https://t.co/V4CwRfWEOT pic.twitter.com/jG7kOFOzJV

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) July 25, 2020








RIP Fleetwood Mac's PETER GREEN... I met him several times when I owned 'Rock City' a recording studio in Shepperton in the '80's pic.twitter.com/xjb8Mi9nGz

— THE CHRIS SLADE TIMELINE (@SladeTimeline) July 25, 2020








Peter Green - thank you for everything. pic.twitter.com/0dRpM4Luj9

— Bernie Marsden (@Bernie_Marsden) July 25, 2020




























View this post on Instagram


































The Green Malishi’s !!! #greeny #petergreen Photo?by @rosshalfin ⚡️

A post shared by Kirk Hammett (@kirkhammett) on Jan 7, 2020 at 8:56am PST






























View this post on Instagram


































With Peter Green in London ... in the glorious south ! Photo?by @rosshalfin ?⚡️ #petergreen #legend

A post shared by Kirk Hammett (@kirkhammett) on Jan 7, 2020 at 8:21am PST

Paul Stanley has offered his words of support to Kim Kardashian West for speaking out after husband Kanye West posted a series of tweets this week that have called his mental health into question.

On Monday night, Kanye tweeted allegations that Kardashian and her mom Kris Jenner had tried to "lock him up," and on Tuesday night, he claimed that he had been considering divorcing his wife.

Kardashian issued a lengthy statement on Instagram defending West, explaining that he has bipolar disorder, a lifelong mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs and lows.

"As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder," she wrote. "Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I've never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye's right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.

"Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor," she said. "People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try."

Earlier today, Stanley shared Kardashian's comments on Twitter and added the following message: "Let's have compassion and commend this. So many struggle with mental illness and depression and we can all make a difference."

In a 2018 interview with The New York Times, West said that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017.

West, who announced July 4 that he was running for president, delivered a lengthy monologue at a campaign event last weekend, touching on topics from abortion to Harriet Tubman.




Let’s have compassion and commend this. So many struggle with mental illness and depression and we can all make a difference. https://t.co/gcpOEKBpbq

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) July 22, 2020

In a new interview with No Cover TV, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Willie Adler spoke about what the touring circuit might look like post-pandemic. He said (hear audio below): "I can't imagine that live music will not resume at some point. It's probably gonna be a while, and like I was telling my wife, I think we're probably bottom of the barrel of things that are gonna be able to get back to work. I mean, for our living, we get people together. So it's, like, 'Fuck.' So, yeah, there's definitely a part of me that's a little freaked out by it, but at the same time, it's such a huge part of life — music is — that I can't imagine there not being some semblance of live music going on and touring. Whether that's end of this year, next year — I'm not sure. But I firmly believe that we will resume somewhat as normal at some point."

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.

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

LAMB OF GOD released its new, self-titled album on June 19 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. The follow-up to 2015's "VII: Sturm Und Drang" marks LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band last year as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler, who is Willie's brother.

"Lamb Of God" was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).

In a new interview with Nicole Alvarez of KROQ's "HD Radio Sound Space Sundays", LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda spoke about how he has been dealing with the coronavirus crisis. He said (see video below): "I'm not a super paranoid person, but the COVID thing is scary. I have friends who are doctors, and they're, like, 'This is just the science. This is the reality of the infection rate. You don't mess around with it.' In our case, we have asthma in the house — my kids and I. One of my kids in particular has asthma that's as bad as mine was when I was a kid. Mine got better, so now it's not as bad. But, yeah, we can't mess around. And we're not even in the highest group of people who are in danger."

Earlier in the month, Shinoda released a new solo record, "Dropped Frames, Vol. 1", via his Kenji Kobayashi Productions label. The LP features the first batch of instrumentals inspired by Shinoda's live Twitch streams from his home studio, with assistance from his fans.

Shinoda has confirmed that the second installment of his planned "Dropped Frames" trilogy is already finished — and the third relatively close to completion, too.

"These albums, 'Dropped Frames', is gonna be the first of at least three," he told Forbes. "I've got the second one done and the third one is in progress. And [when] I say in progress, basically, it's just tightening up and mixing stuff that I made on the stream. But certainly, it's a thing I wouldn't have done unless I was in this situation that I'm in right now."

Mike's full-length solo album called "Post Traumatic", came out last year. Some of the disc was inspired by the death three years ago of LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington. The latter was found dead in his Los Angeles-area home on July 20, 2017 after hanging himself. LINKIN PARK headlined an all-star tribute concert for Bennington in October 2017 in Los Angeles but has not announced any future plans for recording or touring.

Trailight bassist and mastermind Omer Cordell, who is working on new music, has issued the following update:

"Back at the helm after a few months hiatus. Working on a new track called 'Truth'. I'm planning to buckle up and get this thing done with a potential fall release!"

Trailight previously release the Endure The Fire album in 2019. 

The album is one track clocking in at 33:16. It features the following sections:

"Towards Infinity" 
"Death"
"Endure The Fire" 
"Epiphanies In The Dead Of Night" 
"Apotheosis" 
"Train Of Thought" 
"As Within, So Without"

Cordell: "Dedicated with reverence to all indigenous traditions and medicines around the world. To get the most out of this experience, I would highly recommend creating the space to listen to this album. Best experienced through headphones in a quiet space."

