Nuclear Blast has announced colored vinyl reissues of Hammerfall’s first two albums, 1997’s Glory To The Brave and 1998’s Legacy Of Kings.


Featuring concert staple “Let The Hammer Fall” as well as top flight tracks “Heeding The Call” and the title track, Legacy Of Kings will be reissued on orange vinyl (limited to 1,500 units).


Reissued on gray vinyl (limited to 1,500 units), Glory To The Brave is Swedish metal mastery featuring tracks “The Dragon Lies Bleeding”, “Steel Meets Steel”, and the glorious title track.

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen has dismissed the notion that playing guitar is a "competition", explaining that "music and guitar playing comes from within".

The 61-year-old Malmsteen, who made a name for himself, by recreating the spirit of celebrated composer/musician Niccolò Paganini, but within the realm of heavy metal guitar, took to his social media on Sunday (September 1) to write: "So I see a lot of these comments where people are saying I can't be as good as you or I gave up playing the guitar after I saw you.

"Music and playing the guitar is not a competition even though since the beginning of my career, that is what they wanted to portray. That's why they have all these best guitarist that guitars blah blah blah. Music and guitar playing comes from within and it's to be enjoyed at any level, no matter where you are in your life. Even if you are making a career out of it if you play with the thought that I'm going to compete with another guitar player or another musician, you will be miserable. Competition is for sports and athletes, not for guitar playing, period. It's not a competition. The instrument of the guitar is to be played and enjoyed at any level. Now go pick up that guitar".

In a 2006 interview with Australia's X-Press Online, Yngwie stated about where the idea to combine classical music and rock guitar came from: "I was the youngest member of my family. I have an older brother and sister and my mother, my father, my uncles, my aunts — everybody is a musician. My grandfather was a drummer. It's like music, music, music everywhere… and art, a lot of art and music. I had a very artistic kind of upbringing.

"As a little kid, I wasn't really into being a musician. My mother gave me a guitar on my fifth birthday and a trumpet on my sixth birthday, and so on, but when I was seven, I saw a TV news special about Jimi Hendrix. It showed him burning his guitar and you didn't even hear the music, just saw him burning a guitar, and I thought that was so cool. I already had a guitar, so I started playing that same day — September 18, 1970. I was only a little kid. One year later, my older sister Lulu gave me DEEP PURPLE's 'Fireball', which is a really hard rock album, and I went out and bought 'In Rock' the next day. I was listening to songs like 'Fireball', 'Flight Of The Rat' — just so heavy — so I learned how to play all these solos and stuff and, contrary to most people's opinion or theory, is that DEEP PURPLE, along with all other rock 'n' roll bands were all blues-based. Pentatonic scales and my classical influence did not come from them. A lot of people seem to think so, but no, no, no, no. I love these guys… my favorite band ever. My classical music didn't come from there, but my love for hard rock was definitely from PURPLE.

"What I wanted to do was try and take this whole thing with the double-bass drums and the Marshalls all the way up and all that shit, and play with counterpoints and pedal notes, inverted chords, Phrygian modes, inverted scales, diminished scales… all that shit. Then I saw a TV program: it was a guy playing violin. They said it was music from Niccolò Paganini. When I heard that, I said, 'Fuck, that's what I want to go for on the guitar.' So my guitar playing is 99.9 percent influenced by classical violin, mainly Paganini, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky, and my songwriting is very Bach in the structuring, because I've always loved the counterpoint and the harmonic minor kind of things. But I love the sound of the metal ensemble. That's how it all started."

Yngwie will embark on a 40th-anniversary tour this fall. Support on the trek, which will kick off on September 26 in Fort Myers, Florida and conclude on November 18 in New York City, will come from singer-songwriter Kurt Deimer.

For more information, visit www.yngwiemalmsteen.com/tour.

Yngwie's latest album, "Parabellum", was released in July 2021 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Kevin Klingenschmid.

So I see a lot of these comments where people are saying I can’t be as good as you or I gave up playing the guitar after...

Posted by Official Yngwie Malmsteen on Sunday, September 1, 2024

In an interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green, new VIXEN singer Rosa Laricchiuta, who joined the band in June as the replacement for Lorraine Lewis, spoke about how she landed the gig with the long-running all-female rock outfit. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So in fact, I planted the seed because… You know about the Monsters Of Rock cruise, right? I've heard so much about it, but I wanted to get on it. And I was just, like, 'You know what? For the first time in my life, I'm gonna use my contacts.' So I asked as many musicians as I could. I e-mailed and texted brothers and friends from TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA] and other musicians, and I'm, like, 'How can I get on the Monsters Of Rock cruise?' 'Here's a contact.' I wrote to my contact and I was, like, 'Hey, my name is Rosa.' I dropped all the names. 'I'm a singer with TSO. I know this guy. I've been praised by this guy and that guy,' and I dropped them all. And I've never done that before… So long story short, I heard back from my contact, which is the manager of VIXEN, and he's, like, 'Hey, Rosa. I know who you are.' And he's, like, 'Be patient. The lineup is already set. However, maybe we can figure something out.' Then I saw his number. So I'm, like, 'You know what? I'm just gonna call.' And I called up, left a message: 'Hey, it's Rosa. I wanna talk about the Monsters Of Rock cruise, how we can make this happen.' I hung up. He wrote back to me, like, 'I received your call, but just hang tight.' [He was], like, super cool and professional. It was, like, 'Okay, great.' Good vibes. And I left it at that. And I was okay with that. And then about — I don't know, I would say like a week later, I get the call and I'm, like, 'Hello?' He's, like, 'What a coincidence.' I'm, like, 'What are you talking about?' So he's, like, I'm a manager of VIXEN and I just spoke to…' So he spoke with another… You know how agents talk to each other, managers and all that. And somebody from Quebec had referred me to him, and he's, like, 'You come highly recommended.' I'm, like, 'What? From who?' I'm, like, 'What's going on? I don't follow.' And he's, like, 'I'm the manager of VIXEN and we're looking for a female singer. Would you be interested?' And while he's telling me this, I'm Googling VIXEN because I have no clue who they are. [Laughs] I wasn't like a rocker [growing up], per se. I love all music, and I sing all styles. So, I didn't know. And then I was, like, 'Oh.' So the first thing I said was, 'Holy shit, these girls are badass.' It's been my dream to be in an all-girls band. I have a brother. I've always wanted a sister, and now I feel like I have three sisters. I'm in another hockey team. Okay, a lot smaller. I love everything about VIXEN — everything. So that's how it happened. I planted the seed because of this Monsters Of Rock cruise."

Laricchiuta made her live debut with VIXEN on June 21 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California alongside GREAT WHITE, SLAUGHTER and QUIET RIOT. Asked in a July 2024 interview with the "All Bets Are Off" podcast with Robby Vegas what was going through her head at that first show, Rosa said: "Well, I was really excited because I'm all over the place because I'm so overwhelmed and it's all so surreal. But growing up, I always wanted sisters, so now I feel blessed to have three sisters. And I feel — this is funny, but I feel like I'm a part of an incredible hockey team doing what I love. [Laughs]"

As for the vibe on stage, Rosa said: "My heart was beating so fast and I was really grateful that the first show was only six songs. [Laughs] Oh my goodness. Of course it was adrenaline and the good stress. But, like I said, the girls really welcomed me from the start. And immediately, when we were on stage, I felt the energy. Britt's [Lightning, a.k.a. Brittany Denaro, VIXEN guitarist] infectious vibe, Julia's [Lage, VIXEN bassist] energy is just wow. And sometimes I had to tell myself, 'Rosa, focus on the crowd,' because I was so — I forgot. I was so lost in the energy that I forgot there's a good crowd in front of us. And then Roxy [Petrucci] on the drums, it's so fun. I just wanted to jump on her riser, but I couldn't because the riser was so incredibly high. And then the second and the third show, I had a moment. I like to look everyone in the eye. And I'm telling you, it's intense, it's amazing, but most of all, I'm having a blast."

Asked if she was aware of VIXEN's legacy prior to being asked to join the band, she said: "Sadly, no… The first thing, the first thing I said was, 'Oh my God. It's an all-female band. Is this really happening?' Because, again, growing up, I never had a sister, and I always dreamed of being in an all-girl, all-female band, always. And then the second thing that came out of my mouth was, 'This is so badass.'"

Laricchiuta is a singer, songwriter, and performer from Montreal, Quebec. After several years cutting her teeth with live shows, she auditioned for the third season (2015) of "La Voix", Quebec's version of the popular TV show "The Voice". Rosa had an instant connection with the legendary francophone rocker Éric Lapointe and chose him as her coach. Rosa showed a solid stage presence, with remarkable intensity and a voice so powerful it sent her straight to the Grand Finale where she shared the stage with DEF LEPPARD, Kelly Clarkson, Jean Leloup and her idol, Melissa Etheridge. She left a lasting impression as she won over millions of viewers who named her the new "it" female rocker of Quebec. She then released one album in the Quebec market before beginning work on her first English language album in 2016. That album, "Free", was released the following year and at the end of the year, she joined the popular American band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA for their annual mega tour of the United States.

