Lzzy Hale has shared a cover of LINKIN PARK's "Crawling". The 40-year-old HALESTORM frontwoman posted a video of her piano-led rendition on Instagram on Wednesday (August 28),the same day that LINKIN PARK's mysterious 100-hour countdown came to an end.

Although Lzzy did not include any information about the timing of her post, she liked several comments that speculated that she might be involved in some capacity in LINKIN PARK's rumored reunion.

LINKIN PARK launched the 100-hour countdown timer on its web site and official social media accounts on Saturday, August 24. The same countdown timer was shared by the Instagram account of Welcome To Rockville, fueling speculation that some of the band's surviving members will perform at next year's edition of the Danny Wimmer Presents-produced festival, set to take place May 15-18, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

LINKIN PARK has since announced that it will hold a special event on Thursday, September 5, and members of the band's official fan club, Linkin Park Underground (commonly referred to as the LPU),have reportedly been e-mailed about the same event, which will take place in Los Angeles. The event is only open to LPU members, with tickets being randomly assigned. It will reportedly take place between 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. local time.

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.".

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SAXON frontman Biff Byford has undergone a "procedure" to treat atrial flutter, a type of heart rhythm abnormality, or arrhythmia, that causes the heart's upper chambers (atria) to beat too quickly. The operation was performed by Dr. Jane Caldwell, a consultant cardiologist at Spire Hull And East Riding Hospital, a private hospital in Hull, East Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Earlier today (Friday, August 30),Biff took to his social media to write: "Hi. Big thanks to spire hull hospital and doctor Jane Caldwell and her team I just had a procedure done to stop arterial flutter of my heart I feel a bit like a train hit me but home now and resting".

Back in December 2021, Biff told Full In Bloom in an interview that he had made modest dietary changes in the two years after he suffered a heart attack and underwent an emergency triple bypass surgery. "A little bit," he said. "I don't eat dairy anymore. I suppose I'll eat an occasional piece of cheese, but I don't eat dairy anymore because of the cholesterol level thing. But pretty much [everything] else, I haven't really changed. We'll have a veggie week some weeks where my wife will just put vegetarian food all week, which is a bit of a change, really, and it gets rid of toxic things in your body. But I haven't really changed that much, to tell you the truth."

The now-73-year-old singer went on to say that he has added 16:8 intermittent fasting to his lifestyle, a type of dieting where people fast during a portion of the week and then eat on the other days. The 16:8 type of intermittent fasting involves eating only during a specific right-hour period each day.

"I will do that," Biff said. "I mean, I did do that today, actually. I didn't have lunch until 2 o'clock and I'll eat dinner at 7:30 and then I try not to have anything else until the next day. So most of your fasting is done while you're asleep; that's how it's supposed to work. What you try and do is eat all your meals in the eight hours. Don't go stupid. And then if you go to bed at, say, 11 o'clock and get up at eight or seven, then you had nearly eight hours in bed. A lot of people do it. It's quite positive. I think it's a bit easier than some diets.

"If you don't eat until the morning until quite late, you definitely feel a hit of energy," he explained. "And you're also quite hungry, so you appreciate the food [that you are eating]. Keeping to it is difficult sometimes, obviously. You want a glass of wine or you want a beer or something; you're always being tempted with these things."

According to Biff, he still drinks alcohol occasionally. "Oh, yeah," he said. "A couple of glasses of wine some nights, it's no problem. As long as you're not drinking two bottles of wine, it's fine."

More than four years ago, Byford described his heart attack to Planet Rock, saying "it wasn't like a Hollywood heart attack, [where] you drop on the floor with your legs up in the air. I was biking, I was on my bike — I do a lot of biking and walking. And I was getting a bit breathless. And I went to the doctor. They sent me in to the hospital straight away. One of my arteries was getting blocked. They couldn't get to it easily; it was risky. So they gave me a heart bypass. And so while they were in there, they did all three… So, yeah, they did all three. And then I came to, and that was it. I was really ill."

A heart bypass surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, is used to improve blood flow to the heart. A surgeon uses blood vessels taken from another area of the body to bypass the damaged arteries.

The term triple bypass refers to the number of coronary arteries bypassed in the procedure. In other words, a triple bypass means three coronary arteries are bypassed.

Hi
Big thanks to spire hull hospital and doctor Jane Caldwell and her team I just had a procedure done to stop arterial flutter of my heart I feel a bit like a train hit me but home now
And resting

Bx

Posted by The Real Biff Byford on Friday, August 30, 2024

U.S. metal legends NASTY SAVAGE have premiered "Brain Washer", the first single from their upcoming album, "Jeopardy Room", coming on October 10, 2024 via FHM Records. Check it out below.

NASTY SAVAGE rose to popularity in the mid-1980s primarily due to vocalist "Nasty" Ronnie Galletti's over-the-top stage performances (in early shows Ronnie would smash television sets over his head). After landing a deal with Metal Blade Records, the band released three full-length albums and an EP between 1985 and 1989. NASTY SAVAGE split up a short time later and played some reunion shows in the late 1990s.

NASTY SAVAGE's "comeback" album, "Psycho Psycho", was released in Europe in March 2004 through Metal Blade Records. The CD contained 12 songs in total, including a new version of the demo classic "Savage Desire". The group played occasional live shows before disbanding for the second time in 2012. They once again reformed in January 2016 and have been active ever since.

"Jeopardy Room" was recorded in the legendary Morrisound Recording Studio in Tampa, Florida and was produced by Jim Morris who also worked with bands like SAVATAGE and CRIMSON GLORY in the past. It features special guests on the track "Witches Sabbath": Donald Tardy (drums) and John Tardy (vocals) of OBITUARY.

Track listing:

01. Invocations
02. Jeopardy Room
03. Brain Washer
04. Southern Fried Homicide
05. Witches Sabbath
06. Schizoid Platform
07. Aztec Elegance
08. Operation Annihilate
09. Blood Syndicate
10. The 6th Finger
11. Sainted Devil

Recording lineup:

"Nasty" Ron Galletti - Vocals
Jim Coker - Drums
Dave Orman - Guitars
Pete Sykes - Guitars
Kyle Sokol - Bass

In February 2017, NASTY SAVAGE's self-titled debut album as well as its follow-up effort, "Indulgence", were reissued. Both albums were made available on vinyl as well as on digi-CDs. The "Indulgence" CD featured the four songs of the "Abstract Reality" mini-album as a bonus.

Italian power metal band, Draconicon, proudly presents their new single, "La Caduta", a hauntingly beautiful power metal ballad that showcases the band's mastery of soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics.





Vocalist Arkanfel delivers a powerful performance, bringing emotional depth to the song's poignant lyrics. The fact that the lyrics are in Italian brings another dimension to the song as well.

Ephialtes’ debut album, Melas Oneiros - out November 1st via Black Lion Records - is aggressive, anthem-laden melodic blackened death metal with a traditional heavy metal feel to it. A peculiar, explosive blend that the band itself decided to call heavy metal of death.


