King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, have shared anouther throwback video for Sunday Lunch. Check out their performance of the





On performing with her husband, Toyah comments: "I also love seeing my husband on stage. It's such a joy because normally we're on different continents. To be on stage together, it's an absolute joy!"




On Fripp’s connection to Metallica, Fripp added: “To link this song with (King Crimson's) "Frame by Frame," which we went through a little while ago (NOTE: reference to an earlier episode of Rob Squad and the Creators). I read an interview where Kirk Hammett of Metallica said how much he enjoyed the double guitar parts of Adrian (Belew) and Robert on the Discipline album and "Frame by Frame."


On who he listens to and who influenced him, Fripp says: "Well, Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, McLaughlin, Page, and Chuck Berry. In the early days, Scotty Moore, Elvis's player, Little Richard. The sheer power of that man was astonishing."



















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Featured Video

On August 10th, Germany's "Neue Deutsche Härte" heroes, Oomph!, performed at M'era Luna 2024 in Hildesheim, Germany. You can now watch professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set, courtesy of ARTE Concert.


Setlist:


"Soll Das Liebe Sein?"
"Träumst Du"
"Labyrinth"
"Sandmann" 
"Gekreuzigt" 
"Wem Die Stunde Schlägt" 
"Gott Ist Ein Popstar"
"Augen Auf!"







Oomph! released their 14th album, Richter und Henker, in 2023. It is available in the following formats:


- Deluxe Box, including 1 CD 6 pages Digisleeve, Hangman Block, 2 pencils, socks, tote bag, A6 photo card (strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide) – Napalm Records Store exclusive
- 2 LP Die Hard Gatefold Marbled Transparent Red/Black Vinyl incl slipmat, 12 inch booklet and record butler (strictly limited to 200 copies worldwide) – Napalm Records Store exclusive
- 2 LP Gatefold Gold Vinyl (strictly limited to 1000 copies) – GSA Retail exclusive
- 2 LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
- 1 CD 6 pages Digisleeve
- Digital Album





Richter und Henker tracklisting:


"Wem die Stunde Schlägt"
"Richter und Henker"
"Soll das Liebe Sein?"
"Nur Ein Mensch"
"Schrei nur Schrei"
"Nichts wird mehr Gut"
"Sag Jetzt Einfach Nichts"
"Es ist Nichts, Wie es Scheint"
"Wo die Angst Gewinnt"
"All die Jahre"
"Wut feat. Joachim Witt"
"Ein Kleines Bisschen Glück"


“Wem Die Stunde Schlägt” video:





Richter und Henker clearly proves that Oomph! return stronger than before with their new lineup, charging straight forward! Album opener “Wem Die Stunde Schlägt” (en: For Whom The Bell Tolls) makes an immediate statement, propelled by a hefty dose of industrial metal. Title track “Richter und Henker” captivates the listener with a mixture of hooky guitars and chanting vocals, while criticizing ignorant social movements. New wave influences are present on heavy and groovy anti-war anthem “Nur Ein Mensch” (en: Only A Human) - a future hit and strong sign against warmongering and empty slogans that force hatred and war. On “Wut” (Anger), Oomph! is supported by none other than genre idol Joachim Witt.


Since their formation in 1989, Oomph! has emerged as a highly influential band that has even inspired later Neue Deutsche Härte giants. With Richter und Henker, the Neue Deutsche Härte masters prove that they remain a leading force in the scene!


Oomph! are:


CR4P
Flux
Der Schulz







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

Italian symphonic death metal maestros, Fleshgod Apocalypse, have returned with their sixth studio album, Opera. They have shared an official full album stream via YouTube; check it out below.





Available for stream and purchase now from Nuclear Blast Records, the baroque operatic band’s new record is a ferocious collection of intense, volatile tracks directly inspired by frontman Francesco Paoli’s 2021 near fatal mountain climbing accident.




Mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Arch Enemy), Opera definitely marks another step forward for the band, incorporating new suggestions into that unique blend that Fleshgod Apocalypse are renowned for: sheer violence, majestic orchestrations and soaring melodies. Such an ambitious musical endeavor called for an equally impressive artwork, a team effort between two arising Italian talents (artist extraordinaire Felicita Fiorini and visionary photographer Francesco Esposito), following the path traced by baroque painters like Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi.


The cover art portrays Veronica as Music, a superior entity that defeats the social and artistic decay of modern age.


With this new record, Fleshgod Apocalypse are setting the bar even higher than before, pioneering what looks like a completely new sub-genre that might be called “Opera Metal”: an unprecedented mix of extreme music and theatrical elements.


“The best stories always come from pain, it's a bitter truth yet undeniable.” Francesco P. states. “We managed to turn one of the worst things in life into a work of art, that embodies our personal and artistic growth and takes the listeners on a rollercoaster of emotions, where they can experience what I've been through hand in hand with me. It's a waking nightmare but that's how life is sometimes, just scary.”


Francesco P. continues: “In my visionary representation of this journey, that begins with my near death experience and culminates in a much desired physical and psychological rebirth, I wanted to frame every single step of my calvary, as if they were acts of an "Opera Lirica", with dialogues or even confessions to imaginary characters, who have been constant presences throughout my whole (mis)adventure.


"This album tosses you in a vortex of discomfort and uncontrollable feelings, where you can experience pain, fear, desperation, anger, frustration, but also resolve, courage, hope and a profound desire for redemption. I strongly believe that this album is a solid manifest of resilience, and I hope that my story will inspire people who got “lost” for whatever reason. We can’t wait for you to hear the full album and play it live at the four corners of the world. We’re planning to take everyone to “Opera” with a massive new show, so get ready!”


Order Opera here.





Opera tracklisting:


"Ode to Art (De’ Sepolcri)"
"I Can Never Die"
"Pendulum"
"Bloodclock"
"At War With My Soul"
"Morphine Waltz"
"Matricide 8.21"
"Per Aspera Ad Astra"
"Till Death Do Us Part"
"Opera"


"I Can Never Die" video:





"Bloodclock" video:





"Pendulum" video:





(Photo - Francesco Esposito)







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time performing the Tina Turner classic, "Simply The Best"


The song is taken from Turner's 1989 album, Foreign Affair.







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.





As if the release of this brand new single wasn't enough, Majestica have also delivered a brand new music video for their single, which you can watch below.


Tommy Johansson comments: "When Majestica finally returns with a new song it couldn’t have been a better one than 'A New Beginning'. Not only is it a heavy power metal song with a catchy sing-along chorus, but it’s also very melodic in the style of Stratovarius, 80’s rock, and Helloween with some hints of Gary Moore. The song reflects on (as the title says) to start over, but also of something that comes to an end. But the end isn’t always a bad thing. It feels great to finally release some new music with Majestica again and to show that we’re back - back with a new beginning."


Stream the new single here, and watch the video below:





Majestica is:


Tommy Johansson - guitars, vocals
Petter Hjerpe - guitars
Chris David - bass
Joel Kollberg - drums







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Featured Video

Erik Grönwall (ex-Skid Row) has released the new video below, featuring his cover of John Farnham's 1986 hit, "You're The Voice".





Grönwall recently challenged himself to write a power metal song on the spot. The end result is "Dragon Knights", which you can check out below. 