Laricchiuta's hard rock project BLACK ROSE MAZE released its self-titled debut album in August 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl.

During a recent appearance on the Battleline Podcast, Britt discussed the decision to part ways with Lewis. Asked what she would say to fans who are concerned that VIXEN bears little resemblance to the band that broke through in the late 1980s, with Roxy as the sole remaining member from VIXEN's classic lineup, Britt said: "Yeah, well, I think Roxy is definitely dedicated to maintaining the musical integrity of the classic VIXEN. And she said that. And I think for whatever reason, she feels that this change is gonna be a positive one… So, I'm excited. I trust her. She's been doing this a long time, and she knows what feels right."

Britt continued: "Sometimes things run its course. And, again, I'm not involved in in this decision or at liberty to really speak about … the reasons in it. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, I guess. We're forging forward, we're forging ahead, and there will be new music. And I think it's gonna rock. So I'm very excited."

Britt went on to discuss the importance of getting along with VIXEN's new singer on a personal level, explaining: "At the end of the day, obviously you have to be talented, but just being a good person and being a cool person, 'cause we spend a lot of time together. I mean, that saying, musicians, we get paid to travel and then we play the gig, but what do we get paid for? The travel. I mean, I've flown to South America for one 30-minute show and then flown right back. So that's a lot of travel time and not a lot of playing. And that's a lot of time that you have to be with each other, and if you're with somebody that just drives you nuts, that's the worst thing ever. And then you can tell on stage too. So you know there's good chemistry when — you can feel it, is what I'm saying, on stage. And I think the audience can always feel it too."

In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.

Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Petrucci, bassist Share Ross and Lightning vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest full-length release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

More than two years ago, Ross announced that she was "taking a hiatus" from VIXEN. Her replacement is Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her live debut with VIXEN on February 8, 2022 at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida.

Last year, VIXEN released a new single called "Red". The official music video for the track, which was written and produced by CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury, was directed by Drew Johnston and Vicente Cordero and edited by Ryan Conion.

Performance video and image credit: Michael Mybalzich

Ripped To Shreds' new album, Sanshi, is out September 27 via Relapse Records. Pre-order the album here.


Today,  the band shares the third single and official lyric video for “孽鏡臺 (Visions Of Sin, Mirror Of Darkness)”. Watch below.


Frontman Andrew Lee Comments: "In the depths of hell exists a mirror, which reflects all your earthly deeds and transgressions. You can't hide from it, deceive it, or destroy it. All are judged and accordingly damned."







Ripped To Shreds explodes out of the underground with all the blood-soaked hallmarks of the hellacious RTS sound - an onslaught of frenetic dueling solos, blasting drums, and van Drunen-esque vocals that further fuse the grit and grime of old-school Death Metal and Grind with the here and now. Helmed by guitarist and frontman Andrew Lee, Ripped To Shreds is as fierce and focused as ever.


Conceptually, Sanshi sees the band dig into a morbid fixation on death and the afterlife in the context of traditional Chinese folklore. Tracks like the lead single “Perverting The Funeral Rites, Stripped For The Dead” is a song inspired by obscure funeral rites in Taiwan, wherein exotic dancers perform lithe rituals for living and dead alike. Elsewhere, “Force Fed” delves into the legend of Meng Po’s "Elixir of Forgetfulness", which when drunk by the dead wipes their memories clean before they are reborn into their next incarnation. “Living In Effigy” was inspired by real life tales of photographers traversing remote rural China, taking funeral portraits of the elderly  who died in solitude.


Ripped To Shreds on Sanshi: "We wanted to come out of the gates swinging with our most morbid and grinding material yet. 'Perverting...' showcases our new live approach with constant vocal and solo tradeoffs, and we shot the video in Taiwan with a real Daoist priest as a natural extension of RTS' narrative approach to songwriting."


Sanshi's cover art comes courtesy of Lee’s long-term collaborator, artist Guang Yang, and depicts a scene of Yan Luo Wang, The God of Hell, and the dead who must face his judgment in his demonic court.





Tracklisting:


"Into The Court Of Yanluowang"
"Force Fed"
"燒冥紙 (Sacrificial Fire)"
"孽鏡臺 (Visions Of Sin, Mirror Of Darkness)"
"Feast Of The Deceased"
"Horrendous Corpse Resurrection"
"Living In Effigy"
"冥婚 (Corpse Betrothal)"
"Cultivating Towards Ascension"
"Perverting The Funeral Rites, Stripping For The Dead"


"Force Fed":

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the debut full length album from Rochester NY's blistering grindcore act, Sully.


The self-titled album is up now for pre-order and will be released September 13 on CD and digital formats along with merch. Sully features members of Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault, Sulaco and Psyopus.


A visualizer for the song "He's An Asshole, But So Are You" can be found below.




Official description:


Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are proud to present the long awaited debut full length album from Sully! Formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sully hail from Rochester New York and feature experienced metal veterans Erik Burke (Sulaco, Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault), Adam Frappolli (Psyopus), Alex Perez on drums and Ed Jusko on bass. Following up on the well received debut The Tony Demo, "Sully" showcases 12 tracks of intense, blistering grindcore with hardcore elements, resulting in a distinctive and aggressive musical style that sets them apart from other acts. Despite the intensity of their music, Sully maintains a fun-loving approach to their craft, and their live performances are known for their high-energy delivery, which has been well-received by their growing fan base. For fans of Brutal Truth, Burnt By The Sun, Discordance Axis, Human Remains, Pig Destroyer, Psyopus, The Red Chord and Sulaco.





- Pre-order the CD for only $10 here.
- Pre-order the Digital Download for only $6.66 here.
- Pre-save this release on Spotify here.
- Pre-order the T-Shirt for only $15 here.
- Pre-order the T-Shirt + CD Bundle for only $23 here.





Tracklisting:

Swedish melodic metal powerhouse, Starchaser, have announced the release of their second studio album, Into The Great Unknown, out on November 15 via Frontiers Music Srl.


The band also shared the new single and accompanying visualizer, “Battalion Of Heroes”. Find the visualizer below, and pre-order the new album here.


Guitarist Kenneth Jonsson expresses his enthusiasm for this release, by saying: “We’re pumped to unleash Starchasers' latest album to the metal masses. Our debut ignited the scene with blazing reviews, and the fan and critic response was beyond epic. For this new record, we've delivered fiercer melodies and a more thunderous sound.”




“Kenneth and Ulrich worked in close collaboration, pushing each other to new extremes and elevating the band's performance to shredding new levels. Their combined effort has forged Kenneth’s songwriting into something truly formidable”, continues Jonsson. “Örjan, Johan, Eric and Kay also played crucial roles, contributing their talents to make this album a powerful force. A huge shoutout to Roger Bergsten for his crushing mix - his expertise has turned this second album into a face-melting experience. We’re stoked for you to crank it up and hope it hits as hard as our first.”


Starchaser is a new band formed by former Tad Morose guitarist Kenneth Jonsson, with vocalist Ulrich Carlsson (Shaggy, ex-M.ILL.ION), bassist Örjan Josefsson (Cibola Junction), drummer Johan Kulberg (Wolf, Therion, Hammerfall), and keyboardist Kay Backlund (Lions Share, Nils Patrik Johansson, Impera).


Initially, the musical journey that Kenneth undertook was supposed to be a solo album, but it turned into a brand new band after the chemistry between the players he was working with became apparent.


After leaving Tad Morose, Jonsson decided to focus on songwriting, by combining his “outside” musical influences – such as composers Phillip Glass and Max Richter - into the hard rock/metal genre he was known for.


His first choice for a singer was Ulrich Carlsson, whom he felt had the perfect mix of clean and raw tone in his voice, with a very melodic approach. Ulrich wrote all the lyrics and vocal melodies for the songs and came up with some arrangement ideas which Kenneth felt made the songs sound even better.


Kenneth later asked Örjan Josefsson to handle bass duties. As with Ulrich, Örjan contributes to the songs in a meaningful way and fits perfectly into the concept of the band.


Kenneth asked his friend Magnus Ulfstedt (ex drummer for Eclipse, Jimi Jamison, Nordic Union), to play on the Starchaser album, but it didn't work out due to conflicting schedules. Magnus kindly helped Kenneth to get in contact with Johan Koleberg, who turned out to be a perfect match.


Since Kenneth's songwriting is based on the piano, he needed a skilled keyboard player who could help him develop his ideas into bigger ones, so he asked Kay Backlund to play keyboards on the album and suited the concept perfectly.


The band released their debut album, Starchaser, on Frontiers Records in 2022. Largely composed by Jonsson and Carlsson, the record was produced by Roger Bergsten at Nevo Studio in Sweden.


This second album. Into The Great Unknown. will bring the band to the next level, with a consolidated chemistry between the members and, as a result, a strong songwriting and a great performance!

UK-based blackened death metal band, Deathfiend, has dropped the lyric video for “Relive The Torment". The track, featuring Mark “Barney” Greenway from Napalm Death, is included in the band’s new Dark Rising EP, out on September 20 via Gruesome Records.