The name of the band derives from the ancient Greek word "ephiáltēs", meaning "nightmare", which in turn derives from the "ephàllomai", composed of two elements: "epí" (upon, on) plus “állomai” (assault, climb, uphill, jumping, jump) because, in reference to a popular belief, the nightmares were nicknamed "one who climbed over the body of the dormant."


The history of Ephialtes started over the course of the global pandemic. During that period the band's driving force Przemysław Tomasz Olbryt, alias Quazarre, had been hard at work on what would later turn out to be their debut album, Melas Oneiros.




Check out the debut single, "Homo Deus", below.


The band states: "'Homo Deus' indirectly references a story akin the one we saw im Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - a creature created from body parts coming from numerous corpses, sewn back together and artificialy brought to life. Frankenstein's monster was powerful being, and while being physically repulsive, he possessed remarkable sensibillity, intelligence and depth. He wanted to be loved and live with humans in peace, but he was cast out as a freak, an outsider. Here we have a story not only about well know human desire to be as powerful as God himself and create anything on his image but also - or first and foremost - a warning tale about lack of acceptance for otherness, about reasons that drive societies all over the world to reject anything 'different' and ostracize such units. No wonder that in the end, the creature unleashes his vengeful rampage on mankind. After all, isn't it what we deserve?"

In a new 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 (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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.

LIFE OF AGONY has released a new song, "The Crow (In Memory Of B.L.)" . The track's accompanying music video, which was directed by Derek Soto/Sinestra Studios, with motion graphics by The Dor Brothers, can be seen below.

LIFE OF AGONY has a long history of paying homage to the films that helped shape their teenage years. Back in 1995, the band covered SIMPLE MINDS' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" on the group's "Ugly" album; the song was made famous by the movie "The Breakfast Club". In 1997, on their album "Soul Searching Sun", a music video for the song "Desire" incorporated visuals reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining". That tradition continues with "The Crow (In Memory Of B.L.)", which pays tribute to the fallen star Brandon Lee, who tragically lost his life during the filming of the cult classic "The Crow", released 30 years ago.

"The Crow (In Memory Of B.L.)" was recorded in New York City at the legendary Sear Sound studio, best known for hit albums by David Bowie and John Lennon, as well as at The Nest Studio in Long Island, New York. The song was recorded, produced, and mixed by LIFE OF AGONY guitarist Joey "Z" Zampella (who also co-produced the group's last album "The Sound Of Scars"). The song was mastered by Grammy Award winner Howie Weinberg (NIRVANA, SMASHING PUMPKINS, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS).

With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of Brandon Lee's "The Crow" film, and all of the controversy surrounding the new Bill Skarsgård remake, LIFE OF AGONY felt inspired to go back and give respect to the '94 film that made such a huge impact on them during their early years.

"There's something very special about the original 'Crow' that made it timeless, and there's a reason that it resonated with us as kids," explained LIFE OF AGONY bassist Alan Robert. "It was an absolute tragedy… Brandon Lee was killed the year we did our first album 'River Runs Red', and by the time 'The Crow' came out in '94, he was already a legend. Brandon completely embodied the role, made it iconic, and lost his life in the process. It was just so incredibly sad and affected us deeply. He was such a charismatic character and in the very beginning stages of his career. Director Alex Proyas captured lightning in a bottle."

Photo credit: Marissa Ann/Scryer

Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time performing the Aerosnmith classic, "Dream On".


The song is taken from Aerosmith's selt-titled album, released in 1973.







Majestica are back with their first new music of 2024. The Swedish power metal quartet proudly presents their latest single, "A New Beginning", which is the band's first release since 2021. Therefore, the song name not only fits in relation to this, but also speaks about a new beginning and letting things come to an end. Paired with musical elements reminiscent of the 80s, Majestica unleashes a new catchy tune upon their fans that puts the band back on the radar.

Cult Swedish progressive rockers, Beardfish, began playing their first live shows together this year since breaking up in 2016, and now they are very pleased to announce the release of a brand new studio album, titled Songs For Beating Hearts, on November 1.


Coinciding with this announcement is the launch of a brand new single, "In The Autumn", a piece of music that some may recognize from their recent live dates. This song is a duet between Rikard Sjöblom & guest vocalist Amanda Örtenhag. Watch the video below.


“I think the reunion became an idea in 2021, a few years ago,” explains Rikard Sjöblom. “We started talking about doing something. People had made amends, and I guess everyone started missing being in a band together, and missing each other! We all kept in touch, and things ended up on the right foot in many aspects, and then we started talking about maybe meeting up and trying to play something. I had a couple of new songs written, and they really sounded like Beardfish, and I had some instrumental doodles that I was working on. So we met up and tried to play. The first thing we played was Without Saying Anything from Mammoth, and we started jamming and it felt like home, even after many years. I felt like, ‘These are my brothers!’




With strong echoes of past glories but a whole new vibe of wistful wonderment, Songs For Beating Hearts is a glowing testament to the magic that happens when these four musicians join forces. From the dreamy melancholy of the opening "Ecotone" and the intricate opulence of five-part sprawl "Out In The Open", to the prog-friendly pastoralism of bittersweet 11-minute epic "Beating Hearts", and the sobering prog-noir of the closing "Torrential Downpour", Beardfish have not just made their strongest work to date, but also their most emotionally resonant.


Loosely held together by thoughts of love, loss, friendship and finality, Songs For Beating Hearts is the sound of four kindred spirits laying their hearts bare.


Songs For Beating Hearts will be available as a Limited CD Digipak (including one bonus track), Gatefold LP and as Digital Album, all featuring artwork from longtime collaborator Spencer Keala Bowden. Pre-order

One of Melbourne's most intriguing progressive metal bands, Teramaze, have released a visualizer for "Her Halo" (Acoustic Version), featured on their upcoming release, Teracoustic Sessions / Volume 1. Watch the clip below.





Announcing Teracoustic Sessions / Volume 1, the band stated: "Introducing Teracoustic Sessions Volume 1, the brand-new acoustic album from Teramaze that promises a fresh and intimate listening experience. In this special release, Dean and Nathan have carefully selected nine standout tracks from our extensive catalogue and reimagined them in their purest form. Stripped down to just acoustic guitar and vocals, this collection offers a raw and unembellished take on our music—no frills, no effects, just the essence of Teramaze.




"The result is a collection that’s not only a testament to the strength of our songwriting but also something you can enjoy with family and friends who may not be familiar with our usual sound. We're thrilled with how these tracks have come together, and we believe you will be too. Teracoustic Sessions Volume 1 invites you to experience Teramaze like never before, in an intimate and personal way that highlights the beauty and emotion of our music."


Due for release on September 27, you can pre-order Teracoustic Sessions / Volume 1 here.

Innovative French heavy metal project Mystyc Blade is thrilled to announce its signing with Wormholedeath. This exciting partnership paves the way for the release of the highly anticipated album, “The Master Is Inside,” set to drop on October 18th, 2024.

“I am excited to announce that Mystyc Blade has signed with Wormholedeath This partnership marks a significant milestone in my musical journey, and I am eager to share my vision and passion for innovative heavy metal with a broader audience. Working with Wormholedeath will allow me to bring my music to new heights, and I am thrilled about the opportunities ahead.”

A Masterpiece Forged in Fire: The Making of “The Master Is Inside”

The development of ‘The Master Is Inside’ was a meticulous and intense process. From the initial concept to the final production, every aspect of the music was carefully managed. The songwriting and composition phases aimed to blend power and finesse, creating tracks that lead the forefront of innovative heavy metal. Every note was carefully thought out, ensuring that the final album is both cohesive and impactful.

Beyond the Shred: Experimentation Breeds Innovation

Experimentation played an important role in shaping the album’s sound. A bottleneck guitar was used, synths were incorporated for atmospheric depth, and choirs were added to give the songs an epic feel. Unconventional sounds like wind, trains, spaceships, and cannons, and other surprises were included to create vivid imagery and enhance the storytelling. Each detail was chosen with care to make the music rich and immersive.

“The Master Is Inside” delves deep, exploring themes of self-discovery and societal critique through powerful storytelling. Danjon’s introspective lyrics resonate with raw honesty, urging listeners to confront their inner demons and the complexities of the world around them.

Mystyc Blade: A One-Man Metal Machine

Christophe Danjon is the creative force behind Mystyc Blade. A self-taught musician, Christophe developed his distinctive style early on, focusing on instrumental music. His pursuit of excellence led him to the Music Academy International (MAI) in Nancy, where he honed his skills further. After graduating, Christophe seized notable opportunities, including opening for Angra and Calvin Russell.

As a guitar and vocal instructor, Christophe shared his expertise while perfecting his craft and composing two orchestral pieces, showcasing his versatility. Taking full control of his career, he composes all the music for Mystyc Blade, blending power and finesse to create ambitious and memorable compositions. His music delves into emotional and psychological depths, enriching his powerful performances.


01 Don’t Forget to Live
02 Feel Invincible
03 Stay Away… Last Warning
04 Pyramids and Mystery
05 My Shield
06 Lies
07 Later Is Too Late
08 Song of Butterflies
09 Turn the Page
10 Forever Alone
11 The Master Is Inside

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives, former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi explained why the songs he recorded back in 2016 with MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars — apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage" — are not included on Mick's recently released debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars". Corabi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "To be honest with you, that all came about because Mick… And I don't get the [trademark] laws or whatever. But Mick started a — I think he's got his own record label. It's called 1313 Records or whatever, and he trademarked it. And when you trademark something, you can trademark it, but you have to do business as within a certain amount of time. He had written those songs prior. Except — I think there's a song called 'Shake The Cage'. I did write some lyrics for that. But Mick just said to me, 'Hey, Crab, I did these two songs. Not really crazy about the way they came out. I re-recorded them. Would you sing 'em? I wanna put 'em out,' or just snippets of them so that it kind of locked his trademark in. And I go, 'Yeah, dude. Whatever.' Well, it's funny. He did a video, or his wife actually filmed us, took some photos and they put 'em out there, and everybody went batshit crazy thinking Mick and I were working together. Now we have talked about doing some writing and recording, but my schedule with THE [DEAD] DAISIES, his schedule with MÖTLEY at the time, we couldn't put two and two together. So he put those songs out and then he went about his business and started writing with Paul Taylor and Jacob Bunton and just all these great cats. And I love the new stuff that he did. I'm just happy that his fucking record finally came out."

Corabi went on to say that he still holds out hope that he could work with Mars on a new project. "I told Mick, I said, 'Dude, if you ever wanna write, man, fucking count me in,'" he said. "I've been trying to talk him into doing something a little left of what he did, which is… Anybody that knows Mick Mars knows that he's a blues guy. He grew up on Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Leslie West, Jimmy Page, all this cool shit. So I was trying to get him to just, 'Let's sit down and write a record of riffs, like, for example, 'Never In My Life' by MOUNTAIN.' I go, 'Dude, your tone, those kind of riffs, and I'll sing on it and we'll just do a really heavy blues record.' And he seemed like he was into it. But who knows? We'll see [if we get] to it. I'm just happy that Mick put his record out. I'm sorry he's going through all this shit with the band. But hopefully they'll figure it all out."

Last October, Mars was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" why the songs he recorded with Corabi eight years ago were not included on "The Other Side Of Mars". Mick said: "I felt the songs were just a little — not strong enough. And there is a certain person that kind of interfered with that. And I'm not gonna say his name, but he kind of like messed some things up. The songs were wrong, parts in there that shouldn't be there and blah blah blah. It isn't a long story, but it was kind of like, 'That ain't gonna fly.' So I shelved it."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk to clarify that it was a third party who was involved in the project — not Corabi — who "kind of mucked it up," Mick said: "[I was] kind of duped — that's all I have to say — by a third party. And that's it. That's all. I got rid of him and went on and searched for other people. I mean, look, I found [producer] Michael Wagener after a while. He lives just down the street."

Back in 2016, Mars released snippets of the aforementioned two solo songs. The tracks, which were recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, where Mars has lived for more than a decade, featured Corabi, who appeared on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album. Corabi later said that he didn't contribute to the writing process for the two songs, but that he was open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material.

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars", which arrived in February 2024 via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Bunton had previously collaborated with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

In a new interview with Ken Vantour of Let's Rock, former WHITESNAKE/DIO and current THE DEAD DAISIES guitarist Doug Aldrich 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 try to do something equally jaw-dropping. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, it doesn't make me work harder, but it makes me proud of being a guitar player. Thanks to Nuno [Bettencourt, EXTREME guitarist] for doing that.

"THE DEAD DAISIES is a different kind of band," Doug continued. "Everybody knows my playing. I have certain things that I do well. I have certain things that I lean on a lot, and I can play technically. But THE DEAD DAISIES, especially with this album [the upcoming 'Light 'Em Up'], it was more about the melodies and the vibe. There really wasn't a need for trying to go in that sort of direction. But I'm proud of Nuno for doing that.

"Nuno is a brilliant guitar player — always has been," Aldrich added. "I've known Nuno. We're not close or anything, but I know Nuno, and he's always super nice. He's pretty shy. I used to be close with Pat Badger, the [EXTREME] bass player, and he introduced me to Nuno back in 1990. And me and Pat had some girls that we were dating; those girls were friends. That's how we met. And then cut to… I met Nuno back then and then I'd see him just once in a while, every few years. I didn't see him for 10 years, maybe. But last year we did some shows with EXTREME, and they sounded amazing. We did a festival with them in Germany the last time, and their dressing room was right next to ours. And I didn't mean any harm by it. I just said, 'Hey, is Pat in there?' Somebody goes, 'Yeah, he's in. Just go in.' And I walk in, and Nuno goes, 'Hey, Doug. Just let yourself in. No problem.' And I'm, like, 'Hey, bro. What's up?' He was joking, but he's just that kind of guy. He's just joking in a dry way.

"I think that solo was mind-blowing what he did on it. It was really cool. It was classic Nuno.

"But, yeah, with THE DEAD DAISIES we are doing something a little different. It's not based as much around the solo as it is about the vibe of the song and the groove. That's definitely this album."

"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.

"Light 'Em Up" will be released on September 6 via Germany's SPV and Japan's Ward Records. The LP was produced by helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others, in Nashville.

THE DEAD DAISIES recently lit up the US on the first leg of the "Light 'Em Up" tour to rave reviews from both fans and media alike.

In a new interview with Metal Express Radio 's Bryce Van Patten, guitarist Andy Scott of the legendary rock band SWEET was asked about the existence of another touring and recording act called THE SWEET which contains no members from the original SWEET lineup. Andy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Steve [Priest, late SWEET bassist] was an original member. Brian [Connolly, late SWEET singer] was an original member… Well, it's not something I would've liked, but when Mick [Tucker, original SWEET drummer] and I were together from the mid-'80s — '84, '85 — if Brian could have still sung, which being the singer that he was, we would've had him back in the band. But he couldn't sing. And that's what a singer needs to do. And to be frank, you just didn't know what you were gonna get. Every time I met Brian in the '80s and the '90s, he looked different and he didn't look well. And it's a difficult thing. If he'd have looked like that and was still able to sing, it would've been different because everybody ages. But you can't go back into a situation made you move away from that in the first stage. Steve did not want to rejoin Mick and I, I found out later. He turned around to me and he said, 'I hated it by the end. So why would you think I would want to come back in and do it all again?' And I went, 'Well, I thought you were doing nothing, mate.' That would have been a good enough starting point. Come back and be with your mates. But he didn't. So we had Brian, Brian on his own going to Germany to do these oldie shows, as they were called. We had 10 lead singers and had one backing band and they'd all go up and do two or three of their hits and it was like a show for oldies. And then he found a band that would back him properly, and he was going on tour with Les Gray from MUD. But Les Graywas MUD, but Brian wasn't SWEET. So he had to go on as THE NEW SWEET, and all of a sudden I'm thinking, 'Oh, we're going down this road, are we?'"

Andy continued: "In the '90s, when [Brian] was really unwell, he said, 'I don't wanna be doing this anymore.' He said, 'I'd rather just get rid of them.' I said, 'Well, it's your band. Get rid of them.' And then I suggested to him, 'If you do that, why don't we try and work something out whereby you come and do some gigs with my band. And as a bit of a surprise — it won't be a surprise after we've done it a couple of times — you come on stage for the last half an hour and you knock the audience out.' I said, 'You don't have to be the main singer, but as long as you're doing some of it, they would love it.' And I'm afraid while we were doing this, he fell really ill and died. His latest musicians that were with him went off when he was really ill and couldn't do any gigs, they were off doing gigs that were being booked. And I remember saying, 'We have to stop that.' And luckily his family dived in and they did manage to stop that. But it's a very similar thing that's happening with Steve's band. Now, Steve came back on the road, which really surprised me, in 2010, I think it was. And we only found out because somebody from the gig that he was gonna do contacted my agent in London and said, 'We need a few more details.' And he phoned me up and he said, 'You'll never believe this, but I've had a contract through from a band called SWEET doing a gig in America.' And at the end of it, that was Steve's guitar player. He'd written his name in. And so I phoned Steve and Steve said, 'Well, yeah, we are doing a gig.' And I said, 'Well, they've sent the contract to us.' And it all went a bit quiet. And I said, 'Look, if you were trying to do it on the quiet, you'll never do it because the music business isn't like that. Somebody hears something, they'll tell somebody else.' I said, 'And I'm surprised that you didn't call me so that if you wanted to do some gigs, come and do 'em with me.' Anyway, it carried on. And I now realize that there was something else going on because it's his ex-wife or his wife, should we say — I'm not sure whether their relationship was secure while he was alive, how good it was — but she's given the rights or the okay for this backing band to carry on as THE SWEET. It's a business thing. I've even heard that the drummer talks interviews as if he was the drummer on 'The Ballroom Blitz'. So, it's a Walter Mitty thing going on," he said, referencing a fictional character in James Thurber's first short story "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty".

Elaborating on how he feels about THE SWEET — consisting of singer Patrick Alan Stone, guitarist Jimmy Burkard, bassist Stevie Stewart, keyboardist Dave Schulz and drummer Richie Onori — going out and actively touring and recording in 2024, Andy said: "If they need money, and I can't see why they would need money because they've earned as much as I have from all the recordings and everything, if that's the reason for them to still do it, I'm not sure whether it is, because I can't see that band earning the kind of money that they would need to be earning. They're not on these big tours of casinos and stuff like that. They're kind of scrabbling about. And why would anybody wanna book a band called SWEET that has nothing that ties them to the original band?"

The Scott-led version of SWEET will release its new studio album, "Full Circle", on September 20, 2024 via Metalville Records. According to a press release, the LP will be SWEET's final studio album ever.

Andy Scott (guitars/vocals) is joined in his version of SWEET by Paul Manzi (lead vocals),Lee Small (bass guitar/vocals),Tom Cory (guitars/keys/vocals) and Adam Booth (drums/percussion).

Before he died, Priest had the right to use the SWEET name in the U.S. and Canada, whereas Scott toured a version of the group in the U.K. The pair were estranged for decades, but resumed contact in the 2010s.

In a new interview with Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz, MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren was asked if he has any "routines and stretches and wellness things" that he has to do to prepare for a tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "These days, yes, I do. I do a lot of stretching and yoga, and not every day, but almost every day I do some fitness, some workouts. It's mostly just so that I'm gonna be in shape for the show and that I can give it my all without hurting myself or without getting too exhausted. That being said, the beginning of a tour is always gonna be a little bit brutal because you always need that first week to kind of acclimatize and get used to playing the whole show again, get used to playing 90 minutes of pretty much uninterrupted metal at a hundred percent. So it's always a little bit of adapting, but once you're kind of in the water, it starts getting easier over time. Like now, we're three weeks in, my body's used to it now, so now it's just about keeping it up. But, of course, when I was younger, I was, like everybody on tour, partying, drinking. Nowadays I haven't been drinking for almost 20 years now. I live pretty clean, just because I feel better that way — my body feels better, my mind feels better. I can be present every day and just give every show the best I can."

When host Darren Paltrowitz noted that "the happiest clean-living people play the angriest music", Dirk said: "I think the thing with metal music, the anger or the aggressiveness of it, it resonated with me as a teenager, because we all go through that kind of angsty phase, figuring out the world. So it really resonated with me. And not only metal, also rap and hip-hop and electronic music. There's all kinds of different things I listened to that kind of got me through that phase of kind of figuring things out. But I think that ultimately it sticks with you for the love of the music because of the musicianship and just the sheer power and energy of it. So I don't see it so much as necessarily aggression in the sense of it's aggressive towards anyone. It's more like we're expressing this energy that's in all of us because in the end, we're all the same."

MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!", sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album. Of "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!"'s 48,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprised 45,000, SEA units comprised 3,000 and TEA units comprised a negligible sum.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH recently launched the North American "Destroy All Enemies" tour, produced by Live Nation. Support on the 33-city trek, which includes stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston and St. Louis, is coming from MUDVAYNE and ALL THAT REMAINS. The tour will run throughout the month before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28.

Photo credit: Gornoss (courtesy of Season Of Mist)

OHRENFEINDT are set to release the new studio studio album “Wenn Der Teufel Anruft” on October 18th on Metalville Records.

They are now almost 30 years old. While most people at this age are thinking about starting a family, a career and building a house, OHRENFEINDT from St. Paul, Hamburg are making a new album and celebrating a round album anniversary at the same time: studio album no. 10 was created at the Hertzwerk @ Chefrockstudios in Hamburg under the trusted wing of Olman Viper and goes by the friendly name of “Wenn der Teufel anruft”.

Hardly any other band in Germany has been on the road for so many years with such a high number of hits. Nevertheless, the three from the Rockstelle have by no means had enough.

OHRENFEINDT are proud of their wrinkles and have not missed a single day in 30 years. With the rock’n’roll patina of an old V8 Ami sled, they continue on their way unimpressed. In 2022, their live album “Krawallgeigensymphonie” entered the Media Control album charts at number 26. An extraordinary success for the Kiezrockers: rarely has a band achieved a top chart position with a live album. But that’s no reason to start thinking about the final spurt.

“We’re still really keen to rock the clubs and festivals of the republic. And with the new album, we’ve once again got a load of chic Roggenrohl anthems in our luggage. The first songs have already been played to our fans in spring 2024 – fresh from the live stage to your eardrums!”, grins mastermind, bassist and screamer Chris Laut. Meanwhile, riotous violinist Keule Rockt fiddles one riff after another from his gifted fingers – in the studio as well as on stage with the joy of movement of a Duracell bunny: “I have so much energy in me, I wouldn’t know what to do with it otherwise. A gym would be completely superfluous for me.”

There’s also a new Mr. Scott in the engine room. So: new with a view to the upcoming album. Robert ‘Jöcky’ Jöcks has been on tour for three years now. “I’ve already had a lot of fun at the previous shows with OHRENFEINDT. But now I’m playing songs on the album that I was involved in from the very beginning. That’s a whole different ball game.”

As always, without a net, double bottom and working brakes, but with wide legs, squealing tires and a proper rock’n’roll motorization: The lights go out – the full throttle rock goes on! Leather jacket on and fag out, fists in the air and off you go!

Always without a helmet, without a seatbelt and without safety briefs: nothing comes out of a can, everything is done by hand in the full-throttle rock circus from the Waterkant. Disclaimer: After listening to the album, you might hear a little worse than before. But you will multiply your happiness hormones. You want it too! Roggen rooooooooool!!!


TRACK LISTING
Rakete
Auch schon egal
Wir spielen Rock’n’Roll
Yeehaw
Sturm
Wenn der Teufel anruft
Alien-UFO-Mensch-Sexperiment
Südlich von Mitternacht
Ich singe Dir den Blues
Im Namen des Rock
1-2-3 Freifall

LINE UP
Robert ‘Jöcky’ Jöcks – drums & vocals
Keule Rockt – guitars & vocals
Chris Laut – bass, harp & lead vocals

The new official lyric video for Thin Lizzy's classic hit, "The Boys Are Back In Town", is available for streaming below.


Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak (2024 Remix) will be released on silver vinyl LP on September 27 via UMR. The classic 1976 album features the title track and the career-defining "The Boys Are Back In Town".


This features the new 2024 stereo mix undertaken by Richard Whittaker, overseen by legendary Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham and mastered by Andy Pearce.

SLIPKNOT's Sid Wilson spoke to Fox News about his recovery after suffering severe burns in a bonfire explosion last week.

"My whole right arm is bandaged up, half of my left arm," he said. "My face is basically melted from nose down. But the swelling's gone down, and they said the face is kind of amazing that it's regenerative, it happens real fast, seems to heal quickly. I've had better days, I guess, but I'm alive, so I'm doing good."

According to Wilson, he 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.

"A few nights ago, I lit it and let it burn down," he explained. "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.

Regarding how he is doing right now, Sid said: "I'm not going to let it get me depressed. The hardest part is just feeling stupid for doing it. It's not even the physical part. It's like going, 'Oh, man, I really learned that the hard way.' I've got to make sure I just slow down sometimes and really examine the situation before I just dive in headfirst."

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, which resumes in early September.

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."

The North American leg of SLIPKNOT's "Here Comes The Pain" tour will resume on September 1 at the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.

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In a new interview with Paul Salfen of AMFM Magazine, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello was asked to name his "Hail Mary" moment, a term used to symbolize any situation where one must take a leap of faith despite low chances of success. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say that my 'Hail Mary' moment was this. When I was dropped from my record label I was in a band called LOCK UP on Geffen Records. And I had never known anyone that had a record deal before. And I had my chance at the brass ring and it didn't work out. I had a couple hundred bucks in the bank account. And I had tried. I had listened to what managers and producers and record company people had said to try to be successful. It hadn't worked out and I was done. I had my one chance and I blew it. And I remember sitting on my couch in my little apartment in Hollywood. And I said, 'You know what, man? If I'm not gonna be famous, I'm never gonna play another note of music that I don't believe in.' And I stuck to that for the next 21 albums. And it was that shift of north star from trying to be successful to being an authentic artist, which is what created music that ended up connecting with people."

Tom recently released a new solo single, "Soldier In The Army Of Love". The track was co-written by his "guitar wizard son", 13-year-old Roman Morello.

Last year, Tom Morello shared footage to Instagram of Roman playing RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's "Killing In The Name" with Tom's RAGE bandmates Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk while the band was on tour in 2022.

In March 2023, Tom told Rolling Stone magazine that Roman could already outplay him when it came to lead guitar, despite the fact that he was only 11 at the time.

Roman Morello previously recorded a solo on fellow child prodigy Nandi Bushell's 2021 single "The Children Will Rise Up". The pair worked with the elder Morello to write the original anthem on which a swell of children's voices promised that they would not be silenced when it came to shouting from the rooftops about environmental injustice.

Tom was the sole member of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE who attended the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last November at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Rock Hall induction came after the band appeared on six ballots.

In October 2022, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE canceled its North American tour, three months after singer Zack De La Rocha severed his left Achilles tendon, leaving a mere eight inches of the tendon intact.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's comeback tour, which was first announced in 2019 and then delayed several times due to the pandemic, marked the first time the reunited rap-metal quartet had hit the road together since 2011.

Approaching the 10 year anniversary of Fury’s debut album, The Lightning Dream, the band have demonstrated their evolution with a new recording of a live favourite, "Prince Of Darkness".





Since 2017, the lineup of Fury has been slowly morphing into something new - now with bassist Becky Baldwin (Mercyful Fate), drummer Tom Fenn and lead guitarist Tom Atkinson replacing previous members. But the most impactful shift to the band’s new sound is the addition of vocalist Nyah Ifill.




Founding member Julian Jenkins explains: “There's something very cool about celebrating the tenth anniversary of our debut album, and with this "cover" we're simultaneously embracing our past and the journey that has led us to where we are today, whilst also looking forward to the future of the band. Obviously Fury has evolved and changed a lot over the past few years, and it's great to have a glimpse of how the band may have sounded if this line up had recorded the first album. As we prepare to release our next studio album in 2025, the first with Nyah as a full time member and co-lead vocalist, and the first with Aki on guitar. This really feels like one era is ending, a brand new one beginning, and this release is a fantastic homage to what I'm sure will be an important part of our history.”


Fury are currently working on their fifth studio album, with the release anticipated for spring 2025. Nyah Ifill comments on her move from guest session musician to a permanent position: “As a newer band member, I’ve felt so welcomed by the fans and I’m excited to share some lead vocals! While I haven’t been a part of Fury during the Lightning dream era, I’ve admired the driving force of the songs and massively enjoy playing them live. It isn’t often that bands re-visit older material, and I hope that it’s a treat for the long-time fans! Re-recording 'Prince Of Darkness' in the lead vocalist position has been a great experience, and I’m having a blast! It’s a send-off to our old friend the devil, and the hell-themed era of Born to Sin. The new album’s recorded, and it’s going to blow you away!”

Progressive death metal trio Vile Rites has issued their video for “Only Silence Follows”. The track comes off their Senescence full-length, released earlier this month on Carbonized Records.


Vile Rites uses a hypnotic amalgamation of aggressive riffing, swirling rhythms, wide dynamic range, and dark psychedelic ambience to take the listener on a cerebral journey into the esoteric. Drawing inspiration from events in nature, Vile Rites creates a visceral and kaleidoscopic experience that feels like wandering alone in the forest at night.


Guitarist / vocalist Alex Miletich elaborates on “Only Silence Follows”: “The track is inspired by the relationship between predator and prey in nature. The constant anxiety of the prey, and the constant hunger of the predator. The first half of the song focuses on the suspense the prey feels as they are frozen with fear from the killer lurking in darkness while the second half of the song dives into the idea of the acceptance of death and the fact that the predator must kill to survive. While it is difficult to sum up every way that I internalize the symbolism of this dichotomy, I think the overarching idea is fear versus acceptance and understanding. While the relationship between predator and prey is often perceived as brutal and it is easy to villainize the predator, our human perceptions cannot always be imposed on the world around us. The predator and prey are dependent upon each other to continue the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. We are just as much a part of this ‘Yin and Yang’ relationship as any animal, and we often forget that our human nature is just as brutal as that of the lion or wolf.” 







Senescence is a 40-minute journey of mind-bending psychedelic death metal that takes its listeners through everything from cavernous darkness to soaring ethereal ecstasy with surprises around every corner. The record features stunning cover art by Justyna Koziczak with logo, additional art, and album title lettering by Karmazid.

Emerging from the depths of Denver's metal scene, Torn From Existence is set to unleash their debut album Hearken The Darkened Skies on October 4th, 2024. The LP marks the arrival of a powerful new force in symphonic blackened death metal, blending punishing riffs, dark melodies, and atmospheric synths to create a sound that is both brutal and haunting.


Torn From Existence began to take shape in 2021 when band founder and guitar virtuoso David A. Couch joined forces with versatile bassist Bill Bohlen. Together, they crafted the intense, melodic blackened death metal tracks that would lay the foundation for the band's debut album. Over the next two years, the band’s lineup was completed with the addition of Craig Rosplock on vocals, whose range and power bring the lyrics to life; drummer Jeremiah Maynard, who delivers blast beats with impeccable tempo and technical prowess; and synth player/vocalist Rhiannon Wisniewski, who adds layers of dark atmosphere and melody.


With the lineup solidified, Torn From Existence entered Sawn And Quartered Studios in November 2023 to work with producer Shane Howard, bringing Hearken The Darkened Skies to life. The album will be available on LP, CD, and digitally, offering fans multiple ways to experience the band's powerful sound. Pre-orders can be placed now via Bandcamp.




Hearken The Darkened Skies artwork and tracklisting:

NightWraith is a progressive melodic death metal band from Denver, Colorado that explores the genre with an eclectic and intuitive approach. Their music encompasses poignant themes: seeking the sublime in nature, being genuine in a deceptive world, and living with the idea of death—concepts that unite us all as people. Using haunting melodies and triumphant anthems, NightWraith offers listeners a sonic pilgrimage into the heart of being human. They have a new album, Divergence, coming out on September 13, 2024. They are continuing their introduction of the album with the single “Perpetual Night”, which they comment on:


“This is actually the first song we completed for Divergence, and we added it to our live set last summer (2023). It’s just a solid song and the lyrical theme fits perfectly with the ‘technology wasteland’ concept of the album. That theme ties into the video as well, which features clips from the 1927 film, Metropolis. The video was put together by the talented Jake Mulhern, who does live visual art for some cool bands like Uncle Acid, Pallbearer, and Elder. And I can’t forget to mention the pedal steel guitar section that is on this track. It was recorded by our friend Cole Rudy (Dragondeer) and adds a really pretty layer of sound to an already dynamic section of the song.”


“Lyrically, this song is about how our global society is kind of blindly going all-in on technology, and how we should maybe take a step back and re-establish a connection to nature. In my experience, I get much more meaning from life through the physical world around us, and not through the dopamine-driven logic of tech. The lyrics also explore what our world might look like if we continue down this path, which is the overarching theme of the album: 'Colorless dreams in perpetual night'.”




“This song could be the most ‘classic NightWraith’ song on the album, it's got it all! It has a catchy black metal sound to it, a dynamic bridge section that brings the energy way down and picks back up with back-to-back guitar/keyboard solos, plus the chorus is fun to sing along with.”





Pre-order on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Fruitless”
“Perpetual Night” feat. Cole Rudy
“One Flower” feat. Andreas Wild
“Whispers Of Dragonflies” feat.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, STEEL PANTHER frontman Michael Starr was asked if he has "buried hatchets" with any of the musicians in other bands that haven't been "crazy" about his group. Michael, whose real name is Ralph Saenz, responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I'm not in the business of burying hatchets with people that have resentment towards me, 'cause that's on them, dude. Anybody you usually run into is not going to confront you and go, 'Hey, man, I hate your band.' They'll just either ignore you or go, 'Hey, what's up, bro?' So, whoever doesn't like the band — everybody is entitled to their own opinion."

He continued: "Art is subjective, man. And if you don't like our art, then go listen to somebody else. Who cares, right? So, we developed pretty thick skin. When we were walking through festivals for our first time in spandex, people were looking at us going, 'Who is this band? Who are these guys?' And then we developed even thicker skin when we opened up for JUDAS PRIEST for 10 weeks in America. So, yeah, we're okay with it and we get it and we understand it, but we still rock."

Asked to elaborate on what he meant when he said that he and his STEEL PANTHER bandmates "developed thicker skin" when they toured with JUDAS PRIEST, Michael said: "Well, thick skin is good for when people throw stuff at you, like, 'Get off the stage. You suck.' You know, that kind of thing. So, you get used to that. And I remember we were playing Rochester, New York. I think it was the first show of the tour, and the promoter decided that he was going to push JUDAS PRIEST back an hour so he could sell more beer, which is pretty normal. And it's a very common thing. But they don't tell the crowd. So the crowd is mad that we went on late. And they think it's our fault. So that first show was pretty gnarly, man. Pretty rough."

Starr added: "Our job at that time was to go out there and win over as many fans as possible. Obviously, you're not gonna win over the whole crowd. Maybe you could, but I don't see that happening. So it's a percentage game. It's work, man. You've gotta go out there and earn it. And it ended up being a really great, great tour for us. It brought us together as a band too, as well, because we had the band together really tight to put up with it, but we didn't waver off. We didn't change our set. We didn't stop the banter. We did everything we normally do. And all the parents that brought their kids to the front row, they just kind of took 'em to the concession stands while we played. I'm not kidding. That's a true story."

Five years ago, STEEL PANTHER engaged in a public war of words with MÖTLEY CRÜE when Starr and STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia were asked in an interview which musician from the past they would like to bring back. Starr replied, "I'd bring back Vince Neil," and Zadinia chimed in, "He's not dead." Starr pressed on, saying: "I'd bring back Vince Neil from back in the day because that guy is dead."

After news of STEEL PANTHER's comments made the rounds, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx tweeted: "The singer in Steal Panther [sic] can go fuck himself … wanna-be band putting down Vince Neil?" One fan then pointed out that STEEL PANTHER sometimes plays MÖTLEY CRÜE songs during its concerts, to which the CRÜE bassist replied, "That's why they are assholes. Backstabbers."

In a February 2023 interview with Loaded Radio, STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel was asked about the chances of MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee, who is reportedly not a fan of Satchel's band, ever making a guest appearance on a STEEL PANTHER record. He responded: "We love MÖTLEY CRÜE, and we're always gonna love MÖTLEY CRÜE and we're always gonna be fans of them. And Tommy is, honestly — he's a great drummer; he's one of the best rock drummers. But I don't know if Tommy is ready to play on a STEEL PANTHER record. [Laughs] But if he is, we'd love to have him, 'cause he's a great drummer and it would probably be really cool, whatever he does. 'Cause the guy plays great. He's awesome. He's solid as a rock."

Asked what Tommy's issue with STEEL PANTHER is, Satchel said: "I think Nikki had more of an issue with us than Tommy — or maybe they both did because they thought we were bagging on Vince. But I think what Michael Starr meant when he said what he said about Vince was… It was just a lighthearted jab at how bitching Vince was back in 1983 compared to how he is now. But I'll tell you what: I saw pictures of Vince recently, and he looks really good; he's taking care of himself. So I wish all those guys the best. I like MÖTLEY CRÜE."

Satchel addressed the Sixx online feud in a 2020 interview with Ultimate Guitar. Asked if STEEL PANTHER's "Concert To Save The World" livestreamed event was "a plan to steal the audience from MÖTLEY CRÜE," Satchel replied: "You know what? MÖTLEY CRÜE had tour plans. And that shit got canceled, right? I mean, I'm a fan of MÖTLEY CRÜE. I think that Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx can act like total dickheads much of the time, but that's also what comes with being a rock star sometimes. The guys want to act like dickheads and they do — and that's cool. I still like the songs. But we can't steal their fans any more than they can steal ours. People are gonna be fans of both bands, and I'm always gonna love MÖTLEY CRÜE no matter how big of a dick Nikki Sixx is, because I like how they sound. Our bands are not mutually exclusive, and you don't have to hate STEEL PANTHER to love MÖTLEY CRÜE and vice versa. And you don't have to hate MÖTLEY CRÜE to say Nikki Sixx is a dick as well. [Laughs] I still love MÖTLEY CRÜE even though I think Nikki Sixx is a dick — these things are not mutually exclusive. [Laughs]"

Asked if everything is "cool" between the two bands now, Satchel said: "I don't have anything going on with those guys. I don't really give a fuck one way or the other. Like, if I saw them, I probably wouldn't go hang out with them 'cause Nikki Sixx seems like he doesn't like my band so I probably wouldn't buy him a beer. But I don't have anything against MÖTLEY CRÜE and I wish them the best in the future. But it seems like we annoy Nikki Sixx — and I'm fine with being annoying to Nikki Sixx 'cause I don't really give a fuck. But I don't think we're going to be on tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE anytime soon; that's what I reckon."

The 2019 episode was not the first time members of STEEL PANTHER and MÖTLEY CRÜE had traded barbs. In 2017, Zadinia said that his band "really felt unwelcome" during its tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE several years ago. The drummer told Music Life Magazine: "[MÖTLEY CRÜE members] Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx did not like it when we went on tour with them in 2011. And that was the only time that we really felt unwelcome. The thing with those guys is I think they thought we were actually making fun of them directly. And I just gotta chalk that up to their egos being too big, because nothing that we do has anything to do with them directly. But we ended up doing the tour and it went off great and everything was totally fine," he said, adding that it was a European tour and that DEF LEPPARD was actually the top-billed band on the jaunt.

Sixx told Australia's Music Feeds in 2016 that he didn't care for STEEL PANTHER's music. "You know, it's not my thing," he said. "That's just me personally. I don't know. It doesn't feel… I guess a lot of people think it's funny and they're kind of a joke band and that's cool. But that's not my cup of tea. I kind of take my music a little more seriously."

Back in June 2015, Starr revealed in an interview that Lee "was pretty upset over the fact we poked fun at Vince Neil. He didn't like it. He just thinks we're just a joke, like a stupid joke band that shouldn't be playing with them. But all their fans like us."

Starr added that members of MÖTLEY CRÜE simply "take themselves a little too serious," except for Vince Neil, who "totally loves it."

"You know, he told me, 'Hey, Michael, when we retire, you can have all our fans,'" Starr said.