Photo by Tony Hoare Photography




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Canadian melodic death metal heavyweights, Kataklysm, recently revealed details for their 14th full-length studio album, Unconquered, out on September 25 via Nuclear Blast Records. Frontman Maurizio Iacono has checekd in with the following message:

"Very proud of this album. There was a lot of drive and also anger behind the writting process, it just flowed like water, like it was supposed to be. I have a message behind Kataklysm that's always been about pain and hard times, but with a positive comeback and fighting spirit attached to it. It reflects who I am. They wanted to delay this record to 2021 to maximize sales, we decided to release it when our fans need us the most; that is NOW, when times are rough and hope needs to be encouraged and pushed. We love y'all, and thanks for the great support behind this single. This is big record in our hearts and you will see the best is still to come." 

Unconquered was recorded and engineered by the band's long-time producer and guitarist JF Dagenais at JFD Studio in Dallas, TX. Kataklysm enlisted legendary Colin Richardson, post retirement, to aid in the mixing of Unconquered’s weightier and modernized sound with additional help from Chris Clancy’s technicality and precision.Unconquered stands among the best produced albums in the band's career.

The infamous heart beast, which also appeared on In The Arms Of Devastation (2006), Prevail (2008), and Heaven’s Venom (2010), makes its return with a cover image created by artist Blake Armstrong.

Unconquered will be available in the following formats:

- CD Jewel Case
- Vinyl
  Red W. Black Splatter (Limited to 1500)
  Glow In The Dark (Limited to 300)
  Clear W. Black Splatter (Limited to 300 on band's store only)
  White W. Silver Splatter (Limited to 200)
  Black
- White Cassette  (Limited to 200)
- CD + Patch Bundle (Limited to 300)
- "Heart of the Beast" CD bundle (Limited to 200)
  CD
  2 Buttons
  Heart Shaped Stress Ball
  Sticker
  Burlap Bag Bundle

Pre-order your copy of Unconquered in the format of your choice here. Pre-save the album to Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer here.

Unconquered tracklisting:

"The Killshot"
"Cut Me Down"
"Underneath The Scars"
"Focused To Destroy You"
"The Way Back Home"
"Stitches"
"Defiant"
"Icarus Falling"
"When It's Over"

"The Killshot" video:




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

In a new episode of 80’s Glam Metalcast, Punky Meadows from Angel talks in detail about their most recent release Risen, reminisce about some classic Angel songs and albums, of course Gene Simmons and KISS come up.

On what’s going on in the Angel camp:
“We just signed a new management deal and a booking agent deal with a big management company, so we’ve been working on that. We are also planning to start touring again in September. I’ve been playing a lot of guitar and writing a lot of songs for the next album. My partner Danny (Farrow) has been writing too and so has Frank (Dimino). So we’ll get together soon and put the finishing touches on these songs. I have written some really cool songs and I can’t wait to get into the studio. So yes, a new Angel album is definitely on the way.” 

On their most recent release Risen:
“We are really proud of that album. Of course it’s our comeback album so we had to make sure it lived up to that. People love it and I do too. It has a lot of great songs and it’s very diverse. It has the classic Angel sound, but still sounds modern. A lot of people say when these bands do a comeback, they are a shadow of themselves. They just don’t have it. The Risen album though sounds as good, if not better than the early Angel albums.” 

Why Angel never toured with their Casablanca label mates KISS:
“Gene, Paul (Stanley), and Ace (Frehley) came to see us at Bogies in D.C. because KISS was in town on tour. They fell in love with us and thought we were great. So we were shopping around for a record deal and our manager suggested Casablanca. He mentioned how KISS was also on the label. We told him how KISS had come and seen us and they loved us. So our manager called Neil Bogart to set up an audition. Neil thought it would be a good idea for Angel to open for KISS in Anaheim so he could see us in action. He said he would call us back to confirm. So Neil calls back and says that he will sign us sight unseen because Gene Simmons said ‘under no circumstances will Angel ever open for KISS’. All of us were good friends though on the Casablanca label. I love those guys, they’re great!”




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Melodic Passion Records has released the second single and video by The Waymaker - a new melodic metal trio from Finland and Sweden, consisting of long-time band mates Christian Liljegren (Narnia, Audiovision) and Jani Stefanovic (Solution 45, Zhakiah, Miseration) - both from Divinefire, and Jani’s wife - Katja Stefanovic (solo artist, ex-Random Eyes).

The band describes their music as melodic metal for the future, and today The Waymaker has released the second single and video “Soldiers Under Command” as a Tribute to Stryper from the forthcoming album with the same title.

“I‘m very happy and proud to do this song as this song started the journey doing metal with a divine message.” says Christian and continues: “Together with Jani, Katja and also my good old friend CJ Grimmark in Narnia we really captured to fire in this song and show the way how to develop melodic metal into the future. Christian concludes.

The self-titled album is due to be released in September and will have guest appearances by musicians like Narnia‘s CJ Grimmark (guitar) and Alfred Fridhagen (drums).

The Waymaker's album is produced and mixed by Jani Stefanovic, mastered by Multi Grammy, Gold & Platinum Award winning Thomas Plec Johansson at Panic Room Studios, Sweden (Soilwork, Nocturnal Rites, Gathering Of Kings, Divinefire, Narnia, Solution 45 and many more) and distributed by Sound Pollution.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Upon its release in 1980, MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" album was nothing short of a gamechanger for all forms of hard rock. Like lightning in a bottle, it perfectly captured everything great about hard rock, heavy metal, and punk, amped it all up to 11, and came racing out of the gates at what felt like a million miles an hour, pushing at every musical boundary. Nothing was harder. Nothing was faster. And certainly nothing was louder.

