Earlier in the month, it was announced that the original 1991 lineup of Swedish death metal pioneers GRAVE — Ola Lindgren (guitar, vocals),Jörgen Sandström (vocals, guitar),Jens "Jensa" Paulsson (drums) and Jonas Torndal (bass) — will reunite for a series of concerts in 2025 during which they will perform "an exclusive old-school set" consisting of material from the first three classic GRAVE albums: 1991's "Into The Grave", 1992's "You'll Never See..." and 1994's "Soulless". The first confirmed performance will take place at the Party.San Metal Open Air festival at Flugplatz Obermehler in Schlotheim, Germany in August 2025.

Now, Lindgren has taken to GRAVE's social media to offer "some clarity" to what the upcoming shows will entail. He wrote: "Many thanks to all of you who commented on last weeks announcement and who are as excited about this as we are. Lets bring some clarity to what this 'reunion' is about.

"So early this year I was approached by the other 3 original members for a meeting. It resulted in the plan to do a couple of rehearsals for fun to see if we were first of all capable and also of course if we enjoyed jamming again.

"I would say that playing together after all these decades went far beyond anyone's expectations so we decided to try get some shows booked and here we are.

"This is initially a plan for festival shows during 2025. At the moment there are no plans to do any touring or recording new material with this lineup but who knows where this might lead us...

"The GRAVE that imploded last year is not dead and buried, it is simply put on ice.

"Tomas [Lagrén, drums] is definitely not fired from the band and it will be his decision if he wants to be a part of any future GRAVE endevours when that time comes."

One of the very first Swedish death metal bands alongside NIHILIST, MORBID and TREBLINKA, GRAVE released its first demo in 1986 under the band name CORPSE, before they switched to GRAVE in 1988. GRAVE's debut album, "Into The Grave", arrived in August 1991 through the then-young record label Century Media.

Lindgren told the "Swedish Death Metal" book by Daniel Ekeroth about how GRAVE landed its record deal: "We sent our third demo to just every label there was. A lot of them kept in touch, such as Earache and Peaceville. But Century Media was working faster than any of them, so we just went with them without thinking too much about it. Century Media invited us down to Germany to record that single ('Tremendous Pain'),and it was only after that we started to discuss a deal. It felt amazing for us to go abroad, so in a way they lured us into their roster! But it turned out well."

After Century Media and GRAVE parted ways after seven albums with the release of 2006's "As Rapture Comes", the band launched two highly acclaimed albums, "Dominium VIII" (2008) and "Burial Ground" (2010) through Regain, before reuniting with Century Media for 2012's "Endless Procession Of Souls" and 2015's "Out Of Respect For The Dead".

In 2019, GRAVE teamed up with Century Media Records to bring back the albums "Dominion VIII" and "Burial Ground" as classy, limited colored and black vinyl editions, hand-numbered digipak CDs limited to 3,000 copies each, and digitally. Remastered in 2019 by Lindgren and mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel of Temple Of Disharmony, these records offer crushing and savage GRAVE tracks that fully live up to the group's morbid legacy.

This past January, GRAVE parted ways with bassist Tobias Cristiansson and guitarist Mika Lagrén.

Many thanks to all of you who commented on last weeks announcement and who are as excited about this as we are. Lets...

Posted by Grave on Tuesday, August 20, 2024

GRAVA will release their ominous sophomore album, “The Great White Nothing”, on September 27th 2024 via Aesthetic Death (CD), Vinyltroll Records (LP) and Evil Noise (MC).

The first single, “Decimate”, is now streaming HERE.

The Faroese/Danish trio’s debut album, “Weight of a God” (2022), showcased a violent yet atmospheric type of sludge metal that was simultaneously raw in its execution and disciplined in terms of songwriting. Its follow-up continues in the same vein while adding a touch of nuance and depth to the vicious soundscape. Like its predecessor, the album was produced by Troels Damgaard Holm and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.

Though not a concept album, the album kicks off with two tracks (“Erebus” and “White Thresher”) that revolve around the same event: the tragic Franklin Expedition, which in 1845 ventured to the northernmost Arctic to explore the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The expedition was a disaster; both ships (HMS Erebus and HMS Terror) were lost, and all 128 crew members perished in the great white nothing to which the title and cover refer.


Throughout the album, GRAVA expand their lyrical universe, and the bleak sludge metal is accompanied by tales of a heartbreaking execution of a Swedish nobleman in 1707 (“Breaker”), a tragic train accident in the outskirts of Copenhagen in 1897 (“Mangled”), and a soldier’s final chaotic moments in one of the countless muddy trenches of World War I (“Bayonet”).

Just like on their debut album, GRAVA do not attempt to tell stories from A to Z but instead attempt to capture moments of death as seen through the eyes of the dying. The effect is a musical and lyrical drama that appears fragmented and intense but also surprisingly disciplined in terms of songwriting. In a genre often characterized by long songs, GRAVA never lose grip on their compositions, and although “The Great White Nothing” is full of interesting musical ideas, the tracks rarely extend far beyond the three-minute mark.

Tracklist:

1. Erebus
2. White Thresher
3. Decimate
4. Breaker
5. The Fall
6. Mangled
7. Bayonet
8. Ceasefire
9. Hinterlands

The 15th-anniversary expanded reissue of MASTODON's seminal "Crack The Skye" album will be made available on October 4. The reissue includes a remastered version of the original album, as well as instrumental versions of all the tracks that appear on the LP.

The Blu-ray disc includes "Crack The Skye: 10th Anniversary Animations", "Crack The Skye: The Movie" and "The Making Of Crack The Skye". The box also includes a 24"x24" poster, 10"x10" sheet with four individual custom-designed magnets and a 12-page 12"x12" booklet.

All editions feature re-imagined artwork from MASTODON's longtime collaborator Paul Romano.

Originally released in March 2009, MASTODON's fourth album features "Oblivion", "Divinations", "The Last Baron" and more.

The LP's title pays tribute to drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor's late sister Skye.

In 2019, MASTODON celebrated the tenth anniversary of "Crack The Skye" by playing the album in its entirety on tour. The band also released a range of "Crack The Skye" merchandise, including a picture disc of the record, t-shirt, jacket, poster and more. In addition, MASTODON released a documentary detailing how they made the landmark album.

MASTODON recorded "Crack The Skye" in June 2008 at Atlanta's Southern Tracks studio with veteran producer Brendan O'Brien (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PEARL JAM, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS).

"We worked with Matt Bayles on our first three records because he was a good friend and has a good ear," MASTODON vocalist-bassist Troy Sanders told Revolver magazine. "But Brendan is great at helping out with musical patterns and vocal approaches. Working with him was crucial for making the kind of record we wanted to make."

MASTODON recently launched a North American tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of another album, 2004's "Leviathan". The trek, which is scheduled to conclude August 31, is co-headlined by LAMB OF GOD.

METALLICA has made a $40,000 donation to People Serving People, Minnesota's largest organization that provides services for people and families experiencing homelessness, through the band's All Within My Hands foundation.

On Monday (August 19),the non-profit posted on Instagram: "Wow! Talk about Give me fuel, give me fire! METALLICA just invested $40,000 through their All Within My Hands Foundation to People Serving People when they visited Minneapolis. Gifts like this make programs like financial literacy, emergency assistance, and high-quality childcare possible at People Serving People.

"Thank you, METALLICA, for fueling our work, firing up our community, and helping the families at our shelter achieve their desires!"

People Serving People's Amanda Finman-Palmer told KARE 11 about METALLICA's donation: "For us, it's really, really exciting to be recognized like that. Clearly they did some research and thought, 'This organization is doing some really exciting stuff."

Finman-Palmer added that portions of the $40,000 may go to People Serving People's Savings Match Program, financial literacy classes or the Emergency Assistance Fund.

Through All Within My Hands, METALLICA donates a portion of all ticket sales back into the communities visited in each city. In partnership with local promoters, the Foundation has been working diligently to find organizations that align with the AWMH mission and actively put funds to use to better the lives of people in need.

All Within My Hands was established in 2017 by METALLICA to invest in the people and places that have supported the band. It also allows METALLICA's fans to engage in philanthropy and volunteerism. The Foundation is dedicated to creating sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. All expenses of the Foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends so that 100 percent of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

The METALLICA family and the All Within My Hands foundation board members are committed to running an organization of the highest integrity where expenses are kept to a minimum and are paid for entirely by the band, the board, and friends who have worked with the band over many years and are excited to help in this mission. As such, 100% of all donations from fans and third parties go to the organizations AWMH supports.

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Ice cold Finnish modern metal band ARCTIS have announced their self-titled debut album, set for release via Napalm Records on November 1, 2024. Drawing inspiration from the mythical winters and mystical summers of the North, the Finnish metal minds of talented misfits ARCTIS fearlessly navigate their futuristic battleship through a treacherous ocean where ferocious waves of Metal clash against reefs of Rock and Pop, birthing a sonic assault of epic proportions. To celebrate the announcement of their debut album, the first single “I’ll Give You Hell” and their first official music video ever, has been released. The song explores the complexities of romance with their catchy anthem.

ARCTIS fuses nature and technology, inspired by Finland’s seasonal extremes, capturing the imagination of fans through storytelling that goes beyond the music itself. Led by the enigmatic Alva, the eternal Ice Queen Rebel Leader who shines with an ethereal presence, the band is rounded out by the formidable Björn the Captain, Michael the Magician, Mats the Rambler and Mika the Sage. ARCTIS creates a dynamic and captivating energy and elevates to new heights.

With their talent, the band will soon head out on a tour with Finnish symphonic metal masters Apocalyptica, and the band’s self-titled debut album will be released this fall. It was produced by Jimmy Westerlund (Sturm und Drang), mixed by Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein), and mastered by Svante Forsbäck (Rammstein). Join ARCTIS on a thrilling adventure that combines elements of both nature and technology!

ARCTIS comment on their new single:
“We’re excited to drop our debut track and music video, “I’ll Give You Hell,” a powerful anthem that was one of the first songs we ever wrote. This release marks the start of something big, and we can’t wait to share more of what we’ve been working on. Stay tuned—this is just the beginning!”

ARCTIS is led by the enigmatic Alva, the eternal Ice Queen Rebel Leader, whose mesmerizing voice and shining white battle suit give her an ethereal, almost otherworldly presence that captures the imagination of fans. The dark-clad, valiant men who move beside Alva include the formidable Björn the Captain, whose unwavering leadership skills inspire the band to greatness, Michael the Magician, whose mystical abilities and lightning-fast fingers leave audiences spellbound, Mats the Rambler, whose wild and untamed spirit infuses the band’s music with a sense of reckless abandon, and Mika the Sage, whose deep wisdom and profound insights elevate ARCTIS‘ message to new heights. Together, these legendary figures create a dynamic and captivating energy that defines ARCTIS‘ unique brand of metal and makes them exceptional.

Drawing inspiration on northern themes as metaphors, Arctis explores mental struggles and the internal battles within modern chaos. The strong opener, “I’ll Give You Hell”, delves into the complexities of romance, highlighting the inevitable downfall that arises from a relationship, where honesty and commitment are lacking. With its original version already amassing 5 million streams to date, Finnish modern metal act ARCTIS is set to add to the song’s impressive reception with the release of their own rendition of “Bimbo (Lambretta Cover)”! With a 2000s pop-rock vibe, “Remedy” addresses drug addiction and the steep price one is willing to pay for it. The mystical “Tell Me Why” paints a starry landscape of anger and self-deception while the enchanting “Frozen Swan” showcases personal musical talent while exploring the concept of self-freedom. This smoothly transitions into the upbeat “Fire”, which explores the risks of drug consumption, before flowing seamlessly into “When The Lights Go Out” lyrically exploring nocturnal metaphors through vivid passages. Closing the album, “Theatre Of Tragedy” features powerful guitar riffs, underscoring the limitations of personal human struggle.

Whether through music, artwork, or storytelling, ARCTIS creates a multi-dimensional world that fans can immerse themselves in and explore, transcending genre boundaries and offering a truly unique experience. Prepare for an onslaught of powerful riffs, epic melodies, and the raw energy that has never been seen before!


ARCTIS about their debut album:
“The moment we’ve been dreaming of is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you all! It’s been a long road, filled with hard work, late nights, and an unbreakable passion for music, but we’re thrilled to announce that our first single is out, our debut album is on the way, and we’re hitting the road for our first tour!

Now, we’re ready to take on the world, bring our music to life on stage, and connect with each and every one of you. This is just the beginning, and we’re so happy to have you with us as we start this next chapter.

Get ready, because we’re coming in full force – and we can’t wait to see you on the road!”

Pre-Order Arctis HERE

Arctis tracklisting:
1. I’ll Give You Hell
2. Bimbo
3. Remedy
4. Tell Me Why
5. Frozen Swan
6. WWM
7. Fire
8. Child Of The Night
9. When The Lights Go Out
10. No Slave
11. Theatre Of Tragedy

Finnish classic rock band THE GRAMMERS traveled to Rockfield Studios in Wales to record their eighth album in the footsteps of mammoths. Now the album, named after the studio made famous by Queen and Rush, is previewed again with ‘DNA’ single and video. The music video was shot at Rockfield Studios Quadrangle yard – the same exact location Rush recorded ‘A Farewell to Kings’ – and in midst of the sessions by Petri Vilén.

The upcoming album was mainly recorded live and on analog in Monmouth, Wales, and many top international mixers and professionals eventually participated in its making. The second track of the upcoming album represents the heavier side of the album and is a brutal fast rocker with a melancholic, yet energetic vibe and groove. The song was mixed at Fascination Street in Sweden by Jens Bogren (Amorphis, Kreator, Dimmu Borger, Sepultura) and mastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound in Nashville.