Watch the lyric video below, and pre-order the Dark Rising EP here.


Dark, heavy and monolithic, “Relive The Torment“ rails against a world that wants to keep humans enslaved by fear and hysteria. Lyrically speaking, Deathfiend often looks at the dualistic binary nature of mankind, our belief systems and often dwells on what it is to be human and where we fit into this world and the cosmos itself. Sometimes the band’s songs reflect our anger and frustration, but often a nihilistic sense of joy.




Deathfiend is a primal blackened death metal band from Birmingham, UK, formed in 2019 by John Pickering, founding member of Crust legends Doom, Sore Throat, Cain, Rainbow Grave and Police Bastard, along with drummer Andrea Pisu & Rick Farn on bass guitar.


The crushing debut album, Beyond Life, was released on CD (Gruesome Records) and cassette in November 2022, followed shortly by a vinyl release via Phobia Records and was highly acclaimed worldwide by fans of early death and black metal, hardcore, crust, sludge, doom and everything in between. The band mixes heavy dirty old-school riffs with neck breaking, fast rhythms and eerie psychedelic soundscapes.


Primarily influenced by the classic early death metal of Celtic Frost, Slaughter and Unleashed, but diving also into sub-genres like noise, experimental music and space rock, the band fuse pounding old-school simplicity and ferocity with hypnotic slow sections, steeped in layers of pedal driven noise and effects. Deathfiend is influenced by all the bands the guys loved and listened to when they were teens, during the tape trading era of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, before things become overly digitized, when bands released raw sounding demo tapes, which often had quite odd production, sounds and atmospheres.


Deathfiend aims to create something that harks back to the days of demo culture and underground metal with the emphasis on simplicity and heaviness, but also taking inspiration from hardcore, crust/punk and bands like Bathory, Motörhead, Amebix, Sacrilege etc. They want to take things back to the source, where you can feel the raw energy pouring out your ears.


Dark Rising was recorded by A. Pisu, mixed & mastered by Carlo Altobelli at Toxic Basement Studio (Italy). Band photos by Dee

Black Sabbath legend, Tony Iommi, will reissue the two albums he recorded with Glenn Hughes - The 1996 The Dep Sessions and Fused, on October 4 via BMG. This will be the first time the albums are available on vinyl.


You can pre-order the titles here, and find a lyric video for Fused album opener "Dopamine", below.










The 1996 Dep Sessions tracklisting:


"Gone"
"From Another World"
"Don’t You Tell Me"
"Don’t Drag The River"
"Fine"
"Time Is the Healer"
"I’m Not the Same Man"
"It Falls Through Me"


"Gone" lyric video:











Fused tracklisting:


"Dopamine"
"Wasted Again"
"Saviour Of The Real"
"Resolution Song"
"Grace"
"Deep Inside A Shell"
"What You’re Living For"
"Face Your Fear"
"The Spell"
"I Go Insane"
"Slip Away" (Bonus Track)
"Let It Down Easy" (Bonus Track)
"The Innocence" (Bonus Track)


"Dopamine" lyric video:

In a new feature at Classic Rock, KISS bassist/singer, Gene Simmons, picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and names the "most dishonest" album Kiss ever made. An excerpt follows...

The best record I've made:

"In hindsight, KISS never really spent enough time in the studio," says Gene. "Destroyer is okay, and I like Revenge, but KISS was always more about the live experience."

The worst record I've made:

"Music From ‘The Elder’. I take the blame for it, because it was my idea," says Simmons. "I remember telling [producer] Bob Ezrin that I was writing a movie script, we were making a concept album based on that, and he said, 'Let’s do our own Tommy!' I said, 'Yeah. If The Who can do it, why can’t we?' Well, the straight answer is because we’re not The Who! There are some fans who love that record. To me it was dishonest. But really, the most dishonest record we ever made was Carnival Of Souls, when we were trying to follow a trend instead of just being ourselves."

Out now from Rockshots Records, Brazil's Gloria Perpetua presents their debut album The Darkside We Wanna Hide.


This first full-length features ten powerful tracks and showcases collaborations with renowned musicians from diverse backgrounds, including Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius), Vitor Rodrigues (Native Blood, Tribal Scream, Torture Squad), Luis Mariutti (Sinistra, Shaman, Angra, Firebox), João Noleto, Vitor Veiga (Aquaria, Endless), Guilherme Hirose (NorthTale, Traumer), Marcelo Kalunga (solo), and Oruam (Deadly Fate).


Influenced by bands like Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Helloween, Stratovarius, and Accept Gloria Perpetua’s music offers a thrilling mix of heavy and power metal. Their lyrics focus on themes of self-responsibility, positive change, and fighting for a better world.




The Darkside We Wanna Hide is available on CD as of August 30, 2024 from Rockshots Records at this location.





Tracklisting:


“Let There Be Darkness”
“Beyond The Darkness Portal” (feat. Luís Mariutti, Christian Passos, Raphael Dantas)
“Have You Forsaken The Cross? (feat. Mar

During recent interview with Joshua Toomey of the Talk Toomey podcast, BLACK VEIL BRIDES frontman Andy Biersack reflected on the "cringe-inducing" experience of opening for a legendary rock act more than a decade ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's an interesting thing, because those bands that are these iconic bands, it's very rare for the opener to have any kind of positive experience, regardless of who it is. We toured with MÖTLEY CRÜE in soccer stadiums in Europe, and I thought, 'This is the greatest thing that's ever gonna happen to us.' And I'll never forget, the first show was in [Warsteiner Hockey Park in Mönchengladbach, Germany in June 2012], and after the first song was done, it wasn't booing, it was total silence, like strong, arms crossed, angry silence. And you'd almost prefer them boo at that point, because if it's 20,000 people and you can see them all be dead silent, it's more unnerving than hearing at least some noise. So it would happen after every song. And so I'm the singer, I'm the M.C., I've gotta like, I got to say something. So I just started saying to our drummer C.C. [Christian Coma], I go, 'Just go into the next song as soon as this one's over.' We basically played a medley of our songs because we would never stop between the songs 'cause it was too cringe-inducing to have to deal with the silence. We were coming off stage early every night on that tour, which a lot of times the production people for those big tours love it. So at the very least they liked us."

Biersack previously talked about BLACK VEIL BRIDES' tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE during a 2021 appearance on the "Drinks With Johnny" podcast. He said at the time: "I've always said one of the tours that, I guess, it didn't surprise me 'cause I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly didn't go the way that I thought or that I had dreamed or imagined was we opened for MÖTLEY CRÜE in soccer stadiums in Europe — this is 2012 or something — and we were really excited. We had become friendly with Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] and Mick [Mars, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist] and a few of the guys and we were just so excited to do it.

"We were used to playing festivals or things where people would be upset that we were there," he continued. 'I had never experienced such a level of just crushing disinterest where we'd get done with a song, and my job as the vocalist is to be, like, 'All right, everybody,' and then there would just be just a soccer stadium full of silence and people just looking at us with their arms crossed — not mad, just not interested in the slightest. And then you're stuck with that weird thing of, like, 'All right, well, here's the next one.' And you're just trying to get through the set so that you don't have that really awkward time in between."

This past May, BLACK VEIL BRIDES released the title track from their "Bleeders" EP, inspired by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's "Sweeney Todd". The band paid tribute to the classic musical with a music video for the title track that is inspired by the musical's 2007 Tim Burton-directed film adaptation.

Released in June, the three-track EP, which included "Bleeders", a cover of "My Friends" from the Sondheim classic, and a cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday", was BLACK VEIL BRIDES' first release for Spinefarm.

In support of the American Red Cross, BLACK VEIL BRIDES recently hosted a virtual blood drive during the U.S. "Bleeders" tour, inspired by the "Bleeders" single. Fans attending the tour were asked to present their proof of a blood donation to the American Red Cross (e-mail, app confirmation, donation photo, sticker, etc.) when they visited the BLACK VEIL BRIDES merchandise booth to receive an exclusive merchandise package, consisting of a signed poster, pin and patch.

Ascending Canadian post-punk sect Pøltergeist will release their debut album Nachtmusik, on October 25 via Bad Omen Records. Recorded in their native Calgary and mixed by Felix Fung (Spell, Spectres) at Little Red Sounds in Vancouver, the record is a dust covered collection of gothic death rock laced with heavy metal grit, which builds on the momentum of the band's debut 7" "Fall To Ruin" - a split with label mates Spell.


Pøltergeist has conjured up the new track, "Ethereal Nightmare", and its accompanying video, created by Jamie Ward.


As Edgar Allan Poe once noted in The Masque Of The Red Death, "there are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be touched without emotion" - it was exactly these that Kalen Baker reached for - in splendid isolation in Grande Prairie, Alberta - at the very genesis of Pøltergeist, whilst fashioning the sepulchral serenades which would form his new band's mighty statement of intent 'Nachtmusik'.




Having played in the traditional metal band Whyte Diamond in Calgary in his teens, Baker moved 450 miles away for work in late 2019. "It was harsh and isolating being away from the Calgary scene, and I didn't end up meeting many musicians who were into the same stuff as me" he notes. "I started recording demos alone in the room I was renting and put them on Bandcamp. I didn't expect much from it, I just wanted a way to make music".


This isolation was exacerbated by the pandemic, and coincided with a period in which Baker's tastes were broadening from the epic metallic chills he'd grown up on into darker quarters. Having always had a penchant for the mystical metallic strains of Angel Witch, Cauldron and Blue Öyster Cult, he found himself moved by both Vancouver contemporary post-punk act Spectres and the epochal British melancholia of The Chameleons' 'Script From The Bridge', not to mention gothic and post-punk legends like Sisters Of Mercy and The Sound, and paradigms of the ethereal like Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine.


"I consider us first and foremost a Post-Punk band, but heavy metal will always play an important role," says Kalen, citing the likes of In Solitude, Unto Others and Tribulation as bands who've explored the hinterlands between the two worlds. "When I got really into Goth rock, one thing I noticed was that it was just as cold and bleak as black metal but in a different way.”


With this union bolstered by the lyrical influence of spiritual progenitors like Moorcock, Lovecraft, Poe and the David Lynch of Twin Peaks, the sound of Pøltergeist was born - a gritty but magickal realm where crepuscular intensity is joined in psychic battle by metallic fortitude. Whilst the like of the driving “Burning Sword” and “Ethereal Nightmare” may bear the ghoulish atmosphere of deathrock fury past, they're just as riven with the epic bravura and melodic salvation of the finest NWOBHM vintage, as well as possessing an emotional core that transposes the sound and fury to a contemporary world.


The band is now completed by guitarist Jacob Ponton, former Whyte Diamond bassist Ben Wytham and punk rock-styled drummer Amy Moore (although Al Lester from label mates Spell filled in on the recordings) and this line-up recently fulfilled a dream of supporting their trans-generational kindred spirits The Mission in Calgary - sure to be only the first of manifold triumphs to come.


Nachtmusik is true to Kalen's vision of 'a kaleidoscope of emotions, sounds and ideas'. Beguilingly ethereal but riven with steadfast intent, this is a record whose heart may yearn for the spiritual realm of the 1980s but whose feet are firmly treading the twenty-first century here and now. As storm clouds gather overhead, Pøltergeist's journey into darkness is just beginning.


Pøltergeist will hold an album release show on October 25 at Calgary's Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club and will perform on Halloween at Edmonton's Jackknife Brewery as special guests of Unto Others.





Tracklisting:


“Einfürung”
“Burning Sword”
“Ethereal Nightmare”
“Cold In September”
“Yesterday Fades”
“Nachtmusik”
“Children Of The Dark”
“Swallowed By The O

UK black metal act Ante-Inferno have unveiled the first track from their upcoming third album Death's Soliloquy, set for release on November 22 via Vendetta Records.


Watch the haunting artwork video to the track "The Cavernous Blackness Of Night" now via Black Metal Promotion:







Now with a fully established line-up, the four-piece have delivered a malevolent hammer strike to the face of all who thought they would continue to mellow after the success of the atmospheric and otherworldly second album Antediluvian Dreamscapes. Death’s Soliloquy harnesses the bestial might of traditional black metal and intricately weaves it with the haunting majesty of the atmospheric sound the band is known for, and in doing so takes the listener on an anguished, hysterical descent into the blackened emptiness of the grave.


Death’s Soliloquy is an exploration of lyricist Kai’s journey through depression and hopelessness, through obsessive thoughts of the most morbid and macabre nature — thoughts of self-destruction interwoven with the most appalling nightmares, broken hopes and unacted desires. As old lives are shed and new lives struggle to take form, there is always a war raging within and without — a war that can never truly be won but may, at any moment, be lost for all eternity…





Kai explains: “If there are two principal themes tying this album together, they are death—or rather, an inescapable fixation with death—and mental illness. I wanted to explore the last thoughts and visions of those about to meet their demise, however grisly, haunting or lonely that demise might be. In this way, Death speaks through the tortured imaginings of those it is about to take. We become subject to Death’s Soliloquy—or at least a portion of it – for that poem is as long as the ever-expanding universe is vast. 


“The Cavernous Blackness Of Night sums up the album’s themes perfectly. We are taken to the site of a suicide by hanging. A body swings from the bough of a tree, and we witness the very last thing that poor soul witnessed before they took their final, fatal step. We see the wind stirring the leaves of a willow, and causing the grass to bow. A thistle shakes solemnly. We see the final rays of the setting sun bleed across the darkening sky, and feel the warmth of those rays upon our ski

AOP Records recently announced September 20 as the international release date of the third album from Germany's Servant, Death Devil Magick, on CD and vinyl LP formats. New single, "Magick", is streaming below.


Servant comments on “Magick”:


“Today we present you our third single from our upcoming album. While the previous two songs featured wilder and very fast parts, this one has more atmospheric elements and overall is slower than the two songs before. We hope you all enjoy this song!”




Servant have been celebrating their melodic-yet-furious black metal across the underground and beyond since 2021. Their two well-received full-lengths, 2021's Blessed By The Light Of A Thousand Stars, and last year's Aetas Ascensus, shook ground within the metal scene. Now, Servant are set to release their third full-length, Death Devil Magick, via new label home AOP Records.


Death Devil Magick was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered between October 2023 and May 2024. Without lacking in their musical trademarks, Servant continue to evolve on their new record. Melodic guitars combine with furious drums, and powerful basslines go with keys and mighty grooves. On Death Devil Magick, the vocals are clearer than on the previous two albums, giving the words the required power in meaning. All this is put in a powerful soundscape which is aggressive yet very dynamic and tidied up.


The lyrical topics are inspired by poets and philosophers like Charles Baudelaire and Friedrich Nietzsche, but also paintings by Franz von Stuck from the era of symbolism, for example, can be mentioned here. The lyrics discuss conflicts of emotions, beliefs, addiction, and depths of human nature. Death Devil Magick invites the listener to step into the gallery of nine microcosms and witness lust, despair, magick, and ecstasy. 


Death Devil Magick artwork, courtesy of Misanthropic Art Illustrations, and tracklisting are as follows:





"Void"
"Temple"
"Sin"
"Devil"
"Hope"
"Fury"
"Death"
"Litany"
"Magick"


"Magick":





"Litany":

Cinematic rockers EARTHSIDE have released a new music video for "We Who Lament". The clip was created in Unreal Engine by director Tom Flynn, It features Canadian guest vocalist Keturah.

EARTHSIDE comments: "From the beginning, we always wanted to be able to show the force of nature that is Keturah in all of her fiery glory on 'We Who Lament', but circumstances at the time of release made it difficult to coordinate including her in a video. With the way the song has taken off for us, and become a staple of our live show, we felt the time was right to make good on this collaboration and finally create a special performance video with Keturah bringing it in full force alongside us. Tom Flynn, who has been a video collaborator with EARTHSIDE for a few years now, did an incredible job creating immersive and spellbinding worlds for the video that perfectly suit the power and majesty of the song. We hope you enjoy it."

Later this week, EARTHSIDE will hit the road for a tour that will take them across the U.S., appearing at ProgPower USA in Atlanta on September 5 and then with SOEN from September 7 to September 17, followed by a run with LEPROUS from September 18 through October 5. The tour is in support of EARTHSIDE's latest studio album, "Let the Truth Speak". Baard Kolstad from LEPROUS appears on the release, alongside cameos from TESSERACT's Daniel Tompkins and FIRE FROM THE GODS' AJ Channer. At the time of release, EARTHSIDE presented an epic video for the title track featuring Tompkins and Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh.

Timed to the tour announcement, the band shared a visualizer for "Watching The Earth Sink", the instrumental centerpiece of "Let The Truth Speak" and a staple of their powerful live multimedia experience. Through the captivating visuals of Riivata and the eerie calm and thunderous climaxes of the track, the collective experience in wordless clarity tells an immediately gripping story of escapism, despair, and fevered excitement in the face of world-leveling disaster — a tale that is all too human in its reality.

Eight long years removed from their critically show-stopping entrance — "A Dream In Static" (2015) — the idealistic thinkers and feelers in EARTHSIDE found themselves in a different world entirely … or, perhaps, a world more honest and unhinged than they and many others had bargained for.

"This album almost destroyed our lives and friendships," keyboardist and co-orchestrator Frank Sacramone confides. "It's insanity, but it is beautiful."

"'A Dream In Static' was more of an *I* album," reflects guitarist and orchestrator Jamie Van Dyck. "Each of us in our own way was engaging topics of self-actualization and the fear of never quite becoming. 'Let The Truth Speak', however, turns its focus to the *We*. Within months of releasing 'A Dream In Static', the global landscape had changed to where issues of far more consequence than our own individual dreams coming true were tugging at us. We became far more consumed with the trajectory of humanity as a whole than our own legacies therein."