Now, following on from last year's fan and media acclaimed anniversary editions of the seminal "Overkill" and "Bomber" albums, comes the record that launched MOTÖRHEAD into the stratosphere and carved their name into the walls of rock n'roll history forever: "Ace Of Spades". To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this milestone album, it is being presented in new deluxe editions on October 30. There will be hardback book-packs in two CD and triple LP formats, featuring a previously unheard concert from the "Ace Up Your Sleeve" tour, the story of the album and many previously unseen photos. Also, the album will be released as an ultimate fan, collector edition "Ace Of Spades" box set, containing a bevvy of era-specific treasures and some 42 previously unreleased tracks.

The "Ace Of Spades" deluxe box set contains:

* The "Ace Of Spades" album, half-speed mastered and created from the original master tapes.

* Two double live albums of previously unheard concerts from the "Ace Up Your Sleeve" tour.

* "A Fistful Of Instrumentals": A 10" EP of previously unreleased, instrumental tracks from 1980.

* "The Good, The Broke & The Ugly": A double album of B-sides, outtakes and rare tracks.

* "Ace On Your Screens": A DVD compilation of rare TV appearances from 1980-81, a live concert from 1981 and a 5.1 audio mix of the original album.

* The "Ace Of Spades" story. A 40-page book telling the story of "Ace Of Spades" through previously unpublished interviews with the people that were there. Includes never before seen photos and memorabilia.

* The "Ace Up Your Sleeve" tour program

* The MOTÖRHEAD Rock Commando comic.

* A set of 5 poker dice that can be played on the game board inside the box set lid.

* All encased in a classic Wild West dynamite box.

* A limited edition 7" reproduction of the Dutch "Ace Of Spades", with a previously unreleased instrumental version on Side B. (while stocks last!)

In 1980, off the back of two essential albums, "Overkill" and "Bomber" the previous year, MOTÖRHEAD continued to get bigger, better, louder and faster by the second. This time, on "Ace Of Spades" they teamed up with producer Vic Maile and came up with twelve songs; each and every one of which crams a regular band's ten minutes of playing into an average of three. The songtitles alone made ears bleed; "Love Me Like A Reptile", "Shoot You In The Back", "The Chase Is Better Than The Catch" and "The Hammer" were a few examples. This landmark album saw the three amigos of Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Taylor at the helm of the juggernaut that was MOTÖRHEAD, gaining phenomenal growth in popularity as they forged onward. The band's and fans ideas, wants and inspirations, converged at a perfect tangent. Anyone disputing this fact need look no further than any heavy metal gig of the time and play "spot the MOTÖRHEAD T-shirt and jacket." They outnumbered anyone else by at least five to one. A statistic that is still accurate some forty-five years since they first began!

The "Ace Of Spades" album release was a magical moment in rock 'n' roll history, an album which had enormous global impact and continues to resonate and inspire people worldwide. Fans to this day still remember where they were when they first heard it, and it immediately inspired bands worldwide to absorb the album's energy, speed, and attitude into their own work. "Ace Of Spades" is ground zero for thrash, speed metal, and punk/metal crossover.

Box set track listing

"Ace Of Spades"

Side One

01. Ace Of Spades

02. Love Me Like A Reptile

03. Shoot You In The Back

04. Live To Win

05. Fast And Loose

06. (We Are) The Road Crew

Side Two

01. Fire Fire

02. Jailbait

03. Dance

04. Bite The Bullet

05. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch

06. The Hammer

"A Fistful Of Instrumentals"

Side One

01. Ace Of Spades (demo)

02. Hump On Your Back (demo)

03. Shoot You In The Back (demo)

04. Fast And Loose (demo)

Side Two

01. Dirty Love (demo)

02. Love Me Like A Reptile (demo)

03. Dance (demo)

"Riders Wearing Black"

Live At Whitla Hall, Belfast - December 23, 1981

Side One

01. Ace Of Spades

02. Stay Clean

03. Over The Top

04. The Hammer

05. Shoot You In The Back

06. Metropolis

Side Two

01. (We Are) The Road Crew

02. No Class

03. Bite The Bullet

04. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch

Side Three

01. Jailbait

02. Leaving Here

03. Capricorn

04. Too Late, Too Late

Side Four

01. Overkill

02. Bomber

03. Motörhead

"Dead Man's Hand"

Live At Parc Expo, Orleans - March 5, 1981

Side One

01. Ace Of Spades

02. Stay Clean

03. Over The Top

04. Metropolis

05. Shoot You In The Back

Side Two

01. The Hammer

02. Jailbait

03. Leaving Here

04. Fire Fire

05. Love Me Like A Reptile

Side Three

01. Capricorn

02. Too Late, Too Late

03. (We Are) The Road Crew

04. No Class

Side Four

01. Bite The Bullet

02. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch

03. Overkill

04. Bomber

The Good, The Broke & The Ugly

Side One

01. Ace Of Spades (Alternative Version)

02. Dirty Love

03. Love Me Like A Reptile (Alternative Long Version)

04. Shoot You In The Back (Alternative Version)

Side Two

01. Hump On Your Back

02. Fast And Loose (Alternative Version)

03. (We Are) The Road Crew (Alternative Version)

