Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson handled bass duties for CULTURA TRES during the latter band's performance on the main stage at the Bloodstock Open Air festival on Sunday, August 11 at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom.

Ellefson was filling in for SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., who was unable to appear with his side project due to SEPULTURA's ongoing farewell tour.

When Ellefson's involvement with CULTURA TRES was first announced on August 7, Paulo said in a statement: "I will not be able to perform at the Bloodstock festival due to the upcoming SEPULTURA tour dates recently added in Brazil during that time. I have asked my longtime friend David Ellefson to help us out and fulfill this task on my behalf. CULTURA TRES will be in good hands with his performance. Thank you, my brother, for the help and effort to make this happen!"

Ellefson added: "I first heard CULTURA TRES about five years ago when ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE (the band featuring ANTHRAX/SATYRICON bassist Frank Bello) performed at Paulo's venue BR-020 in Amsterdam. I immediately loved the sound of the band, so I'm really honored to help out Paulo and the group on this one. It's always great to play Bloodstock, and I'm looking forward to seeing the fans there!"

CULTURA TRES's latest album, "Camino De Brujos", was released in April 2023 via Universal Music in the Americas and Bloodblast in the rest of the world.

CULTURA TRES is led by brothers Juanma Montoya and Alejandro, who previously stated about "Camino De Brujos": "Something we've learnt while listening to Andy Wallace's albums (he is God in our little world) is that if you can't imagine the band performing while you listen to a recording then you are just listening to a computer. And we are not interested in letting fans hear a computer... We'd rather invite them to hear four people playing their hearts out on a record. This record."

Added Paulo: "In 2019 after hearing about the plans for a new CULTURA TRES, I offered Ale and Juanma to join the band.

"The music is very organic. There are a lot of influences from the '90s and a little bit of hardcore as well. Personally [for this album], I got inspired by the bass players who I' loved the most back in the '70s."

In the studio, CULTURA TRES explored new ideas and found a musical common ground. The resulting style retained elements of the psychedelic-sludgy past, but incorporated the groove of a more metal oriented vibe that Paulo brought in with his SEPULTURA influence.

Alejandro said: "The album title 'Camino De Brujos' can be roughly translated as 'Trail Of Witches'. Do you remember the little story about letting your subconscious make artistic choices? Well, this is one of the best examples. 'Camino De Brujos' is the main line sang on top of a nasty slow riff. The song is filled with tribal ritual percussion, typical from South America's black magic practices. The phrase didn't only end up being the only lyrics sang on the song but it also gave the name and identity to the album."

"Camino De Brujos" was recorded by Juan M. De Ferrari Montoya and Alonso Milano Mendoza at AJM Sound Studios, Amsterdam (NL) and at Reborn Studios, Artesa de Segre (SP). Alejandro Londono Montoya took care of the missing and the mastering at AJM Sound Studios in Amsterdam. The artwork was created by Damian Michaels.

CULTURA TRES is:

Alejandro Londono Montoya - guitar, vocals
Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. - bass
Juan M de Ferrari Montoya - guitar
Jerry Vergara Cevallos - drums

Fan-filmed video of ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's July 24 concert at Roxy Theatre in Bremerton, Washington can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Cassius Morris, Tate was asked if he has any desire to ever create with his former bandmates, including guitarist Chris DeGarmo, again. He responded: "Well, I think that we had 30 good years, which is phenomenal. Most bands make a couple of records. How many records did GUNS N' ROSES make? Three? [Laughs] We had 30 years of making music, and we gave it a really good run. We had a lot of success. I think we created some really memorable albums, some really memorable songs that will outlive us. And I don't really have a need to go back and try to recapture that with Chris or any of the other guys as well. I feel like it's time to do other things, and to just explore. And we gave that a great run. It was successful. We did great things. It's time to do other things now."

Asked if he keeps in touch with any of his former bandmates at all, Geoff said: "Um, not regularly, not regularly. But sometimes situations arise where we have to sort of deal with each other, and it's not unpleasant now. Enough time has gone by [and] the bridges have mended, I guess."

Regarding whether it is tough for him to keep having to talk about his split with QUEENSRŸCHE more than a decade later, Geoff said: "At first, it was very challenging because we had kind of a bitter breakup, and I guess I was very angry over how it was handled. But then I started looking at the personalities involved and realized, well, it really didn't have any other realistic outcome. It was gonna be what it was. But that was 12 years ago when the band split up. And so a lot of water is under the bridge now and I can be a lot more forgiving of people in their situations. But I've had to talk about it. I keep getting asked questions about it, that kind of thing, 'You ever gonna get the band back together?' that question all the time. And so I've tried to think about how to talk about it in a way that is honest and real for me, but yet not so volatile. 'Cause I could get very volatile about it and point fingers and express blame and I can be very cruel, but it doesn't really serve me to even entertain that idea. I really appreciate what we had and what we did. And I'm happy with that. Very happy."

Back in March 2023, QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton shot down Tate's claim that the original lineup of the group was offered an "obscene" amount of money for one reunion tour but that "a couple of people in the band turned it down." Michael told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "I don't know. I didn't hear about it. I never saw any offers. I know our management never saw any offers. So I have no idea about that."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Fellow original QUEENSRŸCHE members Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

During a January 2022 appearance on "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Tate was asked if he is hopeful that a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion will happen someday. He responded: "I'm honestly not really expecting that to happen, basically because we've been offered just obscene amounts of money to get back together and do one tour — one tour and we'd never have to tour again. And a couple of people in the band turned it down; they're not interested in doing it. So that would really be, I think, the only motivation that would get everybody together was an obscene amount of money. But that didn't work, so [laughs] there's really no hope for it after that, I think… Money is not the motivator, and getting together for an artistic dream isn't a motivator either, so what do you have? You have nothing. Obviously, both camps are happy in the position they're at. I know for myself, I love my life — I love what I'm doing and I love traveling and playing music for people. And so far, I'm still kicking it, still happy and healthy."

Geoff went on to say that he is fine with the prospect of never returning to QUEENSRŸCHE and continuing to pursue his solo career and other projects for the rest of his time as a performing artist.

"We did hold it together for years and years and years," he said. "It was a really, really tightly run ship and it was very lucrative and we had a lot of great records and did a lot of world touring and made a lot of friends and played a lot of music together. And we had our time, and I'll aways be grateful for that time that we had. That was a time, and it doesn't mean that that time has to go on forever. There's new times to be had and there's more music to be made, there's more songs to be sung and more audiences to play music for."

Tate has gone back and forth on the subject of a reunion with QUEENSRŸCHE, telling The Rock Vault in November 2019 about the possibility of rejoining his former bandmates: "I think that would be something that makes sense, and I think it would be an interesting thing to do, if everybody could get in the same room and actually talk to each other." However, just eight months earlier, he dismissed the chances of a QUEENSRŸCHE reunion, telling Greece's "TV War" that he had "no interest in that. No. Not at all. [I have] absolutely no reason to," he said. "I don't need the money. That'd be the only reason to do it. Maybe if they paid me, like, 10 million dollars or something like that. [Laughs]"

He continued: "It was a good thing for a long time, and then it went really bad. And I just don't want that kind of negativity in my life. My life is so good, and I have such great friends and family. I travel the world and sing songs for a living. I mean, it's lovely. I have wonderful, positive people in my life, and to go back and be in that negative land again… aargh, I just couldn't do it. It's not worth it."

Tate previously described his time in QUEENSRŸCHE as "a strange, strange sort of relationship." He told The Metal Gods Meltdown: "We weren't really friends, you know — we were business associates. We had a wonderful entity that we shared called QUEENSRŸCHE, but it wasn't an equal sort of partnership as far as involvement goes. You know, so there wasn't a real camaraderie amongst everybody in the band… From my perspective and my involvement, it wasn't an emotional sort of brotherhood kind of thing that some people might think existed. That wasn't my reality with them."

In 2021, current QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre told "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" about the chances of Tate's return to QUEENSRŸCHE: "It's funny. I always hear, 'There'll definitely be an all-original lineup reunion. Every band does it.' And I'm thinking, if you knew what I know, I don't think that's gonna happen. And other than the optics of it, why? What's the point? We saw for 15 years what it sounded like."

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

QUEENSRŸCHE has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring and recording purposes since April 2017.

In a new interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne, OPETH guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt spoke about the band's upcoming album, "The Last Will And Testament", which will arrive on October 11 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. Asked if the recently released first single from the LP, "§1", which contains growling vocals from Mikael, is representative of the entire record, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think so. Maybe. I mean, in that sense, yeah. There is some screams on the other songs — not all of them, but on some of the other songs. Good screams, I must say. It's a very restless record. Somebody said claustrophobic. And it's not a very happy record. It's very — I mean, every metal band says the word 'dark', but it's… restless, it is my best, to sum it up. We don't linger on anything. It's just like an explosion of ideas. It's like TikTok."

Regarding the "The Last Will And Testament" album title, Mikael said: "Yeah, well, it is a concept record that basically starts with the… The whole record is about the reading of the last will and testament of this main character that's passed away — a rich, old fuck. Conservative, old, stern, noble patriarch who passed away, and the record starts when he summoned his three children to go through with solicitors, his last will and testament."

Asked how he came up with the concept for the new OPETH album, Mikael said: "It's not completely my idea. I got interested in the topic even on the last record. There's a song on there called, the English title was 'Universal Truth' — I think we did a video for that one — which also dealt with kind of those types of, like how blood's not always thicker than water, how money can drive family members into chaos. So I got interested in that topic. And also along comes the TV series 'Succession', which is, I'm not sure if you've seen it, but a great TV series about a power struggle between siblings taking over after their Murdoch-type father."

He added: "It's interesting. And it also helps me if I have a theme of sorts if I'm gonna write lyrics. Otherwise, I end up writing stuff, I don't even know what they mean."

OPETH's fourteenth album was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

"The Last Will And Testament" is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

"The Last Will And Testament" is the darkest and heaviest record OPETH has made in decades, and it is also the band's most fearlessly progressive. A concept album recounting the reading of one recently deceased man's will to an audience of his surviving family members, it brims with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that Åkerfeldt has ever written.

The follow-up to 2019's widely acclaimed "In Cauda Venenum", "The Last Will And Testament" is set in the shadowy, sepia-stained 1920s. It slowly reveals its secrets like some classic thriller from the distant, cobwebbed past, with each successive song shining more light on the stated machinations of our dead (but definitely not harmless) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the story is perfectly matched by OPETH's vivid but claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its way towards a crestfallen but sumptuous finale. Masters of their own idiosyncratic musical domain, OPETH have never sounded more unique.

"The Last Will And Testament" is destined to be a milestone in OPETH's illustrious recorded history. The band's first out-and-out concept record, it features guest cameos from JETHRO TULL legend Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, frontman with Swedish rock gods EUROPE. Only one of the album's eight songs has a title: closing ballad "A Story Never Told". The rest are simply labeled as numbered chapters in this slowly unfolding saga of deceit, recrimination and betrayal. Enigmatic, unsettling and immersive, "The Last Will And Testament" is a turbulent, prog metal tale like no other.

Making his recorded debut alongside OPETH's long-established lineup of Mikael Åkerfeldt, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martin Mendez and keyboard maestro Joakim Svalberg on "The Last Will And Testament" is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who joined the band in 2022.

In a recent interview with Marcus Schleutermann of EMP, Åkerfeldt was asked how "The Last Will And Testament" is different from other OPETH albums. Mikael said: "I don't know. It's weird. That's not really different for us, I guess. But I'm doing some of the screams again, which I haven't done for a long time. And there's some guests on there. Ian Anderson from JETHRO TULL is on there doing spoken word and playing flute. And Joey Tempest [of EUROPE] is on it. But, yeah, it's a concept record. Somebody said it sounds claustrophobic. It's a claustrophobic-sounding record. And there's a lot of ideas. It's a restless record. There's not meandering stuff happening all the time. Even I don't really know the songs yet. But, of course, I would say that, but I think it's good — it's a good record."

Regarding Joey's contributions to "The Last Will And Testament", Mikael said: "Tempest doesn't sound like Tempest on [EUROPE's biggest hit] 'The Final Countdown'. I had him over at my house. I asked him, 'Could you sing a few lines?' 'Let's push the record button,' he said. At the time I didn't have the lyrics ready, so I was, like, 'I'm sorry. I have to record it from somewhere else.' But he's really going for it. He sounds amazing. I mean, I'm a big EUROPE fan, being Swedish. I love them. And I think for him to be on this record, it's a bit different by his standards because it doesn't really sound like a EUROPE record at all."

Asked if he and Joey are friends, Mikael said: "I guess. I guess we're friends. Yeah. He sent me a text one day. It's, like, 'What's up?' And I was, like, 'Hey, Joey Tempest.' And we met at festivals, and he invited me over to his house. I mean, we know the EUROPE guys. Fredrik, one of his best friends is [John] Norum, the [EUROPE] guitar player. So, we're good friends with the whole band. But, yeah, Joey Tempest, we hang out every now and then."

On the possibility of a OPETH/EUROPE joint tour, Mikael said: "We talked about it, but it's hard to know… Ultimately, we make the calls for who we gonna tour with. For instance, we gonna tour in North America soon with TRIBULATION, and they're friends. And then we're going to tour in Europe with GRAND MAGUS, which is also friends. And EUROPE, we have talked about touring together, but it's hard to know if people like that package or not. I'm not sure… I think [EUROPE] would have to play after us then, because you don't want to go up after 'The Final Countdown'."

Asked if the songs on "The Last Will And Testament" all stand on their own or if they are all connected in some way, Mikael said: "They are connected lyrically, but also to a certain extent that one song bleeds into the other, which I always liked anyways. It's basically the reading of a testament. So it's like paragraphs. There are no real songtitles on there. It's a bit odd by our standards even. But you could, of course, extract any song from — we don't have to play the whole record."

OPETH will embark on a North American tour this fall. The trek, which will kick off on October 11 in Milwaukee, includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, Denver and more.

In a new interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne, CLUTCH frontman Neil Fallon confirmed that he and his bandmates recently completed the first demoing session with producer Tom Dalgety for the group's follow-up to the "Sunrise On Slaughter Beach" album, which was released in September 2022. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're gonna try to maybe do [another session] in January and then another one right before we record. Hopefully we'll have 15 tracks and then we'll pick maybe the 10 best release those and maybe save some for a rainy day."

Regarding CLUTCH's working relationship with Dalgety, Neil said: "Tom's great. I think sometimes working with a producer, personality is half the battle because they can have all the skills in the world but if they're an asshole, you don't wanna work with them. Tom is anything but that."

As for whether CLUTCH fans can expect to see the band's next studio LP in the spring or summer of 2025, Neil said: "No, it would be probably the third quarter. Nowadays, you've gotta have such a buffer. It's getting better with vinyl, but we have to plan that in way in advance."

O'Beirne also asked Fallon about the possibility of CLUTCH playing some of the new material live before it is released. He said: "Yeah. we try to. That doesn't always happen. Playing a song live in front of people is a much different animal than doing it in a studio where you can stop and say, 'I have to go to the bathroom.' There's an urgency that will change a song. Sometimes something sounds great and then you put it on stage and it may be not so much, or vice versa. So we like to do that."

Last month, Fallon told Neil Jones of TotalRock that he and his bandmates have "been getting together, on and off this year, just writing. And then that sometimes that just means writing a riff, not necessarily a song," he explained. "But right now, as we speak, behind me, Tom Dalgety, he flew in from Bristol [United Kingdom] a couple nights ago and he's done a load of albums, he did our last record, 'Sunrise On Slaughter Beach'. We're doing a pre-production session this week. We'll do another one probably in January. And then again, right before we record, hopefully in March. And what that means is we're just kind of fleshing out these demos. So when it comes time to record them, we know them and don't have an excuse to say, 'I don't know how to play this song.'"

Asked how far back the musical ideas on those demos were originally captured, Fallon said: "I think maybe the first ones are maybe from March of last year, but it was pretty piecemeal 'cause we'd go out on the road and then no one really wants to get together after a show and say, 'Hey, let's jam.' So, it was kind of piecemeal, like I said. But there's a riff that Tom said we did on the last session almost three years ago that he'd like to kick around that was actually from — I think we've been kicking that riff around since [2015's] 'Psychic Warfare'. It's sort of like this orphan riff that — it's good; it just needs to find some friends to live with."

Regarding how he comes up with the themes for his lyrics, Fallon said: "I wish I knew there was a very succinct system on doing this. But I'll come up with lyrical ideas. I'll jot 'em down in a notebook or in a voice memo on my phone and I'll come up with an idea for lyrics. And sometimes they seem to write themselves. Other times I'll say, 'Well, they don't really sound that good. Let's try it on this song.' And eventually, it's like… I don't know. You whittle away at stuff until you find its final form. I find that songs that have stood the test of time are the ones that were the quickest to write. The ones that take months, but usually those don't last very long as far as live rotation on stage."

Asked if he and his CLUTCH bandmates are thinking at all, while they are working on new material, about how the songs are going to go down in a live setting, Fallon said: "No. And I think that's one of the things that CLUTCH fans like about us. I think there's a sincerity. If you kind of premeditate it, then it becomes less of an artistic enterprise and more of a marketing scheme. And I think because if we like it, then by extension CLUTCH fans like it, because that's what we're all here for, as far as this band goes. There's been occasions where we've had songs and I've listened to it, and I said, 'I don't know. I don't know about this thing.' And then that became to be some of the most popular songs that we put out. And so I'm not a good judge of that."

Earlier last month, CLUTCH drummer Jean-Paul Gaster told Colombia's El Expreso Del Rock about his relationship with his bandmates: "We see each other all the time… Typically, we will finish a tour and maybe take a week, maybe two weeks off. We just kind of go home and do home stuff, but then we're back in the jam room again, and it's usually three times a week. And usually when we get together, we're writing new music. Unless there's a show coming up, we just start playing riffs. And we have all the equipment always mic'd up, the computers, they're ready to go. So the minute somebody has an idea, boom, I go push 'record' and we document that idea. And sometimes that idea becomes a song, and sometimes that idea is just something that we did for an hour. But it's okay, because you have to keep playing."

He continued: "Sometimes I play with musicians in projects and stuff, and they become sort of very focused on one idea: 'Oh, this is the song and this is the idea, and this is the only one that there is.' We try not to do that. We try to come up with many ideas. 'Okay, that idea is cool. Great. Let's try something else. Let's see what this idea will be like.' And we just try to put as many of these things together. And then when it comes time to make a record, then we go through those things. We say, 'Oh, well, that thing we did last month was really cool.' And then, 'Neil, you have this new riff. Okay, well, let's put those together. That might be cool.' And that's the way it works. It's very organic. There's not a set way that things come together."

In a separate interview last month, CLUTCH bassist Dan Maines told Chile's iRock that he and his bandmates were "in the middle of some deep writing sessions. We've been getting together quite a bit, but it's all focusing on new material, trying to write songs for a new album," he revealed. "It's going really well. We get together in a studio and we are just recording every single idea that we have. If it gets to the point where we've got two parts together that kind of resemble a verse and a chorus, and everyone's happy with it just music-wise, we'll record those ideas. And then we put that aside and move on to something else. And we upload those files so that all four of us can listen to them at home. And Neil will take a good hard listen to them and think about vocal ideas for those parts. And we start piecing together things. Sometimes he'll listen to something from one day that he thinks might work really well with something from the previous week. And if it requires tempo changes or key changes to kind of blend those two parts together, we'll work on that. But, yeah, it's kind of a very organic process. Right now I would say we have probably about a solid 10 ideas that you could call songs, but they definitely need a little more fleshing out. But, yeah, it's exciting."

Offering a rough timetable for the rest of the writing sessions for CLUTCH's next LP, Maines said: "We'll go down to South America for the week's worth of shows [in late July 2024] and then come back and try to do some more writing before we get into full kind of tour mode, which is summertime. We're heading over to Europe for European festivals, and then we have a lot of touring that picks back up in the fall here in the U.S. So we're trying to get all of our writing done now as much as possible. And it's going pretty good."

Asked what music inspires him and his CLUTCH bandmates these days, Dan said: "Anything, everything. Between the four of us, we kind of draw from a lot of different sources and we try to take those influences, whether it's blues or something more heavy, doom-oriented or something funky, and just kind of put it in a blender and create something new out of it. But sometimes, like the last time we got together, we were thinking, 'Well, let's try to write something uptempo, something above 100 beats per minute.' And at the end of the day, we came out with something that we all thought was great, but the tempo was, like, 70. So you can go in with one idea or one direction, but at the end of the day, what you end up with could be completely different. You just never know what's gonna come out."

"Sunrise On Slaughter Beach", which was recorded at the The Magpie Cage Recording Studio in Baltimore, Maryland, was produced and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Tom Dalgety (GHOST, ROYAL BLOOD, PIXIES),with additional engineering by J Robbins (JAWBREAKER, AGAINST ME!, THE SWORD).

This past April, Fallon confirmed to TotalRock's "Hobo On The Radio" show that he and his bandmates were working on new music. "I am definitely the slowest out of the bunch as far as writing lyrics, 'cause I try the same lyrics on different songs and try to find out where they can live," he said.

He continued: "We probably — we won't be recording until next year. And I'm gonna say hopefully the album will come out in the third quarter or fourth quarter of 2025. Which sounds like it's far away, and I guess it is, to a degree, but that's gonna come around pretty quick for us. We're gonna do it with Tom Dalgety again. He was awesome. But that never stops us from playing these [new songs] live, which they'll inevitably will be everyone's favorite version and they'll hate the record's version, but that's just the way it goes."

Rock music stalwarts SEETHER have released the official music video for their current Top 10 rock hit "Judas Mind". The clip, which was directed by David Brodsky for My Good Eye Music Visuals and produced by Allison Woest, can be seen below. The blistering single, the lead track off the band's upcoming studio album "The Surface Seems So Far", has been quickly impacting rock radio since its release in July, rising up the Mediabase Active Rock chart (currently No. 7) and Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart (currently No. 8),on its way to be another chart-topping hit for SEETHER.

"'Judas Mind' is a song about reaching an understanding that there are bad actors in our lives that are trying to force an outcome for us that we don't see as our destiny," shares SEETHER frontman and songwriter Shaun Morgan. "It's about rising up against people who have a vision for you that you don't share."

"The Surface Seems So Far" is due out September 20 via Fantasy Records. The LP showcases SEETHER's trademark blend of aggression and introspection. The track list for the new album — the follow-up to 2020's "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", which boasted three No. 1 hits — sets the tone for an honest and exhilarating journey through themes of melancholy ("Regret"),self-reflection ("Same Mistakes"),and raw emotion ("Dead On The Vine"),with catchy hooks and driving bombast emphasizing its many twists and turns. Adding to SEETHER's impressive catalog, Morgan and his bandmates — Dale Stewart (bass),John Humphrey (drums) and Corey Lowery (guitar) — sound alternately confident and confessional, full of vitriol and vulnerability throughout "The Surface Seems So Far", which Morgan produced with veteran producer Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, SLAYER) as engineer and mixer.

SEETHER, known for their authentic and electrifying live show, will support the release of "The Surface Seems So Far" on the road this fall on a co-headlining tour with SKILLET. The 18-date outing launches September 17 in Asheville and will travel across the U.S. stopping in such cities as Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas, Albuquerque, Denver, Omaha, and more before wrapping October 20 in Minneapolis. SEETHER is also set to perform at Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals during the fall tour.

With five gold and platinum albums and two dozen Billboard Rock Airplay Top 10 hits including 20 No. 1s at U.S. radio throughout a career spanning over two decades, SEETHER is as vibrant and relevant as ever. Hailing from South Africa, Shaun Morgan proudly draws inspiration from his grunge and hard rock roots, crafting a unique sonic identity that propelled the band's gold-certified American debut and continues to resonate deeply with fans worldwide. The rock quartet, who also founded the annual Rise Above Fest for nearly ten years to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental illness, remains a beacon of integrity on "The Surface Seems So Far", which promises to captivate both loyal fans and newcomers alike with its blend of memorable hooks, driving rhythms, and unapologetic rock spirit.

"The Surface Seems So Far" track listing

01. Judas Mind
02. Illusion
03. Beneath The Veil
04. Semblance Of Me
05. Walls Come Down
06. Try To Heal
07. Paint The World
08. Same Mistakes
09. Lost All Control
10. Dead On The Vine
11. Regret

This past May, Morgan explained to Ronni Hunter and Lewis of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station why he and his SEETHER bandmates weren't ready to perform any of the material from their follow-up to the "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" album. He said: "We live in such a horribly overconnected world that even the smallest things that make life slightly more exciting, even for us, I think it's cool. So, if we played [the first single] live, it would be all over the Internet by the next day, and then it kind of blows the surprise. And maybe we should, so we don't talk it up too much. And [people will be], like, 'Oh, this is what it was about.' But I think anticipation is a good thing.

"We finished this in January, we mastered it in the beginning of February, so we've been sitting with us for a long time too," he explained. "So we're also excited to get out and play it. But, again, I think anticipation is not to be underestimated as far as just how much it can mean when you finally get to the day… You used to wait for album releases, like, 'Oh, my God. Finally we can go to the store and we can buy the album. We can go home. We can read the lyrics,' all those kinds of things. Those don't exist anymore. More often than not, albums just kind of arrive and [you'll] be, like, 'Oh, they have a new album? I had no idea.' And that's kind of a sad world. We used to all line up around the block to go get a new album when it came out, so any bit of anticipation we can [build is what we intend to do]."

Asked if there is an increased amount of pressure every time he and his SEETHER bandmates go into writing a new album, Shaun said: "The idea is not to put any pressure on yourself with a deadline. And when it's ready, it'll be ready and you'll know. So if you had a deadline, you'd panic and you'd write stuff for the sake of writing it. But I think, at the end of the day, as long as you understand that once it's finished, it'll present itself as finished, and then you can go, 'Okay, it's finished,' and you can move on. But, having said that, then you get into recording, and you're done recording, and you're, like, 'Ah, I should've changed that,' and now it's too late. You can't change those words anymore. So it's always evolving, and it's always a process. But I think, as far as from, 'All right, we're done with that tour. Let's take a couple months off, and then we'll start again.' It's always a thing of, like, 'All right, well, let's see what happens.' And the first three months might be garbage, but at least it's starting to get the gears moving again. And then eventually there's a stride that you find yourself in. And then, again, it'll complete itself and you'll know when it's done. And then it's, like, 'Hey guys, label guys, we've got this album for you.' And, thankfully, they're not a very intrusive A&R company; they pretty much leave us to our own devices. And that's great too, 'cause you don't have some guy breathing down your neck and trying to put his thumb on the scale to make you sound a certain way or do a certain thing."

Photo credit: Alex Berger

Earlier this week, it was announced that DEATH ANGEL would "no longer be able" to support W.A.S.P. on the Blackie Lawless-fronted outfit's North American tour, dubbed "Album ONE Alive", this fall. Replacing them on the bill will be ARMORED SAINT. Additional support on all dates will come from UNTO OTHERS.

When it was first announced that DEATH ANGEL was pulling out of the W.A.S.P. tour, the only reason given for the cancelation was "unforeseen circumstances", with no further information offered. However, earlier today (Wednesday, August 14),DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll shed some light on the circumstances that led to DEATH ANGEL pulling out of the tour, writing on his personal Facebook page in a since-deleted post: "Well, this has been a week of shitty news and (and it's only Wednesday).

"Now that the tour's been cancelled I have a bunch of time freed up for the remainder of the year," he continued. "Instead of falling deeper into depression (which really doesn't suit me) I plan on staying busy with the drumming. [DEATH ANGEL guitarist] Rob Cavestany and I are continuing work on the new music. NOBODY can put the kibosh on that. But in addition to that I'd like to put the word out that I'm interested in working on other projects. I love recording and I'm pretty efficient at it. Gigs and touring are possibilities as well. So if you're interested in working together hit me up on DM or if you have my number then contact me directly."

Will then added: "Please don't ask me why we're not on the WASP tour in the comments below. I think it's pretty fucking obvious…"

After former EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt chimed in below Will's post, "This fuckin sucks!!! I'm so sorry Will", the drummer replied, writing, "It really does. The word BETRAYAL comes to mind." He added: "We knew there would be problems at some point but not so immediately."

Will then clarified, "I notice people are slagging WASP here. As much as I'd like to I made a promise I would not go into details about why we are no longer doing the WASP tour….on social media. But to be clear it has absolutely nothing to do with WASP."

One fan then commended Will for speaking out on the cancelation, saying, "It's nice that you personally reached out to the fans. I'm sure the other two members are feeling the same way you do". Correcting the fan, Will wrote, "Other three members", apparently referring to Cavestany, guitarist Ted Aguilar and bassist Damien Sisson.

Although Carroll did not explicitly state so, most of his Facebook friends and followers seems to be speculating that DEATH ANGEL's decision to pull out of the W.A.S.P. tour is at least somewhat related to the touring activities of SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's solo band, which includes DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda. Not long after DEATH ANGEL's tour dates with W.A.S.P. were announced, King's social media revealed that Kerry's band would play two shows in Mexico in early November — one concert in Mexico City as the support act for AMON AMARTH on November 6, and another gig as the support act for SLIPKNOT in Guadalajara on November 8 — in direct conflict with the W.A.S.P. tour, which was scheduled to launch in late October and conclude in mid-December.

This past May, Osegueda was asked during an appearance on the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray how he broke the news to his DEATH ANGEL bandmates that he was joining King's solo group. The singer said: "Oh, man. With this one, it's tough. I really had to respect the NDA [non-disclosure agreement I signed with Kerry's team]. I really did. And it was eating at me. 'Cause DEATH ANGEL has been touring consistently — we toured consistently when the world shut down [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. When the world reopened, we went right back out on the road. And this was all happening. I was starting to do these demos during the pandemic, and then, after that, I was regularly seeing Kerry to do more demos [for his debut solo album] when the world opened. And [Kerry's] record was done for a year before it came out. And I'd be on tour with DEATH ANGEL. And there were some nights where me and Rob were in the lounge, just me and him, drinking, listening to music and just laughing and talking like we do. And it just took everything in me [not to tell him what was going on]. It's so hard to not just say, 'Look, bro. Look, bro.'

"This is one of those things that just, like it or not, some people will think I'm an ass about it, but I just kind of really promised — I promised Kerry and I signed the NDA," Mark explained. "I promised everyone I wasn't gonna let anyone know. The only people who knew were my girlfriend, my girl, my mom and my sister. We didn't even tell my dad 'cause my dad has loose lips. So we didn't even tell him then. So those are the three people who knew. And, of course, people who were at the studio when we were recording, and shit like that, who were all NDA people as well. So it's fucked up, but I waited and let him know through e-mail same day that the [official] announcement [of Kerry's new band] happened [in early February 2024]. And then shortly thereafter I talked to Rob and Ted."

Elaborating on how he approached informing his longtime bandmates of his involvement with Kerry's new band, Mark said: "I said in the e-mail, 'Look, this is the toughest thing for me to tell you.' And how I worded it in one aspect to them was just pretty much, 'This is gonna be either the most surprising thing in the world to you or, slash, the most obvious thing in the world to you.' And I even said at the end, 'cause it was an e-mail to all the guys, and I just said, 'Take some time to really process all this before you respond, before we talk. Let all this kind of sink in, and then when come together, if you wanna talk to me, then we'll all talk.' And shortly thereafter, I talked to Ted and Rob. And they were still a little sideswiped, for sure — for sure. I could see it in their [faces]… We did a FaceTime kind of Zoom call, the three of us, and they were both definitely still in kind of a state of processing it. But by the end of the call, after we talked for about an hour, they were supportive, for sure, happy for me. And they both did say, 'Now that you mention it, man, it is kind of the most obvious fucking thing in the world.' [Laughs] But it was tough, man. I'm not gonna lie. It's tough, 'cause we've been through so much together — so much together — especially me and Rob. I mean, not to take away from… Shit, Ted's been in the band since 2001, and now Damien and Will have been in the band for well over a decade now. So it's crazy. But, of course, me and Rob, we've known each other since we were in the crib. So that it was a tough one. But now, [Rob is] very, very supportive. Before the first [Kerry King] show, I got a text from him saying, 'Have a fucking killer show, bro.' And all this stuff. The [Kerry King album] release day, he sent me congratulations on release day. Ted as well. So, they've [come] to accept it. And I think it's already brought a lot of attention to DEATH ANGEL. And it's gonna keep doing that. But it was tough."

Mark added: "I'm excited about everything. I'm excited about everything ahead. But, yeah, for sure, it was definitely a delicate situation. Even before it was happening, when I knew it was coming up, it was, like, 'I've gotta choose my words carefully.' It's tough. But now that it's out, I feel so relieved — so relieved — it's out. And since then, we've [DEATH ANGEL] toured South and Central America together recently, and that was the first tour we did since the [Kerry King] announcement and some [of Kerry's] songs have been released. So everyone got along great. And it's out. And it just feels so much better to be around the guys with them knowing. I just felt so odd them not knowing."

Asked by Delray if he made his clear in his initial e-mail that he was not quitting DEATH ANGEL, Mark said: "Yeah, absolutely. Well, first, I'm kind of yammering about the process of it, but I definitely said, 'I'm very much still the singer of DEATH ANGEL.' And, of course, when I was talking to Rob and Ted, Rob was, like, 'I was very happy to hear you say that.' Like, 'Of course, bro.'"

King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", came out in May via Reigning Phoenix Music. Joining King and Osegueda on the record are drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH) and guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD).

KERRY KING is the special guest on the ongoing LAMB OF GOD/MASTODON North American "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headline tour. The six-week run launched on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas and will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

High Parasite, the new UK outfit led by Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride, has released its bewitching third single, "Wasn't Human". This single paves the way for the debut album, Forever We Burn, which will be released on September 27 via Candlelight / Spinefarm.


In addition to the single, the band has unveiled a stunning gothic performance video directed by Shaun Hodson of Loki Films.


Muses vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe: "A femme fatale of the witching order is attempting to draw from the earth, air, and fire an entity to help her nefarious acts in wishing darkness upon all mankind. From a secretive druids’ stone circle, forested in the cold northlands of Yorkshire, the summoning has begun, but who can tell what devilish forces will be brought into the light! This is the very first High Parasite video to actually feature the entire band performing together as a unit in the bowels of a satanic mill lost to the decay of yesteryear."







The band preparing to showcase their distinctive brand of darkness with an exclusive album release performance on September 28 at Nightrain in Bradford. Prepare to immerse yourself in the raw energy of High Parasite. Tickets are available here.


Forever We Burn features 10 new tracks, all produced by Gregor Mackintosh (Paradise Lost), who also adds some signature guitar lines; as a body of work, it both delves into the darker recesses of the human condition and heralds the arrival of a new name and a familiar, formidable voice.


The name (an acknowledgment of mankind as parasite-in-chief) is High Parasite; the voice is Aaron Stainthorpe – longstanding frontman with doom metal maestros, My Dying Bride.


As a revered and founding pillar of My Dying Bride, with a legacy spanning over three decades, the spotlight will doubtless focus on Aaron’s distinctive profile, initially at least; pull back the red velvet curtains, however, and another force emerges in the form of bassist/vocalist/songwriter Tombs – a key player in the creation of High Parasite as a livin’, breathin’ entity.


Every song bears the indelible stamp of Stainthorpe and Tombs, their collaboration forming the dark, pulsating core of this five-piece ensemble, fleshed out by Sam Hill (rhythm guitar), Jonny Hunter (lead guitar), and Dan Brown (drums).


Comments Aaron, “The band has been lurking in the shadows, developing, growing, and evolving, and is now ready to unveil its own brand of darkness to the world. Skating the lines between metal, gothic rock and dark synth-pop, High Parasite is here, and death pop is born!”


Pre-order Forever We Burn here.





Forever We Burn tracklisting:


"Forever We Burn"
"My Syndrome"
"Grave Intentions"
"Wasn’t Human"
"Concentric Nightmares"
"Hate Springs Eternal"
"Parasite"
"Let It Fail"
"Widowmaker"
"We Break We Die"


"Grave Intentions" lyric video:





"Let It Fail" video:





High Parasite will take their realm of dark music to major venues across the UK and Ireland in October and November in support of Cradle Of Filth. Don’t miss the special Halloween performance at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on October 31. Check out the full list of dates below.


October
27 - Bristol, England - O2 Academy
28 - Bournemouth, England - O2 Academy
29 - Birmingham, England - O2 Institute
31 - London, England - O2 Forum Kentish Town


November
1 - Swansea, Wales - Patti Pavilion
2 - Manchester, England - Damnation Festival
3 - Nottingham, England - Rock City
5 - Belfast, Ireland - Limelight
6 - Dublin, Ireland -Academy
7 - Glasgow, Scotland - SWG3
8 - Newcastle, England - NX


(Photo - Andy Ford)







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INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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FEVER 333 will release its new album, "Darker White", on October 4 via Century Media Records under exclusive license from 333 Wreckords Crew. The band has released a new single today called "No Hostages", which can be heard below. On Friday, August 16, the music video will premiere on YouTube at 11 a.m. EDT, 8 a.m. PDT, 5 p.m. CEST.

Consisting of fourteen tracks, "'Darker White' is the intersection we will all find ourselves in at some point in our lives," says FEVER 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler on the theme of the new album. "It is the struggle we will inevitably face when identifying our metric for good or bad. Wrong or right. Dark and light. All based on our environment, social construction and cultural/psychological conditioning. It is the eagle-eyed observation of said intersection and the removing the shame after realizing we all experience it and it is up to us to find use of this taboo so it can be offered to the world as a beautiful story, piece of wisdom or a perspective that ironically changes your life for the better. 'Darker White' is a sonic and social experience.”

"No Hostages", the new single out today follows the release of the previously released songs and music videos for "New West Order" and "Higher Power", all found on "Darker White".

"Darker White" track listing:

01. New West Order
02. Higher Power
03. Bull & A Bullet
04. No Hostages
05. $Wing
06. Murderer
07. Tourist
08. Nosebleeds
09. Do Or Die
10. Negligence
11. Desert Rap
12. DOA
13. Pin Drop
14. Mob Music Pt 2

FEVER 333 recently announced headline dates across the United States and Europe. Taking place in the fall and kicking off October 17 in Los Angeles, the U.S. tour will hit all major cities across the country, wrapping up on November 8 in Brooklyn, New York. On November 14, will kick off the FEVER 333 European run of shows, hitting cities in Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and more. Tickets are on sale now.

Grammy-nominated, genre-bending rock outfit FEVER 333 has proven consistently that it is one of the most captivating acts in modern music today. Now, in 2024, FEVER 333 is set to embark on its most exciting chapter yet with a plethora of new music on the way.

FEVER 333's current lineup consists of frontman Jason Aalon Butler alongside drummer Thomas Pridgen (THE MARS VOLTA, THUNDERCAT, TRASH TALK),bassist April Kae and guitarist Brandon Davis.

SOULFLY will headline the "Max Cavalera Dynasty Show" on November 9 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. Also scheduled to appear is Max's long-running project NAILBOMB, with three guitarists, Max, Max's son Igor Amadeus Cavalera and Travis Stone. The three have just come off the CAVALERA "Third World Trilogy" tour in Europe. Travis is also the guitarist of PIG DESTROYER. Johny Chow, formerly of STONE SOUR, FIREBALL MINISTRY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, will handle the bass duties for NAILBOMB. Alex Cha, of PIG DESTROYER, will be on sampler and Adam Jarvis, of MISERY INDEX and PIG DESTROYER, will bash the drums. Max and Igor Amadeus Cavalera will also be seen playing with their other bands, GO AHEAD AND DIE and SOULFLY, as well as HEALING MAGIC. Richie Cavalera will be bringing the raw power of thrash to the stage with his band INCITE. The phenomenal bass player Jackie Cruz of GO AHEAD AND DIE, who captivated everyone in America earlier this year on the GO AHEAD AND DIE debut tour, will appear with her band JADE HELM.

Max says: "I'm looking forward to playing with SOULFLY on the LAMB OF GOD Headbangers Boat, going to the Dominican Republic and back. We will be crossing the Southern-most moshpits of America to reach the cruise! The tour wraps with the 'Dynasty' show.

"Super excited to present the 'Max Cavalera Dynasty Show' in our hometown! This is a family steeped in the legacy of metal! Making this night unforgettable will be the special rare appearance of NAILBOMB! Maybe in the future, I'll even be able to bring this package to the tribe and other parts of the world!"

The sonic love child of Max and FUDGE TUNNEL's Alex Newport, this 1994 one-off album from their NAILBOMB union showcased dense, industrialized heaviness, seething with all-out punk aggression. In 13 tracks, the revered duo — crediting SEPULTURA alumni Andreas Kisser and Igor Cavalera, as well as FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares as players on the final product — managed to make an angry masterpiece that meets in the middle of what both SEPULTURA and FUDGE TUNNEL were doing at the time. But as for the visual representation of "Point Blank", the war-time photo of a Viet Cong woman with a gun to her head proves just as striking as the devastatingly heavy music within its sleeve.

Max told TeamRock in 2016 about "Point Blank": "It's just such a pissed-off album. Me and Alex were pissed at everything and decided to make a real fuck-the-world 'hate project.' It is one of the most 'fuck-you' albums of all time; it aims at everything, and destroys everything. So, that'd be cool — to be remembered as a person who came here to fuck shit up, NAILBOMB's perfect!"

In a new interview with StarTribune.com, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett was asked about the reformed PANTERA, which has been supporting METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024. PANTERA's current lineup consists of surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) alongside guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX). The lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Kirk said: "I think it's a great thing. It's a tribute to the brothers keeping their legacy alive. And it's a great thing for PANTERA fans. Even though it's not the original PANTERA, you still get to see Phil and Rex, and Zakk and Charlie are doing a damn good job."

Back in March 2023, about five months before PANTERA played its first show as the support act for METALLICA on the latter band's "M72" tour, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Revolver. He said: "I think that the idea that they're out celebrating the music and the magic of PANTERA is ... I know there's been a lot of talk in the community about whether people support that or not. But I'm the type of person, if Glenn Hughes wants to go out and play a DEEP PURPLE set, I'd support that.

"I'm always in favor of people following their musical and creative ambitions; so this PANTERA reunion, I think, is good," he added. "And obviously having Charlie up there is great. I saw a video from one of the Mexico shows that felt like they were in the pocket. It'll be fun to have them out."

Speaking about METALLICA's relationship with PANTERA, which dates back to before Anselmo had even joined the band, Ulrich said: "We met the brothers on the 'Ride The Lightning' tour and became friends with them. This was in Dallas in — what — 1622 or something? It was about 400 years ago. We obviously loved both of them, and they had a posse down there, and we would see them whenever we came through Texas. We watched the band evolve over the years from more rock vibes into that creative, unique force that they became. So, we've had a relationship with them for decades and decades."

After Dimebag was murdered in December 2004, Ulrich released a statement in which he said that he was "fortunate enough to meet both Darrell and his brother in Dallas on tour" in 1985. He went on to say: "The first thing me and my friend did as soon as that tour was over was to head straight back to Dallas and hang out with Darrell and Vinnie for a long time, 'cause they were the coolest mutherfuckers that we had met after criss-crossing the states for three months. That was the beginning of a friendship that was anchored in love, respect, fun, outrageousness, music, booze, sweat, late nights, early mornings, hangovers, headaches, pounding eardrums, sore bodies... the list goes on."

He added: "Darrell and his brother were the cornerstone of musical adventures that were always groundbreaking, pushing boundaries, challenging to themselves and to their fans, respected by their peers and always true musicians' musicians."

During a May 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Metal Ambassador" podcast, METALLICA's James Hetfield stated about Dimebag: "Well, what a blessing to have been in his life and him in my life. And yeah, some of those early days, just traveling down there to the Dallas area and meeting with those guys and just hanging out. Yeah, Dimebag introduced me to the solid state amp, I remember. He had this fricking amazing crunch going on. I was, like, 'What is that?' You know? So, uh, yeah. [We] inspired each other. He inspired me as well. No doubt."

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

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Kirk Hammett photo credit: Ross Halfin

The original lineup of Danish djent metal pioneers MNEMIC returned to the stage for the first time in nearly 20 years, reigniting the fire that put them on the world map in the early 2000s. The band performed last weekend at the Dark River Festival in Finland, sharing the stage with such iconic acts as KATATONIA and EXODUS.

This highly anticipated performance marked the reunion of MNEMIC's original lineup, including the return of frontman Michael Bøgballe, who last performed with the band in 2005 before stepping away to focus on family. Fans were treated to an unforgettable setlist, featuring tracks from their first two albums, "The Audio Injected Soul" (2004) and "Mechanical Spin Phenomena" (2003),both of which defined the band's sound and solidified their place in metal history.

The audience, many of whom had waited nearly two decades for this moment, responded with overwhelming emotion. Comments flooded social media, with fans expressing their elation: "Pure love, so overwhelmed that I shook and cried during taking photos in the front," and "Dude, I've been waiting for this for too long, about 20 years!" Another fan declared, "What a show!!"

Fans from the USA, Japan, and across Europe are eagerly asking when they can expect to see MNEMIC in their home countries.

With this return, MNEMIC has hinted that this is just the beginning and there is more to come.

"Mechanical Spin Phenomena" and "Audio Injected Soul" are characterized by their distinctive mechanical, palm-muted style and powerful choruses, which later influenced and laid groundwork for some of today's djent bands.

With a devoted fan base spanning an impressive 150 countries, MNEMIC's music continues to reverberate with audiences across the globe.



Posted by Dark River Festival on Sunday, August 11, 2024



Posted by Dark River Festival on Sunday, August 11, 2024



Posted by Dark River Festival on Sunday, August 11, 2024



Posted by Dark River Festival on Sunday, August 11, 2024

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


 


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




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


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













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Texas rockers, Texas Hippie Coalition, are set to release their new album, Gunsmoke, via MNRK Heavy on October 4.





This time, Big Dad Ritch and his crew wholeheartedly embrace their country and Southern rock stylings as well as a lifelong passion for westerns. This comes through loud and clear on the first single and title track, "Gunsmoke". Rustic acoustic guitar crawls through a stomping beat punctuated by waves of groaning distortion. It climaxes on a chantable chorus, “I sell weed and liquor to the city slickers. I can get you there quicker, and like a gun…I smoke.”




Watch the "Gunsmoke" video below:





With drinks poured, fists raised, and smiles wide, Texas Hippie Coalition (THC) always know how to have a good time. A collective of tried-and-true rabble-rousers and dyed-in-the-wool storytellers, the Texas quintet - Big Dad Ritch [vocals], Cord Pool [guitar], Nevada Romo [guitar], Rado Romo [bass], and Joey Mandigo [drums] - spike ass-whopping hard rock with a kick of country swagger and a whole lot of Texas grit and gusto.
 
Gathering tens of millions of streams, logging thousands of miles on the road, and energizing countless fans, they deliver ten anthems tailor-made to simmer and scorch on Gunsmoke. “In terms of the lyrics, the vibe, and where THC come from, we definitely went home on this album,” says Ritch. “It represents the wild west Texas-Oklahoma area. You’ve got a little red dirt country spilling over into the storytelling and metal. It’s a return to the dirt where we came from.”


Tour dates:


August
17 - Post Falls, ID - Cruiser's


September
13 - Keokuk, IA - L-Treyns Bar
14 - Harshaw, WI - Bonnie & Clyde Gangster Park
15 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
20 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverfront Live
21- Wilmington, OH - Farm to Bottle Festival


October
10 - Mechanicsburg, PA - Lovedraft's Brewing Company
11 - Frenchtown, NJ - Atie's Bar & Grill
12 - Laconia, NJ - The Big House
13 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Crafthouse Stage & Grill
18 - Marietta, OH - Adelphia Music Hall
19 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
20 - Lakewood, OH - The Winchester







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Featured Video

De Mannen Broeders is the debut collaboration featuring Colin H. van Eeckhout and the Zeeuws Flemish folk icon Tonnie ‘Broeder’ Dieleman. The former is the frontman for Belgian post-metallers Amenra, a band known for their overwhelming heaviness both in sound and emotion. The latter is a Dutch folk singer whose music is inspired by his religious upbringing and the rural culture of his Zeelandic homeland, who has collaborated with Baby Dee and Bonnie Prince Billy.


Today, De Mannen Broeders share details of their debut album, Sober Maal, out October 11 via Relapse Records. Pre-order on LP/CD/Digital here. Watch the official music video for “Grafschrift”  below.







Tracklisting:


"Alle Roem Is Uitgesloten"
"Asemruumte"
"Verteere Heel"
"Van Licht Ontdaan"
"Grafschrift"
"Omer III"
"Onze Lieve Vrouwe"
"Ons Nu Voorbij"
"Sober Maal"


"Grafschrift" video:





More De Mannen Broeders info:


When Van Eeckhout & Dieleman met, they felt an instant connection.


“As a creating artist, it’s these encounters that you pray for,” says Colin. “As soon as you meet someone like that, you know you have to do something together.”


Their connection was deepened as they discovered how much they had in common, from their similar dialects and their strong ties to their homeland, to their leanings towards the spiritual and the melancholic. “My work is all about death and sadness,” says Tonnie. “For me, music started with my mother dying; my first album is about her death. That’s a strong connection with Colin, too, as he lost his father.”


The result is the 9-track Sober Maal (which translates to ‘sober meal’ and refers to the practice of eating a simple meal in order to practice gratitude), which is being released under the moniker De Mannen Broeders. It was written and recorded in under five days at the 18th century church Doopsgezinde Kerk in Middelburg in the Netherlands, courtesy of LeGuessWho? Festival.


Sonically, Sober Maal is a haunting, droning, emotionally rich journey that feels rooted in a bygone world while still sounding wholly original, and has a melancholy air yet retains a hopeful feel. Colin and Tonnie’s vocals blend with the choir and a pared-back selection of instruments including a banjo, piano, hurdy gurdy and the powerful central organ – all intermingling with the sounds and echoes of the church


“Religion has a negative connection because it has been a force on people,” Colin says. “Spirituality is something you follow by choice. We like to dive into the ungraspable things in life: it needs to be free to interpret.”


(Photo - Stefaan Temmerman)







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INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

In a new interview with Metallerium, former MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE and current KERRY KING guitarist Phil Demmel was asked for his opinion about the role of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in creative industries, including music and art. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, that's a hard one. Music-wise, I don't see me using it for music, and I think that music should be a natural, genuine birth to something. I mean, yeah, you can have your outside influences, but those are all part of you and part of coming through you, not going, 'Oh, I'm just gonna click up this and bring up this. I need a blah blah blah.' For art, that's a tricky one for me. I think anything artificial like that, as far as you're creating something, I think it's kind of cheating. I'm not against it, because it happens all the time. I mean, bands rip off other bands all the time and people use other bits of stuff, but, for me, I see that as a shortcut a little bit. So I don't think that I'd be into using it."

Last September, QUEEN's Brian May spoke about the dangers of artificial intelligence as it relates to creating music, telling Guitar Player magazine: "My major concern with it now is in the artistic area. I think by this time next year the landscape will be completely different. We won't know which way is up. We won't know what's been created by A.I. and what's been created by humans. Everything is going to get very blurred and very confusing, and I think we might look back on 2023 as the last year when humans really dominated the music scene. I really think it could be that serious, and that doesn't fill me with joy. It makes me feel apprehensive, and I'm preparing to feel sad about this.

"I think a lot of great stuff will come from A.I., because it is going to increase the powers of humans to solve problems," he continued. "But the potential for A.I. to cause evil is, obviously, incredibly huge — not just in music, 'cause nobody dies in music, but people can die if A.I. gets involved in politics and world domination for various nations. I think the whole thing is massively scary. It's much more far-reaching than anybody realized — well, certainly than I realized."

May is not the only rock musician who has expressed his concern and/or excitement about the potential risks, challenges and benefits associated with the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. During an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked if he is "excited or worried about artificial intelligence, particularly [as it relates to] the music business." He responded: "Music business aside, I am concerned about the lack of legislation. When you enter a new, let's say a new planet, you're about to land on a new [planet], well, clearly there's opportunity there, there are minerals and things — all kinds of opportunities. Without rules of the game… It's like playing sports without rules. Who's gonna do what? You need some rules that are kind and beneficial to mankind, womankind, transkind, all kinds of kinds. Okay, does that cover everybody?"

He continued: "The problem with A.I. is not… A.I. is here, whether you like it or not. So let's look at it smartly and let's pass legislation. A.I. creates a song using my voice, or what sounds like my voice, with a new song, and it sounds just like me and it definitely sounds like that kind of a thing. So when you buy it, who owns the copyright and the publishing, if A.I. did that? So, is it me, because it sounds like me? You could swear it was me. So these are uncharted [territories]."

Asked if he cares if A.I. uses his voice to create a new song, Gene said: "We can make a deal."

In an interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin said: "Technology, I will always try to use it as much as I can, [including] for my visuals and all that. A.I. videos, I'm jealous because it would take me three thousand years to do it frame by frame. But what I'm most afraid of, really, is A.I. controlling high-tech weaponry; that's my main fear. And it's funny because in the '70s, as a kid, I saw a movie called 'Colossus[: The Forbin Project]' about that — about a giant super computer in the USA teaming up with a giant super computer in Russia. They take control of the nuclear weapons and enslave humanity."

In July 2023, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows spoke about artificial intelligence during an appearance on an episode of Doc Coyle's (GOD FORBID, BAD WOLVES) "The Ex Man" podcast. He said in part: "I think when you look back at all the things of the past. If I had to be a 41-year-old singer right now thinking about the things of the past, of music, so many of my favorite artists slapped me in the face and challenged me with records. I had expectations, and then something came out that I was heartbroken; I couldn't believe it. And when I look back, I needed that, and I needed to be taught that. And I have so much respect for these artists that did that to me. There was a lot that gave me the same thing — the names escape me right now — but there was so many things that challenged me that broke my heart at the time. Like going from the first MR. BUNGLE record, and then going to 'Disco Volante', Mike Patton's not even singing; he's murmuring the whole time. And then they do 'California'… I remember Brian [Haner, Jr., a.k.a. AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates] was literally in a depression when that record came out because of how grand that first record was. And then it becomes your favorite thing 'cause you're, like, 'These motherfuckers are crazy. They don't care.'"

The singer, whose real name is Matt Sanders, continued: "But what I think is interesting about A.I. 'Cause if you think of what A.I. is at this point, A.I. is an accumulation of everything it's known before. So if you were to say, 'Make an AVENGED SEVENFOLD song,' A.I. doesn't know how to go outside of the box and actually create what [we] would do. But it knows how to take what we've already done and mix and match it in a different way. So what I think is awesome is imagine you're, like, 'This new AVENGED record is trash. I fucking don't get it. I'm so over this crap they're trying to do. Give me a record like…' And then let A.I. make it. Then there you go — you've got your new AVENGED record. You have a mix and match of everything that we've done, but different choruses, different cool stuff. I think it could be really fucking interesting. And then the real guys like us, we kind of push forward on what we're doing. I think it's a fucking really weird future that we're in for, where people can just be, like, 'Eh, give me more of that.' So, who knows?"

In a May 2023 discussion on Decrypt's "gm" podcast about the music industry's reaction to a spate of A.I. songs trained on artists' voices, M. Shadows said that he was enthused about the possibilities, saying that "A.I. can be incredibly useful" for songwriters.

"If you're looking at purely this data brick of taking information and regurgitating it to us in some way, whether it's through music or art or novels, literature — whatever it is — you're basically taking everything humans have ever done or discovered and you're giving it to this thing that can distribute it to you quicker and in a different way, can mix it up and do it in a different way," he explained.

"I think if you actually look at music, most fans aren't mad that all the drums are already being resampled and replaced," he continued. "Pro Tools already will quantize your albums and make it perfect. You can Auto-Tune your voice to do all these other things. But for some reason, they have a problem… And by the way, if you think about it, how you write music, it's like you're going into your own database of 'I've listened to Bach, I've listened to The Weeknd, I've listened to Kanye, I've listened to all these things, and now I'm gonna regurgitate it in this way and spew out my own version of that.' A.I. can be incredibly useful if you have A.I. doing some of that work for you. 'Give me 20 versions of this chord change,' or, 'I wanna hear a different top line there,' and you take a little thing that interests you and you go somewhere with it. So now you're using A.I. to not only spark ideas but you're using it in a much quicker way to kind of get to some of these cool little nuggets of gold that you kind of are, like, 'Oh, that's cool. Let me see where I can take that.' So that's not really A.I. writing a song for you; it's kind of giving you this kind of jumping-off point of, 'Now where can I be creative with it?' And I think that will be the next step."

M. Shadows went on to say that A.I. also opens up the possibility of fans using the work of their favorite acts as a machine learning library to create their own songs.

"What I think is cool is that… Listen, there's a lot of fans that don't wanna hear new AVENGED SEVENFOLD," he said. "We're 40 years old now and we're going places that are much more eccentric than they want — some of 'em. They might want another version of 'Waking The Fallen' or 'City Of Evil', which are our old records. Now, what's wrong with someone throwing in a prompt and saying, 'Listen to these two records and send me a new record with 11 songs.' And if I was to give up my voice and say, 'Take my voice,' and A.I. create an album that kind of sounds like that. I think that's incredibly cool. I think it would be really cool if people can prompt their own versions of what AVENGED SEVENFOLD sounds like. You get the sounds you want, you get all these things, but now you're getting different versions of albums that you like. So I think there's something really cool there and nothing that crazy or wrong about it. I back it. I think it'd be cool. As a human, I'm gonna be going my own way and making my own stuff that I feel is kind of breaking the mold or pushing things forward. I'm giving the A.I. more data for the future, wherever I'm gonna take it. But I think it's kind of cool. And I would love to give up my voice to where people can create their own versions of our songs or whatever they feel would be cool."

Billy Corgan, the frontman of the two-time Grammy Award-winning iconic rock band THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, has utilized cutting-edge A.I. (artificial intelligence) tools to share a message with his fans. Originally recorded in English and translated via A.I. into seven different languages (Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Greek and Japanese),he expresses the band's excitement for their fans around the world to hear their brand new album "Aghori Mhori Mei". Powered by Curious Refuge, the heartfelt message comes amidst a run of highly successful international tour dates throughout 2024. See and hear Corgan's messages below.

"'Aghori Mhori Mei' is a return to our roots," Corgan shares. "Billy, Jimmy and James getting back to the old-school guitar style that we're known for. We had a lot of fun making this record and we really want to share it with you."

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS' thirteenth collection to date, "Aghori Mhori Mei" is a bruising and shadowy return to form from original SMASHING PUMPKINS members Jimmy Chamberlin, James Iha and Billy Corgan. The new album harkens back to the band's early 1990s canon; where guitars, bass, drums, and spiking vocals ruled, and continues the prolific hot streak frontman Billy Corgan kicked off a decade ago. The band completed the recording of "Aghori Mhori Mei" amidst an expansive international touring schedule across the last few years. The album has garnered significant praise worldwide, reaching Top 10 on Spotify's U.S. and global album debut charts, while the album's single "Sighommi" was the No. 1 most-added track across the U.S. at both Alternative and Rock Radio.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS are currently trekking across North America with an expansive run of stadium performances with GREEN DAY as part of "The Saviors Tour" while also performing solo arena dates nationwide through September. Earlier this summer, the band trotted across Europe with a combination of arena and headline festival dates and later this fall, the band's upcoming multi-city Latin American fall tour will see the band play to their fans across South and Latin America for the first time in nearly a decade. Now, the band will bring "Aghori Mhori Mei" to the stage across the entirety of 2024.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS are one of the most iconic, iconoclastic, and influential bands of all time, shaping alternative music and culture. Since forming in Chicago during 1988, the group has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and garnered two Grammy Awards, two MTV VMAs and an American Music Award. Their catalog includes seminal offerings such as the platinum "Gish" (1991),the quadruple-platinum "Siamese Dream" (1993),the diamond-certified "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" (1995),the platinum "Adore" (1998) and the gold "Machina/The Machines Of God" [2000]. Rolling Stone cited both "Siamese Dream" and "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" among its "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time." It would also be impossible to envision alternative music and culture without their signature iconography such as the idyllic album artwork for "Siamese Dream", the black Zero shirt, the laissez-faire bliss of the "1979" music video, the gothic metamorphosis of "Ava Adore" or the multi-dimensional live shows that sell out worldwide to this day. 2018 saw THE SMASHING PUMPKINS unveil "Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / Lp: No Past. No Future. No Sun." and launch the immensely successful "Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour", which packed arenas. Maintaining this momentum, the band released their eleventh full-length double album "Cyr" (2020),representing yet another evolution, and more recently, "Atum" (2023),the sequel to 1995's "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" and 2000's "Machina/Machine Of God".

Photo credit: Jason Renaud

Metallica have shared more live footage from their August 4 show at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The official live video for "Wherever I May Roam" joins the previously posted clip for "Screaming Suicide" from the same show. Watch both clips below:










To view remaining dates on Metallica's 2024 tour, head here.







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INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

Today, Kings Of Mercia share "Don't Ask" - the first single from their sophomore album, Battle Scars, due October 25 via Metal Blade Records. A new music video accompanies the track.


Now and again, art offers up the perfect storm. When creative worlds collide with a furious cacophony of power, licks, and lyrics, magic happens. Such is the case with Kings Of Mercia, whose second album, Battle Scars, is the continuation of a story as unlikely as it is glorious. The band is helmed by guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and singer Steve Overland (FM) who are joined by drummer Simon Phillips (The Who, Toto) and bassist Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning).


"Don't Ask" is described by singer Steve Overland as an "angsty love song" with lyrics including: "You could believe in anything you wanted to believe; We were all free to be whatever we wanted to be."




"We found our feet with this album. This is the Kings Of Mercia evolving. People think you can pigeonhole rock music fans, but they just like good songs and good music," Overland says.


Watch the music video for "Don't Ask" below.


Kings Of Mercia's 2022 approachable, world-class self-titled debut was termed "truly a hybrid: it's heavy, but not metal. It's got tones of melodic AOR hard rock but with an edge." Now, 2024 brings the band's sophomore album written and recorded throughout 2023, Battle Scars sees the core writing team of Matheos and Overland expanding on their obvious chemistry.


"I think it was a bit easier this time around because we've established a good working rhythm," states Matheos, "I'll send Steve at least a few songs every couple of months, and I try to keep them varied. This allows him to work on whichever ones he feels strongly about."


"What Jim sends me is the first draft of that song," says Overland. "So once he's heard all the melodies and the harmonies I sing, he can chop it about and make it how he thinks it should be. He always sends me three or four different versions. He'll say, 'What do you think? Which do you like?' Then we work it out between us and come up with the one we're both happy with."


"Steve and I started working together in 2021," says Matheos. "I was aware of FM-they came up around the same time as Fates Warning - but I'd lost touch with them and wasn't familiar with their more recent work. When Steve was recommended to me, I checked out some of the newer releases and felt Steve was exactly what I was looking for."


"It's a different genre of music that I'm normally involved in," says Overland, whose voice has been likened to other British greats Paul Rodgers and Glenn Hughes. "Obviously, I'd heard of Fates Warning - they're a very big cult band in their field. Jim and I touched base, and I told him to send me one backing track. If it sounds great, then it's a win-win. If it doesn't, we'll just call it a day, knock it on the head, not take it any further. That song became 'Humankind' from the first album. I wrote the melodies and the title and put it all together. Jim got it and he was blown away. So we made a couple more. I loved doing it. It was just such a different challenge for me."


Those songs would become the self-titled debut album, which was released in 2022. Written during lockdown, bouncing tracks across the Atlantic, Kings Of Mercia found its mojo. Fans of Fates Warning, FM, and Armored Saint all rejoiced at the common ground on Kings Of Mercia, the sweet spot in the middle of the Venn diagram.


It's a true collaboration that has led to KOM's Battle Scars. However, despite the unfolding sound and clear chemistry between the four Kings, Overland has never met his bandmates in person. 'Battle Scars,' like its predecessor, is a slab of transatlantic magic.





Pre-order Battle Scars here.





Battle Scars tracklisting:


"Guns And Ammunition"
"Eye For An Eye"
"Between Two Worlds"
"Legend"
"Battle Scars"
"Don't Ask"
"Aftermath"
"Hell 'N' Back"
"Cold"
"Angels & Demons"


"Don't Ask" video:





Kings Of Mercia are:


Jim Matheos - Guitars
Steve Overland - Vocals
Simon Phillips - Drums
Joey Vera - Bass







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Two weeks ahead of headlining "Decade Of The Swarm Tour", Pittsburgh, PA deathcore unit, Signs Of The Swarm, have dropped a live version of their most popular song, "Amongst The Low & Empty", from Whitechapel's 2023 Christmas show.





The audio from the board was mixed+mastered by producer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Varials) - stream/download it now here. A pro-shot video from the same Knoxville, TN show can be viewed below.




"We wanted to capture the energy of 'Amongst The Low & Empty' from the stage and bring it to your headphones," explains drummer Bobby Crow. "The song has really taken on a life of its own on the road—serving as our new de facto opener and jolting the crowd with its immediate energy - all thanks to the fans. Special thanks to Whitechapel and the amazing crowd in Knoxville, TN for being part of this. And, yes, we'll be opening with it on both the 'Decade Of The Swarm' North American Tour and 'Faces Of Death' European Tour."





The aforementioned tours are approaching quickly - in just over two weeks and just over two months, respectively. The North American run collides Signs Of The Swarm with nu metalcore trailblazers Cane Hill, fast-rising blackened deathcore blasphemers Ov Sulfur (fronted by Ricky Hoover, formerly of Suffokate), nu metallic hardcore moshers 156/Silence and eldritch blackened deathcore ghouls A Wake In Providence, who add a more gothic take on the genre. The European trek finds Signs Of The Swarm's djent-laden deathcore with Sumeriancore pioneers Veil Of Maya, with the co-headlining duo joined by fellow PA pit pugilists Varials and vegan deathcore butchers To The Grave.


Tickets and VIP upgrades are available for North America here; tickets are available for Europe here.








Signs Of The Swarm lineup:


Bobby Crow - Drums
David Simonich - Vocals
Carl Schulz - Guitars
Michael Cassese - Bass


(Photo – Kyle Hines)







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the debut full length album from Rochester NY's blistering grindcore act , Sully. The self-titled album is up now for pre-order and will be released September 13 on CD and digital formats along with merch. Sully features members of Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault, Sulaco and Psyopus. Listen to the single, "DeadPan", below.


Official description:


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







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





Tracklisting:


"DeadPan"
"Blanket"
"Judas Kiss"
"Dredge The Lake"
"Cowardly The Cat"
"King Of Terrors"
"He's An Asshole, But So Are You"
"Circle The Drain"
"Stool Pigeon"
"Three Hits"
"Bedlamite"
"Tinker's Dam"


"DeadPan":










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In a new interview with the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, Michael Schenker discussed his upcoming album, "My Years With UFO", celebrating the 50th anniversary of Schenker's years with UFO. Asked why he decided to make the LP now, Schenker replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In '72 I joined UFO. I was 17 years old. In '73 we recorded 'Phenomenon'. In '74, it was released. So it's 50 years, a long time. And that's when it started with UFO. And, of course, that gave me the idea to celebrate, 50th anniversary. And I have also noticed in the past few years that re-releases, they had no information — they just had the name UFO and the songtitles, but there's no info, no details. And so I thought I'd take this opportunity to inform people, to re-educate or educate newcomers that have — maybe they sing the songs, but have no clue what it is. And also, [UFO's 1978 live album] 'Strangers In The Night' is basically the best of UFO. When we used to tour after 'Phenomenon', we would pick a couple of songs to play on tour, and then 'Force It' — every album we made, we would decide collectively which songs we are going to present live. And then by the time we did 'Strangers In The Night', we had that all together and basically it became best of UFO. And also, it just happened to be that most of the songs, the music, were written by myself. And so I wanted to also add that to the info and all together. And then, of course, invite famous musicians, singers and players that have been influenced and inspired by UFO and myself and celebrate with them. They were teenagers themselves or even younger than that, and they got inspired by that. And now II can have them. And it's a great pleasure to have those guys joining me on this album."

Regarding how he got GUNS N' ROSES members Slash and Axl Rose involved in the album, Schenker said: "Yeah, when Michael Voss, my co-producer, and I, we started putting down my guitars, and as we did that, we had no idea what we were gonna do… nothing had been discussed. And so as we were putting down the music, we thought, 'Oh, what about this?' 'What about that?' What about who?' Everybody had some ideas. And so, actually, everybody who participated on this album was added to the whole idea from different sources and different times. So, basically, with Axl and Slash — Slash, I was always interested in doing something with him, but I guess when Michael [Voss] first approached him that we're doing the best of UFO and read him the songtitles, he was for it. And when we met in the Frankfurt recording studio, we were both going jam there to 'Mother Mary'. And I had my technician there and my amplifier, and Slash brought his guys and his amplifier, and actually Slash ended up playing with my amplifier. And we were supposed to do a jam, but then I realized, 'Hey, Michael [Voss], I already put all my guitars down. Why we are wasting time doing additional stuff. I already like what I did.' So I was more into focusing on Slash and getting great takes and add them to what I already had done. And Slash liked that idea. And then also, when he came in, he said, 'Michael, I just told Axl that I was going to do this, and that I'm on my way to do this. And he said, 'I wanna sing a song too.' And I said to Slash, 'That would be fantastic. Ask Axl which song he would like to do.' And so actually Axl ended up singing 'Too Hot To Handle', 'Only You Can Rock Me' and 'Love To Love'. But I think they also were on tour at the time, and so Axl was not actually happy with his performance on 'Only You Can Rock Me' and 'Too Hot To Handle'. And I guess it was too many songs, because they were in the middle of a tour, and he preferred to just focus on 'Love To Love'. And he is a perfectionist, I have noticed, and so we waited until he was ready, and then finally he went, 'Okay, 'love to love'. I approve. You can release it. And that was it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"My Years With UFO" track listing:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Tallee Savage

Iconic Norwegian metal band, Satyricon, performed at Bloodstock Open Air 2024 in Walton-on-Trent, England on August 11th. Fan-filmed video of their entire show can be veiwed below.


Setlist:


"To Your Brethren in the Dark"
"Forhekset"
"Filthgrinder"
"Now, Diabolical"
"Black Crow on a Tombstone"
"Deep Calleth Upon Deep"
"Repined Bastard Nation"
"The Pentagram Burns"
"Fuel for Hatred"
"Hvite Krists Død"
"Mother North"
"K.I.N.G."







Polish black metal legends, Behemoth, have released a video trailer for "The Unholy Trinity" European tour, scheduled for April 2025. Find the clip below.


Says Behemoth: "Legions of Europe! It’s that time again… We are beyond thrilled to announce that we’ll be bringing together the blasphemous forces of Behemoth, Satyricon and Rotting Christ for ‘The Unholy Trinity’ European tour." 🔥


Tickets are on sale now. Dates are listed below.





Tour dates:


April
4 - Gasometer - Vienna, Austria
5 - Zenith - Munich, Germany
6 - Columbiahalle - Berlin, Germany
8 - Halle 622 - Zurich, Switzerland
11 - Olympia - Paris, France
12 - O2 Brixton Academy - London, England
13 - 013 Poppodium - Tilburg, Netherlands
15 - E-Werk - Cologne, Germany
16 - Schlachthof - Wiesbaden, Germany
18 - B-K - Stockholm, Sweden
20 - Inferno Metal Festival - Oslo, Norway*
22 - Ice Hall - Helsinki, Finland
23 - Palladium - Riga, Latvia
25 - Orbita Hall - Wrocław, Poland
26 - Ragnaroek Festival - Lichtenfels, Germany*
27 - O2 Universum - Prague, Czech Republic


* Behemoth only










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Featured Video

New Sepultura drummer Greyson Nekrutman - replacing Eloy Casagrande, who left the band to join Slipknot  - has shared live drum cam video of "Propaganda", shot on the road this year. Check it out below. 





As part of their massive "Celebrating Life Through Death" farewell tour, metal legends Septultura will be hitting the North American roads; you can witness the ambassadors of Brazilian metal with a career-spanning set that will honour the band’s 40 years of existence.




Joining them on this momentous tour will be Florida-based death metal veterans Obituary, iconic New York hardcore pioneers Agnostic Front, and Sao Paulo’s death/thrash metallers Claustrofobia. Together, this package will unleash an electrifying display of power, passion, and raw emotion.


Andreas Kisser comments: “We are so excited to announce the North American concerts of the 'Celebrating Life Through Death’ farewell tour. We are having a blast doing these shows and celebrating 40 years of history, and now it is your turn! Happy to share the stage with our brothers from Obituary, Agnostic Front, and Claustrofobia! Do not miss this! See you all on the road!”


Fans can purchase pre-sale tickets and VIP upgrades are on sale now through Soundrink, here. General sale will start Friday, June 7, June at 10 AM, local time, here.





Dates:


September
17 - Chicago, IL - ConcordMusic Hall
18 - Minneapolis, MN - UptownTheater
20 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theater
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
22 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
23 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox SODO
25 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Novo
27 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
28 - Tucson, AZ - RialtoTheatre
30 - Dallas, TX - The Factory


October
2 - Tampa, FL - JannusLive
3 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater
4 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
5 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
6 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall
8 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Ballroom
9 - Toronto, ON - Rebel*
10 - Montreal, QC - L’Olympia*
11 - Worcester, MA @The Palladium
12 - New York, NY - The PalladiumTimes Square


* - Harvest to open and no Claustrofobia







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Featured Video

Primitive Reaction has announced October 11th as the international release date for The Mist From the Mountains' second album, Portal - The Gathering Of Storms, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.


It was but the very beginning of 2022 when The Mist From The Mountains released their debut album, Monumental - The Temple Of Twilight, through Primitive Reaction. The record was presciently titled, too: hailing from the ever-fertile Finnish scene, The Mist From The Mountains were a brand-new formation with a very old heart, with their chilling-yet-breathtaking ruminations harkening to the golden days of melodic, nature-inspired black metal back during the mid '90s. Names invoked included old Borknagar, Kvist, Old Man's Child, Norway's Gehenna, and even earliest Dimmu Borgir, but on the songwriting strength across Monumental, these still-young Finns were well on their way to forging an odyssey all their own.


Two years later, The Mist From The Mountains return to deliver the next awe-inspiring chapter of that saga. Titled Portal - The Gathering Of Storms, the band's second album is indeed the next part of a trilogy, but whereas the not-inconsiderable debut was but a mere 38 minutes, this second full-length is an epic near-hour of mesmerizing majesty, its golden rays stretching infinitely beyond the horizon - laced with black, of course. Truly, Portal's textures are equally summer and autumnal: the warm embrace of the sun, with the stern suggestion (or at least austere awareness of) the eventual cold, and of course those mossy, turn-to-brown sensations of fall's inexorable transitions to darker, colder days. 




But, that's simply a surface sweep of The Mist From The Mountains' ever-growing sonic palette, for thematically, Portal is quite a different beast. A sea-themed album, the band explore its standing as untamed, dynamic force of nature that cannot be negotiated with: equally fierce, calm, and beautiful in all its inconsolability. As such, the Finns stretch their songwriting to more varied lengths; the melancholy and longing typical of Finnish music is fully accounted for, but there's a pronounced emphasis on immediate(ly hummable) melodies, cleaner vocals, and more engaging downtempos. One could call it more accessible, and that one would not be totally wrong, but more so does Portal reveal The Mist From The Mountains as weavers of utterly cinematic soundscapes, of magick and wonder taking fuller flight (and hitting waterier depths) that put the band in league with the likes of Moonsorrow, and Borknagar. But, lest one think that this is a more "mainstream" move, the album is not without its share of blasting battle-rage, betraying a truly vast canvas that can now only be distinctly The Mist From The Mountains.


The sea is a portal to new worlds - and, in mythology, also to the afterlife. The Mist From The Mountains once again paint an absolutely poignant picture with Portal - The Gathering Of Storms, and hereby cement their status as Finnish folkloric masters.


Hear for yourself with the brand new track "The Seer Of Ages" below. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:





"And So Flew The Death Crow" 
"The Seer Of Ages" 
"At The Roots Of The Vile" 
"Among The Black Waves" 
"In Longing Times" 
"Saiva" 





For further details, visit The Mist From The Mountains on Facebook.


 







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

From the eerie mists of the Blue Mountains, Australia - Carmeria combine the haunting sounds of dark symphonic metal with the lovelorn energy of gothic rock. Carmeria reveal the lighter side of their sophomore LP, Tragédie D'amour, with the album’s second single, "Immortal". This energetic gothic rock number delves into the theme of eternal love, and demonstrates that the band are not afraid to push their boundaries in exploring the more positive elements of the human experience.


Singer / songwriter Jordan von Grae shares: "'Immortal' was a delight to work on. Mishka (keys) and I have long talked about introducing a song like this to the band's repertoire, and paying homage to our shared influence of HIM. This track is unlike anything we've done before in Carmeria, and we are incredibly excited to hear what our audience has to say about it."


Released on August 9th, "Immortal" showcases the versatility in Carmeria’s newfound direction. If the trajectory launched by the band’s debut album Advenae is anything to go by, Carmeria will reach new heights with Tragédie D'amour, available everywhere August 23rd.







Since reforming with a new lineup in 2018, the band has been on a momentous warpath through the Australian music scene. Carmeria's debut album Advenae (2021) saw the five-piece garner international acclaim. In the summer of 2021/2022, the group embarked on their first nation-wide tour, culminating in a sold out show in their hometown capital, Sydney. The following years saw the ensemble write and record music for their second opus, titled Tragédie D'amour, which consists of ten new songs and sees the band’s sound taking on a more energetic gothic rock approach than its predecessor. 





Tracklisting:


"Call Forth My Sorrow"
"A Thousand Winter Rains" 
"Thorns"  
"Leading The Lyre"
"Whispers Of Forgiveness"
"Shadow’s Throne"
"Immortal"
"Burning Ships"
"The Hoping Heart"
"A Vision In Passing" 


For further details, visit Carmeria on Facebook.


 







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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