The video for "All We Ever Knew And Ever Loved", featuring Baard Kolstad (LEPROUS),won the award for "Best Music Video" at the United Artist International Film Festival and was selected to be screened at a number of other events which included Horrorcon UK, UAIFF, Dam Short Film Festival, Animiest, Rhode Island International Film Festival and more.

Confirmed EARTHSIDE tour dates:

Sep. 05 - Atlanta, GA - ProgPower USA
Sep. 07 - Nashville, TN - Eastside Bowl
Sep. 08 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts
Sep. 10 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
Sep. 11 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
Sep. 14 - Quebec, QC - Campus Charlesbourg
Sep. 16 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium Upstairs
Sep. 17 - Asbury Park, NJ - House Of Independents
Sep. 18 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
Sep. 19 - Chicago, IL - Park West
Sep. 20 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
Sep. 21 - Minneapolis, MN - The Lyric at Skyway Theatre
Sep. 23 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
Sep. 24 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell
Sep. 26 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall
Sep. 27 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Sep. 28 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theatre Underground
Sep. 30 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
Oct. 01 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
Oct. 02 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
Oct. 04 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live
Oct. 05 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution

September 7-17 with SOEN
September 18 to October 5 with LEPROUS

After months of negotiations, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings of the iconic Canadian rock band THE GUESS WHO are pleased to announce the resolution of their long-running dispute with former bandmates Garry Peterson and Jim Kale following a lawsuit filed in October 2023.

Though details of the settlement remain confidential, terms include acquisition of THE GUESS WHO trademark by Bachman and Cummings. Having now settled the long-standing trademark dispute, Bachman, Cummings, Kale and Peterson — all of whom are Canadian Music Hall Of Fame inductees as members of THE GUESS WHO, with Bachman and Cummings two-time inductees for their work with BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE and as a solo artist, respectively — have expressed their appreciation to one another in a spirit of unity going forward.

"We are pleased to have reached a resolution that honors our shared history and allows us to move forward with a new sense of purpose and camaraderie," says Randy Bachman.

"We are committed to preserving and celebrating the legacy for our fans around the world," says Burton Cummings.

Hailed by The Toronto Star as "the greatest band in Canadian history," THE GUESS WHO emerged out of Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1965 and went on to international success through the next decade with an impressive catalogue of songs including "These Eyes", "No Time" and the chart-topping "American Woman". During the course of its legendary career, the band released 11 studio albums, with 1970's "American Woman" — recorded with the classic lineup of Bachman, Cummings, Kale and Peterson — reaching No. 1 in Canada and the top 10 in the United States. THE GUESS WHO charted more than thirty Top 40 singles in Canada along with 14 in the U.S., including "American Woman" which went all the way to No. 1.

The classic lineup of THE GUESS WHO reconvened at various times over the years, including a series of shows captured on 1984's live album "Together Again!" (known as "The Best Of The Guess Who - Live!" in the United States). In 1999, the band performed at the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am Games at Winnipeg Stadium at the personal behest of the premier of Manitoba.

THE GUESS WHO have been bestowed with a wide array of honors in their home country. In addition to their 1987 induction into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, the band were given a star on Canada's Walk Of Fame in 2001 while in 2002, the band received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

Bachman and Cummings were represented by Helen Yu of Yu Lesberg, James Weinberger of Fross Zelnick, and James Sammataro of Pryor Cashman. Garry Peterson and Jim Kale were represented by Jonathan Weiss and Jeff Warshafsky of Proskauer.

Chicago’s Avernus have released a new single, "Return To Dust", featured on the new album, Grievances, out September 20 via M-Theory Audio. A lyric video, created by Rafael Ortega of Ecliptic Visions, can be viewed below.


“’Return To Dust’ reflects on getting older and the inevitability, and acceptance of death,” explains guitarist Erik Kikke. “Coming to terms with the end of everything as we know it, and trying to find comfort and solace in that thought.”







Grievances features 10 new compositions (an 11th song found on the 2LP vinyl set is a bonus re-recorded early demo song). The pre-order for that limited-edition (300) black ash colored vinyl pressing or CD on Bandcamp.


Find other pre-order options here.





Tracklisting:


“Calling The Void”
“Nemesis”
“

David Coverdale, the powerful voice behind Whitesnake and former Deep Purple frontman, sees his solo work shine brightly in a new collection featuring remixed, remastered, and revisited versions of his solo albums Whitesnake (1977), NorthWinds (1978), and Into The Light (2000).


Into The Light: The Solo Albums will be available through Rhino Records on October 25 as a 6CD boxed set. It comes packaged in a hardcover box featuring a 60-page book with rare photos, detailed liner notes, and a new interview with Coverdale. The newly remixed version of Into The Light will also be available separately as a double vinyl album presented in a gatefold sleeve.







The upcoming boxed set features two versions of Coverdale’s solo albums: one newly remixed to deliver a more dynamic sonic experience and a second remastered from the original recordings for those who want to revisit the classic sound. The remixed versions feature significant updates (particularly to Whitesnake and NorthWinds) and utilize cutting-edge audio separation software. The track "Time & Again" from NorthWinds benefited from innovative voice extraction technology, allowing for new string and piano arrangements that Coverdale has envisioned for decades.


Coverdale shares, “The remixes are modern, using new technology to squeeze the best out of them… Truly exciting to revisit and take care of any technical ‘issues’ I had with the tracks all those years ago.”


Into The Light, Coverdale’s third solo album, boasts an impressive musical lineup that includes guitarists Earl Slick (David Bowie) and Doug Bossi, bassist Marco Mendoza (who later joined Whitesnake), legendary drummer Denny Carmassi (Montrose, Whitesnake), and keyboardist Mike Finningan (Jimi Hendrix). The remixed version of the album expands the original with songs like "Let’s Talk It Over" and "All The Time In The World". The collection also offers additional remixes, demos, and outtakes from the album, including "With All Of My Heart". Coverdale wrote the song for his wife and considers it one of the best he’s ever written.


The set also revisits NorthWinds, and Whitesnake Coverdale’s first two solo albums recorded immediately after leaving Deep Purple. Both albums have been reimagined and re-sequenced for the upcoming collection. NorthWinds includes some new arrangements and additional tracks like "Sweet Mistreater" and "Shame The Devil, Tell The Truth", breathing new life into this classic. Whitesnake features impossible remixes thanks to AI sound separation softwares, courtesy of technology that has only been available in the last couple of years.


Pre-order here. Watch "Wherever You May Go" (Official Video 2024 Remix) below.





6CD tracklisting:


CD1: Into The Light (Remix)
"She Give Me"
"River Song"
"Don’t You Cry"
"Love Is Blind"
"Slave"
"Cry For Love"
"Living On Love"
"Midnight Blue"
"Too Many Tears"
"Don’t Lie To Me"
"All The Time In The World"
"Wherever You May Go"
"Yours For The Asking"
"Let’s Talk It Over"


CD2: Into The Light (Additional Remixes)
"Love Is Blind" (Band Version)
"As Long As I Have You"
"With All Of My Heart"
"Wherever You May Go" (Strings Version)
"Love Is Blind" (Strings Version)


Demos & Unfinished Symphonies
"Lust"
"Oh No Not The Blues Again"
"Into The Light Intro"
"Into The Light"
"You Make It Hard On Me"
"Would You Be Happy"
"Fooling Yourself"
"Make The Best Of It"
"Veda of Cassandra Blues"
"I Can See The Light"
"Another Fallen Angel"
"Itchy Finger"


Original Demos 1997
"Crazy ’Bout Cha" (Original Version of "Whipping Boy Blues")
"If You Want Me"
"Lay Your Love On Me" (Original Version of "Lay Down Your Love")


CD3: NorthWinds (2024 Remix)
"Keep On Giving Me Love"
"Sweet Mistreater"
"NorthWinds"
"Give Me Kindness"
"Queen Of Hearts"
"Only My Soul"
"Time & Again" (String Version)
"Say You Love Me"
"Shame The Devil, Tell The Truth"
"Breakdown"
"Time & Again" (Piano Version)
"Time & Again" (Strings Only)


CD4: Whitesnake MCMLXXVII (2024 Remix)
"Lady"
"Blindman"
"Goldies Place"
"Time On My Side"
"Peace Lovin’ Man"
"Sunny Days"
"Hole In The Sky"
"WhiteSnake"
"Celebration"


Young Lad's Blues (DC’s 1968 Home Demos)
"Sunny Days" (Original)
"Love Me In The Morning"
"I Will Love You"
"Moment In Time"
"It Would Be Nice"
"There Was A Time"
"Why?"
"I Still Love You"


CD5: Into The Light (Original Mix 2024 Remaster)
"She Give Me"
"River Song"
"Don’t You Cry"
"Love Is Blind"
"Slave"
"Cry for Love"
"Living On Love"
"Midnight Blue"
"Too Many Tears"
"Don’t Lie To Me"
"Wherever You May Go"


CD6: Whitesnake (Original Mix 2024 Remaster)
"Lady"
"Blindman"
"Goldies Place"
"Time On My Side"
"Peace Lovin’ Man"
"Sunny Days"
"Hole In The Sky"
"Celebration"
"WhiteSnake

Marillion and earMUSIC are delighted to announce the first of a series of deluxe album reissues, starting with the classic 1997 album, This Strange Engine. The re-release of Marillion's ninth studio album almost three decades later, creates a heightened level of intimacy between music and listener.


