QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor has released an animated video for his new solo single, "Isolation". The clip was produced by Animind Studio 2020.

Released on June 22, the song was recorded during lockdown and is said to reflect "the current times of COVID-19."

Taylor told BBC Radio 6 Music about the inspiration for "Isolation": "It was a frustration and a slight anxiety behind it all, so I just thought I would write a song about how to fill the day — routine in isolation. It's something we are not used to. It is a direct reflection of how I was feeling at the time."

The drummer's latest solo album, his fifth, "Fun On Earth", came out in 2013. Since then, Taylor has released three solo singles: 2017's "Journey's End", 2019's "Gangsters Are Running This World" and "Isolation".

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT recently recorded a new version of "We Are The Champions" — retitled "You Are The Champions" — as a tribute to workers on the frontline fighting coronavirus.

All proceeds made from the song will go towards the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.

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It’s no secret that Aether Realm’s acclaimed 2017 release, Tarot, is the album that truly surged these melodic death heroes onto the metal map, and now, fans can own the album in an array of exceptional new formats upon its reissue with Napalm Records on September 11.

The North Carolina-based quartet’s massive, now 12-track/70+ minute sophomore release (expanded with the addition of previous standalone single “The Magician” to the new physical edition) garnered notable underground appeal and cemented the band’s mind-blowingly multi-faceted sound as their own.

Frontman/bassist Vincent "Jake" Jones says: “Four years ago, we made a promise... and it’s finally time we made good. Our 2017 album Tarot is being re-released on CD and vinyl by Napalm Records. The re-release will feature new cover art by Adrian Baxter and will include the song 'The Magician' like we’d originally intended. To those of you that donated to receive vinyl in our original crowdfunding campaign, we’ll be in touch.

"The album clocks in just shy of 80 minutes in length and includes our most lengthy and ambitious singular musical effort to date - 'The Sun, The Moon, The Star'. Tarot was our first full length album with Kile Odell on mixing, mastering, and production. Additionally, we worked with Dan Müller of Wilderun for the orchestration, with Philip Reed for choir arrangement and recording, and with members of Paladin, Inferi, Alestorm, Lorelei, and many others for guest musical contributions of all kinds.

"Our eternal thanks goes to all who have played a role in providing us the resources to make the music we’ve created so far. As for what the future holds, of course there’s no way to tell... or is there?”

In celebration of today’s announcement, watch a brand new live performance video for “Death” below

Boasting an evident auditory overhaul courtesy of producer Kile Odell and loosely based on the concept of tarot cards, Tarot begins the masterpiece to come with “The Fool” - beginning modestly, then ominously cascading into a black metal-meets-southern-fried riff inspired fury. Further setting the stage for the remainder of the opus, incendiary title track “Tarot” leans heavier into what fans have now come to love from Aether Realm - a confident, cinematic melding of spine-tingling symphonic elements, thrashy rhythms and mind-boggling guitar leads. Following folk metal anthem-turned-talent show “King Of Cups” (featuring labelmate Christopher Bowes of massive pirate metal titans Alestorm), Tarot continues to blindingly shine with tracks like the metallic ballad-echoed “Death” and sinister orchestral oeuvre “The Devil” - the latter of which should catch any competition shaking in their boots. The remainder of Tarot - capped by the nearly 20-minute heroic “The Sun, The Moon, The Star” - proves that it is indeed possible to flawlessly meld southern Americana-metal riffs with European-tinged symphonic soundscapes.

Tarot is the album that every band wishes they could attempt by their second go-round, yet Aether Realm have already achieved it and gaze triumphantly ahead.

The reissue of Tarot will be available in the following formats:

- CD Digipak
- 2LP Gatefold Creamy White
- 2LP Gatefold Marble Red/Black
- CD + Shirt Bundle

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"The Fool"
"Tarot"
"The Tower"
"King Of Cups" (feat. Chris Bowes)
"Death"
"The Chariot"
"The Devil"
"The Emperor"
"Strength"
"Temperance"
"The Sun, The Moon, The Star"
"The Magician" (Bonus Track)

"Death" live video:

Aether Realm is:
Vincent "Jake" Jones - bass, vocals               
Heinrich Arnold - guitar, vocals                    
Tyler Gresham - drums                     
Donny Burbage - guitar       

(Photo - Tyler Gresham)




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American death metal institution Cardiac Arrest has shared their new track "Sodomite". The song hails from the band's seventh album, The Day That Death Prevailed, set for international release on July 17th via Memento Mori on CD format (Boris Records shall release the vinyl version on September 11th). Hear "Sodomite" now.

Formed in the bowels of Chicago way back in 1997, Cardiac Arrest have been carving out aural nightmares of perishing and grime for decades now. Consisting of four individuals with an unearthly interest in all that's absurd, morbid, gruesome, and unhealthy, the band's been consistently getting heavier and more vile with every album they spat out via previous labels such as Razorback Recordings and Ibex Moon Records, honoring timeless death metal of the most grinding and putrid ilk with genuineness and a no-nonsense approach, yet adding enough personality to be in a forever-rotting league of their very own.

Now, more than half a dozen albums deep into their 23-year career, Cardiac Arrest have again have delivered a masterstroke: The Day That Death Prevailed. Much like they did with their previous album for Memento Mori, 2018's acclaimed A Parallel Dimension Of Despair, Cardiac Arrest stick to their guns, but come out with those guns fully blazing! Tastes may change, but these U.S. diehards continue to stay true to the iron-clad ethos of genuine, all-caps DEATH METAL; if anything, they get better with age.

Indeed, the title The Day That Death Prevailed is fitting, for their rigorously fine-tuned form of death metal squarely harkens to older, purer days - when true songwriting was valued most, and the disgusting chops to back it up. Cardiac Arrest do both here, gutsfucking the listener with a fiercely focused mix of headbanging gallops and well-timed bouts of blasting, a streamlined, shit-heavy steamroller that's as catchy as the clap; hooks and grooves and generally memorable nastiness are all sliced and sluiced across The Day That Death Prevailed with absolute ease.

But lest one think "catchy" means "soft," think again: these Chicago miscreants are ever committed to horror in the most classic sense, just like aesthetic forebears Grave, Master, Benediction, Obituary, Cianide, Malevolent Creation, and of course, the Floridian masters Death and Massacre. This deep into their catalog, though, and it's about damn time Cardiac Arrest are included in the (un)hallowed ranks, right?

