35 years after its release, MÖTLEY CRÜE's "Dr. Feelgood" stands as one of the last great rock records of the 1980s and one of the greatest rock records of all time. Recorded in Vancouver with producer Bob Rock and released in 1989, this iconic album took MÖTLEY CRÜE to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned a six-times-platinum certification in the U.S. The album cemented the newly sober band's status as global superstars, hitting the Top 10 in Australia (platinum),Canada (three times platinum),Finland, Norway, New Zealand (platinum),Sweden, Switzerland (gold) and the U.K. (gold).

With five massive hit singles that kept radio and MTV request lines busy, the "Dr. Feelgood" world tour saw MÖTLEY CRÜE on the road and in the air on their own private jet for over two years. First single "Dr. Feelgood", with its instantly memorable opening, catchy chorus, and gritty music video set the tone by reaching the top 10 on the U.S. Hot 100 singles chart. Originally a Top 30 hit upon release, "Kickstart My Heart" went on to become MÖTLEY CRÜE's most popular landmark track. From the buzz saw intro to the cheating-death lyrics and music video shot in a rare return to a club show at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, it has now logged well over 1.5 billion streams and can be heard nearly every day in movies, commercials, video games and sporting events around the world. The Hot 100 hits kept coming as "Without You" hit No. 8, "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" reached No. 19, and final single "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" was accompanied by an music video capturing the fan excitement of a live CRÜE show.

The "Dr. Feelgood" world tour kicked off at the now-legendary Moscow Music Peace Festival in Russia and by the time the tour wrapped in late 1990, the band had played over 100 shows to over two million faithful fans. MÖTLEY CRÜE continues to fill arenas and stadiums around the world with many classics from "Dr. Feelgood" in their setlist to this day.

The centerpiece of this 35th-anniversary campaign will be a limited-edition box set available on LP and CD with the remastered version of the original album, as well as rare demos and live tracks. The box set also features a 24-page replica tour book with never-before-seen and never-before-published live and behind-the-scenes photos, a replica "Dr. Feelgood" tour itinerary, poster, patch, backstage pass, live show handbill, press kit, medical envelope and guitar pick.

In addition to the box set, there will be a deluxe streaming version and various different configurations for fans of vinyl: an independent retail exclusive color vinyl, an alternative exclusive color vinyl with 3D lenticular cover art, a picture disc vinyl as well as standard black vinyl. Last but not least, the anniversary edition will also be available as CD with 3D lenticular art, as well as a standard CD. All variants feature reimagined cover art showing 35 years of decay.

As the world gears up for the highly anticipated limited edition box set, the Crüeseum — MÖTLEY CRÜE's ultimate haven for die-hard fans — administers a head-to-toe examination of the chart-topping, legacy-making, six-times-platinum release "Dr. Feelgood". Don't miss your chance to be a part of the celebration.

35th-anniversary limited-edition LP box set includes (also available as limited-edition CD box set):

* Original Album Remastered on green/black vinyl
* The "Demos" EP on green/black vinyl
* "Live" EP on green/black vinyl
* 24-page book with never-before-seen and never-before-published live and behind-the-scenes photos
* 18"x24" reimagined album art poster
* Replica backstage pass
* Patch
* Replica live show handbill
* 16-Page "Dr. Feelgood" tour itinerary
* Press kit
- Folder
- Original press release from 1989
- Original 8" x 10" press photo
* Medical Envelope
* Guitar Pick

Album track listing:

01. T.N.T. (Terror 'N Tinseltown)
02. Dr. Feelgood
03. Slice Of Your Pie
04. Rattlesnake Shake
05. Kickstart My Heart
06. Without You
07. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
08. Sticky Sweet
09. She Goes Down
10. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
11. Time For Change

"Demos" track listing:

01. Dr. Feelgood (Demo)
02. Get It For Free (Demo)
03. Kickstart My Heart (Demo)
04. Time For Change (Demo)
05. Without You (Demo)

"Live" track listing:

01. Dr. Feelgood (Live)
02. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) (Live)
03. Without You (Live)
04. Kickstart My Heart (Live)
05. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S) (Live)

Photo credit: William Hames (1989 "Dr. Feelgood" era)

Members of GREEN DAY were abruptly rushed off stage during the band's concert in Detroit on Wednesday (September 4) after a drone was spotted flying overhead. The band was in the middle of a performance of "Longview" at around 8:50 p.m., about 20 minutes into the concert, when a stagehand emerged from the wings to usher the musicians to the back of the stage.

"There was an individual that flew a drone into Comerica Park, so GREEN DAY was taken off stage," Detroit Police Department spokesman Cpl. Dan Donakowski said in a statement. "Shortly after that, they went back on stage to perform. DPD located this individual outside of Comerica Park. He is being detained pending further investigation."

Stage video screens soon lit up with a message: "SHOW PAUSE: PLEASE, STANDBY FOR DETAILS."

The concert resumed 10 minutes later, with frontman Billie Joe Armstrong telling the 35,000 fans in attendance: "How you guys doing? Everybody okay?"

Armstrong later told the crowd. "There ain't no motherfucker that's gonna stop us, I'll tell you that."

After the closing song, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", he once again addressed the incident, saying: "A night we're all gonna remember."

Following the concert, GREEN DAY shared a message on social media, writing: "Detroit! Sorry for the delay in the show tonight. Stadium security had us clear the stage while they dealt with a potential safety issue. DPD quickly resolved the situation, and we were able to continue. Thanks for understanding."

GREEN DAY's current "Saviors Tour" is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band's 1994 breakthrough album "Dookie" and the 20th anniversary of 2004's "American Idiot". Support on the trek is coming from SMASHING PUMPKINS, RANCID and THE LINDA LINDAS.
Green Day just got forced offstage. Some guy ran onstage and said something and they all ran off pic.twitter.com/Nl9wsBbgfN

— brah, im an Alpha Dog (they hate this) (@dj_beav) September 5, 2024


Detroit! Sorry for the delay in the show tonight, Stadium security had us clear the stage while they dealt with a potential safety issue. DPD quickly resolved the situation, and we were able to continue. Thanks for understanding.💚#greendayDetroit

— Green Day (@GreenDay) September 5, 2024

In a new interview with Guy "Favazz" Favazza of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95, Sammy Hagar spoke about the fact that Jason Bonham was forced to leave Sammy's "The Best Of All Worlds" tour due to an unspecified family issue. The drummer was replaced at the last four shows of the tour by Kenny Aronoff, who had previously played with Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony and guitarist Joe Satriani in CHICKENFOOT.

Asked how he hooked up with Kenny, Hagar said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I've known Kenny for a long time. Kenny has been my backup drummer for about — not just me. You talk to Billy Gibbons, you talk to anybody, they're gonna tell you that he's their backup drummer because he's the only guy that you can hand a setlist of 24 songs and in 24 hours he can play 'em."

Sammy clarified that he didn't know ahead of time that Kenny was going to be stepping in for Jason. "Jason's [family emergency] was a sudden thing," he explained. "His mother had a stroke and went into a coma and it's serious. So [his] whole family went over there [to the United Kingdom]. And he held out for two or three days, and he says, 'I gotta go. I gotta go.' I said, 'You go. Go.' So we told Kenny. He had about 24-hour notice. And he came in the first night. He got there at six in the morning. We played that night in Cincinnati. And he did a 90-percent perfect show. I swear to you, I make more mistakes every night than he did. So that's big hats off to this guy."

According to Hagar, there is a chance that Aronoff will play more shows with with Hagar, Anthony and Satriani in the coming weeks.

"The [U.S.] tour is over now, but we're going to Japan," Sammy said. "And if Jason is still with his mom, he's gotta be there till she either comes through or… whatever. I shouldn't be talking about his personal business, but he's got a medical emergency with his mother. You don't ignore that. We got Kenny, thank God. And if we have to go to Japan with him, we'll go to Japan. I just love playing with him 'cause he's so enthusiastic. He's the most enthusiastic guy. 'Oh man, we're gonna kill it. Oh, don't worry about me.' He's, like, foaming at the mouth. He's crazy."

Aronoff replaced Chad Smith in CHICKENFOOT's touring lineup from 2011 to 2012. Smith was forced to step away from CHICKENFOOT's touring activities due to his commitments with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

CHICKENFOOT recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011 and toured across America but never performed any VAN HALEN material. More recently, Hagar and Anthony have played some of the VAN HALEN catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Bonham in SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE.

Back in 2012, Aronoff told Ultimate Classic Rock about his stint with CHICKENFOOT: "The cool thing about this band is that the level of musicianship is so high. Everybody’s been in so many bands that we're starting at such a high experienced level… There's a lot of stuff that you don't have to discuss. It's like if you took a bunch of NFL players and put them together, they're already starting with a lot of experience, so it's just a matter of making it gel… it gels so well, personality-wise and musically. And I think maybe that's what Chad was thinking when he picked me. He picked me personally — he kept telling them, 'This is the guy you should get to replace me while I'm out with the CHILI PEPPERS.' And it's worked — he's right. It was just the right combination of people."

For "The Best Of All Worlds" tour, Hagar and his bandmates in THE CIRCLE — Anthony and Bonham — were joined by Satriani and multi-instrumentalist Rai Thistlethwayte.

"The Best Of All Worlds" setlist consisted largely of VAN HALEN material, including the opening track "Good Enough", from 1986's "5150" album, as well as two songs from 1991's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", "Poundcake" and "Runaround", and a pair of David Lee Roth-era VAN HALEN classics, "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", as well as a section of "Jump". The rest of the set included Satriani's "Satch Boogie", the rousing rock-swing guitar instrumental that put him on the map in 1987 and helped propel his second album, "Surfing With The Alien", to platinum status. and several of Hagar's solo classics, such as "There's Only One Way To Rock", "Eagles Fly", "Heavy Metal" and "I Can't Drive 55".

