Swedish guitarist, songwriter and producer Magnus Karlsson says he is open to recording a full-length album with Tony Martin after previously collaborating with the former BLACK SABBATH singer on two songs from his solo project MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL. "I asked him, and we talked about it, but it didn't happen yet," Magnus told Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com in a new interview. "But maybe. He didn't say no, but he really wants it to be the right songs and we have to work on it. I already sent him some tracks, and he had to think about it. So he's a little picky, but that's great. He's also the only one on the FREE FALL albums that writes his own lyrics and melodies too. Because he said, 'When you hire me, you don't just hire a singer — you hire the whole thing, with my approach to melodies and lyrics.' And I said, 'Yes, that's fine.'"

Martin makes an appearance on the song "Temples And Towers" from the third MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL album "We Are The Night", which was released on June 12 via Frontiers Music Srl. Martin can also be heard on "When The Sky Falls", from 2015's "Kingdom Of Rock".

BLACK SABBATH released six albums with Martin on vocals: "The Eternal Idol" (1987), "Headless Cross" (1989), "Tyr" (1990), "Cross Purposes" (1994), "Cross Purposes Live" (1995) and "Forbidden" (1995). Eventually, Martin and his "Forbidden"-era bandmates were ousted when guitarist Tony Iommi reunited with SABBATH's fellow original members.

In a 2012 interview with Über Röck, Martin said that he was "surprised" to see Tony Iommi criticizing him in the guitarist's "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" book (referring to the Martin period, especially the touring phase following the release of "Cross Purposes" in 1994, Iommi lambasted his former singer as "unprofessional" and having "no stage presence"). Martin said: "I mean, they never said anything to me. Surely, if you've got a problem, the first person you should say something to is the person that's in the band with you... It sounds like a really stupid thing to say, as they didn't say anything to my face — and, if that's the case, then more fool them for not saying anything, because, you know, we could have fixed it. I said to them, endlessly, that if there was anything they wanted changed, done differently, just to say and we could fix it, but clearly, they didn't, they hadn't got the guts to, obviously, and to write about it in a book afterwards seems a bit daft to me. I'm not bitter about it, but it is surprising... It seems a bit stupid to say that after the event."

Four years ago, Iommi told I Heart Guitar that "it's a shame" that "it took a lot for people to accept" Martin as SABBATH's vocalist. "It's taken all these years later for people to say, 'Oh blimey, that was a good band with good singing.' So it took a long time to get people to really realize how good it was."

Back in 2018, Iommi spent time in the studio remixing "Forbidden". The LP, which features Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, is often regarded as SABBATH's worst studio recording.

Martin's last solo album, "Scream", was released in November 2005 via MTM Music.

Tony Martin photo credit: Rob Billingham

Sebastian Bach is open to the idea of embarking on a special tour in 2021 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's "Slave To The Grind" album.

Asked by a fan on Twitter if he will "possibly be doing a 'Slave' 30th anniversary tour next year," Bach responded: "Anything's possible".

Released in June 1991, "Slave To The Grind" quickly soared to platinum status and became the first LP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart since it began using Nielsen Music data in May of 1991.

In a January 2019 interview with Billboard, Bach spoke about SKID ROW's decision to follow up its multi-platinum self-titled debut album with a much more aggressive sophomore effort. He said: "The times were getting heavier. The bands that didn't get heavier in '91 really lost fans quick. Looking in hindsight, the whole scene was changing to a darker thing. If we had gotten lighter than the first SKID ROW record in '91, I don't think we'd be doing this interview right now."

"Slave To The Grind" spent a week at No. 1 and has sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone.

Back in 2015, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan discussed the "Slave To The Grind" songwriting process with The Aquarian. "I think a lot of people expected us to become formulaic with the way we approached the first record and we had no interest in doing that," he said. "And I'm so proud of all of us for being on the same page with that. I'm not saying that it would have been easy from the creative standpoint to sort of go along the lines of the first record, because it had some pretty big songs as far as radio goes, but we were in a different mindset. We had gone from barely leaving the state of New Jersey to seeing the world that very few people are privileged with."

Last fall, Bach completed a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's self-titled debut album. During the trek, Sebastian usually opened his 15-song set with "Tornado" — the LP's final track — and "Forever" before the singer performed the rest of "Skid Row" in order. As an encore, Sebastian played two songs from "Slave To The Grind": the title track and "Monkey Business".




Anything's possible https://t.co/RMRUOpKaxE

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) June 11, 2020

THE AGONIST's music video for "Orphans", the title track of the band's sixth studio album, can be seen below. Filmed in haunting black and white, the clip dances between striking, dramatic and abstract images of frontwoman Vicky Psarakis as she delivers the eerie message of the track.

"The story behind 'Orphans' was inspired by the novel 'We Have Always Lived In The Castle' by Shirley Jackson," she says. "It emphasizes the feeling of 'not belonging' and the social and physical isolation that comes as a result of that.

"Even though we've all felt like outcasts at some point in our lives, it's important to remember that we're never truly alone and that there's always someone there for you. We're all 'orphans,' but we're in this life together."

"Orphans" was released last September via Rodeostar Records. The disc was described in a press release as "a true monster feeding on melodic death metal and almost rocking moments. In between beautifully anthemic metal sound walls, pounding grooves and fierce riffs, charismatic vocalist Vicky Psarakis showcases her impressive range that covers everything from rock diva all the way to sick death metal growls. The result is a flickering, iridescent and varied masterpiece nestled in between sheer brutality and melodic frailty."

"When I heard the first instrumentals for 'Orphans' I was a bit shocked and confused," Vicky said. "The music was really dark and heavier than anything we've done in previous albums and I wasn't quite sure how I'd be able to match that emotion. But then, you know, all it took was writing one full song to get the ball rolling and 2-3 months later, everything was done.

"With every new album, we love to experiment and dip our toes into new territory, but there's also a lot of elements here that are reminiscent of the earlier days. Vocally, there's a wide range of styles, some of which I tried out for the first time, and the lyrics are mostly inspired from horror stories and real-life tragedies. Events that I felt a lot of people can relate to."

German metal queen Doro Pesch played her first drive-in concert in Germany this past Saturday (June 13) while complying with the country's social distancing regulations amid the coronavirus pandemic. The show place at the CARantena-Arena in Worms.

Professionally filmed video footage of the entire gig can be seen below.

After the show, Doro took to her Twitter to share a clip of the performance, and she wrote in an accompanying message: "Man, our first show at a #driveincinema / #Autokino was soooo #awesome! What an #amazing crowd! We had a #blast! #Worms, we #love you!"

Doro's next drive-in show will take place on June 28 at Bottrop’s Autokino am Moviepark.

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino recently told investors on a quarterly earnings call that the company would experiment with drive-in shows this summer.

The first Live Nation show was held last month in Denmark, with 600 cars in attendance.

The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten said the crowds were respectful of distancing regulations and there were no notable incidents at the event, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tom See, Live Nation's president of venues, told Rolling Stone that the tentative plan is for Live Nation to put on these concerts in their amphitheaters and allow fans to tailgate and give pod-style seating to keep social distancing measures active.

"Our ultimate goal is to connect fans with artists to create those lasting memories, and we have teams around the world exploring unique ways to make that happen," See said. "There's not a one-size-fits-all approach to drive-in concerts, but we're fortunate to have our venues and logistics in place to ramp these shows up quickly as communities are ready. Artists and fans are having fun with them, and employees and crews are glad to be working some shows, so for us it's a win all around."

Doro will release her new single, "Brickwall", digitally on June 26 via Nuclear Blast and on vinyl on July 31.

EN MINOR, the new "depression core" project of Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN), will release its full-length debut, "When The Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out", on September 4 via Housecore Records in the U.S. and Season Of Mist in Europe. A pre-sale announcement video is available below.

A project inadvertently in the making since Anselmo's earliest days as a child in the French Quarter, EN MINOR is an experimental and eclectic musical endeavor that finds the legendary frontman exploring a softer, graver vocal style, delivering brooding tales of pain, remorse, and sorrow. The band released a self-titled seven-inch EP this summer via Housecore Records, with a proper full-length to see official unveiling in the New Year.

"The initial strains — in the most primitive sense — came about when I was given my first guitar at nine-years old," relays Anselmo of the EN MINOR project. "I didn't have the patience to learn other people's music, so I wrote my own. And some of those early parts are still prevalent in the songs we're working with now. Fast forward to 1988 when I bought my first four-track recorder; those old songs took on a new life and newer songs were written. Heavy metal was at the forefront of my performance-based output, but these little four-track songs were always there. I always had an apprehension about allowing them to be heard though, because they were so different; only a small circle of close friends got to hear them."

By 1993, Anselmo moved back to his hometown of New Orleans and his home became an instant magnet for local musicians and artists. "At ungodly hours, these old four-track songs took on an even newer life jamming with these cats," he says. "We learned a few of the songs and wrote several more, and soon we were recording under the moniker BODY & BLOOD. We wrote more songs, all recorded on a newer model four-track. It was fun. We did it for the vibe. And it was pleasing to break away from multi-tracking studios and heavy metal. Metal music consumed most of our time and lives. Those 'B&B' sessions were damned-near therapeutic."

Without a clear plan for the band, the project remained a periodic therapy session. "We kept things simple and just jammed when everyone was home and played our recordings for friends," he says. "Then I eventually moved again, Hurricane Katrina hit, and life sent all of us in different directions."

In 2012, Anselmo met Stephen "Schteve" Taylor and EN MINOR truly took shape. "He and I began experimenting with some vibey stuff, and soon after began recording the sessions," Anselmo says. "This led to the current incarnation of EN MINOR. Together, we re-worked a few of the old four-track songs and wrote several new ones in short order. These sessions are hypnotic and pulling. And we continue to write songs suitable for this project to this day. Ugly and beautiful, EN MINOR, isn't 'party music.' This is 'kill the party music.'"

EN MINOR is:

Philip H Anselmo: Guitar, Vocals

Stephen Taylor: Guitar

Kevin Bond: Guitar

Steve Bernal: Cello

Jimmy Bower: Drums

Calvin Dover: Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Joiner Dover: Bass

Jose Gonzalez: Additional Percussion

DEFTONES' Abe Cunningham has explained why the band has yet to release its long-shelved 2008 "Eros" album. According to the drummer, the LP — the last to feature bassist Chi Cheng before a car crash put him in a coma that lasted until his death in 2013 — was never finished.

In a new interview with Download TV, Cunningham said: "It was never completed, and that's what people don't get. Like, 'What, you're just sitting on it?' and I mean, no, we're not just sitting on it, we never finished it... There's a lot attached to it as well, you know? And I understand that people are passionate about that and they want to hear Chi's last musical contribution."

DEFTONES singer Chino Moreno told The Pulse Of Radio a while back why the band decided to keep "Eros" under wraps. "Some of it was out of respect for Chi — 'Let's just put this album, you know, in a vault for a while and, you know, hold on to it,'" he said. "It's the last thing that Chi's played on, so we hold it very dear to us. It's something that we have under our belt and when we feel the time is right we'll put it out."

Cunningham told Download TV that DEFTONES have broached the subject of issuing some of the material from the record, saying: "We've talked about putting out maybe a condensed version or an EP of four or five songs, something like that, and that kind of makes sense. But we have to get into all the legalities of it, and all that stuff, and also we have to finish it. But yeah, it would be nice for that to see the light of day, definitely."

DEFTONES have just completed mixing their ninth studio album during the COVID-19 quarantine, with Cunningham saying the LP could arrive in September.

Earlier in the month, DEFTONES postponed their 2020 European tour due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. The trek, which was originally set to kick off on June 9 in Lyon, France, will now take place next year.

DEFTONES is Moreno, Cunningham, programmer Frank Delgado, guitarist Stephen Carpenter and bassist Sergio Vega.

GOJIRA has canceled all of its previously announced 2020 concerts due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.

The French progressive metallers announced the cancelation in a social media post earlier today. They wrote: "Since the emergence of the Covid-19 and subsequent pandemic, we unfortunately are forced to cancel GOJIRA shows, including headline dates, for the year of 2020.

"We are diligently working on a touring schedule for next year, 2021. Although we are not in the position to confirm any shows for this new period at this time, we do hope to have more news for you all in the coming weeks. We are sensitive to the fact that the pandemic has caused hardships for many of you, this is why we decided to cancel our headline shows so you all can receive refunds now.

"Please contact your original point of purchase for refund information. We can no [sic] wait to get back out on the road to play for you all, but until then, please stay safe and be kind to one another!"

GOJIRA was supposued to support DEFTONES on a summer 2020 North American tour. The Live Nation-produced 20-date trek with POPPY was scheduled to kick off on July 27 and conclude on September 5.

A year ago, GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier told the Idaho rock radio station KBear 101 that the band was continuing to work on the follow-up to 2016's "Magma" album. "It's going well," he said. "I cannot give too much details because we still have to be on the same page with all the partners, and we have to give a collective [release] date and et cetera. But I can tell you that, yeah, we are working very hard on the new stuff. Work is in progress, and we are very, very, very happy and super proud of it. We just can't wait to give you more details."

"Magma" earned GOJIRA its first-ever Grammy nominations for "Best Metal Performance" and "Best Rock Album." GOJIRA's crushing track "Silvera" received a nomination for "Best Metal Performance", while "Magma" was nominated for "Best Rock Album" at the awards.

Back in August 2018, GOJIRA frontman Joseph "Joe" Duplantier told Metal Injection that the band started to work on new music almost three years ago. "Usually we write 12 songs and record 12 songs and release 12 songs," he said. "Now it looks like we're going to write 100 songs. It's a different approach and it's fun. We have new desires and a new way of doing things. I like to think it's going to be awesome. I feel it's going to be really exciting, for us at least. I don't know what people are going to think."

In the same interview, Joseph said that GOJIRA was planning to explore some new territory on the upcoming album. "I want to go back to some of the older influences that we have," he said. "We were always not a death metal band. Before that, I was a DIRE STRAITS fan, Michael Jackson. We have that in us and some progressive stuff too. We have all these things and we need to express that somehow, mixed with our own special sauce. We're working with stuff that sometimes is a bit surprising, even to us. Sometimes it's, like, 'What is this?' I don't know, let it sleep a little bit and go back to it. After this, we're going to go back into the studio and see what's going on."




#cancelled #Gojira #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/BH6rj7Jnfw

— Gojira (@GojiraMusic) June 15, 2020

W.A.S.P. has canceled its previously announced "1984 To Headless" European tour due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe. The trek, which was scheduled to kick off on September 15 in Malmö, Sweden and run through November 7 in Pratteln, Switzerland, was supposed to be a celebration of hits from the band's first four albums: 1984's self-titled debut, 1985's "The Last Command", 1986's "Inside The Electric Circus" and 1989's "The Headless Children".