With suitably stark cover art courtesy of Eric Rot and another crushing mastering job by Javier Felez at Moontower Studios, The Day That Death Prevailed once again proves that old age doesn't soften the diehard one bit - it just kicks them into Cardiac Arrest!

Tracklisting:

"Thrive On The Fear"
"Naegleric Outbreak"
"Birth Of Hideki"
"Plague Ridden Destiny"
"A Call For Violence"
"Eradicate The Masses"
"Endless Dread"
"Sodomite"
"Up From Oblivion"

"Eradicate The Masses":

For further details, visit Cardiac Arrest on Facebook.

 




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"Hell’s Whiskey" is the brand-new single and video from highly rated UK rock act Gallows Circus.

Kent-based ‘blues stained’ hard rock act Gallows Circus have been building quite a formidable reputation across the country with their unmissable brand of hard and heavy rock. Their influences are myriad; from the power of Led Zeppelin through the melodic genius of Thin Lizzy, onto the modern blues-rock of Rival Sons and the hard edge of Soundgarden, Gallows Circus manage to make a sound all of their own.

"Hell’s Whiskey" is the first taste of the band’s upcoming second EP, due September 25th, which sees the acclaimed quartet demonstrating a more focussed, intensely melodic, and hard-hitting sound. The band are coming out swinging!

Gallows Circus is:

Ian Day – vocals
Ben Attwood – guitars 
Steve Kitchener – drums 
Richard Tunbridge - bass

For further details, visit Gallows Circus on Facebook.

 




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David Bowie will get the jigsaw puzzle treatment this summer and fall.

In addition to three previously announced Bowie rocksaws in September, Zee Productions will now add to that with three more coming in October.

"Aladdin Sane", "Heroes" and "Hunky Dory" are due for release on October 9. "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars", "Tonight" and "Never Let Me Down" will be made available on September 4.

Zee Productions will release the album covers as jigsaws via its Rock Saws imprint. The iconic arts of some of rock's most influential and highly regarded albums is presented in puzzle form for the first time ever. All puzzles come in a vinyl-box-set-sized box, perfect to fit alongside a vinyl record collection.

Back in April 2019, Zee Productions launched its new range of rock and metal jigsaw puzzles, Rock Saws.

The first collection included jigsaws based on some of the greatest albums in heavy metal history from IRON MAIDEN, MOTÖRHEAD, JUDAS PRIEST and SLAYER.

Released in September 2019 were the first four classic METALLICA album covers as 500-piece jigsaws ("Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets" and "…And Justice For All") as well as four classic RUSH album covers ("Fly By Night", "A Farewell To Kings", "Permanent Waves" and "Moving Pictures").

For more information, go to this location.

North Carolina’s groove metal outfit WoR is gearing up to release their debut album Prisoners on August 7th via Bungalo Records / Universal. Throwing in elements of thrash, metalcore, and even hardcore punk, everyone in the band has taken a different musical path and the variety of influences shows through in the unique and original sound. 

It’s a little bit melodic and a little bit old school, and completely energetic. The new album Prisoners promises to be an extreme journey from start to finish, a metal album through and through. There are no clean guitars on the whole album, just heavy and groovy riffs. WoR shares their excitement for the release:

“This album has been in the works for several years and we finally get to show you what we have been working on nonstop for the last year. From front to back, this album is meant to take you on a heavy metal journey. It features groovy tracks such as 'Predator', brutal songs such as 'Caged', and melodic anthems such as 'VI Kings'. While the songs are groovy and meant to give your neck whiplash, the lyrics are deep and thought out. The messages behind these songs are ones of resilience and overcoming. If you enjoy heavy riffs, melodic overtones, and just straight-up angry and in your face METAL, this album is for you!”

Through versatile styles, a wide range of metal awaits the listener. The first single from the album is “Predator”, a song that almost didn’t make the album. It was redone in the studio and WoR has released a video for it that is streaming now.

Prisoners artwork and tracklisting:

"Kill You" 
"Caged" 
"VI Kings" 
"Sirens" 
"A Place To Die" 
"Predator" 
"T.G.S.O.A.T"
"Come Out And Play" 
"Hiraeth" 
"Freedom Suicide" 

For further details, visit WoR on Facebook.

 

 

 




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FALLING IN REVERSE has shared the not-so-new song "Carry On". The track was originally recorded during the sessions for 2017's "Coming Home" and was previously unreleased. The band revisited the track and decided now was the time to share it with the world.

FALLING IN REVERSE's latest smash hit single, "Popular Monster", enjoyed a multi-week stint as the No. 1 rock radio song in the country. The song landed in the top spot on the Mediabase active rock chart, Billboard's Hot Hard Rock chart, and the Nielsen rock chart. The chart-topping hit marked the first No.1 single of FALLING IN REVERSE's career. It also follows the recent gold certification of the band's 2011-released debut album "The Drug In Me Is You" and a sold-out anniversary tour.

The band previously dropped the song "Drugs", which features SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor. It marked the third track in a successful trilogy of standalone songs and also included "Losing My Life" and "Losing My Mind".

FALLING IN REVERSE's most recent full-length album, 2017's "Coming Home", is available via Epitaph Records.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Swedish melodic rock combo Rian to a multi-album deal. The first release will be the band's sophomore album, Twenty-Three, which is currently taking shape under the direction of producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder Of My Sweet). 

The new songs were written during 2018-2020 and based on melodies and lyrics written by vocalist/guitarist Richard Andermyr. The initial ideas from Richard were crafted into songs that the band arranged together: first with Richard and drummer Jan Johannsson and later on with the full band.

Rian released their debut album Out Of The Darkness in 2017, which was well received by fans and melodic rock media alike. The band made its live debut during 2018, which began the process of the band becoming more and more of a live unit. Add the amazing lead guitars of Tobias Jakobsson into the mix with the band and you have the cocktail that makes up the Rian 2.0 sound. 

"We are really pleased to sign with Frontiers Music Srl. Since our first contact, the label has been nothing but helpful. We feel right at home with the support we’ve received so far and look forward to using this relationship to enable us to provide our fans with a steady supply of quality music for the years to come. Our sound can, in the easiest way, be explained as a modern version of classic melodic rock music, the way it was produced in the second half of the '80s. The sound is American, but the melodies and chord progressions have very strong Swedish roots. Influences such as Bon Jovi, Dokken, Europe, Queensryche, Survivor, and Winger can be heard in the sound. Also, more modern vibes the likes of Alter Bridge have a presence in our music,” explains Richard Andermyr.  