Produced by Live Nation, the 28-date "The Best Of All Worlds" tour concluded on August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

LINKIN PARK — Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong (of critically acclaimed band DEAD SARA) as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain (songwriter/producer for G FLIP, ILLENIUM, ONE OK ROCK) as drummer — share their first brand new music in seven years.

The iconic band shared a deluge of treats for fans: a new single and video (premiering at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET),for "The Emptiness Machine", plus a global livestream performance, and the launch of six upcoming arena shows in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul, and Bogota as part of the "From Zero World Tour". LP Underground fan club exclusive pre-sales start September 6 and general on-sales September 7. Go to LinkinPark.com for more info.

These surprises herald the arrival of LINKIN PARK's first album since 2017, "From Zero", on November 15.

Tomorrow, Friday September 6, the band joins longtime friend and Apple Music host Zane Lowe for an in-depth candid conversation about the incredible legacy of LINKIN PARK, the seven-year long journey to new music and their excitement for the future. Fans can tune in at 6 a.m. PT to watch the full interview.

Without expectations, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn quietly began meeting up again in recent years. Rather than "trying to restart the band," their instinct was to simply spend more time together, and reconnect with the creativity and camaraderie that has been at the core of their friendship since college. During this time, they invited various friends and cohorts to join them in the studio; among the guests, they found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain. A natural chemistry drew these musicians back into its gravitational pull as they logged more and more hours in the studio. It was the sound of lifelong musicians rediscovering the uncontainable energy of a new beginning once again. Over this season, "From Zero" was born.

About the new era, Shinoda stated: "Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we're currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”

Right out of the gate, "The Emptiness Machine" channels the DNA of LINKIN PARK, harnessing the band's explosive energy and retaining the hallmarks of their instantly identifiable and inimitable sound. A chameleonic and catchy anthem, Shinoda's hypnotic melodies hand off to Armstrong's blistering chorus, over distorted riffs and head-nodding drums.

Shinoda elaborated: "The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created. We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we've made together. We're weaving together the sonic touchpoints we've been known for and still exploring new ones.”

Ultimately, with "From Zero", the band is looking to harness the purest energy of their past, present, and future. The new era has officially begun.

"From Zero World Tour" 2024

September 11 - Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
September 16 - Barclays Center - New York, NY
September 22 - Barclays Arena - Hamburg, Germany
September 24 - The O2 - London, UK
September 28 - INSPIRE Arena - Seoul, South Korea
November 11 - Coliseo Medplus - Bogota, Colombia

"From Zero" track listing

01. From Zero (Intro)
02. The Emptiness Machine
03. Cut The Bridge
04. Heavy Is The Crown
05. Over Each Other
06. Casualty
07. Overflow
08. Two Faced
09. Stained
10. IGYEIH
11. Good Things Go

This past May, Billboard reported that LINKIN PARK was considering a possible 2025 reunion tour with a female vocalist stepping in for late lead singer Chester Bennington.

LINKIN PARK's booking agency WME was reportedly taking offers for a potential tour along with headlining festival dates that would feature Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson and Dave Farrell, Billboard's sources said.

One of the sources told Billboard that LINKIN PARK was hoping to find a female vocalist to front the reunited band, a rumor which was first started in April by ORGY frontman Jay Gordon who mentioned during a radio interview that he had "heard" that LINKIN PARK was working with a "girl singer now". When pressed, Gordon continued by saying: "Don't quote me on that. I'm not sure who the singer is going to be, but I heard it was gonna be female. They might just try to move on like that. That ought to be interesting." Jay later seemingly walked back his comments, writing in a Facebook post that he knew "nothing about any of that" and accused "people" of taking his words "out of context.".

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Metallica Report", the podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke about his acting role in Tubi Films' upcoming dark western thriller "The Thicket". Based on Joe R. Lansdale's novel of the same name, "The Thicket" will be released in theaters on Friday, September 6.

Hetfield said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Peter Dinklage contacted me through management, just saying, 'Hey, I got a part for you in something we're putting together. And I just thought of you, and that's it.' It's, like, 'Okay, cool.'

"I'm not into acting at all," James explained. "I mean, I act enough on the stage, like projecting. For us on stage, projecting big, it's almost more like Broadway. When you're in a movie, you do just a little thing and that's, 'Whoa,' that's enough. I like big projecting. So for me to be invited to be part of a film where I don't have to go and audition or something, 'cause that doesn't interest me, really. I've done that before, and it's not my bag, really. But he invited me along. There was a couple of other things that I had done before. [Director] Joe Berlinger asked me to do something similar in the Ted Bundy doc that he put together. It was, like, 'I got this part. You'd be perfect for it. Come on, let's do it.' And that's kind of similar to what, I guess, Peter Dinklage or the director had in mind. Like, 'Hey, this is a part. You don't have to do anything, you don't have to train, you don't have to do nothing. Just be you.' It's, like, 'All right, I can do that.'"

Hetfield went on to describe the tedious process of making movies and how it is so drastically different from performing on stage.

"While I'm sitting in a trailer, and it's probably minus 10 degrees out up in Canadia [sic], we're outside of Calgary and I'm sitting there in period clothing, 1800s turn of the century," he said. "I mean, the wool's great, but the shoes [are] not so great. I'm sitting there with [my assistant] Ray. It's, like, 'Hey, you're shooting today.' And then the end of the day, it's, like, 'Ah, we didn't get to you today.' And I told Ray, I said, 'Hey, next time I'm asked to do something like this, remind me to say no.' [Laughs] But that's how it was in the moment. When it's all done, the work you put into it, it's, like, 'Ah, yeah, that was nothing.' But just when you're sitting in it and waiting. Music is not about waiting. 'I got an idea. Hey take this down. Let's do this.' Practicing your line and waiting to say it five days later is, like, oh, driving me nuts."

James continued: "When I'm doing interviews or, like, 'Hey, say hi to this,' 'Congratulations on blah, blah, blah.' I just want it to be natural, one take, go. Let's do it. I don't know. Call it the Lou Reed method. 'Well, why should we do it again? We already did it.' That's what I like. And the movies is not that — not so much. But it was fun being out there, being, obviously, in a Western, getting to wear a hat, carry a gun, have a badge on. And I don't wanna give it all away, but period-correct clothing and riding horses and all that shit. It's in my DNA. I love it. It's just the other part, making a movie. But I'm grateful to be in it. I'm grateful I got asked to do it. I hope it comes out cool. That's another one of those things. I'm just another dude there playing a part for the greater good. When we're out here [on tour playing music], it's, like, 'Hey, this is all under our control,' and out there it's not. So, just trusting the process and having as much fun as I can with it."

Hetfield added: "It's certainly not a career choice for me. I love what I do and I wanna continue to do that till my last breath. But just something fun. I love that someone just asks you. They see you, they picture you in a part and then you go and you do it. I think that was very cool of Peter."

Peter Dinklage plays Shorty, a bounty hunter enlisted to find a woman who has been kidnapped by a violent killer. The movie, which is set at the turn of the 20th century, follows Shorty and his fellow trackers as they travel into a violent and chaotic place known as the Big Thicket.

"The Thicket" also stars Juliette Lewis ("Yellowjackets"),Esmé Creed-Miles ("Hanna"),Levon Hawke ("The Crowded Room"),Leslie Grace ("In The Heights"),Gbenga Akinnagbe ("The Old Man"),Macon Blair ("I Care A Lot"),Ned Dennehy ("Peaky Blinders"),Andrew Schulz ("Infamous") and Arliss Howard ("Mank").

Production on the film took place last year with "Blitz" director Elliott Lester behind the camera and Christopher Kelly penning the script.

Lester told Collider about adding Hetfield to the film: "The casting of James Hetfield in 'The Thicket' is a story that feels almost destined. It all began with a dream — one morning I woke up with a clear vision that James had to be in the movie. James Hetfield, a Rock God, embodies a raw poetry that fit perfectly with the character we envisioned. From that moment, Peter Dinklage and I were relentless in our pursuit. We tried every possible avenue: his manager, mutual friends, anyone who could help us reach him. Our breakthrough came when writer/director Sacha Gervasi ['Anvil! The Story Of Anvil'], who had a connection to James, stepped in. Despite our efforts, we were unsure if James would even consider the role. We sent him the script, along with a Hail Mary, and waited. To our delight, within days we heard that James was interested. The meeting that followed confirmed our hopes. James could not have been more humble. He revealed that he had always wanted to do a dark western, aligning perfectly with our film's vision. From that point on, James was incredible. He was hard-working, diligent, and fully embraced his role with a passion that brought a unique intensity to the film. The journey with James has been extraordinary, and his presence truly elevates 'The Thicket' to a new level."

Back in 2019, Hetfield had a part in the Netflix thriller "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile". That film followed 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. Hetfield played 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 had played himself in other films and television productions, this was his first dramatic role taking on a different character.

Five years ago, Efron praised the METALLICA guitarist/vocalist's acting chops during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", saying: "James Hetfield, to his credit, and absolutely nailed the part, he just crushed it. It's like he’s been acting his own life. He had no fear. He did a great job. I was ready to maybe give James Hetfield [an acting] tip, but he didn't ask for a single one. James Hetfield is the shit!"

first look at The Thicket - a Tubi film starring peter dinklage & juliette lewis

Posted by Tubi on Thursday, June 27, 2024

London label Transmission have announced a new edition of Porcupine Tree’s Grammy-nominated 2007 album, Fear Of A Blank Planet. With a 112-page hardback book, five CDs, and a Blu-ray disc, the new edition includes remasters of Fear Of A Blank Planet and the Nil Recurring mini-album, approximately 55 minutes of previously unreleased demos, an early live performance of a still work-in-progress version of the album, as well as BBC and instore session recordings - the most complete collection of the album and related material to date.