Often referred to as the leaders of the neo-progressive movement of the early '80s, Marillion have expanded way beyond any such genre-restrictions. They are purveyors of soulful, powerful, and deeply moving music, with a longstanding reputation of impressive live shows which have elicited their faithful and loyal global fan base. Steve Hogarth's incredible voice and fine lyricism sets up Steve Rothery's inspired guitar solos and adventurous melodic journeys. The backbone of the ensemble, Ian Mosley on drums, Mark Kelly on keys, and Pete Trewavas on bass interact instinctively to complete the band's unique chemistry.


This Strange Engine is a remarkable album, characterized by acoustic calm and intimacy whilst offering an atmospheric soundscape of delicate lyrics and haunting melodies. The album showcases Marillion's versatility and openness to different influences. Their ability to blend quiet and intense passages results in a dynamic listening tour-de-force. All in all, a genuine and engaging album, revealing new facets with each listen.




November 22 sees the release of a deluxe 4CD+Blu-ray media book and 5LP box-set edition.


Both sets include a version of the original studio album newly mixed and mastered, a previously unreleased complete recording of the band's 1997 performance in Grand Rapids, and also accompanied by illustrated booklets containing rare photos, new artwork, memorabilia and an essay that's digging deep into the album's story. The bonus Blu-ray, which is included in the media book, contains the album in hi res, jam sessions, and early versions of the album tracks, a This Strange Engine documentary, Live In Utrecht bootleg concert video and promo videos from the time of the album release. A must have collectible item for all progressive rock fans and an eye-opener for music lovers in general.


Pre-order This Strange Engine Deluxe Editions here, and listen to the first single, "Man Of A Thousand Faces" (2024 Remix) below.





Tracklisting:


CD1 - Album Remix 2024:
"Man Of A Thousand Faces"
"One Fine Day"
"80 Days"
"Estonia"
"Memory Of Water"
"An Accidental Man"
"Hope For The Future"
"This Strange Engine"
 
CD2 - Live In Grand Rapids 1997:
"Intro"
"Estonia"
"Lap Of Luxury"
"Hard As Love"
"0 Days"
"Warm Wet Circles"
"Man Of A Thousand Faces"
"Seasons End"
 
CD3 - Live In Grand Rapids 1997:
"This Town"
"Slainthe Mhath"
"King"
Bass Solo
"This Strange

Brutal Planet Records are set to release three Hades albums tonight that have never before been released on vinyl.


Hades, who released the underground classics Resisting Success and If At First You Don't Succeed in 1987 and 1988 before disbanding on their 1989 European tour, released their "comeback" albums Saviorself and The Downside in 1999 and 2000 for Metal Blade Records. The two albums are now being released for the first time ever on vinyl along with The Lost Fox Studio Sessions of live in the studio recordings.


The Downside features guest appearances by Overkill's DD Verni and SOD/MOD frontman Billy Milano.




"I know most people consider Resisting Success as their favorite Hades album, but for me it's probably The Downside. I feel like Alan (Tecchio) and Ed Fuhrman were at the top of their game," said Hades founding member, Dan Lorenzo.


Lorenzo continued, "I'm concentrating on Patriarchs In Black (his project with former Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly and multiple vocalists) now, but I'm always happy when Hades gets any acknowledgement and Brutal Planet did a great job on these vinyl releases."

Members of The Quireboys and Down N' Outz are joined by an amazing collection of fellow musicians for a joyous collaboration of mutual admiration and musical celebration. Enjoy the debut album, Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits, released via Off Yer Rocka recordings on January 28.


Since the band announced they were working on their highly anticipated new album, The Band Rolls On, what was already becoming a chance for a musical rebirth metamorphosized into something far bigger and more ambitious. The final cuts feature distinguished collaborations from a multitude of Rock Royalty. The band, their management and close friends within the industry all agreed that this should be treated as a stand-alone new project, a rock 'n' roll collective going under the name Black Eyed Sons, a nod to a previous album from their extensive back catalogue. The revised album title, Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits. is named after one of the eleven tracks and features none other than Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott alongside Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie and bass grooves from Chip Z’Nuff.


Early indications from the rock media have been nothing but encouraging with some saying it's like a breath of fresh air within the rock world.




Guy Griffin commented: "It's been nice to take a break and focus on the writing. Working with our own band as well as so many friends within the industry has done nothing but inspire us to write and create this exciting new project. We've done the hard work getting the tracks laid down, we're now looking forward to going back out on the road as Black Eyed Sons and delivering something entirely new from five musicians who've been playing together for over twenty years. Relationships break down sometimes, that’s rock 'n' roll, everyone does their thing, but we want to make sure there's no confusion as to what this is. Whilst we're proud of our musical history, that was then, this is now. It's onwards and upwards.. so let the music do the talking."


Joe Elliott added, "Having worked with these guys since 2009 in the greatest “other” band I could ever hope to work with, The Down ’n’ Outz, it just felt totally natural for me to reciprocate the love these guys have shown me by contributing to what is essentially a new beginning for them. So welcome to the mad world of Rock ’n’ Roll, you Black Eyed Sons.."


Others collaborators had this to say:


"This song feels so real and natural. Like a hug from an old friend. I’m proud to be a part of it.” - Charlie Starr ("Autumn Reigns")


"My friendship with the Quireboys started a long time ago and each time our paths have crossed, the bond has grown stronger. Therefore, I would lie if I didn’t say that in the back of my mind there always was a wish to do something together.  So, I am more than thrilled when I was invited to sing on the Black Eyed Sons new album and that they also gave me a song where I could be who I am’?" - Mike Tramp ("Your True Colours")


“I go back 30 years with these guys. A band that I’ve always loved and respected. To be asked to be part of this project was a great thrill, and proud moment as a guitarist.” - Scotti Hill ("Dig Me Out Of This Hole")


“I’ve known Griff since the beginning of our respective careers…we are both from the old school baby, and Griff has always been the embodiment of rock n’ roll - genuine, classy, trashy, and an attitude that exemplifies what it is to be a rock n’ roll troubadour." - Ryan Roxie ("Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits"/"Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory")


“Since you graced us with your presence on the Wolves’ debut album, it’s only fair we should be a part of your debut as Black Eyed Sons. All the best!” - Kyf Brewer / Company Of Wolves ("Foolin’ Yourself")


“Not only was it a pleasure to play guitar & sing on this record - it was an honor to have Griff & the band record one of our songs! - Steve Conte / Company Of Wolves/Michael Monroe/NY Dolls ("Foolin’ Yourself")


Pre-order the album on CD or vinyl here. Note: If ordered through the Official OYR website, this item will also be signed by Black Eyed Sons.


Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits will be released on January 28. There will be a full live album launch party at The Lexington, Islington on Monday, December 16 showcasing the tracks which will be followed up with some live dates in early 2025.


Collaborators on this release include:


Joe Elliott (Def Leppard)
Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke)
Chip Z’Nuff (Enuff Z'Nuff)
Josh Todd and Stevie D (Buckcherry)
Chris Johnstone (Quireboys/Thirsty)
Dan Reed (Dan Reed Network)
Scotti Hill (Skid Row)
Steve Conte (Mike Monroe/NY Dolls/Company Of Wolves)
Kyf Brewer (Company Of Wolves/Barley Juice)
Alan Clayton (The Dirty Strangers)
Ryan Roxie  (Alice Cooper)
Mike Tramp (White Lion)





Tracklisting:

King Crimson will release Sheltering Skies (Live Fréjus, August 27th 1982) on vinyl and CD on September 6.


Release notes:
• First release on vinyl of a 1980s King Crimson concert
• First standalone CD release of the complete concert
• The complete concert from Fréjus, France taken from the original multi-track tapes by Robert Fripp & Brad Davis. 
• Additional performance of ‘The Sheltering Sky’ at Cap d’Agde also included
• Vinyl cut by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering
• Pressed on 200-gram vinyl & presented in a gatefold sleeve.
• CD mastered by Alex R. Mundy at DGM


There’s a palpable sense of energy and enthusiasm from the audience captured on the tapes at this concert as King Crimson (sharing a European tour with then label band mates Roxy Music) take to the stage in Fréjus, France, in late summer, 1982. With two albums’ worth of material to draw upon (Discipline, October 1981 and Beat, June 1982) and extensive touring that had already seen the band play concerts in the UK, Europe, USA & Japan, the live shows - as often with King Crimson – had a dynamism and punch that simply couldn’t be replicated in a recording studio. Add a pair of classic KC instrumentals, (Red & Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Part Two), to that mix & all the ingredients were there for a very special performance.