The song features Grönwall, guitarist Jona Tee (H.E.A.T), and bassist Jens Anderson (Crazy Lixx). "Dragon Knights" was co-written, produced, mixed and mastered by Jona Tee 










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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

For SLIPKNOT's ongoing "Here Comes The Pain" tour, the bandmembers band adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary. But, as percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan explained to Rolling Stone, he and the other "O.G.s" met before the tour to figure out the look and decided that the way they numbered their coveralls in the past wouldn't work since four musicians have joined the band after SLIPKNOT came out.

"They're in SLIPKNOT, but I'm not interested in giving numbers," Crahan told the magazine. "That was 25 years ago. So yes, these coveralls are different, different company. They're tailored. Back in '98, those were just bought off the shelf and then silk-screened or screen printed. The old coveralls had a barcode on the back, barcode over the heart, number on the left shoulder, tribal 'S' on the right side, and that's where we were. It was real simple. It was all uniform and everybody was in it. This time, we did armbands that say '25' for 25 years. On my coveralls, I reinvented another tribal S."

Regarding how he and the other members wanted to present their individual masks, Crahan said: "We agreed that we would do takeoffs on our masks because I refuse to be what I was 25 years ago because that's a fucking lie. I'm not interested in reliving something I absolutely cannot be. So we agreed, 'Let's all take our own artistic expressions to evolve the coveralls in a manner that suits you and then do a spin on your mask.

"I just did a version of O.G. look," he continued. "I'm not into orange hair anymore. The orange hair was fake to begin with, and I could roll like that in '98. I had that mentality, but I'm not rolling anything fake. It's got to be as authentic to me at this age and what I do."

Produced by Live Nation, the "Here Comes The Pain" tour's highlights include New York City's Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles's Intuit Dome, Austin's Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky's young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners KNOCKED LOOSE. ORBIT CULTURE and VENDED are confirmed as support on select dates.

SLIPKNOT's self-titled album arrived in 1999 via Roadrunner Records and was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA). Although it is considered by many to be SLIPKNOT's official debut, it was preceded by the independently released "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." in 1996, an effort which was recorded prior to singer Corey Taylor's addition to the band.

Back in 2011, readers of the British metal magazine Metal Hammer voted "Slipknot" the best debut of the past 25 years. Over 16,000 fans voted in Metal Hammer's special 25th-anniversary poll, with "Slipknot" managing to grab almost a third of all votes cast, beating off competition from the likes of GUNS N' ROSES, KORN, MACHINE HEAD and PANTERA.

Legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker has released "Only You Can Rock Me", the third single from his upcoming album "My Years With UFO", celebrating the 50th anniversary of Schenker's years with UFO. This new single showcases an incredible lineup featuring Joey Tempest (EUROPE) on vocals, Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE) on bass, Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) on keys, and Brian Tichy on drums.

Produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss, "My Years With UFO" marks the 50th anniversary of Schenker's era with UFO, spanning from 1972 to 1978. The "German Wunderkind" was asked to join UFO at just 17 years old. Touring the globe as a teenager, Schenker became a driving force behind some of UFO's most loved tracks, such as "Doctor Doctor", "Rock Bottom" and "Only You Can Rock Me".

Although Michael Schenker's era with UFO spanned only six years, his influence as a young songwriter and exceptional guitarist had already left a lasting mark on rock. During these meteoric years, the UFO albums "Phenomenon", "Force It", "No Heavy Petting", "Lights Out", "Obsession" and the seminal live album "Strangers In The Night" were recorded, each contributing significantly to the genre. "Strangers In The Night" particularly stands out as one of the most influential live rock albums of all time and is still regarded as a cornerstone in any rock enthusiast's collection.

In this celebratory album, Michael Schenker presents 11 of UFO's greatest hits from this magical era with an impressive lineup of guest stars. Joining Schenker on this journey are Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Brian Tichy on drums, and Barry Sparks on bass.

The stellar roster of guest artists includes Axl Rose (GUNS N' ROSES),Slash (GUNS N' ROSES),Kai Hansen (HELLOWEEN),Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE),Joey Tempest (EUROPE),Biff Byford (SAXON),Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY),John Norum (EUROPE),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER),Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE),Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW),Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS),Adrian Vandenberg (WHITESNAKE),Michael Voss, Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and Erik Grönwall (SKID ROW).

This album is the introduction to an upcoming trilogy, as Michael Schenker has signed an exclusive three-album deal with earMUSIC, with additional albums to follow in 2025 and 2026.

"My Years With UFO" will be released worldwide on September 20 via earMUSIC and is available for pre-order.

"My Years With UFO" track listing:

01. Natural Thing (feat. Dee Snider, Joel Hoekstra)
02. Only You Can Rock Me (feat. Joey Tempest, Roger Glover)
03. Doctor, Doctor (feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Carmine Appice)
04. Mother Mary (feat. Slash, Erik Grönwall)
05. This Kids (feat. Biff Byford)
06. Love To Love (feat. Axl Rose)
07. Lights Out (feat. Jeff Scott Soto, John Norum)
08. Rock Bottom (feat. Kai Hansen)
09. Too Hot To Handle (feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Adrian Vandenberg, Carmine Appice)
10. Let It Roll (feat. Michael Voss)
11. Shoot, Shoot (feat. Stephen Pearcy)

A little over three years ago, Michael detailed events which led to his final exit from UFO in 2002, saying that "the natural flow of the chemistry was destroyed" by the time he left the band.

Schenker, whose original tenure with the British rock institution lasted from 1973 to 1978, rejoined UFO in 1993, recording the "Walk On Water" (1995) album with the classic lineup of the band that also included lead singer Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, drummer Andy Parker, and guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond.

Explaining how the reunion came about, Michael told Eonmusic: "Phil Mogg came to Los Angeles in '93, begging me to refuel UFO because he completely had destroyed it. I said, 'I have a few conditions. One is, you have to give me 50 percent of the UFO name so you don't destroy it again, especially if I put my energy into it."

The onetime SCORPIONS man went on to say that initially, things were great within the camp, and that he noticed a change in the formerly dejected Mogg almost immediately. "I tell you, when I saw Phil the next time when we started recording, he looked like an one hundred and eighty degree different person," Schenker said. "He was happy, healthy. He was unbelievably fit."

But it was a harmony that wasn't to last. "'Walk On Water' was a blessing after 17 years," Michael said. "It was such a beautiful record that famously carried on from 'Strangers In The Night' [1979]. And then, of course, we went on the road, and then Phil lost it, and wanted control again and destroyed everything."

Despite going on to record two further albums with the band — 2000's "Covenant" and 2002's "Sharks", Michael said that it was further lineup changes (the ousting of both Parker and Raymond) which ultimately destroyed the band.

"I always said to him, 'Never do a reunion with UFO unless it's the original setup, including the producer,'" Michael said. "Because if you take one piece out, the chemistry is finished."

Bringing in producer Mike Varney for "Sharks" in place of Ron Nevinson, the man behind their greatest '70s triumphs, for Michael, the end was nigh. "I said to Phil, 'Don't do this. It will backfire. It will not succeed.' And it did not. The natural flow of the chemistry was destroyed, and basically, we were just limping towards the end."

Despite this, Michael made one final gesture of good will toward Mogg. "I'd had enough of UFO at that point, and in 2002, Phil Mogg asked me, 'Michael, I need the name UFO back.' I said to Phil, 'You know what? God bless you. I'll give you the name back for free. Enjoy your life.' And then that was it. That was the end of it."

Photo credit: Tallee Savage

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have recruited Italian/Cuban sensation Thalìa Bellazecca (ANGUS MCSIX, ex-FROZEN CROWN) as their new guitarist. The 24-year-old musician joins PRIMAL FEAR following the recent departures of guitarists Alex Beyrodt and Tom Naumann, drummer Michael Ehré and bassist Alex Jansen.

Comments PRIMAL FEAR singer Ralf Scheepers: "After my last show in Italy, I got to know Thalìa personally and I realized what a wonderful person she is... Anyone who knows me knows that personal contact and sympathy is very important to me. So I read up on her musical projects and skills and was blown away by her incredible talent! I can't wait to work with her in the studio and of course live soon!"

Thalìa adds: "I'm stoked and excited to have the opportunity to play with these giants of the heavy and power metal scene. I feel so honored to share the stage with these amazing musicians and to start a new journey also with this incredible and historical band! Can't wait to start working with all of you!"

Earlier in the month, PRIMAL FEAR confirmed that Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has been primarily a studio member of the band for much of the past decade, will rejoin PRIMAL FEAR on the road.

PRIMAL FEAR said in a social media post: "To answer some of your questions - Magnus Karlsson is still in the band! The only difference to a week ago is that he will join PRIMAL FEAR permanently on albums (like always) and from now on @ all live shows and tours again!"

Added Magnus: "Can't wait to hit the stage with PRIMAL FEAR again! It's going to be an incredible ride! We're going to create something truly special together, both live and in the studio, and I'm so grateful to share this journey with all you metalheads! Metal is forever".

On August 23, Beyrodt, Naumann, Ehré and Jansen announced their departures from PRIMAL FEAR, writing in a statement: "Dear fans and friends of PRIMAL FEAR, we unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann, Michael Ehré and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band PRIMAL FEAR. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.

"We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!"

Scheepers and bassist Mat Sinner (a.k.a. Matthias Lasch),who also serves as PRIMAL FEAR's producer, have yet to announce a new drummer replacements for PRIMAL FEAR.

This past June, it was announced that PRIMAL FEAR had officially signed a deal with new record label Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) for the release of the band's next studio album.

PRIMAL FEAR's latest album, "Code Red", came out last September through Atomic Fire. The 11-track follow-up to 2020's "Metal Commando" included the single, "Cancel Culture", themed around a topic that has been heavily discussed in recent years.

Recorded in Germany at Sebastian "Basi" Roeder's Backyard Studios, with the helping hands of Scheepers as well as Mitch Kunz, "Code Red" was produced by Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers and Naumann. Longtime PRIMAL FEAR collaborator Jacob Hansen once again took care of mixing and mastering at his own Hansen Studios in Denmark. Additionally, Stan W. Decker, who created previous works for the band, including 2017's "Angels Of Mercy - Live In Germany", 2018's "Apocalypse" and 2021's "I Will Be Gone", provided the record’s magnificent artwork.

Back in August 2021, PRIMAL FEAR announced that it was scrapping all of its previously announced dates for 2021 and 2022 "due to a serious illness issue." Four months after canceling the concerts, Sinner revealed that he had spent the previous eight months in eight different hospitals.

Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.

For more than a decade, Sinner had been the musical director and co-producer for the prestigious European arena tour "Rock Meets Classic".

Breaking News:

We're excited to announce our second guitarist. From now on the Italian/Cuban guitar sensation Thalia...

Posted by Primal Fear on Wednesday, August 28, 2024

In a new interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT FM's Cameron Buchholtz, CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer was asked if he has commenced work on material for the follow-up to his sophomore solo album, "Rise", which was released in September 2019 via Cleopatra Records. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think there's a record probably brewing. There always is one. Music is kind of floating in the air. Songs are, they're always out there somewhere. It's just when the inspiration strikes you. I like to keep it organic and wait for a strong emotion or a feeling to hit that really feels like a song. And you kind of collect those. I call 'em like the little seeds of songs — you get these chorus lines in your head. I just kind of let 'em brew. And the ones that I remember I feel like are maybe the strongest ones or the best ones and then eventually those are the ones that get written. So, yeah, since 'Rise', there's been a lot of ideas floating in and out. I'm kind of keeping track of 'em. I'd say albums are kind of like a lightning strike — you kind of know when you're ready and when you have one, and just boom, it falls out."

He added: "The writing process is — I know this might sound weird, but it's almost every day, because ideas go in and out of your head all day long, and the first question as a writer is, 'Hmm, is that a song?' And if one really sticks with you, you eventually write it. At least that's how I work."

Asked how he keeps track of all of his musical ideas and whether he sings melodies into his phone, Tom said: "Usually I don't. I didn't for years. Every once in a while I will now, if there's something that I think that's really good that I won't remember. But my natural filtration process used to be was not to record anything, and for decades that's how I did it, because I figure if I forget it, then it's not memorable. Now that I'm getting a little bit older, if something goes through my head that I think is really strong and I'm afraid that I'm gonna forget it, I might sing that into the phone. [Laughs] But I still try to do the natural filtration process where you see what sticks with you. It's always worked for me. I've heard other songwriters say they do it that way, too — see what really sticks with you. And if it keeps haunting you and keeps coming back to you, then maybe there's something there, I guess is the best way to put it."

This past March, Tom told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he will release a new studio album "at some point." He added: "Inspiration hits at the oddest times. When the first solo record [2013's 'The Way Life Goes'] was released, we were so focused on touring that I just thought, 'Man, I'm never gonna write another song again. The inspiration's not coming, and I don't know when we're ever gonna get another record done.' And then, for some strange reason, when we got off the road in 2018. we just ended up in the studio and all these songs just fell out and we had 'Rise' in about six months' time, between the writing and the recording and mixing and all. So I feel that coming again."

He continued: "I think that we all want to make another record, and there's definitely some ideas for some songs starting to drift into the antenna. That's how it always starts for me, is you get ideas for songs and you sing them into a voice memo or you jot down a line. I don't usually finish them when they come to me that way; I just kind of store these ideas, and then at some point you've got a pile of them, you go, 'Let's go make a record.' And then you finish out the songs and you record them. So, yeah, that process is going on all the time, of just collecting the ideas. You get an inspiration driving down the road, and you pull out the voice and then when you sing a chorus line into something and then don't come back to it for who knows how long, but usually you come back to when you have a pile of those. And then you finish them out."

Keifer went on to say that he usually blocks everything else out and just focuses on finishing the songs when it's time to make an album. "Yeah, that's kind of when it gets serious," he explained. "And that comes when you feel like you've got a bunch of ideas, because you don't wanna go with the first 10 ideas you have. So then you feel, like 'Whoa, this is really starting to pile up.' Okay, then you go through and you pick, like, what are the best ideas here? And with the solo stuff, I write most of it with [my wife] Savannah, and she writes the same way, and she stockpiles ideas, and we just get to a point where we, like on 'Rise', we just started kicking ideas back and forth at each other, and then, before we knew it, they were finished. But, yeah, that's the point where you've got to block the rest of the world out. And that's what happened when we got off tour in 2018 and I had a ton of ideas and Savannah had some ideas and we kind of were going through 'em. And boom, it's, like, we just started finishing 'em. It was, like, 'Man, that's a great idea. Let's finish that one.' And then next thing I know, I'm up in the studio with the band and we're tracking them. And that record went really fast, compared to the first one, which was the better part of 10 years putting that one together, and it was recorded with session musicians and stuff. And there were a lot of obstacles that came into play with that record, but we eventually got it done and sounding the way we wanted it. And then, very pleasant surprise when we made 'Rise', it was the opposite experience. I mean, it was, like, no obstacles. It was, like, 'All right, we're making a record. Block the world out.' Boom, all of a sudden it's done. Every record's different."

Tom's #KEIFERBAND is rounded out by Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Kendra Chantelle, Jarred Pope and Kory Myers.

Last year, Keifer told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he hadn't "recorded anything" new since "Rise". "Some song ideas are starting to bubble," he said.

"The pandemic kind of threw a wrench in everything, obviously," he explained. "We were in the middle of working 'Rise'; we were on the second single, 'Hype', and were about to go out on that 'Big Rock Summer Tour' [with RATT, SKID ROW and SLAUGHTER]. And 'Hype' was kind of moving up the charts, and then everything got shut down. All the creative juices, all the energy during that couple of years just kind of… I know some people got creative; some people didn't. I didn't. [Laughs] So, it's starting to come back now. I think getting back out on the road last year kind of ignited that spark again. But, yeah, we definitely wanna do a follow-up to it.

"I would say records come in their time; I don't like to rush them," Keifer added. "But, yeah, there will for sure be a follow-up. And that antenna is starting to go up and song ideas are starting to kind of come in. Yeah, it's coming."

According to Tom, the pandemic-related break from touring came just at the right time. "I kind of needed it," he said. "We toured so much with this band leading right up to the last tour, right before the pandemic. We were actually out early that year, in 2020, 'cause the 'Rise' tour was still kind of continuing; we were still working the record. So it was 10 years straight for me — or not quite 10 years at that point. But there were three CINDERELLA tours prior to that. So I'd been on the road, like, 12 years straight. So I was crispy by the time that pandemic hit. None of us wanted that forced on us, obviously, but I guess it forced me to take a break, which I probably needed."

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer focused on his solo career.

In March 2022, Keifer said that he was "not prepared" for the 2021 passing of CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar. Jeff was found dead by his wife in July 2021 inside his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

In a new interview with Sense Music Media, MUNICIPAL WASTE frontman Tony Foresta was asked if he was surprised when it was announced that SLAYER was "touring again", five years after the band completed what was at time billed as the legendary thrashers' farewell tour. Foresta responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think they're touring again. I think it's just one-offs [concerts that they are playing].

"When you're in a band that's like that — I think they just they grew up as kids playing music like that — I feel like when you do a four-year-long last tour, it's not really gonna end," he continued. "I think they just don't wanna tour. I think they're just doing one-off shows, which is what I expected.

"When they did that last show in L.A. [in November 2019], I was, like, 'That's not the last time they're playing.' As a fan or just as a person who respects and understands living the touring life and playing that much, the way they were closing it out, I feel like it was never really over. It was the last tour, and they're only doing festivals now, which makes sense. That's what they should do.

"If they're healthy enough to play the music, fucking keep playing," Tony added. "You shouldn't have to be obligated to go out on a fucking six-week festival tour every two years. That's a weird way to live your life, especially when you're in your… How old are they? Like [their] sixties? I'm old now. Those dudes are older than me. And they shouldn't have to. They paid their dues. They should go get that festival money, go play a show once every couple of years and have a great time. That's how I feel about it.

"When they played that last show in L.A., I'm, like, 'That's their last tour show. And in a couple years they'll come back if they feel good about it.' And hopefully they do," Foresta said. "I hope they're not obligated to do so. I want them to do it because they love it — for me, as a fan."

This past February, SLAYER announced that it will play at the Aftershock, Riot Fest and Louder Than Life festivals in September and October.

The lineup for SLAYER's comeback will be the same as the one which last toured in 2019: bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King, along with guitarist Gary Holt (also of EXODUS) and longtime drummer Paul Bostaph.

Days after SLAYER's reunion was announced, Tom Araya's wife wrote on social media that she "harassed him for over a year" before he "agreed finally" to play more shows with the band. "We shared that news with SLAYER's awesome managers and they did the rest!" she explained. "So yes without Tom it wouldn't have happened.. without me BUGGING HIM it wouldn't have happened."

Both Gary and his wife Lisa Holt were among the hundreds of people who "liked" Sandra's Instagram post, with Lisa sharing three heart emojis in response to Sandra's message.

In a statement confirming SLAYER's return, Tom said: "Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we're on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans, and to be honest, we have missed that." King added: "Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. SLAYER means a lot to our fans; they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them."

The same day that SLAYER's comeback was announced, Holt's wife Lisa Holt took to her social media to write: "Yes, it's true..and an exciting adventure for the band and fans !

"To all the people saying 'they are liars' 'they must have ran out of money' 'its not SLAYER without so and so' ..I have an idea for you all...DON'T GO.. and for all the people who did go to the final tour dates and enjoyed it...awesome!!

"This isn't a 'TOUR' it's some dates..and GREAT NEWS!!!" she added. "And everyone that thinks they know all the inside info..you can't possibly know. so just enjoy the fact that this amazing band will play some amazing shows this year...go or don't..nobody cares!!!!!"

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry's wife Ayesha said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances.

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.

In a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, John 5 spoke about the experience of working with David Lee Roth in the VAN HALEN singer's solo band more than two and a half decades ago. The 54-year-old axeman, who got his first big break playing on Roth's solo album, "DLR Band", before securing stints with Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and MÖTLEY CRÜE, said: "Well, of course, he's David Lee Roth and one of our heroes. And it was really exciting. It was nerve wracking because you wanted to do a great job for him. We could write together really well. Everything went really well together. And I really enjoyed being in the studio, 'cause it was just that thing. We clicked with each other with ideas and things like that, and it all came together really fast. So, I've had nothing but a great experience with writing with Dave and working with Dave."

John 5 also touched upon the yet-unreleased album that he recorded with Roth in 2007, several songs from which have been made available online in recent years. He said: "We did this song, 'Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then [Anyway...]'. It's about VAN HALEN, and it is such a wonderful song. So you can see that on YouTube. And that's one of the songs I'm most proud of because it's such a tribute to VAN HALEN, but with David Lee Roth. And it's just such a weird thing that, if I knew that as a kid, that me and Dave would be writing a song that is a tribute to VAN HALEN — it's even strange to say. So it's a song I'm very proud of. And he's a wonderful, wonderful guy."

In 2020, Roth included five previously unreleased songs in The Roth Project, an online comic narrated by the legendary VAN HALEN singer, with music from John 5 on guitar and bass, Gregg Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percussion. "Manda Bala", "Giddy-Up!", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Alligator Pants" and "Lo-Rez Sunset" were recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

John 5 previously spoke about the recording sessions for the unreleased Roth record in an interview with the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", saying: "We had a great time. We had a blast — a lot of laughs, a lot of fun. I'm just so happy that I had that cool working vibe with Dave that we can just jump into the studio anytime and knock out some songs. And I'm very lucky 'cause not a lot of people get a chance to do that with Dave.

He added: "We were all in there together — I remember we were just all in there together. And that's how it was. We were all just doing it together — kind of like the old days, and he wanted to do it like that. And it really was a lot of fun. We had so much fun doing it. And it's one of my fondest memories."

In August 2021, John 5 told AL.com that the rest of the unreleased Roth record is in the same vein as the songs that have come out, which have a singer/songwriter sound. "[Dave] wanted to do this kind of a more California sessions type of thing," the guitarist explained. "And he's such an artist, I was, like, 'Whatever you want to do, I'm there for you.' So it is that kind of vibe. But there's a lot of multi tracks and different acoustic parts that all work together. It's kind of orchestrated, if you will."

Five years ago, Roth was asked by Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF if his LP with John 5 will be made available at some point. He responded: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."

Back in 2015, John 5 told Guitar Player magazine that the sessions for his unreleased Roth album were remarkably relaxed. "I would just go to his house and I'd write these songs with him, and he would say, 'Let's go into the studio,'" John 5 explained. "So he would go to Henson studio and record these songs. They came out… They're so good. They're so good. And we've got Gregg Bissonette playing drums on it, and I played the bass, and they're really great songs."

The guitarist said that Roth's vocals on the album sound "like nothing you've ever heard. It's old VAN HALEN — sounds like 'Could This Be Magic?' or anything like that. It's just that sound, that tone."

In a 2014 interview, John 5 described the LP as "11 of the greatest songs you'll ever hear, and it's just me and Dave, and we had Gregg Bissonette play drums on it. And it's unbelievable," he said. "You know, just great, great songs."

Today Buñuel, a literal supergroup of global significance, announces plans to release the new double album, Mansuetude via Skin Graft Records and Italy's Overdrive Records on October 25.


Buñuel boasts the singular vocals and razor sharp lyrics of Eugene S. Robinson (ex-Oxbow) and a powerhouse Italian trio comprising guitarist Xabier Iriondo (Afterhours, A Short Apnea), bassist Andrea Lombardini (The Framers) and drummer Franz Valente (Il Teatro Degli Orrori). Mansuetude was produced by Timo Ellis, and features guests including Jacob Bannon (lead singer of Converge), guitarist Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, The Denison Kimball Trio), vocalist Megan Osztrosits (Couch Slut), cellist Andrea Beninati and David Binney on alto saxophone and vocals.


The announcement of Mansuetude is accompanied by the release of lead single, "Drug Burn".




Buñuel shares: “One of the steadfast rules the Hells Angels used to tout to members was NO DRUG BURNS. Which just goes to show, there really IS honor among, well you know. Following a wayward path to an even more wayward song Buñuel’s rendering of said BURN will make your ears (and eyes if you’re lucky enough to see the video) burn. Crunchy, melodic and harder than a lot of hardcore, it’s a travelog into places your mom told you to steer clear of.”


Listen to the single below.


Buñuel have always been led by instinct and the id-like impulse to express unfiltered emotion through song. They form a close musical alliance, with a seemingly innate ability to create music that warps and buckles with complexity, freedom, tenderness and primeval energy all at once.
 
The title, Mansuetude - meaning “meekness” or “gentleness” - might seem like a juxtaposition. The record is, in Eugene’s words “extreme but articulate.” A double album with three sides. A balancing act performed for and by the unbalanced.


Drummer Franz comments that “Buñuel is a name that embodies a certain cultural and literary reference, which evokes an entire world. Like his films, our Buñuel is surrealism. We take the listeners into a place that's suspended between dream and reality.”


“What we're doing with Buñuel is to carve out a very specific glimpse… partly into hearts of darkness, but more specifically into the depth of our secrets,” says Eugene. “Secrets we keep from each other, ourselves and whatever futures we've imagined for ourselves. We are ultimately trying to communicate something direct and deadly about the human condition.”


Throughout, Buñuel takes every opportunity to stretch their musical tendrils towards discomfort, surrealism and the deconstruction of tradition, as they reach absolute abandon. Mansuetude dives into the eye of the storm and beyond, encompassing many moods, from post-hardcore to avant-noise, hard blues to post-industrial, from symphonic thrash to metal to free-jazz, all played at great cost.


Buñuel makes music for those willing to take a closer, unflinching look at the depths of human instinct, and on Mansuetude the band have created an album that will free the listener of evil spirits and let the malignant influences loose. Mansuetude is a twenty- first century exorcism - right on time for the end time.


Pre-order Mansuetude here.





Tracklisting:


"Who Missed Me"
"Drug Burn"
"Class"
"Movement No. 201"
"Bleat"
"A killing on the beach"
"Leather Bar"
"High.Speed.Chase"
"American Steel"
"Fixer"
"Trash"
"Pimp"
"A Room In Berlin"


"Drug Burn":





(Photo - Annapaola Martin)







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On August 15, Rotting Christ performed at Summer Breeze 2024 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. ARTE Concert has uploaded professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set. Watch below.


Setlist (as per Setlist.fm):


"666
"Fire, God And Fear
"P'unchaw kachun- Tuta kachun"
"Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy"
"Apage Satana"
"Dies Irae"
"Non Serviam"
"Like Father, Like Son"
"Grandis Spiritus Diavolos"
"The Raven"







Rotting Christ's new album, Pro Xristou is out now. ΠΡΟ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ (Pro Xristou) is bound to hold a revered place in the band's heretical history. Always true to their name, with Pro Xristou ("Before Christ"), the band pay tribute to the last of the Pagan kings by offering up more towering, gothic, melodic black metal.





Tracklisting:


"Pro Xristou (Προ Χριστο?)"
"The Apostate"
"Like Father, Like Son"
"The Sixth Day"
"La Lettera Del Diavolo"
"The Farewell"
"Pix Lax Dax"
"Pretty World, Pretty Dies"
"Yggdrasil"
"Saoirse"
"Primal Resurrection" (Bonus Track)
"All For One" (Bonus Track)


"The Sixth Day" video:





"Pro Xristou" lyric video:





"Primal Ressurection" animated video:





"Yggdrasill" video:





"La Lettera Del Diavolo" video:





"Pix Lax Dax" video:





"The Farewell" video:





"The Apostate" video:





"Saoirse" video:





"Like Father, Like Son" video:





Rotting Christ invite you to partake in a monumental crusade across Europe. Frontman Sakis comments:  "Dear Metal brothers & sisters, we  can proudly announce that we celebrate our 35 years of existence with the release of our new album Pro Xristou & some special shows on European soils this Autumn. Together with the Scandinavian Pagan Metal  Kings Borknagar and French diabolical horde Seth we promise to perform a hell of a show every night! Thanks for your attention and look forward to seeing you all in the battlefield!"


The Greek forebearers will share stages with Norway's progressive black metal giants Borknagar, whose profound musical narratives have sculpted their undisputed place within the genre. Alongside them, France's Seth will bring their own brand of fervent intensity and atmospheric ferocity to the mix. Together, they stand as a triad set to invigorate and bewitch audiences across the continent.


Borknagar: "We are honoured and incredibly exited to announce our upcoming co-headline tour across the European lands with our brothers in music, and true legends, Rotting Christ! In 2022, during the aftermath of the Corona pandemic, we teamed up for a highly successful tour across the North Americas as a part of the Devastation On The Nation festival tour. Now, armed and ready with the new respective albums, Fall and Pro Xristou, it's time to team up once again for a epic European adventure. This one shall be for the books- powerful, passionate and legendary!"


Seth: "Sharing the stage for a whole month with thy mighty Rotting Christ is thrilling! This will be our third European tour in over 25 years and definitely the biggest journey that we've ever had! We can't think of any better band on Season of Mist roster to promote La France des Maudits!"


Tickets are available here.





Dates:


September
28 - Warsaw, Poland - Proxima
29 - Krakow, Poland - Hyde Park


October
1 - Gdansk, Poland - Drizzly Grizzly
2 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
3 - Heidelberg, Germany - Halle02
4 - Ostwald, France - Le Point d'Eau
5 - Seyssinet Pariset, France -  l'ilyade
6 - Torino, Italy - Audiodrome Live Club
7 - Bologna, Italy - Locomotiv
8 - Nuremburg, Germany - Hirsch
9 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Pandora
10 - Bochum, Germaany - Matrix
11 - Wasquehal, France - The Black Lab
12 - Limoges, France - CCM John Lennon
13 - Montpellier, France - @ Rockstore
15 - Villava, Spain - Totem
16 - Ponferrada, Spain - La Vaca
17 - Porto, Portugal - Hard Club
18 - Lisbon, Portugal - Under the Doom Festival
19 - Madrid, Spain - Changó
20 - Seville, Spain - Custom
22 - Murcia, Spain - Gamma
23 - L’Hospitalet, Spain - Salamandra
24 - Toulouse, France - La Cabane
25 - La Mézière, France - Samain Fest (Salle Cassiopée)
26 - Sint Niklaas, Belgium - De Casino
27 - Maastricht, Netherlands - Samhain Festival *without Seth


(Photo - Chantik Photography)







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Guitar hero, Yngwie Malmsteen, has released the new video below, showcasing his Ferrari 308 GTS QV, which is for sale at Walt Grace Vintage cars and guitars in Wynwood. For more on the car sale, head here.





Malmsteen recently announced a string of US tour dates in September / October / November. Support on "The 40th Anniversary Tour" will be provided by Kurt Deimer, who joins the tour on September 27.




Says Malmsteen: "Excited to announce I’ll be embarking on a new USA tour celebrating forty years of my solo career. Can’t wait to see you all on the road - you’re not going to want to miss this." 🎸💥


Tickets are available here.





Dates:


September
26 - Ft Myers, FL - TBA
27 - Clearwater, FL - Capital Theater
28 - Mount Dora, FL - Mount Dora Music Hall
29 - Tallahassee, FL - The Moon


October
2 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater
4 - Plattsburgh, NY - Srand Center
5 - Pawtucket, RI - The Met
6 - New Haven, CT - Toads Place
7 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur
9 - York, PA - Double Barrel Roadhouse
10 - Woodstock, NY - Colony Woodstock
11 - Millville, NJ - Levoy Theater
12 - Buffalo, NY - Electric City Music Hall
13 - St Charles, IL - Arcada Theater
16 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
18 - Tacoma, WA - Temple Theater
19 - Dalles, OR - Granada Theater
20 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
22 - Roseville, CA - Goldfields
24 - Los Angeles, CA - Saban Theater
25 - Anaheim, CA - Grove
26 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
27 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
30 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom


November
1 - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa Theater
2 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
3 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live
4 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
5 - Dallas, TX - Trees
7 - Covington, KY - Madison Theater
8 - Lorain, OH - Lorain Place
9 - Columbus, OH - King Of Clubs
10 - Leesburg, VA - Tallyho Theater
14 - Ashland, KY - Paramount Arts Center
15 - Oakmont, PA - Oaks Theater
16 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theater
18 - New York, NY - Grammercy







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5X Platinum-selling and Juno Award-winning rock outfit, Finger Eleven, reveal the music video for their latest single, “Adrenaline”, a rousing, intense anthem about banding together, even in tough times, to push forward, released digitally earlier this month via Better Noise Music. Watch it streaming below.





“Adrenaline” was one of the Most Added tracks in the US and is quickly climbing up the Active Rock charts. In Canada, it achieved the #1 Most Added spot for two consecutive weeks and is currently in the Top 10 at #9 on the Canadian Active Rock chart, making it the most-increased song this week.




Listen/download “Adrenaline” here.





One of the best-selling Canadian bands of all time, Finger Eleven - Scott Anderson (vocals), James Black (lead guitar, backing vocals), Rick Jackett (rhythm guitar), Sean Anderson (bass), and Steve Molella (drums) - recently crossed 1 billion overall career streams, averaging 5 million streams per week. The Toronto-based band have released a series of consecutive hit albums and chart-topping singles including “One Thing,” “Paralyzer,” and “Together Right,” which topped the radio charts for five weeks in a row at #1.   


Finger Eleven is currently on tour across North America with rock icons Creed on their “Summer of ‘99” tour which features additional interchanging support from Three Doors Down, Daughtry, Switchfoot, Tonic, and Big Wreck. The band will make a stop at Louder Than Life festival during the jaunt and will also appear as direct support to Creed back in Canada for two arena shows in November.


Dates and tickets here.


(Photo - Jesse Milns)







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CLEANBREAK, the project consisting of powerhouse singer James Durbin and guitarist Mike Flyntz (RIOT V),will release its second album, "We Are The Fire", on October 11 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Since their 2022 debut album "Coming Home", CLEANBREAK has continued to craft music that pays homage to more traditional American heavy metal sounds like RIOT and FIFTH ANGEL. "We Are The Fire" continues that trajectory, again showing off the immense talent of both Durbin and Flyntz. They are joined by Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDGE OF FOREVER, HARDLINE, VANDEN PLAS) on bass, keyboards, and backing vocals while Nicholas Papapicco (ROBIN MCAULEY, TOBY HITCHCOCK) completes the lineup on drums.

About the album, Durbin comments: "This is a great collection of songs that I had the pleasure of singing and interpreting. Mike Flyntz is an absolute beast on guitar and it's been an honor working with him. Thank you to all of our collective fans and the CLEANBREAK fans. We love making music for you!"

Watch the new lyric video for "Warrior's Anthem" below.

"We Are The Fire" track list:

01. Warrior's Anthem
02. Never Gone
03. Unbreakable
04. Can't Lose Hope
05. Breathless
06. Deal With Yourself
07. Love Again
08. Bide Our Time
09. Start To Breathe
10. We Are The Fire
11. Resilience In Our Souls

Durbin's signature vocal prowess and commanding stage presence have earned him praise from rock and metal legends such as Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar and Rob Halford, and he continues to evolve as an artist, pushing the boundaries of heavy metal while staying true to its roots.

His journey into the music industry gained widespread attention during his appearance on season 10 of "American Idol", where he fearlessly championed heavy metal. Throughout his career, Durbin has collaborated with an impressive array of musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Don Was, Zakk Wylde, Sheryl Crow, Tom Jones, Mick Mars of MÖTLEY CRÜE, Bob Babbitt of THE FUNK BROTHERS and STEEL PANTHER, among others.

CLEANBREAK's recording lineup:

James Durbin - vocals
Mike Flyntz - guitars
Alessandro Del Vecchio - bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Nicholas Papapicco - drums

SUM 41's Deryck Whibley has shot down rumors that he is joining LINKIN PARK.

Speculation that Whibley would front a reactivated LINKIN PARK was fueled largely by the fact that Deryck's social media teased yesterday (August 26) that he would be making some kind of announcement on Wednesday, August 28, seemingly coinciding with the countdown on LINKIN PARK's social media channels, set to expire on the same day.

Earlier today, Deryck released the following statement: "I feel the need to dispel some current rumors.

"It's been brought to my attention that many people think I could be joining a reuniting band. But I just want to say, despite popular belief, I am not joining OASIS… or LINKIN PARK. Or any other band for that matter.

"I have my own 'tour and book' announcement that I will now move to the end of the week, ahead of our U.S. tour.

"I do look forward to seeing whatever both these amazing bands do in the future."

LINKIN PARK launched the mysterious 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. The countdown timer is scheduled to end on Wednesday, August 28 at 11:00 a.m. PDT.

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.".

SUM 41 is currently in the middle of a farewell tour and will play its final shows in January 2025.
pic.twitter.com/CubWKY1Y5J

— Sum 41 (@Sum41) August 27, 2024

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Todd La Torre said that he has been embraced as the singer of QUEENSRŸCHE by most of the band's fans, more than a decade after he joined the group as the replacement for original frontman Geoff Tate.

"Look, any time you have a singer change in a band, especially one where the singer was a huge part of that sound, you're gonna have people that, right off the bat, they're just gonna be very skeptical," Todd explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "They're not gonna like it. It bothers their feelings because they have all these memories with that band, with that singer, with those songs and that voice. And I totally get it. And yeah, there's times where we play shows and some guy's got his arms crossed, like 'Impress me, bro' kinda look. Like, shitty-looking attitudes. And I'll look right at 'em and I'll go, 'Smile dude. We're having a good time.' And they won't even smile at me back. And then, a couple songs later, I'll reach out like that to fist bump them, and they'll do it — nine times out of ten they'll do it. And they see, like, 'Hey, this guy's all right.' Their guard is down a little more and they're a little more receptive to just listening to the vocal on its own merit.

"Let's say that I had a recording of the original singer's voice pumping through the P.A. and I was faking it to his voice. People would still say, 'Ugh, he sucks,'" La Torre continued. "It's, like, you're literally hearing the original guy. I would love to do that as a test one day as a spoof, but I wouldn't. And then after a while, people are, like, 'All right. That was really good.'

"I'm never gonna be the original guy, and that's okay," Todd said. "I told that to Geoff when I saw him in Spain [in 2017 when Tate had a chance encounter with his former bandmates at a festival]. We talked, and I told him what I told him. I said, 'Yeah, I can hit the high notes, but you're the original guy. You recorded some of the best records ever. I don't care if you ever sing another high note again. You don't have anything to prove as far as I'm concerned.' But it's everybody else that tries to compare and pit people against each other. And he said I sounded amazing. So to the people that wanna say I don't, your boy is saying I sound really good. And at the end of the day, man, I know when I sing well, and I know when I have a bad night or an off night.

"There are people, a lot of times, that say, 'Hey, I owe you an apology.' I don't even know who they are," La Torre added. "'I said some really horrible things about you. And I didn't wanna like you, but you won me over, and I'm a fan now.' Awesome. And those people will champion you 10 times harder because they were, like, 'Oh, I didn't like him either, but you've gotta listen to this,' or, 'You haven't heard what he did with that,' or whatever. And let's be honest, we play everything in the standard tuning. Some people say, 'Oh, he can't hit those notes.' Yeah, I can. I do it every night."

Asked to explain what it means when he says that QUEENSRŸCHE plays all of its songs in "the standard tuning", Todd said: "Most guitars are just, you strum and they're just E — standard tuning… And listen, back then, '80s and rock was very much always in E — maybe E flat where you downtune it a half step. And singers that struggle a lot of times will say, 'Hey, we're gonna need to tune this one down.' So the song, all the music gets tuned down. You tune the music, the key, the instruments down a little. And then when you play those same chords, you play the guitar the same way, but it's just a little bit in a lower key, and so it makes it easier for a lot of singers to sing those songs still, just not in the standard tuning that they were originally recorded… There's nothing wrong with that, if that's what you have to do to to make it work. What's not cool is when you act like you didn't do it, and there are singers that do that, or it's frustrating when people will say, 'Oh,' whatever band it is, 'that guy's still hitting the notes like the record.' And they don't realize that, no, he's not. It's tuned down. It's not the same. And you can compare 'em — you can 'A-B' 'em and listen. You think he's killing these high notes. He's not. He's singing lower note that still sound good, but let's make no mistake. It's not how it was recorded. And again, that's fine. There might be a point in my life where, yeah, I can't do that. But you can still sing it really, really well. At 50 years old, I still — when I feel good and I'm not ill and tired and everything — I can sing all the QUEENSRŸCHE stuff in standard tuning and it's fine. It's not a big deal."

QUEENSRŸCHE recently announced the fall 2024 U.S. leg of "The Origins Tour".

Although QUEENSRŸCHE would score multi-platinum albums and hit singles over their career, their fans have developed an undeniable love for the group's early releases, the 1983 EP and 1984's "The Warning" album, when they helped trailblaze a style of rock that combined elements of metal and prog. And for the first time ever, QUEENSRŸCHE is performing both classic releases in their entirety as part of "The Origins Tour".

QUEENSRŸCHE's sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance", came out in October 2022 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's latest studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past seven years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

Image and performance video credit: Eclipse
What's Up W/ Todd La Torre? - Let's chat

Subscribe to Todd's Youtube Channel https://t.co/6ell6sH9hY
And Follow on Facebook, X@ToddLaTorrepic.twitter.com/vDlVX14Cy8

— The Metal Voice (@themetalvoice) August 25, 2024

In a new interview with ProMark Drumsticks, legendary extreme metal drummer Gene Hoglan reflected on assisting Dave Lombardo during the recording sessions for SLAYER's 1984 EP "Haunting The Chapel". Since Lombardo's drum kit was placed on a concrete floor during the recording sessions for the EP, it kept sliding around all over the floor. The solution was to enlist Hoglan's services to physically hold down the drums while Dave pounded away.

"It's a pretty well-known story," Hoglan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "It's been told a million times. When SLAYER was in the studio for the 'Haunting The Chapel' record. I was there with them. Dave's kick drum was walking as he was trying to record 'Chemical Warfare'. And that's a legendary SLAYER song. And so Dave was, like, 'Hey, my bass drum is walking. Can somebody come out and, like, just hold my kick drums in place?' And sure enough, eight heads turned to me and said, 'You're the drummer. You get out there.' So I'm down there on my hands and knees. I'm holding on to his kick.' And that tom [that Dave used for] that famous roll [in the beginning of the song], that thing was right over my head. And Dave was using Evans — they were either red or purple hydraulic heads. He had concert toms. Concert toms, meaning you don't have a bottom head. So it was really easy to see right up in there and see the drumstick that far from my face. I just remember, I was like, 'God, Dave, I sure hope that you nail this in like one or two takes, 'cause if we're gonna be here for a couple hours, oh, God, I'm gonna die.' Sure enough, him being Dave Lombardo, he nails it in one take, but that's always my memory. Every time I hear 'Chemical Warfare', I remember that stick going, 'Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,' right above my head. Pretty fun story for a 16-year-old."

Lombardo later recalled that "Gene wasn't just holding my kit together — he was coaching me. He was an amazing double-bass player even back then. He really helped me out."

Hoglan is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms (using what he calls "kick triplets"). His highly technical playing is extremely accurate at very high and challenging tempos, earning him the nicknames "The Atomic Clock" and "Human Drum Machine". He is best known for his works with Devin Townsend, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TESTAMENT and FEAR FACTORY.

Hoglan got his first drum kit when he was 13 and is completely self-taught. He started jamming along to his KISS and RUSH records. In 1984, Hoglan began his music career as a roadie (lights engineer) for the thrash metal band SLAYER, where he also played the drums during concert soundchecks. He was also part of the band WAR GOD with Michelle Meldrum. At the end of the same year he was asked to join the thrash metal band DARK ANGEL as the drummer. He penned most of the lyrics for DARK ANGEL's next three albums. He achieved greater fame during the mid-1990s playing with DEATH, at the same time that bandleader Chuck Schuldiner was taking that group into a more progressive style. Subsequently, he recorded several albums with the thrash metal band TESTAMENT, and made the acquaintance of Canadian multi-instrumentalist Devin Townsend, forging a lasting friendship. He has since recorded several albums with Townsend, both as part of the speed/industrial/death metal band STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and under Devin Townsend's name.

For the past decade and a half, Hoglan has been working with DETHKLOK, the band from the animated TV show "Metalocalypse". The show was co-created by stand-up comedian/actor/musician Brendon Small, who also composes or performs all of the music.

Gene joined FEAR FACTORY in 2010 and played on the band's "Mechanize" album.

Dave Lombardo photo credit: Ekaterina Gorbacheva

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, DARK TRANQUILLITY and THE HALO EFFECT frontman Mikael Stanne weighed in on a debate about the variety of dangers A.I. (artificial intelligence) poses, ranging from the small to, potentially, the existential. Asked if it is scary that A.I. can surpass human capabilities in many domains, such as creativity and problem-solving, Mikael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it is, of course. Yeah, I like technology. I like new ideas. I like new progress. But also I was very hopeful. In my teens, when the Internet kind of started happening, I was, like, 'This is the coolest thing ever. It's gonna change the world just because finally we have access to all the information we need. So nobody has to believe anything anymore. We can just know because the information is there. It's like the best library in the world that is open to everyone. And everybody will have kind of access to the same information.' And I dreamt of the world without religion and belief in pseudoscience and all that stuff. And I was, like, 'Oh, man, imagine.' But, of course, the opposite happened. And it's the same here [with A.I.]. I think it can be a great tool, of course, for a lot of people, and I think we will view it as a great tool in the future, but for now, it does seem scary because we know what can be done. In the wrong hands, these are not tools, but — well, they are tools, but for misinformation rather than to help the creative process or something like that. So that part is scary and we need to be very wary of how it's used and also kind of implement these safeguards so that you can easily actually see if it is something that is altered and not an original thing. But let's see. It's exciting because it's new and it's fascinating… And it's really difficult to wrap your head around, because, yeah, every month there's a new version of things coming out that has new features and new things that can do it so much better. So, yeah, these quantum leaps are happening every six months or more, and it's gonna move even faster. So, yeah, it is scary. I talk a lot about it with some of my journalist friends, and they are worried about it too. Sure, you can go, yeah, A.I. is not gonna replace anyone, but maybe a guy who really knows how to use A.I. will replace someone who doesn't."

Stanne added: "You can have some fun with it, sure. But you can also totally just use it for the wrong reasons, or we just make things easier and more streamlined and boring and not creative. And I think that's the scary part. The biggest newspaper here in Gothenburg, they use it on every third article or something like that. And you go, like, 'Oh, yeah. Okay. Is that where we're going now?' Just compiling information, just like a journalist would, but it's faster but it's less of a person there, there's less of a editorial kind of spin on things. And if people are not reading enough as it is now — you only read the headlines in the newspapers and you kind of get the gist and you go, like, 'Yeah, I'm moving on,' your attention span is very limited — then this is not gonna make it any better, for sure."

DARK TRANQUILLITY's latest album, "Endtime Signals", was released on August 16 via Century Media Records.

In July 2023, guitarist Christopher Amott announced his departure from DARK TRANQUILLITY. He said in a statement that there was "no bad blood at all" between him and the other members of DARK TRANQUILLITY and explained that it was "time" for him to concentrate on some new music that he was "very proud of". He has since been replaced on the road by Peter "Pepe" Lyse Karmark (HATESPHERE).

The 46-year-old Amott, who was a founding member of ARCH ENEMY, alongside his brother Michael Amott, officially joined DARK TRANQUILLITY in 2020 after previously being a member of the band's touring lineup since 2017.

Three years ago, DARK TRANQUILLITY parted ways with drummer Anders Jivarp and bassist Anders Iwers.

Jivarp was an original member of DARK TRANQUILLITY, having played on all of the band's releases to date. Iwers joined DARK TRANQUILLITY in 2016 and played on the group's previous two albums, 2016's "Atoma" and 2020's "Moment".

Jivarp and Iwers have since been replaced by Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (IN MOURNING, WOLVES WITHIN) and Christian Jansson (GRAND CADAVER, PAGANDOM),respectively.

On August 17, Myrkur performed at the 2024 edition of Germany's Summer Breeze festival in Dinkelsbühl. You can now watch professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set, courtesy of ARTE Concert.


Setlist:


"Bålfærd"
"Like Humans"
"Mothlike"
"Spine"
"Valkyriernes Sang"
"Dybt i Skoven"
"The Serpent"
"Blazing Sky"
"Devil in the Detail"
"Leaves of Yggdrasil"
"Odins Sang"
"Ulvinde"












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Speed/thrash metal band, MindWars, will release their fifth album, appropriately titled V, on September 9. A lyric video for the track "Crusaders" can be viewed below:


V is the culmination of 10 years of collaboration and dedication of the band to revitalize old school thrash with the taste and aggression of toady’s music. The band is a three-piece conglomeration of varied influences with a common goal to create music they love and hope you will too.


MindWars was formed at the end of 2013 after Mike Alvord (formerly of Holy Terror) and Roby Vitari (formerly of Headcrasher) reconnected through social media. The two met by chance in 1989 when Holy Terror was touring with Exodus and Nuclear Assault.




Roby brought in a juggernaut of a guitarist Danny “Z” Pizzi to play bass. The three managed to record and produce two solid albums (The Enemy Within - 2014 and Sworn To Secrecy - 2016, which was engineered by the mighty Bill Metoyer). In 2017, Roby decided to relocate to Newport Beach, CA and the band soon found that having Danny still in Italy was impossible for the band to play live shows. In 2019, the band decided to hand over the bass duties to the veteran, Rick Zaccaro.


The band proceeded to write and record their highly acclaimed album The Fourth Turning and Danny taking on the role of second guitar. Due to various circumstances and the fact that Danny still lived in Italy, the band decided to continue on as a three piece and toured Japan in the fall of 2024, which culminated at True Thrash Fest 2024 with a co-headlining spot alongside Cyclone.


The Fourth Turning was released during the dog days of COVID and the band immediately started writing new material. Prior to COVID, the band also had a mini-US tour (opening one show for Raven).


The fifth album, V, was recorded during the first few months of 2024 and is slated to be released in September, just in time for MindWars to support their best album yet on their upcoming European Tour, which will end with a performance at the 2024 Storm Crusher Festival.





Tracklisting:


"Stand Guard At The Gates Of Your Mind"
"Live To Die"
"Beneath The Trees"
"Crusaders"
"The Road To Madagascar"
"West Of Nowhere"
"Chasing The Wind"
"Source Of Destruction"
"Into The Known"
"Vultures Of The Eighth Wonder"
"The Logical Song"


"Crusaders" lyric video:





"Stand Guard At The Gates Of Your Mind" lyric video:













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