The set consists of:


- 112-Page Hardback Book: The centrepiece of this collection is a 112-page book, with an in-depth examination of the process of creating the album by Stephen Humphries with interviews, alongside rare photographs from photographers Lasse Hoile & Carl Glover.
- Disc 1 (CD): 2024 remaster of Fear Of A Blank Planet.
- Disc 2 (CD): 2024 remaster of Nil Recurring EP.
- Disc 3 (CD): Approx 55 minutes of previously unreleased demos by both band and Steven Wilson, offering a rare insight into the creative process for the album, including 2 tracks not recorded for the final album.
- Disc 4 (CD): A live recording of a work-in-progress version of the album made at The Garage, Saarbrucken on 23rd September 2006, while the band were still refining and developing the material.  This has been mixed from the multitrack tapes for the first time for this edition.
- Disc 5 (CD): A 5 track BBC radio session (Maida Vale Studios, 13th April 2007) plus an 8-song acoustic / unplugged in-store performance from Park Avenue, Orlando (4th October 2007).
- Disc 6 (Blu-ray): Includes remastered stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes of Fear Of A Blank Planet and Nil Recurring, as well as a new 2024 documentary - 'The Making of Fear Of A Blank Planet'. Also features 3 music videos, 3 songs performed live on film at The Palladium, Koln (4th December 2007) and 2 live visual films (‘Sleep Together’ and ‘Anesthetize’).




Watch a video trailer below.





Originally released in 2007, Fear Of A Blank Planet is Porcupine Tree's ninth studio album and both band and fans alike consider it to be a high point in their catalogue. Their biggest selling album at the time, it was the band’s first album to break into the Billboard Top 100 in the USA as well as charting significantly across Europe, earning them a Grammy nomination in the process. The album includes guest appearances from Robert Fripp (King Crimson) & Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and featured in Rolling Stone Magazine’s Greatest Prog Albums Of All Time as well as being named Classic Rock’s Album of the Year in 2007.


A concept album inspired by the Bret Easton Ellis novel Lunar Park, Fear Of A Blank Planet’s lyrics address how the adolescent protagonist battles his terminal boredom and attention-deficit disorders with a regimen of prescription drugs, TV, computer gaming, mindless violence, empty sex, and self-harm.


Following the release of Fear Of A Blank Planet in 2007, Porcupine Tree solidified their reputation as one of the rock’s most celebrated bands with their 2009 release The Incident garnering critical acclaim and earning the band another Grammy nomination. After a significant hiatus while members moved on to other projects, 2022’s highly anticipated return with Closure/Continuation demonstrated the band's unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of their sound.


The new edition of Fear Of A Blank Planet will be released on Transmission on October 25. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


Disc 1
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (2024 Remaster) [07:28]
"My Ashes" (2024 Remaster) [05:09]
"Anesthetize" (2024 Remaster) [17:52]
"Sentimental" (2024 Remaster) [05:26]
"Way Out Of Here" (2024 Remaster) [07:37]
"Sleep Together" (2024 Remaster) [07:28]


Disc 2
"Nil Recurring" (2024 Remaster) [06:15]
"Normal" (2024 Remaster) [07:08]
"Cheating The Polygraph" (2024 Remaster) [07:10]
"What Happens Now?" (2024 Remaster) [08:24]
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (Tour Live intro) [02:02]


Disc 3
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (Demo) [07:01]
"My Ashes" (Demo) [05:09]
"Anesthetize" (Demo) [16:49]
"Sentimental" (Demo) [05:03]
"Cheating The Polygraph" (Demo) [07:07]
"Sleep Together" (Demo) [07:26]
"Always Recurring" (Demo) [03:49]
"Hey Sleeper" (Demo) [03:36]


Disc 4
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [09:05]
"My Ashes" (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [05:44]
"Anesthetize" (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [17:12]
"Sentimental" (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [05:07]
"Cheating The Polygraph" (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [06:58]
"Sleep Together" (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [08:11]


Disc 5
"Blackest Eyes" (BBC Session, Maida Vale, 13 April 2007) [04:27]
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (BBC Session, Maida Vale, 13 April 2007) [07:29]
"Sleep Together" (BBC Session, Maida Vale, 13 April 2007) [07:20]
"The Pills I'm Taking" (BBC Session, Maida Vale, 13 April 2007) [05:58]
"Halo" (BBC Session, Maida Vale, 13 April 2007) [05:42]
"The Sky Moves Sideways" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [04:02]
"Even Less" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [03:27]
"Stars Die" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [04:34]
"Waiting" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [03:52]
"Normal" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [04:52]
"Drown With Me" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [04:09]
"Lazarus" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [04:06]
"Trains" (Live in-store performance, Park Avenue, Orlando, 4 October 2007) [04:28]


Disc 6
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (5.1) [07:28]
"My Ashes" (5.1) [05:09]
"Anesthetize" (5.1) [17:52]
"Sentimental" (5.1) [05:26]
"Way Out Of Here" (5.1) [07:37]
"Sleep Together" (5.1) [07:28]
"Nil Recurring" (5.1) [06:15]
"Normal" (5.1) [07:08]
"Cheating The Polygraph" (5.1) [07:10]
"What Happens Now?" (5.1) [08:24]
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (Video) [04:19

US black metal pioneers, Nachtmystium, will release the new studio album, Blight Privilege, on November 1. Pre-order the new album here, and check out a visualizer for the second single, "A Slow Decay", below.


"'A Slow Decay' is about "the disintegration of society that is going on all around us", mastermind Blake Judd muses. "It does not even matter which side you are on. We are all being played."







Nachtmystium are back! And after all that was said and done, mastermind Blake Judd is still standing. Not only that, but Judd has also clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable to a much more quiet, observant, and matured artist and person.


His return will not be met with universal applause – even from the black metal scene. For anybody following the tumultuous career of Blake Judd and his pioneering band that has pushed the borders of their genre into new territories, this comes hardly as a surprise.


With their ninth studio album Blight Privilege, Nachtmystium are once again presenting a masterpiece that can even compete with the trilogy of albums that many view as the peak of the earlier career of the American black metal (USBM) trailblazers: Instinct: Decay (2006), Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. I (2008), and Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II (2010). Like an infernal sniper, every song on Blight Privilege hits straight on target. All the darkest elements, required and longed for, are there: harsh, rasping vocals, the fierce hum and whirr of guitars burning with an ice cold fire, moments of ecstatic and exalted beauty in hellish soundscapes. Yet there are also those fine details that the musically well-versed Judd has always cunningly hidden in the general sonic onslaught such as post-punk and wave elements, and now even a knife-tip of outlaw country.


Blight Privilege connects Nachtmystium to its glory-days – not as a nostalgic reminiscence but as a forward-looking continuation and next evolutionary step. If anything, this ninth album is marked by a maturity derived from experience and learning. Judd's often diabolically catchy tunes are sharper than ever and have lost none of their bite. This might be due to the fact that it is the first album of the USBM spearheads which Judd composed in a fully sober state.


With Blight Privilege, Nachtmystium demand the throne of USBM back. This album clearly has the musical force and lyrical daring to do give credit to this claim. Love it or hate it, Nachtmystium have set a tall milestone with Blight Privilege.





Tracklisting:


"Survivor's Remorse"
"Pre

In the video below from AXS TV, Ted Nugent invites Sammy Hagar to his massive ranch in Waco, Texas, where the two of them play some music together before going on a wild ride in Ted's Bronco.





Nugent and his gritty guitar appear on a song produced by none other than Ted's son Rocco for a 2024 patriot summer anthem, "Who Shot Trump". You can find the clean and explicit versions both on all streaming platforms. Listen below.

Ah…fall is here. Leaves are changing colours, the aroma of pumpkin spice permeates the air, warm boots keep the cool crisp air at bay and the guttural sound of Fuming Mouth’s savage new single, "Metal On Metal", radiates your ears. Truly, the perfect weather for unbridled death metal. Out now from Nuclear Blast Records, the revered New England band’s latest, seething track arrives just ahead of upcoming shows and festival appearances.





"Metal On Metal" Single Artwork




 


Describing the single, vocalist/guitarist Mark Whelan says: “Equally parts death metal and hardcore. Get to head banging and get to moshing.”


"Metal On Metal" was produced with Kurt Ballou (Full Of Hell, Code Orange, Nails) at GodCity Studios during the band’s Last Day Of Sun recording session and is part of the record’s concept of perseverance, survival and resurrection inspired by Whelan’s battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.


Stream "Metal On Metal" here, and watch a lyric video below:





Overcoming cancer in 2022, Whelan and crew rebounded in late 2023 with Last Day Of Sun, setting a new pace for death metal in the process. Featuring the raw, brutal tracks "The Silence Beyond Life", "I’ll Find You" and "Kill The Disease", the record unravels with cataclysmic riffs and dire, ferocious vocals that take fans on a tumultuous journey through the arduous process of suffering and healing.


Earlier this year, the band released the singles, "Daylight Again" and "Timeless". Lyric videos for both tracks can be found below.


Fuming Mouth is on tour now in support of Last Day Of Sun. Tickets are available here.





Dates:


September
4 - Louisville, KY - Magic Bear
5 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
6 - Cave In Rock, IL - Full Terror Assault Fest
7 - Toledo, OH - Frankies
8 - Mississauga, ON - Hold Your Ground Fest

On Sunday, September 1, SLIPKNOT's Sid Wilson played his first show since suffering severe burns in a bonfire explosion. Speaking about the performance, which took place at the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, Wilson told TMZ: "I've been basically bedridden up until then. So, I hadn't been practicing or anything. And the skin is tighter now, so I have to keep exercising my hand to make sure that the skin doesn't heal tight as to heal normal. So, when I was practicing backstage — I practice for, like, anywhere between three and five hours straight before I play. So, I got about — what did I get? About two hours in? Probably about two hours in, because of the logistics of getting to the show. So, I could feel immediately, like, how much tighter the skin was around my hand and the articulation. The left hand's not quite as bad as the right. The right arm and hand is pretty bad. The new skin has grown from underneath everything and it's all flaking off now. We've cut most of the skin off."

