According to Metal Journal, a bat landed on the left leg of THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen during her band's May 29 performance at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, Spain as the support act for AC/DC.

After playing the fifth song of THE PRETTY RECKLESS's set, "Witches Burn", Taylor addressed the crowd, saying: "You guys are pointing at something, and I wanna know what you're saying." She then looked down at her leg and noticed the bat, after which she return to the microphone and exclaimed: "There's a fucking flying bat on my leg right now. Can someone help me, please? I must really be a witch."

A stage quickly hang came over a removed the bat, prompting Taylor to say: "Gracias. It's all right. And the bat's fine. He's gonna be my new friend," before adding, "Holy fuck."

Guitarist Ben Phillips then told the crowd: "Well, that hasn't happened before." Momsen went on to say: "I'm telling you. I'm a fucking witch. I attract the bats. Someone, bring out a black cat. It's gonna be great."

Phillips said to the audience, "Gracias for pointing it out," before Momsen added: "I thought you were pointing at my SOUNDGARDEN bracelet. And I was, like, 'Oh. Fucking they like SOUNDGARDEN. Awesome."

During an appearance on the May 6 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Taylor was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for THE PRETTY RECKLESS's fifth album. She said: "I don't have [release] dates for you, but we booked — we've locked up the studio for eight months. It takes us a while to make a record. But it was going amazingly [before we paused the sessions in order to hit the road]. Hopefully when we pick back up in September, it'll be the same kind of flow and everything will just jell. But a lot of it's written. I'm sure that more will be written when these experiences happen and then new songs [arise] out of them. So I'm sure that there'll be some more songs coming. But I don't have dates. But it was going great, and we had just started; we really haven't started at all, but there's written stuff. So that's a start, I guess. But as far as recording, we hadn't really gotten into it yet."

This past January, THE PRETTY RECKLESS shared a photo of Taylor in the studio with Jonathan Wyman, who co-produced THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, 2021's "Death By Rock And Roll", apparently confirming that Wyman has re-teamed with the group for the upcoming LP.

In a May 2023 interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, Momsen revealed that she and her THE PRETTY RECKLESS bandmates had commenced work on the follow-up to "Death By Rock And Roll".

"We're in a great headspace," she said. "We're just having fun with it, and wrapping up the tour cycle of 'Death By Rock And Roll'. And then new record — and it's next chapter. We've already kind of started it… We've gotten into a studio; we've stepped foot into a studio. So that's saying something for us."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS is supporting AC/DC on the legendary hard rock band's spring/summer 2024 European tour. Momsen and her bandmates also opened for THE ROLLING STONES on May 11 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In November 2022, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", via Fearless Records. The effort saw the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and consists of Momsen, Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

In 2021, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

"I think that that's something that we can all use a little bit more of, especially right now," she said. "We could always use a little more hope, and we could always use a little more rock and roll."

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "Master Of Puppets" 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.

The heavy metal giants were met with a sudden downpour in the middle of their performance, as evidenced in the clip.

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.

Renowned death metal band, Avulsed, have shared the video below, along with the following message:


"The Avulsed show at Maryland Deathfest last Saturday, 25th of May, was a fucking blast!! Not only we had a great time, but the crowd that packed the place was insane!! We have done a special video report with some images which we're sure you'll enjoy!! Feel free to comment and share!!


"Special thanx to the whole Maryland Deathfest (Ryan, Oscar, Jess, etc) organization for making everything easy and of course to all those crazy maniacs that attended to our performance, you were the most important part of this memorable show!!!" 😎🤘

In a new interview with Tulsa Music Stream, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked what piece of advice he would give to a young band looking to succeed in the "competitive" music industry in 2024. Biff responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is very competitive. And the thing is that you have to have a lot of luck as well. You have to have, obviously, talent and everything else that goes with it. But the most important thing, really, is to come up with a song or a group of songs that people can get into. It's very difficult. The GRETA VAN FLEET-type thing where a band comes from nowhere and they sound like a certain other band and they become quite well-known because of that, I think that's one way to go. I just think you have to come up with something that's a bit unique."

Biff continued: "It's really, really difficult to give anybody advice on writing songs, but I think it's all about writing songs — the image of the band, writing songs and delivering those songs live in such a way that people go, 'Jesus, this band are great.' And there has to be some charismatic thing that's happening in that band, whether it be a member or a group or just something that sets you apart from everybody else. That's the only thing I can say, really. And there is a chemistry that happens within a band. Sometimes people see it and realize it and want a piece of it. And you just have to keep going. It's like our song 'Never Surrender'."

SAXON recently launched the "Hell, Fire & Chaos - The Best Of British Rock And Metal" U.S. tour with URIAH HEEP.

SAXON is touring in support of its critically acclaimed 24th studio album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", which came out on January 19 via Silver Lining Music.

Produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) and Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, "Hell, Fire And Damnation" strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal muscle which SAXON co-created.

Early last year, SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn announced that he was stepping back from touring with the band. As a result of his decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Quinn has since been replaced on the road by DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler.

Brian has already joined fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Tim "Nibbs" Carter and Byford for a number of shows in late 2023 and early 2024, but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

Original VIXEN singer Janet Gardner has shot down rumors that she will rejoin her former band following the departure of Lorraine Lewis.

Earlier today (Wednesday, May 27),Janet released the following statement via social media: "Just to clear things up…I am not rejoining VIXEN. As always, I wish them and Lorraine all the best moving forward."

Gardner added that she is working on a new album with her husband, guitarist/producer Justin James.

Also today, VIXEN announced that it has already found a replacement for Lewis. The band wrote on social media: "Hello Foxhead Nation! First of all we want to extend a special thank you to Lorraine Lewis. We're grateful for her contributions to VIXEN and wish her all the best in her career moving forward. Secondly, thank you to everyone sending suggestions and to those who inquired about singing for us. We're letting you all know that we have our new singer and we're ready to Rev it Up! Wanna know who? Come find out! We'll see you on the road!"

