In an interview with Guitar.com, legendary guitarist Steve Vai revealed that he has several new albums in the works. "My original plan was to record three trio-based instrumental guitar records that have no overdubs," he said. "One record was going to be all clean guitar tones. The second one was going to be my normal dirty tone. The third one was going to be this tuned-down eight-string stuff, like the heaviest of stuff I could possibly dream of. That was one project and I laid it all out, but then other things got in the way.

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

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

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

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

Last September, Vai released a Blu-ray edition of his 2015 live DVD, "Stillness In Motion", via his personal record label Light Without Heat, distributed by The Orchard. The release features Vai's complete performance at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on October 12, 2012.

As a virtuoso guitarist, composer and producer, Vai has sold over 15 million albums and won three Grammy Awards. Vai has toured the world with Frank Zappa, ALCATRAZZ, David Lee Roth, WHITESNAKE and the "G3" tour. He appeared in the acclaimed movie "Crossroads", and also established the Make A Noise foundation. Vai owns the Favored Nations Entertainment record label, and has created music for blockbuster films, best-selling video games, national sports franchises, and corporate brand initiatives.

TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown spoke to "The Rock N Ragni Show" about how he is dealing with the coronavirus crisis and what the touring circuit might look like post-pandemic. He said (see video below): "Big concerts, nothing is coming back at least a year, if that. And I'm just being honest, because there's a lot of people who are, like, 'Oh, we're doing this.' Every tour that's postponed till next year, that's 50/50 at this point. So the sooner everybody gets used to online stuff and not seeing live shows, the better off you're gonna be. Because [when] everybody rushes out to do this, the numbers go up and it just fucks everything up. Get out there, don't be idiots, wear a mask, do whatever the rules are, and we'll be better. But sadly, big rock shows — I was supposed to be a part of 'The Stadium Tour' with [DEF] LEPPARD this summer — and look, man, it ain't happening. And nothing big is gonna happen until there is a 200% guaranteed vaccine for this."

Brown also discussed the possibility of playing smaller shows with temperature checks at the door.

"PJ [Farley, TRIXTER bassist] and I play with Eric Martin from MR. BIG, and we were supposed to play outside Pittsburgh in two weeks, but it got too weird. It's just not right, man. It's not the right time. And we were all kind of just going, 'We don't feel good about this.' The time is not right. And you have to be respectful of everything. And there's too many people who wanna rush to get back to normal. It's never gonna be back to the way it was; everything's different."

Steve filled in for both DEF LEPPARD guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell when they were faced with two completely different medical emergencies four years apart.

Collen missed a few shows on DEF LEPPARD's tour with JOURNEY in May 2018 while he and his wife of eight years, Helen, awaited the birth of their son.

Brown previously subbed for Campbell at several shows in 2014 and 2015 while the DEF LEPPARD guitarist received treatment in his fight against Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Brown's first appearance with DEF LEPPARD took place in September 2014 during the pregame show for the first of three NFL International Series outings.

"The Stadium Tour", featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, was originally scheduled to take place this summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.


The Rock n Ragni Show w/ Steve Brown of Tokyo Motor Fist & Trixter FULL INTERVIEW

We started this interview on skype, but had some tech difficulties, around the 9 minute mark, so we moved it over here to Facebook Tokyo Motor Fist

Posted by Totally Driven Entertainment on Friday, July 10, 2020

ll begin allowing indoor performances with socially distanced audiences next month.

United Kingdom prime minster Boris Johnson said at a press conference on Friday: "From 1 August, we will restart live indoor performances to a live audience subject to the success of pilots, and we will pilot larger gatherings, with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn... From October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadia and to allow conferences and other business events to recommence. These changes have to be made in a covid-secure way subject to pilots."

U.K. culture secretary Oliver Dowden said in a statement: "The UK's performing arts sector is renowned across the world and I am pleased that we are making real progress in getting its doors reopened to the public with social distancing. From August indoor theatres, music venues and performance spaces will safely welcome audiences back across the country."

The government stressed that "audiences, performers and venues will be expected to maintain social distancing at all times."

Jon Morgan, director of Theatres Trust, called the news "a step in the right direction," but said that "for most theatres it will not be economically viable to reopen with 30-40% audience required under social distancing. We now need to progress as quickly as possible to an announcement on the all-important Stage 5, allowing theatres to reopen fully with the appropriate safety measures. Without this, most theatres cannot reopen viably and we need the go-ahead for Christmas shows, on which the survival of many theatres depends, in the next few weeks at the very latest."

Venues have been shut since March as part of the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The United Kingdom has confirmed more than 290,000 coronavirus cases and more than 45,000 deaths. That makes it one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe.

an metallers ACCEPT have resumed recording their new studio album. The sessions for the follow-up to 2017's "The Rise Of Chaos" are taking place remotely, with producer Andy Sneap working at his studio in Ripley, Derbyshire, England and guitarist Wolf Hoffmann laying down tracks in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. The project is being completed using Steinberg's VST Connect Pro, a fully featured, remote recording solution that lets anybody record a musician or other performer in professional quality, regardless of where each of them is on the planet. All they need is an Internet connection and a computer.

Earlier today, Sneap posted an Instagram photo of sessions in progress, and he included the following message: "Remote recording from uk to Nashville back to the uk with @wolfhoffmann and @acceptworldwide thanks to #Steinberg connect #wolfhoffmann #acceptworldwide. Took a while to get working but I think we are good!"

"The Rise Of Chaos" marked ACCEPT's first release with guitarist Uwe Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectively.

During a May 2020 appearance on the "Rock On The Rise" podcast, ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo stated about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's next LP: "When this [coronavirus pandemic] first started, I had been back and forth to Nashville a few times — or a couple of times, anyway — working with [guitarist] Wolf [Hoffmann]. And when they found out that the JUDAS PRIEST tour was getting canceled also, [longtime ACCEPT producer] Andy had some free time, so Andy went to Nashville. So I went back, and we damn near recorded the whole new album."

Elaborating on how far ACCEPT has come in tracking the new disc, Tornillo said: "We're nine songs in. They're not all complete… We've written, I would say, somewhere around 15 or 16 songs, so that's what we actually got to record. There are some rhythm tracks done on some of the other ones, but I didn't get to sing them. And some things, I think, might actually be complete, which Andy may be mixing at this moment. But there's talks of us dropping a single this summer and hopefully getting this thing out by Christmas, if possible. We'll see how that plays out."

Regarding the musical direction of the new ACCEPT material, Tornillo said: "There's gonna be some surprisingly really good shit on this record… They're my children at this point, so I'm kind of proud of 'em. We'll see how they turn out. We'll see what they grow up to be… There's gonna be some different kind of things on this one — heavy and dark."

ACCEPT's upcoming album will mark the band's first release without founding bassist Peter Baltes, who exited the group in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik.

Speaking about Baltes's departure from ACCEPT, Tornillo told "Rock On The Rise" host Justin Smulison: "We kind of knew it was coming. He was unhappy for, I'm gonna say, a couple of years — from 'Blind Rage' [2014] on. And, really, nobody could get a grip on why or what was going on. We were touring, and he'd be staying away from everybody. It was kind of weird. So we had a kind of feeling that something was gonna happen. I think he and Wolf and Gaby [Hoffmann, ACCEPT's longtime manager and Wolf's wife] might have actually been talking about it at the time, but nobody saw it coming like that. We got blindsided.

"This is the first [album] without him playing bass, and it's also the first album without him as a writer," Mark continued. "So the weight of the whole thing pretty much falls upon Wolf and I, relying on the other guys for help. And Gaby" — also known throughout the '80s by the mysterious alias "Deaffy" — "still has her two cents in there sometimes, which she does. I write all the lyrics at this point, but I still rely on her for some lyrical ideas, and she never disappoints."

ACCEPT's latest release was "Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017", featuring the band's performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

ACCEPT 2020 is:

Wolf Hoffmann - Guitar

Mark Tornillo - Vocals

Christopher Williams - Drums

Uwe Lulis - Guitar

Martin Motnik - Bass

Philip Shouse - Guitar
























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Remote recording from uk to Nashville back to the uk with @wolfhoffmann and @acceptworldwide thanks to #Steinberg connect #wolfhoffmann #acceptworldwide. Took a while to get working but I think we are good!

A post shared by Andy Sneap (@andysneap) on Jul 19, 2020 at 10:24am PDT

Check out this rendition by Ian Gillan performing Deep Purple's “Knockin' At Your Back Door” recorded live in 2006. On the back of Ian's celebration album Gillan's Inn put together with Michael Lee Jackson, Ian hit the road in the USA for a club tour.

The band:

Ian Gillan - vocals
Michael Lee Jackson - guitar /musical director
Dean Howard - guitar
Rodney Appleby - bass guitar, backing vocals
Randy Cooke - drums
Joe Mennonna - keyboards, saxophone, background vocals




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Todd Kerns (Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, Toque) can be seen, as he puts it, "Rockin’ w my homies The Hellenbacks trying to breed some love," in the new video below for the song "Love Breeds Love".

The Hellenbacks are comprised of Todd's Original Sin bandmate Michael Doc Ellis, as well as Jimmie B. Romero, Al Serrato, and Barry Barnes.




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Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth has checked in with a new studio update:

"Awesome week with our new keyboardist / backing vocalist laying down some incredible vocals and harp parts on the new Cradle album, making me sound useful! Note to self. More Nobbly Bobbly lollies when she next stays at Midian."

Dani previously checked in with the following:

"Mucho apologies for the delay in the big Cradle announcement, an unforeseen COVIDian delay has occurred and now the announcement will be the beginning of next week. In fact, there are a lot of juicy announcements forthcoming, this just being the first one delayed!" 

Back in April, Dani reached out to the fans asking them to assist in supporting the band's road crew during the COVID-19 pandemic:

"Greetings Fellow Filthlings,

Due to the horrid pandemic roiling all around us, most people have been hit hard financially by the ongoing 'lockdown' scenario and none more close to the collective Cradle family’s hearts than the legendary Crewdle Of Filth, who sit in limbo as the band continue recording their forthcoming new album, with fiends and families of their own to support in these difficult times.

With this in mind, I felt it incumbent upon me to reach out to all of our fans to try and help the crew in any little way possible to survive this crisis. The touring industry is built of self-employed workers, they are with us day-in, day-out making the shows happen and with no concerts or tours happening, well…

I realise it’s a desperate-looking measure, but desperate times clarion-call these demands and therefore I hope, as part of our greater unholy Worldwide alliance, you would consider a small donation to their just and worthy cause. Anything you can muster would be immensely appreciated and thank-you all once again from the turgid depths of our filthy hearts for your understanding.

Click the stink below to contribute if you please!

Bestial wishes in the Era Horrificus..."

To assist the Cradle Of Filth road crew go to this location.




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Lajon Witherspoon says that SEVENDUST's new album will definitely arrive this year. The follow-up to 2018's "All I See Is War" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

Witherspoon spoke about the new SEVENDUST LP during an interview with "Cutter's Rockcast". Asked what kind of discussions he and his bandmates have had about a possible release date for the new album, the vocalist said (see video below): "It's kind of like being all at a roundtable and everybody talking, and at the end of it, we really still don't know what's going on with what's going on in the world. The last time we had a conference through text, we were talking about starting to tour, but being able to tour, we're gonna be able to do that in towns and cities that are allowing it. And who knows? That could be four months down the [line], or two months. I don't know. The way things are looking, people are partying like it's 1999. I don't know what is gonna happen. But that's our plan — to make sure we're out there. Not like a full-on, SEVENDUST is banging down the doors and playing every city every night, but hopefully we'll get to some happy medium where we can come in and do three or four nights in different towns that are safe and we're going and abiding by [the rules] until we know what's going on with this."

Pressed about a possible release date for the new SEVENDUST LP, Lajon said: "I do know that the album will be coming out within this year. We're going to make sure that that happens; I think I'm able to say that. That being said, how ironic is it that we had this album, and we thought it was gonna be out by now, or around now, and we did a cover, [SOUNDGARDEN's] 'The Day I Tried To Live', and that was probably one of the hardest things for me to grasp my head around. I love every Chris Cornell song, every SOUNDGARDEN song, and I would love to do it all… So I decided to put all my heart and soul and energy [into it], like I do with anything, and I thought it turned out beautiful. But who would have ever thought that it would be the first thing that we would release from this album? But in these times, that song, for whatever reason, seemed to be so fitting to what's going on. And we just thought it would be really a good move for us to get something out there from SEVENDUST in these crazy times, and that song, I think, was a good move, and I hope that people enjoy it."

SEVENDUST's cover of "The Day I Tried To Live" was released last month. The band chose the track to return to the airwaves with after seeing the societal changes happening around the globe. The lyrical message of learning to live a better life is as relevant today as they were when the song was first released in 1994.

The lyric video for SEVENDUST's version of "The Day I Tried To Live" was created by Wayne Joyner (known for his work with DREAM THEATER). It features a lone figure walking down a road thinking about his life with clips of the band woven throughout.

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

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

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

Acoustic Fingerstyle Ukulele cover of Helloween’s classic “I Want Out” by Thomas Zwijsen who remarks: “After the highly successful acoustic Master Guitar Tour version with Ben Woods it's now time to enjoy the solo version... on Ukulele! 'I Want Out' (the original) was released in 1988 on the Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2 album and later several live versions (with Andi Deris and Michael Kiske) followed as well as an acoustic version on Unarmed. This version is on the new Uke 'Em All album, which is a free Bonus Album with the new Nylon Maiden Lives On Double CD. Pre-Order now at here to get the Free Bonus album!”




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Calgary hard rockers In/Vertigo have just released their debut EP Sex, Love & Chaos through Rockshots Records. The four-song collection portrays In/Vertigo's intensity, drive, and relentless ear drilling musical expressions. It's a result of their sound, says the band, "Sexy, passionate and chaotic. All the songs represent these three things in one or more ways. We want to get their hearts pumping, and veins throbbing. We want to be the soundtrack to your sex life, social life, your highs, your lows, and your deepest introspective moments."

In celebration of the EP's release, the band is sharing their new music video for the track "Take It":

The band explains the track: "This was one of the first songs we wrote as a band, it has stood the test of time because it best represented early on where we were going musically. We have recorded 3-4 versions of this track leading us to this final version. The song deals with confidence in leaving a shitty situation and moving on with one's self."

Their self-titled demo, recorded under Ronnie Champagne (Alice In Chains, Jane's Addiction, Social Distortion) had a limited run of 500 copies and subsequently sold out. Their four-song debut EP promises to be a rude awakening in the current hard rock drought.

In/Vertigo is the quintessential rock n' roll act, who comes in with a sonic molotov cocktail of sound, aimed at the music world who unapologetically thirsts for classic/hard rock.

Tracklisting:

"Chains"
"Bad Enemy"
"The Night"
"Take It"

"The Night":

"Bad Enemy":

Get your copy of Sex, Love & Chaos now at this location.

 




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frontman Xer0 performed without his now-trademark spiked-up hair during the band's appearance Saturday night (July 18) outside the Q&Z Expo Center in Ringle, Wisconsin. Fan-filmed video footage of the entire concert is available below.

The once-named Herd Immunity Fest faced backlash when it was first announced in late June due to its name as well as the fact that it was being staged amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers quickly renamed the event the July Mini Fest, but not before a handful of bands dropped off the bill, including NONPOINT, ROYAL BLISS, KALEIDO and BLACKTOP MOJO.

July Mini Fest marked STATIC-X's appearance since the release of the band's latest album, "Project Regeneration Vol. 1", which came out on July 10. The first of two volumes, it features 12 brand new tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup of bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay, and guitarist Koichi Fukuda.

Last year, STATIC-X wrapped up a world tour comprised of nearly 100 mostly sold-out dates in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its platinum-selling debut album "Wisconsin Death Trip". The shows also served as a traveling memorial for Wayne, who passed away more than five years ago.

While the identity of Xer0 has not been officially revealed, strong rumors suggest that DOPE frontman Edsel Dope is the one performing with Jay, Fukuda and Campos and appearing in all of STATIC-X's promotional videos.

Speaking to the "Everblack" podcast, Campos said that finding the "right guy" to front STATIC-X on the "Wisconsin Death Trip" anniversary tour was "the big hurdle. But once we figured that out, then we started trying to figure out, 'How do we represent Wayne in a cool way that he would think was cool?'" he explained. "And we started thinking about all those t-shirt designs that we had of skulls with Wayne's hair and beard, and how to bring that to the stage. And I think the mask came out pretty cool, in a cool way to represent Wayne, and I know Wayne would have thought it was cool. And then keeping the singer's identity anonymous also keeps the focus on remembering Wayne and remembering the original lineup of the band and the first record, and it keeps the focus on that instead of having a 'Van Hagar' situation. We didn't wanna present it [as] 'Here's STATIC-X with their new singer.' It's not what this is about and it's not what we're trying to do. So I think the mask, it helps accomplish that."

In a 2019 interview with Kerrang! magazine, Xer0 confirmed that he was the one who came up with the idea of playing masked.

"I've spent the last 20 years building my own identity and touring the world with my own band," he said. "It didn't feel right for my image or identity to be placed in the center of something that I wasn't part of creating… It just felt like a perfect way to keep the focus on the four guys that made this great album and started this really cool band. After a few days of living with it, I decided to spike my hair up, just to see what it would look like with the mask on, and I was like, Oh, FUCK. Let's be honest: Wayne's hair kind of became the visual identity of STATIC-X."

He added: "We didn't set out to create a 'character,' it just evolved naturally. We went to our friend Laney, who also makes the masks for many of the SLIPKNOT guys, as well as Manson's band, and Rob Zombie's band, et cetera. Wayne liked heavy metal, monster movies, and monster trucks. He would be honored by the celebration and he would dig the shit out of this."

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old Static, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.


























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We are excited to return to the stage this weekend for what will be our first show since March. Obviously, over the last few months a lot has changed in the world, so it is of the utmost importance that we EACH do our part to make this as safe as possible for everyone. While your community leaders have deemed this to be a safe and acceptable gathering, we would still like to personally ask for each and every one of you to go the extra mile to help everyone remain safe... We are asking everyone to MASK UP & BACK UP. DISTANCING: The promoter has advised that the OUTDOOR site is huge. It can accommodate 10,000 people, but they have capped ticket sales at 2,000. This was a huge factor for us agreeing to play. This means that there is plenty of room for everyone to spread out and be safe. There are strictly enforcing a NO MOSHING rule and we are in full support of this for obvious reasons. We are asking that everyone please be respectful of everyone else’s personal space. We ask that you are conscious of this while watching the show, standing in lines for food, drinks and bathrooms, etc. WEAR A MASK! This is a simple request and it will help to ensure your safety, the safety of those around you, and also those at home. Wearing a mask demonstrates that you respect yourself, and it also demonstrates that you respect others. We will all be wearing masks and we ask that you all do the same. Please wash your hands, try not to touch your face and use hand sanitizer. We have been informed that hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the site. We all want live shows to return and for things to get back to “NORMAL”. We want to reiterate that this upcoming show does not fall under the definition of what any of us would consider to be “NORMAL”. This is a baby step and in many ways this is also a test. We want you to remember that most places in America are not yet able to have this type of concert experience. Let’s all go above and beyond, in order to help ensure the health and safety of everyone involved, as well as everyone at home. #MASKUP & #BACKUP! Sincerely, Static-X #StaticX

A post shared by Static-X (@staticxofficial) on Jul 16, 2020 at 9:03am PDT

In a brand new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of link textMisplacedStraws.com, TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown was asked about the current status of the band he co-founded in 1983. He said: "Well, right now we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the debut album, so I'm in the process of negotiating with Universal Records to hopefully get the license and the master tapes to be able to do a proper 30th-anniversary deluxe reissue where I would like to be able to remix it and put out all of the other tracks — the demos. We have a ton of stuff. PJ [Farley, bass] and I have been compiling all the video footage that we have. So we have a company here in New Jersey that's really involved and trying to work, my lawyers — we have all the people doing that. So that's where the TRIXTER camp is right now, that's where my head is at."

He continued: "I own the name TRIXTER. PJ and I run all the business and I'm handling all of the restoration of all the stuff. That's what I've been doing a lot over this whole pandemic, being locked in my studio. I've been transferring old analog tapes from our first recording sessions back in 1986, all the cassettes, everything. So, for all the TRIXTER fans out there, in the next couple of years, you're gonna see a tremendous amount of material being released by myself and TRIXTER. Because we have the 30th anniversary of the debut album this year, which hopefully we're gonna be able to put out some stuff. In 2022 is the 30th anniversary of 'Hear!', we have a 'Live In Japan', so we have a lot of reissues. We're gonna be doing vinyl. So there's a ton of activity in the TRIXTER camp."

Brown added: "Regarding the other two guys, Pete [Loran, vocals] and the drummer [Mark 'Gus' Scott], [you're] probably not gonna see them playing live with us any time soon. I'd be lying to you if I said there isn't a fracture there in the family. It's definitely a broken relationship at this point. PJ and I are cool with Pete. He's busy with his day job and taking care of his kids, so I don't think he really wants to go out and play live anymore. Gus, the drummer, he's on the shit list beyond belief with us right now, so I just don't think that's gonna happen. We are probably gonna be going out with some new version, with new members, with some version of TRIXTER, within the next couple of years."

This past May, Scott told Totally Driven Radio that "it doesn't look good" that TRIXTER will perform again any time soon. "It's been about two and a half years since we've done anything together, and that is not by my choice, that's for sure," he said. "It's a very sad set of circumstances. I love TRIXTER more than anything in the world — I really do — and if someone said, 'Hey, we have an opportunity to do this tomorrow,' I'd be, like, 'Well, there we go. I'm in.' And, unfortunately, not everybody shares the same sentiment."

Since reuniting, TRIXTER has released two studio albums via Frontiers Music Srl — 2012's "New Audio Machine" and 2015's "Human Era".

Scott celebrated the 30th anniversary of TRIXTER's biggest MTV hit, "Give It To Me Good", by releasing a solo version of the song on May 14.

TRIXTER toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Japan in support of its five major label releases. They have performed live in arenas and amphitheaters with crowds up to 35,000 people, appearing with such rock superstars as KISS, SCORPIONS, POISON, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER, CINDERELLA, TWISTED SISTER, DOKKEN, WARRANT, GREAT WHITE and FIREHOUSE.

TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French has blasted people who refuse to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection.

French addressed the hot-button issue as lawmakers push harder for their constituents to wear face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus. Months after his own advisers recommended it, President Donald Trump finally wore a mask in public this past weekend during a visit to wounded service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Earlier today, Jay Jay tweeted: "To all those who believe wearing a mask is taking away your liberty, I assume your motto is: 'Give me liberty or give me death' Please dont wear one and you can have both!"

Wearing face masks and coverings is recommended, or in some places mandatory, in public spaces to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

In a study published last month, researchers from Texas A&M University, the California Institute of Technology and the University of California San Diego, concluded "that wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission."

In early April, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention issued new guidelines that Americans should wear face coverings in public.




To all those who believe wearing a mask is taking away your liberty,

I assume your motto is:

"Give me liberty or give me death"

Please dont wear one and you can have both!

— Jay Jay French (@jayjayfrench) July 13, 2020

ON will release a brand-new sprawling and epic studio album, "Transitus", on September 25 via Music Theories Recordings. The LP will be available on 2CD, 2LP gatefold red transparent vinyl and a 48-page Earbook which includes five 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.

Ahead of release, AYREON has unveiled two new songs from the album, "Get Out! Now!", which features Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and Joe Satriani, and "Hopelessly Slipping Away", which features Tommy Kaverik (KAMELOT) and Cammie Gilbert (OCEANS OF SLUMBER).

Speaking about the new tracks, AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen explains: "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 and Cammie Gilbert 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."

"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.

"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," Arjen says. "As a kid, I was a huge Doctor Who fan and my favourite doctor was Tom Baker. I couldn't believe my luck when he agreed to do it! We went to the U.K. 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 Karevik as Daniel and Gilbert as Abby. The all-star cast also features Simone Simons (EPICA), Snider, Satriani, Marty Friedman (MEGADETH), 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 three 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.

Through all the extravaganzas that flow through his discography, "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.

Continuing, he adds: "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," Lucassen 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."

Track listing:

CD1

01. Fatum Horrificum (A] Graveyard, B] 1884, C] Daniel And Abby, D] Fatum, E] Why?!, F] Guilty)

02. Daniel's Descent Into Transitus

03. Listen To My Story

04. Two Worlds Now One

05. Talk Of The Town

06. Old Friend

07. Dumb Piece Of Rock

08. Get Out! Now!

09. Seven Days, Seven Nights

CD2

01. Condemned Without A Trial

02. Daniel's Funeral

03. Hopelessly Slipping Away

04. This Human Equation

05. Henry's Plot

06. Message From Beyond

07. Daniel's Vision

08. She Is Innocent

09. Lavinia's Confession

10. Inferno

11. Your Story Is Over!

12. Abby In Transitus

13. The Great Beyond

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

Check out episode two, "Bring The Noize", below.

During the recording of "Persistence Of Time", guitarist Scott Ian suggested the band — all big PUBLIC ENEMY fans — record a cover of PUBLIC ENEMY's "Bring The Noise". He loved the idea of recording a metal version of the song, of melding his guitar sound with Chuck D's voice, plus, PUBLIC ENEMY had name-checked ANTHRAX in the lyrics. Once the demo was arranged and recorded, Scott sent a cassette of it to Chuck D with the pitch for Chuck and Flavor Flav to record a version of the track with ANTHRAX. After hearing the demo, Chuck D wholeheartedly agreed. In June, 1991, the ANTHRAX-PUBLIC ENEMY collaboration of "Bring The Noise" was released on ANTHRAX's B-sides/rarities album "Attack Of The Killer B's", and then on PUBLIC ENEMY's "Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black" album in October of that same year. The song blew up, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance." Then, on September 24, 1991, as part of ANTHRAX's "Persistence Of Time" touring cycle, the two bands went out on the road together, the "Bring The Noise Tour" — ANTHRAX and PUBLIC ENEMY, with PRIMUS and the YOUNG BLACK TEENAGERS supporting. The shows ended with ANTHRAX and PUBLIC ENEMY on stage together performing "Bring The Noise". As Charlie says in this episode, "this was one of the best tours we've ever done."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Side A

01. Time (Remastered)

02. Blood (Remastered)

03. Keep It In The Family (Remastered)

Side B

01. In My World (Remastered)

02. Gridlock (Remastered)

03. Intro To Reality (Remastered

04. Belly Of The Beast (Remastered)

Side C

01. Got The Time (Remastered)

02. H8 Red (Remastered)

03. One Man Stands (Remastered)

04. Discharge (Remastered)

Side D

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

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

03. Got The Time (Pre Production)

Side E

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

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

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

Side F

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

02. Blood (Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)

Side G

01. Intro To Reality (Pre-Production)

02. Belly Of The Beast (Tracking)

03. Gridlock (Tracking)

Side H

01. One Man Stands (Pre-Production)

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

ng video for WHITESNAKE's recently released "The Rock Album" collection can be seen below.

"The Rock Album" brings together some of its hardest-hitting songs of WHITESNAKE's multi-platinum career, consisting of revisited, remixed and remastered versions of the group's best rock songs. The album is the first release in the band's "Red, White And Blues" trilogy, a series of fresh, new collections organized by musical themes that will include: "Love Songs" (red), "The Rock Album" (white) and "The Blues Album" (blue).

"The Rock Album" was made available on June 19 on CD ($14.98), and as a double-LP set pressed on 180-gram, white vinyl ($31.98). The collection features the debut of "Always The Same", a previously unreleased song that was recorded during the 2019 sessions for "Flesh & Blood".

In the album's liner notes, WHITESNAKE founder and lead singer David Coverdale writes: "All the songs have been revisited, remixed and remastered. Some have been musically embellished where my co-producer Michael McIntyre, my new mixer Christopher Collier and I felt it appropriate or necessary to bring out the best in these songs."

"The Rock Album" spans over three decades with songs originally released between 1984 and 2011 on six WHITESNAKE studio albums. One track — "She Give Me" — is taken from Coverdale's 2000 solo album "Into The Light".

The group's music from the 1980s is well represented by "Love Ain't No Stranger" from "Slide It In" (1984) and "Judgement Day" from "Slip Of The Tongue" (1989), as well as "Still Of The Night", "Give Me All Your Love" and the No. 1 smash "Here I Go Again" from WHITESNAKE's 1987 self-titled album, which has been certified mega-platinum.

"Restless Heart" (1997) gets its due on the collection with four songs, including the title track, the official lyric video for which can be seen below. "The Rock Album" also features music from 2008's "Good to Be Bad" ("Best Years" and "Can't You Hear The Wind Blow"), in addition to the title track from 2011's "Forevermore". Other highlights from "The Rock Album" include a remixed version of "All Or Nothing" that features additional guitars pulled from the original multi-track tapes, plus an alternate arrangement of "Tell Me How" from "Forevermore".

"The Rock Album" CD track listing:

01. Still Of The Night

02. Best Years

03. Tell Me How

04. Love Ain't No Stranger

05. All Or Nothing

06. Give Me All Your Love

07. Can You Hear the Wind Blow

08. Restless Heart

09. Anything You Want

10. Here I Go Again

11. Judgement Day

12. She Give Me

13. Crying

14. Can't Stop Now

15. Always The Same *

16. Forevermore

LP track listing:

Side A:

01. Still Of The Night

02. Best Years

03. Tell Me How

04. Love Ain't No Stranger

Side B:

01. All Or Nothing

02. Give Me All Your Love

03. Can You Hear the Wind Blow

04. Restless Heart

Side C:

01. Anything You Want

02. Here I Go Again

03. Judgement Day

04. She Give Me

Side D

01. Crying

02. Can't Stop Now

03. Always The Same *

04. Forevermore

* previously unreleased

rs Music Srl has issued a one-of-a-kind release, the single "Push Through". It is a unique song — available now on all digital platforms — which was recorded by a virtual plethora of Frontiers artists.

It all started from a discussion that the label team had with their in-house producer Alessandro Del Vecchio after the idea of creating a Frontiers All Stars song had come up. It was everyone's desire to vent about the overall frustration and disappointment that the pandemic situation had created for the world and give a sort of "sign of life," which had to be related to the fact that while all the businesses were shut down, creativity was certainly not on hold.

Alessandro says: "We all know how we will remember 2020. A year when everything stopped and we experienced something unique, tough, and certainly trying.

"These times are difficult for all the musicians, labels, promoters, and workers of the music industry. The dream felt like it was slipping away and the world seemed a much sadder place without concerts, albums, and all the emotions that music brings.

"'Push Through' is about how musicians reacted. I've never seen so much music played, shared, and promoted as in this pandemic. My timeline was full of music videos, live streams, bedroom acoustic sessions, and anything that could be done in such a situation. Musicians never stopped. Even in a trying environment, we kept our voice out there, kept pushing to release music and this is my tribute to us all, who kept our voices heard.

"'Push Through' is the anthem to Frontiers and their amazing roster and I'm very glad I could be joined by some of my bandmates, friends, and new found brothers. The lineup says it all. They roar those words and let their instruments scream! The result is simply incredible and to see three generations of rockers creates a unique bond never heard or seen before.

"This is for you all, keep pushing and feeding that PMA!"

* Music and lyrics by Alessandro Del Vecchio

* Produced, mixed and mastered by Alessandro Del Vecchio at Ivorytears Music in Clearwater, Florida

Lineup:

* Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, DOKKEN) - bass

* Alessandro Del Vecchio - keyboards

* James Martin - keyboards

* Tom Martin - guitar

* Andrea Seveso - guitar

* Aldo Lonobile - guitar

* Michele Sanna - drums

Singers (in order of appearance):

* James Christian (HOUSE OF LORDS)

* Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, LORDS OF BLACK)

* Gary Hughes (TEN)

* Renan Zonta (ELECTRIC MOB)

* Adrienne Cowan (SEVEN SPIRES)

* Dino Jelusick (ANIMAL DRIVE)

* Ailyn (HER CHARIOT AWAITS)

* Ross Jennings (NOVENA)

* Caterina Nix (CHAOS MAGIC)

* Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDGE OF FOREVER)

* Toby Jepson (WAYWARD SONS)

* Toby Hitchcock (PRIDE OF LIONS)

* Michael Sweet (STRYPER)

* Roberto Tiranti (LABYRINTH)

* Sergio Mazul (SEMBLANT)

* Kent Hilli (PERFECT PLAN)

* Nick Workman (VEGA)

* Robin McAuley (BLACK SWAN)

* Margarita Monet (EDGE OF PARADISE)

* Andy Kuntz (VANDEN PLAS)

* Mizuho Lin (SEMBLANT)

* Lars Safsund (WORK OF ART, LIONVILLE)

* Issa

* Mariangela Demurtas (ARDOURS)

* Nathan James (INGLORIOUS)

* Dan Rossall (PASSION)

* Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE)

* Mark Basile (DGM)

* Alessio Garavello (A NEW TOMORROW)

* Nasson (CHAOS MAGIC, SINNER'S BLOOD)

* Robin Beck

* Marina La Torraca (PHANTOM ELITE)

* Claudia Layline (ETERNAL IDOL)

Guitarists (in order of appearance):

* Mario Percudani (HARDLINE)

* Alessio Garavello (A NEW TOMORROW)

* Nick Savio (ETERNAL IDOL)

* Ivan Keller (ANIMAL DRIVE)

* Dave Bates (EDGE OF PARADISE)

* Tony Hernando (LORDS OF BLACK)

* Robert Sall (WORK OF ART)

* Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS)

* John Berg (PARALYDIUM)

* Mike Orlando (HER CHARIOT AWAITS)

* Olaf Thorsen (SHINING BLACK)

* Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE)

* Simone Mularoni (DGM)

* Danny De La Cruz (INGLORIOUS)

* Magnus Karlsson (MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL)

* Dan Rossall (PASSION)

* Ben Hur Auwarter (ELECTRIC MOB)

rmer GUNS N' ROSES and current SONS OF APOLLO guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has released the official music video for his acoustic cover version of ASIA's "Only Time Will Tell". The song is taken from Bumblefoot's latest acoustic EP of cover songs, "Barefoot 3", which was made available on June 5 exclusively via Bandcamp.

"Barefoot 3" takes the "Barefoot" series up a notch, with intricate guitar arrangements, big backing vocals, and drummer Kyle Hughes.

Track listing:

01. Sleepwalking (BUMBLEFOOT acoustic cover)

02. Tiny Dancer (ELTON JOHN acoustic cover)

03. The Day I Tried To Live (SOUNDGARDEN acoustic cover)

04. Only Time Will Tell (ASIA acoustic cover)

05. Come On Eileen (DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS acoustic cover)

06. Tell Me Something Good (RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN acoustic cover)

Check out audio samples in the YouTube clip below.

In May, Bumblefoot released "Barefoot 2", featuring acoustic covers of songs by IRON MAIDEN, BILLY JOEL, THE POLICE, THE YOUNG RASCALS and PAUL MCCARTNEY.

In April, Thal released a new instrumental song called "Planetary Lockdown" which he said was "inspired by [the] feeling of urgency" during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006, replacing Buckethead. He played with the band for eight years and performed on "Chinese Democracy". He has also released nine full-length solo albums over the past 23 years, most recently 2015's "Little Brother Is Watching", which was reissued on CD and vinyl in August 2017 by MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson's EMP Label Group.

Three years ago, Thal said that he agonized over his decision to leave GUNS N' ROSES, explaining that he "wanted it to be something that [he] knew it wasn't ever gonna be."

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

SONS OF APOLLO, which also features drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan), released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20), in January via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Photo courtesy of SONS OF APOLLO's web site

imed keyboardist Derek Sherinian (SONS OF APOLLO, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, ex-DREAM THEATER), one of the most significant keyboard players of the modern era, has signed to InsideOut Music for the release of his new solo album, "The Phoenix". His first solo LP since 2011's "Oceana" is due on September 18. The disc's first single, "Empyrean Sky", can be streamed below.

Once again, Sherinian has teamed up with drummer extraordinaire Simon Phillips, who not only plays drums but also co-produced and co-wrote the album.

"It is always an amazing experience to be able to work with Simon," Derek says. "He's been a hero of mine for ages, ever since I heard him playing on albums with Jeff Beck and Michael Schenker. And he is such an invaluable part of the way this new record has come out.

"I truly feel that this is my best solo record to date," he adds. "Simon and I put a lot of energy into the writing, and I am grateful to all of the great players that contributed to this recording."

There are a number of guests featured on "The Phoenix", as has been the case in the past for Sherinian, on both guitar and bass. Some have become regular contributors to his solo sessions, people such as bassists Tony Franklin ("He's been on all my albums to date"), Jimmy Johnson and Billy Sheehan (Sherinian's bandmate in SONS OF APOLLO), plus guitarists Joe Bonamassa and Zakk Wylde. In addition, others are welcomed into the fold for the first time. For instance, there's master guitarist Steve Vai.

"Steve Vai has always been on my hit list," Derek says. "But it was when I played keyboards on the 'Generation Axe' tour of Asia in 2017 that I asked him to play on my record, which he gladly accepted."

Also present are Derek's SONS OF APOLLO bandmate Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-GUNS N' ROSES) and Kiko Loureiro (MEGADETH).

"Kiko and I have known one another for about 20 years," Derek says. "But this is the first time I've had the opportunity to play with him."

"The Phoenix" features eight tracks, including a cover of Buddy Miles's "Them Changes", and will be released as a limited-edition digipak CD, 180g LP + CD and as a digital album.

Track listing:

01. The Phoenix

02. Empyrean Sky

03. Clouds Of Ganymede

04. Dragonfly

05. Temple Of Helios

06. Them Changes

07. Octopus Pedigree

08. Pesadelo

Sherinian's far-ranging talents have been much in evidence through the music of Alice Cooper (who once called him "The Caligula of keyboards"), DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and current band SONS OF APOLLO. Moreover, proving just how much he is demand to work with rock royalty, Sherinian has also toured and recorded extensively with KISS, and Billy Idol, proving his classic and hard rock pedigree, whilst also being voted No. 9 in Prog magazine's greatest keyboardists of all time.

The Tampa, Florida-based melodic death metal group The Absence have finished recording their as-yet-untitled sophomore effort for M-Theory Audio, which is tentatively set for an early 2021 release.

The new album – like 2018’s A Gift For The Obsessed – was recorded and produced by drummer Jeramie Kling and guitarist Taylor Nordberg at their own Smoke & Mirrors Productions in suburban Tampa, and is currently being mixed at Sweden's legendary Fascination Street Studios (Dimmu Borgir, Arch Enemy, Kreator) by Ricardo Borges. Additional information about the release will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Says bassist Mike Leon, “This record has a lot of my favorite music that the band has ever created, and it has pushed the boundaries of what I thought was possible for us beyond my wildest dreams. The fact that the gentlemen at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden have lent their masterful ears and knobs for the mixing and mastering process just furthers the excitement! It is my firm belief that this is truly The Absence in its strongest, most exciting form, and we can't wait to share this monster that we've created!"

(Photo by: Deidra Kling)




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New York City’s avant – garde black metal outfit Imperial Triumphant has released their latest video to “Atomic Age”.

The band comments: "Welcome to the age of a bright future and unprecedented optimism. A time when man’s dreams are realized in the biggest way. The most dangerous time ever known with the most existential responsibility ever bestowed. A NEW age of the atomic dream and ten thousand years forward of computerized biology looking to the past for the same answers. That mid-century Atomic Age; long lasting to go that extra mile, now and forever..."

Alphaville will be available in the following formats and can be pre-ordered here.

- Gatefold Empire Black 2LP & LP-Booklet & Poster (black Vinyl)
- Gatefold Atomic Sunrise 2LP & LP-Booklet & Poster (transp. sun yellow Vinyl) – SOLD OUT
- Gatefold Statue of Verdigris 2LP & LP-Booklet & Poster (mint colored Vinyl)
- Ltd. CD Edition
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Rotted Futures"
"Excelsior"
"City Swine"
"Atomic Age"
"Transmission To Mercury"
"Alphaville"
"The Greater Good"
 
Bonus tracks:
"Experiment" (Voivod)
"Happy Home" (The Residents)

"Atomic Age" video:

"Rotted Futures" video:

The band had a number of guest visiting them in the studio:

- Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) - Taiko drums
- Phlegeton (Wormed) - Vocals
- Yoshiko Ohara (ex-Bloody Panda) - Choirs
- RK Halvorson - Barbershop quartet
- Sarai Chrzanowski - Choirs
- Andromeda Anarchia (Folterkammer, Dark Matters) - Choirs
- J Walter Hawke - Trombone
- Colin Marston - Guitars

Imperial Triumphant is:

Zachary Ilya Ezrin - Vocals, guitars
Steven Blanco - Bass, vocals, piano, mellotron, synths, taiko drums
Kenny Grohowski - Drums, taiko drums

(Photo - Alex Krauss)




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single from ASHBA, the solo project of former GUNS N' ROSES and current SIXX:A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba, will feature a guest appearance by Cali Tucker, the daughter of country music singer LaCosta Tucker and niece of country music legend Tanya Tucker.

ASHBA's first full-length effort, which will include "different singers from different genres on every song," will arrive later in the year via Edgeout Records/Universal Music Group/UMe.

On Friday, Ashba took to his Instagram to post a short behind-the-scenes clip and photos from the video shoot for his new single, and he included the following message: "ASHBA Update: Great news for The Abducted!! My debut single is coming soon featuring Cali Tucker on vocals! She crushes this track! Here's a few clips/shots from 'Behind The Scenes' of my new video!! Directed by KasterTroy @level8studios So f'n excited, this has been an incredible 4 years in the making, and to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel is a feeling I can't even begin to explain! #theabducted #fwpt #edm #rock #dancemusic Who's ready for some new music????"

Although Ashba initially started work on the project as a collaboration with with his SIXX:A.M. bandmate James Michael — under the band name PYROMANTIC — it has since evolved into an Ashba solo venture, with Michael announcing in 2018 that he was stepping away from the group.

Ashba commented: "Over the past couple of years, I have found myself going through a musical transformation — almost an evolution, you could say. I allowed my creativity to flow freely without trying to restrain it to conform to a particular genre. I found the whole journey very liberating and also very exciting. It allowed me to experiment with new sounds and compositions that cross the boundaries of multiple music genres, to create something so unique and exciting that I cannot wait to share it with the world."

Regarding his upcoming solo disc, DJ told Fox5's "More": "I spent three years in the studio creating this new sound and I took Latin, pop, rock and EDM and I just threw it in a blender as a producer. I've done the rock thing, I've done that my whole life, but I wanted to create a new sound — something fresh, something anybody could latch on to. If you like Latin, there's enough of that; if you like rock, there's enough of it in there. So it's a really cool, unique sound. I'm pretty proud of it."

According to DJ, he will promote the LP by embarking on a tour on which he will be joined only by a VJ.

Last year, Ashba spoke to "Vegas Junkeez" about how his new project came together. He said: "It started off in the beginning, me and the singer from SIXX:A.M., James Michael, we had some time off and we started writing like we did. And it eventually evolved, and obviously, it went in a direction, and I pushed it really hard in a direction, and then James kind of got busy and went off [to do] his thing. But it's evolved into this incredible thing that's just awesome. And to have congas and horns… And it's very worldly. It's designed to make the body move. It's full-on dance stuff, but it's great."

Calling his solo effort his "number one priority," Ashba said that he is "so, so inspired" by the music that he recorded thus far. "This is everything I've ever wanted to do," he said. "It's kind of like your whole career, you learn all these things, you work with all these people… [This] is kind of just my labor of love — it's something I truly wanna do for me — and it's so gratifying to be able to be in a position…

"I've had an incredible career — thank god — but this new thing is just the next chapter," he explained. "It's really special, and it's really a lot of fun. And it's given me the freedom as a songwriter and a producer just to create any style… Basically, I don't have to write for one vocalist or one voice… I can write not only for that, but multiple genres, as long as we keep it within kind of these wide walls that we call [ASHBA]. It's finally my vision unfiltered. So it's really cool. And I'm excited. I think people are really gonna like it. It's something completely different than I've ever done — something new. It's very creative. And me being a creative person, it's the perfect, perfect thing for me, I guess — the perfect project."

Photo credit: Michael Pool
























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ASHBA Update: Great news for The Abducted!! My debut single is coming soon featuring Cali Tucker on vocals! She crushes this track! Here’s a few clips/shots from ‘Behind The Scenes’ of my new video!! Directed by KasterTroy @level8studios So f’n excited, this has been an incredible 4 years in the making, and to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel is a feeling I can’t even begin to explain! #theabducted #fwpt #edm #rock #dancemusic ??Who’s ready for some new music???? ???

A post shared by Dj ASHBA (@djashba) on Jul 17, 2020 at 2:39pm PDT

>BLACK VEIL BRIDES will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut, "We Stitch These Wounds", with a brand new, reimagined, re-recorded 2020 edition of the album titled "Re-Stitch These Wounds", released on July 31 via Sumerian Records. Pre-orders are available from ReStitchTheseWounds.com. Fans can check out the second of the reimagined tracks from the album, "Perfect Weapon", below.

Speaking on "Re-Stitch These Wounds" and his band's 10th year milestone, frontman, vocalist Andy Biersack says: "We are so excited to have the opportunity to revisit and reimagine our debut album for its 10-year anniversary.

"A decade ago, I was just a teenager trying to find my way and meet like-minded musicians. I was fortunate enough to meet Jake and Jinxx and we clicked instantly. I can remember writing so many of these songs in the tiny Hollywood apartment Jake and I shared and tracking our own demos, so to have the opportunity to take a look at these songs again and update them for the modern era of the band with Jake at the helm producing and mixing is a full circle moment for us.

"We have never been happier as a band then in the current lineup and it's amazing to get the chance to start over and do with this record what we always wished we could have done the first time around.

"This isn't meant to be a replacement for the original album but rather a companion piece that we hope fans can enjoy and see the musical evolution of the band in a unique way."

BLACK VEIL BRIDES will take part in a very special album-release streaming event on Saturday, August 1 when they perform the "Re-Stitch These Wounds" in full for the first time ever, to be broadcast live from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California. The event will begin at 2 p.m. PST / 5 p.m. EST. Fans can purchase tickets to the album release show from BlackVeilBrides.Live

Regarding the 10th anniversary of BLACK VEIL BRIDES and his history with the band from the early days of their career, Sumerian Records founder/CEO Ash Avildsen says: "It’s been one hell of a journey working with BVB as their booking agent from when this record first came out until now being their label partner.

"Having their debut album re-recorded with modern production under the Sumerian banner is a true milestone for us that I am very proud of after working with Andy and the BVB family for all these years.

"Almost everyone told me I was crazy back then to sign up for the ride and that it wouldn't work. Well? Now here we are with the band being one of the biggest break-out hard rock acts of the past decade and the best is still yet to come."

Since the release of "We Stitch These Wounds" in 2010, BLACK VEIL BRIDES have grown to be one of the most successful and revered bands in modern rock. The album sold 11,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 36 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 1 Independent Releases, a phenomenal feat for a band on their debut with no major label support, just an insanely fanatical following. Each of their subsequent four studio albums debuted in the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200, with two albums — "Wretched And Divine" and "Black Veil Brides" — debuting in the Top 10. They have also released a chart-topping live DVD, "Alive And Burning". The band has over 1.1 million monthly Spotify listeners, has clocked up 400 million total Spotify streams, 500 million YouTube views and has a combined social media reach of over 11 million fans.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES' strident opposition to conformity, false authority, and obstacles (from both within and without) strikes a chord with every outcast who ever felt drawn to the allure of the dark. It's evident in the 150 million views accumulated by "Knives And Pens", the first video released from "We Stitch These Wounds". The RIAA-certified gold single "In The End", which itself boasts 125 million YouTube views, is proof that the group whose merchandise dominated Hot Topic stores before they'd dropped their debut album was no passing fad or ill-fated "scene." This was built to last.

guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Tom Hunting are working on material for the long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out" album.

On Friday (July 17), Gary posted a photo of him and Tom at the jam room at Hunting's Northern California home, and he included the following message: "We are creating some INSANE shit! I'm telling ya, this record is gonna be pure fire. The aggression and energy level is too high to measure"

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

"Blood In Blood Out" was EXODUS's first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

This past April, Souza confirmed that Holt's COVID-19 diagnosis "put a damper" on EXODUS's ability to move forward with the songwriting process for its new LP. "By now, we would have been working together for probably a good month on it," Zetro explained. "Gary's got many riffs and many things that he needs to put together. It starts with him and Tom, basically. Everybody knows, drummer and guitar, and that's how EXODUS has always done it. But because of this distancing, that's been kind of impossible to do, so that's put a damper on it. But I can guarantee you, I did hear some of the stuff that they were playing around with in soundcheck on [the recently completed] 'The Bay Strikes Back' [European] tour, and EXODUS fans are gonna be very pleased. Again, I'm not hearing full songs — I'm just hearing riffs and pieces and stuff like that — and I'm [like], 'Wow!' I'm not saying — it's just pretty damn heavy."

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981 shortly after the band's formation, and has been its main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal. In 2011, he began filling in for Jeff Hanneman at SLAYER live shows, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS.
























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We are creating some INSANE shit! I’m telling ya, this record is gonna be pure fire. The aggression and energy level is too high to measure

A post shared by Gary Holt (@garyholt_official) on Jul 17, 2020 at 2:10pm PDT

assist David DeRoo has urged people to wear face masks after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Earlier today (Saturday, July 18), DeRoo took to his personal Facebook page to say that he originally believed COVID-19 was blown out of proportion and was questioning "how 'real' it is/was." But once he started experiencing the usual COVID-19 symptoms, including loss of taste, fatigue, body aches and fever, he took himself to the emergency room at a local hospital where he was tested for the novel coronavirus.

The musician, who says he has pre-existing conditions which put him at more of a risk than someone with no underlying health issues, now admits that he was "careless and callous" in the days leading up to his diagnosis and says that COVID-19 should not be treated as a political issue.

DeRoo's entire message reads as follows:

"Hey everyone!

"How's everybody doin'? Been laying low for a bit. A few of my close friends know, but I just wanted to take a sec to get everyone up to speed, and fill you all in on my situation....

"On Wednesday, July 1st I started feeling some chest congestion, and had a slight cough. I didn't think much of it, as I had been doing some work outdoors in the heat for a few days, and assumed maybe it was just my allergies, coupled w/ some dehydration? I went out that night anyway for 'one last hurrah' since it was the last night before everything was shutting down again. Woke up feeling worse. Friday night had aches, shooting pains in my back and kidneys, and a fever. Sufferered thru it all 4th of July weekend.

"I drove myself to the ER that Monday. Felt dizzy, and weak. Got there around 2pm. They tested me for Covid-19. My blood pressure, and Oxygen levels were good, so they threw me out around 7pm, and told me to monitor my breathing, and to drink plenty of fluids. They called me that Thursday, July 9th and told me I had tested positive for Covid-19. And that a 14-day quarantine would begin starting from that point. I said, 'Hey! I've already been in bed a week?'

"She didn't laugh. And the days that followed weren't fun. Or 'funny'. I had zero appetite. There were a couple of days where I didn't have a bite of food the whole day? And if I did: I couldn't taste it. That shit is real! Zero energy. I slept 10 to 15 hours some days. But since last Sunday, I‘ve started feeling better. I'm still shaking off this fatigue, and force myself to eat to keep my energy levels up....

"Moral of the story: Wear a fucking mask, people! I've had my reservations about this thing. About how 'real' it is/was. I've been careless, and callous. 'Oh: it won't happen to me?' I've been watching friends arguing about this, politicizing it: throwing away friendships over it! I have pre-existing conditions. My lungs are a cause for concern. I've had bronchitis 3 times in less than 2 years. I have high blood pressure. It fucked w/ me a bit. But here's the thing: what people DON'T know about this is what concerns me. The 'experts' are still tryin' to figure this shit out... We know NOTHING. which brings us to the next item of business...

"My band ADEMA is scheduled to play a live broadcast concert later this month, Sunday July 26th. Unfortunately, I will not be participating in this event. Believe me: nobody is more bummed than I am! As disappointing as this is: I would would be absolutely DEVASTATED if I got one of my brothers sick. 'Could/would I be well enough to play? It's still a couple of weeks away?' Possibly. But as I stated earlier: even the 'experts' don't know enough about this, yet. And it's simply not worth the risk. There are people in our camp that are dealing w/ the elderly daily. And I refuse to be a Catalyst or contributing factor to something bad happening to people I care about...

"Anyways... I'm alive, guys! Thank you to my friends for the concern; the texts, the ones that have dropped off meals for me, and checked in on me... you know who you are! And I appreciate it. I'm sorry I'm bad at responding to everybody; been trying to rest as much as I can.

"I'll keep you all in the loop; more details on the show coming up soon! Even though I'm sittin' this one out: I'd appreciate all of your support now more than ever! Please, and thank you"

In the summer of 2019, ADEMA officially recruited longtime friend Ryan Shuck (JULIEN-K, ORGY) to take on vocals for the band. He joined the group as the replacement for original vocalist Mark Chavez, who returned to ADEMA in 2017 after previously exiting the group twice.

ADEMA's last release was 2013's "Topple The Giants". The group's first CD since 2007's "Kill The Headlights" contained brand new tracks plus re-worked versions of ADEMA's chart-topping hits "Giving In" and "Unstable".

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bassist John "JD" DeServio spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to "Grimmest Hits", which was released in January 2018 via Entertainment One (eOne).

"We were supposed to have a record recorded already," he said. "So, who knows when that's gonna happen. Stay tuned. Hopefully sooner than later. And all the shows, I think they all got canceled this year for everybody, which really, really sucks. But we're definitely gonna be doing a new record. So keep tuned for that one."

Asked if BLACK LABEL SOCIETY already has new music written, John said: "I'm sure Zakk's [Wylde, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY leader] got a bunch of riffs written. I'm sure he does."

DeServio also talked about the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY songwriting process, explaining that "Zakk just comes up with riffs and ideas, and then we put 'em down and make a song out of it, and then that's it. It's pretty easy. It's pretty simple," he said. "A lot of times, he'll have the whole song done and then will throw down the guitar for us and then we build. A lot of times we'll just be in the studio and he comes up with stuff and then we just start jamming on it and make that a song. Like, 'Crazy Horse' was the last song written on that 'Order Of The Black' record [2010], and it was the opening song. We had to spend an extra week doing something, and if we never did that extra week, we wouldn't have gotten a couple of them songs, which is pretty cool."

This past March, Zakk told Billboard that he would spend April composing the songs for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's next disc and that he would record the LP in May and June.

He explained: "I don't demo or stockpile shit. Never have. I'm not like Prince, where he's recording stuff all the time. I just like to come up with a riff or an idea and be like, 'Why don't we track that one today?' It's like the beginning of a new season. It's always fun."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY spent the last couple of years touring in support of "Grimmest Hits".

The band celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first album, "Sonic Brew", last year.

Zakk has been the on-again-off-again guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne since 1987, although he does not appear on the legendary heavy metal singer's latest LP, "Ordinary Man".

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

Zakk Wylde - Vocals/Guitar

John "JD" DeServio - Bass

Dario Lorina - Guitar

Jeff Fabb - Drums

cial music video for the song "Widows" from British hard rock veterans LIONHEART can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Reality Of Miracles", which will be released on July 31 via Metalville Records.

The "Widows" clip was directed by Neil Griffiths and is exceptional in its creation: With the help of green screens, it was possible to put together a band video, even though at no point during the recordings were two or more musicians in the same room.

LIONHEART was founded in late 1980 by Dennis Stratton (ex-IRON MAIDEN), Steve Mann (MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST) and Rocky Newton (ex-MSG) with Clive Edwards (ex-UFO) completing the lineup a little later. The band started playing constant live shows, including regular sold-out gigs at the London Marquee Club. Between 1981 and 1984, more shows followed, including a performance at the Reading Festival 1981 and as support for DEF LEPPARD, WHITESNAKE and SAXON.

In 1984, CBS Records offered LIONHEART a contract. With the new singer Chad Brown, the debut album, "Hot Tonight", was recorded in Los Angeles. Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) joined the band as a new keyboardist before Chad Brown was replaced by Keith Murrell (AIRRACE, MAMA'S BOYS) in 1985. The band was hit with managerial problems, and it was felt that the momentum was gone, and LIONHEART disbanded in 1985.

Rocky subsequently sang background vocals on the DEF LEPPARD albums "Pyromania" and "Hysteria" before joining the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. Steve set up his first commercial studio and then hooked up with Rocky again in the MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP. Dennis began a 15-year collaboration with PRAYING MANTIS. Clive went on to play with Bernie Marsden and UFO.

In 1999, LIONHEART released a double album with old demos, which sold well and once again generated interest in the band. In 2016, the organisers of the Rockingham Festival in Nottingham invited LIONHEART to play a reunion show. The four founding members seized the opportunity and brought the former SHY frontman Lee Small on board as lead singer. The show received fantastic reviews, and they decided to record another album.

"Second Nature" was released to critical acclaim in 2017 and was voted "AOR Album Of The Year" by Classic Rock magazine. This was followed by an appearance at Sweden Rock Festival, mini co-headline tours through Japan with PRAYING MANTIS, and a U.K. tour with AIRRACE.

As the Christmas single "Mary Did You Know" was released in December 2018, the musicians were already recording the follow-up album. Although most of 2019 was taken up by the other projects, the band members got together in downtime to record "The Reality Of Miracles". The 13 songs were recorded in Steve Mann's studio in Hannover. Steve also produced, mixed and mastered the album.

"The Reality Of Miracles" track listing:

01. Salvation

02. Thine Is The Kingdom

03. High Plains Drifter

04. The Reality Of Miracles

05. Five Tribes

06. Behind The Wall

07. All I Want Is You

08. Widows

09. Kingdom Of The East

10. Outlaws Of The Western World

11. Overdrive

12. The First Man

13. Still It Rains On Planet Earth (Lacrimosa)

LIONHEART is:

* Dennis Stratton - former guitarist with IRON MAIDEN

* Steve Mann - current guitarist and keyboardist with MICHAEL SCHENKER

* Rocky Newton - former bass player and backing vocalist with MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP

* Clive Edwards - former drummer with UFO, WILD HORSES and ULI ROTH

* Lee Small - former lead vocalist with SHY and PHENOMENA

GONE, the project featuring MASTODON's Troy Sanders, AT THE DRIVE-IN's Tony Hajjar, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Troy Van Leeuwen and guitarist-keyboardist Mike Zarin, has released the official music video for a new song called "Everything Is Wonderfall". The track delivers a powerful mantra, a meditation of an uncertain universe that we may be in tune with but is not in tune with us, capturing a heavy and dark melancholic sound and lyrics mixed with rock riffs and mid-tempo bass.

"As the world was locking down and musicians were figuring out a new normal, we were fortunately and unfortunately doing what this band has always had to do to continue creating," Hajjar said. "This song was started with a jam and then cut up and edited to be fitting to a new sound that we are trying out. We want our songs to be able to fit in a band format or switch into an electronic based format that can live on its own as a second arm of the bands sound. Looking forward to everybody hearing the rest of the songs."

The video for "Everything Is Wonderfall" was once again created with Freangel Pacheco, who collaborated with the band on the "No One Ever Walked On Water" clip. Due to the current pandemic preventing the band from coming together in person, each bandmember filmed himself performing the song and worked with Freangel to create a visualizer that represented the central themes of the song; that this a person trapped in an endless cycle, a frustrating monotony, an inescapable rat race type of existence that's chipping away at his/her psyche. The chorus is looking at the bright side of life; to wonder. And as the song is ending, it shows that we are in a cyclical pattern: Wonder, fall, repeat and ultimately falling.

"Everything Is Wonderfall" is available on all digital platforms on Clouds Hill.

"Everything Is Wonderfall" lyrics:

Your stare has become darker

You are selling me disorder

Rude is standing on the edge of all thats getting worse

One thousand reaches out attempted

Another fleeting act of pantomime

Spaces are vacant and become hollow

Breaks are far and few for what its worth

Lose the will to wait any longer

Urge to kill is growing stronger

Ruins remain untouched and true

Shedding off the skin of all thats getting worse

Spaces are vacant and become hollow

Breaks are far and few for what its worth

Too many places appear the same

And your reflection mirrors the game

Take one break and fall to your knees

Dance in the sunshine

Swim in the sea

So many faces appear the same

And your reflection mirrors the game

Take one break and fall to your knees

Dance in the sunshine

Swim in the sea

Inked into your skin

Stories of the past

And we fade in time

Take ahold of yourself

Can you soak it in

Circle is the path

None of your concern

Darkness has arrived

Wonder

Fall

Wonder

Fall

Wonder

Fall

Wonder

Fall [End of lyrics]

"Everything Is Wonderfall" is the first new music from GONE IS GONE since the release of "No One Ever Walked On Water" last December. Prior to that, GONE IS GONE issued "Phantom Limb" in November 2017 as part of a seven-inch red vinyl single for Record Store Day's Black Friday.

GONE IS GONE's debut album, "Echolocation", entered Billboard's Heatseekers Chart at No. 3 back in January 2017.

Hailed by Clash as "a crisp, compact document, one laced with energy and sweeping songwriting," "Echolocation" was produced by the band and mixed by Ken Andrews (BECK, A PERFECT CIRCLE).

GONE IS GONE was formed by multi-instrumentalist Mike Zarin and Hajjar, who previously collaborated on various film trailer projects for Sencit, Zarin's music production, licensing and supervision company. Together they've put together a wildly diverse sound production resume that includes trailers for the Internet-breaking television series "Stranger Things", Christopher Nolan's 2010 sci-fi thriller "Inception", multi-Emmy-winning television series "Game Of Thrones" and the Marvel Comics blockbuster film "X-Men Apocalypse", to name but a few. They brought in Troy Van Leeuwen, known for his work with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FAILURE, A PERFECT CIRCLE, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and SWEETHEAD, who, in turn, brought in Troy Sanders from multi-Grammy nominees MASTODON.

Agonia Records has announced the signing of PROSCRIPTOR MCGOVERN'S APSÛ, the new, Texas-based "mythological occult metal" act led by former ABSU drummer/vocalist Proscriptor McGovern (a.k.a. Russ R. Givens). PROSCRIPTOR MCGOVERN'S APSÛ's self-titled debut album will be released later in the year.

When Proscriptor dissolved ABSU on January 27, 2020, his main intention was to splinter the 30-year old faction into a renewed songwriting concord. PROSCRIPTOR MCGOVERN'S APSÛ is the obvious by-product of that chemical breakdown and securing the ranks is continuing bassist/vocalist Ezezu and new guitar virtuoso Vaggreaz.

Proscriptor says of the resurgence: "I want people to know that I disbanded ABSU to form PROSCRIPTOR MCGOVERN'S APSÛ with underpinning intention, despite the inclusion of my name, as an armorial bearing to pay tribute to the former sanctuary. I do not consider myself the band's leader, but more of an administrator. I may be an oppressive commissioner, but PROSCRIPTOR MCGOVERN'S APSÛ is an equal, collective unit."

Proscriptor continues regarding the album's lyrical approach: "This album is written for those who are curious and unwearied in their quest of arcane knowledge. I have (with vast exertion and detriment of time and space) collected knowledge deemed, in regard to my subject theories of 'mythological occult metal:' from Thelemic Magick and The Zos Vel Thanatos Formula to Fractal Ontology and (obviously) Near East Mythology."

The album is being chronicled at studios around the world with final mixing being handled in Dallas, Texas by J.T. Longoria and mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén in Sweden. The album also features guest appearances from Vorskaath (ZEMIAL), Ross Friedman (ROSS THE BOSS), Jeff Becerra (POSSESSED), Rune Eriksen (AURA NOIR, VLTIMAS), Alex Colin-Tocquaine (AGRESSOR) and The Dark (AGATUS). To assemble the album's packaging with ten separate portrait illustrations, the band has re-commissioned the expertise of renowned Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak.

"Proscriptor McGovern's Apsû" track listing:

I. Amenta: Accelerando: Azyn including Hierophantasmal Expounder
II. Esoterically Excoriating The Exoteric
III. Quasaric Pestilence
IV. Mirroracles
V. In-Betweeness Gateway Commuters
VI. Jupiter In Capricornus
VII. Dedicated To Thoth, But Azathoth Wasn't Listening (A Necroloquy)
VIII. Caliginous Whorl
IX. The Coagulating Respite
X. Prana: Therion: Akasha
XI. Tantrums Of Azag-Kkû
XII. Every Watchtower Within Is The Axis Of A Watchtower Without Including Totemic Thresholds

PROSCRIPTOR MCGOVERN'S APSÛ is:

Proscriptor McGovern - Drums/Percussion, Lyricism, Maestro Echoplex, Papago Flute, (Analogue & Digital) Synthesizers & Voices (1st Person Protagonist)

Vaggreaz - Electric Lead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitar (2nd Person Inquisitor)

Ezezû - Electric Bass Guitar, Implements & Voices (3rd Person Omniscient)

Photo credit: Scott Kincade

In a new interview with Metal Hammer magazine, NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen was asked if she had any plans to make another album with the NORTHWARD project, in which she was joined by Jørn Viggo Lofstad, the guitarist of Norwegian band PAGAN'S MIND.

"I'm not sure I will," she said. "That project was written in 2008. Because we had a year off from NIGHTWISH, I was able to finalize it, to see if the songs are still up to date, whether we could record it or not. I was just happy to have a moment to release it, 10 years after we wrote it. But after 20 years of rock and metal, I think I would like to do something else. I don't mean stop with NIGHTWISH, but something alongside it.

"I was recently involved in a TV show in my home country in the Netherlands [reality TV show 'Beste Zangers', which translates to 'Best Singers']. That really inspired me to start writing, and the stuff that has come out is very calm.

"I would love to make an album where less actually is more. Something different — not because I'm bored, but because if you are already in one of the biggest bands in your own genre, and you have someone like Tuomas Holopainen as a songwriter, I don't really see that I'd be adding anything by making another metal album myself."

Jansen discussed the prospect of making a solo album during a recent Instagram Live chat. She said: "More and more people have been starting to ask about a solo record, because of the TV program I was with. That made me think about it more, like, would I actually wanna do that? When would I wanna do it? In what style would I wanna do it? And, well, since I am at home more [due to the coronavirus pandemic], I do have more time to write. It doesn't mean that all of a sudden I've become super creative and I know exactly what I want. But it's lovely to have time to think about that and to see what comes out."

As for the musical direction of a hypothetical solo album, Jansen said: "I cannot imagine it would be rock or metal — just because rock now I've done, and metal I've done a lot. And I'm already in one of the best bands, I think, that are out there, in my opinion, to my taste. Plus, if you're in a band with a songwriter such as Tuomas Holopainen, it's a little bit hard to come up with something — anything — better, I would say, and I only say that out of love and respect for him. Plus, after 20 years of metal, wouldn't it be lovely to do something completely different for me? That's how I feel.

"So, let's see what comes of this time. I like to keep my freedom in the time frame and in the planning of style and moods. But every now and then, I sit there at my piano, and all of a sudden, things come out. So, let's see what comes out of this."

This past May, Jansen released a Dutch-language song called "De Beelden Blijven" which she recorded for the documentary "Kinderen In Oorlog: 75 Jaar Later" in cooperation with War Child.

War Child is an organization that provides education and psychological care for children in conflict zones across the world.

Before joining NIGHTWISH in 2012, Jansen served as the vocalist in the Dutch bands AFTER FOREVER and REVAMP.

NIGHTWISH's ninth studio album, "Human. :II: Nature.", was released on April 10 via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.