Wilson sustained the burns from a bonfire on his farm in Iowa where he lives with girlfriend Kelly Osbourne and their two-year-old son Sidney.

"Kelly's been great through the whole thing," Sid told TMZ. "She's been the go-between for the nurses and me. So she's Nurse Kelly. [Laughs] She's had me on such a strict regimen of just changing everything and cleaning everything, wiping everything, making sure I'm shaving every day, just all the steps they said to do and then some. She goes extra, extra hard. My face has healed incredibly fast. They said it would heal fast. And now it's just pink where everything was. I have like some acne kind of like looking stuff down my neck and on my cheek, but overall everything's coming along great. The thing that's hard right now is being in sunlight. So I kind of feel like a vampire."

Last week, Wilson told Fox News about the bonfire that caused his injuries: "A few nights ago, I lit it and let it burn down. So, the next day, I went to check it to see, you know, how much was left, if anything. And there was a certain amount of debris around the side still left, so I, like a dummy, [did] what I'm not supposed to do, but I added some gas to it."

After alerting Kelly, Sid was rushed to an urgent care before being transferred to a larger hospital in Des Moines.

When Wilson first revealed his initial wounds — which included blisters and inflamed, red skin all over his arms, his cheeks and even on his lips — he told his fans that he planned to recover quickly so he could join his SLIPKNOT bandmates for their tour,.

SLIPKNOT later released the following statement via social media: "Our brother Sid Wilson was in an accident today and sustained burns across his body. He's recovering with his family and will still join us on stage at Rocklahoma next weekend. He thanks everyone for the well wishes, and will see you all soon."

In support of their upcoming studio album, Embers, due out this Friday via Napalm Records, progressive psych-and krautrock trio God Is An Astronaut present their brand new single, "Odyssey". The track provides an exhilarating ride blending all facets of the band's incredible songwriting skills.


God Is An Astronaut reveal: "'Odyssey' is the echo of loss, born from the raw grief of our father’s passing. A journey of sound — acoustic guitars, cello, sitars, and heavy riffs — leading through sorrow, finding light in a psychedelic crescendo. It’s not just a tribute, but a space where sorrow and joy become one."







Founded by brothers Torsten and Niels Kinsella, God Is An Astronaut has mesmerized audiences worldwide with their distinctive sonic tapestry both in dynamic live performances and through their recorded works. Amidst their perpetual whirlwind of touring, the band emerges once more with their freshly crafted studio album Embers.


The Irish trio has once again created an exceptional collection of songs, inviting listeners to explore and interpret it in their own unique ways. Embers represents God Is An Astronaut's most extensive, personal and grandiose production to date. From the very first note to the lingering resonance of its finale, Embers quietly but confidently affirms their mastery of their craft: From psych- to excellent krautrock trips, driving rhythms by drummer Lloyd Hanney and collaborations with guest musicians including Dara O'Brien, Jo Quail and Sean Coleman further enrich the album's sonic space, incorporating elements such sitar, cello, zither, shamanic drums, bowed psaltery, chimes and tanpura.


Featuring artwork by the internationally renowned Irish artist David Rooney and mastered by Europe's foremost mastering engineer Streaky, with their brand new progressive, psychedelic and instrumental post-rock opus God Is An Astronaut will achieve remarkable heights.





Embers will be available in the following formats:


- 2LP Gatefold Marbled Oxblood Black with Artprint & Slipmat  
- 2LP Gatefold Transparent Yellow (Vinyl 1) / Transilia (Vinyl 2)  
- 2LP Gatefold Glow In The Dark
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- 6 Page Digipak
- Music Cassette Black with Gold Print


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Apparition"
"Falling Leaves"
"Odyssey"
"Heart Of Roots"
"Embers"
"Realms"
"Oscillation"
"Prism"
"Hourglass"


"Embers" video:





"Falling Leaves" video:

Continuing their journey towards consolidation as new talents in Chilean death metal, Enchiridion Mortis Aeterna (EMA) returns with a new single titled “Ethereal”, which is now available on all streaming platforms and which was also released in lyric video format. The song once again testifies to the unbridled display of powerful guitar riffs and insane drums that are characteristic of the quartet from Santiago.


Active since 2022, the band delighted Latin American bangers at the beginning of this year with their EP Necher Jertet released last January. This tune joins the songs from that first release to move forward towards an album that will be called The Book Of The Dead, a conceptual work that tells the story behind the writing of that funerary text from Ancient Egypt that consisted of a series of magical spells intended to help the deceased overcome the judgment of Osiris, assist them in their journey through the underworld and travel to paradise in the afterlife.


“We are in the process of expanding our horizons and professionalizing our band to reach more people and start looking for spaces where we can present our musical proposal live,” says the band. “The lyrics allude to the divine element of ether that was lost along with our creation and condemned us to serve the creators. But that element will one day awaken and arrive along with a new era in humanity,” adds its author, singer Aldo Roblero.




EMA, in addition to Aldo, is made up of guitarist Rodrigo Cuello, who also produced, recorded, mixed and mastered this material at Murder Studios. Along with them, Pablo Cáceres plays bass and Sebastiá

In a new interview with Roppongi Rocks' Stefan Nilsson, DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey spoke about his plans to release a new solo album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I've always kept the solo… I had my own band. That's how we found Simon [McBride, new DEEP PURPLE guitarist], 'cause Simon became part of my band, and a very big part of it. We started writing together, and it was a very good partnership. And I always had it in my head, 'If Steve [Morse, former DEEP PURPLE guitarist] decides to leave PURPLE, we won't have to look very far for someone.'"

He continued: "But we've got an album in the can that we did before lockdown. We did most of it before lockdown and we finished it after lockdown, put the vocals on after lockdown. And that's in the can with earMUSIC. And I think that's gonna come out at the end of March."

Asked if the upcoming album will feature Simon on guitar, Don replied: "Yeah, yeah, but it's under my name. It's like a solo album, but, really, it's just my band playing it. I think it's gonna be called 'Push To The Edge'."

It is hard to find a name amongst all those that over the last 35 years have left their mark in the history of rock that has not utilized Don's keyboard skills at some point. The list includes OZZY OSBOURNE, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE, JUDAS PRIEST, Gary Moore, Brian May, JETHRO TULL, BLACK SABBATH and, obviously, DEEP PURPLE, the band of which Airey has been a full-time member for over 20 years.

In 2022, the now-76-year-old Airey told Rolling Stone magazine that there is no concrete plan for him and his DEEP PURPLE bandmates to stop playing live shows.

"We started the farewell tour in 2017. It was due to end in 2019," he noted. "But the thing is, when you're a musician in a band, you think you're in control of it, but you're not. The business is running you.

"Of course, there was so much demand for the band to continue from the promoters and agents that we said, 'Okay, we'll do one more year.'"

Regarding when he thinks DEEP PURPLE will finally call it quits, Don said: "The words of T.S. Eliot [the greatest English-language poet of his generation] come to mind: 'This is the way the band ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.' I think we won't know it's the last gig. We won't have a clue that this one is going to be the last one. That's how it's going to end. It's going to be no big scenario.

"I like what Buddy Guy said. He said, 'Musicians don't retire. They drop.' You do have thoughts about being in the garden and bouncing the grandchildren on your knee, but it's part of your blood system, playing and touring. It's an addiction. I hope I keep playing for a while yet."

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "=1", came out on July 19 via earMUSIC.

KINGS NEVER DIE are set to release their brand new studio album “The Life & Times” on October 25th on Metalville Records.

Following the release of their debut LP ‘All The Rats’ in 2023 and their European tour together with ‘Dog Eat Dog’, ‘Kings Never Die’ began work on their follow-up album. After drummer Danny Schuler left to return to ‘Bioharzard’, Dan Nastasi asked his long-time friend John ‘Booge’ Milnes (Mucky Pup) to help with the recordings.

Nastasi says, ‘The writing and recording process has been very different for us from the first EPs to “All The Rats” to now. And this album was no different. We basically had 10-15 new songs in the works. After we got home from tour at the end of November, we decided it was best to start working on a new album right away. I basically locked myself in my home studio for 4 weeks and got into the writing process, writing new songs and working on ideas we already had. After that me, Evan and John Milnes rehearsed with the rhythm section for 4 weeks and then immediately went to Shore Fire Studios in Long Branch NJ to start recording. 3 days later we headed to PA to Rock Hard Studios and finished the rest of the guitars and vocals. We drove back to NJ and mixed the album.’

The result is „The Life & Times“. And although it is not a concept album, the album is exactly what the title suggests. Side A, the life side, with the title track ‘The Life & Times’ and other songs based on personal stories. Side B, the time side, really reflects on the times we live in and takes a good look at the youth or younger generations and the struggles they may face in the future.

Nastasi said. „One thing I’ve learnt from working with Danny Schuler is that every word you write or every lyric in a song has to have a meaning to you or something that people can relate to. I feel like it really helped me tell a story through the lyrics that I wrote on our last album, but especially on „The Life & Times.“


Arguably the most important songs on ‘Life & Times’ are without a doubt ‘Bigger They Come, Harder They Fall’, which was originally intended for the previous album. The title track and ‘Empathy’ are also anthem-like tracks with catchy vocals and bounce. ‘Underdog’ was written by Nastasi as a thank you to his late father for his life experiences and in recognition of the drive and ambition he instilled in him.

„Most people think that this album is a return to our original hardcore and punk rock style“, says the band, and it’s obvious that vocally they have returned to a two-singer style, with Gadino and Nastasi sharing vocals.

KINGS NEVER DIE is 100% authentic and it’s obvious that the music comes from the heart, both lyrically and emotionally. ‘The Life & Times’ is clearly the band’s greatest achievement to date.

TRACK LISTING
01 The Life & Times
02 Bigger They Come, Harder They Fall
03 Never Let Go
04 Empathy
05 Can I Get A Witness
06 Underdog
07 Kill The Cowards
08 War & Youth
09 The Rights
10 Slow Crawl
11 If God Is Dead

MUSICIANS
Dan Nastasi – Guitar/Vocals (original Mucky Pup/Dog Eat Dog)
Dylan Gadino – Vocals
Evan Ivkovich – Bass (Wisdom in Chains)
Larry “The Hunter” Nieroda – Guitar
Dougie Beans – Drums (originally Murphys Law)

Wormholedeath is thrilled to announce the signing of the French modern metal force, PYRAH. The band’s highly anticipated album, “Veni Vidi Delevi,” is set to obliterate the senses on September 20th, 2024.

PYRAH is a force of nature in the metal scene, blending brutal technicality with haunting melodies and soft, lingering moments that will keep listeners on their toes. With a unique sound that spans the spectrum of metal, from ferocious and aggressive to introspective and poetic, their music promises an intense auditory experience. Fans of Once Human, Jinjer, and Vexed will find much to admire in PYRAH’s intricate and powerful compositions.

The band’s path to this moment has been anything but conventional. After the success of their 2019 single “Stumble” from Part of the Ghost World, PYRAH embarked on their most ambitious project yet. Despite navigating lineup changes and a self-production journey that tested their limits, their efforts caught the discerning eye of WormholeDeath. The result? Veni Vidi Delevi—a powerful reflection of their growth, infused with a darker, more aggressive edge inspired by their Italian studio surroundings and personal introspection.


1. Death From Above
2. My Only Solace
3. These Silent Halls
4. Mind Reset
5. Obey
6. Veni Vidi Delevi
7. Dancing With Devils
8. End Of The Slope
9. Sea Of Faces
10. Cursed To Fail
11. Guidance From Within
12. Constant Chatter

Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of crushing riffs, soaring vocals, and thought-provoking lyrics. PYRAH’s music is a sonic journey that will leave you breathless.

Get a preview of their sound with the official video for “My Only Solace”:

In a new interview with Ken Vantour of Let's Rock, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked if hearing the guitar solo in EXTREME's song "Rise", which has been described by Guitar World magazine as "one of the 21st century's finest", makes him try harder to up his game. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think there's always an element, always has been, especially since I've joined PRIEST. You go from becoming a mediocre guitar player in a cover band to a mediocre guitar player in a real band. You know what I mean? So you've gotta think, like, 'Well, I can't do that stuff anymore. What am I gonna say? What's my fingerprint gonna be — a literal fingerprint? What's my voice gonna be?' So Nuno, Glenn [Tipton], K.K. [Downing]… I remember [PRIEST's] first 'Epitaph' tour, we were out with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and THIN LIZZY. So it was Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson, Zakk Wylde. How can you not raise your game or try to…? They raised the bar and you've gotta keep it there and keep it up there. And Nuno [Bettencourt, EXTREME guitarist] is no exception."

Faulkner continued: "We were just out with [EXTREME] — we played a couple of shows with them in Europe. And I watched from the side of the stage. And we were on right after them. So we have to go and get our [outfits] on, our leather and studs. So I couldn't watch the whole show. And I wanted to see the 'Rise' solo, but they put it at the fucking end of the show, so I couldn't see the solo. And that's what I wanted to see. But we met up with them after, and Nuno was very complimentary."

Circling back how he gets inspired by watching other guitarists play, Richie added: "I think everyone's got their own fingerprint, whether you like it or not. Even if you consider yourself a mediocre guitar player, you've got something that no one else has got, and that's my saving grace, anyway. You've got your own voice somewhere in there. But yeah, those guys always raise the bar. I was at a Joe Bonamassa gig last night, and Joe, along with Nuno, one of the best guitar players in the world, bar none. He knows his audience, he knows his band, he knows his instrument. And I've known Joe for a while now, maybe 15 years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. The mastery — you walk away from there and you wanna get back in the studio and it fires you up to raise the bar, to do better. That's what inspiration is — it's pure inspiration. That never ends, really.

"So, yeah, Nuno — without a doubt, without a doubt."

"Rise" was the first single to be shared from EXTREME's latest studio album, "Six", which arrived in June 2023 via earMUSIC.

Nuno played "Rise" live with his bandmates for the first time on May 1, 2023 during EXTREME's concert aboard the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

"Rise" has seen unprecedented success following its debut on March 1, 2023 alongside a fiery music video which has received nearly five million views to date. The critically acclaimed song has earned praise from international top tier media outlets, including Consequence, Classic Rock, Music Radar and Guitar World, in addition to accolades from such fellow musical peers as Brian May (QUEEN) and radio personality Howard Stern while peaking at No. 3 on the classic rock charts.

Fan-filmed video of PANTERA's August 30 performance at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington as the support act for METALLICA can be seen below (courtesy of FirstRowConcert).

Prior to launching a five-date U.K./Ireland run in late February 2025, the reformed PANTERA, consisting of classic-lineup members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with Zakk Wylde (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums),will kick off a European tour on January 21, 2025 in Helsinki, Finland and hit cities in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland before concluding that portion of the trek on February 15 in Paris, France.

The five-show U.K./Ireland run will launch at the OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow on February 18 before continuing the following night (February 19) at First Direct Arena in Leeds, a gig at the 3Arena in Dublin on February 21, making a stop at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham on February 23, and concluding at London's OVO Arena Wembley on February 25.

In a recent interview with Sweetwater, Brown spoke about the decision to tour with a reformed version of PANTERA. The lineup has reportedly been given a green light by the estates of PANTERA's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Rex said: "The last show, man, I had a creepy, like a cold — something came by me. It felt like there was a cold feeling. And I've gotten this a couple of times before. When we were down recording with Charlie — me and Charlie just went down [in late 2022], put up eighty to a hundred hours of tape before Zakk [started rehearsing with us]. Zakk was still on the road. So we wanted to get the bass and the drum real tight, and we had this scratch guitar player. I felt that same chill. And, to me, they're angels. And I think you know who they are. Those guys, I think they're looking down, or they're looking around us, with us, and I think they're digging what they're seeing, man. I really do. And that's the only kind of way I can look at it, and get as close as we can with Charlie and Zakk. And God, it's getting really, really good. And there's so much more potential to get even tighter."

Speaking about the opportunity to perform PANTERA's music to new generations of fans who never saw the band before, Rex said: "There's a lot of memories in this band that are hard to put down. And losing the brothers, I just never in a million years thought that something like that would happen. Here we are 22 years later, and to see these new fans' faces. You've got one kid sitting there, or man, woman or child crying, and you have this other guy just going, 'You did it right.' It's just amazing."

In April, Rex spoke to American Musical Supply about how touring with PANTERA in 2024 is different from how it was in the band's heyday. He said: "This is a completely different thing, man. We have Charlie and Zakk now, and they're just — number one, they've been great friends of ours for all these years. We get along extra super cool. Charlie and I went down, probably put about eighty, hundred hours on tape of all the songs we were gonna do for the set, and others that we would want to do. Charlie and I worked on this for six months before we ever got into a rehearsal room. That's just how good friends we are. Charlie has been one of my best friends for years. So, this is another band. It's hard to fill the shoes of the brothers. At the same time, this has become a really tight unit. And Zakk just puts the extra… Dime was a very unique guitar player, and he was my best friend, and it's good to see those boys up on the screens and with us. And that's what this is about tonight, for me."

Regarding how he and the rest of the current PANTERA lineup have balanced honoring the band's legacy with any new creative goals they might have, Rex said: "There's many ways that we wanna keep this legacy alive, 'cause the music is still played all over. We have a whole new generation of fans that, they probably wouldn't have heard this stuff if we weren't playing out here playing these shows. And so, that generation of fans — let's say the 15-to-18-year-old kids that come out — they'll shortly have children, and that keeps that new generation alive. And Phillip even says it in the set, the parents of the '90s, which I'm a parent of the '90s, it's a very important statement in the set because it's about the gratitude.

"We're not doing this for ourselves; we're doing it for the name and the brand PANTERA," he continued. "And by God, this music needs to be heard again. It does. It needed to for a long fucking time. And that's what we're here doing tonight… It's just wonderful to be able to do this and pay homage to my music, the riffs that I wrote, or the riffs that Dime wrote, or the patterns that Vinnie played, and for what Phil came up with — tremendous impact on this music."

Also in April, Rex told Rolling Stone Australia about performing with PANTERA in 2024: "Two of our beloved brothers that just aren't here anymore man, that's life, you know? They're just not with us man. That's just fate; it's the way the ball rolls, dude."

He added: "This is no tribute band — Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven't played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what's happened is just extraordinarily fucking insane, you know?"

Regarding PANTERA's latest additions, Rex said: "We knew who would fit and who wouldn't. We knew what the obstacles were in front of us, and we knew after… I'll put it this way — Charlie and I came down in September [2022] before we played that [first] show in December [2022], and we have probably one hundred hours of tape of us playing every fucking PANTERA song that I could remember. And so, you know, me and Charlie lockin' in like that… the drummer and the bass player, that's your foundation. So when Zakk came in, there were certain things we had to go over and over and over, to get tight. And today, this band is about as tight and about as badass as I fucking want. You know what I mean, and that's all I'm gonna say on that."

"But, man, this band is on fuckin' fire, and I couldn't be happier, man," he added. "I just can't explain that as much as I need to, I could not be happier."

Rex previously told AndrewHaug.com that he was "absolutely" open to writing new music with the reformed version of PANTERA. "Yeah, I could tell you more but I'm not going to," he teased.

Earlier in the chat, Brown talked about what is has been like to go out and perform as PANTERA to a whole new generation of fans.

"You can't see it on the YouTube. You can't feel that vibe until you actually come to the show," he explained. "And we haven't been doing interviews just for the fact we want people just to come to the show. It's not about anything prior past or present that I wanna talk about today — just the show tonight.

"We're pinching ourselves over these new fans that have never seen this before, and it's a whole another generation that we either didn't know a) that were out there, b) that were still listening to us, and the turnout has just been unbelievable," Rex continued. "Of course, at first you had the naysayers and all that stuff, and as we played gig by gig, it's made us tighter. And I've been trying to rehearse this band as much as I can within schedules, and we'll just go down for no fucking reason and just jam. That's what makes a band tight."

The reformed PANTERA is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Asked how it feels playing those "timeless" songs again, Rex told AndrewHaug.com: "You just said it — they're timeless. So getting to play them again is a… These were a big part of Philip and I's songs too. Of course, respect to the brothers. I think that looking down on us and giving us a big — and they're with us. It's just uncanny. That's the glue. Those guys are hanging around with us.

"Look, I'm not some crazy old man, man. I know that we're here for reasons," Rex added. "And this time he gave us a heavy load, and we have come through in spades. And I'm very proud of Charlie and Zakk and Phillip for stepping up… All of us [were very close back in the day]. We were intertwined. There was a close-knit family of friends — Jerry Cantrell and all those guys, ALICE IN CHAINS. We were all brothers and we all had each other's backs — even as fucked up as we got. We're fine now, I'll put it that way. But it's just such a different time and we're older men and can appreciate this more. And I feel 25 years younger, man. It's just insane."

Addressing complaints from some fans that Brown and Anselmo are going out and touring under the PANTERA name even though Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are not involved, Rex said: "I don't call it anything. I call it PANTERA. The show itself is a celebration of the lives of all four of us. Two are sadly not with us, and we cannot bring them back. God, do I want them back. But that's just not possible. So we're doing the best thing that we can to keep our music alive. And I think they're smiling down and saying, 'You guys are doing all right, man.' And they're with us. And I'm not shittin' you."

Asked what his initial thoughts were when he was first approached about relaunching PANTERA as a touring act, Rex said: "Philip and I talked for several months before. He got on the phone and said, 'Hey, man, you wanna do it? I didn't have — maybe a six-second… not a hesitation, but just to wrap my head around the full gravity of the enormity of it. I went, 'Okay, I've got a couple of questions.' And, man, ever since that call we've worked really, really hard to get this thing going. And we've jumped over a lot of mountains."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Thrash metal mavens, Nervosa, performed at Bloodstock Open Air 2024, in Walton-on-Trent, England on August 9. Professionally-filmed video of the band's entire set can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Seed of Death" 
"Death!"
"Kill the Silence" 
"Perpetual Chaos" 
"Venomous" 
"Masked Betrayer" 
"Jailbreak"
"Guided by Evil" 
"Endless Ambition"







After their set, Nervosa vocalist / guitarist Prika Amaral and drummer Gabriela Abud spoke wtih Bloodstock TV’s Oran O’Beirne about the band's latest lineup changes, new music, and Sepultura’s retirement. The complete interview can be seen below; an excerpt has been transcribed as follows:


Prika Amaral: "All the girls that played in Nervosa were good for a certain period, and then things changed, like everything in our lives... But this time for me particular it was completely different because I have to start to sing; something that I never did before. Everything came up last minute, so I had to learn very quick. It's a huge challenge, because also I had new members in the band. So, it's many things to manage. So, this was a really big challenge for me. That's why it was the difference. Like, wow! Now I felt the difference of the lineup change."





Nervosa is about to embark upon their first ever headline tour of the US and Canada, beginning August 29. On the road for nearly a month-and-a-half, the tour will visit major locations such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Brooklyn, Montreal and Chicago - including seven total stops in Canada - coming to an end in mid-October. The tour will feature support from Lich King and Hatriot. Get your tickets here.


Nervosa's Prika Amaral about the upcoming North American tour: "We're excited to be coming to North America with an awesome lineup of new wave thrash metal. We have waited so long to get back and will be bringing a very special show for you all! Don't wait, get your tickets & VIP now. It's our jailbreak!"





Tour dates:


August
31 - Iowa City, IA - Wildwood


September
1 - Lincoln, NE - Cosmic Eye
2 - Denver, CO - HQ
4 - Salt Lake City, UT - Aces High Saloon
5 - Boise, ID - The Shredder
6 - Vancouver, BC, Canada - The Rickshaw Theater
7 - Seattle, WA - El

A year after their break-out third album, 2023's Näe'bliss, which had its single "Fisher King" nominated by Calgary's YYC Music Awards for "Metal Recording of The Year", power prog storytellers Red Cain return in 2024 with their first taste of new music.


Entitled "Firestarter", this first single of 2024 is loosely based on the lore of the action role-playing game Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. The band spent a lot of their time this year playing this fantastic release. 


Elden Ring is not only a brilliant game and a visual masterpiece, but also a storytelling phenomenon that deliberately has lore gaps to let fans and players create their own stories and interpretations of the lore. This strongly resonates with Red Cain's approach as musicians, as they always write music for their fans to read in unique ways and weave into their mythology.




"Firestarter" is also a new statement for Red Cain, as they continue to embrace a modern sound and reinvent their songwriting. You will hear a lot more groove and synth backing on this one, along with the same anthemic hooks, technical riffs, and vocal layering they are known for.

With roaring drums, ancient melodies, and the timeless whisper of Norse gods, Season of Mist proudly announces the signing of DANHEIM, the groundbreaking Nordic folk project helmed by Danish producer and musician, Reidar Schæfer Olsen.

Danheim, a titan of the Nordic folk scene, melds Viking age inspiration with an authentic Nordic ambiance, delivering a sound experience steeped in dark mythology and evocative storytelling. Reidar shares his heartfelt excitement:

“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to work with Season of Mist. This partnership allows me to protect my creative work while giving me the freedom to focus entirely on making music that speaks to the spirit of my Viking heritage. Soon, you’ll be able to experience my music in new ways—through CDs, Vinyl and exclusive merchandise. I’m also excited to start working on new single releases and a new album under their banner.“

Danheim already stands as a colossus in the realm of Nordic folk with a staggering one billion streams and more than 585,000 dedicated YouTube subscribers. Known for tracks that transport listeners back to the Viking era, Danheim’s music has also been featured prominently in the hit TV series Vikings. His collaboration with Season of Mist promises new horizons, with upcoming singles and a brand-new album on the horizon, while remaining tethered to the soul of ancient Scandinavian lore.

More information:

Danheim is a Nordic folk/Viking-inspired project from the Copenhagen-based Danish producer Reidar Schæfer Olsen, a man with 10 years of experience in electronic and ambient music. He focuses on Nordic Folk and Viking-age inspired music with an authenticity or mood. His music is often composed of ideas and stories based on the darker side of the Viking period, inspired or consisting of Nordic Mythology, old Danish folklore and a vivid imagination.

Danheim hit 1 billion streams across streaming platforms in 2022. He has 585,000 subscribers on YouTube and has music featured in multiple seasons of the popular TV show Vikings.

Singer-songwriter Reidar Schæfer Olsen, (born in 1985, Brøndby, Denmark), transitioned to focus on music in the early 2000s and has been composing music almost continuously ever since, alongside doing radio shows and starting the indie label Fimbul Records.

With a passion for songwriting running through his veins from an early age, Reidar Olsen’s Viking-inspired music and dark melodies have broadened the Nordic folk genre and inspired millions of listeners around the world, bringing them back in time with a blend of his imagination and creativity.

ASINHELL, the new death metal band featuring VOLBEAT's Michael Poulsen, Marc Grewe (INSIDIOUS DISEASE, ex-MORGOTH) and Morten Toft Hansen (RAUNCHY),played the final concert of its 2024 run of shows on August 31 at the Næstved Metalfest in Næstved, Denmark. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Grewe has since taken to his social media to write: "Our show in Næstved marked the last show of the ASINHELL'Impii Hora' touring activities…

"I would like to thank my brothers Jacob, Flemming, Morten and Michael for an incredible ride throughout the last months, as well as our incredibly professional and hard-working crew, who made these last 3 months such a smooth and memorable experience…

"Only one year ago nobody would have thought that this would actually happen, as ASINHELL wasn't initially meant to be a touring band… but YOU… the fans and OSDM supporters made it actually possible…very humbled and thankful for that…I am pretty sure we'll meet again".

ASINHELL made its live debut on May 30 at Pumphuset in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Næstved Metalfest was the final show of ASINHELL's European tour in support of the band's debut album, "Impii Hora", which arrived in September 2023 via Metal Blade. The trek included festivals as well as intimate club shows.

Joining ASINHELL on the road were legendary Danish producer Jacob Hansen (ex-INVOCATOR) on bass as well as Flemming C. Lund of THE ARCANE ORDER on lead guitar, making the band's first live incarnation the same lineup that performed on "Impii Hora".

When ASINHELL's tour was first announced, Poulsen said in a statement: "It's time to bring the ASINHELL show to live (life)! Can't wait to go out and share the metal and horns with you all. See you ghouls out there very soon."

Added Grewe: "ASINHELL was never planned as a live band, but after the overwhelming reactions to our debut album, 'Impii Hora', we all had the same impulse: 'we have to bring the songs to the stage!' So here we are, and it's going to be fantastic to be sharing the stage with my good friends Michael, Morten, Jacob and Flemming. They are incredibly talented musicians, and it will be an honor for me to unfold the power of our songs full throttle in smaller clubs as well as the biggest festival stages I never dared to dream of playing… I really hope to meet a lot of you guys out there in June and enjoy a good dose of OSDM together… see ya in the pit!"

Morten Toft Hansen said: "I am excited to get out there and play the songs live. I'm sure the shows are gonna be full of fun and energy and it's gonna be great to meet some of our new fans out there."

For more than 20 years, vocalist/guitarist Poulsen has been spearheading Danish rock and roll machine VOLBEAT, releasing eight full-lengths, selling millions of albums, and filling stadiums worldwide. Before fronting VOLBEAT, however, Poulsen formed death metal band DOMINUS, which recorded four fast, brutal albums in the mid-'90s.

When Poulsen was putting together songs for VOLBEAT's 2021 album "Servant Of The Mind", he wrote a bunch of death metal riffs and saved them on his phone. Then, when he was done with the VOLBEAT record, he reopened the rusty gates to Armageddon and started putting together songs for "Impii Hora", which is a tribute to Poulsen's favorite old-school groups. The songs are rooted in crushing riffs yet injected with strong guitar hooks and shout-along refrains.

While Poulsen sings in VOLBEAT and sang for DOMINUS, he didn't want to front ASINHELL. So, in March 2022, he called his old friend, ex-MORGOTH singer Marc Grewe (also of INSIDIOUS DISEASE) and invited him to join the party.

In a recent interview with Shawn of "The Rockstar Radio Show" on 96.3 The Blaze, Poulsen stated about how the idea for ASINHELL came about: "As you probably know, you know, I started out as a death metal musician. Back in the days, I had a band called DOMINUS and we managed to release four albums on a Danish little label back in the day. So, yeah, it goes way back to where I was tape trading in 1990s. So it's been a lot of inspiration since then. So, you know, it kind of goes like 33 years back to where I started. I was very early out playing death metal — yeah, I think I started playing death metal when I was 16, 17 or something, and I started listening to extreme metal when I was about 13. So that kind of music has been there from the very beginning as a young kid. And I knew that when I ended DOMINUS, it was because the journey I was going into was a style of a lot of different styles that I couldn't combine in the death metal music. So I formed VOLBEAT where there was not so much rules about what you could do or what you could not do. So, as you can hear in the VOLBEAT music, there's a lot of different styles, but in ASINHELL, it definitely takes you back to all the stuff that I was, and still [am] listening to, as a young boy discovering extreme metal."

He continued: "For a long time, people have been asking me when I'm gonna return to death metal, and I said, 'I have no idea,' because the time that I'm using on VOLBEAT, it's a lot of time touring. We are constantly on the road and we are writing and being in the studio. So it was very difficult for me to answer a question like that. But when the pandemic came and I wrote [the] 'Servant Of The Mind' [album] for VOLBEAT, there were other riffs that came up where I said, 'Those riffs I'll put aside and keep them for another project when there was time for doing that. And that became the ASINHELL project.

"When we did 'Servant Of The Mind', we recorded a song called 'Becoming', and that was kind of a tribute to ENTOMBED and my good friend L.G. Petrov [late ENTOMBED singer]. And we all know that story, that L.G. passed away 'cause of cancer. Some days before he passed away, he was trying to call me. And the first time he called, I couldn't pick up. I was somewhere in a supermarket at the register paying for my groceries. And then later on he called me, but that was during the night, so I never pick up my phone during the night. And next thing I hear that he passed away. And so I was really bummed about that. And we kind of just then dedicated the VOLBEAT song 'Becoming' to L.G. and we put on this amazing BOSS pedal that makes this ugly, beautiful Swedish death metal sound. And I just got really inspired by that. And I told my guitar tech if he could find that pedal and then order it on the net and then I would probably start maybe working on some riffs. And the same day we talked about that, I was about to take my morning run and my iPod, just by coincidence, starts on ENTOMBED and I'm hearing L.G. screaming [singing], 'I'm full of hell.' And for me, that was a call from L.G., and I said to myself, 'This time, you're fucking picking up, Michael.' You are starting now. This is the time. And, actually, I wanted to call the band FULL OF HELL, but I quickly find out there was another band by that name. So I said, 'Okay, well, what do I do now?' So I changed it to as ASINHELL."

As for how he recruited his ASINHELL bandmates, ex-MORGOTH singer Marc Grewe (also of INSIDIOUS DISEASE) and RAUNCHY drummer Morten Toft Hansen, Poulsen said: "I was so inspired, and I live 10 minutes away from my drummer Morten, who has a daughter that's six years old, as my daughter [is], and they are hanging out together and having a good time. And Morten, now and then, he's active in his own band called RAUNCHY. They do not play live shows that much, but he still has his drums in the garage. And I kindly asked him if he wants to put some drums on a death metal project I had in mind. And he was totally up for it when I said, 'It's gonna be in the vein of DEATH, BOLT THROWER, AUTOPSY, GRAVE, ENTOMBED.' And that was totally his alley. So, he said, 'Where are we gonna rehearse?' And I said, 'Right here where we are standing.' And he said, 'In my garage?' 'Yeah, why not? Let's imagine that we're kind of 16, 17 years old again.' We didn't have money for expensive rehearsal rooms or anything that we have now. So I said, 'Let me just bring an amp and I'll turn it all to 11. No P.A. system, nothing. Just your drums. Don't mic it up. It's just an amp, and let's just do some riffing. I've got songs at home.' And it turned out that every Friday me and Morten would be jamming for two hours, and every Friday I came with a new song, and suddenly we were just looking at each other, like, 'Okay, we actually have songs for a whole album here.' And I ended up calling my good friend up, Marc Grewe, which was the former singer of legendary German [band] MORGOTH. I always thought that Marc had the best death metal voice in the scene, together with Chuck Schuldiner from DEATH. And for many years we talked about doing something together when the time was right. And I called him up and I said, 'You know what? I actually have our whole album. Are you ready?' [And he said], 'Hell yeah, I'm ready. Let's get to it.' I did some demo vocals on some of the recordings. And I asked Marc, 'How do you want me to record?' [And he said], 'Ah, just put your phone in the garage and press 'record' and then send it to me on your phone.' I said, 'Okay, it's gonna sound like a fucking mess.' [And he said], 'Yeah. That's how it should be like.' [Laughs] He said, 'That's how we did it back in the day with MORGOTH. We just put a ghetto blaster, a tape recorder in the rehearsal room and just pushed 'record' when we did rehearsal recordings.' [And I said], 'Yeah. Okay. Then that's how we're gonna do it.' So me and Morten made a lot of noise in that garage and I was putting down some demo vocals [for] Marc to get some inspiration. So I was just screaming and yelling down in my phone. And he said, 'Yeah, it's perfect. We could even release it like that.' [And I was, like], 'Yeah. Wait a minute.'"

According to Michael, two other guest musicians appear on the "Impii Hora", both of whom will be familiar to fans of VOLBEAT.

"We ended up using Jacob Hansen, our producer, as the bass player on the record, because he was there in the studio anyway. And I said, 'I'm not gonna play the bass. Let's do it different.' And so we just asked Jacob if he was into it, and he said, 'Yeah, I would love to.' So very quickly Jacob put down the bass. And I've been knowing Jacob since the INVOCATOR days, where he was active in INVOCATOR. So suddenly, having a great lineup with Marc from MORGOTH and Jacob from INVOCATOR, Morten from RAUNCHY — it was great. And then Morten said, 'Since we have this huge inspiration from DEATH, you should hear how Flemming [C. Lund], my good friend from THE ARCANE ORDER, is playing guitar. He can do those kind of DEATH solos. I knew Flemming from back in the days when I had that DOMINUS band. So I checked Flemming out and his solos in THE ARCANE ORDER, and I was blown away. And I gave Flemming a call and I asked him kindly if he was into it. And he totally understood where we were going with this, so he was very excited about it. So, yeah, he put down those solos."

Michael was equally excited to get ASINHELL's debut LP released via Metal Blade, a label which has consistently been at the forefront of the metal scene, from releasing the earliest material from METALLICA and SLAYER on the classic "Metal Massacre" compilations through to seminal releases from CANNIBAL CORPSE, GWAR, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, AMON AMARTH and many more.

"Brian Slagel from Metal Blade, he heard the songs and he was very, very, very into it, and he said, 'I would love to actually release this.' And for me, that was a dream come true," Michael said. "The legendary Brian Slagel from Metal Blade — we all know the story. So that was a dream come true. I remember being a young kid, tape trading and trying to get a record deal, but then so many years after, actually then ending up on Metal Blade with a new project called ASINHELL, that's beautiful. So I'm very excited about it and very proud of the record."

🔥Our show in Næstved marked the last show of the Asinhell „Impii Hora“ touring activities…I would like to thank my...

Posted by Marc Grewe on Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Professionally filmed video of AMON AMARTH performing the song "Twilight Of The Thunder God" on August 11 at the Bloodstock Open Air festival in Catton Park, Derbyshire, United Kingdom can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, AMON AMARTH frontman Johan Hegg was asked if he and his bandmates have commenced work on the follow-up to 2022's "The Great Heathen Army" LP. He responded: "To be honest, we've been starting to talk about a new album, but we haven't started working on it yet. So we don't really know. That's the simple answer."

He added: "I've been working on some lyrical ideas. I know the [other] guys have some musical ideas, but we haven't started putting anything together yet. So it's just really in its infancy. So there's really nothing to say."

"The Great Heathen Army" was released in August 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was recorded with acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who previously worked with the band on 2013's "Deceiver Of The Gods" and 2016's "Jomsviking" albums.

This past spring, AMON AMARTH returned to U.S. and Canadian stages on the "Metal Crushes All Tour 2024" produced by Live Nation. The 24-date journey included a raid at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver as well as arena stops in Portland, Vancouver, Quebec City, Asheville, Tampa, and Anaheim. Support was provided by special guests CANNIBAL CORPSE along with OBITUARY and FROZEN SOUL.

Hegg previously stated about "The Great Heathen Army": "Overall 'The Great Heathen Army' is one of the heavier albums we've made. There are some dark and heavy songs that are really powerful and in your face, but we obviously have some trademark melodic AMON AMARTH songs on there as well and a few surprises too. It's a really well-balanced album. It sounds great. Andy Sneap is awesome. It was great to be able to work with him again."

Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen added: "We've been away making new music and we're back with new darker, more death metal-sounding album. If 'Berserker' was our 'heavy metal' album, then 'The Great Heathen Army' is our 'death metal' album. But with that said, it's still very much contemporary AMON AMARTH, but perhaps style-wise we have gone back to our roots a little bit."

Formed in 1992, AMON AMARTH became modern metal greats the hard way. Ruthlessly dedicated to creating new music and taking it out on the road, the Swedes steadily built a formidable reputation as a ferocious live band and, as the years passed, were increasingly recognized for their recorded achievements too. Since the dawn of the millennium, AMON AMARTH has been unstoppable.

Breakthrough releases like 2006's "With Oden On Our Side" and its now-legendary follow-up, 2008's "Twilight Of The Thunder God" further cemented their popularity throughout the metal world, while the band's stage show evolved with each successive tour, transforming into one of modern metal's truly great spectacles. 2019's "Berserker" brought with it an epic, history-making trek across North America with fellow Swedes ARCH ENEMY, AT THE GATES and GRAND MAGUS and saw multiple sell-outs.

Ballantine’s, the world’s second most popular Scotch whisky*, has revealed new additions to its True Music Icons collection, this year paying tribute to two of the most influential musicians of all time: Elton John and John Lennon.


The iconic artists, renowned for their unparalleled contributions to global music culture, inspired the collectable design for the iconic Ballantine’s Finest bottles, which will be available across the globe from this month.


This second release in the True Music Icons series follows the success of the inaugural collection last year, which paid homage to rock and roll legends AC/DC and Queen. This second edition comes hot on the heels of Ballantine’s celebrating a decade of its True Music platform, building on its rich heritage in music culture by celebrating artists who forge their own path, stay true to who they are, and do things their own way. 




The new duo of limited-edition bottle designs has been perfectly crafted to capture the essence of the legendary musicians. Whilst one honours Elton John as one of the most iconic solo artists in history, known for his chart-topping hits, exceptional songwriting, and significant influence on popular culture, the other equally stunning bottle celebrates John Lennon, a writer and musician who changed history with his music. Both with The Beatles and as a hugely innovative solo artist, he challenged what rock music could be by constantly exploring and reinventing musical genres, while introducing the idea that music could be a vehicle for social and political change.      


The editions also celebrate the friendship between Elton John and John Lennon, which culminated in John Lennon’s single release of ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’, featuring Elton John, and their legendary performance together at Madison Square Garden exactly 50 years ago, in 1974.


Each bottle showcases the unique personalities of these two music legends and is a testament to Ballantine’s ongoing commitment to championing global music culture, offering whisky lovers and music fans alike collectable products and unforgettable experiences. The True Music Icons John Lennon Edition bottle design incorporates Lennon’s official logo, famous self-portrait sketch and iconography, reflecting his multifaceted artistic legacy, whereas the Elton John Edition is inspired by his legendary live performance at Dodger Stadium in 1975, with the design featuring a holographic version of his ‘E’ star logo mirroring the artwork on his Diamonds Greatest Hits collection.


Paul-Andre Vacheron, Global Marketing Director for Ballantine’s at Chivas Brothers, commented: “Ballantine's has a rich heritage

Poland's experimental black metal five-piece, Thaw, reveals details of its new studio album and follow-up to Grain" from 2017. Titled Fading Backwards, the album is set for release on October 25 via Agonia Records and will be accompanied by a tour of Poland. The song "The Great Devourer" serves as the album's lead single, available for streaming below.


Thaw is thrilled to announce the release of their new album, marking their long-awaited return after years of hiatus. The album, featuring six tracks, is the quintessence of the band's musical identity,  showcasing their unique sound in a new light.


The musical layer on Thaw's new album truly captures the essence of the band, combining vibrant  sounds with heavy, low-tuned guitars. These powerful sounds are further enriched with noisy electronics, adding depth and character to each track.




Most of the music were recorded live, giving the tracks a rawness and authenticity, and then carefully overdubbed to achieve the optimal sound. However, it is not just the instruments that define this album. The approach to the vocal parts is completely new.


The entire album was recorded at the renowned Monochrom Studio (Behemoth, Entropia), where Thaw could fully exploit their artistic potential, creating sounds that are both powerful and full of subtle nuances.


Thaw, known for their relentless pursuit of new forms of expression, proves with this album that their musical journey is far from over. The new record is not only a return to their roots but also a step forward, showing that the band still has a lot to offer.


"We are happy and excited that the new Thaw album will finally see the light of day," comments Thaw. "We know that  the process of writing and recording this latest album took a significant amount of time. However, we are satisfied with the final result and are eager to see the world's reaction to what will soon be presented to all of you."


Fading Backwards was mixed and mastered by Haldor Grunberg and Krzysztof Kurek at Satanic Audio (Pestilence, Azarath, Behemoth). The cover artwork was designed by Artur Masternak.





Formats:


- Digipak CD
- Color in color LP
- Marble LP
- MC
- Digital


Clothing:
- T-shirt


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Great Devourer"
"A Place Where Repetition Dwells"
"Wartenberg Wheel"
"In The Laughter and the Stride"
"Dissociate Me/Spreader Bar"
"Moral Justification Of Selfish

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet was asked if he went to see METALLICA when the legendary metal outfit performed in his home state of Massachusetts recently. Michael responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I didn't, man. And I'll be honest. I'll tell you. I've gone on record to say this. I respect METALLICA. I get why everyone else loves METALLICA. And they've obviously — they're legendary. I've never been a big METALLICA fan. I don't listen to METALLICA. It'd be hard for me to name one song. Maybe I could name one or two songs. I'm just not a big METALLICA fan. I don't get excited about that style of metal. I get excited about [JUDAS] PRIEST style of metal, [IRON] MAIDEN style of metal. Even PANTERA, which, obviously, you hear a lot of METALLICA's influence on PANTERA. But I get excited about that. We played with PANTERA in Mexico and there's an energy, man, that's just indescribable. And we played with METALLICA before, too, back in the day, when Dave [Mustaine] was still in the band. So I know about METALLICA, and it's not like I'm not educated. And I've heard them. I've seen them. Of course. But I don't know. There's just something about METALLICA that just doesn't do it for me personally. But hey, man, God bless 'em. Amazing, legendary band who has proven to be a force."

STRYPER's new album, "When We Were Kings", is due on September 13 via Frontiers Music Srl.

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour will begin this fall. The dates kick off September 11 in Greenville, Tennessee and conclude November 16 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour will be a celebration of both classic hits and new-era fan favorites, including outfit changes and an exciting new show production. In most cities, this will be a two-set "evening with"-style show.

Formed 41 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

STRYPER's "To Hell With The Amps: The Unplugged Tour" kicked off in late May. For the first time ever, the Christian rockers staged a full tour where they performed their hits and fan favorites acoustically.

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A post shared by Michael Sweet (@michaelsweetstryper)

In the shadows where the ancient and the arcane coalesce, GRAVENOIRE rises, shrouded in mist and whispers of forgotten rites.

The band is an assembly of black metal luminaries: RMS Hreidmarr (Anorexia Nervosa, Bâ’a), Maximillien Brigliadori and Emmanuel Zuccaro (Bâ’a) and Vicomte Vampyr Arkames (Ad Inferna, ex-Seth). Their debut album, Devant La Porte Des Étoiles is an unflinching homage to raw and visceral ’90s black metal.

Devant La Porte Des Étoilescomes out today, August 23, and you can listen to all six mystical songs by listening to the full album stream on Black Metal Promotions YouTube channel.


Order your journey into the shadows here: https://orcd.co/gravenoiredevantlaportedesetoiles

Formed in 2022, Gravenoire channels an uncompromising vision, meticulously crafted in the crucible of live rehearsals, devoid of digital taint. From the incantation of the instrumental Pavens to the desolate hymn Granit, every track serves as a ritualistic tome, scrawled with rebellion, mysticism, and an insatiable desire for transcendence.

Tracklist:1. Pavens (1:27)
2. France de l’Ombre (5:53) [WATCH]
3. Ordo Opera Cultura (4:03) [LISTEN]
4. Aux Chiens (4:18)
5. Granit (5:21)
6. Gravenoire (4:11)
Total runtime: 25:16


Cover Art: Aude Sine
GRAVENOIRE was formed in early 2022 by Maximilien Brigliadori (BÂ’A, Diablation, former Hyrgal), Emmanuel Zuccaro (BÂ’A, Verfallen, former Hyrgal), Vicomte Vampyr Arkames (Diablation (former Seth / Ad-Inferna) and RMS Hreidmarr (Glaciation, BÂ’A, former Anorexia Nervosa / The CNK), with the clear intention of reconnecting with their past and a somewhat uncompromising vision of 90s Black Metal.

The band’s first album, “Devant La Porte Des Étoiles“, was recorded live on rehearsal, with no tracking, no triggers, no click track, no artifice. No compromise with reality, for it is through it and by it that we foresee other dimensions.

GRAVENOIRE is not, however, merely nostalgic or backward-looking; it’s a project deeply rooted in its native lands, in their popular as well as spiritual and mystical traditions, drawing its essence from sacred places, cosmic architecture and primordial telluric forces. “The cosmos is a revolving door”.

Line-up:
Maximilien Brigliadori – Guitars, Bass Guitar
Emmanuel Zuccaro – Drums, Keys
Vicomte Vampyr Arkames – Vocals
RMS Hreidmarr – Vocals

Recording Studio:
Gravenoire Rehearsal Room, Location Unknown

Production Credits:
Produced & Engineered by Gravenoire
Mixed & Mastered by Arnaud Ménard at Sicarius Productions