The Grammers, founded in Säkylä, Finland in 1999, are the northern torchbearers of classic rock.The band is known as an extremely strict and uncompromising live act. The band’s strengths are based on the interpretation of Hannu Vainionpää – one of the most talented heavy rock vocalists in Finland, the highly refined and catchy composition work, and the virtuoso mastery of vintage instruments by its members.

Hannu commented on the recording process of the album as follows:
“Rockfield had a pretty magical atmosphere (even if it sounds cliché); a quiet enclosed yard, nice local people, the right kind of atmosphere that helped to focus on what was essential, i.e. making the record. It was nice to stay and watch the horses and cows in the pasture and play a little bit of billiards and table tennis on session breaks. All in all, the atmosphere was very homely. When I found out that I was going to sing to the same microphone that Ronnie James Dio sang – of course, it sent chills down my spine for a moment. That we are now part of a certain kind of great continuum. And I think you can hear it both on this first single and also on the whole album. It was a great time, a great session, good memories. And it really couldn’t have gone any better!”

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire",LAMB OF GOD frontman D. Randall "Randy" Blythe spoke about his second book, "Just Beyond The Light: Living With The War Inside My Head", which is due on February 18, 2025 via Hachette Books. It will be the follow-up to his 2015 book "Dark Days: A Memoir", which focused on his ordeal in a Czech Republic prison and his subsequent acquittal.

Asked if "Just Beyond The Light" picks up where "Dark Days" left off or if it's a completely different book, Randy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a completely different book. It's a collection of — I wouldn't call 'em essays, but different chapters about, basically different people and experiences who have [changed] my perspective for the better.

"As I get older, I try not to make the same stupid mistakes again and again and again and again," he explained. "And surprise, surprise, if you look at people who — you look at them and you think, 'Man, this person has their life together,' or, 'They've acted in a manner that I find admirable,' if you pay attention to them and follow their example, you don't do stupid things yourself. I'm not saying that I don't still do stupid things, but I'm trying fully in my old age to learn from others more."

When Radioactive MikeZ noted that it's "interesting" that Randy actually interviewed his then-94-year-old grandmother for the book, Blythe said: "Yeah, she passed away. There's a chapter. Well, I didn't interview her for the book. I interviewed her because she was 94. She lived to be a hundred and a half. And there's a whole chapter about her. She raised me for part of my childhood and she was raised during the The [Great] Depression. She did not screw around. She was a very real person who lived through a whole lot. But I interviewed her when she was 94, just for the fact that I heard so many stories from her of growing up in a different time. And I was, like, 'She's not gonna be here forever. I might as well get all this stuff down,' just for my own purposes and for my family to have. She was the last of that generation in my family. So when I started to write this book on perspective and people I've learned things from, she was a natural choice. Luckily, I had that interview to draw on. So if you have old people in your life — this is what I'm gonna tell you — if you have old people in your life, interview them now… I'm gonna have to do that with my parents soon. I mean, they're not ancient or anything, but your memory starts failing as you get older. So it's time to get that stuff before it disappears."

"Just Beyond The Light: Living With The War Inside My Head" is described by the publisher as "a riveting and revelatory memoir about self-development and maintaining proper prospective through difficult times."

In "Dark Days", Blythe unflinchingly wrote about some of the most harrowing episodes of his past. Now, in his highly anticipated follow-up, Randy shares how he works daily to maintain positivity in a world that feels like it is spinning out of control. In his own words, "Just Beyond The Light" is a "tight, concise roadmap of how I have attempted to maintain what I believe to be a proper perspective in life, even during difficult times." Written with a scathing balance of hard-edged reality offset by a knowing humor and a razor-sharp wit, voiced in in his inimitable, conversational, everyman-philosopher style, Blythe clearly breaks down his approach to life, which is a personal and idiosyncratic mix of sobriety, art, and surfing. He writes movingly of his childhood in the South, of fallen friends, of what he's learned touring the world as the vocalist of a successful heavy metal band, and of the very real ways he is doing what he can to leave the world a better place. Above all, he offers readers hope that balance, real balance, is possible, even (or especially) when things seem hopeless.

Compelling, compassionate, and refreshingly honest, "Just Beyond The Light" ultimately reminds readers that "as long as we keep our feet (and minds) planted firmly on the ground that is reality, the sky isn't falling — it never has been, and it never will."

Blythe told RVA Magazine about "Just Beyond The Light": "It is about trying to maintain a balanced perspective in the world right now, and in order for me to do that, I have to look to other people I admire. One of those people I write about is my grandmother, who was 94. I was beside her when she died, and I was grateful for that because it was post-COVID. I interviewed her over the course of two days and learned about her life. I asked her what the biggest difference is between [her generation] the modern age we're in right now — she didn't say computers or globalism; she said people are not as close as they used to be."

Asked if he feels like we've lost that sense of interpersonal connection between people," Randy said: "In many ways, but I don't think it's totally gone. I think it's dormant. I think it's buried under the iCloud of bullshit, and it's going to come back and bite us on the ass. In one way or another, you're going to need help. People don't know their neighbors; there's not the sense of community there used to be. In this hyper-connected world, people are lonelier than ever — particularly young people. They're interfacing with the world through this digital medium, and it's providing an illusion of connection, but real connection requires friction. There has to be a push and pull when you're in person, and that is absent via digital communications when there is a wall of anonymity."

Last month, Blythe was asked by Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights if the upcoming book is "a memoir of sorts", similar to "Dark Days". Randy said: "I don't know if you'd call it a memoir. It's a collection of — not essays, I would guess, but individual chapters that are self-contained stories. It was a lot harder to write than my last book. 'Cause the last book, there's a narrative arc and I knew exactly what was gonna happen. I knew the story. I had already lived it. When I started writing this book, I had ideas about what I wanted to say, but I wasn't exactly sure what ground I was gonna cover. So, it was a lot harder. The last one, I had the roadmap in front of me. This one, it was a little bit more open-ended. And it's a shorter book — thank God."

"['Dark Days' is] around 500 pages," he continued. "My contract called for 80 to 100 thousand words. I turned in 257 thousand words, so he had to amputate a bunch of shit. I can get a little bit longwinded. My editor reined it in this time, which I was very happy about. I need someone to rein me in. It's like in a band when you need a producer."

Blythe explained that he wanted "Dark Days: A Memoir" to be different from other rock autobiographies by not focusing exclusively on LAMB OF GOD and the band's touring lifestyle.

"Long after LAMB OF GOD is done, I will still be writing books," he said. "So when I wrote ['Dark Days'], I wanted to write it, and I know some people were upset there's not more stuff about LAMB OF GOD and heavy metal and all that other bullshit — I wanted the book to be able to be read by a much wider audience than just metalheads, and I wanted it to stand the test of time, be a sort of universal human story that people could read and think about. If I sit there and talk about nothing but touring with this band and getting drunk here and all that, it's gonna be, like, 'Ah, great, whatever. It's another fucking music story.' But one of the most gratifying things about that book to me was that a lot of the reviews said you don't have to be a metal fan to read this, to enjoy this, you don't have to know who the band is to read this, enjoy it. 'Cause I write records for the metal fans; I already do that. I wanna write books, although they [metal fans] are a sizable contingent of the people who bought the book — I wanna write books for everyone."

Back in November 2022, Blythe told Metal Hammer magazine that he was working on two new books. The first was said to be "a long-term project" called "Frontman", which, as its title suggests, focuses on other people who share his profession. The second was a sort-of sequel to "Dark Days: A Memoir".

"The last book was about personal accountability," Randy explained at the time. "The vehicle to that was the story about me getting arrested and going to trial. This book is about perspective — the core theme is perspective and changing it to a healthy one. In recent years, I've been listening to other people's perspectives rather than just trying to figure out everything myself, because I'm not going to. The book is a collection of stories about different experiences I've had with people and what I've taken away from those experiences."

In October 2022, Blythe told the Illinois Entertainer that he was working on a new "non-fiction book." He added: "I wanted to write fiction, but my agent said, 'You need another non-fiction book.' And he was pushing me toward what they call, I guess, an 'inspirational memoir' or whatever. So I'm writing this book, and it's about different perspectives from other people that I've tried to incorporate into my own life and take something from. Something positive from — things I have learned from people other than me. And it's been very difficult to maintain any sort of positivity for a while now. It really has."

In May 2022, Blythe was asked by Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show how writing prose is different from writing lyrics. He responded: "Well, they're two different things — two very different things. I always say that writing a book makes writing an album look like going to kindergarten. It is a much more intense, much more sustained [and] much more nerve-racking extended creative effort. There's pros and cons to it, of course. And the thing that I dislike about it, just as a lazy bum, is I'm having to do it all by myself. If there's something bad in the book or it doesn't work, then I can't blame it on my bandmates. 'Cause we're a democracy — we really are a democracy — and if someone is unhappy with something, then we won't move forward with it creatively, if they're really emphatic about that. That being said, we make a lot of compromises with each other in order to work as a band. So, if there's something that I don't particularly like in one of our songs or on an album or a song that I'm not particularly feeling great about but the rest of [the guys] love the song, then I'm, like, 'Oh well. So be it.' It's part of the business of being in a band. And then if it comes out and I still don't like it, I can be, like, 'Well it was their decision, not mine.' When you write a book, if you screw up something or something's not good or something later you review and it doesn't pass muster, that's on you. So it's a bit more nerve-racking. No, conversely, that's kind of the same thing I like about it, because I don't have to bounce my ideas off of anyone else. I say exactly what I want to say without having to go through any sort of filtration process with anyone else — it's just me. So, in a way, it's a much more creative process — or a purely creative process, I would say — because it's just you and the blank page. But it is nerve-racking — it really is. And also, as I get older, I just enjoy quiet more and more and more, and writing is a very quiet and solitary activity — at least it is for me. So I enjoy that. My ears don't ring after writing a book, but they sure as hell do after writing an album."

In July 2021, Blythe said in an Instagram post that he was about to begin writing his second book. The now-53-year-old singer wrote: "It's been six years since my 1st book, Dark Days, came out. I've been kinda busy but I can't screw around any longer- it's finally time to write a new one. The proposal is done, the publishers accepted it, & the contract is hammered out & in the mail.

"Shit- that means I actually have to write this thing! All I'll say is: A) it's another non-fiction book, & B) I just spent over two weeks utterly consumed by writing the freaking introduction. 2,296 words in 15 days- that not a lot, but I want it to be RIGHT. Plus, I'm just stretching the old muscles, getting back in shape for the brutal long haul that lies ahead. The sustained creative heavy lifting required to write a book makes writing the lyrics for an album look like preschool finger painting. Plus, if what you're doing is turning out shitty, you can't just blame the rest of your band. (sorry dudes)

"Most books on writing of are bullshit, collections of pointless 'exercises' from people who haven't sold any other books of their own (I should know, I've bought most of them.) No book on earth is gonna turn you into a good writer. There is no magic pill. Just like playing music, shooting photos, or pursuing any other creative endeavor- the ONLY way to find out if you're any good is to DO IT. You gotta write, & the hardest part of writing is sitting your ass down to do it, & then repeating that process day after day after day."

In 2012, Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with manslaughter for allegedly pushing a 19-year-old fan offstage at a show two year prior and causing injuries that led to the fan's death. Blythe spent 37 days in a Prague prison before ultimately being found not guilty in 2013.

Blythe's prison experience inspired two songs on LAMB OF GOD's 2015 album "VII: Sturm Und Drang": "512", one of his three prison cell numbers, and "Still Echoes", written while he was in Pankrac Prison, a dilapidated facility built in the 1880s that had been used for executions by the Nazis during World War II. It also led him to write the aforementioned "Dark Days", in which he shared his whole side of the story publicly for the first time.

Obsidian Mantra is a Polish death metal band founded in 2014. Their music combines groove-centric, technical riffs with blurred black metal motifs. Avoiding catchy choruses and easy melodies, the band remains faithful to old-school death metal, but does not try to revive a bygone era.

The band’s lyrics focus on man, exploring existentialism, skepticism, individualism and the dark aspects of human nature, such as suffering, addictions, internal conflicts and self-destruction.

Obsidian Mantra is about persistence, consistency and searching for one’s own identity, regardless of momentary trends. The band has gained a reputation for its ability to play in all conditions, always delivering the same powerful load of weight and energy, which they have proven on stages alongside bands such as Vltimas and Suffocation.

Music for upcoming studio album was recorded between March and May 2024. Whole tracks were mixed and mastered by Filip Hałucha at Heinrich House Studio (Hate, Behemoth, Entropia, Masachist) with additional editing by Mateusz Łukasiewicz. Cover artwork and booklet arts by Pilar Martínez. CD layout and band logo by Marcin “Lycan” Smolarek. Band photography by Jakub Tomczak.


New album “As We All Will” will be released digitally and as jewelcase CD, September 27, 2024 in cooperation with Polish music label Via Nocturna. Pre-order is available at webstore.

Tracklist:

1. What Is Not, Is Not 4:09
2. Cult of Depression 3:51
3. Slave Without a Master 3:03
4. Who Will Become a Murderer 4:22
5. Condemned to Oppression 2:56
6. Chaos Will Consume Us All 3:42
7. Sowers of Discord 4:35
8. Weavers of Misery 3:57

Band comments their newest song: “Cult of Depression takes on the contemporary image of mental illness. The song criticizes the romanticization of depression and its presence in (social) media as a trend, where instead of real support and awareness, it’s often just about gaining attention. The lyrics delve into issues of self-isolation, treating mental illness as part of one’s identity, and the false sense of community that comes from a shared void.“

Video to the song “Cult of Depression” at Death Metal Promotion

FOREIGNER, one of the most successful bands in music history, will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this fall. In celebration of this much-deserved honor, the band will release a career-spanning collection that includes "Turning Back The Time", a new song featuring original members Mick Jones and Lou Gramm.

On October 4, Rhino will release "Turning Back The Time" in 2-LP and CD configurations. The music will also be available from digital and streaming platforms on the same day. The new single "Turning Back The Time" debuts today. Listen to it below.

Jones reflects on the band's legacy in a brief note for the collection: "FOREIGNER's membership in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is a priceless highlight of my career… I hope that this collection of the songs that brought us here, along with some later recordings that light our way forward, will mean as much to all who listen to them as they do to me."

Starting with its self-titled debut in 1977, FOREIGNER delivered some of rock's most enduring anthems. "Turning Back The Time" includes the Top 10 hits "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice", "Hot Blooded", "Double Vision" and "Urgent". The set also features the ballads "Waiting For A Girl Like You" and "I Want To Know What Love Is", which reached No. 2 and No. 1 respectively.

The collection mainly draws from FOREIGNER's first six albums, all of which earned platinum status or higher: "Foreigner" (five times platinum),"Double Vision" (seven times platinum),"Head Games" (five times platinum),"4" (six times platinum),"Agent Provocateur" (three times platinum) and "Inside Information" (platinum). To date, FOREIGNER has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide, cementing its status as one of the top-selling bands of all time.

"Turning Back The Time" 2-LP track listing

LP One: Side One

01. Feels Like The First Time
02. Cold As Ice
03. Long, Long Way From Home
04. Hot Blooded
05. Double Vision

Side Two

01. Dirty White Boy
02. Head Games
03. Urgent
04. Waiting For A Girl Like You

LP Two: Side One

01. Juke Box Hero
02. Girl On The Moon
03. I Want To Know What Love Is
04. That Was Yesterday

Side Two

01. Say You Will
02. Can't Slow Down
03. When It Comes To Love
04. The Flame Still Burns
05. Turning Back The Time

Turning Back The Time

CD Track Listing

01. Feels Like The First Time
02. Cold As Ice
03. Long, Long Way From Home
04. Hot Blooded
05. Double Vision
06. Dirty White Boy
07. Head Games
08. Urgent
09. Waiting For A Girl Like You
10. Juke Box Hero
11. Girl On The Moon
12. I Want To Know What Love Is
13. That Was Yesterday
14. Say You Will
15. Can't Slow Down
16. When It Comes To Love
17. The Flame Still Burns
18. Turning Back The Time

This past April, it was revealed that FOREIGNER is among the 2024 inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The induction ceremony will be held on October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will air live on Disney+. An edited version will run on ABC at a later date, and will be available on Hulu the day after.

In an interview with News 8 WROC, Gramm stated about learning that he will be one of Rock Hall class of 2024 inductees: "It was a relief, because we have been eligible for a good long time. And we were wondering if we'd ever be in the Rock Hall Of Fame. We've aspired to be part of it, and it's very satisfying now that we're voted in. And I don't think I don't think we could be any happier."

Shortly after FOREIGNER's Rock Hall induction was first announced, Jones told Billboard that he will have no problems reuniting at the induction ceremony with Gramm, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame with in 2013.

"On a personal level, I have no hard feelings toward Lou," Jones said. "We did perform together at the 40th-anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left FOREIGNER; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life. Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run.

When FOREIGNER was first nominated for the Rock Hall in February, Gramm released a video message expressing his gratitude. In the one-minute clip, which was posted to Lou's social media, the 74-year-old singer said: "I'd like to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the honor of nomination. And I'd like to acknowledge Mick Jones for his courage as he faces Parkinson's. I'd like to thank my friends in the music and the acting industry for their support, especially over the last two or three weeks in helping us to receive the nomination. Now I've seen a lot of the videos and I've definitely been feeling the buzz. It's really exciting and it means a lot. It means a lot to me and all the guys in the band. Now [multi-instrumentalist] Ian McDonald and [bassist] Ed Gagliardi were vital contributing members of the early FOREIGNER, and I know they're somewhere in the hereafter fist pumping and cheering for this nomination."

Earlier that same month, Jones's stepson, Oscar-nominated producer/songwriter Mark Ronson enlisted Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Slash, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme (along with Ronson himself) to create a video campaigning for FOREIGNER's Rock Hall bid.

"Yes, Mick is my stepdad and I love him more than anything," Ronson wrote in a message accompanying the video. "But I'm also a MEGA fan just like Dave, Jack, Slash, Chad and Josh… Enjoy this video and VOTE BABY VOTE!"

In the clip, Homme said: "You want to know what love is? Love is putting FOREIGNER in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame." Smith added: "I can't believe they’re not in already — oh my God."

"I've loved FOREIGNER since I got their debut record," Grohl said. "There's one drum riff that I have used in more than a few songs."

Black sang parts of FOREIGNER's "I Want To Know What Love Is" before pleading, "Hey, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, open the door! FOREIGNER's waiting outside. Let 'em in."

In his Instagram message, Ronson shared a brief history of FOREIGNER's influence, writing: "Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching FOREIGNER make records. I'm still completely in awe of the sound of those first five albums. Guitars with swagger and bite. Heavy drums that groove like a mutha with the bass. Wide layers of synths. And then there’s that voice. And those songs. It's really crazy. It's also kind of crazy that this is the first time they've ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame — after 20 years of eligibility."

He added: "Fun Facts: FOREIGNER are the most played band on classic rock radio to not be in the hall of fame. They've been sung by our fave characters from the Simpsons, The Office, I, Tonya, Stranger Things and Wet Hot American Summer. They've been covered by Diana Ross and Mariah Carey (what the rock band can boast that??). They were sampled and turned into HOT FIRE by M.O.P. (remember that Cold As Ice joint?) and Tone-Loc who used them to concoct some Funky Cold Medina."

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1999 or earlier.

Eligible since 2002, FOREIGNER has had a huge number of rock hits, including "Cold As Ice", "Double Vision", "Hot Blooded", "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Juke Box Hero" and "Urgent", and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, with no wins.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the FOREIGNER members that will get inducted include only the classic-era musicians Jones, Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Gagliardi, Al Greenwood, McDonald and Rick Wills. McDonald and Gagliardi died in 2022 and 2014, respectively.

As two of the leading figures in contemporary progressive music, Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt have treated their fans to all sorts of thrillingly unconventional and atmospheric sounds over the years. But even by their own talismanic standards, the duo's 2012 collaboration as STORM CORROSION exists in its own psychedelic lane of peculiarity, throwing listeners into a world of haunting and unsettling ambience like no other.

Some 12 years on from its original release, the album will be reissued on September 27 via Kscope on LP, CD and Blu-ray forms with a new Dolby Atmos remix by Steven Wilson. It will include a bonus cut of "Drag Ropes" — the only song they've performed live to date — recorded when Mikael guested with Steven and his band at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 2015, plus extra documentary insights and footage. Given how the album clearly holds a special place in the hearts of both of its creators, and naturally their collective army of fans around the world, the new release will be a timely celebration of the ethereal magick encased within its six ground-breaking tracks.

A love letter to the esoteric and abstruse sounds of the past, crossing the mystifying noises of late '60s/early '70s German groups like TANGERINE DREAM and POPOL VUH with the sound of British folk heroes like Nick Drake and Bert Jansch, while also embracing the eclectic oddities of cult figures like Scott Walker, it's the kind of album that takes you on a transcendental journey that you never really come back from. For the two friends, this kind of fierce originality is precisely what they set out to achieve…

"STORM CORROSION was the 2012 album made by myself and Mikael Åkerfeldt of the band OPETH, and one which both of us considered a deeply satisfying artistic success," says Steven. "It remains one of my favorite releases in my whole catalogue. Part of what made it so much fun was that pretty much anything that either of us suggested, the other would agree it should definitely be pursued, no matter how crazy and off the wall it sounded."

That sense of pride is shared by his accomplice Mikael Åkerfeldt, who feels it's easily one of the most experimental, if not bizarre, things either of them have ever recorded, and all the better for it. For him, and countless others, these enigmatic recordings seem to exist in a genre of their own — at times sounding more acoustic and minimalistic, and others infinitely more cerebral and foreboding, but in any case, always intoxicating.

"Throughout all of my years as a musician, it's very rare for me to return to a record I have participated in myself for the sheer listening pleasure alone," notes Mikael. "STORM CORROSION is the exception. It's such a lovely record to me. I can distance myself from my own work on it and just experience it as a fan of its music. Everything about this record is strange in the best way possible."

"We'd talked many times over the years about doing a project with just the two of us," continues Steven. "In 2011 we quietly got together for a week at my studio, and started to make music, not knowing where it would take us, but knowing that the last thing we wanted to do was the obvious. Instead, we found ourselves making an album of weird psychedelic chamber folk music, almost child-like in places, with lots of dissonance, orchestral arrangements and weird bits."

"Storm Corrosion" will be available on the following formats:

* Orange & Purple vinyl 2LP, gatefold packaging, 8-page booklet (includes bonus track live recording of "Drag Ropes" from Royal Albert Hall in 2015)

* Yellow vinyl 2LP, gatefold packaging, 8-page booklet (includes bonus track live recording of "Drag Ropes" from Royal Albert Hall in 2015)

* Black vinyl 2LP, gatefold packaging, 8-page booklet (includes bonus track live recording of "Drag Ropes" from Royal Albert Hall in 2015)

* Blu-ray edition (includes high-resolution stereo, 2024 Dolby Atmos and 5.1 DTS-HD surround audio mixes and instrumental mixes of each track. Also includes a mini album documentary, the promo video for the track "Drag Ropes", alongside two demo versions and an 8-page printed booklet. Additionally, a 2015 live recording of "Drag Ropes" from The Royal Albert Hall when Mikael guested at one of Steven's solo concerts has been newly mixed for this edition)

* CD edition (digipak CD edition includes 8-page printed booklet, plus a bonus track the live recording of "Drag Ropes" from The Royal Albert Hall in 2015)

Its impact was keenly felt the world over — so much so, that there have been on-going calls for a follow-up. It's something both musicians are open to but given how busy they are in their main projects, Steven as a solo artist and Mikael in charge of all things OPETH, whether it happens anytime soon remains to be seen. And if the members of STORM CORROSION do end up working on new material, chances are it will be done behind closed doors, in a similar spirit to their brilliantly leftfield debut.

"I get the notion that some listeners are completely and utterly in love with it," continues Mikael. "I really understand that, since that's how I feel myself. It's strange and crazy in many ways. This record has got something. It's quite unique. I'm so happy to see it available again."

For Steven, who first started working with OPETH as the producer for seminal albums like "Blackwater Park", "Deliverance" and "Damnation", the sheer delight he takes from working with someone as utterly devoted to the surreal and obscure is something he has been continually vocal about. They are kindred spirits, and in more ways than one — this particular masterpiece demonstrating that in the most poignant of ways.

"That security in our collaboration could only have come from a place of mutual respect and admiration, even a sense of awe at what the other was capable of," continues Steven. "We loved the finished result. It had seemed so effortless to make it."

Once it was unveiled to the world, STORM CORROSION created just as much excitement as it did confusion. And as anyone familiar with either of these musicians will know, that's precisely what they were aiming for.

"I don't know what the people expecting a full-on heavy rock album made of it," laughs Steven. "In many ways it has become the cult classic we always intended it to be…"

Issued in 2012, "Storm Corrosion" sold 9,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also landed at No. 45 on the official U.K. chart.

In a 2019 question-and-answer session posted on the YouTube channel of Nuclear Blast Records, Åkerfeldt was asked about the possibility of a second album from STORM CORROSION. He said at the time: "I had dinner with Steve yesterday, and we talked a little bit about it. We always talk a little bit about it, if we're gonna do another one. But yeah, I think we'll try; at some point, we'll try. I can almost say a hundred percent that we will try, without really knowing — but just judging from how we talk about this project. That was a fun thing for both of us and a new thing for both of us. But the problem, when you have one record, is that there's a reference point. So it's likely that if we do another record, maybe there'll be another name for that project. And it's likely it will sound completely different.

"We wanna make another record, [and] if we do that, it has to be on the same premise as how we did the first one," he continued. "Nobody knows. There's no record label that knows. We don't even know if it's gonna work out and we don't know what we're doing, basically. I mean, that was almost written in real time and recorded in real time. We just had a riff. 'Okay, let's record that riff, that part, and then piece it together.' And then, in the end, it was, like, 'My God, this is strange. But we love it. What is it?'

"We had some common inspirations and common artists and bands that we said, 'Maybe around there, that's where we meet up and do something,'" Mikael added. "And it ended up sounding like nothing I can compare it to, to be honest. For good and worse, for fans. It's a weird record. And it sold a lot in the first couple of weeks, because Roadrunner picked that up. And I assume it sold a lot to fans of PORCUPINE TREE and Steven Wilson fans, who must have gone, 'What the hell is this?'

"I love that album — love it. But, yeah, we're gonna do something, I'm sure. But it's probably gonna be different."

Photo by Carl Glover

Live Rock Music Concerts has uploaded video of Alice Cooper's entire August 16 concert at Pacific Ampitheatre in Costa Mesa, California as part of Orange County Fair's Pacific Amphitheatre concert series. Check it out below.

Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for.

In a recent interview with the 96.1 KLPX radio station, Cooper stated about how his stage show has evolved over the years: "It's so funny because it used to be easy to shock an audience in the '70s. Now nobody's really trying — we're not really trying to shock an audience. I don't think anybody is 'shock rock' anymore, but those elements still remain in the show because they're fun to watch. It's still fun to watch the guillotine and the fact that you really buy in to it because of what happens before that. You're really concerned about this character Alice up there, what happens. And that's what I like about it. I want the audience to get involved in the show. We don't do a lot of lasers. We don't do things like that, because I want the emphasis to be on the character Alice, what happens to him and what he what exactly he's doing. But all that happens during all these songs that everybody knows — 'Feed My Frankenstein' and 'Poison' and 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' and, of course, 'School's Out' at the end."

Fresh from the success of his latest album "Road", a concept album about the thrills and spills of touring, Alice is accompanied, as always, by his long-running live band of Ryan Roxie (guitar),Chuck Garric (bass),Tommy Henriksen (guitar),Glen Sobel (drums) and Nita Strauss (guitar).

With a schedule that has included six months year in and year out on the road, Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock-rock, Cooper (in both the original ALICE COOPER band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where CNN can present real-life shocking images.

With his influence on rock and roll and popular culture long since acknowledged, there is little that Cooper hasn't achieved in his remarkable career, including platinum albums, sold-out tours and any number of honors and career achievement awards.

In a new interview with the "Thunder Underground" podcast, founding DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce discussed the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the new music that he and his longtime bandmates — drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton — have been working on with singer Ryan McCombs. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. I got the new mix [of the first song] in two nights ago…. The plan was, yes, to try to get it out by summer and June, but us being on tour so much and not having as much time to get in the studio as we wanted to — in between shows if we have a weekend off, we'll fly in there for a couple of days — so it took a little longer to get it down and done. But it's mixed and mastered, ready to go, man. So hopefully in the next four weeks, three to four weeks, we'll have it out."

Regarding the musical direction of the new DROWNING POOL song, C.J. said: "I'm so excited, man. It just came out naturally. We never tried to write like a 'Bodies Part Two' or a 'Tear Away Part Two'. We just write what we feel at the time, and the excitement that we had and the energy we have with Ryan being back in the band, the song definitely has that vibe to it. It's in drop C [tuning], and I got a new wah pedal in the studio when I was doing the song. So I'm wah-pedaling all over just like on [DROWNING POOL's] 'Sinner' record. So it has that old-school vibe to it. The people that have heard it so far, that's what they relate it to. It's got that same type of energy. It's its own song and entity. But yeah, it's intense, man. It's a banger."

Asked if the idea is for DROWNING POOL to put out standalone singles going forward or if he and his bandmatea are working on an album, C.J. said: "Well, we wanna put out some singles, and stuff that we're doing with Ryan. And yes, we wanna do a full-length record. But we have a lot of stuff coming up in the works. We just did a bunch of shows in Poland for our troops back in December and January. We did a 17-song jam and acoustic set. And I've always wanted to do that. And we kind of fell into it 'cause they asked us to do it over the holidays right before that happened. So it kind of threw us into acoustic mode, which we've never done. And I love the way that set came out. Some songs, they sound heavier, some songs sound a little different, some sound exactly the same, but acoustic style. So I wanna record that as a whole to get that out there. There's a handful of songs we're doing now with Ryan off [DROWNING POOL's] 'Desensitized' [album]. It's the 20-year anniversary. So we talked about rerecording a few songs with Ryan's voice on it since we do those now. And then we're coming up on the 25-year anniversary of the 'Sinner' record, so I've been putting a lot of stuff together with that, that we have with [original DROWNING POOL singer] Dave Williams. I have so much video and songs we did. And there's a couple of things and ideas we had with Dave I wouldn't mind doing with Ryan and making them solid as well. So there's a lot of stuff in the works, man, on top of writing new songs. So, we wanna get a couple of new things out so you can hear what we're doing with Ryan and then definitely wanna do a full-length record with him in the process of doing these other things. But the writing hasn't stopped, man. Since he's walked into my house last year, the ideas — I mean, it's been 13 years and a lot has happened to all of us in that time frame, and so there's a lot to write about, a lot to share, and it comes out through the music, dude. It's killer."

Last month, McCombs told 94 Rocks KFML's "The Dark" rock music program about the reason for the delay in releasing new DROWNING POOL music: "We've got so many different opportunities in front of us, touring-wise, and then also because of the new music, as far as how we wanna release it. We had a plan in place. We knew how we wanted to go about it. We wanna go strictly independent, but all of a sudden there's a hunger for it. So there's been all these different little things coming to the table, different outlets coming to the table, giving us different things to think about and to chew about. We're not great on making decisions to begin with, but then all of a sudden now, there's a bunch of different opportunities ahead of us and we're just trying to figure out the best way to get the music out there to everybody. Not just this time, but moving forward, because we continue. C.J. is just like a fountain over here. They all are. I mean, it's coming natural to us. We're spitting stuff out. So we're not only thinking about this song, but also the material that is yet to come and the majority that we're currently working on and everything. So it's just how to best present it. So that's what the delay has been about. It's been about the fact that we knew what we wanted to do, but then all of a sudden, there's been so many different opportunities. Now it's, like, which one's the best route to go?"

Asked if the sound of the new DROWNING POOL material harkens back to what Ryan did with the band in the past, McCombs said: "It's C.J. It's Stevie. It's Mike. It's myself. We did a couple of really — not to toot our own horn — I think we did a couple really good albums back in the day. And we pick up right where we left off.

"I think the coolest thing about DROWNING POOL is it's really easy with DROWNING POOL to separate things with the singers, as far as eras go, but there's always been the DROWNING POOL sound," Ryan continued. "There's always been a certain aspect of just the tones and everything. So it's still just like it always has been — DROWNING POOL."

In June, Pierce told Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio that he and his DROWNING POOL bandmates are once again working with producer Shawn McGhee. "He has his own studio," C.J. explained. "We did the last record with him as well. We did [2022's] 'Strike A Nerve' [with him]. And he's just a great guy to work with. He's on the same page as us and a great friend and a great musician and a killer producer and mixer. So, we love working with Shawn. He really knows how to capture what we're trying to do, man. That's the kind of producer you want. We put him in a driver's seat and somebody you can trust to have that outside ear to take what we have already and elevate it."

Asked what fans can expect from the new DROWNING POOL music, Pierce said: "It just came out naturally. We just started writing. We were all excited to be together again. And we never try to be that kind of band to [go], like, 'Okay, let's write 'Bodies Part Two' or 'Sinner Part Two'. We just write what we feel. And then this came out naturally just to have that 'Sinner' record foundation with Ryan singing on it, man. It's probably the closest thing we've had that's like that, that's a good blend of us and Ryan and stuff from the Dave Williams days. And it came naturally and organically and, dude, it's slamming."

Regarding what it has been like having Ryan step back into the band and if that familiarity was there again, C.J. said: "Yeah, it was there like that and then some, man, 'cause we're all different people. And getting to know all of us, the new us — new and improved, hopefully.

"We just did the [Welcome To] Rockville festival, and just to see friends say that, 'cause people are just now seeing us with Ryan again," he continued. "[People are telling us], 'Man, I can just tell you guys are having so much fun with it. It's awesome to see you guys'. You can tell when a band's up there doing it for real. There's no going through motions with us. And we're having fun with it."

Four months ago, Pierce told Tulsa Music Stream about the new DROWNING POOL music: "It's the first time we have new music with Ryan McCombs in 13 years. And everything's organic and natural. We just started jamming and it just came out like that. It's not trying to push anything or any agenda. We just had this great writing relationship, and it was awesome to click like that again, especially with everybody in the band. Before we finish up the lyrics and all the singing, we're all sat down at the table and bounce ideas off each other to finetune the songs. It's awesome to work with my brothers like that, to have that kind of relationship where everybody has some input and say into it. So when the song comes out, all four of us love what we do with it."

Asked if he and his bandmates usually discuss where they want their new music to go or if they just generally stick to a tried-and-tested formula, Pierce said: "It's actually none of those things at all. Sorry. The answer is none of the above. I mean, some people, they approach it like that. I know some bands have the songwriter in the band or two guys writing everything, and some people don't. I love the fact that we all just get in a room and jam. It's a feeling thing. Music's expressing what's going on at the time. So, the way ideas usually come up with us in DROWNING POOL, it's just, 'Hey, man, I have this feeling, this idea. What do you think about this or this subject matter?' If something comes up, like, 'We should write something about that.' It's different. It's not really a set formula. We need to sound like this; we need to sound like that."

He continued: "It was unfortunate that we lost Dave Williams in 2002 from cardiomyopathy, but it also allowed us to work with other singers. They all have their own style and where they fit within the music Mike, Stevie and I write, So that was also fun. I wouldn't say challenge as much as just coming up with you feel and then see how it works with the strong points of the singer that's singing to it as well. So it just comes up. Everything's, again, whatever you feel at the time; that's what we write. It's never been trying to follow the trend, which is I'm fine with bands that do that or trying to fit in here and there. We try to keep it a hundred percent original."

Pierce added: "There's a few bands out there that have that formula — like AC/DC, as an example — and that works for them and that probably works for them to stick with it. With us, we've kind of been all over the board with, obviously, singer changes and stuff. But everybody knows 'Bodies'. And that's the core sound of what we have anyway. And the excitement of Ryan coming back in the band with the new songs that we have are equal to, if not more jamming than, 'Bodies'. And not intentional, like 'we have to like write a 'Bodies Part Two'' or another song [like that]. It's we just have that fire again. So it just comes out like that."

Earlier in April, Pierce spoke to Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks about how the new DROWNING POOL music compares to "Strike A Nerve", the band's first record in seven years, which came out in September 2022 via T-Boy/UMe. It marked the band's third album with singer Jasen Moreno, who joined DROWNING POOL in 2012. Asked if the material is "more balanced" than "Strike A Nerve", C.J. said: "I wouldn't say more balanced. With Jasen Moreno on the last couple of records, we just started going up a heavy thing. Plus our career, just things that were going on at that time — I write what's going on in my life at the time; it's art, it's music — and just things were getting more intense with Jasen. Not just Jasen, but the music business, everything. So the music got intense as well, as you hear. And then with Ryan back in here, we still have that same intention, but Ryan brings a different kind of aspect and the delivery to the songs. There's definitely the style that we had on the two records we did with Ryan that's there, but we still have that heaviness going on as well. So it's definitely the heaviest stuff we've done with Ryan, for sure. So it's all heavy, brother. There's definitely a few songs that may be… We had '37 Stitches' and songs like that with Ryan. We have one or two songs that are kind of more in that mellow zone with him as well that we're working on. But, yeah, the last few records, we were pretty much just slamming, just full-on super-heavy stuff, man, which I enjoy as well. So you're gonna get a mix of it. I feel like with Ryan, we can get more of a mix of styles in there as well… It's intense, man. It's intense music. That's what we write."

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and at the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

McCombs is continuing to front SOIL and will carry on recording and performing with both bands.

DROWNING POOL's debut album, "Sinner", was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in 2001, while the CD's first single, "Bodies", was one of the most frequently aired videos on MTV by a new band. DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, vocalist Dave "Stage" Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.

Photo credit: Tricia Starr Photography (courtesy of
O'Donnell Media Group)

American death metal icons NILE will finally drop their highly anticipated tenth album, "The Underworld Awaits Us All", this Friday, August 23 via Napalm Records. In celebration of this week's album release, the band has unleashed their third single – pinnacle burner "Under The Curse Of The One God". Accompanied by a hypnotic lyric video, the track combines sinister atmospherics with breakneck pacing and vicious riff acrobatics, soaring as a technical tour-de-force with career-defining drumming from George Kollias.

NILE's Karl Sanders comments on the new track and lyric video: "We are really happy that fans will finally have a chance to hear 'Under The Curse Of The One God'. It's a ferocious and brutal NILE track, steeped in Ancient Curses. Many thanks to Ingo Sporl for once again wielding his uniquely creative visual artistry to help bring our music to blasphemous life."

Boasting airtight technicality and unrelenting brutality, "The Underworld Awaits Us All" pushes each member of NILE — founding mastermind/guitarist Karl Sanders, longtime drum master George Kollias, vocalist/guitarists Brian Kingsland and Zach Jeter, and bassist Dan Vadim Von — to their furthest extremes both in artistry and performance.

Once again produced and recorded at Sanders's own Serpent Headed Studios in Greenville, South Carolina, the band returned to "Vile Nilotic Rites" engineer Mark Lewis (CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, WHITECHAPEL) for mixing and mastering.

Facing the planet's inevitable end with their diehard fans at their side, NILE waste absolutely no time with histrionics on "The Underworld Awaits Us All", distilling their trademark Egyptology driven tempest down to its most streamlined essence. Charging into battle as its namesake depicts, "Stelae of Vultures" makes an immediate impact with dissonant guitar chords and supernatural drumming, teasing the auditory evisceration to come. Topped by impressive screams and gutturals, the track leads into "Chapter For Not Being Hung Upside Down On A Stake In The Underworld And Made To Eat Feces By The Four Apes", citing the Egyptian Book Of The Dead's 181st chapter. The album's most succinct track, "To Strike with Secret Fang" blends low-end punishment with blackened death metal inspiration, before album standouts such as "Naqada II Enter the Golden Age" and "Overlords of the Black Earth" breathe new life with thrash and fusion experimentation, as well as real human choirs — adding a raw element to the NILE fold. Each track soars as a technical tour de force — featuring career-defining extreme drumming from Kollias, as well as razor-sharp soloing from all three active guitarists and palpable bass exploration.

Throughout the remainder of its 11 pummeling tracks and intricate interludes, NILE masters full-tilt speed and ferocious musicality. 30 years into their heavy reign, "The Underworld Awaits Us All" proves that NILE is marching onward and undoubtedly upward, bleeding metal for their fandom for as long as the sands of time will allow.

Sanders says about the album: "We are very happy to be sharing with fans NILE's 10th album. We worked overtime making this record as killer as we could — because we sincerely felt fans deserved our best efforts. 'The Underworld Awaits Us All' — and we will see you there."

"The Underworld Awaits Us All"'s mind-bending art was once again envisioned and created by Michał "Xaay" Loranc, with reference to the cycle of life and judgment at its end.

"The Underworld Awaits Us All" track listing:

01. Stelae Of Vultures
02. Chapter For Not Being Hung Upside Down On A Stake In The Underworld And Made To Eat Feces By The Four Apes
03. To Strike With Secret Fang
04. Naqada II Enter The Golden Age
05. The Pentagrammathion Of Nephren-Ka
06. Overlords Of The Black Earth
07. Under The Curse Of The One God
09. Doctrine Of Last Things
10. True Gods Of The Desert
11. The Underworld Awaits Us All
12. Lament For The Destruction Of Time

NILE recently announced a full European tour for September 2024, followed by a Japan tour in October 2024. The band was also just confirmed for Maryland Deathfest 2025, and will make two festival appearances this summer.

NILE has also announced its upcoming 2025 USA co-headline tour with death metal greats SIX FEET UNDER. The tour begins January 7, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee and will feature support from PSYCROPTIC and EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY.

NILE is:

Karl Sanders - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
George Kollias - Drums
Brian Kingsland - Guitar, Vocals
Zach Jeter - Guitar, Vocals
Dan Vadim Von - Bass

Photo credit: Casey Coscarelli

Years in the making, Los Angeles’ acclaimed avant-garde metal band MELTED BODIES has revealed today their long-awaited 2nd album, The Inevitable Fork, will be self-released on October 18th. Comprised of 3 distinctive EPs sewn together with mesmerizing interludes and soundscapes, The Inevitable Fork is an experimental genre-blending record that pushes the limits of what’s expected of modern metal and showcases the emerging talent of one of the scene’s most innovative and volatile bands around.

Today, the band has debuted the new single “Bloodlines,” a frenzied, frantic new track with massive groove laden riffs and incredibly memorable hooks that will grab hold of listeners with its sharp teeth and never let go.

Commenting on the song, vocalist Andy Hamm (ex-LOCAL NATIVES) says:

“’Bloodlines’ toils and tussles with the idea that all of us have unique pre-loaded behaviors, emotions and traits in our bloodlines. The past addictions, traumas, bodily shapes, love, nurture, disease etc. are passed down to us generation after family generation. I find myself longing for an emotional and physical tenderness that my mother held back on at points, paying for mistakes that my father perhaps made, a history of alcoholism and depression on both sides of my family etc. We spend a majority of our lives yearning to fix, understand or struggle with these genetics we never asked for.”

Stream “Bloodlines“: https://too.fm/meltedbodies-bloodlines


Pre-Order The Inevitable Fork: https://meltedbodies.bandcamp.com/album/the-inevitable-fork-lp

“Bloodlines” follows a series of singles from the incoming record released by the band over the last year, including stand out tracks like “The Hot Dog Contract,” The Avalanche,” “State of Mind,” “Liars” and “Therapy.”

Adding about the record, Hamm says:

“We all have arrived at, or are approaching our own version of what I call ‘The Inevitable Fork’, and this overarching theme informs most of these songs in some way, much of which is very personal. Our bloodlines, mental health, past traumas, accomplishments, and regrets eventually lead us all to choose one of this fork’s many prongs to follow. Maybe we accept that it’s all imperfect, and we embrace our flaws to make anew or try again. Or perhaps we avoid, stall, numb, or overindulge. We’ve all been told “it’s now or never,” but yet we have heard that so many times. This stigma feeds our avoidance, unaccountability, and utter laziness. But rest assured ‘The Inevitable Fork’ is coming for us all whether we appreciate it or appall it.”

The Inevitable Fork is about the personal battle of survival vs. joy; our need to conform and stay afloat despite the pursuit of purpose. This is the next chapter for MELTED BODIES, but for a band designed around reflecting on the very idea of metal with glaring intensity, there’s much more to this story.

The Inevitable Fork Tracklisting:
1. Destined To Suffer
2. Bloodlines
3. The Hot Dog Contract
4. Wrath Of The Flies
5. Overinflated All The Time
6. Liars (Album Edit)
7. State Of Mind
8. Splitting
9. Vague And Easy
10. Relax You Are Lazy
11. Dreamer
12. The Avalanche (Album Edit)
13. Vital Aftermath
14. The Inevitable Fork (Album Edit)
15. Talk Some More About It
16. Think Safe
17. I Often Feel Alone While Surrounded By Other People
18. Therapy
19. There Is Something Else Here Now Too
20. Something Is Wrong

KYLESA, one of the pioneers of the Savannah, Georgia Southern sludge/psychedelic, rock/metal sound and vibe, will reform for several live appearances in 2025 celebrating its 25 years as a band. The first announced concert will take place at the Roadburn festival in April 2025 in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

KYLESA said: "After 10 years away we are excited to return to performing live: starting at Roadburn 2025. We're playing a few special shows next year celebrating 25 years as a band & it all starts in Tilburg. We have so much more to tell you about over the coming months."

In April 2016, KYLESA, which is led by guitarists/vocalists Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants, announced that it was going on indefinite hiatus. The band broke the news to fans in a social media post, writing: "After 15 years of nonstop touring and writing, we decided that it is time for a break. A lot of you have been asking when we are coming to your part of the world and that means a lot to us. However, we feel it should be known that as of now we have no plans to play any shows or work on any new material. We have collectively decided to take a hiatus with no set date to reconvene."

In June, KYLESA revealed that it had teamed with Mythos Management and was working on "some uniquely cool projects for the future and on ways to preserve our past — excited to share more on it moving forward."

In the decade since KYLESA stopped performing live, Philip reunited DAMAD, Laura launched a new band called THE DISCUSSION and they contributed to various other projects. Earlier this year, Laura lent her voice to SLOWER, the stoner/sludge/doom metal tribute to SLAYER.

KYLESA's seventh album, "Exhausting Fire", was released in October 2015 via Season Of Mist. On the LP, KYLESA further explored and incorporated psychedelic rock, new wave, space-age twangy Americana, '80s goth and death rock into its pitch-thick DIY punk/metal roots.

Philip described "Exhausting Fire" as "an album we really put our hearts on our sleeves for. We've always done that, but emotionally, it's probably the most honest and raw album we’ve ever done."

"No band sounds like us and we don't sound like any other band", Laura said. "After all these years of experimenting with different styles and sounds, we've really developed our own thing and I can faithfully say that we sound like us. With this album, we've successfully made a record that incorporates all the elements we've always played with into a record that works on its own."

KYLESA's live show saw them perform as a five-piece, including a second drummer.

KYLESA 2015 press photo courtesy of Season Of Mist
After 10 years away we are excited to return to performing live:starting at Roadburn 2025. We're playing a few special shows next year celebrating 25 years as a band & it all starts in Tilburg. We have so much more to tell you about over the coming months.

-Phillip & Laura. pic.twitter.com/iO4CDt9BEV

— kylesa (@kylesamusic) August 20, 2024

In a new interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne, FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero once again confirmed that he is working on new music from the resurrected band. He is collaborating on the material with the rest of the new FORBIDDEN lineup, consisting of Matt Camacho (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Norman Skinner (vocals) and Chris Kontos (drums). Asked if fans can expect the new FORBIDDEN album in 2025, Craig said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a plan. It's been pushed back a few months, but everything's laying out the way I was hoping it would. We're writing [the material], and I've got the beginnings for a lot of [songs]. And when I say beginnings, I mean they're structured and we just need to work out all the parts for everybody else. Some are more put together than others, but that's the way FORBIDDEN has always been. And I just wanna jell for the next six months and then get in the studio and nail it. And we're gonna release a couple of songs at the beginning of the year on our own."

Regarding FORBIDDEN's decision to remain independent, at least for the time being, Craig said: "We don't have a record label. I don't want a record label yet. I have an opportunity to finally do this with no monkey. And we're a better band than we were at any point recently because of all the things that have kind of brought us together. It feels different, and that's no knock on anyone. But from the top down, with Russ [Anderson, former FORBIDDEN singer] going through what he went through, that's kind of the stigma that stayed on us for a while. He wasn't feeling a hundred percent. So now you have Norm who's up there, he's, like, 'Yeah.' He's not trying to be anybody, and there's just a whole positive groundswell."

Elaborating on why FORBIDDEN has no interest in aligning itself with a record label right now, Craig said: "It's important to say that we have no delusions of grandeur either. I think that we understand more than anybody how much the industry has changed.

"I don't wanna get caught in the machine, and the machine can chew you up before you get creative," he explained. "You can get stunted creatively if you agree too quickly. 'Cause we've been approached already. And I'm, like, 'Not yet.' We're not gonna go there yet.

"It's important for us to feel like we got our album done and artistically put together, lyrically," Craig added. "No one needs to fucking tell us how to do it. And I feel good about our chances of at least reigniting and kind of reforging our path again. 'Cause there's a spot for us. 'Cause we've got all our Bay Area brothers, but we're that band, we're a little more heavy metal, a little more melodic. We do things a little differently. So we have our own little spot. And I hope to have it all land where it's supposed to be."

The reactivated San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans recently recruited VOIVOD's Daniel Mongrain to step in as a temporary replacement for guitarist Steve Smyth.

Smyth exited FORBIDDEN last month, saying in a statement that he "decided it's time to part ways with FORBIDDEN, and return to my band ONE MACHINE as priority, along with other projects on the horizon, and of course session work, and teaching music as always."

The most recent FORBIDDEN lineup made its live debut at a "secret" show in July 2023 at Baltic Kiss in Richmond, California under the TWISTED INTO EVIL banner.

Originally founded in 1985 as FORBIDDEN EVIL by Anderson, guitarists Locicero and Robb Flynn, bassist John Tegio and drummer Jim Pittman, the quintet started playing house parties and Bay Area clubs such as the legendary Ruthie's Inn soon after. After a couple of lineup changes (Paul Bostaph on drums and Matt Camacho on bass) in '86, the band quickly rose through the ranks of Bay Area thrash to gain a massive following and worldwide notoriety. In 1986, the band added Glen Alvelais as the second guitarist. It was this lineup that cemented itself into the Bay Area scene and soon after recorded 1988 release "Forbidden Evil" for Combat Records, changing the band's name to simply FORBIDDEN. In May of '89 while on a European tour with SACRED REICH, FORBIDDEN made their first appearance at the legendary Dynamo Open Air in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It was here that FORBIDDEN made their European mark and recorded the "Raw Evil" EP. The band returned Stateside and replaced Alvelais with Tim Calvert. Calvert was a missing ingredient that brought the band closer together as a team. They continued to tour the U.S. first with EXODUS and then again with SACRED REICH with Calvert on second guitar. The band went on to release "Twisted Into Form" in 1990, "Distortion" in 1994 and "Green" in 1996. However, the band, having gone though many lineup changes, disbanded in 1997.

In 2008 Craig being inspired at a screening of the movie "Get Thrashed", called the other members of the band and suggested getting back on stage to see if they could reignite the FORBIDDEN machine. With Anderson, Locicero, Camacho back in the mix along with new additions Glen Alvelais and Gene Hoglan they played two sold-out DEATH ANGEL shows in San Francisco. Steve Smyth came into the mix in place of Alvelais and Mark Hernandez took Hoglan's place. The band then released "Omega Wave", the fifth in the catalog and went on a U.S. tour with OVERKILL. European festivals were next but afterwards Hernandez had to walk away due to personal reasons leading to a tour cancelation. Sasha Horn was the answer to fill the drummer's spot.

After playing "Bonded By Baloff" with EXODUS and one Bay Area show, FORBIDDEN embarked for Chile to play the Metal Fest in Santiago. It was on this flight back home that Russ informed the band that he couldn't tour anymore because of the physical toll it was taking on him. With that, the band dissolved once again for 11 years.

When FORBIDDEN's "rebirth" was first announced in April 2023, Locicero said in a statement: "First off, I did NOT see this coming. When FORBIDDEN quietly disbanded the second time in 2012, I figured it was over. While I always apply the 'never say never' mantra to my life, Russ made it clear that he was completely finished with touring. My wingman and main dude from the conception of FORBIDDEN EVIL, Russ was my mentor and the guy who bought me beer when I was 15! I couldn't imagine FORBIDDEN without him, so I had little hope of a future with FORBIDDEN. Today Russ is happily retired and living the sober life. I have nothing but love for that and him. Everyone needs to respect his wishes like we do.

"So then ….. fast forward 11 years after our last show, Bay Area vocal talent Norman Skinner walks in to help us rehearse and sing a few thrash classics for the BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL set at Dynamo MetalFest 2022. WHAMMO! That's when it all happened by accident. Truly. Then it happens AGAIN when Norman sings 'Chalice Of Blood' onstage alongside WARBRINGER at the one Bay Area show of BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL. Holy fuck!"

Back with more music, BLINK-182 will release "One More Time… Part-2" on Friday September 6, 2024 via Columbia Records. The group notably expands its 2023 blockbuster Billboard 200 No. 1 album "One More Time…" with eight brand new tracks on "Part-2".

Heightening anticipation, they will also share the first single off "Part-2", "All In My Head" this Friday August 23, 2024.

"One More Time… Part-2" arrives in multiple physical configurations in addition to digital. These include the two-LP complete deluxe edition (featuring all 27 tracks available on limited-edition blue balls colored vinyl in a gatefold jacket with a printed insert),and the one-LP deluxe tracks only variant (which includes 10 tracks on vinyl for the first time — namely the eight brand new tracks plus two bonus tracks previously only available digitally). The deluxe tracks only vinyl variant will be pressed on limited-edition red rocket colored vinyl in a gatefold jacket with a printed insert.

"One More Time…" not only marked the first album to feature the group's iconic lineup — Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker — since 2011, but it also kickstarted the comeback of the decade. Last year, the album crashed the Billboard 200 at No. 1, notching the band's third career No. 1 debut on the respective chart. Given this stratospheric success, it concluded 2023 as "the biggest rock album of the year," registering over one billion streams to date.

The album also received widespread critical acclaim. In a coveted "Hear This" review, Rolling Stone raved, "The California pop-punk pioneers hark back to the thrashing sound of their most beloved albums, 1999's 'Enema Of The State' and 2000's 'Take Off Your Pants And Jacket', as they tackle death, existential crises, and DeLonge's return to the band after a hiatus that began in 2015," going on to profess, "'One More Time…' offers the perfect opportunity to take one last stab at it all: the smart-ass attitude, the genre-defining music, and the rock-star dreams." Spin proclaimed, "this reconciliation feels fresh, fun — and hits like a goddamn freight train," and Kerrang! hailed it as "one of the best, most consistent records of their whole career." Slant claimed, "its brightest, most exhilarating spots are a welcome reminder of what made the trio so iconic in the first place." Brooklyn Vegan summed it up as an "enjoyable record that celebrates this band's career and friendship, and it's full of moments that are endearing and heartwarming, especially to longtime fans."

Meanwhile, they have sold out stadiums on multiple continents, launching the biggest, boldest, and best world tour of their career in support of "One More Time…"

Coming back together, surviving tragedy, and triumphing as loudly as possible, BLINK-182's union as bandmates and brothers is stronger than ever. With "Part-2", they deliver the definitive version of "One More Time…" and show no signs of stopping or slowing down either.

"One More Time… Part-2" (*digital album and complete deluxe 2-LP vinyl)

01. Anthem Part 3
02. Dance With Me
03. Fell In Love
04. Terrified
05. One More Time
06. More Than You Know
07. Turn This Off!
08. When We Were Young
09. Edging
10. You Don't Know What You've Got
11. Blink Wave
12. Bad News
13. Hurt (Interlude)
14. Turpentine
15. Fuck Face
16. Other Side
17. Cut Me Off
18. See You
19. Childhood
20. No Fun
21. All In My Head
22. Can't Go Back
23. Every Other Weekend
24. Everyone Everywhere
25. If You Never Left
26. One Night Stand
27. Take Me In

"One More Time… Part-2" (*deluxe tracks only 1-LP vinyl)

01. Cut Me Off
02. See You
03. No Fun
04. All In My Head
05. Can't Go Back
06. Every Other Weekend
07. Everyone Everywhere
08. If You Never Left
09. One Night Stand
10. Take Me In

Italian black-thrash metal trailblazers NECRODEATH have today announced their intention to break up after one final album and a farewell tour in 2025.

Throughout the next 18 months the band will celebrate 40 years of existence by releasing a new full-length album via Time To Kill Records and by heading out on a tour that’s purported to be their last one ever.

Frontman Flegias commented: “Following a prolific career and hundreds of concerts, we decided to stop here to make room for new up and coming acts and enjoy a well-deserved rest. We are aware that we are delivering bad news to our most loyal fans, but this should also please those who always said we should have broken up after the first demo tape. We will say goodbye with one last album and a series of concerts that will last from January to December 2025”.

Drummer Peso added: “We don’t last forever! I’m sure that we said everything we had to say, for better or for worse. For 40 years we lived the underground without compromising with anything or anyone, although at times it would perhaps have been appropriate to be more accommodating in order to get more visibility. But this is the story of my Necrodeath, a group of friends who have always played with passion, coherence and dignity. See you around for one last time”.

Watch for more details on the new album release, new tour updates, and more news on other upcoming NECRODEATH activities to be posted shortly.

Biography:

The moment you hear it, you know it’s NECRODEATH. Formed back in 1984, the Italian act is one of the real iconic black-thrash metal bands. With a career of 40 years, the band has helped to shape the Italian metal scene and the international underground as it is today. In 1985 NECRODEATH released a cult-demo tape titled “The Shining Pentagram” and obtained an incredible success in the underground. The demo is still considered a real gem in the thrash and black metal history. Tons of tributes in major magazines, fanzines and other underground outlets highlighted the release of the first two legendary albums “Into The Macabre” (1987) and “Fragments Of Insanity” (1989).
New records and international and national tours followed one another non-stop until 2020. Like many other acts, the band was forced to interrupt a workaholic path in the underground metal scene. During that period the band reached out to Time to Kill Records for the release of the last two albums, starting with “Singin’ in the Pain” in 2023. One final record will kick off a farewell tour which will conclude at the end of 2025.

Finnish one-man black metal band Valontuoja is set to unleash the debut album Luonnon armoilla on November 8th 2024 via Inverse Records.

The first official single ‘Kodistani karkoitettu’ is now out on all essential streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/valontuoja-kodistani

Music & Lyrics by Jal’zoroth
Cover art by JTR
The man behind Valontuoja, Jal’zoroth comments the single:
“This haunting track channels the raw, primal force of exile and unrelenting longing, set against the desolate beauty of Finland’s unyielding wilderness. The lyrics, dripping with sorrow and defiance, narrate the torment of a soul exiled from its homeland, aching for the harsh cliffs, icy lakes, and untamed rivers that once offered solace.”

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was asked what the band's latest addition, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, has brought to MEGADETH that wasn't there before. Mustaine responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "God, he's such an amazing talent. And as far as being a human is concerned, he's a really humble guy. He's fun to be around because he's kind of — there's this 'greenness' to him, if that's a word, greenness. He makes it really fun because he's gone from being in a band that was pretty well known to being in MEGADETH. And so everything's very new for him at this level. And for us, we get to kind of enjoy ourselves, because we sometimes forget where we're at and then you see other people that, 'Wow, the bread is round and so is the meat,' that kind of shit. And it just makes him really happy, and it just reminds you of how good you have it."

Regarding how much a lineup change like that actually alters the musical DNA of the band, Dave said: "Well, it depends on who the new player is. If they're willing to learn the parts, then the songs either, they stay where they are or they get better. And a lot of times when you have a new player, like when Teemu came in, he played everything identical to the original players. So, he's been one of the best guitar players to step in and play somebody else's stuff. I don't know what his stuff's going to sound like yet, which I'm looking forward to finding out."

Asked if that means that he and Teemu have started writing new material together yet, Mustaine replied: "Well, we've been we've been dissecting songs, which is kind of writing in reverse."

This past June, Mustaine told Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece that he thinks Teemu will contribute to the songwriting process on MEGADETH's next studio album. "I think he's gonna be a great addition to MEGADETH," Dave said. "He already has. We're playing more songs now than we were playing before. And that has nothing negative to say about any of the previous lineups. It just says that he knew more about the band and understands the metal backbone of so many of these songs more than some of the other people would understand it."

He continued: "When you're a metal guy, I think you understand metal compositions more than somebody who, say for example, knows progressive rock like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Chris Broderick does, or somebody who knows bossa nova, which [former MEGADETH guitarist] Kiko [Loureiro] does, or somebody that plays jazzy, like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Glen Drover would play, maybe Al Pitrelli. These guys all have their strengths."

Mustaine added: "I've often thought, although I've never said it, I do believe that when somebody gets singled out by me, that's pretty much it for them. They've been indoctrinated into the world of great guitar players, and from that moment on, their life will change."

Asked if he saw any signs that Kiko would leave MEGADETH permanently or if it came as a surprise to him, Dave said: "Well, it wasn't really a surprise, because it started to become clear that his family was gonna need him. And I'm a dad too, so I saw it and I knew that his wife and babies all needed their daddy. And Kiko is a good husband, he's a good dad, and he needed to do what was right for him and for his family. And I applaud him for doing what he did. A lot of people would not have the guts to walk away from being a rock and roll star to take care of their kids. They would somehow sacrifice something, and it probably would not be their family."

Mustaine also once again seemingly ruled out the possibility of former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who made a couple of guest appearances with the band last year, rejoining MEGADETH at some point in the future.

"We played together for a couple of tracks, which was fun, and it was a very natural feeling," Mustaine said. "But I know that Marty, when we got together in Japan and we talked, Marty's changed a lot; he's a different man. And it'd be really fun to play with him every once in a while, see what's going on. But the problem is a lot of fans will misunderstand us doing something with Marty and think that there's some hope of Marty joining MEGADETH again, and there's not, that there wouldn't be, because Marty is doing his own thing in Japan and I am 100 percent satisfied with Teemu right now, and I've already told the world that he's our new guitar player."

Mäntysaari stepped in last September for MEGADETH's longtime axeman Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the 37-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

This past May, Teemu told Italy's Poisoned Rock webzine about his addition to MEGADETH: "I definitely was aware of MEGADETH for a very long time. They were one of the first bands that I got into when I discovered metal. I think, for most people, at least my generation or our generation, when they get into metal, it's usually the biggest bands, and MEGADETH, of course, being one of them."

Regarding his first show with MEGADETH, which took place on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mäntysaari said: "That was a very nice venue. We had a day there before, before the show, for production rehearsals, to rehearse on stage, and then on the next day we had the show. So that was nice and relaxed. I think we played through the whole setlist once before the show, the day before, and then played the show. And yeah, it felt very good from the beginning. And I felt like I was prepared. I was confident with my skills and confident with everything. The guys were so helpful and welcoming and, yeah, everything felt to kind of click and fall in the right place. So, it was really nice."

During the interview, which was conducted before MEGADETH's recently completed South American tour, Mäntysaari spoke about the band's plans for the coming months, including the possibility of new music. He said: "Right now we have been working on getting some new songs to the setlist, like old songs that the band hasn't played in a long time, or even some that they never played before. So that's been really exciting. I'm having some daily calls now lately with Dave Mustaine, going through the songs together. So that's really nice. And then once we get together on the tour, I think then we're gonna start talking about some riff ideas and putting some ideas together. So let's see what happens."

Earlier this year, Teemu told Guitar World magazine about his addition to MEGADETH: "I never thought something like this would happen to me. But at the same time, I've always felt like being prepared was important in case a big band like this did call me."

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

"I have a specific skillset where I can learn fast, jump into new situations, and be comfortable," Mäntysaari told Guitar World. "I've always liked doing that. I love teaching, and I've been on many cover projects, so being detail-oriented is part of my skillset."

Regarding his preparation for the way he approached playing the MEGADETH material, Teemu said: "[We'd] look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side. We talked a lot about what Dave [Mustaine] wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both. We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There's a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave was amazing."

This past February, Mustaine told Brazil's A Rádio Rock about how Teemu ended up landing the MEGADETH gig: "Kiko had recommended Teemu, and Teemu is an exceptional guitar player. Kiko was at the top of his game when this happened, so we were obviously disappointed, but it is what it is. If Kiko would have said, 'I don't know anybody, and you're on your own,' that would have been a lot harder. But Teemu is the right guy for MEGADETH. And Kiko knows that Teemu is the right guy for me. So, he actually did us a really big favor, and I love him and I wish him the best with everything that he does."

Kiko announced his decision to step back from MEGADETH in a social media post in November. He wrote in part: "Dear MEGADETH fans, I want to share with you a decision that hasn't been easy for me. In September, I had to step away from the U.S. leg of the tour for family reasons. Looking ahead, during 2024, we anticipate an even heavier touring schedule for MEGADETH. After thorough reflection and discussions with Dave Mustaine and MEGADETH's management, we have collectively agreed that it is the right move to extend my absence. I don't want to hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

In early October, Mustaine told Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho about Teemu's addition to MEGADETH: "People are losing their minds over how things are going right now 'cause we have a really good chemistry together."

In September, Mustaine was equally full of praise for Mäntysaari, telling Wes Styles in a separate interview: "He's really great. And I'm super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it's uncanny because he plays a lot like Marty. And it's really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs and they're not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I've played with over my career."

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

During an appearance on the August 15 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless was asked if he had any idea METALLICA would become as big as they did when the James Hetfield-fronted outfit supported W.A.S.P. on a U.S. tour in early 1985. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Honestly, I don't think anybody has the ability to look into a crystal ball and see that. I see it differently. I mean, for me, METALLICA is James. And I don't say to slight any of the rest of the band — certainly not at all — but being a singer, I relate to the singer. And even to this day, I listen to how James drives songs and that singer lingo for when we drive a track, that means we're pushing the crap out of it. We're really hitting it hard, using the vocal to carry the track. And the way James drives it, I mean, he had that even then.

"Just before I came on the air here, there was that commercial for the '80s thing, and the first thing I heard was [late QUIET RIOT singer] Kevin DuBrow's voice," he continued. "Kevin was one of the best at driving a track there ever was. I mean, the power that comes out of these guys, I mean, it's just — it's unrelenting and it's a force to be reckoned with. So James had that even then. So, like I said, I could see that early on, but predicting what that would become? No, of course not.

"To be completely honest about it, METALLICA did not become METALLICA until about '…And Justice For All', at least not in the mass sense that we know it now," Blackie added. "Did they have a following before that? Of course they did. But to get into where it became supersonic, like it is now, no. And it takes a while for that to happen. And literally the planets aligned for them. I mean, they had done '…And Justice For All. The 'Black Album' comes out, and it's got that song ['Enter Sandman'] on it, man. And history is rewritten at that point."

During a "VIP Experience" question-and-answer session before one of W.A.S.P.'s concerts on the band's fall 2022 U.S. tour, Lawless spoke about his memories of playing with METALLICA on January 30, 1985 at Sherwood Country Club in Indianapolis, Indiana. He said: "We had gotten there late. We had a long drive the night before. Nobody got soundchecks that day. We were scrambling to try to make it happen. So we were flip-flopping [with METALLICA] every night [on that tour] — one night they'd close, one night we'd close — and this happened to be one of the nights we were closing. The dressing rooms were all downstairs, and it was like a maze down there; I mean, nobody knew where they were. Usually you get in early in the afternoon, and everybody gets kind of a feel for what's going on, signs are posted with arrows going this way and that way, what's where. I'm in there shaving and I hear METALLICA's intro start. And I'm looking up in the mirror and I'm shaving; I've got the razor at my throat. The door flies open behind me. There's Cliff [Burton, METALLICA bassist] standing there with his bass on. Now, their intro was playing. And Cliff's standing there. He goes, 'Blackie, Blackie, how do I get to the stage? How do I get to the stage?' I didn't know. I hadn't been up there yet. And I looked in the mirror. He was behind me. And I said, 'Cliff, honestly, I don't know.' And he goes, 'Oh, fuck you, Blackie.' He thinks I'm busting his chops. Two minutes goes by. I'm still down there shaving. They are already into the first song, and I hear the bass finally come in."

W.A.S.P. will embark on a North American tour, dubbed "Album ONE Alive", this fall. Support on the trek will come from ARMORED SAINT and UNTO OTHERS.

August 17, 2024, marks the 40th anniversary of the release of W.A.S.P.'s first album. To celebrate this classic metal album, W.A.S.P. will, for the first time in 40 years, play the entire album from top to bottom, start to finish, on "Album ONE Alive".

The 39-city run kicks off on Saturday, October 26 in San Luis Obispo, California, making stops across North America in Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; New York City; Orlando, Florida; and more before wrapping up on Saturday, December 14 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.

W.A.S.P. will again offer fans VIP tickets that give fans a chance to meet Lawless, get a personal photo with Blackie, autographs and take part in a very personal question-and-answer session with Blackie. VIP tickets can be purchased at waspnation.myshopify.com.

In August 2023, Blackie underwent a successful surgery to treat two herniated discs and a broken vertebra.

Because of the extensive back injuries Lawless suffered during the European leg of W.A.S.P.'s 40th-anniversary tour, the band's previously announced 2023 U.S. tour was canceled.

W.A.S.P. / Metallica / Armored Saint
January 23 , 1985
Mid Hudson Civic Center ... 🤘😎

Posted by The Chance Theater on Saturday, March 27, 2021

On this date in 1985:

The historic Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, hosted W.A.S.P. Nation (Official),Metallica, and Armored Saint.

Posted by Metal Nexus on Friday, February 9, 2024

While on tour this summer with ALICE IN CHAINS' legendary guitarist Jerry Cantrell, Tim Montana performed the band's smash single "Rooster" with Jerry, alongside Greg Puciato (BETTER LOVERS, THE BLACK QUEEN, ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on August 9. Video of the performance can be seen below.

Tim released his debut rock album, a collection of gritty and grungy, '90s-inspired rock anthems titled "Savage", in July. Some of Tim's biggest influences growing up were bands such as NIRVANA, ALICE IN CHAINS, GUNS N' ROSES and SOUNDGARDEN, so it only makes sense he wrote an album that pays homage to his rock heroes. "Savage" also includes the track "Devil You Know", which Loudwire called "one of the 30 best rock and metal songs of 2023." The breakout single had Tim reassess his music career and he got back in touch with his rock 'n' roll roots after being in the country scene for over a decade.

Tim is scheduled to play Rocklahoma festival on Friday, August 30. He'll also be on tour this fall with SEETHER and will play as support to Myles Kennedy in 2025.

Armed with grit, guitars, and a hunger for glory, Montana has been endorsed by Dave Grohl and ZZ TOP's Billy F Gibbons, booked by David Letterman, and had his anthems used by the MLB and NHL. His moody, crackling, '90s-influenced riffs and whiskey-soaked vocals reel fans in while his storytelling keeps them. "Savage" is a custom and combustible cocktail, served in a dirty, cracked glass that proves why Montana earned iHeartRadio's "On The Verge" accolade.

Montana forges a new frontier for hard rock. Following a tumultuous and downright unbelievable childhood in a trailer off-the-grid, the singer, guitarist, and entrepreneur left his home state of Montana in the rearview at barely 18 years old. Driven by a restless work ethic, he quietly carved out a niche without comparison. Along the way, he performed on "The Late Show With David Letterman" at the behest of the host (practically unheard of for a totally independent artist),collaborated with everyone from Gibbons to Kid Rock (cracking the charts for the first time),made a fan out of Charlie Sheen (who directed the "Mostly Stoned" video),and even attracted his idol Grohl to his corner. Soon, he found himself booked for tours with STAIND, SEETHER, SAINT ASONIA, BUSH and Cantrell (another hero of Tim's). Simultaneously, he and Gibbons purchased an historic bar and hotel Wise River Club in Wise River, Montana. Coming back home to Montana inspired him to go even wilder on his 2024 full-length album "Savage". The hooks hit harder, the distortion was cranked up louder, and the spirit became freer.

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian spoke to Metal Hammer magazine about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. Charlie said: "There's a song which has the same kind of epic feel as 'In The End' [from 2011's 'Worship Music'] and 'Blood Eagle Wings' [from 'For All Kings']. It revolves around the journey we've been on in the band. And there are three songs that don't sound like anything we've done before. One called 'The Edge Of Perfection' I had way before COVID, and it has just stayed with me — the melody and the chords, but also the aggression."

Ian added: "None of the songs are actually finished-finished. Joey's [Belladonna, vocalist] sang on nine of them. I've got lyrics to write for four of them. I think all the songs will be good enough to come out in some way, shape or form."

This past January, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told Rodney McG about the long delay in getting new ANTHRAX music out: "There wasn't a rush, obviously. I know it's been eight years since our last record, but we wanna make sure it's right, and it is [right]. We are very confident. I'm not worried about how right it is. It's right on exactly where I think, and the rest of the band think, we need to be. I love that it's more complicated for me to play. I love the challenge of that. I think we stepped it up a little bit, the heaviness. Again, everybody's gonna prop their record. Doing this for so long, this is how I feel.

"I don't wanna get complacent," he continued. "I want the challenge, 'cause I'm a fan. I'm a fan, and it has to stimulate me. And it has to get me going on stage."

As for the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Bello said: "On this record, there's stuff that we've never done before. I'm just saying right out — there's stuff, in a heavy way, which I'm very proud of. I like that we went that way with it and just went, 'What the fuck was that?' Some of the things that Charlie Benante does on drums, Scott and I were just, 'What the fuck was that?' And that's great, 'cause you wanna raise your game after that. I think it makes everybody step up a little bit. I'm doing some bass stuff that I had some fun with on this that I would never have done. I think there's a lot of cool stuff that's going on vocally, melody-wise. I'm really happy where the next ANTHRAX record is going."

Last October, Ian told "THAT Rocks!" that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates had "only really been working on" their new LP "for a year-ish, I would say… But then once lockdown and all that stuff happened, we just all walked away; nothing creative was happening at all with us through that whole period," he explained. "And then, slowly but surely, when we started playing shows again in '21 and going into '22, that's when we started working again, really. And then in the last year, we really started to put stuff together and Charlie and Frankie and I getting together and having writing sessions and arranging stuff."

In September, Belladonna was asked by Tulsa Music Stream if he is typically presented with finished lyrics to sing or if he gets to contribute a lot lyrically to the content. Joey said: "I love doing lyrics, but there's a lot of lyrics that Scott — he just loves to do it. It's his thing. He just digs into such — these topics that he likes to go and get into, and we all kind of have our own little thoughts on the songs. But I get in there and I really kind of — I dig into the whole thing a lot further. There's a lot of stuff that I have to… When you start singing on something, you really have to find the pockets of what you wanna do, what kind of tone I wanna throw on it and how I wanna go for a certain range for certain things and how I approach it is very important. There are lyrics, but at the end of the day, I have to go in there and still sing as good and catchy and appropriate as I can to make this stuff my thing, my style. Obviously, we're not the hit-oriented type of thing, but I'm always going for something cool to catch you off guard and neat and different. I have my own style, so I just kind of do my thing."

During an August 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Ian said about the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material: "Certainly of the nine [songs] we've tracked so far, from a riff point of view, it's definitely — I mean it's riffs with all capital letters. Like if you were going to write, you would write 'riffs' in all capitals with an exclamation point. The riffs are killer. It's very riff-centric. There's a lot of faster uptempo material, certainly."

Ian added: "I will say there is a song — I won't say any titles yet, 'cause it's still probably a working title — there's definitely one song, it's the fastest thing we've ever done. There's another song that we haven't recorded yet that's also in the vein, more of a 'Gung-Ho' or a 'Caught In A Mosh'. Because Charlie and I talk all the time. I said, 'We still need something that's like a three-and-a-half-minute just ripper. You know, something like that.' And then we come up with something like that and I'm, like, 'Hey, I forgot I'm 60 now, and now I have to play this song for the next three years.' Just make my life harder."

Earlier last year, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP. Charlie said: "If we didn't get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were [written] before the pandemic hit, they're old to me. So now there's a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that's a good thing. You can never have enough… We're still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with
NTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Photo courtesy of HERFitz PR

Indianapolis melodic death/doom purveyors, Mother Of Graves, return to the surface with The Periapt Of Absence, a new and prolific dose of melancholy set to be unleashed on October 18 via Profound Lore Records.


The Periapt Of Absence delivers Mother Of Graves' most in depth and significant material to date. The follow-up to 2022’s critically lauded Where The Shadows Adorn, The Periapt Of Absence serves as a testament to Mother Of Graves' evolutionary journey and steadfast dedication to crafting their profoundly personal and enthralling rendition of death/doom metal.


Highlighted by Brandon Howe's soul crushing and poetic vocals, the offering transcends boundaries, delving deeper into realms of sorrow and introspection than their previous works. The album expands upon the band’s notoriously engrossing atmospheres, crushing passages that shine light on their death metal roots, monumental hooks, and melodies that will resonate for years to come. Each song provides a poignant exploration of the human experience, where moments of despair are illuminated by glimmers of hope and fleeting beauty. Through eight cathartic tales of heartache, love, and loss, Mother Of Graves beckons you to delve deep into the recesses of their dark and gloomy world.




In advance of the record’s release, today the band unveils first single, “Upon Burdened Hands”.


Notes Howe, "‘Upon Burdened Hands’ is a tale of severance and longing. Perseverance in the midst of uncertainty. Being separated from the one thing tethering you to this earth, but somewhere - still connected. It is one of our more melodic and hooky songs on the record, which I love, while holding an equal amount of heaviness and grit. I think we found a really nice balance of those things here. Included before the last half of the song is a reading of The Dream by Theodore Roethke, a favorite poet of mine. His work among select others solaced me through difficult times, and I thought this one in particular was a fitting piece for this song. Sink into the melancholic romance and let it take you where it may."


Listen to the single below.


The crushing production work of The Periapt Of Absence, provided by the band's Ben Sandman with dynamic mastering by the legend Dan Swanö, amplifies the monumental rhythm section anchored by drummer Don Curtis and bassist Corey Clark, while illuminating the intricate guitar harmonies skillfully woven by guitarists Ben Sandman and Chris Morrison.


The Periapt Of Absence will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find pre-orders here.





The Periapt Of Absence tracklsting:


"Gallows"
"Shatter The Visage"
"A Scarlet Threnody"
"Apparition"
"The Periapt Of Absence"
"As The Earth Fell Silent"
"Upon Burdened Hands"
"Like Darkness To A Dying Flame"


"Upon Burdened Hands":





Mother Of Graves is:


Brandon Howe – vocals, keyboards
Chris Morrison – guitar
Ben Sandman – guitar
Corey Clark – bass
Don Curtis – drums


(Photo - Kristie Vantlin)







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In a new interview with Jaimunji of Australia's Metal Roos, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris was asked how he and his bandmates continue to maintain such a high energy level on stage in their late 60s and early 70s. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The first couple of weeks is always the toughest, fitness-wise, of any tour. 'Cause you can… I mean, I go running and I still play football and tennis and everything like that, whatever, but you can't really train for what you do on stage, and you just have to get out there and do it. So it is tough, the first two weeks, I think. But once you get into it and you get into your stride, it's all right. But the first two weeks is also exciting for that very reason as well — it can be a little bit edgy because you're still sort of finding your feet, I suppose. I think a lot of the fans come along hoping there's gonna be a couple of mistakes here and there that they can talk about for the rest of their days. Hopefully that won't happen, from our point of view, but it is what it is. It doesn't matter how much you rehearse or get ready or whatever you do, whatever preparation, there's nothing like playing a live show."

Founded in 1975 by Harris, IRON MAIDEN has released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums and 47 singles which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played over 2000 live shows in 59 countries and have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, among others. The band's very own Trooper beer, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, has sold in excess of 35 million pints and is distributed in 68 countries.

IRON MAIDEN's "The Future Past Tour", which includes songs from both the band's most recent studio album "Senjutsu" as well as 1986's seminal album "Somewhere In Time", alongside other fan favorites, played to over 750,000 fans at more than 30 sold-out shows across Europe in the summer of 2023. The band also performed in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver alongside their highly praised appearance at California's Power Trip festival this October which had Consequence stating: "IRON MAIDEN set the bar high at Power Trip" and The Desert Sun saying "IRON MAIDEN didn't disappoint and delivered a hard-hitting performance to open the festival on a high note." Featuring one of the most spectacular stage productions of the band's career, it has received rave reviews in every city and country that IRON MAIDEN visited.

"Senjutsu" came out in September 2021. It marked MAIDEN's second consecutive double album behind 2015's "The Book Of Souls" which is the longest MAIDEN album, with a running time of 92 minutes.

IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, "Senjutsu" was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris. It features three tracks whose running time exceeds 10 minutes each.

For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.

"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.

"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.

Harris has been playing sporadic shows with his side project BRITISH LION, which released its second album, "The Burning", in January 2020 via Explorer1 Music (E1). The LP was recorded, engineered and mixed at Barnyard Studios by Tony Newton and produced by Steve Harris.

BRITISH LION's first U.S. tour took place in January and February 2020.

BRITISH LION comprises singer Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie, Harris on bass and keyboards, and drummer Simon Dawson.

In a new interview with Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked when he was first introduced to the music of MOTÖRHEAD and how he was influenced by MOTÖRHEAD's iconic frontman Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So I was probably 15, maybe 16, and that was a really pivotal time. I had a little band in Minnesota, where I grew up, and there was a guitar player in the town north of us that he was the guy who could play. So he joined our band and he turned me and my band on to DIAMOND HEAD, MOTÖRHEAD, TANK, TYGERS OF PAN TANG, the first DEF LEPPARD record where [DEF LEPPARD drummer] Rick Allen was, like — I don't know — 15 or 16 years old. And quite honestly, that album is what made me and my friends go, 'We can do this,' 'cause we were the same age. DEF LEPPARD was so young. And then, of course, along with it, I think probably 'Ace Of Spades' was the first MOTÖRHEAD record that came in the band rehearsal room, and then immediately followed by 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith' and then 'Bomber', of course. So those were the — kind of that whole era. And then the SCORPIONS, BLACK SABBATH with Ronnie James Dio. So that was my era — kind of '78 to '80, those records in that era. And I got turned on to them probably around '80 or '81. That was it, man."

Offering his opinion of Lemmy as a bass player, Ellefson said: "METAL ALLEGIANCE, another group that I have, we had a run of dates in early January of '16. And [Lemmy] passed the day after Christmas [of 2015] or something. Yeah, it was very kind of unexpected, 'cause they had a big [birthday] party for him at the Whisky [A Go Go in West Hollywood]. Everybody was there. Then he passed right after Christmas. And then our shows were like 10 days later. And so the Whisky, which also own the Rainbow, they called us and they said, 'Hey, would you guys be the tribute-to-Lemmy band?' like the house band. So we kind of flipped our setlist with METAL ALLEGIANCE to basically be mostly a MOTÖRHEAD set. So, [MOTÖRHEAD drummer] Mikkey Dee came, [SLIPKNOT's] Corey Taylor, a bunch of people came and joined us. And what I realized learning a bunch of MOTÖRHEAD songs in a way that I never knew as a kid learning them is that Lemmy played the bass like an acoustic guitar. 'Cause he was a singer/bass player, similar to [THIN LIZZY's] Phil Lynott. Bass players that were singers as well as bass players, they played with the plectrum… But Lemmy really played more like an acoustic guitar player… And it was the way he strummed and his up strokes on things was much more like how an acoustic guitar player would play. And it really changed my whole scope about him. When you learn songs from somebody, you kind of try to find where's the heart of who they are. What is their thing? And that, to me, that's when it clicked. And then every MOTÖRHEAD song after that, I kind of just clued in to that, and it became a lot easier to learn because I didn't just think about the bass part, I thought about what he's singing over top of it. Paul McCartney, Gene Simmons, Phil Lynott, Lemmy, these iconic bass players, they're also lead singers. So for them, the bass isn't just the only thing that they do. So, to me, you kind of have to take the whole package. So Lemmy is a singer as well as just a bass player."

When METAL ALLEGIANCE paid tribute to Lemmy during the band's January 9, 2016 concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, they were joined by special guests from SLIPKNOT and SEPULTURA, along with Dee, who asked for a moment of silence in honor of Lemmy.

Eight and a half years ago, Ellefson spoke to About Heavy Metal about the Lemmy tribute. He said: "As it would turn out, Lemmy passed suddenly and unexpectedly just after Christmas, and we got the call from the venue saying, 'Hey, we would love it if METAL ALLEGIANCE would accommodate a tribute to Lemmy. You're kind of set up for it with the lineup of the band. There's going to be a lot of guests, and other celebrated metal musicians around,' and we said, 'Absolutely we should do it.' It's a no-brainer. It's pretty easy for us. They had the funeral at Forest Lawn. They had the memorial up at the Rainbow, and we held the wake down at the Whisky."

Asked if it was pretty emotional when MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee got up there to play a song with METAL ALLEGIANCE, Ellefson said: "It was. Mikkey's such a terrific guy, and such a great drummer. In fact, I remember just before we were releasing the [MEGADETH] 'Peace Sells' record back in 1986, we did a tour leading up to that with KING DIAMOND in the summer of 1986, and Mikkey Dee was the drummer. That was when we in MEGADETH first got to meet Mikkey, then, of course, watching him move over to be the MOTÖRHEAD drummer."

He continued: "MOTÖRHEAD drumming and the MOTÖRHEAD lifestyle is not for the faint of heart, and he survived both very well. Just such a monster player, and such a cool guy. He held a moment of silence for Lemmy. It was really a moving moment when you get a bunch of loud, raucous, metal heads into a room who are respectfully, honestly giving a moment of silence. It was really a moving moment for sure, and followed by, 'Okay, now let's go make some noise.' Then he hopped behind the kit, and we blazed out a tune.

"We had some of the best guys there, obviously. Mike Portnoy [DREAM THEATER], Mikkey Dee, Dave Lombardo [SLAYER] came down to play drums. Corey Taylor [SLIPKNOT] flew over from Las Vegas just to be a part of that, and jumped up and sang some songs with us. Everybody joined in with the best intentions, and really with a big heart in all the things in honor of Lemmy."

Under the motto "Witches & Warlocks" the sold out Wacken Open Air 2024 took place from July 31 to August 3, 2024. Watch 85,000 Metalheads from all around the globe celebrating the biggest metal party in the world in a tiny village in northern Germany.


Says organizers: "With this offial aftermovie a huge "Thank You!" goes out to all participants and followers of Wacken Open Air 2024! See you in Wacken - rain of shine!"


Get your ticket for Wacken Open Air 2025 here.












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INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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What happens when the musical universe fuses members of Lady A, Skid Row, Third Eye Blind, Sturgill Simpson, The Smashing Pumpkins and Wang Chung together? This Wild Darkness.


United in a moment of musical brilliance, members of this supercollab rock outfit, This Wild Darkness, led by musical alchemist Tommy Marz, is a collective born from the pure joy of creation, where legendary musicians from diverse backgrounds converge to craft something poignant and dynamic. With a lineup boasting Arion Salazar (Third Eye Blind), Chuck Bartels (Sturgill Simpson), Jack Hues (Wang Chung), Jeff Schroeder (The Smashing Pumpkins), Scotti Hill (Skid Row), And Slim Gambill (Lady A), the group has harnessed their vast experiences to produce a powerful and evocative upcoming 5-song concept EP, The Notorious Memphis Rains, set for release on October 25.


The project’s title hints at the profound themes explored within the five-track collection, drawing inspiration from the historic tragedies of Memphis, TN, and West Memphis, AR. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the death of Elvis Presley, and the haunting story of the West Memphis Three served as a foundation for Marz as he crafted the character "Memphis Rains," symbolizing the collective sorrow of these events.




"The entirety of this project is a concept based on searching for something that you want and being willing to do whatever it takes to get it," says Marz, who also produced the album. "It also explores the consequences of those actions that may not be clear when you are in pursuit."


"Tommy made it easy to be relaxed and creative," says Bartels as he reflects on the collaborative process. "I felt like nothing was off the table, part-wise."


"I couldn't have been more flattered when Tommy asked me to contribute to this record and project," shares Hill. " It’s been so much fun!"


Nashville-based guitarist Slim Gambill, known for his work with country group Lady A shouts: "Finally! I get a rock track sent to me where I get to take the gloves off!"


Beginning at a charity show, "For The Crew," to raise money for Sweet Relief Musicians Fund in 2021, Schroeder, HILL, and Marz ended the evening with a rousing jam of "Cold Gin" by KISS. This event - which raised over $15,000 for out-of-work road crew members affected by the pandemic - also highlighted collaboration between Schroeder and Salazar, as well as Hues and Marz. These moments laid the foundation for a group that would reunite and create together over the years. Marz and Schroeder have since collaborated on several tracks, charting four times on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Mainstream Radio Airplay and Digital Sales charts.





The Notorious Memphis Rains tracklisting:


"The Wild Darkness"
"Dawn Rider"
"Phantom Moon"
"Night Drive Rx"
"The Wild Darkness (Reprise)"


(Album image - Judi Perkins)







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INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

In a new interview with link textUltimate Classic Rock, former MÖTLEY CRÜE and current THE DEAD DAISIES frontman John Corabi spoke about the recent passing of original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell. He said: "That sucks. It was probably about a year ago, I did an acoustic set. It was me, [former DANGER DANGER vocalist] Ted Poley and Jack with [his guitarist] Robbie Lochner. I was shocked. I hadn't seen Jack in a while. He came in and had two crutches and just looked super frail. But you know what? He got in there, sat down on a stool and sang his balls off. I was just, like, 'Wow.' It's amazing. He looked physically frail, but if you closed your eyes and listened to him, it didn't sound like [any time had passed]. It sounded like old Jack. But yeah, I was sad when I heard that [about his passing]."

He continued: "Listen, I respect anybody that can get out and do what we do and have some success at it. GREAT WHITE was one of the first bands I saw when I moved to L.A. I saw them at the Roxy and they were kind of in between record deals. I think they were writing for what became ['Once Bitten']. They were just kind of in between. I saw them play the Roxy and I was just like, 'Wow.' Then they did some [LED] ZEPPELIN stuff and I just thought it was amazing. It's sad, dude. You know, you hate to see any of your heroes or musical peers [die]. We're all getting up there in age, man. So we're starting to lose 'em all."

Russell's death was announced by his family in a social media statement on Thursday (August 15). The statement read: "With tremendous sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Jack Patrick Russell — father, husband, cousin, uncle, and friend.

"Jack passed peacefully in the presence of his wife Heather Ann Russell, son Matthew Hucko, cousin Naomi Breshears Barbor, and dear friends Billy and Cheryl Pawelcik.

"Details of a public memorial will be announced at a later date.

"Jack is loved and remembered for his sense of humor, exceptional zest for life, and unshakeable contribution to rock and roll where his legacy will forever thrive.

"His family asks for privacy at this time."

The news of Jack's passing came less than a month after he announced that he was retiring from touring following a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia.

Lewy body dementia is the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease.

Lewy body dementia impacts memory, decision-making and ability to solve problems. It has led to motor and muscle weakness and rigidity. It also can cause sleep disorders and hallucinations.

Lewy body dementia is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease due to its early similarity to those other neurodegenerative diseases.

After actor and comedian Robin Williams took his own life in August 2014, autopsy results revealed he was suffering from LBD.

Russell was performing with his version of GREAT WHITE when a pyrotechnics display sparked a nightclub fire that killed 100 people at a 2003 concert in Rhode Island. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Guitarist Mark Kendall, who founded GREAT WHITE with Russell in 1982, later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. Guitarist Ty Longley died in the blaze.

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by guitarist Mark Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell most recently performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

In October 2022, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joined the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24, 2022 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Russell's autobiography, titled "The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative", was recently released via Gatekeeper Press. Penned by author Katelyn Louise "K.L." Doty, it features a sentimental foreword by Lita Ford, with additional commentary from Eric Singer, Eddie Trunk, John Kalodner, Kip Winger and others. The book, with a cover photo by legendary rock photographer Mark Weiss, is available in paperback, hardcover and e-book form.

For more information, visit www.jackrussellbook.com.

On August 16th, Delain 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:


"The Cold"
"Suckerpunch"
"Burning Bridges"
"The Quest and the Curse"
"Invidia"
"Get the Devil Out of Me"
"Army of Dolls"
"Queen of Shadow"
"The Gathering"
"Don't Let Go"
"Moth to a Flame"
"We Are the Others"







Delain continue to grace stages around the world in support of their latest opus, Dark Waters, out now via Napalm Records. The band is thrilled to announce their return to North American shores with a newly announced headline tour, set to take place in early 2025. The run will also feature support from special guests, symphonic metal patriots and label mates Xandria, who are touring in support of their latest album, The Wonders Still Awaiting.


Fans should expect to hear Delain and Xandria fan favorites, the latest hits, as well as brand new material from both bands during this tour, so don't miss out. Kicking off on March 7 in Phoenix, AZ, the tour will visit several major cities across North America, ending in Austin, TX on March 29. Tickets are on sale now, here.


Delain's Martijn Westerholt says: “After such a warm welcome & meeting so many amazing fans, performing new music and introducing our new members to the metal masses of North America last year, we are absolutely stoked to return to the United States and Canada to meet again! This time, we’re thrilled to share this experience with our special guests and good friends Xandria. Each night will be stunning for all - don’t miss this one!"


Marco Heubaum of Xandria adds:"We are delighted to come back to the USA and Canada, and even better, with our good friends Delain! We are super excited to bring this package to the North American fans! This is going to be amazing!"





Dates:


March
7 - Phoenix, AZ - The Nile
8 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go Go
9 - Sacramento, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
10 - Portland, OR - The Bossanova Ballroom
11 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
14 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
16 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
17 - Detroit, MI - The Token Lounge
19 - Columbus, OH - The King of Clubs
20 - Toronto, ON - Axis
21 - Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theatre
22 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East
23 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
24 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
25 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
26 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell)
28 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
29 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"