04. Fire Fire (Alternative Version)

05. Jailbait (Alternative Version)

Side Three

01. Waltz Of The Vampire

02. The Hammer (Alternative Version)

03. Dirty Love (Alternative Long Version)

04. Bastard

05. Godzilla Akimbo

Side Four

01. Love Me Like A Reptile (Alternative Version)

02. Dirty Love (Alternative Version)

03. Please Don't Touch (Performed by HEADGIRL)

04. Bomber (Performed by GIRLSCHOOL)

05. Emergency

"Ace On Your Screens" DVD

Part 1: Motörhead on TV 1980-1981

Part 2: BBC In The City; Live In Belfast ‘81

Part 3: 5.1 audio mix of Ace Of Spades

STYX guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw spoke to the "Ted Nugent Spirit Campfire" show about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the follow-up to "The Mission". Released in June 2017, that disc marked STYX's first new LP in 14 years. It was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, co-produced and co-written with Will Evankovich, a longtime collaborator of Shaw's in the SHAW/BLADES band and who also plays with THE GUESS WHO.

"We've got all the drums, we've got all the basses [recorded]," Shaw said. "I think I've done all my guitars. I've done most of my vocals. We were writing and writing and writing. I got to the end of it. I had this other song. I was just burnt out. I was, like, 'I can't finish this song.' So I kind half-assed finished it. So I've gotta go in and do it right.

"Lawrence [Gowan, vocals/keyboards] has already done a lot of his stuff," he continued. "There are a couple of new songs that came around since we were all together. So we have to flush all that out. Really, it's just Lawrence. And James Young [guitar/backing vocals] is coming. He's gonna be here for however long it takes to get his solos and his vocals done. And that just leaves Lawrence. So we'll be ready to mix before you know it."

Drummer Todd Sucherman recently told Audio Ink Radio that the new STYX material "definitely leans to a progressive side with always a big, heavy emphasis on melody and lyrics. There are several songs and several lyrics in there that — I haven't even talked to Tommy about this — that are almost about what's going on in the world right now," he said. "It's like a prophecy, some of the bits in the lyrics… There's one song called 'Sound The Alarm' that I damn near stopped playing and burst into tears while rehearsing because it sounds like it was written about what's going on today, like he wrote it today. So next time I talk to Tommy, I've gotta ask him, 'What made you write that four months ago?'"

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, four straight STYX albums sold at least two million copies — "The Grand Illusion" (1977), "Pieces Of Eight" (1978), "Cornerstone" (1979) and "Paradise Theatre" (1981). The band eventually replaced original singer/keyboardist/songwriter Dennis DeYoung in 1999 with Gowan.

On the heels of their 2019 studio album Don’t Panic, IZZ is set to release a 20-minute EP, entitled Half Life, featuring four tracks including three new studio songs as well as a previously unreleased live version of “The Wait Of It All”, a track originally featured on their 2004 EP, Ampersand Volume 1.

Half Life will be available beginning on July 28 via download on Bandcamp. A limited vinyl pressing and a limited run of Half Life on CD will also be available for purchase directly from the band and their label, Doone Records, via their website.

“The title track of this EP was actually written several years ago, but when we listened to it again recently, it took on new meaning given the uncertainty in the world today and it became obvious to us that we needed to finish mixing it and get it out into the world,” says bassist John Galgano.

Lyrically and thematically, the three new studio songs cover a wide range from the joy and mystery of “The Soul Of Music” to the heartfelt contentment of “Into The Sun” to the escapism and wonder of the title track “Half Life”. Musically, the EP shows a different side to IZZ which the band is keen to present to their fans.

“We’re a band that never likes to do the same thing twice. We want to keep things interesting not only for our fans, but for ourselves,” says keyboardist and producer Tom Galgano.

“This EP comes at an interesting time for the band and for the world because we have been using our time at home these past few months to take a deep dive into writing our next proper studio album which we plan on releasing in 2021 and this EP kind of snuck its way into our consciousness, so we decided to go with it and follow the muse,” says drummer Brian Coralian.

Watch the music video for "Half Life", produced, directed, and filmed by Mallory Kinney, below:

Lineup:

Paul Bremner: Guitars
Anmarie Byrnes: Vocals
Brian Coralian: Drums & Percussion
Greg DiMiceli: Drums & Percussion
John Galgano: Bass & Vocals
Tom Galgano: Keyboards & Vocals
Laura Meade: Vocals




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Kansas City, MO-based industrial rock band Razorwire Halo's music creates layers of multi-dimensional sound that lends an experience not to be missed. Whether your listening or partaking in their live show, Razorwire Halo's electro-rock mix and seductional foreplay is a definitive sound.

Razorwire Halo's "Cover My Eyes" will satiate your music longings as it is now available for pre-save. The single will be released on Friday, August 14, via INgrooves.

Watch a lyric video for the song below:




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Rochester, NY-based band, Ovtlier, have released their official music video for single "Who We Are". The clip can be seen below.

"Who We Are" is about accepting the individuality of ourselves and others. Understanding that trauma, especially stemming back to childhood plays a vital role in the years to come of ones life. We all have things that shape and make us into who and what we are," says singer Joey Arena.

Ovtlier has grown into a roaring rock band of stadium ambitions. Led by the enigmatic frontman Joey Arena, Ovlier has already captured the hearts of more than 60K daily followers online, more than 2.1 million views of fan-curated content on YouTube, over half a million streams Spotify, and has been selling out shows around the Northeast. Their latest release, What Doesn’t Kill You, takes the listener on a roller-coaster jaunt. Drawing influences from Breaking Benjamin, 30 Seconds To Mars, Korn, Periphery and others, Ovtlier brings the rock and metal edge to a new height of intensity.