VIXEN will play its first show with Lewis's replacement on June 21 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California alongside GREAT WHITE, SLAUGHTER and QUIET RIOT.

VIXEN has more than a dozen more shows scheduled for the summer and early fall.

On May 26, Lewis released the following statement via her social media: "VIXEN Tribe and devoted fans: The band has taken a different direction, and as much as I will miss you please know that more Rock & Roll from me is on the way!

"It has been an honor to front the band since that first show in 2019 & I am forever grateful for the opportunity and memories that came with it! I've had the time of my life and have loved rockin' with ALL of you! I can't wait to rock your faces off again soon cuz trust me babes, I'm not going anywhere!! I love you."

In a June 2023 interview with The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn, Gardner was asked how she felt about VIXEN carrying on with drummer Roxy Petrucci as the sole remaining member of the band's "classic" lineup. She said: "What's the alternative? That it doesn't exist anymore? It is what it is. Obviously, [founding guitarist] Jan [Kuehnemund] will never be a part of it anymore, and I left, and then Share [Ross, bass] left. And the alternative is for it not to exist anymore. So, no, it doesn't bother me. Roxy, she loves playing. So, God bless her. Have fun."

She continued: "There's a lot of bands out there playing with very few, if any, original members. And it's really upsetting to people. But nobody is holding a gun to your head. You don't wanna go see it? Don't go see it.

"I got some messages from some people, 'You need to stop them. They're ruining the VIXEN legacy. Why are you letting them do this?' It's, like, well… I don't understand. I don't understand why people are so upset. Don't go see it if you don't want to."

Speaking about Lewis, Janet said: "Lorraine has always been really supportive and nice to me, always. So, yeah, it's cool."

Janet, who released her debut self-titled solo album in 2017, broke the news of her exit from VIXEN in a social media post in January 2019.

Elaborating on her reasons for leaving the band, Janet told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" back in November 2021: "The summer of 2018 was insane with life in general. 'Cause between [me and my husband Justin James], we have three kids [and regular] jobs… And [Justin and I] were doing our [project]. And VIXEN, we were doing tons of the great, the big festivals — we did Graspop, we did Sweden Rock, we did a whole bunch of… Barcelona, whatever… Lots of stuff was going on. And we were still trying to do shows. It was just insane. And I was so stressed out. I literally went to work — my job as a dental hygienist — didn't have time to change clothes. Went to [John F.] Kennedy airport [in New York], got on a plane, flew to Spain. Then we did a bunch of shows. We had a 2:30 in the morning lobby call, and we got to Germany and had to get in a van and drive and do a 90-minute show. I couldn't do that when I was 25. And then a few other times, [Justin and I] had a show and then I had to get on a plane and fly somewhere else and do a VIXEN show, like, in the afternoon. And literally one time I didn't even get a shower. I wore my makeup from the night before on stage the next day. It was that bad. No sleep, no nothing."

Janet went on to say that she is still on good terms with her former bandmates in VIXEN. "Absolutely. I love 'em to death," she said.

When Janet announced her departure from VIXEN, she said in a statement that it was time for her to step aside and let Petrucci and Ross "pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN."

In January 2018, Gardner underwent surgery to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma.

While Gardner was recovering from her surgery, VIXEN played a show in Durant, Oklahoma in March 2018 with Lewis as a fill-in singer. In January 2019, Lewis was announced as Gardner's official replacement.

Asked if she had anything to do with Lorraine replacing her in VIXEN, Janet told "Trunk Nation": "No. It was totally their call. I expected it. She filled in when I had brain surgery. And they were all comfortable together. Roxy had worked with Lorraine in a different project. Share had worked with Lorraine in a different project. So they all knew each other, and I wasn't surprised at all that that's how it all happened. And I love Lorraine — I think she's great. She's a great singer, a fantastic talent, great frontwoman and a nice person. So I'm happy for them — all of 'em."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest full-length release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

More than two years ago, Ross announced that she was "taking a hiatus" from VIXEN. Her replacement is Julia Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her live debut with VIXEN on February 8, 2022 at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida.

Last year, VIXEN released a new single called "Red". The official music video for the track, which was written and produced by CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury, was directed by Drew Johnston and Vicente Cordero and edited by Ryan Conion.

Just to clear things up…I am not rejoining Vixen. As always, I wish them and Lorraine all the best moving forward. Justin and I are busy working on album number five! Stay tuned! 💕

Posted by Janet Gardner/Justin James Page on Wednesday, May 29, 2024

VIXEN has announced that it has already found a replacement for recently departed singer Lorraine Lewis.

Earlier today (Wednesday, May 27),the band released the following statement via social media: "Hello Foxhead Nation! First of all we want to extend a special thank you to Lorraine Lewis. We're grateful for her contributions to VIXEN and wish her all the best in her career moving forward. Secondly, thank you to everyone sending suggestions and to those who inquired about singing for us. We're letting you all know that we have our new singer and we're ready to Rev it Up! Wanna know who? Come find out! We'll see you on the road!"

VIXEN will play its first show with Lewis's replacement on June 21 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California alongside GREAT WHITE, SLAUGHTER and QUIET RIOT.

VIXEN has more than a dozen more shows scheduled for the summer and early fall.

On May 26, Lewis released the following statement via her social media: "VIXEN Tribe and devoted fans: The band has taken a different direction, and as much as I will miss you please know that more Rock & Roll from me is on the way!

"It has been an honor to front the band since that first show in 2019 & I am forever grateful for the opportunity and memories that came with it! I've had the time of my life and have loved rockin' with ALL of you! I can't wait to rock your faces off again soon cuz trust me babes, I'm not going anywhere!! I love you."

In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.

Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, drummer Roxy Petrucci, bassist Share Ross and guitarist Britt Lightning (a.k.a. Brittany Denaro) vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest full-length release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

More than two years ago, Ross announced that she was "taking a hiatus" from VIXEN. Her replacement is Julia Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her live debut with VIXEN on February 8, 2022 at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida.

Last year, VIXEN released a new single called "Red". The official music video for the track, which was written and produced by CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury, was directed by Drew Johnston and Vicente Cordero and edited by Ryan Conion.

Hello Foxhead Nation! 🦊 First of all we want to extend a special thank you to Lorraine Lewis. We’re grateful for her...

Posted by Vixen on Wednesday, May 29, 2024

KITTIE has released the official music video for the band's new single, "One Foot In The Grave". The new track is the fourth to be released from KITTIE's long-awaited new studio album, "Fire", their first in over 13 years, due on June 21 via Sumerian Records.

KITTIE vocalist/guitarist Morgan Lander comments: "The excitement is palpable in anticipation of our forthcoming album release, with the unleashing of our latest offering 'One Foot In The Grave'. It's a feisty, high-energy song about coming back from the dead and rising from the ashes, so to speak, paralleling our real-life experiences as of late. Letting go of the demons of the past to begin anew is something that resonates with us deeply."

When "Fire" was first announced earlier in the month, Morgan said in a statement: "10 years ago, if someone would have told us that we would be releasing new KITTIE music in 2024, we'd have dismissed them right away. It feels like something deeper than fate that's brought us together again, allowing us to create something fearless and magical for you. We've worked incredibly hard over the past year, and surrounded ourselves with the ultimate dream team to make this album a reality. We cannot wait for you to lose yourselves in the passion and strength of 'Fire'."

"Fire" is available to pre-order now with a variety of merch bundles including exclusive vinyl colorways, t-shirts, a cassette tape, a sticker pack, guitar pick pack, laminate and two metal lunch box designs.

"Fire" track listing

01. Fire
02. I Still Wear This Crown
03. Falter
04. Vultures
05. We Are Shadows
06. Wound
07. One Foot In The Grave
08. Are You Entertained
09. Grime
10. Eyes Wide Open

Last month, KITTIE announced an exclusive run of North American headline dates. The long-awaited shows will see the band perform in five cities across the U.S. and Canada this July and August, giving fans a very special and rare chance to see the band play a full headline set that will include their recently released singles "We Are Shadows" and "Eyes Wide Open" as well as classic hits and some deep cuts not played live since the band's early days.

Last November, it was revealed that KITTIE was working on a new studio LP with producer Nick Raskulinecz at Nashville's Sienna Studios.

Raskulinecz, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles around 16 years ago, had previously worked with such acts as RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, RISE AGAINST, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, SKID ROW and the DEFTONES.

Regarding the overwhelmingly positive response to KITTIE's live shows and music since the band's return in 2022, Lander told Metal Hammer: "I just think that the world is ready for us now. A lot of the things that we were doing 25 years ago were still... I don't want to say controversial, but they seemed so new. It definitely has a lot to do with a shift in thinking and acceptance and representation in the years since the very first time that KITTIE came out. Sometimes it just takes the world a bit of time to catch up and appreciate those things."

In March, Morgan told The MetalSucks Podcast about KITTIE's plans for the rest of 2024: "To be honest with you, this all just feels brand new again. I know that we're veterans of the music industry and whatnot, but we've sort of stepped into a new age and a new era of music releasing and record labels and things like that. So I think the goal is just to just enjoy — for us, for sure — enjoy the process and just — I don't know — put some smiles on people's faces, really. All of the things that come along with releasing new music and an album, like new merch and shows, headlining stuff, album-release stuff, all of that is definitely coming down the pike. But I think ultimately the goal for us is just to sort of enjoy the ride. All of those tangible things will come. It all feels so new and exciting again. So, yeah, we're just here to enjoy the ride."

Asked how she views all the platforms, with social media and music streaming services, now compared to how it was when KITTIE last released new music nearly a decade and a half ago, Morgan said: "Well, I feel like in 2011 [when 'I've Failed You' came out] and 2009 [when 'In The Black' was released], those last two albums, I actually really don't know that Spotify and music and streaming platforms were catching on. And so it was this weird sort of interim period where they may have existed but nobody cared and people were definitely still buying tangible CDs. And, yeah, so now we're in this new era of streaming, and I really feel like music is more accessible than ever and I think more people are listening than ever before, because things are just so easy to find; everything that you need is on a streaming platform. And so I definitely think that it does have its benefits. I mean, as far as being an artist and on the serving-the-artist side of things, it doesn't pay great, but I feel like the audience is greater than ever before. Way back, when we were active, I guess you could say the first time, the industry was definitely a different beast. And this time around, I feel like a lot of people, since we put out our last albums, have discovered the band, a lot of young people as well. And so because streaming [is so widely available], they've had this ability to discover and listen to our old catalog and continue to keep those songs popular and alive. And ultimately, it's that sort of simmering growth that's allowed us to have this opportunity that we have today. So, I don't think that it's a bad thing. I'm excited for the weirdness of the future."

In an interview with Knotfest's "She's With The Band" podcast, KITTIE drummer Mercedes Lander and Morgan spoke about the musical direction of the long-awaited follow-up to "I've Failed You". Mercedes said: "I'm gonna say that we are just really stoked to write 1,200 percent bangers. I think that's just where we're at now. We want people to feel good. We want people to feel what we're feeling. I feel like bangers, that's what we're good at."

Asked by host Tori Kravitz about the possibility of KITTIE combining some of the old-school sound from the band's early days and mixing it up with a fresh approach, Morgan said: "I think marrying some of the ideas, 'cause I don't think we're ever going to put our JNCOs [jeans] on again. But, yeah, the idea of marrying some of those ideas — like who we are now with the ideas of who maybe we used to be and kind of being able to meet somewhere in the middle, but in a way that will just create something brand new again. I'm excited for it to be unleashed upon the world."

KITTIE played its first concert in five years in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Joining Morgan and Mercedes in KITTIE's current lineup guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Vujic.

Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band's native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group's documentary "Kittie: Origins/Evolutions".

Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band's fifth studio CD, 2009's "In The Black". She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE's sixth album, 2011's "I've Failed You".

In January 2022, the original lineup of KITTIE — Morgan, Mercedes, Fallon Bowman (guitar) and Tanya Candler (bass) — reunited for an online chat to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of its gold-certified 2000 debut album, "Spit".

Candler left KITTIE after the release of "Spit" in order to finish high school and was replaced by Talena Atfield.

Bowman exited KITTIE in 2001 and started her own industrial/electronic project, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.

After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for "I've Failed You" album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.

"I've Failed You" sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Photo credit: Dante Dellamore

Power metal veterans DRAGONFORCE have teamed up with "Brawl Stars", a hit multiplayer mobile game with over one billion downloads, to celebrate a brand new character entering the game with an electrifying new song "A Draco Tale" and music video.

Rocking his way into the "Brawl Stars" universe from today, Draco is the game's first guitar-wielding Legendary Brawler. With Draco's love for heavy metal, extreme sports and "Dungeons & Dragons", DRAGONFORCE's new exclusive original track is the perfect headbanging song to welcome this dragon-rider in the most epic, heavy metal way.

DRAGONFORCE co-founder Herman Li, famed for lightning-fast guitar solos inspired by video game soundtracks, is a lifelong gamer who has amassed an impressive Twitch following. The collaboration came about as the game team at Supercell, the company behind "Brawl Stars", are huge fans of DRAGONFORCE and invited the band to announce the addition of a new character. The song blends DRAGONFORCE's high-octane sound with the chaos of "Brawl Stars" and is being released on the game's YouTube channel, which boasts 16.5 million subscribers. The epic music video features the five-piece band and special animations of the new character Draco.

Li says: "'Brawl Stars' is a hectic, fast-paced game that I love playing in my spare time so when the developers asked us to record a new song about a heavy metal-loving character, we jumped at the chance. I think 'Brawl Stars' fans are going to love this new Legendary Brawler."

Drew Haycock, Supercell community manager, adds: "I've personally been a fan of DRAGONFORCE for almost 20 years now and was stoked when they said they'd record a new song for Draco. Working with the band was an awesome experience and it was incredible seeing them do their thing at the video shoot! They were hyped about the project from the start and are the perfect band to bring Draco's quirky charm into the musical world."

DRAGONFORCE's latest album, "Warp Speed Warriors", was released in March via Napalm Records.

On "Warp Speed Warriors", DRAGONFORCE — composed of of guitar virtuosos and founding members Li and Sam Totman, singer Marc Hudson, bassist Alicia Vigil and drummer Gee Anzalone — explore a wider range of varying musical styles than ever before, evolving their sound throughout the exciting musical journey while still staying true to their roots.

"Warp Speed Warriors" was produced, mixed and mastered by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited in Los Angeles, California with Sam Totman and Herman Li.

DRAGONFORCE's platinum-selling single "Through The Fire And Flames" brought the London-based Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group international acclaim and was featured as the most challenging song on "Guitar Hero III".

In March 2019, the "Through The Fire And Flames" music video reached a new milestone: it surpassed one hundred million views on YouTube — DRAGONFORCE's first music video to do so.

"Through The Fire And Flames" is the leadoff track from 2006's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which was officially certified gold in July 2017 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In a new interview with the Battleground Podcast, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. Slash said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm not super excited about this new development, only because I just know that people, for the most part, are gonna use it so much that it's gonna… For one, it's gonna be confusing and misleading. And then there's just gonna be too much of the same kind of look or sound for different things. I see it happening already.

"I'm the guy that likes to go into a studio and record a band live and do it analog, like [my new blues] record ['Orgy Of The Damned'], so the idea of A.I., I can't think of any application where it makes any sense to me for what it is that I do," he continued. "And I'm interested to see who comes up with something really great and unique and useful for me. But having A.I. reproduce anything or actually produce anything original in terms of music does not really thrill me. You can have it write lyrics, you can have it do anything but you doing the actual work and it doesn't thrill me."

Slash clarified that "the technology itself is a human achievement. I mean, it's amazing," he explained. "And technology all the way down the line is always showing some great possibilities with things, but it's how people use them, at the end of the day, as a mass application, that's where you've gotta start worrying."

"Orgy Of The Damned" was released on May 17 via Gibson Records.

This summer, Slash will bring his brand-new "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to cities across the U.S. throughout 2024. S.E.R.P.E.N.T. is an anagram and stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N' Tolerance. The festival is a celebration of the blues, featuring an all-star line-up that will vary. On all dates, Slash will perform alongside his blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Slash formed the "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to bring fans together to celebrate the spirit of the blues, and to perform with other blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre. Slash also has a strong desire to give back to charities that he has supported over the years, as well as to help lift marginalized communities that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. A portion of the proceeds from each VIP package and "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival ticket sold will directly benefit the following charities that Slash has selected: The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute and War Child. "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival has partnered with Plus1.org to support these charitable endeavors.

Joining Slash at various stops on the tour will be WARREN HAYNES BAND, Keb' Mo', Larkin Poe, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Samantha Fish, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales and Jackie Venson.

The trek will kick off on July 5 in Bonner, Montana and wrap up on August 17 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Slash will visit Amoeba Music in Hollywood, California to play a special acoustic set celebrating his star-studded new album "Orgy Of The Damned". On Wednesday, May 29 at 5:00 p.m., Slash and his blues band vocalist/guitarist Tash Neal will perform live at the legendary record store. Capacity is limited, and tickets are required for entry to the event.

Although Slash's latest LP is his second under the "Slash" banner, he has released a handful of albums with his long-running band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, in which he is joined by ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy.

In February, Slash resumed touring with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Brent Fitz (drums),Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

Photo credit: Gene Kirkland

Hard rock veterans L.A. GUNS have announced a new partnership with renowned indie label Cleopatra Records for the next chapter of their historic career. Vocalist Phil Lewis and founder/guitarist Tracii Guns are set to continue the band's renaissance that began in 2016 and continues to revitalize L.A. GUNS' massive fanbase as never before.

L.A. GUNS' next studio album will be the first fruit of the band's reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production. The collaboration comes at a pivotal moment for L.A. GUNS, featuring a mix of classic members and fresh faces, which is set to deliver an album that both honors their legacy and explores new creative horizons.

Brian Perera, owner Cleopatra Records, Inc., said: "I'm thrilled to have L.A. GUNS back home, completing a full circle journey with them. From my early days printing their t-shirts in my parents' garage — side by side with GUNS N' ROSES — to now, I am genuinely excited to welcome them home with a new recording contract at Cleopatra Records. It's not just a signing; it's a celebration of our shared history and a promising future together."

Tracii added: "Brian and I go back to the '80s when he began in the business making t-shirts. Since then, we have done multitudes of recordings together, including L.A. GUNS! Coming back to Brian and Cleopatra's creative environment really feels like coming home now 40 years later and our excitement once again for the future is through the roof! LET'S GO!!!"

L.A. GUNS' latest studio album, "Black Diamonds", came out in April 2023. It was the fourth studio album since the much-welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It followed the well-received studio albums "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

In April 2021, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS were allowed to perform and record under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS. Riley died last October at the age of 67.

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim. Since reuniting, Tracii and Phil continue to tour around the world with L.A. GUNS, which currently includes Johnny Martin (bass) and Ace Von Johnson (guitar).

Progressive death metal duo, Entheos, today unleashes their latest single, "Life In Slow Motion". The track, and accompanying video, follows the band's crushing "An End To Everything" single released last month and serves as a precursor to the music to come later this year.





Elaborates vocalist Chaney Crabb, "'Life In Slow Motion' is a song about seeing life through the eyes of drug addiction and the ways that it affects not only the addict, but the people who surround them. It's about wanting to return to a moment in life where the addiction took over and pondering what could have happened if things went another direction. Musically, this is one of the heaviest and fastest songs that we've written. We wanted the music to make listeners feel the tension that builds in the track, which ultimately is released with one of our heaviest breakdowns."




Watch the "Life In Slow Motion" video, directed by My Good Eye Visuals, below:





Watch the band's previously released video for "An End To Everything":





Entheos will return to the road this July on a US summer tour supporting As I Lay Dying. The journey runs from July 9 through August 10. Additional support will be provided by Chelsea Grin. The band has also announced several headlining shows throughout the trek.





Headlining dates:


July
5 - 89th Street - Oklahoma City, OK  
6 - Jakes - Lubbock, TX
8 - Sinwave - Las Vegas, NV     
18 - Lefty's - Des Moines, IA w/ He Is Legend
19 - The Cabooze - St. Paul, MN
22 - Preserving Underground - Pittsburgh, PA


August
1 - Southport - New Orleans, LA





Dates with As I Lay Dying:


July
9 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
10 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
12 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Tacoma, WA - Temple Theatre
14 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
16 - Denver, CO - Summit
17 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
19 - Grand Rapids, MI - Upheaval Festival
20 - Mansfield, OH - INKcarceration
21 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
23 - Albany, NY - Empire Live
24 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
25 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of The Living Arts
26 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
27 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
29 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
30 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
31 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing


August
2 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
3 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum
4 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
6 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey Theater
7 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco
10 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory Northpark

In a new interview with Monsters, Madness And Magic, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian was asked to name some of the "most impactful" live shows that he has seen as a fan. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, there's a few. The first one that I ever saw, my first rock show I ever saw was IRON MAIDEN in 1984, I'd like to say — 1984, maybe. My girlfriend at the time was a huge MAIDEN fan and I, at the time, didn't even listen to much rock music. I hadn't even smoked pot. It was the first time I started smelling pot outside. I was a 4.0 good kid in school. So that was impactful for me because of the timing more than anything. And you'll hear those kind of horses galloping within SYSTEM's music that's influenced by MAIDEN as well; everyone in rock has been influenced by MAIDEN. Roger Waters [PINK FLOYD], seeing him do the whole 'Wall' [album] more recently — like maybe 10, 15 years ago, 10 years ago, maybe. That was incredible, just the performative aspect of it. The whole theatrical aspect of it was incredible. But I had seen PINK FLOYD way, way before as well — the flying pig. Just so many. I can't even think now."

Tankian previously reflected on his introduction to MAIDEN in a 2012 interview with The A.V. Club. At the time, he said: "[The first concert I attended was in] 1984, IRON MAIDEN, at Irvine [Meadows] Amphitheater, which is now the Verizon [Wireless] Amphitheater in Orange County, California. I went with my girlfriend at the time. She took me, actually. She was an IRON MAIDEN fan."

He continued: "I thought it was one of the craziest things I'd ever seen. [Laughs] I'm, like, 'This is madness! What is this? Everyone, hide!' At the time, I wasn't actually a metal fan at all. I thought, 'Wow, this is really noisy music, I don't get it.' To be completely honest, I wasn't in love with it. And now I'm a huge IRON MAIDEN fan, and I know Bruce Dickinson and see the guys on tour and whatnot. But time changes. It's interesting. But at the time, I wasn't a metal or even a rock fan, to be honest."

Asked what he was into back in 1984, Serj said: "I was into different types of music, but I didn't really go to shows. I think over time, the exposure to rock and metal obviously changed my mind. And it's funny, years ago I saw that ex-girlfriend. She was my first girlfriend, like, my high-school love and stuff. Years ago, I saw her and she was like, 'Do you remember IRON MAIDEN?' And I'm, like, 'Shut up.' [Laughs] She's, like, 'You didn't really like it at the time and now everyone knows you're the metal singer — how funny.' I'm, like, 'Life is funny, you know. It's true.' That's how life is."

Tankian's memoir, "Down With The System", was released on May 14 via Hachette Books.

Tankian is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but he is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. Since launching on to the rock scene in 1993, he's performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. He's also a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist; along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice, which strived to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has composed scores for many films and television series, had his paintings exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and New Zealand, and released two books of his own poetry. He has also been an executive producer on multiple documentaries, including "I Am Not Alone", which tells the story of Armenia's 2018 revolution and which won awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, American Film Institute Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

Heading towards the end of next week’s album release, San Diego-based black metal aggregation, Mythraeum, release another sampling from their anticipated debut. “Beyond The Void” is released as a digital single today, accompanied by a new video highlighting their live show.


While “Beyond The Void” retains all of the benchmarks black metal fans have come to love about the genre, Mythraeum aim to build upon those influences with some shred- and folk-inspired guitar work to elevate the track and making it a tad more interesting than the rudimentary traditions.  


“’Beyond The Void’ is a very dark and personal song that deals with being shown the very truths of existence,” cite Mythraeum. “By letting go of these collected memories over time that chain us to this earth, we can shed our humanity and traverse Beyond The Void to seek out our cosmic self. That being said, we felt a live video was perfect for this song because it shows our raw authentic selves and we want to share that with the world.”







"Beyond The Void" follows first single/video "Skies Torn Asunder" in giving a peek at what these US Wacken Metal Battle winners have in store on their awaited full-length, Oblivion Aeternam.


Recorded by Mythraeum and Ethan Stouder, the album was mixed and mastered by J-F Dagenais (Kataklsym, Malevolent Creation, Exodus) and is ripe for fans of classic black metal like Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, and Dark Funeral as well as taking inspiration from groups like Wintersun and Kalmah.


“This album means so much to us as we have worked diligently on it for two years now! Being able to finally unleash our first full-length upon the world has us very ecstatic and anxious for everyone to hear it,” states Mythraeum. “The album itself shows the progression of an already failing society falling into the hands of an armageddon where the earth is reclaiming its throne and cosmic deities have this sort of reign on any last grasp of humanity. All the while, the protagonist of our story is fighting off any evil that roams the lands only to be met with a crushing sense of existentialism. We feel as though these dark and romantic ideas that tantalize our own existence definitely mirror the musical prowess of this album. We hope that through ‘Oblivion Aeternam’ you may embody these emotions and become one with us... for we are all Mythras!!!”


Oblivion Aeternam’will be released on June 6 on Digital, Digipak CD w/booklet and a special 2LP pressing, limited to 300 copies of pure denim colored vinyl, which adds Mythraeum's 2023 EP Halls of Mythras as a bonus for side 4.


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Dawn Of Reckoning"
"Crown And Sepsis"
"Harbinger's Chant"
"Halls Of Forgotten Will"
"The Hunter's Dream"
"Halls Of Mythras (Reincarnation)"
"Terrestrial Despair"
"Skies Torn Asunder"
"Through The Nether"
"Beyond The Void"


"Skies Torn Asunder" lyric video:

Multi-platinum rock band, Staind, was presented with commemorative plaques in celebration of their #1 rock album and two #1 singles at Sonic Temple music festival in Columbus, OH.


Staind’s latest album, Confessions Of The Fallen, released in 2023, reached #1 on Billboard’s Rock Album chart. So far, the album has generated two #1 singles, “Lowest In Me” and “Here and Now” on the Active Rock Radio singles chart.


The band’s latest single, “Better Days” is currently Top 20 moving up quickly on the active rock radio chart. The track is consistently streaming over 500,000 plays per week in the US.







Staind’s co-headline tour with Breaking Benjamin and special guests Daughtry and Lakeview, kicks off September 10 in Burgettstown, PA.


Dates:


September
10 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake
11 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
13 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
14 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union Ampitheatre
18 - Gilford, NH - BankNH Pavilion
19 - Wantagh, NY - Northwest Health at Jones Beach Theater
21 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union
22 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion      
26 - West Palm Beach, FL - ITHINK Financial Amphitheatre
28 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre


October
1 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
3 - Denver, CO - The JunkYard
5 - West Valley City, UT - Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
6 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Amphitheatre
8 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
9 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
13 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
15 - Las Vegas, NV - Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood
18 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Ampitheatre
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheatre
22 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
24 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
25 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater


(Pictured at top from left to right: Sal Giancarelli, Staind; Danny Wimmer, Danny Wimmer Presents; Aaron Lewis, Staind; Joe Guzik, Alchemy Recordings; Mike Mushok, Staind; Johnny April, Staind; Ryan Harlacher, CAA; and manager Ben Kitterman of Vector management)

Canadian modern power metal icons, Unleash The Archers, released their massive sixth studio album, Phantoma, on May 10 via Napalm Records. The album has hit the charts in the US, Canada, UK, Germany and Switzerland. 


Napalm Records: "Congratulations to Unleash The Archers on their amazing chart success! Their latest album has stormed the charts, and we couldn't be prouder. Thank you to all the fans for your incredible support."


Check out the new BraveWords feature story on Unleash The Archers, featuring an interview with vocalist Brittney Slayes, here.







The band ushered in release week with the epic album closer anthem "Blood Empress". The track tells a bittersweet tale with spine-tingling, grooving choruses before closing with a grandiose blastbeat attack amid a sea of voices.


On the new concept album, listeners join protagonist Phantoma, a Phase 4 / Network Tier 0 unit - model A, on an inspiring yet harrowing journey as she discovers the brutal truths behind the manufactured sheen of social media posturing on a dystopian, near-future planet earth. With the band’s one-of-a-kind blend of power metal, traditional heavy metal, modern prog and pop sensibilities, Phantoma spins a web of sharp musicality, high sci-fi concept and important social commentary.


Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers says about “Blood Empress”: "This was the last song that we wrote for the album and we wrote it together in our Airbnb while we were recording. We always like to save one song to write together in the studio to give a kind of snapshot of the headspace we were in while recording, and this one was a ton of fun. We wanted to do a bit more of a radio rock track and have it be something simple that would be a blast to play live and potentially end the set with. The album story ends with Phantoma having destroyed both The Collective and the Human Council that once stood against her, but now she had all of robotkind and humankind looking to her for where to go next. We wanted the song to feel dark but also triumphant, and to hopefully be catchy enough to make the listener want to start the album all over again. The video was filmed once again by RuneGate Studio and they did an awesome job with finding a set that could parry between both the synthetic and the human sides of the story. We all love this track in UTA and hope that you all can bang your heads to it too!"


Watch the official music video for “Blood Empress”:





Intertwining reality with imagination, Unleash The Archers were inspired to utilize elements of AI during the creation of Phantoma, in keeping with its innovative theme. Frontwoman and lyricist Brittney Slayes conjured the album's concept in 2021; before the swarm of pressing commentary surrounding AI began to reach an all-time high.


The band weaved electronic and synthwave elements throughout the album’s 10 colossal anthems, which - in line with its theme - prove much darker and heavier in comparison to the bright positivity of Abyss. Album opener “Human Era” sets the tone with imagery of a bleak, windswept futurescape that crescendos headlong into the breakneck pace of power metal bastion “Ph4/NT0mA” - a masterwork of dueling guitar solos and vocal acrobatics. Trad-metal influenced “Buried In Code” lights the way with pummeling rhythms before the album’s path turns dark on heavy metal hardened “The Collective”, with Brittney Slayes’ warm tones inviting the listener to ‘join or stand aside’! Hair-raising first single “Green & Glass” unveils the truth before the upbeat 80s flavored “Gods In Decay” and the extraordinary balladic anthem “Give It Up Or Give It All” showcase the varied song writing prowess of Unleash The Archers’ modern era. A trifecta of concept closers begins with the moody “Ghosts In The Mist”, leading into the soaring yet menacing “Seeking Vengeance” before closing with the bittersweet tale of “Blood Empress”.


Mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, and with lead guitarist Andrew Kingsley at the helm as both principal songwriter and producer, Phantoma is an exciting advancement in Unleash The Archers’ songwriting and storytelling mastery, and a giant leap forward in their towering musical trajectory.





Phantoma will be available in the following formats:      


- Earbook Edition with 2CD (2 Bonus Tracks and instrumental version of the album), 7" Single (2 bonus tracks on Black vinyl), 60 pp booklet (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 1000)
- -2LP Gatefold in Phantoma Cristallo Multicolored Splatter (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300) - NEW!
- 2LP Gatefold in Marbled Orange Red with 24 page vinyl booklet and artprint (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300) - SOLD OUT!
- 2LP Gatefold in Glow In the Dark (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Splatter Aquamarine Orange (Napalm International Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Transparent Lime Green (Napalm North American Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Silver (North American indie retail only - limited to 700)
- 2LP Gatefold in Black      
- Cassette Tape Edition in Fluorescent Green with White Print (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 200)
- Jewel Case CD Edition
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Phantoma tracklisting:


"Human Era"
"Ph4/NT0mA"
"Buried In Code"
"The Collective"
"Green & Glass"
"Gods In Decay"
"Give It Up Or Give It All"
"Ghosts In The Mist"
"Seeking Vengeance"
"Blood Empress"


“Seeking Vengeance” video:





“Ghosts In The Mist” video:





"Green & Glass" video:





Unleash The Archers will tour across the globe in 2024, with dates already announced in North America, Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. See below for all currently booked tour dates.


European Festivals:


July
5 - Ballenstedt, Germany - Rock Harz
6 - Knislinge, Sweden - Time To Rock
12 - Visovice, Czech Republic - Masters Of Rock
19 - Laukaa, Finland - John Smith Fest
21 - Baile Figa, RO @ Celtic Transylvania


August
2 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
9 - Villena, Spain - Leyendas Del Rock
10 - Walton-On-Trent, UK - Bloodstock


Supporting Powerwolf in North America:


August
29 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
31 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theatre


September
3 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
4 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Theatre
5 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
7 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Landing
8 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
9 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
12 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
13 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
14 - New York City, NY - Brooklyn Paramount
15 - Laval, QC - Place Bell





Unleash The Archers lineup:


Brittney Slayes - Vocals
Scott Buchanan - Drums
Grant Truesdell - Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Kingsley - Guitar, Vocals
Nick Miller - Bass


(Photo - Shimon Karmel)

In a new interview with Germany's Moshpit Passion, SOULFLY leader Max Cavalera spoke about the musical direction of the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Totem" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I really liked the early SOULFLY stuff because it was more tribal and more groove. And now because I have [the] CAVALERA and GO AHEAD AND DIE [projects], I can be as heavy as I want with CAVALERA that it leaves me SOULFLY to be something quite different. I can mold SOULFLY a bit different now where SOULFLY is really kind of like more of a groove-oriented tribal band. And I think that's really, in a lot of people's perception, that was the best of SOULFLY was like that. So, it's not that I'm jumping on the bandwagon of nu metal; it's not really that. It's just that I think that the early SOULFLY had some kind of magic that, through the years we kind of lost that magic. And I think we're trying to bring it back with this new record that is gonna come out next year."

Elaborating on what fans can expect to hear on SOULFLY's upcoming thirteenth album, Max said: "I think it's gonna be cool because it's also influenced by other stuff I'm listening to at the moment, like KUBLAI KHAN and JESUS PIECE and KNOCKED LOOSE, JUDICIARY. So there's really heavy breakdown grooves together with tribal drums. It's gonna be cool, man. It's gonna be a real cool album that I am very excited to create. And, of course, also the fact that my mother passed away last year, I'm gonna make this album for her. It's a homage to her. So it's gonna be also a spiritual record for me because of that. So it's gonna be a special record, for sure. It's been [two] years since 'Totem'. 'Totem' was our last record. I think we are inspired to create something special next year."

This past March, Max was asked by Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", if guitarist Mike DeLeon, who has been touring with SOULFLY for more than a year, will be featured on the band's next LP. Max responded: "I'm leaving it open for now. Mike is gonna jam with us. We have some festivals in the U.S. I think we're doing, and we're also doing the LAMB OF GOD boat [Headbangers Boat], the cruise. That should be fun as hell. And Mike will play with us for that. He's a great guy. I love Mike."

He continued: "I don't know. It's too early to know where I'm gonna go with this record — if I'm gonna try to find somebody else to record or if we're just gonna roll with Mike. We don't know yet. I haven't even — I [only] have a few riffs written [so far]."

Asked if he writes music for I whatever record or project he is working on or if he puts riffs aside for certain records, Max said: "When I lock in on a project, I get very obsessed with the project. I become so obsessed that everything I'm writing is for this and I know exactly what it needs, what kind of sound I'm looking for. And SOULFLY, I'm kind of planning a little bit of a return to the early sound. The big-groove tribal sound will return to SOULFLY. I think a lot of fans want that. I love that. I think it's kind of like a trademark of SOULFLY that kind of got lost in the shuffle through the years. We went more into the trashier side of stuff. But now I have [my side project] GO AHEAD AND DIE that I can trash all I want in it. I can have SOULFLY be a little bit more what it was in the beginning — more about that, the whole tribal thing, which is really cool and unique. It's a unique thing that SOULFLY has. So we're gonna probably go back more to that, which should be really cool."

Prior to hooking up with SOULFLY, DeLeon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, which he joined in 2015 as the replacement for Marzi Montazeri. More recently, Mike filled in for Zakk Wylde at the first rehearsal for the fall 2022 PANTERA shows.

In August 2021, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the band's 2021 and 2022 run of shows.

In February, Max told Ghost Cult's Keefy that SOULFLY's follow-up to "Totem" likely wouldn't arrive before 2025.

"Totem", came out in August 2022 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" was recorded at Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino and Arthur Rizk with assistance from John Powers. Produced by Max Cavalera alongside Arthur Rizk (KREATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, CODE ORANGE),the LP boasts guest appearances from John Powers (ETERNAL CHAMPION),Chris Ulsh (POWER TRIP),and John Tardy (OBITUARY). Rizk was also responsible for playing lead guitar on the record. The artwork for the album was created by James Bousema.

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

The Europa Press Andalucía YouTube channel has uploaded professionally filmed video of AC/DC performing the song "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" earlier tonight (Wednesday, May 29) at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, Spain. Check it out below.

The setlist for the show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
02. Back In Black
03. Demon Fire
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Dark
09. Stiff Upper Lip
10. Shoot To Thrill
11. Sin City
12. Rock 'N' Roll Train
13. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
14. High Voltage
15. Riff Raff
16. You Shook Me All Night Long
17. Highway To Hell
18. Whole Lotta Rosie
19. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

20. T.N.T.
21. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

The "Power Up" European tour marks AC/DC's first with the band's new touring lineup consisting of singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and the latest addition to the group's touring lineup, bassist Chris Chaney.

The 24-date trek will run through August. The trek will hit the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland before landing at London's Wembley Stadium for a pair of shows on July 3 and 7, then moving on to Germany, Slovakia and Paris and winding down at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. The European tour is the first run of gigs since AC/DC's return to the stage at last year's rock Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

AC/DC's last tour took place in 2015 and 2016 and had a $180 million gross, with 2,310,061 sold tickets reported to the Pollstar box office.

Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

In its announcement about Laug's addition to the band's Power Trip lineup, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band's longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, the now-76-year-old Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson previously said the technology could allow him to tour again.

Chaney is best known as the bassist of JANE'S ADDICTION and as a member of Alanis Morissette's touring and recording band. Chaney was also a member of TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS and CAMP FREDDY, as well as being a prolific and versatile session musician, having played with artists including Joe Cocker, Shakira, Slash and Avril Lavigne to Sara Bareilles, Gavin Degraw, Cher, SHINEDOWN and Celine Dion. Chaney is also a founding member and partner in the all-star supergroup ROYAL MACHINES along with Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION),Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),Josh Freese (FOO FIGHTERS) and Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL).

Bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement at the end of AC/DC's 2015-2016 "Rock Or Bust" tour, which also saw Johnson leaving. However, Williams — and Johnson — took part in the recording sessions that resulted in "Power Up". Both of them were also part of the AC/DC lineup that performed at Power Trip.

During an October 2020 interview with Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Cliff was asked if Johnson's departure from the road was what led to his desire to stop touring. Cliff responded: "It was before then. I spoke to Angus about it initially. I was at a point — and this is at the beginning of the 'Rock Or Bust' tour — that I just felt, for me, it was time to hang it up. I knew that I didn't wanna keep doing these two-year tours, and I didn't wanna hold them back, so I made them aware of the fact that this was gonna be my last go-round. It was a tough tour to finish. God bless Axl for coming in and helping us out, finish it up. He did a great job. And at the end of that, I was definitely — that was it for me. Done — just done. That compounded the whole thing."

According to Williams, he wanted to take part in the recording sessions for "Power Up" as a tribute to Angus's late brother, founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up".

"If 'Back In Black' has [late AC/DC singer] Bon Scott all over it, for me, 'Power Up' has got Malcolm Young," Cliff said. "This is for him. And it's the band that we played together with for 40-plus years. And I wanted to do that — I wanted to come back and do that.

"We did some rehearsals earlier [in 2020] before this darn COVID thing popped up, and we had great rehearsals," he continued. "The band was playing really well. So [they asked me], 'Do you wanna do a few shows? 'Sure'. A few shows. We were planning on doing that. Everyone goes home to their respective homes, and bang, we've been here ever since [because of the coronavirus-related shutdown]."

Cliff went on to confirm that his commitment to AC/DC was only for "a few" dates in support of "Power Up".

"For both [my mental and physical] health," he said. "I definitely have some physical issues, which I won't bore you with the details of. But, yeah, it's tough. I'm very grateful for everything. It's been fantastic. But I just don't wanna do that anymore."

Williams previously revealed that a "terrible" bout with vertigo contributed to his 2016 retirement. He also admitted the return of both Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd convinced him to rejoin the group. "It was like the old band back together," he told Rolling Stone. "It was not like starting over again, but as close to the band that's been together for 40-plus years as we can possibly make it. I didn't want to miss that."

The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust", "Power Up" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and "Rock Or Bust".