DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan has opened up about his frustrating battle with gout. The 55-year-old musician, who lives in a southwest Chicago suburb, discussed his health issues earlier this week while taking to Instagram Live during a drive from his home to see his father. Donegan told his 64 thousand Instagram followers in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've been up since 1:02 a.m. last night. [I] haven't slept. I'm fucking in pain. My knee is killing me. I don't know what the fuck happened. And I don't know if any of you have experience with gout. I'm not really sure if it could affect the joints and the knee and stuff like that. I know it's mostly the big toe. I've had that before and it is fucking brutal pain. It's worse than giving childbirth to twins."

He continued: "You know how dramatic us men could be. I've had really bad colds that was, like, very difficult. So it's like giving childbirth. But I always mess around with that because… But gout, seriously, is no fucking joke. That is such fucking pain, and I don't wish that upon my worst enemy. And it's not affecting my toes right now. So that's why I didn't know if it… It doesn't happen often. I haven't had a gout flareup all year. It's been a while. [I had] a small flareup maybe earlier last year, but that was it. I kind of caught it early on, but, man, when that kicks in, that'll fucking fuck you up. You can't walk, everything hurts on your toe, and you can't put a sheet on your toe. No matter what you do, you're in pain, and it is fucking brutal. And I'm not sure if that's what's going on, if it could affect the joints of the knees. So if there's anybody who, who has experience with gout, if they know it could affect your knee or the joints, your ankles or your knee…"

Donegan added: "Man, it is tough. It's not arthritis. I know that. I've gone before to my doctor for tests. So I know I had a high uric acid level 'cause I eat a lot of red meat and I drink alcohol, two of the worst things for gout. And I do it probably religiously every day. There's always red meat or wine or vodka or something. And I guess I should probably watch my intake on all that, 'cause, man, when you get a flareup, you're gonna fuckin pay for it. It's tough. So, if anybody has any… I'm gonna try to look at your comments on here. If you have any experience with gout or anything like that, if you know it could affect the joints in your knee or anything… And whoever has seen us live before, obviously we're pretty active on stage and jump around a lot. And I already have kind of a bad knee to begin with, but when that adrenaline kicks in on stage, you kind of forget about that knee pain. It's usually not there all the time; it just comes and goes, and, like I said, sometimes it didn't even bother me all year. I was fine, but I kind of felt it coming out last night. Yes, since 1:02 a.m. I haven't been able to go back to sleep, 'cause it hurts a lot. So, trying to get through that fucking sucks."

He went on to say: "So, let me read through here and see if anybody has any advice. I mean, I know red meat, alcohol, asparagus, anything that's gonna elevate your uric acid levels is bad for you. So, I guess I got lucky for quite a long period of time, but now something's kicking my ass at the moment. But I will not let that stop me."

This past March, DISTURBED garnered its 19th No. 1 on the Active Rock radio chart with "Don't Tell Me", the band's latest single, which features a guest appearance by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and HEART co-founder Ann Wilson. The song is DISTURBED's fourth No. 1 off the band's latest album, "Divisive".

This is the second time DISTURBED has earned four No. 1s on a single record, having previously accomplished the same feat on 2015's "Immortalized". Only nine rock albums since 1992 have been able to secure four No. 1 songs on the Mediabase Rock charts and two of them have been DISTURBED's.

Released in November 2022, "Divisive" was recorded earlier that year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

"Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales. On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

According to Billboard, DISTURBED's "Take Back Your Life" summer 2023 tour grossed $17.4 million and sold 336,000 tickets.

DISTURBED averaged 11,573 tickets sold per show, up from 6,901 in 2019 and 4,404 in 2016. The average ticket price for the "Take Back Your Life" tour was $51.07.

DISTURBED's biggest headlining concert ever happened on September 2, 2023 at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, where the band drew more than 20,000 fans.

Alice Cooper has uncovered the original School's Out promo film, and has shared it for #FlashbackFriday. Watch below.


School's Out is Alice Cooper's fifth studio album, released in June 1972. The album reached #2 on the US Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Canadian RPM 100 Top Albums chart. The title track single peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached #3 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles Chart, and went to #1 on the UK Singles Chart.







Alice is donating a hand-drawn autographed drawing of a kitty to benefit the Michigan Cat Rescue group, reports AOL.com. Cooper was born in Detroit and it turns out he's got a soft spot for animals.


The Michigan Cat Rescue posted on Facebook, "The Famous, extremely talented, and incredibly Generous, Alice Cooper, is doing a one of a kind hand drawn, piece of artwork of a Cat and signed it specially for Michigan Cat Rescue!!! We will be be doing an online auction in the near future to raise much needed funds to continue our efforts! We cannot Thank you Enough for being so wonderful Mr. Cooper!!"


Fans on Facebook are loving this kind gesture and one person commented, "I couldn’t love this more!! And my cats are named Alice and Cooper. They are bonded siblings I rescued when they were kittens." Another added, "I've had the utmost respect for this artist since the 90's. A fan of his in California painted his garage door with AC's face, and the neighbors hated it. One day, this man lost his job and was about to lose his house, when AC stepped in and paid for his mortgage. That's a human being for you." Another said, "I love how demented the cat looks!!! I hope it makes a lot of money for the animals."


Read more at AOL.com.

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Metallica Report", the podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked if he likes to hear other musicians playing METALLICA music note for note or adapted in their own way. Kirk responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love it when people interpret the music through their own filter. And I think that's the proper way other people should play other people's music. But I also understand that people like to recreate it note for note to get that same experience of playing those exact notes. So I support both approaches fully — fully support both approaches. But the one I prefer to hear is our music being put through someone else's filter so it comes out different and more individual, more personalized. And, for me, I think it leads to much more interesting results than — I don't know — just trying to play it note for note."

Back in 2021, METALLICA released a compilation called "The Metallica Blacklist". Hailed upon its release as "easily the most ambitious release of its kind" (Pitchfork),"The Metallica Blacklist" marked the 30th anniversary of the band's landmark self-titled fifth album (a.k.a. The Black Album) with a staggering array of passion and talent: more than 50 artists contributing unique interpretations of their favorite tracks from the album, spanning a vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more. "The Metallica Blacklist"'s 53 tracks found singer/songwriters, country artists, electronic and hip-hop artists sharing their love of these songs alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music and many, many more. Artists appearing on the LP include Miley Cyrus, Elton John, GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor, BIFFY CLYRO, ROYAL BLOOD and St. Vincent.

In support of METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", the band has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows in each city— first in Europe , then in North America and now back in Europe — as part of the "M72" tour. Each concert sees METALLICA performing on a massive ring-shaped stage, with the Snake Pit in the center, and four drum sets which are equally spaced out around the circular stage so drummer Lars Ulrich can get closer to the audience at various points in the show.

According to Billboard, METALLICA's production travels in 87 trucks — 45 for the band and its setup, plus two groups of 21 each for the steel stage and towers. There are 130 people in the band's crew, plus 40 steelworkers, local hires and truck drivers.

METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert attend both shows.

The "M72" tour launched in late April 2023 in Amsterdam.

Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

A portion of proceeds from the shows go to METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, which seeks to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band and combat food insecurity; provides disaster relief; and bestows scholarships.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Cactus have released a new single, "Parchman Farm", featuring special guests Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan. The single comes from the upcoming album, Temple of Blues - Influences & Friends, releasing on June 7 as a CD and also as double vinyl album via Cleopatra Records.


The new album merges the members of Cactus with a super ensemble of featured artists, all of whom have called the group among their biggest influences. Once heralded by critics as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin, Cactus recorded four hard rockin’ albums for Atco Records before Appice and bassist Tim Bogert left to form their own supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice.
 
"Cactus is still one of my all time favorite blues and rock bands. The perfect match of songs, fire and the ability to deliver it all live. They have always been pound for pound the most underrated American band of all time." - Joe Bonamassa


Listen "Parchman Farm" single here, and below:







​Featured along with the current Cactus band is a who’s who of blues and rock icons: Guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Warren Haynes, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens, Johnny A (The Yardbirds), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Dug Pinnick (King’s X) Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Kenny Aaronson (ex-Joan Jett and The Yardbirds), as well as members of Government Mule, Vixen, Rainbow, Zebra, and Whitesnake.


Vocalist Dee Snider of Twisted Sister appears on the band’s remake of the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Evil”, and Appice’s bandmate in Vanilla Fudge, Mark Stein, turns in a powerful vocal on Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally.” A second version of “Guiltless Glider,” appears as a bonus track with former Judas Priest vocalist, Tim "Ripper" Owens. Another of Appice’s musical partners, Fernando Perdomo, also appears on the new record.


In addition to Appice on drums on all tracks, original Cactus guitarist Jim McCarty also appears on Temple Of Blues. Current band members vocalist/guitarist and harmonica player Jim Stapley and bassist Jim Caputo also appear on many of the tracks. Appice announced today a new member to the band’s lineup: guitarist Artie Dillon will handle guitar duties for live tours and plays on one track for the new album. Founding member Jim McCarty currently contributes as a writing and recording member of Cactus on occasion but no longer does live tours.


Pre-order the album on CD and vinyl here. Pre-order the digital edition here.





Tracklisting:


"Parchman Farm" feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
"Bro. Bill" feat. Randy Jackson (Zebra), Randy Pratt (Cactus) & Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Guiltless Glider" feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Evil" feat. Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) & Dug Pinnick (King's X)
"One Way...Or Anothe"r feat. Dug Pinnick (King's X) & Ted Nugent
"Alaska" feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin (The Firm)
"No Need To Worry" feat. Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule) & Jorgen Carlsson (Gov't Mule)
"Oleo" feat. Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
"Big Mama Boogie" feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo (Cactus)
"You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover"
"Rock N' Roll Children" feat. Britt Lightning (Vixen), Vernon Reid (Living Colour) & Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot)
"Let Me Swim" feat. Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) & Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder)
"Restrictions" feat. Ty Tabor (King's X) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Long Tall Sally" feat. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Fernando Perdomo


Bonus track:


"Guiltless Glider" feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest)


"Evil" video:





- Produced by Carmine Appice
- Co-Produced by Pat Regan-Jim Stapley
- Mix Engineer - Pat Regan
- Mixdown by Pat Regan with Carmine Appice.
- Carmine's drums recorded at “Realistic Rock Studios” Florida. Engineered by Carmine Appice


Upcoming Cactus tour dates:


June
7 - Orlando, FL - Orlando Live! (with Foghat)
8 - Boca Raton, FL - Funky Biscuit
9 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (with Pat Travers & Foghat)
27 - Lima, NY - Fanatics
28 - New York City, NY - Iridium


August
10 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge


The current lineup of Cactus came together in 2021. Lead vocalist Jim Stapley comes from England and had worked with ex-Faces/Who drummer Kenny Jones in the Jones Gang and Humble Pie. “Nearly five decades after I formed this band, the time had come to re-invent Cactus once again,” says Appice, who also still drums for Vanilla Fudge, The Appice Brothers Drum Wars, and a hybrid tribute to former band leader, Rod Stewart. Adds Appice: “The music remains the same and Cactus is still a ‘hot and sweaty’ band. The level, quality and consistence of the band’s musicianship is as strong as ever.”


Cactus has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of Vanilla Fudge by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and The Buddy Miles Express) and Amboy Dukes vocalist Rusty Day. While Cactus saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BBA.


The band reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp (who also appears on this album) and Jimmy Kunes vocals. When the late Tim Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Caputo replaced him in 2020. Now, with a powerful new lineup Cactus and an album the marries the band with some of the biggest names in rock and blues, embarks on a new and exciting musical journey to the Temple Of Blues.

DarWin featuring Simon Phillips, Mohini Dey, Greg Howe, and Matt Bissonette, will release their new album, Five Steps On The Sun, on June 7. Today, the band share the video for new single, "One Step On The Sun". Watch below:





DarWin is an ongoing musical exploration driven by Simon Phillips and DarWin (DW). The music seeks to elevate the power of crafted songs, and the collection of songs into an album experience. Groove, energy, melody and harmony are all simultaneously prioritized. The songs should feel both original but somehow familiar.




The duo has collaborated with Matt Bissonette since 2015 as a song writing trio, fusing the diverse interests and experiences of the group. Matt’s vocals provide a soothing sonic resonance over novel rhythmic landscapes.


Follow-up to the critically acclaimed epic albums Origin Of Species and Frozen War, DarWin and Simon Phillips expand on their trademark sound - adding new levels of depth and melody.


The new album features a stellar lineup of musicians - Indian bassist Mohini Dey joins the band bringing her fiery playing, and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and Greg Howe return to the project.


Five Steps On The Sun will beleased on CD and strictly Limited Heavyweight Vinyl including exclusive poster.





Tracklisting:


"Soul Police"
"Inside This Zoo"
"Be That Man"
"One Step On The Sun"
"Five Steps On The Sun"
"The Sun"
"Imitation Suede"
"Seasons Of A Life"
"Hulks & Heroes"
"What Do We Know"


"Be That Man" video:

It's been a long wait but it finally happened - The Crypt's debut album is finally released!


Within the Swedish heavy metal community, Leif Edling is revered as one of its most prolific songwriters. Alongside his renowned work with Candlemass, he has also spearheaded projects like Krux and Avatarium, showcasing his enduring creativity. When news broke of his direct involvement in yet another band, speculation soon ran rampant within the community.


That band is The Crypt, based out of Stockholm, Sweden.




With a concept centered around a metal priestess, The Crypt's debut album delves into themes of darkness, death, and the undead, echoing the vibes of 1970s gothic and occult bands such as Coven, Blue Öyster Cult, Black Sabbath, and Pentagram.


Recorded with top-tier Swedish musicians under the guidance of producer Marcus Jidell, the album effortlessly combines dark atmospheres with catchy melodies and powerful riffs, reminiscent of rock's most golden era.


The band introduced themselves to the world with the release of their first single and video, "Into the Crypt," back in 2021. This track, featuring Pepper's captivating vocals and Edling's signature sonic brutality, quickly gained traction within the rock community, setting the stage for The Crypt's emergence.


However, the pandemic hindered the band's ability to perform live or engage in further activities. As conditions improved, The Crypt reemerged with a new solid lineup behind Pepper, including Danne McKenzie on drums, Dave McKenzie on guitars, Floke on keyboards, and Rigor Mortimer on bass.


In an era where truly innovative metal bands are rare, The Crypt stands out as a refreshing discovery, promising an exhilarating journey for metal enthusiasts everywhere.


The album is available on both CD & vinyl formats and can be ordered through the Metal Department store, here.





The Crypt tracklisting:


"Intro"
"Into The Crypt"
"Mistress Of Fire"
"Metal Priestess"
"I Love The Darkness"
"Cemetary Children"
"Night Of The Devil"
"Open The Gate"
"Halos"
"Who Broke The Coffin"





The Crypt is:


Pepper (Vocals)
Danne McKenzie (Drums)
Rigor Mortimer (Bass)
Dave McKenzie (Guitar)
Floke (Keyboards)

AC/DC has produced some of the biggest hits of all time in the hard rock genre, reports Forbes. A number of their singles are still played non-stop to this day by fans of the style, and they remain powerful sellers, streamers, and a force to be reckoned with whenever they tour. This week, the band watches as one of their classics doesn’t just continue to chart, but reaches heights it’s never known before.


“You Shook Me All Night Long” jumps up the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart this week, Billboard’s ranking of the most-streamed cuts in the harder styles of rock and roll. This frame, the tune surges from #6 to #4.


Amazingly, #4 now stands as the highest point ever for the single on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs tally. On other lists, the tune has performed similarly well–or even better–but it’s never risen this high on the streaming-only roster.




“You Shook Me All Night Long” was released in 1980, and impressively, it’s still charting - and reaching new high points - more than 40 years later. The track was selected as the lead single from the band’s album Back In Black. That set has gone on to become one of the top-performing rock releases ever, and the song is one of the most easily recognizable tunes in the hard rock world.


Read more at Forbes.





Charity organization, Nordoff & Robbins, have revealed the final set of 2024 O2 Silver Clef Awards winners.


"We can’t wait to celebrate the musical talent of Blur, AC/DC, Chaka Khan, Mark Knopfler, Loyle Carner, Jacob Collier and Young Fathers while raising money for music therapy!"


AC/DC are the winner of the Legend Award, sponsored by Amazon Music.


“We’re over the moon to receive the Amazon Music Legend Award. As a band, we’ve been dishing out our own brand of music therapy for the past five decades, so to hear all about how Nordoff and Robbins helps the young and the old with the power of music is something that we understand and salute. Thank you for this honour.” - Brian Johnson of AC/DC


The artists will receive their awards in person at a music industry lunch and ceremony, to be held on July 5 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London, England.


Further details here.





AC/DC are currently touring in support of their latest album, Power Up. Dates are listed below.





June
1 - Seville, Spain - La Cartuja Stadium
5 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Johan Cruyff Arena
9 - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
12 - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
16 - Dresden, Germany - Rinne
19 - Dresden, Germany - Rinne
23 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium
26 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium
29 - Zurich, Switzerland - Letzigrund Stadium


July
3 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
7 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
13 - Hockenheim, Germany - Ring
17 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wasen
21 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Old Airport
27 - Nuremberg, Germany - Zeppelinfeld
31 - Hannover, Germany - Messe


August
4 - Hannover, Germany - Messe
9 - Dessel, Belgium - Festivalpark Stenehei
13 - Paris, France - Hippodrome Paris Longchamp
17 - Dublin, Ireland - Croke Park

Led Zeppelin Boots has uploaded new source audio of Led Zeppelin performing live in Newcastle, UK on December 1, 1972.


A message accompanying the clip states: "I'm proud to unveil a brand new source for the band's 2nd show in Newcastle during their Winter 1972/1973 UK tour! This new source is quite muffled, hissy, and distorted with several cuts throughout and the latter half of the show missing. But hey, a new source is a new source right? And the old source for this show is ROUGH (like, one of the worst tapes of the band ever) so any improvement is welcome, no matter how small. The show itself (at least from what can be gleaned from these tapes) is pretty solid and energetic overall. Special thanks to the taper for taping this show, my good friend ledzepfilm for revising this tape, and to Mysterii for the thumbnail!"







(Thanks: Led Zeppelin News)

Thrash metal masters, Exodus have released their live album, British Disaster: The Battle Of '89 - Live At The Astoria. A full album stream can be found below.


35 years of being locked away in the band's vault, the album now sees the light of day. The energy and heaviness that Exodus radiate on these live recordings give every metal fan a reason to add it to their personal collection. A MUST for every metalhead!


To commemorate this massive release, the band have released a great visualizer video for their new live single, "Piranha" (Live At The Astoria).




Gary Holt comments on the live album: "I, as well as all the band, former members and current, are super excited for the release of the new(old!) live record, British Disaster: The Battle of '89 (Live At The Astoria)! When we first discovered these long hidden master reels, we were intrigued. When we listened, we were crushed! Can’t wait for everyone else to hear this record! A band on fire."





Recorded on the 8th of March in 1989 at The Astoria in London, fans witnessed a night that went down in history and became legendary among Exodus and thrash metal fans worldwide. The band had just released their third studio album Fabulous Disaster and started five month run to promote the album which brought the Americans also to Europe for a month of live shows. During this European run Exodus decided to record the show in London, but never released it. This recording remained unheard of in the Exodus vaults. Until now!


Be prepared for a much more aggressive and rawer sound than on the studio albums. British Disaster: The Battle Of '89 - Live At The Astoria is the ultimate live album presenting the sheer energy of what made Exodus famous and notorious for during the 80s and what made them a legendary thrash metal band. A best of setlist compiled from the band's first three classic albums. The live album, mixed and mastered by Zeuss and the artwork done by Mark DeVito, will be available as CD, 2LP vinyl and digital.


British Disaster: The Battle Of '89 - Live At The Astoria can be ordered here





Tracklisting:


"The Last Act Of Defiance"
"Fabulous Disaster"
"Til Death Do Us Part"
"Corruption"
"The Toxic Waltz"
"A Lesson In Violence"
"Chemi-Kill"
"Piranha"
"Like Father Like Son"
"Deliver Us To Evil"
"Parasite"
"And Then There Were None"
"Verbal Razors"
"Brain Dead"
"Strike Of The Beast"


Album stream:





"Fabulous Disaster" visualizer:





Lineup:


Steve 'Zetro' Souza - vocals
Gary Holt – guitars
Rick Hunolt – guitars
Rob McKillop – bass
Tom Hunting – drums

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Kerry King was asked if he felt more pressure writing music for his upcoming solo album, "From Hell I Rise", than he did putting ideas together for SLAYER. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I understand the question, but I'm pretty nonchalant in putting music together and it's the same formula. I've got my comfort blanket in [SLAYER and KERRY KING drummer] Paul Bostaph here making stuff up with me. So it was very business as usual just with a handful of different new guys."

Asked if he had ever floated any of the ideas for "From Hell I Rise" by his SLAYER bandmates Gary Holt and Tom Araya before he recorded them, Kerry said: "No. It has nothing to do with them. Gary's heard a couple songs since they've come out, and he sends me a text all the time saying how heavy [it is] and how much he loves it. So, if people think that me and Holt had a falling out, nothing could be farther from the truth. We're still tight. We're looking forward to playing together later in September [for the SLAYER reunion shows]. And he's still a fan cheering me on, which is super cool."

King went on to say that he originally had Holt in mind for his solo project but that he eventually decided against it because he wanted to keep some of the SLAYER pieces out of his new band. He explained: "The more pieces I took, the more ammunition [there would be] for people that are gonna hate it anyway. So I said, 'Gary, I'm gonna have to go a different way.' I originally thought about using [producer] Terry Date, who produced [SLAYER's] last record, but, again, it was another SLAYER piece, and I just wanted to stay away from that. So, luckily I got turned on to Josh Wilbur, and we hit it off great. And he made a monster of a record. I'm very proud of what he did."

King spoke in more detail about why he chose to enlist Phil Demmel on second guitar over Holt during a recent interview with Revolver magazine. He said: "I started to realize that the more pieces I take from SLAYER, the more it's gonna be called 'SLAYER Lite.' I mean, of course it's gonna sound like SLAYER; I wrote 90 percent of the last record. But if I take less with me from SLAYER, there'll be less for people to stand on, as far as making lazy comparisons. If I had to do SLAYER over again after [late SLAYER guitarist Jeff] Hanneman [who died in 2013], 110 times out of a 100, I would pick Gary Holt. He was the right guy. But the perception of people, it weighs on me, and I don't want to deal with that.

"I love Gary. He's a great player," Kerry clarified. "But I already had my one dude from SLAYER I was definitely keeping. And Phil had only played four gigs with SLAYER, so that comparison wasn't going to be there; also, he impressed the fuck out of me when he came out to do those Europe gigs. It was just a couple of days after his MACHINE HEAD tour had ended, and he learned 18 or 20 of our songs on short notice. He also had to learn our stage tempos, and where the pyro was. If JUDAS PRIEST had asked me to come out in four days and figure all that out, I couldn't have done it. But Phil did it for us."

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 59-year-old SLAYER guitarist alongside the rest of his solo band, consisting of Bostaph, Demmel, bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH) and vocalist Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL).

Kerry's new band played its second show ever on May 9 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida.

King's first-ever festival solo appearance came just two days after his solo group made its live debut at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

As was the case with Reggies, King's setlist for Welcome To Rockville included SLAYER tracks as well as several of the 13 songs that appear on "From Hell I Rise", which is due on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

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

KERRY KING will next play at the Sonic Temple festival on May 16.

Photo credit: Andrew Stuart

After their 2018 album, Fatalis, the South German death metal veterans Commander, who have been around since 1999, are releasing a new heavyweight album on June 27th vuia MDD Records. The band's fourth album, Angstridden, once again impresses with a rough and brutal death metal framework, whereby the band increasingly emphasizes its roots in the more extreme styles.


Recorded and produced in the Sick Of Sound Studio under the direction of Michael Kraxenberger, the Bavarians let it rip on Angstridden and deliver the highlight of their musical works to date.







Tracklist:   


"Dawn Of Fear"
"Angstridden"
"Astrayed"
"Deviate From Our Vision"
"Not My War"
"Worlds Upon Worlds"
"Scaremongers"
"Scorched Earth"
"Vanity Is The Death Of Decency"
"No Compulsion To Live"





Photo by Severin Schweiger

High Desert Queen's sophomore full-length Palm Reader, slated for release on May 31st, is bursting with raw energy and radiates the feeling of 666 diesel horses thundering loud. The album is crammed with cool vibes, ripping leads, and a ton of fuzz with a focus on great songs rather than trying to stay confined within a corral of a particular style.


The Texas natives have released a new video for the title track of their second album. Enjoy the funny, awkward clip in which a fictional manager attempts to get the band in shape to the tune of "Palm Reader".







The video for lead single "Ancient Aliens" was released earlier this year. The “Ancient Aliens” video is a tongue-in-cheek take on John Carpenter’s 1988 cult movie, They Live, that illustrates the difficulties for musicians in dealing with shifty managers.





Palm Reader will be available on Vinyl in transparent green or marbled pink & black variants, digisleeve CD and download on May 31st via Magnetic Eye Records. Pre-order / pre-save here. 





Tracklisting:


"Ancient Aliens" 
"Death Perception" 
"Head Honcho"
"Palm Reader"
"Time Waster" 
"Tuesday Night Blues"
"Solar Rain"


Check out the video for "Death Perception" featuring Emma Näslund from Gaupa:





For further details, visit High Desert Queen on Facebook.


 

In a new interview with Hear 2 Zen magazine, former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi spoke about his 2022 autobiography, "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades", which was released via Rare Bird Books. It was written with the help of MÖTLEY CRÜE historian/author Paul Miles. Corabi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been pretty quiet, to be honest with you. As with anything else in the entertainment industry, everybody talks about it in the beginning and then it just kind of [falls into the background]. But it's still selling well. It's not gonna be on any New York Times bestseller list, but I still get compliments on it. People still come up and ask me to sign it. And it's just one more thing that I can put on my résumé. Hopefully, I think the audiobook and the paperback are coming out soon. So we'll see. But I'm just happy we did it. It's out there. It's out in the ethos, man. People can check it out. So it's all good."

Two years ago, Corabi told Australia's May The Rock Be With You about the writing process for "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades": "It was tedious. I wrote it with a guy from Melbourne [in Australia], Paul Miles. He was very thorough with his research, and we kind of conducted it like an interview. And then he put it in like a transcript form and then sent it to me and then I went through it and I crisscrossed things off and then I rewrote things and then I sent it back. And we did this — God — eight or nine times. So it was very tedious, but it was also… It was good and bad. There was very cool moments in the book where I was kind of happy and I kind of relived that while I was reading it. And then there was other moments where it was, like, oh my God. Leaving MÖTLEY, the lawsuit, divorces… And I was just going through some of the insanity. A couple of times I had to walk away from it, go make myself a coffee or a tea and then come back and get back into it. And I'm, like, 'Oh my God. I'm getting a fucking stomach ache over this.' But at the same time, I think it was a bit cleansing as well. So it was cool — definitely an overall positive experience."

Asked if "Horseshoes And Hand Grenades" covers his time with MÖTLEY CRÜE in great detail, Corabi said: "I really tried to make the book not about any of the people that I was in the bands with or any of the women that I was married to. It's more like what I was going through mentally and physically going from a pauper to joining MÖTLEY CRÜE — the excitement, all those things. And then also how I felt when I was leaving the band or going through a divorce or whatever. So it's really kind of more an in-depth look into me trying to process everything and how I was feeling while all of this shit was happening. And we go all the way back to the very beginning — like birth. So the book is long; you definitely get your money's worth with the book. Everybody that's read it so far is pretty pleased. They're, like, 'It's a great read. It goes into depth.' And, again, it wasn't written to throw anybody under the bus. I'm just being as truthful as possible. And hopefully, I keep my fingers crossed that I don't piss anybody off."

Corabi joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for the group's original singer, Vince Neil, who was dismissed due to personal differences. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart. When Neil returned to the fold in 1997, Corabi was left on his own and formed the band UNION with ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

In 2021, Corabi told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about his book: "It goes all the way back to, obviously, me being born, but it talks about my parents. My grandparents were first-generation Italians from the Calabria section of Italy. My mother's side of the family, I talk about them. It talks about me being born, my childhood being very kind of 'Wonder Years' — whatever — and then just it completely derailing and falling apart. And it goes into everything. There's a lot of things that fans don't know about me — some of my marriages. It talks about, again, my youth, childhood. I dive into the Uncle Jack stories.

"Basically, the book is really kind of a testament to [the fact that] I knew at a very young age that I wanted to do what I'm doing for a living," he continued. "Now, has it panned out the way that the magazines, the articles — you know, Learjets, limousines and all that other stuff? Probably not. But I'm still pushing forward, still trying to find my slice of the pie. But it's really kind of a testament to perseverance. And it goes right from the time I took my first breath to maybe [2019 or 2020]."

When asked in an interview with 80's Glam Metalcast if he is concerned at all about what his former bandmates will think about his book, Corabi responded: "To be honest with you, I don't really think that I'm telling anybody anything that they didn't already know. What the book really kind of goes through is me joining the band, being in the band, leaving the band, and it really kind of explains my mental state. Obviously, the MÖTLEY thing, all of it's been so publicized with [the band biography] 'The Dirt' and just interviews and different things like that. I'm just explaining how I was feeling while certain things were happening and how I feel like I fit with the band but I never really did. So I'm kind of talking about my mental state through the whole thing. So I don't really think I'm saying anything that will surprise anybody. And to be honest with you, and I don't mean this to sound weird, but I don't really care what those guys think... The minute they told me they were bringing Vince back, I walked away from it and I kind of accepted everything. It's not me who keeps bringing it up. I'm still writing new music. I've done — in the last 10 years, between my solo records and the records I did with THE [DEAD] DAISIES and the new music that I'm doing, I think I've done five or six records. So I'm past it, I'm over it, I don't even think about it.

"Paul talked to me about doing a book, which I really didn't want to do in the beginning," he continued. "But he said, 'You know what, dude? You're just one of these guys that, like, even though you kind of had a few chapters in 'The Dirt', you're largely a mystery. There's not a lot of stuff that people know about you. And I think your story is pretty fascinating.' So I was, like, 'Okay. Whatever. We'll do the book.'

"It's not a tell-all book about any band that I've been in; it's not a tell-all book about any of my marriages; it's basically a tell-all book about John Corabi from the minute I took my first breath till about a year ago or six months ago," he explained. "I have an ex-wife or two that it might piss off, and I don't give a shit about them either. So, whatever… [The book] is about perseverance and it talks about my life from the beginning to now. And the title is just about somebody that's been close a lot. It's a book about a guy that's been in all the right places but at all the wrong times. So it's pretty cool. It's fun."

Corabi went on to say that he doesn't hold a grudge against any of the guys in MÖTLEY CRÜE. "Honestly, it may not seem it, but I don't have any issues with the guys in MÖTLEY at all," he said. "I love those guys. I don't know why Nikki's [Sixx, CRÜE bassist] had a hair up his ass for the last couple of years about me; I couldn't tell you why. I don't know. I don't care. My only beef with those guys was I really wish they would have just left me out of ['The Dirt' biopic]. I really felt like — I don't know if it was intentional, if it wasn't intentional, but I really felt like my portrayal in the movie just made me look like a complete fucking babbling moron. And they also made it look like we were playing in high school gymnasiums to 10 people. Obviously, it wasn't great — we all know that; it's common knowledge — but the attendance wasn't that bad; not as bad as they made it look. So I wish they would would have just left me out of the movie altogether and whatever. But it is what it is. I don't care. I'm over it."

In February 2018, Corabi released a live album of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 self-titled album, recorded on October 27, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. "Live '94: One Night In Nashville" documents the album in its entirety along with the bonus track "10,000 Miles", which was originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the "Quaternary" EP.

Extreme Management Group (EMG) Senior Artist Manager Damien Mitchell would like to introduce and welcome, hailing from, Boys Town USA, genera-melting, melodic, jazz-infused groove, mood and atmosphere inducing, death metal masters, DieHumane, to the EMG roster!


DieHumane, features an all-star line-up of serious heavy hitters: formerly of Anova Skyway, vocalist Garret West, legendary Exodus guitarist, Rick Hunolt, videographer Joshua Vargas on bass, rhythm guitars, piano, and programming, as well as Greg Hilligiest on keys and programming.


Having released their full-length album, The Grotesque, in 2023, on legendary producer Ulrich Wilde's label Wurmroup, DieHumane has now partnered with Extreme Management Group and is debuting a brand new video alongside their single, “Stardust Blues", the final single from The Grotesque.







Commenting on their new video / single: "This is the last music video from The Grotesque. It’s actually the first one we shot, but fits in nicely with the visual and artistic aesthetic established for The Grotesque." 


Commenting on the future, Josh Vargas had this to say: "We recently recorded new songs with some guest vocalists for a yet-to-be-titled EP. We’ve got Chuck Billy of Testament, and former Mushroomhead vocalist, Jeffrey Nothing. Will Hunt from Evanescence plays drums on the upcoming tracks. We have a lot of stuff coming up. We've recorded some collab tracks for an EP. We're getting ready to start playing live next year. We honestly haven't ever really stopped recording. There's a lot going on that we can't speak on just yet. The new stuff we've been recording perfectly picks up where the record left off, but has a heavier edge to it and is even more abstract."


Commenting on the partnership with EMG, the band had this to say: "Good managers are one thing, but a manager that’s willing to work with a band and truly assist them in realizing their artistic vision is a whole other. EMG’s commitment to the latter is exactly why we’re here. DieHumane at its foundation is all about doing something with its own artistic fingerprint, whether it’s musically, visually, or our approach to playing live. We believe EMG is the perfect home for us."


EMG Senior Artist Manager Damien Mitchell states: “Excited is an understatement about the opportunity to work with, DieHumane! Working with an all-star band of this caliber is a real ‘pinch-me-is-this-really-happening,’ kind-of-moment in my career. DieHumane wrote an album that feels like a mental breakdown and ends with a glimmer of hope. Their lyrics tackle issues such as loss and isolation during the backdrop of the pandemic, that is where The Grotesque as a concept album thematically came from, so I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish together!”


DieHumane is an absolute must for fans of Paradise Lost, A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails. This is a band that swims about as far away from the other fish as it gets. Imagine if Celtic Frost got into a car crash with Nine Inch Nails and Type O Negative while listening to Pink Floyd on the radio, and that crash sent them barreling down a hill to plow through a jazz band that was playing in the parking lot of a Gojira concert. That's DieHumane! DieHumane is heavily rooted in mood and atmosphere, from the brooding to the cathartic, from the hopeless to hopeful. Love them or hate them, it's a musical ride that you can only get from them!"


The Grotesque artwork and tracklisting:





"The Executively Dysfunctional"
"King Of Nothing (The Bruiser)"
"Standing At The Edge Of Forever"
"Shell Shock"
"The Death Knell"
"Epitaph"
"Oblivion"
"The Vanishing"
"Ghosts"
"Aphasia"
"Nevermind"
"Crossroads"
"The Descent"
"The Devil Sings"
"Sparrows"
"Skeletons"
"Stardust Blues"











 

Kalamity Kills, the electrifying force behind the Billboard-charting sensation "The Chemistry Of Meant To Be", ignites the music scene once again with the release of a stunning reimagined version of their acclaimed track. Titled "The Chemistry Of Meant To Be (Reimagined)", this revamped rendition promises to captivate audiences with its soul-stirring melodies and innovative arrangement.





Scheduled for release on Friday, May 31, the track will be available for streaming on all major platforms. Notably, this fresh interpretation boasts not one, but two scintillating guitar solos – one acoustic and one electric – courtesy of none other than Jamey Perrenot, a distinguished alumnus of Taylor Swift's musical entourage, who also lent his prodigious production skills to the project.




Reflecting on the creative process behind the transformation, Kalamity Kills lead vocalist Jamie Rowe shares, "I had heard that if you change a song to a minor key, sing the lyrics in past tense, and slow it down, you'll find a melancholy gem in almost any song. I think we proved that here." Indeed, this reinvented version promises to uncover new depths of emotion within the beloved original, promising listeners an immersive sonic experience like never before.





This release comes on the heels of Kalamity Kills' highly successful debut album, simply titled Kalamity Kills, which soared past the 1 million streams milestone on Spotify since its September launch last year. With "The Chemistry Of Meant To Be (Reimagined)," Kalamity Kills continues to solidify their status in the hard music scene, pushing boundaries and enchanting audiences with their creativity.

Technical death metal quintet, Cognitive, has unleashed a guitar playthrough video for “Insidious”. The  track comes by way of the band’s Abhorrence full-length, released earlier this month via Metal Blade Records. Watch below:





Abhorrence finds the New Jersey powerhouse at their brutal best. Abhorrence carries on band tradition with its a maniacal fusion of relentless riffs and thoughtful, devastating lyrics making for a raging, draining, and ultimately fulfilling experience.




An exercise in aural turbulence, each track on Abhorrence takes its listener on a magnificently traumatic journey. “Our lyrics for this record are all over the place,” notes guitarist Rob Wharton. “There’s some stuff about video games and addiction and mental health. To me, that’s the kind of subject matter that hits home because everyone’s got stuff going on in their lives. It’s relatable.”


Comments Wharton on “Insidious,” “A finger-fancy opening soon leads to slam-heavy grooves and well-articulated vocals, with lyrics about addiction, and a chorus/breakdown that always comes back for more.”


Order here.





Abhorrence tracklisting:


"Abhorrence"
"Insidious"
"A Pact Unholy"
"Ivory Tower"
"As The Light Fades"
"Savor The Suffering"
"Containment Breach"
"Rorschach"
"Lunar Psychopathy"
"Cold Dead Hands"


"Insidious" video:





"A Pact Unholy" video:





"Abhorrence" video:





Cognitive is:


Rob Wharton - guitars
Harry Lannon - guitars
Shane Jost - vocals
Tyler Capone-Vitale - bass
AJ Viana - drums


(Photo - Chris Hosey)

As the frontman of legendary Swedish maniacs Nifelheim, Hellbutcher stands among the most elite figures of the black metal underground, and with his eponymous new band, Hellbutcher, his frenzied mission continues conjuring sounds of pure blasphemy and absolute musical Armageddon. Nothing less than total metal devastation will do.


Following the end of Nifelheim, who played their final show in late 2022, Hellbutcher wasted no time in forging forward. Teaming up with old compadres in evil, guitarists Necrophiliac and Iron Beast, bassist Eld, and drummer Devastator (ex-Nifelheim), Hellbutcher quickly set about bringing their new vision to life.


Together, they had quickly amassed enough material to record their raging, hellish, self-titled debut album, set for release Friday, May 31 through Metal Blade Records. The album can be streaming in its entirety below.




Recording in various locations around Sweden, such as Devastator's own Red And Black Hall Drum Studio and Iron Beast's Chrome Studios, and producing and mastering everything themselves - "No need for an outside producer since we knew exactly how our band should sound" - it is a record that stands proud and unambiguous as a work or pure, metallic mayhem.


From the album's opener, the crazed "The Sword Of Wrath," Hellbutcher's intent is loud and clear: Channeling the spirit of Venom, Bathory, Iron Maiden, Exciter, Motörhead, Mercyful Fate, and the aggressive spirit of true heavy metal. It's an explosion of diabolic evil, performed relentlessly by true masters of the form.


With an enviable musical pedigree and a killer album to their name, Hellbutcher are certain to scorch a mark onto the black metal scene. The man himself believes this could be even more devastating than his previous output. "I believe this band has the potential to surpass Nifelheim; we've accomplished more in a year than I did in the last decade with Nifelheim," Hellbutcher states. "The key difference lies in the fact that this band shares a common goal. I am now filled with tremendous inspiration, and I plan to create new songs, records, and gigs at a completely different pace than before."


Insisting in so many words that posers should die, and promising that their live shows "will be a neck-breaking experience," the underground is about to be hit with an outbreak of evil unlike anything it has seen for a long time. Time to turn the cross upside down: Hellbutcher is here, and they mean evil business.





Hellbutcher will be released on May 31 digitally and in the following physical formats and special editions:


- Jewel Case (EU + US)
- "Metal" Vinyl (EU + US)
- Special Edition (EU - CD, DVD, Patch)
- Special Edition (EU - LP, DVD, Patch) Orange Yellow Marbled Vinyl
- 180g Black Vinyl
- Ash Grey Smoke Vinyl (EU - Ltd. 300, Sound Pollution excl.)
- Blood Stained Ice Splatter Vinyl (EU - Ltd. 300)
- Red "Black Dust" Vinyl (EU - Ltd. 200, Sweden Rock Mag excl.)


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Sword Of Wrath"
"Perdition"
"Violent Destruction"
"Hordes Of The Horned God"
"Death's Rider"
"Possessed By The Devil's Flames"
"Satan's Power"
"Inferno's Rage"


Album stream:





"Hordes Of The Horned God":





"The Sword Of Wrath" video:





Unboxing video:





Hellbutcher lineup:


Hellbutcher - vocals
Necrophiliac - guitars
Devastator - drums
Eld - bass
Iron Beast - guitars


(Photo - Soile Siirtola)

"Ride The Flatline" is the latest single from Cleveland death metal outfit, 200 Stab Wounds. The punishing new track comes off the band's Manual Manic Procedures full-length, set for release on June 28 via Metal Blade Records.


A superlative sophomore effort that follows their tour de force debut, 2021's Slave To The Scalpel, Manual Manic Procedures is a brutal slab of old-school death metal with a contemporary edge. Not for the faint-hearted, the record may well be the album that puts classic gore-themed ferocity back into the metal community's collective consciousness.


The album's penultimate track, "Ride The Flatline", is a [bassist] Ezra Cook-penned song inspired by a chemical spill in the Ohio River after a train derailed. Vocalist/guitarist Steve Buhl further elaborates, "All the crazy chemicals caught fire. The Ohio River goes into Lake Erie, which is where our water supply is. So the song comes from that really. But obviously, we put a little bit of animation into it, with someone getting run over by a train in the process and fucking exploding and shit."







Slave To The Scalpel saw 200 Stab Wounds insinuate themselves into the minds of extreme metal fans. Manual Manic Procedures sees the band upping the ante both musically and lyrically.


The album's artwork -- graphically depicting radical surgery on somebody who may or may not be conscious -- is an immediate indicator of what this record is all about. No punches pulled, no holds barred, just blood-soaked death metal.


The songs on Manual Manic Procedures are not safe for work - perhaps unsafe most anywhere. But that's its dark charm in a world where even heavy music can play it too safely. 200 Stab Wounds have crafted Manual Manic Procedures for themselves and like-minded brethren: thrill-seekers, carnage cravers, horror fans, and aficionados of the most extreme metal. Above all, 200 Stab Wounds created a future death metal classic.





Manual Manic Procedures, which was produced and mixed by Andy Nelson and mastered by Brad Boatwright, will be available on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:


Disfigured Face (US)
Septic Remain (US)
Liquefied (US)
180g Black (EU)
Dark Liver (EU - Ltd. 400)
Seaweed (EU - Ltd. 300)
Blood Red Black Splatter (EU - Evil Greed Exclusive. Ltd. 300)


Pre-order at metalblade.com.





Tracklisting:


“Hands Of Eternity”
“Gross Abuse”
“Manual Manic Procedures”
“Release The Stench”
“Led To The Chamber / Liquified”
“Flesh From Within”
“Defiled Gestation”
“Ride The Flatline”
“Parricide”


“Hands Of Eternity”:





(Photo – Bailey Olinger)

West coast metal veterans, Metal Church, will release The Final Sermon (Live In Japan 2019) via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe) on July 26.


Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof, this Special Edition live release features one of the final recorded performances of Mike Howe with Metal Church, which took place over two nights at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan during their 2019 "Damned If You Do" Tour.


Kurdt Vanderhoof comments, “We recorded these two shows in Japan with the intention of Mike entering the studio to polish-up any inconsistencies and/or to re-track anything that didn’t come out correctly, but he never got the chance. First the pandemic hit, and then of course his tragic passing, so what you are hearing is exactly what the audience heard that night, Mike giving it his all, live and uncensored! This album not only commemorates our 2019 Damned If You Do tour, but also pays homage to our friend and brother's legacy. The album will arrive on the 3rd Anniversary of his passing, and it is our hope that Mike will continue to be remembered for the music and love he brought to the world."




Pre-order the album in various configurations via the North America Store and Euro Store.





Tracklisting:


"Damned If You Do"
"Needle And Suture"
"Fake Healer"
"In Mourning"
"Human Factor"
"Date With Poverty"
"The Black Things"
"Gods Of A Second Chance"
"Start The Fire"
"Watch The Children Pray"
"Beyond The Black"
"By The Numbers"
"No Friend Of Mine"
"Badlands "


Bonus Tracks (CD and digital):


"Agent Green"
"Anthem To The Estranged"

Powerhouse vocalist James Durbin's band, Durbin, have released a video for "The Worshipper - 1897", featured on the band's new album, Screaming Steel, released back in February via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the clip below:





James Durbin's journey into the music industry gained widespread attention during his appearance on Season 10 of American Idol, where he fearlessly championed heavy metal. On the finale, he shared the stage with legendary metal icons Judas Priest for unforgettable renditions of "Livin' After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law."




Throughout his career, Durbin has collaborated with an impressive array of musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Don Was, Zakk Wylde, Sheryl Crow, Tom Jones, Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe, Bob Babbitt of The Funk Brothers, and Steel Panther, among others.


Order Screaming Steel here.





Screaming Steel tracklisting:


"Made Of Metal"
"Screaming Steel"
"Where They Stand"
"Hallows"
"Power Of The Reaper"
"Blazing High"
"Beyond The Night"
"The Worshipper - 1897"
"Tear Them Down"
"Rebirth"
"Power Of The Reaper" (Acoustic Version) Bonus Track Japan


"Hallows" video:





"Screaming Steel" video:





- Produced By : Aldo Lonobile
- Recorded By: Aldo Lonobile, Eric J Peterson & James Durbin
- Mixed By: Aldo Lonobile
- Mastered By: Aldo Lonobile


Band members:


Vocals - James Durbin (USA)
Guitars - Aldo Lonobile (Italy)
Guitars - Luca Birotto (Italy)
Bass – Mike Roberts (USA)
Drums – Marco Sacchetto (Italy)


Solos:


“Blazing High” & “Hallows” - Jadran “Conan” Gonzales (USA)
“Tear Them Down” - Taylor Washington (USA)
“Power Of The Reaper” - Jon Yadon Jr. (USA)
“Screaming Steel” & “Made Of Metal” - Dylan Rose (USA)
“Blazing High” & “Beyond The Night” – Moksha (USA)
“Where They Stand” - Aldo Lonobile (Italy)

Former ACCEPT guitarist Herman Frank says that it was " a good move" for him to leave the band nearly a decade ago.

Herman joined ACCEPT in 1982 shortly before the release of the band's "Restless And Wild" album and exited the group for the first time after the arrival of 1983's "Balls To The Wall" LP. When ACCEPT reunited for festival appearances in 2005, Herman handled second-guitar duties alongside founding axeman Wolf Hoffmann, with Stefan Schwarzmann sitting behind the kit. Frank and Schwarzmann were involved in ACCEPT's comeback with singer Mark Tornillo and appeared on the reunited group's first three studio albums: 2010's "Blood of the Nations", 2012's "Stalingrad" and 2014's "Blind Rage".

Looking back on his December 2014 decision to leave ACCEPT, Frank told Into The Pit in a new interview: "If you enter the last third of your life, I guess it's time to do whatever you wanna do. And it started with composing own songs, creating own songs, playing leads and stuff like that. And I missed this a lot in the years of ACCEPT. I had fun. I was touring around the world — thank you for that — but in the end, if you're infected by music, then you wanna do it by yourself. And nowadays, I still say to myself it was a good move. It was just time to leave this, to leave ACCEPT."

Referencing the fact that ACCEPT's lineup has been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently, Herman said: "I wish them all the best, but nowadays they need three or four guitar players to do what I've done with Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist and leader] as twin lead players, and it's a shame, man. I still don't get it."

Two and a half years ago, Herman was asked in an interview with "The Rock Is George" podcast if he could ever see himself going back to ACCEPT. He said: "Never say never. It's a small world, and it's a crazy world. You never know what's gonna happen. I mean, HELLOWEEN did this nice reunion with three singers and, I guess, hundreds of guitar players or whatever [laughs] — three bass players and five drummers. [Laughs]

"I mean, it would be a great thing," he continued. "Once in a while, a couple of people start thinking about this — doing a reunion with [original ACCEPT singer] Udo [Dirkschneider] and Mark Tornillo and a couple of guitar players and maybe two bass players or whatever.

"You never say never. Actually, right now I'm concentrating on my own thing, and I guess Wolf Hoffmann is concentrating on his ACCEPT."

Back in 2016, Herman told All That Shreds that his most recent departure from ACCEPT came about because "it was just time to leave the band. Let's put it this way: I wanted to do music the way I started to. I wanted to have my own band. I wanted my own music and just wanted to just play my own leads. Not to follow somebody's guitar. I was getting too old for it. It's fine to be a backup, but after a couple of years, it's time for a different thing."

Asked how it was different playing with Tornillo after performing with Dirkschneider during the band's early years, Herman told All That Shreds: "Mark is a really nice guy and really promising. It's kind of a different voice and Mark really doubles Udo in his personal way. I prefer the style of Udo's singing. He is original ACCEPT. There is this voice sticking in your head. On the new songs, which Mark sings for the first time in ACCEPT, it's a different character, but it's very good. You can't compare them, really. They are a match for certain things, but they are quite different people. I do like them both. I couldn't have the decision which one I would prefer. It would have been great if they would put a couple of albums with Udo and Mark together. That would be awesome."

Frank and former ACCEPT singer David Reece recently joined forces in a new band called IRON ALLIES.

Frank's fifth solo album, "Two For A Lie", was released in May 2021 via AFM Records.

Photo credit: Kai Swillus

Northeast based agents of terror, Vomit Forth, are driven to create the most visceral death metal the world has ever experienced. Formed in 2017, the band set out to champion their influences from Internal Bleeding and Suffocation to Deicide, while eschewing the overall genre expectations of death metal at the time. Today, the band is proud to share "Blood Soaked Death Dream”, a brutal new single and harbinger of things to come.


"Blood Soaked Death Dream” is a relentless masterclass in darkness. Clocking in at 2:48 of pure brutality, the song hits hard with churning riffs and a guttural vocal that is as anguished as it is angry. The riffs swirl around the fuzzed out bass, both technically impressive while being effortlessly punishing. The track conveys a message of nihilism and despair that fits into the band’s history of creating music that evokes terror in new and beautiful ways within each song. The official video serves as a visual extension of the hellish nature of the song, merging grainy VHS footage of vocalist Kane into bloody demonic imagery and scenes of human sacrifice and gore.







On the single, the band shares: “‘Blood Soaked Death Dream’ is about how humans are almost parasitic and self hating in nature. We see other people as opportunities and when people see us as an opportunity we feel anger towards them. It’s kind of a walk through that spiritual journey and how we wish we weren’t like that but we are, and as a result there’s an inherent desire to destroy ourselves and everyone around us. In a Blood Soaked Death Dream."


You can watch the video for "Blood Soaked Death Dream” below, and stream the single here.





Vomit Forth broke out in 2018 with their demo, catching the attention of Maggot Stomp, who packaged the offering plus two additional songs into the band's debut LP Northeastern Deprivation. The band followed it in 2022, joining Century Media Records to release their sophomore album Seething Malevolence. The lauded record demonstrated the band’s dedication to a truly terrifying and singular brand of death metal. Throughout it all, Vomit Forth kept an extensive tour schedule, sharing the road with Cattle Decapitation, Gate To Hell, 200 Stab Wounds, Pain Of Truth, and more.


Vomit Forth has an unabashed goal to make “the most unsettling, brutal and scary death metal record of all time.” Based on their latest release, it’s clear that this precipice is within reach.


Vomit Forth is Kane (vocals), Jett (bass), Bailey (guitar) and Luke (drums).


(Photo - Fin Geiger)

Thin Lizzy classic, "Whiskey In The Jar", has received its first official music video, more than 50 years after its initial release.


"Whiskey In The Jar", one of the most recognizable rock songs of the 70s, started out with Phil Lynott messing around in Thin Lizzy’s rehearsal studio, as he started busking the old Irish folk song "Whiskey In The Jar", which dates back to the 1700s. Their then manager remarked upon it and insisted that the band record it, against their gut instincts. The single was released in November 1972 and rose to #6 on the UK singles chart. However, the song didn’t sit well with the band, and despite its success, they left it off their forthcoming album.


Since then, the song, in arrangements influenced by the Lizzy version, has gone on to be covered by artists such as U2, Metallica, Belle & Sebastian, The Pogues, Pulp, Bryan Adams, Gary Moore and Simple Minds.




After a two-year struggle for recognition, Thin Lizzy had finally scored a breakthrough hit. It paved the way for the Vagabonds Of The Western World album, the sound of nascent Lizzy finally finding their feet and starting on their journey to be one of the greatest rock bands of the 70s and for Philip to be recognized as one of the best songwriters of his generation.


Thin Lizzy founding member tells Hot Press: "The way it came about was very strange. We were rehearsing upstairs in this pub and we couldn’t get any inspiration. I was actually reading a book I was so bored. Then Phil picked up a Fender Telecaster and started singing all these Irish songs. He was doing, ‘Wild Rover’ and stuff like that, just for a laugh. I’m just thinking, ‘When are we going home?’


"Then Phil started on ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ and I picked up my guitar and played along. Our manager, Ted Carroll, who had come in with a new amp for me to try out, asked what was that song we were playing. Phil said we were only messing about, but it was ‘Whiskey In The Jar’. Ted then said, ‘Have you got a single yet?’ and we said, ‘Yeah, ‘Black Boys On The Corner’ So he said, ‘Why not put ‘Whiskey…’ on the B-side?’


"Anyway, we recorded it – that was the biggest challenge of my life – I didn’t know how to approach it as it was an Irish ballad. We were used to doing rock and blues, not Irish ballads. Myself and Philip played acoustic guitars on it and after that was finished they all looked at me and said, ‘What are you going to do?’"


Read more at Hot Press, and watch the new video below:





To celebrate Vagabonds Of The Western World’s golden anniversary, deluxe CD and LP sets featuring rarities, radio sessions, unreleased music, rare photos, extensive sleevenotes by Mark Blake, and memorabilia were released back in November. The reissue suite also includes the album remixed in Dolby Atmos, a first for any Thin Lizzy record.


Order here.





Vagabonds Of The Western World 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition tracklisting:


CD1 - Vagabonds Of The Western World
"Mama Nature Said"
"The Hero And The Madman"
"Slow Blues"
"The Rocker"
"Vagabond Of The Western World"
"Little Girl In Bloom"
"Gonna Creep Up On You"
"A Song For While I’m Away"
"Whiskey In The Jar"
"Black Boys On The Corner" (Single B-Side)
"Randolph’s Tango" (Single A-Side)
"Broken Dreams" (Single B-Side)
"The Rocker" (Single A-Side edit)
"Here I Go Again" (Single B-Side)
"A Ride In The Lizzymobile" (Single B- Side)


CD2 - Radio Sessions


John Peel Session November 28, 1972
"Whiskey In The Jar"
"Suicide"
"Black Boys On The Corner"


RTE Radio Eireann Session
"1969 Rock Suicide"
"Broken Dreams"
"Eddie’s Blues/Blue Shadows"


John Peel Session August 7, 1973
"Vagabond of the Western World"
"Gonna Creep Up On You"
"Little Girl in Bloom"


John Peel Session August 16, 1973
"Randolph’s Tango"
"The Rocker"
"Slow Blues"


Bob Harris Session September 17, 1973
"Randolph’s Tango"
"Little Girl in Bloom"
"The Rocker"


CD3 - Live, Rarities, Demos & Outtakes


Radio One In Concert Paris Theatre July 26, 1973
"The Rocker"
"Thing’s Ain’t Working Out Down At The Farm"
"Slow Blues"
"Gonna Creep Up On You"
"Suicide"


"The Rocker" (Take 1 Instrumental)
"Little Girl In Bloom" (Take 3)
"Gonna Creep Up On You" (Take 2 Instrumental)
"Slow Blues" (Take 2 Instrumental)
"Here I Go Again "(Extended Version)
"Suicide" (gtr Needles And Pins Jam) (Lynott)
"Whiskey In The Jar" (Alternate Mix Extended Version)
"Black Boys On The Corner" (Alternate Mix)
"Gonna Creep Up On You" (Acetate)
"Baby’s Been Messin’" (Acetate)


Blu-Ray: Vagabonds Of The Western World


Atmos Mix / 5.1 Mix / Stereo Mix
"Mama Nature Said"
"The Hero And The Madman"
"Slow Blues"
"The Rocker"
"Vagabond Of The Western World"
"Little Girl In Bloom"
"Gonna Creep Up On You"
"A Song For While I’m Away"


Bonus Atmos Mixes
"Whiskey In Jar" (Single A-Side)
"Black Boys On The Corner" (Single B-Side)
"Randolph’s Tango" (Single A-Side)
"Broken Dreams" (Single B-Side)
"The Rocker" (Single A-Side Edit)
"Here I Go Again" (Single B-Side)
"A Ride In The Lizzymobile" (Single B-Side)
"Whiskey In The Jar" (Full Version)


"The Rocker" (Single Edit):

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "Of Wolf And Man" at the kick-off show of the 2024 leg of the band's "M72" tour on May 24 at Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany can be seen below.

In support of METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", the band has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows in each city— first in Europe , then in North America and now back in Europe — as part of the "M72" tour. Each concert sees METALLICA performing on a massive ring-shaped stage, with the Snake Pit in the center, and four drum sets which are equally spaced out around the circular stage so drummer Lars Ulrich can get closer to the audience at various points in the show.

In Munich, METALLICA opened the show with "Whiplash" and continued with "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Of Wolf And Man". The band also performed classic tracks like "The Memory Remains", "Fade To Black", "Nothing Else Matters" and "Master Of Puppets", as well as three songs from "72 Seasons": "Lux Æterna", "Too Far Gone?" and "Shadows Follow".

The setlist was as follows:

01. Whiplash
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Of Wolf And Man
04. The Memory Remains
05. Lux Æterna
06. Too Far Gone?
07. Fade To Black
08. Shadows Follow
09. Orion
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Sad But True
12. The Day That Never Comes
13. Hardwired
14. Fuel
15. Seek & Destroy
16. Master Of Puppets

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke about his mindset going into the 2024 leg of "M72", telling "The Metallica Report":  "What I'm going into is unknown. I know how big the stage is. I know we have breaks here and there. I know what we're walking into. When we first started with this, with the 'M72' stage, in the round in the stadium, from between setting up cones, walking around thinking, 'Oh, this is how big the stage is gonna be.' 'Oh, this is cool.' 'This'll be great.' 'This is too skinny,' and this and that. And then, between that time and then actually seeing it built, where it's kind of too late, 'Oh shit, this thing is so big.' The anxiety level was off the charts at the beginning of the 'M72' tour. Like, how are we gonna cover this stage? And, of course, my ego saying, 'Well, the other guys don't have to sing. They don't have to run over there. They don't have to do all this. And no one knows the woes I have and all the worries.' But as soon as I share them with the other guys, they're, like, 'Yeah, but I got this and I got this.' It's like, 'Oh, okay. Okay. I want mine back. That's okay.' So it's a known. We know what we're up against and we know what shape we need to be in. And it's just fun. Now it's just fun. We broke that stage in. It's well trodden on and it's worked fantastically. And so we just get to step back into it and do what we do best."

Asked if there have been any modifications to the "M72" stage at all since the 2023 shows, Hetfield said: "There have been a few things here and there that have changed — extra microphones, whatever monitors that we need. And that's typical on any stage, though. The lighting tends to show things that you don't see before: 'Yeah, we need to drape that off' or whatever it may be, just things to make it better. Just like anything we do, you wanna improve on it. So that that was the first couple months of the first touring with the 'M72' stage."

Regarding how he prepares for a METALLICA tour, especially when it comes to performing around 32 songs at each stop on the ongoing "M72" trek, Hetfield said: "Obviously, before heading out on tour, sitting there, trying to remember the myriad of pretty awesome songs we have, and then just trusting that once we get together, it's, like, 'Oh, yeah.' It's muscle memory. But, yeah, over the last month, I will say that the normal thing happens where I start to doubt myself. I start to feel insecure that, 'Whoa, we're old. We can't do this,' and blah, blah, blah, all that bullshit that everyone tells themselves before they go into something that they care about and is important. So having the nightmares of, 'I'm the only one who cares about what we're doing here. Where is everybody?' I show up at the gig. Everyone's goofing off or there's 200 people backstage. And where's my stuff? Where's the setlist? What songs are we doing? And then typical things like the guitar neck is made of rubber, and there's only two strings on it. And where's my roadie? And the guitar cord won't let me get to the microphone. You know, silly stuff like that that has to happen, and I don't freak out over it. All you do is you practice and that comes back pretty quickly."

After Munich, METALLICA will continue touring throughout Europe for the first part of summer, with stops in Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, France and Poland, among others. Another round of North American dates will begin on August 2 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with stops in Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle and Edmonton. METALLICA will close out the 2024 touring season with four shows in Mexico City at the end of September.

According to Billboard, METALLICA's production travels in 87 trucks — 45 for the band and its setup, plus two groups of 21 each for the steel stage and towers. There are 130 people in the band's crew, plus 40 steelworkers, local hires and truck drivers.

METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert attend both shows.

The "M72" tour launched in late April 2023 in Amsterdam.

Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.

A portion of proceeds from the shows go to METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, which seeks to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band and combat food insecurity; provides disaster relief; and bestows scholarships.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, LIVING COLOUR singer Corey Glover was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2017's "Shade" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're still in the writing stage. I think we're in search of a voice at this point. I think it's important that we have something to say that's sort of poignant, particularly in and around this time. If everything was right, this record would have come out this year. But I think scheduling was not in our favor. But I don't think the world is going to change significantly. And if it does, we'll talk about it. But for the most part, we're trying to figure out what our mission statement is for this. And we're writing it in that regard to sort of jumpstart that process."

Last September, Corey expressed hope that LIVING COLOUR would have some new music ready to release soon. He told May The Rock Be With You at the time: "We really, really take our time making records, because when you have musicians of the caliber of Vernon [Reid, guitar] and Will [Calhoun, drums] and Doug [Wimbish, bass] — and myself, I guess — we get kind of precious about our thing. We want it to be right. We want it to be exactly the way we want it to be as it occurs, what it is and how it is. So it takes a minute."

He continued: "Making records is simpler technically, but a lot more difficult in terms of living your life. We're a lot older. We've got a lot more responsibilities. We've got kids. We've got college. We've got high school. You've got all this other stuff that you gotta think about — and write a song. [Laughs] So it's a two-sided coin in terms of having the wherewithal to make music and live the rest of your life."

Asked what the process is like writing music in 2023 compared to, say, 1988, Corey said: "Well, you can get the information out to people a lot quicker. You can say, 'I've got this groove.' Back in the day, you played it on the phone or you made a recording, and then you physically brought it to them. Now I can hum a thing on my phone and say, 'Here. I'm sending this to you. What can you do with this?' And then they send me something back, and we can go back and forth with that in real time as it occurs. And that makes the process that much simpler."

LIVING COLOUR disbanded in 1995 but reunited in 2000. (Original bassist Muzz Skillings left the group in 1992 and was replaced by Doug Wimbish.)

In June 2020, LIVING COLOUR released a video for its classic song "This Is The Life" featuring footage of the peaceful protests that swelled across the U.S. and around the world over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. The original version of "This Is The Life" appeared on LIVING COLOUR's 1990 album "Time's Up".

"Shade" was released in September 2017 via Megaforce Records.

Glover and ADRENALINE MOB guitarist Mike Orlando recently launched a new project called SONIC UNIVERSE. The group, whose lineup is completed by bassist Booker King and drummer Taykwuan Jackson, released its debut album, "It Is What It Is", on May 10 via earMUSIC. The 10-song effort was produced, engineered, and mixed by Orlando at his Sonic Stomp Studios.

Glover's other side projects in recent years have included some acting, touring as a member of jam band GALACTIC and, more recently, forming the jazz-rock supergroup ULTRAPHONIX with legendary DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch. Reid, for his part, has released solo albums and been involved in side projects with Masque and YOHIMBE BROTHERS; collaborated with Mick Jagger, Bill Frisell, Jack Bruce and Ronald Shannon Jackson, among many others; produced albums for Salif Keita and James Blood Ulmer; and composed film scores.

Image credit: Dennis Justus

THE OFFSPRING has shared professionally filmed video of Ed Sheeran's performance with the band.

The pop superstar joined the punk rock veterans during their set at BottleRock Napa Valley Festival at the Napa Valley Expo in Northern California on May 26 to perform "Million Miles Away".

Prior to launching into "Million Miles Away", a song from THE OFFSPRING's 2000 album "Conspiracy Of One", which the group had not played live since 2016, THE OFFSPRING singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland told the crowd: "Ed told us that one of our records was his first CD that he ever bought when he was a kid. That really meant a lot to us, so we thought, 'Wow, we'd love to have you come out to join us on stage.' We're gonna play one of the songs you wanted to play."

Sheeran, who performed on the main JaM Cellars Stage later in the night, then proceeded to join THE OFFSPRING on the guitar, as well as to trade verses with Holland.

Sheeran later posted a video on Instagram in which he showed off his tattoo of THE OFFSPRING's signature flaming skull logo to members Holland, guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn while backstage before the performance. They can also be seen going over "Million Miles Away" before hitting the stage to play the track.

Alongside the clip, Sheeran wrote a heartfelt message about his admiration for THE OFFSPRING.

"The first album I ever bought was the @offspring - Conspiracy of One," Sheeran revealed. "I used to pretend to be in their band in the mirror and sing along to the album when I was 9, mostly to their song Million Miles Away as it was the first song of theirs I heard. I mentioned it in an interview and Noodles / Dexter got in touch with me when we found out we were all playing the same festival, to see if I wanted to get on stage and sing it. It was an instant yes obvz. Really felt like living out a childhood dream thank you for having me up there guys. Music is a wild ride, every day I'm so grateful to be living my dream in reality. Hope you enjoy the vid x".

Sheeran is a noted rock and heavy metal fan, having recently collaborated with British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH on a song that will reportedly be released for charity.

In July 2021, Sheeran floated the possibility of exploring a more extreme musical path while speaking to The Sun. He said: "I was really into death metal as a kid. I listened to CRADLE OF FILTH and SLIPKNOT and all that stuff. I'm not saying I could ever step into that world. I learnt all those riffs on guitar as a kid. That's something I've never thought about doing — but something I would not be opposed to creating."

Sheeran had previously dabbled in a variety of genres, including rock, dance, rap and reggae.

Sheeran admitted to his love of SLIPKNOT in a 2017 interview with Gist. Speaking about the inspiration for his then-brand new album "Divide", Ed said: "I've had the concept for 'Divide' since 2010. I wanted the whole album to feel a bit schizophrenic. My first sort of music that I got into that wasn't from my parents was rap, metal, punk… I went one day listening to 'lowa' [from] SLIPKNOT and the next day listening to Damien Rice's 'O'. It was quite a switch."

As it turns out, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor is also a Sheeran admirer, as he made clear in a 2017 interview with NME. Speaking about Ed's massive commercial success, Corey said at the time: "I'm stoked for people like Ed Sheeran — that kid worked his ass off, so why shouldn't he get the recognition?"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

ATLUS today announced a mask collaboration between their upcoming RPG "Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" and legendary heavy metal band SLIPKNOT in the first of two promotional videos for the title. The collaboration in these videos will explore the common themes, visuals, and mood that SLIPKNOT and "Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" share, two iconic forces that are not just similar, but unapologetically metal.

In this first video, Jim Ojala from Ojala Productions, the group behind many of SLIPKNOT's masks, shows the process of creating three different masks based on the demons in the game. As defining visuals for both SLIPKNOT and "Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance", Jim demonstrates the design process as he and his team sculpt masks inspired by the demons Gurulu, Daemon, and Loup-Garou. Keep an eye on the ATLUS West socials and YouTube channel for the second "Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" promotional video featuring band members of SLIPKNOT.

"Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" delivers a full-fledged RPG that explores two narrative paths: the original game's Canon of Creation, or the brand-new Canon of Vengeance. This dramatic new tale of revenge introduces brand-new characters, a new area to explore, a new dungeon, more accessible gameplay, an improved battle system, new demon experiences and greater field exploration in this latest entry in the series.

"Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" will be available June 14 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam and Windows. Pre-order the title on all platforms at atlus.com/smt5v.

ATLUS delivers unforgettable, story-driven gameplay experiences to enthusiastic and dedicated fans around the globe. Established in 1986, ATLUS features a portfolio of beloved and long-running game series including "Persona", which has sold over 22 million units worldwide, and the legendary "Shin Megami Tensei". ATLUS games are published in the west by SEGA Of America, Inc. with its principal office in Irvine, California.

During an appearance on the May 28 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler was asked about Ozzy Osbourne's recent comment that he would like to play one final SABBATH concert with the band's original drummer Bill Ward. Geezer said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Of course there's an interest [on my part to do it], but there's a big 'but' — you'd have to speak to Bill about it. Everybody wants to do it [but I don't know if he is] capable [of pulling it off]."

Speaking about whether he thinks Bill would be able to play a couple of songs, either as part of a concert or a new SABBATH recording project, Geezer said: "I don't think so. Maybe, I don't know. I mean, the way technical things happen these days, maybe a couple of songs, but who knows? There wouldn't be any traveling involved. We wouldn't be actually all in the studio at the same time together. So it could be done that way — maybe."

Circling back to Ozzy's comment that he would like to play one final SABBATH show in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Geezer said: "Ozzy was hoping to finish it all off next year back in Aston, at the Aston Villa [football stadium in Aston, Birmingham]. I'm definitely up for it, to finish the whole thing off."

Asked if there has been any dialog between all the SABBATH bandmembers about one final show or if it's just Ozzy talking about it in the media, Geezer said: "Me and Ozzy have agreed, but I'm not sure about anybody else."

When host Eddie Trunk pointed out that Geezer wrote in his his autobiography "Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond" that he hadn't spoken to Ozzy in years, Butler revealed that he has since been in touch with Osbourne "every day practically. There was a lot of miscommunication [before]. He didn't think I was asking about his health 'cause I know he's been going through a lot of health problems, and I was sending all these messages to him and they weren't being passed on to him. So he thought I was just ignoring him. And then the weird way I had to go through SABBATH's accountant to tell Ozzy I'd sent him all these things. 'Cause he did this thing in Rolling Stone saying that I hadn't been in touch with him about his health. So I went through the accountant, and he got in touch with Ozzy and said, 'He's just been sending you stuff. He wants to talk to you.' And we've been fine since that."

Asked if he is in regular contact with Ward, Butler said: "He's not on e-mail and I hate the phone. So, I send e-mails to his wife, who passes it on to Bill."

Geezer went on to say that he would definitely be interested in reuniting SABBATH's original lineup for one final performance, even if it was for just a short set. "I'd love to do it. I'd absolutely love to do it," he reiterated.

Asked if he misses playing, Geezer said: "With [the SABBATH guys], yeah." He went on to say that he still practices his playing regularly. "It's like part of me daily exercise. I don't get down to the gym. I just go up to my studio."

Six months ago, Geezer disputed Ozzy's claim that the BLACK SABBATH bassist never contacted him to check up on him while was battling a host of health issues in recent years. Last November, Butler took to his social media to write: "Rumour has it; Ozzy is upset, saying he never received my get well messages. I made 2 different attempts at getting in touch during his illnesses. My first email (8 Feb, 2019) went through his office because I didn't have Ozzy's new number to text him. Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] responded but I didn't hear back from Ozzy. 11 months later (21 Jan, 2020),I emailed Sharon to check on Oz. That email went unanswered.

"I don't want to engage in a tit for tat," Geezer added. "Having made 2 attempts to wish Ozzy well , without a reply, I figured it best to privately keep him in my thoughts."

In "Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond", Butler addressed his relationship with Ozzy, writing, "Me and Ozzy are fine. It's just that we're both ruled by our wives. He's got a big heart and was always there for me in times of trouble... We might not be as close as we were, but we'll always be brothers."

Last fall, Ozzy blamed the breakdown in his friendship with Butler on a falling out between his wife/manager Sharon and Geezer's wife/manager Gloria Butler. He told Rolling Stone UK: "[BLACK SABBATH guitarist] Tony Iommi has been so supportive of me since my illness. Geezer Butler hasn't given me one fucking phone call. Not one fucking call. When his son was fucking born, I phoned him every fucking night even though we were at war with each other, BLACK SABBATH and me [after I was out of the band]. I thought, 'Fuck it, he's my mate. I'm gonna call him.' But from him, not one fucking call.

"It's sad, man," he continued. "We all grew up together, and he can't pick up the fucking phone like a man and see how I'm doing. Even [original BLACK SABBATH drummer] Bill Ward has been in touch with me. I said some things about Bill, and I don't know why I said it, but when I came through my illness, he contacted me.

"I'm not in shock. I'm just very fucking sad that he can't just call me after all this time and say, 'How you doing?' Fucking arsehole."

Asked why he and Geezer had a falling out in the first place, Ozzy said: "His wife and my wife had a falling out. But that's got fucking nothing to do with me. Are you really going to hide behind your wife's skirt because of that?"

In June 2023, Geezer addressed the fact that he hadn't been in contact with Ozzy in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. Speaking about the fact that he mentioned Iommi in the book acknowledgments, where he wrote that Tony "actually still keeps in touch", Geezer said: "Yeah, he's always been there for me. You know, he's a good friend. We can slag each other to death. It's like marriage, really. You have terrible arguments, you fall out and you come back together. But he's always there. He always is. I hope he is after this book as well. I still love Bill, but he's not on the Internet. If you want to talk to Bill, you have to e-mail his wife and she has to tell him. It's really awkward. [Laughs] Ozzy I don't speak to at all." Asked if he thinks there's a chance those lines of communication will open back up at some point, Butler said: "I very much doubt it. We didn't fall out; it was the wives."

During an appearance on the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, Geezer elaborated on his Ultimate Classic Rock comments, saying: "Well, it's like with every family. We've fallen out loads of times over the past 50 years — you fall out for a year or two and then you get together. I don't see any of the rest of the band. It's just that people have picked up on the Sharon part of it because everybody knows who Sharon is. If I would have put Bill's wife in there, nobody would have said anything about it, or Tony's wife. But because everybody knows who Sharon is, they seem to pick up on that. We were such a close band anyway. You have these fallouts and you beat each other up and whatever, and you don't talk to each other for two or three years, and then you get back together as if nothing's ever happened."

Butler and his wife, Gloria Butler, split their time between Henderson, Nevada and Utah while Ozzy and his wife, Sharon, are preparing to move back to the United Kingdom after living in California for the last few decades.

In 2022, Ozzy described Tony to Metal Hammer magazine as "incredibly supportive" while admitting that he hadn't spoken to Butler in a while. "Last I heard, he was living in Vegas," Ozzy said.

During an August 2020 appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride!" podcast, Sharon Osbourne was asked if it's correct to say that when the original BLACK SABBATH lineup reunited more a decade ago, it was done on her terms, with her husband owning the SABBATH name and the other members of SABBATH acting as "employees" of the band. She responded: "It's about right, but Ozzy and Tony own the name — Geezer and Bill don't. So it's Ozzy and Tony that own the name, and they are partners in BLACK SABBATH. So you're kind of right. Ozzy and Tony are equal, and at the time, the other guys, you know, it's kind of like pay-for-play."

Ozzy filed a lawsuit against Tony in May 2009, claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Osbourne sued Iommi for a 50 percent interest in the "Black Sabbath" trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name.

The Manhattan federal court suit also charged that Osbourne's "signature lead vocals" are largely responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting that its popularity plummeted during his absence from 1980 through 1996.

Lawyer Andrew DeVore argued that Osbourne signed away all his rights to the BLACK SABBATH trademark after he quit the band in 1979.

Osbourne's lawyer, Howard Shire, called that agreement a "red herring" that was "repudiated" when the singer rejoined in 1997 and took over "quality control" of the band's merchandise, tours and recordings.

In June 2010, Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio that the lawsuit between him and Tony had been settled and that everything was okay between them.

According to Rolling Stone, Butler had sold his share of the BLACK SABBATH band name to Iommi in 1984 and has since gotten over any regrets. "I still get a quarter of everything, so it doesn't matter financially," he told the magazine. "It's just that I can never go out on the road and call myself BLACK SABBATH."

In his book, Butler wrote that the original SABBATH reunion didn't go as planned after it was announced in November 2011, adding that "there was a big row about the SABBATH name, all over again. I was under the impression that since the original members were back together, writing and recording a new album, the name would revert to all four of us, whatever had happened between Tony and Ozzy a couple of years earlier," Geezer wrote. "But when the name was discussed, it became clear that Tony and Ozzy had no intention of sharing the SABBATH name with me or Bill. I felt cheated, so I left the band again. They got someone in to replace me, but a couple of weeks later I got a call from Tony, begging me to come back. In the end, I got my lawyers on the case and they managed to sort everything out. I was assured that despite not part-owning the SABBATH name, everything would be split equally, and the band wouldn't be able to tour as SABBATH without my approval, if needed."

"Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath - And Beyond" was released in June 2023 in North America via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books.

American death metal juggernaut, Skulldozer, recently announced their partnership with Wormholedeath for the reissue of their debut album, Non Stop Ruthless Crushing. which was released on May 3rd. They have released an official lyric video for "Thy Enemies Driven Before Me", taken from the record. Check it out below.


 


With thunderous grooves and a relentless onslaught of old-school death metal, Non-Stop Ruthless Crushing is a testament to Skulldozer's uncompromising sonic assault. Originally unleashed in 2023, this reissue breathes new life into a classic, delivering groovy hooks and traditional death metal punch with a heavy dose of southern sludge.




In a statement from the band, the members express profound gratitude for the opportunity to work with Wormholedeath: "Skulldozer is eternally grateful and honored to sign with Wormholedeath Records for the release of our debut album, Non Stop Ruthless Crushing. We are so excited to work with such a great label that will help us make 2024 a grand slam year. Huge thanks to Max, Carlo, and all at Wormholedeath for this amazing opportunity. Huge thanks to our manager Paul Andrejack of (EMG) Extreme Management Group. Huge thanks to all of our fans and supporters who continue to be a positive driving force. We love you all. Looking forward to crush your town in 2024."





Tracklisting:


"Non Stop Ruthless Crushing"
"Thy Enemies Driven Before Me"
"Kingdom Ossuarium"
"Hatesworn Shitstorm"
"Scum Beneath The Skin"
"Wolves Amongst Sheeple"
"Bastards Of Zeus"
"Bow To None"
"Deathblessed"
"Skullfucking Domination"

Paradise Lost has announced the 2024 Double LP Picture Disc in Gatefold Sleeve release of Symphony For The Lost. This Limited Edition is held to 475 copies. Order yours now at this location.


Symphony For The Lost is a live album originally released in 2015. It was recorded at the Plovdiv Theater in Bulgaria, accompanied by the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. This album features an epic performance of the band's hits, fusing dark metal with the majesty of a symphony orchestra. The unique atmosphere and powerful performance make Symphony For The Lost a memorable listening experience for fans of metal and classical music.


Artwork and tracklisting:







LP Side A
"Tragic Idol" 
"Last Regret"
"Your Own Reality" 
"Over The Madness" 


LP Side B
"Joys Of Emptiness" 
"Victim Of The Past" 
"Soul Courageus" 
"Gothic" 


LP Side C
"The Enemy" 
"Erased" 
"Isolate" 
"Faith Divides Us, Death Unites us" 


LP Side D
"One Second" 
"True Belief" 
"Say Just Words" 
"The Last Time"