Keep an eye out for Rian’s return in the coming months. For further details, visit the band on Facebook.

 




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“From the beginning we were beating the streets of Austin. This city is fuckin’ wild. There's always something going on and the party never ends so that good time rock ‘n’ roll thing definitely rubbed off on us as little pups...”

In a world full of fakes and clowns, nothing quite hits the spot like a band that walks it, talks it and rocks it for real. Born amid the musical and cultural whirlwind of Austin, Texas, White Dog already sound like the perfect antidote to plastic sonic bullshit and sanitized radio fodder. In fact, as guitarist Carl Amoss explains, White Dog are the bastard sons of their city’s entire underground scene /and/ the spirit of rock ’n’ roll itself. Alongside drummer brother John, bassist Rex Pape, co-guitarist Clemente De Hoyos and singer Joe Sterling, these old school troublemakers are on a clearly defined mission.

White Dog are set to release their self-titled Rise Above Records debut on September 25. Today the first single from the album, entitled “The Lantern.” Listen to it below.

Like all the greatest bands, White Dog were swift to establish a gang mentality, locating common ground and setting up shop in the middle of it. As you will hear on the band’s fiery and fearless self-titled debut album, Carl and his comrades have a chemistry that can only be conjured through true friendship and shared ideals.

With a sound that owes a noble debt to the greats of proto-metal, heavy progressive rock and turbocharged psychedelia, White Dog explore all kinds of exhilarating territory on their debut. From the flailing, psych-rock kaleidoscope of opener Sawtooth to the edgy, Witchcraft-like strut of Lanterns, and on to the lysergic garage rock of Crystal Panther and wickedly epic closer Verus Cultus, the Texans’ first full-length is a triumph for unpretentious authenticity and the art of old school songwriting.

True to their shared belief in playing untamed rock ’n’ roll that sounds real and alive, White Dog was conceived and executed with analogue values firmly at the forefront. As a result, the album feels almost like a real-time fever dream, with the ultimate psychedelic house band wailing away as reality disintegrates elsewhere.

The final piece of the White Dog jigsaw came when the band signed up with revered UK imprint Rise Above Records. Firmly in their natural habitat, Carl and his band mates are looking forward to a bright future, supported by like-minded people and buoyed by a strong sense that mind-expanding rock ‘n’ roll is still a formidable force, even in this insane world.

Pre-orders will be available in the coming weeks.

White Dog tracklisting:

"Sawtooth"
"Black Powder"
"The Lantern"
"Snapdragon"
"Crystal Panther"
"Abandon Ship"
"Pale Horse"
"Verus Cultus"

"The Lantern":




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Canadian producer, engineer, and musician Bob Rock recently spoke to Tone-Talk about his work on the debut album from '80s rockers KINGDOM COME, a band perhaps best known for its uncanny musical resemblance to LED ZEPPELIN. The 1988 LP featured the song "Get It On", which had a stranglehold on AOR radio, prompting thealbum to ship gold. The quintet took to the road immediately as part of the North American "Monsters of Rock" tour alongside VAN HALEN, SCORPIONS, METALLICA and DOKKEN. In addition to touring and extensive radio airplay, they also became MTV favorites with such videos as "Get It On" and "What Love Can Be", helping the band sell two million albums worldwide.

Speaking about how his collaboration with KINGDOM COME came about, Bob said (see video below): "Derek Shulman, he was the A&R guy, and he says, 'I've got this band I'd like you to do.' So he gave me a shot. And KINGDOM COME was the first thing I did [after] I broke away from [working with producer] Bruce Fairbairn. And basically, they wanted to sound like LED ZEPPELIN, and I was up for it. The drummer was a great drummer, and we just tried to get as close as we could with what I could do at the time. I was learning to be a producer, and it ended up turning out really good. It's a great album. So I really enjoyed it."

LED ZEPPELIN comparisons dogged KINGDOM COME throughout the latter band's '80s peak, in particular singer Lenny Wolf's vocal resemblance to ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant and the group's penchant for blues-based hard rock, a style ZEPPELIN helped pioneer. Unsurprisingly, there was a backlash from critics, with the band being dubbed "KINGDOM CLONE" in the press. Even ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page weighed in on the similarities, stating in a 1998 interview: "Obviously it can get to the point where it gets past being a compliment and it can be rather annoying. When you've got things like KINGDOM COME actually ripping riffs right off, that's a different thing altogether."

Rock told Tone-Talk: "I got to meet [ZEPPELIN bassist] John Paul Jones once — I went for dinner with him. And we were talking about all sorts of things. And we ended up going to this house of the A&R guy, and we had had a couple of bottles of wine. And he found out I did KINGDOM COME, and he started ragging on me and I had to leave. He was so insulted that I did KINGDOM COME. And I was going, 'Dude, you don't get it. We did this because we love you guys so much.' It was so horrible."

A revamped version of KINGDOM COME — comprised of drummer James Kottak, guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB) — has spent much of the last couple of years celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album by playing sporadic shows in the U.S. Wolf declined to participate in the reunion.

SCORPIONS frontman Klaus Meine spoke to Talking Metal about the band's upcoming studio album. Tentatively due in 2021, the disc will mark the German hard rock legends' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of SCORPIONS' new and classic material.

"We hooked up with [producer] Greg Fidelman — he used to work with METALLICA and SLIPKNOT — so we're right on our way bringing the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'," Klaus said (hear audio below). "We try to focus on those albums and this attitude. If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. To start with, it's crazy enough to say, 'Let's make a new record.' It's quite a challenge after all these years. While most other artists say, 'Okay, we put out a couple of [standalone] songs,' like the way we did it with [the recently released single] 'Sign Of Hope', that's good enough. But we said, 'No.' We go the old-fashioned way and make a whole new album. And this time, the focus is on the harder songs. 'Sign Of Hope' is like a real short, sweet and nice ballad, just reflecting this moment in time. But the album will be more on the harder edge. Thankfully, we started writing last year already, and we picked it up after the tour this year, and there's lots and lots of material. Fortunately, and I'll tell you, it's such a privilege and it's a blessing, in this very, very difficult situation we all go through with the coronavirus, it's a blessing we can do something. We go into the studio, work on new songs, new material and really take a deep dive into the creative world and create something new. It's wonderful."

The early songwriting sessions for the new SCORPIONS album are taking place at the bandmembers' homes or at the Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany, with Fidelman taking part via Zoom.

