Finnish folk metal superstars Korpiklaani are about to kick off an extensive run of dates that will see them travelling across the globe throughout 2019. Kicking off with an 8-date Finnish tour on which they'll be joined on stage by a brass section from Lahti Sinfonia and with support from Waltari, Trollfest, and Profane Omen, the band will then hit the road across Europe alongside Turisas and Trollfest. To celebrate their epic trek, Korpiklaani has launched another track from their Beer Beer album, which will be included exclusively in the forthcoming Kulkija [Tour Edition], out February 15th, 2019 via Nuclear Blast. Today's version features guest vocals by Vesku of Finnish punk rock band Klamydia.

Jonne states, "Klamydia is one of the biggest and best selling rock bands in Finland, but just like Popeda and porn magazines, well liked but often in the secrecy of the neighbors or at least a bit drunk. It was a great honor to have Vesku on 'Kaljaa'. I asked him and that was it. No need for business meetings or financial negotiations. Everything went smoothly and was very down to earth in the old school punk fashion. Now we need to get him to do this live with us! See you soon at our upcoming shows!"

Find the band's live itinerary here.

Just recently, Pyynikin Craft Brewery unveiled a tasty Korpiklaani lager and to celebrate this occasion, the band will release a special tour edition of their new album Kulkija ("Wanderer"), which doesn't only include the regular songs, but also a bonus CD titled Beer Beer. This disc, only available in the physical package, includes 14 versions of Korpiklaani's iconic song "Beer Beer", graced by the likes of Christopher Bowes (Alestorm), Steve "Zetro" Souza (Exodus), Andreas "Gerre" Geremia (Tankard), Jesper Anastasiadis (Turisas), Trollfest, Heidevolk, and many more of their friends' bands and musicians.

Progressive extreme metal masters, Fallujah, will release the follow-up to their Dreamless album this March. Undying Light will be released on March 15th via Nuclear Blast Records and will be the first to feature new vocalist Antonio Palermo. Check out the music video for the first single "Ultraviolet", directed by Robert Graves, below.

"Undying Light stands as a monument to creating the purest and most visceral version of Fallujah," stated the band. "Through the blood, sweat and tears left on these 10 tracks, we usher in a new era for the band. We’d like to introduce you all to the voice of that new era and newest member of Fallujah, Antonio Palermo."

Undying Light was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis. Drums and vocals were tracked by Lewis while guitars and bass were recorded by guitarist Scott Carstairs. Cover artwork was created by Nick Keller.

Pre-order Undying Light in a bundle and in various physical and digital formats, here.

Undying Light tracklisting:

"Glass House"
"Last Light"
"Ultraviolet"
"Dopamine"
"The Ocean Above"
"Hollow"
"Sanctuary"
"Eyes Like The Sun"
"Distant And Cold"
"Departure"

"Ultraviolet" video:

Fallujah is:

Antonio Palermo - vocals
Scott Carstairs - guitars & vocals
Robert Morey - bass
Andrew Baird - drums

After Lord Of The Lost’s very successful 2018, they aren’t even thinking about taking a break. Right in time for their next tour, they've released a new music video. The Germans act between grace, elegance and gloomy harshness in their fifth video taken from their album Thornstar. The video shows a very new visual side of the band.

“Loreley” is a female spirit and demigoddess in the Pangaeian civilization, which Thornstar tells us about in the song and video. She conveys the dead into the realm of the souls, equivalent to what we call Heaven today. She is the most direct link between Pangaeians and their maker. In the new video, "Loreley" is vividly illustrated by a graceful dancer. It leads the viewer directly in the deepest innards of the Pangaeian culture.

The band on the new video and tour: "2019 - the Thornstar-tour continues and we never stand still. A steady alteration, musical and optical, is omnipresent in the history of Lord Of The Lost and so it is always important to us to present our music visually in the exact way we feel it. 'Loreley' combines beauty and grace with brutality and exaggerated kitsch. We are sure interpretations won’t come to a general conclusion.”

Watch the new video below, and find the band's live itinerary here.

(Photo - Franz Schepers)

The official lyric video for the song "Little Shits" from Dutch death metallers SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's second studio album, "Humans Are Broken", which will be released on March 1 via Napalm Records.

SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION commented on the new video: "This song is about doing what you love and following your dreams, regardless of what other people may think of it. It is about diversity and equality, as well as having a passion for music and living for it to the fullest. It is about being yourself and trying to deal with people putting you down due to ignorant views and blatant prejudice. Finally, it is about overcoming negativity and putting your foot down, 'cause no one has to take shit from another person simply because they live their lives and love it. We hope you all enjoy it; we certainly do! Also: big shout out to Marc van Peski for the live pics in the video."

"Humans Are Broken" track listing:

01. Humans Are Broken

02. Wolves

03. War In My Head

04. The Machine

05. What We Create

06. Liar

07. Little Shits

08. The Next Big Thing

09. Blood On Blood

10. The Objective

11. Burn

12. Every Little Fibre (bonus track)

13. For I Have Sinned (bonus track)

Founded in 2014 in Eidhoven, SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION managed very quickly to establish an amazing live reputation and got lots of invitations from venues and smaller festivals. This was noticed by Eindhoven Metal Meeting, who gave them a chance to present themselves for a bigger audience.

It has always been a dream of vocalist Els Prins to start an all-female death metal band, but she didn't seem to be able find the right group of girls to make this dream reality — that is, until she met guitarist Simone van Straten. They released their first single, "Boundaries", in July 2014 and played their first show one month later.

Regarding what inspires her to write music, Els told Robex Lundgren: "Seeing other bands live and all of my favorite bands, of course. I get inspiration from almost everything in my daily life."

Asked for her opinion on illegal music downloading, Els said: "We will just have to get over that. We can't fight it. Of course, I don't support it, because, in my opinion, it is stealing. But I have done it as well. It has become a part of the modern world. I just hope that true supporters will still buy records from the bands they adore."

SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION remained an all-female band until last year when Amber de Buijzer exited the group and was replaced by Kevin van den Heiligenberg.

SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION lineup:

Els Prins - Vocals

Simone van Straten - Guitars

Emmelie Herwegh - Guitars

Puck Wildschut - Bass

Kevin van den Heiligenberg - Drums

Photo credit: Emmelie Herwegh

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield makes his dramatic acting debut as part of the cast of the thriller "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile", which will receive its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26. The film follows the relationship between notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, played by Zac Efron, and his longtime girlfriend, played by Lily Collins, who at the time had no knowledge of the crimes.

The official trailer for "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile" can be seen below.