Recorded initially for a video release, the audio from the concert has, inexplicably, never been issued as a standalone release. Nor has a live album from the 1980s line-up previously appeared on vinyl. “Sheltering Skies” presents the complete King Crimson performance across 2LPs pressed on 200-gram vinyl or a single CD, both completed with the addition of the recording of ‘The Sheltering Sky’ from the previous night’s concert at Cap d’Agde. The 1980s King Crimson was, in terms of concert performances/album releases, still less than a year old when this album was recorded. The collective decades of experience of the individual musicians is funneled through the enthusiasm and freshness of the line-up & the newness of the material to produce a special concert recording.


While King Crimson material from this period is always in demand, with the forthcoming US tour by Beat (King Crimson’s Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, joined by guitarist Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey), performing the material from that period, there is increased interest in hearing this material as it was origi

In a new interview with Terra Brasil, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES frontman Mike Muir spoke about the importance of not blindly following the crowd and not ignoring our own opinions and thoughts and disregarding our own values and beliefs. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think we're taught to be scared to stand out. We're more comfortable to kind of sit there and be behind and have that thing. And I think that's one of the big things — I don't wanna get into politics, but that's the problem with politics. You go so many places around the world right now with elections, and it's 'I am this' and 'I am this.' And there's this whole big valley of truth that people are scared to go to, because they'll deviate from the side that they're supposed to not be able to change from, these sticks that don't break. And it's sad.

"To me, that's the big problem, anywhere in the world, is when people can't talk, when they can't communicate. Now people don't wanna communicate. They just want confirmation. 'They're bad. Yeah, they're bad. They're bad. They're bad.' Yeah. Great conversation. [There's] no conversation. And [through conversation is] how you learn.

"I don't understand why it's offensive to ask a question," he continued. "And using the [United] States as an example, I don't like any of the people running [for the White House]. It's easy not to like them, because they're fucking bad people, as far as I'm concerned… I don't know if you saw [current U.S. president Joe] Biden. I go do, 'This dude is so old.' And I never liked the guy, 'cause of a lot of things that he said. But I'll say that, [and they tell me], 'You can't say that.' And I'm like, 'Why?' Because then you're for [Donald Trump].' And I'm, like, 'How am I for [Trump] if I say something about [Biden]?' Because I'll talk shit about someone else and sometimes I'll say things and [they'll] go, like, 'You can't say that.' And I'm, like, 'Well, why can't you say the truth?' Why don't we focus on the truth rather than who it is?

"It's amazing how people — we call it pretzel," Muir added. "They just bend. If something happens, they would rather have… If someone else, quote-unquote, the other person is in power, they'd want bad things to happen. They like bad things to happen 'cause the other person's in power. And that's insane kind of philosophy to me. And that means there's something structurally wrong — very wrong. And until people sit there and go, 'What about the people?'"

"I never vote. [And people ask me] 'Why don't you vote?' And I go, because I remember being 12 years old and seeing on TV, someone looking in the TV, 'I'm voting.' 'I'm running because I'm gonna make your life better. I'm doing this for you.' And I'm, like, 'How does this fucker know what's better for me? And just the pompous arrogance of someone saying that they want power to make my life better. I go, 'Fuck you.' You know what I mean? And then when they get that power, it's, like, what are they doing? They don't know who the fuck I am and stuff."

Mike went on to say: "People get mad, but my dad always told me, 'You have to be in power in your life. Don't ever be in a position where you're giving that power to someone else that you're gonna regret. No matter how fucked up things are, be the person making the decision. Don't give it to some people.' And I think too many people were brought up to be scared, to feel like they're weak, like they can't handle it, that they need someone else to make that decision. They're afraid to. The old-school thing, with my dad, the way I was brought up is, like, no — no matter how fucking tough it is… Life is gonna be hard. There's people that have unbelievably bad luck in situations. It's gonna be hard, but it's gonna be a lot harder if you don't believe in yourself. It's gonna be a lot harder. And believing in yourself, you're not like dreaming tomorrow will be a better day, but every day you've gotta work and say, 'You know what? Today was fucked up, but tomorrow I got another chance, and I got another chance, and I'm not gonna be fucking beat down.' Because I look out there and I don't wanna be like a lot of the people, when I was younger, I saw. I don't want to be like that."

Back in 2017, Muir declined to give his opinion of then-U.S. president Donald Trump, saying in a press conference in São Paulo, Brazil: "I don't like politics. Politics is ugly. I think politics destroys the heart of people. I believe that it's almost like religion in the sense that people are waiting for someone to save them.

"My dad always told me, 'Politics isn't the answer. Your heart and your effort is the answer. Don't believe people. People only tell you what they want you to hear. It's not the truth.' "And I think on the small picture, we sometimes focus on the little things and lose the big picture.

"There's a lot of fucked-up things in the world. We just got back from France. There is people that are reacting to reactions, and it's getting back to the point where people feel hopeless, and that's when the world is bad — when people feel hopeless.

"Politics will never be the answer. Politics don't give a fuck about you. It's about power, and power is about maintaining power rather than change.

"I see it in every country. I think, unfortunately, coming from a humanistic point, I think a lot of people around the world like Trump because they can divert the focus on what's happening in their countries. I think there's a lot of fucked-up shit everywhere. And I think the point is, you know what? We've gotta remember what life is about — it's about human beings and not just surviving, but having a purpose. And I think anything that takes away from that, which politics does a lot, is unfortunate.

"People like divisions, and I don't like divisions — I think it doesn't accomplish anything. And when you're doing shows and you see people that are so good and have so much passion, and you realize that their life is being fucked up for bullshit reasons, it's really sad. And you just wanna tell people, 'Keep fucking fighting.'

"In general, you can say anything… 'Clinton hater, 'Trump hater'… It's not just I hate people to hate, because I hate what they represent. And what they represent is not people… the essence of what life is: people believing in themselves.

"I think that we forgot that everybody's life should be a journey, not because someone's better than someone else, but because they can accomplish something.

"I would never be able to be a doctor. I'm so thankful that there's doctors. I had back surgery. I'm so thankful that they went through the sacrifices. I appreciate when people accomplish things and follow their dreams. I think it's sad when people don't fully embrace what life should be. It's a gift."

At the 2017 press conference in Brazil, Muir also talked about the growing anti-Trump protest movement after he became president and how some of its credibility may have been lost by focusing too much on protests and marches.

"My dad always said, 'Never become who you hate,'" he said. "I have a friend who's a councilman in L.A., and [he's] obviously a Democrat. And I said, 'You know what? They've got all these people on the other side that are like Trump [spewing hate].' I'm, like, if you hate something, try to do something better, something positive. Don't ever become what you hate. And I go, 'Dude, you sound like the other spectrum of Trump.' It's just hate. Do something positive."

He added: "When politics becomes positive, when someone actually listens instead of talks, when someone actually cares about people rather than power, then I'll vote. But until that time, I've never voted, and there's nothing I would vote for."

Earlier this month, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES released a new single, "Nós Somos Família", a reworked version of their late 1990s song "We Are Family". The Portuguese-language rendition of the track brings together Brazilian artists Badauí (CPM22),B Negão (PLANET HEMP),João Gordo (RATOS DE PORÃO),Rodrigo Lima (DEAD FISH),Supla, Fernanda Lira (CRYPTA, ex-NERVOSA),Marcão Britto and Thiago Castanho (Charlie Brown Jr),in addition to world skateboarding champions Sandro Dias and Pedro Barros.

"Nós Somos Família" is the first SUICIDAL TENDENCIES studio recording to feature new drummer Jay Weinberg, a former member of SLIPKNOT who joined the Mike Muir-fronted outfit earlier this year. The song was recorded at Estúdio Central (formerly RedBull Station) in São Paulo, Brazil, and was executive produced by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' longtime collaborator Alex Palaia. British producer Paul Northfield and Brazilian sound engineer Rico Manzano also participated in the project.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' latest album, "Still Cyco Punk After All These Years", was released in 2018 via Suicidal Records. A reworking of Muir's 1996 solo outing "Lost My Brain! (Once Again)", "Still Cyco Punk" featured founding SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.

Last year, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES celebrated the 40th anniversary of their debut album on a number of shows in the fall, including in New York City; Silver Spring, Maryland; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Berkeley, California. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the LP on a tour of Australia.

The 2024 lineup of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES includes founding member Muir alongside guitarists Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and Dean Pleasants, bassist Tye Trujillo (son of Robert Trujillo),as well as the band's latest addition, drummer Jay Weinberg.

Sudbury, Canada’s The Wring continues to build anticipation for their upcoming album “Nemesis” with the release of their new single “The Nail” – premiered exclusively through BraveWords. This track is a hard-hitting showcase of the band’s ability to blend heavy rock with progressive influences, delivering a sound that is both aggressive and intricate. 