W.A.S.P. announced the tour cancelation in a statement earlier today. The band wrote: "Due to the Worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic, W.A.S.P. has been forced to cancel their '1984 To Headless' Tour. Because of the complexity and scheduling of future touring plans, the '1984 To Headless' Tour will not be able to be performed at this time. Although we are saddened to have to miss this tour, we would hope to look at doing that Special Tour at some point in the future.

"In the coming weeks we will make a Special Announcement as to those future plans. For ticket refunds, please contact the original point of purchase locations for a complete refund.

"This is certainly not the way we would have wanted this Tour to end. There was a tremendous amount of work and preparation that went into the planing for this Tour. But the Band are still hard at work in what will be a coming period of memorable events including recording, a book and touring.

"Trust us, the wait WILL BE WORTH IT!

"The next couple of years are going to be INTENSE!!"

In February 2018, Napalm Records released "ReIdolized (The Soundtrack To 'The Crimson Idol')", the 25th-anniversary version of W.A.S.P.'s iconic hit album.


Due to the Worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic, W.A.S.P. has been forced to cancel their "1984 to Headless" Tour. Because of the...

Posted by W.A.S.P. Nation (Official) on Monday, June 15, 2020

Two Minutes To Late Night, "the world's only heavy metal-themed talk show", have released the video below, along with this message:

"NOT PAT BENATAR! We got our friends to cover this classic karaoke standard from the comfort of their own homes. This song features Shawna Potter of War On Women, Ken Susi of Unearth, Alan Cassidy of The Black Dahlia Murder, and both KW and Vic of Vile Creature.

"This is our ninth bedroom cover (we think? How do you count that four-song Panama set?) made with the support of Patreon. With so many musicians stuck at home with no outlets, we're going to keep producing these style videos and use the Patreon to give some money to everyone who has a part in them. Please support our friends by donating to our newly redone Patreon at honorableswords.com."




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As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dirty Honey was forced to cancel travel plans to Australia in mid-March to write and record new music with producer Nick DiDia (Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine), but that hasn't prevented the band from figuring out a way to get it done.

Since late March, the band - Marc LaBelle/vocals, John Notto/guitar, Justin Smolian, and Corey Coverstone/drums - has been holed up in their home studio/rehearsal space, writing and demoing a slew of new tunes with DiDia staying in the mix via Zoom.

Recently, while working on the new songs, the band connected with DiDia at his Byron Bay, Australia studio, where they performed and discussed the tracks' progress. You can check out that Zoom video exchange and hear what the band's been working on below:

In terms of recording plans for the album - when and where - the band is still working out those logistics as they will be determined by any travel restrictions as pertain to COVID-19. Dirty Honey and DiDia are aiming to get into a studio, with everyone together next month, either in Los Angeles or Australia, or, as a backup, via Zoom, with the band in L.A. and DiDia in Australia.

(Photo - NYLA Projects)




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Download Festival 2020 was set to return to the hallowed grounds of Donington Park this month, until organizers announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival would no longer be taking place this year.

A message stated: "We might not be able to gather at the hallowed grounds of Donington this June, but we’ll be rocking out in our living rooms, bedrooms and back gardens with the likes of KISS, Iron Maiden, System Of A Down and loads more! Pitch your tents, roll out your sleeping bags, and get ready for a weekend of music, special interviews, unseen performances, and exclusive footage, all broadcast live to your home from June 12 - 14."

Available below is 90% of the Iron Maiden material streamed live this past Saturday via the Download TV event. Two songs had to be removed due to copyright issues.

The original video broadcasted was as follows:

"The Clairvoyant" (Monsters of Rock, Donington 1988) – Not included here due to copyright issues
"The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" (Download Festival 2007)
"Aces High" (Mexico 2019 – Some images of Rock in Rio 2019)
"Phantom of The Opera" (Download Festival 2013)
"The Trooper" (Download Festival 2013)
"Children of The Damned" (Download Festival 2016)
"Iron Maiden" (Download Festival 2007)
"Fear of The Dark" (Download Festival 2013)
"Hallowed Be Thy Name" (Download Festival 2007)
"Blood Brothers" (Download Festival 2016) – Not included here due to copyright issues




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Swedish warriors, Brothers Of Metal, have released a lyric video for "Hel", a track from their sophomore album, Emblas Saga, out ow via AFM Records. Order the album here, and watch the clip below.

Tracklisting:

"Brood Of The Trickster"
"Powersnake"
"Hel"
"Chain Breaker"
"Kaunaz Dagaz"
"Theft Of The Hammer"
"Weaver Of Fate"
"Njord"
"Emblas Saga"
"Brothers Unite"
"One"
"Ride Of The Valkyries"
"To The Skies And Beyond"

"Hel" lyric video:

"One" video:

"Njord" video:




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Drum legend Mike Portnoy (Sons Of Apollo, BPMD, ex-Dream Theater) has checked in with a new update:

"Some of you may remember a few months ago I made a post about how big of a pop / power pop fan I am, citing albums by Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, The Grays, Sloan, Redd Kross, Weezer, Ben Folds, Badfinger, Sweet, etc. as all time favorites. Also on that list was an amazing album by a short lived band from the late '90s / early '00s called Fuzzbubble, who broke up after one incredible album (and one compilation).

Fast forward 20 years: inspired by Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Eric Dover and Tim Smith from Jellyfish reuniting to form The Lickerish Quartet, the Bubble Boyz have also reunited with a new incarnation of the band now called Cult Stars From Mars (named after one of the old Fuzzbubble songs) and I am honored to have been asked to be the special guest drummer on their first brand new song in almost 2 decades: 'Dragonfly Pt II'.

The song is pure classic power pop and the accompanying video is, in the immortal words of Jeff Spicoli, totally awesome! Picture That Thing You Do meets Beastie Boys 'Sabotage' starring Brock Landers and Chest Rockwell). You can now watch the amazing new video below.

Climb aboard the Cult Stars From Mars train and enjoy the ride as they plan on releasing more new songs every month along with podcasts to accompany each new song (follow Podcast From Mars on all socials and stay tuned for an upcoming new podcast with me coming soon).

Make sure to follow Cult Stars From Mars on all social medias for updates on future releases and you can download Dragonfly Pt II now from this location."

Mark DiCarlo - Lead Vocals, Guitars 
Jim Bacchi - Guitars, Background Vocals 
Jason Camiolo - Keyboards, Background Vocals 
Mike Portnoy - Drums 
Brett Rothfeld - Bass Guitar




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Fretless / harp guitarist Tim Donahue - who released the self-titled Madmen & Sinners album with Dream Theater's James LaBrie in 2004 - has posted a remastered version of "All That Remains" from the record. Check it out below.

Donahue spoke exclusively with BraveWords about his activity over the last month, which has seen him revisiting music in his catalogue and remastering it to post on Facebook.

Donahue: "Since live performances are no longer possible, I've been keeping a pace with remastering older material, and material that has never been released. So much material... I wonder how I ever had the time to make so much music. So with the COVID crisis, I have the time to go back to hundreds of works and enjoy them while making simple vids to go along with each post on FB."

Four songs from the recording sessions for the Madmen & Sinners album (2004) featuring Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie were never released, but Donahue decided to stream them online in 2016. He contacted BraveWords with an exclusive update:

"I've decided to post the tracks I've hung onto for a while of me, James and Mike (Mangini). James sang exactly as I had written the pieces, and he sang his heart out. It's just not right to let them sit with no one hearing them, so here they are in their unfinished glory."

The songs in order are:

"Falling Sky" 
"History Repeats" 
"A Heartbeat Away"
"All That Remains"

Tim Donahue: electric harp guitar. bass, vocals, vocal manipulations
James LaBrie: vocals
Mike Mangini: drums

Written & produced by Tim Donahue

BraveWords scribe Carl Begai spoke with Donahue about Madmen & Sinners and the "lost" second album.

In 2000, Niagara native Tim Donahue made a small international splash with Into The Light, a solo record showcasing his skills as a fretless guitarist featuring current Foreigner vocalist Kelly Hansen. A year later he began working on a significantly heavier batch of songs that were unashamedly metal-influenced and came with a wish list of potential singers. During a meeting in Toronto over burgers and beer, I had the honour of hearing what would eventually become the Madmen & Sinners album. Asked who I felt would be the best voice for the material, I suggested Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie, unaware his name was at the top of Donahue’s list. Contact was made, plans were hatched, and in 2004 the duo released the Madmen & Sinners debut, an album unique to their respective careers. It was new territory for both Donahue and LaBrie, and ground they (sadly) haven’t returned to since.

“I don’t play the six-string fretless at all anymore unless I’m asked, like for the tracks on Nozomi Itani’s album (Station To Station from 2012). That was the first time I picked up the fretless in many years. Other than that I play the fretless harp guitar. I hate to say it, but the harp guitar has so much going on that when I pick up the six-string I yawn (laughs). I don’t mean that as anything against traditional guitars but the harp guitar kicks my ass and takes me to places I’ve never been.”

Although it’s been over 10 years since the release of Madmen & Sinners, the record still holds a special place in Donahue’s heart.

“I love the heaviness of the tunes. There are a lot of heavy bands out there and I’m certainly not the heaviest guitarist, but the songs and the actual writing, I think that’s why the music hits you in the heart even though some of the songs are really heavy.”

“You should hear the stuff I wrote after that,” he continues. “I could have released the second album through EMI but the harp guitar kind of called me and took me away. There is a second Madmen album written and I like it better than the first one. I love the first album; I don’t like the way the recording sounds but I love the music. The second album is deeper but… maybe in another life.”

LaBrie’s participation on a second Madmen & Sinners album was never written in stone, but there is unreleased material with his vocals on them. Four tracks to be exact, albeit incomplete.

“I have these extra tracks with James singing on them,” Donahue confirms. “He really wanted to do them and I said that if we had enough time after we finished the first album, we would. We were in the studio and he really pushed to do those other four tracks.”

Go to this location for the complete story.




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Almost turning two round decades since he originally kickstarted the project, Johan Reinholdz is back with Nonexist in 2020 for its fourth album, titled Like The Fearless Hunter, which will be released by Mighty Music on August 28th, 2020. 

The record takes off in the dark and violent death metal vein of the last EP, which saw Reinholdz assume vocal duties, but also contains crushing midtempo-heaviness  (“Together We Shall Burn”), melodic thrashmetal-mayhem (“Strictly Sadistic Intent”), hyperspeed hardcore/punk-spiced violence (“Litany Of Poison”) as well as sombre, progressive darkness (“Emerging From A World Below”) and even some instrumental shredding (“Fear Corrodes The Soul”).

The album is also graced and enhanced by the presence of some truly terrific guests: Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity), Rogga Petersson (Merciless), Chris Amott (Dark Tranquillity, ex-Arch Enemy) and Markus Johnsson (Eucharist), to name a few.

Tracklisting:

"Strictly Sadistic Intent"
"Together We Shall Burn"
"Dark Satanic Mills"
"Emerging From A World Below"
"Litany Of Poison"
"Fear Corrodes The Soul"
"A Meditation Upon Death"
"Bloody Carnal Sorcery"
"Dead Black Embrace"
"Scent"
"Cancerous Disembodiment"
"Reduced To Ash"

Nonexist was formed in 2000 when Johan Reinholdz presented some death/thrash metal demo-tracks for Bengt ”Wez” Wenedikter of Swedish WAR-music (Darkane, Defleshed, Naglfar). Reinholdz' other band Andromeda had recently signed a deal with WAR and now it was time for Nonexist to sign the papers. Ex-Arch Enemy/Furbowl/Carnage vocalist Johan Liiva was recruited along with Dark Funeral/Defleshed-drummer Matte Modin. The debut album “Deus Deceptor” was released in 2002 and, following the release of the album, Nonexist became nonexistent as the members went their separate ways: Reinholdz with Andromeda, Liiva with Hearse and Modin with Dark Funeral and Raised Fist among others. Reinholdz continued to write songs during the years to come, most of which were discarded though.

However, in 2009 a collection of Nonexist-songs emerged, the title From My Cold Dead Hands came about and Reinholdz started focusing on getting a sophomore album finished, while Liiva joined the band again. From My Cold Dead Hands was released in 2012. In 2014, Nonexist started recording album number three entitled Throne Of Scars. The style of the songs retained the atmosphere from the previous album; dark, intense, varied and heavy while also adding some new influences in the mix. The band signed a deal with Danish label Mighty Music, who released it in 2015. Later that year, Johan Liiva quit the band and Reinholdz took over the frontman-duties doing both guitar and vocals in the studio and also live.

Pre-orders for Like The Fearless Hunter on CD and Vinyl can be placed now. For further details, visit Nonexist on Facebook.

 




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American metal quartet, Seven Spires, have released a drum playthrough video for "Ghost Of A Dream", a track from their sophomore album, Emerald Seas, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.

Emerald Seas is a theatrical concept album, and is the prequel to the story of their debut full-length, Solveig. The album follows a lone sea captain on their quest for eternal life while being hunted by an ancient beast and struggling with loneliness, sacrifice, alcoholism, and the unexpected weight that comes with achieving one’s goals. Seven Spires’ signature blend of melancholic beauty and emotional brutality on Emerald Seas is the sonic manifestation of the silent emptiness that chills one's insides when staring across bleak, open waters.

Seven Spires continue Frontiers' tradition of identifying and signing the most promising young talents to ensure that the future of hard rock and metal music is in good hands.

Tracklisting:

"Igne Defendit"
"Ghost Of A Dream"
"No Words Exchanged"
"Every Crest"
"Unmapped Darkness"
"Succumb"
"Drowner Of Worlds"
"Silvery Moon"
"Bury You"
"Fearless"
"With Love From The Other Side"
"The Trouble With Eternal Life"
"Emerald Seas Overture"

"Bury You" video:

"Drowner Of Worlds" video:

"Succumb" video:

Lineup:

Adrienne Cowan - Vocals + Keyboards
Jack Kosto - Guitar
Peter de Reyna - Bass
Chris Dovas - Drums




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Death metal titans Shed The Skin have released their new track "Skeletal Firestorm". The song hails from the band's third album, The Forbidden Arts, set for international release on June 26th via Hells Headbangers.

The Forbidden Arts by SHED THE SKIN

Recorded in Cleveland, Ohio and mastered by Dan Swano (Nightingale, Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath), The Forbidden Arts is a testament of Shed The Skin's talent and dedication to making relentless Satanic old-school death metal. 

Arguably the band's strongest material yet, The Forbidden Arts is also Shed The Skin's most varied work to date, including a more pronounced emphasis on haunting synth touches. But rest assured that this is still 100% Satanic Death as they intended from day one - no compromise, no quarter, no wimping out. Just look no further than the cover art: another unforgettable work courtesy of James Bulloch, where the priest has indeed finally shed his skin!

Tracklisting:

"Skeletal Firestorm"
"Archons Of The Final Creation"
"Trow Of Tragedy"
"Master Of Thralls"
"Necromantic Wellspring"
"Glorified In Bloodsmoke"
"The Laundress"
"Black Bile Of Ceres"
"The Moors, The Madness"
"Veins Of Perdition"
"Speculum In Blood"

Pre-order your copy of The Forbidden Arts now via Bandcamp.

 




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Italian death metal cult Valgrind has unleashed their new track "The Day". The song hails from the band's fourth album, Condemnation, set for international release on July 27th via Memento Mori.

Entering the studio in mid-2019, Valgrind have now arguably delivered their masterwork: Condemnation. Undeniably and 1000% Death Fucking Metal to the core, there's an intangible "something," a never-belabored uniqueness, that now sets these Italians apart from so much stock-standard death metal. For sure, their roots lay in the genre's old school still, but the bits and pieces they pull and recombine are unexpected but most definitely welcome; no particular scene or substyle or specific year is selected, just the focus on strong songwriting and impassioned performance.

Likewise, the lyricism doesn't betray death metal's rigorous boundaries - here, it's the myths of legendary creatures and beasts in various ancient cultures - but Valgrind bring an artful touch to fantastical horror, all of it rolling out of bassist Lupidi's lugubrious throat with commanding clarity. To that, the power-trio's clarity of execution is also a thing of (ugly) beauty, firing off one flowing, furious part after another with seamless construction and solos that are the absolute definition of class. In fact, calling Condemnation "classy death metal" would not be much of a stretch: the songwriting itself is that poignant and powerful, and the production - mixed by Cristiano Copat at KK Recording Studio, and mastered by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios - is perfectly matched, skillfully balancing that clarity with crush.

Giving this album an ever-more-distinctive touch is the cover art, courtesy of Lupidi himself, hereby making Condemnation truly Valgrind's triumph of death!

Tracklisting:

"Intro"
"The Curse Of Pegasus Spawn"
"Entangled In A World Below"
"Condemnation"
"Eater Of Hearts"
"The Day"
"Furies"
"Storm Birds Descent"
"Divination - Marked By The Unknown"
"Goddess Of The Salt Sea"

For further details, visit Valgrind on Facebook.

 




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Supreme Unbeing is a mysterious rock / metal band led by vocalist / prophet Zac Red who acts as the physical form of our collective consciousness, the ambient quantum entanglement of our most personal thoughts. After observing the world for some 30 years, he has assembled his fellow prophets D. Vine, Unknown and Al Mytee to shed some light over our present existence through the medium of heavy riffs, astounding solos, and philosophically intriguing lyrics.

The first message, “You’ll Never Make It” is out now on all streaming platforms, and tells a very precise story of the human quest to understand his own existence, from creation through the present. The title “You’ll Never Make It” can be interpreted both pessimistically, as many humans fail to reach outside of the psychological cage we are all fostered into since physical birth, or provocatively, as a challenge for those who will continue to transcend the boundaries of the never-ending struggles of life.

Supreme Unbeing is set to release additional messages / singles “Animals”, “Solution” and “Dreaming” to the public in the following months prior to the release of the debut full-length LP Enter Reality which is set to release on October 10th.

Says EMP Label Group’s Thom Hazaert, “I received a strange, unmarked package in the mail one day; No return address, no information, just a hand-recorded cassette tape, with the words Supreme Unbeing written on it. Thankfully, I still own a cassette player, so I put it in, and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I’m still not entirely sure who the band is, or what I signed (and I think they might actually be cartoons), but once I heard it, I just knew they had to be on EMP. The messages of Zac Red were just too powerful to ignore. And to be honest, it hasn’t left my cassette deck since.”

 




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Blackened death metal stalwarts Insatanity is set to release its first full-length album since 1996's Divine Decomposition. Entitled Hymns Of The Gods Before, the album will be released June 19th on CDN Records. A lyric video for the album's first single, "Ashes Of The Apostle", can be seen below.

The cover art, created by Gaung Yang at Confessional Studio, and tracklisting are as follows:

"Seed Of Baal"
"Ashes Of The Apostle"
"Whose Hand Embalms"
"Demons Within Creation"
"Upon The Ivory Throne"
"Cross Of Deception"
"Eidolon Of The Blind"
"Trail Of Terror"
"When Satan Rules His World" (Bonus Track - Deicide Cover)

For further details, visit Insatanity on Facebook.

(Band photo by Eric Esteban)

 




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RAMMSTEIN is using the coronavirus downtime to work on new music.

The news of possible new material from the German industrial metallers was broken by the band's drummer, Christoph Schneider, during an appearance Saturday (June 13) on the "Rodeo Radio" podcast, which airs on Germany's Radio Bob!

Asked by the show host what the members of RAMMSTEIN are doing to keep themselves busy during the coronavirus pandemic, Schneider revealed that he and his bandmates recently got together and broached the idea of composing new music. "We still have so many ideas lying around, so many unfinished songs," he said (see video below). Asked if that means that there will be a new RAMMSTEIN album in the not-too-distant future, Christoph said: "We have met and we are working on new songs. We want to work on songs. But whether or not it will turn into an album, nobody knows yet."

RAMMSTEIN's seventh, untitled album came out in May 2019 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S. The band's first studio disc since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" was produced by Olsen Involtini with RAMMSTEIN and was mixed at a Santa Monica, California studio with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

Last month, RAMMSTEIN postponed its 2020 North American stadium tour which was due to kick off on August 20 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and conclude on September 27 in Mexico City, Mexico. The band also announced the rescheduled dates for its European stadium tour. The trek was originally slated to take place this summer but was postponed due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The new RAMMSTEIN European shows will take place in May, June, July and August 2021, with all tickets purchased for the original concerts valid for the new dates.




++ NEWS! ++

EN: What are Rammstein doing during Corona times? Meeting each other to work on new songs!

DE: Was macht Rammstein während der Corona-Zeit? Zusammen arbeiten an neuen Songs!

Taken from the Radio Rodeo interview with Christoph Schneider - 13.06.2020

► https://www.radiobob.de/rodeo-radio

Posted by Rammstein Belgium on Saturday, June 13, 2020

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell and guitarist Robby Lochner have recorded a cover version of the STEPPENWOLF classic "Born To Be Wild". A quarantine-style music video for the track can be seen below.

Says Robby: "This incredible song was originally recorded by STEPPENWOLF and became famous in the movie 'Easy Rider'. Jack and I had a fun doing our own version of the song."

Joining Russell and Lochner for the recording were bassist Rick Travis and drummer Geoff Reed.

The clip was created by Jaymz Eberly of Eberly Productions.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE released an acoustic album, "Once Bitten Acoustic Bytes" on May 1 via Deadline Music, a division of Cleopatra Records, Inc..

"Once Bitten Acoustic Bytes" sees former Russell revisiting GREAT WHITE's 1987 multi-platinum masterpiece "Once Bitten" featuring some of their biggest and most recognizable hits, including "Save Your Love" and "Rock Me". Aided by the likes of Lochner (who also produced and mixed the album), longtime GREAT WHITE bassist Tony Montana (now on guitar), bassist Dan McNay and drummer Dicki Fliszer, these songs have been stripped to their emotional core, spotlighting the intensely passionate story at the heart of each song.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut LP, "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".

Russell was fired from GREAT WHITE in December 2011 (after being on hiatus from the group since 2009). He sued his onetime bandmates the following year over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Mark Kendall, Michael Lardie and Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

DEAD CROSS, the Southern California hardcore outfit featuring Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MISFITS), Mike Patton (FAITH NO MORE, TOMAHAWK), Justin Pearson (THE LOCUST, RETOX) and Michael Crain (RETOX, FESTIVAL OF DEAD DEER), has released its cover version of the BLACK FLAG classic "Rise Above". The song was created in solidarity with the "Black Lives Matter" movement and staunchly opposing police brutality and systemic racism. As such, the track opens with a recording of a Los Angeles resident voicing his displeasure with the Los Angeles Police Department during a public comment period from a regularly scheduled Los Angeles police commission meeting.

The video for "Rise Above" was filmed by Lombardo, The Lonely Rager and Becky DiGiglio, and was edited by Displaced/Replaced. The track was mixed by Jim Goodwin.

Last December. DEAD CROSS entered the studio to begin recording its second album. Helming the disc once again is producer Ross Robinson (KORN, SLIPKNOT, LIMP BIZKIT), who previously worked on DEAD CROSS's 2017 self-titled debut LP.

DEAD CROSS's upcoming effort will be the group's first since Crain announced he was cancer-free after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer.

Patton told Rolling Stone that he got involved with DEAD CROSS after reaching out to Lombardo to see if he could release the band's album on Ipecac. After getting a text from the drummer asking him to join the group, "my jaw dropped," the singer said. "I was like, 'Who, me? Hmm …' And I think it took like all of 30 seconds, but in a sarcastic way, I'm like, 'Yeah, of course. I can do this. Are you sure you want me?' So I kind of second-guessed him a little bit. And he said, 'Man, you'd be our dream vocalist.' And then it was just a matter of logistics. I decided to record it here in my basement, which is fitting. It shouldn't sound too polished."

Regarding DEAD CROSS's musical direction, Patton said: "To me, it is a traditional hardcore record. It is very pointed, direct and visceral. Like, I wasn't going to play keyboards, add samples or any kind of orchestration. It was like, 'Yo, just go for it.' In some ways, it reminded me of stuff that we had collectively all grown up with and loved when we were like teenagers — bands like the ACCÜSED, DEEP WOUND or SIEGE, stuff that was just brutal, uncompromising and right to the point. I was listening to all those bands again before this came to be, so it was already back infused in my blood. And now I got a chance to do a pencil-in-your-eye record."

MORDRED has released a new single, "Not For You", the first track to be taken off the influential crossover band's upcoming EP, "Volition", due out on June 19.

MORDRED, a band always ahead of its time, was formed back in 1984 in the San Francisco Bay Area during the era that gave us the "Big Four": METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH. One of the first bands in the crossover thrash metal genre, blending funk, metal and DJ Pause on the decks, they released their debut album, "Fool's Game", back in 1989. The album gave birth to the hit single "Every Day's A Holiday", a huge crowd pleaser at the live shows. "Every Day's A Holiday" also yielded a video which played in heavy rotation on MTV and other music stations internationally, in addition to helping secure successful American/European tour supports to big metal bands.

In 1991, MORDRED's second album, "In This Life", garnered five-star reviews in Kerrang! and other magazines, gaining the band huge critical acclaim and cementing their place in the Bay Area's famous names. This LP spawned two hit singles, "Falling Away" and "Esse Quam Videri", both videos enjoying heavy rotation on MTV and worldwide. Touring for support of "In This Life" produced a live home video, "In This Live", from one of their amazing headlining shows at the Marquee club in London, which sold out both nights. 1992 arrived and MORDRED released the six-track EP that was "Vision", featuring a wide variety of the crossover thrash sound.

In 2013, MORDRED came back to life with a passion, the lineup including five of the original "In This Life" members (minus drummer Gannon Hall, who was replaced by Jeff Gomes of FUNGO MUNGO). Their reunion tours of 2014 and 2015 saw a new and previous generation of fans and a show at Bloodstock 2015 lit a fire with the band and fans and proved they were back and meant business.

Fast forward to 2019 and after six years of writing back and forth between various bandmembers, recording, living and traveling back and forth from New York City to California, Danny finally moved back to the Bay Area and within a year they had enough tracks recorded to fill out an EP and an LP.

MORDRED's current lineup is also the one that was responsible for "In This Life" and "Vision":

Scott Holderby - vocals

James Sanguinetti - guitars

Danny White - guitars

Art Liboon - bass

Aaron (Pause) Vaughn - keyboards, vocals, turntables

Jeff Gomes - drums

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Henry Derek Elis will release a new EP, "All The Pretty Little Horses", on July 3. The follow-up to his debut 2018 full-length album "The Devil Is My Friend" will feature a collection of reimagined covers and curiosities in Elis's signature brand of dark and dreary folk/Americana. Elis will release his debut single and title track, a creepy cover of the traditional African-American folk lullaby "All The Pretty Little Horses" on June 19 via Bandcamp, which will be donating 100% of its shares of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for purchases made on that day.

"'All The Pretty Little Horses' was the first song I recorded for this EP," shares Elis. "It's a track that's been covered by several artists I admire such as Nick Cave, CURRENT 93, Laura Veirs, Joan Baez and COIL. It's always been one of my favorite folk songs, but it was important for me to make it my own."

In addition to "All The Pretty Little Horses", the EP features covers of songs across a span of genres which highlight Elis's diverse musical career of which consists of hard rock/metal and country bands, including ACT OF DEFIANCE, QAALM, CAVE FLOWERS and SCAR THE MARTYR.

The track listing is as follows:

01. All The Pretty Little Horses (traditional folk cover)

02. Dancing With Myself (BILLY IDOL cover)

03. Heart Of The Devil (DANZIG cover)

04. Alabama Highway (STEVE YOUNG cover)

Elis states: "I'm a huge fan of these artists and cover songs in general. My goal wasn't only to rerecord the songs in my style, but also to represent them in an original way. I initially reworked them acoustically and played around with different arrangements to find the right vibe."

Ex-IMMORTAL frontman Olve "Abbath" Eikemo says he is "open" to a reunion with his former bandmates.

Abbath and his childhood friend Harald "Demonaz" Nævdal started IMMORTAL in 1990. Six years ago, Abbath and the rest of the group went through a bitter breakup.

"The other guys in the band said I had a drug and booze problem," Abbath told journalist Martin Blekkerud of Norway's Dagbladet newspaper for today's edition of the Dagbladet Magasinet. "But I never bothered them with that stuff. They only used it as an excuse [to get rid of me]."

Olve used to be married to Demonaz's sister, and they share a son, Torbjørn. Torbjørn is now 26 and a drummer.

Abbath and Demonaz haven't spoken to each other since the guitarist/vocalist exited IMMORTAL.