The Grammy and multi-platinum- and gold-award-winning artist plays officer Bob Hayward, a no-nonsense Utah highway patrol veteran who was the first law enforcement officer to arrest Bundy in 1975 after pulling the killer over and discovering burglary tools in his car but wisely suspecting much worse. While Hetfield has played himself in other films and television productions, this is his first dramatic role taking on a different character.


Academy Award nominee Joe Berlinger ("Paradise Lost") directed. Hetfield and Berlinger have crossed paths before when the latter directed and produced the seminal rock-doc "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster" along with the late Bruce Sinofsky. Berlinger also penned a book about his experiences with the band, "Metallica: This Monster Lives".


"Having spent hundreds of hours behind the scenes with James and the rest of METALLICA, I have experienced his charisma and powerful presence close up," says Berlinger. "It seemed only natural that he would bring that same power and magnetism to a dramatic role, so when he agreed to my pitch that he be in the movie, I was thrilled."


The original screenplay, written by Michael Werwie, won the Nicholl Fellowship first prize and was featured on the Black List.


Golden Globe and multiple Emmy Award winner Jim Parsons and Academy Award nominees Haley Joel Osment and John Malkovich are also part of the cast along with Kaya Scodelario, Angela Sarafyan, Jeffrey Donovan, Terry Kinney and Dylan Baker.


Efron appeared in James Franco's critically acclaimed comedy "The Disaster Artist" as well as "The Greatest Showman", "Baywatch", "Neighbors" and "Neighbors 2".

"It's very interesting. I think the movie itself is really deep," said Efron to ET last March. "It doesn't really glorify Ted Bundy. He wasn't a person to be glorified. It simply tells a story and sort of how the world was able to be charmed over by this guy who was notoriously evil and the vexing position that so many people were put in, the world was put in."

He added: "It was fun to go and experiment in that realm of reality. I didn't go full method and I didn't have to like do any weird stuff to anybody to get into character."


Collins starred in the critically acclaimed dramas "To The Bone" and "Okja", the latter of which was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Collins was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress (Comedy) for her starring role in "Rules Don't Apply". She appears in the mini-series "Les Miserables".


The project was announced by Voltage Pictures at Cannes 2017.



A #special #day on #set of our little #bundy #movie starring @zacefron and @lilyjcollins ... @metallica is in the house as @james.hetfield @papa_het_ plays Officer Bob Hayward in the #metal #god 's #first #dramatic #role #cleancut Having one of my #musical #heroes in our #film is #pretty #damn #awesome Photo by @brian_douglas_stills A post shared by Joe Berlinger (@joeberlingerfilms) on Feb 13, 2018 at 8:26am PST

The first trailer for "I, The Mask", the upcoming album from Swedish melodic heavyweights IN FLAMES, can be seen below. Due on March 1 via Nuclear Blast (worldwide, excluding North America) and Eleven Seven Music (North America), the 12-track disc reunites IN FLAMES with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, MOTÖRHEAD) who also produced 2016's "Battles". Additionally, the album was mixed by Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge (CHEAP TRICK, LINKIN PARK) and mastered by Grammy-winning mastering engeneer Ted Jensen (PANTERA, EAGLES, GUNS N' ROSES).

The album artwork is created by artist Blake Armstrong and depicts a unique interpretation of the band's mascot, The Jesterhead. The story of the cover will be revealed via the full album artwork on March 1, which coincides with each song on the album.

Vocalist Anders Fridén states: "This album is really a special one to us. Since our last record, 'Battles', we've established our own annual festival in Sweden and have been touring non-stop worldwide, creating an even stronger bond with our fans. You could say it was a big part of our inspiration for this album. It's been such a long journey that just keeps going and growing. We feel extremely thankful for that, and for the support that makes it possible. We dedicate our 13th album, 'I, The Mask', to our fans who allow us to keep making music and playing it every night. IN JESTERHEADS WE TRUST."

IN FLAMES previously debuted two killer tracks from "I, The Mask" — the superlative anthems "I Am Above" and "(This Is Our) House". A poignant video for "I Am Above" was also revealed, which features famous Swedish actor Martin Wallström ("Mr. Robot"). The video takes place in a pitch-black room with Martin who eerily lip syncs the metal ballad with expressive facial gestures that capture the song's emotion. Meanwhile, the lyric video for track "(This Is Our) House" features unseen footage from the band's first annual Swedish festival, Borgholm Brinner (Borgholm Is Burning).

Said Wallström: "I was very intrigued by doing something I've never done before and honored getting the question from IN FLAMES. Also trying to portray a lively song in a dark room, sitting in front of a camera was challenging, but I felt strongly for the song and the lyrics, so that was a comfort."


"I, The Mask" track listing:

01. Voices

02. I, The Mask

03. Call My Name

04. I Am Above

05. Follow Me

06. (This is Our) House

07. We Will Remember

08. In This Life

09. Burn

10. Deep Inside

11. All The Pain

12. Stay With Me

IN FLAMES recruited American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS, to sit behind the kit for the band for its 2018 live appearances.

Wayne stepped into IN FLAMES following the apparent recent departure of Joe Rickard, who played on the band's 2016 studio album, "Battles".


Tanner made his live debut with IN FLAMES in July 2018 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Longtime IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced in 2015 that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life.

IN FLAMES' current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since longtime bassist Peter Iwers's November 2016 exit.

METAL ALLEGIANCE — the all-star collective anchored by Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and Mark Menghi — assembled last night (Thursday, January 24) at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California for its annual winter assault. This marked the bands fifth year performing annually in Anaheim. A number of special guests made an appearance during the concert, including Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), John Bush (ARMORED SAINT, ex-ANTHRAX), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL), Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER), Mark Tornillo (ACCEPT), Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY) and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankstenstein (MISFITS).

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

METAL ALLEGIANCE began as a celebration of heavy metal, powered by the almost tribal bond shared between the extreme music community's most revered trailblazers, armed with a list of contributors onstage (and off) that read like a Wikipedia entry on the genre itself.

Ellefson told Metal Insider about METAL ALLEGIANCE: "I've been in a group [MEGADETH], fortunately, for many years, decades now, where we've made records, you know, and it was the mission of that band to do that. Something like METAL ALLEGIANCE literally started out of just pure joy, fun, friendship. And I think, to me, keeping the friendship is as important as the song. And it can be challenging because [as] you go to creative, different paths, different things you explore, you have to agree to disagree on things. And, of course, we come from very distinct backgrounds. I mean, Mike Portnoy has a very… not a metal background, at least professionally. He's a total metalhead inside. Obviously, Alex and I, I think everybody kind of knows our pedigree, but it was fun to unlock other sides of what Alex and I do. In fact, I brought in probably the less metal stuff to both of these records. [Laughs] I'm the guy that brought in the stuff that was the least metal because I play a metal band every day. It's fun to bring in other things and bringing riffs. I'm always writing, so I bring riffs and lyrics and ideas in. And I think for Mark and I, we've been friends for several years now, and for us to collaborate as bass players to kind of enjoy the differences in how we play. I mean, we don't even talk about it. It automatically kind of decides what songs we're going to play because of how different we play and that's something very cool. Usually, most bands, you've got two guitar players who are very different and they kind of decide who's going to play what lead. In this band, it's like who's going to play which bass part. It's pretty unusual."

METAL ALLEGIANCE's sophomore album, "Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty", was released in September via Nuclear Blast.

Metal Allegiance LIVE from House of Blues Anaheim!
Metal Allegiance LIVE from House of Blues Anaheim! #MetalAllegiance

Get the latest Metal Allegiance album “Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty” from any of the retailers at:

www.nuclearblast.com/metalallegiance2-pdmPosted by Metal Allegiance on Thursday, January 24, 2019

"Wrath Of Asgard", the new video from THE THREE TREMORS, the new project featuring acclaimed heavy metal singers Tim "The Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (JAG PANZER) and Sean "The Hell Destroyer" Peck (CAGE, DEATH DEALER, DENNER/SHERMANN), can be seen below. The clip was directed by Rich Varville from RSVP Films in San Diego, California.

THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut LP was relesaed on January 18. The band nourishes in heavy metal anthems, and features the illustrious chops of guitarist Dave Garcia, whose tenacity fuels the fire, allowing the music to naturally flow in complimentary tone. Second guitarist Casey Trask picks up the pace and pushes the boundaries alongside bassist Alex Pickard, who highlights a melodic sensibility giving character to the overall tonality. On drums, the thrash machine Sean Elg adds in his perfectly placed fills and signature double bass patterns.

"Sean's band, CAGE, opened for JUDAS PRIEST on the 'Jugulator' tour in San Diego — that is where I first met him," recalls Ripper. "He hit me up about resurrecting the idea and actually doing a record, and then a band, to put this out in the live setting also, and I thought it sounded really cool. The record came out really strong and I think the fans deserved to have a thing like this actually exist. We performed two of the songs live already when I was out in San Diego shooting the video for the first single, and it was a blast."

"It was about five years ago, I was camping and thinking about the whole THREE TREMORS urban legend from long ago and what a shame it was that it never happened," says Sean. "Then I started thinking about if there was a resurrected 2018 version of it, who would I get, and Tim and Harry were at the top of my list. I immediately reached out to Tim, who agreed to embark on this adventure and Harry quickly joined next. It took a long time to put it together, create the right songs, and get it properly arranged, but the results are beyond my wildest expectations. I think the fans are really going to freak out on what we have done with this record, and live it's going to be almighty I assure you!"

"Sean and I ended up at a party together in Germany, where we were both playing the same festival, and he told me about the THREE TREMORS album he was putting together and asked if I would be into it," adds Harry. "He described the concept and how he wanted to bring this old idea to actual life and I said I was in. Once I started hearing the songs that were being sent over for me to record, I knew this thing was going to be really powerful. Then when I got sent the final mixes with all three of us on it, my jaw hit the floor on how well it all came together. For heavy metal fans, this is the ultimate."

THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut highlights artwork ingeniously created by renowned artist Marc Sasso (DIO, HALFORD, ADRENALINE MOB, DEATH DEALER), to showcase an apocalyptic battle between demonic hyper-wolves and the Three Tremors, who marched into an underworld overshadowed by evil forces only armed with bullets powered by heavy metal sorcery to reclaim the dystopian lands.

THE THREE TREMORS will kick off their first-ever U.S. tour on February 14 at El Corazon in Seattle. The trek will wrap up on March 11 at The Crafthouse Stage & Grill in Pittsburgh.

Philip Anselmo has paid tribute to RIGOR MORTIS and WARBEAST vocalist Bruce Corbitt, who died on Friday (January 25) after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was 56 years old.

The former PANTERA singer commented on Corbitt's passing via a video message recorded before PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS' concert in Santiago, Chile. Also appearing in the video is THE ILLEGALS drummer José "Blue" Manuel Gonzalez, who was previously a member of WARBEAST.

Anselmo said: "I have so much I can possibly say about Bruce, and I will eventually. But for right now, all I can say is I send my love to his wife, his daughter, his mother and everybody that was close to him. The guys in WARBEAST, the guys in RIGOR MORTIS, all the DFW [Dallas-Fort Worth] fans, I love you so much, and I know Bruce loved you so much. I wouldn't even know Blue if it weren't for Bruce. And there's a lot to sort through and a lot to deal with. Over the next few days, just find it in your heart to think about Bruce and his family and his music and his impact on heavy metal and music in general. And that's really all I can say right now. We love you."

All three of WARBEAST's albums were released through Anselmo's label, Housecore Records. He was even the best man at Corbitt's wedding when Bruce and Jeanna Corbitt were married in 2012.

"I've seen his world crash down around him when he was young," Anselmo told Billboard. "I've always felt there is no fucking way I could let him down as a friend and business partner. "Bruce is my big brother, and that's how we roll. His family is my family, and vice versa, yet again."

Corbitt was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer in May 2017. Two months later, WARBEAST played one last show.

"In retirement, know this: You made a dent in this crazy biz, and yes, your contribution to the long line of great metal vocalists is valid as it comes," Anselmo said about his friend and colleague shortly before the concert.

RIGOR MORTIS is considered one of the most influential thrash metal bands to come out of North Texas.

Corbitt formed WARBEAST in 2006 with Rick Perry and Scott Shelby, both of whom played guitar in GAMMACIDE.

RIGOR MORTIS and WARBEAST vocalist Bruce Corbitt died earlier today (Friday, January 25) after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was 56 years old.

Corbitt began his fight against esophageal cancer in May 2017. He went through extreme radiation and chemotherapy treatment before they could attempt surgery. Just when everyone thought Bruce would surely be out of the woods, his first doctor's visit in 2018 brought him the horrible news that the cancer was still there and that it was at Stage 4. He was given two months to two years to live but was told that he would be lucky to make it a year. Due to issues with insurance companies not wanting to approve a second opinion at MD Anderson in Houston, Bruce was forced to use a second opinion in Dallas. His hopes were raised when he was told there was a trial that he could be part of and that there were great results from this trial. A week after signing all the paperwork for the trial treatment, Bruce received a phone call advising him that, unfortunately, his cancer was one that was not treatable with the trial treatment. Bruce was upset, but he didn't let that stop him from fighting.

"I may not have won this fight, but I did beat it longer than most would have," Corbitt said in a Facebook Live video in late December 2017. "I got some extra time in life. I couldn't have done it without my beautiful wife Jeanna Corbitt. The hardest part for me is just knowing that I will have to leave her."

Jeanna Corbitt said last March: "I can't even imagine my world without my husband in it. We both feel so cheated out of our future together at this point. We try to make the best of every moment we have together, even when he feels terrible. He's such a brave and tough man... MY Superhero!"

Bruce, who previously survived a stabbing and a heart attack, told Billboard last August that he had "a 2.8 percent chance of living five years. So what am I going to do, sit around and cry about it or be that 2.8 percent?" he asked rhetorically.

Bruce's medical bills from 2017 alone totaled over $1 million in charges.

Earlier this month, Corbitt announced in a Facebook Live video that he was entering hospice care with a 24-hour morphine drip. "Man, I'm still fighting, fighting, fighting," he said, raising his fist.

All three of WARBEAST's albums were released through Philip Anselmo's label, Housecore Records. The PANTERA frontman was even the best man at Corbitt's wedding when he and Jeanna were married in 2012. "I've seen his world crash down around him when he was young. I've always felt there is no fucking way I could let him down as a friend and business partner," Anselmo told Billboard. "Bruce is my big brother, and that's how we roll. His family is my family, and vice versa, yet again."


Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Bruce Corbitt. A true fighter. Rest in peace....Posted by Earsplit PR on Friday, January 25, 2019

QUEEN biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been dropped as a nominee for the outstanding film category at this year's annual GLAAD Media Awards following new sexual assault allegations against director Bryan Singer. Singer has consistently denied misconduct, and called yesterday's bombshell Atlantic exposé "a homophobic smear piece."

"In light of the latest allegations against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the difficult decision to remove 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from contention for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Film – Wide Release category this year," GLAAD told Variety. "This week's story in The Atlantic documenting unspeakable harms endured by young men and teenage boys brought to light a reality that cannot be ignored or even tacitly rewarded."

"Singer's response to The Atlantic story wrongfully used 'homophobia' to deflect from sexual assault allegations and GLAAD urges the media and the industry at large to not gloss over the fact that survivors of sexual assault should be put first.

"The team that worked so hard on 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as well as the legacy of Freddie Mercury deserve so much more than to be tainted in this way. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' brought the story of LGBTQ icon Freddie Mercury to audiences around the world, many of whom never saw an out and proud lead character in a film or saw the impact of HIV and AIDS in fair and accurate ways. The impact of the film is undeniable. We believe, however, that we must send a clear and unequivocal message to LGBTQ youth and all survivors of sexual assault that GLAAD and our community will stand with survivors and will not be silent when it comes to protecting them from those who would do them harm.

"Other films that involve Singer now or in the future should take note of the backlash to The Atlantic story and other previous allegations. The industry cannot let those who perpetuate harms against anyone — especially vulnerable young people — go unnoticed or unchecked any longer."

The Atlantic's exposé alleged years of sexual misconduct by the openly gay "Bohemian Rhapsody" director, and included new claims against him that he had sexual encounters with underage boys.

In response to the allegations, Singer said in a statement: "It's sad that The Atlantic would stoop to this low standard of journalistic integrity. Again, I am forced to reiterate that this story rehashes claims from bogus lawsuits filed by a disreputable cast of individuals willing to lie for money or attention. And it is no surprise that, with 'Bohemian Rhapsody' being an award-winning hit, this homophobic smear piece has been conveniently timed to take advantage of its success."

Singer was fired from the film and replaced by Dexter Fletcher for allegedly being "unexpectedly unavailable" for several days on set.

Glen Matlock is one of rock's most iconic figures as a founding member and songwriter for the SEX PISTOLS; a brilliant bass player, raconteur extraordinaire and all-around musical legend.

To kick off 2019, Matlock releases the single "Keep On Pushing", taken from his latest album, "Good To Go". It follows an action-packed 2018 that saw him join U.S. Celtic punks DROPKICK MURPHYS on their sold-out European tour and be the first U.K. musician to perform in South Korea's demilitarized zone (attracting much attention from the media). There was also various tours and performances in Sweden, India, France, Italy, Japan plus Seoul's Anzari Festival, London's 100 Club and, of course, the release of his solo album, "Good To Go". Many believe this is his best work to date and features legendary musicians Earl Slick and Slim Jim Phantom (STRAY CATS), among others.

"Keep On Pushing", with its infectious guitar-led groove, which features British guitar maestro Chris Spedding, has already caught the attention of Steven Van Zandt (of "Sopranos" and E STREET BAND fame) who chose it for the "Coolest Song In The World" feature on SiriusXM channel Little Steven's Underground Garage.

On the faders is producer/engineer Jon Moon, known for his work with such luminaries as Amy Winehouse, Roger Waters and Cat Stevens. Lyrically, "Keep On Pushing" is a true call to arms, about finding inner strength and pushing on through to a better tomorrow, which, in this pre-Brexit world, is just the right message to take to the people. Matlock says of the release that "unless you kick against the pricks, slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, you'll never go anywhere and you'll get nothing done, so you've gotta keep on pushing."

Firmly placed in the upper echelon of rock 'n' roll history for his part in the SEX PISTOLS' short-but-meteoric rise to fame, Glen and company were the voice of a generation. Through songs such as "Pretty Vacant" and "God Save The Queen", they influenced and changed not just music itself but British culture as we know it.

Yet his time with the PISTOLS only serves as a reminder that it's only a fraction of his legacy. Glen was a founder member of new wave / power pop act the RICH KIDS — featuring future ULTRAVOX members Midge Ure and Rusty Egan plus THE CLASH's Mick Jones — before going on to tour and record with Iggy Pop. As a further mark to how prolific his career has been to date, Glen put out an acclaimed solo record on Creation Records (the home of OASIS) with his band THE PHILISTINES, all while being headhunted to tour and record with THE FACES, Wendy James, Viv Albertine and others.

With another busy year ahead, there'll be opportunity a plenty for punk, blues and rock fans alike to catch the man himself live over the coming months.

Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, Misshapen are a diverse and melodic metal band blending elements of death metal, technical metal, and black metal. They are releasing their Transcendence EP on February 8th, and now present the official music video for "The Swarm".

Capturing the attention of audiences since 2016, Misshapen seeps melodies with harsh vocals, further ignited with technical riffs and meaningful lyrics. "The Swarm" is the most ferocious track on the EP and would be recommended to fans of Ne Obliviscaris, Children Of Bodom, At The Gates, and Dimmu Borgir.

The band shares their thoughts on the track: “It’s the black metal song of the EP, filled with dark riffs and horrific orchestration that revisits early Dimmu Borgir days. The lyrical inspiration was derived from ‘Castlevania’ the series. It means that people who follow a corrupt leader will bring a sense of hell on earth. This song intelligently showcases how we visit the other side of the spectrum of the emotion we generally induce in our music.”

Check out the Transcendence cover art and tracklisting:

"The Pressures Of Time Pt.1"
"The Pressures Of Time Pt.2"
"The Swarm"
"Strong Man's Will"
"Transcendence"

For further details, visit Misshapen on Facebook.

 

Dutch death metallers Putrefied Corpse have just inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of their debut album, titled Left To Rot, scheduled for March 19th internationally.

Putrefied Corpse was born in 2013, but after going through different stages and changes in its lineup, the band has finally achieved a steady one that includes ex-members of bands like Phlebotomized, Adetar and Death Squad. Throughout the year 2018, the band has been recording their debut album, Left To Rot, which they showed to Xtreem Music, who immediately offered them a deal. The style of Putrefied Corpse is pure death metal the old-school way whose main influences come from bands like Gorefest, Cannibal Corpse, Autopsy, Obituary, and Massacre.

Hear the first single "Procreation Of The Rotten Flesh" below. The cover art and tracklisting for Left To Rot follow.

"Intro I"
"Smashed To Pieces"
"Cordon Bleu Of Her Curvaceous Body"
"Embrace Death In Solitude"
"Bloodbath"
"Sociopathic Monstrosity"
"Intro II"
"Obliteration Of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation"
"Procreation Of The Rotten Flesh" (feat. Per Boder)
"Necrotopia - Zombie Apocalypse"
"Joyful Repeating Movement"
"Godly Beings" (Obituary cover)

For further details, visit Putrefied Corpse on Facebook.

 

Philadelphia's progressive power metal outfit, Mortanius, have released a lyric video for "Facing The Truth", featured on the band's debut album, Till Death Do Us Part, out on February 22nd via Rockshots Records. Watch below.

Mortanius, a progressive power metal band with symphonic and neo-classical elements was formed in 2013 by ex-Outlander vocalist Lucas Flocco and drummer Victor Cardone who were joined by guitarist Mike Gissi and bassist Jesse Shaw. From 2014 to 2016, the band recorded three EPs, each one steadily increasing the band's online presence and fan base. In 2016, after the release of their third and most successful EP at the time, A Voice From Beyond, drummer Victor Cardone departed from the band.

A year later in 2017, Mortanius returned to the studio to create their first full-length album, Till Death Do Us Part. Ollie Bernstein (Ousiodes) recorded all lead guitars on the album, while AJ Larsen (of Madison Rising, Vicious) handled rhythm guitar duties. Mortanius also reached out to renowned power metal singers, Leo Figaro (Minstrelix, Dragon Guardian) and Jonas Heidgert (Dragonland) to provide guest vocals. Till Death Do Us Part featured the longest production cycle out of any of Mortanius' previous releases, finally wrapping up production a year later, in the fall of 2018. This album features Mortanius' most fully fleshed out and dynamic compositions, tightest performances, and highest quality production to date.

Tracklisting:

“Facing The Truth”
“Disengage”
“Jaded”
“Till Death Do Us Part”
“Last Christmas” (WHAM cover)

“Facing The Truth” lyric video:

“Last Christmas” lyric video:

New to the Vancouver rock scene, Getaway Van has been maneuvering through venues to bring their slightly out of control punky blues stoner fuzz rock to entertained audiences for the past year. Collectively, the band shares a broad taste in music and using that to their advantage it's translated into a record full of different styles and influences that they are gearing up to release on February 23rd, which features their latest single, "Lord I’ve Been Running".

Coming from a personal place, the lyrics to the single were written by Zach Fox and it’s hard hitting with a real classic rock feel.

“This song has a little bit of everything. Some Zeppelin, ZZ Top, RHCP, all wrapped up in a Getaway Van bow.  This heavy, classic rock tune is about life taking everything out of you until you feel like you have nothing left to give.  The narrator is pleading with God/the universe/anyone who will listen, to just give him a break.”

Listen to the single below.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"Branches"
"Comin' Back"
"Follow Me"
"Ugh"
"Blacktop Mistress"
"You Make Everything"
"Lord I've Been Running"
"So Long"
Outro

"Lord I've Been Running":

(Photo - MarkBell Photography)

Debilitating stoner metal/sludge collective Asthma Castle - featuring drummer Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Scour), the twin guitar attack of Justin Ethem (Integrity touring guitarist) and Cameron Smith (Passage Between, Crawler), vocalist Zach Westphal (ex-J. Roddy Walston And The Business), and bassist Jeff Davis (Damnation Audio effects pedals) - will release their Mount Crushmore debut full-length via Hellmistress Records this March.

Self-described as "hefty metal", Asthma Castle manifests a unique and seamless, riff-heavy blend of stoner metal/rock, heavy metal, prog, and sludge that takes its cues from the likes of Weedeater, Church Of Misery, Mastodon, Lowrider, Dozer, and Clutch without ever seeming derivative.

Their fittingly-titled Mount Crushmore full-length is a six-track, thirty-seven-minute bruiser recorded and mixed at Wrightway Studios (Dying Fetus, Misery Index) and mastered by Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer at his own Visceral Sound Studios with cover art by Gary Ronaldson at Bite Radius Designs (Napalm Death, Kreator, et al).

Whether it's their bottom-heavy grooves, infuriated wails, bludgeoning riff assaults, or tongue-in-cheek song titles (see "The Incline Of Western Civilization", "The Book Of Duderonomy") one thing's for certain, you'll always have a good time stealing souls and packing bowls with Asthma Castle.

Mount Crushmore will be released on March 15th on CD, digital, and vinyl formats via Hellmistress Records. The vinyl edition will be limited to 500 in three color variants: 175 x heavy black splatter on gold, 175 x white splatter on black, and 150 copies x gold, white, and black tri-color bleed.

Stream the title track below.

Mount Crushmore tracklisting:

"The Incline Of Western Civilization"
"Mount Crushmore"
"Here Come The Black Ship"
"Methlehem"
"Brazilian Catbox Incident"
"The Book Of Duderonomy"

"Mount Crushmore":

Mount Crushmore by Asthma Castle

Brazilian symphonic metal band, Lyria, have released a video for the single "Let Me Be Me", featured on the band's recently released second album, Immersion.

The message is very clear: each person is unique and it is foolish to try to change for the others. In "Let Me Be Me", the band shows that it takes courage to be who you are and to live your inner truth. Recorded at the top of a building, the video was directed by Lyria in partnership with CS Music Videos, producer already known in the independent scene.

"Music speaks about freedom, how to get out of the other's eyes and see yourself as your own, with your defects and qualities, that make you a unique being. Some people project themselves into the other, pointing out defects", says Aline Happ, the lead singer and songwriter of the band.

The "Let Me Be Me" video was edited and produced by CS Music's Vinicius Hozara, who also directed and directed the film with Lyria. The capturing of images by means of drones was of Glauber Barros and CS Music Videos. CS Music Videos is an independent production company that has worked with Lyria on other occasions, such as the "Jester" video. The company has also worked with bands like Hatefulmurder, Cara de Porco, Ágona, among others.

"For the last 15 years we've been recording and mixing nearly every live show around the world and making them all available for you to download via LiveMetallica.com," reads a message from Metallica. "Thanks to nugs.net, we’ve been able to offer a variety of formats from mp3 to high-res audio and - over the past few years - a CD option as well for the fans of physical media out there. The logical next step is, of course, streaming!

"Over 600 professionally mixed Live Metallica recordings, including every night of the WorldWired Tour as well as some shows from the vault, are now streaming in both standard and HiFi on demand at nugs.net.

"With a subscription to the service for $12.99 (or $24.99 for high-res), you'll not only have access to our Live Metallica catalog, but also over 10,000 shows by other artists including Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and Phish. Sign up here or download the app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store to start your 30-day free trial and take your music with you wherever you go."

Metallica have teamed up with Stone Brewing imprint, Arrogant Consortia, for Enter Night Pilsner. A new 10-minute documentary, The Story Of Enter Night Pilsner, is available for streaming below.

"It’s certainly been no secret, but we are beyond excited to make the official announcement and introduction to Enter Night Pilsner, our collaboration with Arrogant Consortia, a Stone Brewing imprint," states a message from Metallica. "If you’ve been to one of our recent arena shows, you may have sipped from the black and red cans or even picked up a few in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Now we’re expanding nationwide, and come spring, taking it international covering Europe, Australia, China and beyond!

"Stone Brewing is the perfect partner for us with endless commonalities in our ideals, outlooks, and paths forward. Our views of the worlds that we each inhabit, of creativity and process, and of sense of place in relation to our peers and “The Man” are almost identical. This collaboration is beyond effortless and pure, and we can’t wait to share this incredible beverage with everyone out there. In conjunction with the leadership of Stone, we have participated throughout every step alongside their talented brewing team. From our HQ outside of San Francisco to Stone’s brewery and HQ in San Diego to many beers backstage at shows, the spirit of collaboration was powerful.

"Check out the Arrogant Consortia beer finder to locate Enter Night near you.

"Don’t see it in your neighborhood yet? Check back… our friends at Stone are putting those Enter Night cans and kegs in new locations all the time!"

Crowned In Frost is the new album from Frozen Crown, coming a year after the debut The Fallen King, which gave the band huge media exposure and brought a deal with international booking agency Nine Lives Entertainment, amongst many other accomplishments.

This time, mastermind and songwriter Federico Mondelli amplified the classic/heavy and power metal components of the band, making Crowned In Frost an aggressive and monolithic album from the very beginning, still keeping the listener engaged with its rich sound and wide variety of songs, including instrumental interludes and outstanding female vocals, brought to life by talented Giada "Jade" Etro.

As with the first album, Federico wrote the music and recorded all guitars and keyboards (being an all-round artist he designed the beautiful artwork as well), whilst the drum parts were arranged by drummer Alberto Mezzanotte. Lyrics are once again the result of the joint efforts of Giada and Federico. Production duties have been handled by Andrea Fusini.

Crowned In Frost broadens Frozen Crown’s musical landscape still keeping intact an uncommon taste for melody and catchy refrains. The album will be released on March 22nd via Scarlet Records.

Tracklisting:

"Arctic Gales"
"Neverending"
"In The Dark"
"Battles In The Night"
"Winterfall"
"Unspoken"
"Lost In Time"
"The Wolf And The Maiden"
"Forever"
"Enthroned"
"Crowned In Frost"

(Photo - Frozen Crown Facebook)

New York City's Mother Feather are kicking off 2019 with brand new video for "Man, I Wish You Were Here". The video originally debuted at the Triskelion Arts Dance Film Festival in November of 2018. Watch the video below, and listen to more cuts from Constellation Baby, out on Metal Blade Records / Blacklight Media Records, here.

Vocalist Ann Courtney elaborates on the concept behind the video and what makes it special: "I am a huge fan of artist Lia Bonfilio's short-format dance films, and watching them on Instagram while listening to mixes for 'Man, I Wish You Were Here' gave me the idea to enlist her to create a music video for the song. Her visceral choreography and magic realism she often employs in her editing, along with the recurring theme of a woman in isolation, deeply resonated with my connection to this song. With Bonfilio cast as a sort of avatar, we were excited about another opportunity to ask the question, 'Who is Mother Feather?'"

In a musty, age-old cellar of old town Gothenburg, Sweden’s death metal act Vampire is gearing up for spawning a successor to 2017’s With Primeval Force, but before time is nigh for new aural terrors, the band present an intense live video for "Knights Of The Burning Crypt", off their lastest LP.

Says Vampire: “The ‘Knights Of The Burning Crypt’ live video is a perfect ending of the With Primeval Force album cycle. The video was shot in Malmö last autumn on the mini-tour we did with At the Gates and Nifelheim. We’re honoured to have been part of such a legendary team of bands. After the final gigs in 2018, we’ve gotten around to record semi-professional demo takes of a couple of songs that have been in the works for about a year. We’re aiming for a first studio visit this spring to begin the "real" recording sessions for our third album. The new Vampire songs are partly a continuation of the more epic sides of With Primeval Force but there will be a lot of fast stuff, as well.”

The video was created by Wheelmust Production and can be seen below:

Lineup:

Hand of Doom - vocals
Black String - guitars
Sepulchral Condor - guitars
Command - bass
Abysmal Condor - drums

Temperance is where exceptional vocal melodies, energetic metal guitar riffing and symphonic atmospheres meet in perfect harmony. Different from most symphonic metal bands, these Italians bring together no less than three vocalists, all adding their own style and flavour to the ensemble. The combination of Alessia Scolletti’s crystalline voice, the strong timbre of Michele Guaitoli and the rough vocals of mastermind and guitarist Marco Pastorino, makes Temperance stand out completely.

This vibrant five-piece has now joined forces with Napalm Records and is ready to take the next step.

Marco Pastorino (vocalist/guitarist/main songwriter of Temperance) on the new signing: "We are thrilled to announce that we are joining Napalm Records for the release of our next album! They are the best team possible to be part of for the most important chapter of our career. We are working extremely hard to give you the best Temperance album ever and we are looking forward to giving you more updates very soon! New energetic hymns of Melodic Metal are coming your way!"

Sebastian Muench, A&R Napalm Records states: “We are super thrilled and excited to finally announce the signing of the melodic metal band Temperance. After hearing the 2018 album release of  Of Jupiter And Moons and seeing the perform live alongside Visions Of Atlantis we are certain this amazing Italian band has what it takes to reach the next level in their career. Fans of Within Temptation, Delain or Visions Of Atlantis should be very pleased!”

Over the past four years the band performed around 200 shows worldwide, including a full European tour supporting Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody, another European tour supporting Serenity, one Japan tour and finally two own headlining tours in Europe. On top of that the band performed in support of Nightwish, Slipknot, Within Temptation among others.

Here are your next chances to meet Temperance live on tour:

March
23 - Moskva, Russia - Rock House Club

April
10 - Barcelona, Spain - The Jokers House
11 - Zaragoza, Spain - CC Delicias
12 - Pozal De Gallinas, Spain - Galia Metal Fest II
13 - Sevilla, Spain - tba
14 - Valencia, Spain - Paberse Club

Lineup:

Alessia - Vocals
Michele - Vocals & Piano
Marco - Lead Guitar & Vocals
Luca - Bass
Alfonso - Drums

(Photo - Lisa Berg)

Wendy Dio, wife and longtime manager of Ronnie James Dio, has confirmed that there are also plans to produce a documentary that will cover Dio's career from his early days with ELF to his final project, HEAVEN & HELL. She told The Metal Voice at this past Wednesday's (January 23) Hall Of Heavy Metal History event at Marriott Delta Garden Grove in Anaheim, California (see video below): "The documentary will go back to his childhood. I have many photos. We have a lot of old videos. There'll be things that people have never seen."

Wendy added that she is current "interviewing people" about producing the documentary, which will be distributed via BMG.

Best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and DIO, Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67. A few months after his death, MTV Books announced plans to release his memoir, which at the time was going to be called "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio".

Asked about the status of the book, which was three-quarters written before the singer's death, Wendy told The Metal Voice: "I'm collaborating with Mick Wall. He's done a lot of different books. He knew Ronnie very well. [He's British]. I've had meetings with him, and we're definitely doing it this year."

Wendy also talked about the touring plans for the Ronnie James Dio hologram, which was created by a company called Eyeillusion and made its debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in August 2016 in front of more than 75,000 fans.

"We have a new [Ronnie hologram] we're developing that's gonna be fantastic," she said. "I'm actually seeing the finish of it on the 4th of February, and we are hoping to tour with this probably from May onwards."

The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie's live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO DISCIPLES band playing live, consisting of Simon Wright on drums, Craig Goldy on guitar, and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and ex-LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.

After the tour's initial seven-date run was completed in December 2017, Ronnie's hologram is undergoing "some changes" before the launch of the next leg of the "Dio Returns" world tour.

Wendy, who is a member of the Eyellusion team, previously said that the people that criticize the Ronnie James Dio hologram should at least see it in person before voicing their disapproval. "Don't criticize it if you haven't seen it," she told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie. "It's done with love. The band love doing it. And we just wanna keep Ronnie's memory and his music alive."

AEROSMITH's "Walk This Way" is one of 25 recordings being inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. The song was originally released as the second single from the band's 1975 album "Toys In The Attic", and was a Top 10 hit in early 1977. It hit big again when RUN–D.M.C. covered the song, along with AEROSMITH, for the rap pioneers' 1986 album "Raising Hell".

Continuing its ongoing commitment to preserving and celebrating timeless recordings, the Recording Academy has announced the newest inductions to its distinguished Grammy Hall Of Fame. The latest additions recognize a diverse range of both singles and album recordings at least 25 years old that exhibit qualitative or historical significance. Each year recordings are reviewed by a special member committee comprised of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, with final approval by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. With 25 new titles, the Hall, now in its 46th year, currently totals 1,088 recordings and is on display at the Grammy Museum.

"The Grammy Hall Of Fame is proud to be a pillar of musical excellence and diversity year after year, honoring some of the most iconic recordings of all time," said Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy. "We are proud to acknowledge the ever-changing landscape and evolution of musical expression for which the Academy has become known. We're honored to add these masterpieces to our growing catalog and are delighted to celebrate the impact they’ve had on our musical, social, and cultural history."

Representing myriad tracks and albums, the 2019 Grammy Hall Of Fame inductees range from "Walk This Way" to Miles Davis's "Round About Midnight". The highly reputed list also features Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree", Dolly Parton's "Coat Of Many Colors", Nina Simone's "To Be Young, Gifted And Black" and Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever".

Photo credit: Zack Whitford

"Brokenhearted Daydream", the new video from JETBOY, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Born To Fly", which is being released today (Friday, January 25) via Frontiers Music Srl.


Founded in 1983 by guitarists Billy Rowe and Fernie Rod, JETBOY continues to crank out its brand of rock 'n' roll in the 21st century with the same passion that has existed from the beginning.

"Born To Fly" — put together by the band's core of guitarists Billy Rowe, Fernie Rod and vocalist Mickey Finn, alongside former FASTER PUSSYCAT bassist Eric Stacy and drummer Al Serrato — is the first full-fledged set of new material from JETBOY since 1990.

"The band wasn't working on any new material when Frontiers approached us," says Rowe. "Mickey and I had written one or two songs a few years back, but that's about it. For myself, I've been very into writing music and got very into recording, so I had a good amount of complete musical songs that I always felt could end up as new JETBOY material, and some of it did. But the majority of the songs on this album were written within a couple of months after we got the offer from Frontiers."


Rowe continues: "Writing and recording this album came so naturally, there was no struggle at all. We feel it happened at the right time and was meant to be.

"The spirit of the band has been at an all-time high ever since we started this new album. We shared ideas via e-mail and then demoed every song before enteringthe studio. Once we started tracking this album, we all felt something special was going on."


Best described as a blend of edgy rock and roll with a traditional blues-based influence, "Born To Fly" is the perfect vehicle to exploit the commanding style of JETBOY's classic rock 'n' roll sound.

"The musical inspiration for the "Born To Fly" album came from a lifelong list of influences from bands we all grew up on from the 1970s," states Rowe.

"JETBOY has always approached its writing with a simple, stripped-down, no-nonsense rock 'n' roll structure, starting with a great riff and a catchy hook.

"This album flowed so organically, everything felt like it was meant to be. We've also all really grown as musicians, which really helped capture what we feel is some of our best work to date."


Vocalist Mickey Finn says the "lyrics flowed amazingly fast, with most songs being written in one sitting. My feelings were to stay true to JETBOY's roots and style, but to also incorporate where we are at today, pleasing old and new fans alike.

"My wife was the inspiration for 'Every Time I Go' and my firstborn son inspired 'The Way You Move Me'. Our life struggles as a band and lifelong friends inspired tracks like 'Beating The Odds' and 'Born To Fly'. 'Inspiration From Desperation' covers our political climate in America these days, 'Brokenhearted Daydream' reminds us that love is sometimes fickle and hearts get broken, but don't let it destroy your heart — we have to learn to move on and allow love to come into our lives again.

"So, all in all, lots of inspiring messages on the record, as well as some good old rock 'n' roll fun and 'Party Time!' lyrics make it a well-rounded listen!


"Born To Fly" track listing:

01. Beating The Odds

02. Born To Fly

03. Old Dog, New Tricks

04. The Way That You Move Me

05. Brokenhearted Daydream

06. Inspiration From Desperation

07. All Over Again

08. She

09. A Little Bit Easy

10. Every Time I Go

11. Smoky Ebony

12. Party Time!


JETBOY is:

Mickey Finn - Lead Vocals, Harmonica

Fernie Rod - Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals

Billy Rowe - Rhythm, Slide Guitar, Vocals

Eric Stacy - Bass

Al Serrato - Drums

In 2013, ZZ Top treated The Howard Stern Show to a special extended version of their hit, "La Grange", and told Howard the song's origin story. Stern posted the archive footage on January 19th, 2019. Check it out below.

On Tuesday, January 15th, two ZZ Top titles were released as part of Rhino's Start Your Ear Off Right campaign: El Loco (pink vinyl), limited to 5,300 copies, and Tejas (purple vinyl), limited to 5,300 copies.

El Loco tracklisting:

"Tube Snake Boogie"
"I Wanna Drive You Home"
"Ten Foot Pole"
"Leila"
"Don't Tease Me"
"It's So Hard"
"Pearl Necklace"
"Groovy Little Hippie Pad"
"Heaven, Hell Or Houston"
"Party On The Patio"

Tejas tracklisting:

"It's Only Love"
"Arrested For Driving While Blind"
"El Diablo"
"Snappy Kakkie"
"Enjoy And Get It On"
"Ten Dollar Man"
"Pan Am Highway Blues"
"Avalon Hideaway"
"She's A Heartbreaker"

These will be available only at participating brick and mortar retail outlets. For a full list, head here.

"Good Morning Midnight", the new video from Swedish rockers BACKYARD BABIES, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album "Sliver & Gold", which will be released on March 1 via Century Media Records. The disc will contain 10 sizzling new songs following the exact same recipe that has made BACKYARD BABIES one of the most consistent rock bands of our time: a perfect balance between sleazy, punky, all-out party rock 'n' roll on the one hand, and decidedly mature, thoroughly melancholic tunes on the other.

While catchy sing-a-long smashers like the first single "Shovin' Rocks", album opener "Good Morning Midnight", the anthemic "Bad Seeds" or "44 Undead" will have you fist-pumping and foot stompin' along with your left foot in a cowboy boot and your right paw in a Chuck Taylor sneaker, the beautiful ballad-like album closer "Laugh Now, Cry Later" will cause you to shed a tear or two into your Jack and Coke.

"Sliver & Gold" track listing:

01. Good Morning Midnight

02. Simple Being Sold

03. Shovin' Rocks

04. Ragged Flag

05. Yes To All No

06. Bad Seeds

07. 44 Undead

08. Sliver And Gold

09. A Day Late In My Dollar Shorts

10. Laugh Now Cry Later

According to BACKYARD BABIES guitarist Dregen (real name: Andreas Tyrone Svensson), the "Sliver and Gold" title is a play on words.

"It is going to be a bit like if you cut yourself with a piece of sliver," he told Metal Casino. "It's a bit like our career. It's been golden moments, but it's also been kind of rough times. It's going to be hopefully the greatest BACKYARD BABIES album [yet]."

Regarding first single "Shovin' Rocks", Dregen said: "Since we're celebrating thirty years together as a band, the single is a bit like... it's kind of like a statement about how it is to play in a band in a three-minute song, which is kind of hard," Dregen said. "I think that the whole next album is going to be like the gold watch then you're at a [job] for a long time. It's going to be our own kind of, like, celebration — not just to our own band, but to the music form of rock 'n' roll."

Dregen said that the group approached the album's recording sessions in an unfamiliar manner. "We've done it for the first time after thirty years in a different way," he said. "Before, we've been writing the whole album, and then when we're ready with the songs, [we] choose the songs, enter the studio and start recording it. Now, we're writing songs, but when we have three or four songs that we think are great, we're entering the studio, we record these three or four songs, and we mix the songs and master the songs and they are, like, totally ready. Then we go back into writing, and we write new songs. We record, like, four EPs, and then we put it together as an album."

He added that he prefers the abbreviated studio sessions to more traditional album-length recording process. "Sometimes when you go into the studio and you have, like, 14 songs, it gets a little bit industrial," he said. "It's almost like going to work — it's like, 'Okay, drums for this song, next...' You lose kind of the heart of the song, because it gets very mechanic [sic]. Recording three or four songs, I always like. I love recording EPs or singles, because you have full control over what you do."

BACKYARD BABIES officially reunited in 2014, five years after they announced that they were going on an "indefinite hiatus." A new album, "Four By Four", arrived in 2015.

BACKYARD BABIES is:

Nicke Borg - lead vocals, guitar

Dregen - lead guitar, vocals

Johan Blomquist - bass

Peder Carlsson - drums

Classical guitar virtuoso Thomas Zwijsen has joined forces with former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley for a new classical acoustic album, entitled December Wind. A video for the title track can be found below, and the album is available now at ThomasZwijsen.com with worldwide shipping.

Tracklisting:

"Eye Of The Storm"
"Love Will Conquer All"
"2AM" (Iron Maiden)
"Miracle On The Hudson"
"December Wind"
"We Fell From The Sky"
"The Crimson Tide"
"The Love Of Your Life"
"Stealing Time" (Blaze)
"Russian Holiday"
"Soundtrack Of My Life" (Blaze)
"One More Step"
"Sign Of The Cross" (Iron Maiden)

"December Wind" video: