Sweden's Perfect Plan have released a video for the title track of their upcoming sophomore album, Time For A Miracle, out September 4 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save Time For A Miracle here. T-shirt bundles are available at the US store.

Sometimes the stars align and create a perfect balance of talent within a group. A band like Perfect Plan is the “perfect" (pun intended) example of that: a superb singer, a well-oiled group of experienced players, and great songwriting talent with a knack for unforgettable melodies and driving rhythms. Add to that the right single released at the right time and Perfect Plan’s emergence as immediate rising stars on the melodic rock scene is no surprise. The song that “built” their reputation is of course the awesome “In and Out of Love,” the first single/video that kicked off the promotion of the band’s 2018 debut album All Rise, released on Frontiers in April of that year.

Now the band returns with their sophomore release and, hyperbole aside, this is a major step forward across the board. Opting for a slightly heavier and more “in your face” sound, Perfect Plan have matured and created an outstanding balance of melodies and energy, with the obvious references to the sound of the classics (think Foreigner, Survivor, The Storm, Giant, etc.) and Scandinavian AOR with a recognizable and personal feel.

The band features the extraordinary singer Kent Hilli together with the extremely talented musicians Rolf Nordström on guitar, Fredrik Forsberg on drums, Leif Ehlin on keyboards, and new bassist Mats Byström.

Perfect Plan are now ready to capitalize on the acclaim of their debut and become one of your new favorite melodic rock bands.

Tracklisting:

"Time For A Miracle"
"Better Walk Alone"
"Heart To Stone"
"Fighting To Win"
"Everytime We Cry"
"What About Love"
"Nobody’s Fool"
"Living On The Run"
"Just One Wish"
"Don't Blame It On Love Again"
"Give A Little Lovin’"
"Don’t Leave Me Here Alone"

"Time For A Miracle" video:

"Better Walk Alone" video:

Lineup:

Kent Hilli - Lead vocals
Rolf Nordström - Guitar
Leif Ehlin - Keyboards
Fredrik Forsberg - Drums
Mats Byström - Bass




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In the new video below, Novembers Doom bassist, Mike Feldman, performs a newly recorded live playthrough for the title track of the band's Nephilim Grove album (Prophecy Productions).

Nephilim Grove is available as as digipak CD, 2CD artbook with two bonus tracks, 2LP (400 black, 200 red) and box set, containing the artbook and double vinyl (silver) alongside posters. Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Petrichor"
"The Witness Marks"
"Nephilim Grove"
"What We Become"
"Adagio"
"Black Light"
"The Clearing Blind"
"Still Wrath"
"The Obelus"

"What We Become" video:

"Nephilim Grove" lyric video:

"Petrichor" studio video:




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Metal Blade Records welcomeS Denmark's Demon Head to its worldwide roster.

Though hesitant to compromise the description of the music they perform through generalizing terms of genre, Demon Head has coined the term "diabolic rock" as an appropriate presentation. The quintet's full-length debut, Ride The Wilderness (2015), is a youthful and hungry adventure exploring the boundless courage of classic rock music; Thunder On The Fields (2017) turned their inspirations further towards the strange and sinister purposes of life, a tendency followed and completed on Hellfire Ocean Void (2019), with its gothic, and nothing but otherworldly, song-writing and production. Fans can expect Demon Head's fourth album - due out early 2021 via Metal Blade Records - to continue down this sonic path.

The band comments: "The rudiments are unfolding. Unforgotten promises of friendship and dedication are bearing sweet, sweet fruit. We're nothing but excited and full of hope to have shaken hands with an as influential and willing partner as Metal Blade Records. No one knows what this will bring."

Demon Head lineup:

Mikkel Sander Fuglsang - bass
Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen - guitars
Marcus Ferreira Larsen - vocals
Thor Gjerlufsen Nielsen - guitars
Jeppe Wittus - drums

(Photo - Adrian Utzon)




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British death metal band, Ingested, have released a video for the song "Another Breath", feat. Crowbar frontman Kirk Windstein. The clip, directed by Shayne Minott, can be found below.

Ingested toured the UK with Crowbar in 2018 and both bands hit it off instantly, which led to this collaboration.

Guitarist Sam Yates explains: "In 2018 we opened a fantastic tour in the UK with Crowbar and they were all such down to earth great dudes. Super tight, crazy heavy and had the best stories! Kirk and his wife Robin were so genuine and cool and all of Crowbar would hang with us and shoot the shit most nights. I was on public transport in the piss down rain writing lyrics for Where Only Gods May Tread and I wanted the opening of what became 'Another Breath' to be this epic, heavy, sad song by someone who could actually sing. My first instinct, my first choice for this song was Kirk. It was that “I wonder if…” moment."

As the deadline for the album hand-in loomed, Sam finally reached out to Crowbar bassist Shane Wesley who set the whole thing up.

Sam continues: "Shane took time out of recording with Crowbar to engineer the guest spot himself, and Kirk brought the all-time goods. It was exactly what I had in my mind and he smashed it in record time like an absolute professional. It’s my favourite song from the record; Kirk is truly one of the most slept on metal greats and he was and always will be “The Man”."

On the video, Sam comments: "The director for this video was Shayne Minott at Budget Blood Productions. Seeing his style the idea was to do this all out 90s throwback, dark claymation video. Just like the ones that used to play on music TV when we were teenagers. The story was the ideas and themes of the song itself: defeat, self-loathing, the human condition, shame and control. I wrote the basic outline of the plot and we sent him a lot of content and he came up with what we wanted. Great to work with and considering his medium he absolutely worked his ass off and knocked it out the park."

Ingested's new album, Where Only Gods May Tread, is set for release on August 14 via Unique Leader Records. Where Only Gods May Tread was mixed and mastered by long time producer of Ingested and Cryptopsy guitarist Christian Donaldson (Despised Icon, Beneath The Massacre, The Agonist), engineering was handled by both Nico Beninato and Sam Yates at Foel Studios in Wales. The artwork was created by legendary artist Dan Seagrave (Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Hypocrisy, Entombed, Rivers Of Nihil, Gorguts, Decrepit Birth).

"Follow The Deceiver"
"No Half Measures"
"Impending Dominance"
"The List"
"The Burden Of Our Failures"
"Dead Seraphic Forms"
"Another Breath"
"Black Pill"
"Forsaken In Desolation"
"Leap Of The Faithless"

"No Half Measures" lyric video:

"Dead Seraphic Forms":

"Impending Dominance":

Catch Ingested on tour with support from Vulvodynia, Vale Of Pnath and Bound In Fear on the following dates:

December
1 - Birmingham, UK - Asylum 2
2 - Newcastle, UK - Think Tank
3 - Glasgow, UK - The Classic Grand
4 - Leeds, UK - The Key Club
5 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
6 - London, UK - The Underworld
7 - Bristol, UK - The Exchange
8 - Southampton, UK - The Joiners
9 - Aarschot, Belgium - De Klinker Club
10 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete
11 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
12 - Vienna, Austria - Escape
13 - Budapest, Hungary - Dürer Kert
14 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmelnice
15 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
17 - Leipzig, Germany - Bandhaus
18 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Die Stadtmitte
19 - Zurich, Switzerland - Züri Gmätzlets Vol. II *
20 - Paris, France - Gibus

*No Bound In Fear




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Testament drummer Gene Hoglan, who made a name for himself with Dark Angel, Death and Strapping Young Lad, is featured in a new Metal Hammer Q&A featuring questions submitted by drummers including Joey Jordison (ex-Slipknot), Dave Witte (Municipal Waste), Art Cruz (Lamb Of God) and Eloy Casagrande (Sepultura). Following is an excerpt.

Q: If you could go back in time and say something to that 13-year-old Gene, what would you say? (Eloy Casagrande / Sepultura)

Hoglan: “Steal all you can from drummers. That's what drummers do – it's just how you apply it that makes it your own. I had such a mishmash of influences it was going to be inevitable that I was going to develop my own style. Like in Dark Angel, I was trying to create beats that had never been heard before. Like the opening of (1986’s) 'Darkness Descends', that beat in the very first minute; I'd never heard anyone play that beat before, so I dropped it in. Then a few years later I had all the phone calls: 'Hey have you heard that new Metallica song 'One'? It's got your beat in it, it's got the riffs, it's even got the lyrics, 'Darkness imprisoning me!' I thought, 'Oh, that's cool, we're influencing Metallica now!' (laughs)."

Q: How do you manage to hit hard while seeming so relaxed? (Sean Radcliffe / Loathe)

Hoglan: "I think it's because I am relaxed, and that is a very important aspect of drumming. If you're driving a truck you want to be relaxed, you don't want to be stressed and freaking or you'll crash your truck. I know playing high speed, loud metal you might consider yourself a machine gunner frantically mowing down the crowd with your bass drums, but I prefer to look at it like I'm a sniper. My breathing is pretty relaxed and I'm controlled like a sniper as I'm about to take that shot. I know when you've got a blastbeat coming up and you've got to pound it out, if you give into the terror and panic you're feeling you're just going to seize up, play uncomfortably and not nail that part. Just breathe inside your brain and tell yourself: 'You can do this.’ That's been what I've based my whole career on."

Read the complete interview here.




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Ayreon will be releasing a brand-new sprawling and epic studio album, Transitus, on September 25 via Music Theories Recordings. Mastermind Arjen Lucassen has checked in with the following update:

"In the coming months we’ll be uploading little sneak peaks here of the behind-the-scenes section of the Transitus DVD and highlight the musicians. This time it’s Thomas Cochrane on trumpet and trombone. For this album I wanted to introduce a lot of new instruments, I never worked with real brass before! Thanks again Thomas, great job."

Lyric videos for the songs, "Get Out! Now!" (feat. Dee Snider, Tommy Karevik & Joe Satriani), and "Hopelessly Slipping Away" (feat. Tom Baker, Cammie Gilbert & Tommy Karevik), can be found below.

Says Arjen Lucassen: "Welcome to the colorful world of... Transitus! Finally the time has come to present you the very first full singles and lyric videos of the new Ayreon album Transitus. Yes... singleS, plural!  This album is incredibly diverse so I really couldn’t choose just one track because I wouldn’t want people to get the wrong impression of the overall mood of the album. So we decided to make a video for both an atmospheric track ‘Hopelessly Slipping Away’ and a rocky track ‘Get out! Now!’

"‘Hopelessly Slipping Away’ features Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) and Cammie Gilbert (Oceans Of Slumber) on vocals. It’s a haunting track with analog synthesizers and violin, and it slowly builds to an epic climax with marching snares. In this video we see the ghost of Daniel (Tommy) hopelessly trying to reach out to his beloved wife Abby (Cammie) who clearly feels his presence but can’t see or hear him.

"The track ‘Get Out! Now!’ is a straightforward and energetic rock track with powerful drums, bass, guitars and Hammond organ. It features the illustrious Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Tommy Karevik on vocals, and none other than the legendary Joe Satriani plays a blistering guitar solo. In this story Daniel’s intolerant father (Dee) banishes Daniel (Tommy) from his estate for having a forbidden affair with their servant Abby.

"So here you have it... I hope you enjoy at least one of the two tracks, have fun!"

The album will be available on 2CD, 2LP gatefold red transparent vinyl and a 48-page Earbook which includes 5 discs; 2CD album, 1CD instrumental versions, 1CD guide vocal versions, and a DVD with bonus footage which includes a behind the scenes video, a videoclip, trailer and a 5.1 audio and hi-def stereo mix of the album. The release will be accompanied by a 28-page graphic novel which will be included in the Earbook as well as the 2LP.

Pre-order Transitus here. Watch a video trailer below.

In 2017 Ayreon released The Source, which revisited the Forever/Planet Y saga, but now three years later it is time for something completely different…

“The year is 1884, these are dark, troubled times, fraught with greed, envy and prejudice…” begins our narrator and storyteller, Tom Baker…

Transitus is built around an entirely new story, not connected to the Ayreon universe although as always it does have some subtle links. The sci-fi theme makes way for a gothic ghost story set (partly) in the 19th century with elements of horror and the supernatural. It’s on a dark thunderous night where our story of Abby and Daniel begins.

From the mastermind of Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen, Transitus is inspired by supernatural movies such as The Others, The Changeling and Ghost along with the music of soundtrack composers John Carpenter (Halloween), Ennio Morricone (Once upon a Time in the West) and Jerry Goldsmith (Omen). “And of course, I revisited all my favorite rock operas such as JC Superstar, Tommy, War of the Worlds and the Wall,” Lucassen adds.

Transitus is narrated by one of the most iconic and recognizable voices in sci-fi history, most known from his eight-year stint as Doctor Who, Tom Baker. “I was looking for a real storyteller with a mature, deep, warm voice. As a kid, I was a huge Doctor Who fan and my favorite doctor was Tom Baker. I couldn’t believe my luck when he agreed to do it! We went to the UK to record him, and it was one of those unforgettable experiences.”

As with any Ayreon album, it is an explosive and expansive affair and features Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) as Daniel and Cammie Gilbert (Oceans of Slumber) as Abby. The all-star cast also features Simone Simons (Epica), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Johanne James (Threshold), Noa Gruman (Scardust), Marcela Bovio (MaYan), Caroline Westendorp (The Charm the Fury), Paul Manzi (Arena), Michael Mills (Toehider) and Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Trilium) amongst many others.

“When I started this, I just had no idea that it was going to take me this long! It took about 3 years from start to finish, and it pushed me out of my comfort zone musically and creatively. But I always need that challenge, the harder it is, the more fun for me to work on it!,” comments Lucassen.

Transitus is Lucassen’s most ambitious work yet, "This is without a doubt the most cinematic and outrageous album I’ve ever done," he affirms.

"I always start with finding singers first before I write the vocal parts, because I write the parts specifically for their vocal strengths. Because I was going for a theatrical feel for this album, this time I picked the singers not just because they are amazing singers, but because they had a certain charisma and were able to act."

Transitus is accompanied by an amazing graphic novel drawn by the renowned artist Felix Vega. “Because Ayreon’s music is so visual, I’ve always wanted to do an Ayreon graphic novel/comic book,” he says.

Reflecting on the approach to Transitus he says, “I love my last Ayreon album The Source. I often say that it sounds so much like Ayreon... if someone else would have released it I could have sued them for copyright infringement and won easily! But “our genre” is called progressive, which for me means breaking new ground and experimenting musically. So, in the true prog spirit, I set out to try something entirely different than a “typical Ayreon,” I wanted to do something more theatrical, almost like a musical. “

Tracklisting:

CD1
"Fatum Horrificum"
  A] Graveyard
  B] 1884
  C] Daniel And Abby
  D] Fatum
  E] Why?!
  F] Guilty
"Daniel’s Descent Into Transitus"
"Listen To My Story"
"Two Worlds Now One"
"Talk Of The Town"
"Old Friend"
"Dumb Piece Of Rock"
"Get Out! Now!"
"Seven Days, Seven Nights"

CD2
"Condemned Without A Trial"
"Daniel’s Funeral"
"Hopelessly Slipping Away"
"This Human Equation"
"Henry’s Plot"
"Message From Beyond"
"Daniel’s Vision"
"She Is Innocent"
"Lavinia’s Confession"
"Inferno"
"Your Story Is Over!"
"Abby In Transitus"
"The Great Beyond"

"Get Out! Now!" lyric video:

"Hopelessly Slipping Away" lyric video:

Trailer:




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METALLICA has earned the highest debut on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart in the last five years with the "S&M²" version of "All Within My Hands". The track, which was recorded during METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony's September 6 and September 8, 2019 concerts at San Francisco's Chase Center, bowed at No. 12 on the survey. It is the highest debut on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart since SHINEDOWN's "Cut The Cord" opened at No. 9 back in 2015.

The concerts were historic on multiple levels: They served as the grand opening of San Francisco's Chase Center, reunited the band and Symphony for the first time since the 1999 performances captured on the Grammy-winning "S&M" album, and featured the first-ever symphonic renditions of songs written and released since those original "S&M" shows.

The sold-out concerts were rapturously received by the 40,000 fans who traveled from nearly 70 countries, as well as the media: Rolling Stone raved "the group proved that anything was possible," Variety noted an atmosphere "buzzing with excitement," while the Mercury News witnessed "a concert that fans will be talking about for decades to come," and Consequence Of Sound hailed "a true celebration of METALLICA and their musical prowess."

On August 28, "S&M²" comes to life once more with the release of "Metallica And San Francisco Symphony: S&M²". "S&M²" will be available in a staggering array of formats, ranging from a digital album on all leading streaming outlets, to 4LP vinyl, 2CD, DVD and Blu-ray versions, to a limited edition color vinyl 4LP + 2CD + Blu-ray Deluxe Box featuring sheet music, guitar picks, poster and more, all the way up to a Metallica.com exclusive Super Deluxe Box, limited to 500 copies, each featuring actual sheet music used by the Symphony during the shows and hand-signed by all four band members (in addition to including everything in the Deluxe Box). With this long-awaited Blackened Recordings release, "S&M²" can be fully experienced by others beyond those who squeezed into the Chase Center over those two unforgettable evenings.

"S&M²" is a landmark release in the METALLICA catalog, both sonically and visually. Produced by Greg Fidelman with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the "S&M²" live album captures more than two and a half hours of James, Lars, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo joining forces with the nearly 80-strong San Francisco Symphony, legendary music director of the orchestra Michael Tilson Thomas, and conductor Edwin Outwater. The concert film is a brand-new edit done by Joe Hutching ("Through The Never") and both the audio and visuals have been taken to the next level from the October 2019 theatrical version that played in over 3,700 cinemas worldwide.

"S&M²" is available for pre-order now, preceded by the "S&M²" versions of "All Within My Hands" and "Nothing Else Matters", both now available across digital platforms.

Melodic metal band, As I May, have announced that a new drummer has been found, after Marko Korhonen decided to leave the band, due to wanting to seek out other endeavours.

The new guy behind the kit will be the talented Leevi Räsänen, who is right now learning all the songs from the older releases as well as getting acquainted with the new material the band is composing for the follow-up to 2019's My Own Creations album.

Also, the band's European tour, as support act of Semblant, has been postponed, due to the COVID-19 virus, with the following dates now in place for a spring 2021 tour:

March
3 - Indra - Hannover, Germany
4 - Rock Fabrik - Bochum, Germany
5 - Baroeg - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
6 - Belvedere - Namur, Belgium
7 - The Underworld - London, UK
8 - Boule Noire - Paris, France
9 - Rock and Eat - Lyon, France
11 - Hard Club - Porto, Portugal
12 - RCA Club - Lisboa, Portugal
13 - X Club - Sevilla, Spain
14 - Caracol - Madrid, Spain
15 - Bóvedo - Barcelona, Spain
17 - Z-7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
18 - Backstage - München, Germany
19 - Café Central - Weinheim, Germany
20 - Randal Club - Bratislava, Slovakia
21 - Music und Frieden - Berlin, Germany

Hailing from the land of the thousand lakes, As I May are taking their inspiration in modern metal, but keeping the eye on good melodies, great choruses and at the same time incorporating both clean and screaming vocals, they presented an amazingly well-written bunch of songs on their last album My Own Creations - a recipe, they intend to keep, coz who'd change a winning team?

As I May lineup:

Tipi Nokelainen - Bass and clean vocals
Lasse Hiltunen - Guitars and scream vocals
Jani Valhola - Guitars and backing vocals
Leevi Räsänen - Drums




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Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL have parted ways with original drummer Miguel "Mike" Gaspar and have replaced him with Hugo Ribeiro, who is not related to MOONSPELL singer Fernando Ribeiro. The band will enter the studio in September to record its new album with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, ULVER, GHOST). An early 2021 release via Napalm Records is expected.