Inspired by everything 80’s to 90s grunge and nu-metal, Arena began playing guitar at the age of 11 on an old 3-string guitar. After achieving commercial success with his band, Young Bloods, Arena re-centered himself and began traveling 8 hours from Rochester to Cleveland in search of an identity and definition for what would become Ovtlier’s debut EP, What Doesn’t Kill You. Playing sold-out hometown shows, touring the states and rapidly growing their fan-base among all types of music fans. Housing a hybrid sound that cross-pollinates into other sub-genres, giving a formula to freedom in songwriting and forever being able to validate surprise in their releases to come. Ovtlier is set out to deliver their most personal and intense work yet.

(Photo - Taylor Rambo)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

STRYPER's Michael Sweet has come to Chris Jericho's defense after Sebastian Bach accused FOZZY's lead singer of using pre-recorded vocal tracks during live performances.

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

Earlier today, Sweet took to his social media to write: "You know it's funny, @chrisjerichofozzy doesn't have anything to prove as a singer, a wrestler or a person. He's achieved success and made quite the name for himself. He's about as active as anyone I know and is also a great guy with a big heart. He's also my friend. @stryper had him up on stage to perform with us at @hobanaheim and I was honored to have him sing on one of my solo songs a few years back as well.

"My point? Chris is a very talented individual and a grounded human being. He doesn't need validation from anyone. He's made his mark and will continue to do so. He was at my wedding in 2010 and we had our own 'sing off' on the dance floor to the @bonjovi classic, 'Living On A Prayer' - Remember this Chris? Good times.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that Chris is the man, and a good one at that. Love ya buddy".

Sweet himself was involved in a war of words with Bach nearly four years ago. The feud beween the former SKID ROW singer and the STRYPER frontman began in November 2016 when Sweet shared a video on Facebook of then-16-year-old emerging artist Moriah Formica perfoming the SKID ROW track "I Remember You", along with the caption: "Moriah Formica kills this and in my humble opinion, smokes the original singer." He also proceeded to call Bach a "tool" in the comments section after being questioned about the caption by a fan.

After being alerted to Sweet's post by a fan, Sebastian fired back, writing in a tweet: "Michael Sweet has a big fucking mouth. Behind a keyboard that is. Can't wait to see this pussy in person again someday."

While speaking to "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" at the "Bowl For Ronnie" event in Studio City, California, Bach was asked whether he likes Sweet on a personal level. "I don't, actually," he said. "I think STRYPER sucks. I've always thought that — since I was a little kid. I think their songs suck, I think their fucking clothes suck. Should I go on? What are they gonna [do] — whip a Bible at me? [Laughs]"

After clarifying that his opinion of STRYPER doesn't have anything to do with the Christian messages in the band's lyrics, Bach said: "I think they just make bad records. And I don't think they ever did make good records."

In November 2016, Sweet released a statement in response to Bach's "pussy" comment, saying that "anyone who knows me knows that I express my opinion and I'm more than willing to back it up. I do my best to be honest yet not to be mean-spirited or destructive. I'm also no pussy. Obviously, Sebastian doesn't know me, because if he did, he'd know that as fact."

He added: "Unfortunately, I think because I'm a Christian, some people think that I'm supposed to 'turn the other cheek' and let people say and do whatever they want. I guess the 'pussy' in me won't let me do that."

Sebastian and Michael previously traded barbs nearly six years ago when the STRYPER leader claimed he was asked to produce a Bach solo album, only for those plans to be squashed because Sebastian couldn't make up his mind. Sweet said: "I was approached to do a Sebastian album… to produce it and to co-write with him and basically try to kind of go back to those powerful songs from the past. Not make a dated record, but just that style, the anthemy SKID ROW stuff that everybody loves. And that was the plan."

Michael also offered a theory as to why so few of Bach's eight hundred thousand Facebook followers purchased the former SKID ROW singer's latest solo album, "Give 'Em Hell", when it was first released. Sweet said: "This isn't a bash against Sebastian at all; it's just my opinion. I think people wanna hear Sebastian of old. They wanna hear the SKID ROW Sebastian. They wanna hear the hits. And he's giving them modern rock. It's ['Give 'Em Hell'] a good album, it's a good-sounding album, but it's not the glory days."

After a fan wrote on Twitter that "the points M. Sweet made about fans wanting 'old school' Bach sounds - are ACCURATE. Not rude or mean. Just true," Bach responded: "ACCURATE? FACT: No member of STRYPER was EVER asked to produce ANY album by Sebastian Bach! EVER. Who do U think asks that?? Omg!"

Sweet later took to his own Twitter to clarify his proposed role in the making of Bach's solo album. Michael wrote: "I was asked by the LABEL to produce Sebastian Bach. I never said by Sebastian."
























View this post on Instagram


































You know it’s funny, @chrisjerichofozzy doesn’t have anything to prove as a singer, a wrestler or a person. He’s achieved success and made quite the name for himself. He’s about as active as anyone I know and is also a great guy with a big heart. He’s also my friend. @stryper had him up on stage to perform with us at @hobanaheim and I was honored to have him sing on one of my solo songs a few years back as well. My point? Chris is a very talented individual and a grounded human being. He doesn’t need validation from anyone. He’s made his mark and will continue to do so. He was at my wedding in 2010 and we had our own “sing off” on the dance floor to the @bonjovi classic, “Living On A Prayer” - Remember this Chris? Good times? Anyway, I just wanted to say that Chris is the man, and a good one at that? Love ya buddy??