In 2018, Satchel acknowledged that not everyone is a fan of his group's over-the-top, juvenile sex-and-drugs schtick. "There are bands that hate our guts," he told Meltdown of the WRIF radio station. "We did a tour a few years ago with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE. And DEF LEPPARD, they got us on the tour, and it was an arena tour in the U.K. And they love us — they were so nice and so cool. And MÖTLEY CRÜE was on the tour, and they hated us. They wanted to kill us — every night they wanted to kill us. They talked to us, like, once the whole tour. And Tommy Lee and I, we just got into it — we butted heads a lot. 'Cause Tommy Lee… I don't know why he hates us so much. Listen, I extended the olive branch. I wanted to be friends with them. I think some people feel threatened. I think maybe Tommy Lee feels like we're poking fun at him personally. But we're just having fun… And someday maybe MÖTLEY CRÜE will be our friends, but I think Tommy Lee would love it if one of us got hit by a bus."

Japan symphonic power metal act Tears Of Tragedy have released an official music video for “Wonder Arts”. The video was directed by Naoki Takeyama (LimitMakerFilm).





“Wonder Arts” is the opening and title track of their new album out now via Walküre Records. Wonder Arts is their sixth full-length and follow-up to 2022’s &. They are recommended for fans of Galneryus, and the classic eras of Stratovarius and Nightwish. 







Stream/purchase Wonder Arts here.


Tears Of Tragedy will be performing at the Metal Vampire 20th Anniversary show at Club Citta in Kanagawa Prefecture on November 17. Other acts slated to perform are Saber Tiger, Punish, Cause For Pause, Hagane, Hades, and more. Find tickets at eplus.jp.







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Japanese power metal act Lovebites recently announced Memorial For The Warrior Souls, a live Blu-ray/2DVD/2CD set which features the live show from Hitomi Memorial Hall. The set will be released on August 28 via Victor. Check out the live video for the smooth power ballad "Edge Of The World" - taken from their 2017 debut full-length Awakening The World.





A limited edition of the live set will include a rerecorded edition of the band’s debut EP plus new songs – titled Lovebites EP II. 




All of the songs from the latest full-length album Judgement Day, which was ranked at position #5 on Oricon weekly chart, was made after bassist Fami joined the band, therefore Lovebites EP II is the true first work by the current lineup. As its title suggests, this second installment of the band's 2017 debut, The Lovebites EP, is a truly "Lovebites 2.0" album from the band that has continued to update their selves since its debut. While The Lovebites EP featured a photo of a denim battle jacket, the cover art for Lovebites EP II features a photo of a white leather jacket in the band's signature color, adorned with gold studs and band logo patch, creating a striking impact.





In creating the five completely new songs that will be included, the band listened to their 2017 debut, The Lovebites EP, over and over again. It was a magical work of four simple, yet very different types of songs, each with its own distinct personality, yet somehow consistent when viewed as the EP as a whole. With a renewed sense of that initial impulse, the now grown-up Lovebites have succeeded in swallowing the atmosphere of the songs from their debut and creating this work that is unbalanced in a good way, yet miraculously balanced.


The limited edition A comes with the Re-Lovebites EP, a 4-song CD re-recorded from The Lovebites EP with the current lineup. (*The English version of "Bravehearted" is used.) The B and C come with a Blu-ray and DVD, respectively, consisting of a music video of the lead track and a making-of video showing the filming of the music video.


On the other hand, the latest live Blu-ray/2DVD/2CD Memorial For The Warrior Souls are a complete recording of the live performance at Showa Women's University Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo on September 24 during the Judgement Day Tour held in 2023. The video was edited completely differently from the livestreamed performance on that day, allowing the viewer to see the detailed movements and facial expressions of each member. 


The live audio has also been mixed by Mikko Karmila and mastered by Mika Jussila at legendary Finnvox Studio. And it includes five songs from their fourth album Judgment Day that have never been performed live before. The BR & DVD include a bonus one-hour documentary that follows the band on their seven-city tour of Fukuoka, Sendai, Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, and Yokohama. Fans outside of Tokyo will also be able to relive their memories of the shows.


Find preorder details at victor-store.jp.





Tracklisting:


“Call For Justice”
“We Are The Resurrection”
“Judgement Day”
“When Destinies Align”
“My Orion”
“Signs Of Deliverance”
“Rising”
“Dissonance”
“Above The Black Sea”
Piano Solo
“Lost In The Garden”
Drum Solo
“Stand And Deliver (Shoot ‘Em Down)”
“Don’t Bite The Dust”
“M.D.O.”
“Edge Of The World”
“Soldier Stands Solitarily”
“The Hammer Of Wrath”
“We The Unite”
“Under The Red Sky”
“Call For Justice (Reprise)”


"Unchained" from the EP:





Lovebites will perform a handful of dates in the U.S. this September.


Dates:


September
6 – Atlanta, GA – ProgPower USA
8 – Dallas, TX – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall (Venue upgrade)
10 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex (Venue upgrade)
12 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord







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Are you ready to scream? Well reach down into your belly and get ready to let it all out with Stone Whiskey and their brand new album, Scream For Rock.


Produced by Anthony Focx (Aerosmith, Buckcherry, Ace Frehley), Scream For Rock is available now via Kivel Records. Order your copy at this location. 


The official music video for the title track, "Scream For Rock", can be seen below. It was filmed on location at Pine State Coffee in Raleigh, NC, as well as The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC.







Catch Stone Whiskey live at the following shows:


November
15 - Mint Hill, NC - Stooge's
16 - Laurel, MD - Laurel Park Raceway
23 - Raleigh, NC - King's

Metal guitarist and composer, Manuel Barbará, is thrilled to announce the release of his new single, “A Different Horizon”. The track, featuring Jake Howsam Lowe of Plini and The Helix Nebula, is part of Barbará’s upcoming cyberpunk-infused EP, Whisper In A Storm, which is set to release on September 13.


He shares his thoughts on the single: “‘A Different Horizon’ kicks off with an off-kilter riff in 3s that sets the tone for the rest of the song. There’s always something making you anticipate the next section. Jake’s brilliant solo is bookended by a massive melodic riff and the whole piece ends with a section that the bass player in Necronomicon ex Mortis described as 'what in the Dark Souls haunted cathedral is this?'”


The single continues to showcase Barbará’s unique blend of heavy metal aggression and the formal, harmonic concepts of 19th and 20th-century classical music. With precise and disciplined guitar playing, the single draws listeners into a new musical world, full of ambiance and color.




For Barbará, the writing process involves a lot of bouncing back and forth between notation software, his DAW, and even pen and paper. This attention to detail shines through in the final product, offering listeners a rich and immersive musical experience. The single is recommended for fans of Tesseract, Periphery, and Meshuggah.


Watch the video for “A Different Horizon” ft. Jake Howsam Lowe below.


Whisper In A Storm EP is available for digital pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


"Dead Hand" (feat. Jody Miller)
"A Different Horizon" (feat. Jake Howsam Lowe)