MOONSPELL's latest release was the "Lisboa Under The Spell" live DVD/CD, which came out in August 2018 via Napalm Records. The live DVD/Blu-ray/3CD package captured MOONSPELL's performance before 4,000 fans at the sold-out Campo Pequeno arena in their hometown of Lisbon, Portugal on February 4, 2017.

MOONSPELL's fourth album, 1999's "The Butterfly Effect", will be re-released on August 7 via Napalm Records. The reissue will include two new remixes, a completely re-designed cover and layout artwork, as well as an exclusive excerpt from the Butterfly FX chapter of the band's official biography, "Wolves Who Were Men".

MOONSPELL's most recent studio album, "1755", came out in November 2017. The Portuguese-language disc was written about the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, which occurred in the Kingdom of Portugal. In combination with subsequent fires and a tsunami, the earthquake almost totally destroyed Lisbon and adjoining areas.

Last September, Fernando Ribeiro told Tinnitus Metal Radio about MOONSPELL's next LP: "Our new album is going to be very different. It's picking up from [2015's] 'Extinct', not from '1755'. We're writing down the album already. We have six songs ready. We love what we are doing. It's very melancholic, it's very existential. It's very different from what we did. Different is always something people will always expect from MOONSPELL. We're having lots of fun doing it because we love songwriting."

Photo credit: Rui Vasco


COMUNICADO

“Os MOONSPELL vêm por este meio comunicar a saída do baterista Mike Gaspar. Os motivos desta saída...

Posted by Moonspell on Friday, July 3, 2020

Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend recently teamed up with the four members of SEPULTURA to record a quarantine version of SEPULTURA's "Mask", taken from the 2011 album "Kairos". He also took part in a live chat with SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser and vocalist Derrick Green. Check out video below.

SEPULTURA's latest LP, "Quadra", was released on February 7 via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept effort created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises vocalist Green, Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

"Quadra" is the follow-up to "Machine Messiah", which was SEPULTURA's fourteenth studio album and the eighth since Green joined the ranks.

Last month, Devin released "Empath - The Ultimate Edition". This comprehensive version of 2019's acclaimed album contains the original record and bonus disc across 2 CDs, plus 2 Blu-ray discs. The first Blu-ray contains the 5.1 Surround Sound mix by Devin, with visuals for the full record, plus a stereo visualizer. The second Blu-ray contains a raft of bonus material, including "Acoustically Inclined - Live in Leeds", a recording from his April 2019 acoustic tour where he performed tracks including "Love?", "Deadhead", "Thing Beyond Things" and more. It also features the full "Empath" documentary, a "Genesis 5.1 Mixing Lesson", a full album commentary and more. The four discs sit inside a beautiful art-book that contains new liner notes and images from the making of the album.

Townsend released "Empath" in March 2019 and embarked on the "Empath - European Tour Vol. 1" last November.

Since disbanding the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, Devin has been tracking down players of excellence to form a new live band, the initial incarnation of which he presented via a video message in September.

"Empath" saw Devin incorporating all the styles that make up his current interests in one place.

Guitar legend Steve Vai has checked in with the following update:

"My good friend Mohini Dey is debuting her first solo release. I first heard Mohini playing bass a few years ago and was instantly aware that she was an inspired player. The work she did on my song 'Bop!' from Modern Primitive is an example of her amazing musical instincts and performance ability. And now with her new solo release, you can experience a whole record of her splendors. Of course, I was eager to throw something down on one of the songs on her new record and this track 'Can You Feel Me?' is that track. I actually get to trade fusiony runs with a sax! Enjoy."

Can You Feel Me? by Mohini Dey-Bass Guitarist/Vocal

On May 12th, guitar maestro Steve Vai guested on Episode 4 of bass prodigy Mohini Dey's brand new talk show, What a Melophile Wants. Check out the interview clip below. Vai discusses his development and evolution as a musician.




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Video of California rockers PAPA ROACH performing the song "Binge" as part of their second live streaming experience iteration called "Infest In-Studio" can be seen below. The program was a special virtually ticketed, live HD broadcast, which took place June 20 from Sacramento, and it featured PAPA ROACH performing its multi-platinum, classic album "Infest", live in its entirety to celebrate the LP's 20th anniversary, along with exclusive discussions and reflections in a unique studio environment.

"We couldn't take not performing any longer," said frontman Jacoby Shaddix. "Having performed the 'Infest' album in full as a surprise one time before (during the band's sold-out 2015 gig at London's Roundhouse on the album's 15th anniversary), we decided to open this infestation to every living-room in the world to celebrate the 20th anniversary with us!"

PAPA ROACH's first live streaming event, "Infest In-Conversation", broadcast on the 20th anniversary of "Infest"'s release (April 25, 2020), drew 1.8 million live viewers on five platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube and VK. That program featured the band showing rare videos and photos and reminiscing with each other for nearly four hours along with members of DEFTONES, LINKIN PARK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, KORN, as well as with Dave Buckner (the band's original drummer and founding member) and director Marcos Siega (Grammy-nominated director of the "Last Resort" and "Broken Home" music videos).

"Infest In-Studio" was co-produced by Papa Roach Productions and 10th Street Entertainment and directed by Push. It is available for streaming exclusively via VierLive.com.

"Infest" peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified triple platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for sales in excess of three million copies in the U.S. alone. The album featured the iconic hits "Last Resort" and "Broken Home" plus fan favorites "Blood Brothers" and "Between Angels & Insects".

This past February, Shaddix said that plans were afoot for PAPA ROACH to mark the LP's two-decade milestone.

"We've done some really cool things in the studio around some of the previous recordings, and we have some awesome stuff to release here throughout the year, so we're going to celebrate this album for sure — one hundred percent, definitely," the singer said.

Shaddix also spoke about the enduring popularity of "Infest"'s rap-rock anthem "Last Resort", which recently passed 100 million views on YouTube.

"That's our classic," he said. "That thing, it's given us such a relevance, even in pop culture. People are making memes — 'Cut my life into pizza.' I love that. 'Cause now I don't take it all too seriously, because it's embedded itself into pop culture, but then also the reality is that it's spoken to a lot of people's hearts that have been in that darkness, and going, 'Hey, man, there's some hope. You can come out of this. You don't have to stay in there.'"

Earlier in the year, PAPA ROACH completed a European tour with ICE NINE KILLS and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD.

Sammy Hagar joined Dave Mason and a several other legendary rockers, including Mick Fleetwood, Michael McDonald and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS to record a quarantine cover of the 1968 TRAFFIC classic "Feelin' Alright'".

Dubbed DAVE MASON AND THE QUARANTINES, the group's recording features Mason singing along with Fleetwood, Hagar, McDonald and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS' John McFee, Tom Johnston, John Cowan and Pat Simmons. Also appearing on the track are Dave's longtime drummer Alvino Bennett, as well as Pat's son Pat Simmons Jr.

Over the years, "Feelin' Alright" has been covered by several dozen artists, including Joe Cocker, THE JACKSON FIVE, Lou Rawls, John Belushi, THREE DOG NIGHT, GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, ELO, Freddie King, WIDESPREAD PANIC and THE BLACK CROWES.

"Who would have thought that this would go on to be covered by so many different artists and bands, you just never know," Mason said in a statement. "But what I do know today is that people need some hope and comfort and especially music, which is why I called up some friends to rerecord a special version of the song. To do this remotely was somewhat challenging, hence the name 'THE QUARANTINES,' but the spirit of strength, hope and heart prevail."

Added Hagar: "I've always been a fan of Dave Mason since TRAFFIC. He's written some classics that I've cut my teeth on... learning how to play and write songs myself. 'Feelin' Alright' is one of my favorites.

Mason is reportedly working on a re-imagined release of his classic album "Alone Together", due this fall as "Alone Together… Again".

Mason and Steve Winwood are the only surviving members of the original TRAFFIC lineup, which was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2004.

Winwood last toured as TRAFFIC in the mid-1990s with the band's drummer, Jim Capaldi.

Italian masters of symphonic metal, Fleshgod Apocalypse, will reunite amidst pandemic madness to perform a full concert live from Bloom Studio in Rome, Italy on August 1 beginning at 9 PM, CET/ 3 PM, ET / 12 PM, PT. Tickets are available here.

Lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Francesco Paoli comments on the upcoming concert: "As you all know, due to the current situation all our shows and tours have been postponed to next year. So we decided to perform an exclusive live streaming concert at the prestigious Bloom Studio here in Rome.

"Playing live represents the very essence of who we are, as musicians. That’s what we miss the most, in times like these. This will be an amazing opportunity to reconnect with all our fans who are waiting for us to hit the road again, in the safest  possible way. See you August 1st!"




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Iconic By Collectionzz has released a new official screenprint celebrating the 30th anniversary of PANTERA's "Cowboys From Hell" album.

The Basement in Dallas was the unofficial home base club in the early days of PANTERA, which shot three music videos in one day there: "Psycho Holiday", "Cemetery Gates" and "Cowboys From Hell". Three days before the release of "Cowboys From Hell", PANTERA played a record-release party for everyone at The Basement, for which guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott created the original flyer.

Iconic By Collectionzz is remembering that event 30 years later with a new limited-edition poster by Vance Kelly which incorporates many of the original design elements Dimebag created in the flyer, such as the barbed wire and dripping-blood PANTERA logo.

Main Edition - $65

Size: 18" x 24"

Holographic sticker on back of print for authenticity

Paper: French Paper White

Edition Size: 130

Five Color Screenprint

Markings: Hand Numbered

Bone White Variant - $100

Size: 18" x 24"

Holographic sticker on back of print for authenticity

Paper: French Paper White

Edition Size: 30

Five Color Screenprint

Markings: Hand Numbered

Dimebag and his brother Vinnie Paul Abbott formed PANTERA in the mid-eighties in Texas. The band recorded four independent albums before their 1990 major label debut, "Cowboys From Hell", introduced a heavier sound and made them a favorite with metal fans. 1994's "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 without benefit of a commercial hit single. The group splintered in 2002 following the departure of volatile lead singer Philip Anselmo.
























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Available NOW on ICONIC.COLLECTIONZZ.COM (@collectionzz)! Thirty years ago today #pantera held a #cowboysfromhell record release party at The Basement in #dallas! We’re commemorating the show with these very limited edition screenprints by @vance_kelly. The design uses many of the elements from the original flyer created by @dimebagdarrell (link in profile)

A post shared by Pantera (@panteraofficial) on Jul 21, 2020 at 10:22am PDT






























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Iconic by Collectionzz is commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Pantera’s album Cowboys from Hell with an official limited edition poster by Paul Jackson! They're 24 x 36 inches, hand-numbered, and come in 3 different versions. Grab one before they're gone! https://iconic.collectionzz.com/ (live link in profile)

A post shared by Pantera (@panteraofficial) on Jul 1, 2020 at 10:08am PDT

YouTube user Lars Von Retriever, who splices together excerpts from President Donald Trump's speeches to popular metal songs as part of a series he calls "Metal Trump", has uploaded his latest concoction, Metal Trump's take on the IRON MAIDEN classic "Run To The Hills". Check it out below.

Lars Von Retriever's previously crafted Metal Trump videos include songs from METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, MARILYN MANSON, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and DISTURBED.

In a 2017 interview with Noisey, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson explained why his autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?", contains very few mentions of politics. He said: "I'm a musician. Do I have political views? Yes. Is an autobiography a place to put them? No. What that does is that it attaches an inordinate amount of weight and self-importance to your own political viewpoint, which, if people want to hear your political viewpoint, then be a politician! Join a political party or do whatever. Stand up and say, 'I think you need to hear my political views because I'm especially qualified to tell you why you should do what I think.' I don't have any of that special sauce. I've got no crystal ball. I'm no expert witness on stuff. If you want to hear about what I think about politics, I'll tell you, but why does it matter? I'm just one citizen out of millions and I have one vote and so does everyone else. The fact that I'm famous for being a musician or doing whatever, sorry, it's not enough reason other than salacious curiosity or an attempt to dig up a story which they can then immediately slap down.

"But I would fit somewhere," he continued. "I'm right of center, but not very far. Put it this way. I'm not a socialist at all but I do believe in a nice humanistic approach to the way society should be run. I think there's a difference between profit and greed. I think profit is a way of measuring how efficiently a business or a society is being run. Greed is just evidence of its corruption and fecundity. I'm not a fan of greed. For those reasons, some of the Thatcher years were appalling, but at the same time, what happened to the U.K. during those years was transformative. Because at the end of the '70s, we were toast. The country was washed up. At the end of the '80s, it was not. In between was a whole other thing, some of which I didn't agree with, but every politician makes mistakes.

"When you get to the extremes, people exclude people," Bruce added. "When you're somewhere in the middle, people include people. I would agree with some statements. In America, I would be hopeless. I would have one foot in the Democratic camp and one foot in the Republican camp. Because I agree with some Republicans. I agree with some Democrats. Where do I fit? I'm a contrarian. I make up my mind on each individual issue what I think. That's not necessarily in line with a political party, you know? In the middle is where healthy societies belong. Occasionally when things fail, they need a bit of a shock. Hopefully, they will bring things back to the middle."

In the clip below, shot in downtown Toronto on July 22nd, Famous Underground / ex-Slik Toxik singer Nicholas Walsh performs a six-song set of Creedence Clearwater Revival classics with Classic Albums Live.

"We do this to show our reverence for the Frontline Workers and our respect for the changing times. We also do this because we miss everyone!" 

Founded in 2003 by Craig Martin and based in Toronto, Classic Albums Live has become the ultimate destination for music lovers wanting to hear the greatest albums performed live without all the gimmickry and cheesy impersonations. Relying only on the music, using what Martin refers to as "the world's best musicians," Classic Albums Live has defined itself as a mainstay in Performing Arts Centres across North America.

Go to this location for more information.




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Epic Tantrum has released two videos for the song "Abandoned,” from their debut release through BraveWords!

"We received two different cuts of the video.  They were similar but with different endings.  The band was evenly split about which one we liked more. In typical Epic Tantrum fashion we decided to put both out," said the band through bassist Greg.

Epic Tantrum released their debut double full-length CD, Abandoned In The Strangers Room in January 2020.

"Throughout the record, the pilgrim focuses his anger at external pressures and frustrations, culminating in ‘A Howling,’” said Peter, guitarist and singer.  ‘Abandoned' serves as a denouement, referring to an abandoning of the ego and self-absorption which imposes the illusion of those pressures," said singer Peter about the meaning of the track.

"We are thrilled that BraveWords.com wanted to premiere the videos on their site.  It's really nice when people we people respect appreciate the music we worked so hard to create."

The band has been busy during quarantine and has started work on several other videos from Abandoned In The Strangers Room as well as new material they hope to release later this year.




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Stone Sour have released a demo version of "Gone Sovereign", which is available for streaming below.

Guitarist Josh Rand states: "'Gone Sovereign': Sets the tone, the ultimate selfish cry of existence. It represents the starting point, but will also come to represent the road behind, the so-called ‘emotional stagnation’ known as The Selfish Side."




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French blackened death metal outfit Bliss Of Flesh will release their new album Tyrant this October via Listenable Records. The cover art has been unveiled and can be seen below.

The band comments:

"The cover of this new album is a hand drawing made by the Hungarian artist Balázs Jacsó especially for us. Inspired by medieval artists, he tried to imitate the techniques of this area, creating an infinity of details. In the vein of the Etienne de la Boétie’s concept dealing with the voluntary servitude, the artist tried to enlighten the overwhelming power of a tyrant, placing the viewer in the situation of the servant. As you can notice, he has no face. Everyone is free to see the tyrant he has accepted to serve obediently. We’re all someone’s bitch. 

“The three circles drawn around the frame symbolize the three elements of the submission: the whip for the oppressive strength, the crown for the symbol of power and the key for the illusional hope of freedom. It’s like the holy trinity. The tyrant also wears broken chains, underlining his past as a servant himself… and the fact that we are most of the time our own tyrant, prisoner of a vicious circle."

Tracklisting:

“Serve”
“Genesis”
“Vanitas”
“Krieg”
“Hexis”
“Panem”
“Tyrant”
“Mors”
“Naturae”




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Finnish Melodic Death Metal legends Mors Principium Est returns with their new album “Seven”.

Mors Principium Est return with their highly anticipated seventh studio album full of heavy riffs, brutal vocals and hauntingly beautiful melodies. Mors Principium Est are undeniably one of the leading names in the melodic death metal scene. Their seventh full-length album ‘Seven’, will be released in Japan on October 21st via Marquee/Avalon and world-wide on October 23rd, 2020 via AFM Records.

Album will be available as digipak CD, digital, ltd. gatefold vinyl and strong ltd. gatefold vinyl exclusive in AFM-Shop!

Pre-order here: https://shop.afm-records.de/mors-principium-est/

Tracklist
1. A Day For Redemption
2. Lost In A Starless Aeon
3. In Frozen Fields
4. March of War
5. Rebirth
6. Reverence
7. Master of The Dead
8. The Everlong Night
9. At The Shores Of Silver Sand
10. My Home, My Grave

MORS PRINCIPIUM EST will hit the road again as special guest on

The Wolves of Karelia across Europe Tour 2021 with WOLFHEART, BLOODRED HOURGLASS and ATLAS.

Winter metal is coming! See below Tour dates!

Presented by: Metal Hammer, Metal.de, MusiX

08.04.2021 (CH) AARAU – Kiff
09.04.2021 (FR) PARIS – Backstage
10.04.2021 (FR) NANTES - Le Ferrailleur
11.04.2021 (BE) ROESELARE - Der Verlichte Geest
12.04.2021 (DE) MANNHEIM - 7er Club
13.04.2021 (DE) BRAUNSCHWEIG – KufA
14.04.2021 (DK) COPENHAGEN – Pumpehuset
15.04.2021 (SE) STOCKHOLM – Slaktkyrkan
16.04.2021 (NO) OSLO – Vulkan
17.04.2021 (SE) GOTHENBURG – Valand
18.04.2021 (DE) HAMBURG - Bahnhof Pauli
19.04.2021 (NL) ROTTERDAM – Baroeg
20.04.2021 (GB) LONDON - The Underworld
21.04.2021 (GB) MANCHESTER - Academy 3
22.04.2021 (GB) BIRMINGHAM - The Asylum
23.04.2021 (NL) MAASTRICHT – Muziekgieterij
24.04.2021 (DE) TRIER - Mergener Hof
25.04.2021 (DE) MUNICH - Backstage Club
26.04.2021 (SI) LJUBLJANA - Orto Bar
27.04.2021 (HU) BUDAPEST - Dürer Kert / Room 041
28.04.2021 (CZ) PRAGUE - Nova Chmelnice
29.04.2021 (DE) STUTTGART - Club Zentral
30.04.2021 (DE) ERFURT - From Hell
01.05.2021 (DE) WUPPERTAL – Underground
02.05.2021 (DE) BERLIN - Hole 44

England in the year 1066. The decisive battle near Stamford Bridge. Warriors fighting death, the grounds soaked in blood. Norway’s king Harald III, called Hardrada ("the hard ruler") lies dying. His whole life flashes before his eyes: cruel wars, fights over power, journeys to exotic worlds guiding to powerful women, emperors and kings falling into ruin. The last Viking King is dead - the Vikings’ age is over. Long live the Vikings.

The Last Viking is the 2020-monumental-piece from Leaves' Eyes. The setting of the symphonic metal masterpiece couldn’t be more tremendous. With their cult-albums Vinland Saga (2005) and King Of Kings (2015) they already turned Leif Erikssons discovery of America and the life of Norway’s first king into music. Now, Leaves' Eyes bring the Viking Sagas to their bombastic finale.

The Last Viking will be released on October 23 via AFM Records. The album was produced by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio.

The cover is an artwork masterpiece created by Stefan Heilemann, which perfectly fits to the collection of top-class Leaves' Eyes covers so far.

The Last Viking will be available on 2CD Digipak (incl. instrumental bonus CD), 2CD Digipak “Collector’s Edition” (incl. instrumental bonus CD, alternate cover artwork & hand signed autograph card), Ltd. Gtf. Vinyl (pinewood green, hazy orange - ltd. to 533 units each) and Ltd. Hardcover Artbook (exclusive cover, 30x30cm, 60 pages, incl. album, Viking Spirit DVD featuring the original film documentary about the growing Viking re-enactment scene of which Fronter Alex and the band is part of since many years, Studio Making Of, Official Videoclips, Soundtrack Bonus-CD & handsigned autograph card - limited to 1066 units).

Pre-order here.

The Last Viking tracklisting:

"Death Of A King"
"Chain Of The Golden Horn"
"Dark Love Empress"
"Serpents And Dragons"
"Black Butterfly" (feat. Clémentine Delauney)
"War Of Kings"
"For Victory"
"Two Kings One Realm"
"Flames In The Sky"
"Serkland"
"Varangians"
"Night Of The Ravens"
"The Last Viking"
"Break Into The Sky Of Aeon"

(Photo - Stefan Heilemann)




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SCORPIONS have announced the rescheduled dates for their "Sin City Nights" Las Vegas residency. The run of shows, which was originally slated to take place this month, will now happen next May at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Support will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.

"Sin City Nights" 2021 dates:

May 8

May 12

May 15

May 18

May 20

May 22

May 26

May 28

May 30

All tickets will be honored for the new dates. If you are a ticketholder and cannot make the new show date, you will receive an e-mail from your ticket provider, or you can visit livenation.com/refund.

SCORPIONS previously played a Las Vegas mini-residency in May 2016, consisting of five shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The band's longtime agent Rod MacSween recently told Pollstar that SCORPIONS will embark on "a full-blown USA run" in 2021.

SCORPIONS are currently working on a new 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' last full-length collection of new recordings was 2015's "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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SIN CITY NIGHTS! Just Announced: RESCHEDULED dates for our Las Vegas residency will now take place May 8-30, 2021 at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood! All info: Link in Stories All tickets will be honored for the new dates. If you are a ticket holder and cannot make the new show date, you will receive an email from your ticket provider or you can visit livenation.com/refund

A post shared by SCORPIONS (@scorpions) on Jul 22, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

Boston’s The Offering are anything but orthodox. The high-flying quartet have a way of cleverly suffusing all their influences—from black and death to heavy and modern to thrash and power to nü and hardcore—into their story-like songs. Over time (and across many refinement sessions), The Offering have developed their all-in dynamic into a signature sound.

The band used the recent downtime to film a playthrough for the song “Waste Away”:

Nishad George (guitars) comments: “We were sick of being inside all day, so Spencer and I decided to head to the beach to for a playthrough in the heat.  You can bet that touring is the first thing we’ll get to when this pandemic settles.  Until then... here’s ‘Waste Away’.”

“Waste Away” is taken from their debut album, Home, that was released in August of 2019.

The Offering partly tracked Home at Carriage House Studios in Stamford CT, a place where diverse pop, rock and metal artists recorded influential albums including Pantera, Fates Warning, Overkill, Deftones, BoySetsFire or Sugar. Home was then mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Bring Me The Horizon, Architects and many more).

Fredrik Nordström about Home: “This is the most crazy and insane music I ever worked with, I love it!”

Tracklisting:

“Waste Away”
“Lovesick”
“Ultraviolence”
“A Dance With Diana”
“Failure (S.O.S.)”
“Hysteria”
“Glory”
“Home”

“Lovesick”:

“Ultraviolence” video:

"Failure (S.O.S.)" lyric video:




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The German heavy metal hope Neck Cemetery has announced the release of their debut album Born In A Coffin on October 9 via Reaper Entertainment.

The album was produced in February and March 2020 in the German "Gernhart" studios in collaboration with producer Martin Buchwalter who is known for his work with Tankard, Destruction, Tom Angelripper, Paul Di´Anno, Suidakra and many more. For guest contributions the band was able to win scene veteran Chris Boltendahl (Grave Digger) as well as guitarist Michael Koch (ex-Atlantean Kodex).

The guys also reveal the cover artwork of the new album. It was done by Besil Wrathbone who has already drawn for Sodom and the skateboard brand "Koloss", among others.

The band states: "Neckbreakers! We are very happy to unveil the cover artwork for our upcoming debut album Born In A Coffin today. The artwork was done by Besil Wrathbone, with whom we have worked together in the past. The idea was to bring up a little Tales From The Crypt feeling - and we think Besil did a great job. More information about the record will follow in the coming weeks. Feed the night!"

If you don't know the band, check out this documentary video of their first show:

(Photos - Moritz "Mumpi" Künster)




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Death/doom practitioners Pulchra Morte have joined Chicago's Transcending Records for the release of their as-yet-untitled second full-length, slated to drop this fall.

Comments the band of the signing, "We were initially drawn to Transcending Records because it was obvious on first inspection that the label was more interested in releasing quality material than it was in cashing in on whatever current trends are happening in metal. Also, the packaging and attention to detail on their releases is top notch. When we then met with [Transcending Records owner] Mike [Ramirez], it immediately felt like we were on the same page and had a good foundation on which to form a partnership.  Seemed like he was willing and ready to do the work with us on building something mutually beneficial, not just wanting to profit from someone else's work, which is an ideology plaguing the industry these days."

Pulchra Morte - now comprised of newest recruits, Adam Clemans (Skeletonwitch, Wolvhammer) and John Porada (Wolvhammer, Abigail Williams) alongside Jarrett Pritchard (Eulogy, Brutality), Clayton Gore (Eulogy, Harkonin), and Jeffrey Breden (Leagues Below) - released new track, "Knife Of The Will," via Decibel Magazine earlier this year. The tune served as a taste of the sounds to come.

Pulchra Morte (ˈpul.kʰra / ˈmɔr.te) was forged in 2017 with the idea to recapture a feeling that has become increasingly scarce in the dense landscape of extreme music today: the creation of songs encompassing weight, atmosphere, and feeling. The band's critically lauded 2019 debut album, Divina Autem Et Aniles, recaptured the purpose of greats from the late-'80s through early-'90s doom-laden death metal scene, a point where feeling superseded technicality. The band played many shows throughout 2019, including the Full Terror Assault Open Air V Festival, as well as several sold-out shows in support of the 1349's North American tour with Uada and Cloak. Further details of the band's new full-length will be unveiled in the weeks to come.

Pulchra Morte:
Adam Clemans - vocals
John Porada - bass, backing vocals
Jeffrey Breden - guitars
Jarrett Pritchard - guitars
Clayton Gore – drums

(Photo by: Jeremy Miller)




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Belgian death metal band, Carnation, have released a new live video for their recently released single, "Sepulcher Of Alteration". The video was shot during the band's demolishing performance at the Hellgium Festival that took place in Belgium in 2020. The track is taken from the bands upcoming full length, Where Death Lies, which is due September 18.

Frontman Simon Duson comments: "The debut live performance of our newest track 'Sepulcher Of Alteration' took place at the Hellgium Livestream Festival earlier this month. We have been yearning to perform this track live, ever since the day we finished writing it. Sadly, we were unable to witness your reaction in the flesh, but with the ongoing pandemic, this felt like the only possible way for us to take this track to the stage anytime soon, and we'll take what we can get!"

Where Death Lies is out on September 18 via Season Of Mist. Pre-order the album in various formats here.

Where Death Lies was recorded from January to April 2020. The drums were recorded by Wojtek & Sławek Wieslawski at the Hertz Recording Studio in Białystok, Poland and the guitars, bass & vocals were recorded by Yarne Heylen at Project Zero Studio in Nijlen, Belgium.

The cover artwork for Where Death Lies, which is again created by the talented Juan Jose Castellano Rosado, can be found below along with the tracklisting.

Tracklisting:

"Iron Discipline"
"Sepulcher Of Alteration"
"Where Death Lies"
"Spirit Excision"
"Napalm Ascension"
"Serpent's Breath"
"Malformed Regrowth"
"Reincarnation"
"In Chasms Abysmal"

"Sepulcher Of Alteration" video:

Lineup:

Simon Duson - Vocals
Jonathan Verstrepen - Guitars
Bert Vervoort - Guitars
Yarne Heylen - Bass
Vincent Verstrepen - Drums




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Kansas have released their new album, The Absence Of Presence, via InsideOut Music. In this new video trailer, the band members discuss the challenges of making an album while also juggling the demands of an active tour schedule:

The Absence Of Presence album follows-up 2016’s The Prelude Implicit, which debuted at #14 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. Kansas has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and is famous for classic hits such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust In The Wind" to the progressive epic "Song For America".

The Absence Of Presence, released by InsideOut Music, features nine all new tracks written by the band, produced by Zak Rizvi, and co-produced by Phil Ehart and Richard Williams. Kansas's signature sound is unmistakable throughout. The album showcases Ronnie Platt’s towering vocals, David Ragsdale’s searing violin, Tom Brislin’s dazzling keyboards, Williams and Rizvi’s electrifying guitar riffs, Ehart’s powerful drums, and Billy Greer’s rocking bass.

“We are really proud of the album The Absence Of Presence,” comments Kansas guitarist, producer, and songwriter Zak Rizvi. “Making a new Kansas album sets a very high musical standard that is expected from our fans. From rockers, to progressive epics, to ballads, there is something on this recording for everybody.”

The Absence Of Presence is available on CD, Double LP 180 Gram Vinyl, Limited Edition Deluxe CD + 5.1 Blu-Ray Artbook, and digitally on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all other streaming services. Order the album here.

The Absence Of Presence tracklsting:

"The Absence Of Presence"
"Throwing Mountains"
"Jets Overhead"
"Propulsion 1"
"Memories Down The Line"
"Circus Of Illusion"
"Animals On The Roof"
"Never"
"The Song The River Sang"

"Jets Overhead" video:

"Memories Down The Line" video:

"Throwing Mountains" video:

Sampler:

Kansas recently issued the following update regarding their Point Of Know Return Anniversary tour:

"Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the Point Of Know Return Anniversary European Tour scheduled for October & November 2020 has been postponed until October & November 2021. New dates are listed below.

"While we are disappointed at the need to reschedule, Kansas is excited to bring the Point Of Know Return Anniversary Tour to our European fans in 2021.

"Keep your tickets. Tickets for 2020 concerts will be honored for the rescheduled concert in 2021."

New 2021 dates:

October
12 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
15 - Helsinki, Finland - Culture House
16 - Tampere, Finland - Tamperetalo
18 - Stockholm, Sweden - Cirkus
20 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
22 - Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom
23 - Bochum, Germany - RuhrCongress
27 - Munich, Germany - Circus Krone
28 - Heilbronn, Germany - Harmonie
30 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Carre Theatre
31 - Brussels, Belgium - Cirque Royal

November
2 - Paris, France – L’Olympia Theatre
4 - London, England - Palladium

(Photo - Emily Butler Photography)




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You like dark atmosphere and melodies brought to musical perfection? Then "Salvus" will sweep you off your feet - this song is everything at the same time: touching ballad, monumental soundtrack, rocking and catchy AOR track. Celebrate with us the release of VANISHING POINT’s second aspiring musical creation and it’s new highly elaborate lyric video!

Frontman Silvio Massaro says of "Salvus": "You know there are times and moments in ones life, which are completely put into perspective. There could be many things that happen in your life that you wish you could relive or wish you had done all again. Truth is no matter how hard you try to reach out and take back the time that escapes you like smoke in the air from every birthday candle you blow out. Salvus is a reminder to simply STOP and try not to think about the mundane routines and step outside yourself and look at the ones around you that truly mean more to you than life itself. Because after all 'We don't have to change the world' but we can cherish every single moment and memory of those you love past and present."

In a new interview with Louder, Slayer frontman Tom Araya looks back on a life on metal’s frontlines.

Asked if there was a point when he felt that Slayer had become a success, Araya replies: “You know, that’s a difficult question for me, because I really don’t see this band the way most people do. It’s always a surprise to me when people ask me questions like that, even after all these years. I really don’t think of the band as this big thing - even though everybody else does. I do find myself in awe sometimes when that reality hits me, and I think, ‘Wow! Damn!’ - but I don’t really think about it that often. What’s weird is that me and my family can be out walking somewhere, and out of the blue someone will just walk right up to me and say, ‘I know who you are!’ and he’ll shake my hand and it’ll be cool. It’s happening more and more frequently these days, too, which is really surprising to me. It can happen in really obscure places as well: we can be in the middle of nowhere and it’ll happen. Then we’ll look at each other and we’ll be like, ‘What just happened?’ Ha Ha.”

Louder: You’ve admitted that you and Jeff Hanneman were both rather fond of cocaine in the band’s early days... “Yeah, we used to do that stuff all the time," says Tom. "We stopped it when we were doing South Of Heaven [1988], or in that timeframe anyway. It was pretty stupid... it was real stupid. We just looked at each other one day and we were like, [exhausted voice] ‘We can’t be doing that shit anymore!’, so me and him made a pact that we’d quit.”

Read more at Louder.

(Photo - Tom Tronckoe)




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