A post shared by Michael Sweet (@michaelsweetstryper) on Jul 22, 2020 at 1:39pm PDT

MASTODON drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor spoke to Metal Hammer magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" album. He said: "It's all over the map. There's some big, big heavy riffs that are happening, so that's what I'm into. And then there's some guitar gymnastics by Brent Hinds that have been some of the most difficult things I've tried to wrap my ahead around and play drums to. So there's some super-progginess coming from him, and some really super, pretty moments. But there's some rockers in there, too. There's some heavy, fast stuff as well. But a lot of it is kind of doomy. But that's where we're at."

In May, guitarist Bill Kelliher told the "Rock & Roll Beer Guy" podcast that the music he has been writing for MASTODON's next album is "different than 'Emperor Of Sand', but there's definitely a vibe going on… The new record, the stuff I've written, is not quite as notey as that, but it's definitely got more NEUROSIS heaviness, simplified guitar parts. And Brann, he always demos most of the vocal ideas, 'cause he always has melodies, and he's been singing on a lot of it, at least for the demo purposes. The vocals are kind of 'Asleep In The Deep' style — kind of RADIOHEAD-ish almost, real melodic, just a lot of vocal harmonies."

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That album was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

Earlier in the year, MASTODON wrote and recorded a new song for inclusion in the upcoming "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie.

"Bill & Ted Face The Music", which reunites Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in the title roles for the first time since 1991's "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", is scheduled for an August 28 release.

"Bill & Ted Face The Music" will not be the first time a MASTODON track has been featured in a motion picture. Back in 2007, MASTODON performed the opening song of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters".

Kirk Windstein spoke to Revolver about his participation in DOWN's upcoming shows to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the group's debut album, "NOLA".

A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER), and HONKY.

Windstein announced his return to DOWN last year, with the band confirming a number of festival appearances for 2020, all of which have since been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Asked if DOWN has started work on new material, Kirk told Revolver (see video below): "There's actually been no talk of that. The main thing was trying to do the European festivals and Psycho Las Vegas [in Las Vegas]. Psycho Las Vegas was pushed back a year, and, obviously, the European festivals were all canceled. So I have no idea what's in the future. We're working on something really special here in the next few months that I'm excited about, and that's all I can really say. I'm super excited to get together with all the guys again."

DOWN was forced to cancel a number of shows in 2016 after singer Philip Anselmo was filmed giving a Nazi salute and shouting "white power" at a California concert.

Guitarist Pepper Keenan later offered his take on what transpired, telling Metal Wani that DOWN was "far from done" after the controversial incident. "You know, DOWN didn't do anything wrong," he said. "I mean, we were just guilty by association on that one. That was Phil's mistake. I've spoken to Phil and told him to get his shit together, and he is. He knows he made a mistake and was being stupid."

He continued: "I've known the guy [most of my life]. He's not what that whole thing framed him to be at all. But, yeah, there's definitely a future for DOWN. I wouldn't throw all the shit we've done, beautiful music we've done on one stupid moment that was caught on camera, and he apologized for. [So we are] far from done."

DOWN's last live appearance took place in August 2016 at the Psycho Las Vegas festival in Las Vegas.

Windstein released his debut solo album, "Dream In Motion", in January via Entertainment One (eOne).

A video of legendary rockers AC/DC performing the song "You Shook Me All Night Long" live in Tokyo in 1981 can be seen below. The clip was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel as part of the 40th-anniversary celebrations of AC/DC's classic 1980 album "Back In Black".

Last December, "Back in Black" was certified by the Recording Industry Association Of America for U.S. shipments of 25 million copies.

"Back in Black" first went platinum in October 1980 and had previously been certified 22 times platinum in December 2007. The RIAA lists "Back In Black" as the fourth biggest-selling album of all time.

On July 25, 1980, AC/DC released "Back In Black" in the U.S., followed by the album's U.K. release on July 31. It was the band's first album without lead singer Bon Scott, who had died a few months earlier after passing out and choking on his own vomit following a long night of drinking.

The group quickly decided to press on and hired Brian Johnson from the band GEORDIE to take over on vocals, and they headed to the Bahamas for about six weeks to do the album. AC/DC had made some serious headway in America before Scott's death, but no one knew how "Back In Black" would be received.

Johnson told The Pulse of Radio that he didn't have a clue how successful "Back In Black" would turn out to be. "I'd just melted me brain in there, and I didn't know if it was good or bad," he said. "That was the first time I'd been in the Bahamas, anyway, or near America, you know, and you (have to) remember, I was just fascinated by the whole culture and all, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing! And (laughs) lucky, really — I was a bit lucky, I think."

"Back In Black" included the singles "You Shook Me All Night Long", which peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Back In Black", which peaked at No. 37.

Despite its massive success, it never got higher than No. 4 on the album charts. The band's next album, "For Those About To Rock", reached No. 1.

"Back In Black" was produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange, who went on to produce DEF LEPPARD, FOREIGNER, THE CARS, and BRYAN ADAMS.

In 2012, "Back In Black" was added to The Recording Academy's legendary Grammy Hall Of Fame collection.

AC/DC recently launched a range of new merchandise to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Back In Black".

In a new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen spoke about the prospect of playing live shows in states where concerts are currently allowed amid the coronavirus pandemic. She said (hear audio below): "That makes me nervous. I'm a hypochondriac and a freak about this stuff anyway. I wear masks on airplanes regardless. I think it stems from being a singer and touring and just desperately trying to not get sick on tour. When you're sick on tour, it's awful. There's no time to recover, and you kind of never get better; you just kind of suffer through the rest of that leg. You're never 100 percent again until the tour is over. So my paranoia of the Purell [hand sanitizer] and the masks and everything, it's not too different now that I don't leave the house."

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.

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.

Momsen recently said that she was "devastated" by the death of SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell. THE PRETTY RECKLESS opened for SOUNDGARDEN in Detroit on May 17, 2017, a couple of hours before Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging. Less than a year later, in April 2018, THE PRETTY RECKLESS's producer Kato Khandwala died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.


























View this post on Instagram


































#LOSANGELES Take a break at 1pm PT and tune in to 95.5fm @klos955 to hear me and @marciwiser talk #ROCK !!! This is a pic from last time I went to LA about a year ago...always wearing a mask! #deathbyrockandroll #LA

A post shared by Taylor Momsen (@taylormomsen) on Jul 13, 2020 at 9:20am PDT

BREAKING BENJAMIN, which would have kicked off its U.S. summer tour with BUSH, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, SAINT ASONIA and Cory Marks last Wednesday (July 15), has released a never-before-seen video from its winter 2020 trek with KORN.

On February 29, at Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada, BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Ben Burnley surprised the sold-out crowd by bringing Gavin Rossdale of BUSH onto the stage to perform ALICE IN CHAINS' "Would?" to coincide with their summer tour announcement.

BREAKING BENJAMIN said in a social media post: "In an alternate universe, we're on stage in New Jersey on our Summer tour with @bush, @theory__, @SaintAsonia and @corymarksmusic, but in reality, your health and safety comes first. We're aching to get back on stage, but we know that together, we'll make it through this and come out stronger than ever.

"Thanks to @gavin Rossdale of @bush for joining us on stage earlier this year to cover a classic, and thanks to all of you for your unending dedication and support. Summer Tour merch is available now @ www.BreakingBenjamin.com. We can't wait to see you on the road again"

BREAKING BENJAMIN has been touring in support of its compilation album "Aurora", which features reimagined versions of its songs.

BUSH's new studio album, "The Kingdom", was released on July 17 via Zuma Rock Records under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management.

U.K. grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH will release their new studio album, "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", on September 18 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Apex Predator - Easy Meat" was again recorded with longtime producer Russ Russell and features artwork by Frode Sylthe.

The official lyric video for first single off "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", a song called "Backlash Just Because", can be seen below.

NAPALM DEATH vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway commented: "This song in particular really spurred me on when I was writing lyrics for the album overall. It's raucous and traditional, but also quirky and discordant and ultimately catchy as anything in the context of rampaging noise. Lyrically, it was directed at the spiteful art of creating easy targets and fomenting paranoia and revulsion, which is something that I feel has become de rigueur in very recent times. I really let loose on the more sporadic vocals at the end of the song — it's a real barkfest at that point. Lovely."

Greenway stated about the upcoming album and its theme: "The phrase sticking in my mind when I started thinking about the lyrical direction for this album was 'the other.' You could recognize at the time that there was a rapidly growing fear and paranoia being generated about everybody, from migrating people to people with fluid sexuality and this was starting to manifest itself in very antagonistic reactions that you felt were almost verging on violence. Not everybody resorts to such reactions, of course, but even the basic lack of understanding can become toxic over time. I'm not saying that this is an entirely new phenomenon, but it has been stoked in recent history by some particularly attack-minded people in more political circles and, as ever, I felt that it would be the natural antidote to endorse basic humanity and solidarity with all.

"The artwork specifically uses a white dove as a centerpiece, which, of course, is a commonly recognized symbol of peace and cooperation. The dove has been mauled very violently by a sterilizing hand and in death appears particularly broken and bloodied. However, through the violence you can see an equality symbol in blood on the chest of the dove, which perhaps demonstrates — visually at least — that equality cuts through in the end. A positive amidst many negatives then, much like the album title itself being a bit of an oxymoron — the celebration of humanity even in the mangling jaws of negativity."

Regarding the LP's musical direction, Greenway told Kerrang! magazine: "I've definitely done some stuff on this album vocally that I've never done to this degree before. We're heading into the noise-rock territory, loosely. SWANS, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, THE YOUNG GODS — we're heading more down that path. But there's some more traditional, fast, chaotic stuff as well. Again, as long as it's aggressive, confrontational, abrasive, even when it's less full-pelt, it's always NAPALM DEATH."

Track listing:

01. Fuck The Factoid

02. Backlash Just Because

03. That Curse Of Being In Thrall

04. Contagion

05. Joie De Ne Pas Vivre

06. Invigorating Clutch

07. Zero Gravitas Chamber

08. Fluxing Of The Muscle

09. Amoral

10. Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism

11. Acting In Gouged Faith

12. A Bellyful Of Salt And Spleen

NAPALM DEATH is (from left to right in photo)

* Shane Embury - Bass reverberations, barks and moans, noise-testing everyday objects

* Mark "Barney" Greenway - Bawling, shrieking, intermittent baritone

* Danny Herrera - Turbulent beat throes

Today, Primal Fear are releasing their highly anticipated 13th studio album, Metal Commando. The title of the album is self-explainatory - Metal Commando contains 110% Primal Fear and is full to the brim with their signature power and energy.