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

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

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

During an appearance on the latest episode of "Live From Nerdville With Joe Bonamassa", Paul Stanley spoke about his continued partnership with fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons — this despite their seeming like extremely different types of people. He said (see video below): "When I met Gene, I didn't particularly like him. But there was pragmatism involved. You have to prioritize and figure what's most important to you to reach your goal. And I knew that Gene and I were much stronger together than me alone. I'm not really sure that he knew that, but that became irrelevant. It was, 'How do I get where I wanna go? How do I achieve what I want?' And Gene was essential to it. And here we are 50-plus years later. It's astounding. We've created something that seems like it will outlast us."

Last year, Stanley told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast his relationship with Gene wasn't affected by the release of Stanley's 2014 memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed".

"Gene's always been very accepting," Paul said. "And we've only gotten closer and closer over time, which is just terrific. I said things in the book that I felt were true, and I would stand by what I said. But it doesn't negate that in the scheme of things, he's been a terrific partner, he's a brother, and he's family. Certainly there were things that I spoke about in the book that aren't true anymore, but they were, to me, at some point. And that book was really my overview of my life. And I really didn't say anything to hurt anyone, and I didn't wanna throw anybody under the bus. There were a few people who walked under the bus — I didn't have to throw 'em. I think Gene has always respected that I have my own perspective. And, again, I couldn't be closer to him than I am now. Totally. I speak to him often.

"It would be crazy and sad to go through what we've done together and what we've accomplished and have ill will or animosity," he continued. "If anything, the two of us look at each other and go, 'Wow!' In those moments of candor, or when we're just talking to each other, or texting each other, there are those texts where it's, like, 'Wow! Look what we've done.' So, yeah, anybody who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken. His family is my family. Shannon [Gene's wife], I've known Shannon probably 35-plus years. [Gene's kids] Nick and Sophie, I feel like their uncle.

"Look, when [my son] Evan was born, the first person in the room to see him was Gene," Paul added. "Even when things have been tough, or there's been tensions in the past — and not in the near past — we always were family. When we had our big earthquake in the '90s, basically I wasn't talking to Gene at the time, and as soon as the ground stopped shaking, I called him. I said, 'Are you okay?' He said, 'Yeah.' And then we kept not talking to each other. But the most important thing was making sure he was okay.

"I'm very, very lucky to have him. And I don't necessarily agree with everything he does. But does anybody?"

In "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", Stanley insisted that his relationship with Simmons has slowly improved over time. But Paul also wrote: "[Gene] chose to ignore his underlying issues and instead committed himself to creating an external façade and persona that, unfortunately, he felt required to knock down anyone who threatened his singularity in the spotlight." He also dismissed the notion that Simmons is some kind of financial genius. "Gene's most successful venture in business was promoting the perception that he was a savvy businessman," Paul wrote.

A few years back, Paul admitted that he "read a little bit of" Gene Simmons's book when it first came out but that he had a different recollection of some of their shared history. While reading Gene's book, Stanley felt, "Gee, I thought I did that. I thought that was me. You thought you were me," he said.

In January 2019, KISS kicked off its second farewell tour, dubbed "End Of The Road".

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci will release his second solo album, "Terminal Velocity" in the fall via Sound Mind Music/The Orchard. The follow-up to 2005's "Suspended Animation" features guest musicians Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER) on drums and Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS) on bass. The effort marks the first time Petrucci and Portnoy recorded together in over a decade, as well as the first since Portnoy departed DREAM THEATER.

"Having Mike play drums on this record was really special for me, and he did an absolutely incredible job navigating the various styles and technical challenges my music presented in the way that only he can do," Petrucci told Billboard. "It was very cathartic for the both of us, I think, to be playing music together again after all these years, and it really felt great. Mike's spirited, intuitive and energetic playing truly helped to elevate these new songs to a level that I couldn't be happier with."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 30 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

Since the 2010 departure of Portnoy, Petrucci, along with keyboardist Jordan Rudess, has taken on much of the songwriting load for DREAM THEATER, including 2016's controversial double concept album, "The Astonishing", and last year's "Distance Over Time".

Earlier this month, Petrucci told the official DREAM THEATER fan club that out of the nine songs on "Terminal Velocity", two of them he had played live during the "G3" tours and at his guitar camp. "One of them is a really old song from the early '90s when I was doing guitar clinics," he explained. "Actually, it's called 'Gemini', and there's a snippet of it on the 'Rock Discipline' video I did back in '95; there's a little bit of me playing that. So, for anybody that knows of that song, it's sort of an interesting little throwback to that, 'cause I never got a chance to really record it properly. There was one song I had written, I guess, around the same time as 'Happy Song' and 'Glassy-Eyed Zombies' that I played on 'G3', but I never did anything with it. Honestly, I kind of forgot I had it. It's called 'The Way Things Fall'. When I was looking through all my files and everything, I was, like, 'I forgot about this song,' and I had a full demo of it. I was, like, 'This is really cool.' So I was able to record that for real. And then that leaves the remaining five songs, which are all brand new. And I wrote those and recorded those, along with the other four, again, over about two months."




JOHN PETRUCCI - TERMINAL VELOCITY@JPetrucci - Guitar

Dave LaRue - Bass@MikePortnoy - Drums

⠀

TERMINAL VELOCITY

THE ODDFATHER

HAPPY SONG

GEMINI

OUT OF THE BLUE

GLASSY-EYED ZOMBIES

THE WAY THINGS FALL

SNAKE IN MY BOOT

TEMPLE OF CIRCADIA#johnpetrucci #mikeportnoy #davelarue pic.twitter.com/K48H9NniSy

— Mike Portnoy ? (@MikePortnoy) July 1, 2020

Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo recently guested on The Vinyl Guide (Episode 20) and dove into his lengthy resume including standout moments, such as hearing unreleased, extended Ozzy Osborne tracks featuring Randy Rhoads, his involvement in the legacy of Jaco Pastorius, playing the "Bass Of Doom" and gives a Covid-19 update on Metallica.

Trujillo: "For me, he was one of the biggest influences. I'd have to say - Jaco, Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, and Anthony Jackson who played bass on 'For the Love of Money' (The O'jays). And I ended up meeting Jaco around the time that we were filming for the interviews (for the 'Jaco' documentary), and he ended up being really cool, and we stayed in contact, and I always sort of channeled their energy into what I would write for Infectious Grooves. There's a lot of specific moments where I'm actually pulling directly from the people that I grew up listening to, and Jaco is definitely a huge inspiration for Infectious, absolutely. A song like 'Violent & Funky', it's not a fretless bass, but that is absolutely kind of inspiration from him. And the same thing with the song 'Therapy' which featured Ozzy, so it's all there."

The JACO documentary had its world premiere in 2015 at Austin's SxSW Film Conference & Festival, accompanied by a panel discussion featuring filmmakers Trujillo and Marchand as well as longtime Pastorius collaborator Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Word of Mouth) and Executive Producer John Pastorius.

A single-disc collection of music from the documentary film, JACO, the JACO: Original Soundtrack premiered three brand-new recordings including two riveting interpretations of Jaco classics: "Come On Come Over" by Mass Mental (featuring Robert Trujillo, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Flea, Whit Crane, Benji Webbe, Stephen Perkins & C-Minus) and "Continuum" by Rodrigo y Gabriel; and "Shine," the new track by Tech N9ne containing a sample of "Kuru," as recorded by Jaco Pastorius.

Produced by Robert Trujillo and Jaco's eldest son John Pastorius IV, JACO: Original Soundtrack brings together 16 essential recordings including Jaco Pastorius solo tracks, Weather Report masterpieces and musical collaborations with Joni Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Herbie Hancock and more. The album offers music fans the rare evocative sonic soundscape, "Longing," featuring Jaco's daughter Mary Pastorius (vox), Chuck Doom (bass), Robert Thomas, Jr. (hand drums/drum kit) and God (rain/thunder).

Legacy's JACO: Original Soundtrack includes liner notes on Jaco Pastorius penned by Robert Trujillo and album co-producer Chuck Doom.

JACO: Original Soundtrack tracklisting:

“Come On, Come Over” - Jaco Pastorius
“Continuum” - Jaco Pastorius
“River People” - Weather Report
“Teen Town” - Weather Report
“Portrait Of Tracy” - Jaco Pastorius
“The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines” (Live Version) - Joni Mitchell
“All American Alien Boy” - Ian Hunter
“Liberty City” (with Herbie Hancock) - Jaco Pastorius
“Okonkole Y Trompa” - Jaco Pastorius
“Barbary Coast” - Weather Report
“Crisis” - Jaco Pastorius
“Longing” - Mary Pastorius
“Nineteen Eighty Seven” - †††
“Shine” - Tech N9ne
“Continuum” - Rodrigo y Gabriela
“Come On Come Over” - Mass Mental (featuring Robert Trujillo, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Flea, Whit Crane, Benji Webbe, Stephen Perkins & C-Minus)

Theatrical trailer:




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Showtime Documentary Films today announced a new feature documentary from Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese that profiles David Johansen, the celebrated frontman of the NEW YORK DOLLS. Emmy nominee David Tedeschi will co-direct with Scorsese, and Scorsese and Sikelia Productions will executive produce with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Imagine Documentaries. The announcement was made by Vinnie Malhotra, executive vice president, nonfiction programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

"I've known David Johansen for decades, and his music has been a touchstone ever since I listened to the DOLLS when I was making 'Mean Streets'," said Scorsese. "Then and now, David's music captures the energy and excitement of New York City. I often see him perform, and over the years I've gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations. After seeing his show last year at the Café Carlyle, I knew I had to film it because it was so extraordinary to see the evolution of his life and his musical talent in such an intimate setting. For me, the show captured the true emotional potential of a live musical experience."

The film will reveal the many faces of Johansen in an extraordinarily intimate feature documentary. Growing up on Staten Island, Johansen landed in New York's East Village in the late 1960s; a 16-year-old dropped into the epicenter of the counter-cultural revolution in music, theatre, fashion, art, writing, and social change — a seismic moment that still reverberates today. Johansen's musical career started in the 1970s as lead singer for the punk/glam pioneers the NEW YORK DOLLS, continued as he helped to usher in the swing revival as Buster Poindexter in the 1980s and dug deep into the blues with the HARRY SMITHS in the 1990s.

"It is an honor for all of us at Showtime to be working with Martin Scorsese, who unquestionably stands as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time," said Malhotra. "Over the past few decades his documentary work has taken us inside the lives of some of the most iconic musicians, from THE BAND to THE ROLLING STONES to Bob Dylan, and now David Johansen and the NEW YORK DOLLS. Johansen's story transcends the walls of music and is a window into the art and cultural evolution of New York City."

"We're ecstatic to have Showtime as our partners and to be in business with Marty on his next feature doc," said Imagine Documentaries president Justin Wilkes. "Ron, Sara (Bernstein) and I had the thrill of attending the Carlyle performance where we witnessed David's electricity burning up the stage, which Marty masterfully harnessed into his battery of cameras. If that's not the beginning of a movie, I'm not sure what is... "

To tell this story, Scorsese is working with longtime collaborators, including producer Margaret Bodde, director of photography Ellen Kuras, and Tedeschi. Scorsese and his team filmed Johansen earlier this year at New York's legendary Café Carlyle. Johansen performed songs he had written over the years and told vivid stories from his astonishing life. As he has done with all of his acclaimed documentaries, Scorsese will take the audience on an unforgettable New York journey from the 1970s through today, revealing Johansen through exclusive performances, archival footage and present-day verité of the artist and raconteur.

Scorsese has earned 14 Oscar nominations in his career — directing nine "Best Picture" nominees from "Taxi Driver" to "The Irishman" — and won Oscar, Golden Globe and DGA awards for directing "The Departed". He has also received 11 Emmy nominations, winning director honors for "Boardwalk Empire" and two Emmys for "George Harrison: Living In The Material World". In addition, he earned a Grammy Award for "Best Music Film" for "No Direction Home". Scorsese is the most nominated living director in Oscar history.

The documentary is produced for Showtime by Margaret Bodde for Sikelia Productions and Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein of Imagine Documentaries. The film is executive produced by Scorsese alongside Imagine Entertainment chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, Rick Yorn and Mara Hennessey.

Image courtesy of YouTube user Kevin Michelson

Lita Ford spoke to Sweetwater's Nick Bowcott about how she has been spending her coronavirus downtime. She said (see video below): "In early March, we were on The 80s Cruise ship, and that's when everything got announced to us. Basically, 'Your summer's canceled.' And so we came off the cruise, and we just came home, and we've been home ever since. It was the second week of March. I had finished writing the record — the new record that isn't out yet — I had finished writing it, and to tell you the truth, I was so done with writing by the time that record was finished and recorded. We just finished it in January of 2020. And so I came off the road, and of course, you've gotta wind your gears down. I mean, it's so difficult to wind those gears down from being on tour. And I didn't wanna really write. I just kind of went into 'yoga mode' and 'stay healthy' mode — like, stay away from the refrigerator and try and get a little bit of cardio in. And, of course, where we are here in the Arizona desert, it's, like, 112 [degrees Fahrenheit]. So you get out and ride your bike at eight o'clock at night, it's about 108. So that's kind of what I do — I go out and I sweat and I mountain bike and do my yoga and try to stay away from the refrigerator."

Lita has spent the last couple of years working on her long-awaited new solo album. The follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" is once again being helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc, alongside the rest of Ford's backing band, which continues to consist of guitarist Patrick Kennison, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Marty O'Brien.

Last year, Lita told The Metal Voice that her new album will include a song called "Monsters", which was inspired by infamous cult leaders like Charles Manson and David Koresh. "It's just really dark and nasty stuff — brainwashing people and all the stuff [Koresh] did, and got all those people to drink Kool-Aid," she said. "But then again, it could be someone like your attorney, or it could be someone like your mom who is the monster in your life. It could be your manager. You never know who the monster in your life is gonna turn out to be."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Four years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Former GREAT WHITE and current JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell has blasted people who refuse to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection.

Russell addressed the hot-button issue as lawmakers push harder for their constituents to wear face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus. President Donald Trump has been loath to wear a mask, despite the advice of public health experts.

Asked in a new interview with Austria's Mulatschag if he goes out often while in quarantine, Russell — who lives on a 45-foot yacht in Redondo Beach, California — said: "No. I go to the store when I have to. There's no need to be out [in public places]. People don't take it seriously — they don't take the virus seriously. It's sad.

"I don't know what everybody else out there is thinking — they may think I'm full of it — but I take this very seriously.

"It's no small wonder that when you open all these places up, 'Gee, the numbers [of coronavirus cases] rose up.' It's, like, what did you think was gonna happen? It's, like, 'I took my mask off and I got COVID.' Well, what a big surprise that is.

"People just don't think. They come down to the beach down here and they wanna pretend like [the virus] doesn't exist. Well, that's fine. If you wanna get sick, that's great. But put your mask on for me, because I've got my mask on.

"The numbers, the way it works out, if I just wear [my mask], I'm not that safe. If you put yours on too, I'm 70 percent safe as opposed to being zero-point-something [safe]. It's amazing the amount that it changes.

"It's, like, if you don't wanna help yourself, help everybody else. 'Well, it's my right. It's my human right.' Well, look, dude, you've gotta pay for your car to get smogged, you've gotta have a seat belt, you have a driver's license, you have to have a license to be born, you have to have a marriage license. I mean, so you have to wear a mask for a while so you don't die. What's the problem?"

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE is working on material for the follow-up to 2017's "He Saw It Comin'" LP.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE recently released "Once Bitten Acoustic Bytes", a very special acoustic album revisiting GREAT WHITE's 1987 multi-platinum masterpiece "Once Bitten" featuring some of the band's biggest and most recognizable hits, including "Save Your Love" and "Rock Me".

"He Saw It Comin'" was released in January 2017 and featured the singles "Blame It On The Night", "Sign Of The Times" and "Love Don't Live Here".

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet says that anyone who refuses to wear a face mask is selfish and reckless with the lives of others.

Sweet addressed one of the most hotly debated pandemic topics as lawmakers push harder for their constituents to wear face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus. President Trump and Vice President Pence either refuse to wear a mask or wear one only occasionally, sending inconsistent messages about the importance of citizens wearing masks even as COVID-19 spreads at record levels.

Earlier today, Sweet took to his Instagram to write: "Why is there such a debate about wearing a mask versus not wearing a mask? If it lowers the risk of the virus being spread (even if it's by a small margin) then why would you not want to contribute to lowering the stats? No one likes to wear a mask but my God, if it keeps others safe then why would you not want to? Hum..... When I go out, often I see so many folks not wearing masks and I think to myself 'how selfish'. It's so simple. Lose the pride and stubbornness and just play by the rules. Maybe I'm asking for too much. Many play by their own rules and sadly that's why we're in this position. Thank you. #maskon"

Back in November 2016, Sweet drew criticism from some STRYPER fans for posting a picture of Trump and congratulating the real estate mogul for "working his ass off for the presidency of the United States of America."

In early March, Sweet praised Trump's actions that served to ramp up the federal government's response to the COVID-19 epidemic — even after Trump was criticized by some parts of the media for downplaying fears about COVID-19 or actively spreading misinformation about its repercussions.

Two months ago, Sweet said that he would like to see his band represented by Trump's fourth White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany.
























View this post on Instagram


































Why is there such a debate about wearing a mask versus not wearing a mask? If it lowers the risk of the virus being spread (even if it’s by a small margin) then why would you not want to contribute to lowering the stats? No one likes to wear a mask but my God, if it keeps others safe then why would you not want to? Hum..... When I go out, often I see so many folks not wearing masks and I think to myself “how selfish”. It’s so simple. Lose the pride and stubbornness and just play by the rules. Maybe I’m asking for too much. Many play by their own rules and sadly that’s why we’re in this position. Thank you. #maskon

A post shared by Michael Sweet (@michaelsweetstryper) on Jul 3, 2020 at 7:37am PDT

THE DEAD DAISIES — the hard rock "collective" founded by Australian musician and businessman David Lowy — will release a new digital EP, "The Lockdown Sessions", on July 17 via Steamhammer/SPV. The effort will contain four acoustic tracks, all of them exclusive to this EP.

Comments SPV label manager Olly Hahn: "We’re proud and happy to continue to work with this fantastic act after our successful collaboration over recent years. The combination of THE DEAD DAISIES and SPV is and will continue to be a recipe for success!" THE DEAD DAISIES add: "No place like home and we are where we belong, ready for the next exciting chapter, our best yet!"

Regarding "The Lockdown Sessions", Lowy said: "As soon as it had become clear that our tour and album release would have to be postponed until 2021, we recorded these acoustic tracks with our fans in mind. 'The Lockdown Sessions' is our way to stay in touch with everyone despite the global restrictions."

"The Lockdown Sessions" contains four tracks: "Unspoken", "Righteous Days" and an amazing version of the HUMBLE PIE classic "30 Days In The Hole", with these three exclusive unplugged versions also featuring as powerful rock tracks on the upcoming album, "Holy Ground". The EP rounds out with a stripped back version of "Fortunate Son", featuring drummer Deen Castronovo on lead vocals.

"The Lockdown Sessions" unmistakably proves that Glenn Hughes has already added his distinctive sound to THE DEAD DAISIES.

"As we all know, Glenn is a fantastic bassist and vocalist who is rightly referred to as 'The Voice Of Rock,'" Lowy says. "We really enjoyed ourselves with him at the studio and can hardly wait to present the new songs and current lineup live on stage."

"The Lockdown Sessions" track listing:

01. Unspoken (acoustic version)

02. Fortunate Son (live)

03. Righteous Days (acoustic version)

04. 30 Days In The Hole (acoustic version)

"Holy Ground" will be released on January 22, 2021. The album was recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse. The follow-up to 2018's "Burn It Down", will be the band's first to feature Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), who joined the group last year as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).

In an interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" at this past January's NAMM convention in Anaheim, California, Hughes spoke about how he came to be involved with THE DEAD DAISIES. He said: "They wanted someone in, and they were asking me about a year ago if I would be interested in doing this. And I've been doing the 'Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple' [shows] for a couple of years, and I thought it would be appropriate for me to take a break from that and do something other than [that]. And I got together with the guys and we had a play. I've known Doug a long time, as you know. And it just fell together beautifully. It's a beautiful piece of music. I can't wait for people to hear it."

Asked what the new DEAD DAISIES material sounds like, Glenn said: "It's classic rock and it's a groovy album. It's got a lot of melodies to it. It's what you can imagine with me joining them — what could have happened and what has happened. It's a very interesting piece of music."

THE DEAD DAISIES 2020 are:

* Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) - Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar

* Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO) - Guitar

* David Lowy (MINK, RED PHOENIX) - Guitar

* Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY, BAD ENGLISH, HARDLINE) – Drums

Vocalist Ian Parry (Elegy, Consortium Project) is back in the studio recording vocals and co-writing songs with Dimitris Goutziamanis (Rock Emporium), Walter Cianciusi and Dario Parente (Geoff Tate band / Headless). Rock Emporium 2 will also include many familiar musicians appearing on the first album release from 2016. Already a number of powerful melodic rock songs have been written and plans are being made for live shows in Europe (Italy, Greece and Holland) in the spring of 2021. More news coming soon!

In Flagrante Delicto, fifth solo album by Parry was released in late February. The album includes ten hypnotic catchy modern power rock synthesizer/guitar/vocal based songs in a diverse style ranging from Yes style synthesizer atmospheres, to Whitesnake/ Foreigner classic rock and a hint of Rammstein together with a commercial heart felt Bad English/Peter Gabriel style ballad.

Parry comments: “This is a fictional story of a race of people whose origins were uncannily similar to mankind. They travelled across the universe searching for a better home and settled on planet earth. Through the centuries their origins and ways to preserve nature now are all forgotten. Only a circular stone tablet remains to this day, containing written predictions of a future on the brink of destruction caused not by war, but by harmful man-made plastics releasing deadly toxics. The final prediction was “our destiny is that only mankind processes the power to save humanity.”

After spending more than a decade (co-) writing and compiling songs to best illustrate this serious issue, Ian sings out a passionate message from the heart, but still retains the creative edge for a little fantasy for his fans. Ian’s wish is simply to make more people aware of what’s happening in his own way via music, with the talent and support of incredible musicians: guitarists - Stephan Lill (Vanden Plas) and co-writer; Patrick Rondat; drummers - Casey Grillo (Kamelot), Imre Daun (Brian Robertson Band), Andreas Lill & Gary King; bass guitarists - Barend Courbois (Blind Guardian, Tank), Torsten Reichert; keyboard player & co-songwriter - Jeroen van der Wiel, plus many more.

As an established singer in the world of rock and metal with worldwide sales exceeding 200,000, Ian Parry’s almost 40 year career being with his first professional band Mono Pacific in 1981 has given him the opportunity to work with many well-known artists such as Kamelot, Elegy, Ayreon, Mob Rules, Royal Hunt, Vengeance, Hammerhead, Valencia, Infinity Overture, Crystal Tears, Von Baltzer & his self-produced 5-album epic rock metal concept Consortium Project.

Produced by Ian, In Flagrante Delicto has been masterfully mixed by Swedish engineer/producer Martin Kronlund (Hammerfall/ Firewind/ Rock Emporium). In Flagrante Delicto opens a new chapter in Ian’s phenomenal career combining passion, true facts and raw power in a modern synthesizer / guitar based melodic rock album.

Check out the BraveWords album review here.

"In Flagrante Delicto" video:

Audio preview:

 




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Former TNT singer Tony Harnell is racing ahead with one eye in the rear-view fronting ECHOBATS, a new all-star, quarantine-inspired project alongside WHITESNAKE/TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA guitarist Joel Hoekstra (guitar), NIGHT RANGER's Eric Levy on keyboards and the tight, crackling rhythm of Matt Starr's (MR. BIG, ACE FREHLEY) kit and James LoMenzo's (WHITE LION, MEGADETH) bass.

"Save Me From Loving You", mixed by Chris Collier, is the surprise new summertime, '70s glam-infused single that brings a Penny Lane-style spark to the pop side of Harnell's sound with the bite of this banging ECHOBATS band.

Says Harnell: "The lyrics for 'Save Me From Loving You' are ironic for such a happy song. They're kinda dark; describing someone who's pretending to be something that looks good to the world while hiding a dark and empty soul. I think, against the happy melodies, it gives it a kind of cinematic mood. 'Isn't there more to you than shine, or are you an empty room.' A friend of mine described the song as Bop-Noir:) I kinda like that!

"The video for 'Save Me from Loving You' is just us using what we had around us in quarantine; I'm in England and had a phone booth nearby and the guys were at home across the U.S.! It was totally off the cuff and fun. The music and melodies are kinda '60s/'70s, and I went with that for my shots, and Arielle edited the video with that energy and flair."

Harnell's music journey took off at 21 when he signed his first record deal with Mercury Records. Since then, he's been a fan favorite whether on his own, leading the Norwegian/American hard rock group TNT, or as the frontman for the TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS featuring Bumblefoot.

Hoekstra currently plays for WHITESNAKE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Joel is also well known for his work with Cher, NIGHT RANGER, the Broadway show "Rock Of Ages", his fill-in work with FOREIGNER and annual sets on the Monsters Of Rock cruise. He is also a frequent columnist for Guitar World magazine. In 2015, Joel released the debut album from his side project JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13 and a follow-up is in the works.

July 1st is Canada Day, and The Great White North celebrated its 153rd birthday. To help mark the occassion, all-Canadian cover band Toque recorded a Covid-eo for Surrey, BC. Sit back and enjoy as Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz (who both play in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators), along with Cory Churko, and Shane Gaalaas, perform their first-ever original song, "Never Enough For You". 

"Never Enough For You" appears on Toque's second album, Never Enough, which was released in 2019. Visit toquerocks.ca to learn more.




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San Jose death dealers Mortuous will unveil a limited vinyl repressing of their Through Wilderness debut on July 3rd.

Mortuous - featuring within its ranks past and present members of Exhumed, Repulsion, Necrot, and Vastum, among others - released their Through Wilderness debut in 2018 via a joint collaboration with Carbonized Records and Tankcrimes. Captured at Earhammer Studios with Greg Wilkinson (Brainoil, Vastum, Necrot), the record includes guest appearances by Chris Reifert and Danny Coralles of Autopsy, Derrel Houdashelt, formerly of Exhumed, and Teresa Wallace of Dreaming Dead, and comes swathed in the cover art of Marald Van Haasteren (Bolt Thrower, Baroness, Necrot). The latest vinyl pressing will be limited to 600 copies in two color variants: grimace purple and black and cyan blue.  

For orders, visit the Carbonized Records Bandcamp page or Storenvy. Through Wilderness will be available internationally through Dawnbreed, Extremely Rotten, and Me Saco Un Ojo.

Tracklisting:

“Crossing Eternity”
“Ghost Of A Storm”
“Sand In The Sky”
“High Above The Crown”
“Kingdome Come”
“Embrace Your Voices”
“Journey To The End Of Dreams”
“Winter Poem”
“Haunted”
“Dreams Fall”
“Angles Cry, Rainbows Hide”
“Spirit Of The Forest”
“War Of Gods”

“Crossing Eternity” video:




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LYNCH MOB, which is led by former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch, has pulled out of its previously announced July 17 concert with DOKKEN at Dr. Pepper Park in Roanoke, Virginia. According to a post on the venue's social media, "There is an illness in a band member's family that has prevented them from coming to the park." DOKKEN and RED REIGN will still perform as a scheduled.

Dr. Pepper Park is one of several DOKKEN/LYNCH MOB shows this summer which were supposed to include an "encore performance" with Lynch and DOKKEN leader Don Dokken.

This past March, Lynch rejoined DOKKEN on stage at the Hard Rock Live in Biloxi, Mississippi to perform three of the band's classic songs: "Kiss Of Death", "When Heaven Comes Down" and "Tooth And Nail".

DOKKEN's classic lineup — Dokken, Lynch, bassist Jeff Pilson and drummer "Wild" Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018.

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill and guitarist Jon Levin.


Due to circumstances outside of our control, Lynch Mob will no longer be performing at Dr Pepper Park. There is an...

Posted by Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges on Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Progressive sludge metal outfit, Barishi, has shared an official drum playthrough for the song "Entombed In Gold Forever", which is taken from their latest release, Old Smoke.

Old Smoke is out now via Season of Mist. Order Old Smoke here.

Cover art by Kuba Sokolski.

"The Silent Circle":

"Entombed In Gold Forever" video:

“Blood Aurora”:




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Italy's The Modern Age Slavery have released the video below, along with the following message:

"On 3rd July we had the pleasure to join UK Tech Fest At Home 2020 with our live version of 'The Reprisal Within' played in a rehearsal room (thanks COVID-19).
Here's the whole video, in case you missed it!"




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Frontiers Music Srl have released Shining Black's self-titled debut. Shining Black is the new band featuring vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire, Royal Hunt), and guitarist Olaf Thorsen (Labyrinth, Vision Divine).

Order the album here, and watch a music video for "Boogeyman" below.

Shining Black's self-titled debut showcases cutting edge melodic metal songwriting techniques from Thorsen combined with the outstanding vocal abilities of Boals. The roots of this new metal collaboration go back to the year 2014 when the Italian power/progressive metal band Labyrinth was faced with the dilemma of moving forward without their long-time singer Roberto Tiranti. After much consideration, the band chose to work with none other than Mark Boals and started to work on new songs which would have been released on the band’s next album; however, the busy schedule kept by Mark did not fit in with the recording plans the band had at the time. Therefore, Labyrinth after some years on hiatus went ahead with a new record (Architecture Of A God) once again with Tiranti.

Despite not getting to work together, Mark and Ölaf remained in touch and when the occasion arose, by suggestion from Frontiers, the two artists took the opportunity to work together. Thus the Shining Black project was born. All in all, this is a fabulous melodic metal record which the Frontiers label is beyond proud to present to all the discerning metal fans out there.

Dark metal institution Agathodaimon have officially signed a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records. Formed by Sathonys (guitar) and Matthias Rodig (drums), the German five-piece quickly evolved, performed at major European festivals and released six studio albums throughout their vast career. Seven years after their highly praised full length, In Darkness, Agathodaimon reunited in February 2020 and are currently working on new material! More to be announced soon!

Sathonys: "We’re proud to announce that we have signed a deal with Napalm Records! As some of you know, Agathodaimon was put on hold for years. We've been working on a reunion for many months though, to get back in shape- and when we finally felt ready and announced the comeback in February, we were hoping to find a good partner soon, to release our next album. Yet, I didn't expect that we would be contacted by Napalm right away, a label that has developed in such an impressive way over the course of the last decades. Not only being able to sign lots of excellent bands, but who also managed to gather an impressive team of specialists over the course of time, all fully dedicated to and passionate about metal. So, here we are, and we couldn't be more excited to be part of their artist roster. We're absolutely looking forward to working with these guys!"

Napalm Records A&R Sebastian Muench: "In 1998, Agathodaimon released Blacken The Angel, an absolute masterpiece! As many, back in the good old days, I heard first about the band when I bought Metal Hammer Germany magazine and listened to the sampler CD that came with it. The song 'Tristetea Vehementa' on the Off Road Tracks Vol. 10 Metal Hammer compilation made me fan for life. Agathodaimon was able to perfectly combine the best elements from Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal and Black Metal. The song 'Body Of Clay' is arguably even one of the best Doom Metal songs. All five album releases followed that recipe and resulted in some very unique and timeless classic albums. We are super excited to work with Agathodaimon in the future!"

During Corona-lockdown and due to the fact that Ragnarök Festival was cancelled (where the band was due to play), they put together this joint effort - each band member recorded audio / video of this song individually, and this is the merged result.