Drum legend Mike Portnoy (Sons Of Apollo, The Winery Dogs, ex-Dream Theater) has covered John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", handling all drums, vocals, guitars and bass for the track. He has also released a video for the song prefaced with the following message:

"I’m sorry if this video pisses some of you off...but sadly this is America in 2020 and it pisses me off too.

This a song written by a man who not only wrote songs about peace, love and hope ('All You Need Is Love', 'Give Peace A Chance', 'Imagine') but also used his voice to speak up against racism, injustice and encouraged people to rise up ('Revolution', 'Come Together', and this song). If this song or video pisses you off, remember I am only holding up a mirror to what is happening in this country right now.

If you don’t like what you see, please use that anger, passion and longing for change to vote in November..."




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Finnish melodic death metal band Limos is set to release a new EP, Tales Of The White Eye, on July 3rd via Inverse Records. The second single, "Child Of The White Eye" is released today and you can watch video below.

Vocalist Eirik Manne comments: "'Child Of The White Eye' was an interesting song to make. Lyrically, it continues in the same universe 'Altars' is set in, and explores the oracles of said world. It shows the hardships they endure, while finding their own place. Although the lyrics are oldest of the tracks on the EP, it took a long while for the song to settle to it's current form. The end result however is a track where we push ourselves to see where our limits are. The vocals are some of the most varied we've used up to this point, and if there is one track that showcases our evolution, it is this one."
 

Limos is a melodic death metal band that escaped the woods of Kainuu, Finland in 2017. As the forests were left behind, the band took with them the elements that defines their music; melodic riffs across the board, supported by harsh vocals. Goal at the end of the road? Be part of the next generation of Finnish Melodic Death Metal.

Tracklist:

"Altars"
"Rise To Arms"
"Child Of The White Eye"
"Surullisten Järvien Maa"

"Altars"

 

Pre-save Tales Of The White Eye on Spotify & Amazon here.




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Guitarist Graham Stirrett of Canadian power / thrash metallers Phear has checked in with the following announcement:

"This will seem kinda outta the blue, but it is with a heavy heart I must announce that I have decided to step down from my duties in the band Phear to pursue other goals and career aspirations. I want to thank my brothers in the band and wish them all the success in the world and thank all of the fans for the support over all the years. It’s been a hell of a ride to say the least and I am truly saddened to have to part ways, but rest assured this is not the end of music for me. I am extremely excited to start this new chapter in my life and I am truly grateful for all the memories and love I can take with me. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much for everything and we shall see you in the near future!"

Stirrett's bandmates have yet to comment on his departure.

Phear recently released  their first live album, The Curse Lives On. Delivering eight songs in total, the album kicks off with two studio cuts, a cover of the Iron Maiden epic classic, "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" and an instant Phear classic "Dirty Work," and is rounded off with six "Live" tracks recorded in the band's native Toronto that capture the true essence of Phear.

With the sonic power of Iron Maiden blended with the classic style of Judas Priest, Phear bring to life their monster live show to the ears of fans across the globe. The band delivers, in their true element, the live stage, which highlights their massive songs and the sheer force of the twin-six string attack.

The Curse Lives On is a testimonial to what power / thrash metal can do to your soul, deep, dark and loud, just crank it up and feel the Phear.

Patrick Mulock, the voice of Phear, on the new album: "It is with great pleasure that we bring you The Curse Lives On. Phear is a live band, so we have added some of our favorite live tracks from one of our hometown Toronto shows. And, because we can, we added one studio song ‘Dirty Work’ and our cover of Iron Maiden’s ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’. If you have 15 minutes to kill, go to YouTube and checkout Phear’s ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ video. Thank you again for all your support.”

Tracklisting:

“Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” (Iron Maiden cover)
“Dirty Work”
“Don’t Scream” 
“Motives Unknown”
“Bloodline”
“Heaven”
“In The Name Of…”
“Regan’s Dream”

“Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”:




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In a span of just five years, Northern Germany's destructive duo Mantar have toured all over the world and recorded three studio albums, a live record, and an EP. With no signs of calming the storm, the duo have decided to showcase their musical roots and record a DIY covers album entitled Grungetown Hooligans II, showcasing their versions of their biggest influences from the ‘90s. 

Mantar have shared a music video for their cover of Sonic Youth’s “100%”. The VHS style music video is a direct homage to the original and was directed by the band and Matthis Van Der Meulen. Grungetown Hooligans II will be released via Brutal Panda Records on June 26. Preorder here.

"‘100%’ was the first song I´ve ever heard from Sonic Youth. Probably on some old mixtape I got from Erinc (drums). The song just rocks, is short and spot on. Perfect Rock 'n Roll. It still gives me the chills and was the perfect gateway drug for all the wonderful music this exceptional band had to offer. Obviously our video is a homage to the original video and therefore a big bonus for us skateboard pros."

While Mantar have always been categorized in the “metal” scene, the musical socialization of both members undoubtedly took place in a completely different world in the early 1990s. The time was about noise rock, Riot Grrrl bands and what was marketed by MTV as “grunge”, or even worse as “alternative rock”. These sounds greatly appealed to two moderately cool kids in a very uncool, post-Cold War era Germany. 

As teenagers, the guys immediately gravitated towards the aggression, message, and uncompromising attitudes of bands like Babes In Toyland, 7 Year Bitch, L7, Sonic Youth, The Jesus Lizard, Mudhoney, Mazzy Star and others of the era that is still unmatched to this day. Even back then, the term “grunge” was as silly as the words “punk” or “heavy metal”, so the similar shitty title of Grungetown Hooligans II was quickly decided to pay tribute to the era and artists that influenced the band to become one of the heaviest and sonically destructive acts making music today.

Tracklisting:

“The Bomb” – L7
“The Jesus Lizard” – Puss
“100%” – Sonic Youth
“Ghost Highway” – Mazzy Star
“Can I Run” – L7
“Bruise Violet” – Babes In Toyland
“Who You Drivin’ Now” – Mudhoney
“Knot” – 7 Year Bitch

“100%” video:

(Photo by: Christoph Eisenmenger)




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An acoustic version of the song “Blame”, recorded in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak by vocalist Steve Braun and guitarist Max Eve of Atlanta-based metallers Halcyon Way, has made its way to streaming platforms today, June 9, alongside a clip on YouTube. The song is taken from the band's last album, Bloody But Unbowed, out on Agonia Records.

Vocalist Steve Braun commented: “We decided to take a little break from writing a new record and have a little fun seeing how the songs come across acoustically. I think they are pretty cool...keep on the lookout for more of The Quarantine Sessions.”

Halcyon Way's sound cannot be neatly slotted into any sub-category of metal. It can be described as heavy, catchy, technical, progressive and above all, focused on strong songcraft. From Megadeth to Dream Theater, to Testament and Chimaira - Halcyon Way draws influences & inspiration from many metal bands. With a magnitude of catchy hooks, vocal harmonies a la King’s X or Stryper, and heavy, technical, yet ultimately accessible instrumentation, the band's new album Bloody But Unbowed is sure to please fans of many forms of metal: modern, power, thrash or progressive, but also hard rock fans. Crammed full of huge anthemic choruses, shredding solos, and brutal riffs, the album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, Trivium, Bad Wolves, Threat Signal) and is replete with artwork from Travis Smith (Opeth, Overkill, Death, Iced Earth).




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Relapse Records will release Zombi's new album, 2020, on July 17. Their first new album in 5 years, 2020 showcases the songwriting prowess that has pushed the duo of Steve Moore (synthesizers, guitars, bass) and A.E. Paterra (drums) to evolve throughout their storied, 20-year career. A music video for the track “Earthscraper", directed by Tony Balko, can be seen below.

Regarding the track, drummer A.E. Paterra comments: “A heavy song, and an even heavier video by director Tony Balko. We’ve been excited to share this - it’s heavy in a new way for us and we hope you enjoy it.”

In addition, Zombi will be holding a raffle for a test pressing of 2020, with all proceeds going to the Bukit Bail Fund of Pittsburgh and Black Visions Collective.  Details can be found on ZOMBI’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.

A.E. Paterra comments on 2020: "20 years ago I wouldn't have expected us to still be writing music - but we've managed to stick together and continually improve our production and engineering techniques, which makes this whole process completely rewarding. As always we've tried to make a different album this time around, and we hope our fans will enjoy it as much as we do."

2020 will be available on CD/LP/Digital. Physical packages are available for pre-order via Relapse.com here. Digital Downloads / Streaming Services are available here.

Zombi has strived to build upon and expand their sound with every release. Now more than ever, the band stays true to their ethos. From the pulse-pounding, dramatic opener "Breakthrough & Conquer", to the melodic bass whirls found in "XYZT", 2020 proves to be Zombi's most riff-intensive album. At first a soundtrack of driving musical euphoria, 2020 takes a sharp turn into uncharted waters - "Earthscraper" is reminiscent of a space where sounds of sludge and doomlike-riff crushers dominate the soundscapes. Synthwave and neon crescendos are furloughed in favor of Blue Öyster Cult-inspired progressive epics. A truly therapeutic loop of immersive instrumental rock, 2020 might just be Zombi's most ambitious album yet.

Tracklisting:

"Breakthrough & Conquer"
"Earthscraper"
"No Damage"
"XYZT"
"Fifth Point Of The Pentangle"
"Family Man"
"Mountain Ranges"
"First Flower"
"Thoughtforms"

"Breakthrough & Conquer":

(Photo - Matt Dayak)




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Italian orchestral death metallers, Fleshgod Apocalypse, have released an official guitar playthrough video for "Sugar", performed by Fabio Bartoletti, from the album Veleno, out worldwide via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band states: "'Sugar' has become an instant classic right after its release. It features some of the most inspired and also technically demanding riffs in the band's history. Have fun watching Fabio nailing it!"

Get the album here, and watch the new video below:

The band recently released a drum playthrough for "Thru Our Scars", taken from the band's first EP, Mafia, back in 2010.

Said the band: "To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mafia, we picked one of our most iconic and challenging songs for the next playthrough video: 'Thru Our Scars'. Eugene Ryabchenko is doing the honors this time. Enjoy!"




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German medieval rock masters Feuerschwanz will release their new album, Das Elfte Gabton, on June 26 via Napalm Records. The band have released the official music video for the cover of "Ding", the #1 club hit by Berlin, Germany-based pop act, Seeed. Watch below.

The song comes off the bonus covers album Die Sieben Todsünden, which will be released as part of the deluxe version of  Das Elfte Gebot, and features Rage Of Light and Ad Infinitum singer Melissa Bonny on vocals.

Commented the band: "Here's that DING (english: thing)! Today we present to you the fourth video off of our new album Das elfte Gebot: the dancehall hit 'Ding' by dance raggae giants Seeed from 2005 - transformed into the band’s patented folk metal sound featuring the amazing Melissa Bonny on vocals! Seeed with heavy guitars, hurdy gurdies, flutes, jaw harps, a rapping knight and a growling warrior... impossible? Feuerschwanz: Hold my mead! Ladies, hide your wedding rings, Hauptmann is in town!"

Das Elfte Gebot is the successor of 2018's extremely successful album, Methämmer, and can be pre-ordered here.

Das Elfte Gebot tracklisting:

"Meister der Minne"
"Metfest"
"Das elfte Gebot"
"Kampfzwerg"
"Im Bauch des Wals"
"Mission Eskalation"
"Schildmaid"
"Malleus Maleficarum"
"Lords Of Powermet"
"Totentanz"
"Unter dem Drachenbanner"

Die Sieben Todsünden (bonus covers album) tracklisting:

"Ding" (Seeed)
"Hier kommt Alex" (Die Toten Hosen)
"Amen & Attack" (Powerwolf)
"I See Fire" (Ed Sheeran)
"Gott mit uns" (Sabaton)
"Limit" (Deichkind)
"Engel" (Rammstein)

"I See Fire" video:

Track-By-Track videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Lineup:

Hauptmann Feuerschwanz - vocals, guitars
Johanna von der Vögelweide - fiddle, hurdy gurdy
Sir Lanzeflott - drums
Jarne Hodinsson - bass
Prinz Hodenherz - winds, vocals
Hans der Aufrechte - guitars




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Frontiers Music Srl will release Shining Black's self-titled debut album on July 10. Shining Black is the new band featuring vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire, Royal Hunt), and guitarist Olaf Thorsen (Labyrinth, Vision Divine).

Pre-order the album here, and listen to the song "My Life" 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.

Tracklisting:

"The House Of The Fallen Souls"
"The Boogeyman"
"My Life"
"A Sad Song"
"Shining Black"
"Just Another Day"
"Where Are Your Gods"
"The Carousel"
"The Day We Said Goodbye"
"We Fall"

"My Life":

"Just Another Day":

Lineup:

Mark Boals - Vocals
Olaf Thorsen - Guitars
Oleg Smirnoff - Keyboards
Nik Mazzucconi - Bass
Matt Peruzzi - Drums




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ICE NINE KILLS was scheduled to play at a Disney-owned venue in Orlando, Florida on April 26, 2019. A few weeks prior to the performance, the band was notified that they were no longer welcome to play because of their evil and disturbing imagery. The mini-documentary below provides a glimpse of what went down on July 25, 2019 when they returned to the city for revenge.

ICE NINE KILLS frontman Spencer Charnas comments: "Looking back at the Disney incident fills me with nothing but laughter.

"When I first heard about the ban, I was perturbed strictly because we love playing in that city. But rather than mope and cry about it, I had the idea to poke fun at the situation by creating a merch line of beloved Disney characters and inserting them in slasher movie scenarios.

"This mini documentary chronicles our triumphant sold out return to Orlando and the chaos that ensued."

To complement the release of "The Disney Revenge Show", ICE NINE KILLS has dropped its latest "Nightmare On The Ninth" merch capsule — "Too Evil For Children II" — with a number of bone-chilling designs featuring horror-themed reimaginings of classic Disney characters. As with every "Nightmare On The Ninth" drop, this capsule is only available for a limited amount of time from www.nightmareontheninth.com and will sell out, so grab yours while you can.

ICE NINE KILLS also revealed that it will have a very special Record Store Day exclusive this year. "The Silver Scream: Killer Cuts" 10-inch vinyl will feature six tracks on a blood-splattered, buzz saw shaped vinyl and will be available on Saturday, October 24.

"The Silver Scream: Killer Cuts" track listing:

Side A

01. Savages

02. Your Number's Up

02. Thriller

Side B

01. Stabbing In The Dark (Acoustic) (feat. Matt Heafy)

02. Savages (Acoustic)

03. Thank God It's Friday (Acoustic) (feat. Ari Lehman)

In a landscape littered with celebrity fakes and would-be influencers, ICE NINE KILLS stands apart. Visionary trailblazers and multimedia raconteurs, INK has steadily built a thrilling new underworld for a growing legion of devoted true believers, with theatrical shows, high-concept videos, and inventive band-to-fan communion. ICE NINE KILLS summons the most captivating elements of metal, punk and hard rock and combine it with melody, cinematic obsession and a literary fascination.

"The Silver Scream" and the subsequent extended edition, "The Silver Scream: Final Cut", generated anthems for the disenfranchised and subculture obsessives, like "The American Nightmare", "A Grave Mistake" and "Savages" and broke them into Active Rock radio, with hit track "A Grave Mistake" peaking at No. 9.

After a decade of studio wizardry and live theatricality, ICE NINE KILLS draws favorable comparisons to rock icons like SLIPKNOT, ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON via a likeminded synergy of music, lifestyle, and cult following reverence. With one million monthly listeners on Spotify, a combined social media reach of over 762,000 and over 70 million views on YouTube, the band is firmly cemented as one of modern metal's most ferocious forces.

OVERKILL/SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner has teamed up with guitarists Felipe Roa (SHADOWS FALL) and Bobby Koeble (DEATH), and bassist Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, DEATH) to record a quarantine cover version of DEATH's "Overactive Imagination", with each musician separated in his own home.

Bittner uploaded a video of the performance to his YouTube channel, writing in an accompanying message: "Well there's a bunch of explaining that goes along with this video and a history of sorts…

"After the whole pandemic started, I contacted my longtime friend and former bandmate Felipe Roa (SHADOWS FALL touring guitarist after Jon joined ANTHRAX) to see if he wanted to do some 'quarantine covers' and I proposed 'Wake Up Dead' by MEGADETH, and by now you have seen that one. At the time of discussion Felipe asked if I wanted to do a DEATH tune, knowing that they are one of my all-time fave bands as well as his, and we used to jam DEATH in soundchecks all the time. Initially my first reaction 'ummmm, I don't know if I want to do that much WORK, hahaha,' but as soon as he said 'Overactive Imagination' I was in – I used to jam this song all the time in my formative years but I did wonder if I could still pull it off. After a couple days of shedding and trying to be 25 again, we had a completed drum track, which I even sent to my pals (former DEATH drummers) Richard Christy and Gene Hoglan for 'approval'. Sean [Reinert] already gave me the green light from Heaven.

"At first we were just going to do it the two of us, but I had a plan. Here's some crazy trivia – while I attended Berklee College of Music in the 80's, I played in a band with Bobby Koeble and we actually recorded a few original songs wayyyyyy back in the late 80's. Bobby later went on to join DEATH for the Symbolic album and still plays in DEATH TO ALL. After not speaking for over 30 years I hit up Bobby, reconnected (which I'd been meaning to do for years) and asked him if he wanted to do this tune with us and he said yes right away. He asked who was playing bass and I told him Felipe probably would do that too… unless… 'Unless what?' Unless I can get Steve to do it… So the next point was to contact my friend, and one of the greatest bass players out there, Mr. Steve DiGiorgio to see if this could be possible.

"At first Steve wasn't sure if he could commit due to his many projects, so we actually asked our friend Bill Bodily (Ex- TOXIK, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM touring bassist) to do the bass since Steve wasn't available. In the meantime, I had sent Steve the track after we put Bobby on it just to 'make sure' he couldn't do it. I had a feeling if Bobby committed, Steve would follow. A week later he did send his tracks, so first off THANK YOU to Steve for going above and beyond in such a quick and timely manner, and also to Bill for being our 'backup', sorry it didn't work out – next time!

"So there you have it folks, we put a lot of work into this one because we absolutely love this band in every incarnation, and I am proud to say that I am friends with a lot of the people who have played in their ranks so… so this one goes out to… Terry Butler, James Murphy, Richard Christy, and Gene Hoglan. Lastly, a moment to remember past members Scott Clendenin, my former bandmate and friend Ralph Santolla, my longtime friend and mentor Sean Reinert, and lastly the one and only Chuck Schuldiner for being one of the greatest songwriters to ever grace the Metal world!! Enjoy and share!!"

In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia was asked who he thinks most deserves to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded (hear audio below): "To me, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, if you're not going to have IRON MAIDEN in it, you're making bad choices. So I think IRON MAIDEN — how can they not be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? [And] JUDAS PRIEST?

"When you talk about rock and roll, and you have hip-hop artists in there, and you don't have heavy metal artists in there… I mean, how do you not include JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?" he continued. "It's mind-blowing. So, you've got PEARL JAM in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but you don't have JUDAS PRIEST, who started in the '70s and is still going? That is shameful. And I'm not taking anything away from PEARL JAM, but the fact that PRIEST and MAIDEN and what they've done for the genre of music that they're in, and they get passed over… How do you justify that? How do you go, 'You know what? No.' Who says no? It's a joke to me, and it feels like a popularity contest… I guess it's a sore spot for me, because there's so many bands that I think deserve to be in before other bands that are in.

"Yeah, an artist like Joan Jett — a trailblazer, right? Been doing it forever. And then put her career up against JUDAS PRIEST or IRON MAIDEN. And I don't understand what the difference is — why one gets in, and why one doesn't get in. It doesn't make sense to me. But I digress.

"It would be an honor, I think, for any and every band to get asked to be inducted, but I don't know what the process is, and to me, [for PRIEST] to be nominated and passed over, that's mind-blowing to me," Stix concluded.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction this year, but failed to receive enough votes to make the class of 2020.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was previously on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

PRIEST singer Rob Halford said that he "would love" to see his band inducted into the Rock Hall. "I think we deserve it," he said. "We've put our 10,000 hours in and more. And beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Last year, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said that he didn't care that his band has yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it has been eligible since 2004.

"I don't mind that we're not in things like that," he told Rolling Stone. "I don't think about things like that. It's very nice if people give you awards or accolades, but we didn't get into the business for that sort of thing. I'm certainly not going to lose sleep if we don't get any sort of award, not just that one, any award. I don't think we deserve to have this or that necessarily. With what we do, whatever comes of it is great. Whatever doesn't come of it is great, too."

MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson made headlines in 2018 when he referred to the Rock Hall as "an utter and complete load of bollocks" during a spoken-word gig in Australia, insisting that the Cleveland-based institution is "run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock and roll if it hit them in the face."

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”, set to release June 12 on all streaming platforms, 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 10.

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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In a new interview with Terry "Beez" Bezer of Knotfest.com, Johnny Christ confirmed that AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "The Stage" album.

"We've been working for a long time on new material," the AVENGED bassist said. "I can't verify how far in we are or anything like that. And it's not even me trying to be secretive or anything like that. There's so much going on in the world right now, for me to get people's hopes up and then something has to switch last minute, I would be very irresponsible if I gave any kind of information of where we are in the process."

Pressed about whether AVENGED SEVENFOLD has at least one new song written at this point, Johnny said: "There's stuff, there's stuff. [Laughs] I don't wanna divulge that, man; I can't. Again, I'm not trying to be cheeky or anything like that. There's too many moving parts in the world right now, and I don't wanna mess with anybody's hopes and dreams."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD kept a low profile during 2019 and will likely not return to the road until next year. A blood blister on singer M. Shadows's vocal cords forced the band to cancel a summer 2018 tour with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE.

Earlier this year, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's platinum-certified DVD/CD "Live In The LBC & Diamonds In The Rough" was released digitally for the very first time via Warner Records. "Diamonds In The Rough", originally issued in 2008 as a compilation CD that included B-sides recorded during the making of the band's self-titled debut, was made available on February 7, while "Live In The LBC", originally released as a live DVD from the band's 2008 show at Long Beach Arena, came out on March 6.

"The Stage" was surprise-released in October 2016. The release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in 11 years. It sold 76 thousand copies in its first week, 73 thousand of which were physical.

"The Stage", AVENGED's debut for Capitol, sold less than half as many copies in its first week as the group's two previous efforts, 2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King".

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale has spoken out against the U.S. Justice Department's request to allow religious-affiliated adoption agencies to refuse child placement into LGBTQ homes.

Late Saturday night (June 6), Hale took to her Instagram to share a Washington Blade article about the Justice Department's assertion in a 35-page amicus brief in a case that the City of Philadelphia has "impermissibly discriminated against religious exercise" under the First Amendment by requiring Catholic Social Services to abide by a contract requiring LGBTQ non-discrimination practices in child placement.

Hale, who has long been an outspoken advocate for mental health, added the following message to her post: "While the nation is pulling together to fight for Justice... this happened.

"We cannot slow, we must keep up the momentum. Don't give up hope, change is coming and we need to continue to push forward. Keep your eyes and ears open. More than ever it is important to Educate yourself on the people you are voting for.

"Equal rights is not an opinion...it is a fundamental truth. There is no reason why in this day and age EVERY HUMAN IN THE USA shouldn't have absolute equality. And any politician or person in power who does not believe in equal rights, should not be in charge and does not deserve to be leading our beautiful, diverse melting pot of a country.

"VOTE VOTE VOTE!! BLACKLIVESMATTER BLACKQUEERLIVES MATTER EQUALRIGHTSFORALL LOVEISLOVE ...and I say again... If you disagree with the idea of equal rights and do not think that black lives matter... You are part of the problem, and have unfortunately been blinded by a corrupt system. A system that is not on Your side either btw. The system only looks out for itself. But it's ok to be wrong!

"It's never too late to Educate yourself, break free, open your eyes and join us! We will welcome you with open arms. Love, Lzzy Hale"

In 2018, Hale launched a mental health awareness campaign in the wake of the tragic death of HUNTRESS frontwoman Jill Janus. Shortly after Jill's passing, Lzzy posted a picture on social media of herself raising the horns, and encouraged others who had suffered from mental illness to do the same and tag their posts with #RaiseYourHorns. In the days that followed, thousands of rock fans from across the world shared the hashtag and their stories.

HALESTORM's latest album, "Vicious", was released in July 2018 via Atlantic.
























View this post on Instagram


































While the nation is pulling together to fight for Justice... this happened. We cannot slow, we must keep up the momentum. Don’t give up hope, change is coming and we need to continue to push forward. Keep your eyes and ears open. More than ever it is important to Educate yourself on the people you are voting for. Equal rights is not an opinion...it is a fundamental truth. There is no reason why in this day and age EVERY HUMAN IN THE USA shouldn’t have absolute equality. And any politician or person in power who does not believe in equal rights, should not be in charge and does not deserve to be leading our beautiful, diverse melting pot of a country. VOTE VOTE VOTE!! BLACKLIVESMATTER BLACKQUEERLIVES MATTER EQUALRIGHTSFORALL LOVEISLOVE ...and I say again... If you disagree with the idea of equal rights and do not think that black lives matter... You are part of the problem, and have unfortunately been blinded by a corrupt system. A system that is not on Your side either btw. The system only looks out for itself. But it’s ok to be wrong! It’s never too late to Educate yourself, break free, open your eyes and join us! We will welcome you with open arms. Love, Lzzy Hale

A post shared by LZZY HALE (@officiallzzyhale) on Jun 6, 2020 at 7:19pm PDT

METALLICA has posted another video as part of its new concert series, "#MetallicaMondays", where the band is streaming a complete live show for fans on the group's YouTube channel and on Facebook every week. The latest concert to be shared was recorded on January 2, 1997 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The audio includes two soundboard sources — the second, superior source doesn't kick in until two-thirds of the way through "Whiplash".

The band said in a statement, "While we're all doing our part and staying home, we find ourselves missing live music, so how about we dive back into a few of our favorite shows at a socially responsible distance?"

METALLICA has been largely out of the public eye since last fall when the band canceled an Australian tour and announced that frontman James Hetfield was returning to rehab for the first time since 2002 to battle his addictions.

Hetfield made his first major public appearance since entering rehab on January 30, when an exhibit featuring 10 of his classic custom cars opened at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

In March, METALLICA announced that its South American tour, which was originally planned for April, has been postponed until December. In addition, the band's appearances at four Danny Wimmer Presents-produced festivals in May and September have been canceled: Epicenter in Charlotte, Welcome To Rockville in Daytona, Sonic Temple in Columbus and Louder Than Life in Louisville.

Guitarist Kirk Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that METALLICA has to be in better than average shape to play its music live. "There's a physicality to our music that we cannot ignore, so we just kind of have to keep ourselves in a certain sort of physical sort of state where that we can't let ourselves get to a point where we can't play these songs," he said. "That's just not allowed. When we write this music, we have to make sure that we can play it and play it when we need to play it."

According to The New York Times, Copenhagen’s yearly metal festival called Copenhell - another casualty of the dreaded and deadly coronavirus - has been taken over by a group of evangelical Christians. They now call it Copenheaven and have held a drive-in church service here almost every Sunday since the Danish lockdown began.

“We are the Christian sheep,” said the group’s pastor, Thomas Christensen, walking between his congregants’ cars, preparing to lead a service last Sunday.

“That is the big bad wolf,” he said, half in jest. “And I’m the shepherd, protecting the flock.”

Mr. Christensen’s congregants have driven every Sunday since late March to sing, pray and honk their horns, while still cocooned by their windshields from potentially infectious fellow worshipers.

The drivers park in front of a small stage that is erected and dismantled every Sunday morning. A small choir and backing band belt hymns and prayers, amplified by a wall of speakers provided by a company that usually equips musical events.

"We try to have fun with it," said Christensen. "We say, if you want to get baptized, put your windshield washers on," and joked, "If you want to turn to God, put your blinkers on."

Copenhell 2020 was planned to take place Wednesday, June 17th to Saturday, June 20th, but was cancelled on April 7th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The line-up was scheduled to feature these heavy-hitters: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, KISS, Down Meshuggah, Opeth, Mercyful Fate, Emperor and Destruction.




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Former OF MICE & MEN frontman Austin Carlile says that the the "Black Lives Matter" movement won't achieve its goal "until the world sees, accepts and walks in true love, which is only found in Jesus."

Carlile — who became a born-again Christian in 2016 — took to social media on Thursday (June 4) to address two of the biggest hot-button issues facing the U.S.: the coronavirus pandemic and discussions about racism and discrimination following the alleged murder of a black man who died while in a Minneapolis police officer's custody.

"From #Politics constantly dividing us& the #media lying to us. To #COVIDー19 keeping us socially distanced more than we already were... Quickly escalating to #blacklifematters (which they do) because of #racism (which is a sin) Which led to #peacefulprotests against injust..." Austin wrote.

"... #PoliceBrutality (which is wrong) then escalating into #riots & #looting (many of which were started by paid agitators) or simply fed-up, angry, & most importantly, HURTING humans. Humans (all of which) were made in the IMAGE OF GOD, & who all suffer the effects of this...

"EVIL world that we live in because of SIN. It is SIN that separates us from God. We have ALL sinned. But God sent HIS Son, Jesus, (not a pale white man btw) to die for ALL HUMANS, of EVERY COLOR, for EVERY SIN. It's only by GOD'S GRACE, through faith, in JESUS BLOOD that we...

"can be saved! Period. That's what will bring change. He came 2,000 years ago to do just that. Jesus came to save ALL HURTING people! #AllLivesMatter won't happen until #BlackLivesMatter & that won't happen until the world sees, accepts & WALKS in TRUE love. Which is only found...

"in JESUS. Who IS the definition of love. 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to JUDGE THE WORLD, but that the world might be SAVED through him.'"

He continued: "Whatever 'jesus' you've been shown by hateful Christians, or condemning churches, or the 'we want your money' television preacher that waters down the TRUTH of 'We have ALL SINNED & fallen short of the glory of God. Saved by grace ALONE. So that NO MAN can boast..' is WRONG and..

".. on their behalf I want to apologize if you were mistreated or judged for having addiction, an abortion, an affair, depression, or a mental illness. I want to apologize for them if you've ever heard 'you're not welcome here for being #LGBTQ,' or BECAUSE OF YOUR SKIN COLOR...

".... they were mistaken. I pray you forgive them too. That's not Jesus. Yes, sin is sin & there is right & wrong. I will NEVER falter on that. But the JESUS THAT DIED FOR YOU FLIPPED TABLES IN A CHURCH! HE YELLED AT THEM & DROVE THEM OUT because they made His 'Fathers house...

"a place of money, merchandise, & not prayer.' THOSE WERE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT HE WILLING LET CRUCIFY HIM for YOU... Yes, YOU.

"THAT Jesus loved the poor & weak, the woman w/ 5 husbands, the starving & sick, the mistreated & the marginalized. AND HE ACCEPTED THEM AS THEY WERE...

"... just as He will accept you. No matter what condition, addiction, afflictions, culture, color, or race. It doesn't matter. The life of JESUS matters to you, because YOUR life matters to Him. Come as you are now, because HE IS coming back soon. None of these current events are

"surprising to Him or anyone who understands that the Bible is the living Word of God. He is on the throne. He came as a lamb before, but will be returning as a LION next. Think things are bad now? You have no idea. Live in Him, not the world, so you can live in joy, not fear"

Three years ago, Carlile admitted that loses Twitter followers any time he speaks "about God or His son Jesus." He said: "People don't wanna hear it."

Carlile left OF MICE & MEN in 2016 due to his ongoing battle with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that afflicts the connective tissue holding the body's cells, organs and tissue together.

Carlile originally exited OF MICE & MEN in 2010 after his doctor forbade him from touring to undergo heart surgery tied to complications with Marfan Syndrome. He returned in 2011, but his ailments didn't cease, forcing him to depart the band for the second, and presumably final, time nearly four years ago.




From #Politics constantly dividing us& the #media lying to us. To #COVIDー19 keeping us socially distanced more than we already were... Quickly escalating to #blacklifematters (which they do) because of #racism (which is a sin) Which led to #peacefulprotests against injust...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








... #PoliceBrutality (which is wrong) then escalating into #riots & #looting (many of which were started by paid agitators) or simply fed-up, angry, & most importantly, HURTING humans. Humans (all of which) were made in the IMAGE OF GOD, & who all suffer the effects of this...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








EVIL world that we live in because of SIN. It is SIN that separates us from God. We have ALL sinned. But God sent HIS Son, Jesus, (not a pale white man btw) to die for ALL HUMANS, of EVERY COLOR, for EVERY SIN. It's only by GOD'S GRACE, through faith, in JESUS BLOOD that we...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








can be saved! Period. That's what will bring change. He came 2,000 years ago to do just that. Jesus came to save ALL HURTING people! #AllLivesMatter won't happen until #BlackLivesMatter & that won't happen until the world sees, accepts & WALKS in TRUE love. Which is only found...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








in JESUS. Who IS the definition of love. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to JUDGE THE WORLD, but that the world might be SAVED through him."

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








Whatever "jesus" you've been shown by hateful Christians, or condemning churches, or the "we want your money" television preacher that waters down the TRUTH of "We have ALL SINNED & fallen short of the glory of God. Saved by grace ALONE. So that NO MAN can boast.." is WRONG and..

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








... on their behalf I want to apologize if you were mistreated or judged for having addiction, an abortion, an affair, depression, or a mental illness. I want to apologize for them if you've ever heard "you're not welcome here for being #LGBTQ," or BECAUSE OF YOUR SKIN COLOR...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








.... they were mistaken. I pray you forgive them too. That's not Jesus. Yes, sin is sin & there is right & wrong. I will NEVER falter on that. But the JESUS THAT DIED FOR YOU FLIPPED TABLES IN A CHURCH! HE YELLED AT THEM & DROVE THEM OUT because they made His "Fathers house...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








a place of money, merchandise, & not prayer." THOSE WERE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT HE WILLING LET CRUCIFY HIM for YOU... Yes, YOU.

THAT Jesus loved the poor & weak, the woman w/ 5 husbands, the starving & sick, the mistreated & the marginalized. AND HE ACCEPTED THEM AS THEY WERE...

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








... just as He will accept you. No matter what condition, addiction, afflictions, culture, color, or race. It doesn't matter. The life of JESUS matters to you, because YOUR life matters to Him. Come as you are now, because HE IS coming back soon. None of these current events are

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020








surprising to Him or anyone who understands that the Bible is the living Word of God. He is on the throne. He came as a lamb before, but will be returning as a LION next. Think things are bad now? You have no idea. Live in Him, not the world, so you can live in joy, not fear ?

— Austin Carlile (@austincarlile) June 4, 2020

AMARANTHE's previously announced summer/fall 2020 North American headlining tour has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. The 37-date trek with Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST and the Boston symphonic metal band SEVEN SPIRES was scheduled to kick off at the Soundstage in Baltimore on August 20 and will make stops in Chicago, Vancouver and Denver before concluding on October 2 at the Riverfront Live in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Swedish/Danish six-piece comments: "While the cancellation of our U.S. tour probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, with the COVID-19 situation being far from over with — it is still really devastating for us. We were massively looking forward to visit U.S. soil again after a three-year absence, and judging from the ticket sales, so were you guys — thank you for the support! Obviously, we will be back as soon as we possibly can, so keep your eyes peeled to our sites, and we will be rocking together again before you know it!!"

AMARANTHE recently completed work on its new album. The follow-up to 2018's "Helix" will be released on August 28 via Nuclear Blast.

This past February, AMARANTHE released a brand new song featuring former ARCH ENEMY vocalist Angela Gossow. "Do Or Die" displays AMARANTHE's heavier side and is accompanied by a dystopian horror video filmed in Spain, featuring Fardou Keuning's stunning creations.

With its foundations tracing back to 2008, AMARANTHE has released five albums thus far, consistently delivering hauntingly catchy tunes led by their unique three-part vocals. Within their arsenal of hit singles, a myriad tracks have been received very well via press and fans alike; having also gained countless plays on both radio stations around the globe and across streaming services (the group's songs have been streamed more than 100 million times on Spotify). A string of support tours has blazed AMARANTHE's trail in front of huge crowds as well as at their own headline concerts (the group impressively once performed in front of 10,000 fans at Liseberg, Gothenburg). They have kept working incredibly hard over the years, the latest product of which culminated in the form of 2018's "Helix", which achieved them some of their highest chart positions in the band's history.

BPMD — the new heavy metal juggernaut featuring vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL), drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE) and guitarist Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) — will release its debut album, "American Made", on June 12 via Napalm Records. The 10-track homage to some of rock music's greatest treasures is turbocharged by the experience and enthusiasm of its four creators.

Today, the members of BPMD have revealed their third single, the charging new version of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's classic anthem "We're An American Band". Check out the raucous new rendition below.

Menghi says about "We're An American Band": "The goal of 'American Made' was, and is, to pay tribute to some of the great music of the '70s, in particular American music from the '70s. We love music from all over the world; England, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Australia, etc… but at the end of the day, we are an American band, so it made sense to pay tribute to one of the greatest American bands of the '70s by covering one of the greatest songs of that decade by the mighty GRAND FUNK…

"Being that this song was originally written about being on tour, we've been reminiscing about days on the road and how much we miss our fans. Touring is the lifeblood of most bandse.

"We can't wait to perform some shows and play these BPMD tunes, and see music flourish in a live setting once again.”

Blitz adds: "'American Band', in my opinion was the icing on the cake for this project. The idea of 'American Made', the '70s called for it. The song was iconic then and truly stood the test of time. The call and answer between my vox and Phil's guitar on the outro make the track that much more special."

It's evident within the initial seconds of BPMD's "American Made", as Blitz chants the introductory lyrics to Ted Nugent's "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" in his signature skyscraper-high howl, that he and his equally iconic bandmates are here to have a damn good time. Featuring 10 unforgettable rock classics reimagined as heavy bangers, "American Made" is a party on wax. Tracks such as the raucous "Toys In The Attic" and rager-ready "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" (ZZ TOP) prove that BPMD not only manages to capture the essence of each original track on the album, but skillfully transforms each classic into an unforgettable metallic anthem for a new age. The seasoned quartet flex their musical muscles on renowned classics such as "Saturday Night Special" (LYNYRD SKYNYRD), "We're An American Band" (GRAND FUNK RAILROAD) and "Walk Away" (JAMES GANG), and introduce a whole new heavy generation to deeper cuts like "Evil" and "Never In My Life" (MOUNTAIN). Channeling nostalgia while maintaining a fresh attitude, "American Made" is a summer soundtrack for all ages.

Menghi remarked on BPMD's origins: "Last summer, right after the Fourth of July, I was sitting in my backyard. I was listening to a bunch of '70s stuff and LYNYRD SKYNYRD's 'Saturday Night Special' came on. I said, 'Man, I would love to play that song,' and my eight-year-old son turned to me and said, 'You should do a record of all these songs, Dad.' And I was like, 'Hmmm? Yeah, why not!?!'"

After connecting over their mutual love for the classics and forming their current line-up, the members of BPMD traveled to Portnoy's home studio in Pennsylvania and set up shop. Since the whole concept of the band was born the night Menghi was listening to "Saturday Night Special", BPMD were determined to record the song for the album. Beyond that, each musician picked two '70s rock tracks and everyone had to learn them!

Menghi chose "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" in addition to "Saturday Night Special". Blitz's choices were a little more obscure — "Never In My Life" replete with cowbell and a blazing repeated blues lick, and CACTUS's version of "Evil", a fiercely ZEPPELIN-like take on an old Willie Dixon song. For his tracks, Demmel picked "D.O.A." and had a blast channeling his inner Eddie Van Halen, and took a deep dive with "Tattoo Vampire". Recalling the days when Ted Nugent was more of a bad boy than a gunslinger, Portnoy picked "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang", in additon to "Toys In The Attic".

Menghi, who also co-produced "American Made", added: "We didn't go into it trying to make everything metal, we just wanted to play the way we play and this is what you get... we've all been influenced by a wide variety of bands including BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA. So, of course, we're going to attack the songs a little harder than guys that didn't grow up on heavy music."

Blitz stated: "We made sure we did high-quality versions of these songs and gave them all a little twist. I think there's a place for that in the music world today. There's something really great about nostalgia, especially if it's reimagined."

"American Made" was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis, also known for his work with METAL ALLEGIANCE (featuring Menghi and Portnoy), as well as artists such as DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM, and many others.

"American Made" track listing:

01. Wang Dang Sweet Poontang (TED NUGENT cover)

02. Toys In The Attic (AEROSMITH cover)

03. Evil (CACTUS cover)

04. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ TOP cover)

05. Saturday Night Special (LYNYRD SKYNYRD cover)

06. Tattoo Vampire (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT cover)

07. D.O.A. (VAN HALEN cover)

08. Walk Away (THE JAMES GANG cover)

09. Never In My Life (MOUNTAIN cover)

10. We're An American Band (GRAND FUNK RAILROAD cover)

Legendary YES guitarist Steve Howe will release "Love Is" on July 31 via BMG Records. "Love Is" marks Howe's first solo album since the all-instrumental "Time" in 2011 and has a balance of five instrumental tracks and five songs.

The first single from the LP, " The Headlands", can be streamed below.

The album will be available as a CD in a gatefold digi-sleeve with a 12-page booklet, and a black vinyl 180-gram LP with a gatefold sleeve, liner notes and lyrics.

Howe sings lead vocals and plays electric, acoustic and steel guitars, keyboards, percussion and bass guitar on the instrumentals, while YES vocalist Jon Davison provides vocal harmonies and plays bass guitar on the vocal tracks. The album also features Dylan Howe on drums.

Many years in the making, "Love Is" brings together a consistently strong and polished listening experience, forging the very best from the writing and playing throughout the album. This may well be considered the real "standout" album of Howe's solo career. The instrumentals keep a highly progressive rock guitar style to the fore, with songs that explore stories of lives lived and lives only just begun. "Love Is A River" is the central longer song with several textural shifts, featuring a theme played on 12-string and steel guitars.

"I called the album 'Love Is' because it hints at the central idea that that love is important but also love of the universe and the ecology of the world is very important," says Howe. "Alexander Humboldt went around the world and recognized we are destroying the planet but that was 200 years ago. We are still destroying the planet and, I suppose, my songs show the yearning I have for the love of nature and how beauty, art and music all stem from nature. There is a theme about those things, love, beauty, ecology, nature and wonderful people.

"'Love Is A River' just seemed a very important track to me, a sort of quintessential track with lots of moods, lots of interesting things going on with steel guitars and acoustic guitars. Further tracks grew from time spent writing in my studio.

"'See Me Through' looks at the idea that we get through life by not driving ourselves that hard but attempting to achieve things with people who help you along the way, and 'Imagination' is dedicated to my granddaughter Zuni. It's about how I see some of the things she's experienced in her short seven years.

"I invited Jon Davison to sing harmonies with me and add bass on the songs. If he was singing on the songs I thought 'why doesn't he play bass' as well and it turned out nice. He's been with YES for seven or eight years and he's a great guy, great performer and a great interpreter of YES songs.

"I've been singing for years, mainly in harmony but I've sung lead on lots of my own albums before and I feel that, as I've got older, I've got a grip on that and, hopefully, it's improved over the years."

The album includes many distinctive Steve Howe signatures among the instrumental tracks from the delicate beauty of "Fulcrum", "Beyond The Call" and "Pause For Thought" to upbeat rock, "The Headlands", and the jazz-tinged "Sound Picture".

"The instrumentals are like a mood, a place I went to one day, thought this is nice and then I develop that to a point where it's a finished track," Howe explains. "There might be key ingredients that I thought about using musically that I like, that I'm drawn to, and then developing them into something."

"Love Is" was written, engineered and produced by Steve Howe with further engineering and mixing by Curtis Schwartz.

"I write in my own studio and then go to see Curtis in his studio," Howe explains. "We expand the tracks and put them on Pro Tools and everything starts to be possible. At some point, probably around two years ago, Dylan came down to Curtis's studio and we recorded the drums on some of the tracks. I could see a balance of five instrumental tracks and five songs and there was a feeling that it was an album, sitting there, looking at me."

"Love Is" track listing:

01. Fulcrum *

02. See Me Through

03. Beyond The Call *

04. Love Is A River

05. Sound Picture *

06. It Ain't Easy

07. Pause For Thought *

08. Imagination

09. The Headlands *

10. On The Balcony

* Instrumental

Photo credit: Will Ireland / Prog magazine / Future Publishing

THE GHOST INSIDE has parted ways with Jim Riley after the bassist was accused of making racist slurs.

The Los Angeles-based rockers announced Riley's exit from the band group in a social media post earlier today. They wrote: "THE GHOST INSIDE was born from a scene of forward thinking, understanding and progressiveness. Our music and message has always been one of hope and finding that light at the end of the tunnel. Racism and bigotry of any kind stifle that journey the light. It closes and locks doors that need to be broken open.

"We have decided to part ways with bassist Jim Riley. While we didn't hear these words spoken directly from his mouth, we did hear mutterings of the incident. At the time we thought this to be just a rumor, but it offended and hurt a community. A community we are meant to bring together.

"We should've spoken up back then and we didn't, we should've dug deeper. We acknowledge that we were silent. We are self educating and growing and learning as individuals. We are here to say that we as a band fully condemn racism and support the black community in the fight against systemic racism."

The allegation that Riley used a racial slur toward a bus driver five years ago was first brought to light by BRACEWAR drummer Rashod Jackson. In response, Riley claimed that he apologized for the remark he made back in 2015 and vowed to "keep doing the work."

In a series of tweets, Jim wrote: "Rashod called me out in 2015. I called him, he put the screws to me. I deserved it, and I apologized to him. He told me that wasn't good enough and he was right. Its shameful and fucking embarrassing. I present myself as someone who gives a shit about progressive movements and ideas, and I was not living up to that.

"Because of that conversation I had to take a big fucking look in the mirror and recognize a lot of bullshit that I was selling myself. I made too many excuses for being brought up without exposure to the black experience, and I should have been better. I make a conscious effort to purge stuff about myself that still sucks when I find it, and to be mindful that I'm just a passenger on someone else's ship in any movement related to black lives.

"I'm sorry. I know that's not enough. I'm going to keep doing the work. That might still not be enough. I'm going to do it anyway."

THE GHOST INSIDE's first album in nearly six years, simply titled "The Ghost Inside", came out on Friday (June 5) via Epitaph.
























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A post shared by The Ghost Inside (@theghostinside) on Jun 6, 2020 at 12:17pm PDT










Its shameful and fucking embarrassing. I present myself as someone who gives a shit about progressive movements and ideas, and I was not living up to that.

— The Jim Riley (@SpartaDTD) June 5, 2020








I made too many excuses for being brought up without exposure to the black experience, and I should have been better.

— The Jim Riley (@SpartaDTD) June 5, 2020








I'm sorry. I know that's not enough. I'm going to keep doing the work. That might still not be enough. I'm going to do it anyway.

— The Jim Riley (@SpartaDTD) June 5, 2020

Jack Osbourne has opened up about missing his family during the Coronavirus lockdown, saying it's “tough” going without seeing them properly, reports BreakingNews.ie.

He told the PA news agency that it was difficult not knowing when his children “will be able to hug their grandparents” Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne again.

The reality TV star added, “I can go over to the house and stand outside while they talk to me with the door open but it’s just tough.”

With regard to how Ozzy is doing these days, Jack explained, “He’s just bored, he was going to go back in the studio and start work on another album, and that got all shut down, especially because his producer (Andrew Watt), he got Covid, and yeah, he’s had a really hard time with it.”

In the above video for his latest single, "Ordinary Man", the title track of his new Epic Records album which features Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne takes a retrospective look at his life and career.




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Billboard is reporting that record producer and audio engineer, Mark Opitz, has been awarded a Medal Of The Order Of Australia in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours List, announced Monday (June 8).

The Queenslander was feted for his service to the performing arts, particularly to music production, and is one of 933 Australians honored for their outstanding achievement.

Opitz is among the very best in the business, having produced albums for a string of ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted artists including INXS, Cold Chisel, AC/DC and The Divinyls.

During the '90s, Optiz served with Warner Music as head of A&R and, later, joined the executive team at Michael Gudinski’s Mushroom Group, where he was responsible for overseeing Australian artists’ music projects.

“Congratulations to legendary Australian producer Mark Opitz, who was awarded the Medal Of The Order Of Australia," a statement from ARIA reads. "His work is heard every day, with INXS, Cold Chisel, AC/DC, Hoodoo Gurus and many more amongst his credits.”

Read more at Billboard.

Mark Opitz' production credits include titles from AC/DC (Powerage, 1978), Steelheart (Steelheart, 1990), KISS (KISS Symphony: Alive IV, 2003), Rose Tattoo (Outlaws, 2020), and many more.

Congratulations to legendary Australian producer @markopitz, who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. His work is heard every day, with INXS, Cold Chisel, AC/DC, Hoodoo Gurus and many more amongst his credits. pic.twitter.com/5EHM97JUgW
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) June 7, 2020

 




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Break Out Pictures have announced that they will release the hotly anticipated Phil Lynott: Songs For While I’m Away in Irish Cinemas this fall, reports Nova.ie.

Phil Lynott: Songs For While I’m Away is a feature documentary on the life and music of Phil Lynott, telling the story of how a young black boy from working class 1950’s Dublin, became Ireland’s greatest rock star.

As lead singer of Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott was a songwriter, a poet, a dreamer, a wildman. Told extensively through the words of Phil himself and focusing on some of his iconic songs, the film gets to the heart of  Philip, the father, the husband, the friend, the son, the rock icon, the poet and the dreamer.

Read more, including an interview with Director Emer Reynolds, at Nova.ie.




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Germany's Leaves' Eyes have checked in with the following announcement:

"Dear fans and friends, we have great news for you! As the first edition was sold out immediately, the Black Butterfly EP is now available as a special edition Digipak, including a brand new track of the upcoming studio album in a very special version. Elina is enchanting you with a piano version of the new song "Dark Love Empress". This song will be on the upcoming album as original version."

The EP will be released on June 26th.

Tracklist of the Black Butterfly Special Edition EP is as follows:

"Black Butterfly"
"Serkland"
"Night Of The Ravens"
"Dark Love Empress" (Piano Version)

The EP was originally released in 2019 with the bonus track, "Stille Nacht", which has been removed from the Special Edition version.

"Serkland":

"Night Of The Ravens":




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German bashers Atrocity are gearing up for the vinyl re-release of their 1992 album, Todessehnsucht, which will include a cover of Death's "Archangel". It is available for pre-order on clear or red vinyl here.

In addition, the album is now available for download and streaming for the first time. Go to this location to check it out.

Tracklist:

"Todessehnsucht"
"Godless Years"
"Unspoken Names"
"Defiance"
"Triumph at Dawn"
"Introduction"
"Sky Turned Red"
"Necropolis - 31:40
"A Prison Called Earth"
"Todessehnsucht (Reprise)"
"Archangel" (Death cover)




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Canada's Devin Townsend has posted a new video clip with the following message:

"Okay, so, a few years ago, myself and the DTP band had the privilege of playing a show with friends Opeth and Gojira at their show at the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Colorado. Both of those bands professionally filmed and recorded their shows and have released DVDs of it. I did not record this show, but have been asked by people if I could find a song from it. 

Fortunately, a few people on YouTube posted footage (thanks to MRYNCRISPY, TwilightCalzone - who we could reach for approval - and also I used a bit from videos by Melanion and Trapper, whom we wrote but couldn't reach, but hopefully its cool) as well as our good buddy Neil Lim Sang for his great still photos here as well. This is truly a very lo-fi live video, but it at least gets the point across. It was a fun show and it was nice to be invited to play.

Thanks to Callum for talking to the YouTube folks and Mike St Jean for helping me figure out some Premiere Pro tricks. Hope you're all doing well, and there's lots more content coming your way soon. Keep fighting the good fight, and try not to let the bad days grind you down."

Philipp Koch at DrumTalk recently posted unreleased live footage of the Devin Townsend Project performing "Bad Devil" in Frankfurt, Germany in 2014 along with the following message:

"Back in 2014, I had the opportunity to film a Devin Townsend Project show at Batschkapp, Frankfurt in my hometown on my birthday! Here is some of that footage for you to bang and dance to, so ladies and gentlemen -- ENJOY!"

Photo by Neil Lim Sang 




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Wisconsin's Bourbon House, comprised of vocalist Lacey Crowe, guitarist Jason Clark, drummer Ryan Sargent, and bassist Johnny Pries is all about blending the blues and rock & roll.

Today they released the video for their latest single, the hard-hitting and gritty rock song “Too High To Care”. The song was recorded and produced at the legendary Rustbelt Studios in Detroit, MI with engineer Steve Lehane (The Black Dahlia Murder, Citizen Zero), it's the first of five new tracks scheduled to be released this year.

"’Too High To Care’ is a very free-spirited, zero apologies, own-your-shit-proudly kind of song,” declares lead singer Lacey Crowe. “I think the video reflects that. We're a rock band having fun, setting up in random places during a massive lockdown and performing for three people hanging out on their porches across the street. You're basically coming along for the ride with us and watching our 13-hour video shoot day unfold."

During that shoot, they stumbled on a small freezer inside the abandoned building where the first sequence was filmed. Inside that freezer was a bag of bones and the band and crew were convinced they were human remains. After calling the sheriff to report the finding, it turns out that they were most likely chicken bones. Says Crowe, “Or at least a huge chicken that may have had human teeth!”

While Bourbon House has performed extensively throughout the Midwest and beyond, including club shows in Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and most recently in Nashville with supporting slots for Crobot and Jasmine Cain, an extensive 2020 tour has been postponed due to the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. Bourbon House is using this off-time to rehearse and create a live show bigger and better than before.

"Too High To Care" isn't the first video from Bourbon House. Check out their previously released clip for "Devil On My Heels".

For further details, visit BourbonHouseRocks.com.

(Photo credit: Maryrose Pries Photography)

 




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Sophisticated, progressive, and refined, Los Angeles based progressive metallers Lufeh (a band of both Brazilian and American musicians) meanders through jazz styles, heavy metal foundations, and rhythmic Brazilian influences. 

Released in April of 2020, Luggage Falling Down was a trying, yet successful first recording for these recently banded musicians who lived together for two weeks throughout the process. Having lost the original singer a month before recording began, the intrepid bunch found hope with Dennis Atlas, who fell in step with the rest of the band immediately. This bond between the members can be seen in their videos along with their high energy and knack for performing.

Luggage Falling Down is a unique melodic story that is finalized with the single “The Edge”. Drummer Lufeh Batera shares their thoughts on the track: “'The Edge' could really just as well be called 'Living By The Edge Of Desire'.  As the album’s final statement, it leaves the listener in a state of trust and bravery to go out on the edge and take the leap into living life to the fullest.”

For fans of Rush, Dream Theater, and Incubus, Lufeh is smooth and rhythmic progressive metal; heavy chords followed by light melodies and the occasional crazy guitar solo.

Lufefh's new album Luggage Falling Down is available for stream and download on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Tracklisting:

"Find My Way"
"The Unknown"
"Doors"
"Trial Of Escapade"
"My World"
"End Of The Road"
"Escape"
"The Edge"

LUGGAGE FALLING DOWN by LUFEHBAND

 

 




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