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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

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

"I Am Alive" video:

"Along Came The Devil" lyric video:

Lineup:

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

(Photo - Heiko Roith)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Columbus, Ohio based rock band South Of Eden (formerly Black Coffee) has released their debut single and music video, "Dancing With Fire". The song’s official music video follows the band through months on the road including the band’s first label performance (look out for a cameo by Lava’s own Jason Flom). It includes footage from South Of Eden HQ in Columbus, OH and shows the band in their natural habitat.

“We wanted this to be a personality piece, and with all of us in quarantine we knew the best way to do that was to show what we have accomplished leading up to this release. John Payne, our media man, has been following us around for the last two years! The best thing to show with raw music is raw footage.” - South Of Eden

Rip-roaring riffs abound on this incendiary and irresistible anthem. Helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer Greg Wells (Adele,Twenty One Pilots, Deftones), hyper-charged guitars, and thunderous percussion collide with towering falsetto as the refrain soars to the heavens and back. Emerging with a scorching sound of their own, the boys siphon grunge melody into classic rock-style virtuosity with unapologetic attitude and a whole lot of grit.

“We knew we wanted our first release to showcase our personalities, both in the music and visual. 'Dancing With Fire’ is just that; personality. It’s a song about conflict, and to us that conflict is being a bunch of twenty-two-year-olds attempting to make it as a rock band in unprecedented times. We’re excited to see how people interpret the song into their own lives.” - South Of Eden

“We’re a band that writes, records, and plays like the pioneers of rock before us. We aren’t looking to bring anything back, but instead to remind people what rock n roll means. No rules. This music represents what we believe is real, raw music. No click tracks and triggers or copy and paste bullshit. Just a bunch of hippies in a room.”

South Of Eden (formerly Black Coffee) are: Ehab Omran [lead vocals, acoustic guitar], Justin Young [lead guitar, vocals], Tom McCullough [drums], and Nick Frantianne [bass]. The Columbus, OH quartet have already performed alongside everyone from the Foo Fighters to System Of A Down, and invite you to join them on their journey of looking at rock ‘n’ roll through a modern lens.

“We want to open up the doors for rock in the modern era,” exclaims Ehab. “We want to sound the way we hear rock in our heads—vintage with a sprinkle of today. We try to give listeners the feeling of discovering the genre for the first time. We think now is the moment to be a rock band.”

The band has already paid their dues to reach this point. Growing up in Columbus, OH the group formed by combining their passions and uniting over their love of music. Originally from the country of Jordan, Ehab primarily listened to the Arabic music his parents would play, in addition to superstars like Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, and James Brown. After coming to America, he was introduced to a wider range of music that inspired him: eighties and nineties rock including Guns N’ Roses and notably Queen. Just like Freddie Mercury’s parents, Ehab’s parents didn’t agree that a life in rock ‘n’ roll was the best thing for their son. However, as he met the rest of the band, his dream became a life affirming reality.

Ehab and Nick performed together in various bands (channeling Iron Maiden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Alice In Chains) and eventually joined Justin and Tom who had been working on their own band (influenced by Van Halen and Black Sabbath). Justin, who was at the time attending Berklee College of Music, describes first writing with Ehab and noted “The first jam was crazy. He came over with Tom and just listened for a while. We had the riffs to songs, and he just immediately started singing. Here I had gone to music college to find people I could mesh with stylistically, only to come back home and find that my best friend and a singer that I had already known about were all I needed!”

This newfound discovery lead to a fast-paced evolution. As Tom noted, “We didn’t have a bass player, bass amp or a bass! Ehab wrote most of the bass lines on guitar and we grooved so well. We were a band for like a week before we had booked our first show two weeks out. We ended up borrowing equipment and we became a band.” As they continued to tour, they crossed paths and shared bills with Puddle Of Mudd, Red Sun Rising and recently graced the main stage of Sonic Temple and Epicenter in 2019. That very same year Jason Flom caught wind of the band and signed them to Lava Records.

When it came to recording, they honor the methods of those who come before them and “tape in a vintage way, with no click track, pitch correction, copy-paste, or any of that nonsense.”

The musicians headed to Los Angeles to record with legendary Grammy Award-winning producer Greg Wells (Adele, Twenty One Pilots, Deftones). “When I first heard the band, it had its own original identity,” explains Greg. “That was something I had waited years to find. I emailed them back saying, ‘I want to be your Mutt Lang’.”

Ehab notes, “It’s a mixture of a lot of things. We’re ‘classically rock’ influenced, but listen to so many different genres and eras that there are a lot of different feelings in our music.”

On the lead single Ehab describes “We knew we wanted our first release to showcase our personalities, both in the music and the visual. “‘Dancing With Fire’ is just that; personality. It’s a song about conflict, and to us that conflict is being a bunch of twenty-two-year-olds attempting to make it as a rock band in unprecedented times. We’re excited to see how people interpret the song into their own lives.”

“When you hear us, I want you to walk away thinking, ‘That was honest and different’,” Ehab leaves off. “We’re just doing what we do. We’re proof you can do anything you want and shouldn’t compromise your dreams.”

Download or stream "Dancing With Fire" by South Of Eden at this location.

For further details, visit South Of Eden on Facebook.

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();