"That makes me sad," Abbath told Dagbladet. "My son and Harald rarely see each other, but [Harald] is still his uncle."

Asked if he thinks he could ever reunite with IMMORTAL, Abbath said: "IMMORTAL reunion? Hmm. I got a text from Horgh [IMMORTAL drummer Reidar Horghagen] saying it was great that I got sober. Harald and I haven’t spoken at all. But there's no evil blood or bitterness on my part anymore. I realize that I was a part of the problem. Things are great for me now. But am I open to an IMMORTAL reunion? Yes, of course. But it has to be something special. I just wish we could sit down and have a talk about things when it all went to hell, instead of involving lawyers."

Abbath wants to remember the good times he had with Demonaz. He still lives in Lysefjorden, a remote island outside of Bergen, Norway's second largest city.

"We were young and we drank whisky," Abbath recalled. "Demonaz and I decided to take a rowboat over the fjord to Lysøya, which is where [the famous Norwegian composer and violin player] Ole Bull used to live. The island was full of tourists and we were running around in the woods in full corpse paint and black metal regalia — with torches in our hands. You should have seen the look on the faces of the older American tourists; we nearly gave them a heart attack. We ran back to the boat and rowed like hell back home. Fuck, that was a great time. We were so inspired by the incident that we wrote most of 'Pure Holocaust' the very same night."

Dagbladet's entire Norwegian-language interview with Abbath can be found at Dagbladet.no.

The highly publicized legal battle in 2014 over the rights to the IMMORTAL name pitted Abbath against Demonaz and Horgh, with Abbath claiming the pair abandoned IMMORTAL after they moved their gear out of the band's rehearsal space. The Norwegian court systems determined otherwise, and awarded the IMMORTAL name to Demonaz.

IMMORTAL's first album without Abbath, "Northern Chaos Gods", was released in July 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

Abbath is now the frontman of his namesake band, which released its second album, "Outstrider", last July via Season Of Mist.

In a 2018 interview with Distorted Sound, Demonaz said that he wasn't worried about any negative backlash about IMMORTAL continuing without Abbath. "I was really confident with it, as we know how this band functions and we know how the music was made and how IMMORTAL functions," he said. "A lot of people probably thought IMMORTAL was Abbath's band as he is always quite visible live; he was the face of the band in that way. When people [hear] the ['Northern Chaos Gods'] album, it's a different story. It sounds IMMORTAL. It is IMMORTAL. I couldn't change that even if I wanted to. It's how I make the music."

In a recent interview with Chris Annunziata of 90.3 WMSC's "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" radio show, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was asked which new bands have the potential to be the new torch bearers to carry on the metal genre after veteran acts like METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and LAMB OF GOD are no longer around. He replied (hear audio below): "I have no idea. I don't know if METALLICA is going anywhere. I think you're starting with a faulty supposition. I don't know if IRON MAIDEN is going anywhere. And we aren't going anywhere; I mean, we have another good while in us. I really don't think METALLICA is going anywhere, bro. I think they're kind of eternal; it's what they do. And eventually we'll all stop, yes — eventually. When I can no longer do what I need to do live, which is physically exhausting. Nobody wants to see me stand up there like a lounge singer — I'm not that pretty — so I've gotta be a maniac.

"I don't know who would be the next legacy bands," he continued. "I mean, I love GOJIRA — they just get better, better and better. But they're not that much younger than us, I don't think. They've been doing it a good long while. So I have no idea — I have zero clue. I will say I don't think there's ever gonna be any more METALLICAs or MAIDENs, because it was a different time, and there was a whole lot less music then. And these were kind of like progenitors of the type of music we play, and there weren't that many of them, so a few bands really stood out. Now there's a bazillion freaking bands."

Randy added: "I think the music scene is really big, which is good, but it's also problematic particularly for younger bands trying to make it, 'cause you have to work twice as hard in just an ocean of music… It didn't use to be that way, I can tell you that much."

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

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

In a new interview with Fox News, Ian Gillan talks about Deep Purple’s determination to make music for fans, how he really feels about “Smoke On The Water”, the one artist that surprised him and the most unique encounter he’s ever had with a fan. An excerpt follows:

Fox News: Everyone is familiar with “Smoke On The Water”. When did you realize that song had become larger than life?

Gillan: "It was a delayed process. The song had very humble beginnings. It wasn’t even supposed to be on the album. We were short seven minutes when we were recording in Switzerland and after the fire of the casino [in Montreaux]. We only had a few days left to record the album. And I remember on the last day, the engineer says, 'You’re short seven minutes.' So we just quickly wrote a song based on what had happened and forgot about it.

"We just thought it would be a good song to finish the album. We went on the road as if nothing had happened. And initially, the song wasn’t played on the radio because it was too long. But after it was edited for radio, that’s when it became a commercial success. Who would have thought that to this day, we would still be talking about this song? And it became so influential to many other artists over the years. We still play that song today."

Read the complete interview at Fox News.

Deep Purple will release their 21st studio album, Whoosh! on August 7 via earMusic. Whoosh! will be available as a Standard CD, a Digital Album, a Limited Edition CD+DVD Mediabook (including the 1 hour feature “Roger Glover And Bob Ezrin In Conversation” and, for the first time, the full live performance at Hellfest 2017 video), and a Vinyl 2LP+DVD edition (earMUSIC). Pre-order here.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Steve Morse, and Don Airey were invited by Bob Ezrin to Nashville to write and record, during which the band were inspired to push their creative boundaries. Letting go of any artistic limitations, they adopted the motto “Deep Purple is putting the Deep back in Purple”. Whoosh! embodies that freedom, with lyrics that reflect their sentiments on the current situation of the world.

“We’ve included everything that made the whole band smile, including Bob Ezrin,” exclaims Morse. “We’ve always enjoyed making music and having the incredible luxury of a loyal audience.”

Whoosh! marks Deep Purple’s third album produced by Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd). The first - 2013’s Now What?! - charted at #1 in five European countries, as well as Top 10 in over 15 countries worldwide. Cementing itself as one of their most successful albums, inFinite, released in 2017, broke chart records the band accumulated over their 50+year history. With chemistry this electric, it only made sense for Deep Purple and Ezrin to collaborate a third time.

“Another album?! Whoosh?!! Gordon Bennett!!!” -Ian Gillan

One of the most important rock bands of all time, Deep Purple has built a legacy that is nothing short of immeasurable. The band continues to evolve and elevate the possibilities within hard rock, which is fully displayed on Whoosh!

“When the Deep Purple falls
Over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle
In the night…” - Ian Gillan

Whoosh! tracklisting:

"Throw My Bones"
"Drop The Weapon"
"We're All The Same In The Dark"
"Nothing At All"
"No Need To Shout"
"Step By Step"
"What The What"
"The Long Way Around"
"The Power Of The Moon"
"Remission Possible"
"Man Alive"
"And The Address"
"Dancing In My Sleep"

Vinyl Side Split:

Side A:
"Throw My Bones"
"Drop The Weapon"
"We’re All The Same In The Dark"
"Nothing At All"

Side B:
"No Need To Shout"
"Step By Step"
"What The What"

Side C:
"The Long Way Round"
"The Power Of The Moon"
"Remission Possible"
"Man Alive"

Side D:
"And The Address"
"Dancing In My Sleep"

"Man Alive" video:

"Throw My Bones" video:




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Ex-STATIC-X guitarist Tripp Eisen says that "its exciting" to see his former bandmates putting out some of the previously unreleased songs he wrote with the group's late frontman Wayne Static.

In 2018, STATIC-X announced plans to release "Project Regeneration", its first new album in a decade, featuring the last recordings of Wayne, who passed away more than five years ago. The rest of the band's original lineup — bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda — is also featured on the album and in the music videos.

Originally scheduled for release in spring of 2019, the new STATIC-X album was first intended to feature several guest vocalists, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" band lineup of Campos, Jay and Fukuda.

During the recording sessions for "Project Regeneration", STATIC-X claimed in a press release that one of its producers uncovered several additional unreleased and unfinished tracks, many of which contained isolated vocal performances by Wayne Static. Because of this supposed find, the new STATIC-X album will now feature lead vocals by Wayne on virtually every song.

Due on July 10, "Project Regeneration Vol. 1" — the first of two volumes — features 12 brand new tracks, containing many of Wayne's final vocal performances and musical compositions, along with Campos, Jay, and Fukuda. Both volumes are being worked on by longtime STATIC-X producer Ulrich Wild.

Speaking to "The Rock N Ragni Show", Eisen stated about "Project Regeneration Vol. 1" (hear audio below): "It's exciting. I've got, I think, six or seven songs on it. They're songs I wrote back with Wayne — they're Wayne/Tripp songs, a lot of 'em; some of 'em are just Wayne songs. But there's some cool songs — songs that were left over from [STATIC-X's 2005 album] 'Start A War'. So it's exciting. The form they took are not exactly what Wayne and I had in mind. But they're putting it out. It's great to see the music stretch out there and it's getting unleashed."

Asked if it's weird to see the music he wrote so many years ago redone and reworked from how it was originally intended to be, Tripp said: "Yeah, it's not the ideal situation — it's not how I would have liked it to be. It's kind of like 'Star Wars: Episode I' ['The Phantom Menace'] — it wasn't the best thing it could be, but I'd rather have it there than not have it there, I guess. So, it's the lesser of two evils."

Tripp also confirmed that STATIC-X approached his new band FACE WITHOUT FEAR about filling the support slot on some of the "Wisconsin Death Trip" 20th-anniversary tour dates last year. "Yeah, they offered us a leg of the tour, but it had to do with me signing over some of the rights to the songs. And it just didn't feel right. But they offered us that. And who knows what the future will hold?"

In June 2019, BLABBERMOUTH.NET published an interview Eisen gave to "Totally Driven Radio" in which he first revealed he was involved in the making of "Project Regeneration". The news of Eisen's association with the LP did not sit well with many of STATIC-X's fans who objected to the fact that a convicted sex offender was collaborating with the group on new music. (More than a decade ago, Eisen served time for meeting and sexually assaulting two underage females in January and February 2005.)

Asked by a fan on Instagram if it's true that "a known sex offender" was working with STATIC-X on the band's new album, the group responded: "Listen! Let me make this very clear. Wayne, Tony, Ken and Koichi are the ORIGINAL line up of the band and we are celebrating our 20th anniversary & memorializing our friend Wayne!!! The 3 of us and Wayne are the TOTAL focus of this album and this tour. That guy was in static x for a couple years prior to HIS OWN personal troubles. His issues have NOTHING TO DO WITH US!!! ... He was a co-writer on songs with Wayne & the band in the past. Some of those old songs ended up being tracks that Tony and the producers recovered some of Wayne's unreleased, isolated vocals on. Those isolated vocals have never been heard and they are very special and some of the final pieces of art that Wayne left behind. Clearly, the guy you mentioned is promoting his new band by mentioning his PAST involvement with Static-X and he is attempting to gain credibility through his PAST association. Tony, Koichi and ken entered the studio together, along with their touring vocalist 'xer0' and they have been working diligently to craft some amazing music underneath Wayne's unreleased vocal tracks. Tony, Koichi, Kenny, and xer0 are the only people participating In the recording of this new album. Aside from Wayne's vocals and a couple guest vocalists, NOBODY ELSE is involved in the recording and production of his album. Tony, Ken, Koichi and touring vocalist 'Xer0' are the only people that have been in the studio recording and working with the bands original producer Ulrich Wild on this incredibly special new album. End of story."

Tripp joined STATIC-X in 1999 and recorded three albums with the platinum-selling band.

Three years ago, Eisen told "Totally Driven Radio" that his arrest and prison sentence was "a difficult time of my life" and insisted that he has "learned from it" and "grown. What happened to me was really bad judgment, terrible mistakes that I made, and I paid a price for 'em," he said.

Wayne 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.

ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy has used the coronavirus downtime to complete work the material for his second solo LP. Speaking to Download presenter Kylie Olsson, he said (see video below): "Next solo record is pretty much done, so I'm excited about it. I've been able to get something done during this time, and also hang out with my family, which has been wonderful."

Asked how his new solo album will be different from "Year Of The Tiger", which came out in March 2018, Kennedy said: "Well, it's definitely a little more plugged in, as far as the overall approach. 'Year Of The Tiger' leans heavily on the acoustic side of things, and it definitely has a blues vibe. This continues that in the sense that this is my opportunity to venture more into the more bluesy realm, especially as a guitar player. But, with that said, it's a little louder. [Laughs] It's much more plugged in — it rocks a little harder, and there's gonna be a lot of guitar silliness on it. So I'm excited about that."

According to Myles, he has "pretty much" demoed the entire next solo LP and has "basically started pre-production" on the effort, which will likely arrive in 2021. "I sit here in my little studio and program all the drums, play the bass, lap steel [guitar]… You basically make the record and then you present it to everyone," he explained. "You go, 'Okay, this is kind of what I'm thinking here [points to his head]. Let's make this happen for real.' So I'm supposed to record that here in the next couple of months."

Kennedy plans on using the "same team" that worked on "Year Of The Tiger" on the upcoming album.

"We had so much fun last time," he said. "We were, like, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' So I'm looking forward to getting back in with the gang. 'Year Of The Tiger', even though it's a really dark record from a lyrical standpoint, we had so much fun making it — just hanging out with Elvis [producer Michael Baskette] and Jef [Moll, engineer] and the gang, and then Zia [Uddin, drums] and Tim [Tournier, bass]. Yeah, we're a bunch of idiots, and we have fun."

Myles also talked about the lyrical inspiration for his next solo album and how it will be different from "Year Of The Tiger", a concept record which explored the death of Kennedy's father in 1974, the year of the tiger in the Chinese calendar.

"It had the potential to be another concept record, which I did not wanna do," Myles said of the upcoming release. "Obviously, these are crazy times, so it's virtually impossible not to be informed by that as a writer — it's gonna make its way into the context of the lyrics. So there are elements of looking at what's happening, asking questions — just your way of dealing with it. That's what I love about being a songwriter — it really helps you work through things and deal with things and make sense of things. But there are also songs where I wanted to make sure that it wasn't strictly about that. To me, what that does is that can date something. If the record were to come out in a year's time, and maybe people have moved on past all of this, then it's, like, I don't know how relevant it would be. So you have to careful there and make sure that you don't make it so literal — have a bit of ambiguity to it so that it can touch on different circumstances but still conveying emotion that you're feeling as you're going through it. And that's the big challenge for me."

Myles's tour in support of "Year Of The Tiger" featured music from the album as well as selections from Myles's work with ALTER BRIDGE, THE MAYFIELD FOUR and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.