In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess talked about the band's upcoming sixteenth album, which will mark the progressive metal legends' first LP since drummer Mike Portnoy's return to the group last October. Asked about the songwriting process for the new LP, Jordan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, what I've been saying, which is really important to realize is that although DREAM THEATER, we were absolutely fine for 13 years while Mike Portnoy was on hiatus or whatever, having him come back has been really wonderful because this is his home. He helped to create what people know as DREAM THEATER, and to get back to some of those core values, if you will, of what the music and album should be like with Mike here with us has been really great. And I think that people are gonna feel it from everything — from his drumming style to the kind of contributions that he makes to the way the songs are put together to what I like to say is kind of like his film-director mentality, where he's thinking about, 'Oh, that melody. Oh, we could use that melody in that song. And then we can connect this,' and all these interesting connections."

Jordan continued: "I have a lot of capability to write music. [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci is a great producer, great writer. Everybody's got their specialty. But Mike brings in his specialty, which is different than everybody else's, which becomes part of the DREAM THEATER experience. And there's no denying it. And people are gonna love this because it's all over this album, that touch that he has. And I'm just really excited about every level of it — from what we're gonna release on the album to what we're bringing to the tour and the kind of show we're putting together and the setlist that he basically wrote. A lot of good things to say about it. And besides, it's very emotional for me, for us, to have him back because he's always been a good friend and I think this is where he belongs."

Last month, Rudess was asked by Chris Akin Presents how the upcoming DREAM THEATER album compares to the rest of the band's discography. Jordan said: "Well, let's put it this way. There's this undeniable, almost unexplainable or inexplainable, whatever the word is, type of thing that happens with drummers. We survived beautifully in the 13 years that Mike Portnoy was not there. Mike Mangini was a supreme drummer, just incredible. And that said, all the albums with Portnoy, all the albums with Mangini, they have different flavors, because there's something about the back beat, if you will, of a band and the drummer that just gives an energy to the whole thing. And a lot of people speak of that. It's kind of hard to pin down. But you really notice it. Like on this new album, I listen to it and I go, 'Okay, I feel the Portnoy energy back there.'

"I would say what I'm hearing personally is classic kind of DREAM THEATER, whatever that means to anybody that's listening," he continued. "You'll have to wait and see. Think of it this way: the core band is back together again. It's classic DREAM THEATER. I also like to point out that we are a bunch of guys that we take what we do very, very seriously. We put every ounce, every bit of effort, energy into everything we do. We care so much about it, each and every one of us.

"The other day, I was talking to [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci in the studio when I was doing my keyboard parts. And we were really deep and working really hard and spending long hours and just getting things to where we feel they're really, really right. And I said to John, I said, 'John, look at what we're doing. We're here late. We're working like crazy. Why? We could have been making pop music. Why are we doing this?' Just to really understand, because a lot of people don't put the kind of effort, I guess, especially these days when there tends to be a different kind of work ethic around, and maybe we're kind of like old school in that way. But to produce a product, to make something that's gonna last, that is gonna be shared with a large number of people, that's just gonna live on, in a way, forever, that, to us, is a really serious thing. And as artists, we're trying to make a statement."

Circling back to Portnoy's influence on the new DREAM THEATER music, Jordan said: "One of the beautiful things is Mike has brought with him all his incredible skills. He's not a guy who just plays the drums really well. He also understands this business. I always like to say that he's got kind of like a film director's mentality, he's looking at everything from a conceptual point of view, and he has skills that the rest of us don't. I mean, yes, we survived fine [without Portnoy], we did really well, we won a Grammy [while he was out of the band] and all that, but there's a magic there that we now have back. It's cool — it's really cool. We're super excited."

On the topic of where the recording process stands right now, Rudess told Chris Akin Presents: "The album's coming along really well. I finished all my keyboard parts. I'm really pleased with them. I got some really beefy, cool tones. And there was a great piano in the studio, which just rocked when I needed it to. It was really melodic when I needed it to. The drums sound amazing. Petrucci's solos are — I don't know; every album, he just seems to outdo himself with all that. The bass sounds great. Jimmy T [James Meslin], our engineer, it's incredible just watching him work. So the team is in a good place. James [LaBrie] is doing his vocals pretty much as we speak. And I got a little taste of that, and they sound great. So, yeah, it's in a good spot."

Rudess previously discussed DREAM THEATER's reunion with Portnoy earlier in July in an interview with Brazil's 89FM A Rádio Rock. Jordan said at the time: "I feel, in a way, like we haven't even missed a beat with this lineup. Having Mike Portnoy come back to us just feels like he's coming home. He was so welcome and we were so happy, we just jumped right into it. From day one, when he walked in the studio and we started to work, literally it was like there was no break. I mean, he just belongs here and he is so engaged, so passionate about what he does, and having that energy come into our group has been a beautiful thing."

Rudess also spoke to 89FM A Rádio Rock about DREAM THEATER's upcoming sixteenth album. Asked if the recording process has changed with Portnoy coming back to the band, Rudess said: "Well, it's definitely changed because he's a very strong musical personality and a strong personality in general. And so he has a lot of thoughts about things. He's a very conceptual thinker, and I think that as fine as we were just doing our own thing when he was gone, having him back, it's just like, wow, this is so great to have your mind and your spirit involved in it. It really does change things. So I think when people hear the new album that we're working on, they'll kind of see that and they'll feel that. I definitely think it's reconnecting with some of the spirit of the magic that we produced in the years that he was in the band."

Regarding whether Portnoy's time away from DREAM THEATER will help Mike bring new things to the group now that he has rejoined his longtime bandmates, Rudess said: "Well, I think everybody grows, everybody changes and we bring what we learn into the mix. So, I think while we're revisiting and kind of enjoying this feeling of connecting with who we were, we're also different people, we've been through all these different experiences, so there's a lot of other things we all bring to the situation — on every level, just musically, personally, everything."

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Rudess also spoke about Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER earlier in July in an interview with Serbia's Highwaystar Magazine. Jordan said at the time: "Well, it was so great to have him back. In many ways it feels like we never lost a beat. Because he was one of the ones who started this band, and he loves it so much, the welcoming process was really immediate and we're all so happy to kind of re-establish what we had. I mean, it feels like getting the core band together again."

Jordan went on to talk about DREAM THEATER's upcoming "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025". The trek — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — is the first outing since Portnoy's return to the band. The European leg of DREAM THEATER's "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025" consists of stops in 23 cities, including in Zagreb, Croatia, and kicks off on October 20 and runs through November 24. Asked what fans can expect from the Zagreb show, Jordan said: "Well, it's gonna be a very, very exciting concert, as you know, because everybody's so excited about this reunion of all of us. And Mike will also have a lot to do with helping to pick the songs that we play in the setlist. That's one of his great talents, to decide things like that. And it'll be just a celebration. We're gonna play a bunch of songs from our catalog. We'll pick some ones that everybody really wants to hear. And, yeah, I think they can expect probably one of the most exciting DREAM THEATER shows that they've ever been to. I can almost guarantee it."

Asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira and Matheus Ribeiro if DREAM THEATER's upcoming LP picks up from where the last DT album he played on, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", left off or if it's a different thing entirely, Portnoy said: "If I'm being honest, I think it picks up right where 'Black Clouds' left off, to be honest. There's a certain style that the five of us have when we write together. And if you listen to the album with this lineup from 1999, '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory', through 2009's 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', if you look at that string of five or six albums, that's the sound and style of these five people. So I think that's a good indication of what you can expect with the new DREAM THEATER album. It definitely sounds like classic DREAM THEATER."

In June, Portnoy told The Prog Report about the writing and recording sessions for DREAM THEATER's sixteenth studio album: "It's going great… It's a long process. I haven't spent this much time making an album in a long time, because usually [Mike's other projects] NMB [NEAL MORSE BAND] or FLYING COLORS or whatever, you kind of get together, do the writing and the tracking, and everybody does it at home. But DREAM THEATER is still old school where the band is in the studio the whole time. And it's not like anybody's doing anything at home separately. We do it all together, coming in one at a time to work and record. So, yeah, it's a longer process than I've had in quite some time. But it's great… It's the old way. It's the way I always made records with DREAM THEATER. I just hadn't done it that way in so long, but it is good. And the process is really detailed this way. All these other bands and projects, everyone kind of just does their own thing on their own time at their own place. But this really gives a real unified kind of band vibe. Even a couple of weeks ago, James [LaBrie, DREAM THEATER singer] flew back out, came down from Japan and we spent time collaborating on vocal melodies, so lyrics can be written to those melodies, which is kind of the way the process is in DREAM THEATER. So, yeah, it's nice to just be a part of each one of these steps, like the old days. It's been a while since I made a record this way."

Portnoy went on to say that he "can't give away much details" about DREAM THEATER's next LP, "but we are all just really, really excited about it, really proud of it. And just can't wait to unleash some info, but I can't do that just yet," he added.

In April, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked by Rolling Stone magazine why he and his bandmates wanted Portnoy to return. He said: "I think we had to return the band back to its strongest form." Petrucci added: "It wasn't one singular thing; it was sort of a series of life events that caused an organic conclusion. We all talked about it. It was like, 'Yeah, this makes sense right now.'" Keyboardist Jordan Rudess chimed in: "There's so many factors involved, and each of us has our particular relationships. And it was just a moment when everything seemed to come together, and we went, 'You know what? Let's do this. Now's the time.'" Myung concurred, saying: "It was a collective moment of certainty."

Asked if he was surprised when he was invited back into the band, Portnoy said: "Before the Covid pandemic, if you had asked me or any of these guys, 'Was a reunion in the cards?' I probably would've said I doubted that it could happen. I think if the lockdown hadn't happened, you guys probably would've been on tour, and I would've been on tour with one of my 48 bands. But once we were all locked down, John asked me to play on his solo album. Then, from there, Jordan, John, and myself did the LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album. And then I did John's tour. So there were just these series of events of reconnecting us — not only on a musical level but also on a personal level for many years prior to that.

"All of our families are friends," he continued. "And my daughter and John's daughter shared an apartment together for many, many years. And John Myung lives right down the block from me, and his wife's at my house every night. There was just a series of events both personally and musically that started to feel like, 'Well, maybe this really is in the cards. Maybe this is the right time.'"

Asked if they see this reunion as healing a fractured band, Portnoy said: "I don't want to be over-philosophical about it, but as we're all getting older. Here we are in our 50s and 60s. You start to think of the reality of, 'How much time do we have left?' I would hate it if this were to become a Roger Waters-PINK FLOYD or Peter Gabriel-with-GENESIS situation where the fans want it, but it never happens."

Petrucci added: "When Mike left the band, it was traumatic for all of us. We had to figure out how we were going to move our career forward. And those years that went by, they were also healing years because you don't just have something like that happen, and all of a sudden, you're all best buddies a week later. There's some trauma there that had to heal. Thirteen years was enough time for that to happen and be, like, 'Hey, you know what, man? We love each other like we're brothers.'"

In a new interview with Tom Reardon of the Phoenix New Times, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine, who was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett, was asked about his reputation as one of the more "misunderstood" figures in rock and roll. He said: "People get their ya-yas when they see people struggling for some crazy reason. There's the people out there who love you and want you to do good and the people out there, for whatever reason, who don't want you to do good. You ask yourself, 'What did I do to you? Are you that fucking jealous?' There's a lot of people like that. You just have to learn to avoid them."

Referencing his exit from METALLICA, Mustaine added: "Once we broke up with [METALLICA's] James [Hetfield] and Lars [Ulrich] and we went our separate ways, it was really weird with all the animosity from people I didn't even know."

But, he clarified, "I do believe that people are entitled to their opinions. There have been numerous times where people had a right to take exception with something I've done because there have been some things that I did or said that I look back now and I think, 'Wow, that was a little over the top, Dave,' but sometimes things just need to be said. There were no people that had the balls to say anything, but that ain't me. If someone was trying to pull a scam with us, that's not going to happen."

Back in 2012, Mustaine floated the idea that he was misunderstood by the media, telling Noisecreep: "One of the problems about MEGADETH is that we've been severely misinterpreted by the press. I'll say something in an interview, and they'll either take what I said completely out of context or they evaluate it based on one sole statement and not the whole idea."

He repeated those sentiments a year later in an interview with Metal Hammer.

"Probably the biggest thing that has harmed my career is being misunderstood, but is it better to be understood or to understand?" he explained at the time. "I understand much more now, so I'm less inclined to be preaching or complaining about being misquoted now. There are people who love me and people who don't, but everyone's entitled. I have love in my heart for both. I don't get mad about the people who dislike me. You can get obsessed with that. Someone doesn't like me? Tough shit for me."

He added: "I have a terrible reputation. There was a guy who used to manage me, and when we had a falling out, I think he started rumors about me being difficult. But we became friends again and reconciled. And that was all part of a process of reconciliation, including with METALLICA and [former MEGADETH bassist David] Ellefson, too. And do you know what? When that happened, my injured arm and injured thumb started working again. Crazy, huh?"

In 2016, Mustaine was asked by Westword.com why he thinks he is "openly despised" on "a handful of web sites." He responded: "I think a lot of it goes back to the breakup from METALLICA. There are people that have picked up that feud, and they don't even know why they're choosing sides."

He continued: "I have nothing against METALLICA fans. I was in both bands. I like Lars and I like James and, contrary to what people say, I do think Kirk is a good guitar player."

Mustaine added: "In the beginning, when I was bitter, yeah, there was shit going back and forth. They were justifying firing me, and I was telling them that they were wrong. That's just been perpetuated over and over again. It's been put to bed. I've got no beef with those dudes. We're two totally different bands."

In 2019, Dave was asked by the "Elliot In The Morning" radio show whether he is bothered by his reputation as someone who is difficult to deal with. He responded: "No, I don't care about it. I think it's kind of a bummer, though, sometimes when people, for the first time, come up to you. It's such a pregnant pause when people will go… they'll meet you and go, 'God, you know, I heard you were such an a-hole,' and you just kind of look at them, like, 'Uh-huh.' Again, it's like… This reminds me of when I was a kid and my first dance. I went up to a girl and I asked her to dance, and she said 'no,' and I walked away and I thought, 'Screw you! You don't know what you're missing.' And I figured I would commence to destroy her reputation in school. I'm kidding, of course, but that's kind of what we do when we get any kind of rejection; we make the other person out to be really horrible. Evidence of that was when I parted ways with METALLICA. Neither one of us really wanted to tell the absolute truth about what happened; we wanted to make the other party the bad guys. And I think that's what took so long for us to come to the truth that, 'Hey, we still really love each other a lot. And it was never meant to be, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends.'"

Mustaine was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with METALLICA during the April 2009 ceremony at Cleveland, Ohio's Public Auditorium.

Ulrich later explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included because "you've got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought . . . the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record."

He added: "Dave Mustaine was in the band for 11 months, predominantly in 1982. . . . I'm not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since."

MEGADETH kicked off the "Destroy All Enemies" summer 2024 U.S. tour on August 2 at Walmart AMP, Rogers, Arkansas. Produced by Live Nation, the trek, which features MUDVAYNE and ALL THAT REMAINS as support, is hitting 32 more cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston and St. Louis, before wrapping up on September 28 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Image credit: MEGADETH YouTube channel

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Zakk Wylde spoke about the decision to tour with a reformed version of PANTERA, also featuring surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),alongside Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) on drums. The lineup has reportedly been given a green light by the estates of PANTERA's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

Asked what he would have said a few years ago if somebody had told him that he would one day be the guitarist in PANTERA, Zakk said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, [it's] the PANTERA celebration. It's not PANTERA. PANTERA is Dime, Vinnie, Phil and Rex. So that's PANTERA. But no, it's a beautiful thing honoring the guys every night. Everybody's having a blast. Everyone that comes down to the shows either — you have the PANTERA faithful taking a trip down memory lane, and you've got all the younger, like Phil always calls it, the new blood. And it's amazing every night how many… It's just a testament to what the fellas created. Because we've got so many young people that have never seen PANTERA before."

He continued: "For me, for my situation, I never got a chance to see LED ZEPPELIN. So, if ZEPPELIN got back together, and you had, I mean, right now with Jason [Bonham] playing the drums, 'cause I never got a chance to see it. So, it's that kind of situation. So it's all the younger kids coming up hearing that their older brothers listened to it or their dad or whatever, and now they're at the gig to hear this music live. So, to me, it's truly a beautiful thing every night we play honoring the guys."

Regarding how his opinion of Dimebag as a guitar player has changed as a result of having to dissect his parts, Zakk said: "I already knew my buddy was great. I already knew Dime was great. But then the more I was learning this stuff, I was, like, he's even greater than I ever thought. But, no, learning all the stuff or going through actually learning the songs, it's just, aside of Dime's great technique and his chops and everything like that… I mean, to me, his legacy is — I put it more like Tony Iommi, where what Tony created with [BLACK] SABBATH was basically its own entire genre of music. So PANTERA, they're the gold standard of that genre of music, whether it's 'power groove' or whatever, what Dime called it. The LAMB OF GOD guys are amazing, but they're cut from that cloth, that style of music that PANTERA forged, and all the bands that come after that. I mean, it's just kind of like PANTERA, what PANTERA created in their genre is the same thing as THE BEATLES, THE [ROLLING] STONES, ZEPPELIN and SABBATH, all the bands that we love, where they're the benchmark of that style of music. So, yeah, that's why I always tell everybody, it's not so much how fast Dime was and everything like that; it's what he wrote. And that's his legacy, to me."

Asked what it's like to play the opening riff of the classic PANTERA song "Walk" every night, Wylde said: "It's truly amazing. Phil always says it every night. When we're, doing the shows with METALLICA, he goes, 'I think a lot of people don't know who we are, don't know who PANTERA is, he goes, 'but once that riff starts. They go, 'Oh, yeah, I've heard this song before.' It's an iconic riff, for sure. Totally."

Earlier in the month, Zakk was asked by Joshua Toomey of the Talk Toomey podcast what goes through his mind when the curtain falls down as he and his bandmates launch into the opening riff of "A New Level" every night, Zakk said: "Oh, it's awesome. I love every second of the show — from the beginning to the end, man. Obviously, when we're doing 'Floods', I get pretty choked up doing that one, especially the end bit, the outro of Dime's, 'cause it's just me by myself. I don't see the video screens that are behind me, but, obviously, when I've seen the footage of it, it's just, like, 'Wow.' There's just pretty much not a dry eye in the house on that one. Yeah, I definitely get choked up doing that one, when we do 'Floods'.

"Everybody in the camp, everybody's just all great people," Zakk continued. "I mean, we've all known each other — the fellows in the band, we've known each other, but as far as the whole camp and the crew, we've all known each other from various tours and things. So it's like one gigantic family out there. So, I mean, the whole vibe, it's just a beautiful thing."

Regarding whether there were any PANTERA songs or parts that took him longer to figure out than the rest, Zakk said: "What I just found really awesome was Dime's… I mean, the reason why we're still talking about Dime's greatness and everybody, and all the guys that we love, whether it's King Edward [Eddie Van Halen], St. Rhoads [Randy Rhoads], Jimi Hendrix, I mean, all the guys, it's what they wrote. Aside of Dime's great technique and how amazing he was and how fast he could play and everything like that, it's what he wrote, just like with Randy and Eddie and everybody. I mean, all the guys that we love. But Dime's writing, like his chord choices and everything like that, it's just, like, 'Oh, wow. That's definitely really cool.' So, a lot of unexpected pre-choruses and things like that. It's, like, 'Oh, wow. I wonder what made him go there,' like really interesting chord choices. But, yeah, for sure.

"Going through, learning the whole catalog and learning deeper cuts and everything like that, I was, like, 'Wow. This one's pretty cool,'" he continued. "I mean, even the pre-chorus to 'Walk' or just the opening riff — a lot of a lot of the chord choices would end up becoming… They're dissonant, where that's obviously what Dime's going for, is the dissonance, whereas opposed to something would be like if it was a more ear-pleasing chord choice, but it would sound routine, and you could just tell Dime was going for… 'No, that's what everybody expects us to go. So, let's go here. Everyone expects us to make a left turn. So, let's make a right.' So, it's, like, oh, 'Wow, that's definitely interesting.' So, yeah, that's what I found, learning all the material and everything like that. So, for sure. So that, to me, is what puts Dime in that league with all the guys we love, whether it's Jimi Hendrix, whether it's Eddie and Randy. It's his writing."

This past April, Zakk told Ultimate Guitar about touring with the reformed PANTERA: "I feel [Dimebag] all the time. Even when we were getting ready to do the [PANTERA tour in 2022], [the early] rehearsals, and they were just figuring out how we were gonna do this, there'd be signs all over the place, whether [it was] a license plate that would be, like, '333' [three being Dimebag's favorite number], or I'd run into like a Dimebag license plate in the middle of nowhere. It was just, like, him just pushing this thing along, willing it to happen. So he's just always around. When we were in New York, just like signs, when we just did [a headlining show at] the [Madison Square] Garden [in February 2024], my wife Barbaranne was, like, Check this out.' Something came up and it just reminded us of Dime, and I was like, 'Wow, that's crazy.' Or we would look on our phone and it would be '333'. It's just these signs everywhere. And I could see Dime just doing it, going, 'I hope these idiots realize it's me sending these signs.' [Laughs]"

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

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

During a recent appearance on "Drinks With Johnny", the Internet TV show hosted by AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ, Zakk was asked how he, Philip, Rex and Charlie all "came together to decide that this was the right time, the right group to pay homage to the mighty PANTERA". The guitarist said: "Well, BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY] and DOWN, we did some shows together in 2014, we did a tour, and it was great. 'Cause I've known Phil [who also sings for DOWN] and Pepper [Keenan, DOWN guitarist] and all the guys, and Jimmy Bower [DOWN drummer], Father Bower Power, over there for a while. It was just a bunch of friends going out doing shows together. And we did some PANTERA stuff then, and then Father Rex came out and we jammed 'I'm Broken' and stuff like that, and it was a lot of fun. And it's always been rumored for years. I just said that's always on the fellas. Me and Charlie are buds, and we'll be here to support our friends, whatever they wanna do. So when Phil called me up one day, he was, like, 'Zakk, you wanna get together and do this? We're thinking about me, Rex and Charlie and yourself, and we'll go out and pay tribute to Dime and Vinnie.' I was, like, 'Of course. I always said I would be there for you guys when you felt the time was right to do it.'"

He continued: "But, yeah, we just got together and did the rehearsals down in New Orleans and then we've been rolling ever since. We just did the [Madison Square] Garden and everything like that, with LAMB OF GOD and the guys and everything like that. So it was great. So just looking out every night and seeing people taking a trip down memory lane, the people that have seen the original PANTERA… When Phil says every night, he's just, like, 'How many people, this is their first time ever seeing PANTERA?' And all the younger people that never got a chance to see 'em [raise their hands]. It just really is a beautiful thing.

"I always say it every night, when we were playing the Garden, it's just like if Dime and Vinnie were right there on the side of the stage, I'd go, 'Look at what you guys created.' So it's really special. I think it's just a beautiful thing every night paying honor and tribute to Dime and Vinnie every night, Phil and Rex and Dime and Vinnie, this thing that they created that brings so many people joy. So, I just think it's a beautiful thing every night."

Zakk previously discussed his involvement with PANTERA in a February 2024 interview with Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights. At the time, he said: "Everybody in the whole camp, it's all great people. And it's crazy, because we've known each other for years, but you end up knowing, even with the crew and everything like that, all these people you've known for years — I mean, people that I've been with when I started with Ozzy [Osbourne] and everything like that. So, it's just a great time out there, man, for sure. And then, obviously, celebrating Vinnie and Dime every night, it's just awesome.

"The beautiful thing about music is, all the bands that we love, whether it's ZEPPELIN or [BLACK] SABBATH, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS or Elton John or PANTERA or whatever, everybody has their connection to that music," he continued. "That's the most powerful thing about music. I mean, you hear stuff, it just transports you back to when you were 13 years old, 14 years old, where you were and what you were doing when that music was going on. So, for so many people — it's amazing 'cause Phil always does it at like almost every night, he's just, like, 'How many people saw PANTERA back in the day?' And everybody, obviously, you have all the PANTERA faithful. And then he goes, 'How many people, this is their first time seeing PANTERA?' It's mind-blowing. I mean, I'd say it's almost like 60-40, 70-30 sometimes, where it's, like, 'Wow. That is amazing.'

"I never got a chance to see ZEPPELIN back in the day, so to see… When I went and saw the [Jimmy] Page and [Robert] Plant thing with the orchestra and everything, that was just amazing, because I never got a chance to see them back in the day. So, just the power of the music, to see it live was just… I saw 'em at Brendan Byrne Arena [in East Rutherford, New Jersey in April 1995] when we were working on [Ozzy Osbourne's 1995 album] 'Ozzmosis'. I got tickets and we went down to the gig that night, and it was amazing — 'cause I never I never got a chance to see it back in the day. So, it's pretty much the same, 'cause I know I was getting chills when I was watching it. So, yeah, it's a beautiful thing, man."

Zakk was also asked if he would be open to working on new material with PANTERA. He said: "Nah, I don't think so. Whenever Phil says that and all the younger kids are screaming and yelling, when they put the house lights on and everyone's got their fists up in the air 'cause that's the first time [they're seeing PANTERA live], I just look at like Vinnie and Dime, if they were on the side of the stage, and go, 'See what you guys created.' So it's just, like, yeah, it's awesome. It truly is, man. But, no, I don't think [the plan is] to record [as PANTERA]. I mean, it'd be like if [Eric] Clapton was playing with [drummer] Mitch [Mitchell] and [bassist] Noel [Redding], honoring Jimi [Hendrix], they're not gonna go in and record [and call it] THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE with Eric Clapton. [Laughs] I don't think anything like that. Obviously, if we were ever to do anything, it would be under a different name. Like Jimmy Page, if he was playing with Paul Rodgers and everything, it's THE FIRM; they're not going out as LED ZEPPELIN."

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

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

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

Fans Of The Dark announce the release of their new studio album, Video, out October 11 via Frontiers Music Srl. The band has also dropped the first single and accompanying video for the track “Let’s Go Rent A Video”, available today.


Watch the video for “Let’s Go Rent A Video” below, and pre-order the new album here.


Drummer Freddie Allen explains the concept of the album and of the first single: “The album Video and in particular the song 'Let's Go Rent A Video' is about growing up in the 80's and 90's and how great it was to have access to a local video store. The whole idea about going there as a group or alone and deciding on what you were going to watch. It was something you could spend a whole night on, a pastime, something to occupy your thoughts for quite a while. These days we are struggling with our attention spans for just a few seconds. The video era was the opposite of that, everything took time”.




“In a way, listening to the album as a whole is also about that. It takes you on a journey through a lost era, but it is an era which you can rediscover and relive through great music and films. This album is our way of saluting that great era. The sound is a bit pinker and fluffier than the last two albums, which we hope might be to the liking of all you AOR lovers out there. This one's for you”, continues Freddie.


Video is the third chapter of Swedish act Fans Of The Dark, an exciting new band formed in 2020 by Freddie Allen, drummer and main songwriter, and lead vocalist Alex Falk, when they reconnected a few years after high school, with a vision to create a band which would mix the melodies and the approach of classic and melodic rock.


Their debut album Fans of the Dark, released in 2021, attracted the attention of Frontiers Records and led to the band signing a multi-album deal. Their second album Suburbia was released in 2022, and it was followed by the band’s first live show at Frontiers Rock Fest in Stockholm the same year. By then, they were permanently joined by guitarist Oscar Bromvall and bass player Rickard Gramfors.


After releasing an EP of four cover songs, the band went into writing mode once more, and the result is Video, the band’s third album, one of the most exciting things you'll hear emerging from the fruitful melodic rock in Sweden, showcasing a tight, inventive musical approach with outstanding vocals.





Video tracklisting:


"Meet Me On The Corner"
"Let's Go Rent A Video"
"The Neon Phantom"
"Christine"
"The Wall"
"Find Your Love"
"In The Bay Of Blood"
"Tomorrow Is Another Day"
"The Dagger Of Tunis"
"Savage Streets"


"Let's Go Rent A Video" video:





Lineup:


Alex Falk - Vocals
Oscar Bromvall - Guitar
Rickard Gramfors - Bass
Freddie Allen - Drums


(Photo - Andreas Hillerborg)







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INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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Iconic melodic death metal pioneers, Dark Tranquillity, are gearing up for the release of their new album, Endtime Signals, due out August 16th, with the official worldwide listening party happening at Germany's Summer Breeze festival next Tuesday, August 13th. Singer Mikael Stanne was guest recently on BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance, which airs tomorrow (August 9th) at 9AM EST. 

There’s one thing to master your instruments or at least try to. But it’s another level when you master the art of actual songwriting and create something fresh, new and ultimately self-inspiring.


“Of course that comes from experience," Stanne talks about creating their 13th album, Endtime Signals, “but I also think focus and vision. Having a vision - that may be a strong word for it. I think that was something this time around that we talked about a lot, like what do we imagine us to be, going forward and then the upcoming couple of years or where are we now. Like who are we as a band. Also, a lot of things changed in the band lineup-wise. How do we prove to ourselves and everybody that actually listens to us, that we are relevant and we have something to say. And I think that became a driving force and the purpose of this album. Really show that whatever we do really matters. That was the hardest part, to try to get there. And at the same time it gave us a reason to make sure that this was the best that I could possibly be. And be something that we can be proud of for years to come.


BraveWords: This might sound a bit silly, but you’re almost being each other’s psychiatrists.




Stanne: “Those are the things that we talk about. How do we feel about the band. How do we feel about touring. How do we feel about the world around us. We are entertainers. We started touring right after the pandemic and we had some fantastic shows in the Ukraine. And then all of a sudden we are in a tour bus in America somewhere and the war breaks out. What just happened to our friends in Russia and the Ukraine, meanwhile we are in a tour bus, waiting for a show where we scream and dance and play and it felt insignificant. We felt like ‘What is our purpose, why are we doing this right now? We could tell that the vibe and the atmosphere in the US was different. And we couldn’t even get to you in Canada. It was still closed, so that profoundly changed the view of what we do. Not just music. What do we spend our lives doing? So when we started this album, we had to reckon that, think about it and make sense of it and not drive us to make this one. It just had to be as good as we could possibly make it just to justify our reason to do this. Maybe in the past, I’ve considered myself as an optimist, try to see the good things and the silver lining and what have you. Lately I haven’t and I felt that this album should be more dystopian in nature.”


BraveWords: Talk to me abut balancing your vocals, from clean to Cookie Monster!


Stanne: “It’s a strong type of expression, that’s the way I like to view it when it comes to death metal and thrash. Extreme metal and how important it is to just scream about things. There are a lot of emotions and feelings with me that requires it or calls for it. That’s always been my thing - the stuff that I’m most angry about goes into the lyrics and the songs. And there are other aspects of our music that requires something else. That’s the way it’s always being. It’s just a matter of refining it and I’ve learned a lot the past couple of years doing other projects so I’m more comfortable with a bit of both and more melodic singing as well.”


Tune in to Streaming For Vengeance tomorrow (August 9th at 9AM EST), for the entire interview!



The pre-order phase for Endtime Signals is underway, and fans worldwide are now able to secure their copies of the various LP and CD formats as well as the digital version.


Mikael Stanne stated, "Finally, we can announce that the pre-orders for Endtime Signals start today. And to mark this monumental occasion, we also have a brand new single for you fine folks. 'Not Nothing' is an existential piece of Endtime Signals that we feel showcases some of the diversity that the album holds. Turn up the volume and let us know what you think!"


Endtime Signals is available for pre-order in the following formats:


- Ltd. Deluxe 2LP Gatefold edition w/ 14 tracks (“Midnight Haze” ink spot effect vinyl incl. additional black LP with 2 bonus tracks and etching & extended 8-pages LP booklet, housed in an O-Card with special die-cut)
- Ltd. Deluxe 2LP Gatefold edition w/ 14 tracks [US version] (“Neuronal Fire” splatter effect vinyl incl. additional black LP with 2 bonus tracks and etching & extended 8-pages LP booklet, housed in an O-Card with special die-cut)
- Ltd. Deluxe CD Digipak edition w/ 14 tracks (incl. 2 bonus tracks & extended 28-pages booklet, housed in an O-Card with special die-cut)
- Standard CD Jewelcase w/ 12 tracks
- 1LP Gatefold in black and various colours w/ 12 tracks
- 1LP Gatefold in black [US version] w/ 12 tracks
- Standard CD Jewelcase [Japanese version] w/ 14 tracks


Endtime Signals not only marks the 13th studio album of the band, but also their 10th album collaboration with their label Century Media Records. Building on the success of previous releases such as Atoma (2016), which climbed up to #2 in the Swedish album charts, and Moment (2020), which earned the band a Swedish Grammis award, the band is set to continue to redefine and deliver a top-tier musical experience with Endtime Signals.


Pre-order the new album here





Tracklisting:


"Shivers And Voids"
"Unforgivable"
"Neuronal Fire"
"Not Nothing"
"Drowned Out Voices"
"One Of Us Is Gone"
"The Last Imagination"
"Enforced Perspective"
"Our Disconnect"
"Wayward Eyes"
"A Bleaker Sun"
"False Reflection"


Bonus tracks:


"Zero Sum"
"In Failure"
 


"Not Nothing" video:





"Unforgivable" video:





"The Last Imagination" visualizer:





The band recently announced a US co-headline tour in support of their new album with Amorphis and support from Fire In the Distance in September and October, which will kick off on September 3 in Richmond, Virginia and conclude on October 6 in New York City.


Dark Tranquillity are:


Mikael Stanne - Vocals
Johan Reinholdz - Guitar
Martin Brändström - Electronics
Christian Jansson - Bass
Joakim Strandberg Nilsson - Drums


(Photo - Alessandro di Martino)







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Frontiers Music src are proud to announce the signing of Double Vision - The Ultimate Foreigner Experience, the #1 Foreigner tribute band in the United States, now making its foray into the world of original music, ready to establish their foothold in the melodic rock genre.


Featuring dynamic frontman and singer Chandler Mogel (Outloud, Jeff Waters' Amerikan Kaos, Punky Meadows, etc.), super drummer Scott Duboys (Warrior Soul), bass player Scott Metaxas (Prophet) as well as guitar virtuosos Chris Schwartz and Paul Baccash, and keyboard maestro Alex Lubin.


Keep an eye out for exciting news coming very soon.















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Grammy-nominated rockers DAUGHTRY will release a new EP, "Shock To The System (Part One)", on September 27 via Big Machine Rock, which is part of the Big Machine Label Group.

The official lyric video for the lead cut from the EP, "The Reckoning", can be seen below. The song, which serves as a soundtrack for facing the final boss of your personal demons, rallies forces against fear to encourage listeners to take on the weight of the past fist first. Touching on themes of mental health, the introduction to this anthology is amped up by deep synth, emulating the layers of pain one must claw through to come face to face with the future they've always dreamed of.

"'The Reckoning' is about that moment in life when you realize that you are in control of your own destiny," DAUGHTRY frontman Chris Daughtry explains. "It's about that moment you decide to take responsibility for the person you want to be and the choices you have to make to become that version of yourself — the day you understand that you are no longer a victim of circumstance, rather the creator of your own experience."

The high-octane track continues to usher in a fine-tuned and razor-sharp new era for the group, as they begin the rollout for their forthcoming EP. "The Reckoning" will join previous releases "Nervous", "Pieces" and "Artificial" on the new record, the latter of which earned the band their first No. 1 at Active Rock and first No. 1 single in 15 years.

In the meantime, catch DAUGHTRY on the road this fall on select U.S. tour dates.

DAUGHTRY, one of the most visible and best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, has sold out concerts across the globe. Their debut album, the self-titled "Daughtry", was the top-selling album of 2007 and was the fastest-selling rock debut album in SoundScan history. The record was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won four American Music Awards, alongside seven Billboard Music Awards, including "Album Of The Year." Subsequent albums "Leave This Town" (2009),"Break The Spell" (2011) and "Baptized" (2013) have all gone platinum, with "Cage To Rattle" (2018) certified gold. In 2021, the band released their record "Dearly Beloved", with singles "World On Fire", "Heavy Is The Crown" and "Changes Are Coming", all cracking the Top 10. Following yet another Top 10 success with their 2023 smash cover of JOURNEY's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" featuring HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale, DAUGHTRY ushered in a new sonic era with their debut Big Machine Records single, "Artificial". The return to their rock roots scored the band their first No. 1 single in the Active Rock format, laying the groundwork for their new EP, "Shock To The System (Part One)".

Photo credit: Darren Craig

Exactly two decades ago, five-time Grammy Award-winning band GREEN DAY forever changed punk rock and popular culture with their conceptual magnum opus, "American Idiot". Commemorating the Grammy Award-winning record's 20th birthday this year, the California trio proudly present the definitive "American Idiot" 20th-anniversary deluxe edition out October 25, 2024. They have assembled massive limited-edition super deluxe box sets available in 8-LP vinyl and 4-CD configurations. Each box set also contains two Blu-ray discs. Also released October 25 will be a limited-edition color vinyl of the original two-LP album, plus an audiophile "one-step" release of "American Idiot". The first three tracks — which include an unreleased demo of "Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (Demo)", the fan favorite B-side "Favorite Son" and "Minority (Live From Irving Plaza)" — are available on all streaming platforms now.

Both of these limited-edition super deluxe box sets feature the original album as well as a plethora of essential extras. Among many highlights, this treasure trove consists of 15 unreleased "American Idiot" demos, a rapturous 15-track 2004 concert recorded at Irving Plaza in New York City capped off by nine previously unreleased live recordings (including a cover of QUEEN's "We Are The Champions"),and 14 songs previously available only as B-sides and bonus tracks. Plus, it showcases two Blu-ray discs, comprising the film "Heart Like A Hand Grenade", BBC "Top Of The Pops" "Mini Gig" and "Later With Jools Holland", and finally the brand new, 110-minute, documentary, "20 Years Of American Idiot". New liner notes penned by Rob Cavallo and Rolling Stone's David Fricke complete the package.

In the vinyl box set, each LP has been pressed on its own unique color vinyl. The collection also houses a 36-page book, a large GREEN DAY flag, and the iconic "American Idiot" red tie. If you purchase via D2C, you will also receive a poster. Meanwhile, the CD box set boasts a 48-page book, enamel pin set, sticker sheet, and cloth patch.

Produced by Rob Cavallo and the band, "American Idiot" represented a turning point for not only GREEN DAY, but rock music in the 21st century. Following its release on September 21, 2004, it crash landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and eventually moved north of 23 million copies globally — with nine million in the United States alone. It garnered a 2005 Grammy Award in the category of "Best Rock Album." It even inspired a Broadway musical of the same name, receiving two Tony Awards and a Grammy Award.

Powered by smashes "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams", "Holiday", "Wake Me Up When September Ends", "Jesus Of Suburbia" and "American Idiot", it has emerged as a commercial and critical high watermark for the group. It has graced dozens of "best-of" lists, including Rolling Stone's coveted "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" and "The 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade," NPR's "The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings," Entertainment Weekly's "New Classics: The 100 Best Albums From 1983 To 2008," and NME's "The Top 100 Albums Of The Decade." Not to mention, Pitchfork hailed it as "the band's most ambitious record to date," going on to attest, "there's something to be said for having the balls."

Nothing would be the same after "American Idiot". The revolutionary implications of this punk rock opera masterpiece continue to reverberate from one generation to the next — and that influence shows no signs of diminishing. If anything, it's only growing.

"American Idiot" 20th-anniversary deluxe edition

CD 1 / LP 1 and 2 (original album)

01. American Idiot
02. Jesus Of Suburbia
03. Jesus Of Suburbia
04. City Of The Damned
05. I Don't Care
06. Dearly Beloved
07. Tales Of Another Broken Home
08. Holiday
09. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
10. Are We The Waiting
11. St. Jimmy
12. Give Me Novacaine
13. She's A Rebel
14. Extraordinary Girl
15. Letterbomb
16. Wake Me Up When September Ends
17. Homecoming
18. The Death Of St. Jimmy
19. East 12th St.
20. Nobody Likes You
21. Rock And Roll Girlfriend
22. We're Coming Home Again
23. Whatsername

CD 2 / LP 3 and 4 (B-sides and bonus tracks — previously released)

01. American Idiot (Live)
02. Jesus Of Suburbia (Live)
03. Jesus Of Suburbia
04. City Of The Damned
05. I Don't Care
06. Dearly Beloved
07. Tales Of Another Broken Home
08. Holiday (Live)
09. Are We The Waiting (Live)
10. St. Jimmy (Live)
11. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (Live)
12. Favorite Son
13. Shoplifter
14. Governator
15. Too Much Too Soon
16. Are The Waiting (VH1 Storytellers)
17. St. Jimmy (VH1 Storytellers)
18. Give Me Novacaine (VH1 Storytellers)
19. Homecoming (VH1 Storytellers)

CD 3 / LP 5 and 6 (demos)

01. American Idiot
02. American Idiot (Alt. Version)
03. Jesus Of Suburbia
04. Holiday/Blvd. Of Broken Dreams
05. Are We We Are/St. Jimmy Opera
06. Novacaine
07. She's A Rebel
08. Radio Baghdad
09. Cluster Bomb
10. Wake Me Up When September Ends
11. Homecoming (Nobody Likes You)
12. Everyone's Breaking Down
13. Just Another Year
14. Lowlife
15. What's Her Name

CD 4 / LP 7 and 8 (live Irving Plaza, New York City, September 21, 2004)

01. American Idiot (Live)
02. Jesus of Suburbia (Live)
03. Holiday (Live)
04. Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Live)
05. Are We the Waiting (Live)
06. St. Jimmy (Live)
07. Give Me Novacaine (Live)
08. She's A Rebel (Live)
09. Extraordinary Girl (Live)
10. Letterbomb (Live)
11. Wake Me Up When September Ends (Live)
12. Homecoming (Live)
13. Whatsername (Live)
14. Minority (Live)
15. We Are The Champions (Live)

Blu-Ray 1

01. Heart Like A Hand Grenade

Blu-Ray 2

01. 20 Years Of American Idiot (New Documentary)

BBC Live

01. St. Jimmy (Live)
02. Give Me Novacaine (Live)
03. She's A Rebel (Live)
04. Welcome To Paradise (Live)
05. Wake Me Up When September Ends (Live)
06. Jesus of Suburbia (Live)
07. American Idiot (Live in Studio)
08. Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Live in Studio)

Photo credit: Eva Mueller

Multi-platinum rock band STAIND has released a deluxe edition of its latest album, "Confessions Of The Fallen", featuring a brand-new track, "Full Of Emptiness".

STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok states: "We're very excited to be able to offer our fans a deluxe edition of 'Confessions Of The Fallen'. There are a couple unreleased tracks on it, one being 'Full Of Emptiness'.

"It was so hard deciding what tracks not to put on the record, and it's great to have them heard now. We really love 'Full Of Emptiness' and are stoked it's finally available to be heard!"

Along with the brand-new song, the digital-only deluxe album also includes the alternate version of the band's latest single, "Better Days", featuring singer and namesake of Los Angeles rock band DOROTHY. "Better Days" is currently No. 5 and climbing at Active Rock radio, following the path of the band's first two singles, "Lowest And Me" and "Here And Now", both of which reached No. 1 at Active Rock.

STAIND's co-headline tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN and special guests DAUGHTRY and LAKEVIEW kicks off September 10 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

"Confessions Of The Fallen" deluxe album track listing:

01. Lowest In Me
02. Was Any Of It Real
03. In This Condition
04. Here And Now
05. Out Of Time
06. Cycle Of Hurting
07. The Fray
08. Better Days
09. Hate Me Too
10. Confessionals Of The Fallen
11. Full Of Emptiness
12. Take
13. Better Days (feat. Dorothy)

In a recent interview with Germany's Riot Vision, Mushok spoke about the "electronic element" which was incorporated into "Confessions Of The Fallen". Released via Alchemy Recordings/BMG, STAIND's first new LP album since 2011 was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

Mike said: "Well, that was something that [singer] Aaron [Lewis] really wanted to explore. We had talked about it before, but we'd never really done it. So he really wanted to make that a part of what we were doing. And it was funny, 'cause I do remember saying to him, like, 'I play guitar. I don't know how to do that.' So that's where I feel like Erik played a really big part in helping make that a part of what this album sounds like. Some of those verses where you hear [and] it's like more electronic[-sounding], that's a guitar part I wrote just played on a synthesizer, [using] some crazy sound. So he was able to take some of those things that I wrote and adapt it to kind of bring in some of those elements into the music. And I think he did a great job. I like it. I'm pretty happy with it."

Asked what new musical elements he would like to explore on future STAIND albums, Mike said: "I don't know. To me, it's just really about trying to write great songs. It's really just kind of trying to take what we do and make it better. And I don't really have any kind of guidelines. If it calls for more electronics or — I don't know — a guitar solo or whatever the case may be, whatever really the song calls for, I think that that's what the best thing to explore is. But I was very happy with the process of making this record and how it came out. Some records have been really difficult to make. This one wasn't one of those. The way we did it, it took us a while, but we got there. And by the end of the day, once we got there, I was really happy with the end results."

When "Confessions Of The Fallen" was announced in April 2023, Lewis stated about the LP's musical direction: "I did want to modernize the sound and bring us up to date. You can certainly recognize the band but at the same time you can hear that we've been paying attention and understand what kind of sounds and approaches we can use that maybe weren't around the last time we did this."

STAIND has released eight albums since 1995, including 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents.

Photo credit: Steve Thrasher

The Toshi Aizawa YouTube channel has uploaded 4K video with remastered audio of what has turned out to be AEROSMITH's final concert on September 9, 2023 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Check it out below.

AEROSMITH had launched the "Peace Out" farewell tour a week earlier on September 2 in Philadelphia and played a second show on September 6, 2023 in Pittsburgh.

The Elmont concert kicked off with "Back In The Saddle" and included AEROSMITH's version of the Rufus Thomas song "Walking The Dog", as well as the band's hits "Livin' On The Edge", "Janie's Got a Gun", "Cryin'", "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", "Love In An Elevator" and "Sweet Emotion". After briefly exiting the stage following the sixteenth song of the night, "Toys In The Attic", AEROSMITH returned for a two-song encore consisting of "Dream On" and "Walk This Way". The band then ended the night by performing "Happy Birthday To You" and brought out a giant chocolate cake to celebrate guitarist Joe Perry, whose 73rd birthday was the following day.

Featured songs in video below:

0:00:00 (Opening)
0:01:27 Back In The Saddle
0:06:12 Walking The Dog
0:09:48 Rag Doll
0:14:24 Livin' On The Edge
0:21:18 Janie's Got A Gun
0:26:40 No More No More
0:31:34 Cryin'
0:37:00 Adam's Apple
0:42:03 Seasons Of Wither
0:47:58 Movin' Out
0:53:37 Love In An Elevator
0:59:58 Bright Light Fright
1:02:41 I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
1:07:07 Rats In The Cellar
1:16:58 Sweet Emotion
1:24:35 Toys In The Attic
1:32:37 (Encore)
1:33:38 Dream On
1:38:23 Walk This Way
1:43:34 Happy Birthday Joe Perry

Earlier this month, AEROSMITH announced that it was officially retiring from touring after Steven Tyler's vocal injury.

The legendary Massachusetts rockers made the announcement on Friday, August 2 — nearly one year after the now-76-year-old singer fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

In AEROSMITH's original announcement, the band wrote: "As you know, Steven's voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We've seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.

"We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage," the statement continued. "We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time."

The band also thanked its fans for their constant support.

"Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades," the statement read. "Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock 'n' roll history."

"It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives," the statement continued.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Tickets for remaining dates of the "Peace Out" tour will be refunded through Ticketmaster. If fans purchased tickets through a third-party reseller like StubHub or SeatGeek, refunds will be available through that point of purchase.

AEROSMITH hasn't made a studio album since "Music From Another Dimension!", which came out in 2012.

Tyler released a solo LP in 2016.

HAMMERFALL vocalist Joacim Cans sat spoke to Roppongi Rocks's Stefan Nilsson about the Swedish metallers' upcoming LP, "Avenge The Fallen", which is due on August 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is the album number 13. We've been around for quite some time, and I think HAMMERFALL, we stand for something. This is pure, solid heavy metal the way it's supposed to be played. It's as simple as that. At the same time, album 13 takes a lot of hard work to really dig deep into yourself to find the unique stuff that you haven't written before. I always say that [HAMMERFALL guitarist] Oscar [Dronjak] and I could probably write an album in five days with 10 okay songs, but okay is not good enough. Not even good is good enough. It has to be great. So this is a lot of hard work behind this.

"It's really hard to describe an album in a short period of time," he continued. "Musically, every song on this album belongs to the concept of the album. We still record and release albums. Take one song out — you can see that as a brick. The whole album will start to shake a little bit; something will be missing. There's also a concept, I would say, in the way I am thinking or my thought pattern when it came to the lyrics. This album is about freedom and about hope. The freedom, the right to be the person that you wanna be and live the life that you wanna live."

When Nilsson noted that "Avenge The Fallen" does not contain "cheesy" power metal lyrics about "dragons and stuff", Joacim said: "That's because, first of all, we play heavy metal and not power metal. I think it's a very big difference. If you listen to what we do, it is different. If you also read the lyrics… Unfortunately, nowadays people don't really have the lyrics at hand when they listen because it's on either on Spotify or whatever. The lyrics are not really there. So that is a problem.

"The opening track on the first album was 'The Dragon Lies Bleeding'," Cans explained. "But if you get into that song, the word 'dragon' is a metaphor for the enemy. So it's not even a real dragon in there. I always try to stay away from it. I try to describe things, but maybe using words that are familiar to the overall heavy metal listener, but there's always layers in there. You can interpret it in many different ways. So, of course, there are swords in there and sometimes actually a sword is a sword. We just have to live with that. And hammer will always be a hammer."

In a recent interview with Australia's Heavy, Dronjak stated about "Avenge The Fallen": "We've been working on it really hard. I've been living with the songs for — some songs are five years old, too, so I've had them around for a while. I've been living with the material for so long, and we actually recorded in November, December and January as well, a little bit. So it's been done for a while. Now I'm getting anxious to just — I wanna show people what we've done because I'm very proud of the album. I think we've done one of our strongest albums in recent years, in my opinion. Of course, this can vary a lot for everybody else."

He continued: "I'm very happy because of three things. First, all the songs on the album, they serve a purpose, so if you take one away, the whole is gonna collapse in the middle somehow, even if it's one of the the non-single ones, so to speak, the ones that we don't think are the strongest — even the other ones would have an impact if you take them away. And also I think that the production of this album is — and [by] production, I mean the performance as well from us. Because we start with the drums, recording the drums, and then everybody else builds their stuff on top of that. And David [Wallin] came into this so focused and so energetic and his drumming is so powerful that when he was done, everybody was, like, 'Whoa, shit. We've gotta step it up now as well,' 'cause he put the bar up here. So we kept on going and feeding off of that, of course, when we recorded the bass and guitars. And then during these recordings, Fredrik Nordström, the producer, and he was gonna do the mixing at the end as well, he said, 'Oh, shit, guys. I feel pressure now to take it up a level as well now, because you've already reached it.' So for us, the production is… I think when we recorded the previous album, [2022's] 'Hammer Of Dawn', we did a good job with that one too, but it was kind of hard to get the energy because we'd recorded that during the pandemic. So the pandemic had laid a bit of a filter on top. I mean, it's not noticeable when we released that album, but I think if you compare the two, you can feel the difference, 'cause this one is so much more energetic and so much more powerful in every way. And I think also the songs — I'm very happy with the songs this time. I think they are diverse, they are well written.

"Joacim and I write the songs together," Oscar added. "So I do a demo of the song with the instruments and a drum machine. Then whatever vocal melodies I have or a chorus, whatever it is, I send it over to him and then he finishes it. So I'm very happy with my work, and I usually am, 'cause if I'm not happy with it, I don't send it off to somebody else. But what I got back from Joacim this time is better than I think I've ever heard him do songwriting-wise. He gave every part on every song the perfect mix of the lyrics with the melodies that he created. That's part of the reason. 'Cause when I send off my songs, I know I think it's a good song, but I just don't know how good it will be until his stuff comes on top of it, 'cause we write the songs together. So once I got back these songs from him, the ideas, and we had a bit of a back-and-forth with both the music and the vocal melodies and lyrics and stuff, once we were all satisfied, I think we both felt that this is a strong album from start to finish."

When "Avenge The Fallen" was first announced in April, Cans said in a statement: "This is our 13th album. How do you still stay relevant after 13 albums? It's very much like the opening line to the song 'Avenge The Fallen': 'What is the worst, be the one who died, or be the one who survived.' Think about it, because it is a tough question".

He continued: "Do we want to be a band who releases new music just for the sole reason of getting out on the road again or do we want to keep pushing and challenging ourselves? In times where people have less and less attention span, we still think in the form of full-length albums. A few good songs don't make a strong album. A strong album comes from an album full of great songs and that's what we're delivering with 'Avenge The Fallen'."

"Avenge The Fallen" track listing:

01. Avenge The Fallen
02. Burn It Down
03. Capture The Dream
04. Hail To The King
05. Hero To All
06. Hope Springs Eternal
07. Rise Of Evil
08. The End Justifies
09. Time Immemorial

In December 2022, HAMMERFALL, which started its career in 1997 on Nuclear Blast with its debut album "Glory To The Brave", announced that it was returning to the long-running German label.

HAMMERFALL's entire Nuclear Blast catalog, from "Glory To The Brave" to the 2014 album "(r)Evolution" was certified with a diamond award for over 1.5 million worldwide sales.

Following on from "Renegade" (2000),"Crimson Thunder" (2002) and "No Sacrifice, No Victory" (2009),HAMMERFALL's fifth studio album, "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken" from 2005, became the band's fourth album to go gold in Sweden, while "Crimson Thunder" even went platinum, surpassing 60,000 sales in the group's home country.

In April 2023, HAMMERFALL released a special platinum edition of "Crimson Thunder" with tons of bonus material.

"Hammer Of Dawn" was released in February 2022 via Napalm Records. The LP was produced by Nordström, who handled mixing, mastering, drum recording, and shared the duty of recording guitars and bass with guitarists Pontus Norgren and Oscar Dronjak. Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT) produced the lead vocals.

Photo credit: Tallee Savage

Modern rock powerhouse POP EVIL returns with a new single, "What Remains".

It's the dawn of a new era for POP EVIL, which the band promises will be its most sonically heavy.

You've been warned, because the track, with its thunderous riffs and rhythmic thrust, fulfills that promise.

Watch the lyric video for the song, which was produced by WAGE WAR's Cody Quistad, below.

"Over the years, I've been faced with torment; departures, failures, and uphill climbs," says POP EVIL singer Leigh Kakaty. "It takes a reckoning to strip us to our core and confront our true selves. What endures beyond these trials is who you are, your essence. That is what remains. On our upcoming album, we have dared ourselves to make the most lyrically raw and sonically heavy album of our career. 'What Remains' sets the tone of what is to come."

Kakaty continues: "We are also proud to officially announce the newest member of the POP EVIL lineup — Blake Allison." Allison is replacing departed member Hayley Cramer on drums, joining Kakaty and fellow bandmates, guitarists Dave Grahs and Nick Fuelling, and bassist Joey "Chicago" Walser.

POP EVIL first rose to international prominence with debut album "Lipstick On The Mirror", featuring RIAA-certified-gold single "100 In A 55". After Kakaty famously tore up the band's major label contract onstage, POP EVIL signed with eOne Music (now MNRK Heavy). 2011's "War Of Angels" debuted in the Top 10 of the Rock Albums chart and produced three Top 10 singles.

The band's 2013 album, "Onyx", put them in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the first time and boasted three consecutive No. 1 rock songs, two RIAA gold singles, and one platinum single "Torn To Pieces". POP EVIL's next release, "Up", was the No. 1 Independent Album in America and made it to No. 25 on the Billboard 200. It featured several Top 5 rock songs and a chart-topper with "Footsteps", which also went gold.

POP EVIL's 2018 self-titled set included the No. 1 hit and newly certified gold single "Waking Lions" and two other Top 10 hits. 2020's "Versatile", meanwhile, scored two No. 1 rock songs: "Breathe Again" and "Survivor". In 2023, the band released its seventh studio album "Skeletons", which spawned their eighth and ninth No. 1 singles: "Eye Of The Storm" and "Skeletons".

In a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Kakaty was asked if he and his POP EVIL bandmates have "a lot" of new music written and demoed for the follow-up to 2023's "Skeletons" album. He responded: "Yeah, there's a lot, a lot of it, a lot of new stuff. We're at that cool stage where we have enough for an album easily, but we're really trying to be picky, man.

"Making albums now, personally, it's such a blessing and it's something that may not be around much longer," he continued. "So if we're gonna do it, [we want it] to hit big, whatever that means to us. And big doesn't have to mean necessarily a number one. It has to mean something that we can really elevate our live show with. And I think, obviously, there's an old-school part of the catalog that's still there, and we respect it. We wanna play it as much as possible, but at the same time, we're really looking forward to the future and how we can shape that and juggle all that. I mean, this is album number eight now we're working on, and all the success we've had, how to juggle all these songs that we wanna play, still continue to play, adding new ones and, of course, the songs that we're just tired of that we wanna rest for a little bit and maybe come back to in the future. So it's a bit of a challenge. It'll be interesting. It's a new dynamic for me personally and for POP EVIL, but it's one we look forward to. And Joey [Walser, bass] and Blake [Allison, drums] have been at the center of trying to make this live show the best as possible, and can't wait to really dive into the next album when we can really hopefully make some movement on putting the best POP EVIL show live forward. So we're looking forward to that."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for the new POP EVIL music, Leigh said: "The albums that we've done in the past, other than 'Onyx', I've really shied away from just my own personal takes on things. I tried to make them a little more vague, but this album, I'm really soul searching, man. It really felt like when you strip everything back, what's left? And it's me. I started this band by myself in a garage years and years ago, and to be still here is awesome and it's great, but there's still lots to say, and I really thought that the fans owe an opportunity for me to get a lot of stuff that's just been burning on my chest, not just since the last record but just since the beginning of my experience in this business and where my head's at and try to take a chance and an opportunity to personally heal, to move forward. So it feels like 'Onyx', to me, all over in a way. There's a lot of darkness that's been built up. I mean, even probably from the pandemic as well. And then just some things I wanted to get out. And I think you're gonna get a little more personal… You're gonna hear it in the lyrics, man. There's a lot of struggle, there's a lot of grind, and you're gonna get that. And the band's been very supportive to just kind of let me go, from a lead singer perspective, and just kind of let me go on this journey. They've been very supportive. And it's been really… I've never really been in the position before with the band that would let me do that. So, with the guys now, we're all closer than ever. It's, like, hey, they get it, man. They get it. And they understand the game and the business, and they want me to just push my boundaries a bit. And so we pushed. And I can't wait for the fans to hear this. And hopefully it's going to be a good part of healing for me. And most importantly, it's going to add to a lot of extra healing for our fanbase and new fans coming on board as well."

When Meltdown noted that a lot of successful bands find it difficult to write about their struggles when they are no longer poor and have sold a lot of records, Leigh said: "The success for bands, at least in our era, is not quite like that. So, there's still a lot of struggle. There's still a lot of scraping, counting every penny. And not just for me, but for other bandmembers, for crew. So we've had success. So, I mean, there's frustration in that. There's frustration in people that have been around us throughout the years and how their goals have changed and ours have stayed the same. There's frustration. You're not mad at it personally, but there's a consequence in that, and there's a consequence not only for us, but for our family.

"I can only speak from my perspective, and I'm, obviously, the owner and the frontman and the singer and whatever it is," he continued. "I think that it's important, for my own personal healing, to be a better frontman for our fans, and moving forward, you have to kind of address that and let that go. And hopefully not worry about tomorrow. I'm not worried about the ninth album. I'm not worried about the tenth album. I'm worried about this album. And I really wanna make this the best effort. And to be honest, the true goal of any success, for me, has always been bettering yourself. We already did seven albums. I don't wanna go back and do those. We already did that. I've already toured on those for the past two years. And, of course, the first album we've toured on for almost 20 years now. So it's, like, you don't wanna go back to those places 'cause some of those places can be dark and they're not always good memories. So you don't wanna go back and do some of these songs. Maybe there'll be a time — hopefully there'll be a time where you can go back and you can add certain songs to playlists or maybe remake, remaster certain songs. We definitely talked about it. But you've gotta be ready for that. I've gotta be ready as a person to just really take on that feat and be able to sing those every night, and just even let my mind go there. Obviously, time will tell. Anything's possible, but right now it just feels like the best version of POP EVIL is still on the horizon. And this is certainly by far, again, the best POP EVIL record. I feel like a broken record; I say it every record. And if you're a true POP EVIL fan, you're gonna really see the growth. The way that we're able to incorporate metal certainly is way different than the first album. Being a radio band or a band that has really been embraced by radio, metal and heavy, heavy, heavy metal, especially, wasn't getting played. We weren't in a position when we started to be able to take more of the 'evil' side of POP EVIL, right? It was more the pop side or the mainstream or the melodic side of POP EVIL. But now it's a little different. Things are changing. With these festivals that are here in America, the metal infusion with rock, it's exciting to kind of go down some of these paths that we've wanted to go down our whole career. But we weren't doing it, whether it was us, whether it was the producers, whether it was just the timing. But this album, there's a lot of darkness again, very similar to 'Onyx', the third album. And we're looking forward to it, man."

Asked if the upcoming POP EVIL album will be "heavier" than the stuff he and his bandmates have done in the past, Leigh said:  "[It will] absolutely [be] the heaviest POP EVIL record, without a doubt. Hands down. So it'll be interesting for what fans say on that. But the players, they're just different. When you put some of the same guys, you put in Joey and Blake, it's just a heavier band. I mean, it's just different. Joey and Blake come from metal and heavier rock and roll backgrounds. That's what the guys can play, so that's what we play. So that's kind of where it's at. And I think there's a darkness just where we're at in our career. It's, like, okay, sure, we've had success, but we feel like we've got a lot to prove, man. We really look at this, like every album since probably COVID, like, 'Hey, we're starting over.' Sure, I mean, we're grateful that we have [a huge catalog of songs to play], and we play certainly a lot of them, but it would be awesome to get to a place where we can pick and choose the old songs that we wanna play, cause people are more familiar with the newer stuff. Who knows? Time will tell, but certainly that's every band's dream, to always play the new stuff. You don't wanna play the old stuff all the time. But, again, we feel like there's a lot of music still left to write and we've got a lot still left to say. So, with that said, here we are. We're rolling. And one album, one song at a time, but we certainly are excited about this next chapter of POP EVIL and certainly what these songs are starting to sound like and the way they're coming together. It's exciting, man. We're stoked."

Last month, Kakaty was asked by "The Dark" rock music program on 94 Rocks KFML if he and his POP EVIL bandmates still like putting out full-length albums or if they are starting to think about maybe focusing on singles going forward. Leigh said: "Well, we're still a little old school with putting out an album. It's selfish, right? I grew up with albums, so putting out an album, especially as an artist perspective, it's still the dream. When you get it done and you open the booklet, you smell it, and seeing your visions come to fruition, there's still something very appealing about that. And certainly it's whatever your record label wants you to do. And for POP EVIL, it's make an album. So as long as we get to make albums, I wanna go all in. But if it was me, yeah, I'd make singles. It's more fun for me personally, 'cause I don't have to… Trying to put together a collection of work, it can be very daunting. It's very hard. It's very challenging. And then all these great songs, especially if you're only pushing one to three to four of them, somewhere in that vein, depending on how many singles get pushed, what do you do with these other great songs? So streaming has at least given bands an opportunity to have songs that don't even — some hit harder than singles… Every band's different with their journey, and whatever works best for you to be able to pay your bills so you can continue to do that, I'm all about it. But for us, for POP EVIL — obviously, I can't speak for other bands; I can speak for me — we're in a blessed position to make albums. So until we are not able to do that, we're gonna try to make the best albums that we can for our fans. But, yeah, if it was up to me, I have no problems making singles. I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. As long as I'm able to make the art that I'm trying to make in the way, at the highest level I can, it's a win for me. It still doesn't make it any less stressful. One song or 10, you still want it to be the best of the best, and you're still gonna stress in that way."

He continued: "But, yeah, man, it's interesting how it's changing. We're in this time or this kind of moment in music history that, we're shaping it now. It's so weird. It's not like it was even when we started, so it'll be interesting. Hopefully we're doing our part to pave the way for that next set of bands to come up, which is our kids' generation to come up, and hopefully it's a little bit more figured out and a little more ironed out where they can take what we did and hopefully it's a little more enjoyable, their road, with the hard work that we've put out here now. So we'll see."

This past May, Kakaty was asked by Rocking With Jam Man if he was "shocked" by the recent departure of the band's drummer Hayley Cramer. The U.K.-based musician, who joined the Michigan rockers in 2016, announced her exit from POP EVIL in a social media post last December. Leigh said: "[It was] shocking, for sure. We all go through things that we're going through personally. And she's got her family, she's got her friends and she's from another country, so there's a lot of variables for her and reasons for her, why she probably didn't wanna be here anymore. But definitely to lose a band member is always shocking for me. But you've gotta go on. Our personal families, everyone's counting on the band to provide. And the fans wanna see you keep going, so we just knuckle up and face adversity. You've gotta just meet it head on and keep going."

Asked how new POP EVIL drummer Blake Allison is adjusting to the band, Leigh said: "Blake's been incredible. I mean, he's learned the whole catalog in about two months. So to have Blake here, he's been so helpful to POP EVIL on and off the stage for the past three or four years now, so now to have him in the band hopefully as long as we can keep him is an honor. And he's just such an incredible talent on and off the stage. And we're looking forward to seeing how long we can run with this lineup now."

When Hayley announced her exit from POP EVIL, she wrote in a statement that "reached a point" where she wanted "to branch out and find new paths and adventures - into the unknown!"

Cramer joined POP EVIL in May 2016 as the replacement for Josh "Chachi" Marunde, who exited the group in April that year.

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

Former Overkill drummer, Sid Falck, has released a new song, "Oath Of Hypocrisy", featuring Dano Hibbs, under the Falckname.


Sid Falck: "First, let me just say that this is actually not about politics, although it could surely apply. I’m sure we have all met people with very strongly stated opinions, only to see those opinions change, when it become convenient or popular. And I’m also sure that we have all found ourselves being hypocritical at times. Beyond that, it is, from my point of view, a commentary on how easily we can watch horrible world events, as if they are just another commercial, when it suits us.


"On a personal note, this will probably be my last song under the Falck name. For about the last 10 months of so, I have been experiencing a lot of neurological issues, that’s made it very difficult to keep track of what it takes to be a one person ”band”. After a lengthy medical consultation just a couple of days ago, I was told that what I’m dealing with, is almost certainly caused by my hearts inability to sufficiently supply my brain and body with enough oxygen. Supposedly it’s a form of Cerebral Hypoxia caused by my Bradycardia. Currently treatment options are being considered.




"Now, this is a lot of very personal information, and in the past, my motives for being very honest about my health, has been questioned by some. This past week, I’ve received a lot of messages, seen my name mentioned more than it has been for years, and most importantly, I’ve seen so many different versions of what my health issues are, on social media. So to try to ward off new rumors, speculation and keyboard experts about these latest developments, I thought the facts should come from me.


"There’s not enough room to properly name everyone who has helped, supported, encouraged. Obviously I owe huge thanks to everyone who has been willing to appear on my songs with me. Also, people who have been willing to help guide, suggest and encourage, such as my beloved brothers in Overkill, past and present; my very old dear friends Pete West and Mike Tramp; people from my personal life: Kelly, Jerry, Dano, Veronika.


"And not least Tim, Scotty and everyone at BraveWords, who has always given me their full support in getting the word out! It’s impossible to adequately express how grateful I am to them, and to every single person who has taken the time to check out what I created.


"While I hope to still be involved in creating music in some capacity, it remains to be seen what that will be."


"Oath Of Hypocrisy" can be downloaded here, where you can also find the whole Falck catalog. It is also available on all the usual platforms.


An accompanying video can be viewed below:










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In a recent interview with Sky News, former MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell remembered the band's leader Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister who passed away in December 2015 at the age of 70, shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer. Phil said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He was a great man, Lemmy. He was a true pioneer. Him and Little Richard are the real, true big rock and rollers, in my opinion. He lived his life for his own way. 95 percent of the things he did, he'd done his way. And he cared a lot about the fans and he cared a lot about the music. And when he formed MOTÖRHEAD, he told me, he basically just wanted to form an unforgettable rock and roll band. So I think he achieved his wish there, definitely, with that. But never a day goes by when I don't think about him. He's just one of them unbelievable characters, really. He was intelligent, kind, had lots of empathy for people and all that, very humorous. And there's not many guys like that about, or people like that about anymore. So it's great for him to be remembered, and he definitely will be remembered all over the world."

This past January, Campbell reflected on Lemmy's final days, telling "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern": "We got a call, 'You'd better come over, better fly over to see Lem. He's not doing too well.' But we never got a chance. So we never managed to say goodbye, unfortunately. But it's like any other… when someone passes away, it's not good. But we rocked, and Lem rocked till the end, till he could do no more. 'Cause we were trying to get him to take a rest, but he wouldn't listen to us. He did it — right to the end, he did it his way, which I'm really proud of. I'm glad did it like that as well."

Phil added: "He said years ago that's all he wanted to do, was create an unforgettable rock and roll band. So I think he definitely managed that. So, he can sleep upstairs or downstairs, wherever he is now, a happy man."

More than a year ago, Campbell was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind if he and his then-MOTÖRHEAD bandmates knew "things were not going well" when they were forced to cancel a number of shows due to Lemmy's declining health in the months leading up to his death. Phil responded: "Yeah, we knew, but Lem wanted to just carry on then. I know the last tour in Germany, I think one or two shows were canceled 'cause I ended up in hospital. And I came back out and we finished the tour. And that was the last tour then; the last show was in Berlin. So the last week of MOTÖRHEAD, actually I was the one in bloody hospital. But we never thought — when we parted at the end of the tour, we never thought that would be the last time we'd see each other. We didn't have a chance to say goodbye, me or Mikkey [Dee, MOTÖRHEAD drummer], or nothing. I couldn't even go over to the funeral, 'cause my doctor advised me not to, 'cause I was pretty ill myself in them days."

In March 2023, Dee told Sonic Perspectives that Lemmy didn't have any idea he was dying in the months leading up to his December 2015 passing. "I don't think that he had those — I know he didn't have these thoughts at all," Mikkey said. "But he did struggle with his health, and that was a pain in the ass for Lemmy, because he wanted to live his normal life so much. But he had some good days and bad days. And '15 was a tough year for Lemmy, and for all of us, obviously. But I know for a fact that he had no idea that he would actually pass away — I mean, die — by the end of that year; he had no clue about that."

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete the aforementioned European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Back in May 2021, Dee told the "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" video podcast that Lemmy refused to quit touring in the weeks leading up to his death, even when his health was clearly deteriorating.

"We played the last show the 11th of December [of 2015] in Berlin, and he passed just [two] weeks later," Mikkey recalled. "And that tells you, the guy died with his boots on. And both me and Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] were trying to talk him out of starting the second part of the European tour after Christmas. But there was no way in hell we could do that. And I said to Phil, 'Look, instead of arguing with Lemmy or pushing him not to do this,' because we said maybe we should break for a couple of months for him to catch his wind, basically. I said, 'Let's not push him anyway. Let him decide what he wants to do. He knows best what he wants to do.' And he wanted to be on stage. So we said, 'Let's just support him instead,' and that's what we did. But we never made it to the second leg of that European tour, unfortunately. It was the U.K. that was on the next part of it, I remember that."

Asked if he knew when he came home to Sweden that it would probably be the end for Lemmy, Mikkey said: "No. Not at all. Because I talked to Lemmy after that show in Berlin. We were all gonna go separate ways, obviously. I was gonna just fly out to Sweden, and Phil went back home to Wales. Lemmy was flying back to L.A., but I believe he was gonna fly to London and stay one night or two or so and say hi to friends and then fly back home. And I spoke to him right after the show. I went down to Lemmy's dressing room, and I said, 'All right. Go back to L.A. and figure out, maybe, another two songs from [MOTÖRHEAD's final album] 'Bad Magic' that you think that we should do. And we take out the two songs that we already played on this leg, and we put in two new songs from the record.' And he said, 'Yeah. All right. I'll check that out.' And I said, 'Let's hook up after Christmas.' Because it was the 11th of December at that time, and I figured we'd talk between Christmas and New Year's Eve and decide which two songs that we agreed on on playing on that next leg. And he said, 'Yeah, I'll go back and work on that.' And that was it. He had no intention of not coming back to Europe and touring. So we did a little finger hook, as we always did, and that was the last time I saw him, actually. Very sad."

Dee went on to say that Lemmy had made some changes in his life to improve his health after dealing with several issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble. "But my personal belief is that it was maybe a little too late," he said. "He should have maybe changed a little earlier. But knowing Lemmy, he was not for that. He was doing it his way or the highway, basically. And that made him to what he was. He never compromised with his music, he never compromised with friendship, he never compromised with what way he was gonna go for anyone else in that way, which is why MOTÖRHEAD was MOTÖRHEAD, and still is MOTÖRHEAD. But with that said, of course, the three of us were talking a lot about stuff, and it was not like he was some kind of a boss here. But we all worked so good together, and that's what created the magic, I would say."

Former FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell has released a new solo single, "Technical Exorcism". The official Don Pancho Films-directed music video for the track is available below.

Bell played the first concert with his solo band on June 13 at 1720 in Los Angeles, California.

Backing Bell at the 1720 gig were guitarist Henrik Linde (THE VITALS, DREN),drummer Ryan "Junior" Kittlitz (ALL HAIL THE YETI, THE ACID HELPS),bassist Tony Baumeister (ÆGES) and multi-instrumentalist Stewart Cararas.

When the 1720 concert was first announced, Burton called the gig a "historic event" and vowed to perform "new songs and classics spanning my career."

This past March, Bell, who recently released his debut solo single, "Anti-Droid", was asked by Knotfest's "Nu Pod" podcast if he has an entire album's worth of material ready to come out. He responded: "No. I'm working on individual singles at a time. I do have a record's worth of music. But I'm adopting the hip-hop strategy where instead of coming up, releasing a single and then the whole album comes out a couple of weeks later, and then a couple of weeks later, when that album is out, the momentum of the single and the whole record just kind of slows and becomes sluggish and just almost crashes. So I learned watching hip-hop artists and other artists as well, [where] they would just release a single at a time, keep that momentum, keep that spotlight on them and just release a single every few weeks and just keep that momentum going."

He continued: "In this day and age, the short attention span of the masses is very apparent. There's this old saying in economics, less is more — supply and demand, less is more. So if you just feed 'em just a little bit at a time, they wanna hear more. And that's where the interest stays. They're compelled to keep listening. 'Oh, he's got something else coming out. Oh, he's got something else coming out.'"

Bell went on to tease his next single, which he described as "heavy", "groovy" and "dark. It's more uptempo. It's got more guitar in it," he revealed. "And it's gonna be awesome. I've got a couple of guest artists on this next track that it's gonna be sick. I recruited Paul Ferguson again, and I've also recruited Norman Westberg, guitar player from SWANS. SWANS is one of my favorite bands of all time and it's a band that influenced not just me but NEUROSIS — a lot of bands — GODFLESH."

Asked if he is planning to play shows or get a band together to promo his music, Bell said: "Yes to all of those questions. I'm in the process of booking a show. It's gonna be a showcase. It's gonna be in L.A., and I have a band together. They're already working on [the set]. It's a retrospection, so I plan to play four new songs, some deep-cut FEAR FACTORY, some [ASCENSION OF THE] WATCHERS, some G/Z/R, some CITY OF FIRE.

"My new music is an amalgamation of everything I've ever done, and I'm gonna basically put it all together into this package and just see what happens," he explained. "And the live show, it's gonna be heavy, it's gonna be groovy. And I wanna create a vibe. I really do."

When "Anti-Droid" was first released in March, Bell said in a statement: "I'm starting my solo career. I'm working with different producers and co-songwriters, making music that I love, with full control of the music and creative direction."

Bell's discography includes multiple live and recorded collaborations with BLACK SABBATH icon Geezer Butler and JOURNEY's Deen Castronovo (as G/Z/R); industrial maverick Al Jourgensen and MINISTRY; and guest vocal appearances with PITCHSHIFTER, CONFLICT, SOIL, STATIC-X, SOULFLY and DELAIN, among others. He's the vocalist of ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS and CITY OF FIRE and, of course, the co-creator of FEAR FACTORY and the only musician to appear on every FEAR FACTORY release from 1992 through 2024.

FEAR FACTORY created a sound that revolutionized extreme metal, defined in no small part by Bell's innovative scream/sing dichotomy and the influences he brought from post-punk and industrial. Songs like "Replica", "Linchpin", "Edgecrusher", "Fear Campaign", "Archetype", "Cyber Waste" and "Zero Signal" are modern metal anthems. "Demanufacture" (1995) and the RIAA gold-certified "Obsolete" (1998) are genre-redefining works heralded by fans and critics as essential albums. Orwell, Bradbury, "Blade Runner", and sophisticated sci-fi and fantasy works fed Bell's lyrics and concepts.

The band toured the world with METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, KORN, MEGADETH and OZZY OSBOURNE, taking bands like SYSTEM OF A DOWN and STATIC-X out as support acts in their early stages. After years of behind-the-scenes band member turmoil and legal issues, Bell left FEAR FACTORY in the fall of 2020.

In the chorus of "Anti-Droid", he declares: "I'd rather be dead than a slave to the factory."

Bell says "Anti-Droid" is "a statement about breaking free. Breaking the bonds of what I felt was a prison in many ways. Not just financially or contractually but creatively, as well. I felt constrained to this format we'd written ourselves into. The 'factory' doesn't have a capital F. It's the factory of the music industry, a certain form of business, and priorities. Being a slave to an established way of thinking is not really freedom. I am moving forward."

Like the faithful cover of RAMMSTEIN's "Du Hast" he released in 2023, or the cover of "Enter Sandman" recorded with DANZIG's John Christ and METALLICA's Robert Trujillo more than a decade before, Bell's solo work embodies the best of hard rock, metal, and industrial's past, present and future. "Anti-Droid" is but the opening salvo in a brand-new campaign, which will see Burton C. Bell releasing increasingly innovative yet classic feeling, ever-engaging solo material.

The 55-year-old Bell had been largely inactive on the musical front since officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY in September 2020. At the time he said that he could not "align" himself with someone whom he did not trust or respect, an apparent reference to FEAR FACTORY founding guitarist Dino Cazares.

During an appearance on a May 2023 episode of the "Home Is Where The Dark Is" podcast, Bell reflected on his musical journey so far, saying: "I've had a lot of incredible ups in my career, a lot of incredible high points. I've had some devastatingly low points. But for me, this is all I wanna do.

"I consider myself an artist — multifaceted, but first and foremost I'm a musician; I'm a singer. So I wanna keep continuing that," he explained.

"I love performing on stage. I love being out in front of the crowd. I love the energy of the audience, and I miss it completely.

"I am making plans — I'm making steps to get back onstage."

At the end of the chat, when host Alex Crescioni thanked Bell for his "inspiring" musical output over the years, including that with FEAR FACTORY and ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS, Burton said: "People will hear those again. When I get back on the road, I'll be playing… I'm proud of 99 percent of the songs we did [with] FEAR FACTORY. Not every song is a winner, but I'm proud of all the work I did with FEAR FACTORY, THE WATCHERS, GZR, CITY OF FIRE, MINISTRY, HATEFACE. There's all these bands I've been part of. So when I go on the road, I will be playing music from all of these bands. Obviously, a lot from FEAR FACTORY, 'cause I got 30 years of that. But it's not gonna be all about FEAR FACTORY. It's gonna be FEAR FACTORY, WATCHERS, classic GZR, CITY OF FIRE — just do all of it. It's gonna be fun. And I'm jamming with some guys right now. We're working on it and making those steps to make that happen."

In March 2023, Bell was asked by Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast how it felt to see FEAR FACTORY going out on tour with someone else singing the parts he originally wrote and recorded with the band. He responded: "It doesn't affect me at all. To be honest, I haven't been this happy in a long time. More power to them, but I'm just moving forward in my own life, my own career, and I'm just trying to make a name for myself."

Asked if he has checked out any of the videos on YouTube of FEAR FACTORY performing with his replacement, the Italian-born singer Milo Silvestro, Bell said: "No, I don't. I don't care to."

Burton went on to say that he doesn't mind being asked about FEAR FACTORY despite the fact that he is no longer in the band. "FEAR FACTORY, it's what I'm known for," he explained. "And the 30 years I had with FEAR FACTORY were some of the proudest moments of my career. And everything I've ever done in FEAR FACTORY I'm very proud of. Even some of the questionable things I've done in FEAR FACTORY I'm still proud of. It was a great legacy."

During an April 2022 appearance on an episode of "The Ex-Man" podcast hosted by Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES),Bell touched upon FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", which was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Bell and fellow original FF member Dino Cazares (guitar) alongside drummer Mike Heller.

"I was just happy that record finally came out," Burton said. "We finished that record in 2017. By the time it came out, I'd forgotten all about it. 'Oh, yeah, I remember that song. Oh yeah.'

"There's some good songs on that record. The song 'Collapse' is a good song. The title track 'Monolith' is a good song," he added, referencing the LP's original working title, before it was changed by Cazares.

When Coyle noted that the mix on "Aggression Continuum" is "great," Bell hesitated for a couple of seconds before reluctantly agreeing. "I guess," he said. "When I finished the record [in 2017], the record was done and agreed upon and then further work was done without my say."

Elsewhere in the chat, Burton admitted that "it was difficult" for him to leave FEAR FACTORY. "Stepping away from FEAR FACTORY was not an easy decision by [any] means," he said. "But what I experienced for the 10 years before that, the lawsuits, the acrimony, that was the one that killed me. And I just had to step away to realize, you know, they can take all this stuff from me — they can take the money, they can take the royalties, they can take the trademark away from me — and I realized that didn't define me. They can take that, but I'm still Burton C. Bell, motherfucker, and whatever I have they can't take. So I'm just kind of moving forward and doing new things."

According to Bell, hardship is par for the course for most musicians, who often find themselves victims of bad contracts, unscrupulous management and, all too often, what appears to be a penchant for self-destruction.

"I knew a long time ago I wanted to be an artist — way before I was in FEAR FACTORY," he said. "When I was in high school, I was, like, 'I wanna be an artist.' To be an artist, you've gotta suffer. You've gotta understand that people wanna take from you the entire time — what you create they wanna make money off of and take it away from you and just give you a pittance. But being bitter is not my style — never has been.

"Whatever negativity has happened in the past with FEAR FACTORY doesn't even hold up to the amount of positivity that has happened," he continued. "If you think about the negative, it can weigh you down so much, but it's not really that much in comparison to what the band achieved, what we created, what we provided to the music world, and for that I'm proud and very happy.

"No one likes to talk to a bitter person at all," Burton added. "Me for one. It's, like, 'Man, just get over it and just move on.' 'Cause holding on to the past doesn't serve me anything, it doesn't serve anybody else anything. Move on and show 'em what you can do from that point forward."

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's latest LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

Last year, Bell unveiled "Paradise Found", his debut exhibition of photographic works, at the Vincent Castiglia Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The photographs Bell presented were representational of his industrial and science-fiction aesthetic.

"Paradise Found" consisted of 20 original full-color photographs of abandoned industrial buildings taken in darkness and fog from 2002 to 2003. Bell's images are printed on aluminum using the dye sublimation process — an approach Bell calls "celluloid impressionism."

Bell's ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project released its second full-length album, "Apocrypha", in October 2020 via Dissonance Productions.

Blue Öyster Cult's new collection of electrifying performances, 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night, is available today via Frontiers Music Srl. This release includes the band's second album, Tyranny And Mutation, performed back-to-back and is a spectacular follow-up to the band's historic three-night stint at New York City's Sony Hall in New York City.


As a kick-off for the album's release, Blue Öyster Cult fittingly shares fan-favorite "Burnin' For You" (Live) alongside a music video, available below.


In September 2022, Blue Öyster Cult enthralled fans with a unique trilogy of sold-out shows, each dedicated to one of their first three albums. Founding member Albert Bouchard made a special appearance on all three nights, adding a nostalgic touch to the historic milestone.




For nearly three hours each night, the band delivered a spellbinding set, weaving through the entirety of their now classic initial trilogy of albums and treating fans to a mix of favorites, deep cuts, and classic hits. The atmosphere was electric, and Frontiers Music captured the magic, set to release each night as a special individual package.


Watch the music video for "Burnin' For You" (Live):





Blue Öyster Cult's legacy spans over five decades, captivating fans with intelligent hard rock loaded with classic songs. Hailing from Long Island, NY, the band is renowned in the hard rock and heavy metal scene for their pioneering work, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success. Cited as a major influence by acts like Metallica, Blue Öyster Cult boasts a timeless catalog, including iconic tracks like "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper," "Godzilla," and "Burnin’ for You." The creative vision of the original core duo, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and Eric Bloom, is complemented by Richie Castellano, Danny Miranda, and Jules Radino, forming a powerhouse lineup.


As the band embraces its status as a 'classic rock' phenomenon, they continue to create vibrant work, offering a refreshing alternative to mainstream trends. With a relentless touring schedule and the critically acclaimed album The Symbol Remains released in 2020, Blue Öyster Cult remains an enduring force, ready to ignite the stage once again with the release of 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night.


Order here.





50th Anniversary Live - Second Night tracklisting:


Album 1:
"The Red & The Black"
"O.D.'D On Life Itself"
"Hot Rails To Hell"
"7 Screaming Diz-Busters"
"Baby Ice Dog"
"Wings Wetted Down"
"Teen Archer"
"Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)"


Album 2:
"Box In My Head"
"Burnin' For You"
"Lips In The Hills"
"Perfect Water"
"Tenderloin"
"The Revenge Of Vera Gemini"
"E.T.I (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)"
"That Was Me"
"Godzilla"
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
"Unknown Tongue"
"Tattoo Vampire"
"Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"


"Hot Rails To Hell" video:





"7 Screaming Diz-Busters" video:










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One of Melbourne's most intriguing progressive metal bands, Teramaze, have shared a new audio clip along with the following message:


"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."




Pre-order Teracoustic Sessions / Volume 1 here. 





Earlier this year, Teramaze released the video for the new single, "The Will Of Eli", from their 11th full-length album, Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace, out now via Wells Music. Order the album here, and watch the video below.


A message states: "Experience the magic of music with 'The Will Of Eli', brilliantly crafted by the immensely talented Wayne Joyner, who has previously worked with giants like Dream Theater, Sevendust, Alter Bridge! It's not just a music video, it's a visual journey through rhythmic storytelling that entrances and transforms you into an integral part of the melody. This captivating masterpiece has left us completely in awe. Don't miss the chance to embark on this mesmerizing musical voyage today!nA special thanks goes out to our brother Wayne Joyner for putting his heart and soul into our video."





Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace is a concept album that finishes the trilogy of their Halo storyline, following 2015's Her Halo and 2021's Sorella Minore.


Commenting on the album's thematic direction, the band states: "We began with a story of betrayal, love, and wonder told through the album Her Halo. We continued that tale through to a climactic finish with the epic suite Sorella Minore. And now, we have finally brought to you the third instalment of the Halo Saga, to bring the whole story together. We take you not forward in time, but to the very beginning...


“Eli - A Wonderful Fall from Grace takes us to A Place Called Halo, the circus where it all began in the height of it's popularity. Eli, a shipwreck survivor discovers the travelling tented landscape, and becomes the star attraction... but at a terrible price.


“Along with a full length concept album, we finally release the short story that sparked this spell binding concept all those years ago.


“Every story has a beginning, and so is Eli - A Wonderful Fall from Grace."





Tracklisting:


“A Place Called Halo”
“The Will Of Eli”
“Step Right Up”
“I Mantissa”
“Madam Roma”
“Standing Ovation”
“Hands Are Tied”
“A Wonderful Fall From Grace”


"Step Right Up" video:





"Standing Ovation" video:





Teaser:










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Long-running Adelaide five piece, Life Pilot, have just released their new single and video, "Feeding An Illness".


With its monstrous opening riff, call and response vocals and crushing delivery, "Feeding An Illness" is made to kick-start any mosh pit and have the people up the back with their arms folded nodding their head to the huge groove.


The insane music video for "Feeding An Illness" follows the story of a young woman haunted by night terrors and her journey through the addiction to the fear itself, shot in an old historic building in Adelaide, Australia. Part of the SA heritage trust, the “Z Ward For The Criminally Insane” is a long abandoned mental asylum that many believe to be haunted by the ghost of patients past. 







Lyrically, "Feeding An Illness" is about the overuse of prescribed substances, particularly those that merely mask one’s problems and the double standard when it comes to the legality of said substances. Practitioners treating patients straight from a textbook, rather than addressing their needs on an individual basis. Resulting in more drug abuse, a false sense of hope and most often, an insurmountable addiction to the “cure.”





For further details, visit Life Pilot on Facebook.










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New Zealand hard rock powerhouse, Black Smoke Trigger, released their stunning debut album Horizons, on August 2, 2024. 


Black Smoke Trigger has just issued a video for their newest single, "Never Dies". One of the heavier songs from Horizons, "Never Dies" was co-written with Disturbed frontman David Draiman. The band worked closely with David and created the track "Never Dies". Filmed in a single shot, one-take video on the same circular set as the video for "K.M.T.L".







Order your copy of Horizons on CD or Vinyl here. Artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





"Phantom Pain"
"K.M.T.L"
"The Way Down"
"Perfect Torture"
"Proof Of Life"
"Learn To Crawl"
"Set Me On Fire"
"Psycho"
"One More Chance (Don't Let It Slip Away)"
"Never Dies"
"Sun Cries Red"
"Promise"

















For further details, visit Black Smoke Trigger on Facebook.


(Photo - Andhe Chandler)


 







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London-based industrial noise pop trio and recent MNRK Heavy/Inside Job signees, Tayne, today drop the dancefloor-pulverizing single, "Coherent". The track splices together buzzsaw riffs and Lady Gaga-inspired art-pop with the intensity turned up to 11 thanks to the guttural screams from longtime friend Rachel Aspe (Cage Fight), with the pair meeting while working together at Camden’s iconic, and sadly now defunct, tattoo studio, Evil From The Needle.





Vocalist/bassist Matthew Sutton elaborates, "'Coherent' was musically inspired by an old track of ours called 'Open Up.' I have a habit of reusing older samples to create new songs; I feel it helps maintain a consistent sound and style to the band. For 'Coherent,' I resampled a leading arp from 'Open Up' and sped it up to create the main pulse of this track.




"'Coherent' explores confronting toxic relationships instead of persisting in comfortable norms, pushing through uncomfortable emotions, and addressing them head-on."


Watch Tayne’s “Coherent” video below Stream the track on all digital platforms here.





“Coherent” was co-produced by Tayne and longtime collaborator Wayne Adams (Green Lung, Petbrick), one of a number of collaborations with artists as diverse as Jesu, Mastiff, Katie Kim, and Poisonous Birds. Additionally, Tayne has supported the varied likes of Health, Author & Punisher, and The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato. Stay tuned for more from Tayne in the weeks to come.


Tayne lineup:


Matthew Sutton - vocals, bass
Tom Hancock - guitar
Paul Traveller - drums


(Photo - Eivind Hansen)







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German metalcore act, Rising Insane, have released a new single, "Monster",  marking the sixth track released off their forthcoming album Wildfires, out August 23 via Long Branch Records. A new music video accompanies the track.


Singer Aaron Steineker comments "It feels like we all get upset far too quickly when we see people who don't behave according to our expectations. You can look at this in general, whether it's the classic example of senior citizens getting upset about young people or the cow's milk mafia getting angry about vegan substitute products. People will always hate on other people and the whole thing is brutally amplified by social media. So it's completely pointless not to do and be what you feel like. 'Monster', to me, is the song that makes you feel exactly that way and makes you just do your thing instead of always looking left and right to bitch about others."







Rising Insane's fourth studio album, Wildfires, (out August 23 via Long Branch Records) takes an in-depth look at the consequences of our collective abstinence from empathy and challenges listeners to ignite their inner flame for change. It is an urgent call to break out of the darkness.


While Rising Insane remains true to their post-hardcore and metalcore roots on Wildfires, the band has evolved collectively and individually, clearly reflected in the new and fresh sound.


Steineker comments on Wildfires: "Over the last two years, I have felt that there is a huge source of strife lurking around every corner. All we have to do is pick up our cell phone and we're immediately thrown into a hate-filled sea of conflict, there's so much hate everywhere. You get the feeling that the world around us is on fire when you add war, global warming, inflation, and depression to the mix. That's how this album got the title Wildfires. Each song on the album is about a specific trouble spot, themes, and stories that have weighed on me while writing. Our goal is to create awareness through our music of how much we burden ourselves and each other instead of focusing on things that connect us and create positivity."


Wildfires will be available in the following formats:


• Exclusive LBR Shop LP Edition incl. orange-red marbled vinyl
Limited to 300 copies
• LP Edition incl. white-black marbled vinyl
Limited to 300 copies
• CD Edition in digipak
• Exclusive LBR Shop Bundles
• Standard Stream & Download


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Reign”
“Monster”
“Lighthouse”
“Malicious”
“Bet On Me”
“Warning”
“Counting Regrets (Interlude)”
“Carousel”
“Burn”
“The Door”
“Wildfires”


"Carousel" video:





“Burn” video:





“Malicious” video:





“Lighthouse” video:





“Reign” video:





(Photo - Jana Kuhs & Coregraphy)







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Fan-filmed video footage of FORBIDDEN's August 8 performance at the Brutal Assault festival in Josefov, Czech Republic can be seen below.

Brutal Assault marked the reactivated San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans' first live appearance with VOIVOD's Daniel Mongrain, who stepped in as a temporary replacement for guitarist Steve Smyth.

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

He added: "FORBIDDEN was always a place I considered home, from the very first gig I played with the guys, the Thrash Of The Titans festival, back in 2001, touring across 2009/2010 with Russ [Anderson, vocals] and Mark [Hernandez, drums], writing and releasing the 'Omega Wave' album, the touring that followed 2010-2012, and the last year. It's a home I'll miss, but the memories will remain.

"ONE MACHINE is my own home that I've built myself, from before, and after my first stint with FORBIDDEN, from 2009-2012. We are preparing to release a new EP, with touring starting up in September across Europe.

"Prior to rejoining FORBIDDEN, I declared my intention to move between FORBIDDEN and ONE MACHINE, in between schedules. It now appears those schedules are conflicting.

"I'd like to thank YOU the fans for all of your support over the years! I couldn't do ANY of this without you! Craig [Locicero, guitar] and Matt [Camacho, bass] especially for welcoming me back to FORBIDDEN!

"To new additions Chris [Kontos, drums] and Norman [Skinner, vocals], Tim Healy, the crew, every promoter and agent, thank you for making the last year of music and travelling the world happen!

"I wish FORBIDDEN all the best for the future, and all it may bring!"

The remaining members of FORBIDDEN added in a separate statement: "We understand and accept Steve's decision to walk away for his own personal reasons and to finish what he started with ONE MACHINE.

"Steve had been by our side creating and playing music from the end of 2008-2012 and for the rebirth in 2023. He contributed much greatness along the way. We understand his situation better than most people possibly could.

"We all wish Steve the very best and success with ONE MACHINE. His Baby.

"Much love, respect and gratitude for the years Steve spent with FORBIDDEN will always endure.

"With Steve Smyth stepping away, FORBIDDEN intends on not missing a beat. Daniel Mongrain from VOIVOD will be stepping in for our next batch of European dates upcoming in August.

"Daniel is an astonishing & accomplished guitarist. His work in MARTYR & VOIVOD is otherworldly! We are very happy to have him aboard for these dates. Daniel will be a great addition for the gigs and we must thank the guys in VOIVOD for letting us borrow him."

Mongrain said: "It's a great honor for me to join FORBIDDEN this summer in Europe! As a fan from the early days, I'm grateful for the opportunity and will do my best to pay respect to all the amazing talented guitar player who played in the band, Glen Alvelais, Tim Calvert (RIP),and Steve Smyth. See you soon!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

According to Variety, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS are among the artists who will perform during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Sunday, August 11. Also scheduled to appear are Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg.

A musical handover for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the performances will take place from L.A. in a mix of pre-taped and live performances, with each artist representing different facets of the city's rich cultural heritage.

Ben Winston, who has previously produced the Grammy Awards, is coordinating with French producers on the event, according to Variety.

Last week, it was reported that actor Tom Cruise will to perform a stunt at the closing ceremony. He will reportedly rappel from the top of Stade de France clutching the Olympic flag, followed by a pre-recorded segment showing him skydiving onto the iconic Hollywood sign.

At the end of Sunday's closing ceremony, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass will accept the Olympic torch.

The Los Angeles Olympic Games are scheduled to run from July 14 to July 30 in 2028.

At last month's Olympic Games opening ceremony, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion were among the musical highlights. At the same event, French progressive metallers GOJIRA performed a surprise and controversial rendition of "Ah! Ça Ira", a popular song during the French Revolution, alongside opera singer Marina Viotti as well as a number of beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette.
EXCLUSIVE: Performances by Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are expected to be featured during the Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday, multiple sources told Variety. https://t.co/tPn1wIkZbZ

— Variety (@Variety) August 9, 2024

Canadian bashers, Kittie, made a triumphant return in June with their first album in over 10 years, Fire. They are currently on the road supporting the record, and fan-filmed video of their entire show at the Factory in Dallas, TX can be viewed below.


Setlist


"Fire"
"I've Failed You"
"Cut Throat"
"No Name"
"Spit"
"What I Always Wanted"
"Sorrow I Know"
"Look So Pretty"
"Ugly"
"We Are Shadows"
"Into the Darkness"
"Eyes Wide Open"
"Severed"
"Funeral for Yesterday"
"In Winter"
"Vultures"
"Charlotte"
"Mouthful of Poison"
"Brackish"
"We Are the Lamb"
"One Foot in the Grave"
"Do You Think I'm a Whore?"







Kittie released their new album, Fire, on June 21 via Sumerian Records. Pick it up Fire here.





Fire tracklisting:


"Fire"
"I Still Wear This Crown"
"Falter"
"Vultures"
"We Are Shadows"
"Wound"
"One Foot In The Grave"
"Are You Entertained?"
"Grime"
"Eyes Wide Open"


"Vultures" video:





"We Are Shadows" video:





"Fire"










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