“The Nail” features a compelling mix of rhythmic complexity and melodic intensity, as guitarist Don Dewulf comments:


“When there is no baseball or hockey on TV, I will flip to the MUCH LOUD video channel where they play anything that has a guitar in it (rare these days, as I do not count what Taylor Swift does as ‘playing guitar’). I stumbled on a song by The Offspring called ‘Behind Your Walls Of Pain’. For some reason, that song stuck with me. Once I broke it down, it was the i-vi—iv progression that I found interesting. This is uncommon without the V chord. I twisted it up for the chorus and added a bunch of different parts to make the song. Lyrically, there is no disguising my disdain for the unprecedented lack of decency, honesty, and respect in the world right now.”




“The Nail” delves into themes of perseverance and struggle, a recurring motif in the band’s work. The track’s driving rhythm, punctuated by Dewulf’s razor-sharp guitar work and Abbott’s thunderous drumming, provides the perfect backdrop for Hache’s evocative vocals and bass lines. The song's structure, which oscillates between intense heaviness and intricate melodic passages, keeps listeners on the edge, reflecting the tension and release inherent in the song’s message.





Nemesis will be released on September 27, 2024, via Wormholedeath, with distribution by Aural/Orchard, it is recommended for fans of Dream Theatre, Opeth, and Porcupine Tree.


Pre-save Nemesis at this location.





Tracklisting:


“Badlands”
“The Nail”
“Blur”
“The Sword”

Metallica have released official live footage of their performance of "Through The Never", filmed at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, on August 23rd. Watch below:





Metallica have launched the pre-order for the recordings from their dates in Edmonton.







Says Metallica: "Relive the August 23 & 25 concerts from Commonwealth Stadium with the ultimate souvenir... an official live audio recording on CD. Both shows are available now for pre-order in the Met Store individually and as a bundle."


"Thanks again for two amazing shows i

In a new interview with U.K.'s Devolution magazine, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess talked about the band's upcoming sixteenth album, which will mark the progressive metal legends' first LP since drummer Mike Portnoy's return to the group last October. Asked how the recording sessions are coming along, Jordan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's going great. We all finished all our tracks and everything, and now it's in that whole phase where everything else has to happen, all the things that happen after the musicians finish playing their notes and singing. So it's going great."

Regarding Portnoy's reunion with DREAM THEATER, Rudess said: "I'm really excited because welcoming Mike back is a really emotional, really beautiful thing to his home, where he really should be. He's been so wonderful and very respectful of all of us in terms of — he was gone for a long time. And he has all these skills beyond drumming. So he asks, 'Do you mind if I get involved with this? Is it okay if I get involved with this?' And we're always, like, 'Yeah, man, come on, bring it on. All the stuff that you do, all the Mike Portnoy stuff is important.' And I am so happy because, you know, when I listen back to the music that we've been creating, it's got his stamp on it. You know that some of the stuff is coming from his brain."

Jordan added: "Let's say it kind of like it is. DREAM THEATER survived for 13 years without him. We did fine. We won a Grammy. We wrote a lot of good music. We had a fantastic drummer. All that's good. But he came back, and now you will feel it in the music, you will hear it in the songs, you will see it when we're going out and playing live. It's unmistakable. This guy, he's who he is. He's a big character. He's very, very talented. Great drummer. Really great thinker about all the different elements that go into musical-visual creation. And this album we're working on just emits that. Everyone will know as soon as they hear it. So I'm really super excited about it, and all of it it's great."

Last month, Rudess was asked by Lots Of Muzik if his work on his latest solo album, "Permission To Fly", has in any way influenced the upcoming DREAM THEATER LP. He responded: "I think that as a musician, always evolving and working on my craft, in that sense, yes. I probably had a lot of different harmonic ideas and rhythmic ideas in my head just from the time I spent focusing on my solo album. And I bring those in to DREAM THEATER.

"DREAM THEATER is a very different situation," he explained. "First of all, picture me in front of my speakers as a keyboardist and just creating this thing almost like I'm in a bubble. So that's that. And then imagine now I'm in the studio with all the guys of DREAM THEATER in a rehearsal room and we're just writing music together and wearing headphones, just kind of developing our own parts and everything like that. So my role is so different. But, yeah, certainly I would bring in wherever I was at musically to this role to work with all these amazingly talented guys.

"The DREAM THEATER thing is very unique, especially now because [original DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike Portnoy is back, and that's been a major thing in so many different ways for the band. Just having him back, it's deep because it was 13 years that he was gone. Then he comes back, so all the musical things that he brings, his drumming, his creativity, his mindset about music… I've been thinking about it a lot and I like to point out that he has kind of like a film director's mentality with the way that he looks at producing a work, like an album, and that talent all is going into this new album. And we're really a team. And John Petrucci [DREAM THEATER guitarist], not only is he one of the world's greatest guitar players, but he's also an excellent producer and really has a great way to work with everybody."

Rudess added: "I think everybody's gonna love this [new album]. I can pretty much guarantee it. We don't mess around. We're not people who take what we do lightly. We're really serious. We stay there and we work on things until they're absolutely right and until everybody thinks that, 'Okay, this is really great.' So I have a feeling that all the DREAM THEATER fans around the world, they're in for a really big treat. And, of course, you know, they're gonna have something to listen to, 'cause on September 6th, 'Permission To Fly' comes out. And they'll have that to listen to while they wait for the DREAM THEATER album. And there's no official announced release date yet, but they will have a little time to wait and sink their heads into some good prog and go on the Jordan ride while they wait for this what I think is forming to be an exceptional DREAM THEATER album."

In July, Rudess was asked by Chris Akin Presents how the upcoming DREAM THEATER album compares to the rest of the band's discography. Jordan said: "Well, let's put it this way. There's this undeniable, almost unexplainable or inexplainable, whatever the word is, type of thing that happens with drummers. We survived beautifully in the 13 years that Mike Portnoy was not there. Mike Mangini was a supreme drummer, just incredible. And that said, all the albums with Portnoy, all the albums with Mangini, they have different flavors, because there's something about the back beat, if you will, of a band and the drummer that just gives an energy to the whole thing. And a lot of people speak of that. It's kind of hard to pin down. But you really notice it. Like on this new album, I listen to it and I go, 'Okay, I feel the Portnoy energy back there.'

"I would say what I'm hearing personally is classic kind of DREAM THEATER, whatever that means to anybody that's listening," he continued. "You'll have to wait and see. Think of it this way: the core band is back together again. It's classic DREAM THEATER. I also like to point out that we are a bunch of guys that we take what we do very, very seriously. We put every ounce, every bit of effort, energy into everything we do. We care so much about it, each and every one of us.

"The other day, I was talking to John Petrucci in the studio when I was doing my keyboard parts. And we were really deep and working really hard and spending long hours and just getting things to where we feel they're really, really right. And I said to John, I said, 'John, look at what we're doing. We're here late. We're working like crazy. Why? We could have been making pop music. Why are we doing this?' Just to really understand, because a lot of people don't put the kind of effort, I guess, especially these days when there tends to be a different kind of work ethic around, and maybe we're kind of like old school in that way. But to produce a product, to make something that's gonna last, that is gonna be shared with a large number of people, that's just gonna live on, in a way, forever, that, to us, is a really serious thing. And as artists, we're trying to make a statement."

Circling back to Portnoy's influence on the new DREAM THEATER music, Jordan said: "One of the beautiful things is Mike has brought with him all his incredible skills. He's not a guy who just plays the drums really well. He also understands this business. I always like to say that he's got kind of like a film director's mentality, he's looking at everything from a conceptual point of view, and he has skills that the rest of us don't. I mean, yes, we survived fine [without Portnoy], we did really well, we won a Grammy [while he was out of the band] and all that, but there's a magic there that we now have back. It's cool — it's really cool. We're super excited."

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira and Matheus Ribeiro if DREAM THEATER's upcoming LP picks up from where the last DT album he played on, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", left off or if it's a different thing entirely, Portnoy said: "If I'm being honest, I think it picks up right where 'Black Clouds' left off, to be honest. There's a certain style that the five of us have when we write together. And if you listen to the album with this lineup from 1999, '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory', through 2009's 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', if you look at that string of five or six albums, that's the sound and style of these five people. So I think that's a good indication of what you can expect with the new DREAM THEATER album. It definitely sounds like classic DREAM THEATER."

Last night, September 5th, Toque - comprised of vocalist / guitarist Todd Kerns, drummer Brent Fitz, guitarist Cory Churko, and bassist Derek Frank - played Toronto, Ontario for the first time.


Gracing the stage at the sold out Rivoli on Queen St. West, Toque was joined by Canadian rock icon Kim Mitchell for a pair of songs - "Battle Scar" by Max Webster, and the Kim Mitchell classic, "Go For Soda". Fan-filmed video can be enjoyed below.










Toque's setlist was as follows:


"Fantasy"
"Can't Stop It"
"Innocence"
"New Girl Now"
"Forever In A Day"
"My Girl"
"On The Loose"
"Ironic"
"Ugly"
"Dance"
"Sunglasses"
"Up 2 U"
"Something 4 The Pain"
"Tom Sawyer"
"Battlescar"
"Soda"
"WFTW / Roller"
"Never Enough"


Toque covers "New Girl Now" by Honeymoon Suite and "On The Loose" by Saga: