Emerging from the shadows after more than 25 years in the sonic wilderness, former Cathedral members Adam Lehan and Mark Wharton have returned as Workshed. This is the sound of doom metal legends, reborn in fire and fury. Workshed's self-titled new album will be released September 13th via Rise Above Records.

Formed in 2014, this renewed musical collaboration has already grown into something monstrous. Workshed’s self-titled debut album is simply the most ferociously pissed off metal record of the year: a relentless onslaught of scything riffs, verbal vitriol and oppressive aggression that proves beyond doubt that guitarist/vocalist Lehan and drummer Wharton have lost none of their creative bite or mutual chemistry. In reality, however, Workshed’s beginnings were as unassuming as they come.

“I just had a few riffs that I’d never done anything with, and I’d gotten back in touch with Mark and we just thought it would be fun to start playing again, to see if we could still do it!” Adam laughs. “There were no ambitions or anything more than having a blast. That was about five years ago and here we are. Bloody hell!”

Recorded at Orgone Studios in Bedfordshire with esteemed producer Jaime ‘Gomez’ Arellano, Workshed may be the result of two friends making a racket together for the sheer hell of it, but there is nothing half-hearted about these monolithic slabs of virulent hate-doom. Both redolent of all the great doom and sludge heroes of the past and thrillingly fresh and inventive, songs like rampaging opener ‘The Windowpanes At The Lexington’ and the pulverising ‘Nowhere To Go’ sound very much like the finished, riff-worshipping article.

“Up to a certain point Workshed has been a project rather than a full band, although now that the album’s done it does feel like a band,” says Adam. “It’s just so easy for us to come up with stuff this way. I’ll write a song and send it to Mark over Facebook. We rehearse it a couple of times and then it’s pretty much done and we have a beer! We’ve always had a kind of shorthand or a connection between us. We know each other’s playing styles pretty much inside out.”

As far as Workshed’s signature sound is concerned, Adam insists that spontaneity has been at the heart of everything. Both mindful of their status as key figures in the Cathedral story and their shared desire to make music without restrictions, Workshed are destined to win over anyone and everyone that lives for the power and glory of the riff. 

“There’s certainly doom in there, although it honestly wasn’t planned that way,” says Adam. “We just went with whatever came out. The general rule has been that this can be anything, but there must be an energy, a pissed off vibe, even in the really slow parts. If this is doom, it’s doom that has had the shit kicked out of it and woken up with a hangover!”

In keeping with the grim and vicious sound of s riffs, Adam’s lyrics are rooted firmly in the guitarist’s own battles with anxiety and depression. As a result, the songs on Workshed reverberate with honesty, truth and an oddly uplifting sense of punk rock defiance. The evergreen cliché that heavy music is a form of catharsis for those who make it (and those who listen, of course) has never rung more true. 

“The theme that runs all the way through is related to a period in time when I was having therapy,” Adam explains. “There are songs about different subjects but it all ties in with the mind-set I have with anxiety and depression. There is a song called ‘A Spirit In Exile’ which is pretty much as far as I can go lyrically with the subject. It’s pretty grim. So this is the anxiety album.” 

There is a rather pleasing symmetry to the fact that Adam and Mark are releasing their return to the doom frontline via their old Cathedral colleague Lee Dorrian’s Rise Above Records imprint. Still on excellent terms after all these years, both Workshed and their new label boss are happy to be reunited in this new endeavour.

“It’s actually one of the bigger regrets I have regarding leaving Cathedral, that I don’t get to see Lee much anymore,” Adam notes. “So when me and Mark started to think of maybe recording some stuff, we basically came up with two ideas – to see if Lee was interested, and if he wasn’t we’d just do it ourselves in a local studio somewhere, just so we could have something we can listen to. Happily, he was interested and he’s been really cool answering all my stupid questions ever since!”

A scabby-knuckled fist to the face of metal complacency, Workshed is not for the faint-hearted. Pitch-black and proudly pugilistic, this is an exuberant exorcism and a celebration of the restorative power of The Riff. Doom is forever, class is eternal: the real work has only just begun...

“We’re just looking forward to seeing how the album is received, and we’ll take it from there,” Adam concludes. “If things go well we’d love to do more. We would definitely like to start recruiting more people and we’d love to record at Orgone again. Fingers crossed!”

Tracklisting:

“The Windopanes At The Lexington”
“If This Is How It Is”
“Nowhere To Go”
“Anthropophobic”
“On Sticks Of Wood”
“The City Has Fallen”
“A Spirit In Exile”
“Safety Behaviours”
“It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way”




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TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan says that it was a relief to finally be able to the announce that the band's long-awaited fifth studio album, "Fear Inoculum", will arrive on August 30. The name of the LP was unveiled on Monday (July 29) in an Instagram post. The disc will follow up 2006's "10,000 Days".

"Fuck, what a weight lifted off my chest," Keenan told "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast on Monday (see video below). "It took a lot of work. The four of us are a lot of fucking work just to get anywhere. Oh my God — everything's a fucking committee meeting and always gets shot down."

Asked what specifically caused the delay in the record's completion, he replied: "Success. When you get successful, you think you're right about everything. You're pretty sure as that individual, 'I am right and you are wrong.' I'm successful and we're successful because of me, not because of you.'

Keenan continued: "It's not that bad with us… There's a dynamic of, 'I want this and I've always gotten my way and that's why we're successful, because I don't compromise.'"

A full track list and first single for the LP has yet to be unveiled, although the band has been playing two songs, reportedly titled "Descending" and "Invincible", during its recent live shows. Both tracks are expected to show up on "Fear Inoculum".

The band revealed in a second post that its entire recorded catalog will be available on digital and streaming services beginning this Friday (August 2). All four previous studio LPs and the band's 1992 debut EP, "Opiate", will be available. TOOL was one of the last holdouts in the music business to keep all its music out of the digital realm.

Earlier in the month, TOOL's legendary 1991 demo tape, titled "72826", surfaced on YouTube, Apple Music, Google Play and Pandora. It marked the first time a TOOL release had been available to stream online and led to speculation that the rest of the catalog would follow.

Firehouse guitarist, Bill Leverty, has released the video below, along with the following statement:

"I had the great honour and pleasure of jamming with rock legend, Lita Ford, and her amazing band in Ft. Morgan, CO on 7/13/19. 'Back To The Cave' has always been one of my favourite Lita songs. Mega thanks to Lita for inviting me! Special thanks also to her bandmates: Patrick Kennison, Marty O'Brien and Bobby Rock. Go see Lita Ford in concert. She and her band are AWESOME!"




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Former Chastain vocalist Kate French has checked in with the following:

"So proud to call David T. Chastain my friend! He has always believed in me! Thank you, David! Today he is releasing an album with a collection of some of the music we've released over the years. Check out The Reign Of Kate at Leviathanrecords.com.

The tracklist is as follows:

"Human Sacrifice"
"Seven" 
"Blackening"
"Tongue"
"In Dementia" 
"Desperately"
"In An Outrage" 
"Lucky To Be Alive "
"Tortured Love"
"Bullet From A Gun" 
"Hamunaptra" 
"Love And Hate" 
"Destructive Ground"
"The Vampire"
"Angel Falls"
"I Know the Darkness" (Demo)
"Sick Society" (Demo)
"Bleeding Heart" (Bonus Track)

The Reign of Kate is an over 95 minute collection of tracks from the three Chastain albums: Sick Society (1995), In Dementia (1997) and In An Outrage (2004). All remastered in 2019. This release also includes three bonus tracks, two of which are demos and the third a bonus track previously only available in South Korea. 

All three releases featured vocalist Kate French and guitarist David T. Chastain but the releases had different bassists and drummers. On Sick Society, Dennis Lesh (Trouble, Stygian) was the drummer. On In Dementia, bassist Kevin Kekes (Damien, Crashdollz) was added. On In An Outrage, drummer Larry Howe (Vicious Rumors) and bassist Dave Starr (Vicious Rumors, WildeStarr) joined the band. 

David comments: "Fortunately, I have always been able to get top notch musicians to play on the Chastain albums. Each musician brings their own unique talents which helps make each record sound a little different but still Chastain. Kate's three albums showcased a great diversity in her vocals. Powerful on most but really emotional on standout tracks such as 'Desperately'. The album In Dementia is a Master's Class in metal vocals. Fortunately, on that album we had an unlimited budget so Kate spent a ton of time on the vocals and it shows. You really need to listen with headphones to hear all of the different vocal parts she has embedded in those tracks." 



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U.K.'s Zee Productions will release four classic RUSH album covers as 500-piece jigsaws later this summer.


"Fly By Night", "A Farewell To Kings", "Permanent Waves" and "Moving Pictures" will be made available on September 20. The iconic art of some of rock's most influential and highly regarded albums is presented in puzzle form for the first time in years.


All puzzles come in a vinyl box set sized box, perfect to fit alongside your vinyl collection.


Pre-orders are available at www.plastichead.com.

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

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

The artwork from each of these legendary albums is now available as a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle printed on high-quality board.

Also due in September from Zee Productions are the first four classic METALLICA album covers as 500-piece jigsaws: "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets" and "…And Justice For All".

According to The Pulse Of Radio, HALESTORM singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale told Heavy magazine in a new interview that her teachers were not super supportive when she and her brother and drummer Arejay Hale launched the band back in 1997 when she was just 13 years old.

Hale recalled: "All of our teachers would have interventions. We started a rock band, and they would try to tell us, like, 'Hey, that's actually a stupid idea. You shouldn't be putting all your eggs in one basket and you shouldn't be obsessed with a band. You should be looking at going to college.'"

She continued: "I went to a high school where you're pretty much told the same thing. If you signed up to do music or drama, you're always told by the teachers, 'Hey, it's good that you want to do this class, but it's not a future'... We had quite a bit of defiance at that point because I don't know, all of a sudden, everything [else] came second."

Hale told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that she and her band enjoy taking creative risks. "With every new risk that we take, a whole other door opens up, you know, another opportunity," she said. "So I hope that we will take every opportunity given to us and I guess just see what happens and take the most risks we can."

HALESTORM is currently on a summer tour with ALICE COOPER that stops on Wednesday night (July 31) in Irving, Texas. Following that, the quartet will join forces with GODSMACK on a fall run that launches on September 20 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. HALESTORM continues to tour behind its fourth album, "Vicious", which came out in July 2018.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES were the musical guests on last night's (Tuesday, July 30) episode of "The Late Late Show With James Corden". The band performed its cover of David Bowie's "Heroes". The studio version of the track, featuring Johnny Depp on lead vocals, was recorded last year at legendary Hansa Studios — the same place where Bowie wrote the original back in 1977.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES are built around the undeniable chemistry between rock and roll royalty Joe Perry, Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and shock rock icon Alice Cooper.

The band's second album, "Rise", was released on June 21 on earMUSIC as a CD digipak, 2LP+download and digital. The disc was produced by Tommy Henriksen and the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES.

Unlike HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' 2015 debut record, "Rise" consists mainly of original material, written by the band. There are however, in the spirit of the VAMPIRES' original mission, three covers of songs originally written and recorded by some fellow rockers who died far too young: an intimate and intense version of "Heroes"; the JIM CARROLL BAND's "People Who Died" and Johnny Thunders's "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory", sung by Perry.

Completing the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES live lineup are rock star musician friends Glen Sobel (ALICE COOPER) on drums, Chris Wyse (THE CULT) on bass, and Buck Johnson (AEROSMITH) on keyboard and vocals.

Norwegian black metal masters 1349 will release their new album, "The Infernal Pathway", on October 18 via Season Of Mist. The disc was recorded earlier this year at Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard.

A brand new 1349 song, called "Enter Cold Void Dreaming", can be streamed below.

The cover artwork of "The Infernal Pathway" was created by Jordan Barlow and can be viewed below.


"The Infernal Pathway" track listing:

01. Abyssos Antithesis (5:30)

02. Through Eyes Of Stone (3:24)

03. Tunnel Of Set VIII (0:47)

04. Enter Cold Void Dreaming (3:59)

05. Towers Upon Towers (4:50)

06. Tunnel Of Set IX (1:06)

07. Deeper Still (4:13)

08. Striding The Chasm (6:11)

09. Dødskamp (5:01) (album edit)

10. Tunnel Of Set X (0:53)

11. Stand Tall In Fire (8:09)

1349 will embark on a European tour with ABBATH and VLTIMAS in January.

1349 is aural hellfire. That has been, and continues to be, the primary concept since the band first rose from the ashes of ALVHEIM in 1997. Conceived around the founding members — vocalist and former drummer Ravn, guitarist Tjalve, and Seidemann on bass — 1349 completed its lineup with the addition of guitarist Archaon in 1999 and SATYRICON drum legend Frost in 2001.

Photo credit: Dmitry Valberg

Two members of RAMMSTEIN kissed onstage in Moscow in defiance of Russia's notoriously anti-LGBT+ stance.

Guitarists Paul Landers and Richard Kruspe moved toward one another before kissing during a performance of the song "Aüslander" at Luzhniki Stadium on Monday (July 30).

The German industrial metallers posted a photo of the moment on their Instagram page with the caption: "Russia, we love you!"

Earlier in the month, RAMMSTEIN surprised fans during a concert in Chorzów, Poland by waving rainbow and Polish flags while travelling from one stage to another in little inflatable boats.

Tomasz Kołodziejczyk, head of the local LGBT foundation Stowarzyszenie Tęczówka, said the band reached out to them prior to the concert and asked to borrow the flags.

The move was widely seen as the band's response to recent events in Poland where attacks on the LGBT people by extremist far-right nationalists are on the rise.

In 2013, Russia passed a controversial law that can see people arrested for behavior that is deemed to promote homosexuality.

The law provides for Russian citizens engaged in the "propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation" to be fined, while foreigners can be arrested and immediately deported.

The Moscow Times reported in May that nearly half of Russians support equal rights for members of the LGBT community, marking the highest level of support in 14 years.

Forty-seven percent of Russian respondents agreed that gays and lesbians should enjoy the same rights as other citizens, while 43 percent disagreed.

Back in 2005, RAMMSTEIN vocalist Till Lindemann denied that the lyrics to the band's controversial single "Mann Gegen Mann" ("Man Against Man") were homophobic. (In the song's chorus, the word "schwule" — German for "f****t" — is uttered repeatedly.) "It's natural [to perceive it that way], but it's just a song," the singer told the Swedish magazine Close-Up. "It's about gay men and the fact that they're lucky in a way. They never had to strut in front of girls and bring them ridiculous gifts or make dinner invitations. They just look at each other and decide to go home together. They're in a strange situation, but it's very easy for them to get laid. I write about this in a more poetic fashion. If you just hear the word [schwule] taken out of context, it's provocative, but if you really listen to the lyrics, you realize that it's not at all meant to be derogatory.

"I'm not going to give out any name, but an English band that we [RAMMSTEIN] are friends with has two gay members," he added. "We made a bet about something and if I were to lose I had to take the two of them out in Berlin one night and visit all the gay clubs in my neighborhood. Of course, I lost the bet, just like I always do. When we went out, I just thought: 'Wow! This is happening fast!' One glance and then both of them knew exactly what to do. I was jealous. I would love to walk up to a strange woman and go: 'Hi, you're hot. Wanna come back to my place?"

RAMMSTEIN is currently touring Europe in support of its seventh, untitled album.

View this post on Instagram Россия, мы любим тебя! Photos: @jenskochphoto A post shared by Rammstein (@rammsteinofficial) on Jul 30, 2019 at 10:23am PDT

According to The Pulse Of Radio, a congressman has called out METALLICA after it was revealed that representatives for the band allegedly partnered with concert promoter Live Nation to sell portions of their tickets directly to resellers, denying fans the chance to buy tickets first at face value.

Last week, Billboard obtained a recording of an 11-minute phone call from 2017 between Live Nation's U.S. president of concerts, Bob Roux, longtime METALLICA associate Tony DiCioccio and independent promoter Vaughn Millette.

During the call, which took place prior to METALLICA's massively successful "WorldWired" tour, DiCioccio allegedly asked Roux to set aside tickets for resellers. The parties allegedly made a deal with METALLICA and Live Nation each receiving 40% of resale revenue with the remaining 20% going to DiCioccio and Millette.

The deal reportedly set aside 4,400 tickets per show, totaling 88,000 tickets. METALLICA allegedly partnered with Live Nation again in 2018 to sell tickets directly through resale markets, although representatives for the band told Billboard that the members weren't aware of the deal.

New Jersey congressman Bill Pascrell addressed the issue before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, saying: "Unbeknownst to fans, apparently Ticketmaster and Live Nation were working with [METALLICA's] management to hold back 88,000 tickets, and post them directly on resale sites... Live Nation admitted to the scheme last week and about a dozen artists between 2016 and 2017 could still be doing the same. This is wrong."

Pascrell has been pushing for ticketing reform for a dozen years, introducing the BOSS (Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing) Act in response to similar allegations against Bruce Springsteen.

At this past weekend's Heavy Montreal festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist Woody Weatherman spoke to The Metal Voice about the band's plans to write and record the follow-up to last year's "No Cross No Crown" album.

"'No Cross No Crown' came out in January [2018], so it's been out a year and a half," he said. "We're still on the road, and we've still got a little ways to go. But we're starting to ponder about the next one; we're thinking about it."

According to Woody, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has not yet recorded any new music "but there's always riffs. The last record, we didn't have anything, really, before we went in the studio," he explained. "We wrote it and recorded it as we went along, and we may adopt that approach again. It's kind of fun, 'cause you go in the morning, and there's nothing, and at the end of the day, there's most of the song on tape. And you're, like, 'All right. We did something today. Cool.' It's kind of a fun way to do it."

Asked about a possible musical direction of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's next disc, Woody said: "We always do a little something different. If anybody follows CORROSION through the years, you can always kind of tell it's CORROSION, but we kind of veer off and challenge ourselves on stuff. But we're not gonna come out and be the JONAS BROTHERS."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY kicked off the second leg of its North American headlining tour last week. The "A Quest To Believe, A Call To The Void II" tour commenced on July 26 in Poughkeepsie, New York and will run through August 25 in Providence, Rhode Island. Support is being provided by CROWBAR as well as LO-PAN and QUAKER CITY NIGHT HAWKS.

"No Cross No Crown" was recorded in North Carolina with longtime producer John Custer. The LP marked CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's first studio output with vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan in over a decade.

Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe will release his new album, "One Man Gang", on October 18 via Silver Lining Music.

Monroe innately knows exactly how to sing, swagger and walk the most glamorous and colorful of walks. "One Man Gang" is all about the fun of Friday nights, seven days a week, letting your hair down (or up!) for a dirty, dangerous, damn good time, and embracing a total escape into the rock 'n' roll dream.

Recorded and mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland over three weeks in March 2018, the 12-song record was mixed that following autumn with Monroe and bandmates Rich Jones and Steve Conte on production duties.

With stunning presence, Monroe's vocals blaze their unique trail across catchy, low-slung guitars mixing with saxophones, harmonicas and trumpets, plus a smorgasbord of exciting hooks and melodies. "One Man Gang" is old-skool strut with rudely fresh vigour.

The title track's bombastic bar-room blitz (featuring a guest appearance by Captain Sensible of THE DAMNED) is a valuable reminder that even if born in the gutter, you must always look to the stars.

"It sometimes seems like everybody's pissing on their own parade," says Monroe, "whether that's voting stupid people into power and then complaining about them or whatever, but I'm all about living with a P.M.A. — positive mental attitude — and I'll never allow myself to be forced away from that."

Then there's "Last Train To Tokyo", with the sort of sticky-yet-crispy riff that was designed to take over radios from Japan to Jamaica.

"In the '80s, HANOI ROCKS had a very special relationship with Japan," explains Monroe, "and it will always be one of my favorite countries. Plus, they still live for rock 'n' roll as it should be celebrated, they still have physical product, they still make it crazy, exhausting and really exciting every time you go there, which I am really grateful for."

With the further electric likes of "Junk Planet", "Hollywood Paranoia" and "Wasted Years" on board, "One Man Gang" is going to smash down doors and give the rock 'n' roll scene a swift, and necessary, kick up the ass.

Monroe will soon be striding back towards the arenas he was born to be in, and everything you see is everything you get.

"I do what I do and I'll never change," says Monroe, "I don't dress any different on or off stage because this is who I am… this is the real me."

"One Man Gang" track listing:

01. One Man Gang

02. Last Train To Tokyo

03. Junk Planet

04. Midsummer Nights

05. The Pitfalls Of Being An Outsider

06. Wasted Years

07. In The Tall Grass

08. Black Ties And Red Tape

09. Hollywood Paranoia

10. Heaven Is A Free State

11. Helsinki Shakedown

12. Low Life In High Places

Band lineup:

Michael Monroe - vocals, sax and harmonica

Rich Jones - guitar and vocals

Steve Conte - guitar and vocals

Sami Yaffa - bass

Karl Rockfist - drums

Guest appearances from Captain Sensible (lead guitar on "One Man Gang"), Nasty Suicide (lead guitar on "Wasted Years"), Eicca Toppinen (cello on "Low Life In High Places") and Tero Saarti (trumpet on "Heaven Is A Free State").

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley performed with KINGS OF CHAOS on Friday, July 26 at the 2019 Washington County Fair in West Bend, Wisconsin. The supergroup's lineup also included Sebastian Bach (original voice of SKID ROW), Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES), Warren DeMartini (RATT), James LoMenzo (WHITE LION, MEGADETH) and Matt Sorum (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES).

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Kevin Coombs").

Originally formed by Sorum in 2012 as ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL STARS, KINGS OF CHAOS features a core lineup of members as well as a rotating cast of guest musicians.

KINGS OF CHAOS has recorded just one song so far: a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Never Before" for the 2012 tribute album "Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple's 'Machine Head'".

Back in 2014, Bach spoke about Frehley while commenting on KISS's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the announcement that the original four members of KISS would not perform at the ceremony.

"As a fan, I understand why people would want to see that," Bach told Ultimate Classic Rock. "But as a [now-51]-year old man that has worked with Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley, I understand why Gene Simmons doesn't work with Ace Frehley."

Bach added cryptically: "Ace has sides to him that maybe the fans don't see. That's all I can say." Sebastian concluded by saying, "I understand why Gene doesn't play with [Ace]."

Bach and Frehley worked together on the track "Know Where You Go" for drummer Anton Fig's solo album "Figments", which came out in 2002. At the time, Bach said that recording with Ace and Anton was "a dream come true and an honor."

By popular demand, Majestic Metal Records has announced the second limited edition cassette pressing of the Eternal Winter epic debut album, Within The Castle Shadowgate. Purchase the cassette at this location.

This release features two bonus tracks not available on the CD version or via download – “Eternal Winter” (Live 2004) and “Majesty Of Frozen Twilight”.

The former is a savage live recording from the band's heavier early days, while the latter is a rare passionate acoustic medley performed live in the studio by Matthew Knight.

This second pressing is available on Clear-Blue Sparkle cassette. The first pressing was released on Metallic Gold (Sold Out).

Eternal Winter is currently hard at work in the studio completing their upcoming second full-length album, Archaic Lore Enshrined: Songs of Savage Swords & Dark Mysticism.

Eternal Winter band line-up (2019):

Matthew Knight - Vocals / Guitars
Gordon Burchell - Bass 
Keith Moye - Keyboards 
Matt Brookins - Drums




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Italy's technical, blackened death metal outfit, Hour Of Penance, have announced details surrounding its eighth studio album, Misotheism. The album is set to be released on October 25 worldwide via Agonia Records. Pre-orders here.

Set in motion in Rome, in 1999, Hour Of Penance travelled a long way to find itself standing strong as one of the most intense, talented and striking death metal acts to emerge from Italy. At the same time, their eighth instalment, Misotheism, cloaks the same verve and mindful perfection, that led to the band's uprising in the first place.

"Like we did with our past records, we’ve started working on this one with the same passion and focus as if we were about to record our very first album", says the group. "We’ve never took anything for granted, not only by keeping in mind the standards our fans are expecting, but also pushing ourselves to try perfecting our sound".

Their excitement for death metal didn't wash out their careful attitude towards tying up all loose ends, either: "We never thought that we would have come this far with our career, and while we didn’t feel any pressure writing this record, we definitely put some extra care this time. In fact, the album was recorded in three different studios and handled by three different sound engineers."

What we receive in the end is far better than what some may have been craving for: Misotheism is a pitch-black and delightfully brutal death metal soundtrack to a collapsing universe. "It pushed Hour Of Penance to a new level of creativity. We’re confident that you will enjoy the new album as much as we do", adds the band.

Misotheism was worked on in three different locations. Drums were tracked at Bloom Recording Studio (Italy), where the band "took advantage of the huge recording rooms and endless choice of microphones". On the other end, we have the Kick Recording Studio (Italy), where guitars, bass and vocals were recorded with Marco Mastrobuono, who also worked on Regicide (2014) and the last album, Cast The First Stone (2017). Finally, the band drove all the way to Poland, where the album was mixed and mastered at Hertz Studios (Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated).

As the band reports: "Working with the Wiesławscy brothers was like putting the icing on the cake and thanks to their mastery we managed to achieve the perfect sound without making any compromises."

The cover for the album was handled by a Hungarian artist, Gyula Havancsàk (Accept, Annihilator, Destruction, Ensiferum). "He perfectly captured the overall feel of the album", comments the band.

Formats:

- jewelcase CD
- box CD (feat. slipcase, patch and flag)
- black LP
- transparent smoked LP
- red with black splatter LP
- t-shirt

Tracklisting:

"Mass Crucifixion Of Kings"    
"Blight And Conquer"    
"Fallen From Ivory Towers"    
"The Second Babel"    
"Lamb Of The Seven Sins"    
"Flames Of Merciless Gods"  
"Sovereign Nation"   
"Dura Lex Sed Lex"    
"Iudex"    
"Occult Den Of Snakes"    

Limited edition bonus tracks:
"Misconception"    
"Slavery In A Deaf Decay"    
"Hierarchy Of The Fools"    

Lineup:

Giulio Moschini - guitars
Paolo Pieri - guitars and vocals
Marco Mastrobuono  - bass
Davide Billia - drums




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Swedish hard rockers Deaf Rat will release their debut album, Ban The Light, via AFM Records on November 1st. With their first stroke, the band serves a dark longplayer with heavy riffs, strong melodies and seductive tunes to twist your mind. The title was taken from the first song that was written for the album – an emotional masterpiece about being different and about standing up for your individuality towards prejudicial people.

Singer Frankie Rich states: "I had a rough time in school being different in every possible way. I had a funny name, red curly hair, parents from a different country. On top of that I was listening to KISS and W.A.S.P. while the kids in my school listened to Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls. I was miserable from being made fun of because I was different."

Ban The Light is a statement for everyone who has been made fun of in school, had people pointing fingers behind their backs in the street, or have had to put up with comments at work because of the way they dress, what music they’re in to or just because of the way they are. It will be available as CD and clear red vinyl (limited to 300 pieces).

Stay tuned for updates.

For information and updates go to the band's official Facebook page here.




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Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. And when you're a career artist like Tom Keifer, you know exactly what it takes to get to the pinnacle and just how precarious it can be once you reach the top. After years of touring and growing with his solo band, Keifer feels the timing is right for a new record with #keiferband.


Keifer with #keiferband — Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Kendra Chantelle, Jarred Pope, Kory Myers — are ready to "Rise" to yet another peak in their ongoing music journey with the September 13 release of his second solo album on Cleopatra Records. Pre-orders of the album are available today at TomKeifer.com/Preorder on all formats, including CD (digipak), vinyl (in your choice of red, blue, or green) and digital, which will include an instant download of the first single, "The Death Of Me".


A video for "The Death Of Me" — written by Keifer and his wife Savannah, and directed by Vicente Cordero — was released today.

Though Tom Keifer has faced many ups and downs all throughout his storied career, his unyielding resilience can be found well within the grooves and lyrics of the song.

"We created 'The Death Of Me' to inspire people not to give in to or be defeated by the seemingly insurmountable lows that we all sometimes face, but rather to rise and overcome them," he says.

Produced by Tom, Savannah and Kyle O'Connor, "Rise" scales renewed sonic heights. From the tasty slide work that stamps "Touching The Divine", the nontraditionally arranged, heavy, dark jam of "Untitled", the breakneck thrust of "All Amped Up" to the tender coda of "You Believe In Me", "Rise" signifies the ongoing evolution of the CINDERELLA frontman as a person, songwriter, and bandleader. It's the aural portrait of an artist who, to borrow a phrase, is still climbing


"When this band came together, we all felt a bit like broken souls, each with our own unique story," he explains. "If you ask anyone in the band, they would all say this band came along at just the right time. Every human who walks this planet faces challenges and extreme adversity they have to overcome. As a band, we feel fortunate to be able to face those things together. There is a piece of every band member in the 'The Death Of Me' as well as throughout the entire 'Rise' album."


The common thread to each song on "Rise" is the intuitive interplay between each member of #keiferband, a tight but loose collective that's spent the last six-plus years on the road honing their live craft together in support of Keifer's critically acclaimed 2013 solo debut, "The Way Life Goes". "Rise" is the studio-bred equivalent of a band just now realizing the full scope of its powers.

"We were trying to capture the feeling of what people have witnessed live with this band," Keifer explains. "There's an off-the-rails, real live feel to 'Rise' — and that's what we were going for. It shows a real kind of angst and reckless abandon that we tried not to polish too much. And when we pull it back on the ballads, it's more about the emotion, the soul, and making people feel something in a different way."


"To me, the perfect rock and roll record is perfectly fucked up," Keifer says with a hearty laugh. "You try to make each record interesting and different. I don't ever want to make the same record twice, even though there's a common thread between them. Everything doesn't have to be perfectly in place, but there is a balance you try to strike. Sometimes there may be something about it that's technically not 'right,' but there's a vibe, an energy and an attitude to it that I always try to preserve."


In touring news, #keiferband's next batch of headlining dates start July 30 in their hometown of Nashville, Tennessee at The Cowan. Dates are already confirmed through the end of 2019, with more to be added in the coming weeks, and are already being planned for 2020.


"Rise" track listing:


01. Touching The Divine

02. The Death Of Me

03. Waiting On The Demons

04. Hype

05. Untitled

06. Rise

07. All Amped Up

08. Breaking Down

09. Taste For The Pain

10. Life Was Here

11. You Believe In Me

Photo credit: Tammy Vega

Arctos is the voice of the mountains, the call of the rising wild. Arctos' savage brand of Northern black metal is brilliantly captured on the band's full-length debut album, Beyond The Grasp Of Mortal Hands, which will be released September 20th on Northern Silence Productions. The album's first single is streaming below.

Inspired by the godless wastelands of Northern Alberta as well as the jagged monoliths of the Canadian Rockies, Arctos brings together a unique blend of sounds to craft a form of Black Metal rife with atmosphere and melody. Formed in 2014 by a group of veteran musicians, Arctos is well steeped in musical tradition.

With the 2017 release of their debut EP A Spire Silent, Arctos stepped into the light after almost three years of writing in secret. Arctos was finally unleashed upon the public and laid waste accordingly. After years of successful shows and touring across Western Canada, Arctos continue to set their sights ever higher with the release of Beyond The Grasp Of Mortal Hands.

Tracklisting:

“The Ancestors’ Path”
“Shattered Tomb”
“Somnos Aeternus”
“The Spectre”
“Autumn’s Herald…Interitus”
“A Realm Beyond”
“The Light Beyond The Sky (The Passage II)”

“Autumn’s Herald…Interitus”:




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Neurot Recordings is reissuing the landmark collaboration Neurosis & Jarboe, the sprawling album now streaming in its entirety ahead of its official worldwide release this Friday. Originally released in 2003, this revamped version of Neurosis & Jarboe is fully remastered by Bob Weston and features entirely new artwork created by Aaron Turner. Listen via the Bandcamp player:

Neurosis & Jarboe (Remastered) by Neurosis

When two independent and distinct spheres overlap, the resulting ellipse tends to emphasize the most striking and powerful characteristics of each body. Such is the case with this particular collaboration between heavy music pioneers Neurosis and the multi-faceted performer Jarboe, who performed in Swans and who has collaborated with an array of people from Blixa Bargeld, J. G. Thirlwell, Attila Csihar, Bill Laswell, Merzbow, Justin K. Broadrick, Helen Money, Father Murphy, and many others. The musicians pull from one another some of the most harrowing and unusual sounds ever heard from either artist at the time; a sentiment which also rings true to some fifteen years later.

Neurosis' Steve Von Till explains the idea behind the remastering; "Bob Weston [Chicago Mastering Service, and member of Shellac] worked closely with Noah [Landis, NEUROSIS] on making these new versions sound as good as the possibly can. Noah has the most trained critical ear for fidelity out of all of us being an engineer himself. We recorded this ourselves with consumer level Pro Tools back then, in order to be able to experiment at home in getting different sounds and writing spontaneously. The technology has come a long way since then and we thought we could run it through better digital to analog conversion and trusted Bob Weston to be able to bring out the best in it... This new mastered version is a bit more open, with a better stereo image, and better final EQ treatment."

He continues about the original artwork, "Aaron felt he could create something that would unify the energy of both Jarboe and Neurosis in an elegant manner. We let him do his thing and I think it definitely adds to the mystery of the album and sets it apart from the rest of our catalog."

The remastered Neurosis & Jarboe sees worldwide release this Friday, August 2nd through all digital providers, on CD, and for the first time on vinyl, through Neurosis' own Neurot Recordings. The LP is pressed on silver metallic and black swirl colors for their US and EU distributors, and on red and black swirl exclusively for mailorder. Deathwish Inc. will exclusively share the LP in red transparent and gold metallic opaque swirl.

Having completed their most recent tour across Europe alongside labelmates Yob and Kowloon Walled City this weekend, Neurosis will begin their new North American tour next week. Beginning next Wednesday, August 7th, the tour will run through Altanta, Carrboro, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Moston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago through August 17th. Joining Neurosis on the trek will be Bell Witch as well as labelmates Deafkids, who are making their North American live debut on this tour. Watch for additional live announcements to be posted in the months ahead.




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Japan’s Coffins return with their 5th full-length album Beyond The Circular Demise. Listen to the first single “Forgotten Cemetery” below.

Beyond The Circular Demise is coming September 20th on CD/LP/Digital. Find preorder options at Relapse.com.

No frills, no trends, no fashion. This is Coffins at their most unforgiving and uncompromising. Bone crushing riffs are set against pounding war drums, while hallowed screams preach fire and brimstone. Tracks such as “Forgotten Cemetery”, “Impuritious Minds” and more, highlight Beyond the Circular Demise as one of the band’s cornerstone releases. Recorded and mastered at Noise Room Studio, Beyond the Circular Demise encompasses all of the death and doom that has defined Coffins and their career as the underground’s torchbearers for over 20 years. Featuring album art by the legendary Chris Moyen (Incantation, Blasphemy). Prepare for total death!

Tracklisting:

“Terminate By Own Prophecy”
“The Tranquil End”
“Forgotten Cemetery”
“Impuritious Minds”
“Hour Of Execution”
“Insane”
“Birth Postmortem”
“Gateway To Dystopia”

“Forgotten Cemetery”:




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Hailing from the colorful and music inspired streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gabriel and the Apocalypse return with their new music video, "pointTHREE." The song comes from the latest album from the band, entitled Alpha Bionic, which was released in April via Pavement Entertainment.

"We wanted to do something different that we haven't done," says frontwoman Lindy Gabriel. "This video was created by the same artist who did the album art (Cameron Burns captvart). Featuring CGI animation of the characters from the album cover, it really gives you a sense of the vibe of the album and takes you inside the world of Alpha Bionic."

All songs from Alpha Bionic are available to stream now on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon. Catch Gabriel and the Apocalypse live on their summer tour.

Dates:

August
2 – Sturgis, MI – Nikki’s
3 – Creek, WI – Michigan Metal Fest
16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Big’s Bar
17 – Sioux City, IA – Midwest Metal Massacre 2 




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Guitarist Lou DiBello certainly showed the world he is most talented on the six-string with his previous album, Heat Wave (which contained the rocking highlight, “Full Throttle”). On August 2nd, 2019, he will prove that its predecessor was no fluke, with the release of American Hard Rock, which can be purchased here.

“I am excited to release the new album American Hard Rock! This record is both a logical progression, and a big step up from my last album Heat Wave,” explains DiBello. “Some of the highlights for me are the instrumental ‘Driving Force,’ with some of my hottest playing to date, and ‘Beast Mode: Engage featuring guest vocalist Carsten Schulz, and with bassist Mike LePond on both tunes. Other highlights are ‘The Nighttime Is The Right Time,’ ‘Walk Through The Fire,’ the bluesy ‘Love Is Blind,’ and my cover of Edgar Winter's ‘Frankenstein’ which I have been playing at live shows for years now.”

And it turns out that DiBello has been fine-tuning these new tracks on the concert stage. “Besides me singing lead on five of the six vocal tunes on American Hard Rock, another big difference from Heat Wave is that I have been performing almost all of these songs at live shows, and going into the recording process I had a much more complete idea of how the end product was going to be completed. From the final mix and master by Rolf Munkes in Germany, to the cover art and packaging which was a coordinated effort between myself, a graphic artist in NYC, and a local photographer and illustrator, I knew before I even began every step that would transpire. I even beat myself set deadline for completion by a week!” 

DiBello is also an honors graduate from Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California, and has been a part of the Central Illinois music scene since the late ‘80s. He has also played over 2,500 paid performances (with 600 coming in last 5 years alone), as well as sharing the bill with the likes of .38 Special, Slaughter, LA Guns, Molly Hatchet, Foghat, Quiet Riot, Survivor, Black Crowes, Blue Oyster Cult, etc. And as a guitar teacher, DiBello has given over 25,000 private lessons, and started one of the first streaming guitar lesson websites.

DiBello is set to be performing locally from now until mid-September (a complete list of dates are on his website), so get prepared to experience the impressive guitar skills of Lou DiBello - with the arrival of American Hard Rock.

Tracklisting:

“Driving Force”
“Jack & Coke”
“Walk Through The Fire”
“Love Is Blind”
“Flying High”
“Beast Mode: Engage”
“The Nighttime Is The Right Time”
“I Love You”
“Frankenstein” (Edgar Winter cover)

Album lineup:
Lou DiBello – Lead, rhythm guitars, bass, lead and backing vocals 
Ron Phelps – Drums
Stacey Krecji – Bass (4, 9), keyboards (4, 8, 9) 
Also appearing:
Carsten Lizard Schulz – Lead and backing vocals on (6) 
Bobby Whiles – Drums (1, 5, 6)
Mike LePond – Bass guitar on (1, 6)




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Winners of the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle Canada competition, Toronto’s melodic proggers The Slyde, have released a video for the track "These Wars", one of the highlights from their latest album, Awakening.  

The ‘no-budget video’ was filmed in the Toronto region and is a no-frills visual accompaniment to the first single off the band’s second full-length album that was released at the end of 2018.

The band shares the video's concept: "We had a lot of fun shooting the video for These Wars. We went mostly for a straight-up, rockin' out, daytime shoot, as we wanted to show what it's like to see us live in concert.  The song comments on the impact that cell phones have made on society, and I think the silly shots convey that nicely and compliment the performance shots."

In additional news, The Slyde will be performing on August 2 at Wacken Open Air in Germany, a festival with an attendance of over 80,000. The band is performing at the festival after winning the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle Canada competition and being selected to represent their home country at the Wacken Metal Battle international final.

After their Wacken Open Air performance the band will be returning to Canada for their 10 Years And Counting Tour to celebrate their 10 years of performing and recording their melodic prog rock since first forming in Ottawa, ON in 2009 to later re-locate permanently to Toronto, ON (dates listed below).

During their 10 year career, The Slyde has recorded and released two albums Awakening (2018) and Feed The Machine (2011) along with four EPs, Back Again (2017), New World Sympathy (2012), The Slyde II (2010) and The Slyde I (2009). The band has also played nearly 200 shows on the Eastern Canadian circuit, sharing the stage with such bands as Protest The Hero, Down With Webster, Angra, Pain of Salvation, F*ck The Facts, Dana Fuchs, and Timber Timbre among others, and have made past appearances at Ottawa Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, IndieWeek, and Cornwall Lift-Off.

The band adds: "We are pleased that we made it 10 years doing what we love to do.  And it couldn't be better, in terms of timing, that we are chosen as the Canadian reps for the Wacken Metal Battle international final - which we are beyond stoked for.  For the tour, we'll be doing some songs we haven't played in years, and we hope to see some longtime fans in attendance.  And after the tour, we'll be hitting the studio to release something special for our 10 year anniversary, so look out for that come Christmas time.  Here's to another 10 years!"

Dates:

September
6 - Hamilton, ON - Corktown
7 - Cornwall, ON - Lola’s
13 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
27 - London, ON - Call The Office
28 - Peterborough, ON - Red Dog

October
3 - Barrie, ON - Foxx Lounge
4 - Toronto, ON - Rivoli
5 - Kingston, ON - The Mansion




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Florida's Wage War will release their third album, Pressure, on August 30 via Fearless Records. The album is the follow up to 2017's Deadweight and is available for pre-order here.

The songs "Me Against Myself" and "Prison" can be heard below, along with the previously released videos for the tracks "Who Am I" and "Low".

Pressure tracklisting:

"Who I Am"
"Prison"
"Grave"
"Ghost"
"Me Against Myself"
"Hurt"
"Low"
"The Line"
"Fury"
"Forget My Name"
"Take The Fight"
"Will We Ever Learn"

"Me Against Myself":

"Prison":

"Who I Am" video:

"Low" video:




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Myrath are streaming the new song “Stardust”, featured on the power prog band's new album, Shehili, out now via earMusic. Listen below, and get the album here.

Myrath's heritage and willingness to infuse their influences with the historic music of their homeland is what sets them apart. The sounds of Tunisia are that of Arabic and Asian folk music, which can be readily heard in the rhythms, segues, and choruses of Myrath's compositions.

Shehili is innovative, yet loyal to the band's signature sound. It establishes contrasts between uplifting melodies and thoughtful, and, at times, heartbreaking lyrics. The best example of this duality can be found in Shehili's first single "Dance," the video of which was a sequel to "Believer." The "Dance" video tallied more than a million views in the first five weeks of release.

As singer Zaher Zorgati says, "The purpose of our music is to induce happiness and joy, to pay tribute to those who refuse to fall or to stop hoping, even in a world filled with hatred and uncertainty."

Shehili, although produced with extreme care, keeps a very natural and organic flavor. The recordings took place in Hamburg, Germany, Tunisia, and France to make sure every single note found its way into the mix. Shehili was mixed by three different producers, including Kevin Codfert, Eike Freese, and the world-famous Jens Bogren (who already worked on Legacy), in order to give each song the best possible treatment and make it shine.

Tracklisting:

“Asl (Intro)”
“Born To Survive”
“You’ve Lost Yourself”
“Dance”
“Wicked Dice”
“Monster In My Closet”
“Lili Twil”
“No Holding Back”
“Stardust”
“Mersal”
“Darkness Arise”
“Shehili”

“Stardust”:

"Born To Survive" video:

“No Holding Back” video:

“Dance” video:

(Photo - Nidhal Marzouk)




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Spread Eagle will release their first album in over 26 years, Subway To The Stars, on August 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The song "29th Of February" is available for streaming below.

Pre-order the album here. A limited amount of signed copies of the album available for pre-order here.

"Our primary intention was to go back to the egg. Not to the debut album, but even before then. When we were unsigned, rehearsing in the East Village NYC and just putting our first songs together. We worked every day and night on our dream. We were a gang and no one could tell us we couldn’t accomplish something. That’s when we were at our rawest and nastiest and the intensity was completely off the meter. Of course, you can never truly go back in time, everyone learns and evolves; however, I wanted to remember that feeling of writing razor riffs in those basement spaces in 1989, then add it to current experiences," says founder and bassist Rob De Luca on what fans can expect."

Spread Eagle burst upon the hard rock scene of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s playing a brand of rock that hailed straight from the mean streets of New York City. When Paul DiBartolo (guitar), Rob De Luca (bass), and Tommi Gallo (drums) moved to New York City and met up with Ray West (vocals), East Coast Streetmetal was born. The group was quickly snatched up and signed to MCA/Universal Records, then sent straight into the legendary Record Plant studios to record their debut album. The self-titled debut was produced by Charlie Gambetta and featured a gritty and dangerous sound, wailing vocals and razor sharp guitar, demonstrated through songs such as "Switchblade Serenade", "Scratch Like A Cat", and "Broken City". Four years later, after the release and touring of their second album, "Open To The Public" (also produced by Gambetta), the band took an extended break and went about their own personal projects.

Spread Eagle reformed in 2006 under the direction of Ray West and Rob DeLuca (who has also worked with UFO and Sebastian Bach) along with two new members, Ziv Shalev (guitar) and Rik De Luca (drums). The band has been together ever since and decided to start production on a new album, scheduled for release in August 2019 on Frontiers. Songs for “Subway To The Stars” were put together in the Music Building in NYC, which is the exact same place where the songs for their debut album were rehearsed and written. Recording took place at Studio E in Brooklyn, NY with Grammy Award winning engineer Tom Camuso. The new album does not disappoint and picks off up where the band left off. Spread Eagle is a welcome addition to the Frontiers' family, where they will become yet another vital band from the '80s/'90s rock scene to release amazing new music in the 21st century.

Tracklisting:

"Subway To The Stars"
"29th Of February"
"Sound Of Speed"
"Dead Air"
"Grand Scam"
"More Wolf Than Lamb"
"Cut Through"
"Little Serpentina"
"Antisocial Butterfly"
"Gutter Rhymes For Valentines"
"Solitaire"

"29th Of February":

"Grand Scam":

"Sound Of Speed" video:

Lineup:

Ray West - Lead Vocals
Rob De Luca - Bass, Vocals
Ziv Shalev - Guitars
Rik De Luca - Drums, Percussion




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Carach Angren keyboardist Clemens Wijers (known in the band as Ardek) has exclusively premiered his new video for "Machine (Memoirs Of An Algorithm)" through BraveWords!

Clemens comments:

"The opening track tells the story of a Machine reflecting and confessing the systematic and gradual decimation of his victims. The massive industrial musical tone combined with the psychological and somber lyrics, felt like the perfect conceptual basis for a videoclip. Together with the talented Rick Jacops of Backstage Film Productions and his team we embarked on an experimental journey. Now get ready to step into this dark portal!"

2019 is the year that Clemens will release his solo EP Parasite Twin. "Parasite Twin" is an exploration of darker, industrial grounds, expanding the creative boundaries of Wijers’ usually more symphonic and classical approach. With lyrical themes varying from the futuristic and massive "Machine", in which the protagonist reflects on and confesses to the systematic and gradual decimation of his victims, to the title track, in which parasitical twins drag the listener into their world in a bizarre and darkly humorous way. "Nightmare" and "Fucked Up" are the most abstract and intuitive tracks. Wijers wrote the lyrics for these tracks in a stream of consciousness and kept them unedited. "Closing In”, finally, reveals the inner world of a stalker; an idea that came to Wijers after a past experience. Order the EP on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Machine (Memoires Of An Algorithm)”
“Parasite Twin”
“Nightmare”
“Fucked Up”
“Closing In”

"Parasite Twin" video:




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BI*AS, the new band featuring former KORN drummer David Silveria, has released a new single, "Hesitation". David is joined in the Orange County, California-based group by bassist Chris Dorame, guitarists Joe Taback and Mike Martin and singer Rich Nguyen.

Silveria, Dorame and Taback previously played together in CORE 10, which "imploded" last year after releasing a couple of singles and playing a number of local shows.

Taback said about BI*AS: "We received hundreds of submissions from all over the world and heard a lot of amazingly talented people. Rich came in and we just instantly vibed. The songs flowed without a hitch. We were able to get a lot done with him in a very short span of time."

Added Dorame: "I felt that he immediately connected with what we are trying to portray musically; he fit right in. His style is unique, yet familiar enough to be the perfect voice for our music."

Silveria concurred. "Rich's work ethic drives us all to work harder in the studio; it's amazing," he said.

As for the name of the band, Silveria said: "We chose BI*AS because everyone has their own opinions and preferences that influence their actions in some way or the other. Whether we know it or not, we all have our own version of bias." Nguyen adde: "It's also short and simple."

BI*AS previously released the singles "Pity" and "Change Your Mind" through social media and YouTube.

"The lyrics that I write are both personal and abstract. Every song I write has two meanings; mine and your interpretation," Nguyen told OC Weekly. "I try to write my lyrics vague enough for people to relate to and form their own opinions. However, if you know me personally, you may be able to figure what I'm talking about, maybe."

"This band doesn't feel like work; it feels like getting together with buddies and just having fun," Silveria added. "This is how it should be."

BI*AS is hard at work on writing and recording a full-length album.

"James Bond", a new song from Iggy Pop, can be streamed below. The track is taken from his upcoming album, "Free", which will be released on September 6 via Loma Vista. It is the first new Iggy Pop LP since 2016's "Post Pop Depression".

"James Bond" credits:

Iggy Pop - Vocal

Faith Vern - Additional Voice

Leron Thomas - Trumpet

Robin Sherman - Bass

Thomas Glass - Drums

Ari Teitel - Guitar

While it follows the highest-charting album of Iggy's career, "Free" has virtually nothing in common sonically with its predecessor — or with any other Iggy Pop album.

On the process that led Iggy and principal players Leron Thomas and Noveller to create this uniquely somber and contemplative entry in the Iggy Pop canon, Iggy says: "This is an album in which other artists speak for me, but I lend my voice...


"By the end of the tours following 'Post Pop Depression', I felt sure that I had rid myself of the problem of chronic insecurity that had dogged my life and career for too long. But I also felt drained. And I felt like I wanted to put on shades, turn my back, and walk away. I wanted to be free. I know that's an illusion, and that freedom is only something you feel, but I have lived my life thus far in the belief that that feeling is all that is worth pursuing; all that you need — not happiness or love necessarily, but the feeling of being free. So this album just kind of happened to me, and I let it happen."

"Free" track listing:

01. Free

02. Loves Missing

03. Sonali

04. James Bond

05. Dirty Sanchez

06. Glow In The Dark

07. Page

08. We Are The People

09. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

10. The Dawn

Photo credit: Harmony Korine

Chris Akin of "The Classic Metal Show" recently conducted an interview with frontman Joacim Cans of Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On HAMMERFALL being the "AC/DC of power metal":

Joacim: "You should never actually change the content of anything. Imagine you go and buy a can of beer; your favorite beer is Budweiser or Coors Light — I'm just joking. You buy Coors Light and you open up the can, and it's tonic water in there. You're going to be really disappointed. That's exactly why you should not change a winning concept."

On whether he still gets excited about the creative process with HAMMERFALL:

Joacim: "I would say it's more exciting than ever before at this point. I think with HAMMERFALL, we are at the perfect place. I think what we're doing now, we realized we need to be friends also offstage. We need to get along in between the shows. I think we learned that…the main difference was on the previous tour, on 'Built To Last'. We decided to focus a lot on North America. We did two consecutive tours within a period of 12 or 13 months. Being on tour in the U.S. is so much different than being on tour in Europe. The tour buses over there are bigger because of the streets — everything is bigger in the U.S., and the roads and the buses. We spend so much time together, and we realized a market that we thought was totally dead was actually starting to simmer a little bit. We decided to go back a year later, then it was starting to boil a little bit. I think those two tours made a very big difference for us as a band. We also realized, like I said, we needed to do things outside of the stage, so if we had a day off, one day we just took a rental car. We drove from Phoenix up to Las Vegas, and met the JOURNEY guys. We saw their shows. We flew back the next day to Dallas for the next show. Hungover, but it worked, and we had a lot of fun. I think we are really at a very, very good place. What we also did for this album, we started to be creative on tour. The artist who did the artwork for this album, Samwise Didier of Blizzard Entertainment, he told Oscar [Dronjak, guitar] at one point, it's 'ABC,' 'always be creative.' He picked that up. He built a little mobile studio in the back of the bus and I was sitting in the front of the bus being creative while on tour. This never happened before. We, as a band, we found momentum, so to speak. We have so much energy. I think we were able to direct this positive energy from the stage into the tour bus. Sometimes Oscar just ran off stage, gave the backline [tech] his guitar and grabbed a beer, and went back into his little studio, picked up his traveling guitar, and started to riff. He had so much energy. This energy boost from the audience. I think that is something you can hear from the album. There is a lot of vitality. There is so much power, so much energy, and we're close to 50 years old."

On why HAMMERFALL excels in the live arena:

Joacim: "That's the meaning with the music that we write. HAMMERFALL's music and the songs we write are meant to be performed live. We also try to write songs that we can play live. We don't make it too complicated and add too many weird things where we're standing there 'This song is impossible to play live.' Of course, there are some songs that are so high pitched, I wouldn't last more than two days on tour without losing my voice, but that's a different story. Of course, it's very contagious. We invite the audience to be part of the live show, and I think that's important. You come up onstage, people scream, they give us something when we start to play, then we give them something. We balance this energy back and forth. We did a big show in Sweden a couple of days ago, and I read a review. The journalist was a little upset or disappointed that it was way too much singalong parts. 'This is a metal show — this is not a singalong,' she said. Well, HAMMERFALL has been a singalong metal show for 22 years. That is what we do. 'No, that was too much singalong.' Every chorus, every melody is like a singalong part in our music."

On the idea that a lot of newer and/or modern bands don't embrace the idea of crowd participation:

Joacim: "I think what we do, we write the music that we would buy ourselves if someone else wrote the songs. I'm behaving the way onstage the way I would like my heroes or whatever band is coming to town, the way I want them to interact with the audience and interact with me. Not only singing is an artform but also being a frontman is an artform. And you have to work on that, a lot. That has to be one of my really biggest missions in our live performances, to have something to say in between the songs. Not only like 'Hey, how are you doing? You want to hear some more?' 'Cheers!' Or whatever bullshit. Also, with the grunge era, that is what I hated the most. No offense to any of the bands, but coming up onstage and they kind of have this indivisible wall, like a theater wall. When I did theater, of course that wall was nice to have because you're not supposed to interact with the audience. At a live show, I want to see the people. I want to see the expressions. You never saw that [in grunge]. That will never work with me."

HAMMERFALL's new studio album, "Dominion", will be released August 16 via Napalm Records. For "Dominion", HAMMERFALL re-teamed with James Michael to do vocals at Red Level Three studios, and Fredrik Nordström of Studio Fredman at Castle Black Studios for the instruments on the powerful 12-song collection.